View allAll Photos Tagged BENEVOLENT
“With the death of Osiris, Set rose to take the throne of Egypt once and for all”
Inspired by the legends of the Egyptian gods, in particular the stories of the rise of the evil god Set following his killing of the benevolent god Osiris
Built for Round 2 of the 2021 Biocup
Theme: Future Mythology
Subtheme: Africa
Gulfstream Park is a racetrack and county-approved casino in Hallandale Beach, Florida. During its annual meet, which spans December through October, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in the United States.
Gulfstream Park was opened on Wednesday February 1, 1939 conducting a four-day meeting. The initial meeting had a crowd of 18,000. In 1944, the track was reopened by James Donn, Sr. for a 20-day meeting in December. The Gulfstream Park Handicap was first run in 1946 and the Florida Derby began in 1952. In that year the clubhouse was built and the Grandstand seating was expanded.
In 1952 the clubhouse was erected and a new addition was put on the grandstand. It also marked the first running of the Florida Derby. The following year, the Florida Derby became the first stakes in Florida with a $100,000 purse.
The 1955 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year Swaps set a then world-record of 1:39 3/5 for a mile and 70 yards while carrying 130 pounds in the Broward Handicap. The following year was just as exciting at Gulfstream when Gen. Duke equaled the world record of 1:46 4/5 in defeating Bold Ruler in the Florida Derby.
In 1959, a new era at Gulfstream began with the opening of its world-acclaimed turf course. In 1961, James Donn Jr. became president of Gulfstream. It also marked the construction of what was then the world's largest tote board.
Following the death of his father, James Donn Jr., Doug Donn was elected Gulfstream Park's president.
In 1961, James Donn Jr. succeeded his father as president of Gulfstream Park. In this year the Clubhouse was enlarged and the then-world's largest totalisator board was installed in the infield. A big break for Gulfstream Park came in 1972, when the track was awarded "middle dates" for a 40-day January through April meet.
In 1980, Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero Jr. set a meeting record with 60 winners.
In 1982, the Grandstand was renovated with new architecture and in 1984 the renovation of the clubhouse was completed. In 1986, the renovation of the track was completed with the new Gulfdome, a domed dining terrace. In 1989 Gulfstream Park hosted the Breeders Cup for the first time (which it did again in 1992 and 1999).
Gulfstream played host its first Breeders' Cup World Championships in 1989, highlighted by the Classic match-up between Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Sunday Silence and Belmont Stakes winner Easy Goer. Gulfstream would host the Breeders' Cup again in 1992.
In 1990, the track was purchased by Bertram R. Firestone.
Jockey Julie Krone took the jockey's title in 1993 with 98 winners. In 1994, Holy Bull won the Florida Derby while, in 1995, Cigar won the Donn Handicap and Gulfstream Park Handicap on his way to a perfect season. Meanwhile, '95 Florida Derby winner Thunder Gulch would go on to win the Kentucky Derby. Monarchos would repeat Thunder Gulch's feat in 2001.
In 1994, a half interest in the track was sold to Nigashi Nihon.
The track was purchased by Magna Entertainment Corporation, in 1999 for $95 million. In 2010, the ownership of the track was taken over by Magna parent MI Developments Inc. (MID). The track is currently owned by The Stronach Group since July 3, 2011.
Hal's Hope, winner of the 2000 Florida Derby, would return in 2002 to win the Gulfstream Park Handicap. The 2002 season was also highlighted by the first running of the popular Sunshine Millions, pitting Florida-breds vs. California-breds for purses totaling $3.6 million. Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's state-of-the-art training facility in Palm Beach County, was opened on Nov. 29, 2002.
Trainer Todd Pletcher started his unprecedented run of nine consecutive training titles in 2004.
The track began a $130 million renovation of the grandstand and clubhouse in 2004 and slot machines were approved for the track in 2004. It now hosts all of the races in the series of races known as the Sunshine Millions. The series now consists of the:
Sunshine Millions Classic
Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes
Sunshine Millions Distaff
Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf
Sunshine Millions Sprint
In 2006, Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey rode his last race aboard Silver Tree in the Sunshine Millions and the great Barbaro would win the Florida Derby before making headlines with his victory in the Kentucky Derby.
The renovation, first effective for the 2006 spring meeting, was heavily criticized by racegoers and commentators, who felt that the new racino laid its emphasis entirely on the casino part, destroying the racetrack's atmosphere.
In June, 2011, Tim Ritvo was named President and General Manager of Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino. He was a prominent jockey and racing official at Suffolk Downs in the 1980s before establishing himself in the 1990s as a leading Florida trainer. Ritvo has also served as Vice President and Director of the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association.
In April, 2012, Javier Castellano, who collected his first Gulfstream title by riding a record 112 winners, scored his 3000th career success aboard Virtuously on Feb. 24 and Todd Pletcher, who claimed an unprecedented ninth consecutive training title at Gulfstream with 72 trips to the winner's circle, recorded his 3,000 career victory when he saddled Spring Hill Farm for a winning performance on Feb. 11.
In 2012, Stronach Group named Tim Ritvo, Chief Operating Officer of its Racing Division.
March 2, 2020 Tim Ritvo stepped down as COO of Stronach Group operated tracks, which include the troubled Santa Anita racetrack in California. He left to “pursue other opportunities.”
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulfstream_Park
www.gulfstreampark.com/shopping
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
I believe in a benevolent God not because He created the Grand Canyon or Michelangelo, but because He gave us snacks.
-Paul Rudnick
#secondlife #maitreya #neon #red #sign #urban #wall #jacket #horns #night
Behind, blending with the sky, is Merdeka 118, The 2nd tallest building in the world at the time this was taken, depending on how you measure it
'To the memory of Mary Morgan, who young and beautiful, endowed with a good understanding and disposition, but unenlightened by the sacred truths of Christianity become the victim of sin and shame and was condemned to an ignominious death on the 11th April 1805, for the murder of her bastard child. Rous'd to a first sense of guilt and remorse by the eloquent and humane exertions of her benevolent judge, Mr. Justice Hardinge, she underwent the sentence of the Law on the following Thursday with infeigned repentance and a furvent hope of forgiveness through the merits of a redeeming intercessor. This stone is erected not merely to perpetuate the remembrance of a departed penitent, but to remind the living of the frailty of human nature when unsupported by Religion. Thomas Bruce Brudenell Bruce, Earl of Ailesbury.' - www.peoplescollection.wales/items/8857
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Posing as a benevolent wizard, the Necromancer arrives at the castle court yard just in time to meet its young lord. By telling stories of past and future greatness, he manages to ensnare the young lord into a deadly deal.
Excerpt from burlingtonculturalmap.ca:
Benevolent Angel
George Wallace, 1963 (installed 2015)
Welded steel, painted
Benevolent Angel is a significant work by George Wallace (1920 - 2009). Wallace was born in Ireland and came to Canada in 1957. He was accomplished in several media: painting, printmaking, drawing and sculpture. Wallace was also an influential art teacher at McMaster University (1960 - 1985) and helped develop the University’s art collection. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally.
Wallace’s art explores both the spirituality and fragility of the human condition. His figures are often represented in poses that refute gravity. Benevolent Angel almost appears to float, the figure’s face is hauntingly kind, the outstretched arms welcoming, and the flowing robes transcend the sculpture’s material and weight. Located on the second floor of Burlington Central Library, Benevolent Angel was given in memory of Jane Irwin: enquiring scholar, diligent archivist and engaged citizen of Burlington.
The Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
Elks Lodges bring so much more to their communities than just a building, golf course or pool. They are places where neighbors come together, families share meals, and children grow up.
Elks invest in their communities through programs that help children grow up healthy and drug-free, by undertaking projects that address unmet need, and by honoring the service and sacrifice of our veterans
Gansevoort-Bellamy Historic District
As I complete my 8th year in this hobby and start my 9th (😱), I want to say how happy I am to have met all of you 💕
Greetings from Rhys (aka my neglected second doll/official first doll and a fat borb) 🐤🐥
He is magnificent - even for a male Gingko (Ginkgo biloba) tree (...which tend to be large.) Planted in 1901 as part of the original Frederick Law Olmsted plan for the Smith College Botanic Gardens, he is now 113 years old and presides benevolently over the gardens and the conservatory.
As with all Gingko trees, his leaves wait until late in the season to turn brilliant yellow gold. And then they drop in a single day...usually in a matter of hours. So, at 6:00AM this morning, when I first checked on him today, he was covered in glowing, golden leaves. And by 3:30 this afternoon, when I checked on him again, every leaf had fallen - tens of thousands of them, creating a brilliant golden carpet in the late afternoon sun.
Gingkos are living fossils with no known living relatives. The earliest Gingko fossils, dating back 270 million years, are almost identical to our living Gingkos today.
Not coincidentally, last night was the end of the growing season here in the Connecticut River Valley - we had the first hard freeze of the Fall. :)
Sometimes you don’t need words, just a benevolent gaze and a friendly smile to catch a glimpse of humanity's best.
Parfois, pas besoin de mots, juste un regard bienveillant et un sourire amical pour entrevoir ce que l’humanité a de meilleur.
At first, the Soviet occupiers tried to come off as benevolent. Soviet officials made speeches about “liberating Bessarabia from the oppression of Boyar Romania,” and quickly set up the Moldovan Soviet Socialist Republic. They launched extensive reconstruction projects across Chișinău and other areas heavily damaged by the fighting, with most of the labor done by Romanian prisoners of war and relocated Gulag prisoners. They also built over 300 km of paved roads, hospitals, and a trade school. The general quality of life for the poorest residents of major cities improved somewhat under Soviet rule, but the majority of the peasantry in the countryside noticed little change. Many others, however, would experience a different fate.
Approximately 9,000 civilians were caught at the border trying to evacuate in the days following the Soviets assuming full control of Bessarabia. Some were simply shot on site, but many were deported to Gulags in Siberia. Once it seemed that the new government had the approval of the remnants of the general population, they began cracking down on those they deemed to be enemies of the state, mainly intellectuals, clergymen of the Romanian Orthodox Church, and land owners. In July alone, 400 citizens of Chișinău were killed by the NKVD and buried in mass graves. By September, the number of persons deported or otherwise disappeared had risen to 12,000. At first, the NKVD claimed it was under the guise of rounding up Siguranța spies and saboteurs, but eventually the civilians learned to stop asking questions about their missing neighbors.
27 agents of the Serviciul Secret de Informații were still operating throughout Bessarabia at the time of its occupation, and only 3 were ever captured. While some had initially proposed raising a partisan movement, they were ultimately ordered to monitor and record the effects of Soviet rule, as well as map out important landmarks such as the NKVD headquarters. They were to gather this information and wait for a time when it could be used against the Soviet invaders.
Non amo il Natale
Forse non l'ho mai amato
Neanche da piccola, tante le assenze anche allora.
O forse non ho mai amato l'obbligatorietà ad essere felice e sorridente per forza solo perché è Natale.
Non c'è un giorno in cui si debba essere felici, come dovrebbe esserci mésse di giorni in cui poterlo essere.
Ma è Natale lo stesso e allora..
Allora..
Vorrei tu, ovunque sei e chiunque sei,
Vorrei, dicevo, tu potessi sorridere e non perché è Natale
Vorrei tu potessi sorridere perché ne hai voglia
Perché il vento, un suono, un colore, un amore o uno sconosciuto han sollevato le pieghe della tua bocca anche solo nel l'abbozzo di un sorriso
Vorrei tu riuscissi a sorridere nella dimensione di un ricordo come nella speranza di un viatico desiderato.
Vorrei tu riuscissi a ridere di te quando ti prendi troppo sul serio
Vorrei tu potessi sorridere benevolo al vedere chi si prende troppo sul serio.
Vorrei insomma che a Natale e non solo, tu potessi essere per te, non quello che gli altri si aspettano da te per trovare soddisfatta quiete,ma quello che ti fa sentire vivo e non semplicemente sopravvissuto a te stesso.
Ciao Identità sconosciuta e bellissima
Grazie per avermi permesso di esprimere un desiderio.
Doni
press L
Gulfstream Park is a racetrack and county-approved casino in Hallandale Beach, Florida. During its annual meet, which spans December through October, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in the United States.
Gulfstream Park was opened on Wednesday February 1, 1939 conducting a four-day meeting. The initial meeting had a crowd of 18,000. In 1944, the track was reopened by James Donn, Sr. for a 20-day meeting in December. The Gulfstream Park Handicap was first run in 1946 and the Florida Derby began in 1952. In that year the clubhouse was built and the Grandstand seating was expanded.
In 1952 the clubhouse was erected and a new addition was put on the grandstand. It also marked the first running of the Florida Derby. The following year, the Florida Derby became the first stakes in Florida with a $100,000 purse.
The 1955 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year Swaps set a then world-record of 1:39 3/5 for a mile and 70 yards while carrying 130 pounds in the Broward Handicap. The following year was just as exciting at Gulfstream when Gen. Duke equaled the world record of 1:46 4/5 in defeating Bold Ruler in the Florida Derby.
In 1959, a new era at Gulfstream began with the opening of its world-acclaimed turf course. In 1961, James Donn Jr. became president of Gulfstream. It also marked the construction of what was then the world's largest tote board.
Following the death of his father, James Donn Jr., Doug Donn was elected Gulfstream Park's president.
In 1961, James Donn Jr. succeeded his father as president of Gulfstream Park. In this year the Clubhouse was enlarged and the then-world's largest totalisator board was installed in the infield. A big break for Gulfstream Park came in 1972, when the track was awarded "middle dates" for a 40-day January through April meet.
In 1980, Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero Jr. set a meeting record with 60 winners.
In 1982, the Grandstand was renovated with new architecture and in 1984 the renovation of the clubhouse was completed. In 1986, the renovation of the track was completed with the new Gulfdome, a domed dining terrace. In 1989 Gulfstream Park hosted the Breeders Cup for the first time (which it did again in 1992 and 1999).
Gulfstream played host its first Breeders' Cup World Championships in 1989, highlighted by the Classic match-up between Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Sunday Silence and Belmont Stakes winner Easy Goer. Gulfstream would host the Breeders' Cup again in 1992.
In 1990, the track was purchased by Bertram R. Firestone.
Jockey Julie Krone took the jockey's title in 1993 with 98 winners. In 1994, Holy Bull won the Florida Derby while, in 1995, Cigar won the Donn Handicap and Gulfstream Park Handicap on his way to a perfect season. Meanwhile, '95 Florida Derby winner Thunder Gulch would go on to win the Kentucky Derby. Monarchos would repeat Thunder Gulch's feat in 2001.
In 1994, a half interest in the track was sold to Nigashi Nihon.
The track was purchased by Magna Entertainment Corporation, in 1999 for $95 million. In 2010, the ownership of the track was taken over by Magna parent MI Developments Inc. (MID). The track is currently owned by The Stronach Group since July 3, 2011.
Hal's Hope, winner of the 2000 Florida Derby, would return in 2002 to win the Gulfstream Park Handicap. The 2002 season was also highlighted by the first running of the popular Sunshine Millions, pitting Florida-breds vs. California-breds for purses totaling $3.6 million. Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's state-of-the-art training facility in Palm Beach County, was opened on Nov. 29, 2002.
Trainer Todd Pletcher started his unprecedented run of nine consecutive training titles in 2004.
The track began a $130 million renovation of the grandstand and clubhouse in 2004 and slot machines were approved for the track in 2004. It now hosts all of the races in the series of races known as the Sunshine Millions. The series now consists of the:
Sunshine Millions Classic
Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes
Sunshine Millions Distaff
Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf
Sunshine Millions Sprint
In 2006, Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey rode his last race aboard Silver Tree in the Sunshine Millions and the great Barbaro would win the Florida Derby before making headlines with his victory in the Kentucky Derby.
The renovation, first effective for the 2006 spring meeting, was heavily criticized by racegoers and commentators, who felt that the new racino laid its emphasis entirely on the casino part, destroying the racetrack's atmosphere.
In June, 2011, Tim Ritvo was named President and General Manager of Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino. He was a prominent jockey and racing official at Suffolk Downs in the 1980s before establishing himself in the 1990s as a leading Florida trainer. Ritvo has also served as Vice President and Director of the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association.
In April, 2012, Javier Castellano, who collected his first Gulfstream title by riding a record 112 winners, scored his 3000th career success aboard Virtuously on Feb. 24 and Todd Pletcher, who claimed an unprecedented ninth consecutive training title at Gulfstream with 72 trips to the winner's circle, recorded his 3,000 career victory when he saddled Spring Hill Farm for a winning performance on Feb. 11.
In 2012, Stronach Group named Tim Ritvo, Chief Operating Officer of its Racing Division.
March 2, 2020 Tim Ritvo stepped down as COO of Stronach Group operated tracks, which include the troubled Santa Anita racetrack in California. He left to “pursue other opportunities.”
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulfstream_Park
www.gulfstreampark.com/shopping
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
It was the third day of our adventure, and at last the trip organisers were in a benevolent mood. After two days of long uphill slogs we would be permitted to point our walking boots in the direction of the village for lunch at the pub as a reward for our services to hiking in hot weather. Not the nearest village – apparently that would be too easy – but the one after that, the one with the canalside views from the rear garden. The very thought of it would make the ninety minute walk in either direction that bit more agreeable we were told. Still, the thought of squeezing Brenda, our campervan along the narrow tube of bracken festooned lane to get there was enough to convince us to go on foot in any case. Walk we would, and we’d be going down the slope for a change instead. Obviously this would entail some climbing later on, but that was just detail – besides which if things went well we’d be weaving our way back idly along imaginary hairpins at a very leisurely pace. The liquid refreshments on offer would ensure that.
Having done this trek once before, Dave led the way across the first few fields, over a stile and past a herd of grazing bullocks that stopped munching just long enough to examine us and wonder what curious species would be at large in this heat. Another field later it became apparent that Dave hadn’t remembered the exact route as we arrived at a gate he didn’t recognise. We’re used to this though, so it was no great shock to find ourselves turning through one hundred and eighty degrees at some point along the way. At almost exactly the same moment he decided he’d lost his sunglasses too. “No worry,” we agreed. “It’s unlikely anyone else much will come this way – we’ll find them on the way back.” As long as Dave stuck to tap water for the afternoon and ignored the craft beer menu, we were sure everything would be fine. Progress continued towards the pub, along the aforementioned mile long straight narrow lane. We had to squeeze ourselves into the verge for the odd passing car, but thankfully no combine harvester arrived to make things really interesting. The very thought of reversing Brenda halfway back along that lane with the enormous advancing teeth of flailing farm machinery in hot pursuit still makes me go pale.
On the way back, Ali and I deliberately slowed to a crawl, and not just because of the two large gin and tonics that had made the visit to the pub especially agreeable. Meanwhile Dave had left it to us to look for the missing sunglasses, having decided to join our sister and take the mountain route back to camp. We’d shuddered at the memory of the vicious toe burning V shaped valley we’d sunk into a couple of days earlier at the end of the ridge walk, and the almost equally hideous ascent to the bothy on the other side from the stream at the bottom. We’d leave it another day before any further attempts to deplete our remaining oxygen stores and take the more gentle option – at least more gentle once we’d arrived at the other end of that lane without encountering any oncoming juggernauts anyway.
On the way down we’d lengthened our stride almost into a run as to arrive in time for our reservation, just about registering the beautiful woodland scenery around us, but now we wanted to retrace our steps in a more leisurely manner and enjoy what we’d barely witnessed earlier. We stopped at a bench in the churchyard beneath the trees to listen to the mid afternoon silence of the modern day sleepy commuter village. We rested at the water’s edge to gaze at the dark ripples and the rocks on the riverbed. With abstract delusions I photographed the reflections of bright lime green branches on the surface – it always seems such an enchanting idea until I look at the results once the gin has worn off and wonder what on earth I was thinking about. And then we stood here in the quiet glade, which I shot in landscape format and then portrait. The former image I would have shared with you, but the gin was still at work and the fuzzy results tell a story in themselves. The composition had promise, even if it looked like I was standing on a trampoline while I was taking it. It does at least appear that I’d steadied myself sufficiently to take the portrait image.
All the way back we scoured the fields for the missing sunglasses, but had given up by the time we reached the farm. Dave and Becky emerged from the mountainside grinning at the panoramic views they’d seen before being pursued down the sheerest of slopes by a swarm of excited horseflies. I remembered those horseflies from a couple of days earlier on the ridge walk and was glad I’d passed up on the opportunity to reacquaint myself with them. The glasses were where he’d left them on the table in the bothy. But we’re used to this of course. In normal circumstances you'd throw a stern look at the person who's been wasting your time and causing you to look in vain for things that were never lost in the first place, but when it's Dave you just accept it, nod your head in recognition of something familiar and put the kettle on.
The Bata Canal
The Bata Canal benevolent company was established in 2002 and it shields the entire waterway essentially.
Its activity is to ensure the operation, to coordinate the activities of state administration bodies, local self-government authorities and entrepreneurs, to promote the waterway at travel movement fairs, in mass media, to publish the promotion materials and to support the business activities along the Bata Canal.
It operates the Bata-Canal Information Centre.
Until recently, the benevolent company's activities have been financed by the fees provided by towns and villages grouped within the charitable fund "The Agency for the Tourism Development on the Bata-Canal".
After its activity had been terminated, within the territories of the Region of Zlín and the South-Moravian Region the voluntary associations of communities were founded, which - among others - shield the financing of activities on the Bata-Canal. Those two associations -Association of Communities for the Development of the Bata Canal and Waterways on the Morava Riverin the Region of Zlín; and Communities for Bata Canal in the South-Moravian Region cooperate with the benevolent company.
Their main objective is to utilize the tourist potential of this waterway in a more effective way and to develop it.
The weather was benevolent. It treated us well all day long :)
We noticed swans on flight coming to the water in this place. Had we stayed there long enough, I'm sure we'd have succeeded in getting some good shots of the actual water landing. I'm content with this beautiful landscape though.
If you look carefully, you can see some swans flying, and others on the lake.
Exif: ISO 100 ; 1/125 ; f/8 ; @23mm
with my brand new 0.9 grad filter, in its maiden voyage.
And then, clumsy me, I lost it two hours later - I could not find it though I tried hard.
Just like Titanic... lost in its maiden voyage.
Beneath a shifting ceiling of ashen clouds, the Valley of Trolls unfurled in solemn grandeur, a wilderness carved by time’s relentless hand. Ocean Peak rose above the far horizon, its serrated heights stark against the gloom, like an ancient banner frayed by millennia of winds. At its feet, Lake Harris lay brooding, its dark waters restless and inscrutable, stirred by winds that whispered of distant seas and forgotten storms.
In the foreground, a serpentine stream spilled forth from the hidden cradle of Lake Wilson, threading its way through a chaotic tumble of stone. Its waters shimmered, not merely clear but luminous, catching elusive glints of light that seemed to flicker and fade as if stolen from the stars. Pools gathered in quiet hollows, their surfaces dappled with ripples that moved like silver veins through emerald and cobalt. The stream hummed with life, its song subtle yet persistent, like a half-remembered melody from a world long past.
Clinging to the fractured rocks, alpine daisies stretched defiantly, their white blooms trembling as faint sunbeams broke through the clouds, only to vanish again as swiftly as they had come. These hardy flowers, so fragile in appearance yet stubborn in their survival, seemed to hold council with the mosses and lichens that crept across the crags in slow, deliberate conquest. Each blade of grass, each cluster of growth, seemed to hold its place not by chance, but by some secret decree of the land itself.
The valley walls were a mosaic of raw geology, where layers of stone thrust forward, tilted and scarred as though shaped by a craftsman’s fury. Deep fissures cleaved their surfaces, shadows pooling within them like ink spilled from some unseen hand. This was no land of soft beauty or gentle welcomes—it was a place that commanded respect, its silence carrying the weight of long-buried stories.
Farther still, Lake Harris mirrored the sky’s shifting moods in its dark expanse, its waters holding a curious stillness at odds with the restless air around it. The peak above seemed almost watchful, its sharp contours suggesting not just a mountain, but an ancient presence—a witness to events that even the loremasters of Rivendell might struggle to recall.
Here, one might imagine a weary Frodo pausing, his hand brushing the cool stones, as Sam’s voice broke through the quiet with some small encouragement. Or perhaps Aragorn, his gaze far away, scanning the rugged horizon as though searching for echoes of a time before his own. It was a land where footsteps felt heavier, where the air seemed dense with unspoken warnings, and yet where beauty—wild and unbroken—shone like a pale flame in the gathering dusk.
The Valley of Trolls held no welcome for travelers, nor did it turn them away. It simply was, a fragment of Middle-earth unbent by the passing ages, its mysteries untouched by the dominion of Men. There was a stillness here, but not a peace. Beneath the green and stone, beneath the streams and shadows, there was a waiting, a presence that seemed to hum just below the edge of perception. Not malevolent, not benevolent—simply there, as if the valley itself watched and remembered long after all others had forgotten.
Neon sign on the Elks Lodge #582, 103 South 2nd Street, Laramie, Wyoming. The Elks Lodge was constructed in 1910. It once housed the Elks Apartments along with the club, where out-of-town railroaders could stay when spending the night in Laramie before catching a train home.
Joaquín Sorolla Bastida ( Valencia , February 27, 1863 - Cercedilla , August 10, 1923 ) Ratta delle bianche (1894) oil on canvas, 166.5 x 195 cm; Madrid, Museo Sorolla) - Palazo reale Milan -
Exhibition Joaquín Sorolla Painter of Light - Palazzo Reale Milan
dopo la prima tappa alla National Gallery di Londra, prosegue a Milano l'esposizione più completa dei dipinti di Joaquín Sorolla fuori dalla Spagna.
After the first stop at the National Gallery in London, the most comprehensive exhibition of Joaquín Sorolla's paintings outside Spain continues in Milan.
Poco noto al pubblico italiano, Sorolla è stato uno dei massimi rappresentanti della moderna pittura iberica a cavallo tra Ottocento e Novecento, contribuendo in modo determinante al suo rinnovamento e aprendola al clima della Belle Époque.
Tra gli artisti più amati e apprezzati del suo tempo sia per la grande qualità tecnica che per il carattere umile e benevolo, Joaquín Sorolla ottiene una fama che travalica ben presto i confini nazionali, partecipando e ottenendo prestigiosissimi premi alle grandi manifestazioni internazionali. Sarà però l’ambìto Grand Prix, ottenuto alla nota Esposizione Universale di Parigi nel 1900, a lanciare la sua pittura di luce e colore definitivamente sulla scena internazionale. A Londra nel 1908 viene acclamato come “il più grande pittore vivente al mondo”.
Exhibition Joaquín Sorolla Painter of Light - Palazzo Reale Milan
After the first stop at the National Gallery in London, the most comprehensive exhibition of Joaquín Sorolla's paintings outside Spain continues in Milan.
Little known to the Italian public, Sorolla was one of the greatest representatives of modern Iberian painting at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, making a major contribution to its renewal and opening it up to the climate of the Belle Époque.
Among the most beloved and appreciated artists of his time for both his great technical quality and his humble and benevolent character, Joaquín Sorolla achieved a fame that soon transcended national borders, participating in and winning prestigious prizes at major international events. However, it was the coveted Grand Prix, obtained at the renowned Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1900, that launched his painting of light and color permanently on the international scene. In London in 1908 he was acclaimed as "the world's greatest living painter."
The Lifeboat Station, on Castle Square in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales.
The first station was established in 1852, by The Shipwrecked Fishermen and Mariners' Royal Benevolent Society. The Society still exists, but its Tenby lifeboat activity was taken over in 1854 by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the first RNLI boathouse was built on the town's castle beach in 1862. Six silver medals were awarded for coastal rescues from the station in the 19th century.
A difficulty with launching from the harbour site was the shallow angle of the underlying geological strata. The sand beaches at Tenby were a hazard due to the speed of the tide, and an obstacle to overcome while dragging a 2 ton lifeboat from the harbour. When in 1905 the time came to replace the boat with a larger and heavier one, a new boathouse and roller slipway were built on the north side of Castle Hill. It was constructed using the new screw-piles that had been created for the foundations in deep sand of Victorian era pleasure piers. The lifeboat was then usable in all weathers and states of tide. It later became a public access way, with the ferry boat to Caldey Island using the slipway as a disembarkation point for tourists.
In 1923, the first motor-powered lifeboat came on station. The lifeboat operated throughout World War II, in part due to the three squadrons of Royal Air Force Short Sunderland flying boats operating from Milford Haven.
Having obtained an extended lease from the Crown Estate, the RNLI obtained planning permission from the council to build a new lifeboat station on the site of the demolished Victorian era pleasure pier. Due to access restrictions via the North Castle cliff, the £5.5million lifeboat station was built from the sea. Only a supply of concrete was approved to be transported by road through the town.
After being refused planning permission to demolish the old Grade II listed lifeboat station, which had been extended twice to accommodate larger lifeboats, the RNLI eventually sold it into private hands. The new owner agreed the purchase of the freehold from the Crown Estate, and converted it into a four bedroom property.
Information Source:
The payoff for all our hard work of trekking on sand and over seaweed covered boulders and full-size driftwood trees strewn between us and the bluffs was this (and other) tidal pools. There were arrays of sea stars - even a golden one with ten arms - but this one was the best. With a literal and figurative centerpiece of the anemone among the starfish and a few sand dollars, we couldn't have asked for more. If there was a die off, either it was in pockets, or some benevolent groups were protecting what we had and still have. After seeing this, how could anyone be complacent about a collapse of the ecosystem?
Please take a look at the link below
www.soldierscharity.org/events/event-item/the-soldiers-ch...
These guys are under basic Army training, I'm their Platoon Sergeant putting them through their paces. This is the Final attack, and what you see is not fog but a smoke grenade used to mask the movement of the troops. all i had on me was my iPhone. i wish i had my camera.
Este invierno que hemos dejado atrás hace unos días, al menos en el calendario, ha sido bastante benevolente por las Rías Altas. Poca lluvia en general, con unos meses de enero y febrero casi primaverales.
De vez en cuando, eso sí, teníamos algún temporal. Son una maldición para muchos trabajadores, sin duda, pero proporcionan grandes ocasiones para el fotógrafo.
Tocó armarse de paciencia, de impermeable y de un paraguas que fue insuficiente para impedir que muchas gotas acabasen sobre el filtro del objetivo. Afortunadamente la herramienta de clonar de Photoshop nos ayuda mucho en estos "arreglitos".
Esta es una estrecha cala donde en otra vida solíamos ir a escalar y a la que le tengo mucho cariño. La he visto crecer poco a a poco, a medida que pequeños desmoronamientos le iban dejando sitio al mar.
Es un sitio majo, pero un poco complicado de fotografiar por el tipo de piedra tan oscura que tiene y por la dirección que suele tener aquí las corrientes. En esta ocasión creo que ha habido algo de suerte con las olas y la niebla y que me he traído algo decente, ¿no te parece?
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O Porto - Valdoviño
24 mm a f/11 durante 3 s.
Filtro polarizador y ND de 4 EV.
Trípode Leofoto LS-323C y rótula Leofoto LH-40PCL
Gulfstream Park is a racetrack and county-approved casino in Hallandale Beach, Florida. During its annual meet, which spans December through October, it is one of the most important venues for horse racing in the United States.
Gulfstream Park was opened on Wednesday February 1, 1939 conducting a four-day meeting. The initial meeting had a crowd of 18,000. In 1944, the track was reopened by James Donn, Sr. for a 20-day meeting in December. The Gulfstream Park Handicap was first run in 1946 and the Florida Derby began in 1952. In that year the clubhouse was built and the Grandstand seating was expanded.
In 1952 the clubhouse was erected and a new addition was put on the grandstand. It also marked the first running of the Florida Derby. The following year, the Florida Derby became the first stakes in Florida with a $100,000 purse.
The 1955 Kentucky Derby winner and Horse of the Year Swaps set a then world-record of 1:39 3/5 for a mile and 70 yards while carrying 130 pounds in the Broward Handicap. The following year was just as exciting at Gulfstream when Gen. Duke equaled the world record of 1:46 4/5 in defeating Bold Ruler in the Florida Derby.
In 1959, a new era at Gulfstream began with the opening of its world-acclaimed turf course. In 1961, James Donn Jr. became president of Gulfstream. It also marked the construction of what was then the world's largest tote board.
Following the death of his father, James Donn Jr., Doug Donn was elected Gulfstream Park's president.
In 1961, James Donn Jr. succeeded his father as president of Gulfstream Park. In this year the Clubhouse was enlarged and the then-world's largest totalisator board was installed in the infield. A big break for Gulfstream Park came in 1972, when the track was awarded "middle dates" for a 40-day January through April meet.
In 1980, Hall of Fame rider Angel Cordero Jr. set a meeting record with 60 winners.
In 1982, the Grandstand was renovated with new architecture and in 1984 the renovation of the clubhouse was completed. In 1986, the renovation of the track was completed with the new Gulfdome, a domed dining terrace. In 1989 Gulfstream Park hosted the Breeders Cup for the first time (which it did again in 1992 and 1999).
Gulfstream played host its first Breeders' Cup World Championships in 1989, highlighted by the Classic match-up between Kentucky Derby and Preakness winner Sunday Silence and Belmont Stakes winner Easy Goer. Gulfstream would host the Breeders' Cup again in 1992.
In 1990, the track was purchased by Bertram R. Firestone.
Jockey Julie Krone took the jockey's title in 1993 with 98 winners. In 1994, Holy Bull won the Florida Derby while, in 1995, Cigar won the Donn Handicap and Gulfstream Park Handicap on his way to a perfect season. Meanwhile, '95 Florida Derby winner Thunder Gulch would go on to win the Kentucky Derby. Monarchos would repeat Thunder Gulch's feat in 2001.
In 1994, a half interest in the track was sold to Nigashi Nihon.
The track was purchased by Magna Entertainment Corporation, in 1999 for $95 million. In 2010, the ownership of the track was taken over by Magna parent MI Developments Inc. (MID). The track is currently owned by The Stronach Group since July 3, 2011.
Hal's Hope, winner of the 2000 Florida Derby, would return in 2002 to win the Gulfstream Park Handicap. The 2002 season was also highlighted by the first running of the popular Sunshine Millions, pitting Florida-breds vs. California-breds for purses totaling $3.6 million. Palm Meadows, Gulfstream's state-of-the-art training facility in Palm Beach County, was opened on Nov. 29, 2002.
Trainer Todd Pletcher started his unprecedented run of nine consecutive training titles in 2004.
The track began a $130 million renovation of the grandstand and clubhouse in 2004 and slot machines were approved for the track in 2004. It now hosts all of the races in the series of races known as the Sunshine Millions. The series now consists of the:
Sunshine Millions Classic
Sunshine Millions Turf Stakes
Sunshine Millions Distaff
Sunshine Millions Filly & Mare Turf
Sunshine Millions Sprint
In 2006, Hall of Fame jockey Jerry Bailey rode his last race aboard Silver Tree in the Sunshine Millions and the great Barbaro would win the Florida Derby before making headlines with his victory in the Kentucky Derby.
The renovation, first effective for the 2006 spring meeting, was heavily criticized by racegoers and commentators, who felt that the new racino laid its emphasis entirely on the casino part, destroying the racetrack's atmosphere.
In June, 2011, Tim Ritvo was named President and General Manager of Gulfstream Park Racing & Casino. He was a prominent jockey and racing official at Suffolk Downs in the 1980s before establishing himself in the 1990s as a leading Florida trainer. Ritvo has also served as Vice President and Director of the Florida Horsemen's Benevolent & Protective Association.
In April, 2012, Javier Castellano, who collected his first Gulfstream title by riding a record 112 winners, scored his 3000th career success aboard Virtuously on Feb. 24 and Todd Pletcher, who claimed an unprecedented ninth consecutive training title at Gulfstream with 72 trips to the winner's circle, recorded his 3,000 career victory when he saddled Spring Hill Farm for a winning performance on Feb. 11.
In 2012, Stronach Group named Tim Ritvo, Chief Operating Officer of its Racing Division.
March 2, 2020 Tim Ritvo stepped down as COO of Stronach Group operated tracks, which include the troubled Santa Anita racetrack in California. He left to “pursue other opportunities.”
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulfstream_Park
www.gulfstreampark.com/shopping
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