Visually appealing and delicious - a wonderful breakfast from the Fairholme Manor B&B.

 

Eggs benedict with homemade hollandaise and smoked salmon - a tasty touch of luxury.

 

For Our Daily Challenge Oct 7 - Luxury

 

For 111 pictures in 2011- #88 Round

  

I decided to explore using a body and photography with the responses, and created 'Smothered' as a piece to display visually how some people may deal with emotions. Following looking at the response 'No Feelings' I painted the reply repeatedly onto blue cellophane with red paint. Alone on a wall it looked slightly like something from a horror film, so I decided to play around with its form. I wanted the girl to be nude because I feel that this is an incredibly intimate topic, very private and raw like the human physique. On her body in some areas I wrote out a couple of responses I had received. Underneath the right breast one can just see 'I wish him well'. This is a delicate, soft response located at an intimate area of the body, an area perhaps once shared with this unknown partner. The cellophane sits in an awkward and uncomfortable shape on her head, shining in the light. The viewer can see just from the texture that this uncomfortable material must be suffocating and hot, much like the sensation of covering or hiding emotions. Usually one would have their body covered and face exposed, whereas this juxtaposition emulates the intimacy and sensitivity of these thoughts VS the idea of displaying a hard exterior. The girl is sat on a bed, again displaying connotations to intimate relations. She appears to be sat stiffly, with arms locked behind her. This uncomfortable looking position mimics the discomfort of the smothering head piece, and perhaps implies she wishes to break away from it.

I have an amazing set of four Momo "Ronel" alloy rims that were on my Alfa Romeo Spider when I bought it in 1986. Soon thereafter I replaced the mags with the standard steel rims and no longer needed these. Since then, these rims have been safely stored, wrapped in plastic in a dry cellar in Pretoria.

 

They have never been resprayed and are almost as fresh as when they left the factory in Italy in the early-80's. This is an opportunity to get your hands on a set of rare, period rims that have not been molested. Sure, they have some light wear from everyday use, but have never been seriously curbed, and the coating is almost immaculate. As you will see from the images, they are visually impressive, and the only spanner-rash is in the wheel-nut sockets. I doubt whether you're going to find a set of +30 year alloy rims in better condition.

 

I have advertised these alloy rims on Gumtree in South Africa - please see the advert here: bit.ly/2aSDWGh

 

Additional Information:

 

* Codes in the metal on the wheels read 6Jx14H2 and ET38

* Written on the inside of one of the wheels is the text: CA 1460-108G

* Stickers on the inside of three of the four wheels say: 108 Interasse Bolt Circle

* An additional sticker on the inside of a wheel reads: 108 Ford Interasse Bolt Circle

 

I am currently abroad and will only be back in South Africa in about October. Nevertheless, these wheels are accessible in my absence and will have to be collected from an address in Pretoria East. Grab yourself a bargain, and give your classic Alfa or Ford that real, period look they're crying out for!

Photos from a morning walk with my Mum during my stay at my Auntie's place. There is something about rice paddies that are so magical and visually appealing to me - I love going for a walk by them! Its a nice start to the morning!

Visually out of kilter with ČD Railjet rake 06 (led by Amfpz 80-91 006), ÖBB no. 1216 239 shoves rj 570 "Brněnský drak"/"The Brno Dragon" (the 06:07 Railjet from Břeclav to Praha hl.n) up the inclined viaduct at Krejcárek.

Visually Impaired faded color / less contrast / not as sharp.

 

Test roll from the RZ67 Pro II

LomoChrome Metropolis Film

New Camera / New Film

  

When I visited Suomi Lodge in Astoria, I spotted a wall hanging I had not seen before. The design struck me as possessing "big magic," as my late sister would have said. I had to learn what it signifies.

 

Here is ChatGPT's analysis of the piece. It turns out I was correct.

 

## 1. Description of the design

 

The piece is a long, narrow, flat-woven wool hanging in two colours: a very dark ground (almost black) and a light, straw-coloured pattern. The design is strongly vertical and organized in horizontal bands:

 

* **Top band:** a row of tall, slender staffs rises from the lower edge of the band, each topped with a small diamond or bud shape.

 

* **Second band:** four large, jagged rosettes or “sunbursts” sit on stiff stems. Each rosette has a different interior pattern, all highly geometric.

 

* **Narrow divider band:** a row of rectangular, stepped motifs, like stylized fences, altars, or plinths.

 

* **Central panel:** two dense bands of alternating motifs:

 

* Circle medallions containing different signs (equal-armed cross, star-like figure, spiral/sun-wheel types, etc.).

 

* Shield- or banner-shaped motifs between the circles, hanging downwards.

 

* **Lower panel:** another row of four large rosettes/sunbursts on very long stems, again ending in plinth-like blocks.

 

* **Top and bottom:** braided or twisted fringe.

 

Visually it reads like a **procession of standards** or **tall flowers/trees** whose “crowns” are sun disks and protective signs.

 

---

 

## 2. What kind of textile is this?

 

Structurally, this looks like a **raanu** rather than a pile rug (ryijy):

 

* A raanu is a **flat-woven wool tapestry** in which both faces look essentially the same, traditionally using bold, rhythmic colour areas and geometric motifs. ([Selvedge Magazine][1])

 

* Raanus were especially associated with **Lapland**, where they served as wall hangings, bed covers and sled blankets; their colours were “often arranged to tell a story about nature.” ([Tikka Wilderness Lodges][2])

 

* In the 20th century, raanu and ryijy weaving were revived in Finland and often adapted into modern, abstract compositions while still carrying folk symbolism. ([Norwegian Textile Letter][3])

 

So stylistically we’re probably looking at a **mid-20th-century Finnish raanu-type wall hanging**: minimal colour, strong geometry, and a story told through repeated motifs.

 

---

 

## 3. Motifs and their roots in Finnish symbolic traditions

 

### a. Sunbursts and sun-wheels

 

The large rosettes at top and bottom and many of the circle medallions use forms closely related to the **sun cross / wheel cross** (a cross or spokes inside a circle) and to spoked sun-wheels:

 

* The sun or wheel cross—equilateral cross in a circle—is a very old symbol found throughout prehistoric Scandinavia and Europe, where it is usually understood as a solar or cosmological sign. ([Lufolk][4])

 

* In Scandinavian folk art and textile design, sun-wheels and related crosses are associated with **life, movement, fertility, and cosmic order**. ([DIVA Portal][5])

 

Finnish and Sámi traditions share this solar vocabulary. In many Nordic contexts, such signs could be both **cosmic** (sun, seasons, divine order) and **protective**, keeping misfortune away from the household.

 

### b. Crosses and Christian layering

 

Several roundels contain **equal-armed crosses** or a cross with a small central square. These sit in a region where pre-Christian solar crosses and later **Christian crosses** overlap:

 

* In Scandinavian textiles, stars and crosses were commonly used to connect household textiles with Christian symbolism—linking family life, fertility and continuity to divine protection. ([Smile to Talk][6])

 

* Finnish Lutheran church textiles in the 20th century often expressed theology through abstract, repeated symbols—vines of life, roses for Christ’s wounds, etc.—woven into altar cloths and wall hangings. ([ArtWay][7])

 

So these medallions can reasonably be read as part of a **Christianised but very folkish iconography**: crosses that are simultaneously suns and signs of Christ’s guarding presence.

 

### c. Protective “magic” signs: cousins of Hannunvaakuna and Tursaansydän

 

While I don’t see a literal **hannunvaakuna** (looped square / St John’s Arms) or **tursaansydän** in the hanging, the whole grammar of repeated circular and knot-like signs fits into that protective universe:

 

* The **looped square** (Hannunvaakuna / käpälikkö) is a pre-Christian Finnic symbol widely carved or painted on houses, barns, utensils and sometimes embroidered on textiles to **ward off evil spirits and bad luck.** ([Wikipedia][8])

 

* The **tursaansydän** (“heart of Tursas”) is another ancient Finnish sign believed to bring good luck and protection from curses, commonly used as a decorative motif on wooden furniture and buildings. ([Wikipedia][9])

 

* In broader Scandinavian vernacular architecture, linked sun-cross or swastika variations were explicitly understood as devices to keep malicious spirits from entering the house. ([The Creative Flux][10])

 

Your hanging’s medallions—spokes, crosses, nested circles—sit very close to these protective repertoires. Even if the exact historic talismans aren’t copied, the **intention feels the same: a field of blessings and wards for the room and the people who gather there.**

 

### d. Trees, staffs, or candles?

 

The tall verticals topped with little diamonds and the long stems of the big rosettes are typical of how Finnish and other Scandinavian weavers stylise **trees of life**, **plants**, and sometimes **candles**:

 

* Scandinavian ryijy and related rugs often adapt the Near Eastern or “tree of life” design to represent **family lineage and continuity**, with a central trunk and branching flowers or rosettes. ([Nazmiyal Antique Rugs][11])

 

* In Finnish church textiles, upright elements and repeating floral forms may symbolize the **vine or tree of life** and the community gathered around Christ. ([ArtWay][7])

 

The way the rosettes sit on long, straight stems over blocky bases could also suggest **processional standards or candles on stands**—appropriate imagery for a Lutheran context, where candles represent prayer, remembrance and Christ as light of the world.

 

### e. Banners, plinths and ordering the world

 

The small rectangular and banner-like motifs between and under the medallions help “ground” the composition:

 

* Rows of horizontal blocks at the transitions between bands are reminiscent of **fences, altars, benches or house-fronts**—the human, built world.

 

* In Lapland raanu, weavers often arrange colours and shapes to “tell a story about nature,” with horizontal bands marking sky, horizon, earth and so on. ([Weavers Guild of Minnesota][12])

 

So one way to read the hanging is as **layers of the world**: sky with vertical standards, a band of solar and protective emblems, a band of human banners and houses, and again the great suns rising over solid foundations.

 

---

 

## 4. Spiritual and ethnographic context

 

Finnish scholars and museum writers are very clear that these textiles were never “just decoration”:

 

* Ryijy and related rugs were part of **wedding rituals and dowries**; they could be used as prayer rugs at the ceremony and then hung in the home as enduring, protective textiles. ([Norwegian Textile Letter][3])

 

* Finnish domestic textiles—whether ryijy, raanu or embroidered blankets—served as **bed covers, sleigh rugs, wall hangings and even palls for the deceased**, appearing at key moments of life and death. ([National Museum of Finland][13])

 

* Contemporary Finnish writers describe carpets like raanu and ryijy as **“protectors, storytellers and works of art”** that embody home, history and identity. ([Instagram][14])

 

Within that frame, the mixture of solar signs, crosses and vertical life-forms in your hanging makes good sense:

 

* It mirrors the **syncretic spirituality** of rural Finland, where Lutheran Christianity layered over older Finno-Ugric ideas about the sun, protective spirits and enchanted boundaries.

 

* It also lines up with how **Finnish goddess and fate embroideries** used cloth as a medium for myths about light, time, life and death—cloth not only as ornament but as **votive offering and carrier of sacred power.** ([Academia][15])

 

And in the immigrant context:

 

* Nordic-American churches and halls frequently used home-made textiles—altar cloths, banners, wall hangings—drawing on local weaving traditions and Christian symbolism to sacralise new spaces in North America. ([Preserving Nordic American Churches][16])

 

---

 

## 5. A reasonable reading for Suomi Hall

 

Putting all of that together, a grounded—but still honest—interpretation would go something like this:

 

* **Formally,** this is a Finnish raanu-type wall hanging, probably mid-20th century, in the Lapland / modernist flat-weave tradition.

 

* **Iconographically,** it weaves together:

 

* solar rosettes and wheel-crosses (sun, life, seasons, God’s ordering of time),

 

* cross-bearing medallions (Christ’s protection, but also very old solar signs),

 

* and a field of smaller circular “charms” that echo the language of Finnic protective signs like Hannunvaakuna and Tursaansydän—symbols historically used to shield buildings, objects and families from evil.

 

* **Compositionally,** the repeated verticals and bases read as trees or candles on stands, or as processional standards: a stylised **procession of lights and protective emblems** standing guard.

 

* **Functionally,** as a bequest from a Finnish elder to Suomi Hall, it almost certainly served as a **talismanic object of memory and protection** for the community space—a piece that quietly says:

 

*“Here, under the signs of the sun, the cross, and the old protective marks, our people gather, warmed and watched over.”*

 

We can’t prove what the individual weaver intended without documentation, but the design sits squarely inside the **documented Finnish textile tradition** of using woven symbols to express cosmic order, Christian faith and everyday spiritual protection.

  

Structurally this is almost certainly **weft-faced tabby (plain weave)** in the raanu tradition.

 

### How the light areas are made

 

In raanu weaving:

 

* The **warp** is usually cotton or linen.

* The **weft** is wool, beaten in very firmly so the warp disappears – a classic *weft-faced* cloth. ([All Fiber Arts][1])

 

To get the pattern, the weaver uses **two (or more) weft colours on the same warp**:

 

1. **Across-the-width runs** (for solid bands, bases, etc.):

The light weft is woven for some picks, then the dark weft, and so on. Because the cloth is weft-faced, what you see on the surface is simply “this section has light weft packed in, this section has dark.”

 

2. **Motifs and “pixels”** (the circles, crosses, sunbursts):

 

* The weaver works with **discontinuous wefts**—short lengths (or “butterflies”) of the light yarn that travel only under the part of the shed where the motif lives, while the dark weft covers the rest.

 

* At the boundary between colours, the two wefts are usually **interlocked or dovetailed** like tapestry so there isn’t a slit; that’s why the shapes have those crisp, stair-step edges along the warp/weft grid.

 

* A common raanu instruction is: “Often 2 or more shuttles of different colours of yarn are woven in alternating order creating simple yet complex designs.” ([All Fiber Arts][2])

 

So there’s no supplementary structure or pile; just very tightly packed weft in different colours, placed where you want the motif.

 

### Is it two-sided? Are the colours reversed?

 

For a **weft-faced tabby raanu** like this:

 

* Yes, it is effectively **double-faced**: both sides are finished surfaces with the same two colours and the same overall design.

* But the colours are **not reversed like a photographic negative**. On the back you still see light where there is light on the front and dark where there is dark; the only difference is tiny shifts where the wefts pass over/under each other, so edges can look slightly “shadowed” or offset. One raanu draft notes that a “reverse pattern design shows up on the back, as on the alternate pick the weft yarn travels under each other during weaving.” ([All Fiber Arts][2])

 

When you do see true colour-reversal front/back in Finnish wall textiles, that’s usually **täkänä (double weave)** rather than raanu proper: two layers of cloth with the colours swapped between layers, giving a perfectly inverted face. Those are explicitly sold and described as “double weave, reversible” pieces. ([Etsy][3])

 

So for your Suomi Hall hanging, the safest structural story is:

 

> **Single-layer, weft-faced modified tabby on a floor loom, pattern built with discontinuous light and dark wefts; same design on both sides, not colour-reversed.**

 

[1]: allfiberarts.com/raanu-weaving/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Raanu Weaving"

[2]: allfiberarts.com/raanu-weaving-draft/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Raanu Weaving Draft"

[3]: www.etsy.com/listing/1563578574/finnish-wall-hanging-taka... "Finnish Wall Hanging Takana Double Weave Reversible ..."

 

[1]: www.selvedge.org/blogs/selvedge/the-forgotten-finnish-raa... "The Forgotten Finnish Raanu"

[2]: tikkawildernesslogesblog.jimdofree.com/carpets/?utm_sourc... "Which carpets define Finnish homes and what is the story behind ..."

[3]: norwegiantextileletter.com/article/finnish-ryijy-rugs-at-... "Finnish Ryijy Rugs at the American Swedish Institute"

[4]: lufolk.com/blogs/paganism-and-folklore/wheel-cross-in-sca... "Wheel Cross in Scandinavia - Lufolk"

[5]: www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2%3A1441319/FULLTEXT02.... "Multiple Expressions of the Wheel Cross Motif in South ..."

[6]: www.smiletotalk.com/blog/history-and-characteristics-of-s... "History and Characteristics of Scandinavian Carpets"

[7]: www.artway.eu/posts/finnish-church-architecture?utm_sourc... "Finnish Church Architecture | Maija Paavilainen"

[8]: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looped_square?utm_source=chatgpt.com "Looped square"

[9]: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tursaansyd%C3%A4n?utm_source=chatgp... "Tursaansydän"

[10]: thecreativeflux.wordpress.com/2012/12/30/magic-and-mystic... "Magic and Mysticism in Scandinavian Vernacular Architecture"

[11]: nazmiyalantiquerugs.com/blog/vintage-shag-pile-swedish-ry... "Vintage Shag Pile Swedish Rya Rug History"

[12]: www.weaversguildmn.org/news/wynne-mattilas-raanu-rugs?utm... "Wynne Mattila's Raanu Rugs – Weavers Guild of Minnesota"

[13]: www.kansallismuseo.fi/en/digitaalinen-kokoelma/tutkijan-v... "Traditional blankets from the ethnological collections"

[14]: www.instagram.com/p/DOV4FtyEzfx/?utm_source=chatgpt.com "A day of hidden histories and hand-stitched stories. ..."

[15]: www.academia.edu/26236183/Cloths_of_Fate_Inter_weavings_o... "Cloths of Fate: Inter-weavings of Finnic Goddess ..."

[16]: nordicamericanchurches.org/folk-art-tradition/traditional... "Traditional Textiles | Preserving Nordic American Churches"

 

This text is a collaboration with ChatGPT.

As visually 'hooked' as I am, color becomes one of the main ingredients in my metaphorical emotions, so a prism given by a friend, lights my hand with memories and beauty.

 

Sight Project: Visually impaired dog owner

Many people are used to the fact that agbada is purely trousers and blouse. However, the styles can be very versatile. Vertical stripes and interesting headdress visually stretch the silhouette. This style provides tremendous freedom of creativity. Now female agbada styles are incredibly relevant and in demand. These outfits look very refined and elegant, suitable for occasions and everyday life. If you wear these clothes, you not only make your image. Agbada is one of the names for a flowing wide sleeved robe worn by men in much of West Africa, and to a lesser extent in North Africa, related to the dashiki suit[citation needed]. The name "Agbada" originates from Yoruba language, one of the major languages on the continent. The robe is also known as Agbada in Dagomba language.Agbada styles for female began to gain popularity in 2018. Many people thought they would lose relevance as quickly as they received it, but this was not what happened. It does not look like this trend is going to exhaust itself in the near future. Agbada is known by various names, depending on the ethnic group wearing them:Agbada (Yoruba , Dagomba ), boubou (from the Wolof word mbubb), babban riga (Hausa), mbubb (Wolof), k'sa or gandora (Tuareg), darra'a Maghrebi Arabic, grand boubou (in various Francophone West African countries) and the English term of gown. The Senegalese boubou, a variation on the grand boubou described below, is also known as the Senegalese kaftan. The female version worn in some communities is also known as a m'boubou or kaftan.Women’s fashion is very diverse, as it allows you to be both feminine and classy. Designers show unprecedented talents, creating interesting stylish combinations. Never have their creativity manifested so brightly. Its origin lies with the clothing worn by the Islamic Tukulor, Mandé and Songhai peoples of the 8th-century Takrur and Ghana Empires, and 13th-century Mali and Songhai Empires. (See Bisht and kaftan for information on these.) The use of the grand boubou as clothing became widespread throughout the West African region with the migration of semi-nomadic groups such as the Fulani, and traders such as the Dyula and Hausa. The grand boubou as a full formal attire consists of three pieces of clothing: a pair of tie-up trousers that narrow towards the ankles (known as a sokoto pronounced "shokoto" in Yoruba) and a long-sleeved shirt and a wide, open-stitched sleeveless gown worn over these. They are generally of the same colour, and historically were made from silk, but increased understanding of Islamic restrictions on clothing meant the grand boubou is now mostly made from cotton and synthetic cloths made to resemble silk. The grand boubou's use was historically limited to various Islamised Sahelian and Saharan peoples of West Africa, but through increased trade and the spread of Islam throughout the region, it gained use among Islamised peoples in the savanna and forested regions of West Africa. Through this, the grand boubou was historically worn by Chiefs of the Yoruba of Nigeria, Dagomba of Ghana, the Mandinka of the Gambia, the Susu of Guinea and the Temnes of Sierra Leone.

This robe or gown is a distinctive example of the traditional hand-woven and -embroidered, loose-fitting, wide-sleeved, over-the-head garment worn by elites in Nigeria. These robes are always worn over other clothing and generally fall to the lower leg. In the past, such prestige robes were traded over vast distances and similar or related garments are found throughout much of West Africa. They are called agbada (Yoruba), riga (Hausa) and boubou (corruption of Wolof mbubb). Fine old robes have become family heirlooms passed on from father to son and worn with pride at major celebrations such as weddings and funerals. Even today, the grand boubou is mostly worn by Muslims, although it is gaining popularity as a fashionable form of attire among Christians in West Africa, the African diaspora, and very recently, even among Bantu people in East, Southern and Central Africa. Although usually a form of men's clothing, women's traditional clothing in much of Sahelian West Africa is of similar construction, though usually worn differently. In some places these are called the m'boubou. In other regions of West Africa, the female formal clothing has been a boubou variant, called a kaftan, and in other places it is the wrapper and headscarf.Also, there are more free options that suit women with almost any figure. The free cut hides all the imprefections and creates the effect of airiness, lightness, and tenderness.

 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agbada

Budgets - Personal Finance Manager to track your spending money visually

 

subkernel.com/budgets/

itunes.apple.com/us/app/budgets-personal-finance-manager/...

 

Budgets is a powerful personal finance app that helps to track your expenses in a simple and elegant way. It tells you how much you can spend each day. and, you can export your transactions to Apple Numbers app.

As well, it’s beautiful.

Toute reproduction sur un support imprimé ou publication sur internet devra faire l'objet d'une demande expresse auprès du service communication de la Fédération Française Handisport.

–

Toute utilisation ainsi autorisée devra mentionner le crédit photo (voir nom du fichier ci-dessus : “©…” ou métadonnées de la photo dans sa taille originale).

–

Contact : photos [at] handisport.org

Larger snowflakes are visually beautiful when you find them during an active snowfall. They appear almost like impossible creations falling on your sleeve or mitten. This is what one of those big and beautiful snowflakes looks like up close - view large!

 

You really need to zoom in on the center of this snowflake. The hexagonal center is covered in cavities (bubbles) that brighten up certain areas and reveal an inner snowflake pattern well before the branches of the snowflake ever formed. These patterns are common, but it’s less common to see such sprawling branches evolve from them. Usually a snowflake with these patterns falls to earth before big branches are allowed to form. Not this time!

 

The branches grew each beating to their own drum, but it’s clear to see that it was the same make and model of drum that they were using. None of the six branches are even remotely identical, but there are signs that they were affected by similar physics along the way. The atmospheric conditions can’t change too drastically from one tip of a snowflake to the other, which is why most snowflakes have similar growth patterns. The conditions do change slightly, and aerodynamics play a part, but most snowflake have a similar “feel” across their structure, like we see here.

 

There are a few instances of very similar growth, most noticeably at the tips of each branch. Here we see broad growth that forked new branches at exactly the same time on all angles. Nearer to the center, a large branching event happened that created the broad branches inside the structure. Remember this: these branches all started to grow at the same time. This means that the main branches were at different lengths when the branching event happened. You can use these markers to create a mental image of how the snowflake might have looked at various stages of its life.

 

The further away you get from the center, the less likely things stay balanced and symmetrical. This snowflake is a slight exception with similar branch tips, but symmetry is a hard thing to hold on to. Nothing ties together the growth of the branches of a snowflake, and nothing makes us think they are beautiful. Atmospheric physics and human perception are at work here in some remarkable ways, and I’m happy to keep sharing these images until the end of winter. :)

 

If you’d like to dive deeper into the world of snowflake science and photography, there’s a book for that: Sky Crystals: skycrystals.ca/book/ - 304pg hardcover that will change the way you think about winter!

 

I’ve edited MANY of these images. I still enjoy each one, but the body of work has grown so large that I have been able to compile all of my snowflake images into a single print titled “The Snowflake”: skycrystals.ca/poster/ - check it out to see what five years and 2500 hours of work can create!

.

WHEN I WENT TO DC-8 SCHOOL at the ABX Training facility in Wilmington, Ohio, the DC-8 pilot-trainer there showed us, on a visually open version of the DC-8 ground spoiler mechanism—the new in-flight prevention device retrofitted into the ground spoiler mechanism.

  

Far too late to save Flight 621.

  

But finally, there it was—and it looked to be such a simple mod.

  

People had to die because DC-8s lacked this until 1973?

  

A $500 retrofit from Douglas Aircraft or rather, after the 1968 merger, McDonnell-Douglas DC-8s? Really?

  

The ground spoiler problem was known for years before the 621 air disaster—this couldn’t have been fixed before?

  

So, finally, in 1973, another catastrophic crash of a “Stretch” DC-8-61 (Loftleidor - Icelandic airline) occurred at JFK, and the NTSB (National Transport and Safety Board ) hammer came down.

  

The DC-8 ground spoiler mechanism would finally be changed in two ways.

  

First, a protective assembly was required that would NOT allow the ground spoilers to extend, accidentally during flight. Second, the system had to stop the ground spoilers from being deployed manually during flight, by an overriding decision of the flight crew.

  

Sadly, again, too late to save Flight 621.

  

There were other factors in the crash. Erroneous FAA approved Douglas DC-8 Operation Manuals and just as erroneous Air Canada DC-8 Flying Manuals - all DC-8 types for starters.

  

The manuals stated the ground spoilers couldn’t be deployed in flight. Soon every DC-8 pilot flying, and the whole aviation industry knew they could. That was as unbelievable, as it was unsafe. There were several documented instances (various airlines) where the ground spoilers had done just that—extended. Accidentally, or by manual deployment of the flight crew. Either way, it was just bad, bad, design. And in the case of Flight 621 — lethal.

  

These DC-8 pilots and co-pilots were just trying to deal with an unsafe and unpredictable ground spoiler system. Spoilers do just that, they spoil the ability of an airplane to stay in the air. And they are the only thing that keeps an airplane on the ground during landing. Because, as former TCA pilot Harry Bell (deceased) told me, “an airplane loves to fly.”

  

Pilots everywhere were afraid of the DC-8’s ground spoilers.

  

Once armed, these spoilers could proceed to the next stage, extension, and do so unexpectedly. An electrical surge or even a pilot thinking he had only armed the spoilers sometimes discovered he had, in fact, extended the spoilers in flight! Usually, at about 2000 feet, roughly around the same time one had dropped the 8’s landing gear, so no harm done. Still, it shouldn’t have happened. or been possible. That was unnerving.

  

DC-8 pilots, worldwide, had come up with work-around solutions to remove the danger the spoiler system posed to their flying machines.

  

Captain Peter Hamilton and Captain Don Rowland had their own different work-arounds. Who was flying as captain for that flight got to use his “system” and the other, the sitting co-pilot (first officer), would co-operate.

  

On Flight 621 that’s where their competing systems got into trouble. After laughing off an argument, Hamilton and Rowland went with Rowland’s spoiler deployment system, even though he was the co-pilot on the 621 flight. At 60 feet above the ground, Rowland went to arm the spoilers, but instead skipped that step…and pulled the spoiler aft, extending the DC-8’s spoilers immediately. Flight 621 hit the runway with incredible force.

  

One thing, here, why did Don extend the spoilers, instead of just arming the spoilers?

 

Douglas Aircraft redesigned the ground spoiler lever on the new “Stretch” DC-8s. The older smaller DC-8s had a spoiler lever that resisted movement. One "wrestled" it into the armed position, so to speak. A movement in the moment one isn't likely to forget.

 

On the new, bigger DC-8s, it took very little effort to arm or deploy the spoilers. I’m guessing, but I think it just slipped Don’s mind (the process execution), as he was likely still distracted from his "soft spoiler argument" with Peter Hamilton who was “tired of fighting it”. Don was attending to other details during the very regimented, and labour intensive, DC-8 landing sequence.

  

Since the Air Canada DC-8 fleet comprised roughly 50/50 new, bigger…with 50% older, smaller DC-8s, and each group's airplane with different spoiler lever tension. Switching from one type of DC-8 to another might pose a transference problem for some in a crisis, or worse…in a moment of habitual repetition. Folks, we’ll never know.

  

Had Flight 621 crashed right at the airport because of the now famous spoiler error, the pilot and co-pilot might have been mostly at fault for the crash.

  

But, when the Air Canada DC-8-63 hit the runway, it lost an engine as it tore away from the starboard wing. Critical electrical and fuel lines were severed…which immediately resulted in a wing fire! Add to that, there was now a ten foot gaggle of loose sparking and arcing wiring hanging from the DC-8’s damaged wing. Now—with all these problems in tow, Flight 621 was airborne again.

  

Folks, the wing fire NEVER should have happened.

  

Never, never, never…

  

DC-8 engines were designed with exploding separation bolts!

 

In the event of unexpected engine stress, or if a DC-8 engine snagged something immovable, like, let’s say a runway—exploding engine bolts would ensure the engine would shear off cleanly—and not take volatile fuel lines and sparking wiring along with the departing engine. No harm, no foul.

  

But, clearly these exploding separation bolts failed on Flight 621's DC-8 and a deadly wing fire DID result.

  

Another faulty Douglas Aircraft design error. I repeat, the separation bolts failed to do what they were actually designed to do.

  

This ghastly wing fire meant the DC-8 was now on borrowed time.

  

From the Flight 621 air disaster timeline, we learned that “borrowed” time was roughly about three minutes, and distance-wise 8 miles or 14 kms of flight time. The time and distance Flight 621 travelled from Toronto airport (YYZ) to where it crashed in Castlemore, ON.

  

It’s hard to believe, but on top of all this—Douglas had yet another design flaw built into the DC-8 that led to Flight 621’s crash!

 

I'm not kidding. I'm not exaggerating. Analog gauges in the cockpit!

  

That’s why the flight crew—Captain Peter Hamilton, First Officer Don Rowland, and Second Officer Peter Hill had a hard time getting a grasp on what was ACTUALLY happening to their DC-8! When power is cut to analog gauges, they “freeze”. So your airplane could be bleeding fuel…but since the fuel gauge has no power now, (wing tear and damaging engine separation) the cockpit gauge IS still registering "FULL". Same with oil gauges, hydraulic gauges, etc.

  

Remember, people…these guys have only three minutes, three lousy minutes, to pilot their large, and now compromised DC-8 to safety.

  

They won’t make it.

 

Partly because gads of time was just eaten up—trying to figure what the hell was going on with their DC-8…all along being fed "false positives" by misleading cockpit gauges.

  

Soon enough the wing fire will eat through the right wing. The second engine will fall off, the wing will split with one portion falling on the Wilbur Duncan* property, and the second portion falling on the Parr Farm acreage across the road. The struggling DC-8 will finally crash past the Parr property, and near to the Burgsma residence in Castlemore.

  

But in spite of all these converging Douglas Aircraft design flaws, and spoiler deployment errors by the air crew, Flight 621, could have been saved.

  

And we can turn to a more recent crash, the Concorde crash, to understand the failure that was the final undoing for Flight 621.

  

The 1970 Inquiry Report gave a “pass” to one group who featured prominently in the crash.

  

The Tower. Or ATC (Air Traffic Control) in modern parlance.

  

And in many folk’s opinions, their actions or lack there of, sealed the fate of Flight 621.

  

On page 29, we have this ridiculous Inquiry quote,

  

“In sum, there was nothing Mr. ——— (The Tower) could have done which would have assisted the air crew in ANY WAY in accomplishing remedial action after the initial touch down of this aircraft on Runway 32.”

  

And then again, on page 105 of the Inquiry,

  

(xxxii) “There was nothing that any personnel in the airport control tower (ATC) at Toronto International Airport did which caused this catastrophic result, nor is there anything that any of them could have done either before or after the initial touchdown of this aircraft to have avoided it.”

  

Nope. Wrong.

  

I strongly disagree with the Inquiry pandering to, and its’ excusing of air traffic control (The Tower) .

 

I can only think that somewhere in the background equation there was some sort of vested interest happening, an attempt to deflect from someone incurring a bigger portion of the liability pie? But, who knows for sure?

 

However, as soon as I read the page 29 quote, coming so early in the report, and before any real information about the crash had been relayed, alarm bells immediately went off in my head.

  

So, to get to the truth of the Flight 621 crash, let’s look at the 2003 Concorde crash…to learn what should be known about the 621 crash, shall we?

  

Like Flight 621’s DC-8, when Air France’s Flight 4590 Concorde departed the runway at Rossy-Charles de Gaulle Airport on take-off…its wing was on fire.

  

Watch what happens next.

 

De Gaulle Airport Air Traffic Control then warned the Air France Concorde pilot, Christian Marty, with this ominous observational statement:

  

“CONCORDE ZERO 4590, you have flames … STRONG FLAMES… you have flames behind you.”

  

Did Air France Captain Marty ignore this new input of information?

  

No. Captain Marty rapidly changed the course of his Concorde, aiming to immediately land at nearby Le Bourget Airport. He did not just ignore the fire and continue on to New York.

  

Unfortunately, we all know his Concorde also didn’t make it – the initial wound to the Concorde being far more lethal than the initial wound to Flight 621’s DC-8.

  

The Concorde only travelled a couple miles before crashing…while Flight 621’s DC-8 got eight miles away from the airport, with a full three minutes of flight time under its belt. Plenty of time to re-land.

  

The Tower should have just told Flight 621 that their DC-8 was billowing black smoke!

  

Why would you withhold such critical information that clearly was well beyond normal, EXPECTED, flying perimeters?! Tell the pilot what you were seeing (billowing smoke). That’s all it would have taken to save Flight 621.

  

The Air Canada Viscount (Flight 254) immediately following Flight 621 certainly mentioned the fire to air traffic control!

  

He told the tower, right away, directly!

  

I repeat why did “The Tower” hold back this critical information?

 

They did tell Captain Peter Hamilton he couldn’t re-land on Runway 32 because of debris on the runway!

 

The runway Peter just left. The failed to tell Peter that NEW runway debris was from his Air Canada DC-8!

 

Yes, the Tower was that remiss!

 

The Tower THEN gave Peter the option of swinging over to Runway 5. But Hamilton had no need to because he trustingly stated, “I think we’re alright." He only thought his DC-8 was alright because he didn’t know his wing was on fire! Something ATC could see quite clearly.

  

I talked to several DC-8 pilots who stated they could have landed the ailing Air Canada DC-8 within the seven mile, and three minute parameters. One pilot said he could have landed Flight 621’s DC-8 within a five mile flight route! All pilots believed they would have had plenty of time to save Flight 621 completely.

  

If ATC hadn’t been remiss, if Captain Peter Hamilton had been updated—as to the ailing status of his airplane—it was on fire—Flight 621 never would have crashed.

 

Observation of incoming/outgoing aircraft and status reporting to pilots—is the responsibility of air traffic control. That’s why controllers are high up, in a tower. A building with 360 degree windows all around its’ structure! So designed in order to see everything happening in the air and on the runways at the airport.

  

Had the Tower not been remiss on that ill-fated Sunday morning of July 5, 1970 and like De Gaulle Airport Air Traffic Control…had just done their duty and told the pilot his wing was on fire, this likely would have been Captain Hamilton’s response,

  

“Roger, understood! Pan-pan! Pan-pan! Pan-pan! All stations! All stations! All stations! Air Canada 6-2-1 swinging around immediately for an emergency landing on 05R. WING FIRE! Roll all emergency response vehicles! We will try to bring everyone in safely!”

  

And Air Canada Flight 621 would have landed with minimal loss, PROBABLY NOT any.

  

So sad—that with this accident, and so many other things in life—there are no do-overs ~

  

ADDENDUM

  

“Maybe, Peter Hamilton would have still flown the long 27 mile go-around circuit anyway, even if he knew his DC-8 wing was on fire?

  

No, he wouldn’t.

  

Peter Hamilton was WWII Halifax bomber pilot who got shot down over Germany. He bailed out from his bomber because it was on fire, and out of control. He knew how little time one had, when one’s airplane was on fire. Since one can’t “bail out” from a DC-8, the only other option is to land. And quickly. Peter would have swung around to Runway 5R which would have been the fastest way to land.

  

“But everyone seems to blame the pilots for the crash.”

  

Ignorance. And because of First Officer Don Rowland’s famous grief quotation,

 

“Sorry, oh sorry, Pete” was a sorrowful apology for extending the ground spoilers, accidentally, at 60 feet above the runway.

 

This oft quoted remark that forces one to commiserate with his plight, and that of those who perished on Flight 621 clouds the sombre fact, that actually, the crash wasn’t really his fault! Ground spoilers NEVER should have been able to have been deployed in flight! Show me a Boeing, a De Havilland Canada, or Airbus aircraft that allowed you to instantly crash a plane by deploying its ground spoilers ACCIDENTALLY, or MANUALLY while in flight. You can’t—because those other aircraft manufacturers had mastered the basics.

  

The DC-8 had serious design flaws, each one activated on its own could have led to a catastrophic accident. The fact that ALL of these design flaws came into play on Flight 621 and contributed to the crash, at varying degrees, can only leave one speechless.

  

“Maybe the Tower didn’t see what was happening to Flight 621?”

  

Sorry, I know the “official” Inquiry alluded to that, but I don’t buy it. When I had my Flight 621 crash site up, hosted at Apple Computer 2004/5/6 I had a retired air traffic controller residing in Australia see my site and contact me. He stated he was there in the Tower, that day. He was quietly reading the Globe and Mail when Flight 621 flew by—billowing black smoke that continued right out to the plane crash in Castlemore.

  

Unsure, if this guy was just finishing, just starting, or on break, but he was in the Tower and he saw the ailing DC-8.

 

Air Canada Flight 254 called the Tower to inform them, from their vantage point, due in to land right after 621 (flying 2.5 miles right behind 621) that Flight 621’s DC-8 wing was on fire.

 

You mean to suggest to me that the controller actually assigned to guide/watch Flight 621 during landing…didn’t see all this—and even more?! Get outta’ here.

  

“Can you give us a brief summary of the causes of the Flight 621 crash?”

  

Failure prone McDonnell-Douglas DC-8 spoiler deployment system. This system allowed the ground spoilers to be extended in flight manually, or even unexpectedly, from the armed position.

  

Erroneous McDonnell-Douglas DC-8 manuals misled airline operators about spoiler operation and inherent safety.

  

Air Canada in-house DC-8 manuals deviated from the manufacturer's guidelines.

  

Engine shear separation bolts failed to separate cleanly as per safety design which caused a right wing tear, and immediate wing fire upon engine separation.

  

Analog flight gauges.

  

Air Traffic Control failed to inform the pilots that their aircraft had caught fire after Flight 621’s failed attempt to land. Accident was entirely recoverable had pilots been informed of the status of their aircraft, immediately, on the overshoot.

  

Co-pilot made attempt to arm spoilers—but accidentally pulled the lever back extending the spoilers in flight. This initial action carried little weight in comparison to previously mentioned contributing and compounding factors.

.

 

ADD A CONDOLENCE to the FLIGHT 621 FAMILIES, or a LOVED ONE from FLIGHT 621, or a MEMORY of a PERSONAL EVENT related to the crash…at the City of Brampton's permanent Flight 621 site…SEE: www.brampton.ca/EN/City-Hall/Protocol-Office/Brampton-Rem...

  

PRAY FOR THE REPOSE OF THE SOULS for the passengers and crew of Flight 621:

 

Adams, Celine Fradette

Adams, Pierre J

Beaudin, Gaetan

Belanger, Mrs.

Belanger, Jacques

Belanger, Jean

Belanger, Roland

Belanger, Rosanne

Benson, Helen

Benson, Leonard

Benson, Mary

Benson, Richard

Bertrand, Ginette

Boosamra, Lynn

Boulanger, Guy

Bradshaw, Dollie

Cedilot, Robert J

Chapdeleine, Jeannine

Chapdeleine, Joanne

Chapdeleine, Mario

Charent, Jean Maurice

Clarke, Devona Olivia

Cote, Francine

Daoust, Yolande

Desmarais, Brigitte

Desmarais, G

Dicaire, Alice (Marie)

Dicaire, Gilles

Dicaire, Linda

Dicaire, Luke

Dicaire, Mark

Dion, Suzanne

Dore, Jacqueline

Earle, Lewella

Earle, Linda

Filippone, Francesco

Filippone, Linda

Filippone, Marie

Gee, Bernard

Goulet, Denise M

Grenier, Madeleine

Growse, Diana Cicely

Growse, Jane

Growse, Roger

Hamilton, Karen E

Hamilton, Peter Cameron

Herrmann, Ronald Alvin

Hill, Harry Gordon

Holiday, Claude

Houston, Irene Margaret

Houston, Wesley

Jakobsen, Vagn Aage

Labonte, Gilles

Leclaire, Marie Rose

Leclaire, Oscar

Leduc, Henri W

Lepage, Claudette

Mailhiot, Claire Gagnon

Mailhiot, Gerald Bernard

Maitz, Gustave

Maitz, Karoline

McKettrick, Winnifred

McTague, John

Medizza, Carla

Mohammed, Dolly

Molino, Antonio

Molino, Michael (Michel)

Moore, Frederick T

Partridge, Andrea

Partridge, Carnie (Carnis) Ann

Partridge, Cyril Wayne

Phillips, Kenneth William

Poirier, Rita

Raymond, Gilles

Raymond, Martial

Robert, Aline

Robert, Georges E

Robidoux, Lionel

Rowland, Donald

Silverberg, Marci

Silverberg, Merle

Silverberg, Steven

Simon, Istvan

Simon, Mark

Smith, Dwight Lee

St. Laurent, Blanche

Stepping, Glenn Thomas

Sultan, Celia

Sultan, Jerald. M

Sultan, Robert. L

Szpakowicz, Borys

Szpakowicz, Serge

Tielens, Carmen

Tielens, Frederick

Tournovits, George

Tournovits, Soula (Athanasia)

Weinberg, Carla

Weinberg, Rita

Weinberg, Wendy

Whittingham, Jennifer

Whittingham, John

Whittingham, Reginald

Whybro, Mary Baker

Wieczorek, Hildegund

Witmer, Edgar

Wong, Ngar-Quon

Wong, Suzie

Wong, Wong (Mansing)

Woodward, Dallas J

  

©2020-LPR CARDIN II - Special Projects In Research

  

* The former Wilbur Duncan property became part of the Flight 621 crash arena…when part of the Air Canada's DC-8's wing separated from the aircraft…and crashed into the house and backyard of the Duncan residence.

 

Sadly, on August 11, 2020, a 72 year-old man drowned in Castlemore (Brampton) in the backyard pond at the former Duncan residence, just a few feet away from the resting spot of the shorn DC-8 wing.

 

In the CP24 aerial video, the spot where the Air Canada DC-8 wing came to rest can be seen, and was the grassy area between the pond and the larger part of the house.

 

SEE:https://www.cp24.com/news/man-dead-following-reported-drowning-at-pond-in-brampton-paramedics-1.5059935

 

Sight Project: Visually impaired iPad user

© Visually Inspiring Photography

www.visuallyinspiringphotography.com

Visually impaired and disabled Veterans from across the United States participate in the 21st National Disabled Veterans TEE Tournament

Bali is one of the few places on earth made visually stunning by its main economic activity. In no other locale of the island does this hold truer than in the Tabanan District of west Bali where the cascading rice terraces of Jatiluwih are the most striking feature of the agricultural landscape, claiming even slopes that look too formidable to be of any possible use.

 

Along with majestic Pekerisan River in Gianyar and the stately Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi, Jatiluwih has been chosen as a new nominee as a World Heritage site. It’s a great honor for Bali to have its natural and cultural wonders included, as the sites will take their place right along side world-famous Borobudur, Prambanan, the Sangiran archaeological site, Ujung Kulon, Lorentz and Komodo national parks, and the tropical rainforests of Sumatra.

The achingly picturesque area of Jatiluwih actually comprises not only rice fields but also forests, lakes, springs, temples and a huge natural mountain reserve scattered over a wide area around the slopes Mount Batukaru, a sacred landscape whose boundaries are defined by a cluster of temples supported by traditional villages and farmlands administered by age-old subak organizations, the local water boards.

 

This site is among the most striking examples of terraced agriculture in the world and is arguably Bali’s oldest and most complex real-life model of the subak agricultural system which vividly reflects the intertwined, mutually beneficial relationship between the island’s traditional rice growing culture and its Bali Hindu spiritual belief system.

 

Bali’s terracing and irrigation practices are even more elaborate, sophisticated, and seasonably predictable than those on Java. Though beautiful rice field terraces also can also be found in Sumatra and Sulawesi, there is no irrigation organization in Indonesia comparable to Bali’s water conservation and distribution system. Only the 2000-year-old Ifugao rice terraces of the Philippines can hold a candle to Jatiluwih.

 

As it exemplifies such effective water usage over centuries, Bali’s famed environmentally friendly subak system itself is being considered for the World Heritage list. The effort to get the subak system listed to World Heritage status is especially urgent in the face of widespread diversion of agricultural lands. Over the past 20 years Bali lost more than 1,500 ha of precious rice fields to make way for the development of tourist resorts, restaurants, housing complexes, road construction and other commercial enterprises.

 

The Realm of Dewi Sri

Jatiluwih is one big sculpture. Because of the Tabanan area’s superb drainage pattern, the high volcanic ash content, and the island’s equable climate, conditions for traditional sawah cultivation exemplified by Jatiluwih’s terraces are perhaps the most ideal in all of Bali.

 

Rice growing is practiced as both an art and a science. Bali’s steep and narrow ravines, as typified especially in the western part of Jatiluwih, are not easy to dam. To remedy this problem, the area’s farmers have devised an ingenious system of hand-built aqueducts, small catchments, and underground canals to collect rainwater from Bali’s mountain lakes, spilling each farmer’s precious allotment of water onto tiers of paddy via thousands of tiny waterfalls.

 

Jatiluwih’s rice fields are irrigated by water that is sometimes channeled by tunnels through solid rock hillsides. Water needs high on the ridges often require tunnels two or three kilometers long. This complex irrigation system, continuously maintained, groomed, and plowed, has been developed over many centuries. The historical manuscript, the Bebetin, records that Balinese farmers have used the Subak system since at least 1071.

 

Some scholars have postulated that it is due to the expertise of Bali’s rice farmers that the Balinese have been able to support such a refined civilization with such a theatrical and colorful religion. The discipline required to share water and resources has created a remarkably cooperative way of life. Rugged individualists cannot exist in communities where every farmer is utterly dependent on the cooperation of his neighbors.

 

The word for rice (nasi), a staple of the Balinese diet, is the same word for “meal”. A Balinese cannot imagine a meal without rice. Specialized vocabularies deal with every aspect of rice farming, and a huge amount of time, energy, and money go into petitioning the gods so the rice farmer’s work may yield good results. Popping up everywhere in Jatiluwih’s rice terraces you see small temples dedicated to Dewi Sri, the beloved goddess of rice.

 

(slight reprocess and rotation to better see "the wizard")

  

Description from NASA APOD:

Located only 8,000 light years away, the Wizard nebula, pictured above, surrounds developing open star cluster NGC 7380. Visually, the interplay of stars, gas, and dust has created a shape that appears to some like a fictional medieval sorcerer. The active star forming region spans 100 about light years, making it appear larger than the angular extent of the Moon. The Wizard Nebula can be located with a small telescope toward the constellation of the King of Aethiopia (Cepheus). Although the nebula may last only a few million years, some of the stars being formed may outlive our Sun.

  

All sub exposures were acquired from my backyard on Oct, 1-4 2013.

- 25 x 30m Ha (5nm)

- 25 x 30m OIII (3nm)

- 25 x 30m SII (3nm)

  

Total exposure time: 37.5 hours

  

Equipment:

Main Camera: QSI 583 WSG

Guide Camera: SXV Lodestar (on OAG)

Mount: Astro-Physics Mach 1

Scope: Celestron Edge HD 8" with 0.7x reducer (FL: ~1480mm)

Image Aquisition software MaximDL

Registed, Calibrated and Stacked in MaximDL

Post Processed with PixInsight 1.8 and Photoshop CS6

So, since having the realisation that I use my 365 as a chance to visually document one event of the day, it has made my mind a lot clearer on the approach to shooting.

This shot was slightly influenced by Lism

 

Today it rained in the morning, which was good because it finally got rid of the remnants of snow. Which meant for the first time in about 2 weeks I have been able to wear shoes other than my age-old cowboy boots.

Its not quite safe enough for heels yet, so I wore my flats. I bought these shoes in London in May. I love red shoes the best, however I have an uncanny ability to always chose the most inappropriate shoes for any occassion. If I am ever let down, it is through my choice of footwear. Wedges to do archery, yellow jellys on worn away steps (you can read about this here ) and none-grip wellies on sheet ice, I've been there.

I bought these because of another shoe-faux pas.

 

I went to London for a few days break and at the same time meet up with my friend Margaret. She was over from Canada, we met on Facebook and this was a good chance to meet in person.

The first night I hooked up with her, we were walking all around London and on the tube stations through rush hour until suddenly I couldn't walk another step. My wedges were now too painful to walk any further. Margaret has great style and came to the rescue! She took me to Office and showed me these shoes she had seen earlier in the week. I tried them on and bought them immediately- they are sooo comfortable!

 

So, I'll dedicate this photo to her, the Canadian lady with a vintage twist :)

 

Oh and I'm sick of wearing black. Somehow my brain goes on autopilot when its time to do a load of washing, and I manage to only do black washes. Which results in a funereal approach to style. So, I deliberately washed brights this week. And clashed with block colour tights. Lovely :).

Visually distilling what a family get-together can look like, for me Part 2. Canon 5D Classic + Sigma ART 35mm F1.4 EF

The Triumph TR5 was a sports car built by the Triumph Motor Company in Coventry, England, between August 1967 and September 1968.

 

Visually similar to the Michelotti-designed TR4 open two-seater it was derived from, the TR5 replaced Triumph's 78 kW SAE Standard inline-four engine with the much more powerful Lucas mechanical fuel-injected 110 kW Triumph 2.5-litre straight-6. Price pressures and tighter emissions standards in the U.S. resulted in a much less powerful carburetted version, the TR250, being sold on the North American market.

 

At the time, fuel injection was uncommon in road cars. Triumph claimed in their sales brochure that it was the "First British production sports car with petrol injection".

 

The Triumph TR250 was built during the same period for the North American market. Price pressures and tighter emission regulations resulted in twin Zenith-Stromberg carburettors being fitted instead of the TR5's Lucas fuel injection system. Otherwise it is nearly identical.

 

The TR250's engine delivered 81 kW, 29 kW less than the TR5; 0–60 mph acceleration took 10.6 s. The TR250 was also available with the Surrey Top system.

 

In 1968, the TR250 sold in the USA for approximately US$3,395, with wire wheels an $118 option, overdrive $175, and air conditioning $395.

 

Source: Wikipedia

 

Taken at Gärdesloppet 2024-05-26.

 

For full resolution click on the image twice.

 

A group of blind and visually impaired performers from Morocco, Togo, United Kingdom, and Switzerland performed during a cultural event on October 6, 2016 organized by WIPO and the Government of Morocco​. The cultural event also included an exhibition entitled "The Centenary of Industrial Property in Morocco."

 

The event was held on the sidelines of the WIPO Assemblies, which met in Geneva from October 3 to 11, 2016.

 

Copyright: WIPO. Photo: Violaine Martin. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO License.

A visually striking & unmistakable moth that flies from June to August. Most frequently found in open woodland and scrub, but also found in gardens, orchards & parkland.

Trapped in my Suffolk garden - July 2014.

This guy is visually one of my favorite villains ever. Arrow did him pretty well a season or two ago, but opted out of the mask to better show off the grotesqueness of his sewn-shut mouth, I guess. Either way, here's my crack at him, that I'm more or less satisfied with.

Visually distilling what a family get-together can look like, for me.

Canon 5D Classic + Canon EF 50mm F1.8 v1

I went to Africa and all I got was this new favourite piece of Catholic High Modernism – and one designed by a Belfast architect to boot.

 

Located in the heart of Joburg’s ‘edgy’ Hillbrow neighbourhood, so it gets few visitors, the Cathedral of Christ the King is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg.

 

From the outside, the Cathedral is impressive for its sheer bulk and scale, but not perhaps the most visually exciting structure. Inside, the glory of the glass and its multi-coloured refractions are instantly striking, especially in early morning or late afternoon sun. The colours on the concrete give the impression of a painted interior of a medieval cathedral. All windows in the cathedral were executed by Patrick Pollen of Dublin.

 

The three-manual organ contains 2,527 speaking pipes. It was built by the Johannesburg firm of Cooper, Gill and Tomkins and incorporates the 1897 instrument by W. Hill and Son of London which was in the old Pro-Cathedral building.

 

The architect was Belfast-born Brian Gregory, who merits an entry in the online Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940 as Patrick (Padraig) Bernard Gregory. Born in 1886, his parents had moved to Colorado by the time he was nine and had remained there for at least four years, but by the time of the 1911 Census his mother had returned to Belfast with three of her children and was living with her sister who ran a grocery business. He commenced independent practice in Belfast in 1906, and worked independently or in partnership in various city centre locations until his death in 1967.

 

The Dictionary of Irish Architects says of Gregory: “A committed Catholic, he designed many Catholic churches throughout Northern Ireland and was responsible for the original scheme for the Cathedral of Christ the King in Johannesburg. He also designed the altar cloth for the great mass which was celebrated in Phoenix Park at the Dublin Eucharistic Congress of 1932.”

 

The plans to build the cathedral were envisioned in 1937 by David O'Leary, the first South African-born Catholic Bishop of Johannesburg; due to the Second World War and, presumably, other factors, construction did not commence until 1958 under Bishop Whelan, with consecration taking place soon after in 1960.

 

Modern in its detailing and construction, the cathedral has a traditional Latin cross form with a 20-metre-high nave. transepts, crossing and sanctuary. The nave is 58 metres long and can seat 1,500 people with a further 130 in the gallery, which I was unable to access on my visit. The side chapels are flat-roofed single storey spaces that wrap around the perimeter of the nave. The building rises 25 metres from the pavement level on Saratoga Avenue. It is now behind high walls and there is security at the gate – very friendly security when we visited.

 

Liturgical foci – the altar, baptismal font and holy water fonts – are constructed in solid Botticino marble. The canopy over the high altar is constructed of edge-grained oregon pine with sapele mahogany fascias, in the form of a hyperbolic paraboloid supported on laminated sapele mahogany columns

 

The organ is a fine instrument but currently out of action needing repair, and the Cathedral is actively seeking a relatively local organ-builder capable of repairing it.

 

Christ the King is, as I have already noted, located in one of Johannesburg’s tougher corners. We arrived ‘on spec’ having read on other blogs (which I can no longer find) that there was secure on-site car parking and the Cathedral was open during the day. We were welcomed as we arrived by the car park security and the cathedral was indeed open – unfortunately we were the only visitors during the whole half hour we were there, at about 4 o’clock on a humid early December afternoon. When I started flashing my camera around, the site manager did ask who we were and said it would have been better if we had cleared the visit with the diocesan office beforehand, although he was happy enough for me to keep taking photos.

 

And if you’d like to take a guided walking tour of Hillbrow, Dlala Nje at Ponte Tower offer one every day—I have meant to do it on my last three visits to Joburg but never quite managed it. Perhaps next time!

 

This description incorporates, with gratitude, text from the English Wikipedia and the online Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720-1940.

Visually terrifying; the oil fields in Taft, CA as seen through these eyes of this photographer

The single storey visually attractive Prince Edward Hotel was first licensed in 1864. The business continues to be supported by 'locals' and visitors to the town due to the hotels old world charm & relaxing character. At times it has also been known as the Prince of Wales Hotel.

  

A diverse and visually interesting collection of vintage Mobiloil advertising badges that showcase the Company's earliest trademarks - the Gargoyle and Pegasus motifs.

  

When Standard Oil broke up in 1911, a phenomenal amount of companies evolved, one of which was Socony (Standard Oil Company of New York) who registered the name 'Mobiloil' as a trademark in 1920. Mobiloil lubricants for both motor cars and motorcycles were available in Britain from the 1920s but Mobil petrol did not appear until 1954; in 1955 a change of name resulted in the formation of the Mobil Oil Company Ltd.

 

When Socony and the Vacuum Oil Company fully merged in 1931, an affiliation with the Magnolia Petroleum Company gave way to the adoption of the Pegasus trademark. The Pegagsus badge above dates to the early 1950s, 'The New Mobiloil is here' to the 1920s, 'Mobiloil Banishes Oil-Drag' to the 1930s and the 'Mobiloil D' to the 1930s.

 

In 2000, Mobil merged with Exxon to form ExxonMobil.

 

Photography, layout and design: Argy58

 

(This image also exists as a high resolution jpeg and tiff - ideal for a variety of print sizes

e.g. A4, A3, A2 and A1. The current uploaded format is for screen based viewing only: 72pi

The Class 25/0 was visually identical to the 24/1, and the subsequent 25/2 differed only by virtue of the air horns incorporated either side of the cab-top route indicator boxes. No examples of Classes 24/1 or 25/0 survive in preservation and this digital representation is based on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s Class 25/1. Like the latter, it features electric train heating (ETH) jumpers that would not have been original features (but which would have been difficult to remove from the image). The 25/0 were fitted with steam heating boilers that were subsequently isolated; it is unlikely that any were ETH-fitted whilst in BR ownership. This example is depicted in plain green livery (no off-white band) with full yellow ends (17-Oct-21).

 

All rights reserved; not to be posted on Facebook or anywhere else without prior written permission. Please follow the link below for additional information about my work and the techniques used:

www.flickr.com/photos/northernblue109/6046035749/in/set-7...

This visually stunning water tower at Finedon in Northamptonshire was built in 1904 & cost £1500. It is right beside the A6 & takes your breath away when it comes into view! The Victorians didn't do things by halves!

 

Tenuous Link: water tower

 

Connected (in the Connect group): six sided tower.

 

ABCs & 123s: 6 sides (hexagonal)

  

A unique and highly collectible philatelic item: an official First Day Cover (FDC) issued by the Isle of Man Post Office Authority on March 12, 1976, featuring the genuine autograph of renowned British humanitarian and author Sir Terry Waite.

 

This cover was issued to commemorate the American Revolution Bicentennial and honors Colonel William Christian of Virginia. However, its primary value lies in the unique, confirmed signature from Terry Waite, a famous public figure known for his exceptional work in hostage negotiation and his own survival of five years in captivity in Beirut.

 

Colonel William Christian was a respected Virginia military officer, planter, and politician who commanded the Virginia militia during the 1776 Cherokee Expedition. He was the brother-in-law of Patrick Henry and was killed in 1786 while leading an expedition against Native American tribes near what is now Indiana.

 

The signature is a confirmed match to examples found in his best-selling autobiography, Taken On Trust. This is a one-of-a-kind piece that bridges philately with modern humanitarian history.

 

A unique and highly collectible philatelic item: an official First Day Cover (FDC) issued by the Isle of Man Post Office Authority on March 12, 1976, featuring the genuine autograph of renowned British humanitarian and author Sir Terry Waite.

This cover was issued to commemorate the American Revolution Bicentennial and honors Colonel William Christian of Virginia. However, its primary value lies in the unique, confirmed signature from Terry Waite, a famous public figure known for his exceptional work in hostage negotiation and his own survival of five years in captivity in Beirut. The signature is a confirmed match to examples found in his best-selling autobiography, Taken On Trust. This is a one-of-a-kind piece that bridges philately with modern humanitarian history.

 

The Signer: Sir Terry Waite

The handwritten signature on the cover has been visually authenticated as belonging to Sir Terry Waite CBE, a prominent British humanitarian, author, and former special envoy for the Archbishop of Canterbury.

 

Background: Terry Waite is famous for his work in conflict resolution and hostage negotiation in the Middle East during the 1980s. Captivity and Fame: In 1987, he was taken hostage in Beirut and spent 1,763 days in solitary confinement. His story of survival and subsequent humanitarian work made him an international public figure after his release in November 1991. Autobiography: He authored the bestselling book Taken On Trust, which was published in 1993 and composed in his mind while captive.

 

Context of the Signature: The signature is a valuable personal addition to the collectible item. It is highly unlikely that Sir Terry Waite signed this cover on its issue date in 1976, as he was not yet a public figure. It is probable he signed it as a piece of memorabilia for a collector or for a charity event at some point after his release from captivity in 1991. The signature gives the item a unique provenance not shared by standard, unsigned versions of the cover, which are generally of low market value.

 

LINK to video - The Secret Story of Terry Waite - PBS Frontline 1991 - www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-VHaUk1hC4

Street photography first real attempt with the Panasonic g9

Venus Transits, though not really visually impressive, are extremely rare astronomical events and not to be missed by any astronomy hobbyists. The transits normally occur every 100+ years, in pairs separated by 8 years.

 

The last two transits were in June 2004 and June 2012 and I witnessed both. Out of the pair, I took the 2012 one more seriously since it would be the last chance in my lifetime. Apart from me, 5 other Malaysian hobbyists took it equally seriously. We travelled all the way down southern to the state of Northern Territory in Australia for best weather, though the event was perfectly visible from Peninsula Malaysia.

 

The weather god was very kind to us five crazy buggers. We were blessed with crystal clear sky throughout the 6-hour-long transit. We documented the entire show in both white light and H-alpha, stills and time lapses. The H-alpha image posted here is my collaborative work with @William Chin. The sun was a little bit more active compared to June 2004, with some decent sunspots and prominences showing up.

 

To be honest, watching the transit gets kind of boring after the 1st and 2nd contacts finish. You basically sits there under harsh sunlight for hours, simply waiting for the last contacts. However, you do get some fun if you prepare a big piece of solar film and cover your entire face. By doing this, you see nothing but the sun, dotted with the tiny silhouette of Venus, in your view. You get a feeling you are floating in empty space, and you really can get a sense of how far away the two objects are and how orbital positioning plays a part in such celestial alignments.

 

Don't forget to mention this trick to your grandchildren, so that they won't get too bored watching the next Venus Transit in 2117 : )

therefractedlight.blogspot.com

Visually, a bona fide steel boot kick in the ass. I love great geometry in architecture, nature, photography and especially in design. 32 inches wide x 18 inches dep x 30 inches tall.

Visually seen and captured at 4:02 AM. Milky Way above the meteor. Mars is to the left of the Saguaro cactus and Saturn and Jupiter to the right of the cactus, all three planets in a straight line.

 

The meteor last 1-2 seconds and moved very fast. This is a 10 second exposure so the meteor is photographically less bright in appearance than the visual observation.

 

Tighter crop but this is very close to my field of vision and what I saw sitting on my Televue astronomy stool watching. enjoying the wee hours before dawn.

The inspiration behind this collection of knitted textiles comes from the folklore of crystals, the concept’s foundations started with the research of the mystical and the magical. Collecting primary research from a selection of new age shops within Glasgow; the initial design process of this knitwear collection focused on an assortment of opals, stones and crystals. Observing these crystalline structures, it became apparent that the qualities that interested me visually were the relationships and interactions that occurred through light and transparency. Knitting with a range of sewing threads, monofilaments, light reflective and glow in the dark yarns – this collection captures a range of translucent and luminous qualities. Using hand manipulation juxtaposed with traditional lace and laddering techniques, I have echoed pairings found within each stone while using the domestic knitting machine. Working in a fun and experimental nature is something I strive to do in all aspects of my design work; marrying playfully romantic designs with high-tech, industrial treatments. I have exaggerated, distorted and layered my knitted textiles – this has allowed me to surpass knit in its traditional state. This knitwear collection is a unique range of ready to wear womenswear alternating between the delicate and the durable.

www.artsthread.com/profile/kathrynmckerrall/

 

kat_mck@hotmail.co.uk

Marilyn Rushton, a well-known Burnaby citizen, is awarded with the province’s newest honour, the Medal of Good Citizenship.

 

Rushton is honoured for her for inspirational life of service to the visually impaired community, her contributions to families with blind and visually impaired children, and her energetic support for the musical community.

 

Learn more: news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2016IGR0025-001407

I ran into Grand Ledge a year ago to photograph the crosses on the grounds of Immanuel Lutheran Church for my sister. Immanuel--the name can be translated as "God With Us"--has many exterior crosses; I counted eleven. It was an interesting stop.

 

While I was wandering around the campus I had a short chat with Pastor Chuck about the crosses, my sister, and other things.

 

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While I dislike the current fashion for ugly privacy fences, this one blocks the view of and from Immanuel's parking lot and is likely justified. It's a bit more visually interesting, too, than my neighbor's fence, which was visible in yesterday's photo. That gate helps, methinks.

 

This photo looks much the same in color, by the way; I'd blame the day's overcast sky. The major difference is those reflectors, which are bright red.

 

==========

 

This photograph is an outtake from my 2021 photo-a-day project, 365^4.

 

Number of project photos taken: 33

Title of folder: Back Road to GL-Immanuel

Other photos taken on 2/10/2021: none. (This perpetual none-ness will eventually change. I promise.)

by thejourneguy ift.tt/1UXk7gg

Visually similar to London Country's ill starred RC class was my personal favourite in the Pooles Coachways fleet, DRF 133E. Unlike the RC's in mechanical specification, it was powered by AEC's 590 cu in engine with six speed manual gearbox and rode on leaf leaf springs rather than air bags. Bought new in 1967, the bus survived to the end of operations with the Poole family and passed to the Mc Cready group who acquired the business. Withdrawal came shortly afterwards and after a degree of procrastination I narrowly missed buying it, finding it to have been scrapped the week before I tentatively inquired. The Willowbrook (Duple Midland) bodied Reliance was to be Poole's last new AEC. It's seen here on a winter Saturday afternoon outside their Alsagers Bank premises.