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I was actually quite happy Shishka insisted we rest here. It was almost a year ago when I sat here the last time. So much has changed since then. We've seen autumn and winter and spring and summer. We've had lots of adventures and solved all kinds of mysteries. Now we're out to learn the robin song so we can summon our guide.
'See, told you we'd stop here. Happy now?' I said.
'It's really pretty and I like all the forest smells. But . . . ' Shishka said.
'But what? I asked.
'We have to find Little Red Fox, but what if she's hiding under all those leaves?'
'She won't be,' I said, though I wasn't so sure myself. All I knew was the red fox was supposed to live near the gnome, but Little White Fox didn't tell us exactly where. 'Anyway, the fox spirit told us Red Fox lives with mushrooms. They grow on tree stumps.'
'They might just be. I've seen mushrooms hiding under leaves,' Shishka persisted.
'Then you'll have to burrow under the leaves and find them,' laughed Cashew from the backpack.
'But it is wet on the ground,' Shishka said, huddling closer to me.
I put my paw around Shishka and gave her a hug. 'The red fox spirit won't be under the leaves, but if she is, we can use a stick to gently move the leaves around.'
'Oh yes, we can do that,' Shishka said, happily. 'I wish the leaves were dry though. It's so much fun when they go crunch-crunch-crunch under our paws.'
'I'd love that too. Perhaps they will be soon.'
'Yay,' Shishka danced. 'Can we go visit the gnome now?'
'Do you know the way from here?'
'We all know the way. We walk down that path, then down steps, and along another path to the place all the bluebells grew. Then we walk on fallen leaves to the tree the gnome lives. He always stands outside his front door.'
'Okay, Shishka, lead the way,' I said.
Arctic fox snuggles from Juniper and Shishka.
Actually it's Turkey Vultures, Black Vultures and my husband Ken. 😉 Orlando Wetlands Park, Christmas, Florida
Don't know these goof balls, I was going in and they were coming out. Caribou Grill is my favorite place to eat. Their soup is to die for....actually, everything is. Looks like I'm not the only one stoked about the snow.
You can actually see this Mothership thunderstorm sucking up dirt and stones with its severe updrafts. This storm raced across Kansas at 60mph which made it very difficult to chase. The storm smashed up several towns as well as cutting off the power, it also produced Golfball size Hail and 85mph straight-line winds.
We managed to escape the worst but still took a lot of large hail. Some other chasers weren't as fortunate as they got caught up in it and had their vehicle windows smashed because of the stones and hail near Sharon Springs, Kansas.
If you fancy a photographic storm adventure like this then we are now taking bookings for the 2021 photography masterclass storm chase tour, which is Tour 5. see this link for more details.
www.weatherholidays.com/stormchase-usa/book.html
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She actually went as a ladybug for Halloween, but I had this idea a couple of days ago and couldn't resist getting it done in time for the last day of 'roid week.
Her previous Polaroid experience is here.
Actually it's really just a gnarled washed up log, but I like how it framed up this rocky beach after shooting the sunrise behind me.
a scatterscape that pleases me
I actually managed to post a picture for each of the 31 days of Arachtober and that pleases me too.
The Beatles - Please Please Me
(Actually, a smaller section of falls that flows below Oneida.)
I spent Friday hiking at Ricketts Glen State park. RGSP is comprised of 13,000+ acres and spans Luzerne, Sullivan, and Columbia Counties in Pennsylvania. The Glens Natural area holds 22 free-flowing waterfalls that cascade through the hillside. The hiking is difficult at times but is well worth the effort. This is a section of smaller falls that flows just below one of the most popular in the park, Oneida Falls, which you can see in the upper-right background.
Actually only part of what is on tap at West End Outdoors - Athens AL
AMAZING selection of beers and cider and some premo wines like you would never expect!!
The abandoned 1950 Cadillac actually had some nice options for the time-the AM radio,for instance,was a pretty expensive add-on.Somehow though,I doubt the "green space" was as popular....
Actually, you need to be fairly fit, or you will ache all over. And, you need to keep it up daily if you really want to impress. In addition, in this lake, there are some "hugh" fish that will jump out of the water at you. I mean "hugh".
Grey Seal is actually much commoner than Common Seal in Britain. We have about 162,000 Grey Seals in Britain, but only 48-56,000 Common Seals. Approximately 38% of the world population of Grey Seals breed in Britain, and 88% of these breed in Scotland. And as you can see, they aren't always grey in colour, though most of them are grey, with lots of large darker blotches like this
www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/51275839898/in/photolist
You can identify this one as a Grey Seal by its forehead shape, which is a straight line from crown to snout giving a Roman nose profile, whereas Common Seal has a forehead dip giving a more dog-like face. Grey Seals also have almost parallel nostrils, which converge to a V in Common Seal. The scientific name is Halichoerus grypus. The first name comes from the Greek words halios (the sea) and khoiros (a small pig), so literally small pig of the sea. Grypus is Latin for hooked from the Roman nose face profile, which is slightly convex when viewed side-on. I photographed this one at Wells-next-the-Sea on the north Norfolk coast.
I actually took this shot through a closed and rather dirty window also, but I was adjusting some problems on my small camera and so took a few misty scenes. I really liked the street and buildings opposite our own apartment block. Editing brought out those fantastic clouds a lot more and showed more of the mist also. I also realize too much editing can add some unwanted effects as in the trees here (called a halo), so I must be more careful.
Actually this photograph of Selworthy Green in West Somerset was taken last year but I have little doubt it still looks the same this year and will do so next year. The lack of change and the continuity is what makes this location such a popular visitor attraction.
The village is part of the 12,000 acre Holnicote Estate in the care of the National Trust. These two cottages and the others on Selworthy Green were rebuilt in 1828 by Sir Thomas Acland of Killerton. Sir Thomas was a philanthropist and designed the village himself to provide housing for the aged and infirm of the Holnicote Estate.
This is actually one of the locations that Lee and Patrick from Fstoppers.com and I used as a lesson while filming Photographing The World. While some of you already know that, something you may not know is that Lee almost got us kicked out of here for flying his DJI Phantom 2! Apparently local building security thought we were using it to spy on people in their tiny apartments. Thankfully I was able to sweet talk my way out of the situation and still come away with the shot!
It’s unbelievable to me that people can live so tightly packed in like this. On the other hand, it’s also really cool to think that a place that most people rarely give a second look, or consider to be so ugly, can look so beautiful and interesting to a photographer. It reminds me of all those years ago when I was wandering the Stockholm Underground and came across what has always been one of my favorite photos in my portfolio, Belly of the Beast. It’s seeing places like this that always remind me that beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder.
To learn the techniques I used to shoot and post-process this image, you can find all the info about my new tutorial video series by visiting: bit.ly/landcape-cityscape-photography-tutorials
Actually ... Berry Falls (Big Basin State Park).
But I would like to think the late-great Berry White would approve of this message.
I'm fortunate to share this image with you all via Explore! Thanks for your feedback and encouragement! Cheers!
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is a bird of prey found in North America. A sea eagle, it has two known subspecies and forms a species pair with the white-tailed eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), which occupies the same niche as the bald eagle in the Palearctic. Its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.
The bald eagle is an opportunistic feeder which subsists mainly on fish, which it swoops down upon and snatches from the water with its talons. It builds the largest nest of any North American bird and the largest tree nests ever recorded for any animal species, up to 4 m (13 ft) deep, 2.5 m (8.2 ft) wide, and 1 metric ton (1.1 short tons) in weight. Sexual maturity is attained at the age of four to five years.
Bald eagles are not actually bald; the name derives from an older meaning of the word, "white headed". The adult is mainly brown with a white head and tail. The sexes are identical in plumage, but females are about 25 percent larger than males. The yellow beak is large and hooked. The plumage of the immature is brown.
The bald eagle is the national bird of the United States of America and appears on its seal. In the late 20th century it was on the brink of extirpation in the contiguous United States. Populations have since recovered, and the species's status was upgraded from "endangered" to "threatened" in 1995, and removed from the list altogether in 2007.
The bald eagle has a body length of 70–102 cm (28–40 in). Typical wingspan is between 1.8 and 2.3 m (5 ft 11 in and 7 ft 7 in) and mass is normally between 3 and 6.3 kg (6.6 and 13.9 lb).[16] Females are about 25% larger than males, averaging as much as 5.6 kg (12 lb), and against the males' average weight of 4.1 kg (9.0 lb).
This image was taken near Red Rock Lighthouse, close to Victoria on Vancouver Island in Canada
I actually liked this theme and my group too! our group worked so well and im glad with the happy result and im more glad that we got assigned "HardRock", black makeup, awesome poses, amazing clothes and instruments! :D x)
Our album name is "Slash" and heres the song that would go in our album: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DacuQln3N1c
I hope you like it! ;3
Actually, it's no wonder that even after 144 years construction is not complete !! This small exterior detail shows the exquisite sculpture and craftmanship of Basilica Sagrada Familia in Barcelona Spain.
Sagrada Familia_0450.jpg
Maple Ridge, BC
Jerry Sulina Park is actually an off-leash dog park which is situated along the Trans Canada Trail.
The park itself consists of a fenced area enclosing a small pond and marsh area with a short series of trails. The pond and surrounding habitat is apparently home to many animals including turtles, cranes and several species of waterfowl.
The Trans Canada Trail system that runs through Pitt Meadows and Maple Ridge is one of a kind. In total the portion of the TCT that runs through our communities is over 21 km. It winds its way along the dykes and through city streets. There are many places to access the TCT trail system, Jerry Sulina Park is just one of them.
The sections of the TCT which are along the Alouette and Pitt rivers are absolutely stunning. The waterways and blueberry fields with the Golden Ears mountains as a backdrop summarize the beauty of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows perfectly.
This image is best viewed in Large screen.
Thank-you for your visit, and please know that any faves or comments are always greatly appreciated!
Sonja
The Finale
So you have probably been wondering what the days and weeks mean. It actually was not supposed to be this way. Starting back in February or March, I almost completely lost the will to post. I had images from October, November, and December that were in Lightroom that I had not even looked at since the day I took them. I had a camera roll and multiple notes filled with random photos, train symbols, and all sorts of information that had no meaning until I actually associated the information with something. It was also at this time I felt fairly discouraged. From December 23 to March 16, the day before I went out again, I had only been out twice. I believe February saw one single sunny, cloudless day in the Gorge this year, a day in which I had class. There was a day that called for sun and no clouds, and I actually drove out before sunrise, planning to shoot all day only to arrive in Hood River as the sun came up to a solid sheet of clouds. I turned right around and came home. February is up there as being on of my favorite months to shoot, and I expected multiple outings this year, only to come away with none.
So anyway, about a month ago, I thought I would motivate myself to edit and post the stuff I hadn’t looked at for a few months. As much as I wish I never had to post the images, I knew that if I saved up all my favorites at the same time, it would make the posting more interesting for me. I created a note that listed in order which images I would post and what needed to be said. The list was roughly 21 images, and I thought it would make sense to do one a day, so I opted to keep the title and everything the same as it is in my notes when I post here. I guess I felt the need to explain because I do not want anyone getting the wrong idea here. By no means do I think my images are any better than anyone else’s. It was simply for me to organize my thoughts and make it easier for me to actually share some of my adventures with you all. There are plenty of amazing photographers that have come before me and who will come after me, and as someone who has only been shooting for about 4 years now, I have a long way to go before I have the right to make any claims about what’s good and what’s bad. I like looking at cool stuff, you like looking at cool stuff, and that is exactly how I want to keep it. If you made it this far, let’s add some context to what exactly you are looking at.
This is BNSFs Oregon Trunk Subdivision. Minus all the CTC upgrades within the last few years, this whole piece of railroad feels a bit like a time capsule. Estimates in the early 2000s put the traffic levels for this line somewhere in the teens or low 20s, numbers that are nowhere in sight today, and quite frankly, numbers that will never exist. The line, running south out of Wishram, WA to Chemult, OR, where it meets with the UP Cascade Subdivision, sees about 4-6 trains a day. Seeing trains in good light on this line is incredibly challenging. There is a reason that this shot, which is fairly accessible to anyone who hikes and is not afraid of heights, is scarcely seen given how photogenic it is. If the searchlights and pole line were not removed, this line would almost feel a bit like Raton is now. The road into here is actually the old ROW for the competing company (backed by Edward Harriman) that built along the eastern side of the Deschutes River Canyon. You can find abandoned infrastructure in a few places in the canyon.
Within the first 71 miles, there are 3 sidings, 2 real ones. The first siding, being Moody at MP5, is 4329 feet and has rarely ever been used. The first real siding is Oakbrook at MP38.4, being 6232 feet in length. Dixon, at MP 70, is 5469 feet, and the sidings continue from here at regular 20 mile or so intervals all the way to Chemult. Every train through here is very short, almost every single one is a manifest, and the speeds are very slow. A few more trains per day and it would almost be perfect. What you are looking at is a location known as the Twin Bridges. Instead of following the curvature of the Deschutes, the railroad crosses the river, through a tunnel, and then crosses it again immediately upon leaving the portal. The train originated from the ballast pit at “Missile Base”, a location on the Lakeside Sub. It is running to the yard at Lookout, CA, presumably for a maintenance project on the Gateway. This is, perhaps, about as peaceful a rail line you will find.
As for the current Favorites Series, it will be something I continue in the future, but this will be it for a little bit. All I have is worthless junk again, some of which I will throw around here and there. It has been fun. Thanks for viewing. Until next time.
U MBALOO5 28B
March 30, 2024 - 5:33PM
Sherar, OR // BNSF Oregon Trunk Sub
She stands erect, dripping in icy cold water, and gazing across the all-too-shallow inlet. What may seem ominously alarming to some is actually quite benign. She has just chased a salmon across the shallows. Despite her best attempts, however, the fish has eluded her. She stands to gain a better vantage point, taking the higher ground, in hopes of gleaning a ripple or fin dashing off into the distance. The fish has tested her resolve. She doesn’t waste much time, however, and once she is certain that the salmon is gone she settles back down to begin her hunt anew.
The most spectacular sunset colors are typically when the sun is no longer visible and below the horizon, afterglow in the twilight zone.
This rocky outcrop is actually a temple on a little island normally surrounded by the sea. The rocky seabed is however exposed at low-tide as per this image.
Was searching for an angle to frame the sacred island when I noticed how the little tide pools on a section of the exposed rocky seafloor shone like mirrors against the spectacular but fleeting light at dusk.
Quite happy with the composition with the little tide pools as foreground interest with the temple against the quality of the evening light.
Meanwhile Samyang has just announced their new AF 135mm f1.8 FE prime lens at a reasonable 772g and $999, this should be very interesting especially for those like me who like such a lens but don't use it often enough to justify or need the Sony 135mm f1.8 GM. The Batis 135mm is an entire stop slower at f2.8 and doubled the price, yikes! I really like my older Samyang manual focus 135mm f2.0 originally designed for DSLR, this is widely regarded as one of Samyang's best lens and a real steal for the money. The new Samyang AF 135mm f1.8 also has 11 aperture blades compared to just 9 in the older version.
(018/365) Well actually you do have to pay the Ferryman (it is a man) otherwise you ain't going anywhere HFF! www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqZEp4Fb6qw
Photo taken through my car windscreen. I'd just collected my daughter off the bus in Waterford city. We were first in line to embark, always exciting to be at the front as you get great views, we saw an Otter on one occasion. Once on board you can get out of your car if you wish & go up the steps for a better view. We didn't bother as it was freezing cold.
This "roll on, roll off" car ferry crosses the River Barrow & transports light vehicles/passengers the 500 metres from Ballyhack in Co. Wexford to Passage East in Co. Waterford & vise versa. It sails constantly all day from 7am to 8pm (10pm in the Summer) as you can see there are just 3 cars on this crossing & there were only 8 of us going back over. In the Summer it would be packed with tourists' cars & it takes much longer to load up.
Although it costs €12 return (or €30 for 6 crossings on a saver ticket) we live less than 10 minutes drive from Ballyhack so I tend to go this way to Waterford city as the other option is a 50-60 minute drive via New Ross often stuck in slow moving traffic.
This one actually made it into Modern Railways Pictorial's "Picture Parade" section. I remember leafing through it in WHSmiths and nearly fainting.
An unidentified class 85 takes the up center line with a rake of Mk 1s.
. . .
I have vague memories of spending a few hours on Stafford station when I was just getting into trains. I'm guessing it was summer 1980.
I went armed with Ilford FP4 and Dad's fixed lens Canon, with the inspiration provided by "Modern Railways Pictorial" magazine.
I actually saw this feather flying through the air and get caught on the tree branch and so I had my title Caught and held.
Actually got out with my big boy camera last night. This is a 5 min exposure shot at f/10, ISO 100 using my extreme neutral density filter.
Happy Tuesday friends :)
Actually, for our cat, this enforced lock-in has not been very relaxing. She likes her space, and having all four of us around all the time has resulted in just too much attention.
Snapped with a Pentacon 135/2.8 zebra.
Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. Architect : Christian de Portzamparc
209, avenue Jean-Jaurès 75019 Paris
I lived opposite this remarkable building for 6 years since 2007. Stupidly, it did not cross my mind to visit it and I only rarely photographed some of its outside views. The building boasts 34000 m2 (of which 15400 m2 are actually useable). Although "remarkable" (namely by its sheer size), I cannot pretend that I like it and this probably explains my lack of interest for it over these years. On the few occasions that it attracted me to photograph it, it was due to its interesting shadows and reflections of its white walls on the wet ground below.
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Otto. Actually, I should name him Velcro or Super Glue because he is literally stuck to my side 24/7. I mean, he was always with me but since Phil died, he has taken it to a whole new level. Almost like "Mom, I lost dad, I don't want to lose you, too" Such a loyal and faithful companion. German shepherds are a breed all their own.
I love to photograph him in late sun like this because it really brings out the vibrance and richness in his coloring. And he couldn't have been sitting in a better spot because the background was in deep shadow. Made for the perfect portrait of him.
He is 6 years old today. Happy Birthday Otto.
Another World Heritage Site. You know, I actually visited five UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Beijing in just 2 days. Phweee, I had to walked so fast because we were only given 5-10 minutes at one place. I wanted so much to explore these historical sites on my own, as in to travel alone (so that no one can ask me to walk faster), but then I thought it would be better not to go through so much hassle since Beijing is a very congested city and I can't really speak Mandarin. Furthermore, I didn't have much time. If you are visiting Beijing, make sure to visit the Temple of Heaven because this is the place once visited by Emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for annual ceremonies of prayer to Heaven for good harvest.
In photo:The Temple of Heaven @ Beijing, CHINA.
I actually marked all of these private so I wouldn't flood your contacts page. Yeah, that worked well. Sorry.
So, today was my day to pick FGR. And, as always, I couldn't come up with anything in the weeks preceding that just said "yeah, that's the one!" But with the onset of spring, I thought Flickr Green would be a perfect opportunity to get everybody outside. And help us remember that this place is worth taking care of.
1. IMG_1346_edited-1, 2. Refreshment, 3. Soaring, 4. IMG_1330, 5. IMG_1326, 6. IMG_1262_edited-1, 7. IMG_1336, 8. IMG_1349, 9. IMG_1351, 10. IMG_1342, 11. Soaring, 12. IMG_1343, 13. The wonder of nature14. Not available15. Not available16. Not available
Created with fd's Flickr Toys.
i have been tagged by Talef... thnx hun...lol... ok 16 personal things about me... here goes:
1.Fiercely independent… I fight all my own battles
2.I don’t bite my finger nails but I do bite and pick my toe nails….. bad habit I know.. see pic
3.Stubborn, I never ask for help… actually I never ask for anything from anyone
4.I have been on the planet now for more than f f f four decades
5.Claustrophobic… like in a major way
6.I went to boarding school in England because it was the only place you could get a straight through flight to anywhere else in the world, which my parents needed as I would be traveling unaccompanied to visit with them in the holidays where ever they were.
7.I love fairy lights
8.Accident prone… always covered in bruises and scrapes
9.I love sucking coffee up through a tim-tam biscuit…. Hmm I love coffee… dble espresso!!
10.I live in t shirts….
11.I find it extremely difficult to confide in others, yet I have all the time in the world to listen to someone else, offer a shoulder, sympathy, advice, opinion or just an ear, and people do confide in me often.
12.I can turn my tongue upside down
13.Incredibly protective of my children
14.Frangipani is my favourite scent and flower
15.Oh i am also told I am tactless and open to the point of embarrassment.....but i never offend anyone deliberately, although I do manage to do that often.
16.I am terrified of the day I can no longer hold my pencil and draw
Red-winged Blackbird
Monte Vista NWR, Monte Vista, CO
At 12 degrees fahrenheit (-11 Celsius), you really have to want to see the sun rise to enjoy it in this location. That is the temperature of just about every one I've witnessed from this location over the past several years in February and in March. In this photo, you can actually see the breath of this male Red-winged Blackbird as he calls out and displays his gorgeous red/orange wing bars.
Actually the Science Pyramid at Denver Botanical Gardens
BURKETTDESIGN, Inc., Architect, completed 2014
Actually the birds flying over the pass are NOT photoshopped. I didn't know they were there until I uploaded.
Actually taken 06/12/2016. Nikon D600. Contrast masking in Lightroom.
This was in the show "From Dusk Til Dawn" at PhotoPlace gallery in MIddlebury Vt, during November-ish of 2016.
(I never actually got to see the show - it's 6+ hour drive from here, but the catalog is available from the gallery. Besides yours truly, there's a guy in Summit who had some neat stuff, plus others)