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Massive lightning strike next to solo tree over rural gravel road in Southern Manitoba
An eastbound Union Pacific ethanol unit train ascends a grade during evening golden hour in Elburn, Illinois.
Union Pacific Railroad ~ Geneva Subdivision ~ Mile Post 44.50
Nikon D7500, Sigma 18-300, ISO 200, f/7.1, 220mm, 1/800s
The model is built more for looks than for playability or functionality. It does have a working steering mechanism on both front axles, though, albeit not connected to a steering wheel. It is set up to synchronise their motion, with a different steering angle on the front axle than on the one behind it. (I intend to post a picture of the mechanism sometime in the next few weeks). This is a function that actually enhances the look.
Format: Still image
Extent: 1 photoprint.
NLM Unique ID: 101405601
NLM Image ID: A022139
Permanent Link: resource.nlm.nih.gov/101405601
With monsoon rains comes beautiful flowers! I have not seen flowers like this in at least 10 years! Thank goodness for our recent rains we sure needed them :)
#FlickrFriday
#Water
Huge waves rage at the shoreline near Bermagui on the NSW Far South Coast, Australia.
HD PENTAX-DA 55-300mm f4.5-6.3 PLM
Woohoo! Thank you very much everyone for your visits, faves and comments.
photo rights reserved by B℮n
Montenegro is a country in Eastern Europe bordering Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and the Adriatic Sea. It used to be a part of Yugoslavia. The capital is Podgorica. The name Montenegro is Italian and means Black mountain. Montenegro was an independent princedom between 1878 and 1910 and an independent kingdom until 1918. That year Montenegro became part of Yugoslavia. In 2003 Yugoslavia was transformed into the new country of Serbia and Montenegro, but this fell apart in 2006 when both countries went their separate ways. Montenegro is therefore the youngest country in Europe. Montenegro is not a member of the European Union, but it is a member of NATO. Despite the fact that Montenegro is not yet an EU Member State, people do pay with the euro. Montenegro may be small, but this beautiful nation has a huge array of natural and man-made wonders. Once overlooked in favor of more famous Mediterranean countries, Montenegro is quickly gaining a reputation as a great place to travel. It's easy to see why. The mountainous hinterland is home to deep gorges, flowing rivers, glacial lakes and old-growth forests, popular for adventure activities. The winding coast runs along pretty blonde bays overlooking the royal blue Adriatic Sea, ancient Venetian villages and UNESCO-walled towns. You get a beautiful view of the Kotor bay from the P1 road to the top of mountain Lovćen, a somewhat steep and very narrow route. From here futher to Jezerski peak to the Njegos Mausoleum at an altitude of 1660 meters, and it officially represents the tallest mausoleum in the world.
The Njegos Mausoleum is a most impressive and very mystic destination. Petar II Petrovic Njegos was the bishop and the ruler of Montenegro. He was the most popular spiritual and military leader in 1800. The mausoleum is situated in the Jezerski peak, at a height of 1660 meters, and it officially represents the highest mausoleum in the world. The road from the beginning plateau for climbing on to the Njegos mausoleum is made of numerous stony stairway (from the foot up to the entrance into the mausoleum there are 461 staircases), and one part of the path leads through a well done and lighted marble tunnel. The area is surrounded by the beauty of beech, oak and linden forests. The fresh mountain air will welcome you compared to the muggy and summer heat, which is characteristic of the Coast. Photo taken from Jezerski peak on mount Lovćen at 1,749 m.
Montenegro is een land in Oost-Europa en grenst aan Bosnië en Herzegovina, Servië, Kosovo, Albanië en de Adriatische Zee. Vroeger was het een deel van Joegoslavië. De hoofdstad is Podgorica. De naam Montenegro is Italiaans en betekent Zwarte berg. Montenegro was tussen 1878 en 1910 een zelfstandig prinsdom en tot 1918 een zelfstandig koninkrijk. Dat jaar werd Montenegro onderdeel van Joegoslavië. In 2003 werd Joegoslavië omgevormd in het nieuwe land Servië en Montenegro, maar dit viel in 2006 uit elkaar toen beide landen een eigen weg gingen. Montenegro is misschien klein, maar deze prachtige natie heeft een enorm scala aan natuurlijke en door de mens gemaakte wonderen. Ooit over het hoofd gezien ten gunste van meer bekende mediterrane landen, krijgt Montenegro snel een reputatie als een geweldige plek om te reizen. Het is gemakkelijk te zien waarom. Het bergachtige achterland herbergt diepe kloven, stromende rivieren, gletsjermeren en oerbossen, populair voor avontuurlijke activiteiten. De kronkelige kust loopt langs mooie blonde baaien met uitzicht op de koningsblauwe Adriatische Zee. Het Njegos Mausoleum is een zeer indrukwekkende en zeer mystieke bestemming. Petar II Petrovic Njegos was de bisschop en de heerser van Montenegro. Hij was de meest populaire spirituele en militaire leider in 1800. Het mausoleum ligt op de Jezerski-piek, op een hoogte van 1660 meter, en het vertegenwoordigt officieel het hoogste mausoleum ter wereld. De weg vanaf het beginplateau om naar het Njegos-mausoleum te klimmen, bestaat uit talrijke stenen trappen vanaf de voet tot aan de ingang van het mausoleum zijn er 461 trappen, en een deel van het pad leidt door een goed uitgevoerde en verlichte marmeren tunnel. Het gebied is omgeven door de schoonheid van beuken-, eiken- en lindebossen. De frisse berglucht zal u verwelkomen in vergelijking met de zwoele en zomerse hitte die kenmerkend is voor de kust. Foto genomen vanaf Jezerski peak van berg Lovćen met een hoogte van 1749m.
WEST-AFRICA. -- COSTA D' AVORIO. -- AREA GRAND. LAHOU
In questo scatto stavamo cercando di fotografare coccodrilli della foresta
E domani torno in clinica per due giorni a finire i controlli e speriamo che la malaria sia andata !
In this shot we were trying to photograph forest crocodiles
And tomorrow I go back to the clinic for two days to finish the checks and we hope that the malaria is gone!
Vedere meglio in FORMATO LARGO
See better with ENLARGEMENT
Obviously Poplar Garage. AEC tow truck with 015GC trade plates is 401W. See more - London Transport Service Vehicle on the web - 401W. Ex T303. An AEC Regal chassis.
1823 went to Corunna, Spain. Many of the 8 foot wide Q1s ended up in Spain with years of service ahead of them. Ref. London's Trolleybuses – A Fleet History by The PSV Circle, The Omnibus Society.
MORE LONDON TRANSPORT Q1 PHOTOS.
Photographer Tony Belton. From LCC Tramway Trust. - LCC Tramway Trust face book.
and there is no shadow without light
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Single shot in 16:9 crop.
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Please read below if you are curious about how this shot was taken:
These are silhouette within light bubbles (light bokeh). To create this effect, the prerequisite is that you have a (macro-) zoom lens allowing you to create bokeh effect.
The condition of light source is very important. One light bubble is formed by one light source, and the light source has to be strong and condensed so that you can form a clear light bubble together with a clear silhouette. In this image, these multiple bubbles are formed by dazzling lights on the surface of a lotus pond around noon time when the sky was clear and the sun was high.
The choice of object as the motif is also very important. Imagine about the size of dazzling light laying on the lens toward the sensor of the camera, the object should be something thin, small and delicate, so that you can get a nice silhouette within the bubble.
For making this photograph, you need to put the object in the focal range and aim the camera toward the direction of the light source (so that you are literally shooting a macro silhouette within a bokeh), and then manually adjust the focus, moving the camera as needed, until you get the composition you like in the frame. The angle toward the light source is important. If your light source is the reflective sunlight (such as the dazzling lights in my example), you really need to direct the camera to the point where you have those light coming toward your frame, in order to create the silhouette.
You can also follow my work on Instagram シ
www.instagram.com/yasha_jakovsky/?hl=hr
* Kalmetina is the name of a road in city Zadar.
Hello everybody. What do you think about follow & unfollow method on Instagram? Let’s find out what Cookie Monster think about it lol.
Cookie Monster from Sesame Street rarely do interview but he did it via Skype exclusively for Yasha Jakovsky シ.
Yasha Jakovsky: "What do you think about Instagram people who use follow & unfollow method"?
Cookie Monster: "I personally think it is annoying. There are so many Instagram imposters who want to become stars over the night, we must to unite and fight for better fair play internet social society to stop notoriety. Impostor followed then unfollowed me after day or two, they will try same method on you too. I know that this dirty game would never ends but be careful my friend, follow & unfollow strategy became huge underhand trend".
Yasha Jakovsky: "Do you have message for Instagram imposters"?
Cookie Monster: "Sure kiddo. Instagram imposter, yes you that you are reading, take off your lazy fat Instagram ass from a couch and maybe you will lose some kilogram".
Yasha Jakovsky: "My friend it is so pity that our interview ends. I wish you to have a great day with nice chocolate and rice cookies (I know how much cookies are important for you). Thank you so much for your time and this cool rhymes that you used".
Cookie Monster: "No problem mister Jakovsky, have a nice day, greetings from Bombay (I am there on a holiday). Oh I almost forgot, I will send you via post honey cookies the best money can buy, bye bye".
P.s. I listened Metallica's album Reload in high school. I rarely listen Metallica, I recommend you their song The Memory Remains from Reload album.
P.P.S. Special thanks to Chucky who climbed so high and put those flashlights :D.
Photo was explored on Flickr, place 156 / 500.
...when a treasure that we've forgotten is right under our noses?
Indiana Dunes National Park
Watching Indiana's city lights of Gary and Illinois' high rises of Chicago in the distance, a couple strolls at dusk on a sandy beach at Indiana Dunes National Park. A cool evening breeze flows from Lake Michigan after a hot late spring day.
Kinda envious of these guys who usually gather at the seaside to chat. Life seems calm and relaxing for them. I bet their life is not as simple as I imagine it to be but at least they have sunrises and moments like this to share..and somehow that makes all the difference.
Philip Harding Klimanek (1883-1965) was born in the Czech Republic, at the time his place of birth was part of the Austro-Hungarian empire. In ca. 1905 he started to work for Holland-China Trading Company, in Hong Kong.
In 1939, when Charles Gesner van der Voort arrived in Shanghai to work for the company, he was Charles' senior manager. In a letter home he wrote: "Played chess with Klimanek in the French Club" [translation Pieter Lommerse, the French Club was Le Cercle Sportif Français, a fashionable place to be in the 1930s and it still exists today].
Philip Harding Klimanek was also a juror for the Hong Kong judicial system, which can be found in gwulo.com, for the last time in 1941.
His grandson wrote to me: "Though he had been based in Shanghai before the war we know he was captured in Hongkong on 24th Dec 1941 during the “Battle of Hongkong”. He had been a volunteer with the “isolated Tytan [this should probably be Tai Tam, or Tytam at the time] Godows of the Food Control from November to the end of December 1941” We assume he was involved with food conservation as the Japanese were approaching."
"He was beaten up on capture and needed medical treatment. He was in and out of Stanley camp until the Japanese surrender in 1945. As he was of Austro-Hungarian descent after the war his nationality was hard to determine as his papers and all his possessions had been lost, his health was very poor as a result of how he had been treated during the war. Eventually he managed to get a temporary Czechoslovakian passport in 1948 issued in Nanking China. After a short period in the UK looking for work he returned to the HCTC and was traveling between Shanghai and Hongkong. He retired in Hongkong and returned to England 31st Dec 1950."
Gwulo.com administrator David added a comment about the Tai Tam godown shelters: "I guess he spent that time at Godowns (warehouses) that stored food for emergency use. You can see other examples of this type of godown listed at gwulo.com/hong-kong-shelter-area;
Philip Harding Klimanek was a close friend of Willem Kien, another early HCHC-employee, later to become director of the company. Willem Kien's daughter in law recalls seeing him during visits in The Netherlands, together with his wife Zoia and daughter Sylvia. Also Anneke Knüppe-de Jongh, daughter of former HCHC-employee and director Frans de Jongh, has warm memories of the family, which her family stayed closely in touch with.
This photo shows (from left to right) Reginald, Zoia's sister, Zoia, Sylvia and Philip Harding Klimanek at the family home at Lane 1355 House No 20 Yue Yuen Road, "West Park Mansions", dressed for winter or early spring. Reginald ('Reggie') wears a cap similar to J.G. Ballard on the cover photo of his autobiography "Miracles of Life: Shanghai to Shepperton : an Autobiography". J.G. Ballard was about the same age as Sylvia, and author of "Empire of the Sun".
Courtesy Harding-Klimanek family archives
The Matterhorn , the Dent d'Hérens the Z'mutt glacier.and "La Tête Blanche", (alt. 3.710 m ). . Zermatt . Canton Valais, Switzerland. No. 2548.
Trying to catch up my delay ... (which has become very big) ... but I need to post a new photo from time to time ...
Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several WEEKS/MONTHS later. And I might post several photos in the meantime.
Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. Je vous répondrai peut-être dans plusieurs SEMAINES/MOIS. Et je posterai peut-être plusieurs photos entre temps.
France. Alpes. Savoie. Haute Tarentaise. Massif des Alpes Grées. Photo prise lors d'un aller-retour au Lac de la Bailletta, au départ du parking du Saut. Nous avons effectué cette rando en famille, merveilleusement guidés par notre ami de Haute Tarentaise.
Cette photo a été prise depuis le parking du Saut.
Je me suis dépêché d'immortaliser la scène peu après que l'on se soit garé sur le parking car le brouillard s'est dissipé très vite !!!... Notre ami de Haute Tarentaise nous avait donné rendez-vous vers 9H car le parking du Saut est rapidement complet en été. C'est clairement grâce à cet horaire matinal par rapport à nos habitudes qu'on a pu admirer ce magnifique spectacle éphémère. Le paysage est déjà superbe en temps normal. Mais avec ce brouillard en plus, c'était juste un pur régal. ❤️😊
Vista al norte del cráter de 1960 con vista a la colada de lava de la erupción de 2011.
Parque Nacional Puyehue, Región de los Ríos, Chile central.
A very belated tribute to my long-lost father
I chose his ship as a header because it was his last resting place.
After the worst of the Blitz¹ came the Dreaded Telegram. Although
I can't remember my father, I do vividly remember being terrified
at seeing my mother break down in tears before even opening the message; "... missing presumed killed". It was everybody's worst nightmare. My father's ship, HMS Dunedin, had gone down² with most of her crew on the 24th November 1941.
Exactly 80 years ago today
★ If you are wondering why I waited so long, please read on.
My mother had been devastated but had never given up hope that my father was still alive as a prisoner of war and that one day he would come back to us. My uncle, for his part, had never been satisfied with just a telegram and a simple citation (see below). He had never ceased to pester the Admiralty for more information till long after the war was over. But nothing was ever forthcoming. Both my mother and my uncle died long before the truth was out and I remained in the dark³, until...
In 2019 (only 2 years ago) I read a book called: BLOOD IN THE SEA - HMS DUNEDIN AND THE ENIGMA CODE: A must-read, written by Stuart Gill son of one of the very few survivors of the ill-fated ship.
As I read it, I discovered - to my horror - the tragic events that took place all those years ago. In my mind’s eye, I witnessed the tragedy as it unfolded. I came to know the various characters, their hopes and finally their despairs. I also discovered the extent to which the Enigma code was involved which no doubt explains why the Admiralty had remained silent for so long.
There was even a passage in the book about my father who was described as being brave and even jovial right up till the end despite the excruciating pain he must have been suffering from his wounds. He had been carried to a raft and died a few hours later. The passage ended with the touching words: "Poor Horace".
My father must also have known that he was about to die without ever seeing his loved ones again and knowing that they too were in the thick of it⁴. I suddenly realised that I was one of his loved ones.
I had known my father but I'd been a toddler at the time too young to be able to remember him later; something I deeply regret. All I want to do now is wipe away the tears and keep his memory alive.
The cracking of the Enigma code at Bletchley Park in July 1941 was one of the closest guarded secrets of the Second World War. Indeed, the very fact was not made public till the 1970s and the full story till the 1990s but even then, I was unaware of any connection between the code and my father’s ship - until I read the book!
On the 15th June 1941, Dunedin captured the German tanker Lothringen along with vital Enigma material for Bletchley Park. A month later the Enigma code was cracked.
Four months later, Dunedin was directed to her doom by orders emanating from a decoded Enigma message. She had been sent to intercept another tanker before rendezvousing with four U-boats.
It was like throwing a cat into a lion’s den: A light cruiser was no match for a U-boat let alone four.
But Dunedin was the only ship within range and, of course, we were at war. It had been thought that Dunedin could intercept the tanker well before the rendezvous would take place; a high-risk gamble. But with the benefit of hindsight, it would seem that the U-boats were already deployed around the tanker to protect it and its precious cargo. This measure would probably have been standard procedure and therefore never mentioned in any message.
Tankers played a major role in the Battle of the Atlantic keeping the Wolfpack U-boats fully replenished at sea where they were required to remain for very long periods!
Although it all happened a long time ago, for me, reading the book and following up on the web has been like hearing the news of what happened yesterday. I was able to share some of the grief that my poor mother must have been overcome with at the time. She had spared me the pain that she had been suffering alone and in silence.
We had never talked about my father or the war after it was over; everybody had wanted to put it all behind them. It hadn’t been easy; loved ones lost forever, widows in black everywhere, the blind and the crippled walking the streets as best they could, with rubble all over the place, and rationing for years to come. The post war years in Britain had been difficult but at least the killing and destruction had ceased, and we had survived - while so many others hadn't.
__________________
★ Read more about the book and buy it if you so wish (new tab)
★ HMS Dunedin - Wikipedia (new tab)
★ How Alan Turing cracked the Enigma code (new tab)
¹ The Blitz – The air raids on Britain in 1940-41; Portsmouth being
one of the closest and main targets. Along with the fall of France,
they were, for us, the darkest hours of the war. We were all alone
and on our knees preparing for invasion.
² to go down = sombrer / couler
³ to remain in the dark = rester dans l'ignorance
⁴ to be in the thick of it = être en plein dedans
They gave their lives so that we might live in peace and freedom.
Lest we forget!
Fate : That supposed force that predetermines major events that come our way. It can be kind or cruel. It can bring people together or tear them apart. It strikes without warning and there's nothing we can do about it!
Take great care, my friends, and many, many thanks for calling,
Colin …
P.S. The picture has notes. If you can't see them, going to lightbox and back again should do the trick. It's simply a Flickr quirk.
More photos and details below, including colourization
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
El santuario de 'Nosa Señora da Virxe da Barca' tiene una pintoresca localización frente al Oceáno Atlántico en plena Costa da Morte y en la bocana de la ría de Camariñas, en las proximidades de la marinera villa de Muxía. Tiene origenes remotos medievales y fue construido posiblemente para cristianizar un lugar donde se realizaban ritos paganos y, además, es punto final de la prolongación de la peregrinación jacobea al ‘finisterrae’.
En la proximidad se encuentran las piedras en las que dice la leyenda que se apareció la Virgen al Apóstol Santiago.
En la foto aparece en primer plano la ‘Pedra dos Cadrís’, a la que se atribuyen propiedades curativas para enfermedades relacionadas con los riñones, la espalda y la cabeza, para lo que hay que pasar nueve veces por debajo. ¡¡No cabe duda que si alguien pasa por debajo de la piedra no tiene problemas de espalda!!
Arriba, a la derecha, la imponente mole de 400 toneladas de la escultura conocida como "A Ferida" (La Herida). Es un monolito de granito de forma rectangular partido por el medio, que simboliza la herida que dejó el hundimiento del petrolero Prestige el 19 de noviembre de 2002.
Trying to catch up my delay ... (which has become very big) ... but I need to post a new photo from time to time ...
Thank you in advance for all your faves and comments. I might answer several WEEKS/MONTHS later. And I might post several photos in the meantime.
Merci d'avance pour tous vos faves et commentaires. Je vous répondrai peut-être dans plusieurs SEMAINES/MOIS. Et je posterai peut-être plusieurs photos entre temps.
Je m'étais plaint d'avoir passé 2 semaines de travail épuisantes en mars. Eh bien la semaine dernière était encore pire ... 😥 La bonne nouvelle c'est que cette fois ça n'a duré qu'une semaine ... Et me revoilà enfin avec une nouvelle publication (il était temps) ! 😊
France. Alpes. Massif du Dévoluy. Photo prise lors d'une rando en A/R au cours de laquelle nous sommes allés avec ma femme au Col de Charnier en passant par le Vallon de Charnier et en partant du hameau de Lachaup. Je me réjouissais de faire cette rando et je n'ai pas été déçu car elle figure parmi nos randos préférées de tous les temps ! ❤️
Cette photo a été prise au début du retour, légèrement sous le Col de Charnier (2103m). On y voit de gauche à droite :
o Le Vallon de Charnier qui descend au pied de la face nord du sommet de Roche Courbe. Au fond derrière, on voit une partie de la Montagne de Faraut, avec la Brèche de Faraut tout à gauche.
o Le sommet de Roche Courbe (2259m). ❤️
o La Tête de Plate Longue (2383m).
o Le Rocher Rond (2453m), point culminant de la Drôme (26).
Sous cet angle de vue, ces 3 sommets et les arêtes qui les relient donnent l'impression de voir une forteresse naturelle avec 3 tours et 2 remparts. J'aime beaucoup cette apparence. ❤️😊
I was lucky to observe and photograph Bald Eagles Courtship for the first time, Courtship is a time to develop and strengthen the pair bond, or form a new one. Scientists have observed some mating behaviors on wintering grounds, but have also seen males and females start courting in breeding areas.
Bald eagle pairs engage in a number of courtship rituals as they build their bond. The most famous and recognizable of these rituals is the "cartwheel courtship flight," this involves pair of eagles which will fly up high, lock talons and then get into a cartwheel spin as they fall toward the ground. This is nothing short of a visual delight, seeing it was amazing and being able to take few shots to share is a bonus.
Bald eagle population in Alberta is thriving, large number of eagles are wintering in Canada.
Engineers working on NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have successfully folded and packed its sunshield for its upcoming million-mile (roughly 1.5 million kilometer) journey, which begins later this year.
The sunshield — a five-layer, diamond-shaped structure the size of a tennis court — was specially engineered to fold up around the two sides of the telescope and fit within the confines of its launch vehicle, the Ariane 5 rocket. Now that folding has been completed at Northrop Grumman in Redondo Beach, California, the sunshield will remain in this compact form through launch and the first few days the observatory will spend in space.
Designed to protect the telescope’s optics from any heat sources that could interfere with its sight, the sunshield is one of Webb’s most critical and complex components. Because Webb is an infrared telescope, its mirrors and sensors need to be kept at extremely cold temperatures to detect faint heat signals from distant objects in the universe.
Read the whole feature: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/nasa-s-webb-telescope-p...
This image: Both sides of the James Webb Space Telescope's sunshield were lifted vertically in preparation for the folding of the sunshield layers.
Credits: NASA/Chris Gunn
... and, I haven't done any of it for ages... although, more recent than this photo. However, I was scrolling through old photos and deleting and trying to organize over 17,000 and saw this one... so decided to show what the table looks like when needle felting even the tiniest of bears.
This one became a sweet little girl that travelled to the U.K. to a blog buddy .. her photo will be the one beside this one...tomorrow, for Teddy Tuesday.
She has only "test eyes" .. to decide on which size beads will work....test eyes are little beads on pins to stick in and out easily .. then, the desired size of beads are stitched on.
© all rights reserved by B℮n
It will be k-k-cold this weekend. The temperature can drop to -8 degrees and that means of course only one thing: skating! After a few nights of good frost we could skate on February 13, 2021 at the Loosdrechtse Plassen. Every effort was made to ensure that we could skate. Plassenschap Loosdrecht has issued a sailing ban for the Loosdrechtse Plassen. After an extra night of frost, the ice is perfect. Beautiful black smooth ice without weak spots. Finally perfect ice to tie up the irons for skating enthusiasts. There can be wonderful kilometers of skating between the peat area and vast frozen lakes. You experience nature in places where you normally can not come. The northwestern part of the Loenderveense Plas is also referred to as Terra Nova. In this part of the Loenderveense Plas, experiments have been carried out in recent years to improve water quality by removing the bream fish. This fish accumulates the sludge layer that is formed at the bottom of the ponds by over-fertilization. Only a few plants and animals can live in this muddy water. Although already impressive results can be seen from the bream removal - the whole lake has turned from muddy to clear water, which also means that the water is freezing faster than other puddles. The peatland is a paradise for skaters from the west of the Netherlands, because it is usually the first large-scale area where you can skate on natural ice. Dutch also love Kite ice skating. This is the sport of sailing is popular in the Netherlands.
Today 13th of February 2021 we got the opportunity to go ice skating on real ice instead of going to an ice rink. A good freeze only comes from a win in the climatic lottery. Thus the chance for our Dutch to be wild adventurers on their own land comes only every few years. We glide across solidified, frosted lakes with fish frozen into the ice. Besides skating on the Loosdrechtse Plassen there is also Ice surfing, ice sailing and kite skating. The Loosdrechtseplassen in the winter are a real skater’s paradise. Kite ice skating is very popular in the Netherlands. Photo of father pulling son on sled and an ice sailor on the Loenderveensche plassen.
Het wordt k-k-koud dit weekend. De temperatuur kan dalen tot wel -8 graden en dat betekent natuurlijk maar één ding: schaatsennn! Na een paar nachten goede vorst konden we op 13 februari 2021 schaatsen op de Loosdrechtseplassen. Er werd alles aan gedaan om te zorgen dat we konden schaatsen. Plassenschap Loosdrecht heeft een vaarverbod afgegeven voor de Loosdrechtse Plassen. Na een extra nacht van vorst ligt het ijs er perfect bij. Prachtig zwart glad ijs en nergens wakken. Eindelijk weer heerlijk ijs om voor schaatsliefhebbers de ijzers onder te binden. Er kan heerlijk kilometers geschaats worden tussen het veengebied. Je beleeft de natuur op plekken waar je normaal niet kan komen.
De Loosdrechtseplassen zijn afgegraven veengebieden, gelegen in het Gooi. Het noordwestelijke deel van de Loenderveense Plas wordt ook wel aangeduid als Terra Nova. Terra Nova is een aan de Vecht gelegen landgoed en natuurgebied met veenplassen. In dit deel van de Loenderveense Plas is de afgelopen jaren geëxperimenteerd met het verbeteren van de waterkwaliteit door het wegvangen van brasem. Deze vis woelt de sliblaag op die op de bodem van de plassen is ontstaan door overbemesting. In dit troebele water kunnen slechts weinig planten en dieren leven waardoor de soortenrijkdom van de plassen sterk is teruggelopen. Hoewel nu al aansprekende resultaten te zien zijn van het wegvangen van de brasem – het hele meer is omgeklapt van troebel naar helder water wat ook weer betekend dat het water eerder bevriest dan andere plassen. Het veengebied is een paradijs voor schaatsers uit het westen van Nederland, omdat het meestal het eerste grootschalige gebied is waar men goed kan schaatsen op natuurijs. Naast het schaatsen op de Loosdrechtse Plassen is er ook Kite schaatsen, ijssurfen, ijszeilen en kite schaatsen. Ook zijn er weer ijszeilers te zien.
From the heights of Galway with Monkey Morgan to the rocks of south Galway/north Clare with the Aran Islands in the background, in a typical Robert French image. Dongore which French assigns to Galway, or Doonagore which the cataloguer assigns to Clare, looks like a grand place for a walk. But would you want to live there?
+++ UPDATE +++
The Lawrence glass plate negative may well say Galway, but Doonagore Castle is absolutely, without a doubt, indubitably in Co. Clare. The castle looks a little down-at-heel in this photo, but was fully restored in the 1970s, and is a private home. Thanks to Niall McAuley’s work on another Clare photo, we can narrow the date of this one from around 1865-1914, right down to around 1905-1910.
Photographer: Robert French
Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection
Date: Circa 1865-1914 1905-1910
NLI Ref: L_ROY_04127
You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie
...build too many walls and too few bridges
Isaac Newton
The long Zeeland Bridge in the Netherlands radiates a special atmosphere.... Have a good time and lots of light..
.
Die Menschen... ...bauen zu viele Mauern und zu wenig Brücken
Isaac Newton
Die lange Zeeland-Brücke in den Niederlanden strahlt in einer besonderen Atmosphäre.. Euch eine gute Zeit und viel Licht..
photo rights reserved by B℮n
In winter, Amsterdammers watch the falling thermometer readings with the same focus as people in Aspen and Chamonix. When the temperature drops low enough for long enough, the lakes and the canals in Amsterdam become sparkling highways for the skaters. Little kiosks are set up on the ice to dispense heart-warming liqueurs. I really love this part of our culture. Almost everyone, young or old, likes to skate and is smiling and friendly. The last days the cold was enough for the canals to freeze over a rare occasion. Amsterdammers sharpen their blades and hit the ice. On the 14th of Februari 2021, the first people started skating on the canals of Amsterdam. A lovely view of people skating on the Prinsengracht canal. Who knows times of Hendrick Avercamp are coming back this year. Avercamp was the first Dutch artist to specialize in paintings of winter landscapes featuring people enjoying the ice. Some 400 years on, our image of life in the harsh winters of the Golden Age is still dominated by Avercamp’s ice scenes with their splendid narrative details of couples skating, children pelting each other with snowballs and unwary individuals falling through the ice.
Portrait of my daughter Samantha and her friend Casper skating on the Keizersgracht canal in Amsterdam near the Wester church. As temperatures plunge across Europe, many are cursing the cold. But not in the Netherlands. There, many are hoping for further frigid conditions. This weekend we could ice skate even on some canals of Amsterdam. We had three fantastic days of skating.
Na 3 jaar konden de Jordanezen eindelijk weer de ijzers onderbinden. Op 14 februari 2021 nog geen ideale condities want je kon nog niet onder alle bruggen schaatsen. Op de Prinsengracht is het ijs net dik genoeg, er kan best aardig geschaatst worden, maar ook op de Keizersgracht. De grachten eindelijk bevroren en de adem komt in kleine grijze pufjes uit mijn mond. Handen op de rug. Rustig ademen. Ik geniet van het geluid van de ijzers over het ijs, sneeuw en een prachtige gezicht op de Amsterdamse grachtenpanden. Wie had dat nu gedacht, schaatsen in februari in Amsterdam. Wie even wegdenkt kan zich vandaag in Hendrick Avercamps wereld wanen. Als eerste Amsterdamse kunstenaar uit de 17de eeuw specialiseerde hij zich in het schilderen van winterlandschappen met ijspret. Ons beeld van het leven in de strenge winters in de Gouden Eeuw wordt na 400 jaar nog altijd bepaald door Avercamps ijsgezichten met prachtige verhalende details van schaatsende paartjes, kinderen die elkaar bekogelen met sneeuwballen of een man die door het ijs zakt. In de middag is er inderdaad Anno 2021 iemand door het ijs gezakt. Morgen gaat het helaas weer dooien. Het waren drie fantastische schaatsdagen in 2021. Portret van Samantha en vriend Casper al schaatsend op de Keizersgracht in hartje Amsterdam.
Magdeburg on the Elbe river
Magdalenenkapelle , Sankt-Petri-Kirche , Wallonerkirche
(Sankt-Augustini-Kirche)
Magdalenen chapel, Sankt Petri church, Walloon church
(Saint Augustini Church)
11-image panorama from RAF in LR.
View into the East Blackstone River Valley from Northfork Pass. The Tombstone Valley is one valley to the left.
There is a lot to see here and I try to mark some landmarks in the photo. If any labels are wrong let me know or add your own if you can identify more.
2018 Road Trip to Tuktoyaktuk, NWT via Dempster Highway and the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway or ITH (Tuk Highway).
Since I visit quite often, the deer at our local forest preserve are becoming more trusting and comfortable with my presence. In fact, some of them have even begun coming to me for help with their troubles and anxieties.
HSS
If I were a seagull
I wouldn't have to stick around
If people argued- I would fly off,
swerve, wheel, dip, scream.
a thousand wings of company if I have friends, and
two strong wings of my own
If I don't.
― Caroline B. Cooney
I took this one the same time as I took "Ships Passing" on December 10, except that was a long exposure. As there were so many gulls flying around, I wanted a faster exposure shot as well. People fish off this dock, and so often there are 100's of seagulls around.
Zoom in to take a look around :)
Theme: Birds