ABC Wednesday, R for Rafting.

In my last post I wrote that the surroundings of Queenstown are popular with tourists. There are a lot of possibilities to participate in outdoor sports, like skiing and rafting.
Rafting and white water rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. We didn't do it for it is very dangerous especially when it is done  on whitewater or different degrees of rough water.

The development of this activity as a leisure sport has become popular since the mid-1970s, evolving from individuals paddling 10 feet (3.0 m) rafts with double-bladed paddles to multi-person rafts propelled by single-bladed paddles and steered by a tour guide at the stern.


Thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with R

ABC Wednesday, R of Royalty, Republic

The last week in April had been a week of royal birthdays.

Queen Elisabeth celebrated hers on the 23rd  April. She is 90 years old.

The Dutch King Willem Alexander was having his on the 27th April. He is now 49.

The Swedish King celebrated his 70th birthday. I have no photo of his, but you see him at the wedding of his daughter crownprinses Victoria,

All three majesties are very popular in their kingdoms and they had beautiful weather so that the people of these countries could celebrate outdoors.

In Europe we have 7 kingdoms , the principality of Monaco,the grand duchy of Luxemburg and many republics. Of course discussions flared up among the republicans of those kingdoms whether it was better to have a president or a royal head of state.

Well most people agreed that a royal head of the country has a binding factor. The entire population is united. Which is not the case when a president is the head of the country. He or she represents only part of the country and has a lot more power. The royals have hardly any power, but they exercise an influence on the nation.

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with R.

Our World Tuesday, ABC Wednesday, R for Rainbow Race, Sky Watch

A Heaven full of stars

En himmel full av stjerner.
Blått hav så langt du ser.
En jord der blomster gror.
Kan du ønske mer ?
Sammen skal vi leve
hver søster og hver bror.
Små barn av regnbuen
og en frodig jord.

Noen tror det ikke nytter.
Andre kaster tiden bort med prat.
Noen tror at vi kan leve av
plast og syntetisk mat.
Og noen stjeler fra de unge
som blir sendt ut for å sloss
Noen stjeler fra de mange
som kommer etter oss

Refreng:
si det til alle barna!
Og si det til hver far og mor:
Ennå har vi en sjanse
til å dele et håp på jord.

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On 22 July 2011, Breivik bombed government buildings in Oslo, which resulted in eight deaths.
Within a few hours of the explosion he arrived at Utøya island, the site of a Norwegian Labour Party youth camp, posing as a police officer in order to take the ferry to the island, and then opened fire on the unarmed adolescents present, killing 69.
The following song was sung outside the courthouse on the day Anders Breivik stood on trial. The crowd sang  this as a peaceful protest to the hideous crime Anders Breivik had committed. Being in the courthouse, Anders B, must have heard this song.

One blue sky above us

         

One blue sky above us

One ocean lapping all our shores

  

One earth so green and round

Who could ask for more

And because I love you

I'll give it one more try

To show my rainbow race

It's too soon to die.

Some folks want to be like an ostrich,

Bury their heads in the sand.

Some hope that plastic dreams

Can unclench all those greedy hands.

Some hope to take the easy way:

Poisons, bombs. They think we need 'em.

Don't you know you can't kill all the unbelievers?

There's no shortcut to freedom.

[Chorus]

Go tell, go tell all the little children.

Tell all the mothers and fathers too.

Now's our last chance to learn to share

What's been given to me and you.

 

Welcome to Our World Tuesday! This meme continues in memory of the work of Klaus Peter, whose "that's My World" brought people together from around the world every Monday to share the wonders therein--big and small.Please click on our  logo for "Our World Tuesday" in the sidebar. Thank you Team of O. W. T.!

 For Sky Watch  press the logo in the sidebar if you want to see more of the sky of our world.
Your Skywatch Friday hosts are Yogi, Sandy and Sylvia.

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and thanks to Roger. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with R.

.

Two of my rainbow grandchildren

brother and sister

Rainbow sisters

 

 

ABC Wednesday, R for Rube Goldberg

 Do you remember that I showed some cartoons by Heath Robinson (31 May 1872 – 13 September 1944) last year September ? I got several comments mentioning an American cartoonist, whose devices where just like those of Heath Robinson : complicated and too difficult to do simple jobs. His name entered the dictionary expressing that a device is impractical. The same happened with Rube Goldberg.

Wikipedia says:" Reuben Garrett Lucius Goldberg was born July 4, 1883 in San Francisco California to Jewish parents Max and Hannah Goldberg."

"A Rube Goldberg machine, contraption, invention, device, or apparatus is a deliberately over-engineered or overdone machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction. The expression is named after American cartoonist and inventor Rube Goldberg (1883–1970).
Over the years, the expression has expanded to mean any confusing or complicated system. For example, news headlines include "Is Rep. Bill Thomas the Rube Goldberg of Legislative Reform?"and "Retirement 'insurance' as a Rube Goldberg machine".

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt,  who created ABC, and Roger, who took over from her. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with R

ABC Wednesday, R for. Red

Whitsuntide  Feast of Fire and Holy Ghost

"Red is the color of blood, rubies and strawberries. Red is commonly associated with danger, sacrifice, passion, fire, beauty, blood, anger, socialism and communism, and in China and many other cultures, with happiness."(Wikipedia)

For me Red is the colour of freedom, joy, and especially red roses are a symbol of love and passion. In our church the minister wears a white gown with a red liturgical stole at Christmas, Easter and Whit   Sunday. These are the most festive holy days in Christianity.

"Inside an archeological site on the coast of South Africa, paleoanthropologists in 2000 found evidence that, between 170,000 and 40,000 years ago, Late Stone Age people were scraping and grinding ochre, a clay colored red by iron oxide, probably with the intention of using it to color their bodies." The Aborigines in Australia also used this colour red.

The Aborigines in Australia also used this colour red.

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt,  who created ABC, and Roger, who took over from her. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with R

ABC Wednesday, R for Rainbow Lorikeet

As I already showed you in one of my previous posts , this colourful bird had my full attention when I was in Australia at Christmas 2013.

 

Here they have a great party, feeding on a slice of bread with honey.

 

 Rainbow lorikeets live mainly in the forests of north-east  Australia.They live in trees and feed in large flocks.  The male and female birds are the same colours. 

In this photo there are some grey birds. They are Mickey Birds or Noisy Minors.

 

Rainbow Lorikeets often travel together in pairs and occasionally respond to calls to fly as a flock, then disperse again into pairs. Rainbow Lorikeet pairs defend their feeding and nesting areas aggressively against other Rainbow Lorikeets and other bird species. They chase off not only smaller birds such as the Noisy Miner, but also larger and more powerful birds such as the Australian Magpie.

Three photos from Wikipedia

In Brisbane, Queensland. The yellow wing-bar is present in all subspecies, except T. h. rosenbergii where it is deep orange

Frontal and side view of rainbow lorikeets in Jurong Bird Park, Singap

Rainbow Lorikeets feed mainly on fruit, pollen and nectar, and possess a tongue adapted especially for their particular diet. The end of the tongue is equipped with a papillate appendage adapted to gathering pollen and nectar from flowers.

Don't forget Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and Roger , who took over from her.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with R.

Our World Tuesday, ABC Wednesday, R of Remembrance Day

 

 

Today it is Remembrance Day (also known as Poppy Day or Armistice Day), which is a memorial day observed in Commonwealth countries since the end of World War I to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty. This day, or alternative dates, are also recognised as special days for war remembrances in many non-Commonwealth countries. Remembrance Day is observed on 11 November to recall the end of hostilities of World War I on that date in 1918. Hostilities formally ended "at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

 

Cenotaph in Whitehall

 

 

 On Saturdays nearest to 11 November there is a service in the Royal Albert Hall  and on the Sundays following these Saturdays there are ceremonies everywhere in the U.K.The Remembrance Sunday London events include a special wreath laying ceremony at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, led by the Royal Family, which traditionally takes place on the nearest Sunday to 11th November. So that was yesterday!

11 November

This was also my world. My father was a chief engineer with the merchant navy and sailed with the allied forces during the war from the UK to the States and Australia.

Welcome to Our World Tuesday! This meme continues in memory of the work of Klaus Peter, whose "that's My World" brought people together from around the world every Monday to share the wonders therein--big and small.Please click on our  logo for "Our World Tuesday" in the sidebar. Thank you Team of O. W. T.!

 With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with R. Please join us!

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

 Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

 At the going down of the sun and in the morning, 

We will remember them.

 

 

ABC Wednesday, R for Rattling Baby

Some toys are very simple and give as much joy as the most expensive gadgets. See how the baby moves the empty box from one hand to the other hand and back again.
The baby is my youngest grandchild, but you've probably guessed that already. Here she was almost 11 months old.

 With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar. This week we are looking for words beginning with R.

ABC Wednesday, R for Remarkable

A few years ago I read a most remarkable story ! After 93 years a christmas card found at last its way to the address it was meant to be delivered to. The person it was directed to, had died in the meantime, but her sister-in-law, Bernice Martin, accepted the card. The card,representing Father Christmas and a young girl, was posted in 1914 and was delivered a few days before Christmas, but 93 years late. Of course the one cent stamp was no longer sufficient and more stamps had to be added.Where it had been in the meantime is a mystery. It would be nice to invent a story in which this card played a major role. A love story for instance. When I was still teaching, I told half a story and asked the class to finish it, which resulted in the nicest stories. Some of those pupils were very talented, and used their imagination in such a way, that I realised ,that they could have become great writers.Is there anybody among you who can tell me what happened with this card between 1914 and 2007? Next week we can choose the three best stories!

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC, and we must thank Roger too for the weekly job to find our ten bloggers we have to visit and read their posts. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with R.

ABC Wednesday, R of Rescue, Resistance to Repression

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.We started round 10 of the fascinating meme of ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar . This week we are looking for words beginning with R.

One of the most remarkable stories I heard in Jerusalem, was the rescue of a great part of the Jewish population in Denmark during World War II.

 On October 1st 1943 Nazi leader Adolf Hitler ordered Danish Jews to be arrested and deported. The Danish resistance movement with the assistance of many ordinary Danish citizens  evacuated about 8,000 Danish Jews in fishing boats  and other small craft to nearby neutral Sweden during ten nights. You can read this on the memorial stone.
The Danish King was very brave. When the Jewish Danes were forced to wear the yellow star of David, he also wore a yellow star and many others did so. This confused the Nazis.

 Wikipedia says:
"The rescue allowed the vast majority of Denmark's Jewish population to avoid capture by the Nazis and is considered to be one of the largest actions of collective resistance to repression in the countries occupied by Nazi Germany. As a result of the rescue and Danish intercession on behalf of the 5% of Danish Jews who were deported to Theresienstadt transit camp in Bohemia, over 99% of Denmark's Jewish population survived the Holocaust."
The top photo shows a statue representing a Danish ship. 

Click on photos if you want to see and read what it says on the memorial  stone.

Our World Tuesday, ABC Wednesday, R for Rotterdam Seaport

R is for the city where my parents, one of my sisters and I were born, Rotterdam! Wikipedia says:"Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and the largest port in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre. Its strategic location at the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta on the North Sea and at the heart of a massive rail, road, air and inland waterway distribution system extending throughout Europe means that Rotterdam is often called the Gateway to Europe.







But the essence of Rotterdam is its huge, modern port. The largest port in Europe and one of the busiest ports in the world, the port of Rotterdam was the world's busiest port from 1962 to 2004, at which point it was surpassed by Shanghai. Rotterdam's commercial and strategic importance is based on its location near the mouth of the Nieuwe Maas (New Meuse), one of the channels in the delta formed by the Rhine and Meuse on the North Sea. These rivers lead directly into the centre of Europe, including the industrial Ruhr region."






Welcome to Our World Tuesday! This meme continues in memory of the work of Klaus Peter, whose "that's My World" brought people together from around the world every Monday to share the wonders therein--big and small.Please click on our new logo for "Our World Tuesday" in the sidebar.

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.We started round 9 of the fascinating meme of ABC. For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with R.

ABC Wednesday, R for Romans

The Romans left their traces all over Great Britain. Think of the Hadrian Wall, of the City of Bath, think of London!! Even in Dover we found the remnants of a Roman Villa. Well see for yourself what great engineers the Romans were! They were important for Great Britain and also for other European countries like mine. Maybe they were even our ancestors, they certainly affected our languages these Romans.

With thanks to Denise Nesbitt, who created ABC.For more interesting ABC posts click on the logo in the sidebar or Here. This week we are looking for words beginning with R.



Bath was built on a hot water spring. See my next post on Weekend Reflection.