The Legend - Patrick O'Flaherty

 

In the village of Balamahorgan, Patrick O'Flaherty was a genuine legend.

Seven wives (and four different mother-in-laws). Twenty-three children. Twice shot and left for dead. On the run from Interpol, the patent office and The Vatican. Drinking champion at Durty Nelly's Bar.

Yes, rather a full life.  And he died six months after this photo, at the age of 33. The candle that burns twice as bright, lasts half as long.

Bonus - ButtyStock Still the number one site for free crisp sandwich images.

The Arrival of Spring

 

The 27th February (Happy Birthday Christine) and Spring has arrived in the Slide Guy's world.

Makes me want to strip down to my Hiking trousers and head out into the Derbyshire Alps for a wander.

Alas....Lockdown.

Bonus - 

The Neon Coastal Jellyfish

 

Nah, actually just a film processing flaw.

Tho' my first thought was The Orb track - A Huge Ever Growing Pulsating Brain That Rules From The Centre Of The Ultraworld

Bonus - Precision Car Dismantling.

The Strange Bird

 

As regular reader will know, I'm infuriated by slides with no information on them, and also slightly narked by one set of slides with....a lot of contextual info. From that jungle set of slides, we have...

Mary Jane feeds the strange bird whose call scared all of us as we rowed into the jungle camp in the total darkness if the night before.

Your suggestion on the identity of the bird are welcomed.

Bonus - 

Name That Plane - Fighter Edition

 

Another random slide of an un-named aircraft?

You may think that it's British, but you could be mis-led.

It's   one of these.

Bonus - Jarvis Cocker and Michael Jackson - what really happened.

Bonus 2 - Donald Sutherland 1970.

The AH Louis Store

 

So, I was thinking "why would someone photograph such an average little store?"

It turns out that AH Louis is a bit of a big deal in the Chinese Californian community. In fact, AH Louis has his own Wiki page.

Bonus : MI6 successfully hacked an al-Qaeda newsletter, and replaced bomb-making instructions with a recipe for cupcakes

Not Your Typical First Date

 

They met at the graveside, and realised that they had dated the same woman for 18 years.

So, as a first date, a quiet picnic at a convenient patch of local open space seemed like a fine idea.

To them, at least.

Bonus - Might be appropriate.  Half Man Half Biscuit - Tending The Wrong Grave For 23 Years

Bonus 2 - 

Sereena and Mrs Hoffman

 

They were neighbours, and both were on the Residents Committee.

They also both loved Mr Hoffman.

But only one of them disappeared on tht dark, rainy November night.

The world is not yet ready for the full story.

Bonus - The Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War

Making New Friends

 

When the Nguyen's moved next door, Harry Cutler was naturally suspicious of them.

But, after trying some of their "special tobacco", thet became firm friends.

Bonus - In an age of radium toothpaste, lead-paint baby toys and decorating Christmas trees with asbestos, even this 'mad fun' was deemed too dangerous for children

The Tree Dwellers

 

Before you can build your first starter-home tree-house, it's a good idea to just climb that tree and see if you like the area, the outlook, the micro-climate and the local insects.

Only when you're happy should you ask Daddy to build yu that retreat.

Bonus - Every Single Scandinavian Crime Drama

The Chubby Babby

 

If there's one subject that Photographers love, and actually there are many, then babies and children is it.

Whether it's weird looking kids, or awkward teenagers, or moon-faced babies, the slide photographer is honour-bound to photograph them all.

Even this out-of-focus chubster.

Bonus - "The only time in history that men on horseback captured a fleet of ships".

The Widow's Walk

 

 The look of this old house immediately made me think Nantucket, but frankly it could be anywhere. 

The structure at the apex of the roof is a "Widow's Walk", but the boring truth is that they have a fairly mundane purpose.

Bonus - A teacher shows that a bull in a square full of people does not attack anyone if it is not threatened

And They're Off

 

The horses and riders are off!

And that rider Mr Julian Pettiarse is off hos horse, and the horse "Electric Tooth Warmer" is off to try a new career in an LGBTQ-friendly cafe in Brighton.

Bonus - Unexpected weather in Greece.

Name that Plane - Soviet Edition

 

Yes, it's another round of Everyone's Favourite Quiz - Name That Plane.

Have a look, and decide....

Young Love

 

It's St Valentine's Day, so tradition dictates that I rouse myself from from my desperately lonely dungeon of social isolation, and  post an image of suitable soppiness, for the enjoyment of the millions and millions of on-blog-readers. <Dejected Shrug > Whatever.

Here it is. Bobby and Katie. In love for the rest of their lives. 

Well, Boobt at least. Later that same day, he was attacked and consumed by a pack of racoons.

Bonus - What the Global Pandemic has told us about sports' "Home Field Advantage".

Vintage - Puppy and Kitten

 

I can't go wrong with a  cute Puppy and Kitten slide from, oh, looks like early 1960s.  And that voluminous outfit that Shirley is wearing - I suspect that there's another youngster on the way as well.

And Arnie's Shirt - interesting how men's casualwear never really goes out of fashion.

Bonus - You can't argue with Facts

Bonus 2 - The Zoo Economy

Flower Samurai Statue Outfit

 

I see it and I can assemble words to describe it. But I cannot figure out what or why.

Flower festival?  Traditional story?  Art Project?

I Dunno.

Bonus - The barking mad story of the decade-old Jack White record found inside furniture.

Kurtz's Other Camp.

 

It's just the way that my brain works, but this slide makes me think of Apocalyse Now, when the boat arrived at Kurtz's Camp.

Bonus - Sorry. In a rush

Jeffrey Potter - Train Spotter

 

And ...Yes ... He's wearing an Anorak.

LMS Royal Scot Class 6115 Scots Guardsman is a preserved British steam locomotive. Built by the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) as a member of the Royal Scot Class, it was later operated by British Railways.

Bonus -     

"Blue Skies, Nothing But Blue Skies..."

 

Hmmm.  I wonder if this might sell as a Corporate Office Art print?

It's bland enough as subject, and impressive colours.    Might be a good retirement fund...

Bonus - How to entertain a geek.

Look !   Over There !

SuperBowl Half Time Entertainment

 

Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their win. While Tom Brady gets the headlines, the win came from their excellent Defence, which dominated so much that Patrick Mahome and co couldn't score ANY touchdowns.

But the half time entertainment was some huge set piece featuring The Weeknd. (Who?   I am SO out of touch with modern music.)

O, for the simpler days when the half time entertainment was the University of Whatever Marching Band, and two bloke in giany diapers, on bicycles.

Bonus - Congrats to Scotland Rugby, who defeated England, at the Twickenham, preventing Englnd from scoring any tries.

Lay-Off at The North Pole

 

After a disappointing Christmas Season, and with Global Warming affecting their natural food (snowmen), Santa Claus bowed to the inevitable... and restocked hi venison freezer.

Bonus - The search to recover debris from the Challenger disaster in 1986 also resulted in the discovery of 13 shipwrecks, two lost airplanes and 25 kilos of cocaine

Happy Young Lady

 

Yes, young Gertrude is giggling with gree. Today sees the start of the Six Nation Rugby Championship, and Gertie is looking forward to seeing England be humbled by the mighty Scots.

Bonus - Wallet lost in Antarctica turns up in California 53 years later

Bonus 2 - La Babane

Shapes In Nature - The Snail.

 

It's a shape

It's natural.

I guess it is a shape in nature. Fine.

I could carry on with this sequence of slides, but I sense that boredom is creeping thru' the millions and millions of BlogReaders here.

Bonus - (Some) People deserve to be punched.  ‘It disgusts me’: how a wealthy couple lied to get a vaccine meant for Indigenous people

Bonus 2 - 

It's Andy's Birthday

 

Yes, today's Andy's Birthday. and here's a throw-back slide to a previous birthday. The slide says "Rocky's 9th birthday", and I'm guess that this little party group are, from the left, Hazey, Chief, Rocky (Andy) Nick and Ruth".

But I could be wrong.

Bonus - Andy shares his birthday with George Romero (Night of the Living Dead), Alice Cooper (Welcome to My Nightmare) and Dara Ó Briain (Mock The Week.)

Shapes In Nature - The Pine Cone

 

Interesting fact. Ancient Vietnamese morticians used pine cones to prevent rectal seepage during the Lying-In-State of recently deceased royalty.

Bonus 1 - It's a pine cone 

Bonus 2  - In tribute to Major Tom 

Shapes In Nature - The Starfish

 

Yes, you may have been worrying over what today's shape would be, and the team who chose Star were right.

Not your common or garden five armed starfish, this is the more unusual Alpine Starfish with eleven arms.  Nice.

Bonus - 

Shapes in Nature

 

This week, my loyal blog-followers, we shall mainly be appreciating some slides from the Shape In Nature set. Won't that be fun?

We start with a cobweb. You probably know that cobwebs are made of spider silk, and that is 132 times stronger than titanium. But did you know that cobwebs taste of candy-floss?  Taste one and see.

Bonus -