To continue with tradition no appointments today not seeing anyone but rather than pack up and go hiking early I decided to have a morning at home and I really enjoyed myself…..poached eggs and an English newspaper with breakfast…..did some laundry and then some sorting of computer work and catching up with e mails and then I re introduced myself to my lounge chair after almost 2 years!!!
Around 2 o clock I did get my back pack on and for a change walked into town and did some errands and just enjoyed the weather and the music and the smiling faces…here are a few shots!!!
This monster is allegedly owned by a Mexican lawyer…
This is the history on the above statue..
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El Pipila, by Susana Bouquet-Chester, Ph.D.
At a high point outside Guanajuato City stands an enormous red-stone statue representing El Pipila, hero of the Mexican Independence. It is a tribute to a man who, in his own unusual way, set forth one of those small events that change the destiny of nations. The statue represents El Pipila as a strong man - legs apart, biceps bulging, holding a torch, ready to attack.
The monumental statue is a remarkable effort to immortalize El Pipila in Guanajuato City. However, he has not received sufficient recognition in his native town. Instead, Captain Ignacio Allende, another hero, received most of the honors. Both were born in what was then called San Miguel el Grande, meaning the "great town of San Miguel."
It is NOT generally known that El Pipila was born in San Miguel and that "pipila" is only a nickname. He was a modest peon who worked in the gold mines exploding dynamite. With a stone slab tied to his back, he protected himself from falling stones and other debris. In the dark tunnels he carried a torch to see his way. Captain Ignacio Allende, on the other hand, was the son of a wealthy Spanish nobleman. He distinguished himself in the military by his bravura as a daring horseman, and as a determined insurgent.
To this day, his impressive house, located at a corner of the jardin, the central plaza, is maintained as a museum. Unfortunately, it is practically empty of his belongings. At the entrance from the road to Queretaro, an equestrian statue shows him brandishing a sword above San Miguel. Every year a horse parade celebrates his birthday.
It was Allende who started the movement for independence, but it was El Pipila who won the battle in Guanajuato.
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It is 1810. Spain is fighting the French. Mexicans seize the opportunity to claim their independence. Captain Ignacio Allende, an expert horseman, launches the offensive. He gallops from San Miguel el Grande toward Guanajuato City. Mexican soldiers and hoards of barefoot Indians follow him.
The Spaniards, however, have barricaded themselves in the Alhondiga de Granaditas, an invincible fortress built of solid stone blocks. Its walls, three-foot thick and two-story-high, are surrounded by water. There are no openings in front, except for two large wooden gates. The back doors face the moat. The battle is absurdly uneven. From the top of the fortress, the Spaniards shoot at the rebels who are unable to climb the formidable walls. Captain Allende gallops from post to post, urging the rebels to double the strenuous but waning efforts. The Mexican soldiers are poorly trained and most of the Indians don't even understand Spanish.
It's a relentless carnage. The fight rages furiously. The moat overflows with dead bodies, turning the water red. The ammunition is running low.
Suddenly, unexpectedly, the winds of battle change their course. At a cantina across the street from the Alhondiga, El Pipila and a group of peons are drinking pulque, an alcoholic beverage. Driven by despair, El Pipila dons his stone slab, grabs a burning torch, and on all fours, makes a straightaway toward the nearest wooden gate. Crouching under his bulletproof cover, he sets the gate afire. The flames quickly spread and begin to consume the dry, old wood.
The rest is easy.
The rebels demolish the remains of the burning door with machetes, axes, sticks and their own clenched fists. They enter and by pure chance, shoot the Spanish Commander, injuring him in the right eye. The gushing blood blinds him completely. The Spaniards panic and throw down their arms and surrender. El Pipila is a national hero.
Everybody knows El Pipila's extraordinary achievement, but in San Miguel only a school carries his name. The modest house, where he was born, is unknown to most people. Only a small plaque, now dark and dirty from dust and fumes, is affixed to his house. The marker also bears his real name, a common name that nobody knows.
Even his nickname is belittling. It signifies hen-turkey-not a very flattering name indeed. Also, ironically, the statue does not truly represent our hero. If it did, it would show him on all fours, carrying a slab and wearing a loincloth.
The sculpture standing in Guanajuato City reminds us, however, of the hero's extraordinary capabilities. He dares to act on his own, without waiting for orders. . He is a man of creativity, transferring to the battlefield the experience acquired at the mines. He risks his own life to save his countrymen. He is a man of initiative, single-handed taking the offensive and leading his people to victory.
I enjoyed the walk and was back home by 6pm and I walked 16 km
Today was also the first day I think I did not ride Little Blackie
There is a territorial struggle going on between my white cat the resident cat that I have been feeding for a long time…had an intruder today and they were not happy about the food allocation!!!!
At sunset I walked a couple of blocks to the lake behind the house for these shots I cannot believe how high the water is in times past I could walk out at least another 100 yards…none of these photos have been edited all natural color!!!
Another interesting article from the BBC website.
Andy Murray stance on Scottish referendum stirs feelings
Andy Murray's offerings on social media are rarely bland, often thought-provoking, and quite likely to increase the blood pressure of those employed to guide his career.
The tweet he sent in support of Scottish independence at one o'clock on the morning of the referendum was not written under the influence of alcohol. It represented the view formed by a man who had followed the arguments very closely, and even watched one of the leaders' debates while at the US Open in New York.
Murray knew what he was doing when he hit the 'tweet' box. And, although I suspect he underestimated the strength of feeling his intervention would stir, it was the action of a man who is much more comfortable with his public persona since becoming a Grand Slam champion.
Nearly 20,000 people retweeted Murray's pro-independence message
If he believes something, he tends to say it.
And even if he does enjoy the ripples caused by his occasional swipe at 'the establishment', it is very refreshing to hear one of the world's leading athletes tell you what he really thinks. When Marin Cilic and Viktor Troicki fell foul of the doping regulations last year, to the background of a fair amount of sympathy from other leading players, Murray was the only one to label them "unprofessional".
Nearly 20,000 people retweeted Murray's pro-independence message. His decision to go public took those close to him by surprise, as the 27-year-old had made clear in recent months that there was little to be gained from coming out publicly in favour of either side.
Andy Murray's Grand Slam finals record
2008 US Open
Lost v Roger Federer
2010 Australian Open
Lost v Roger Federer
2011 Australian Open
Lost v Novak Djokovic
2012 Wimbledon
Lost v Roger Federer
2012 US Open
Won v Novak Djokovic
2013 Australian Open
Lost v Novak Djokovic
2013 Wimbledon
Won v Novak Djokovic
His support in Scotland may well be enhanced, but there's no doubt that will come at the expense of his popularity among some living south of the border.
Murray still receives a dispiritingly high amount of ill-educated abuse eight years on from his jokey aside that he would be supporting ''anyone but England" at the 2006 World Cup, and Police Scotland has already been moved to comment about "vile, disgusting and distasteful comments" posted within hours of Murray's tweet.
Middle England took a long time to warm to Murray, but his achievement in winning the Olympics, US Open and Wimbledon within the space of 12 months gradually won them over, as he became the first athlete to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award with more than 50% of the public's vote.
"The 25 words he tapped out in the early hours of Thursday morning will make Murray's life more complicated"
Some will accuse him of hypocrisy for living in Surrey while advocating a break-up of the Union. Others may feel less inclined to support him in a British vest now he's intimated he would prefer to be competing for an independent Scotland.
Murray never struck me as an obvious Yes voter, and has taken great pride in representing Great Britain in both the Olympics and Davis Cup. I don't think that pride will be diminished in any way now the votes have been counted, but he will inevitably face many questions should he ever decide to opt out of a GB Davis Cup tie.
The Lawn Tennis Association has already begun the search for an indoor venue capable of hosting next March's Davis Cup tie with the United States. London's O2 Arena and Birmingham's National Indoor Arena are already committed to hosting other events that week, and the LTA may decide it would be a smart move to try to stage the tie at one of Glasgow's Commonwealth Games venues.
Murray is very entitled to express a view on an issue which drew nearly 85% of registered voters to the ballot box. I admire him for doing that, but suspect he may privately come to admit that silence would have been a better option.
The 25 words he tapped out in the early hours of Thursday morning will make his life more complicated, and follow him around for the remainder of his career.
I want to wish my readers a very hay weekend …les
Yashi Kochi!!!!
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