Try to remember the kind of September When life was slow and oh, so mellow Try to remember the kind of September When grass was green and grain was yellow
By the way, your 3 images are magnificent. I think the shot of the fawn is fabulous.
At the moment it is 60F...but doesn't really start warming up till later this month..we are still very much in the clutches of Winter for a few more weeks yet...
How about diversity of a life lived (and thankfully not over yet)?
A Few Memories of Teachng Chinese Students
More than 16 years ago, retired from my profession, kids gone and involved in their own careers, my marriage breaking up, getting bored and at the age of 69 thinking that this was the denoument of my life, I happened to be corresponding with my nephew who was teaching in China and told him that I was unhappy, and he wrote: "Uncle Buzz, come to China. I'll get you a job teaching English here." ("Buzz" really IS my nickname.) Was I interested? It could be an incredible adventure....and in fact, it has been. Think of what the elderly Bilbo Baggins said at the end of the LOTR trilogy as he was about to board the Elven boat to leave Middle Earth…
A job offer came, a visa acquired, and I was on my way.
I was treated like royalty by the school, given the top (3rd) floor of the school faculty residence, consisting of a huge living-dining-kitchen combo, a master bedroom with en suite bathroom, a second bedroom, and another bathroom, a locked storage room and two balconies. Here is a photo of the view of a park, where I liked to wander now and then, from the larger balcony:
It was a private high school, affiliated with the University of Western Australia, and I taught English, Business English and Australian law to the senior students to prepare them for their first year at an Australian university. Teaching them law was easier for me than it would have been for any other regular teacher, because Australian law is almost the same as Canadian law, both being based upon British jurisprudence. Here is a photo of one of my classes.
The foreign teachers were treated exceptionally well, taken on trips in the school bus to fascinating places such as Shaolin Temple (the birth place of Zen Kung Fu, and where Henry Kissinger had met with government officials before bringing Nixon to China) and Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors, and on occasions the school hosted the foreign teachers to a great hotel dinner, as in this photo. The headmaster is sitting second from the right, and I'm third, next to the headmaster. The other teachers are from Australia, England, America and the Philippines:
We travelled to those places in this school bus, driven by Xao Wong, and as you can see it bears the name of the school:
As part of my law lessons, I was the first teacher ever to prepare the students for and set up a mock civil trial. The judge was a student whose father actually was a judge. There was a bailiff, or court clerk, a civil jury of 6 students, and the brightest students were the lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant, and each had an assistant. The whole school sat behind the "lawyers" to watch the proceedings, and it was taped by the vice principal. Here is a picture of the trial in session:
During my tenure I was sitting at my computer and all of a sudden I started to rock in my chair. It was 2008, and the massive earthquake in Sichuan, about 1000 miles away, was felt all the way to us - it even caused a crack in the wall of the school. The school held an assembly about the incident, and many from the school, and the school itself, contributed to the Red Cross then. Here is a picture of all the students assembled at that time:
We did have fun as well. Every year the foreign teachers entertained the whole school at an assembly. This particular time I sang Autumn Leaves a capella in English and French to show off that Canadians are bilingual (but so are all the students and the non-foreign faculty at the school - Mandarin and English):
Graduation ceremony is a happy time for the students, but a sad one for those like me who become attached to them:
And finally, I take the dias to address the students and parents, and to say goodbye to them:
The school normally keeps foreign teachers on for a two year stint. They kept me on for 6 years. After that I taught privately, and now I'm fully retired (and tired as well). I may have been a teacher, but the lesson that I learned is a lesson for all….
Remember that earthquake well as at the time I was working with Henry..A Chinese engineer who was wanting to live here in Australia permanently and I was helping him with the citizenship questions etc...We had many discussions from Politics, to food to Tibet and why he wanted to leave China..He said to many people live there..
It was quite hilarious and he had a brilliant sense of humour...I really missed him when he returned to Melbourne..:Last I heard he married his girlfriend and they have two kids and now working in the families restaurant down there...
This morning's sunrise at Daytona Beach. Note the birds on the water's edge, they move to the water's edge in the evening and that is where they ''sleep''. There are thousands of them all along the beach in the mornings. Various types of gulls, sandpipers, Dowichs, etc. There are hundreds of brown pelicans but they do not nest on the beach, I believe that most check in to the Marriott down the beach.
It's all sunny and hot here on the 2nd day Sep. The flowers are fading, the leaves are starting to turn and pumpkin spice will soon hit menus everywhere.
I promise she is not dead, this is just her favorite way to lounge around. We adopted her about a month ago and at first we thought she was just fat, but she moves like lightening and can easily jump up to the counter. I think she’s just a muscular breed - English shorthair I think. Her wide set legs make her appear kinda fat.
All really lovely photos, Buzz, and covers various life forms.
Mother Earth does indeed provide a vast variety of different types of life forms, some of which provide helpful, and even life saving, medicinal uses. Others provide food for both humans and animals. Not to mention a vast variety of beautiful blooming plants, some of which are both edible and pleasing to behold.
The tree is a Bristle Cone Pine; Great Basin Bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva) are remarkable for being the oldest non-clonal species on the planet. This strange tree, shaped by the wind, snow, and rain has survived over thousands of years, overseeing the rise and fall of great empires, growing through ice-ages and catastrophic volcanic eruptions. But their ability to survive these harsh environments and adverse growing conditions is exactly their secret to great longevity.
The bristlecone pine is a symbol of longevity and resistance to stressful environmental conditions.
P.S. Note the RAVENS on the intersection of the upper horizontal third and the right vertical third.
Thanks Mac. And thanks for the additional information about the Bristle Cone Pine. I was not sure what type of tree it was, but, the appearance fit my idea of the type of tree I was looking for to express the message I wanted to impart.
And yes, the Ravens are an important part of the image. (grin)
Even though I've been to some wooded areas here, I've never seen a deer here. Back in Canada, when my parents lived in a home on the edge of a forest I came home once to find a deer eating the euonymus vines on the side of their house.
If I remember correctly, do you live in Warrenton VA? I lived there for more than 4 years while teaching and doing research. What is the name of the park that you the photo from? There were always lots of deer hanging around where I lived then.
Ahhh....the Shenandoah Valley is a truly beautiful area any time of the year. It is also the homeland of my Maternal Cherokee ancestors. I really do miss it.
Indeed they are very nimble and graceful, and have no problem clearing the fences. This one looks like it is ready to jump over the fence in front of it.
Good photo, charger, thank you for sharing both of them with us.
Great photos, Kavika. The Wolf in the wide I have seen when we lived in Pawhuska OK, while visiting my adoptive Cherokee Grandparents who lived on the Cherokee Rez. I was only 7 y/o at the time. And you are right...the howl of the Wolf in the wild is something that anyone who has heard it will never forget.
This makes me think of the scene in The Magnificent Seven when Harry is dying and Chris tells him there really was a lot of gold that they were going to get.
Meet ''Fred'' a fox squirrel. They are the largest of all squirrels and spend a lot more time on the ground than most other squirrels. They are much more friendly than most other squirrels. Fred will run up to golf carts on the GC to visit.
They were on the Endangered list for years but have made a great comeback.
Morning.. love squirrels and raccoons..only ever seen one squirrel and that was in Scotland... never seen a raccoon but they always look so chunky and love the bandit look...
How cute is that! I have always had squirrels where I live except where I am now. The is a cutie that lives in the large Elm tree across the street and it comes to visit now and then. There are only Palm trees in my yard, so the squirrel prefers the more dense environs of the Elm tree. They really are cute, and so much fun to watch, especially, the challenges between the squirrel and the crows when the squirrel is 'hiding' his food tidbits, and the crows are digging them up right behind it. I get to hear all about it from the squirrels' protests, and the crows defense of being wrongly accused of stealing its food...
(which of course they are actually guilty of doing ).
I've read that squirrels don't actually remember where they bury all their loot. People used to think they had phenomenal memories. Turns out they are just really obsessed with burying their excess stuff during the good times and hope that it must be around there somewhere during the leaner times. They look everywhere.
The grey squirrels in NYC parks have gotten pretty friendly. They act like they are our collective pets in the city and they aren't wrong.
You probably already know this, but, major parks in NYC and other large cities were intentionally stocked with squirrels in the mid 19th and early 20th centuries.
It's September!
A little music for that comment....(LINK) ->
And the beginning stanza, so appropriate...
By the way, your 3 images are magnificent. I think the shot of the fawn is fabulous.
Arvo..yep Spring is here at last..
uh... what does it mean in fahrenheit?
Arvo Devan..
At the moment it is 60F...but doesn't really start warming up till later this month..we are still very much in the clutches of Winter for a few more weeks yet...
Winter never does give up easily...
The three variations of life forms is truly awesome and oh so true. Very well done!
September...At least we got a little relief, it is only 86 today.
How about diversity of a life lived (and thankfully not over yet)?
A Few Memories of Teachng Chinese Students
More than 16 years ago, retired from my profession, kids gone and involved in their own careers, my marriage breaking up, getting bored and at the age of 69 thinking that this was the denoument of my life, I happened to be corresponding with my nephew who was teaching in China and told him that I was unhappy, and he wrote: "Uncle Buzz, come to China. I'll get you a job teaching English here." ("Buzz" really IS my nickname.) Was I interested? It could be an incredible adventure....and in fact, it has been. Think of what the elderly Bilbo Baggins said at the end of the LOTR trilogy as he was about to board the Elven boat to leave Middle Earth…
A job offer came, a visa acquired, and I was on my way.
I was treated like royalty by the school, given the top (3rd) floor of the school faculty residence, consisting of a huge living-dining-kitchen combo, a master bedroom with en suite bathroom, a second bedroom, and another bathroom, a locked storage room and two balconies. Here is a photo of the view of a park, where I liked to wander now and then, from the larger balcony:
It was a private high school, affiliated with the University of Western Australia, and I taught English, Business English and Australian law to the senior students to prepare them for their first year at an Australian university. Teaching them law was easier for me than it would have been for any other regular teacher, because Australian law is almost the same as Canadian law, both being based upon British jurisprudence. Here is a photo of one of my classes.
The foreign teachers were treated exceptionally well, taken on trips in the school bus to fascinating places such as Shaolin Temple (the birth place of Zen Kung Fu, and where Henry Kissinger had met with government officials before bringing Nixon to China) and Xi'an to see the Terra Cotta Warriors, and on occasions the school hosted the foreign teachers to a great hotel dinner, as in this photo. The headmaster is sitting second from the right, and I'm third, next to the headmaster. The other teachers are from Australia, England, America and the Philippines:
We travelled to those places in this school bus, driven by Xao Wong, and as you can see it bears the name of the school:
As part of my law lessons, I was the first teacher ever to prepare the students for and set up a mock civil trial. The judge was a student whose father actually was a judge. There was a bailiff, or court clerk, a civil jury of 6 students, and the brightest students were the lawyers for the plaintiff and defendant, and each had an assistant. The whole school sat behind the "lawyers" to watch the proceedings, and it was taped by the vice principal. Here is a picture of the trial in session:
During my tenure I was sitting at my computer and all of a sudden I started to rock in my chair. It was 2008, and the massive earthquake in Sichuan, about 1000 miles away, was felt all the way to us - it even caused a crack in the wall of the school. The school held an assembly about the incident, and many from the school, and the school itself, contributed to the Red Cross then. Here is a picture of all the students assembled at that time:
We did have fun as well. Every year the foreign teachers entertained the whole school at an assembly. This particular time I sang Autumn Leaves a capella in English and French to show off that Canadians are bilingual (but so are all the students and the non-foreign faculty at the school - Mandarin and English):
Graduation ceremony is a happy time for the students, but a sad one for those like me who become attached to them:
And finally, I take the dias to address the students and parents, and to say goodbye to them:
The school normally keeps foreign teachers on for a two year stint. They kept me on for 6 years. After that I taught privately, and now I'm fully retired (and tired as well). I may have been a teacher, but the lesson that I learned is a lesson for all….
A wonderful story of your life teaching in China, and great photos to go with, Buzz. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Arvo Buzz...
Remember that earthquake well as at the time I was working with Henry..A Chinese engineer who was wanting to live here in Australia permanently and I was helping him with the citizenship questions etc...We had many discussions from Politics, to food to Tibet and why he wanted to leave China..He said to many people live there..
It was quite hilarious and he had a brilliant sense of humour...I really missed him when he returned to Melbourne..:Last I heard he married his girlfriend and they have two kids and now working in the families restaurant down there...
My daughter who lives in Perth taught English for two years in China.
Great photo essay.
Here's one for Thursday....
A Young Brave Ans His Pony
That image says so much.
Thank you Buzz. Very glad you like it.
The Horse People.
Indeed, Kavika. Where human and horse depend on each other to survive, both in war and peace.
Man or Nature...
I prefer Nature.
Unfortunately its a competition.
This morning's sunrise at Daytona Beach. Note the birds on the water's edge, they move to the water's edge in the evening and that is where they ''sleep''. There are thousands of them all along the beach in the mornings. Various types of gulls, sandpipers, Dowichs, etc. There are hundreds of brown pelicans but they do not nest on the beach, I believe that most check in to the Marriott down the beach.
Beautiful sunset, and thanks for the laugh.
OK Buzz, pay attention it's a SUNRISE...LOL
Sunrise, sunset, sunrise, sunset...
Beautiful sunrise, and an amazing shot of all the birds along the beach front at that time as well.
It's all sunny and hot here on the 2nd day Sep. The flowers are fading, the leaves are starting to turn and pumpkin spice will soon hit menus everywhere.
I have never tried the pumpkin spice...
Tastes like pumpkin pie... cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice.
Beautiful sunflowers, and a great shot of the bee gathering pollen. Nature at its best.
I promise she is not dead, this is just her favorite way to lounge around. We adopted her about a month ago and at first we thought she was just fat, but she moves like lightening and can easily jump up to the counter. I think she’s just a muscular breed - English shorthair I think. Her wide set legs make her appear kinda fat.
Well, she does seem to be comfortable - you're a good parent.
She really is a beautiful kitty. And she knows how to relax and enjoy her nap.
Pagoda at Houhai Lake, Beijing
© G. Gam
Pagoda at Houhai Lake, Beijing 2
© G. Gam
Pagoda at Houhai Lake, Beijing - Night View
© G. Gam
3 photos, or just one edited photo?
I only have about 30 or 40 photos of pagodas - no dearth of them here.
One edited photo.
Well done, G.
Thank you, Raven Wing.
All three photos were taken this morning of the sunrise in Daytona Beach by Red. No filters just using an I phone.
Okay, okay, they're not sunsets, but it does look like the start of another beautiful day in Florida.
Beautiful photos. Red did a great job of photographing the early rising sun.
Some photos just wish to be paintings … and their wishes should be honored.
© A. Mac/A.G
© A. Mac/A.G.
So, are they paintings, or do you intend to paint them?
Whichever they are, they are truly beautifully done.
If you need to ask, I have granted their wishes.
LOL. THEIR wishes? Did they ask?
One for Friday......
Fancy Dancer
Fancy costume. That image makes me actually in my mind's eye picture him dancing.
Thank you, Buzz. The fancy regalia worn by the dancers is one of the reasons they call such dancers a 'Fancy Dancer'.
Decided to post a few photos to match the diverse life forms theme first set by A.Mac.
Fish - goldfish, or koi
.
Animal - a monkey on the sacred Buddhist Mount Emei
.
Flora - sort of like a rainforest, but close to where we live
All really lovely photos, Buzz, and covers various life forms.
Mother Earth does indeed provide a vast variety of different types of life forms, some of which provide helpful, and even life saving, medicinal uses. Others provide food for both humans and animals. Not to mention a vast variety of beautiful blooming plants, some of which are both edible and pleasing to behold.
What happened to the monkey's tail ?
Got lost when he monkeyed around.
Saturday's contribution.......
A Warrior And His Spirit Guide
Is the mangled tree trunk background meant to be symbolic of the power of the warrior?
Yes, as well as a symbol of determination and longevity..
That tree is famous, its name is Methuselah. It's almost 5,000 years old. It's in California but the exact location is not made public.
Indeed, Pat. I chose that tree because it fit with the theme of what I wanted to relate in creating my image.
The tree is a Bristle Cone Pine; Great Basin Bristlecone pines (Pinus longaeva) are remarkable for being the oldest non-clonal species on the planet. This strange tree, shaped by the wind, snow, and rain has survived over thousands of years, overseeing the rise and fall of great empires, growing through ice-ages and catastrophic volcanic eruptions. But their ability to survive these harsh environments and adverse growing conditions is exactly their secret to great longevity.
The bristlecone pine is a symbol of longevity and resistance to stressful environmental conditions.
P.S. Note the RAVENS on the intersection of the upper horizontal third and the right vertical third.
Nice work, RW!
It works !
Thanks Mac. And thanks for the additional information about the Bristle Cone Pine. I was not sure what type of tree it was, but, the appearance fit my idea of the type of tree I was looking for to express the message I wanted to impart.
And yes, the Ravens are an important part of the image. (grin)
2 deer in the park below my house, earlier this week, There were several more back in the woods
Even though I've been to some wooded areas here, I've never seen a deer here. Back in Canada, when my parents lived in a home on the edge of a forest I came home once to find a deer eating the euonymus vines on the side of their house.
If I remember correctly, do you live in Warrenton VA? I lived there for more than 4 years while teaching and doing research. What is the name of the park that you the photo from? There were always lots of deer hanging around where I lived then.
West of Warrenton, In Shenandoah Valley
Ahhh....the Shenandoah Valley is a truly beautiful area any time of the year. It is also the homeland of my Maternal Cherokee ancestors. I really do miss it.
And over the fence they went, couldn't get a good image of one clearing the fence but they had no trouble getting over
Must be fun to watch.
Indeed they are very nimble and graceful, and have no problem clearing the fences. This one looks like it is ready to jump over the fence in front of it.
Good photo, charger, thank you for sharing both of them with us.
The area I grew up, northern Minnesota had an abundance of wildlife. Two that I miss seeing and can remember vividly are these.
The black timber wolf. The photo by Conrad Tan in Red Lake MN. The howl of the wolf is a sound unlike any in the world and you never forget it.
The bull moose, photo taken on the Gunflint Trail near Thief River Falls, MN.
Great photos, Kavika. The Wolf in the wide I have seen when we lived in Pawhuska OK, while visiting my adoptive Cherokee Grandparents who lived on the Cherokee Rez. I was only 7 y/o at the time. And you are right...the howl of the Wolf in the wild is something that anyone who has heard it will never forget.
Love the wolf photo...what a magnificent coat and the eyes...
This morning rainbow on the Rainbow River, with a paddle border. The Rainbow river is just outside of Ocala around 5 miles from Stone Creek.
Photo by the Stone Creek photo club.
WoW! What a truly vivid rainbow, and a peaceful trip down the Rainbow River. Thanks for sharing this great photo with us, Kavika.
I see the end of the rainbow. Who took the pot of gold?
I hid it so only I know where it is.
Going to share the treasure with us?
NO
This makes me think of the scene in The Magnificent Seven when Harry is dying and Chris tells him there really was a lot of gold that they were going to get.
LOL
Sunday once again........and an oldie once again.......
I don't recall seeing that one before. If I had, I surely would have remembered - it's an unforgettable image.
It may be one that you missed, Buzz. But, at least you are seeing it now. (smile)
Meet ''Fred'' a fox squirrel. They are the largest of all squirrels and spend a lot more time on the ground than most other squirrels. They are much more friendly than most other squirrels. Fred will run up to golf carts on the GC to visit.
They were on the Endangered list for years but have made a great comeback.
I have not seen a squirrel in China, but then some do eat dog meat, don't they.
I thought it was bats..but there you go..😁
I think anything chewable.
Morning.. love squirrels and raccoons..only ever seen one squirrel and that was in Scotland... never seen a raccoon but they always look so chunky and love the bandit look...
Do you get raccoons in Florida or is it to warm?
We have thousands of raccoons in Florida.
How cute is that! I have always had squirrels where I live except where I am now. The is a cutie that lives in the large Elm tree across the street and it comes to visit now and then. There are only Palm trees in my yard, so the squirrel prefers the more dense environs of the Elm tree. They really are cute, and so much fun to watch, especially, the challenges between the squirrel and the crows when the squirrel is 'hiding' his food tidbits, and the crows are digging them up right behind it. I get to hear all about it from the squirrels' protests, and the crows defense of being wrongly accused of stealing its food...
(which of course they are actually guilty of doing
).
I've read that squirrels don't actually remember where they bury all their loot. People used to think they had phenomenal memories. Turns out they are just really obsessed with burying their excess stuff during the good times and hope that it must be around there somewhere during the leaner times. They look everywhere.
The grey squirrels in NYC parks have gotten pretty friendly. They act like they are our collective pets in the city and they aren't wrong.
You probably already know this, but, major parks in NYC and other large cities were intentionally stocked with squirrels in the mid 19th and early 20th centuries.
How Squirrels Took over Our Cities
Sunday night … got rained out of fishing this evening …
© A. Mac/A.G.
Although my preference has always been still-fishing, I've also known that fly-fishing is the aristocracy of fishing.
Last night's sunset, Stone Creek, Ocala FL.
Thanks to all; see you Thursday.