Originally Posted by geologist

Great shots! I have not done any SCUBA diving since 1987 on the barrier reef off the coast of Belize. If you ever get a chance to dive there, you will love it.

Thank you geologist, SCUBA is a great passion of mine, I have been certified since 1977. All three of my kids are certified too, so it's a family thing... those photos were taken in a beautiful little island chain called the Republic of Palau, they have a lot of mantas, sharks, turtles and stunning vertical walls that drop off thousands of feet. This area also has a lot of history from WWII, the Battle of Peleliu was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific, and you can still find a lot of war relics there today. We actually got to dive on a sunken 500 foot Japanese naval ship (Iro) that was torpedoed by the U.S. Marines. You can see my son looking thru one of one of the windows on that ship below. Today it is a peaceful paradise and you can see how beautiful this area is today from the air in the second shot below. (the aerial image is a stock photo)...

Originally Posted by biblereader

I love that sea turtle, and the expression on the face of your son! What kind of red fungus was that? Or am I totally off base? It looks like the fungi that grows in the woods, another place I like to go.
Were you in Micronesia for business, or pleasure?

Yes you're right it does look like a fungus, can you believe that is actually a type of living coral called Montipora. The piece that you are looking at there is about 4 or 5 feet across, this was also in Palau, shot in one of the shallow lagoons there. You can see a couple more types of coral below, and a rose colored sea anemone with a clownfish. God's creation is so beautiful beneath the sea, I have many hundreds of photos from this trip, I can't wait to go diving again...

[biblereader]

Originally Posted by Bro. Parrish

Thank you geologist, SCUBA is a great passion of mine, I have been certified since 1977. All three of my kids are certified too, so it's a family thing... those photos were taken in a beautiful little island chain called the Republic of Palau, they have a lot of mantas, sharks, turtles and stunning vertical walls that drop off thousands of feet. This area also has a lot of history from WWII, the Battle of Peleliu was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific, and you can still find a lot of war relics there today. We actually got to dive on a sunken 500 foot Japanese naval ship (Iro) that was torpedoed by the U.S. Marines. You can see my son looking thru one of one of the windows on that ship below. Today it is a peaceful paradise and you can see how beautiful this area is today from the air in the second shot below. (the aerial image is a stock photo)...

BEAUTIFUL!! Thanks for sharing!

[biblereader]

MMMmmm, mmmm! Those are lovely, too. Clownfish are so pretty.
FIVE feet across! Wow!
Do you dive all over the world? Ever been to Australia? I'd love to see some of their fish and such. I hear Australia has the most poisonous sea creatures in the world!

Originally Posted by Bro. Parrish

Yes you're right it does look like a fungus, can you believe that is actually a type of living coral called Montipora. The piece that you are looking at there is about 4 or 5 feet across, this was also in Palau, shot in one of the shallow lagoons there. You can see a couple more types of coral below, and a rose colored sea anemone with a clownfish. God's creation is so beautiful beneath the sea, I have many hundreds of photos from this trip, I can't wait to go diving again...

Originally Posted by biblereader

MMMmmm, mmmm! Those are lovely, too. Clownfish are so pretty.
FIVE feet across! Wow!
Do you dive all over the world? Ever been to Australia? I'd love to see some of their fish and such. I hear Australia has the most poisonous sea creatures in the world!

Well I was going to go to Australia, but after talking to Carl Roessler (an old dive travel expert) we decided not to, let me tell you why; for one thing he told me that in order to see the best reefs in Australia you had to go WAY off shore, like 20 miles or more. This concerned me because I have always had a problem with sea sickness. In contrast, the reefs in Palau come right up next to the islands, some of those photos I posted were taken in less than 5 feet of water, in fact the best dive spots are only a few hundred yards off shore. Australia also has the killer jellyfish called Irukandji and also the Box jellies there too, which can kill you in a matter of minutes, but I would still love to go there. I think maybe next time we would like to try Fiji, I hear that is awesome. But I have talked to divers who have gone all over the Pacific and they tell me that Palau is the very best spot, I have been there twice and we loved it. For me the WWII historical background was also a big plus.

[tonybones2112]

Originally Posted by biblereader

Can you post some pictures of your artifacts?

I'd like to see them, and know more about that.

I'd be glad to BR, soon as I figger out how to post attachments. I got 2 or 3 pictures on this computer, my camera is in the pawnshop right now, when I get it out I'll post some of my sheaths, hidescrapers, bones needles, that kind of thing. I salute bro. Parrish for starting this thread, it can be an ongoing one that won't fade out like many of the other threads. I don;t use power tools because I don;t own any, I make everything by hand. I use only natural material, no epoxy, I use hide glues and what I call "injun Epoxy": Dried deer dung, pine sap, and hide glue mixed. I use mostly deer, buffalo, elk, and other hides and rarely use cowhide. I sew with sinew: buffalo, elk, moose, and deer tendon. I have a 70 inch hickory longbow that's a bit too hard for me to pull with little grip in my hands, a company on the net I do business with now has some 2 year old Osage staves, I want to make a short horseback flatbow.

Grace and peace

Tony

[tonybones2112]

Originally Posted by biblereader

Oh wow, that sounds like painstaking, but interesting work.
Did you use clay, too, like they do, in "Bones", and other forensic tv shows?

I used automobile glazing putty and epoxy on Mom's dolls. On a human head they have wax that is used to rebuild facial features with. Clay is not durable enough for viewing a dead body in a funeral home. The clay is to reconstruct features on a skull for identification and was started in Russia. For viewing in a funeral home you only need something that is going to last for the time of viewing and then after burial it don't matter. BR, I've built heads and faces for bodies where no head was left to restore. It's tedious and time consuming(and expensive for families) but it's rewarding to give a family a normal "memory picture" as the industry calls it, of a loved one who was mutilated or otherwise disfigured in and by death.

I've been following the Micheal Jackson thing and the family's call for a second autopsy. It's the nature of biochemistry that if a body is not embalmed within 24 hours after death, you got big problems preserving it. It was a big problem with Anna Nicole Smith in 2007. The reason Pope John Paull II looked so hideous is because the cardinals would not allow any embalming.

Grace and peace

Tony

[Jassy]

Originally Posted by tonybones2112

I'd be glad to BR, soon as I figger out how to post attachments.
Tony

Brother Tony, If you ever figure out out to post attachments, please let me know! I've been trying to figure out the same thing! It's a NO GO.

Thanks!
Jassy

[Jassy]

Originally Posted by biblereader

I like to knit, and sometimes I teach knitting classes, too.
I visit Ravelry a lot.
I also love to take photos of God's nature.

A couple of my photos:

You're a VERY skilled photographer, as I've told you in the past. I have always loved to see your photos!

[Jassy]

Originally Posted by Bro. Parrish

Thank you geologist, SCUBA is a great passion of mine, I have been certified since 1977. All three of my kids are certified too, so it's a family thing... those photos were taken in a beautiful little island chain called the Republic of Palau, they have a lot of mantas, sharks, turtles and stunning vertical walls that drop off thousands of feet. This area also has a lot of history from WWII, the Battle of Peleliu was one of the bloodiest in the Pacific, and you can still find a lot of war relics there today. We actually got to dive on a sunken 500 foot Japanese naval ship (Iro) that was torpedoed by the U.S. Marines. You can see my son looking thru one of one of the windows on that ship below. Today it is a peaceful paradise and you can see how beautiful this area is today from the air in the second shot below. (the aerial image is a stock photo)...

Bro Parish - Very cool photos!!

One of my main hobbies is painting. If I could figure out how to do attachments, I'd attach one here.

Jassy