Metallica - Thematic Photography

When you walk around someone else's home with a camera in your hand there is always a lot of metal I like around.

Everything in the USA seems large and in your face. We could get six months food inside a - 

Fridge and Freezer

this size.

But how I wish I had a phone with buttons as large as these - 

Jumbo remote

And there's an oily character waiting under a tree

For an Italian maiden to come along, a virgin preferably.

Olive oil.

At floor level metallic patterns abound.

Air vent

But not enough to blow this structure around.

Whirls and Curves

To see how 'Metallica' has inspired others this week cross over to Carmi's Thematic-photographic-315.

Aviation Pioneers - Sunday Stamps

As I am staying with my daughter in Michigan I thought I should use some American stamps this week that I received some time ago on postcards. The postcards were boring city scenes but both cards had stamps commemorating aviation pioneers.

USA - Aviation Pioneers

Samuel Pierpont Langley (1834 - 1906) could have been more famous than the Wright brothers - if only...

Langley was an astronomer, physicist, and inventor of the bolometer for measuring electromagnetic radiation. He built a series of gasoline and steam powered model aerodrome planes in the 1890s/early 20th century, the most successful in 1896. In 1903 he built a full size human carrying airplane, the Aerodrome A. Unfortunately his design was flawed and test flights ended disastrously.

Alfred V Verville (1898/1970) was born in a small town in Michigan's Upper Peninsular. An aviation pioneer and aircraft designer he contributed to the development of civil and military aviation.

The Verville stamp is somewhat damaged as a result of its postcard being trimmed to enable it to be inserted in an album.

To see what others have selected this week fly across to the links at Viridian's Sunday-Stamps-194.

Holiday meals - Sepia Saturday

Despite having attending hundreds of conferences and training courses, I have no photos of delegates with name tags helping themselves to enormous plate-fulls that will put them to sleep in afternoon sessions.

The only photo that I could find on the flash drive I've carried with me to the States was from a festive meal sometime in the 1980s, I don't know the actual date.

Christmas Party, South Wales

Annie Scotney, my mother, is the lady on the left of the front row. Its the last photo that I have of her before she died well into her eighties.

Looking at the bottles of sauce on the table I can only wonder what they had to eat.

It has been an interesting experience to be in the USA at Halloween and to see pumpkins outside properties.

It was a bit of a shock therefore to also see the first scattering of snow at Halloween.

Halloween snow 'fall'

However that set us up for a festive meal, inside, in the warm.

Halloween spread

Food for four that would have fed twelve from a local Middle East restaurant and not a name tag in sight.

To see how other Sepians have fared just follow the links at Sepia-Saturday-252.

Round and Round - Thematic Photography

When you are left home alone, well as alone as you can be with three pairs of 

Beady eyes

watching your every move, you just have to look (a)round to see what's going on.

There is no danger of not being able to see to shave with this illuminating array.

and should my eyes water I do not have to reach far for a tissue.

When finished I just turn round and dispose of it in a very British bin.

I must not forget to close the door to keep those nosey dogs at bay.

It's not just dogs that are nosey, someone else has their eye on me.

At least the web cam looks straight ahead.

Heads swivel if anyone approaches this jar.

Biscuits if they are good.

Meanwhile Scout just waits for someone to play, not that he will relinquish the round things in his mouth.

It's a dog's life even on a rainy Michigan day.

This wheel has seen better times,

and may be too tired to get round to visiting the links at Carmi's Thematic-photographic-314-round-and round.

Trades/Professions - Sunday Stamps

Greetings from the USA this week where we are staying with my daughter, her husband and three dogs. Yesterday was a bit traumatic as Gem, her oldest dog, had to be put to sleep after a remarkable 15 and a half years. Gem was the last of the original "Gang of Four."

The lady vet from the Lap of Love, a veterinary hospice was a true professional. However I do not have a stamp that is appropriate for her.

Nevertheless I was surprised to find how many stamps meet Viridian's 'trade/professions' theme.

Algeria - Job Mechanics; 18 April 1965

Hungary - Welder series 1955

Lebanon - Potters work

Iceland - Nurse and patient

This stamp was issued on 19 June 1970 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Icelandic Nurses Association.

My last stamp this week is from Tunisia.

Tunisia - Nass-work - Handicrafts; 15 August 1979

I was pleased to be able to include my one and only stamp from Algeria as the theme forced me to identify what it represented.

I wonder whether anyone will have a stamp of a philatelist this week. To find out you will have to check the links at Sunday-Stamps-193.

Coppers - Sepia Saturday

Those who read my post last week will remember that I was born in the village of Ketton. You may even remember the blue car in this picture.

Stocks Hill, Ketton looking down the High Street

That blue car in the distance was near Mr Robinson's, the cobbler's house.

The monument in  the centre contains a water tap at the far side. It was erected to commemorate the golden jubilee of Queen Victoria in 1887.

But I am in danger of digressing from this week's prompt

which contains three 'coppers.'

The house on the left in the photo of Stocks Hill is occupied by the village policeman. It just so happens that I knew three of its incumbents before I left the area - PCs Swann, McDonald and Hodgkinson, and the latter's daughter (over whom I will draw a discrete veil)

All this was was nearly 60 years ago - a time, in those pre-decimal days, when the currency of the realm was based on pounds, shillings and pence .

As a boy I was always pleased to have three coppers in my pocket.

A Farthing (1/4 of a penny)

Halfpenny (Ship design)

Britannia on the reverse of the one penny coin

(Images scanned by Retroplum; created by HM Government))

Why is it that these designs beat the modern coppers every time?

OK, officer - I'll go quietly, no need for handcuffs, to check the links at Sepia-Saturday-251.

When night falls - Thematic Photography

I have had trouble with my body clock over the last three days but now it seems to have adjusted to Michigan time.

We were just too late to catch all the trees in their full fall glory. However when night falls it's a different story despite my video camera in photo mode persisting in taking advantage of what light there is at my daughter's property.

Driveway at dusk

Night falls over the woods

Trees take on a ghostly hue

- appropriate as we approach Halloween.

To see if there are any more eerie sights check the links at Carmi's Thematic-photographic-313.