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Mountains Sibillini are located in the heart of Italy, in the Central Apennines. They are named for a legendary prophetess Sibyl hid here in a cave known as the Grotta delle Fate (Cave of the Furies). Knights and other petitioners from across Europe made the arduous journey to her remote cave in hopes of gaining a few precious
pearls of wisdom.
One of the most beautiful parts of the park "Monti Sibillini" is the valley Piano Grande below the old village of Castelluccio di Norcia.
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Piano Grande, National park "Monti Sibillini", Umbria, Italy
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See my new photos in the "My Travels" album:
www.flickr.com/photos/paradox_m/35170136703
www.flickr.com/photos/paradox_m/31367169844
www.flickr.com/photos/paradox_m/31483466285
www.flickr.com/photos/paradox_m/31332977845
www.flickr.com/photos/paradox_m/30364712743
www.flickr.com/photos/paradox_m/30940480806/
В гостях у пророчицы Сибиллы
Горы Сибиллини находятся в сердце Италии, в Центральных Апеннинах и названы в честь мифологической пророчицы
Сибиллы, которая, по легенде, жила в этих местах в пещере, известнoй как Пещера Фурий. Рыцари и путники со всей Европы проделывали нелегкий путь к пещере в надежде узнать свое будущее и получить несколько жемчужин мудрости.
Одна из наиболее красивых частей парка "Монти Сибиллини" - долина Пиано Гранде, расположенная перед стоящим на холме старинным городком Кастеллучио ди Норкия.
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Пиано Гранде, Национальный Парк "Монти Сибиллини", Умбрия, Италия
Bella escursione in Valsavarenche da Eaux Rousses al Lago Djouan; qui colpo d'occhio sulla Grivola dal pianoro di Orvieille (2165 mt) che ospita il casotto del Guardiaparco.
The arduous Grivola (3969 mt)
Beautiful hike in Valsavarenche; first glance to Grivola from the plateau of Orvieille (2165 m) which houses the park guard hut.
All rights reserved © Nick Outdoor Photography
This young Peregrine Falcon is exploring the surroundings and observing his parent's actions… on an arduous journey to become a formidable predator on the cliffs that overlook the Pacific Ocean.
Powerful and fast-flying, the Peregrine Falcon hunts medium-sized birds, dropping down on them from high above in a spectacular stoop. They were virtually eradicated from eastern North America by pesticide poisoning in the middle 20th century. After significant recovery efforts, Peregrine Falcons have made an incredible rebound and are now regularly seen in many large cities and coastal areas.
Peregrine Falcons are very strong fliers and often reported to be the fastest bird in the world. Their average cruising flight speed is 24 to 33 mph, increasing to 67 mph when in pursuit of prey. When stooping, or dropping on prey with their wings closed, it's been calculated that Peregrine Falcons can achieve speeds of 238 mph.
When hunting, Peregrines start by watching from a high perch or by flapping slowly or soaring at great height. Stoops begin 300–3,000 feet above their prey and end either by grabbing the prey or by striking it with the feet hard enough to stun or kill it. They then catch the bird and bite through the neck to kill it.
Peregrine Falcons do have other hunting methods, including level pursuit, picking birds out of large flocks, and occasionally even hunting on the ground. Though the Peregrine Falcon is an elite predator, it does have its own predators, including Gyrfalcons, Eagles, Great Horned owls, and other Peregrines.
(600 mm, 1/2500 @ f/6.3, ISO 5000)
My eldest nephew and his girlfriend in their moments of affection and contemplation, after the arduous mission of climbing the peak in the dark of dawn.
Our time:
4,5km = 2,79 miles
From 2,190 m (7,185 ft) to 2,892 m (9,488 ft)
Summit of the mountain.
2:08 am - 5:16 am
Sometimes our path becomes arduous and muddy, and then we see that someone is working to make it better ...
After a long and arduous hike in through deep snow we had arrived at Seamans Hut and went about setting up our campsite and enjoying a truly stunning afternoon. There hadn’t been a breath of wind and with the temperature only just below zero we were very comfortable.
Once the sun set we fired up our small gas cookers and heated up some dinner. When you’re in the mountains and bereft of common comforts such as light and TV time seems to really slow down and the evening was still young.
There are countless reasons why I love to escape city life. Amongst the many however, there is one which never ceases to impress me – that is, the colossal night sky. Away from the city lights the magnificence of the universe becomes undeniably amazing.
With the last light of the day finally gone the show had begun, above us was one huge sky and in front of me was one beautiful alpine hut that was so coincidently positioned perfectly below a quickly emerging milky way.
The temperature was dropping fast but it felt like I had all the time in the world.
This walk is steep and at times arduous, and not for people without a head for heights. Time is an important factor when negotiating this path. Early mornings are usually preferable, but during the summer months a late afternoon walk will provide the visitor with plenty of much-needed shade.
Here, we can appreciate the diversity and abundance of wildlife found within the Upper Rock Nature Reserve.
The Mediterranean Steps were built as part of the military communications system built by the British to allow access to their various defence posts at the southern end of the Rock. At the highest point of the steps are the two 9.2 inch guns of Lord Airey's Battery and O'Hara's Battery. Other gun emplacements and ancillary buildings dating back to World War II are evident along the route.
A mad dash to my go-to location for when high tide and sunset times coincide. It had been dreary and misty all day, but eventually the sky seemed to give a bit of promise, so I made the arduous five minute drive and thirty second hike to this location, although mindful of the heavy rain that was coming in. All I managed was a couple of quick 'in the bag' shots before it started to rain heavily, no time to choose a better stance or play with long exposures. Shot as a vertical pano to get in the marvelous sky which quickly clouded over.
The many temples of Kerala, India have stories and legends of Gods attached to them. One such famous tale is that of Hiranyakashipu, the king of the Asuras. It is said that Hiranyakashipu was enraged with Lord Vishnu for having killed his younger brother, Hiranyaksha. He prayed to Lord Brahma and acquired special powers. The powers made him strong and closer to being immortal. Prahlad, his nephew, however, was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. He was plunged into the fire a number of times by Hiranyakashipu and was finally rescued by Narsimha, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, by killing the demon, Hiranyakashipu.
Theechamundi Theyyam is a ritual dance performance, an offering to Lord Vishnu’s incarnation - Narasimhavathara and the number of times the Theyyam enters into the fire corresponds to the number of times Prahlad is thrown into the fire. In the climax of the dance performance, the dancer wearing tender coconut leaves plunges into the bonfire and comes out safe, a sign of his arduous spiritual observances having made him resistant to burns.
Scientifically, Theyyam supports the eradication of viral diseases, thus saving the village from epidemics.
www.indiavideo.org/kerala/arts/ritual-art-forms/theyyam/t...
Journée difficile pour un macro-photographe ou le vent rend toutes réalisations ardues et délicate. alors pourquoi ne pas se servir du vent et de son effet sur les herbes pour créer ?...
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Difficult day for a macro-photographer where the wind makes all achievements arduous and delicate. So why not use wind and its effect on herbs to create ?...
Philip
Mühsamer Job der „Honig-Fakire“ 😎 Nektar-Ernte an der Karde (Biotar-Studie)
Dipsacus fullonum
wild teasel
Wilde Karde
There's never any hustle and bustle on a fuller’s teasel like this!
A rush may be.
If you ever want to practise „shooting“ macros of bees and bumblebees hand-held with manual lenses — any fool can do autofocus! —, I recommend looking out for a wild teasel in June to August.
All the pollinators and harvesters move very slooooowly and it is a lot of work for the little guys to plunder every single little flower.
Here, by the way, you can see very nicely how these calyxes are formed and develop in a wreath shape before they fall off individually after pollination.
Hence the often "dishevelled" image effect of teasels…
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Auf so einer Karde herrscht nie Hektik!
Andrang schon.
Wer jemals üben möchte, mit manuellen Objektiven aus der Hand Makros von Bienen und Hummeln zu „schießen“ — Autofokus kann jeder Depp! —, dem empfehle ich, im Juni/Juli/August nach Wilden Karden Ausschau zu halten.
Sämtliche Bestäubungs- und Erntewilligen bewegen sich seeeeeehr langsam und es ist für die kleinen Kerlchen richtig viel Arbeit, jede einzelne kleine Blüte zu plündern.
Hier ist übrigens sehr schön zu sehen wie diese Blütenkelche entstehen und sich kranzförmig ausentwickeln bevor sie, nach der Bestäubung, jeweils einzeln abfallen.
Daher auch die oft „zerzaust“ anmutende Bildwirkung bei Karden...
XT17835
Die Mehlschwalben sind zurück und beziehen die alten Nester aus dem Vorjahr, soweit noch vorhanden.
Sie kehren an ihre alten Niststandorte zurück: Sie sind brutplatztreue Vögel. So haben sie nach ihrer anstrengenden Reise sofort ein bezugsfähiges Nest. Selbst wenn es beschädigt ist, kostet die Ausbesserung des alten Nestes deutlich weniger Kraft und Aufwand, als sich ein neues zu bauen.
Wer kein Nest mehr findet, baut sich ein neues.
Ein Lehmnest besteht aus bis zu 1500 gesammelten Lehmkügelchen.
House martins are back and moving into the old nests from the previous year, if they still exist.
They are returning to their old nesting sites: they are birds that are loyal to their nesting sites. So they have a nest ready for occupancy immediately after their arduous journey. Even if it is damaged, repairing the old nest takes much less effort and expense than building a new one.
If they can't find a nest, you build a new one.
A clay nest consists of up to 1500 collected clay pellets.
Les Terres intérieures : Le premier jour
Dans les Grands Jardins de Poësia, sur les sommets qui surplombent la mer de Cassiopée, il y a un sentier dont la destination est intangible, insaisissable et mystérieuse.
Un jour, un vieux sage excentrique m’a confié que ceux qui empruntaient ce sentier ne cherchaient pas vraiment à rejoindre une destination, mais à devenir quelqu’un ou à réaliser quelque chose qui leur tenait à coeur.
« Ce sont les voyages les plus longs et les plus ardus» m’a t-il dit. « De ceux qui vous ferons perdre vos illusions ou, au contraire, qui vous permettront de connaître qui vous êtes vraiment. Et peut-être aussi, de découvrir comment réaliser votre destinée. Le plus difficile, c’est la première journée, cet instant où le voyageur, convaincu d’avoir pris la bonne décision, entreprend sa quête. »
Je ne compris pas immédiatement le sens de ces paroles aux accents mystiques, mais qu’importe… Devant la beauté sauvage des textures de l’automne boréal de Poësia, c’est la tentation de partir seul sur ces falaises qui l’emporta.
Alors que je faisais mes premiers pas, le vieux sage me salua et déclara, à ma grande surprise: « Lorsque je suis revenu de ce périple, mon ami, j’ai donné un nom au lieu que tu traverseras: Les Terres intérieures… là où règnent le silence, l’espace et l’âme de celui qui les traverse.»
Patrice
Extraits du Monde de Poësia (à paraître)
____________
The Inner Lands: The first day
In the Great Gardens of Poësia, on the peaks that overlook the Cassiopeia Sea, there is a path whose destination is intangible, elusive and mysterious.
Once, an old eccentric wise man told me that those who walk this trail aren't really looking to reach a destination, but to become someone or achieve something close to their heart.
“These are the longest and most arduous trips,” he told me. “Those who will make you lose your illusions or, on the contrary, who will allow you to know who you really are; and maybe also, to find out how to achieve your destiny. The hardest part is the first day, that moment when the traveler, convinced that they have made the right decision, begins their quest. "
I did not immediately understand the meaning of these words with their mystical accents, but whatever ... Faced with the wild beauty of the textures of the northern autumn of Poësia, it was the temptation to go alone on these cliffs wherever they'll take me.
As I was taking my first steps, the wise old man greeted me and declared, to my great surprise: "When I returned from this journey, my friend, I gave a name to the place you will cross: The Inner Lands ... there, where reigns the silence, the space and the soul of those who cross them.
Patrice
Excerpts from the World of Poësia (Forthcoming)
“The road to freedom must be uphill, even if it is arduous and frustrating.”
Andrew Goodman
DSCN7943-001
It's a place we all arrive. We usually don't know when, how or why until we get there.
Obviously, this salmon has reached the end of its line in the jaws of a grizzly, which might not be all bad.
Rather than enduring a long, drawn out death at the end of a very long and arduous journey, gasping in shallow water until time mercifully stops all living functions, this salmon might feel pain, (lots of controversy over that), for a short time and then, it's over.
But its life isn't meaningless or its death in vain. All things come to an end and all things serve a purpose on this great planet. Mother Nature made sure of that when she created all the wonders we see and share on this earth.
At some point, we all reach the end of the line. No getting away from that.
These were just some thoughts I had while looking at this salmon's face. And aren't those just some happy little thoughts to start the day with, LOL!
The winding road back down the mountain had many switchbacks. Many bicyclists made the arduous climb to the top of Lookout Mountain, and must have had a speedy ride back down.
Golden, Colorado
Botschaft auf Distanz. Einfach mal anzupfen.
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Maybe a passable new way to get the latest news out? Maybe we should take an example from this tree, which apparently conducts its conversations by plucking ;-) Something like how a telegram works? Today I was on a long walk with a good friend to talk, a bit arduous through partially frozen and slushy paths – but very nice :-))
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Vielleicht eine passable neue Möglichkeit, die neuesten Nachrichten zu versenden? Vielleicht sollten wir uns ein Beispiel an diesem Baum nehmen, der anscheinend seine Gespräche durch Zupfen führt ;-) So ähnlich wie ein Telegramm funktioniert? Ich war heute mit einer guten Freundin auf einem langen Spaziergang zum Reden, etwas beschwerlich durch teilweise gefrorene und mit Schneematsch bestückte Wege – aber sehr schön :-))
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Series »Winter's Bone«
The wide angle version of háifoss waterfall showing all 122m of cascading water of the river Fossa flowing into the Þjórsárdalur valley.
The hike down to the base of haifoss is quite an arduous experience as it winds down into the deep gorge created by the Fossa river but it's well worth the sweat and toil.
The steep sides of the gorge enclose the waterfall which in turn amplifies the noise and creates a wonderful atmosphere.
As much as I preferred the close up shots of the fast flowing water this wider scene showing the entire waterfall and rainbow does offer a sense of scale and yes i did get wet feet!
This is going to be a long commentary so pull up a chair and get comfortable. You good, Ok here goes.
This is a shot of the False Kiva in Canyonlands National Park. Taken on day 3 of the southwest tour. It is a panorama of 10 images shot vertically, overlapping 50% between shots.
The Kiva is a cave formation in the side of a cliff with an arduous path leading up to it and at about a mile (.08) makes it a fairly easy hike to get there. Or so I thought. Hear me out!!
While making the preparations for this shot and my trip, I saw a cool photo from my favorite Nightscape photographer Wayne Pinkston, and decided to make a comment about going on this trip. He replied back and said that he would be there at the same time for a couple of days. So, we arranged to meet at the Canyonlands Visitor Center. We originally planned to head up to the Kiva much earlier but when we met I found we had so much in common that we sat there chatting for 2 hrs about a variety of photography topics, scouting, shooting, processing, equipment, and Flickr. What a treat it was to meet up with him. He is the nicest guy and a fantastic photographer. By the time we headed out to the Kiva it was already dark, but we were both "sure" that we could find it. So we trekked off down the trail and quickly found it difficult to follow because some of it goes over solid rock and to make matters worse, the rangers frequently remove the cairns that mark the trail, making it even more difficult to follow. After some time though we relocated the trail and spent the better part of the night shooting at the Kiva. I had pre-visualized this shot well before arriving here and purchased an Indian headdress from Amazon to use as a shadowcaster, which is what has created the shadows across the roof of the cave and Wayne set up some lighting back down the trail some ways to help illuminate the far inside canyon. We wrapped up at around 1:30am and headed out to shoot Mesa Arch at sunrise, except!! we couldn't find the trail out. we scoured the area for signs of a trail with no success, and after shining my flashlight over the edge of the cliffside and seeing nothing but pitch black several times, we decided to campout for a while and wait for some early morning light to help us out. Wayne was running a GPS app on his phone and it helped somewhat but not enough to accurately direct us back to the trail, but when some pre-dawn light showed up we easily found the trail and were on our way.
I love Flickr, where else can you connect with other like minded people and get lost together in the desert. :)
My family and friends thought I was nuts. "Are you crazy" your going out to the desert 900 miles away in the middle of nowhere to meet a stranger from the internet you've never met in person in the middle of the night? "Good luck with that, they said"
Later, After the trip Wayne sent me a screenshot of the GPS map and it looked like we had spent the 2 hrs at the visitor center pounding down inebriating cocktails. LOL :) All told we managed to add 4 miles to the trip just trying to find the trail but man what fun it was and quite exhilarating. What an adventure we had and one I will never forget, not in a bad way, but in a good way. Yea we missed the sunrise at Mesa Arch and I'm not sure about Wayne, but it was my best day shooting photography so far. I kept thinking as we walked around searching for the trail "Man here I am walking around in the middle of the night in the middle of the desert with Wayne Pinkston....Wayne Freaking Pinkston, what "Luck" (Good). :)
For more of the story see Wayne's comments below in the comments section.
Wayne my friend, I thoroughly enjoyed every step and would do it again in a heartbeat!!! Thank you so much. :)
We had originally planned to do some back-packing to get there and managed to do some back-tracking to get out. :)
If you have never heard of Wayne Pinkston, do yourself a favor and visit his awesome stream at this address.
www.flickr.com/photos/pinks2000/
***Sidenote... I was so into the whole feel of this location I downloaded a couple of Navajo songs to play on my JBL Flip while there. I made sure that the songs had no indian words or chants, I wouldn't want to raise any ancient spirits while there. :) It really gave the whole scene a nice ambience at the time of shooting, the acoustics here are amazing.
****And "thank you" for taking the time to read my description and look at my photos. As always, your views, comments, faves, and support are greatly appreciated!! Have an awesome weekend everyone :)
I think this little Hummingbird has probably already made the 520 mile journey across the Gulf of Mexico. I last saw her at my feeders on October 1st. Always sad to see them go as the Gulf crossing can be arduous. Unless they touch down on a ship or oil rig, they make the crossing non stop in about 22 hours.
After a long and arduous hike in through deep snow we had arrived at Seamans Hut and went about setting up our campsite and enjoying a truly stunning afternoon. There hadn’t been a breath of wind and with the temperature only just below zero we were very comfortable.
Once the sun set we fired up our small gas cookers and heated up some dinner. When you’re in the mountains and bereft of common comforts such as light and TV time seems to really slow down and the evening was still young.
There are countless reasons why I love to escape city life. Amongst the many however, there is one which never ceases to impress me – that is, the colossal night sky. Away from the bright lights the magnificence of the universe becomes undeniably amazing.
With the last light of the day finally gone the show had begun, above us was one huge sky and in front of me was one beautiful alpine hut that was so coincidently positioned perfectly below a quickly emerging milky way.
The temperature was dropping fast and i had a warm sleeping bag and good book calling my name so I fired off this last shot and said good night to a perfect day ✨
Insta: @j.a.y_daley
The view south looking towards Crianlarich,
The West Highland Way is an arduous 154Km walk from Glasgow to Fort William
Parque Nacional Sangay at 2,870 meters (9,416 ft) above sea level now.
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The park ranger authorized us to climb (Refuge and the Summit), so we set off to face the arduous trail that would await us.
Yeah, so true, at long last spring has sprung here as well. And the best thing about all this is that I finally got my truck back from its heart rejuvenation project. Unfortunately, I was told in no uncertain terms to keep the revs down for the first 500 clicks. Way to take the pleasure out of the reunion.
In the interest of putting as many miles on the vehicle as possible to get this arduous break-in task accomplished, I decided to go to Hawrelak Park but although there were the obligatory geese and a few ducks, this did not pan out well at all, possibly a bit rusty (me, that is) but I did manage to find the shutter release) and I headed home after getting a great rest on my (yes, mine) park bench. I figured it’d be a good idea to charge all my batteries and retrieve the 70D from its winter storage since my mobility had returned and I saw way more trips in the near future. I head outside, 70D in-hand, to see what damage there is to be done and wow, the Red-tailed Hawk that has escaped me forever is doing some circles overhead. And it turns out there is a moon up above as well. Spring can’t possibly get any better than this … yeah well of course it can, as soon as that engine is broken in … And let me point out that this is another of my environmentally friendly shots that did not require automotive pollution. No, this is not a composite and therefore could benefit from some compositional improvements.
The Birds And The Bees – Dean Martin
And thank you Dean for showing a period in time when it was perfectly acceptable to have that smoke and enjoy it at the expense of the wellbeing of so many other people. Love his voice, probably enhanced by all that smoke in his lungs.
PS: Had I just talked about spring? Well criminy, today it’s snowing. 03-Apr-17
From Montano Lucino, Italy, I hiked via Drezzo across the hills falling down from Monte Sasso to Chiasso, Switzerland. It's not a really arduous tramp even if you leave the main road; trails are generally well maintained. It's steep here and there, though, so watch your step.
Little clearings with wildflowers, many insects and butterflies. Quite wonderful. Oh, yes! views are very scenic.
I noticed a clearing full of Knapweed and lots of Knapweed Fritillaries. This one, though, preferred - out of place, I guess - the nutrients of Erigeron annuus, Tall Fleabane.
With these perfect conditions, you quickly forget that it took quite a bit of effort to get up in the middle of the night and make the arduous ascent to the Schrammsteinen in the dark.
View from the Schrammstein-Aussicht in the Kirnitzschtal to the Affensteinen with the distinctive Bloßstock
Bei diesen perfekten Bedingungen vergisst man schnell, dass es schon einige Überwindung gekostet hat, mitten in der Nacht aufzustehen und den mühsamen Aufstieg zu den Schrammsteinen im Dunkeln zu nehmen.
Blick von der Schrammstein-Aussicht ins Kirnitzschtal zu den Affensteinen mit dem markanten Bloßstock
The new HMCS Harry DeWolf arrived Friday morning at the Burrard Drydock Pier [...] in North Vancouver [after completing] the journey through the arduous Northwest Passage [for the first time since 1954].
HMCS Harry DeWolf, measuring 340 ft (103.6 m) in length and with a beam of 62 ft (19 m), was launched from a Halifax shipyard in September 2018, and then commissioned on June 26, 2021.
[...] six of these new class of vessels [...] will have the strategic ability to traverse thick arctic ice and operate longer at sea thus improving the country’s ability to defend its arctic and maritime sovereignty.
North Vancouver’s Seaspan also holds a multi-billion dollar contract under the NSS to construct non-combative vessels, including a Polar Icebreaker. DH News Vancouver
factsofindonesia.com/tana-toraja-death-rituals
Thank you all for taking a look at my images, much appreciated!
And this year also passed.
Not in a flash, like the other years before. But slowly. Partially arduous. My balance this year is brilliant, considering how it started. Here my small inventory...
In total I had only five nightmares.
I have kissed many frogs...
I let myself be fooled 3 times.
I have met people whom I love and value very much.
I have laughed!
I have cried!
I was very often angry, because the detection of lies was painful.
I have learned that I could not have been different, because the way I am now.... It is good.
I argued... Very often even. I guess that's the Spanish in me.
I've learned to be grateful for the beautiful memories that make my little life worth living!
I've learned about myself that I'm impatient. That my way of thinking often offends others. I had thought I was such a moralist. God. I am not.
Thank you 2022 for so many lessons! I hope 2023 teaches me more ... Only with less pain.
Common Kingfisher
(Alcedo atthis)
Well, we made it to our new home a few days ago and just got our internet installed today. An arduous journey, but fun anyway. Already seeing lots of different birds in the backyard, but still plenty of good shots to post from our old home. I hope to catch up on your adventures and photography as soon as I unpack a couple of more boxes!
The goal so close in mind, but the way to there was long and arduous. But it was a great hike and the whole day was still ahead of us!
Silver Lake and dunes. Everything seems far away when you're in these dunes and the sand makes hiking a slow and arduous effort... except for today because the dunes are still wet and frozen under the blowing sand making this hike much easier!
A westbound Southern Pacific freight, led by EMD SD70M No. 9809, curves through Sandcut, California, after an arduous crossing of the Tehachapi Mountains on the pleasant spring day of March 8, 1996.
Most barn swallows return to the same nest every year. If the nest is damaged, they carry out some repairs. This saves time and energy compared to building a new nest. So be sure to leave old swallow nests in place. The parents feed the young with a wad of insects stored in their throats. Older chicks are fed up to 400 times a day by their parents. On good days, that amounts to as many as 9,000 insects a day. One swallow doesn't make a spring, but unfortunately, this "harbinger of spring" is declining rapidly in numbers. Large-scale growth, urbanization, and the impoverishment of the flora and fauna are all working against this graceful bird, which feels most at home in the old-fashioned countryside. Moreover, a great many barn swallows perish during their arduous journey to Central and South Africa where they spend the winter. There are many nicknames for the barn swallow in Flemish dialects, such as zwalum, zwolm, and zwalie. Swallows are said to be able to predict the weather with their flight behavior. Grandmother's wisdom: "If the swallow flies high, it remains dry."
Do you remember that spell of hideously stormy and windy weather? Well, this was a morning I nipped out in the middle of Storm Dudley. I thought there was zero chance of a sunrise when I arrived, but somehow the rays battled through the smallest gap underneath the roiling cloud. A very satisfying pre-work wander.
I was intending to head out for a decent walk tomorrow, until I read the forecast - "Arduous walking conditions on higher fells". I hate the wind!
Désolé pour les coeurs sensibles . Avec les hivers froids que nous avons, le faucon émerillon et autres rapaces ont beaucoup à faire pour survivre. Cette femelle faucon émerillon a du combattre ce pigeon avec désespoir pour sa survie Cela n a pas été une tâche facile. Je pouvais voir que le faucon n`avais plus beaucoup d énergie. Le combat de la survie a été ardu pour les deux espèces, peine perdu pour le pigeon. Le faucon était totalement épuisé et ne pouvais transporté son repas, Après quelques instants de répit , il commenca à se servir sur place afin de reprendre ses forces. Après environ 30 minutes le faucon avais repris ses forces et s`envola avec le reste de son repas dans le boisé . Lors de son festin elle me regardait continuellement car j étais a environ 12 pieds d`elle . Tout une expérience pour moi et le faucon
Sorry for sensitive hearts. With the cold winters we have, the merlin and other raptors have a lot to do to survive. This female merlin had to fight this pigeon with despair for its survival It was not an easy task. I could see that the merlin no longer had much energy . The struggle of survival was arduous for both species, punishment lost for the pigeon. The merlin was totally exhausted and could not carry his meal. After a few moments of rest, he began to eat his prey to regain his strength.
After about 30 minutes the falcon had regained his strength and flew with the rest of his meal in the woods. At her feast she looked at me continually as I was about 12 feet from her ! A whole experience for me and the falcon.
( Translation from google translate )
Trail to the top of New England's highest peak. You can also drive to the top on a road coming in from the other side. I prefer the hike. It's a long arduous day hike but the scenery is spectacular.
When I see this I will never understand how people can eat horses. Such majestic animals that do so much for us we need to treat them with dignity and respect. I applaud Jann Arden for helping to stop Canada from shipping live horses to Japan. It is a long arduous trip without food or water. As a life long lover of horses I classify this as horse abuse.
Here's a link for more info.
www.facebook.com/watch/?v=389913042347662
Please sign the petition if you believe in this cause. Canada, we must do better the world is watching. Every Canadian signature helps.
Petition petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-4190
Bella and I took a little hike down to the bottom of our property. It's not my favorite trail because the hike is arduous. ;)
In the Tennessee Mtns., USA.
I wasn't sure if I would get a clear shot of the castle from the top. I wondered if it might have been a drone shot I had seen before and not one taken from the top of the mountain that stands behind the castle. So I was on the third peak by the time I saw this view after a pretty arduous trek over the unbroken wilderness over the tops.
To the left is the estuary where the River Shiel flows out into the sea loch of Loch Moidart which then flows out into the Atlantic Ocean beyond. In the centre is the mid 13th century Castle Tioram on its own island (when the tide is in). Behind it is Eilean Shona, owned by Richard Branson's sister which has 11 luxury holiday rental cottages on it. eileanshona.com/ To the right of the castle is another island, the circular one called Riska. Above and beyond that on the far horizon you can see the tops of the Cuillin mountains in Skye.
Impressive view, eh? In my back yard! I decided I deserved a cold beer when I got home.
Hey, come to Scotland. It's only 16 deg C
In our lives, sooner or later we come across passages like this one, steep, uncomfortable and frustrating.
It is not uncommon for us to fight our way forward one step and then slide back two. We fall and get up again, carry on and fall again. We just look at others and at our roots. It's an arduous journey, but little by little we're making progress.
Directly in front of us, we see nothing but the mountain we are struggling with. But no matter how it works, every climb is eventually mastered. And when we get to the top, we step into the light, breathe the fresh air, feel the warmth of the sun on our faces and enjoy the view.
With still shaky legs we look back and see what we have achieved. We can be proud of it, proud of every mountain that we have conquered in life. From this we draw the strength to look ahead, to go further and not to shy away from the next steep passage.
In unserem Leben stoßen wir früher oder später auf Passagen wie diese hier, steil, unbequem und frustrierend.
Nicht selten kämpfen wir uns einen Schritt vor um danach zwei wieder zurück zu rutschen. Wir fallen und stehen wieder auf, machen weiter und fallen erneut. Wir suchen halt bei anderen und bei unseren Wurzeln. Es ist ein mühsamer Weg doch Stück für Stück kommen wir voran.
Den Blick direkt vor uns gerichtet sehen wir nichts anderes mehr als den Berg mit dem wir gerade kämpfen. Doch ganz gleich wie es wirkt, jeder Anstieg ist irgendwann bewältigt. Und oben angekommen treten wir ins Licht, atmen die frische Luft, fühlen die Wärme der Sonne im Gesicht und geniessen die Aussicht.
Mit noch wackeligen Beinen schauen wir zurück und sehen, was wir geleistet haben. Wir dürfen stolz darauf sein, stolz auf jeden Berg, den wir im Leben bezwungen haben. Daraus schöpfen wir die Kraft nach vorn zu blicken, weiter zu gehen und auch vor der nächsten steilen Passage nicht zurück zu schrecken.
more of this on my website at: www.shoot-to-catch.de
Errr. Sunrise Park these days. in the late 1800's till the 1930's there were many a mine claim and digging and blasting going on looking for gold, copper, whatever, but none of them really panned out so to speak. In the 30's the young park service took over with grand schemes of their own starting with a giant lodge that was never completed yet the beginnings of one still remains as a day lodge. They erected cabins to rent, put in a campground and facilities for such and roads...... a bustling oasis of activity with the side effect of destroying the meadows and supremely beautiful land. Then the park service decided that their mandate should be to preserve rather than promote and the arduous task of expunging and eradicating the damage began.
Today, at 6400 feet, it is the highest point that you can drive to, it is remote, home to hundreds of deer and elk, mountain goat and chipmunk and imho, the most amazing section of the park there is. If you come, come here. this is a must see, bring comfy boots and stay on the trails. It is open approximately late June/early July till the first snow, Late September/early October. A very tiny window for a very special place. They measure snowfall at Paradise which is 1000 feet lower and on the south side of the mountain with an average of 53 feet a year (a high of 93 feet) I'm guessing it's a wee bit higher here.