Zoos have evolved over the years to make the life of an animal less and less traumatic, although it is still a prison for entertainment. Unlike those parks where the work to preserve species and recover those at risk of extinction seems to me to be an extremely important social and environmental job. Seeing that there are still zoos where you see that it is simply a prison makes me sad and angry, seeing the aggressive attitude of many animals in these zoos already gives you an idea of ​​the discomfort they feel there and in those conditions. I have mixed feelings, but I am clear that if they gave me the option to choose, I would release them all. I dedicate this series to all those animals that in one way or another live in a prison, or simply have their freedom stolen from them.

Los zoo durante años han evolucionado para que cada vez sea menos traumática la vida de un animal, aunque sigue siendo una cárcel para entretener. A diferencia de aquellos parques donde el trabajo para preservar especies y recuperar aquellas en riesgo de extinción me parece un trabajo social y ambiental sumamente importante. Ver que todavía existan zoo donde ves que simplemente es una cárcel me genera tristeza y rabia, ver la actitud agresiva de muchos animales en estos zoo ya te dan a entender el malestar que tienen estando allí y en esas condiciones. Tengo mis sentimientos encontrados, pero tengo claro que si me dan la opción a elegir, los soltaría a todos.. Esta serie se la dedico a todos aquellos animales que de una u otra manera viven en una cárcel, o simplemente les roban su libertad.

When a narcissist person can no longer control you, they will try to control how others see you.

A narcissistic person often seeks to isolate you — slowly, subtly, and insidiously. They may tell you that no one wants contact with you, that you are not invited, that you have no friends, making you doubt your own worth. Over time, constant manipulation and denigration can erode your self-esteem; you begin to question your value, your feelings, your memories. This is not simply a change of mood: it is a deliberate attempt to break your spirit. They will invade your privacy and intimate life, they have no respect for your privacy, they even might be telling the details of your life that are purely private.

Gradually, they switch off your inner light — the one that shone before you met them. On long-term narcissistic abuse, you might experience persistent self-doubt, diminished self-worth, emotional exhaustion, loss of memory and symptoms similar to post-traumatic stress.

And do not underestimate a narcissist. They are experts in creating a perfect social image. They create an illusion of perfection — the ideal partner, friend, or colleague. Narcissists are skilled manipulators: charming, socially adept, persuasive. This allows them to present a flattering image to the outside world while undermining you.

They may destroy your life bit by bit — undermining your relationships, degrading your self-esteem, and telling others (and even you) that you are the problem: unstable, overly emotional, paranoid, hysterical, “needing help.” These tactics serve to deflect responsibility and maintain control over your narrative and theirs.

And even if the narcissist finally leaves your life — it is not the end. Narcissistic abuse mostly leaves long-lasting psychological wounds: anxiety, depression, emotional numbness, trust issues, difficulty in relationships, problems making decisions, and a fragile sense of self.

But at the end of the day, the darkness they cast over you is not who you really are. And you begin to see again: the light that was dimmed, still glows within you. Healing is not forgetting — it is reclaiming. It is learning that your worth was never theirs to take, and your truth was never theirs to rewrite…

KD

Linkedin | SaatchiArt | Book | Magic Art Photography | Facebook | Instagram

one of the petites fours from my fabulous, swanky cocktail party last night! i have to thank my friend matt for the inspiration for this photo and for the candles - i love this candle!

today has been a very good day, and turning 35 has been considerably less traumatic than i had imagined.

incidently, i took this photo then ate the petit four. unbelievable...

A few more odds and ends from my archives, I am adding the description that I wrote under a different image taken on the same outing. Will be without my car for another several weeks minimum (sigh!), so will be posting images from my archives for quite a while.

"I should have set my alarm for this morning (12 December 2015) after all, as my 'traumatic' afternoon yesterday seems to have tired me out even more than I realized, lol. I actually had to go to a shopping mall, something that I normally avoid at all cost - and just two weeks before Christmas! This insanity was caused by an electric kettle that had finally worn out the evening before and I knew there was no way around it. This trip reminded me why I dislike this time of year so much!

Later, to calm my frazzled nerves, I started looking through some scenic shots in my archives. This was one of the first ones I came across, taken more or less a year ago. A change of colour for my photostream, too.

What a day I had a year ago, on 7 December 2014, with friends, in an absolute winter wonderland! We set off about 7:45 a.m. (still dark) and drove westwards to the Kananaskis area of our majestic mountains. Early in the drive, the sunrise turned the still distant mountains pink (zoomed photo that made the mountains appear closer than they actually were). This is always such an amazing sight to see. Full moon for us was 6 December, about 24 hours before this day trip began.

Once we had reached Kananaskis, we drove the area of Highway 40 that is still open (the rest of this highway is closed during the winter months) and also the Smith-Dorrien road. There had been a recent snowfall and the trees were still covered in snow, which turned everywhere into a winter wonderland. There was no wind and the temperatures hovered a few degrees around 0C. Sunshine, a few clouds, and fun company made it such a great day!

My friends had been hoping for a long time to be able to show me a winter Moose and, on this day, they did well, finding a beautiful female and, at another location, a male with antlers that looked rather like two little twigs sticking out of the side of his head. The size of both these wild animals was huge! The closest we saw them both was when they approached the car. You can stop the car some distance away from them, but if they are busy licking off the salt and minerals from any car in sight, they sometimes might eventually come close. All the female was interested in was doing this very thing : ) She would occasionally stop, straighten up and look and listen - usually this would be because she had heard or seen people snow-shoeing or cross-country skiing on a nearby trail through the forest. The rest of the time, she licked and licked and licked some more - the slurping sound could be heard from quite some distance :) At one point, she bent both front knees to kneel, so that she could reach the lower part of a vehicle. Lol, she did a fine job of cleaning headlights till they shone. Impressive and rather amusing at the same time. Free carwash, anyone??

We saw the female first, then the youngish male, and then we saw the same female a second time, later. After feeding on dead leaves and tiny twigs from under the deep snow, she then lay down in the snow among some trees - the first time I had ever seen a Moose lying down. Such a peaceful scene - no one else was around either.

I always feel so privileged when I witness any kind of wildlife, especially so when you get the chance to watch a while and learn the behaviour of the animal or bird you are lucky enough to see. My friends were so delighted to be able to let me experience this, though I've always said that just being in such spectacular scenery and being able to photograph the mountains is more than enough for me."

Mia pushes her sister up the rise on the walkway across Jefferson Ave. at Mary Free Bed.

I didn't realize her birthday was yesterday so this is a day late. She'll probably never see it anyway but just in case, Happy Birthday. You're an incredible musician and I know how weird and traumatic it is when you turn 30.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YNoppwf8Pg&list=RD025YNoppwf8Pg

**All photos are copyrighted. Please don't use without permission**

Deep dream generated.

Very traumatic day, abandoned by my Mum for a whole day, can still remember it! Westmead infants' school, opened in the mid 1800's closed around 1980 and now demolished. Separate entrances for boys and girls, normal I assume back then.

"I've seen enough horror movies to know any weirdo wearing a mask is never friendly."

('Jason Voorhees' by NECA / Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives - 30th Anniversary Ultimate Jason)

Diorama by RK

My Facebook:

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Created by local artist Ray Lonsdale, the sculpture is also intended to represent Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which many of the returning soldiers endured. Mr Lonsdale got his idea for the piece after hearing a story about a soldier from nearby Murton who won a war medal.

I don't even want to talk about how difficult this shot turned out to be. But I will give the less traumatic details.

First off, I know this shot has been done before, but not by me - I wanted to try my hand to get some more technical experience (be careful what you wish for).

I'd seen some shots like this where the bulb is sitting on a black base but I decided I wanted it truly floating in the air. So there is a dowel glued to the back of the base of the bulb with the wires taped along it. The advantage of this is that the bulb really is suspended and I like the way that looks. The disadvantage is that the camera angle has to be precisely positioned to hide the dowel.

With the dowel attached and the wiring done (I've determined while I may have a few talents, soldering is not one of them) I then had to set up for a dark field light shot. The flag blocking the light was an extra challenge because I had to allow the dowel to pass through it. This was traumatic part of the setup. Let's just say I used two pieces of card, slots in both and lots of black tape and not talk about it anymore.

So, I've got it mounted, wired to a dimmer switch and set up for dark field lighting. The first test shots revealed that the base of the bulb was not lit up at all so you couldn't even tell that it was suspended in the air (kind of defeated the purpose of the shot). To add some light there is a mirror tilted at an angle to cast some light up to the base.

With that issue taken care of I found that even with the lights off I got a reflection of two walls and the ceiling of my dining room reflected in the curved sides of the glass. To deal with that I propped a black flag on one side, laid another on against my chest and held a third overhead (does anyone know where I can get at least one more arm?).

After many attempts this is the FINAL shot. How final? As I typed this my solder gave way and with a hiss, a pop and a small spark the whole thing just blew in front of me. I'm going drinking.

View On Black

So hmm this is a little simple thing for this one i was planning on editing the day i took it but you know one thing led to another and i was working on homework and writing papers D:

Yall should check out Partie Traumatic by Black Kids loveeee them check out their music for sure :D

"Jason lives!"

('Jason Voorhees' by NECA / Friday the 13th Part 6: Jason Lives - 30th Anniversary Ultimate Jason)

Diorama by RK

Mia bought Erin this cheerleader bear for her sister.

It's easy to forget how traumatic one's birth really is. Not only are you ejected from the safest and most nurturing environment you'll ever experience in your life, but then you get poked, prodded, rubbed, scrubbed, poked some more, and then the final indignity of all, tagged on the wrist like some animal in a game preserve.

I wonder if Adam is already thinking of payback.

[[[[[ Accessing Taun We Personal Files ]]]]]

||

||

[[[[ 253rd Elite Legion ]]]]

||

||

[[[[ 3rd Regiment ]]]]

||

||

[[[[ Garbage Squad // Trash Company ]]]]

[[ Members ]]

\\\ Number : CT-1024-52

\\\Name : Titus

\\\Rank : ARC Captain Grade III

\\\Weaponry : DC-15S Pistol, Kukri Blade

\\\Equipment :Long-range comlink, additional armor padding, built in HUD

\\\Medical File : Left arm prosthesis, left eye prosthesis, traumatic brain injuries

\\\Personality : "Titus is a lunatic. He refuse to be diagnosed, and have never been to an hospital since Jabiim, thinking that we may try to terminate him. He does not trust us, the Jedis, or Command. He constantly misinterpret or ignore orders, but so far, he always have completed the global objectives he has been given. All of Titus' logs, made after Jabiim, have been classified, as we believe that he alters them in order to hide some of his actions. Titus was reprimanded after Jabiim, as he ignored orders to "have fun" with Nationalists. Even if it not appears in his logs, we strongly believe that Titus continues to do those kind of things. Especially on Ryloth, where Jabiim Nationalist were spotted and where most of the 3rd civilian casualties were apparently due to Trash Company. An investigation will start once we will have a respite in this war. Titus is also harsh with all his men and always push them to their limits. It pays off, as he has not lost one of them since the creation of the Company. Until Ryloth. Yet, apart from Clang and Grumpy, one can not say that he is really liked by his men. Respected, maybe even feared, but not liked. We also have noticed his tendency to wave his blade when he talks to someone, which usually makes the interlocutor uneasy. "

\\\ Number : CT-7425

\\\ Name : Grumpy

\\\ Rank : ARC Lieutenant Grade III

\\\ Weaponry : Modified DC-15S Rifle

\\\ Equipment :Long-range comlink, bacta implants, built in HUD

\\\ Medical File : Chest shrapnel wounds, multiple blaster wounds, traumatic brain injuries

\\\ Personality : "Grumpy is an intelligent and effective soldier. Paired with Titus, these two make wonders, as Grumpy is not afraid to question Command orders, or to challenge Titus' way of leading. He seems to genuinely care about the men under his command, and often protects them from Titus' wrath. I am sure that he is aware that Titus alters his reports, but he seems to protect his leader. We already proposed him to have his own platoon, but he refused. His loyalty goes to Titus first, then to the Republic. "

\\\ Number : CT-7426

\\\ Name : Clang

\\\ Rank : ARC Sergeant Grade III

\\\ Weaponry : DC-15A Rifle

\\\ Equipment :Bacta implants

\\\ Medical File : Right leg prosthesis, multiple blaster wounds, traumatic brain injuries

\\\ Personality : "Clang is Grumpy's pod brother, but is yet extremely different from him. Quiet, he only seems to like fighting. He is always the first to engage, and the last to retire.Because of his behavior, he was injured at almost every missions.Titus managed to get him a Galactic Marine armor, which is far more resistant to blaster fire.. Clang is the pillar of the unit, the tireless machine who always get the job done. He doesn't seems to care about the way Titus leads, as long as he gets to fight."

\\\ Number : CT-9001

\\\ Name : Hax

\\\ Rank : ARC Trooper

\\\ Weaponry : Modified DC-15S Rifle

\\\ Equipment :Bacta implants

\\\ Medical File : Lower body prosthesis, multiple blaster wounds, traumatic brain injury

\\\ Personality : "Skilled scout, excellent sniper , Hax is a reliable trooper. He was integrated to the Trash Company right before the mission on Atraken. He lost his legs on Ryloth, because of Ventress lightsaber, but is quickly adapting to his prosthesis, as he decided to become " the first AT-RT, All Terrain Recon Trooper ". Titus seems to attract strange clones ".

[[ Former members ]]

\\\ Number : CT-2012

\\\ Name : Blast

\\\ Rank : ARC Trooper

\\\ Status : Deceased. Explosion on Belsavis

\\\ Number : CT-4253

\\\ Name : Gear

\\\ Rank : ARC Trooper

\\\ Status : Deceased. Explosion on Belsavis

\\\ Number : CT-5784

\\\ Name : Funn

\\\ Rank : ARC Trooper

\\\ Status : Deceased. Explosion on Ryloth

\\\ Number : CT-9874

\\\ Name : Grunt

\\\ Rank : ARC Trooper

\\\ Status : Deceased. Killed by Assaj Ventress on Ryloth

\\\ Number : CT-8412

\\\ Name : Frienzy

\\\ Rank : ARC Trooper

\\\ Status : Deceased. Explosion on Ryloth

\\\ Number : CT-2718

\\\ Name : Expo

\\\ Rank : ARC Trooper

\\\ Status : Deceased. Killed by Assaj Ventress on Ryloth

\\\ Number : CT-9265

\\\ Name : Blink

\\\ Rank : ARC Trooper

\\\ Status : Deceased. Killed by Assaj Ventress on Ryloth

\\\ Number : CT-8521

\\\ Name : Gus

\\\ Rank : ARC Trooper

\\\ Status : Deceased. Killed by Assaj Ventress on Ryloth

[[ Future Of Garbage Squad ]]

" The 253rd is very unique, and relies on excellent, yet nonstandard units. Garbage Squad, or Trash Company is no exception. Yet, this particular unit if too violent, too independent, too unpredictable. We believe that things will soon go out of hand with Titus and we can not allow him to rank up, and take the control of more men. Terminating him is not an option, as he is to suspicious and won't go without a fight. Titus was not allowed to reform Trash Company, and has been ordered to stay on Kamino, officially to mourn his devastated Company, which is unlikely. The Chancellor wants to test a little idea of his with Titus' unit. One can not deny the effectiveness of the Republic Commandos, and they are needed everywhere. We could use more Commandos, but we don't have the time the create a new generation of them. Instead, the Chancellor wants to pick some of the best units from the 253rd which are to be trained to become Commandos. Garbage Squad will be a test. If it is successful, the best units from the 253rd may have he chance to become Commandos. Kal Skirata will train Garbage Squad. Considering his work with the Nulls and the other Commandos, we believe that he is the most qualified to deal with Titus, and channel whatever is wrong in his head if need be. "

at Insilico

Hello again flickr Friends.

Ok here goes....

I'm not the kind of man to go into detail. I have had the

most traumatic 6 weeks of my life but I'm still here.

As ever, this single flower caught my attention at the

back of my London home. It looked peaceful as the

world rushed past. It reminded me to slow down...

and remember just this moment.

The beauty in this moment and how connected

I feel to nature.

.......................................................................................

Technical info:

One shot out of 4 taken

Handheld at ground level

Natural light and LED fill

F/2.8 1/25

ISO 200

35mm

Software:

(64 bit)

PS CS6

Lightroom 4.2

Post

15% Glamour glow ( Soft light layer)

2 layer High-pass contrast

-

Floral Portraits & Flower photography

This is "Doggy Blankie." It is actually a replacement Doggy Blankie. My son has had this blanket (a Gerber 'Lil Clutch blanket) it is about a foot square, white flannel on one side, blue silky side on the other with ruffled corners. (Comes in pink for girls). He has had this one for years, but the original one was lost at the Denver Zoo. We noticed it was missing pretty soon and followed the trail we had just been on, by the elephant enclosure. There were no trash cans or places it could have gone because the sides of the trail were blocked off due to construction going on, so it couldn't have fallen in anywhere. This was very traumatic, and we went to lost and found and I went back days later to see if ithad been found, but no luck. I ordered a new one off of eBay eventually and he has had it for years now. Doesn't need it as much as when he was younger, but he likes to hold it still. It is dirty even after we wash it. But "Doggy" will always be special to us.

This young bull is getting ready for rut.

‘Back door foliage’. Had a traumatic ‘Technology’ day today with replacing our phones - one went well and the other not so well!:-( Putting pennies in the phone box and pressing button ‘B’ in the old days was much easier!!!! So for today's shot I literally opened the back door & took this by it - it wasn’t as bright as this either believe me, plenty of nudges in Lightroom to ‘cheer’ it up somewhat! Roll on brighter weather I say.

366 - I’ve decided to do this to force me to pick up a camera other than when we are away on our travels (they will be posted as normal) - I will be interested to see what transpires, they will be varied I’m sure so we’ll see where inspiration takes me over the course of the year, hopefully at the end of it I will be a better photographer. Feel free to critique as you see fit, but please don’t feel obliged, I anticipate they will not be to all tastes. Have a great year and if you also have embarked on a 365 project then good luck in seeing it through, Alan:-)

For the interested I’m growing my Shutterstock catalogue regularly here, now sold 32 images :- www.shutterstock.com/g/Alan+Foster?rid=223484589&utm_...

©Alan Foster.

©Alan Foster. All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.……

Thinking about dear friend, Pam J, today. All being well, she is in hospital having a Cranial Angiogramme for her traumatic brain injury. Hoping so much that things went well, unlike at her previous appointment, and hoping that she will be able to go ahead with surgery once preparations and plans have been made. Such a tough year for you, Pam! You have so many people thinking of you.

Update on 27 November: Pam had a successful day yesterday! Definitely a step in the right direction.

www.flickr.com/photos/30349867@N05/

No further ahead with sorting out all my Windows 10 problems. I suspect I am going to have to accept the loss of so many years' worth of records and emails (from 2002) and hundreds of important map locations on Google Earth. Not happy, to say the least : (

26 November 2019 - it's snowing AGAIN! Another couple of days and it will have been two months of "winter" for us here. How I long for days where there is no snow to be seen anywhere. Temperature today is -4C (windchill -10C). Sunset is at 4:36 pm.

The afternoon of 3 September 2019 was spent surrounded by colourful garden flowers. Knowing that it is not that unusual for us to get snow in September, I knew I just had to go and capture some cheery colour before fall arrived and it was too late.

That included Sunflowers, which are always a favourite. Just one orange one among the many yellow, and I could only see it from the back. A little gang of American Goldfinches was making the most of the Sunflower seeds.

Sure enough, our first snowfall arrived on 28 September!

"Jason's body was never recovered from the lake after he drowned ...""

('Jason Voorhees' by NECA / Friday the 13th Ultimate Part 2 Jason)

Diorama by RK

View On Black

It seems fairy lights give you a very unusual facial structure, all the photos looked so funny. I had to run outside at 11.30 when I got home after realizing the photos I'd initially taken hadn't worked out, sorry it's a rush job :( I seemed to spend the entire day sleeping, or streaming tv, it's been one of those miserable days when you don't feel like dealing with anything and sit round eating vast amounts of chocolate instead :P I've now run out of House, NCIS, Castle & How I Met Your Mother - it's traumatic! I have nothing left to watch, any suggestions of good stuff are very welcome.

Inspired by anyone with a love of fairy lights :)

Anyhow I'm desperate for sleep as I'm up at 6 again for work, 4.5 hours sleep - hoorah. Night flickrites!

Find Me:

500px.com/sopheggert

www.instagram.com/sopheggert

ABREACTION

Emotional discharge that allows freedom from the harmful affection linked to a traumatic memory.

ABREACCIÓN

Descarga emocional que permite liberarse del afecto nocivo ligado a un recuerdo traumático.

ABREACCIÓ

Descàrrega emocional que permet alliberar-se de l’afecte nociu lligat a un record traumàtic.

Coming out of the darkness and into the light isn’t always liberating — sometimes it’s jarring, even traumatic. The shift can blind you, leave you uncertain about your next step, or make you want to turn back.

But moving forward isn’t about sudden clarity. It’s about the discipline of keeping your head down and taking that next step, even when you can’t see the full road ahead. Shadows pass, light returns.

In those moments, the only real compass is the process you’ve built for yourself — the routines, the resilience, the quiet strength you’ve been shaping long before the hard times arrived. Trust that process. It’s what carries you through.

Nobody is going to save you, except yourself sometimes. People will support you, in your hardest of times, but taking it as a victim's view is probably the last thing you want to do.

Suspended inanimation ? Man relaxing in airport after traumatic flight

We've all had days like this, but it must be more traumatic for a hibernating bear caught in a time flux. Photoleap was used to create this image.

Sunflowers in panic, turning in all directions, as the sun sets in Taos. I suspect they know it will rise again, but it's still a bit traumatic.

Maybe there is hunger in my blood

Screaming out loud for what I want

See me running full speed at it

Shattering, collide

Call it post-traumatic

Now it's do or die

Horses of the Onaqui Wild Horse Herd on the historic Pony Express Trail in Vernon, Utah

This herd is set to be removed by traumatic helicopter roundups and sent to slaughter in July of 2021 to make room for welfare ranchers cattle and sheep on this public land. Over 75% of the herd will be wiped out! Contact your representatives and stop the roundups!

americanwildhorsecampaign.org/issue

jennifer-robin.pixels.com/featured/onaqui-trio-jennifer-r...

#Onaqui #OnaquiWildHorseHerd #Horse #Equsferus #Equine #ungulate #mammal #animal #nature #jenniferrobingallery #feralhorse #mustang #wildhorse #wildlife #wild #PonyExpressTrail #vernon #utah

Foundation repair is a traumatic experience. Homes in the Houston (Texas) suburbs are built on concrete slabs over a clay-rich soil that expands and contracts with the seasons. Given enough years, foundation cracks are common. Using the weight of the house, cylindrical concrete piers are driven into the soil until refusal, about 16 feet (5 meters) down in 14 locations around the affected sides of the house in our case. Then the home is jacked back into level. Doors are closing properly again. Not sure our ornamental shrubbery will survive the required transplantation, but if not we'll be planting Texas natives that attract butterflies. Angel, shown here, was an industrious and pleasant worker. Thanks Angel.

Anche gli edifici con i loro abitanti sanno raccontare questi tempi complicati e sono dotati di quella capacità di affrontare e superare un evento traumatico e difficile.

RESILIENZA

Napoli centro antico: Una bandiera svetta sulle geometrie del centro antico,una selva di antenne, di muri curvi e di vita che sembra ancora ferma e resiste contro tutto

Scatti realizzati per la mostra fotografica virtuale a tema libero, del gruppo 365project organizzata dal 21 al 30 giugno 2020 su FB.

ARCHITETCTURE AT COVID TIMES

Even the buildings with their inhabitants can tell about these complicated times and they have the ability to overcame a traumatic and difficult event.

RESILIENCE:

Naples ancient center: A flag soars over the geometries of the ancient center, a forest of antennas, curved walls and life that still seems firm and resists everything

Shots taken for the 365project group virtual photographic exhibition with free theme organized from 21 to 30 June 2020 on FB.

I have only one plant but it started to multiply; photo is from a couple of weeks ago, since then I cut out the heads.. that sounds so traumatic.

Yuko (left), and Yuki (right) huddling together under the dining table after a traumatic day at the vet. We sent them for sterilisation, but it turned out both were female.

This wonderful and unpredictable world is all a bit surreal at the moment and you could be mistaken for thinking you'd just woke from a very bad nightmare. Let's hope everyone really pulls together and shows strength, along with lots of compassion for those who need it. I can be really sociable at times and I equally love a bit of isolation, but I'm lucky as I know I have the choice, unlike many others. I think my absolute love of nature never leaves me feeling lonely, even when walking for miles in the middle of nowhere on my lonesome. I heard on the radio today that lots of older people are turning their hand to things they've been meaning to do for a long time, but never got round to. Writing, painting, learning a language or how to play an instrument. I also heard of grandchildren who have introduced their grandparents to face timing...lost on me...which I thought was so lovely. I do realise that for some elderly ladies and gents, this is all extremely traumatic, but with a little help from others along the way, isolation will be a much happier experience.

Craeted with Mandelbulb 3d. Tweak of a param by cmdrchaos

Created with Ultra Fractal

Where there is awareness there is hope .

When I was 17 years old my whole world was shattered because my

dear Mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. The Doctor told her

she had come just in time and that if she had waited just 6 more months

it could have been too late to help her. My Mother endured chemotherapy,

and radiotherapy. She lost her hair, self-confidence and her left breast.

It is because of this very traumatic chapter in my life that I am today a nurse

at Stavanger University Hospital, Norway.

Cancer is a heavy and huge diagnosis for a patient and their family to accept.

There are a couple of big problems, in my opinion, that largely affect many people adversely. The first, as I see it, is the small number of Prevention Campaigns there are. More of these campaigns could educate and push people to use the methods and take the time to self-check themselves routinely. In many cases patients with various types of cancer the time and experience of the treatments can be fairly easy and effective if they are diagnosed in time. Another problem area I see is that

people wait too long to seek medical attention and then they must face the trauma when it's too late. I would also like to point out that it is a misconception that men do not develop breast cancer when in fact, men are equally confronted with it. It is unclear why this subject remains somewhat "taboo" still to today.

I am representing 2 organizations with this challenge. They are Breast Cancer Prevention (www.cancer.org) and Cherries On Top (shop.cherriesontop.org/). Cherries On Top is a globally targeted fund raising organization for research support and information campaigns in all types of cancer that affects Kids, Men and Women. I would like to plan an event to benefit both of these great causes. My plan on how to make this happen would involve friends of mine that are Second Life Voice Entertainers,

DJs, Designers, Agency Owners, Bloggers, and Models. Anyone and everyone I can ask to help I would try to secure for to make charity concerts, shows and other ideas that may come to mind. If these things can save someone's life it's worth whatever it takes to make it happen.

My styling is comprised of various pieces from several Second Life creators. These pieces are as follows:

Hat = Air_2 ~ RAKKA - White G+Pink

ANTINATURAL[+] ~ Potestas Caplet - White

Clef de Peau ~ Yung Shirt - Dare Pink

[Dope+Mercy] ~ Meridian Pants - Pink

Cold ash ~ VALKYRIE Sneakers

Courage Ribbon - Pink

W:6 ~ Cherry (mouth)

Breast Cancer Heart. Runway backdrop & pose made by Myself

Spending hours in the great outdoors doing what we love is part of being a nature photographer. The more often we are out there the happier we are, right?

I am writing to you today due to a recent event that I would like to share, please I am NOT looking for sympathy, I'm here to help educate. Are you covering up with a large brimmed hat, sunscreen, long sleeve/pants and lightweight gloves? I have been conscientiously covering up since I was diagnosed with reoccurring skin cancer. Red hair, light skin is one of the worst skin type combinations, but not the only skin type that will have Melanoma or Carcinoma. Yesterday I had a small operation on my nose, 3 stitches, this is now my 4th operation due to basal cell carcinoma, one previously for melanoma. Fortunately, the others incidents were on my legs which were less traumatic.

Malignancies of the skin are the most commonly diagnosed cancer type worldwide. The foremost cause of skin cancer remains UV radiation from sunlight. Take the sun seriously, once your skin is damaged there is no return or magic fix. Best possible help is daily Vit B3 and D supplements, email me if you would like more information.

The incidents of skin cancer are so high Cancer agencies no longer track the incidents of Carcinoma type cancers, too much data, now a reality that every 2nd person will have Basal Cell, Squamous Cell, fortunately, fewer cases of Melanoma. Cover up, use sunsceen, have fun

Got my grandad's medals out today. Arthur William Phillips - Gunner L/13181 Royal Horse and Field Artillery 1915 -1919. I was only two when he passed away, so sadly never had the chance to get to know him. Apparently, like a lot of others my grandad never talked much about his experiences of the war. My dad remembers asking him what the slight hole in his chest area was when he was about twelve and his dad told him very matter of factly, that it was just from a piece of shrapnel. In those days people never really talked about what they went through and there was never any emphasis on mental health issues which were brought on by traumatic events. Many of them just got on with it and no doubt suffered deep down. Bless them all...those who have moved on and those who are still here to keep the memories alive...good and bad. They may have been extremely tough times, but I'm not sure we'll ever experience the truly wonderful camaraderie that also came with it.

I was bringing bread into the porch, this was bread run day, so I had the porch door open, I was in the porch and I hear this plop, a few seconds later another plop, I looked out and there on their backs were a chickadee and a little nuthatch, I went right out and gently picked them up, I had both in the same hand, the little chickadee wasn't bothered at all, it started washing up!!!!! After a few minutes of washing up it flew off, the little nuthatch took a bit longer, I waited til he was pretty steady on his feet and took a couple of photos, then off he flew.

Nothing feels better than when they are ok and fly off!!!! I know they say you shouldn't touch them but I think it is more traumatic for them to be on their backs on a cold wet deck.

Sunset across Aberlady Bay, East Lothian, Scotland, UK.

So, it's been a bit of traumatic time of late for me on the photographic front. A couple of weeks ago I was in British Columbia but exactly one week before I left I was down on the beach at home photographing a heavy sea when I was taken out by a wave. As a result of that one of my two K30's was destroyed, along with my Sigma 10-20mm and Sigma 17-50mm lenses. I loved my K30 and the Sigma 10-20 is what I shoot 90% of my shots with, so all in all it was a bit heart breaking. My second K30 also got a bit wet but survived.

So at v short notice I had to suddenly replace a body and I went for what I thought was the natural replacement the K-S2, which didn't turn out to be the natural replacement I thought it would be. (More on that below)

Anyway, the new K-S2 arrived along with a new Sigma 10-20mm and off I went on holiday.

Now I don't take a lot of photographs with my cell phone but it is useful to have to photograph all sorts of daily things, like where you've parked your car etc. So it was further disappointment when on the second day of my holiday the lens shattered on the phone for no obvious reason.

To cheer myself up I thought I'd go out and take a city skyline shot over Vancouver, only to discover that the head on my Manfrotto BeFree Travel Tripod had broken... (although it was still partially useable)... Anyway trying to put all of this aside I set up for some long exposures over the city skyline. I took out my long exposure cable release and went to plug it in to my new K-S2... nope that's not the socket... not that one either.. and not that one... where the heck is the cable release socket... don't tell me! So to my horror I discovered that this camera doesn't have a cable release socket.... and a significant amount of my photography involves long exposure work... I never even knew cameras came without what I would class as this vital piece of functionality. I've certainly never had a Pentax camera that didn't have this.

It has to be said that by now I was a bit down and a bit irate about all of this. The next morning I got up put my gear in the car, took out my remaining K30 to check the settings were ready to go for the start of the day and I dropped the camera and broke the LCD screen..... aargh!!

Ok so check this out, 4 days ago in NYC it was 70 degrees and sunny. People everywhere, in the parks, on bikes, wearing shorts. Yesterday it looked like this (photo above) and it was windy and traumatic and it was a hail falling so it felt yucky walking around.

"He knows when you've been naughty."

('Billy Chapman' by NECA)

Diorama by RK

Higher learning & CTE

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive brain disease caused by repeated head injuries. Symptoms can vary and may include:

Cognitive: Memory loss, Difficulty concentrating, Confusion, Impaired judgment, and Problems with planning and organization.

Behavioral: Irritability, Aggression, Impulsivity, Depression, and Anxiety.

Motor: Tremors, Slowed movements, Weakness, and Balance problems.

Other: Headaches, Seizures, Sleep disturbances, and Sensitivity to light and sound.

I HATE good-byes so much that I'll do about anything to avoid them. With people it is a traumatic experience ... with these little owls I found it difficult. After 2 months of visiting them daily and watching them go from just a fuzzy little head barely visible over the top of the nest to this beautiful specimen was so fun.

Bev