Concert in Bleiburg

The Wind Orchestra of Ljubljana, Slovenia,  came to Bleiburg and presented an astonishingly beautiful concert. The 50 members of the orchestra consist in the main of students and alumni of the Musikakademie Ljubljana.
For the first number, "Angels in the Architecture" by the American composer, Frank Ticheli, they introduced Lori Cerar, a 10 year old Soprano. Yes you read it right: A ten year old soprano.
I wish this Blog had a sound component. You would be astonished at the bell like clarity of this little girl's voice.
The Orchestra, conducted by Bosjan Dimnik, then took on Modest Mussorgsky's "Pictures in the Exhibition" and acquitted themselves well.
As I said before, I regret that this Blog does not have a sound track.
Anyway, here are some of the images I took:

The "Obcinski pihalni orkeser"

Except for percussion and string bass, all aothers are wind instruments.

Young Lori Cerar takes a bow.

She will receive many more flowers.

More Pool Billard in Bleiburg

The competition is carried out on eightr tables.

A member of the TeamVienna is at the table.

POOL BILLARD

What a surprising honour this is for the small Community (6,000+ ) of Bleiburg.
It was able to attract the "Austrian Championships in Pool Billard".
I attended yesterdays opening ceremonies, crowned after many speeches by the apperance of  Mr. Mike Massey, 9 times World Champion, showing a series of unbelievable "trick-shots".
It is true that some of them were simply the way the balls were set up, so that even an amateur, hitting the indicated ball with his/her cue ball would achieve the pre-programmed result.
But then, Mr. Massey received roaring applause by executing some "masse-shots" which demonstrated his still remarkable skill.
It was an entertaining two hours... if you are interested in the slightest in Pool-Billard.

Mr. Mike Massey is lining up for the famous 

"Chatanooga Choo-Choo" shot.

Mike explaining in his humerous way, 

with a Southern Drawl, one of his set-up shots.

having pocketed all but three balls, the cue ball 

finally strikes the rack (at #4 hole),

which,in turn, sinks the remaining three balls.

The equally famous "machine gun" shot.

Using the 'masse' technique, holding the que almost vertically, Mike strikes the que-ball which rartles all balls lined up and finally sinks the 15 ball.

Hunting

A very few weeks after we heard about a „Great White Hunter“ having killed a Lion after having lured the animal from a protected zone into a hunting zone, we read about another such Hero who shot an Elephant. Not just any Elephant, but one known for his mighty tusks and his advanced age.

Every newspaper featured pictures of the proud hunter with his trophy Elephant and his guide, who assured all and sundry that his client had done nothing illegal.

It was also reported that the hunting community was applauding this brave hunter, who, with a single shot put an end to the life of a beautiful animal.

Let me assure you that there was nothing brave about this slaughter.

I have been in Africa a total of 12 times and, in aggregate, have spent almost a year on this beautiful continent.

I too have 'hunted' Elephants, Lions, Rhinocerus, Hippos, and all manner of other denicens of Eastern and Southern Africa. 

My hunting was done with a camera which takes a great deal more guts than that displayed by these hunters-killers.

And I can tell you from personal experience that it is not at all very difficult to get within 10 to 15 meters of an Elephant. From that distance anybody, strong enough to hold a gun, can hit a barn door and just as easily can hit an elephant behind the ear in order to kill it.

So what is the enthusiasm of the hunting community all about ? Are they waxing euphoric because one of theirs has killed an Elephant ? One of theirs, who carried a large caliber hunting gun, and who was protected by a hunting guide, carrying another large caliber instrument of killing ?

Methinks the man is probably a coward.

Let him, armed with a Nikon, get within 10 meters of an Elephant.

Unexpected Company at our camp site.

Ant, our guide, not more than 10 meters from this animal

with me only 5 meters back.

Waterlilies

Two Studies in Waterlilies

Frog finds landing pad

Contrast

Apologies and Mushrooms

It's been a long time since last I posted something on my Blog.
I was so busy producing my "Super show", a combination of all the African Safaris I had undertaken in the past. I had made a show of this trip and an other one of that trip and every one of the 12 Safaris I have undertaken, produced another show.
There were, of course, highlights during each of the "African Safaris" and at last I decided to make a show in which I combine some of these highlights. This, as you can imagine is a lot of painstaking work and for this reason I have neglected my Blog.

It has finally stopped raining but the clouds still cover all of the sky.
This morning, Christin's son, Axel, who is in Bleiburg for a short visit, went for his daily run and came across several "parasols" ( mushrooms ) So he fetched me, because, as he quite rightly thought, these giant mushrooms might be an interesting subject for my camera.
So off we went and below you will find these "exciting" images of "Parasols" ....
( we have eaten them for lunch today and with Axel's exquisite method of preparation they tasted simply wonderful. )

"Parasols" grow best on the sunny side of the edge of a forest.

They can be found in Autum.

The ones we found were about 30 to 40 cm tall 

and measured about 30cm in diameter.

When preparing a parasol for dinner, one discards the stem. Having to support  such a large crown

it needs to grow woody and tough.

The crown is cut into four triangles, dipped into flower, beaten egg and then  very lightly covered 

with bread crums.

For a short time, just a moment or two, placed into sizzling hot oil.

Oh, what a tender tasting feast it is.

Death in High Seas

We came to Lunenburg, in Nova Scotia. As picturesque a town as Peggy's Cove.
We walked about to see the sights of this small community and noticed a black flag waving from the City Hall. 
A young man who just left City Hall explained with choking voice that one of the boats had not come back from a fishing excursion and after several days of searching they had given the captain and his two sons up for lost.
This, we found out later is not an isolated happening. 
In fact black obelisks are erected annually with the names of the victims engraved thereon.
Although we did not know the men, had never heard of them, the tragic of this occasion gripped us and moved us to tears. 
These were mournful moments in such a pretty town.

.

Part of the harbour for pleasure boats

Brightly painted houses in Lunenburg

The "Dory Shop" where they still build and sell 

these handy work boats, preferred by fishermen.

Four  Dorys

In the year 1926 alone...

These are the people of  Lunenburg

"Who have gone down to the Sea in ships

and who have never returned"

In so many cases it was fathers and sons

or other family members, who lost their lives together.

Four members of the family Corkum,

5 Wambacks, 5 Whynachts

and so many more.