But a Christmas Eve snow

A day early this year...

___________

Even though we remain hovering right at the freezing point, early this morning big, fluffy, and wet snowflakes began to fall, continuing even now and providing a beautiful, fresh white accent to the landscape...the northwoods' annual celebration of the season. This shot, as with so many others over the years, taken from my deck.

[This is also the time of year at which I get confused as to whom I've wished Season's Greetings and to whom I have not. Forgive me if I repeat myself and, in the spirit of the holidays, be patient with an old man, accepting good wishes however often they may be repeated. It's the thought, not the memory, that counts. ;-))]

Sure, it's cool looking...but what IS it??

Peter Cetera (Chicago's member previously) came to Sydney last weekend. Joined by Sydney Symphony Orchestra, it was a great concert. This theatre is in the middle of the city but it's a great heritage.

An image taken of a rewilding scheme in the village of Marton. No Ai used just black diffusing filters in front of the lens and DXO textures n filters to create a border around the image! But according to DSLR Auto Focus group admins ‘thats excessive processing’ Ho hum Guess I will just have to find groups that welcome a little bit of creativity!

"But meanwhile time flies; it flies never to be regained."

Quote - Virgil

So it is great to be able to take photos so we remember.

Like this situation, somewhere else in the house ;-))

Patagonia, Chile

Vanellus chilensis

Chileense kievit

Vanneau téro

Bronzekiebitz

Avefría Tero / Queltehue / Tero común

Pavoncella del Sudamerica

Quero-quero

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My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.

Eurasian Nuthatch, sometimes called Wood Nuthatch or simply Nuthatch

sitta europaea

boomklever

sittelle torchepot

Kleiber

Trepador Azul

Picchio muratore

Trepadeira-azul

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My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.

Brown Pelicans cruise low over the water, but dive into the water for food. They create quite a striking image, like the one in this picture, when diving for fish.

They are very large birds, with a 7'6" (2.3m) wingspan, and a length of 45-54 inches (1.1-1.4m). The picture looks best in large size.

... but it was just a paper bag

My Jam

Skylark - Alauda Arvensis

Skylarks are characteristic of semi-natural grassland systems from sand dunes through heathland to marginal upland, but are most common in arable farmland, making use of the nesting cover and bare ground for feeding that crops themselves provide throughout the year. Males are highly territorial, using long song flights at high altitude to broadcast to rivals and potential mates because the open landscapes they prefer are devoid of high perches. The stamina required to sustain long song flights has led to song flight length being used as an “honest signal” of male quality by females, allowing male Skylarks to advertise themselves without bright plumage, so they have kept the cryptic, brown and streaked coloration that affords them protection from predators on the ground.

Although migratory in much of northern Europe, British breeding Skylarks are believed not to move far between seasons, although upland birds move to lower latitudes. They can then often begin to breed in March and continue into July, making up to three breeding attempts. In winter, they mostly use crop stubble and fallow fields, in which they forage for weed seed and spilled grain, often in large flocks. Throughout the year, the Skylark’s heritage as a steppe species is apparent in its avoidance of vertical structures, which restricts the suitability of farmland with a high density of hedgerows.

Thanks to all who take the time to Comment/fav etc, it is always Appreciated.

But sometimes one can make a pretty good guess.....

Manning Gorge, The Kimberley's, Western Australia.

A long hot walk to reach this oasis, but so worth the effort. The water was so cold it was hard to stay in long...although it didn't seem to bother the European backpackers, which you can just make out at the base of the falls.

These falls were far more substantial than they appear in this image.

…But in My Dreams, I have Ocean Front Property : )

It was a lovely morning to put my toes in the sand; I left before the crowds arrived ; )

(Nikon, 30mm, 1.6 sec @ f/22, ISO 100)

ⓒRebecca Bugge, All Rights Reserved

Do not use without permission.

Inside the museum for the beautiful arts in Arras - in the former Abbaye Saint-Vaast. The abbey dates back to 667 when it was a monastery for the Benedictine order, but it was heavily damaged in the French Revolution and rebuilt after that. The museum has been here since 1825. The building was classified as Monument historique (important historical building) in 1907.

a pair of Wattled Lapwings nesting on rocks in the Kafue River were very nervous as there was an African Harrier-Hawk (Gymnogene) scanning the area.

One of their 2 chicks went immediately into hiding but this one wanted to stay on top of the rock

Taken from small boat in Kafue NP, Zambia

also called African Wattled Lapwing

vanellus senegallus

lelkievit

vanneau du Sénégal

Senegalkiebitz

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Please do not use my photos on websites, blogs or in any other media without my explicit permission.

today at the Baltic Sea -

Durch den steifen Ostwind vom Wasser her war es doch noch sehr kalt heute an der sonnigen Ostsee.

Looking a little bit tacky here but this Robin is over two years old now which is a good age for a Robin. Always hanging around in the same area in one of my nature reserves I often go to visit. Ever since I first spotted this as a juvenile there has always been a dark patch below the right eye that is still there to this day. My little friend here has become very tame and always so very photogenic and hopefully will be around a bit longer yet. In the 1400's when the Robin was named the colour orange had not been classified and this is why we say that the Robin has a red breast and not orange. America has an eagle so it's about time the UK had the Robin as its national bird !!!!!!

In October 2020 a massive forest fire destroyed 200,000 acres of pristine mountains and park lands in Colorado. In the small town of Grand Lake some structures were lost, but most of the town survived unharmed. The shoreline is still beautiful but the forests above it are gone and will take many decades to regrow.

taken yesterday in a forest. i had hoped to see a Brambling among the Chaffinches but there was hardly any activity because of the stormy weather

also called Common Chaffinch

fringilla coelebs

vink

pinson des arbres

Buchfink

Nikon Z7 with Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF

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My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.

FAMILIAR SPECIES, but still in heavy decline, familiar because of its affinity for human habitations, found in small groups, can become remarkably tame. A constant source of entertainment on the trees and feeders around the cottage!

CRAZY MILD WEATHER ! look at the buds on its perch in December !

++++++++++++++++++++++++

THANK YOU for your visit, and kind comments , much appreciated indeed. Enjoy the weekend my dear friends, Stay safe, God bless .................Tomx

Hurray! This photo made it to Explore's front page. It is not photoshopped or superimposed or anything. I used a little digital enhancement to bring out the detail in the clouds and color in the backgroud. The balloon was sharp and detailed in the untouched version. © all rights reserved

Today there were 3 balloons up. I had 10 passengers. It was a pefect flight and a perfect day. Just the right amount of clouds and wind and sun and hassle-free landing fields.

This photo shows the Remax Balloon flown by Bill Baker with Black Mountain (San Diego city park open space area) in the background, and way to the back left can be seen Mount Woodson, between Poway and Ramona, a popular rock climbing spot.

while we were driving across Torres del Paine NP ( Chilean Patagonia ) towards Gray Glacier we spotted a female Puma that looked a bit skinny and that definitely was hungry.

While trying to get close to a herd of Guanacos she was detected by a Guanaco that had taken a position on the highest hill.

After a period of loud alarm calls this herd is now looking at the female Puma in a small valley below . A bit later the Puma left the area.

Lama guanicoe

Guanaco

Guanako

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My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.

A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort

On a road on the eastern side of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA.

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Everlong/74/195/25

... but I love you, I love you a hundred times stronger

a hundred times stronger than you don't love me... (c)

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

It's just a normal pelican, nothing special, but I was so happy to finally be able to go to the zoo again.

-------------------------------------

Es ist nur ein normaler Pelikan, nichts besonderes, aber ich war so glücklich, endlich wieder mal in den Zoo gehen zu können.

while it was still dark we had gone to a simple bird hide to be there before the flocks of Meyer's parrots and African green pigeons arrive at the clay eating site at sunrise.

While we were waiting we heard some noise behind us and after a while we knew these were warthogs ( definitely safer than some other possibilities...)

The family of warthogs came closer and had picked up our scent but they had no clue where we were.

The huge male in this image was walking in front and stopped nearby to look in our direction.

You can clearly see both set of tusks of which the very sharp small ones are used for fighting other warthogs or for defense against predators. The larger ones are used for digging etc.

Kafue National Park, Zambia

phacochoerus africanus

common warthog

knobbelzwijn

phacochère

Warzenschwein

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Please do not use my photos on websites, blogs or in any other media without my explicit permission.

Usually, Roses are red

But this Rose is blue

And this unique one

Is only glowing for You

Although ...

This BLUE-tifulness

Is not genuine, I guess

(Caren)

[Dedicated to CRA (ILYWAMHASAM)]

Macro of a small translucint plastic rose (1 ½ x 1 ½ “) backlit with a blue light, taken 10 Oct 2020 and

uploaded for the group

Macro Mondays #Translucent

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200

ƒ/2.8

4.5 mm

1/40 Sec

ISO 400

[Text and image copyright Caren (©all rights reserved)]

please respect my ©copyright : Do not use any image or text without my previous written authorization, NOT even in social networks. If you want to use a photograph, please contact me!

Bitte mein ©Copyright beachten! Meine Fotos und Texte sind ©copyright geschützt (alle Rechte vorbehalten) und dürfen ohne meine vorherige und schriftliche Zustimmung NICHT von Dritten verwendet werden, auch nicht in sozialen Netzwerken. Falls Interesse an einem Foto besteht, bitte ich um Kontaktaufnahme!]

This little bay in the wild west of Scotland is one of my favourite places, no roads here and it dries out each tide so not a good anchorage for boats; I've yet to meet anyone else here but seals, otters, eagles and ospreys.

The geology round here is pretty tortured so I knew it would make for a good aerial shot; timing the tide right and the bright green grass on the shore help the image shout, I'm pleased with the outcome.

Many of my current crop of images, and of Argyll over the years are close by.

Thanks for visiting.

Juvenile Red-Winged Black birds resemble females of this species but are paler below and have buff feather fringes.

Unlike most North American passerines which develop their adult plumage in their first year of life so that the one-year-old and the oldest individual are indistinguishable in the breeding season, the red-winged blackbird does not. It acquires its adult plumage only after the breeding season of the year following its birth when it is between thirteen and fifteen months of age.-wiki

-Agelaius phoeniceus

but my memories are in black and white

with diffuse sepia tones

he longs to go forth into the fields, to feel its steady stream, to scent its fragrance; to stand under some heavy-foliaged chestnut-tree, and hear the rushing music on the crowded leaves :-)

John Richard Vernon, "The Beauty of Rain," 1863

HMM!! HPPT! we have had a very wet winter...fortunately most of the precipitation has not been frozen ;-)

camellia, 'Nuccio's Cameo', our yard, cary, north carolina

Old Doors Don't Open just a barrier between an alley and a parking place on the other side, but a charming alternative to concrete, shot in North Carolina.

"I'm not addicted to coffee, we're just in a commited relationship."

=> "Baby" cami, shorts & sweater by .Lunar.

=> Coffee cup by Foxy

but to meet you on a hill.

“I almost wish we were butterflies and liv'd but three summer days - three such days with you I could fill with more delight than fifty common years could ever contain.” -- within John Keats letter to his Fanny Brawne.

In Loving Memory of April Cerise De Fore - Gaddis.

April 20, 1979 - February 21, 2016

If you decide to travel along this highway into the bowels of the Universe, carry enough fuel to cover the billions of light years ahead of you. You won't find a place to refuel. When you have travelled this distance without finding anything, not even a little bit of intelligent life and you reach the far reaches of the Universe... don't be scared... there's nothing there, either. Only the "nothing". Or since everything is cyclical, perhaps you have returned to the place where you started, full of wisdom from your long trip. It's probably better to look for intelligent life on Earth, but it's also very likely that you'll have a hard time finding it. Don't worry about not understanding the Universe or the reason for its existence... you're not Einstein, but one day you'll understand that... The Universe is wounded, but it still has infinity ahead of it. It still has you and me. Merry Christmas to all and to the infinite Universe that is within you.

Gregory Alan Isakov - The Universe

Y el Universo está susurrando tan suavemente que puedo oírlo todo... el zumbido de los insectos, todos los taxis, todo el cambio gastado de los vagabundos, todos los chicos jugando a la pelota en los callejones. Son sólo pliegues en su vestido. El Universo, está herido, pero aún tiene el infinito por delante. Todavía nos tiene a ti y a mí. Y todos dicen que es hermoso. Y todos dicen...

Image dédiée à Pat. Joyeux Noël. Bisou, jolie.

..........

Music for your trip to the Universe:

David Bowie - Space Oddity

Ground Control to Major Tom. Ground Control to Major Tom. Take your protein pills and put your helmet on. Ground Control to Major Tom (ten, nine, eight, seven, six)... Commencing countdown, engines on (five, four, three)... Check ignition and may God's love be with you (two, one, liftoff...)

Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond, Parts VI–IX

"Shine On You Crazy Diamond", was written as a tribute to Syd Barrett, one of the founders of Pink Floyd. He was also known as "The Crazy Diamond Syd". Barrett was a very creative musician and is considered one of the rock icons, with a strong influence on many artists, very especially to David Bowie. Syd Barrett is a key piece to understand the evolution of rock in the 70s.. Excessive drug use, especially LSD, caused him serious mental health problems. Syd Barrett died in 2006 at the age of 60. Always shine diamond.

Blur - The Universal

The Universal is a science fiction song written as a tribute to two films by film director Stanley Kubrick. In the video, the Blur members wear outfits similar to Alex and his gang of thugs, the protagonists of the movie "A Clockwork Orange." The image used for the cover of the single alluded to what is possibly Kubrick's best film: "2001: To Space Odyssey."

Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss (Op. 30) / The Dawn of Man scene, 2001: A Space Odyssey by Stanley Kubrick, 1969

We haven't changed that much in 300,000 years of evolution.

Jamiroquai - Space Cowboy

Jamiroquai - Cosmic Girl

Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun

Incubus - Stellar

Stevie Wonder - Rocket Love

Moby - We Are All Made of Stars

Oasis - Champagne Supernova

Radiohead - Subterranean Homesick Alien

Smash Mouth - Walkin' On The Sun

Paul Weller - Kosmos

PS: Electronic - Can't Find My Way Home Just a recommendation. It is important to learn the road signs of the Universe... happy return.

PS: Ground Control to Major Tom. Your circuit's dead, there's something wrong. Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you hear me, Major Tom? Can you...

"Here am I floating 'round my tin can, far above the moon. Planet Earth is blue. And there's nothing I can do" (Major Tom)

PS: Merry Christmas to all Flick(e)r users... and to the Universe full of crazy diamonds that shine... And Major Tom

But they are very hot when you eat them.

Callistemon is a genus of shrubs endemic to Australia but widely cultivated in many other regions and naturalised in scattered locations.

Callistemon species have commonly been referred to as bottlebrushes because of their cylindrical, brush like flowers resembling a traditional bottle brush. They are mostly found in the more temperate regions of Australia, especially along the east coast which typically favour moist conditions, so when planted in gardens thrive on regular watering.

The Latin name Callistemon comes from the combination of 2 Greek words: 'callis' meaning beauty and 'stemon' meaning stamen, referring to the flowers of the plant.

Flowering is normally in Spring and early Summer (October–December), but conditions may cause flowering at other times of the year. In my area they begin to bloom in the middle of Winter, as you may see in this photo.

The obvious parts of the flowers are stamens, with the pollen at the tip of the filament, which attracts so many bees and other pollinators. The flowers vary in colour with species; most are red, but some are yellow, green, orange or white.

It's beautiful to see the flowers swaying at breeze, even the most light and smooth, and this inspires me to take a photo of this flower again.

the very first of these pretty finches are now arriving from their northern breeding grounds.

This image was taken in March when the last birds had not yet left

sometimes called Mountain Finch

fringilla montifringilla

keep

pinson du nord

Bergfink

Pinzón Real

Peppola

Tentilhão-montês

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My photos may not be used on websites, blogs or in any other media without my written and explicit permission.

But I would walk five hundred miles

And I would walk five hundred more

Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles

To fall down at your door

I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) - Writen by Craig Morris Reid & Charles Stobo Reid

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM0sTNtWDiI

Created for the Hypothetical Awards Contest "Take a walk or a ride"

Thank you for your visit, comment or fave. All are much appreciated. Thank you also to all who invite my photos to their groups.

All rights reserved. This photo is not authorized for use on your blogs, pin boards, websites or use in any other way.

Photos and textures used are my own.

Einfache Dahlie (Hybrid) Palmström

Einfachblühende Sorte von Prof. Otto 2010

Dunkel violett schwarz mit schmaler violett rosa Außenzone,

Mitte Goldgelb.

Simple Dahlia (Hybrid) Palmström

Simple-flowering variety by Prof. Otto 2010

Dark violet / black with narrow / violet pink outer zone,

Middle golden yellow.

Thanks All for your Views Faves and Comments, have a Nice Weekend. 🌞 🍂 ✌

Alfie was helping to roll up the wire,

but he rolled himself with it ;-))

This little pup was nearly 1 year old here.

My dearest ✞ Alfie.

Today (August 5, 2022) it's been 1 year

since he crossed the rainbow bridge.🌈

NB: Alfie was not hurt or anything else during his play that day.

I'm sorry for responding may be late but wasn't feeling good and I'll hope i catch my energy back to catch up ♥

C R E D I T S

Dress

Safira - Hana Dress @ Belle Events

Hair

Tableau Vivant - Ponytail [RARE] @ The Arcade

Necklace & Earrings

Rise Design - Madurai Set @ Belle Events

Pose

Amitie - Straw Bag & Espadrilles Pack @ Shiny shabby

Location - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Getaway/126/91/24 - Getaway

when one is thirsty but the water is not around ...

agua y sed serio problema ...

water and thirst serious problem ...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNFBZItdoX4

I've often shot the sunrise from this spot, but on this occasion, it was so brief, but perhaps the most special...

Stare at the waves...I swear they're moving!

Got snowed off yesterday, so went to Fingeringhoe wick nature reserve for a walk. Bumped into a kingfisher at kits pond, both surprised, naturally it flew off!

Saw my first Tree creeper, it out flaked me on the blind side of the tree!! Typical! But did manage this shot in the rain after the snow!