Zazazooooooom! Ending ABC Weds round 10 with zany z's

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week we are at the last letter of the alphabet, "Z". Next week we will start all over again at the top of the alphabet in round 11!

ZINCIFEROUS

Zinciferous-containing or produced from zinc. Hmmmmm....if only I had images of peoples' noses at the beach that have white all over it (sunblock with zinc). That would be a perfect example of zinciferous! However, this hand dyed yarn will do-it was probably set with zinc? Not a yarn dyer, so I am only guessing. It came from Lola Hogan's photostream on Flickr and she sells this in her Etsy shop. It is a gorgeous color, isn't it? If I were a knitter, I'd buy some!

ZABRA

 (image from Wikipedia)

Zabra: a sailing vessel resembling a small frigate and used chiefly by the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries.For the record these images are not officially images of a zabra ship. In fact, I could not any! Go figure. There were images of xebec, but not zabras! So, I looked up Christopher Columbus figuring that the ships he sailed on could not have been too different from what I think a zabra might be. Hence, these images of stamps commemorating his voyage.

ZAFFER

An impure oxide of cobalt, used to produce a blue color in enamel and in the making of smalt. From Wikionary: A pigment obtained, usually by roasting cobalt glance with sand or quartz, as a dark earthy powder. It consists of crude cobalt oxide, or of an impure cobalt arseniate. It is used in porcelain painting, and in enameling pottery, to produce a blue color, and is often confounded with smalt, from which, however, it is distinct, as it contains no potash. The name is often loosely applied to mixtures of zaffer proper with silica, or oxides of iron, manganese, etc.

ZEITGEIST

Zeitgeist:  is "the spirit of the times" or "the spirit of the age." This image came from this Zeitgeist site-pretty interesting movement. All for the greater good...

Yolanda Yells, "Yes! Yay! Yippee!"...then Yodels

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "Y".

YEARLING

 

(image from Bridlewood Farm Yearling Division site)

A yearling is an animal is is between one and two years old. My frame of reference to yearlings have always bee in regards to cattle, but in doing an image search for the word, yearling, horses dominate hands down.

YOGH

(image from Wikipedia)

Yogh: (and once again, from Wikipedia): The letter yogh (Ȝ ȝ; Middle English: yoȝ), was used in Middle English and Older Scots, representing y (/j/) and various velar phonemes. It was derived from the Old English form of the letter g.

OK-I'll admit it. I see the definition. I see the character. I STILL don't understand it! 

YAKAMIK

(image once again from Wikipedia!)

Yakamik: is a bird of South America. Apparently capable of making a lot of noise-strong and fierce and has somewhat of 'shepherding' habit-taking over a pasture and becoming a guardian to its inhabitants (by chasing away unwanted elements).

YAFFLE

.

(image from this website, but attribute was not listed)

YAFFLE: Uncommon English name for the European Green Woodpecker, immatative of it's laugh-like call.

YTTRIUM

 Yttrium is listed in the periodic table as a transition metal.

(Yttrium ingots-image from the Encyclopedia of Science site)

The Encyclopedia of Science site describes Yttrium as "A silvery-white rare-earth element of group III of the periodic table; it is used in alloys and as a "getter" to help evacuate electron tubes. First isolated in 1828, yttrium is found in monzate sand, bastnaesite, and gadolinite; it was also found in lunar rock samples collected by the Apollo 11 mission."

YOWSAS!!!

Can you tell that I love things that are on the bit obscure side?

It's ALL Greek to Me...Really!

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "X".

XENOBIOSIS

(image from: http://www.amentsoc.org/insects/glossary/terms/xenobiosis)

It would seem that we have all exhausted all the "X" possibilities! I had to drag out that BIG dictionary that I own-the one that I use more often as a weight to flatten out things with rather than as a dictionary!

xenobiosis (from the on line encyclopedia, Encyclo): a form of symbiosis among ants in which two colonies of different species live together on friendly terms without rearing their broods in common.


But, this 'xeno' word is kind of fascinating now that I've dug in to it. We know that xenophibia is a hatred of strangers or foreigners. The word, 'xeno' is Greek and means, stranger, foreign, a stranger.
Xenodocheum is a building (from the Middle Ages) for the reception of strangers, care of the sick. The plural of that word is: xenodochea  and xenodochia.
Xenodochy is the same thing.
Xenogamy (in botany) refers to cross fertilization (xenos, Gr. for strange and gamos, marriage).
Xenogenesis: spontaneous generation; abiogenesis.
Xenogenous: caused by a foreign body or originating outside the organism.

OK, so now we get to a word that I've used before: xenolith: a rock fragment embedded in the mass of another rock.

Wow. I had no idea about this 'xeno' thing! I guess you could say that it's all Greek to me! (sorry....)

Wistfully Whistling While Wading Wildy

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "W".

WILLIAMS LAKE

Williams Lake is an alpine lake. To get to it, your hike starts above the Taos ski valley (trail head is located at the Bavarian Lodge). It's a lovely hike, but it does take you to an elevation above 11,000 feet. Takes your breath away and breathtaking all in one!

This lake is located just below the highest mountain peak in New Mexico: Wheeler Peak

WHEELER PEAK

And, that, my friends is Wheeler Peak. It is the highest peak in this state at 13,161 feet. I've yet to make the trek up there. All I can muster up is the hike up to the lake! I THINK about it, but it takes some planning and hardiness to execute that. Click on the link I provided and it will take you to a topo map and you can see where Williams Lake is in relation to Wheeler Peak.

                  WILLARD SALT FLATS

Also, here in New Mexico, we have the Willard Salt Flats. It is off of highway 60 east of Mountainaire and it goes on for a few miles. Great spot for photography. Sometimes cattle get stuck in the mud there and perish. Not a pretty sight to run in to, but certainly a part of life.

WINDOW JUST BEYOND THE WATER

Do you see it? Do you see that window that is just beyond the water? Not to mention all the 'wildflowers' in bloom. And, that just might be a wisteria on the right side of the picture (in the middle).

Well, that's a walloping serving of "W's" for today, don't you think?

Voracious Varmin Veering Vibratory Viol

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "V".

Vigesimal

Maya numerals were a vigesimal (base-twenty) numeral system used by the Pre-Columbian Maya civilization.

The numerals are made up of three symbols; zero (shell shape), one (a dot) and five (a bar). For example, nineteen (19) is written as four dots in a horizontal row above three horizontal lines stacked upon each other.

Here is the chart of Mayan numerals:

From Wikipedia:

Twenty was a base in the Maya number systems. The Maya used the following names for the powers of twenty: kal (20), bak (20² = 400), pic (20³ = 8,000), calab (20⁴ = 160,000), kinchil (20⁵ = 3,200,000) and alau (20⁶ = 64,000,000). See also Maya numerals and Maya calendar, Mayan languages, Yucatec. The Aztec called them: cempoalli (1 × 20), centzontli (1 × 400), cenxiquipilli (1 × 8,000), cempoalxiquipilli (1 × 20 × 8,000 = 160,000), centzonxiquipilli (1 × 400 × 8,000 = 3,200,000) and cempoaltzonxiquipilli (1 × 20 × 400 × 8,000 = 64,000,000). Note that the ce(n/m) prefix at the beginning means "one" (as in "one hundred" and "one thousand") and is replaced with the corresponding number to get the names of other multiples of the power.

Those clever Mayans....

VIGNETTE

(image by: Paula Scott)

Once again, our trusty Wikipedia describes vignette in the photographic context as: French: "vignette") is a reduction of an image's brightness or saturation at the periphery compared to the image center. As was done here in this image I took of Minne.

VELOCIPEDE

(image from Wikipedia)

Velocipede is an umbrella term for any human-powered land vehicle with one or more wheels. The most common type of velocipede today is the bicycle.

And, here is the definition of Viol.

In case you were wondering.

Unknown Unaus Ululate Unbelievably

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "U".

UNIROYAL

Uniroyal tires. Wow-what a long history that tire has and all the different mergers, acquisitions, changes, etc. it has gone through. So much, in fact, that I can't even begin to explain it! However, the Uniroyal site does have a history section that highlights key events.

I forgot where I took this photo-I think at the Anagama kiln in Madrid, NM. It was back in 2009, so I can't be too sure.

UNIFOLIATE

Unifoliate: having only one leaf

Origin of UNIFOLIATE

uni- + Latin folium leaf — more at blade

First Known Use: 1849

I can say, with utmost certainty, that many of you can think of plants with unifoliate leaves!

UNCINATE

Uncinate. Ugh! Sounds like a dirty word, doesn't it? Common definition (common in my eyes anywya) is: un·ci·nate ( n s -n t , -n t). adj. Bent at the end like a hook; unciform. [Latin unc n tus, from unc nus, barb, from uncus, hook.] uncinate


However, in looking further on line for this word, I saw other definitions! Such as, the uncinate process, as in uncinate process of the ribs: which can be separate bones or projections from ribs. They are found in birds, some dinosaurs (particularly some coelurosaurian theropods), and sphenodonts (tuataras). An uncinate process on a rib overlaps the rib posterior to it, providing bracing to the rib cage. Uncinate processes found in dinosaur fossils were used to relate how some theropods breathed to that of penguins.

Sigh....and then there's the uncinate process of vertabra (similar to first meaning): a hook shaped process on the lateral borders (side edges) of the superior (top) surface of the vertebral bodies of the third to the seventh cervical vertebrae.

Well....it goes on. I'll stop here. I got overwhelmed. I thought it was just the hook shape thingy and then I realized that there was MORE.
 

UMBRETTE

Perhaps more readily known as the Hamerkop (from Wikipedia):

"The Hamerkop (Scopus umbretta), also known as Hammerkop, Hammerkopf, Hammerhead, Hammerhead Stork, Umbrette, Umber Bird, Tufted Umber, or Anvilhead, is a medium-sized wading bird (56 cm long, weighing 470 g). The shape of its head with a curved bill and crest at the back is reminiscent of a hammer, hence its name. It ranges from Africa, Madagascar to Arabia, in wetlands of a wide variety, including estuaries, lakesides, fish pond, riverbanks and rocky coasts in Tanzania. The Hamerkop is a sedentary bird that often show local movements. Is not globally threatened and is locally abundant in Africa and Madagascar."^[2] 

^{(Umbrette bird image source: Wikipedia)}

Apparently, this bird has lots of mysterious behaviors. I found a blog that gave a rather interesting list of this.

^UNAU

 ^{(image source: Wikipedia)}

Unau: a two toed sloth (not to be confused with the three toed sloth, please!). 

And, in case you forgot what ululate means:

To howl, wail, or lament loudly.

Admittedly, I don't know if two toed sloths make any noise at all, but now you can string together the meaning to my whacky title!

Tina Tenaciously Tests Twenty Teal Trampolines

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "T".

TIFFANY

Here's a wee bit of history in regards to Tiffany lamps from Wikipedia (you can use the link through to find out more about Tiffany lamps):

"The first Tiffany lamp was created around 1895. Each lamp was handmade by skilled craftsmen, not mass- or machine-produced. Its designer was not, as had been thought for over 100 years, Louis Comfort Tiffany, but a previously unrecognized artist named Clara Driscoll was identified in 2007 by Rutgers professor Martin Eidelberg as being the master designer behind the most creative and valuable leaded glass lamps produced by Tiffany Studios.^[1][2]
Tiffany's first business venture was an interior design firm in New York, for which he designed stained glass windows.
Most of his lamps can be grouped into one of seven specific categories: Irregular Upper and Lower Border, Favrile, Geometric,Transition to Flowers, Flowered Cone, and Flowered Globe lamps. The Irregular Upper and Lower Border lamps carry an openwork crown edge that helps to simulate a branch, tree, or shrubbery. The Favrile category, which means handcrafted, identifies the first lamps Tiffany made with this label. His initials LCT, later replaced the Favrile stamp. The Geometric category, done primarily by the male craftsman, speaks for itself. The Tiffany craftsman used geometric shapes such as triangles, squares, rectangles, and ovals to form these patterns for these lamps. Next is the Transition to Flowers group, which is subdivided into the Flowered Cone and Globe lamps. All of these lamps follow a nature, or botanical, design using flowers, dragonflies, spiders with webs, butterflies, and peacock feathers. The difference within these two smaller categories is the difference in the lamp shapes, basically a cone and a globe.^[3]"



It's kind of sad, though that all this time, Tiffany was given the attribute for the beautiful stained glass designs behind these lamps. Too bad Clara did not know about Trademark laws back then. I think she could've claimed her design as her own then. Truly, her designs have stood the test of time.

TEXTURE DOTS

I love textures and patterns. Love hem, I say, love them! I believe this one is of a man hole cover. Textures are titillating!

TASTY FOOD

To tempt your taste buds with! This is from a Mongolian BBQ place. Don't you just love to select your own ingredients? It's always fun to see how your concoction will come out and is truly a telltale sign if you have the aptitude for being a good cook!

TUESDAY

This gets posted on Tuesday even though the participation is ABC Weds-but, due to the time differences for some of us, we post on Tuesday.

Singing Seven Sensational Songs Softly

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "S".

SWAN LAKE 

Swan Lake. Written over a century ago, but still has a strong footing as a classic in ballet repertoire. Russian fairy tales have been a rich source for balletic stories and music. If you've never seen a ballet performance of Swan Lake, put it on your bucket list. See a local production or hold out for the Bolshoi. Either way, be sure to see it!

When I hear the words, "Swan Lake', it is the 'Pas de Quarte' scene and music that starts to roll around in my head. Compare from Bolshoi to the parody version, either way, hypnotic.

And then, of course, is the ever moving scene of the dying swan. You can take the less serious route via ballet Trocadero (all male ballet company). Or, Matthew Bourne's all male ballet company that has a more serious, yet highly creative approach-much like a fantasy.

SUPER SUNNY SUNFLOWERS

Buying a packet of seeds of this is most certainly like buying sunshine on a stem!

SWEET PEAS

Right now, these soft sweet peas are in their full glory in my garden. Spectacular!

SOLAR ECLIPSE SUNSET

And, of course, there was that spectacular sunset after the solar eclipse on Sunday. Sensational!!

Rugged Red Raptors Racing Robust Robins

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "R".

Roly Poly Bugs

 (image from Wikipedia)

Were you the kind of kid that liked to bug bugs? Or, were you the one that would rather not get near them? I know that my brothers and i could not pass up getting a twig to nudge one of these bugs when we saw them just to see them curl up.  And, they curled up every time!

I think everyone in the United States call them roly poly bugs. What do they call them in other countries, I wonder? If you want to show off to someone, you can call these by their scientific name: Armadillidiidae. It's just a wood louse by any other name...

Raggedy Ann and Andy

Raggedy Ann and Andy was created by an American writer, John Gruelle around 1915.

From Wikipedia:

"Gruelle created Raggedy Ann for his daughter, Marcella, when she brought him an old hand-made rag doll and he drew a face on it. From his bookshelf, he pulled a book of poems by James Whitcomb Riley, and combined the names of two poems, "The Raggedy Man" and "Little Orphant Annie." He said, "Why don’t we call her Raggedy Ann?" ^[1]
Marcella died at age 13 after being vaccinated at school for smallpox without her parents' consent. Authorities blamed a heart defect, but her parents blamed the vaccination. Gruelle became an opponent of vaccination, and the Raggedy Ann doll was used as a symbol by the anti-vaccination movement.^[2]
Raggedy Ann dolls were originally handmade. Later, PF Volland, a Gruelle book publisher, made the dolls. In 1935 Volland ceased operation and Ann and Andy were made under Gruelle's permission by Exposition Dolls, and without permission (during legal limbo) by MollyE's Dolls, resulting in Gruelle v (Mollye) Goldman."

Bet most of you (and I include myself too) did not know that Raggedy Ann was a symbol for anti-vaccination. I sure as heck didn't! 

(A) Quorum of Quarrling, Quibbling Quaggas

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "Q".

QUAGGA

 (image from Wikipedia)

Don't feel bad if you've never heard of a quagga. It's an extinct species of the zebra. In fact, it was the first extinct species to have its DNA studied.

Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:

"The quagga (Equus quagga quagga) is an extinct subspecies of the plains zebra,^[2] which was once found in great numbers in the Highveld of the Cape Province and the southern part of the Orange Free State in South Africa. It was distinguished from other zebras by having the usual vivid marks on the front part of the body only. In the mid-section, the stripes faded and the dark, inter-stripe spaces became wider, and the rear parts were a plain brown."

You can always link through to read more about the quagga.

Quite the quirky looking creature, isn't it?

Putative Pyromanics Plotting Pilgramges

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "P".

PEZ

Didn't you just love those as a kid? My son's former pediatrician collected these and in her office, all along the hallway were all the Pez dispensers (I swear) that were ever made. What I never realized is that Pez is an Austrian candy.

Here's a little snippet of Pez history from Wikipedia's site:

"Pez was first marketed as a compressed peppermint sweet or candy in Vienna, Austria. It was invented in 1927 in Vienna by a candy maker named Eduard Haas III. Haas invented peppermints using family owned baking powders, and decided to serve the mints in small, hand-size containers. He manufactured a small tin to hold the mints, similar to the modern Altoids tins. The first Pez mint dispensers, known as "regulars," were similar in shape to a cigarette lighter, and dispensed an adult breath mint marketed as an alternative to smoking. They were invented by Oscar Uxa. Haas Food Manufacturing Corporation of Vienna, Austria, was the first to sell Pez products.
World War II slowed marketing and production. In 1945, manufacturers devised and promoted the Pez Box Regular. In 1952 Eduard Haas introduced his product to the United States, and Curtis Allina headed Pez's U.S. business. In 1955, the Pez company placed heads on the dispensers and marketed them for children. Santa Claus and Mickey Mouse were among the first character dispensers. Since 1950, over 1500 Pez dispensers, including the original character dispensers have been created."

PLANET

"What planet are you from?" Great line...the name, 'planet' is from the ancient Greeks and it means, wandering star.

PATTERNS

I'm a pattern 'hound' if you will....I just can't help myself. I have a huge image file called, "Patterns". You might recognize this pattern as belonging to Escher. His images were mathematically based-me? I just like patterns whether or not they are random or mathematically based.

POLYESTER CAPACITOR

I don't know much about electronics. Perhaps polyester capacitors are an everyday thing,even though this circuit board looks a wee bit antiquated. If you want to totally 'geek out' and read up on polyester capacitors, be sure to click on the link!

Omnipotent Offerings of Oblation and Ovation

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "O"

OFFERINGS

All the offerings here makes me think of gratitude. Unending gratitude. So many offerings here in this vignette and not unlike the ofrenda in the sense of it being a shrine or altar. Although I am not a practitioner of Eastern religion, I do see scenes like this as a reminder to offer gratitude to a power greater than us.

I'm trying to remember the name of the shop that I took this photo in. I believe it is called Wabi Sabi and it is in Taos, NM.

Short post this week (I know you guys are used to the generous serving of the eclectic here), but it's been hectic with the local post-election stuff here this past week with my husband getting sworn in yesterday. You can read the brief explanation at my previous post.

Nine Nimble Nimcompoops Nab Ninety Nerds

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "N".

NUN

"Get thee to a nunnery!" (from Hamlet). I wonder if Shakespeare had any idea how that line would cross over into the vernacular. But, if you really want to find out more about the history, description, origin of the nun, you can visit the Catholic Encyclopedia (it's actually pretty interesting).

NATULIS

As in, chambered nautilus. Have you ever wondered about the functionality of the pattern on its shell? I guess scientifically, the 'pattern' is referred to as 'counter shading' since it's darker on the top and light colored on the bottom. That way, when predators are above it, it blends in to the ocean floor. When it is swimming, the light bottom mimicks the light from above. And, did you know that the eyes on a nautilus is very primitive? It is much like a pin-hole camera. Thanks, Wikipedia!

NORI

Nori. Japanese seaweed-the edible kind that you see used in rolling up sushi. These are called musibi's in Hawaii (maybe Japan too, I don't know). These are wrapped in plastic wrap which is why it looks so shiny. These are great to snack on or make a meal out of and very portable.

 NARWHAL

(image from Wikipedia)

Narwhal. A medium sized toothed whale. In fact, the 'horn' or tusk on it is actually one of it's incisors that must've gone genetically wild during it's evolution. Scientists have not figured out the reason for that long tooth. Since they live in the icy waters of the Arctic, I can't help but think that it is used for chipping away at the ice?

Many Mastodons Mulling Mighty Masks

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "M".

MANNEQUIN

I love it when a mannequin has an expression or an attitude of some sort. Much preferred than the vacant stares that they tend to have. This one is quite expressive. Almost "Twilight Zone-ish", I dare say.

MASK

Masks. They've been with us for a long time, haven't they? I know this one is pretty intriguing. Wonder what it was for and why such a restful face. Maybe it was a funerary mask (used in burials?). This mask is in a funky antique store in Taos, NM. Wikipedia has a very long section in regards to the meaning, history, etymology, culture, etc. Give it a visit if you feel so inclined.

Here's a monkey mask for  you too (this one is at the International Folk Museum in Santa Fe):

I have a lot of mask images. I find them fascinating and in our neck of the woods, you only see them in museums.

MASTODON

Mastadon. The animal. Apparently there is a band by the same name. Who knew.  Here's how Wikipedia describes them:

"While mastodons had a size and appearance similar to elephants and mammoths, they were not particularly closely related. Their teeth differ dramatically from those of members of the elephant family; they had blunt, conical, nipple-like projections on the crowns of their molars,^[3] which were more suited to chewing leaves than the high-crowned teeth mammoths used for grazing; the name mastodon (or mastodont) means "nipple teeth" and is also an obsolete name for their genus.^[4] Their skulls are larger and flatter than those of mammoths, while their skeleton is stockier and more robust.<sup>[5]"

Not a wooly mammoth, but a mastodon. Well, at least it's a mammal! And, a monumental one at that!

I suppose this is enough mayhem for one day.</sup>

 

Lovely Long Legs Like Languid Lights

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "L"

LETTERPRESS 

Letterpress. Although I have never operated one, I have been enamored with them for quite some time. If you saw the movie that Will Smith was in (one of my favorite movies), "Seven Pounds", in it, he fixes a letterpress of the woman that he was in love with.

Here's Wikipedia's description of a letterpress:

 "Letterpress printing is relief printing of text and image using a press with a "type-high bed" printing press and movable type, in which a reversed, raised surface is inked and then pressed into a sheet of paper to obtain a positive right-reading image. It was the normal form of printing text from its invention by Johannes Gutenberg in the mid-15th century until the 19th century and remained in wide use for books and other uses until the second half of the 20th century. "

I am struck by the young woman who was featured in this video-struck by how young she was and how passionate she was about what she did. It seems that for those occasions that are special (weddings, milestone anniversaries, special affairs), we forget to elevate the event with an invitation that stands out from the crowd. If you have someone in your town that creates invitations on a letterpress, consider using them. When you compare the product next to offset or ink jet printing, you will see the difference. Or, hire her services at the Brown Parcel Press.

LITHOGRAPHY

I love all aspects of printmaking. Today, I'm bringing two aspects of printmaking to you. In addition to talking about letter presses, there is also the lithographic print. Here in New Mexico at the University of New Mexico, we have the highly acclaimed Tamarind Institute where lithography is alive and well. Many students come here from around the world to be an apprentice and many famous artists come to have their work immortalized via this process.

From Wikipedia (so grateful to them):

"Lithography (from Greek λίθος - lithos, 'stone' + γράφειν - graphein, 'to write') is a method for printing using a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface. Invented in 1796 by Bavarian author Alois Senefelder as a cheap method of publishing theatrical works,^[1][2] lithography can be used to print text or artwork onto paper or other suitable material.^[3]"

^{LOVELY LONG LEGS}

^{Either way you look at them-they are lovely long legs!!} 

^{LANGUID LIGHTS}

^{Bet you never heard lights described before as languid! There's always a first time...}

Kittens Kicking a Kilogram of Knockwurst

ABC Wednesday is a word meme with participants from around the world. This fabulous meme was created and hosted by Mrs. Denise Nesbitt who hails from Great Britain. Over time, others have joined in to help host this wonderful and informative meme. We are now in our TENTH round! Some of the participants have been with this from the very first round; others have joined in along the way. Each week we are taken across the globe to see the varied and exciting contributions people have taken the time to discover and capture. We start with the letter, "A" and each week we post something in regards to the next letter of the alphabet. This week's letter is, "K".

KALUA PIG

 

This photo of Kalua pig is courtesy of TripAdvisor

 K. A LOT of Hawaiian words begin with the letter, "K". Such as the word, 'kalua' (pronounced just like the coffee liqueur, Kahlua). It is an underground cooking method that the ancient Hawaiians used to cook their food, such as, pig (called, pua'a in Hawaiian and pigs were easy to transport across the Pacific ocean in canoes when the Hawaiians migrated to the Hawaiian islands). Kalua pig (nope, we don't say, 'kalua pork') is moist, tender, smoky and melts in your mouth. When it is cooked in the underground oven, it is the whole hog, oops. I mean, pig. When they take it out, it is falling apart, it is so tender. I do a crock pot version using a less fatty cut of pork. The pork goes in to the crock pot with some water, liquid smoke, Hawaiian salt, pepper. and a wee bit of garlic and onion powder. Just a wee bit. Cook it on high for about 5 hours or until fork tender. Absolutely delicious! Good kau kau (pronounced cow cow) which, in Hawaiian, means food or a meal.

KEIKIS

 (Kaleo aka Tomas and his sister, Isa circa 2007)

Keiki in Hawaiian means, children. These two have grown considerably since this was taken. They are my nephew and niece, Kaleo and Isa Jack. They live in Hilo, Hawaii and not very far from the volcano, Kilauea.

(Kilauea)

KEYSTONE

Keystone. From Wikipedia: "A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry vault or arch, which is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch to bear weight.^[1] This makes a keystone very important structurally."

KNEEHOLE DESK

As the name implies, a kneehole desk is any desk with a hole in the center for the knees. Desks and the history of their functional elements that changed over the centuries is quite interesting. You can read more about at Wikipedia.

So, there you have it ladies and gentlemen-a heaping serving of the letter, "K"!

And, no kittens or knockwurst were harmed the the making of this post.