The First of May

May 1. is known as a day of International Labour Solidarity. Wikipedia says it like this:

Labour Day or Labor Day is an annual holiday celebrated all over the world that resulted from the labour union movement, to celebrate the economic and social achievements of workers. The majority of countries celebrate Labour Day on May 1, and it is popularly known as May Day and International Workers' Day.

In Norway it has been a Public holiday since World War 2. The day itself is worthy of many posts, but that is not what I'm about to cover here.

For many people the day also hold a personal memory. My father was born on 01.05.1915. He was the second youngest of five children on a typical small, West-coast Norwegian farm. My grandfather was also the local teacher. Since my father could not inherit the farm, he became a carpenter and worked as such until the Nazi-invasion in April 1940. He took part in the fight against the invaders and survived. It was a harassing experience, but he seldom talked about it. Later on he had to go "underground" for a long period to avoid being drafted for work for the Nazi-authorities. During this period he survived thanks to his family and his fiancée, my future mother.

Shortly before the end of the war they married, and he later got a job with the Norwegian Railways (NSB) where he worked until he was pensioned off. It can truly be said of him that he belonged to the generation that built this country. In addition he also built with his own hands the cottage seen at the top of the post. It is close to the farm where he himself was born. After his retirement, he and my mother lived there every year from Easter until the end of September. It is also here where my own heart, such as it is, belongs.

He lost his dear wife and he also almost lost his only son. He sat beside my bed when I got a cerebral stroke. I would have spared him that at all cost, but I think he handled it better than I did. He died in 2003, less than a year before my own operation, but he knew there was this hope for me.

Today was his birthday - he would have been 94 years old. This post is made in memory of him.

I still miss him.

Bench of the week (6) on another blog

My post "Bench of the week (6)" is today posted on my blog Visual Norway Extended.

Sky Watch Friday # 56

The first two pictures are my two monochrom photos from last monochrom Mondays post but in color.

Drøbak

Drøbak

Drammen - Exposure time 15 seconds - ND8 Neutral Density Filter.

For more Sky Watch photos, visit the Sky watch site - Sky watch was Dots idea, now hosted by Sandy, Wren, Klaus, Fishing Guy and Ivar.

Sturnus Vulgaris in the Sky again

To build a nest is a demanding task for our little winged friends.

PS Please visit Sky Watch Friday's own site for more.

A POTD to Organ Donation!

This time I feel extra humble, but my post on Organ Donation have won another Post of The Day from the well-known Australian journalist and super-blogger David McMahon. Thank you very much indeed, David! I see it as a support for just that principle - Organ Donation

Goodbye, Ms Bo

Ms Bo on her "inside" perch

It's not how we'd planned it and it's not how we expected it to happen. But nature takes her own course in these things and I'm trying to be pragmatic about it - despite a sleepless, fretful night.

Yes, the inevitable has happened - Ms Bo has escaped, never to be seen again, I suspect.

Strangely, we've been saying for the last two weeks that it's probably time for us to seriously consider setting her free - that was, after all, always the intention. We were hoping to take her to the avian vet on Saturday for a check up and a final verdict on her state of well being and then we were going to open the door to her pen, one day when the Ba-Kaaka Nostra were present, and let her go.

Bo and the Ba-Kaaka Nostra a couple of weeks ago

The reality is that we could never have kept Ms Bo - she was wild from the start and intended to stay that way - a fact that became deeply apparent a couple of months back when we had painters at the house. Although they denied it, we think one of them terrorised her because since then Ms Bo's attitude to humans was one of utter panic. Guinea fowl are neurotic at the best of times, but Ms Bo took to working herself into a frenzy anytime anyone came remotely near Le Palais de Beau Bo - and she took to hiding out in the "hutch" we built on to the back of her house when anyone got to close. Once in there though she obviously felt safe, as she'd suffer having her back stroked by me on occasions and seemed to enjoy being crooned at and told she was a beautiful girl who'd grow up to be queen of all the guinea fowl...
.

Bo's first villa - Bo Vers 0.1

And although the avian vet had suggested that we could keep Bo as a pet, both we and Bo knew that Bo was a wild thing. So, as I say, the intention remained to find a suitable time, when we thought she was strong enough, and release her. But so much for the best laid plans.

Yesterday evening D took Bo her worms and for some reason didn't shut the door of the pen behind him. Although he usually shuts the door behind him, it's not necessarily a problem if he doesn't as Bo doesn't tend to make bids to escape. But this time, as he leaned underneath her to drop her mealworms in the scratching tray, she eyed the open door, whizzed over his head and was out. There was no thought of even trying to catch her - it would have been hopeless. We hoped that if we left her, she'd find herself a spot for the night, settle down and reappear in the morning. (Very often guinea fowl that have been raised by humans and then set free will be quite content to never leave the sanctuary of their garden.)

We watched nervously as Bo pootled around the garden for a few minutes - and then eyed the wall - the one over which the Ba-Kaaka Nostra fly every day. Bear in mind Ms Bo has not had much exercise at flying any great heights, but she stood there contemplating the wall and then in a flurry of wings was up and gone.

At first we thought she'd gone straight over the wall until frantic searches in the road revealed nothing - and then I spotted her shuffling on a thick gum branch some ten feet above the ground. She seemed to be settling in for the night so we left her to it. It was nearly dark and there was nothing we could do. We left the door of her pen open, put out plenty of seed and hoped for the best.

This morning there was no sign of her and although the Ba-Kaaka Nostra turned up for breakfast and although there was a juvenile guinea fowl that flew down from the very top of the tallest gum to join them, and although we hoped that it was Bo, closer inspection of the photos I shot (for confirmation) show that it was most likely not her.

Juvenile guinea fowl, almost certainly not Bo

Bo has four distinctions about her - she has two white claws, a badly damaged left nostril from constantly banging it against the wire of the pen, a deformed breast bone and very rasping voice. But she'd need to call out or one would need to get really close to be able to identify her. And the bird above's face just isn't Ms Bo's - as much as we wanted it to be.

So, we have no idea where she is and we can only hope that she will be okay. Whether she will survive or not out there on her own, who knows - but I'm not holding my breath. Her best bet would be to integrate with another group of guinea fowl - a lone guinea doesn't stand much chance - and bear in mind that Bo has never been out of our garden - has no experience of dogs and cats, let alone cars. We can only know that we did our best for her and that without us she would never have got this far. And as D says, better one day free as a lion than a lifetime penned up as a sheep. So here's hoping that whatever freedom Ms Bo is enjoying or did enjoy, it's good.

Finally the story that started here with this wee and ailing guinea fowl keet...

Bo Peep, an abandoned guinea keet, unable to fledge

Bo Peep, rescued and learning to leap

Ms Bo, munching on a snail

Ooh, bugs, yum!

...ends here with these shots taken just two days ago.

Ms Bo, a nearly fully grown guinea fowl

I'm glad I had the chance to give her one last stroke yesterday and tell her what a beautiful girl she is.

Be safe, be wild and be free, Ms Bo.

Sunset Drøbak # 2

O is for Organ donation in ABC Wednesday

Regular visitors to my blog will know that I had a successful heart transplant five years ago. However that is not the issue of this post - the issue is what made this possible: A donation of an organ by an unknown donor who no longer needed it.

Wikipedia defines Organ donation like this:

Organ donation is the removal of the tissues of the human body from a person who has recently died, or from a living donor, for the purpose of transplanting. Organs and tissues are removed in procedures similar to surgery. People of all ages may be organ and tissue donors.

WHO has the following sentences as one of the major guidelines for organ transplantation:

Cells, tissues and organs may be removed from the bodies of deceased persons for the purpose of
transplantation if:

(a) any consent required by law is obtained, and
(b) there is no reason to believe that the deceased person objected to such removal.

The laws varies from country to country concerning how this is done and how the obvious ethical questions are handled. Concerning the last question, it is worthy of note that all the major religions in the world accept organ donation - it is the ultimate gift. Registers are often used, either with "yes" or "no". In Norway one can in principle use any organ that qualifies medically and ethically, but in practice a known acceptance by the donor or the relatives is required. That is why there are yearly campaigns where people are encouraged to fill out donor cards that they can carry on their person and to inform their relatives and friends about their decision. The second picture is from such a stand in Bergen in 2006. The text on the poster board says it all:

Organ donation - life as a gift.

I owe my life to a donor whose family gave a positive answer to the ultimate question when no hope of continued life was left: Do you wish that the organs of your relative shall save the life of somebody else? They did so, and I will be eternally grateful.


Today's post is an entry in the fourth round of ABC Wednesday, the meme initiated by Denise Nesbitt.

For more, you can log on via a Mr Linky enabled site

Tagged by Tessa for a Meme of the Moment

Tessa, over at Aerial Armadillo, artist extraordinaire, tagged me with the following meme. I’m generally a bit cagey about memes like this, but hey, I decided I may as well give it a go…


What are your current obsessions?

I’m not much given to obsessions – except perhaps when I’m writing...


Which item from your wardrobe do you wear most often?

Sunglasses... Jeans, cargo pants, t-shirts, loafers or trainers

Sunglasses, Cargo pants, t's and trainers

What's for dinner?

I’ve only just got past breakfast! But tonight – probably roast chicken.


Last thing you bought?

Do the groceries count? Oh yes, that aside, accommodation in Bath and changed airline tickets.

Bath
(image courtesy of wikimedia.com)

What are you listening to?

Doves cooing and the neighbour’s dog barking.


If you were a god/goddess who would you be?

Artemis. Don’t ask, it’s a long story. And I hope to evolve into Baba Yaga – or Granny Weatherwax – though I think they’re the same sort of goddess.

Granny Weatherwax, courtesy of the cover of my very battered copy of Witches Abroad

(original illustration - Josh Kirby)

Say something to the person who tagged you:

Tessa you are a wonderful artist and even though I know you miss "home", "home" shines through your work in vivid and colourful proportions. Keep rocking!


Favourite holiday spots?

The hotel pool, Mauritius... sigh...

Mauritius
Kruger National Park
Tuscany
London

The London Eye and the Houses of Parliament at dusk

Reading right now?

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
The New Earth by Eckart Tolle


4 words to describe yourself.

I had to ask D to answer this one, it seemed unreasonable to do otherwise. He said: “Vibrant, witty, passionate, stylish.”
I’d have probably chosen four other words like “creative, insightful, energetic, intuitive”.


Guilty pleasure?

Computer games and hot chocolate.


Who or what makes you laugh until you’re weak?

Good satire – like Pieter Dirk Uys last Thursday night. And classic, clever British sitcom

First spring thing?

Pul-lease – it’s autumn here, all I’m seeing are golden leaves – which means I need to get out there with my camera!

Autumn comes to the Buitenverwachting vineyards

Planning to travel to next?

England (London, Bath and York) and Spain – in May/June.

Staying with a friend who lives near here...
(image nicked off the 'net)

Best thing you ate or drank lately?

Large mug of hot chocolate – my own secret recipe… Shall I share it with you…?


Flower of the moment?

St Joseph’s Lillies – always. Gerberas, tulips, bunches of multicoloured roses.

St Joseph's lilly

Favourite ever film?

Stealing Beauty

(image nicked off someone else's blog...)

Care to share some wisdom?

Everything in life is about perception.
Reality is mostly illusion.
Death is not an end but a returning to the beginning
Everything is one, sharing the same universal energy. We are, in effect, all “God”.
The glass is always half full – if you choose to see it that way.
The human ego is far too dominant, inclining us to forget our true selves.
The best thing you can ever do is to look at yourself in the mirror and say “I love you”, because if you can’t love yourself you can’t really love anyone.


And in turn I'm supposed to tag a few people - so here you go, if you'd like to do this one... and anyone else who'd like to have a go, feel free!

Jane, over at Wittering On
Baino, at Baino's Banter
Laquet at Chez Laquet
Gail at Gail at the Farm
Lane at Lane's Write

An Odd Shot Lesson

Or how to ruin a perfectly good photographic subject.

Please visit Katney's Kaboodle for more about Odd Shots!

Monochrom Mondays - Sunset Drøbak

The Monochrom monday concept came from Aileni

Daffodils in Today's Flowers

For once, the flowers are our own!

PS The Today's flowers meme was founded by LUIZ SANTILLI JR. . Please visit and enjoy.

Monochrome Maniacs in a tunnel

Fløibanen, a funicular cable car, is approaching...

This Monochrome concept came from Aileni at The Monochrome Maniacs

Silver Phoenix by Cindy Pon

And with all things electoral behind us (the ANC did not get it's 2/3s majority but we still have no idea what we're in for and only time will tell), it's time to move on to other things. This time I'm heading in a bookish direction.


If you take a peek on my sidebar, you'll notice there's a new addition - a link to writer called Cindy Pon.

I've seen Cindy bouncing about the blogosphere, as one does, for quite some time, but never really connected. I heard that she'd had her debut novel, Silver Phoenix : Beyond the Kingdom of Xia accepted by an agent and subsequently found a publisher. I've now read several early reviews for her book - and I have to say it sounds totally bloody brilliant.

One of the blurbs for Silver Phoenix reads as follows:

On the day of her first betrothal meeting–and rejection–Ai Ling discovers a power welling deep within her. She can reach into other people’s spirits, hear their thoughts, see their dreams…and that’s just the beginning.

Ai Ling has been marked by the immortals; her destiny lies in the emperor’s palace, where a terrible evil has lived, stealing souls, for centuries. She must conquer this enemy and rescue her captive father, while mythical demons track her every step. And then she meets Chen Yong, a young man with a quest of his own, whose fate is intertwined with hers. Here is a heart-stopping, breathtaking tale for fans of action, fantasy, and romance–of anything with the making of legend.

I thought that sounded like just the sort of book I HAVE to read giving it combines two of my favourite topics - fantasy/paranormal with the orient.

And then I saw this...

And it knocked my socks off - and even more so, I've just learned, because the trailer was created by an 18 year old. Go on, watch it if you haven't - you won't, I promise, be disappointed.

I have to be honest and say that most of the book trailers I've seen have left me stone cold - most are done in such an unprofessional manner by people who really don't get the "how" of using multimedia. But this trailer for Silver Phoenix is as good as any movie trailer - and exactly what a book trailer should be. Other writers out there, take note if you're planning on doing a book trailer.

Now, I have to let you into a small secret here - posting about the Silver Phoenix is not an entirely altruistic gesture on my part. Oh no... it's all part of a grand scheme to get Cindy Pon and Silver Phoenix promoted and hey, if I'm lucky enough I stand to win a copy of the book. "Hmm," I hear you say, "why don't you just buy a copy?". Well, here's the thing, the book is not being released in South Africa any time in the near future. I can't buy it from Amazon because Amazon no longer ship here because we have such a huge problem with theft in our postal services. And the local online provider I usually use doesn't even have the book listed. Whaaaaah! Mind you, all is not lost... I am heading to northern climes next month (more on that later), if all else fails I will march into Waterstones or Borders or wherever and grab a copy of Silver Phoenix there. But this is a book I have to read - aside from the great story, a girl has to know what her competition is up to, right?!

Right, now I'm off to try and compose a haiku, over at Ello's place, where the contest to promote Cindy is being hosted. Here's hoping that I stand an even better chance of winning a copy of Silver Phoenix! Why don't you have a go too?!

The old ferry dock in Drøbak

HDR - Photomatix - Made by 4 exposures

Two-thirds

Well, vote counting is over and the data capturing is underway. Final election results will be announced this weekend. But at this point it seems that the ANC has received the two-thirds majority it sought to conclusively consolidate its position as the democratically elected leader of South Africa. As provisional figures currently stand, the ANC has an overwhelming 67.04 % of the vote.

There was never any question that the ANC would win this election, but there was, for the first time since 1994, some question about the percentage by which it would win. And there was some hope in certain quarters (i.e. from all the opposition parties and their supporters who deplore the greed and corruption within the ANC leadership, the loss of a moral compass, the dropped charges against Jacob Zuma, the controversial, provocative and offensive remarks from him and his cronies, the lack of action on far too many critical issues etc etc), that the ANC would not get a two thirds majority and so the way for real and positive change in South Africa could be paved.

I should add that the question of the two thirds majority is something of a moot point; while in some ways it is merely symbolic of definitive victory it also raises the spectre of power abuse - particularly given some of Jacob Zuma's recent remarks, for example, about amending the Constitution. Remarks, I might add, which change more frequently than the autumnal weather.

And this is the problem with JZ, as he is known; he speaks to his audiences in completely contradictory ways. (One might be led to think that he's merely a puppet with someone else pulling his strings...) So what he might say to a gathering in Soweto is entirely different to what he says to a gathering in Oranje. What he says to the business community and international investors is directly contrary to what he says to the people of the Amatole region in the rural Eastern Cape. And therein lies the bother - no one knows what he's going to do and which group will have the greatest effect on him. And until such time as he appoints his cabinet, we have no idea if it will be business as usual - i.e. more do nothing and more corruption - or if it will result in a radical change in economic policies that will seek to uplift the poor but which may well send international investors - and still more South Africans - running for the hills of other countries.

But this is democracy at work. This is how the people have South Africa have chosen. And one has to hope that they have chosen right - though of course what may be right for one person may not be so for the next.

But the reality is that there remains an awful lot of work to be done in South Africa, as my previous post indicated. There are still millions who live in poverty, healthcare and education are far from what they should be, housing development has lagged badly, the refugee situation, along with crime and violence, is out of control and the unemployment rate is at 40%. And in the current economic climate all this is going to be tough, if not impossible, to turn around.

At present hope runs high amongst those who voted for the ANC. But it begs the question of what happens if that hope is once more dashed. And there remains, of course, the big question of just what the ANC will do, what policies it will implement despite the multiple and often contradictory promises it has made.

So now we wait.

Bench(es) of the week (5)

This week's benches are not from out of doors. Rather, I stumbled over this trio in one of the shopping centres in Bergen Thursday. All the vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines, in combination with the hard sunlight through the window caught my attention. Together with the curves of and in the seats they brought me into "photographic mode" and I grabbed my trusty Panasonic that is always hanging in my belt. I hope I have managed to convey some of the futuristic feeling it gave me.

I have not made this into a meme, but if anyone else would like to join me in publishing benches on Fridays, they are of course welcome to do so. Give me a hint and I'll come visiting.

Sky Watch Friday # 55

Sunset captured in Drøbak - Oslo fjord tonight

For more Sky Watch photos, visit the Sky watch site - Sky watch was Dots idea, now hosted by Sandy, Wren, Klaus, Fishing Guy and Ivar.