Photo a Day Challenge - Day 20 Someone you Love

Just because you're not here anymore, doesn't mean I love you any less...

Louise Wedding Day

Hoo roo for now...

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Photo a Day Challenge - Day 19 Sweet

Running a little behind, apologies.. But for the 'sweet' photo, I could have done lollies, cakes, desserts etc, but I also wanted to do something a little different. So I looked back into my photo collection for a specific flower thats in the garden, in fact, there's two specimens! The Brugmansia spp (Wiki link, so don't take it as gospel...)! My old Director at work, has recently re-wrote the app, and I think it is published now, I must ask him next time I see him!

Out the back, there is a single apricot coloured bush, that stands around 3m tall and equally round. When its out in bloom, it has the sweetest scent coming off it, wafting down into the rear living area and kitchen, whilst in the front yard, there is a double white one, which is equally as strong scented. the beauty of these though, is that they are at their strongest at night, which is good when in the spa you can smell it, and in bed at night, its wonderful!

Brugmansia

HOWEVER, it does also have a danger about it, as it is toxic...

All parts of Brugmansia are poisonous, with the seeds and leaves being especially dangerous. Brugmansia are rich in Scopolomine (hyoscine), hyoscyamine, and several other tropane alkaloids. Effects of ingestion can include paralysis of smooth muscles, confusion, tachycardia, dry mouth, diarrhea, migrane headaches, visual and auditory hallucinations, mydriasis, rapid onset cycloplegia, and death.

The hallucinogenic effects of Brugmansia were described in the journal Pathology as "terrifying rather than pleasurable".^[25] The author Christina Pratt, in An Encyclopedia of Shamanism say that "Brugmansia induces a powerful trance with violent and unpleasant effects, sickening afteraffects, and at times temporary insanity". These hallucinations are often characterized by complete loss of awareness that one is hallucinating, disconnection from reality, and amnesia of the episode; such as one example reported in Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience of a young man who amputated his own penis and tongue after drinking only 1 cup of Brugmansia tea. The Swiss naturalist and explorer, Johann von Tschudi, described the effects of Brugmansia ingestion on one individual in Peru:

Soon after drinking the Tonga, the man fell into a dull brooding, he stared vacantly at the ground, his mouth was closed firmly, almost convulsively and his nostrils were flared. Cold sweat covered his forehead. He was deathly pale. The jugular veins on his throat were swollen as large as a finger and he was wheezing as his chest rose and sank slowly. His arms hung down stiffly by his body. Then his eyes misted over and filled with huge tears and his lips twitched convulsively for a brief moment. His carotids were visibly beating, his respiration increased and his extremities twitched and shuddered of their own accord. This condition would have lasted about a quarter of an hour, then all these actions increased in intensity. His eyes were now dry but had become bright red and rolled about wildly in their sockets and all his facial muscles were horribly distorted. A thick white foam leaked out between his half open lips. The pulses on his forehead and throat were beating too fast to be counted. His breathing was short, extraordinarily fast and did not seem to lift the chest, which was visibly fibrillating. A mass of sticky sweat covered his whole body which continued to be shaken by the most dreadful convulsions. His limbs were hideously contorted. He alternated between murmuring quietly and incomprehensibly and uttering loud, heart-rending shrieks, howling dully and moaning and groaning.

Some municipalities prohibit the purchase, sale, or cultivation of Brugmansia plants.

In 1994, 112 teenagers were admitted to hospitals from ingesting Brugmansia in Florida alone. The concentration of alkaloids in all parts of the plant differ markedly. They even vary with the seasons and the level of hydration, so it is nearly impossible to determine a safe level of alkaloid exposure.

So there you have it, sweet!!

Hoo roo for now...

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Photo a Day Challenge - Day 18 Something you Bought

I wanted to post something that I may have bought today... But I had no purchases today... I thought about what I had bought recently, fuel... Boring... I've posted the bike before, so didn't want to do that again... So I had a look through my flickr account for some inspiration. I also wanted to post something I had not posted before...

So here it is. I was in Madrid (2009), it was late evening and I was, you guessed it, hungry, so I had some dinner... And, when in Spain, what else could you order other than...

Madrid Paella

Hoo roo for now...

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Photo a Day Challenge - Day 17 Water

February 2009, I had the opportunity to visit Doha Qatar for a job interview. At the time, L was back at home doing the injections for the last session of IVF... I normally gave her the injections, and she was having particular difficulty self-injecting!

One of the highlights of the visit, was a visit to the Villaggio Shopping Mall, which was next-door to where I would've been working! It is a typical shopping mall, right? NO! It had some very high-end stores, and it also had a Venetian style canal inside

Villaggio Shopping Centre Canal II

NOT to mention, an Ice Rink (frozen Water)

Villaggio Ice Rink

Hoo roo for now...

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Photo a Day Challenge - Day 16 Morning

I want to share a photo that was a FIRST for me... Airport/Aircraft SNOW!!!

VQ-BHL (A320) Sitting in snow at SVO airport

This is how I arrived into Sheremetyevo from London Heathrow! It was roughly 6.30am, and the sun didn't rise until WELL into the morning either! It was quite pleasing to the eye seeing this, as well as very strange as we don't get to see this in Sydney, or Australia for that matter! Come to think of it, I'm not even sure if we have de-icing equipment here at all!!! I shall have to have a look see next time I'm in Melbourne in winter!

Hoo roo for now...

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Photo a Day Challenge - Day 15 Happiness

I was pondering about this one, post a photo of me, happy, or of something I take pleasure from... OR, post a photo of someone who's obviously happy... But instead, I thought I would post a photo (or two) of some of the pets that are happy.

First up, we have poor old Macc... Here he is but a pup, but he looks happy!

Happy Macc

Next, is Bronty... She's always happy to see me when I get home from work, or if I've been out! It doesn't last long though, as when she comes in and onto her bed, she's happily sleeping!!

Bronty

Hoo roo for now...

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Photo a Day Challenge - Day 14 Something you're Reading

I'm currently reading "We need to talk about Kevin". It is difficult reading in that it is in the 'third person' and the author has styled it in a 'letters' format to the father of their son (who's in a prison for mass murder)!

We need to talk about Kevin

I got this in London recently, and was reading whilst waiting for flights and communicating back home via 'Whats App' and SMS/Facebook... The later, communication, was a welcomed distraction due to the difficult style this book is in. BUT, having said that, it is a very good read!

Hoo roo for now...

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Photo a Day Challenge - Day 13 In Your Bag

Well, I don't have a bag, so i could post nothing! But, instead (looking through the archives) I will post Ngong Ping's ONLY Plastic Bag, as its a plastic bag FREE village!!

Ngong Ping Village ONLY Plastic Bags

Well done Ngong Ping!

Hoo roo for now...

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Photo a Day Challenge - Day 12 Close Up

I thought I would post something a little different today, I mean I could have posted one of the many macro's I have, but when looking through my photos, pondering what to post, I knew I had something from a trip to the Tramway Museum at Loftus. Here is the track that runs into the Royal National Park, it use to have mainline trains running along it, but thats long gone... Kind of sad really to not have the RNP serviced by Cityrail...

Tram Rail and Leaves

Hoo roo for now...

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Photo a Day Challenge - Day 11 Where you Sleep

About 18 months ago, I decided to get a new bed, both mattress and bed frame itself... The bed we had was already several years old, and I thought it time (now being by myself) it was time to renew..

I found a really nice bed frame (bed-head & bed-end) on eBay, whilst I did a great deal on a new mattress. The only problem with it all is that its LUCKY I am tall as when I sit on the mattress, my feet are NOWHERE near the floor!!!

New Bed Mattress

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In other news, today was my first day back at work after 3.5 months off work. There was/is a bit to catch-up on, but there was also a few emails that simply got sent straight to the trash bin!! But I got a fair amount of it sorted!

Tomorrow, is another day... Its also a 20/20 day!!

Hoo roo for now...

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