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aimeedaisies · 5 months

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On the road with the inexhaustible Princess Anne

8am 800 miles travelled, 12pm 650 hands shaken, 9pm 0 cups of tea drunk

By Hannah Furness, 9 May 2024

The Princess Royal is standing up a 42ft tower, looking out to sea in a north-westerly force six wind. Her hair, that neat up-do that has barely changed in 40 years, does not move, even as a sudden gust blows a seagull past her eyeline.

‘It’s quite exposed,’ she says, with understatement, then gets on with peppering her hosts with questions about tides, volunteer timetables and what precisely the diggers on the beach below are doing.

Outside the watchtower, her arrival in the Lancashire seaside town of Fleetwood has caused the smallest of stirs. A handful of curious dog-walkers gaze at her, camera-phones aloft, and she offers them a brief wave.

Inside, the volunteers of the National Coastwatch Institution (NCI) could not be more excited for a visit from their royal patron. The chairman, Stephen Hand, launches into a stream of compliments about the Princess’s work. ‘If I haven’t made the point clearly enough,’ he finishes, ‘we love her.’

This is her first engagement in a day that will see her travel 421 miles from Gloucestershire to Lancashire, then Merseyside, and back again via helicopter and Range Rover. It is one of 10 engagements in this typical week; she will complete about 450 this year.

‘She’s a dynamo,’ says the CEO of The Pony Club. ‘The best president imaginable,’ agrees the chairman of Carers Trust. ‘She should be queen,’ offers a member of the public. This is said at least once a day.

Not for nothing does she have the reputation as Britain’s hardest-working royal. In numbers of engagements, she and the King vie for the top spot each year. While he and the Princess of Wales have taken time off from public engagements to undergo cancer treatment, the 73-year-old Princess Royal has ploughed on with her head down, her work the definition of ‘unsung’.

Most of the time, that is how she likes it. She has eschewed the ‘rota’ system of journalists, photographers and broadcasters who cover her family’s outings. ‘I don’t go for their benefit,’ she once said of the press. ‘I go for the people who ask me.’

This week, in the middle of April, she has made an exception to grant vanishingly rare permission for The Telegraph to follow her on the road, for a snapshot of her work.

At no small effort from her close-knit team, which has accommodated me in its nomadic office, I have been allowed to document her encounters with the approximately 650 people she has met, the many charities and organisations she has put in the spotlight – and report from inside a Windsor Castle investiture for the first time.

I’ve spent seven years writing about the Royal family, travelling across the UK and the world to watch them at work, but Princess Anne’s no-fuss, no-frills team is unlike anything I’ve seen up close before. Professional and precise, she barely stops – every hand is shaken and every minute counts.

The Plan

The Princess’s diary is set months in advance. Twice a year, her office sends an invitation to 300-plus organisations she is affiliated with, asking for their requests for her time. Typically she’ll receive 1,000 to 1,200 requests a year – some suggest a visit, others ask her to write forewords to books, or ask for meetings. All are compiled into a database, arranged by date and region, and printed neatly in a book for the Princess to study. ‘[She] goes through everything required and decides what she’s going to do and when,’ says a member of the team. A planning meetings follows – and ‘once [the programme is] set, she sticks to it’.

Across the year, the Princess Royal travels the width and breadth of the United Kingdom

Her staff then go through it again to add last-minute audiences into the gaps. ‘The week is there to be filled,’ one long-serving team member tells me. ‘If she’s got a free hour and a half in London, we’ll look again to see what else to add.’

The Princess’s team is small but mighty. There’s her private secretary, Colonel John Boyd, who is fresh from 32 years in the British Army; her deputy private secretary, Commander Anne Sullivan (the double Annes occasionally cause confusion for outsiders); as well as five programme managers tasked with ironing out the exact schedule, right down to how long the Princess can spend talking to each person.

They are aided by 13 ladies-in-waiting, spread geographically, who accompany her out and about. Some of her first, who began working with her in the early 1970s, have only just retired.

‘You never quite know what she’s going to say yes to, but it’s never an outright no,’ says the long-serving team member of her schedule. ‘She’s probably been to more industrial estates than any other royal.

Monday - Estimated miles travelled - 0 (worked from home)

Hands shaken - 8

‘It’s a balance of what do the organisations want, what could she hear or learn or teach here? Every day is a school day where the Princess is concerned.’

At Gatcombe Park, her Gloucestershire home, the Princess’s assistant, Donna, welcomes a small group of eight smartly dressed representatives from the Royal Dairy Innovation Award with a cup of tea and a biscuit.

The Princess joins them once they are settled, in a homely barn conversion with framed seascapes on the walls. She reassures them that it’s ‘not going to be one of those formal events’, then starts grilling them about the Nova Scotian dairy industry and on-shore salmon farming.

Ash Amirahmadi OBE, winner of the prestigious Princess Royal Award, is there to officially collect the certificate honouring his leadership in the dairy industry. Afterwards, when the private engagement has sunk in, he tells me: ‘We had practised our formalities but she immediately put us at ease.

‘I was thinking, “How does she know this stuff, and how does she remember?” I come across eminent scientists and business leaders and not many have a better understanding of the food system than the Princess Royal.’

Ash Amirahmadi, the winner of this year’s Princess Royal Award, pictured with the Princess Royal

Before he leaves, the Princess tells him that she’ll be in touch to sign him up to deliver a speech at a conference next year.

She fits in a horse ride, dodging the worst of the day’s rain and hail she feared could be ‘painful’.

‘There’s no such thing as bad weather,’ she says later, with satisfaction. ‘Only inappropriate clothing.’

Tuesday - Estimated miles travelled - 421

Hands shaken - 200+

In Fleetwood, the wind whips across the sandy beach and the Princess Royal doesn’t flinch. She is there with a handful of volunteers from the NCI, celebrating its 30th anniversary. With an average age of 69, these are the local ‘eyes and ears’ that saved 22 people from trouble in the water last year by raising the alarm.

After a turn with the telescope, the Princess – wearing a navy-blue coat, colourful silk scarf and (the now famous) wraparound sunglasses – reaches the top of the Rossall Point Observation Tower, which looks out over Morecambe Bay, where conditions can be treacherous.

The Princess Royal inspects the Rossall Point Observation Tower

‘It really is extraordinary,’ she says. ‘Classically people say the sea is never the same, but in a place like this it really never is the same. The seasons, the bird life, the activity…’ Everyone nods.

This visit, it emerges, has little in common with most royal engagements, where guests of honour hear how things work. This has more of an air of a diligent business manager checking in on a regional branch. Nothing needs explaining to the Princess, a keen sailor and lighthouse aficionado, and she wins the approval of what could be a tough crowd with on-the-money observations about tide timings.

She speaks sparingly. Questions and remarks are formed from one or two words: ‘Since?’ ‘Previous experience?’ ‘Quite handy.’ She has a reply to everything, having travelled every inch of Britain in the line of duty.

John Bradford, who at 77 is the longest-serving volunteer, waits on the tower to shake her hand, but he is accidentally missed. The Princess is swept on to the next part of the engagement, presenting long-service awards and meeting 25 more volunteers in the nearby Marine Hall, accompanied by her new lady-in-waiting Dolly Maude, a midwife and friend of Zara Tindall who wastes no time in charming the room.

When her team discover someone has been missed out, they tell the Princess directly and Mr Bradford is whisked into the very last line-up.

‘I’m very glad you made it in,’ the Princess tells him, spending an extra few moments in conversation.

Then, plaque and certificate duties completed, she disappears to a back room where sandwiches are on offer. Ten minutes later, she’s back on the road.

It is a cliché that the Royal family thinks the world smells of fresh paint. The ground floor of the watchtower was drained of flood water shortly before the Princess’s arrival and the corridors at her next engagement in Merseyside have the distinct smell of bleach – but at the Wrea Green Equitation Centre in Preston, it is quite the opposite: a muck heap has been left intact. The hosts deem futile any attempts to fool the Princess into thinking it didn’t exist. She is, after all, a life-long equestrian.

She arrives on time; I do not. Without a helicopter, it’s impossible to keep up with her formidable itinerary.

Skipping the champagne reception and tea party, put on to celebrate 25 years of the Pony Club Centre Membership Scheme, the Princess instead strides around the yard watching the young riders and their parade of ponies.

She tours the stables and classrooms, chatting to children about horse massage and how side-saddle is still relevant for people with prosthetic legs, then she holds a presentation of commemorative plaques to 20 proprietors, each of whom has a different chat with her.

When a ‘naughty pony’ in a stable behind her unties itself to join the royal party, she is entirely unfazed.

‘She didn’t mind a bit,’ says Marcus Capel, CEO of The Pony Club – she simply carries on talking while stroking the pony’s ears.

The third engagement of the day: Sefton Carers Centre at Waterloo in Merseyside, which supports unpaid carers. Some of those assembled remember the Princess from 30 years ago, when she opened the centre. She is back to celebrate the anniversary.

Wearing a red jacket that looks strikingly similar to the one she was wearing back then (only the length and buttons are different), she hails a stream of people with a cheerful, ‘I haven’t seen you for a while,’ and, ‘This has changed a bit.’

The Princess Royal visits the Sefton Carers Centre to celebrate its 30th anniversary

Everyone is assembled in horseshoe shapes – her preferred arrangement for talking – and she ploughs on with gloved handshakes, getting through five large rooms of people. Among them are two men in their 90s who care for their wives with dementia, an eight-year-old girl in a wheelchair dressed as a princess, and teenagers who look after siblings and parents before and after school.

Some are nervous; a few curtseys are a little shaky. The Princess has a neat trick: her questions get more specific – no opinions are required, just short, easy-to-recall facts, to help ease them in. ‘Where do you live?’ ‘How long have you been coming here?’

Her own opinions are brief, delivered as common sense. On hearing that GPs don’t see the same families from cradle to grave any more, so find it difficult to support carers, the Princess says: ‘That’s part of the way people live their lives.’

She spends a few extra moments talking to the building’s cleaner, loudly declaring her ‘very important’. When one woman jokes about her long service, adding, ‘I think my face shows it,’ the Princess does an exaggerated double-take and says, ‘I’m sure that’s not true.’

She has another habit, shared with King Charles, of ending engagements by turning back for one last comment, leaving the impression she wishes she could stay.

The Princess Royal cuts the cake, on the promise it will be eaten

Downstairs, she unveils her third plaque of the day. There is a celebratory cake on the table in front of her and an expectant crowd waiting. She takes control of the moment. ‘You want the cake cut? On the basis that you’re going to eat it? Otherwise it’s just vandalism.’

Before she leaves, she is presented with a large rose planter. ‘Oh my word, a monster!’ she marvels. ‘What a lovely thing… I hope the helicopter can cope.’

By the end of the day, in small heels and with the briefest of breaks, she has spoken to at least 250 people. If she’s flagging, it doesn’t show.

Wednesday - Minutes of continuous conversation - 180

Hands shaken - 140

At 11 o’clock in Windsor Castle, Yeomen of the Guard stand on duty in the Grand Reception Room, as the Countess of Wessex’s String Orchestra plays quietly. The Princess Royal moves into position, wearing naval uniform, and the orchestra strikes up with God Save the King. Standing on a dais, a red velvet stool placed in front of her, she is ready for a full day of investitures.

The Princess is one of only three members of the family who perform them and while the King and the Prince of Wales have been needed at home, she has been carrying the load.

Some 140 people will receive an honour today, among them Paul Hollywood, who is being made an MBE. The pair discussed the smells of baking, he says later. ‘She loves Chelsea buns. I did promise her some so I’m not quite sure how I’m going to sort it out.’

The Great British Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood was among those honoured by the Princess Royal

Diana Parkes, a domestic violence campaigner who has worked with Queen Camilla in memory of her daughter, is made a CBE. She finds immediate common ground with the Princess via a family member who sold her horses.

One of the large team that makes the investitures happen tells me quietly that ‘you can always tell when it’s HRH’ on duty, because the day takes longer.

In theory, the Princess has her deputy private secretary on hand to jog her memory with details about people as the Lord Chamberlain announces each name. In practice, says a long-serving aide, she sends investiture notes back with her own comments about where she has met people before and which of her patronages they have links to. This is the case ‘95 per cent of the time’.

‘She’s got such a great brain. We often hear, “You must have briefed her really well,” but no, it’s all her. She makes it very easy in that respect.’ As each encounter winds up with a brisk handshake, recipients walk backwards to bow – desperate to get it right before rejoining their watching families. The Princess smiles at each one like they could not have performed it better.

After the 90-minute session has overrun slightly, she takes lunch in the private apartments before repeating it all in the afternoon.

Thursday - Core working hours - 9

Hands shaken - 250+

London’s Guildhall. The Princess Royal arrives via train for The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, a City fundraiser for military veterans which has raised more than £3.3 million since it began in 2008.

To walk in as an outsider is to enter a new world where London’s livery companies (guilds dating back to medieval times) line the corridors with stalls – the Worshipful Companies of Bakers, Fruiterers, Gardeners, Pewterers and Framework Knitters are all there.

The Princess has no entourage, only her protection officers and one lady-in-waiting. She does not bat an eyelid at being escorted in by members of The Company of Pikemen & Musketeers, who wield weapons from the Charles I era and take their roles seriously.

Guests are an eclectic mix – a pearly queen mingles with barristers and bankers, alongside the military. An injured veteran in his mid-30s tells me: ‘In the Army, I’ve often been in front of high-ranking people who don’t care what you have to say at all… She’s different.’

Michael Hockney, co-chairman of the event, says the Princess is ‘very well-known and popular in the City because she’s involved in the livery movements’.

The Princess Royal greets the traders at London's Guildhall

Lunch is served on long tables. The Princess sits with servicemen and women, eating from an identical plate piled with chicken tikka masala, prawn malai, dal, rice and mango chutney.

Ballanupalli Sainath Rao, executive chef, asks if she remembers her last visit, in 2015, when she said she knew the factory of the company supplying the food and thought they could offer more variety than chicken every year. ‘Two meats and three vegetables,’ she suggested. Chef Rao added the prawn dish on that advice. ‘We had a lot of compliments.’

The Princess is plied with goodie bags, including matching socks for her and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence, her husband. On her way out, she views a small garden with artwork by children from forces families and inspects a stall from the Worshipful Company of Fishmongers (est 1272); the stallholders have been hastily restocking ice and swatting away flies as they wait in the sunshine.

‘She was saying it’s great to see the array of fish,’ fishmonger Andrew Kenny explains afterwards. ‘She asks really precise questions… It’s very disarming.’

Climbing into a waiting car, the Princess tells the organisers: ‘[I’m] not causing too much chaos, I hope.’ And then she’s off – next stop Buckingham Palace.

At 7pm, the Princess Royal walks through the ‘secret door’, disguised as a mirror and cabinet, which links the Palace’s private rooms to the White Drawing Room, a State Room with a gold piano, familiar from some of the late Queen Elizabeth II’s Christmas broadcasts. Tonight, she is hosting a black-tie dinner to celebrate The Duke of Edinburgh’s Commonwealth Study Conferences, which bring together future leaders to address pressing problems facing the world. In particular, she is saluting the Canadian team, which has led the way in hosting the conferences and keeping her father’s vision alive.

The Princess Royal enters Buckingham Palace's White Drawing Room via the secret door.

Wearing a long skirt and sequinned jacket in red to match the Canadian flag, she carries a handbag under her arm and wears her late mother’s three-strand pearls. Unlike other royals, the Princess’s team won’t confirm to the press what exactly she is wearing. One suspects anyone who asked would get short shrift.

She spends roughly an hour in the Picture Gallery, working her way through a crowd. One guest tells her of her memories of a drinks reception with the late Queen and Prince Philip on Britannia, during their visit to Ontario in 1984. Asking another about their trip to London, she agrees that walking is the best way to get around, although ‘not at this time of night and dressed like this’.

Ahead of a dinner of poached citrus salmon salad, roasted lamb, and crème brûlée with poached rhubarb, the Princess delivers an eight-minute speech. At one time, she is said to have written every speech herself. Nowadays, she often works from prepared notes, which she edits ruthlessly with liberal red pen strokes and capital letters.

The conferences, she says, were ‘envisioned by my late father, but I suspect he never thought it would last this long.

The Princess Royal greets guests at the Duke of Edinburgh's Commonwealth Study Conferences dinner.

‘At the moment, in these rather difficult times – post-Covid and just generally complicated – it’s just as important to have the ability to bring people together across the widest possible range.’

The Princess will stay on for dinner, sitting at a round table and entertaining guests until long after sundown.

Friday - Minutes on feet presenting honours - 90

Hands shaken - 79

Friday morning and the Princess is back at it with an investiture. There are 79 people this time, with their families, in the Throne Room at Buckingham Palace.

Neil Constable, former CEO of Shakespeare’s Globe, is here to receive his OBE for services to theatre. He says afterwards that the ‘professional’ Princess knew the brief so well that she could make conversation about both his previous job and his next, at The Musicians’ Company. She told him she had just been to the Guildhall that week for the Big Curry Lunch, adding, ‘You’ll have a great time with them.’

‘You leave thinking, wow, actually we had a really good conversation,’ he says. ‘We talked about her late father Prince Philip being a long-standing patron of the Globe and how some of the timber from the Globe came from Windsor Great Park’, donated by Prince Philip.

‘[She] made it a very special day.’

At this point, I close the notebook that clocks in at 84 pages of shorthand. Everyone – kindly, warmly, generously – is saying the same thing, and we have run out of superlatives. The job, too, must get repetitive but you would never know it. In continually asking questions, the Princess has found a way to keep interested even after all these decades.

Princess Anne salutes at the conclusion of a commissioning ceremony aboard HMCS Max Bernays as part of Fleet Week, in North Vancouver, B.C

She treats her work as a ‘nine-to-five job’, one Palace source tells me. ‘Except it doesn’t often finish at five.’ I have barely seen her sit and haven’t seen her accept a single cup of tea while working.

The week after we meet, the Princess will be in Windsor, Shropshire, Cambridgeshire, London and Cornwall. After that, she will go from the Royal Windsor Horse Show to Canada for a three-day trip with Sir Tim.

She will be 75 next year but shows no sign of slowing down. I am half her age – and after barely a week of trying to keep up with her, I’m off for a lie down.

Weekly total

Estimated miles travelled - 818

Hands shaken - 677+

#a fascinating insight in the princesses week #i love articles like this #matching socks for her and her hubby #that curry plate sounds delicious 🤤#hardest working royal 🫡#princess anne #princess royal

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zoesblogsposts · 8 months

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o 625 words to know in your target language o

There is a really interesting blog called "Fluent Forever" that aids foreign language learners in tricks, tips and techniques to guide them to achieving fluency "quickly" and efficiently. One of the tricks is to learn these 625 vocab words in your target language, that way you have a basis to start delving into grammar with ease as you can understand a lot of vocab right off the bat. Plus this list of words are common across the world and will aid you in whatever language you are learning. Here is the list in thematic order

• Animal: dog, cat, fish, bird, cow, pig, mouse, horse, wing, animal

• Transportation: train, plane, car, truck, bicycle, bus, boat, ship, tire, gasoline, engine, (train) ticket, transportation

• Location: city, house, apartment, street/road, airport, train station, bridge hotel, restaurant, farm, court, school, office, room, town, university, club, bar, park, camp, store/shop, theater, library, hospital, church, market, country (USA,

France, etc.), building, ground, space (outer space), bank, location

• Clothing: hat, dress, suit, skirt, shirt, T-shirt, pants, shoes, pocket, coat, stain, clothing

• Color: red, green, blue (light/dark), yellow, brown, pink, orange, black, white, gray, color

• People: son, daughter, mother, father, parent (= mother/father), baby, man, woman, brother, sister, family, grandfather, grandmother, husband, wife, king, queen, president, neighbor, boy, girl, child (= boy/girl), adult (= man/woman), human (# animal), friend (Add a friend's name), victim, player, fan, crowd, person

• Job: Teacher, student, lawyer, doctor, patient, waiter, secretary, priest, police, army, soldier, artist, author, manager, reporter, actor, job

• Society: religion, heaven, hell, death, medicine, money, dollar, bill, marriage, wedding, team, race (ethnicity), sex (the act), sex (gender), murder, prison, technology, energy, war, peace, attack, election, magazine, newspaper, poison, gun, sport, race (sport), exercise, ball, game, price, contract, drug, sign, science, God

• Art. band, song, instrument (musical), music, movie, art

• Beverages: coffee, tea, wine, beer, juice, water, milk, beverage

• Food: egg, cheese, bread, soup, cake, chicken, pork, beef, apple, banana orange, lemon, corn, rice, oil, seed, knife, spoon, fork, plate, cup, breakfast, lunch, dinner, sugar, salt, bottle, food

• Home: table, chair, bed, dream, window, door, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, pencil, pen, photograph, soap, book, page, key, paint, letter, note, wall, paper, floor, ceiling, roof, pool, lock, telephone, garden, yard, needle, bag, box, gift, card, ring, tool

• Electronics: clock, lamp, fan, cell phone, network, computer, program (computer), laptop, screen, camera, television, radio

• Body: head, neck, face, beard, hair, eye, mouth, lip, nose, tooth, ear, tear (drop), tongue, back, toe, finger, foot, hand, leg, arm, shoulder, heart, blood, brain, knee, sweat, disease, bone, voice, skin, body

• Nature: sea, ocean, river, mountain, rain, snow, tree, sun, moon, world, Earth, forest, sky, plant, wind, soil/earth, flower, valley, root, lake, star, grass, leaf, air, sand, beach, wave, fire, ice, island, hill, heat, nature

• Materials: glass, metal, plastic, wood, stone, diamond, clay, dust, gold, copper, silver, material

• Math/Measurements: meter, centimeter, kilogram, inch, foot, pound, half, circle, square, temperature, date, weight, edge, corner

• Misc Nouns: map, dot, consonant, vowel, light, sound, yes, no, piece, pain, injury, hole, image, pattern, noun, verb, adjective

• Directions: top, bottom, side, front, back, outside, inside, up, down, left, right, straight, north, south, east, west, direction

• Seasons: Summer, Spring, Winter, Fall, season

• Numbers: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 21, 22, 30, 31, 32, 40, 41, 42, 50, 51, 52, 60, 61, 62, 70, 71, 72, 80, 81, 82, 90, 91, 92, 100, 101, 102, 110, 111, 1000, 1001, 10000, 100000, million, billion, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, number

• Months: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December

• Days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

• Time: year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second, morning, afternoon, evening, night, time

• Verbs: work, play, walk, run, drive, fly, swim, go, stop, follow, think, speak/say, eat, drink, kill, die, smile, laugh, cry, buy, pay, sell, shoot(a gun), learn, jump, smell, hear (a sound), listen (music), taste, touch, see (a bird), watch (TV), kiss, burn, melt, dig, explode, sit, stand, love, pass by, cut, fight, lie down, dance, sleep, wake up, sing, count, marry, pray, win, lose, mix/stir, bend, wash, cook, open, close, write, call, turn, build, teach, grow, draw, feed, catch, throw, clean, find, fall, push, pull, carry, break, wear, hang, shake, sign, beat, lift

• Adjectives: long, short (long), tall, short (vs tall), wide, narrow, big/large, small/little, slow, fast, hot, cold, warm, cool, new, old (new), young, old (young), weak, dead, alive, heavy, light (heavy), dark, light (dark), nuclear, famous

#second language #language #learning #rory gilmore #smart #tips

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goodstuffhappenedtoday · 2 years

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We're not lion: The 2022 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are a good laugh

Jennifer Hadley's overall winning photo of a 3-month-old cub tumbling out of a tree.

Jennifer Hadley/Comedy Wildlife 2022

From a salmon punching a bear in the face to a penguin that seems to have no head, the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards announced its winners this year.

The organization fields thousands of submissions for each of its photo categories: creatures of the land, creatures of the air, creatures of the sea, a junior award for photographers 18 years old or under, an internet portfolio award, and a people's choice award.

Jennifer Hadley, a photographer who grew up in Virginia, claimed the top prize as the overall winner for her January 2021 photo of a 3-month-old lion cub tumbling out of a tree in the Serengeti region of Tanzania.

"It was definitely unexpected," Hadley told NPR. "How often do you see cats falling out of trees?"

Though shots like these are often unpredictable, she said photographers prepare themselves for the unexpected.

"What you can anticipate is potentially something happening so you want to position yourself in the way you think that animals will move, where the light is, how that's going to affect the speed of your camera," Hadley said.

John Chaney's photo of a salmon appearing to punch a bear in the face at Alaska's Brooks Falls.

John Chaney/Comedy Wildlife 2022

John Chaney, a businessman and photographer of over 50 years, was one of the 10 "highly commended winners," recognized for his August 2021 photo of a salmon seemingly punching a bear in the face at the foot of Alaska's Brooks Falls.

From late June to September, mature salmon make an arduous upriver journey from the ocean to the gravel beds of their birth to spawn every two to three years. The National Park Service estimates 200,000 to 400,000 salmon successfully leap the waterfalls each year.

Chaney said bears planted themselves at the top and bottom of Brooks Falls to feed on the flapping salmon.

"Wherever wildlife is happening, you try to stake out a good spot and you just take pictures for hours trying to get the best image, whether it's a unique facial expression or an animal doing something unique to make the picture special," he told NPR.

Chaney said he does not have any tips or tricks to taking a comedic shot.

"It's just luck," he said.

Arturo Telle Thiemann's photo of a couple triggerfish looking into the camera. The photo won the Creatures Under the Sea Award.

Arturo Telle Thiemann/Comedy Wildlife 2022

Miroslav Srb.'s photo of a raccoon seemingly thanking Srb. for feeding him shrimp on a Florida beach.

Miroslav Srb./Comedy Wildlife 2022

Alex Pansier's photo of a red squirrel jumping in a rainstorm.

Alex Pansier/Comedy Wildlife 2022

Martin Grace's photo of two king penguins at Volunteer Point in the Falkland Islands.

Martin Grace/Comedy Wildlife 2022

#good stuff #photography #lion #bear #penguin #squirrel #raccoon #fish

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biostatprof · 9 months

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2023 Tumblr Top 10

1. 600 notes - Oct 2 2023

2. 207 notes - Jan 9 2023

3. 149 notes - Nov 1 2023

4. 140 notes - Jun 12 2023

5. 132 notes - Nov 12 2023

6. 109 notes - Oct 31 2023

7. 101 notes - Oct 18 2023

8. 96 notes - May 8 2023

9. 84 notes - Oct 1 2023

10. 74 notes - Apr 22 2023

My current 2023 top 10 by number of notes. Usually I post this closer to Jan 1, but ce la vie. Everything is from Portugal, and except the 2nd picture, everything is from the town of Ericeira. The 2nd one is Praia da Ursa, the number one photographer-only beach in Portugal. Although nobody is checking IDs or your equipment, so it’s okay if you visit with just a phone.

Created by TumblrTop10

#ericeira #landscape #portugal #photographers on tumblr #original photographers #atlantic #ocean #street art #photography #tumblrtop10

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readyforevolution · 1 year

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6. Nigeria's 🇳🇬 Lagos city is the largest city in West Africa

7. The Gambia 🇬🇲 once sat at the centre of the slave trade, Kunte Kinte Island, formerly known as James Island, was once a major waypoint of the transatlantic slave trade.

8. Gambia 🇬🇲 Is named after the River Gambia, one of West Africa's major rivers.

9. In Gambia 🇬🇲 During elections, Gambians vote using marbles.

10. Gambia 🇬🇲 Is the smallest country in mainland Africa.

11. Gambia 🇬🇲 is known for the beaches along its small Atlantic coastline and for being home to Jufureh (Juffure), the reputed ancestral village of Kunta Kinte.

12. Burkina Faso 🇧🇫is a leader in African art and culture and hosts the largest craft market in Africa.

13. Burkina Faso 🇧🇫is Africa’s largest producer of cotton.

14. In Burkina Faso 🇧🇫Gold is Burkina Faso’s main export, followed by cotton and animal products.

15. Sierra Leone 🇸🇱is rich in mineral deposits, especially diamonds, and has long relied on the mining industry

16. In Mali 🇲🇱, Mansa Musa, was Mali's ever greatest ruler who was estimated to be the richest man ever in the world

17. Niger 🇳🇪 is considered one of the hottest

#blacktumblr #west africa #africa

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hauntedhookah · 1 year

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travel notes

Athens: Athens was not incredibly memorable. I thought of it as a city to live in.

Naxos: in naxos my hair was curly again, i wore a 2 piece los angeles apparel set and walked around an infuencer's backdrop for 5-10 minutes at a time. i met mormon and canadian assorted girls on the beach, i followed one of them to the top of the hill at the windiest sunset since Albany Bulb winters. in another part of naxos i visited a bustling beachside bar alone one night after a martini at a neighboring beachside restaurant. the bartender was curious about how alone i was, he liked me. i, drunk, was likeable in my giant skirt and silk blouse. i left silently

Santorini: Santorini was an existential crisis. The room I stayed in during the last two days was Peace embodied. Not much else mattered, and the window view of the caldera from the mezannine cannot be captured in any photograph

Crete: in crete i waded through the thigh-deep water, my silver canon tied firmly around my wrist. i marveled at the quite silence of the hotel, at night i went out to sit in the sand. i swam in crete, i sat and read deborah adele's book in crete. i felt lonely and utterly bored in crete. i loved that everyone was allowed to look the way they wanted as they walked aimlessly from one end of the beach to the other-- no one was hiding anything from sight. no body was unwelcome, all bodies were represented. most were burned, even mine got close. in crete we remembered my grandfather and dreamed up the paths he took through the island. in crete we traveled to the pink sand beach, where i hope to have learned a valuable lesson about Wanting What You Don't Have, and Replacing A Feeling of Lack with An Object.

Austria: in Austria we stayed at a hotel with a winding staircase and ate a continental breakfast in that odd room, hushed voices and european stares. Though I care not for the history, for the first time since the start of the trip, I felt good. I felt open to new experience and full of wonder. i kept repeating to myself over the smallest novelties, "fascinating", and stepped out of the smoke-filled echo chamber of the hotel alleyway every day with a sense of calm preparedness. We walked to a big gothic church and that was beautiful, I'll admit. The gargoyles looked friendly against blue sky and in sunlight.

Armenia: in armenia one of the first nights i spoke to a million people at the new trendy russian bar, of course after harassing the russian bartenders for not speaking armenian. first dea and aleen, then kristik's group of russian repats, then the diaspora mix at the round table and later still walking towards polygraph with Mushegh and his talkative friend who's name i forgot. it was a marvelous night of speaking in all languages, i enjoyed it very much after weeks of no social interaction. another one of those nights we visited an exhibit in an underground stone cave, spoke to a kind man nextdoor about the power of diaspora contribution to armenia and he gifted us handmade soap. we met kristik's friends on Cascade around midnight and i learned so many different armenian folk dances. we danced around the fountain until we were sweating and tired at 3am, it was marvelous. many full, endless nights full of conversation. so much more social than anything in the US

Georgia: in georgia i disliked the folks. on the second day I walked up the hill, stopping for 2 individual khinkali, and heading up through the forest to the waterfall. I climbed down again, now through sulfur smelling rivers to the baths. I decided to head home as my phone died and stopped by the first place i see to charge it in order to get home-- a little wine bar. I end up staying there from 8pm-3am with ilia, one of the bar's founders. we talked about everything, he had armenian words and when i tried to pronounce georgian ones he was impressed. i haven't had that much wine possibly ever. what a lovely way to get drunk. and what a lovely way to realize after days of lonliness that connection is always out there, especially when you seek it the least.

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korealog · 2 months

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[1] I‘m still standing (ENG/DE) —Monday, 15.07.24

(ENG)

So, even though my clothes are sticking to me and I feel like I'm dripping out of every pore, I'm back at my accommodation in a good mood. Today I fell straight back into my old sleeping pattern and didn't wake up until 10am. Before you say, for God's sake, you need to get out of bed earlier to make the most of everything, I made the most of it. Here in Korea, real life doesn't start until the evening. So I took my time to get ready and then took the subway back to the "Semyeon" district. From there, I first went to the "Busan Citizien Park". A beautifully designed walk with as much greenery as possible. It has to be said that despite the ultra-modern buildings here, there is hardly a spot where you won't find any plants. A big plus point. After the tour of the park, I made my way to the temple called "Samgwangsa". The walk there was anything but easy, but I accepted the challenge. Once at the top of the hill, the temple turned out to be 5 individual buildings that made up one temple. The view was breathtaking. The structures of the roofs and walls alone, with all their colors and patterns, are admirable. Several staircases led to new buildings again and again, the last staircase I came to led me directly to a small hiking trail & I ended up in the forest. You're thinking, forest? In the middle of the city? Yep, that's right. The mountains here are natural and almost completely untouched. It's like being immersed in another world, so I just followed my nose & the path. At some point, after about 15 minutes, I came back to civilization & made my way to the metro. I walked through the city for 50 minutes & saw something new to photograph & admire at almost every corner. I then took the metro to "Gwangali Beach", where I spent the rest of the day. Strolling along the promenade, watching the waves break and listening to the sea. A perfect moment. Except that my stomach was starting to crave food, this time it was pizza ;) Five Cheese Pizza, it felt like heaven, also the waitress was super kind and took some photos of me because I loved the view I had from my seat.

To be continued…

(DE)

So, auch wenn meine Klamotten an mir kleben & ich gefühlt aus allen Poren triefe, bin ich gut gelaunt wieder in meiner Unterkunft gelandet. Heute bin ich direkt wieder in mein altes Schlafmuster zurückgefallen und erst 10 Uhr morgens aufgewacht. Bevor ihr jetzt sagt, um Gottes Willen, du musst eher raus aus den Federn um alles auszuschöpfen, ich habe das Beste aus allem gemacht. Hier in Korea fängt das wahre Leben nämlich erst am Abend an. Ich habe mich also in Ruhe fertig gemacht & bin dann per U-Bahn wieder ins Viertel „Semyeon“ gefahren. Von dort aus ging es für mich erstmal in den „Busan Citizien Park“. Ein wunderschön hergerichteter Rundgang, mit so viel grün wie möglich. Dafür muss man sagen, trotz der hoch modernen Häuser hier, gibt es kaum einen Fleck, an dem man keine Pflanzen findet. Großer Pluspunkt. Nach dem Rundgang im Park habe ich mich auf den Weg zum Tempel namens „Samgwangsa“ gemacht. Der Weg dorthin war alles andere als einfach, aber ich habe die Herausforderung angenommen. Oben auf dem Hügel angekommen, entpuppte sich der Tempel als 5 einzelne Gebäude, die einen Tempel bildeten. Die Ausssicht war atemberaubend. Alleine die Konstrukturen der Dächer & Wände mit all ihren Farben und Mustern sind bewundernswert. Mehrere Treppen führten immer wieder zu neuen Gebäuden, die letzte Treppe die ich beklomm, führte mich direkt auf einen kleinen Wanderwegs & schwupps bin ich im Wald gelandet. Ihr denkt euch jetzt, Wald? Mitten in der Großstadt? Jap, ganz genau. Die Berge hier sind naturbelassen und fast völlig unberührt. Als wäre man in eine andere Welt eingetaucht, also bin ich einfach der Nase nach & dem Weg gefolgt. Irgendwann, nach ca. 15 Minuten traf ich wieder auf Zivilisation & machte mich auf den Weg zur Metro. 50 Minuten bin ich dafür durch die Stadt gelaufen & sah fast an jeder Ecke etwas neues zum Fotografieren & bewundern. Mit der Metro ging es dann zum „Gwangali Beach“, hier habe ich den Rest des Tages verbracht. An der Promenade entlang schlendern, den Wellen beim brechen zuschauen und dem Meer lauschen. Ein perfekter Moment. Bis auf das mein Magen langsam nach essen verlangt hat, diesmal wurde es Pizza ;) Five Cheese Pizza, es schmeckte himmlisch. Und die Kellnerin war super nett und hat ein paar Fotos von mir gemacht, weil ich die Aussicht von meinem Platz aus so toll fand.

Fortsetzung folgt…

#south korea #travel #busan #haeundae #friends #busking

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nandneeeeeee · 3 months

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Discover the Wonders of Baratang Island: 15 Must-Visit Places and Hidden Gems

Baratang Island, a hidden gem in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, offers natural beauty, adventure, and cultural experiences. Known for its unique geological formations and pristine beaches, Baratang is a paradise waiting to be explored. Here are the top 15 places to visit on Baratang Island and Andaman Chanting Island. In addition to this, there are a lot of places to visit in Andaman for next-level experience!

1. Limestone Caves

One of Baratang's most famous attractions, the limestone caves, is a natural wonder. Accessible by a boat ride through dense mangroves, these caves feature impressive stalactites and stalagmites formed over centuries. The journey itself is an adventure, as you navigate through narrow waterways teeming with wildlife.

2. Mud Volcano

Baratang Island is home to the only active mud volcanoes in India. These fascinating geological formations are created by natural gases pushing up from underground. Although the eruptions are relatively small, they provide a unique and intriguing sight, especially for geology enthusiasts.

3. Parrot Island

A visit to Parrot Island offers a magical experience as thousands of parrots return to roost at sunset. Accessible by boat, this island is a birdwatcher's paradise. The sight of these colorful birds filling the sky is nothing short of spectacular.

4. Baludera Beach

For a tranquil beach experience, Baludera Beach is a must-visit. This serene, less-crowded beach is perfect for relaxation and picnics. The calm waters are ideal for swimming, and the surrounding forest adds to its untouched beauty.

5. Rangat Village

Rangat, located nearby Baratang, offers an authentic glimpse into the local culture. This village is known for its eco-tourism initiatives and lush greenery. Visitors can explore local handicrafts, interact with friendly villagers, and enjoy the peaceful rural setting.

6. Guitar Island Beach

Named after its unique guitar-like shape, Guitar Island Beach is a secluded paradise. Accessible by boat, this pristine beach offers crystal-clear waters, soft white sand, and a perfect spot for snorkeling and swimming.

7. Mangrove Creek

A boat ride through the mangrove creeks of Baratang is a surreal experience. These creeks form a labyrinth of waterways, providing a serene and picturesque journey. The dense mangrove canopy creates a tranquil environment, ideal for nature lovers and photographers.

8. Aamkunj Beach

Aamkunj Beach is an eco-friendly beach located in Rangat. It is well-maintained and features facilities like eco-huts and changing rooms. The beach is a great spot for swimming and sunbathing, and the nearby turtle nesting grounds add to its ecological significance.

9. Merk Bay Beach

Located on North Passage Island near Baratang, Merk Bay Beach is another hidden gem. Known for its stunning white sand and clear blue waters, it's an ideal spot for snorkeling and exploring marine life. The beach is relatively untouched, offering a peaceful retreat.

10. Nilambur Jetty

The Nilambur Jetty is the starting point for many boat rides to various attractions on Baratang Island. It’s also a great spot to observe the bustling activity of local fishermen and enjoy the scenic views of the surrounding waters.

11. Ramnagar Beach

Ramnagar Beach, located in Rangat, is known for its scenic beauty and serene environment. The beach is lined with tall coconut trees and offers a peaceful spot for relaxation. It's also a great place for watching the sunset.

12. Panchavati Hills

The Panchavati Hills near Baratang offer stunning views of the island's lush landscape. It's a great spot for hiking and nature walks, providing an opportunity to see the diverse flora and fauna of the region.

13. Lalaji Bay Beach

Located on Long Island, near Baratang, Lalaji Bay Beach is a pristine beach known for its turquoise waters and white sandy shores. It's a perfect spot for snorkeling, swimming, and sunbathing.

14. Amkunj Beach

Amkunj Beach is another eco-friendly beach located in Rangat. It is known for its cleanliness and natural beauty. The beach features eco-friendly huts and is a great spot for picnics and family outings.

15. Yeratta Mangrove Park

The Yeratta Mangrove Park offers an educational experience about the importance of mangroves in the ecosystem. The park features a walkway through the mangroves and provides information about the various species of flora and fauna found in the region.

Conclusion

Baratang Island is a treasure trove of natural beauty and adventure. From the awe-inspiring limestone caves and unique mud volcanoes to serene beaches and vibrant local villages, there is something for every traveler. Whether you seek adventure, relaxation, or cultural immersion, Baratang Island offers a diverse array of experiences that will leave you enchanted. Plan your visit to this hidden gem in the Andaman Islands and create memories that will last a lifetime.

#baratang island #anadaman #places to visit #travel #travel destinations #tourism #holiday

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derwahnsinn · 2 years

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31 Days Idol Challenge - Day 28: Playing Alternative Instrument

Oliver Riedel was a classical guitarist when he met Richard Z. Kruspe in East Germany. Throughout the years, he has continued playing the acoustic guitar. He is a good guitarist, and he even learned to play flamenco. My top pick today is a video from Rammsteinfans Germany where you can hear and eventually also see Oliver playing classical guitar in the showers (because of the acoustics) - something he often does to relax before the shows. It's is absolutely beautiful. One of my biggest dreams (that of course will never happen) is to get to listen to Oliver play the acoustic guitar in the showers.

Bonus material: 1) Oliver playing guitar in the showers in 2022, by Jens Koch. 2) Oliver playing tuba in the Dicke Titten music video. 3) Oliver playing the alpine horn in the Dicke Titten music video. 4) Oliver playing drums with Schneider in Miraval, France. Unknown photographer, possibly Arne Weingart. 5) Oliver playing acoustic bass (and singing!) in the Engel music video. Yes, I know it is a bass, but I count the acoustic bass as something different from what he normally plays. 6) Oliver playing keyboards in the Radio music video.

-- Tinnike's 31 Days Idol Challenge

Day 1: At the Airport Day 2: Barefoot Day 3: Climbing Day 4: Cycling Day 5: Dancing Day 6: Fav. Boots/Shoes Day 7: Fav. Casual Outfit Day 8: Fav. Hat/Headgear Day 9: Fav. Music Video Outfit Day 10: Fav. Role in Music Video Day 11: Fav. Stage Make-Up Day 12: Fav. Stage Outfit Day 13: Favourite Quote Day 14: Favourite Socks Day 15: Favourite Sunglasses Day 16: Hiking Day 17: Hugging Day 18: In the Bed Day 19: In the Car Day 20: In the City Day 21: In the Forest Day 22: In the Restaurant Day 23: Naked Day 24: On the Beach Day 25: On the Field Day 26: On the Floor Day 27: On the Roof

-- See also: Richard idol challenge: @kitthefox Schneider idol challenge: @cynoodn Till idol challenge: @singfurmich Paul idol challenge: @anwiel13

#Oliver Riedel #Rammstein #Paul Landers #31 Days Idol Challenge #Oliver Riedel Idol Challenge #Flake Lorenz #Richard Z. Kruspe #Christoph Schneider #Oliver playing alternative instruments

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mannlibrary · 2 years

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Mend and Make New

Featured in the photographs above is some remarkable hand and sewing-machine stitching done in 1893 by Dorothea Beach, a 6th grader at a public school in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The sample is from the archives of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences housed at Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.

Above: Title page, Lake Placid Conference of Home Economics Proceedings; photo of Flora Rose (l) and Martha van Rensselaer (r) at a League of Women Voters meeting, Hyde Park, NY, 1920 (from Human Ecology Historical Photographs

The AAFCS was founded as the American Home Economics Association at the Lake Placid Conference of 1909. Participants at the annual conference, who had been meeting annually for 10 years, were passionate about turning the formerly invisible work of women into vibrant arenas for building creative expertise. For the early pioneers of the field, Cornell’s Martha Van Rensselaer and Flora Rose among them, home economics (also known as domestic science and, later, family and consumer sciences) would be a force for liberation. As a newly emerging field of study in land-grant colleges and other educational institutions, it would help women transform practical skills into creative capacity for finding innovative solutions problems that affect both individuals and society as a whole. A key area for this work was the challenge women faced keeping themselves and their families well clothed, despite the hardships of poverty and crises in the national economy.

Above from top: Display of garments made from men's shirts arranged by Cornell home economics faculty for Farmers Week, 1919; Display of conserved hats prepared for an exhibit at the New York State Fair, 1918.(Both photos from the Human Ecology Historical Photographs collection).

Through community workshops, live demonstrations at county fairs, and free publications, home economists have sought over the years to help their communities take on the issue of making, maintaining, and repurposing clothing. Teaching children good stitch work was an important start, but the ultimate goal was to grow this basic skill into a nimble ability to refashion unlikely resources, lean household budgets and thread bare clothes included, into fresh elements of a pleasing wardrobe.

“Keeping Clothes Wearable”, by Gladys L. Butt. Cornell Extension Bulletin 536, October 1942, in the archives of the Cornell Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University; also viewable online.

“Mending Clothes and Household Fabrics,” by Gladys L. Butt. Cornell Extension Bulletin 871, 1954; in the archives of the Cornell Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University; also viewable online.

“First Lessons in Sewing: A Manual for Junior Extension Workers in Clothing,” Cornell Junior Extension Bulletin No. 1, 1918, in the archives of the Cornell Rare and Manuscript Collections at Cornell University; also viewable online.

Page from the handout “Restitch and Renew to Keep Clothes in Use,” by Bernetta Kahabka, Extension Specialist, Cornell University, 1974, in the home economics archives of the Rare and Manuscript Division of Cornell University Library.

Most of the guides to sewing and stitching shown here are available as part of Mann Library’s online Home Economics Archive: Research, Tradition, History (HEARTH) , the Cornell Historical Literature of Agriculture (CHLA), and the Hathi Trust Digital Library. These online repositories offer valuable (yet free!) resources for anyone interested in re-learning the art of making new from old. “Upcycling,” a term first coined in the early 1990s, has become a common word as awareness of more sustainable “slow fashion” principles has grown. What does it mean exactly? According to merriam-webster.com, to upcycle is “to recycle (something) in such a way that the resulting product is of a higher value than the original item : to create an object of greater value from (a discarded object of lesser value).” For (happily) growing numbers of us, upcycling has become a fine craft that combines old traditions and techniques with contemporary style to create uniquely personalized wearable art that also signals a conscious effort to avoid harmful waste and use resources sustainably. With a little bit of mindfulness and maybe some handy “how-to’s found in digitized, freely available historical materials, the old can indeed become some bright new for one and all.

Excerpted from Mann Library’s spring 2023 exhibit, Sustaining Style: Towards Responsible Fashion

Display in Mann Library exhibit, Sustaining Style:Towards Responsible Fashion (March 23 - September 15, 2023)

#sustainable fashion #textiles #home economics #upcycling

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abookishdreamer · 3 months

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Character Intro: Krysothemis (Kingdom of Ichor)

Nicknames- Kristy by her family & friends

Age- 11 (immortal)

Location- Hearthwood neighborhood, New Olympus

Personality- She's a wallflower through & through- shy, introverted, and actively avoiding being in the spotlight. In social groups & situations, she's rather be around beings she knows and is comfortable with than with beings she doesn't know.

After her induction ceremony in a few years, her official title will be demi-goddess of the harvest festival. As of now her current powers/abilities are limited photokinesis and limited chlorokinesis- as it pertains to wallflowers, trees, & daffodils.

Kristy is a fraternal twin. She's the older sibling by thirteen minutes. Her twin is her brother E.B (Eubouleus II). Their father is Karmanor (demi-god of the harvest). Other members of her immediate family includes her grandparents- Eubouleus (god of the swine & ploughing) and his wife Baubo (nicknamed Barbie), her aunt Karme (demi-goddess of the harvest), & her cousin Britomartis (goddess of mountains, hunting, & fishing nets).

Kristy, her brother, and their father live on their small 10 acre farm in the Hearthwood neighborhood of New Olympus. Sometimes to her it doesn't feel like she lives in the biggest city in all of Olympius. The walls of her bedroom is covered in gold wallflower patterned wallpaper while the furniture pieces & flooring are a light cedarwood. The windows are covered in white lace curtains and there's also a canopy bed. On the farm, there's a spot that Kristy deems "her oasis." There's a canopy tree where a swing hangs from that she sits on for hours at a time when she wants to be alone.

Notable physical features include her peachy skin, long straight wheat blonde hair, & her hazel green eyes.

On the farm, Kristy has her own horse named Meadow. Sometimes in the early morning, she loves riding Meadow around the farm.

A favorite piece of jewelry that she always wears is the gold cornucopia pearl charm necklace that was gifted to her after she was born by her grandfather.

A go-to drink for her is her dad's homemade lemonade. She also likes homemade sweet tea, lemon infused mineral water, ginger ale, apple cider, white grape juice, and peach juice. Her favorite thing to get from The Roasted Bean is a cafe au lait.

Kristy is still getting used to her braces, having got them last year. when having her picture taken, she's aware of how she trains her mouth to smile. She had the braces put on by Paean (goddess of physicians).

Apples, peaches, white grapes, & lemons are her favorite fruits.

Kristy loves when her dad makes breakfast- laying out a HUGE spread of buttermilk vanilla spice pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sauasage gravy, cheesy grits, buttermilk biscuits, and hash browns. During school days she'll settle for toasted slices of wheat bread topped with lemon jam, a breakfast granola bar, or a bowl of Golly Grains cereal- her favorite flavors being cinnamon oat crunch & the crunchy pecan flakes.

She hates the fact that she looks more like her mother than E.B, who's essentially their dad's clone.

Kristy doesn't know much about her biological mother Birdie (who was a dryad)- except through what little her dad told her, eavesdropping on conversations had by other family members, and a faded polaroid photograph of her at the beach, smiling ear-to-ear, her short light honey blonde hair covered by a giant sun hat, & her hand caressing her pregnant belly. Kristy has no idea why Birdie left her, her brother, and her father. Was Kristy & E.B at fault? Were they too demanding as babies? Were they even possible to love? Most of Kristy's thoughts and feelings about her mother is put down onto the pages of her journal. Sometimes at night when she's looking at the sky from her bedroom window, she wonders if her mother is looking at the same sky or if she's even alive.

Wallflowers & daffodils are her favorite flowers!

She loves snacking on pretzels, shelled sunflower seeds, peanut butter granola bars, and unshelled pumpkin seeds.

Kristy adores her father Karmanor. She feels bad that he feels the need to overcompensate to make up for her mother's absence. She loves how genuinely involved her father is and how comfortable she feels to talk to him about almost anything. Kristy looks forward to their time together- a day spent by having tea and macarons at the Grand Eaglepoint Hotel, sharing cotton candy at the Candycloud shop, & then a trip to the Pterýgio & Kýlisi bookstore, where Karmanor will buy her a few new books. She's also appreciative that her dad taught her how to cook with Kristy's specialties being her creamy white cheddar & sour cream mac n' cheese, corn pudding, and chicken fried steak topped with sausage gravy.

Much like her dad, her favorite frozen treat is butter pecan ice cream. She prefers making the ice cream herself at home with the limited edition Hearth's Kitchen old fashioned ice cream maker! Kristy actually enjoys turning the crank.

Her & her brother E.B are as close as any pair of twins. They look out for eack other and are always honest with each other. Sometimes E.B's more optimistic and hopeful temperament gets on her nerves, but Kristy knows it comes from a good place. He has even taught her how to fish.

A guilty pleasure for her are a large order of cajun fries with crispy buttermilk chicken tenders (with hot honey dipping sauce) from Olympic Chef.

She, her brother, and their dad has traveled quite a bit- often to Crete to see extended family. Kristy loves seeing her grandpa, Barbie, & Auntie K at the barbeques Eubouleus hosts. She helps out Karme and Barbie in the kitchen & will even exchange a few words with Britomartis. Kristy will eat a hot dog or two or three- topped with honey mustard, relish, & BBQ sauce.

Even with her mother's absence, she's appreciative of all the other maternal figures in her life. Even though she's a dryad, Kristy adores Barbie's larger-than-life personality, her wicked sense of humor, her infectious laugh, her bosom heavy hugs, and her delicious buttermilk pie. One time while in Crete, Barbie took Kristy on a girl's day out which consists of going to a beauty salon for mani-pedis & matching super curly updos. She even gifted Kristy a pair of pink suede cowboy boots.

Her and her family have also been to Achaea, the highlight being the Achaean Beignet festival.

She's been to Eleusis a few times to visit Karme. They'll often tend to her garden, check out a farmer's market, and go shopping. Afterwards, Kristy will help out her aunt prepare her most well known dessert- the peach bourbon upside-down bundt cake. She's never been to the Cornucopia festival before.

Kristy enjoys reading, having ammased quite the book collection. From the sweet & fluffy young adult contemporary novels written by Erato (muse of love poetry) to the romantic historical fiction novels written by Philyra (goddess of perfume, paper, & beauty).

She has a couple of hidden talents. Kristy is actually a pretty good singer. She has only sung in front of her family once, but is always singing to herself in her room while listening to music. She has also started up guitar lessons- being taught by Euterpe (muse of music & lyric poetry). Karmanor bought Kristy an acoustic guitar from Lyre Center.

Kristy & her brother attend an esteemed private middle school in the city. They're sixth graders. One godly student that they're both friends with is Philia (goddess of friendship). Kristy is also aware of the other godlings in the school like Dysis (goddess of the sunset), Pandia (goddess of the full moon), Epidotes (god of purity), Pompe (goddess of rites), Achelois (goddess of the moon & comfort), Telete (goddess of prayers), Calocagathia (Aggie) (goddess of nobility & goodness), Thespios (god of acting), Deucalion, Anaideia (goddess of ruthlessness, shamelessness, & unforgiveness), and Thrasos (god of boldness, insolence, recklessness, & courage). Her own friend group consists of identical twin anthousai named Camellia & Cassia, a mortal girl named Xanthe, as well as an anthousai boy named Florian.

Her favorite classes are home economics, literature, science, & art.

Outside of school, she also likes to hang out and is friends with Philia's younger sister Xenia (goddess of hospitality).

In the pantheon Kristy likes & respects some of her dad's friends like Pathos (god of emotion), Thilasmós (goddess of nursing), and her noná Pherusa (goddess of substance & farm estates). She's super stylish, makes the best fruit parfaits, and is mother to Kristy's all-time favorite musical act, The Gypsy Belles, otherwise known as The Seasonal Goddesses- Thallo (goddess of spring & new growth), Auxo (goddess of summer, vegetation, & plants), and Carpo (goddess of autumn & fruits). Kristy also likes Hestia (goddess of the hearth), Demeter (goddess of the harvest & agriculture), Eunostos (goddess of the flour mill), and Promylaia.

At her most recent birthday she was gifted with a golden pumpkin jeweled Diamond Ave. clutch from her noná.

Kristy baked 100 hummingbird brownies, which her & her brother sold at their school's annual bake sale.

Her other favorite music artists to listen to include M9 (The Muses), Eurydice (a dryad rapper/singer), and Apollo (god of the sun, music, poetry, healing, medicine, archery, plague, light, & knowledge).

She owns all the CDs & vinyl records as well as having all the music downloads of The Gypsy Belles. Their hit song "Champagne Wishes" is the ringtone of her smartphone. In a couple of months Kristy's dad will take her, Philia, Xenia, and Xanthe to see them in concert at Acropolis Square Garden.

Kristy can speak a little Old Greek & Minoan.

In her free time she enjoys doing embroidery, bike riding, doing lanyard, cooking, baking, tending to the farm, hanging out with friends, baseball, and swimming.

Kristy's all time favorite meal is a plate of fried chicken, her creamy white cheddar & sour cream mac n' cheese, and sauteed collard greens & kale.

"When the harvest moon rises, all troubles seem to disappear."

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10 National Parks To Avoid The Summer Crowds

From rugged hiking trails to pristine beaches, upgrade your summer at these under-the-radar wilderness areas.

— By Elizabeth Kwak-Hefferan | June 2, 2023

Two spelunkers explore Lechuguilla Cave—currently reserved for scientific research—in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, home to some of the deepest, largest, and most ornate caverns in the U.S. Photograph By Robbie Shone, National Geographic Image Collection

The most popular national parks in the U.S. such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon attracted record crowds last summer. For some, it might be worth fighting traffic or walking packed trails to see the towering granite monoliths in Yosemite or fireflies in Great Smoky Mountains. But, there are 63 national parks across the country, many with far fewer visitors—and just as many hikes with epic views, wildlife-spotting opportunities, and kid-friendly excursions.

Here are 10 of the country’s least trafficked parks, plus what to see and do in them.

Best Water Excursions: Channel Islands National Park, California

Hikers and kayakers find ample ways to explore this constellation of five wild islands off the coast of Santa Barbara. Beginner-friendly paddling trips, like the one from Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island, let visitors take in abundant sea caves, kelp forests, and wildlife such as gray whales, dolphins, and sea lions. Strong currents and shifting weather make going with a guide a smart move.

Remote islands like Santa Rosa have hiking trails through rugged mountains with glimpses of wildlife, including tiny, endemic island foxes, at dawn and dusk. Spend the night at Santa Cruz Island’s only lodging option, Scorpion Canyon Campground, a half-mile hike from the beach.

Composed of five tectonically formed islands and surrounded by an extensive marine sanctuary, Channel Islands National Park offers dramatic sea views, epic wildlife watching, and scenic hikes. Photograph By Robert Schwemmer/Alamy Stock Photo

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

More than a third of this Northwoods network of boreal forests and rocky islands is covered by water—four huge lakes plus 26 smaller ones. New environmental protections make now an ideal time to experience these waterways via a tour boat, canoe, or kayak. Easy-access shoreline campsites line the park’s major lakes, but the wildest, quietest destinations sit deep in the interior of the Kabetogama Peninsula. Reserve a backcountry campsite along the Chain of Lakes or on the central peninsula’s waters, where your only companions for a spectacular aurora borealis show will be the loons and moose.

Best Wildlife Viewing: Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

This coast-meets-mountains reserve takes wildlife watching to the next level. Use the park’s only maintained long trail to the outlook over Harding Icefield for breathtaking panoramic views of this expansive, icy landscape. Along the way, keep an eye out for grizzlies, black bears, wolverines, lynx, wolves, and mountain goats. From a kayak or tour boat, look out for orcas, humpback whales, and dolphins among the waves and Steller sea lions and harbor seals on the beaches

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Brazilian free-tailed bats are a star attraction at this Chihuahuan Desert park. Each year, these flying critters make their way back from their winter grounds in Mexico to roost in the park’s intricate network of limestone caves. August and September bring the best bat watching when the year’s babies take to the skies with their parents. Around sunset, the bats spiral out of the cavern’s Natural Entrance by the hundreds of thousands to eat insects.

Top: The glacial landscapes and coastal waters of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park provide ideal conditions for viewing wildlife, like these Steller sea lions pictured. Photograph By Cagan Sekercioglu. Bottom: Thousands of bats spew out of a cave in Carlsbad Caverns in search of food. Photograph By Michael Nichols — National Geographic Image Collection

Best Hiking Trails: North Cascades National Park, Washington

Known as the “American Alps,” this park holds more than 400 miles of trails that take hikers and horseback riders to wildflower meadows, old-growth forests, glacier viewpoints, and remote lakes. One standout is the Desolation Peak Trail, which leads to a mountaintop lookout cabin where Jack Kerouac spent a summer. North Cascades remains well off the radar: Just over 30,000 people visited last year, a mere 2 percent of the traffic of its southern neighbor, Mount Rainier. The terrain is so remote and wild, the park is considering restoring grizzly bear populations here.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Explore the sunset-colored canyons that ancestral Pueblo people called home in Mesa Verde. Here, skillfully designed cliff dwellings, some with up to 150 rooms and large enough to house one hundred people, remain tucked into protected stone alcoves, just as they’ve been for 800 years. In summer, rangers lead hiking tours inside some of them, including Cliff Palace, the largest such village in North America, and Balcony House, which involves climbing up cliffside ladders and crawling through rock tunnels. After dark, look up. Mesa Verde’s skies are well-protected from light pollution, earning it International Dark Sky Park status in 2021.

Tourists visit the ruins of Cliff Palace in Mesa Verde National Park., Colorado.Photograph By Phil Schermeister, National Geographic Image Collection

Best Cultural Experiences: Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Accessible only by boat or seaplane, this park offers pristine beaches, exceptional snorkeling, and the chance to explore the historic Fort Jefferson. Located on Garden Key, the second largest of the park’s seven islands (70 miles from Key West), the military stronghold was the largest masonry fort in the Western Hemisphere during the mid-1800s. During the Civil War, it became one of the nation’s largest prisons.

Visitors who brave the two-plus-hour trip by boat or 40-minute ride by plane to get here can tour the grounds where Union prisoners (like the doctor who set John Wilkes Booth’s broken leg) were imprisoned during the Civil War. After strolling the grounds, explore Dry Tortugas’s other major attraction: superb snorkeling among coral reefs where you might see octopi, nurse sharks, reef squid, and barracudas.

Haleakalā National Park, Maui, Hawaii

More than 30 miles of trails wind over ancient lava flows and through endemic silversword patches before plunging into the summit crater of Haleakalā. Native Hawaiians consider the summit a sacred site, where they held religious ceremonies, studied the stars, and quarried basalt for centuries. On the other side of the park, visitors can still see their village ruins and fishing shrines at tropical Kipahula, an 800-year-old coastal settlement that’s now better known for its crashing waterfalls and the idyllic Seven Sacred Pools of ‘Ohe’o Gulch.

The famed Haleakalā Crater is a vast depression—but it's actually not a volcanic crater. It was formed as erosion ate away a ridgeline, joining two valleys in Haleakalā National Park. Photograph By Pete Ryan, National Geographic Image Collection

Top: To avoid crowds, visit Haleakalā summit after 3 p.m.; its sunsets can be as spectacular as its famous sunrises. Bottom: Erected in 1958, the Haleakalā Observatory is Hawaii’s first astronomical research planetarium. — Photographs By Babak Tafreshi, National Geographic Image Collection

Best For Family: Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Kids will find more than just a day at the beach in this welcome pocket of nature amidst the nearby bustle of Chicago, a 45-minute drive away. An impressively diverse number of ecosystems in this compact park let families explore wetlands, oak savannas, pine forests, prairies, and 15 miles of sandy shoreline in a day.

There are also opportunities for kayaking the coast of Lake Michigan or canoeing the Little Calumet River (the park was upgraded from national lakeshore status in 2019). The in-progress Indigenous Cultural Trail features murals and interpretive signs that teach about the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, two of the area’s original peoples.

Top: Mammoth Cave—Kentucky’s only national park—contains more than 400 miles of caves, making it the longest cave system in the world. Photograph By Phil Schermeister, National Geographic Image Collection Bottom: Park visitors stand up paddle board along the Grand Calumet River on the outskirts of Lake Michigan in Indiana Dunes National Park. Photograph By Keith Ladzinski, National Geographic Image Collection

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Escape the summer heat by exploring a labyrinth of underground caverns that maintain a refreshing temperature of 54°F year-round. To see the caves, you’ll have to take a ranger-guided tour. These vary in difficulty, with options for families with young kids to enjoy the stunning stalagmites, stalactites, and tunnels. Or for the older kids, try the longer, more challenging tours by lantern light.

During the guided tours, park rangers point out remnants of early inhabitants’ mining activity dating back to 1200 B.C. and tell the stories of enslaved Black cave guides from the 1830s and the “Cave Wars” between rival tourism developers in the early 1900s.

#National Parks #Summer Crowd #Wildlife #Cultural #Family #National Geographic

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