The Troops return from Afghanistan

Last Saturday Liverpool troops that had returned from Afghanistan paraded to honour their fallen comrades.













Plus ça change plus c'est la même chose....





 

Joseph Smit

These hand-finished chromolithographs are by the accomplished Joseph Smit (1836-1929) and from the Proceedings of the Zoological Society(PZS) and Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum (BM). Born in the Netherlands, Smit was invited to Britain by Philip Sclater in 1866 and did the lithography for Sclater's Exotic Ornithology. He also did the lithography for Joseph Wolf's Zoological Sketches (second series), as well as Daniel Elliott's monographs on the Phasianeidae and Paradiseida. Smit contributed regularly to the Transactions and the Proceedings of the Zoological Society, Ibis, and The Field. Beginning in the 1870s, he worked on the massive Catalogue of Birds in the Museum, and later on the Lord Lilford's Coloured Figures of the Birds in the British Museum.

Smit was "Considered . . . the best animal painter in England after the death of J. Wolf" -- S. Peter Dance.







 

Happy Monday – Some More Senior Moments

An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%.
The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, 'Your hearing is perfect.. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.'
The gentleman replied, 'Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!'

Another senior citizen was telling his neighbor, 'I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand pounds, but it's state of the art.. It's perfect.'
'Really,' answered the neighbor . 'What kind is it?'
'Twelve thirty..'

Finally, two elderly gentlemen from a retirement centre were sitting on a bench under a tree when one turns to the other and says: 'Slim, I'm 83 years old now and I'm just full of aches and pains. I know you're about my age. How do you feel?'
Slim says, 'I feel just like a newborn baby.'
'Really!? Like a newborn baby!?'
'Yep. No hair, no teeth, and I think I just wet my pants.'


 

No Award For Photographic Excellence !

Each Sunday I normally give an award to one of my favourite blogging photographers. The recipient is welcome to display the award on their blog but is equally welcome not to do so. There is no passing on or writing deep secrets necessary. It is simply an acknowledgement from me of how much I have appreciated the person’s photographs. The person I would have chosen to give it to today is Lynda Lehmann. Her photos are brilliant. However, Lynda is not an Award person - something I can quite sympathise with - so today I am not giving an award (unless Lynda changes her mind!!!) but I am strongly recommending you pay her blog a visit!

in poarticular I suggest her Country Dreams posting - the second photo looks as though it should be in a Big Victorian frame - it is the perfect country scene.

So today's Photographic Excellence Award does not go to Lynda Lehmann!

Hallowe'en

Decorating the pub...




and the jewellers...



and the supermarket.


In true Scouse witch style she glared at me and said "Wotcha sterrin a'?" which roughly translates as "Why are you looking at me? Please desist and look elsewhere."