أعترف أنني ذات ذوقٍ رفيع

ومن أخير الناس وأجملهم :$

ليس غروراً

ولكنني كلما نظرتُ إلى صديقاتي وكل من شاركني تفاصيل حياتي

ينتابني ذلك الشعور وبشششدة

شكراً إلهي

وهبتني أشخاصاً أرواحهم جميلة

فـ زادوني جمالاً ❤❤

Noufa and Dana ❤

-

My Tumblr :: ask.fm/Aljaaziii ::: 500px

A temple snuck in at the junction of the hillsides. An oddment in Ladakh as there is no Hindu population large enough to build temples. You have Buddhists in majority and they have their monasteries to go to. There are few Moslems and that is all.

This is a temple located enroute to Pangongtso and lies at the base of the actual climb to the Changla Pass. The deft touch of hybrid construction and assimilation with Buddhism is all there to see. The prayer flags in red, yellow, blue and white fluttering briskly in the cold breeze are the visible hallmarks of Buddhist temples.

Peace and Prayers flow everywhere, religions are localized. These makeshift temples are courtsey the Army and there you have the Hindu population for you.

Dates

Taken on November 16, 2010 at 12.06pm IST (edit)

Posted to Flickr November 15, 2011 at 7.04PM IST (edit)

Exif data

Camera Nikon D300

Exposure 0.002 sec (1/500)

Aperture f/11.0

Focal Length 18 mm

ISO Speed 200

Exposure Bias -1 EV

Flash No Flash

_DSC7803 nef le cu sh 250 pxl

per favore, clicca sulla foto per vederla GRANDE.

please, click on the pic to see it LARGE, thanx

♫♪ - subsonica - incantevole - ♫♪

(fuori è un giorno fragile, ma qui tutto cade incantevole)

bologna, mercato di mezzo.

colori, luci e profumi.

anche in novembre, perchè no.

clicca sulla foto, per vederla GRANDE - click on it, to see it LARGE, thanx

♬ ♪ ♩ ♭ ♫♪ - Cindy Lauper - True Colors

Show me a smile then

don't be unhappy, can't remember

when I last saw you laughing

If this world makes you crazy

And you've taken all you can bear

You call me up

Because you know i'll be there

Please view in the lightbox, press L

Taken @ Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park

Naples, Florida, USA.

November 5th 2011

» Press L to view large on black.

» © Jeff Krol 2011 | Do not use/modify without my authorization.

» Follow me on Twitter

Yes, the cows came up to me and made my life hell until I gave up and went away.

One of a pair of stones catching the first rays of the morning sun in a field not far from home, I will most likely post a shot of the other one some rainy day.

The walk through the old town and the park constituted a magnificent afternoon. Autumn is so beautiful when the weather is fine and the coloured leaves are glowing in the sun like again last weekend. Here you see a colourful view from the bridge over the Enz.

Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany is the second-largest town in the district of Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg. It is situated on the river Enz, about 19 km north of Stuttgart, and 20 km south of Heilbronn.

The park is part of the horticultural show held in 1989. The garden for citizens is on the edge of Old Town.

Please take your time ... I love it to view Large On Black

Der Spaziergang durch die Altstadt und den Bürgergarten ergaben einen herrlichen Nachmittag. Ich liebe den Herbst, wenn die Sonne scheint und die bunten Blätter zum Leuchten bringt. Diese Aufnahme habe ich von der Brücke über die Enz gemacht.

Bietigheim-Bissingen ist die zweitgrößte Stadt im Landkreis Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg, Deutschland. Bietigheim an der Enz gelegen, befindet sich ca. 19 km nördlich von Stuttgart, und 20 km südlich von Heilbronn.

Der Park ist Teil der Landesgartenschau, die 1989 abgehalten wurde. Der Bürgergarten befindet sich am Rande der Altstadt.

© 2011 Ursula Sander - All rights reserved.

He tenido la suerte de pillar esta familia de gatos dormitando, aunque nada mas ver que me paraba como podeis ver ya pusieron los cinco sentidos

Pruebas con texturas y fondos

Espero sea de vuestro agrado

Mejor ver en grande sobre fondo negro

In my last vacation on the Baltic Sea

السعآدة ..♥

وكل عام وأنتم بخير

Iceland[4][5] i/ˈaɪslənd/ (Icelandic: Ísland, IPA: [ˈislant]; see Names for Iceland), officially called Republic of Iceland[6][7][8] and sometimes its counterpart Lýðveldið Ísland in Icelandic (for example this is a part of the name of the Constitution of Iceland, Stjórnarskrá lýðveldisins Íslands), is a Nordic European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.[9] The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi).[10] The capital and largest city is Reykjavík,[11] with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior mainly consists of a plateau characterised by sand fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.

According to Landnámabók, the settlement of Iceland began in AD 874 when the chieftain Ingólfur Arnarson became the first permanent Norse settler on the island.[12] Others had visited the island earlier and stayed over winter. Over the following centuries, Norsemen settled Iceland, bringing with them thralls (serfs) of Gaelic origin. From 1262 to 1918 Iceland was part of the Norwegian and later the Danish monarchies. Until the 20th century, the Icelandic population relied largely on fisheries and agriculture. Industrialisation of the fisheries and Marshall Aid brought prosperity in the years after World War II. In 1994, Iceland became party to the European Economic Area, which made it possible for the economy to diversify into economic and financial services.

Iceland has a free market economy with relatively low taxes compared to other OECD countries,[13] while maintaining a Nordic welfare system providing universal health care and tertiary education for its citizens.[14] In recent years, Iceland has been one of the wealthiest and most developed nations in the world. In 2011, it was ranked as the 14th most developed country in the world by the United Nations' Human Development Index,[3] and the fourth most productive country per capita.[15] In 2008, the nation's entire banking system systemically failed and there was substantial resulting political unrest.

Icelandic culture is founded upon the nation's Norse heritage. Most Icelanders are descendants of Norse (particularly from Western Norway) and Gaelic settlers. Icelandic, a North Germanic language, is closely related to Faroese and some West Norwegian dialects. The country's cultural heritage includes traditional Icelandic cuisine, poetry, and the medieval Icelanders' sagas. Currently, Iceland has the smallest population among NATO members and is the only one with no standing army.

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Lens: Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM

Focal Length: 16mm

Aperture: f/22.0

Shutter Speed : 2.5 seconds

ISO: 50

Exposure: Manual

slowly we step into winter.... first snow on the road, cold wind blowing, a last view to autumn (maybe...) and waiting for christmas.

"Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet."

A different view of the Brighton Wheel.

I had a walk along the seafront scouting for shots and found this small but usable puddle for a reflection.

It was raining slightly so there was no big puddles which is what I really wanted.

I got down really low but just out of danger from the cycle route.

The floodlights on the wheel where really bright and I blew the highlights a bit but still like the shot, hope you like it too.

Thanks for all your amazing comments, views and favs.

For your ultimate on the floor experience press 'L' on your keyboard.

Back to the Getty, one more time. :-)) This my first non square crop in a long, long time, love that kind of crop, but have to mix it up if you know what I mean. :-))

Hope everyone is doing great, especially those of you like in the North East USA after that freak snow storm! :-))

The end of the Aeroshell performance. All the team planes lined up on the runway in front of the crowd, spun around and cranked out a load of smoke. What a sight!

EXPLORE: #234 October 30, 2011

Chizuko and I were fortunate enough to take advantage of an after-school program that looks after the kids from 6pm-11pm. Kind of a bulk childcare service for parents that want a night out alone.

A real win-win-win for everyone: Parents (for obvious reasons), Kids (because they *insisted* on going so they could play with their friends!), and the Sitters (who can make economies of scale on the venture, as there are 20+ kids ;-)

Chizuko and I decided, upon the recommendation of good friends, on the "Orange Hill" restaurant which is (as the name implies) on a hill overlooking all of Orange County and parts of Los Angeles.

We had an outside table with absolutely *stunning* views. Easily one of the best dinner views I've ever had.

Shot taken with my point-n-shoot Lumix LX5 of the sunset while we enjoyed a great dinner overlooking where we now live.

Orange County, California

**If you live near this place, do yourself a favor and go about an hour before sunset, and be sure to eat outside at the bar before 7pm, as you get "Happy Hour" prices not only on drinks, but on *food*. Total tab was less than 1/2 what I was expecting to pay and the food was excellent. A real 'value' considering the world-class view.

+ 2 in Comment

Noufa ❤ ماشاءالله

Camogli

Belle petite ville italienne , très séductrice , ou il fait bon trainer le soir près de son port , et apprécier le coucher de soleil , en ayant une bonne glace parfumée .

Domi

Hey! I just got back from my trip to the Finger Lakes. I'm going through my shots and trying to catch up now.... I hope you like this picture better then the phone pic I posted a few days ago ;)

Supersize

www.photos-by-mo.com/

Facebook

500px

+ 7 in Comment

Noufa ❤

de la serie:

~ > 1.000 Views album ~

★ Andromeda “50” ★

~ Super~Six Superstar Academy ~

★ F R A N C E ★

~ Masterpieces ~

~ Lighthouse ~

~ Barcos ~

* Monocromo *

~ Purple Group - 100 or more awards ~ [Albun]

~ Purple Group - 100 or more awards ~ [Group Thread]

►¡No utilizar mis imagenes en web sites sin previa autorización! ◄

►Don't use my pictures on websites without prior authorization! ◄

* * EL GRAN CANAL * *

LE GRAU DU ROI ~ PORT CAMARGUE ~ FRANCE

por: Marco Vianna©

** Todos los derechos reservados **

Mis Imagenes publicadas en TheDphoto, by Diana Eftaiha:

"Beautiful Photography of Marco Vianna"

Puesta de sol veraniega en el pueblo costero de "Le Grau du Roi", en el sur de Francia.

Lo considero el mas bello de toda la CAMARGUE, con su gran faro que tiñe de colores y

luces sus placidas aguas que dividen la ciudad en dos hermosas partes.

# Para esta toma:

Canon EOS 400D Digital + Tamron 18-200 mm f3.5-6.3 Di-II XR

# Obturación: 1/320 seg. ~ Diafragmado: f/ 5.6 ~ WB: Manual ~ ISO 100.

# Filtro polarizador circular.

Aqui de analogico a digital:

~ My Canon Set ~

Fotografo poeta y pensador

My friend Larry launched a new group: "The Human Element"

Recently, we had a long discussion around the idea that 'some photos just wouldn't be the same without the unique visual characteristics of the human form.' Please join his group and add your 'human element' image. We'd love it if you shared with us!

Last week, I drove to the lake to catch a sunrise. It was a beautiful sunrise. When this gentleman strolled into my frame with his long shadow, it transformed the image for me. It was boring without the 'human element.' I was saving this for a future Fence Friday but decided that this would be my first entry for the new group. And of course, it is also Wednesday, so ...

Happy Bokeh Wednesday!

~

♫ Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun ♫

Colline Senese - Toscana

Texture by Daniele De Stefano

I suggest you view this in lightbox by pressing L.

This photograph was taken just sometime after sunrise during mid of last month at Pokhara (Nepal), from a hilltop where World Peace Pagoda is located. Pokhara is very famous for its fabulous mountain views, but due to late monsoon this year, it was all cloud's play this time. The moving cloud formation in that morning created this strong sun ray beam just for a minute, where the heavenly rays came down and lit the lower hanging clouds. I was very fortunate to be on the hilltop at a POV from where I saw this amazing scene. I tried to capture the scene that you can see here, but the beauty seen in naked eye was truly out of the world!

*****Any unauthorized use or copy in print, electronic or any other form of this content is prohibited. For any clarification/request, contact me at santanu1477@gmail.com*****

Autumn Landscape

Glenora Wine Cellars, Dundee, NY: www.glenora.com/

Finger Lakes, NY Autumn - Landscape Vineyard

Thanks for visiting here!

© all rights reserved by B℮n

Please take your time... to View it large on black

Koper, the Old Town at least, is one big sight. From carved grey Istrian limestone to narrow streets leading to the main square, boasting the largest cathedral in Slovenia, everything in Koper narrates a story of past and present moments. Koper rose from an ancient settlement built on an island in the southeastern part of the Gulf of Koper in the northern Adriatic. In Ancient Greece, the town was known as Aegida. Later it became known by the Latin names of Capris, Caprea, Capre, or Caprista, from which the modern Slovenian name stems. In 568, Roman citizens of nearby Trieste fled to Capris due to an invasion of the Lombards. The Lombard, a Germanic tribe ruled in 8th century. Trade between Koper and Venice has been recorded since 932. In the war between Venice and the Holy Roman Empire, Koper was on the German side. In 1278 it joined the Republic of Venice. It was at this time that the city walls and towers were partly demolished. Koper grew to become the capital of Venetian Istria and was renamed Caput Histriae, head of Istria. Assigned to Italy after World War I, at the end of World War II it was controlled by Yugoslavia. With Slovenian independence in 1991, Koper became the only commercial port in Slovenia. Koper's main sight of interest is its Venetian-era old city. Its main street, Cevljarska is no more than two or three meters wide in some places and this old town is packed from dawn to dusk. Cevljarska will lead you towards the town's main square; Titov, which is dominated by the bell tower of the St. Mary's of the Assumption Cathedral. Perhaps the most astonishing building on the square is the hacienda-like Praetorian Palace, the seat of the city's governor during the Venetian Republic. Koper's real attraction, however, is the sea. While the closest sand beach is in the neighboring town of Portorož, it’s possible to go swimming or you can go fishing. Most coastal towns have an angler's club where local fishermen gather to swap fish stories and plan fishing trips.

Koper in Slovenia has a very lively little harbour that both has a marina and a fishing part. An ancient town known for its fishing and still enjoyed by the youngsters of today. This boy start fishing in the harbour with basic tackle and a handful of saltwater rigs. Saltwater fishing is as much about the adventure as it is about the fish. Regardless of where you choose to fish, five factors will determine where you’ll find fish: water temperature, weather, structure, current and bait. Figuring out what combination will result in good fishing is the central challenge facing all anglers.

Koper ontstond in de oudheid. Door de Grieken werd de stad Aegida genoemd, bij de Romeinen Capris, Caprea, Capre en ook wel Caprista. Koper is nu één van de drie havensteden van Slovenië. Het ligt ten oosten van Izola en Piran en ongeveer 11 kilometer ten zuiden van de Italiaanse stad Triëst. Aan het marktplein staan enkele prachtige gebouwen die meer dan 500 jaar oud zijn. Het stadhuis, voormalig pretorenpaleis, valt op door zijn hoge balkons en kantelentorens. Tevens staat er op dit plein een gotisch gebouw Loggia genaamd. Tevens is de vlakbij gelegen St Nazarius kathedraal een interessante bezienswaardigheid. Het provinciaal museum van de stad gaat o.a. over de 2500-jarige geschiedenis van Koper. In de middeleeuwen werd Koper een administratief centrum voor Istrië en kreeg het de naam Caput Histriae vanwaar het Italiaanse Capodistria is afgeleid. Slovenië heeft slechts een kleine kuststrook van ongeveer 50 kilometer in Istrië aan de Golf van Triëst, die deel uitmaakt van de Adriatische Zee. De baai waaraan Koper ligt heet de Baai van Koper. Toen de Lombarden, Oost-Germaans volk in het jaar 568 binnenvielen vluchtten de Romeinen uit Triëst naar Koper. Later heersten de Lombarden en de Franken over Koper. Het is bekend dat er al in het jaar 932 handel was tussen Koper en Venetië. Een oorlog in 1035 tussen het Heilige Roomse Rijk en Venetië, waarin Koper de zijde van het Heilige Roomse Rijk koos, verstoorde de handel. In 1278 sloot het zich aan bij de Republiek Venetië. Koper werd een belangrijk handelscentrum en de hoofdstad van het Venetiaanse Istrië, Koper kreeg de naam Caput Histriae. Na de Eerste Wereldoorlog werd het aan Italië toegwezen. Aan het einde van de Tweede Wereldoorlog viel Koper onder Joegoslavisch gezag. Koper telt 1270 inwoners die tot de Italiaanse minderheid behoren (2,7% van de totale bevolking). Hun positie is door de Sloveense grondwet beschermd, wat onder meer eigen radio- en televisiezenders, verplichte tweetaligheid in bestuur, onderwijs, rechtspraak en opschriften, reclame en dergelijke. Hoewel het strandstrand enkele kilometers verder ligt in Portorož kan je na een rondwandeling toch heerlijk zwemmen in Koper. Naast het kieselstrand zijn er pieren waar je met trapjes in het water kan om in de zee te gaan zwemmen. Hier en daar zijn er vlonders waar de jeugd lekker vanaf kunnen springen en duiken. Je kunt hier ook heerlijk vissen zoals de jongens hierboven. Het is een geweldige manier om te genieten van de natuur en natuurlijk het vissen zelf. Een dag vol avontuur en gezelligheid. Na een dag schuif je aan tafel bij één van de uitstekende visrestaurants in de haven om te genieten van een de lekkerste verse vis die je ooit gegeten hebt! Behalve natuurlijk als je je eigen vangst op een vuurtje bakt.

de la serie:

★ Andromeda “50” ★

~ Super~Six Superstar Academy ~

~ Arquitectura ~

★ F R A N C E ★

~ Masterpieces ~

* Monocromo *

►¡No utilizar mis imagenes en web sites sin previa autorización! ◄

►Don't use my pictures on websites without prior authorization! ◄

** ARC DE TRIOMPHE **

~ MONTPELLIER ~ FRANCE

por: Marco Vianna©

** Todos los derechos reservados **

Mis Imagenes publicadas en TheDphoto:

"Beautiful Photography of Marco Vianna"

Imagen tomada desde la "Rue Foch" y la "Puerta del Peyrou", de 1691 y de

estilo "dórico" (ver imagen auxiliar abajo). Montpellier al sur de Francia, es

la octava ciudad francesa por su población y un importante centro industrial

donde destacan los productos textiles, metalúrgicos, alimentarios, como el

vino, editoriales y químicos.

Para abarcar la imensa perspectiva del arco, utilizé un objetivo ultra gran

angular de 10 mm, y un filtro polarizador circular para dar mas dramatismo

y contraste al cielo. Las aberraciones en las esquinas del fotograma para

esta clase de lentes es un hecho inevitable.

# Para esta toma:

Canon EOS 400D Digital + Sigma 10 ÷ 20 mm EX DC

# Obturación: 1/400 seg. ~ Diafragmado: f/4 ~ ISO 100 ~ WB: Manual.

# Filtro polarizador circular hama.

Vea tambien:

"My Gear" Album

Marco Vianna©2010

Fotografo poeta y pensador

We went for an organised beach walk by ZWB yesterday. 30 Km from Breskens to Cadzand and back!

We went along the shore all the way to Cadzand and came back part through the water and part through the dunes. It took 8 hours! Afterwords we had dinner in a beach house, OMG this was sooo cool. What a lovely day....!!

But today, while I was uploading my images, I did something wrong; I didn't save my pictures and deleted all the images from my camera. I must have been sleeping, because this has never happen to me before!!

So here are some "old" traces, footprints of a dog in the sand. Not from the same dog who was with us, but it could have been!

The texture I used is by Lenabem-Anna thank you so much for using it my dear!

Must Seen Large On Black and see the concert by Lenabem-Anna

This image is protected by copyright, no use of this image shall be granted without my written permission

The sky is not clean because there are a lot of black cloud.

*** *** ***

I'm stampolina and I love to take photos of stamps. Thanks for visiting this pages on flickr.

I'm neither a typical collector of stamps, nor a stamp dealer. I'm only a stamp photograph. I'm fascinated of the fine close-up structures which are hidden in this small stamp-pictures. Please don't ask of the worth of these stamps - the most ones have a worth of a few cents or still less.

By the way, I wanna say thank you to all flickr users who have sent me stamps! Great! Thank you! Someone sent me 3 or 5 stamps, another one sent me more than 20 stamps in a letter. It's everytime a great surprise for me and I'm everytime happy to get letters with stamps inside from you!

thx, stampolina

For the case you wanna send also stamps - it is possible. (...I'm pretty sure you'll see these stamps on this photostream on flickr :) thx!

stampolina68

Mühlenweg 3/2

3244 Ruprechtshofen

Austria - Europe

* * * * * * * * *

great stamp USA 5c portrait J.F.K. John F. Kennedy (May 29. 1917 - Nov. 22. 1962) postage United States of America timbre États-Unis u.s. postage selo Estados Unidos sello USA francobolli USA Stati Uniti d'America почтовая марка США pullar ABD 邮票 美国 Měiguó USA Briefmarken 郵便切手 切手 アメリカ डाक टिकटों अमेरिका γραμματόσημα ΗΠΑ แสตมป์ ประเทศสหรัฐอเมริกา Damga pulu pulları ABD poštové známky Spojené štáty americké 우표 미국 perangko perangko Amerika Serikat בולי דואר ארצות הברית

dont be shy ... press >L<

_______

>facebook page<

>me ... in black & white ... on tumblr<

isola di Vulcano

Birg ,the Mönch and the Eiger mountains.Canton of Bern. Switzerland-. No. 6211.

This image was taken on the way to Schilthorn from Mürren ...

Please don't use my images without my permission. They are all under my copyright.

Vi ricordate Re Leone? era un gatto che faceva parte della colonia di gatti randagi di Porto Conte, adesso lui non c'è più, ma la figlia ha preso il suo posto!

Io sono andata ieri e ho portato da magiare per tutti, hanno gradito e io sono andata via contenta e commossa!!

Quando la vita scorre ..

D’un tratto t’accorgi…

Che il mondo…

Puo’ essere anche rovescio…

.... riscoprilo..

Nella semplicità delle cose…

con il cuore da bambino....

@Rights reserved

www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7ry4cx6HfY

best in black

EXPLORED [#8 Highest] - Oct 03, 2011 - Thanks Everyone!

Bear Mountain, NY.

View On Black

Meglio se.............in.............View On Black.............Oppure.............in.............View large

I Sirfidi sono Ditteri come le mosche

la forma del loro corpo e' infatti molto simile a quella di una comune mosca domestica.

e sono utilissimi per la loro funzione di impollinatori

EXPLORED # 361

Shefali - Sheuli - Nyctanthes Arbor Tristis

(Raate jokhon fute othe tokhon ora Sheuli ar sokale jhore gele nam hoi shefali, taito Sheuli namer meyera hoi haasi-khushi ar Shefali-der jeebon dukkhe vora)

NO GRAPHICS PLEASE

Aprovechando una de las mareas más bajas del año, con un coeficiente de 115, nos juntamos Manel, José Ramón, Situco y su mujer en la playa de Somo, para fotografiar un pequeño barco, hundido hace más de 30 años, que sólo es visible con marea baja.

Para acabar la sesión hicimos una foto de grupo, con las potentes linternas "led Lenser" utilizando varios modelos, la X21, M7, P7 y H7

Web de fotografía nocturna --| www.josemiguelmartinez.es

Página en Facebook--------------| Facebook

Mi revista ONLINE ----------------| En Flipboard

On our way back from a trip to Mount Rainier we drove past this lake scene as the sun was setting and the light was changing rapidly. We immediately pulled over and made a mad dash to catch this moment of serendipity before it was gone.

I hope all of you had a great summer. Now that fall has arrived I'm eagerly looking forward to the changing of the leaves. Viva la camera! :)

Explored: Sep 27, 2011 #35

Camera: Nikon D90

Lens: Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G VR

EXIF: 1/40 sec | ƒ/8 | ISO 200 | 28mm

Location: Alder Lake, Washington

This is 1 of 7,'Picks Of The Week' Nov 24/2011

~Our Soul~Our Heart~Our Life~ Invite Only~ P1 A3 Sweeper Active~

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

─Psalm 46: 1-3

To say Portland has quite a few bicyclists is an understatement. I don’t know the exact percentage but it would be fair to guess there is probably a cyclist for every person owning a camera of some sort (the gross amount of Portland photographers is another story).

Most of them know their road rights and will prove it if you happen to cut them off. As you walk the streets of Portland, depending on how long you roam, you will probably hear a cyclist or two cursing a motorist for infringing on their space. The screaming and yelling has become so common I don’t notice it anymore. It’s like listening to the adults on a Charlie Brown cartoon: all I hear is “wah waaah wah waaah wah waaaahhhh.”

I can see their point, though. After all, it is common knowledge there have been quite a few deaths because of motorists not paying attention to the cycle lanes. There are “ghost bikes” in place representing a person who was killed at that particular spot. Cyclists are constantly on guard to make sure they are seen so they don’t become a victim themselves. I am sympathetic to their plight. I guess I would be even more sympathetic if a lot of those same cyclists obeyed all of the rules of the road, too.

I can’t tell you how many close calls I’ve had with cyclists who seem to think the “bicycles yield to pedestrians” signs are merely for decoration. Just at Portland’s Waterfront Park alone most of the cyclists go way too fast, weaving in and around pedestrians even though there are signs in place requiring all cyclists to slow down. A sign was posted in a construction zone requiring all cyclists to “Walk Their Bikes” because the walkway had been narrowed due to the construction fence. I didn’t see a single cyclist walk their bike. They road through as if the walkway was at it’s original width. Also, I’ve noticed many cyclists like to run red lights and stop signs. A cyclist kicked my wife’s bumper at a 4-way stop because he felt the front of her car was penetrating his crossing lane. Turns out it was her turn to go anyway because he failed to stop (as the law requires) at his stop sign, first.

I believe this picture tells it like it is. They know the cycling laws that protect them! They may not care what the law requires of them but they certainly care what the law requires of YOU. Some of them would probably run you over if you happened to wander into their cycling lane. If not, they would at least brush your shoulder as they passed by to let you know they weren’t happy with you.

Just sayin’. =)

BKH Kater Tobi.Full name of Tobi is Long Tom of Edenplace but that is too long, I think. Tobi is a British-Shorthair Silver Tabby Spottet. This species many people can see in commercials for cat food in the german

Das ist der Tobi,eigentlich heißt er aber Long Tom of Edenplace.Tobi ist ein Britisch-Kurzhaar Kater mit Stammbaum.Geboren ist er am 28.04.2009