The Idyllic Days

 

Today is Spring Bank Holiday (UK) or Memoril Day (US), and I thought we'd give in to nostalgia, and hark back to the idyllic days of fifties Arkansas. 

Children on horse, dusty farms and  red necks.  Great days (apart from the polio, etc)

Bonus - 

Sunshine, Food and Friends

 

I'm just having a rather restful day, after a slightly busy Saturday, but a Saturday that ended with an excellent evening with six friends and one one sister, enjoying evening sun, fresh pizzas, great chats, a surprisingly moderate amount of alcohol, and a choice of sweets. Great stuff.

Many thanks to all those who contributed to an enjoyable evening.

Bonus - Ask Yourself Which Books You Truly Love

Bonus 2 - 

The Beetle Girls

 

Sunshine and time for a bit of a road trip.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that looks like a Volkswagen Beetle.

Bonus - Photo of massive tree being hauled down Vancouver Island highway sparks global outrage

It's Art, but ... WTF?

 

The info on this slide is "Helsinki Hvittrask 1987", so...Yay for photographers who label things.

Hvittrask is a venue in Helsinki, which attracts Architecture and Art buffs. Info.

I can't work out who the artist is, but Finland does have a history of interesting artist.

Bonus - There is probably a direct correlation between nostril size and index finger size because it is always a perfect fit.

Bonus 2 - 

Harbour of the Midnight Sun

 

IMAGE NOW LOADING...

No info on this slide, as usual, but there's a definite Midnight Sun / Scandinavian feel to this slide.  Nice!

Bonus - Interesting Financials - Negative Logging.

Bonus 2 - A crocodile, who has stolen a child, promises the parent that his or her child will be returned if and only if he or she correctly predicts what the crocodile will do next.   Crocodile dilemma

Double Decker Balcony

 

Well,    That's unusual.

Perhaps it's more common is the old US of A, but I don't think I've ever seen this sort of double deck balcony.

 Perhaps the fact that this photographer thought it worthy of a photograph suggest it's unusual there as wwell.

Bonus - The European space agency is building an extremely large telescope that they named “The Extremely Large Telescope”

Bonus 2 - Cracking open the mystery of how many bubbles are in a glass of beer 

A Trip To The Tromso Trepanning Institute

 

I wish I had some context for this possibly tedious slide.  

The coach appears to be from Nyman & Schultz and that car on the left does look Saab-ish to me. The building - no clues, but does have that modernist public service feel to it.

So, I just made up a blog title to match my prejudices.

Bonus - Who could have predicted it???

Bonus 2 - 

It's somebody's birthday!

 

And it looks like he's having a bit of a party :-)

Actually, wouldn't it be weird if there was one day in the year that didn't have people's birthdays. How....odd.

Bonus - Eiffel Tower replicas

Iguazu Falls

 

I usually use this blog to poke fun at the original photographers and subjets, but sometimes... Wow.

WOW!

This is one of the jungle adventure series, and is of Iguazu Falls on the border of  Argentine and Brazil. And... it's rather spectacular. Innit?

Bonus - What could have been. Big Bird on Challenger Shuttle disaster??

Bonus 2 - A 2017 complaint filed by David and Gretchen Jessen against Fresno County and the city of Clovis, California, for damages incurred during a police raid on their home. In June 2016, construction workers called the police after they witnessed a homeless man break into the Jessens’ house. The Jessens returned to find their home ...

I'm no Art Expert, but...

 

... this is art. Metallic art.

Metallic art, involving horses and goats.

Bonus - How do you measure up against the average?

The Moldovan Punchbowl.

 

Today's slide is a bit of a cultural joke, for those in the know. The unknown swingers in the picture are standing in front of an item known as the "Moldovan Punchbowl".

It a fairly elaborate horse trough, but in Bratislava, they are referred to as The Moldovan Punchbowl as a slide aside, hinting at how Bratislavans view the quality of Moldovan wine.

Making this comparison in Chisinau will likely get you a well-deserved kick up te arse.

Bonus - Australia Travel Time To The Nearest 100k Populated City

The Alphornist

 

Yes, it's out of focus, but ...come on.... Alpine Horn.

Cool, no??

Bonus - monkeys in Japan learned to wash sweet potatoes in fresh water to clean them. They later switched to washing sweet potatoes in salt water. It is theorized that this is because they like the salty taste more than plain potatoes.

Bonus 2 - 

The Sleepy Shore

 

There's a thin dividing line between simple photographs, and tedious cliched shots.

It's a personal choice.

Bonus - There's a web-guide for everything. How To Wipe Your Butt.

How Curious !

 

Modern office block - OK.   Probably being photographed for a reason.

Holiday Touring Caravan - Ummmm.. Right.  That's a bit strange.

Maybe rent in the district is too high for the new starters, and ths is the option.

Bonus - As today is Chow Yun-fat's 66th Birthday, this evening I watched "The Killer"  Great stuff.

Bonus 2 - and 41 years ago, this happened.

Big Sky Country

 

I've no idea if this slide was taken in the Big Sky state (Montana), but it sure looks like it. One of a bunch of slides from a trans-America train ride, something that must very much be a minority activity now.

Bonus - This year sees the tenth anniversary of the Norwegian Butter Crisis. No, seriously.

Bonus 2 - 

Dovedale Stepping Stones

 

Absolutely now info on this slide...but I do recognise this scene. The stepping stones at Dovedale. One of the busiest tourist attractions in Derbyshire.

Top tip - The manifold value is next door, a bit quieter, and just as scenic.

Bonus - Did You Know - during WW2, India disguised the Taj Mahal to disorientate any Japanese planes. 

Lynn L Langworthy

 

I had always just presumed that Steam Engine and Traction Engine preservation was a peculiarly British thing - the preserve of gruff old Yorkshire men and retired whippet breeders. However, this box of slides showed that America has these interests as well. 

This engine seems to be called after Lynn L Lagworthy, of Alfred, New York. The notice at the bottom leads to  Williams Grove Steam Engine Association, which is still going ! (I presume that WGSEA = WGHSEA.

Bonus - Have you these Covid-19 Side Effects?

Bonus 2 - 

A Fine Crop of Blueberries

 

(Or so it looks)

A slide that harks back to the good old days of growing your own fruit for canning, bottling or pickling.

Ah. Nostalgia.

Bonus - Guy Reveals Thin Plastic Liner Inside Pop Cans

Bonus 2 - 

Where In The World? Game 351

 

You know the rules. Study the adjacent slide image, and choose which location it is most likely to be.  Answers on a postcard to the usual address.

A.  Norwich, England.
B.  Athens, Greece
C.  Athens, Georgia, USA
D.  Death Valley, USA

Good Luck.

Bonus - Do you what they say of the Acropolis, where the Parthenon is...?

Meanwhile in a Hotel in the Cotswolds...

 

...mysterious things are afoot!

Didn't this charming little pub / hotel (The Old Manse, Bourton-on-the-Water) used to be six inches further away from the river?

Who is quietly moving the quaint old pubs of the Costwolds??  We need to be told.!

Bonus - Indian government says 5G doesn’t cause COVID-19. Also points out India has no 5G networks.

Bonus 2 - 

( Not A Triffid )

 

Sadly, no info on this slide, nor for the plant in question.  A Heuchera would be my guess.

Bonus - People always cite "moving house" & "divorce" as stressful life events but too often they forget "putting a duvet cover on when very tired".

Bonus 2 - 

The Potter at his Wheel

 

Not getting that "Ghost" vibe from this potter and his wheel, but that might just be a personal thing.

Bonus - 

Sunday Afternoon Pool Party

 

It's a sunny Sunday here in Slideville, and I wish I could just organise a small pool party with a friendly neighbour. Alas, it's not possible. Too many neighbours cutting the lawn, rimming the hedge and shouting at seagulls.

Bonus - 76 Years ago today - The German Occupying Garrison in Jersey surrendered to Ronald McDonald. 

Bonus 2 - Please Stop.

Picnic Season

 

May. Spring is definitely here. And that means Picnic Season. 

These two gals seem to be leading the charge, bagging their picnic table before the hordes of "normals" arrive. With a chilly-bin full of chilled martini ingredients. Nice.

Bonus - Amazing Horse by MrWeebl

Bonus 2 - Motivation

Spoon-Carving

 

Along with male voice choirs, closed coal mines, and a distrust of vowels, Spoon Carving if something that the Welsh seem to have taken to heart as part of their cultural heritage. For example.

Still, if they can find folk to buy non-dishwasher-proof spoons for £255, then fair play to them.

Bonus - This brought back memories of Repo Man. :-D

The People On the Street

 

'tis a pity that the image is out of focus, otherwise this would be awesome. Sorry.

Something about the image makes me think it should be "The People on the Rue"...I guess it's the fellow's beret/flat cap that add a gallic flair.

Bonus - Sitting, Standing AND Lying Down.

One Mile from Herodsfoot

 

You can probably guess where this slide was taken -yup One mile from Herodsfoot. Possibly here

Herodsfoot is one of 51 Thankful Villages in the UK and the only one in Cornwall (the 'thankful villages' are those that lost no men in World War I). It is "doubly thankful", as one of only 14 villages that lost no men in World War II either.

Bonus - Japanese town spends Covid-19 funds on huge squid statue

Bonus 2 - 

Estuary and Finger

 

I do enjoy our little excursions in the more mundane slides of antiquity.  

From the quantity of letters and emails that I receive, I know that if you're enjoying these slides half as much as I am, then I'm enjoying them twice as much as you are !

Image of river estuary, and an intruding finger.

Bonus - Today is 4/5/2021. May The Fourth. Star Wars Day.

Bill and Bo Lambert Roch

 

I know it's not Christmas, but...so what?

The slide says "Bill & Bob Lambert Roch", but disappointingly, I can't find any definite hit information on Google. So, it's anyone's guess what these two scamps grew up to become.

Bonus - Thirty Years Ago Today - The Great New York Butter Fire.

Bonus 2 - Sort of related (2013) - Norway goat cheese fire closes tunnel

At Lovers Leap

 

Many parts of the world have "Lovers Leap" features. Either, where tragic lovers leapt to ensure that they would be together...forever,  or  where lovers leapt to escape from approaching parents / lawmen meaning they could make a new life far away.

This one is different. Harold (shown here) and Maude planned to leap together (type one), only for Harold to prank her, and not leap. He returned to Wyoming to marry Ethel, Maude's sister.

Bonus - The "Oxymoron Museum".

Across America with the Grandparents

 

It seemed like an ideal opportunity for everyone.  Granny Michelle and Grandpa George were driving from Oregon to Florida that summer, and the kids Kim and Garry (behind the camera) were going to be just bumming around. Why not all go together?

Well, the idea was good, but history records that the reality was tragically different. Even now, the police have not discovered the shallow graves....and the jailed ones aren't talking.

Bonus -