Our tree this week was sent in by Affinity’s newest team member, rq. It’s a majestic old tree in a fairy tale setting and the last shot is brilliant. Perfectly framed, perfectly lit and perfectly peaceful. Thanks for sharing, rq.
©rq, all rights reserved
©rq, all rights reserved
©rq, all rights reserved
©rq, all rights reserved
I’ve been thinking a lot about Caine today as I tended to some admin tasks. And then I found this in my inbox. It’s from Nightjar and it’s perfect. Thanks.
I’d like to dedicate this set to the memory of Caine, it was 100% inspired by her and she was in my thoughts as I planned and took each picture. It’s the kind of photography I would probably not even think of doing if I hadn’t met her. And yes, flash at dusk, a technique I picked up from her. I wish she could know how much she’s missed.
These are Helianthus tuberosus flowers from my garden.
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
It’s our last day with Ice Swimmer’s series Harakka an Island and we’re back to the port preparing to leave. I’ve enjoyed this series immensely. It’s been like an old-fashioned travelogue and the moving perspectives helped bring the island to life. It’s been so nice to see things from more than one vantage point. I’m a bit saddened that we’re leaving already, but isn’t that just the way it is with any trip…too short and over too soon. Thank you Ice Swimmer. It’s been a great adventure and now I’ll let you lead the way home.
1. Crane, ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
Now we’re back on the pier. The signal for the boat has been raised (not in the picture), but we have some time take a look at the crane. The other end of our boat trip is the white pier behind the crane.
2. Goodbye Harakka, ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
The boat is almost here, so all we can do is to take a last look, lower the signaling semaphore (again, not in the picture) and get aboard the boat.
This was our tour (mine in person and yours through these photos) of Harakka in July 2018. We saw some things, but there’s more to the island than this, but that is another story of things that have not happened yet. I actually went to Harakka on two different evenings for these pictures, and I haven’t been there since that. Another time of the day or a cloudy day would show the place in a different light.
(link to previous post, Harakka an Island: Chapter 9)
We’re back to Arakka an Island and in this chapter Ice Swimmer takes us to see views east. Off we go…
1. Birches and Särkkä, ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
From the front yard of Vellamo, we take another look at Särkkä, also seeing a few birches and the tower of the church in Suomenlinna. The church tower has a dual role as a lighthouse.
Little blue butterfly
Little blue butterfly with gossamer wings
For once my timing was good. This morning I was taking photos of our sedum turning pink and just as I had my camera ready, this little purple butterfly fluttered into frame and stayed long enough for me to take its picture. That almost never happens for me, mostly because of the impatient and snorfling dog by my side. Anyway, my photo of flowering sedum got an upgrade. I did quick search and I think it may be a female Eastern-Tailed blue butterfly.
It’s another chapter of Ice Swimmer’s Harakka an Island. We’ve climbed down from the top and we’re ready to go. Lead the way Ice Swimmer.
1. A Birch and Särkkä, ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
A bit to the south of the crossroads, there’s birch and we can see the island Särkkä in the southeast. Särkkä is next to the Suomenlinna Sea Fortress and the fortfications in Särkkä were built to support the main sea fortress. Nowadays Särkkä is used by a yacht club as a base and there are two restaurants there.
2. Footprints or Whose Island Part 3, ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
Also on the eastern shore, webbed feet are quite numerous.
3. Strawberries ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
Wild strawberry plants were plentiful, but there were very few berries.
4. Stone Ruin and Vellamo Cottage, ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
The Vellamo House/Cottage is a nature fairy tale house for kids featuring books and educational play facilities.
5. Entry, Ice Swimmer, ©all rights reserved
This mystery path through the bush starts next to Vellamo.
6. Duckboards or Pitkospuut, ©all rights reserved
The mystery path features duckboards, in Finnish pitkospuut (free translation: lengthwise planks of wood), to walk on. We don’t (or more like, I didn’t) want to get ticks so, we leave the mystery be a mystery.
Next, we’ll go to the front yard of Vellamo to take a look east.
(link to previous post, Harakka an Island: Chapter 7)
These photos were sent in by Opus and were taken in a bristlecone pine grove near Lone Pine, California. I think they make a brilliant set. Their beauty is stark and tortured and they evoke feelings of tenderness and vulnerability in me. Well captured, Opus. I’m so glad you shared them. Thanks.
©Opus, all rights reserved
©Opus, all rights reserved
©Opus, all rights reserved
When we last left Ice Swimmer’s series Harakka an Island we were at the top of the island. Where to next Ice Swimmer?
1. View East from the Laboratory Front Yard, ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
Now we’re back from the top of the island, in the front yard of the Artists’ Building, looking east, the pier is behind the red wooden buildings. We’ll go a bit south and go down the hill back towards the crossroads.
2. Down to the Crossroads, ©Ice Swimmer all rights reserved
We’re going down the same road we got up to the Artists’ Building. The history exhibition building is to the left and the pier from which we came is on the other side of the crossroads. We’ll be going to the right from the crossroads, to the south.
This lovely shot was sent in by rq. Obviously the trees don’t know that it isn’t autumn yet.
A near-autumn morning at the train starion, ©rq all rights reserved
When I have made my first, very crude, knife some twenty years ago, my friend’s father commented:
Charly, people want it to be handmade, but they do not want it to be immediately apparent that it is handmade.
That advice stuck in my mind so when I have read Feet of Clay from Terry Prattchett much later, following line resonated with me:
The thing looked like the kind of pots Igneous despised, the ones made by people who thought that because it was hand-made it was supposed to look as if was hand-made, and that thumbprints baked in the clay were a sign of integrity.
I tried to tie the leather strap as close to how it is done on the in-game model as I could manage. The only significant difference from the game model is the red leather on the scabbard, instead of brown.
If you look closely, here you can see that the hand guard does not stick out symmetrically on both sides of the scabbard.
Overall length ca. 395 mm, blade ca. 257 mm long, 23 mm wide at the guard, single-edged. Good cutting ability although not as good as a dedicated cutting blade would have. It is still a stabbing weapon.
Handle is turned out of maple wood. Rings are allingend perpendicularily to the blade so the shiny lignin spots are symmetricaly with it on both sides of the handle.
Rondel has ten hammered grooves giving it a daisy like look. All metal parts are polished to mirror finish and buffed with jeweler’s rouge.
Although the handle looks massive, the knife is weighed towards the tip when put on a flat surface. I guess it could be thrown, but I do not intend to try it for fear of the blade breaking.
My signature for knives from now on – my initials in Glagolitic script. This is also the writing used in the Witcher games, so it also thematically appropriate.
It’s time for the next chapter in Ice Swimmer’s series Harakka – an Island. Our guide will take it from here. Thanks, Ice Swimmer.
1. Odd Spruce, Rocks and open sea, ©Ice Swimmer, all rights reserved
This view is from the top of the island, towards southeast. I wonder what has happened to the spruce.
And as a finale of his week’s series from rq, mostly fluffy pictures.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
One has to admire thistles. Fluffy flowers, fluffy seeds and spiky everything else.
Bumlebees and bees have similar combination of fluff and spiky, I sense a theme here.
More fluff, but where are the sharp bits?
No fluff, no sharp bits. Just a wannabe tough guy.
And finally no fluff and no shar bits whatsoever. Just perfect depth of field. I love this picture.
A short video from michaelcthulum, one of the charity things I was talking about last time. This one is only 13 minutes and be sure to watch it until the very end.
I laughed so hard I nearly fell of my chair. And I sure as hell do not regretting being this man’s patron on patreon.