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The Long-eared Owl is associated with coniferous woodland and tall scrubby habitats during the breeding season, favouring sites where dense nesting cover is located close to open areas that are used for hunting. Although widely distributed across Britain and Ireland, the Long-eared Owl remains a scarce breeding species and one that is easy to overlook. The species appears to be more abundant in Ireland than it is within Britain, perhaps because of reduced competition Tawny Owl, which is absent from Ireland.
This is a medium-sized owl, slightly smaller and slimmer in appearance than a Tawny Owl. The main confusion species is Short-eared Owl and BTO has produced a useful video on how to identify the two species – this is available here.
When perched, or when the Long-eared Owl’s ear tufts are visible, the species can be readily separated from Short-eared Owl. At other times, eye colour is useful: those of Long-eared Owl are yellow-orange, while in Short-eared Owl they are yellow. The general appearance of the upperside of the wing in Short-eared Owl is of sharp contrast between the dark wing tip and the extensive pale panel that sits between this and the darker ‘carpel’ patch. In Long-eared this panel is more richly-coloured and less obvious.
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Thraupis palmarum (Palm Tanager / Tángara palmera)
La Ceja, Colombia; 2.300 meters above sea level.
The Palm Tanager is one of the most widespread and familiar birds of the neotropics, from Nicaragua south to southern Brazil. They are common at forest borders, but also occur in the canopy of the interior of forest. As the name suggests, Palm Tanagers often are associated with palm trees, but by no means are they restricted to living in palms.
Source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p...
Associated with large, rocky riverine systems, a boldly-marked river bird with long yellow beard-like pointed wattles, remarkably aggressive, with a loud, fast and repeated peep peep peep.
Seen in Zambia, such a joy to watch.
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.......................Tomx
I associate Goldenrod with the brilliant colour it has to attract pollinators, and with the year round contribution it makes to living creatures in the ecosystem. I used to think it was a source of seasonal allergies, but in fact its pollen is not wind borne - only bees, butterflies and birds can move it around.
I liked the clean look I got at the Honey Bee’s ‘mouth parts’, and the front legs that have dedicated bristles for cleaning the proboscis. The prominent mandibles, used for chewing and eating things, are displaced by the mandible but visible at its base, on either side of the proboscis. The front of the face is a bit dusty, but the compound eyes are unobstructed.
After what feels like days and days of overcast skies, I thought some bright summery colours and activity might be a tonic.
Smoke on the horizon is from back burning. A method to reduce the amount combustible vegetation on the ground. View of Dales Gorge, Karijini National Park. Its climate can best be described as tropical semi-desert. A highly variable, mainly summer rainfall of 250–350 mm, often associated with thunderstorms and cyclones, is accompanied by temperatures frequently topping 40 degrees Celsius. The ideal times to visit the park are late autumn, winter and early spring. Winter days are warm and clear, but nights are cold and sometimes frosty.
Massive mountains and escarpments rise out of the flat valleys. The high plateau is dissected by breathtaking gorges, and stony, tree-lined watercourses wind their way over the dusty plain. Erosion has slowly carved this landscape out of rocks that are over 2,500 million years old. (information from Explore Parks W.A)
Bristol MW6G / ECW, registration 56 GUO.
Sixty years old almost to the day, having entered service with Western National in June 1961 as 2267.
Seen on one of the round trips to Maypole during Wythall's May Bank Holiday Special Event.
A shot of one of the boats at Hastings surrounded by all the associated fishing clutter.
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On our only full day in Singapore we visited Gardens By The Bay for the second time. It really is a remarkable place and perhaps this dome is the piece de resistance; an artificial mountain created inside a glass dome that resembles the conditions you would find in a cloud forest.
The Cloud Forest is higher but slightly smaller of the two domes at 0.8 hectares (2.0 acres). It replicates the cool moist conditions found in tropical mountain regions between 1,000 metres (3,300 ft) and 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) above sea level, found in South-East Asia, Central- and South America. It features a 42-metre (138 ft) "Cloud Mountain", accessible by an elevator, and visitors are able to descend the mountain via a circular path where a 35-metre (115 ft) waterfall provides visitors with refreshing cool air.
The "Cloud Mountain" itself is an intricate structure completely clad in epiphytes such as orchids, ferns, peacock ferns, spike- and clubmosses, bromeliads and anthuriums. The design by Grant Associates was inspired by the Maiden Hair Fungus and consists of a number of levels, each with a different theme, including The Lost World, The Cavern, The Waterfall View, The Crystal Mountain, The Cloud Forest Gallery, The Cloud Forest Theatre and The Secret Garden.
Probably the most commonly seen hawk in the mid-latitudes of North America, red-tailed hawks are also amazingly variable in their plumage colors and patterns. The spring 2025 edition of Living Bird (Cornell Lab of Ornithology) has an instructive story on this variation, based on the doctoral dissertation of a student at Cornell. He concluded there are at least 16 subspecies of red-tailed hawks associated with fairly distinct geographic locations, with color variation relating to the habitat (e.g. light morphs in warm climates, dark morphs in cold climates).
I think cinema, movies, and magic have always been closely associated. The very earliest people who made film were magicians. Francis Ford Coppola
Dire Straits - Making Movies (full album )
Övedskloster is a village in the municipality Sjöbo.
After the stage of the city name comes from the monastery associated premonstratensorden based on the location of the 1160s. The monastery turned into secular hands years 1535th Övedskloster Castle, park and access roads with alleys and Ovid church is one of the biggest attractions Sjöbo.
Of course I associate this photo with music. And because I'm standing here right now, the song I chose can only come from Berlin. It was a formative time for the city and for me my most exciting. Right next to me used to be the entrance to the hottest club in the world, the TRESOR! Hey, and since Berlin also developed musically, we now listen to Moderat "Reminder"! instead of the techno of that time.
moderat — reminder ♫
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EOSR | RF35mm f/1.8 IS STM
Exposure: ƒ/4.0 | 1/1000s ISO 100
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This image is subject to full copyright © Please do not use my images on websites, blogs, or in other media without express written permission. F̶̅G̅. 2022 © all rights reserved
The Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle founded in 1687 is an order of chivalry associated with Scotland. Sir Robert Stodard Lorimar (1864-1929) was the architect and creator of the Thistle Chapel. St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, Scotland.
L'Ordre le plus ancien et le plus noble du chardon fondé en 1687 est un ordre de chevalerie associé à l'Écosse. Sir Robert Stodard Lorimar (1864-1929) était l'architecte et le créateur de la chapelle Thistle. Cathédrale St Giles, Édimbourg, Écosse
University Pavilion, 2003
Univeristy of Cincinnati,
Designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates in collaboration with local firm, GBBN Architects.
Leers Weinzapfel Associates
GBBN Architects
ERF 'LV' model 66GX six-wheeler flatbed lorry NBB609L seen in Slinfold, Sussex at a Boxing Day vehicle gathering.
" The Tree bumblebee is a relatively new arrival to the UK... It was first recorded here in 2001 and is slowly spreading north throughout the country...It can now be found in much of England and Wales and has reached Southern Scotland...It is associated with open woodland, so is commonly found in gardens that have a similar type of habitat...It nests in cavities, such as old birds' nests, bird boxes, or roof spaces...It visits a wide range of flowers, particularly those of soft fruits, such as raspberries and blackberries...It emerges from hibernation early in the spring, around February or early March...Males are seen in late May and June, and adults can still be seen in late autumn if nests have a second generation..."
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A TRRA yard job is seen working the south end of Madison Yard just outside of Brooklyn, Illinois. In the background, 101 prepares to depart for Lindenwood via the Mac Bridge. The concrete bridge piers in the background were part of the Illinois Terminal's Venice High Line, a mile-long trestle that connected the McKinley Bridge with the IT's yard facilities in East Madison. It was abandoned around the same time as when the IT ended rail service over the McKinley Bridge in 1977.
Dilmun is associated with ancient sites on the islands of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, the Cradle of Civilization.
Dilmun (sometimes transliterated Telmun) is associated with ancient sites on the islands of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. Because of its location along the sea trade routes linking Mesopotamia with the Indus Valley Civilization, Dilmun developed in the Bronze Age, from ca. 3000 BC, into one of the greatest entrepots of trade of the ancient world.
There is both literary and archaeological evidence for the trade between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley (probably correctly identified with the land called Meluhha in Akkadian). Impressions of clay seals from the Indus Valley city of Harappa were evidently used to seal bundles of merchandise, as clay seal impressions with cord or sack marks on the reverse side testify.
A number of these Indus Valley seals have turned up at Ur and other Mesopotamian sites. "Persian Gulf" types of circular stamped rather than rolled seals, known from Dilmun, that appear at Lothal in Gujarat, India, and Faylahkah, as well as in Mesopotamia, are convincing corroboration of the long-distance sea trade. What the commerce consisted of is less sure: timber and precious woods, ivory, lapis lazuli, gold, and luxury goods such as carnelian and glazed stone beads, pearls from the Persian Gulf, shell and bone inlays, were among the goods sent to Mesopotamia in exchange for silver, tin, woolen textiles, olive oil and grains. Copper ingots, certainly, bitumen, which occurred naturally in Mesopotamia, may have been exchanged for cotton textiles and domestic fowl, major products of the Indus region that are not native to Mesopotamia - all these have been instanced.
Mesopotamian trade documents, lists of goods, and official inscriptions mentioning Meluhha supplement Harappan seals and archaeological finds. Literary references to Meluhhan trade date from the Akkadian, the Third Dynasty of Ur, and Isin - Larsa Periods (ca. 2350 - 1800 BC), but the trade probably started in the Early Dynastic Period (ca. 2600 BC). Some Meluhhan vessels may have sailed directly to Mesopotamian ports, but by the Isin - Larsa Period, Dilmun monopolized the trade. By the subsequent Old Babylonian period, trade between the two cultures evidently had ceased entirely.
The Bahrain National Museum assesses that its "Golden Age" lasted ca. 2200 - 1600 BC. Its decline dates from the time the Indus Valley civilization suddenly and mysteriously collapsed, in the middle of the 2nd millennium BC. This would of course have stripped Dilmun of its importance as a trading center between Mesopotamia and India. The decay of the great sea trade with the east may have affected the power shift northwards observed in Mesopotamia itself.
Evidence about Neolithic human cultures in Dilmun comes from flint tools and weapons. From later periods, cuneiform tablets, cylinder seals, pottery and even correspondence between rulers throw light on Dilmun. Written records mentioning the archipelago exist in Sumerian, Akkadian, Persian, Greek, and Latin sources.
Dilmun, sometimes described as "the place where the sun rises" and "the Land of the Living" is the scene of a Sumerian creation myth and the place where the deified Sumerian hero of the flood, Ziusudra (Utnapishtim), was taken by the gods to live for ever.
There is mention of Dilmun as a vassal of Assyria in the 8th century BC and by about 600 BC, it had been fully incorporated into the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Dilmun then falls into deep eclipse marked by the decline of the copper trade, so long controlled by Dilmun, and the switch to a less important role in the new trade of frankincense and spices. The discovery of an impressive palace at the Ras al Qalah site in Bahrain is promising to increase knowledge of this late period.
Otherwise, there is virtually no information until the passage of Nearchus, the admiral in charge of Alexander the Great's fleet on the return from the Indus Valley. Nearchus kept to the Iranian coast of the Gulf, however, and cannot have stopped at Dilmun. Nearchus established a colony on the island of Falaika off the coast of Kuwait in the late 4th century BC, and explored the Gulf perhaps least as far south as Dilmun/Bahrain.
From the time of Nearchus until the coming of Islam in the 7th century AD Dilmun/Bahrain was known by its Greek name of Tylos. The political history for this period is little known, but Tylos was at one point part of the Seleucid Empire, and of Characene and perhaps part of the Parthian Empire. Shapur II annexed it, together with eastern Arabia, into the Persian Sassanian empire in the 4th century.
Unlike Egyptian and Mesopotamian tablets and cylinders, the Dilmun legacy has been discovered on circular seals. The primitive forms of images carved on the seal indicate they were used as charms or talisman. Carved on wood, soapstone shells or metal, these images clearly define a complex society. Temples in the center of the agrarian village, towns, city-states, religious, and economic cultural life. All facets of the emergence of an evolutionary society are reflected in the inscriptions about the seals.
Impressions found on pottery and property is a probable usage of the seals. Burying them with the dead was probably to avoid misuse. Tiny fragments found impressed, suggest identifying property. Clearly there was an intrinsic value; each seal tells a story, has an identity.
Seals depict Enki, God of wisdom and sweet water. Gilgamesh as a massive and heroic figure, the 'Bull of heaven' hat. Ladies of the mountains 'Inanas' servants wearing her triangle signs depicting space for her power. 'Nana' is the moon god who was also named 'sin'. Symbol was the bull of heaven head. Inana, goddess of immortality.
From the dreams of Gilgamesh, to the philosophy of life. Seals depicting a harmonious life with nature and god are painted here in the colors and form I hope you enjoy. The colors naturally excite and stimulate, often sexually. Indisputably the ancient myths of immortality and resurrection influenced Dilmun beliefs and are abundantly supported in the seal designs, represented by gods of the sun and moon.
The Mesopotamian texts described Tilmun as situated at the 'mouth' of two bodies of water. The Sinai peninsula, shaped as an inverted triangle indeed begins where the Red Sea separates into two arms - the gulf of Suez on the west, and the Gulf of Elat (Gulf of Aqaba) on the east.
The texts spoke of mountainous Tilmun. The Sinai peninsula is indeed made up of a high mountainous southern part, a mountainous central plateau, and a northern plain (surrounded by mountains), which levels off via sandy hills to the Mediterranean coastline. Sargon of Akkad claimed that he reached as 'washed his weapons' in the Mediterranean; 'the sea lands' - the lands along the Mediterranean coast - 'three times I encircled; Tilmun my hand captured'. Sargon II, king of Assyria in the eighth century BC, asserted that he had conquered the area stretching 'from Bit-Yahkin on the shore of the salt Sea as far as the border of Tilmun'. The name 'Salt Sea' has survived to this day as a Hebrew name for the Dead Sea - another confirmation that Tilmun lay in proximity to the Dead Sea.
The cradle of civilization is sometimes referenced by the name Dilmun, or Tilmun. Here, it was said, the god Ea and his wife were placed to institute 'a sinless age of complete happiness'.
Here too animals lived in peace and harmony, man had no rival and the god Enlil `in one tongue gave praise'. It is also described as a pure, clean and `bright' `abode of the immortals' where death, disease and sorrow are unknown and some mortals have been given `life like a god', words reminiscent of the Airyana Vaejah, the realm of the immortals in Iranian myth and legend, and the Eden of Hebraic tradition
Although Dilmun is equated by most scholars with the island of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, there is evidence to suggest that a much earlier mythical Dilmun was located in a mountainous region beyond the plains of Sumer.
But where exactly was it located Mesopotamian inscriptions do not say; however, the Zoroastrian Bundahishn text and the Christian records of Arbela in Iraqi Kurdistan both refer to a location named Dilamƒn as having existed around the head waters of the Tigris, south-west of Lake Van - the very area in which the biblical Eden is said to have been located.
Furthermore, Ea (the Akkadian Enki) was said to have presided over the concourse of Mesopotamia's two greatest rivers - the Tigris and Euphrates - which are shown in depictions as flowing from each of his shoulders.
This would have undoubtedly have meant that the head-waters, or sources, of these rivers would have been looked upon as sacred to Ea by the cultures of Mesopotamia's Fertile Crescent.
- Zecharia Sitchin The Stairway to Heaven
Dilmun was allegedly a magical land, the birthplace of the gods and the place where the arts of civilization where said first to have been transmitted to men. It was the subject of many legends told by the Sumerians, the people of southern Iraq; it was famed as a land where death and disease were unknown and men and animals lived at peace together.
It was the home of the Sumerian king who was the origin of the myth of Noah, the immortal survivor of the Great Flood, a story retold in the Qu'ran and the Bible.
The first great hero of world literature, Gilgamesh the king of Uruk, journeyed to Dilmun in search of the secret of eternal youth.
He found it deep in the waters of the Persian Gulf, off Bahrain, but lost it when the flower which restored the youth of those who sought it, was stolen by a snake, lurking in a pool as Gilgamesh returned to his kingdom; this is the reason why the snake sloughs his skin.
Symbolism - All is Myth and Metaphor in our reality
* water: flow of consciousness - creation
* restore to youth: move out of the physical body and return to higher frequency forms of sound, light, and color
* snake: DNA - the human bio-genetic experiment in time and emotion
* kingdom - Leo - Lion - King - Omega - closure
Dilmun was also the center of the most important trade routes of the third and second millennia BC. The most important commodity was copper for which Dilmun was famous and the dates for which Bahrain was always celebrated, from ancient times until the present day.
Because Dilmun was so sacred a land, there were many temples built there, the impressive remains of which can be seen today. The largest and most splendid temple surviving in Western Asia is at Barbar on Bahrain's northern shore.
The most famous of all Bahrain's rich archaeological heritage are the 200,000 grave mounds which are a feature of the landscape in the northern half of the island and which, by their size and quality of construction, show how prosperous Bahrain must have been in ancient times.
Dilmun continued to be the most important center of trade in the Gulf region throughout its history.
After the Sumerians, the Babylonians, Assyrians, even the Greeks, settled on the islands, because of their strategic importance in the movement of merchandise, north and south, east and west, by sea and by the land routes to which the seas gave access.
The records of their diplomatic relations with the kings of Dilmun, some of whose names are known from the records, testify to the importance of the islands throughout antiquity.
All left evidence of their presence, preserved today in the Bahrain National Museum and in the immense archaeological sites in which Bahrain is particularly rich.
Bahrain is an open-air treasure house of the past, a unique heritage from the earliest times when men first began to keep records of their hopes, fears and achievements.
It is the contemporary of ancient Egypt with Sumer and the peoples who succeeded them, of the great cities of the Indus Valley.
Source: www.crystalinks.com/dilmun.html
Standen is an Arts and Crafts house located near East Grinstead, West Sussex. The house was designed between 1892 and 1894 by Philip Webb, a friend and associate of William Morris, for a prosperous London solicitor, James Beale, his wife, Margaret, and their family. It is decorated with Morris carpets, fabrics and wallpapers, and was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1972.
According to the Wikipedia entry, the estate was formed from three farms that the Beales had purchased in 1890.
The Beales started planting a 12 acre garden almost immediately after they had purchased the land, using the site of an 18th-century garden and orchard. In early 1891 trees were planted, a yew hedge established and the kitchen garden begun.
The Beales consulted a London landscape gardener who drew up a layout that assumed that the new house would be located on the line of the existing terrace. However, Webb suggested that it rather be placed further into the hillside. The proposed planting schemes were characterized by strict geometrical layouts of colorful flowerbeds and shrubs. Webb preferred something else, however: a mixture of natural styles combining old-fashioned formality and compartmentalized gardens. Webb also designed a number of elements in the garden.
The resulting Arts and Crafts garden used local materials for its formal elements and loose plantings amongst yew hedges, trellis and pergolas, emphasizing natural color schemes and subtle combinations of color and foliage.
Catatonia
is a syndrome of psychological and motorological disturbances. In the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV) it is not recognized as a separate disorder, but is associated with psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia (catatonic type), bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other mental disorders, as well as drug abuse or overdose (or both). It may also be seen in many medical disorders including infections (such as encephalitis), autoimmune disorders, focal neurologic lesions (including strokes), metabolic disturbances and abrupt or overly rapid benzodiazepine withdrawal.
Patients with catatonia may experience an extreme loss of motor skills or even constant hyperactive motor activity. Catatonic patients will sometimes hold rigid poses for hours and will ignore any external stimuli. Patients with catatonic excitement can die of exhaustion if not treated. Patients may also show stereotyped, repetitive movements. They may show specific types of movement such as waxy flexibility, in which they maintain positions after being placed in them by someone else, or gegenhalten (lit. "counterhold"), in which they resist movement in proportion to the force applied by the examiner. They may repeat meaningless phrases or speak only to repeat what the examiner says.
Bad day. Bad bad day.
My friends went to Chicago today to go see the Lion King and eat at the Cheesecake Factory. Where am I at? Sitting on my butt in my room. Why? Because I'm too effing poor to do crap.
Then Garry calls this morning on his way home from work and tells me that he had been asked to go into work tonight. We were supposed to take tonight and tomorrow night and celebrate our anniversary. Is that going to happen now? No. Did he even bother to call me any time in the last seven hours? No.
Haven't eaten anything yet today because the spot doesn't open until 6. Thankfully that's only a half hour away...then I can finally eat something. Will probably be crap because this school could care less about those of us stuck on campus during the weekend...but it's something.
However, I do like this picture. I have high expectations for how it'll do...which sucks cause, with the way my day is going, this thing will be totally ignored by everyone. *sigh* but I still like it...so that's good at least.
Central Railway of India, broad gauge, 4-6-2 WP 7170 on shed at Agra, late afternoon on 5 November 1978.
WP 7170, carrying the blue and white livery associated with the "Taj Express' passenger train, was built by India's Chittaranjan Workshops in 1965.
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Whirlwind half-day tours to Isla del Sol are strictly for the been-there-done-that crowd as the island definitely merits a night or two. That said, the majority of the ruins and associated sights are located on the island's northern half, which is off-limits to tourists. In the limited area you're allowed to roam you'll find a few small ruins, lookouts and walking trails, but most visitors simply kick back and enjoy the view.
Testing a preloved CANON RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS ST lens from MBP. Tricky shooting, the local mini forest is not actively managed and chaotic. The paths wander as trees grow and local dog walkers trim branches. We had a lot of trees blown down in storms over the last few years.
Aberdeenshire (Scottish Gaelic: Siorrachd Obar Dheathain) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the old County of Aberdeen which had substantially different boundaries. Modern Aberdeenshire includes all of what was once Kincardineshire, as well as part of Banffshire. The old boundaries are still officially used for a few purposes, namely land registration and lieutenancy. Aberdeenshire Council is headquartered at Woodhill House, in Aberdeen, making it the only Scottish council whose headquarters are located outside its jurisdiction. Aberdeen itself forms a different council area (Aberdeen City). Aberdeenshire borders onto Angus and Perth and Kinross to the south, Highland and Moray to the west and Aberdeen City to the east. Traditionally, it has been economically dependent upon the primary sector (agriculture, fishing, and forestry) and related processing industries. Over the last 40 years, the development of the oil and gas industry and associated service sector has broadened Aberdeenshire's economic base, and contributed to a rapid population growth of some 50% since 1975. Its land represents 8% of Scotland's overall territory. It covers an area of 6,313 square kilometres
Juneteenth Celebration in Leimert Park, Los Angeles, CA. Thousands of people gathered together for a day of celebration in which in 1865 did slaves in Texas found out they were free, however the Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Lincoln was in 1863. This moment is even more powerful this year, because the entire world has been in an uproar to fight back against the injustices from police brutality against black people. People want change and they have time and time again shown up in numbers to make it known, this time is no different.
Hair Ice associated with the fungus Exidiopsis effusa on the New Forest, New Forest National Park, Hampshire England
Focus Stacked Image, 16 image files, f11, iso100
The second day of early mornings in a frozen woodland, Hair Ice is very temperature and environment dependant, and the associated fungus must be present to help deliver this amazing phenomena more on this here,
Smoke, so often associated with trains starting up or accelerating—behind both steam and diesel—can
also swirl around a brake application. Here, British Columbia Railway (BCR) train 26, a southbound laden with wood chips and other forest products, complains its way down toward Lillooet, BC, Canada, near BCR milepost 172, on June 3, 1987.
Judges’ Comments:
This stunning image is a photo that anyone who has spent time trackside in mountainous territory can relate to and conjures up the sights, sounds, and smells of this straining train. Stunning backlighting highlights the swirls of brake shoe smoke as a train works down a steep and twisting grade. A non-traditional view, this scene conveys the drama and danger of mountain railroading through its capture of brake smoke.
"The Associated Bank River Center Corporate Office is a 28-story, 426-foot-tall ( postmodern high-rise building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The building, originally named the Milwaukee Center, was completed in 1988, during a small building boom in Milwaukee that also included 100 East Wisconsin. Until 100 East was completed, the Milwaukee Center was the second tallest building in Milwaukee. The peaked tower, red brick, and the use of green near the top"pay homage to the style of the Milwaukee City Hall. "
This is a shot I took of IC5070 or the Pelican Nebula an H II region associated with the North America Nebula in the constellation Cygnus.. This region is the back of the Pelican's Head. The shot used Ha and OIII filters and I played with the color mix some and liked the orange!
Taken 5/18/2012
Telescope: AT8RC
Camera: SBIG ST8300M (-10C)
Mount: Losmandy G11
Filters:
Ha : 5 x 10min.
OIII 3 x 10min.
Total Exposure: 80 minutes
Book cover design by Kuhlman Associates for Left-Handed Liberty: a Play about Magna Carta by John Arden. New York: Grove Press, 1966. PR6001.R44 L4 1966
Nevada Alcalá de Henares, Madrid / Spain
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Shown: 1929 Sunbeam Model TT90
Sunbeam Cycles made by John Marston Limited of Wolverhampton was a British brand of bicycles[1] and, from 1912 to 1956 motorcycles. On John Marston's death after the First World War it was bought by Nobel Industries, Nobel became ICI. Associated Motor Cycles bought it in 1937 then BSA bought Sunbeam in 1943. Sunbeam Cycles is most famous for its S7 balloon-tyred shaft-drive motorcycle with an overhead valve in-line twin engine. Many John Marston Sunbeam motorcycle models were produced.The first was a 350 cc in 1912 followed by a range of 500 cc singles and some v-twins. In 1924, a new model numbering system was introduced; Sunbeam Models 1 through 11. Other higher-numbered models were produced in later years. The majority had single-cylinder engines developing relatively low power, though winning the TT races often, the last time in 1929. A hallmark of all Marston Sunbeams was the superb quality and finish in black with gold-leaf pinstriping. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunbeam_Cycles#Sunbeam_motorcycles]
The Canadian Automotive Museum is an automobile museum located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum features many Canadian-made cars as the automobile industry, specifically the Canadian division of the General Motors, known as General Motors Canada, which has always been at the forefront of Oshawa's economy. The museum was founded in 1962 by a group of Oshawa businessmen through the Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. The venture was initiated mainly to preserve the automotive history of Canada and to present this history in an educational and entertaining manner. Canadian Automotive Museum Inc is a charitable corporation and has been in operation since 1963. The museum is housed in a 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) building in downtown Oshawa that was originally the location of Ontario Motor Sales, a local car dealership, in the 1920s. The building maintains its original period architecture right down to the original elevator used to move cars to the second floor. The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Automotive_Museum]
Website: www.canadianautomotivemuseum.com
This "Canadian Automotive Museum" tells the story of the 'Canadian Automotive Industry' through its many displays and original artifacts. It is located in the 'Canadian General Motors' town of 'Oshawa' since 1961 and features cars from 1898 to 1930s.
Royal Navy patrol vessel P291 HMS Puncher sailing down the River Thames following a visit to London.
Primarily used for training, Puncher also carries out UK coastal protection duties as well as work further afield, and is associated, as are its 'sister' vessels, with a particular Universtity, in this case London University Royal Naval Unit
Passing the cruise ship Marco Polo, moored at Tilbury's international cruise terminal, and tanker Distributor, probably supplying the cruise ship.
photo rights reserved by B℮n
Bosnia and Herzegovina often known informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe, located within the Balkans. Sarajevo is the capital and largest city. Bosnia is not entirely a landlocked country as it may appear on a map – to the south it has a narrow coast on the Adriatic Sea long and surrounds the town of Neum. Many people still associate the country with the break-up of Yugoslavia in the heartbreaking civil war of the 1990's. The scars from that time are all still visible. But today's tourist are likely to remember the country for its friendly, modest and warm people. The country has turned into an exciting and versatile travel destination, with beautiful mountains, numerous medieval castle ruins, seven major rivers, impressive waterfalls. Overall, nearly 50% of Bosnia is forested. A country where Eastern and Western civilizations have met over the centuries. Today integration into the European Union is one of the main political objectives of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The local currency is the Bosnian mark. The euro is also accepted. Islam is the majority faith in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also Orthodox Christianity, and Roman Catholicism are all present. The wild and unspoilt nature makes it an ideal place for both adventurers and nature lovers. Kravica waterfall, often called Kravice, is a large cascade on the Trebižat River, in the karstic heartland of Herzegovina in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is 40 kilometres south of Mostar. Its height is about 28 metres and the radius of the lake in the base of the waterfall is 120 metres. Kravica is a popular swimming and picnic area during the summer.
Kravica waterfall often called Kravice. Plunging from cliffs as high as 28 meters into a natural, watery amphitheater that is almost 120m across, the series of waterfalls at Kravice are nestled in a natural reserve southwest of the city of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In spring, this gorgeous mini-Niagara pounds itself into a dramatic, steamy fury. The water becomes steamy as it dramatically falls into the shallow pools. In summer it's a more gentle cascade, but the emerald pool offers an idyllic respite from the sweltering heat for locals and tourists. The waterfalls are surrounded by the trees, giving the entire area a “hidden paradise” kind of a feel. The water temperature will never rise above 20 degrees because the spring of the Krebizat river is only 30 kilometers uphill from the waterfalls. Especially in summer the chill water is very welcome. Kanitha is enjoying a glass wine and waiting for our lunch at Grill Slapovi Kravica.
Bosnië en Herzegovina informeel bekend als Bosnië, is een land in Zuidoost-Europa, gelegen op de Balkan. Sarajevo is de hoofdstad en de grootste stad. Veel mensen associëren het land nog steeds met het uiteenvallen van Joegoslavië in de hartverscheurende burgeroorlog van de jaren negentig. De littekens uit die tijd zijn allemaal nog zichtbaar. Maar de toerist van vandaag de dag zal het land waarschijnlijk herinneren vanwege zijn vriendelijke, bescheiden en warme mensen. Het land is een opwindende en veelzijdige reisbestemming geworden, met prachtige bergen, talloze middeleeuwse kasteelruïnes, zeven grote rivieren, indrukwekkende watervallen. In totaal is bijna 50% van Bosnië bebost. Een land waar oosterse en westerse beschavingen elkaar door de eeuwen heen hebben ontmoet. Tegenwoordig is integratie in de Europese Unie een van de belangrijkste politieke doelstellingen van Bosnië en Herzegovina. De reeks watervallen van Kravice stort zich van kliffen tot 28 meter hoog in een natuurlijk, nattig amfitheater met een diameter van bijna 120 meter, in een natuurreservaat ten zuidwesten van de stad Mostar. In het voorjaar beukt deze als een prachtige mini-Niagara met dramatische, stomende woede. Het water wordt nevel terwijl het met vaart in de ondiepe poelen valt. In de zomer is het een zachtere waterval, maar het smaragdgroene water biedt een idyllische onderbreking van de zinderende hitte voor de lokale bevolking en toeristen. De watervallen zijn omgeven door bomen, wat het hele gebied een soort verborgen paradijs geeft. De watertemperatuur zal nooit boven de 20 graden komen omdat de bron van de Krebizat rivier slechts 30 kilometer bergopwaarts van de watervallen ligt. Vooral in de zomer is het kille water zeer welkom. Kanitha geniet van een glas wijn en wacht op onze lunch bij Grill Slapovi Kravica.
One moment winter story.
Lakhta .This small village on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, about 15 km northwest of the city, is home to human settlements on the banks of the Neva. It was on the territory of Lakhta that the remains of a man’s parking site of three thousand years ago were found.
In official documents, a settlement named Lakhta dates back to 1500. The name is derived from the Finnish-speaking word lahti - "bay". This is one of the few settlements that has not changed its name throughout its 500-year history. Also known as Laches, Lahes-by, Lahes and was originally inhabited by Izhora. In the last decades of the 15th century, Lakhta was a village (which indicates a significant population) and was the center of the eponymous grand-parish volost, which was part of the Spassko-Gorodensky graveyard of the Orekhovsky district of the Vodskaya Pyatina. In the village, there were 10 courtyards with 20 people (married men). In Lakhta, on average, there were 2 families per yard, and the total population of the village probably reached 75 people.
From the notes on the margins of the Swedish scribe book of the Spassky graveyard of 1640, it follows that the lands along the lower reaches of the Neva River and parts of the Gulf of Finland, including Lakhta Karelskaya, Perekulya (from the Finnish “back village”, probably because of its position relative to Lakhti) and Konduy Lakhtinsky, were royal by letter of honor on January 15, 1638 transferred to the possession of the Stockholm dignitary, Rickschulz general Bernhard Sten von Stenhausen, a Dutchman by birth. On October 31, 1648, the Swedish government granted these lands to the city of Nyuen (Nyenschanz). With the arrival of the Swedes in Prievye, Lakhta was settled by the Finns, who until the middle of the 20th century made up the vast majority of the villagers.
On December 22, 1766, Catherine 2 granted Lakhta Manor, which was then in the Office of the Chancellery from the buildings of palaces and gardens, "in which and in her villages with courtyards 208 souls," her favorite Count Orlov. Not later than 1768, Count J.A. Bruce took over the estate. In 1788, Lakhta Manor was listed behind him with wooden services on a dry land (high place) and the villages Lakhta, Dubki, Lisiy Nos and Konnaya belonging to it also on dry land, in those villages of male peasants 238 souls. On May 1, 1813, Lakhta passed into the possession of the landowners of the Yakovlevs. On October 5, 1844, Count A.I. Stenbok-Fermor entered into the possession of the Lakhtinsky estate, which then had 255 male souls. This clan was the owner of the estate until 1912, when its last representative got into debt and noble custody was established over the estate. On October 4, 1913, in order to pay off his debts, he was forced to go for corporatization, and the Lakhta estate passed into the ownership of the Joint Stock Company “Lakhta” of Count Stenbock-Fermor and Co.
After the revolution, Lakhta was left on its own for a while, here on the former estate of the counts Stenbock-Fermorov on May 19, 1919, the Lakhta excursion station was opened, which existed there until 1932. In the early 1920s, sand mining began on Lakhta beaches, and the abandoned and dilapidated peat plant of the Lakhta estate in 1922 took over the Oblzemotdel and put it into operation after major repairs. In 1963, the village of Lakhta was included in the Zhdanovsky (Primorsky) district of Leningrad (St. Petersburg).
At the beginning of Lakhtinsky Prospekt, on the banks of the Lakhtinsky spill, there was the village of Rakhilax (Rahilax-hof, Rahila, Rokhnovo). Most likely, under this name only one or several courtyards are designated. There is an assumption that the name of the village was formed from the Finnish raahata - “drag, drag,” because there could be a place for transportation through the isthmus of the Lakhtinsky spill (we should not forget that not only the bridge over the channel connecting the spill with the Gulf of Finland was not yet here, the duct itself was many times wider than the current one). The search book of the Spassko-Gorodensky graveyard of 1573, describing the Lakhta lands, mentions that there were 2 lodges in the “Rovgunov” village, from which we can conclude that we are talking about the village of Rohilaks, which the Russian scribes remade into a more understandable to them Rovgunovo. The village was empty in Swedish time and was counted as a wasteland of the village of Lahta.
On the banks of the Lakhtinsky spill, near the confluence of the Yuntolovka River, from the 17th century there existed the village of Bobylka (Bobylskaya), which merged into the village of Olgino only at the beginning of the 20th century, but was found on maps until the 1930s. It is probably the Search Book that mentions it Spassko-Gorodensky churchyard in 1573 as a village "in Lakhta in Perekui", behind which there was 1 obzh. With the arrival of the Swedes by royal letter on January 15, 1638, the village was transferred to the possession of the Stockholm dignitary, Rickshaw General Bernhard Sten von Stenhausen, a Dutchman by birth. On October 31, 1648, the Swedish government granted Lahti lands to the city of Nyuen (Nyenschanz). On the Swedish map of the 1670s, in the place of the village of Bobylsky, the village of Lahakeülä is marked (küla - the village (Fin.)). The village could subsequently be called Bobyl from the Russian word "bobyl."
The owners of Bobylskaya were both Count Orlov, and Count Y. A. Bruce, and the landowners Yakovlev. In 1844, Count A.I. Stenbok-Fermor entered into the possession of the Lakhtinsky estate (which included the village of Bobyl). This family was the owner of the estate until 1913, when the owners, in order to pay off their debts, had to go for corporatization, and the Lakhta estate was transferred to the ownership of the Lakhta Joint-Stock Company of Count Stenbock-Fermor and Co. By the middle of the 20th century, the village merged with the village of Lakhta.
The name Konnaya Lakhta (Konnaya) has been known since the 16th century, although earlier it sounded like Konduya (Konduya Lakhtinskaya) or just Kondu (from the Finnish kontu - courtyard, manor). Subsequently, this name was replaced by the more familiar Russian ear with the word "Horse". In the Search Book of the Spassko-Gorodensky Pogost in 1573, it is mentioned as the village "on Kovdui", where 1 obzh was listed, which indicates that there most likely was one yard. On January 15, 1638, together with neighboring villages, it was transferred to the possession of the Stockholm dignitary, Rickschulz General Bernhard Steen von Stenhausen, of Dutch origin. On October 31, 1648, the Swedish government granted these lands to the city of Nyuen (Nyenschanz). In a deed of gift, Konduya Lakhtinskaya is called a village, which indicates a noticeable increase in its population. Later, on the Swedish map of the 1670s, on the site of the present Horse Lahti, the village of Konda-bai is marked (by - village (sv)).
The owners of Konnaya Lakhta, as well as the villages of Bobylskaya and Lakhta, were in turn Count Orlov, Count Ya. A. Bruce, and the landowners Yakovlev. In 1844, Count A.I. Stenbok-Fermor entered the possession of the Lakhta estate (which included Konnaya Lakhta. This family was the owner of the estate until 1913, when the owners had to go to corporations to pay off their debts, and the Lakhta estate became the property of Lakhta Joint Stock Company of Count Stenbock-Fermor and Co. In 1963, Horse Lahta was included in the Zhdanov (Primorsky) district of Leningrad (St. Petersburg).
As the dacha village of Olgino appeared at the end of the 19th century and initially consisted of both Olgin itself and the villages of Vladimirovka (now part of Lisiy Nos) and Aleksandrovka. In the first half of the 18th century, this territory was part of the Verpelev palace estate, which in the second half of the 18th century was granted to Count G. G. Orlov, then it was owned by the family of landowners the Yakovlevs, in the middle of the 19th century the estate was transferred to the counts of Stenbock-Fermor. In 1905 A.V. Stenbok-Fermor, the then owner of Lakhta lands, divided the lands around Lakhta into separate plots with the intention of selling them profitably for dachas. So there were the villages of Olgino (named after the wife of Olga Platonovna), Vladimirovka (in honor of the father of the owner; the coastal part of the modern village of Lisy Nos) and Alexandrov or Aleksandrovskaya (in honor of Alexander Vladimirovich himself). It is likely that on the site of the village was the village of Olushino (Olushino odhe) - a search book of the Spassko-Gorodensky churchyard in 1573 mentions that there were 1 obzh in the village of Olushkov’s, which suggests that at least one residential the yard. On behalf of Olushka (Olpherius). Most likely, the village was deserted in Swedish time and then was already listed as a wasteland belonging to the village of Lahta. Thus, the name of the village could be given in harmony with the name of the mistress and the old name of the village.
The villages were planned among a sparse pine forest (the layout was preserved almost unchanged), so there were more amenities for living and spending time there than in Lakhta. A park was set up here, a summer theater, a sports ("gymnastic") playground, a tennis court, and a yacht club were arranged.
In the 1910s about 150 winter cottages were built in Olgino, many of which are striking monuments of "summer cottage" architecture. In 1963, the village of Olgino was included in the Zhdanovsky (Primorsky) district of Leningrad (St. Petersburg).
Near Olgino, in the area of the Dubki park, there was a small village Verpeleva (Verpelevo), which consisted of only a few yards. In the first half of the XVIII century. this territory was part of the palace estate "Verpeleva", which in the second half of the XVIII century. It was granted to Count G. G. Orlov, then passed to the Counts of Stenbock-Fermor. The village has not existed for a long time, but the entire reed-covered peninsula (barely protruding above the water of the Verpier-Luda peninsula (Verper Luda (from the Finnish luoto - “small rocky island”)) still existed, and there was another spelling the name of this island is Var Pala Ludo).
Kamenka. The Novgorod scribal book mentions two villages in the Lakhta region with a similar name, referring to the possessions of Selivan Zakharov, son of Okhten, with his son and 5 other co-owners. On the lands of this small patrimony, which, unlike the estate was inherited, peasants lived in 3 villages, including: the village "Kamenka in Lakhta near the sea" in 5 yards with 5 people and arable land in 1,5 obzhi, the village "on Kamenka "in 2 courtyards with 2 people and arable land in 1 obzhu. For the use of land, the peasants paid the owners of the patrimony 16 money and gave 1/3 of the rye harvest. Thus, in the 16th century on the Kamenka River (another name for the Kiviyoki River, which is the literal translation of kivi - "stone", joki - "river") there was one large village of Kamenka near its confluence with the Lakhtinsky spill and the second, smaller, somewhere upstream. On the drawing of Izhora land in 1705, a village under this name is depicted in the area of the modern village of Kamenka. The village of Kamennaya in the middle reaches of Kamenka and on the map of 1792 is designated. Other name options are Kaumenkka, Kiviaja.
In the second half of the 18th century, Kamenka became a vacation spot for Russian Germans. Here in 1865, German colonists founded their "daughter" colony on leased land. Since then, the village has received the name Kamenka Colony (so called until the 1930s). In 1892, a colony near the village of Volkovo "budded" from it. The inhabitants of both colonies belonged to the Novo-Saratov parish and since 1871 had a prayer house in Kamenka, which was visited by 250 people. He maintained a school for 40 students. The house was closed in 1935 and later demolished.
Currently, Kamenka exists as a holiday village, located along the road to Levashovo. Since 1961 - in the city, part of the planning area in the North-West, from the mid-1990s. built up with multi-storey residential buildings and cottages.
Volkovo. The settlement is about southeast of the village of Kamenka - on the old road to Kamenka, on the bank of a stream that flows into Kamenka between the village of Kamenka and the Shuvalovsky quarry. In 1892, a German colony emerged on the territory of the village, "budding" from a nearby colony in the village of Kamenka. The origin of Volkovo is not clear, the village is found only on maps of 1912, 1930, 1939, 1943. and probably appeared no earlier than the 19th century.
Kolomyagi. Scribe books of the XV — XVI centuries and Swedish plans testify that small settlements already existed on the site of Kolomyag. Most likely, these were first Izhora or Karelian, then Finnish farms, which were empty during the hostilities of the late XVII century.
The name "Kolomyag" connoisseurs decipher in different ways. Some say that it came from the "colo" - in Finnish cave and "pulp" - a hill, a hill. The village is located on the hills, and such an interpretation is quite acceptable. Others look for the root of the name in the Finnish word "koaa" - bark - and believe that trees were processed here after felling. Another version of the origin of the name from the Finnish "kello" is the bell, and it is associated not with the feature of the mountain, but with the "bell on the mountain" - a tower with a signal bell standing on a hill.
The owners of Kolomyazhsky lands were Admiral General A.I. Osterman, Count A.P. Bestuzhev-Ryumin, a family of Volkonsky. In 1789, the Volkonskys sold these lands to retired colonel Sergei Savvich Yakovlev. On his estate S. S. Yakovlev built a manor and lived in it with his wife and seven daughters. The once-Finnish population of Kolomyag was “Russified” by that time - it was made up of descendants of serfs resettled by Osterman and Bestuzhev-Rumin from their villages in Central Russia (natives of the Volga and Galich) and Ukraine. Then the name "Kellomyaki" began to sound in Russian fashion - "Kolomyagi", although later the old name also existed, especially among local Finns. And not without reason the indigenous Kolomozhites associate their origin with the Volga places, and the southern half of the village is now called “Galician”.
Yakovlev died in 1818. Five years after his death, a division of the territory of the manor was made. The village of Kolomyagi was divided in half between two of his daughters. The border was the Bezymyanny stream. The southeastern part of the village of Kolomyagi beyond Bezymyanny creek and a plot on the banks of the Bolshaya Nevka passed to the daughter Ekaterina Sergeevna Avdulina.
Daughter Yakovleva Elena Sergeevna - the wife of General Alexei Petrovich Nikitin, a hero of the Patriotic War of 1812, who was awarded the highest military orders and twice a gold sword with the inscription "For courage", died early, leaving her daughter Elizabeth. The northwestern part of Kolomyag inherited the young Elizabeth, so this part of Kolomyag was practically inherited by the father of Yakovlev’s granddaughter, Count A.P. Nikitin, who in 1832 became the owner of the entire village. It is his name that is stored in the names of the streets - 1st and 2nd Nikitinsky and Novo-Nikitinsky. The new owner built a stone mansion on the estate’s estate - an excellent example of classicism of the first third of the 19th century, which became his country house and has survived to this day and has been occupied until recently by the Nursing Home. It is believed that this mansion was built according to the project of the famous architect A.I. Melnikov. The severity and modesty of the architectural appearance of the facades and residential chambers of the Nikitin mansion was opposed by the splendor of ceremonial interiors, in particular the two-light dance hall with choirs for musicians. Unfortunately, with repeated alterations and repairs, many details of the decor and stucco emblems of the owners disappeared. Only two photographs of the 1920s and preserved fragments of ornamental molding and paintings on the walls and ceiling show the past richness of the decorative decoration of this architectural monument. The mansion was surrounded by a small park. In it stood a stone pagan woman brought from the southern steppes of Russia (transferred to the Hermitage), and a pond with a plakun waterfall was built. Near the pond there was a "walk of love" from the "paradise" apple trees - it was called so because the bride and groom passed through it after the wedding. Here, in the shadow of these apple trees, young lovers made appointments.
Under the Orlov-Denisov opposite the mansion (now Main Street, 29), the structures of an agricultural farm were erected, partially preserved to this day, and the greenhouse. Behind the farm were the master's fields. On them, as the New Time newspaper reported in August 1880, they tested the reaping and shearing machines brought from America.
In the 19th century, the provincial surveyor Zaitsev submitted for approval the highway called the Kolomyagskoye Shosse. The route was supposed to connect the village, gradually gaining fame as a summer residence of the "middle arm", with St. Petersburg. The construction of the road ended in the 1840s, and then horse-drawn and country-house crafts became the most important articles of peasant income. In addition, peasants either built small dachas in their yards, or rented their huts for the summer. Located away from the roads, surrounded by fields, the village was chosen by multi-family citizens.
The income from the summer cottage industry increased from year to year, which was facilitated by the summer movement of omnibuses that opened on the new highway from the City Council building. They walked four times a day, each accommodated 16 people, the fare cost 15 kopecks. Even when the Finnish Railway with the nearest Udelnaya station came into operation in 1870, the highway remained the main access road through which public carriages pulled by a trio of horses ran from the Stroganov (now Ushakovsky) bridge.
We've had a Red-headed Woodpecker feeding in our neighborhood all afternoon. I followed it around for an hour and thankfully was able to capture some decent shots.
The bird spent as much time eating insects on the ground as on the bark of trees, where we normally associate woodpeckers to be.
This is the closest I've ever seen this bird, and I simply can't get over how utterly striking and beautiful it is!!!