It would be well if photographers could forget for awhile the expensive camera and it's marvelous insides and the impressive array of chemicals in the closet under the stairs, and concentrate solely and definitely on the model. For it is through the model - whether it be a goat or a duchess - that life is made to stir in the dead substance of the picture :-)

William Mortensen

HPPT! Character Matters!

prunus mume, japanese flowering apricot, sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina

I am fascinated by some of the Tree roots I come across on my walks. Especially when you can see them above the surface like these. They are the veins that provide all the nutrients and water the tree requires, but much more.

There are five types of Tree roots, each of them developing at different stages of the Tree’s life:

1.Tap roots: Every tree starts with a tap root that provides stability and absorption. Over time, other roots outgrow the taproot. Most taproots don’t continue to grow ever more deeply because deep soils lack the oxygen and nutrients that roots need to survive.

2.Lateral roots: Lateral roots grow outwards right under the soil surface. They absorb a lot of water and nutrients as well as anchoring the tree.

3.Oblique/heart roots: Oblique roots, also known as heart roots, grow at a diagonal and have the same function as lateral roots.

4.Sinker roots: Sinker roots grow downwards from the lateral roots to a depth of several feet. There, lateral roots take advantage of any water and nutrients deeper in the soil in addition to increasing tree stability.

5.Fine roots: All the root types aforesaid can give rise to fine roots, which is where water and nutrients are directly absorbed. They also house mycorrhizae, which are fungal partnerships that increase root absorption capacity.

An interesting tale came to me some time ago that I am sure many of us can take a life lesson from. It tells of how trees push their roots down deeper when located in stormy areas. Their deeper roots helps them to withstand the elements. And there’s good advice for us all. Whatever your belief, put your roots down deep so when you face whatever life throws at you, you'll still be standing firm!

For more information for any Dendrophiles (Tree Lovers) out there: aplustree.com/3-types-of-tree-root-systems/

Die Rotfärbung der Sonne wird immer stärker, je näher die Sonne dem Horizont kommt, da der Weg des Lichtes durch die Atmosphäre immer länger wird. Dadurch nimmt die Absorption zu und die Färbung wird tiefer.

When stars form, pandemonium reigns. A textbook case is the star forming region NGC 6559. Visible in the featured image are red glowing emission nebulas of hydrogen, blue reflection nebulas of dust, dark absorption nebulas of dust, and the stars that formed from them. The first massive stars formed from the dense gas will emit energetic light and winds that erode, fragment, and sculpt their birthplace. And then they explode. The resulting morass can be as beautiful as it is complex. After tens of millions of years, the dust boils away, the gas gets swept away, and all that is left is a bare open cluster of stars. Text from APOD

Taken from Angel Creek NV, July 2023

Scope:Vixen VC200L @ F9 courtesy of Larry Parker

Camera:ASI 2600mm

Mount: Paramount MYT

LRGB= 1.67 hours each filter

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwxhf4UXLvM

(#3)

(If viewing on a PC, I highly recommend pressing "L" to view in Lightboard mode with a black background.)

While too young to appreciate the RF&P before CSX's absorption, a bit lived on in northeast Georgia on the Hartwell Railroad for a time.

Of Interest.

Take a trip out to Sanna Bay and pass the bay we know as Camas nan Geall which has been occupied for at least 5,000 years, since Neolithic times. The chambered cairn is of this age, while the standing stone by Cladh Chiarain, the Campbell graveyard, is assigned to the Bronze Age (4,000 years ago), although it was later engraved with images including a Christian cross and, above it, what may be a dog. These carvings may date to the time of the coming of St Columba, after he began his west coast journeys in 563AD and founded the abbey at Iona. At the roadside 200m east of the car park, water from a spring, known locally as Tobar Chalum Chille (tobar well, Colum Columba, cille church or cell), falls across a stone wall.

Towards the end of the 8th century the Vikings arrived on this coast, first as raiders and later to settle. It is inconceivable that they did not use this protected haven to pull up their longships, yet evidence of Viking occupation has yet to be found. Further, the name is not Norse, though the meaning of the Gaelic is disputed – the bay of the stranger, the bay of the pledge, promise or wager, and the bay of the churches are all suggested.In the hundreds of years following the absorption of the Vikings into the population, both the bay area and the rough area to the northwest of the bay were occupied by a small communally-run settlement. We know little about the early history of this community but we do know that, during the Lordship of the Isles, it was part of the lands of the Clan MacIain. This clan held Ardnamurchan and Mingary Castle from the early 14th until the early 17th century. Camas nan Geall would have been little different from the twenty-three other settlements within the clan’s lands in Ardnamurchan. Each had inbye land – arable land close to the houses – where crops were grown, and extensive common grazings which were used for summer pastures. In Camas nan Geall’s case, the common grazings extended north as far as Loch Mudle. The settlement contributed, mainly in the form of agricultural produce, to the upkeep of the MacIain chief and his retinue, and provided men for the clan’s army in times of war.

In 1541 the principal tenant was Donald McAlister McKane and, in 1618, at the time when the MacIains were losing their lands to the Campbell Dukes of Argyll, the principal tenant of Camas nan Geall was Alexander McRonald McEane, while in 1686 it was held by Donald and Anna Cameron and Neill McOnlea.

Following the suppression of the Jacobite rising of 1715, a record was kept of the men of each settlement who were called to surrender their arms at Mingary Castle in April 1716. Since men from both sides of the conflict had to attend, the nine men listed from Camas nan Geall give us some idea of the settlement’s population.

In 1737 Camas nan Geall was in the hands of Alexander Campbell of Ardslignish, who raised at least two of the gravestones in Cladh Chiarain. From records prepared in the same year for Alexander Murray, Lord Stanhope, to whom the Duke of Argyll had sold Ardnamurchan, we know the settlement had a population of 35 – 9 men, 13 women and 13 children – with approximately 72 cattle, 72 sheep and 18 horses.

By the mid-1700s, when William Roy drew his ‘military map’ , there were no houses in use in the rough ground to the northwest of the big field, and only a few in the area to the south of the neolithic cairn. This suggests that much of the settlement had already been cleared while the land was being worked by Alexander Campbell as a tenant farm. A square is marked, perhaps a wall, surrounded by trees, with a large building at its southern end. This may have been the Campbell’s dwelling, which some have suggested was called ‘Tigh Ban’, the white house, which further suggests it may have been harled and whitewashed.

Ben Hiant is the flank of a volcano, formed around 60 million years ago, and a very visible remnant of the volcanic make-up of the Ardnamurchan peninsula

Blow this up large and then come back and read this please.

This is currently my favorite shot of mine to date and saying that is like trying to pick your favorite child. I named this 'America' on FB and posted it July 4th because this, to me, represents all that is good in our little piece of the world.

There is no pollution, no greed, no self absorption, politics, religion, race, creed, WHATEVER....

Stand with me right here shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, and tell me again that we can't get along. All of the BS that folks carry around HAS to melt away as we stare at this and become one under the sun.

I beg that you don't let a book, a government, a person, a religion, a fear/hate of the unknown guide your being. Let the moral compass inside you be drawn to peace, to love, to understanding and growth as a species for in the END that is all that we are. Hugs to you all, I got nothin' but love and no better way to express it. :-)

Rubble mound

Coastal management

Energy absorption

Zen is the Japanese pronunciation of a Chinese word, ch'an, which comes from a Sanskrit root meaning "thought," "absorption," or "meditation."

I think we all need some Zen in our lives, particularly right now.

Sunrise from out Villa Kho Yao Noi, Thailand. The added herons give it extra Zen.

Who's been stealing the fuchsia pollen then?.

Vital to the pollination of many NZ native tree species, for which these birds among others were created, to pollinate through their feeding patterns .

So along with the decline of birds comes the decline of native forest.

There is a balance, not haphazard or by chance to ensure continuity.

Man however in his arrogance and self absorption cannot see this as greed darkens his eyes.

Bellbirds are among these specialised foragers and fill an otherwise lonely landscape with joyful sound.

Tirumala limniace, the blue tiger is a butterfly found in South Asia and Southeast Asia that belongs to the crows and tigers, that is, the danaid group of the brush-footed butterfly family. This butterfly shows gregarious migratory behaviour in southern India.

In general, all butterflies can directly absorb heat from the sun via their wings to facilitate autonomous flight. Studies on blue tiger butterflies show that high-intensity light significantly increased flight activity. Blue tiger butterflies have a wing surface color that is composed of both light and dark colors. The dark areas on the wing surfaces are the heat absorption areas that allow for the facilitation of autonomous flight.

Many thanks to all those who view, comment and or fave my photos....It is greatly appreciated ......Chandana ❤️

“time assumes another dimension now - work and absorption in the search for an answer”

LeConte Glacier is known for its frequent and dramatic calving events. The iceberg in the foreground offered added a rather unusual look to this amazing river of ice. On this overcast day the ice displayed a brilliant turquoise hue, a result of light absorption and scattering within its dense structure.

A variegated meadowhawk minimizes heat absorption during late afternoon. One of many regulations complied with daily at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge.

The blue hour occurs when the Sun is far enough below the horizon so that the sunlight's blue wavelengths dominate due to the Chappuis absorption caused by ozone. Basically, it refers to a state of natural lighting that usually occurs around the nautical stage of the twilight period. This is a long exposure.

Look into an (empty) fuel assembly of a nuclear reactor. Uranium dioxide powder is compacted to cylindrical pellets, such fuel pellets are then stacked and filled into the metallic tubes. Most reactors use a zirconium alloy which, in addition to being corrosion-resistant, has low neutron absorption. The tubes containing the fuel pellets are sealed: these tubes are called fuel rods. The finished fuel rods are grouped into fuel assemblies that are used to build up the core of a power reactor.

Blick in das Innere eines (leeren) Brennelements eines Kernreaktors.

In jedes Brennelement werden 63 mit Urandioxid gefüllte 3,71m lange und 1,1cm dicke Brennstäbe und ein Wasserstab eingeführt. Je 4 Brennelementen ist ein mit Bor gefüllter Steuerstab zugeordnet, der Neutronen absorbiert und damit die Kettenreaktion und Wärmeentwicklung steuern kann. Die Hülle besteht aus Zirkalloy, das (weitgehend) korrosionsfest und durchlässig für Neutronen ist.

Pure immediacy

Complete absorption

Intelligible report

Autumn Leaves

Morning sunlight hits aspen leaves covered with dew and rain drops on the mountain slopes in Wild Basin, Rocky Mountain National Park. The previous day over an inch of rain had fallen, and about 500 feet higher 5 inches of snow graced the slopes above treeline.

These beads of water exemplify the strong water repellency of the aspen leaves, called hydrophobicity, literally the fear of water. The water repellency is associated with tiny hairs and wax plates on the surface of the leaf, which help to repel water, resulting in the formation of multiple little spheres rather than spreading across the leaf surface.

Why would a plant want to repel a key resource like water? The current hypothesis is that hydrophobicity keeps the surface of the leaf dry and clean, helping to promote photosynthesis through greater light absorption.

Following the Southern Pacific's absorption by Rio Grande Industries, the parent company of the Denver Rio Grande Western, the promotional "Spirit of the West" excursion gave a new slogan to the final identity of the SP.

Following the excursion, "Spirit That Won The West" became the new marketing slogan for the Southern Pacific. In many ways this was very true, most of the communities along the SP and its predecessor roads were railroad towns. What might be the most famous example of the slogan's use was its mention in the Ballad of the Southern Pacific, which was used by SP's Corporate Communications. However, when UP took over in 1996, unfortunately this identity would die along with the scarlet and grey. Thankfully, 30 years later plenty remains of the railroad that won the west.

Along one of, if not the most famous SP line, one of many out of service signal bridge sits dormant. This bridge was put up by the Southern Pacific, so is there really a better way to shoot it than with an SP painted motor leading under it? When I had gotten word that morning from a friend of mine it would be leading MRVNP, this was the first shot that came to mind. I had previously shot Big Boy, stack trains, and spreaders here, but yet to shoot an SP. Since I did not want to give up that opportunity, I raced here after catching the train at Casa Loma, just to make sure I would not miss it. A few others and I waited for awhile, but thankfully not extremely long as the manifest was making great time over the mountain. Once the train cleared, we got on the road to continue to Reno.

While the unmistakable scheme may be fading fast, for now the scarlet and grey still remains as a sight on the mainline.

_5D49697-Pano R

Le Réou d’Arsine, dans le Parc National des Ecrins.

Il ne s’agit pas à proprement parler d’un lac mais plus d’une zone de méandres formés par le torrent du petit Tabuc.

Il se situe en contrebas du col d’Arsine, au pied de la Montagne des Agneaux et du Pic de Neige Cordier. Ses eaux se parent de magnifiques couleurs turquoises.

Elles doivent leur bleu turquoise brillant à la « farine rocheuse » : des particules fines de sédiment glaciaire suspendues dans l'eau et charriées au moment de la fonte des neiges. Ces particules très fines absorbent toutes les couleurs du spectre lumineux, sauf le bleu et le vert.

Ces particules de calcite diffusent la lumière du soleil. Cette lumière blanche est "mélangée" à l'absorption lumineuse des pigments chlorophyliens et offre ainsi cette belle couleur turquoise à l'eau du lac.

En cette fin du mois d'octobre, ces couleurs offrent un contraste saisissant avec les couleurs rouges des myrtillers.

Réou d’Arsine, in the Ecrins French National Park.

Strictly speaking, it is not a lake but more of an area of meanders formed by the Petit Tabuc torrent.

It is located below the Col d’Arsine, at the foot of the Montagne des Agneaux and the Pic de Neige Cordier. Its waters are adorned with magnificent turquoise colors.

They owe their brilliant turquoise blue to “rock flour”: fine particles of glacial sediment suspended in the water and carried away when the snow melts. These very fine particles absorb all colors of the light spectrum, except blue and green.

These calcite particles diffuse sunlight. This white light is “mixed” with the light absorption of the chlorophyl pigments and thus offers this beautiful turquoise color to the water of the lake.

At the end of October, these colors offer a striking contrast with the red colors of the blueberry bushes

no (additional) words necessary

littletinperson

In positive psychology, flow, also known as the zone, is the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does.

Named by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, the concept has been widely referenced across a variety of fields (and has an especially big recognition in occupational therapy), though the concept has existed for thousands of years under other guises, notably in some Eastern religions. Achieving flow is often colloquially referred to as being in the zone. Wikipedia

This is a Japanese coffee pot, quite similar to traditional tea pots. The ptotery style is known as "Banko-Yaki". The interior is not glazed and has an uneven surface, so as to allow absorption of the bitterness, for a more mellow taste.

You just put ground coffee into the pot and pour hot water on it. A stainless steel filter prevents the grounds from getting into your coffee.

It's cute and tastes very nice! 😊

OA is not bad for the bees, but it is not good for humans to breath this stuff in. This is the third and final treatment of integrated pest mgt. Final steps of winter setup is getting the insulation on the hive and adding a candy board.

Oxalic acid is a naturally occurring compound in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. While small amounts of oxalic acid are not harmful, this compound can inhibit the absorption of other important nutrients.

The respirator is mandatory, you are just stupid if you don't use one! The bee suit is mandatory, sometimes the guard bees get really upset!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHOrpFeXUao

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いつもふと目が合うこの子のことを僕は「ことり草」と呼んでいる

それはまるで木の小枝にことりたちが集まって楽しくおしゃべりしているみたい

今日はそのさえずりのボリュームがいちだんと大きく感じたのは

家ごとどこか遠くに吹き飛ばされてしまうかと思った春の嵐が過ぎ去った直後だから

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[original ver.] a song after the spring storm

Light absorption causes the bottom of this leaf to shine a different shade of green from its neighbors.

oots, shoots, flowers, and young seeds are edible.

Native to the American Tropics, Canna indica (Achira) was a main root crop grown by South American Natives, reported by Spanish explorers.

The leaves, rhizomes, shoots, flowers, and seeds are edible and cultivated for food, tamale wrappers, biodegradable plants, starch, and alcohol throughout the tropics.

Starch Properties

Achira starch contains 31% amylose.

Granules are spheric, oval, or elliptical, ranging in size from 26 to 67 µm, affecting their swelling power and water absorption capacity.

Cultivation and History

Canna indica has been cultivated for over 4000 years as a food crop in Central and South America.

The plant can grow up to 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide, making it a member of the Cannaceae family.

Late evening sun's heat absorption for a Swallowtail butterfly, Messinia, Greece

Recently calved portion (middle of glacier) appears powder-blue. The overall blue appearance of glacier ice results from the absorption of red, orange, yellow, and green light wavelengths.

Margerie Glacier is a much cleaner glacier with less debris compared to the Grand Pacific Glacier located adjacent to Margerie's northeastern flank. It is also one of the most active glaciers for ice calving along with the Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park.

10. Blue Ice – Valle Bedretto

June 2022

90 × 60 cm, Alu-Dibond

Italiano

Questo piccolo laghetto si trova appena sotto la Gönerlilücke, al confine tra Ticino e Vallese. È ciò che resta di un ghiacciaio ormai quasi scomparso, il Gönerligletscher. Solo alcuni residui di ghiaccio e questo lago ne testimoniano ancora l’esistenza.

Il colore blu deriva dall’assorbimento della luce nel ghiaccio compatto. Le macchie rossastre sulla superficie potrebbero indicare la presenza di polvere del Sahara o fioriture algali, fenomeni sempre più comuni sui campi di neve e ghiaccio in scioglimento.

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Deutsch

Dieses kleine Bergseelein liegt direkt unterhalb der Gönerlilücke, an der Grenze zwischen dem Tessin und dem Wallis. Es ist eines der letzten Überbleibsel des Gönerligletschers, der heute fast vollständig verschwunden ist. Nur einige Eisreste und dieser See erinnern noch an den ehemaligen Gletscher.

Die blaue Farbe entsteht durch Lichtabsorption im kompakten Eis. Die rötlich braunen Verfärbungen an der Oberfläche könnten auf Saharastaub oder Algenblüten hindeuten, Erscheinungen, die zunehmend auf schmelzenden Schnee- und Eisflächen beobachtet werden.

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English

This small lake lies just below the Gönerlilücke, on the border between Ticino and Valais. It is the last remaining remnant of a glacier, formed from the remains of the Gönerli Glacier, which has now almost entirely vanished. Only a few ice fragments and this lake still recall its former presence.

The blue color results from light absorption in compact ice. The reddish brown discolorations on the surface may indicate Saharan dust or algal blooms, phenomena increasingly observed on melting snow and ice fields.

“Amphibians are highly vulnerable to climate change. Their permeable skin, essential for respiration and water absorption, makes them susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity, often leading to dehydration during droughts and heat waves. Their aquatic life stages, especially for frogs, are sensitive to changes in water conditions and precipitation patterns.

Many amphibians have specialized habitats with specific temperature or seasonal requirements that can be disrupted by climate change. Furthermore, they face increased disease risks, such as from the deadly chytrid fungus (Bsal) disease, which thrives in altered climates.” -Mongabay. I found a new healthy respect for the frogs and toads we saw within the park we camped at. Frogs help control the insect population and they are food for other animals further up the chain. Sometimes we forget just how interconnected we all are as animals. Apparently, frog populations are on the decline. This guy had beautiful colouring.

WR 134 est une étoile Wolf-Rayet variable située à environ 6 000 années-lumière de la Terre dans la constellation du Cygne, entourée d'une faible nébuleuse à bulles soufflée par le rayonnement intense et le vent rapide de l'étoile. Wikipédia

WR 134 is a variable Wolf-Rayet star located around 6,000 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus, surrounded by a faint bubble nebula blown by the intense radiation and fast wind from the star. It is five times the radius of the sun, but due to a temperature over 63,000 K it is 400,000 times as luminous as the Sun.

WR 134 was one of three stars in Cygnus observed in 1867 to have unusual spectra consisting of intense emission lines rather than the more normal continuum and absorption lines. These were the first members of the class of stars that came to be called Wolf-Rayet stars (WR stars) after Charles Wolf and Georges Rayet who discovered their unusual appearance.[7] It is a member of the nitrogen sequence of WR stars, while the other two (WR 135 and WR 137) are both members of the carbon sequence that also have OB companions. WR 134 has a spectrum with NIII and NIV emission between two and five times stronger than NV, leading to the assignment of a WN6 spectral type. The spectrum also shows strong HeII emission and weaker lines of HeI and CIV.

Détails techniques d'acquisition:

CFF 200/1300 APO

Camera QHY600 M-PH

144x300s SHO

Total intégration 12H

Mougins, Backyard

The bridge was replaced by the current pedestrian bridge in 1970. You can still see some of the wooden supports for the original bridge as you cross.

A drive led from the ferry to Coed Helen house, thought to date from the early 17th century. The house belonged to a succession of influential families and is now part of a caravan park.

On the hill between the river and house stands a summerhouse, built in the 18th century. At various times, the military used the area for training and keeping watch on the Menai Strait. A battery of guns at Coed Helen was fired on important occasions, including in 1847 to salute Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their children.

This bridge swings to one side to allow boats to enter or leave the harbour. It replaced a Victorian bridge which itself had replaced a ferry across the river Seiont. It leads from Caernarfon town to the parkland at Coed Helen.

Photo of original swing bridge at Caernarfon

The original swing bridge, courtesy of the RCAHMW and its Coflein website

The small building with castellated top, west of the bridge, was built in 1822 for the operator of the Coed Helen ferry. The Pritchard family of boat owners and builders ran the ferry from c.1859. In 1878 David Pritchard was praised for his prompt action to save a militiaman (volunteer soldier) who fell between the quay and boat while boarding. David died, aged 76, in 1884.

The first swing bridge, known as Pont yr Aber, was completed in 1899, amid arguing over compensation for loss of the ferry trade. A gas engine powered the swing mechanism. The bridge was too small to justify hydraulic power, which would have been ideal.

The metalwork was painted “stone colour” (off-white) to minimise heat absorption from sunshine. Excess heat would have distorted the ends of the swing span. White paint was rejected as it would soon have looked dirty. Tolls were levied on pedestrians and carriages.

First day out on the new gravel bike! Truck arrived at 1:30, and I was out on the trail by 3:00. What a game changer - half the weight of the mountain bike, but all of the fun. No suspension, but a shock absorbing seat post, and 650b wheelset I can bring the pressure way down on, adding natural absorption. Could not believe the difference - cut 50% off the time it usually takes to do this route - felt just like riding the road bike, but on dirt and down rocky slopes.... with confidence. I'd selected a muted color for it, but *someone* encouraged me to go bold on the color so I switched to orange the last minute. First bike with hydraulic disk brakes, first bike with 1x drivetrain (felt really strange having that left brifter do nothing!), first time on 650b, first time riding off-road with drop bars... what a blast! Anyone want to buy a well-loved mountain bike?

Pepper

Health benefits of black pepper

Peppercorns contain an impressive list of plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties. Black peppers have been in use since centuries for their anti-inflammatory, carminative, anti-flatulent properties.

Peppercorns composed of health benefiting essential oils such as piperine, an amine alkaloid, which gives strong spicy pungent character. They also carry numerous monoterpenes hydrocarbons such as sabinene, pinene, terpenene, limonene, mercene, etc., which altogether gives aromatic property to the pepper.

The above-mentioned active principles in the peppercorns may increase gut motility as well as the digestion power through augmenting gastro-intestinal enzyme secretions. It has also been found that piperine can increase absorption of selenium, B-complex vitamins, beta-carotene, as well as other nutrients from the food.

Black peppercorns contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is essential for cellular respiration and blood cell production.

They are also an excellent source of many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as Pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamin and niacin.

Peppercorns are a good source of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-C and vitamin-A. They are also rich in flavonoid polyphenolic anti-oxidants like carotenes, cryptoxanthin, zea-xanthin and lycopene. These compounds help the body remove harmful free radicals and help protect from cancers and diseases.

El yin y el yang (en chino, 阴阳; pinyin, yīnyáng; literalmente, ‘oscuro-brillante’) son dos conceptos del taoísmo, que son usados para representar o referirse a las dos fuerzas fundamentales opuestas y complementarias, pero interconectadas, que se encuentran en todas las cosas; y que esta filosofía atribuye a todo lo existente en el universo. El yin es el principio femenino, la tierra, la oscuridad, la pasividad y la absorción. El yang es el principio masculino, el cielo, la luz, la actividad y la penetración.

Yin and yang (Chinese: 阴阳; ​​pinyin: yīnyáng; literally: ‘dark-bright’) are two concepts from Taoism, which are used to represent or refer to the two fundamental opposing and complementary, but interconnected, forces that are found in all things; and which this philosophy attributes to everything existing in the universe. Yin is the feminine principle, the earth, darkness, passivity and absorption. Yang is the masculine principle, the sky, light, activity and penetration.

Hippity hop! The desert cottontail eats grasses, cacti, bark and twigs and mesquite. They live, well, in deserts of California and US Southwest. They are close cousins of Eastern Cottontails but are lighter colored to minimize absorption of sun's heat and have larger ears to help radiate body heat into the air. I came across so many of them early in the morning, yet none later in the day when it gets warmer.

Fun fact: When they are alarmed, cottontails can run up to 20 miles per hour! Keep up with that coyotes and birds of prey!

The blue hour occurs when the Sun is far enough below the horizon so that the sunlight's blue wavelengths dominate due to the Chappuis absorption caused by ozone.

Blue hour at Banff's Two Jack Lake. It often pays to beat the sun.

"The blue hour occurs when the Sun is far enough below the horizon so that the sunlight's blue wavelengths dominate due to the Chappuis absorption caused by ozone. Since the term is colloquial, it lacks an official definition similar to dawn, dusk, and the three stages of twilight. Rather, it refers to a state of natural lighting that usually occurs around the nautical stage of the twilight period (at dawn or dusk)." Wikipedia

The lake is named after Jack Stanley, who operated a boat concession on lake Minnewanka at one time, and Jack Watters, who worked for the mines in Bankhead, a town which flourished at the base of Cascade Mountain just after the turn of the century.

Thanks for taking a look.

Enjoy a wonderful Sunday and week ahead!

streets of Rethymno, Crete

Rethymno (Greek: Ρέθυμνο, [ˈreθimno], also Rethimno, Rethymnon, Réthymnon, and Rhíthymnos) is a city of approximately 40,000 people in Greece, the capital of Rethymno regional unit on the island of Crete, a former Latin Catholic bishopric as Retimo(–Ario) and former Latin titular see.

Rethymno was originally built during the Minoan civilization (ancient Rhithymna and Arsinoe). The city was prominent enough to mint its own coins and maintain urban growth. One of these coins is today depicted as the crest of the town: two dolphins in a circle.

This region as a whole is rich with ancient history, most notably through the Minoan civilisation centred at Kydonia east of Rethymno. Rethymno itself began a period of growth when the Venetian conquerors of the island decided to put an intermediate commercial station between Heraklion and Chania, acquiring its own bishop and nobility in the process. Today's old town (palia poli) is almost entirely built by the Republic of Venice. It is one of the best-preserved old towns in Crete.

From circa 1250 the city was the see of the Latin Diocese of Retimo, which was renamed Retimo–Ario after the absorption in 1551 of the Diocese of Ario and as suppressed only after the Turkish conquest.

The town still maintains its old aristocratic appearance, with its buildings dating from the 16th century, arched doorways, stone staircases, Byzantine and Hellenic-Roman remains, the small Venetian harbour and narrow streets. The Venetian Loggia houses the information office of the Ministry of Culture and Sports. A Wine Festival is held there annually at the beginning of July. Another festival, in memory of the destruction of the Arkadi Monastery, is held on 7–8 November.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rethymno

In meiner weihnachtlichen Kapsel. Pendele ich hin und her und warte auf eine Veränderung, die kommen wird.

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Ok, I'm sitting on a chair, very comfortable. And the change is sure to come. But before I keep rocking back and forth with the idea of diving out of my absorption – chosen voluntarily and much longer than expected – I now take a little cautious step forward ;-) I haven't been on Flickr for such a long time and have neither posted a photo nor have I looked at any of yours – I have a lot to catch up I guess ... I hope you will be patient with me. The last year of the pandemic has changed a lot for everyone and I still have a lot to do – at least that's how it feels. But I really missed it here I must notice ... I hope your Christmas was vibrant and beautiful, we see each other – and take care of you :-)

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Ok, ich sitze auf einem Stuhl, ganz gemütlich. Und die Veränderung kommt bestimmt. Aber ehe ich immer weiter hin und her schaukele mit der Überlegung aus der Versenkung – freiwillig gewählt und viel länger als gedacht – hervorzutauchen, mache ich jetzt doch einmal einen kleinen vorsichtigen Schritt vorwärts ;-) Ich war jetzt so fast unendlich lange nicht mehr auf Flickr unterwegs und habe weder ein Foto gepostet noch habe ich welche von Euch betrachtet – da habe ich wohl sehr sehr viel nachzuholen ... Ich hoffe, Ihr habt Verständnis dafür. Durch das letzte Jahr der Pandemie hat sich für alle viel verändert und ich habe auch weiterhin einiges zu tun – jedenfalls fühlt es sich so an. Aber vermisst habe ich es hier doch ziemlich, merke ich ... Hoffentlich war Euer Weihnachten schwingend und schön, wir sehen voneinander – und passt auf Euch auf :-)