I missed out on the opportunity to participate in the national Red Dress Day. The initiative to raise awareness for cardiovascular disease takes on a new meaning for me this year.

 

After battling through pneumonia in December, a trip to the emergency room on January 3 revealed congestive heart failure. My right coronary artery and left circumflex artery were 100% blocked.

A normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ranges from 55% to 70%. An LVEF of 65%, for example means that 65% of total amount of blood in the left ventricle is pumped out with each heartbeat. Mine was about 10% when admitted.

 

Thanks to an amazing group of technicians and nurses as well as one very talented cardiologist, after seven hours in the heart cath lab, I emerged with three stents and the blockages opened up. This avoided having to undergo bypass surgery and a much more difficult recovery.

 

I'm on my way back now, doing cardiac rehab as well as some dietary and lifestyle changes and the prognosis is good.

I have always lived a fairly active lifestyle, so this all kind of came out of the blue. Heredity unfortunately plays a huge role. Take care of your heart health people.

 

I must say slipping into a pretty red dress has never felt so good!

For three weeks in October, Hubble’s eyes on the Universe closed. On the evening of Friday 5 October, the orbiting observatory put itself into safe mode after one of its gyroscopes failed. The telescope stopped making science observations, oriented its solar panels toward the Sun, and waited for further instructions from the ground. Within hours the ground control team had activated a backup gyroscope. However, when that gyroscope did not work correctly, the long, hard work to get the telescope exploring the Universe once again began in earnest.

 

The Hubble team had either to figure out how to get this backup gyroscope working, or to turn to a previously developed and tested one-gyroscope mode, which is proven to work. It took weeks of creative thinking, repeated tests, and minor setbacks to solve the problem of the misbehaving gyroscope.

 

Members of the Hubble operations team and of the review board suspected there might be some sort of obstruction in the gyroscope affecting its readings. Attempting to dislodge such a blockage, the team repeatedly tried switching the gyroscope between different operational modes and rotating the spacecraft by large amounts. In response, the extremely high rotation rates from the gyroscope gradually fell until they were close to normal. Encouraged but cautious, the team uploaded new software safeguards to Hubble to protect the telescope in case the gyroscope should again report unduly high rates, and then sent the telescope through some practice manoeuvres to simulate real science observations. They kept a close watch to make sure everything on the spacecraft performed correctly. It did.

 

In the early morning of 27 October Hubble captured its first image since slipping into safe mode at the beginning of the month. The observations targeted star-forming galaxies 11 billion light-years away in the constellation Pegasus. Astronomers hope to use observations like this to answer the question of how the Universe was reionised between 150 million and one billion years after the Big Bang.

 

Credits: NASA, ESA, and A. Shapley (UCLA), CC BY 4.0

 

Branches emerge from the reflective surface of Crater Lake in the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness in the Rocky Mountains near Aspen, Colorado. Crater Lake, located at the base of the formidable Maroon Bells ridge, is a lake formed due to a past landslide blocking the valley. The blockage has accumulated a large number of fallen trees which are jammed up at one end of the lake. While climbing around this treacherous and unstable pile of logs, I spotted this intriguing pair of branches sticking out from the surface. The brilliant fall color of the golden quaking aspens around the lake provided color in the fairly still water surface.

Wasn’t satisfied with her outcome. So after gathering some of what I had managed to pick up at BFVA 2017, I made a few changes. Such as adding more detail to the limbs, and overall just fixing the color blockage and flow.

The following is the translation as promised.

 

Please Looks into the Dongshan People Interest on The Reason Why Against The Building of PX Plant!!

 

Please Looks into the Dongshan People Interest on The Reason Why Against The Building of PX Plant!!

 

On 2008 02 29, the simple & honors Paradise - Dongshan People are angry!!

 

People are carrying Banners with " Against Building PX Plant @ Ku Riu, Risk of Lives to Dongshan People" ku Riu penisular which is about 22KM off Dongshan Island.

 

Dongshan is just opposite Taiwan.

 

The groups of people put up blockages; barricades; block out the major street in their old town "DongLin"; DongLin have been a city center for Dongshan for over 2 thousand years. Which is also the home town of my late dad's.

 

The people requesting their county government to put off the decision to build PX plant which is 22KM away from their home island. They want their government to request their upper authority to ask Zhang Bu County to put off the decision. Since Ku Riu is under the control of Zhang Bu!!

 

So that this paradise island could continue their own lives!!

 

In principle, Dongshan county government have not authority over the Zhang Bu County government decision. However, government are used to use high pressure & high handed ways to suppress the peoples'. Therefore the riots broke out, County deputy mayor is wounded during the riots; police are torturing the people & students.

 

Thus one of the police petrol car is overturned by the rioters. From Mar 03, 2008 the rioters have increased to over 50 to 60K people. Rioters includes old folks; students, all works of lives. Now the riots have spread to the whole county!! It have been reported that 16 police car have been damaged; also the Government buildings glasses are broken by the rioters.

 

There are over 17 people wounded & 16 people were taken to county jail.

 

The words of the Dongshan people is that they want Blue Sky; White Clouds; They don't want PX plant;

 

They want the original; Beaches; White sands; Non polluted sea & water

 

Government saying is that only stability would bring prosperity!! If like these, how could government bring prosperity & development to Dongshan?? "PX is great project; it would generate 80Billions GDP to the Nation!! good management & control is just like managing LPG cylinder project, If within control then just like having the LPG in your family!!

 

Can you see how naive & stupid explanations??

 

If that is great project for the people & nation, why Xiamen don't want the project?? Why should Dongshan people accept the project??

 

Dongshan cannot compare with Xiamen in evconomy & culture. What Dongshan people want tis safe guard their life line in fisheries; tourism, clean environments. Dongshan people don't understand what is GDP!!

 

Ku Riu the nearest part to Dongshan is only 7KM away from Dongshan, what if the PX leakage of pollutants & ... then Dongshan people would be all sending to hell!!

 

According the the International EPA requirement, such industries must be 100miles away from the populated area. But now such requirement is not observed by authority!!

 

To be continue......

Berrylands Bus Blockage

when one bus breaks down opposite a parked car blocking the road.

 

Thursday 21 July 2022

© Copyright Steve Guess MMXXII

Our first visit to the Hogan-Wilson for this year, and an intriguing image of cars, carts and carriages across the entrance to a street as some form of barricade. The name on the premises behind may assist in a location but what was going on and why the blockage? (FYI - It was great to see the response to yesterdays image with that wonderful poster proving its worth more than 100 years after it was posted!)

 

And we had fantastic inputs on today's image also. There is clear consensus that Hogan took this image from the corner of Upper Gloucester Street (now Sean McDermott Street), looking south and down Marlborough Street. Probably in late June or very early July 1922. The business pictured behind the barricade, Farrell's Undertakers, was at 66 Marlborough Street. Immediately to the right, behind the wall and gate, was St Thomas' Church. This barricade was placed by anti-treaty irregulars during the 'Battle of Dublin' of the Irish Civil War. The church and much of the surrounding area was burned in early July 1922. In the decade after the civil war, the ruins were demolished, and the streets relaid to a sligtly different pattern. (The street is no longer the 'T-junction' we see here, and runs straight 'through' the wall and old church graveyard). A new St Thomas' Church was however built very closeby in 1930 - over what was the parish hall on Findlater Place....

  

Photographer: W. D. Hogan

 

Collection: Hogan Wilson Collection

 

Date: Catalogue range c.1922. Likely June/July 1922

 

NLI Ref.: HOG144

 

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

 

I took him for imaging today, the vet is older, she did a physical examination and assessed him, and found he has hard poop stuck. It might be just a bowel blockage causing all his illness, which started with a viral infection as he had a runny nose for a few weeks, he is on IV fluids today and overnight to see if it will move it. The first vet missed it, but she said he was sore in the abdomen. This older vet assessed him and said he has hard poop stuck in his intestine. And it is far away from the rectum, so an enema won't work to move it. This may be the source of infection.

So in the morning, the vet will assess him and see if we need to do x-rays and ultrasound, or maybe not.

IF the younger vet had felt the blockage on Monday he would have been treated for it on Monday when I took him. Then they would have waited to see if he recovered and that's all it was. I had taken him in for imaging because a friend asked me if his lymph nodes were swollen, when I asked the young vet she said no, but said Raphael could still have lymphoma if they are not swollen.

I did not feel that he has lymphoma because he is so sick, they would have to be swollen. I then wanted to do imaging to see if there is a blockage. So I brought him and I am so glad this older vet felt the blockage.

Raphael started prednisone yesterday afternoon, and it's made a huge difference to him.

He still might have lymphoma, but I don't think the young vet would have thought that if she had felt his blockage.

I am hoping he will be okay. His temperature is good from the antibiotic injection on Monday, and he's now alert and brighter this morning from the prednisone. He did a small soft poop in the middle of the night...so I'm guessing the presnisone reduced some inflammation, allowed him to pass his soft poop around the blocked poop, and the reason he was so very sick is because his bowel had become completely blocked. He was vomiting yesterday, and I took him back and they gave him prednisone.

Hopefully he will be okay.

I am hoping he recover okay.

Thank you for your kind works, favs and care xxxx

47489 with 86002 in tow and a diverted northbound cross-country train on 14th August 1979. The train is taking the normally goods only Ryecroft Junction - Rugeley Trent Valley line owing to the blockage of the normal route via Wolverhampton following a serious derailment at Bushbury Junction the previous day.

 

71'2740

Day 343 Year2 I talked to my BF before his open heart surgery this morning. He was in good spirits and told me to get well and keep going. I will have to see a doctor tomorrow myself if this cough doesn't clear up soon as I am not allowed anywhere near the hospital or those that will be with him. This is devastating to me to be so left out.

I talked to my friend at the hospital and he proceeded nicely through the first stage as they prepared the arteries for bypass. They endo harvest the vein from the right leg and have that ready to go as they create bridges for the four major areas of genetic related damage and blockage.

A smaller fifth one will also be done.

He is now half way through the bypass itself and is doing very well. He still has two more hours of surgery to go.

He did want to thank everyone that was wishing him well and praying for a safe recovery.

I want to thank you all as well. It has been such a comfort to receive such support through comments and emails.

Being stuck home alone has been awful.

If it wasn't for some supportive good friends and friendly flickr folks I'd be totally lost.

So thank you again!

♥

Currently #39 in Explore! Thanks.

37254 "Cardiff Canton" is working top & tail with 37025 as they pass Trent Cottages with the 3Q50 2339 Ferme Park - Derby RTC UTU-S test train on 25th Aug 18.....Due to the blockage in remodelling Derby,this train had ran from Stenson to Trent Junction to reverse before heading into Derby from the east

Despite Freightliner having taken over the whole Mendip Rail contract from the beginning of November 2019, a traction shortage has already become apparent, despite the introduction of class 70 haulage on some Peak District flows, allowing relocation of a number of class 66/6’s to the Westbury area to cover the work load.

 

DBC is understood to be selling the 59/2's to Freightliner, and they are now listed as in the 'DFGH' Freightliner pool. Once the deal is confirmed they’ll probably go into the latest FL orange livery.

 

Former DBC owned and de-branded 59204 is seen working the 12:41 7V07 Chichester to Merehead empty stone boxes, this being the first run of this service since a recent 9 day long engineering blockage of the west Coastway route for track replacement. It is seen approaching Havant Junction on Wednesday 6 November 2019.

 

This was one of the first Mendip Rail services to change over to Freightliner and has featured their haulage by 66/6 and 66/5 locomotives since mid-August 2019, so the sight of a former DBC liveried locomotive back on this service was highly unusual.

nrhp # 66000839- The siege of Yorktown was the last major land battle of the American Revolutionary War. The French and American armies, united at New York City, marched south towards Virginia, deceiving the British into thinking they planned a siege of New York.

 

Comte de Grasse led the French West Indies fleet to Chesapeake Bay, creating a naval blockage of Yorktown. In September, he defeated a British fleet led by Sir Thomas Graves headed to support Cornwallis at Chesapeake, and prevented reinforcements to Cornwallis via sea. Soon after, Washington and Rochambeau arrived to surround Cornwallis completely.

  

With the British weakened by bombardment, on 14 October 1781, Washington attacked the British outer defences while a French column and Americans under Alexander Hamilton could move closer and the British deteriorated quickly. On 17 October, Cornwallis surrendered and more than 7,000 British soldiers were captured.

 

from historyhit.com

A brief but powerful summer thunder storm, complete with tornado warnings (that took place late in the afternoon on June 23, 2015) left much of Southern New Jersey, parts of Pennsylvania and Delaware without power for days. I was out and about in my car when the storm hit, and suddenly the wind was so strong that trash and other objects were blowing all over the place and I could actually feel the wind pulling my car. Following the storm a few rainbows appeared, and a 180 degree about face revealed a rich golden sky which quickly morphed into the craziest intense burnt orange sky I've ever seen. As I drove southbound on Route 55, traffic was very slow due to a blockage of fallen tree limbs - but for once I was actually happy to sit in traffic so I could capture the majesty of that crazy sky. I was awestruck, and continued to take photos my entire ride home. A friend of mine said this particular photo looked like the gates of hell, so I went with that. Just a tiny bit of tweaking was done to this photo to bring up the depth; it was not saturated. This is the first photo I have posted which was taken with my Nikon Coolpix. Our electric was out for four nights and three days, so that meant lots of bags of ice, and cold, candle-lit showers. I had almost become used to it when the power came back!

 

If you like my work, please check out my Facebook page. I truly appreciate your support! www.facebook.com/monsharicreations

Shap 21-2-87 (SUN) 40122 (D200) stands on 9L61 near Shap waiting to lift rails. We knew a bloke called Wilf who worked at Speke and he supplied us with TOPS information for a while. The only problem was, that it was a long way from home and it was a long way to anywhere after getting the information. It was alright when the departmental Class 40s were still active but the last one had been stopped and D200 was the only Class 40 left. TOPS said it was at Shap so we went to Shap and found it. It was a full weekend blockage on the WCML and so we stopped overnight, starting in the M6 services at Penrith until the police woke us up to find out what we were doing and then we drove to Shap to warm the car up and tried to sleep there in sub-zero temperatures and no blankets. Oh what fun! The next day we were up early to find the train , which wasn't far away. We slept better the next night, when we got home. 37059 was also lifting rails and they combined the loads to work to Penrith in "Top and tail" mode where the rails were unloaded on Sunday evening.

1981 Ford Capri 3.0 S.

 

Anglia Car Auctions, King's Lynn -

 

"V5 Present

MoT Exempt

Chassis number: WF0CXXGAECBA11996

 

"This 1981 Ford Capri Mk3 is fitted with the 3.0‑litre Essex V6 engine that, at the time it came out, was the range‑topping power unit for the model, giving 138bhp. In S specification, as here, the 3.0 was the most desirable of the early Mk3s, and it was the model that was showcased on The Professionals TV series in the early 1980s, with Bodie driving a silver 3.0 S and Doyle a gold 3.0 S.

 

"Registered in September 1981, this 2994cc Capri has four former previous keepers registered on its logbook, with the vendor having owned it since 1988. He tells us that the engine was rebuilt 5000 miles ago, to 'Fast Road' standard by Ford specialist Burton Power in Essex. Road tests showed 185bhp at the rear wheels. It's also been lowered two inches using Leda springs and gas shockers. The car has been SORN since 2008, so will need some recommissioning. It is believed there's a blockage between the fuel tank and the carburettor, which is preventing the car from running properly at the moment. However, with fuel fed directly into the car, by‑passing the tank, the Capri runs well.

 

"The paperwork file includes the current V5C (plus a couple of previous ones) and MoT certificates from 1987 to 1988, 1992 to 2001, and 2006 to 2007. These confirm the recorded odometer reading of 72,944 miles. There are assorted bills dating back to 1989, which includes the fitment of a Holley carburettor in 1989, at a cost of £583.05. There's also documentary evidence of a Lumenition electronic ignition having been fitted too. A spare set of keys is present plus the locking wheelnut key.

 

"The Ford is in very presentable condition, especially its original red Tartan interior. It comes with a boot full of parts, including the original carburettor."

 

Sold for £19,170 (including premium). It was offered with no reserve.

Partial Solar Eclipse, Boothbay Harbor, Maine

 

I didn't think it worth the effort to travel to South Carolina (what with one coming along much closer to home in 2024) so I was a little ambivalent about capturing a partial this go-round.

So, that's probably why I didn't order any solar filters until very late in the game, and when they arrived (via Brown one hour before the eclipse was to take place), I figured destiny was giving me a direct order to do this thing!

So, here it is, kinda at max blockage, where I waited for the sun spots to come outa dah shadows to make this capture.

 

Click on the following link to see an eclipse of another sort!

 

The Rig:

There were no 18 stop Neutral Density filters available by the time I finally got around to ordering one, so I settled on 2 x 10 stop filters, that as I said before, arrived on the day of the darkening.

  ● 2 x Neutral Density, 10 stop, 72 mm,

   double threaded, optical glass filters

  ● Canon F4 300 mm prime lens

  ● Canon 2 x TC (tele-converter)

  ● Canon 7D Mark I body

  ● Tripod

  ● Cable release

  ● A camo blanket over the rig to keep me out of the sun

   and allow me to see the rear screen which I used at 10x

   to manually focus on the sun.

   I could have used any blanket, but I figured the

   camo blanket would conceal me,

   and keep the sun from hiding behind a cloud.

  ● A lawn chair I used to sit-out the event

 

Technique:

  ● Locate the rig in a place where the sun's path

    would be visible throughout the eclipse.

  ● Exposure was by eye

    looking at the rear screen of the camera

    and stopping it down until I could see the sunspots

    on the surface of the sun.

  ● I went with F22 to help compensate for the

    wide open loss of resolution that comes with a 2xTC

  ● As you know the sun is a moving target, so I

    cranked up the ISO to 400 to get a reasonable

    shutter speed

  ● I let the rig sit out in the sun for 15 minutes before

    focusing on the sun to allow the rig to heat up

    and stabilize at the working temperature.

    (and indeed the filters and lens

    did become quite warm)

  ● Focus was manual with the rear screen pumped up

    to 10x, while I attempted to get the sharpest line I

    could get of the moon's shadow on the sun's surface.

    (it was a little tricky with the 2xTC eating up my

    adjustment movement, so I took a number of pics

    and looked at the sharpness of the shadow line until

    I could see a sharp line in the magnified image on

    the camera back).

  ● adjust the camera angle periodically

    to keep the sun in the frame.

 

    Note: Color correction was done in PhotoShop

        by setting the "White Balance" to

        "Daylight" in "Camera Raw"

        so the color is pretty much dead-on

        (asuming the neutral density filters

        were truly neutral).

  

From a traffic blockage in Clonmel to Carrigaholt where the nearest thing to a traffic jam is two cows meeting at a crossroads! Mr. French appears to have discovered rush hour at the famous lighthouse at Loop Head with people posing and using parasols and even a telescope! I wonder did Robert French manage to get the quartet to pose like that for him?

 

While we're still none-the-wiser as to whether Mr French posed this group, or they struck a pose on their own accord, it is the group (and their spy glasses and parasols) that make this shot :) The lighthouse is no less interesting a subject however. We learned today that Kilcredaun Lighthouse was built in 1827, and operated by the Comissioners of Irish Lights for nearly 190 years - until its closure in recent years. The light topping the tower itself, and some of the buildings surrounding, were changed over the years - including more notable works in the 1930s and 40s....

  

Photographer: Robert French

 

Collection: Lawrence Photograph Collection

 

Date: Catalogue range c.1865-1914

 

NLI Ref: L_CAB_06301

 

You can also view this image, and many thousands of others, on the NLI’s catalogue at catalogue.nli.ie

 

The only booked daylight freight to use the North Cotswold line during the blockage at Harbury Cutting in 2015 was 6M50, the 07.55 Westbury to Bescot via Hinksey Yard.

On the 9th February 70803 passes Lower Moor at 13.25 with a long but mainly empty rake of flats which, according to my notes, had not stopped at Hinksey Yard that day.

Largest Northern Gannet Colony and Lighthouse

  

Biggest Northern gannet colony in the world

The Bass Rock is home to over 150,000 gannets at the peak of the season. The gannets spend most of the year on the Bass, until the end of October when they set out on their long journey south, with many going as far as the west coast of Africa.

The lower ledges of the Bass are home to shags, guillemots and razorbills, with seals hauling up on the rocks below.

The Bass Rock was formed 320 million years ago and is the remains of one of many active volcanoes in the area. With an incredible past, it has played a key role throughout the history of Scotland - a religious retreat during early Christianity; fortress and prison in the time of the Covenanters and Jacobites; and a strategic stronghold during the times of the Scottish and English wars. Notably it has been owned by the Hamilton-Dalrymple family for the last 300 years.

  

Bass Rock lighthouse

Year Established

1903

Engineer

David A Stevenson

 

Position

Latitude

56° 04.603'N

Longitude

002° 38.463'W

 

Character

Flashing (3) White every 20 Secs

Elevation

46 metres

Nominal Range

10 nautical miles

 

Structure

White tower 20 metres high. There are 48 steps to the top of tower

In July 1897 the Commissioners decided that two lighthouses should be erected on the Haddingtonshire coast - on the Bass Rock and on a suitable place near Dunbar - as the unlighted condition of the area was causing concern.

Consequently, Barns Ness Lighthouse was established in 1901 and a light was first shown from the Bass Rock on the evening of 1 November 1902. The cost of the Bass Rock Lighthouse was £8,087:10:4.

 

The Bass Rock is a massive crag rising out of the sea to a height of 350 feet and it is about a mile in circumference. Through the Rock, from the East to West, runs a natural tunnel, but this is not accessible except at low tide.

 

Halfway up the Rock stands the ruins of a Pre-Reformation Chapel which was dedicated to Saint Baldfred, and was consecrated in the year 1542. Saint Baldfred was said to have his cell on the Bass Rock, dying there about the year 606. The Bass has a long and varied history. It is mentioned in writings dating back to the region of Malcolm Canmore and the first recorded owner was Sir Robert Lauder, who was granted a character for it around 1316. This family (Lauder of Bass) retained ownership of the rock for hundreds of years and must have been connected with the erection of a Pre-Reformation Chapel which must be dedicated to St Balfred in 1542, as well as being responsible for the building of the fortress.

 

Earlier, in 1671, Charles I claimed the Bass as Royal Property and it was sold to the crown for the sum of £4,000 sterling by the then owner, Sir Alexander Ramsay of Abbotshall, Provost of Edinburgh. The bloody pages of the Bass Rock's history now unfold when, under another Lauder (dale) known as the Captain of the Bass, the fortress was turned into a prison for Presbyterian ministers. Between 1672 and 1688 some 40 political/religious prisoners died in the dungeons of the rock. In 1691 during the reign of William and Mary, a party of four Jacobite prisoners escaped from their cells and captured the fortress when all the garrison was engaged in unloading coal. For the next three years they held the Bass for the Old Pretender and defied all attempts by Government forces to retake it. Aided by supply ships from France, this unique quartet even carried out raids on the Fife and Lothian coasts! In 1694 a more effective blockage finally starved them into submission, but they negotiated favourable terms and walked out free men! The fortress continued as a State Prison until demolished seven years later. In 1706, the Bass was sold to Sir Hugh Dalrymple, whose descendants still own it.

 

From then, up until the First World War, the rock was let out to tenants who earned money by fishing, grazing sheep (Bass Mutton was a famous 18th Century Edinburgh delicacy) and by killing young sea birds and collecting eggs. The last tenant of the Bass, a Mr Easton, was a North Berwick fishmonger.

 

But the true owners of the Bass Rock are, of course, the birds, for almost every available inch is occupied by razorbills, guillemots, cormorants, puffins, eider ducks and various gull species. But the bird of the Bass is the Gannet or "Solan Goose" with a breeding colony of 100,000 pairs, making the Bass a mecca for international ornithologists. It is thus only fitting that this superb sea bird's latin name "Sula Bassana" should be derived from the word Bass. Even as long ago as 1792, the gannets of the Bass Rock were famous both for their numbers and as food. Find out more about the birds of the Bass from the Scottish Sea Bird Centre at North Berwick.

 

Until 1988 when it was demanned, the Rock Lighthouse was lit by means of incandescent gas obtained from paraffin oil of a high flash point. There was an oil container in the Light Room to which bassrock3there was connected an air container and the oil was driven from its container by the air at pressure to a vaporiser where it was converted into a bunsen gas for heating a mantle which it rendered incandescent.

 

The new light is Biform ML300 Synchronised electric with Bifilament 20 watt lamp.

 

The Light was automated in 1988 and is now remotely monitored from the Board’s headquarters in Edinburgh.

  

FlickrExploreMe

   

Governs the generation of beings and phenomena of nature. Protects those who wish to progress spiritually. Distinguished by genius; one of the great lights of philosophy.

 

Correspondence to Astrology

 

15° to 20° Pisces - Alchemy/Transformation

  

Info below from: UNIVERSE/CITY MIKAEL www.ucm.ca/en/info/the-72-angels

  

Qualities

Alchemy

Transforms evil into good

Healing

Regenerates, revitalizes, re-establishes harmony

Transforms, transmutes into spiritual gold

Masters instincts

Guides the first steps of the deceased into the other world

Transforms society with enlightened ideas

Helps accompany the dying

Distortions

Blockage, retention Tendency to get bogged down Problems of obesity Incomprehension of good and evil Atheism, disbelief Conflict, confrontation Incurable disease Fear of change and death Outbursts, excessive reactions Heaviness, overflow Incapable of setting objectives

Situations

Accompanying the dying Cancer Death Digestion Intestines Kidney stones Liver Mother Stomach

Transformation, transformation of evil into good

www.karmicangelclearings.com/page/491335722

Lucifer Angel Genius Bartholdi is the result of the passage of the forbidden and decision Freedom of Man, results DEATH. This death is the beginning of transmutation cycle of creation of man and of God himself, not under guardianship and without freedom.Bartholdi itself carried the sculpture of the winged female genius that dominates the red porphyry obelisk on which is written "Author / Lion of Belfort / and the Statue of Liberty / Enlightening the World." I'll have .....

 

From the Analogy ("The Matrix") page you learned that certain alchemist's authors praise Lucifer. And it doesn't stop there. It extends to their symbolism as well. It is important to STRESS that not all Masons worship Lucifer, only the top 5% do. Most of these writings were kept secret. Biblical admonition has been taken carefully, comparing alchemics teachings to the Holy Bible. In I John 4:1, we read: "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try (test) the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." We see that any religious teaching that does not conform to Scripture is from a "false prophet." Many people still do not understand the importance of studying this subject to its logical conclusion. Their spiritual freedom is at stake. Remember two things about alchemy: "Cut through the outer shell and find a meaning; cut through that meaning and find another; under it, if you dig deep enough, you may find a third, a fourth -- who shall say how many teachings?" Many who are in alchemy are not aware that they are lied to. Finally, remember Albert Pike's bold assertion in Morals & Dogma, that "Masonry is identical to the ancient Mysteries," which means that all their teachings in all their books are precisely the same as the Ancient, Pagan, Satanic Mysteries. [p. 624, teachings of the 28th Degree] Of course these top 5% call Jesus Christ an "inferior god," they never, ever mention Him in their teachings or their rituals. This shouldn't surprise you since the Pope carries a bent Satanic cross as seen on another page which shames Christ on the cross.

Alchemits used Luciferic symbols within the layout of government center Washington D.C. worship Lucifer, the Light-Bearer. Lucifer and Satan are biblically the same individual, alchemy is really the worship of Satan. By quoting their own sources and depicting the symbols in which they use, this claim is proven. Alchemy gives itself away more through its symbols than it does in its writings. You saw in the analogy page of "The Matrix" that high level. Alchemists praise Lucifer. It is within these writings the "smoking gun" will be found, proof that Masons worship Satan. Once this is comprehended, you will understand why "they" have been trying to keep this all secret. If people really understood that Alchemy is the worship of Satan, no one in their right mind would join. Not only that but people would demand that this organization be outlawed. You have a continuous public relations campaign promoting the lie that Alchemy is not a religion, and is just a "good works social organization." As quoted above, you have secrets within secrets. LUCIFER PRAISED AS THE LIGHT-BEARER OF FREEMASONRY "Lucifer, the Light-bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable, blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish souls? Doubt it not!" [Albert Pike, Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry, p. 321, 19th Degree of Grand Pontiff; Red Emphasis added] Alchemists from the first initiation which is the first degree are urged to mightily "seek the Light!" The average Mason is continually saying that he is "seeking the Light," and will spend his entire life "moving toward the Light." People who haven't studied this subject would assume that this "Light" is the revelation of the God of the Bible. This statement is continuously held up to try to convince us that Masonry is Christian. In the above quote, Albert Pike is saying that Lucifer is the One who bears the Light of Alchemy. The sentence immediately preceding confirms not only that Lucifer is the Light-bearer, but that alchemys of previous degrees have been led to believe that the opposite was true. The wording of this sentence is difficut to understand unless you have special knowledge. Doc Marquis was asked for his explanation, lets look at what he had to say:, "The Apocalypse is, to those who receive the nineteenth Degree, the Apotheosis of that Sublime Faith which aspires to God Alone, and despises all the pomps and works of Lucifer." [Ibid.] It seems to contradict the sentence first quoted above, It appears to contradict the quote above where Pike identifies Lucifer as the Masonic Light-bearer. However when you understand the esoteric explanation from Doc Marquis, your understanding clears up completely.

The Apocalypse is identified first by Pike as being the Book of Revelation written by the Apostle John. Pike then states that similar books from other religions are just as 'inspired' as Revelation, mentioning Plato, Philo, the Sephar Yezirah, and the Sohar. Pike says all three of these books -- Apocalypse [Revelation], the Sephar Yezirah, and the Sohar, are all identically "inspired." And since the last two books are of non-Christian faiths, Albert Pike is saying that the contents of Revelation are no big deal. Therefore, it is no big deal that the Book of Revelation denigrates the "pomp and works" of Satan, since the God of that book is known to hate Satan.

Pike then says that these three books "are the completest embodiment of Occultism." [Ibid.] Now, we understand that Pike views the God of the Apocalypse as being the opposite but equal to Satan just as typical Occultists believe and teach!

Secondly, Doc Marquis provides the esoteric, occultic, explanation. Pike is also saying in this sentence that, in the previous 18 degrees, alchemists believed that God was the Light-bearer, but now, in this 19th Degree, Pike is giving them new revelation. This insight completely squares with stated Masonic policy of deliberately misleading alchemists in the lower degrees until they were really ready for the "truth." This is the truth -- MasonLucifer: A must to Knowledge.ry worships Lucifer. PIKE'S TYPICAL SATANIC PHRASE -- OUT WHERE EVERYONE CAN SEE Concrete evidence is then given by Pike of alchemist's worship of Satan/Lucifer on the very front of the cover of Morals and Dogma. Pike writes a Latin phrase just below the round seal of "God," this is a phrase proven to be Satanic. Any "Satanic brother" looking at this phrase would know that the contents of this book are Satanic. They would also understand that the entire religion of alchemy is Satanic. "DEUS MEUMQUE JUS" is this phrase. The literal meaning is "God and My Right" Doc Marquis says this statement is a typical one within Satanism. There is one meaning within another with this statement. The first meaning is that the Freemason can depend upon their God to determine their Right and Justice. The second meaning is, since the God of Freemasonry is Lucifer, Achemitss are saying that they are "using occult methods," through Lucifer, to achieve their Rights and Justice. This phrase is very powerful and dangerous within Saanism says Marquis. A Satanist knows the content within Pike's book is Satanism just by reading, "DEUS MEUMQUE JUS." They don't even have to read the book, just the phrase to know.

"SEETHING ENERGIES OF LUCIFER WITHIN YOUR HANDS!"

"The day has come when Fellow Craftsman must know and apply their knowledge. The lost key to their grade is the mastery of emotion , which places the energy of the universe at their disposal. Man can only expect to be entrusted with great power by proving his ability to use it constructively and selflessly. When the Alchemists learns that the key to the warrior on the block is the proper application of the dynamo of living power, he has learned the mystery of his Craft. The seething energies of Lucifer are in his hands, and before he may step onward and upward, he must prove his ability to properly apply energy. He must follow in the footsteps of his forefather, Tubal-Cain, who with the mighty strength of the war god hammered his sword into a plowshare."

Once the Alchemists learns to control his emotion and to apply the "dynamo of living power," the Mason can be assured of being able to control the "seething energies of Lucifer" in his hands. He makes the admission that Alchemy is the Craft, which is an old name for Witchcraft. Satanists are assured that, if they will join the coven and learn the Craft, he will control the supernatural power of Satan, just as Manly P. Hall promises here. As you can see, they have exposed themselves. Powerful proof that Alchemy is Satanism. The language is direct and clear. It is not cluttered with deliberately confusing arcane language that only an insider can understand.

REVELATIONS OF TUBAL-CAIN Please take note that Hall makes reference to Tubal-Cain, above. We need to review this sentence because it too reveals Satanism. The Alchemist must "follow in the footsteps of his forefather, Tubal-Cain, who with the mighty strength of the war god hammered his sword into a plowshare." In the Alchemic Quiz Book, the candidate is asked this question: "Who was Tubal Cain?" Answer: "He is the Vulcan of the pagans." William P. Peterson. The Arcane Schools: A Review of their Origin and Antiquity: With a General History of Alchemy and Its Relation to the Theosophic Scientific and Philosophic Mysteries, Belfast, Ireland, William Tait, 1909, p. 30; also found in A. R. Chambers, Editor, Questions and Tubal-Cain is the password given in the Third Degree of Master Alchemist . You can identify Alchemy with paganism within this sentence. But what is the meaning of the Vulcan of the pagans? A very important question because Manly P. Hall advises the Mason that, once he has the seething energies of Lucifer in his hands, he is to walk in Tubal-Cain's footsteps.

Hall makes it sound like Tubal-Cain is one of the Greek gods, does he not? And, we know conclusively that Tubal-Cain is Vulcan of the Pagans. Let us review who Vulcan of the pagans is, by looking within occult sources. "Vulcan was a sun deity who was associated with fire, thunderbolts and light. The festival in honor of him was called the Vulcania in which human sacrifices were offered." [Percival George Woodcock, Short Dictionary of Mythology, New York, Philosophical Library, p. 152]. "According to Diel, he bears a family relationship to the Christian devil." [J.E. Cirlot, translated by Jack Sage, A Dictionary of Symbols , New York, Dorset Press, 1991, p. 362]. "It is fascinating to know that he married Venus, another name for Lucifer or the devil ." [Woodcock, op. cit., p. 150-151; Emphasis added] Manly P. Hall tells the Mason that he can have the seething energies of Lucifer in his hands, and then tells him to follow in the footsteps of the "Christian devil," to whom "human sacrifices" are offered. THE INFERNAL NAMES There may be some people who have read up to this point and still might be skeptical. Masonry cleverly masks its references to Satan. There are 77 names which pagans have used to refer to Satan over the centuries and they are in the Satanic Bible. We'll review some of these "Infernal Names" of Satanism found within Alchemy [Satanic Bible, Anton LaVey, p. 144-46]

We shall list the Freemason teaching on each of these names, and then the explanation. Baphomet -- "The Gnostics held that it [universal agent] composed the igneous [pertaining to fire] body of the Holy Spirit, and it was adored in the secret rites of the Sabbat or the Temple under the hieroglyphic figure of Baphomet or the hermaphroditic goat of Mendes ." [Pike, op. cit., p. 734, teaching of the 28th Degree; Emphasis added] It find absolutely incredible that the Freemasons should portray the Holy Spirit with the Satanic symbol, Baphomet.

Eliphas Levi created this symbol, one of the foremost Satanists and Alchemists of all time. The Baphomet is one of the most evil of all symbols. Looking closely at the Baphomet(left) you will see that the emphasis is on sex. This Being is androgynous -- both male and female -- you can see it has the breasts of a woman, and an erect phallus. You'll notice that the erect phallus has two serpents coiled around it. The Baphomet has the head of a "Horned Goat," another title for Satan.Alchemic and Occult Symbols Illustrated is a book in which Dr. Burns says, "In a book on witchcraft, The Complete Book of Witchcraft and Demonology ... the caption states that he is 'the horned god of the witches, symbol of sex incarnate'." [p. 51] And if you look at his right hand you will see Baphomet making the sign of the Devil's triad. "Baphomet is also known as the Sabbatic goat, in whose form Satan is to be worshipped at the Witches' Sabbath." [Frank Gaynor, Dictionary of Mysticism, New York, Philosophical Library, 1953, p. 24]. Then, we discovered that Baphomet is officially approved as a symbol of the Church of Satan [The Occult Emporium, Winter , 1993-1994, p. 54] and that it is worn by the Priest of Satan [Ibid., 1990-1991, p. 26]. Since Albert Pike linked Baphomet with the Goat of Mendes , we will show this obviously Satanic symbol, as well. It should also be noted that from the way a pentagram is normally seen(one point up, two down), rotating the pentagram 33 degrees you get a Satanic Pentagram. 33 is the highest degree there is in Alchemy.

www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/symbology/1o5.htm

 

Lucifer :Passage obligé vers la Connaissance

« Comment es-tu tombé des Cieux

Astre du Matin, fils de l’Aurore

Comment as-tu été jeté par terre

Toi qui vassalisais toutes les Nations

Toi qui disais en ton cœur :

J’escaladerai les Cieux par-dessus les étoiles de Dieu

J’érigerai mon trône, je siégerai sur la montagne de l’assemblée, dans les profondeurs du Nord,

Je monterai au sommet des nuages noirs

Je ressemblerai au Très Haut

Comment ! Te voila tombé au Schéol, dans les profondeurs de l’abîme »

ISAÏE XIV : 12-15

Dieu a prévu que l’Homme est appelé à jouir de la Connaissance, à l’acquérir et à accéder à la toute puissance sur la création que lui confère la Connaissance (ce qu’il n’a pas oublié de faire depuis). Mais le résultat du passage de l’interdit et de la prise de Liberté de l’Homme, a pour conséquence la MORT. Cette mort qui est le début du cycle de transmutation de la création de l’Homme et de Dieu lui-même, impossible sous tutelle et sans liberté. Cette mort acquise par transgression, devient un élément de la mise en marche du cycle cosmique, VIE-MORT, et donc de la possibilité de changement. L’Homme doit passer d’un état passif, jouir de la Connaissance, à un état actif, Connaître, en passant par la prise de possession de la Connaissance. Le but à atteindre est la divinité de l’Homme, qui ayant cueilli les fruits de la Connaissance, doit en transmuter la substance afin de s’en approprier les principes avant que d’accéder à l’Immortalité que lui confèrera l’état de Connaissant. En fait, le Serpent « LUCIFER » l’Homme et la Femme, participent à l’Unité en nous ramenant à l’UN. L’acte de rébellion consenti par Dieu, permet à l’Homme une amélioration sous forme de réintégration de sa propre divinité. Les égrégores Dieu et Lucifer, sont les inconscients de l’Homme. La Connaissance a offert la liberté de choisir entre le Bien et le Mal et donc d’évoluer sur l’arbre de Vie. LUCIFER libère l’homme de la tutelle de Dieu parce que Dieu l’a voulu. Il est un Dionysos judéo chrétien, génie de l’incarnation humaine, de l’individualité libre, expression visible de la vérité. Il est l’autre Verbe de Dieu, Archange déchu qui remonte et entraîne avec lui toute l’évolution humaine. Dans sa chute il aurait perdu une émeraude fixée à son front et dans laquelle aurait été taillé un vase qui ne serait autre que le GRAAL lequel aurait servi à récupérer « le sang du Christ » dont le symbole représente la Connaissance suprême qui procure l’illumination spirituelle, la montée des Ténèbres de la foi vers la Lumière de la GNOSE. Le terme est lâché : GNOSE

Cette Connaissance mystique des anciens Initiés (Isis, Eleusis, Dionysos, Pythagore) qui évoque la conception de la présence, en l’Homme, d’une étincelle divine dans le Monde soumis au destin, à la naissance et à la mort, et qui doit être réveillée par la contrepartie du Soi pour être finalement réintégrée dans le Tout Universel.

L’Homme se doit d’évoluer selon un schéma sur lequel se base quasiment l’intégralité des Ordres Initiatiques :

Niveau de la Matière : les Hyliques , esclaves prisonniers de la grotte de Platon, retenus par les chaînes de l’ignorance, incapables d’aller au delà de l’apparence et dont la pensée reste au niveau du geste et du rite confondant le mot et l’esprit.

Niveau de l’Esprit : les Psychiques, qui ont fait évoluer leur intellect et leur affectif, mais leurs mots n’aboutissent pas à l’idée claire et juste car l’intolérance, les passions et la peur, les aveuglent.

Niveau de l’Ame ou du Spirituel : les Pneumatiques qui sont les mystiques éclairés et initiés, ayant abandonné les préjugés, les fausses certitudes et valeurs, libres de la pesanteur de la matière. Ils sont capables de retrouver le sens perdu de la Parole et ont accès à la Gnose en s’élevant au niveau du spirituel.

Cette Gnose permet d’opérer la métamorphose de l’Homme et sa mutation interne.

Lorsque le profane se trouve dans le cabinet de réflexion, il lit ce mot : VITRIOL mais il ne sait pas encore qu’en inversant deux de ces lettres, le I et le R, il pourra écrire plus tard « L’OR I VIT « L’or, ce métal pur et précieux , qui pour les Alchimistes représente bien plus que cela, il est cette étincelle de Divinité que l’homme doit rechercher par la transmutation de ce métal vil et impur, le Mercure qui n’est autre que le symbole alchimique de LUCIFER.

Il s’avère que l’Alchimie assimile LUCIFER à l’œuvre au noir, la Putréfaction, sous une forme non démoniaque mais rédemptrice. Il représente la Pierre Brute, matière initiale de l’œuvre, qui sous son aspect vil et repoussant, n’en demeure pas moins le pilier de toute l’œuvre, car recelant en son sein, la lumière à suivre, l’étoile que suivirent les mages pour parvenir à l’Enfant philosophal.

LUCIFER représente des forces immenses qui travaillent en nous obscurément, à la réalisation du parangon humain. Les deux natures chez l’Homme sont Mortelle, être de chair, et Originelle Immortelle, être de lumière.

Deux voies différentes s’ouvrent à la prise de conscience :

L’Involution (VITRIOL) qui est la matérialisation progressive de l’esprit

L’Evolution qui est la réapparition de l’Esprit émergeant au sein de la Matière qu’il a fécondée, animée, évertuée.

Comme l’Alchimiste, l’Homme peut engager la transformation, la transmutation de sa propre nature existentielle.

« Lumière et vie, voilà ce qu’est le Dieu et Père de qui est né l’Homme. Si donc tu apprends à te connaître comme étant fait de vie et de lumière et que ce sont là les éléments qui te constituent, tu retourneras à la Vie. » (Hermès Trismégiste)

La poursuite du grand Œuvre est le symbole du chemin nécessaire à la réalisation de la transfiguration de l’âme, prélude à la résurrection de la figure divine originelle : l’Homme véritable, l’Adam Kadmon.

Créé par Dieu, l’ange devenu Homme par la chair doit de son vivant et dans ses actes opérer une mue pour ressusciter en toute conscience et librement sa grandeur angélique.

LUCIFER : PASSAGE OBLIGE VERS LA CONNAISSANCE

La quête Luciférienne est la quête du Graal, nous sommes tous des enfants de LUCIFER, ceux qui font des efforts vers la Connaissance et la Sagesse. En loge, nous venons chercher la lumière que nous dispense « notre Lucifer », notre très Vénérable Maître car c’est par lui que se transmet la Lumière qui ouvre nos travaux, qui nous fait passer des Ténèbres à la Lumière, du monde profane au Macrocosme, de Lucifer au GADLU.

Dieu et LUCIFER, lumière et obscurité sont les deux facettes de cette réalité suprême qui n’est qu’un.LUCIFER est la réflexion de Dieu à l’intérieur de nous même, l’ombre de notre Etre Divin en nous même. L’influx Luciférien est une force sans laquelle la Terre n’aurait pu poursuivre son évolution. La chute du grain de blé et son implantation en cette Terre, lui donnent une particulière chance d’éclosion : celle de devenir Dieu. Celui qui veut monter doit d’abord descendre, la chute hors du Monde de Lumière, l’exil et le combat dans le Monde de l’Aveuglement et de l’Ignorance, permet la triomphale rédemption finale.

LUCIFER et CHRIST sont complémentaires, ils sont les Ténèbres et la Lumière, le Pentagramme pointe en bas évoquant la Connaissance transcendante qui renvoie à la quête d’immortalité et d’absolu pour LUCIFER et pointe en haut pour CHRIST dont la rédemption lui permet l’accès au Divin.

Mais alors, lorsque le Compagnon voit pour la première fois l’Etoile Flamboyante, celle-ci ne devrait elle pas être pointe vers le bas et ne se redresser que lorsqu’il passe des Ténèbres à la Lumière, qu’il renaît HIRAM ?

Le sceau de Salomon est explicite, un Triangle vers le haut et un Triangle vers le bas ce qui permet à l’Homme Luciférien de se positionner au centre, pas encore pneumatique mais plus du tout Hylique. Un peu comme le positionnement du Maître maçon qui, une fois la transmutation opérée, est passé de l’Equerre au compas mais revient se positionner au centre pour parfaire son évolution spirituelle.

Albert Pike Maître alchimiste du XIX ème Siècle avait déjà largement compris la nécessité du passage obligé par l’instruction Luciférienne et avait dit à ce propos, je cite : « Pour les F :. M :. Gnostiques, le G.A.D.L.U est Lucifer, »le porteur de Lumière ». L'Alchimie devrait être maintenue dans la pureté de la doctrine luciférienne « (sic).

Mais le Connaissant n’en est pas pour autant un Sage. Le savoir pouvant donner le pouvoir, l’évolution spirituelle de l’Homme se fera en fonction de la bonne ou mauvaise utilisation qu’il en fera. Il se doit de dompter son savoir et de le faire évoluer de la Matière vers l’Esprit, de l’Equerre vers le Compas en faisant que le Compas reste ouvert sur l’Equerre, de LUCIFER vers le DIVIN.

« Il est de la nature de la Lumière de ne pouvoir paraître à nos yeux sans être revêtue de quelque corps et il faut que ce corps soit propre aussi à recevoir la Lumière.

Là où donc est la Lumière, là doit être aussi nécessairement le véhicule de cette lumière. Voila le moyen le plus facile pour ne point errer. Cherche donc la Lumière de ton Esprit, la Lumière qui est enveloppée dans les Ténèbres et apprends de là que le sujet le plus vil de tous les ignorants est le plus noble selon les Sages » (BOUDDHA)

Gnôthi Seauton (Connais toi toi-même)

J’ai dit Très Vénérable Maître.

www.ledifice.net/7364-1.html

Last week I started moving furniture about in my bedroom, I'm having some major bathroom renovations done next month so I need to get the space cleared before it begins.

There is something that happens when you move furniture, throw rubbish away and generally clear and clean, it brings with it a new flow of energy, removes the blockages and usually inspires me to create.

 

I had the idea for this portrait whilst scrolling social media and I saw a number of people commenting about really missing the social contact of hugging.

 

It got me thinking about how important physical contact is. I'm a Born Again Christian and within a church setting, handshakes don't really exist, it's straight to hugs which can be a bit of a culture shock to those not used to it.

I'm so lucky to have Mr, Dex, He is hands down the best hugger of all time. Whenever I've had a down day or a wobble he is straight to the hugs and it makes a world of difference.

 

Thinking of all of those who want to hug someone and haven't for a long time. Sending you virtual hugs (((()))))

Pentacon-six, ARSAT-B 80mmF2.8. Kodak Portra160VC. Scanned print. Tokyo, Japan.

A great opportunity, a fresh start, everything is possible... so why I feel myself so freaky? This whole new year is like this 52 week challenge for me: both a source of opportunity and blockage. Today is the last day of the first week, the last day for posting a picture. I almost failed to produce anything. But at the very end, I think this blank page is really what I got today. With all its good and bad sides.

 

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Syndrome de la page blanche (thème: nouveaux départs)

 

Une belle occasion, un nouveau départ, tout est possible ... alors pourquoi je me sens si bizarre ? Cette toute nouvelle année est comme ce défi des 52 semaines pour moi : à la fois une source d'opportunités et de blocage. Aujourd'hui est le dernier jour de la première semaine, le dernier jour pour poster une image. J'ai bien failli ne rien réussir à produire. Mais à la fin, je pense que cette page vierge est vraiment ce que j'ai maintenant. Avec tous ses bons et mauvais côtés.

 

============

 

This picture is a part of the 52 weeks : 2016 challenge => www.flickr.com/groups/2914058@N22/

Cette image fait partie du défi 52 semaines : 2016 => www.flickr.com/groups/2914058@N22/

1Q52 arrives at Nottingham and conspires to stop in the most awkward place possible, both for sun position and 'blockage' by East Midlands Trains!

Location-Space above Geonosis

Sly's Log-

 

Well when we arrived at Geonosis we learned that the Invictus and Arbiter would be taking on the Separatist blockage head on. When we learned that the Invictus was under fire by vulture droids we were commanded to pilot ARC-170's into battle and help the Invictus. This was my first time piloting since training on Kamino so my flying skills were a bit rusty but I finally got the hang of it. By the time we got to the Invictus it was swarmed with vulture droids,most of them focusing fire on the command bridge. We did our best to push back the vulture droids and also got help from the cannons from the cruiser. We finally got those droids on the run and now it was time to land our fighters and learn about our next mission...

 

Microspace was really difficult for me as a builder because I've never had the best luck with it but I think this came out alright. Credit to E.K.O from MOCpages for the ARC-170 designed

Alan climbs back aboard the Combine after clearing a soil blockage from the auger.

66423 Accelerates The 09.06 Daventry DRS to Wentloog Tesco Containers Out Of Beachwood Tunnels Northern Portal, After Being Held By A Line Blockage.

Sunday 13th September 2015

...is interfering with our walk this afternoon.

Multiple places have the path flooded.

 

We were able to go round a different way and got a walk without getting too mucky.

 

phone picture

 

The Darling Buds - Let's Go Round There

www.youtube.com/watch?v=DolhYogMYtA

  

A dragonfly is an insect belonging to the order Odonata, infraorder Anisoptera (from Greek ἄνισος anisos, "unequal" and πτερόν pteron, "wing", because the hindwing is broader than the forewing). Adult dragonflies are characterized by large, multifaceted eyes, two pairs of strong, transparent wings, sometimes with coloured patches, and an elongated body. Dragonflies can be mistaken for the related group, damselflies (Zygoptera), which are similar in structure, though usually lighter in build; however, the wings of most dragonflies are held flat and away from the body, while damselflies hold their wings folded at rest, along or above the abdomen. Dragonflies are agile fliers, while damselflies have a weaker, fluttery flight. Many dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. An adult dragonfly's compound eyes have nearly 24,000 ommatidia each.

 

Fossils of very large dragonfly-like insects, sometimes called griffinflies, are found from 325 million years ago (Mya) in Upper Carboniferous rocks; these had wingspans up to about 750 mm (30 in), but were only distant ancestors, not true dragonflies. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threatens dragonfly populations around the world.

 

Dragonflies are predators, both in their aquatic nymphs stage (also known as naiads) and as adults. In some species, the nymphal stage lasts for up to five years, and the adult stage may be as long as ten weeks, but most species have an adult lifespan in the order of five weeks or less, and some survive for only a few days. They are fast, agile fliers, sometimes migrating across oceans, and often live near water. They have a uniquely complex mode of reproduction involving indirect insemination, delayed fertilization, and sperm competition. During mating, the male grasps the female at the back of the head, and the female curls her abdomen under her body to pick up sperm from the male's secondary genitalia at the front of his abdomen, forming the "heart" or "wheel" posture.

 

Dragonflies are represented in human culture on artefacts such as pottery, rock paintings, statues and Art Nouveau jewellery. They are used in traditional medicine in Japan and China, and caught for food in Indonesia. They are symbols of courage, strength, and happiness in Japan, but seen as sinister in European folklore. Their bright colours and agile flight are admired in the poetry of Lord Tennyson and the prose of H. E. Bates.

   

Evolution

 

Dragonflies and their relatives are similar in structure to an ancient group, meganisoptera, from the 325 Mya Upper Carboniferous of Europe, a group that included the largest insect that ever lived, Meganeuropsis permiana from the Early Permian, with a wingspan around 750 mm (30 in);. Known informally as "griffinflies", their fossil record ends with the Permian–Triassic extinction event (about 247 Mya). The Protanisoptera, another ancestral group that lacks certain wing vein characters found in modern Odonata, lived from the Early to Late Permian age until the end Permian event, and are known from fossil wings from current-day United States, Russia, and Australia, suggesting they might have been cosmopolitan in distribution. While both of those groups are sometimes referred to as "giant dragonflies", in fact true dragonflies/odonata are more modern insects that had not evolved yet.

 

Modern dragonflies do retain some traits of their distant predecessors, and are in a group known as palaeoptera, ancient-winged. They, like the gigantic pre-dinosaur griffinflies, lack the ability to fold their wings up against their bodies in the way modern insects do, although some evolved their own different way to do so. The forerunners of modern Odonata are included in a clade called the Panodonata, which include the basal Zygoptera (damselflies) and the Anisoptera (true dragonflies). Today, some 3,000 species are extant around the world.

 

The relationships of anisopteran families are not fully resolved as of 2013, but all the families are monophyletic except the Corduliidae; the Gomphidae are a sister taxon to all other Anisoptera, the Austropetaliidae are sister to the Aeshnoidea, and the Chlorogomphidae are sister to a clade that includes the Synthemistidae and Libellulidae. On the cladogram, dashed lines indicate unresolved relationships; English names are given (in parentheses)

   

Distribution and diversity

 

About 3,012 species of dragonflies were known in 2010; these are classified into 348 genera in 11 families. The distribution of diversity within the biogeographical regions are summarized below (the world numbers are not ordinary totals, as overlaps in species occur).

 

Dragonflies live on every continent except Antarctica. In contrast to the damselflies (Zygoptera), which tend to have restricted distributions, some genera and species are spread across continents. For example, the blue-eyed darner Rhionaeschna multicolor lives all across North America, and in Central America; emperors Anax live throughout the Americas from as far north as Newfoundland to as far south as Bahia Blanca in Argentina, across Europe to central Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. The globe skimmer Pantala flavescens is probably the most widespread dragonfly species in the world; it is cosmopolitan, occurring on all continents in the warmer regions. Most Anisoptera species are tropical, with far fewer species in temperate regions.

 

Some dragonflies, including libellulids and aeshnids, live in desert pools, for example in the Mojave Desert, where they are active in shade temperatures between 18 and 45 °C (64.4 to 113 °F); these insects were able to survive body temperatures above the thermal death point of insects of the same species in cooler places.

 

Dragonflies live from sea level up to the mountains, decreasing in species diversity with altitude. Their altitudinal limit is about 3700 m, represented by a species of Aeshna in the Pamirs.

 

Dragonflies become scarce at higher latitudes. They are not native to Iceland, but individuals are occasionally swept in by strong winds, including a Hemianax ephippiger native to North Africa, and an unidentified darter species. In Kamchatka, only a few species of dragonfly including the treeline emerald Somatochlora arctica and some aeshnids such as Aeshna subarctica are found, possibly because of the low temperature of the lakes there. The treeline emerald also lives in northern Alaska, within the Arctic Circle, making it the most northerly of all dragonflies.

   

General description

 

Dragonflies (suborder Anisoptera) are heavy-bodied, strong-flying insects that hold their wings horizontally both in flight and at rest. By contrast, damselflies (suborder Zygoptera) have slender bodies and fly more weakly; most species fold their wings over the abdomen when stationary, and the eyes are well separated on the sides of the head.

 

An adult dragonfly has three distinct segments, the head, thorax, and abdomen, as in all insects. It has a chitinous exoskeleton of hard plates held together with flexible membranes. The head is large with very short antennae. It is dominated by the two compound eyes, which cover most of its surface. The compound eyes are made up of ommatidia, the numbers being greater in the larger species. Aeshna interrupta has 22650 ommatidia of two varying sizes, 4500 being large. The facets facing downward tend to be smaller. Petalura gigantea has 23890 ommatidia of just one size. These facets provide complete vision in the frontal hemisphere of the dragonfly. The compound eyes meet at the top of the head (except in the Petaluridae and Gomphidae, as also in the genus Epiophlebia). Also, they have three simple eyes or ocelli. The mouthparts are adapted for biting with a toothed jaw; the flap-like labrum, at the front of the mouth, can be shot rapidly forward to catch prey. The head has a system for locking it in place that consists of muscles and small hairs on the back of the head that grip structures on the front of the first thoracic segment. This arrester system is unique to the Odonata, and is activated when feeding and during tandem flight.

 

The thorax consists of three segments as in all insects. The prothorax is small and is flattened dorsally into a shield-like disc, which has two transverse ridges. The mesothorax and metathorax are fused into a rigid, box-like structure with internal bracing, and provide a robust attachment for the powerful wing muscles inside. The thorax bears two pairs of wings and three pairs of legs. The wings are long, veined, and membranous, narrower at the tip and wider at the base. The hindwings are broader than the forewings and the venation is different at the base. The veins carry haemolymph, which is analogous to blood in vertebrates, and carries out many similar functions, but which also serves a hydraulic function to expand the body between nymphal stages (instars) and to expand and stiffen the wings after the adult emerges from the final nymphal stage. The leading edge of each wing has a node where other veins join the marginal vein, and the wing is able to flex at this point. In most large species of dragonflies, the wings of females are shorter and broader than those of males. The legs are rarely used for walking, but are used to catch and hold prey, for perching, and for climbing on plants. Each has two short basal joints, two long joints, and a three-jointed foot, armed with a pair of claws. The long leg joints bear rows of spines, and in males, one row of spines on each front leg is modified to form an "eyebrush", for cleaning the surface of the compound eye.

 

The abdomen is long and slender and consists of 10 segments. Three terminal appendages are on segment 10; a pair of superiors (claspers) and an inferior. The second and third segments are enlarged, and in males, on the underside of the second segment has a cleft, forming the secondary genitalia consisting of the lamina, hamule, genital lobe, and penis. There are remarkable variations in the presence and the form of the penis and the related structures, the flagellum, cornua, and genital lobes. Sperm is produced at the 9th segment, and is transferred to the secondary genitalia prior to mating. The male holds the female behind the head using a pair of claspers on the terminal segment. In females, the genital opening is on the underside of the eighth segment, and is covered by a simple flap (vulvar lamina) or an ovipositor, depending on species and the method of egg-laying. Dragonflies having simple flaps shed the eggs in water, mostly in flight. Dragonflies having ovipositors use them to puncture soft tissues of plants and place the eggs singly in each puncture they make.

 

Dragonfly nymphs vary in form with species, and are loosely classed into claspers, sprawlers, hiders, and burrowers. The first instar is known as a prolarva, a relatively inactive stage from which it quickly moults into the more active nymphal form. The general body plan is similar to that of an adult, but the nymph lacks wings and reproductive organs. The lower jaw has a huge, extensible labium, armed with hooks and spines, which is used for catching prey. This labium is folded under the body at rest and struck out at great speed by hydraulic pressure created by the abdominal muscles. Whereas damselfly nymphs have three feathery external gills, dragonfly nymphs have internal gills, located around the fourth and fifth abdominal segments. Water is pumped in and out of the abdomen through an opening at the tip. The naiads of some clubtails (Gomphidae) that burrow into the sediment, have a snorkel-like tube at the end of the abdomen enabling them to draw in clean water while they are buried in mud. Naiads can forcefully expel a jet of water to propel themselves with great rapidity.

   

Colouration

 

Many adult dragonflies have brilliant iridescent or metallic colours produced by structural colouration, making them conspicuous in flight. Their overall colouration is often a combination of yellow, red, brown, and black pigments, with structural colours. Blues are typically created by microstructures in the cuticle that reflect blue light. Greens often combine a structural blue with a yellow pigment. Freshly emerged adults, known as tenerals, are often pale-coloured and obtain their typical colours after a few days, some have their bodies covered with a pale blue, waxy powderiness called pruinosity; it wears off when scraped during mating, leaving darker areas.

 

Some dragonflies, such as the green darner, Anax junius, have a noniridescent blue that is produced structurally by scatter from arrays of tiny spheres in the endoplasmic reticulum of epidermal cells underneath the cuticle.

 

The wings of dragonflies are generally clear, apart from the dark veins and pterostigmata. In the chasers (Libellulidae), however, many genera have areas of colour on the wings: for example, groundlings (Brachythemis) have brown bands on all four wings, while some scarlets (Crocothemis) and dropwings (Trithemis) have bright orange patches at the wing bases. Some aeshnids such as the brown hawker (Aeshna grandis) have translucent, pale yellow wings.

 

Dragonfly nymphs are usually a well-camouflaged blend of dull brown, green, and grey.

   

Biology

 

Ecology

 

Dragonflies and damselflies are predatory both in the aquatic nymphal and adult stages. Nymphs feed on a range of freshwater invertebrates and larger ones can prey on tadpoles and small fish. Adults capture insect prey in the air, making use of their acute vision and highly controlled flight. The mating system of dragonflies is complex, and they are among the few insect groups that have a system of indirect sperm transfer along with sperm storage, delayed fertilization, and sperm competition.

 

Adult males vigorously defend territories near water; these areas provide suitable habitat for the nymphs to develop, and for females to lay their eggs. Swarms of feeding adults aggregate to prey on swarming prey such as emerging flying ants or termites.

 

Dragonflies as a group occupy a considerable variety of habitats, but many species, and some families, have their own specific environmental requirements. Some species prefer flowing waters, while others prefer standing water. For example, the Gomphidae (clubtails) live in running water, and the Libellulidae (skimmers) live in still water. Some species live in temporary water pools and are capable of tolerating changes in water level, desiccation, and the resulting variations in temperature, but some genera such as Sympetrum (darters) have eggs and nymphs that can resist drought and are stimulated to grow rapidly in warm, shallow pools, also often benefiting from the absence of predators there. Vegetation and its characteristics including submerged, floating, emergent, or waterside are also important. Adults may require emergent or waterside plants to use as perches; others may need specific submerged or floating plants on which to lay eggs. Requirements may be highly specific, as in Aeshna viridis (green hawker), which lives in swamps with the water-soldier, Stratiotes aloides. The chemistry of the water, including its trophic status (degree of enrichment with nutrients) and pH can also affect its use by dragonflies. Most species need moderate conditions, not too eutrophic, not too acidic; a few species such as Sympetrum danae (black darter) and Libellula quadrimaculata (four-spotted chaser) prefer acidic waters such as peat bogs, while others such as Libellula fulva (scarce chaser) need slow-moving, eutrophic waters with reeds or similar waterside plants.

   

Behaviour

 

Many dragonflies, particularly males, are territorial. Some defend a territory against others of their own species, some against other species of dragonfly and a few against insects in unrelated groups. A particular perch may give a dragonfly a good view over an insect-rich feeding ground; males of many species such as the Pachydiplax longipennis (blue dasher) jostle other dragonflies to maintain the right to alight there. Defending a breeding territory is common among male dragonflies, especially in species that congregate around ponds. The territory contains desirable features such as a sunlit stretch of shallow water, a special plant species, or the preferred substrate for egg-laying. The territory may be small or large, depending on its quality, the time of day, and the number of competitors, and may be held for a few minutes or several hours. Dragonflies including Tramea lacerata (black saddlebags) may notice landmarks that assist in defining the boundaries of the territory. Landmarks may reduce the costs of territory establishment, or might serve as a spatial reference. Some dragonflies signal ownership with striking colours on the face, abdomen, legs, or wings. The Plathemis lydia (common whitetail) dashes towards an intruder holding its white abdomen aloft like a flag. Other dragonflies engage in aerial dogfights or high-speed chases. A female must mate with the territory holder before laying her eggs. There is also conflict between the males and females. Females may sometimes be harassed by males to the extent that it affects their normal activities including foraging and in some dimorphic species females have evolved multiple forms with some forms appearing deceptively like males. In some species females have evolved behavioural responses such as feigning death to escape the attention of males. Similarly, selection of habitat by adult dragonflies is not random, and terrestrial habitat patches may be held for up to 3 months. A species tightly linked to its birth site utilises a foraging area that is several orders of magnitude larger than the birth site.

   

Reproduction

 

Mating in dragonflies is a complex, precisely choreographed process. First, the male has to attract a female to his territory, continually driving off rival males. When he is ready to mate, he transfers a packet of sperm from his primary genital opening on segment 9, near the end of his abdomen, to his secondary genitalia on segments 2–3, near the base of his abdomen. The male then grasps the female by the head with the claspers at the end of his abdomen; the structure of the claspers varies between species, and may help to prevent interspecific mating. The pair flies in tandem with the male in front, typically perching on a twig or plant stem. The female then curls her abdomen downwards and forwards under her body to pick up the sperm from the male's secondary genitalia, while the male uses his "tail" claspers to grip the female behind the head: this distinctive posture is called the "heart" or "wheel"; the pair may also be described as being "in cop".

 

Egg-laying (ovipositing) involves not only the female darting over floating or waterside vegetation to deposit eggs on a suitable substrate, but also the male hovering above her or continuing to clasp her and flying in tandem. The male attempts to prevent rivals from removing his sperm and inserting their own, something made possible by delayed fertilisation and driven by sexual selection. If successful, a rival male uses his penis to compress or scrape out the sperm inserted previously; this activity takes up much of the time that a copulating pair remains in the heart posture. Flying in tandem has the advantage that less effort is needed by the female for flight and more can be expended on egg-laying, and when the female submerges to deposit eggs, the male may help to pull her out of the water.

 

Egg-laying takes two different forms depending on the species. The female in some families has a sharp-edged ovipositor with which she slits open a stem or leaf of a plant on or near the water, so she can push her eggs inside. In other families such as clubtails (Gomphidae), cruisers (Macromiidae), emeralds (Corduliidae), and skimmers (Libellulidae), the female lays eggs by tapping the surface of the water repeatedly with her abdomen, by shaking the eggs out of her abdomen as she flies along, or by placing the eggs on vegetation. In a few species, the eggs are laid on emergent plants above the water, and development is delayed until these have withered and become immersed.

   

Life cycle

 

Dragonflies are hemimetabolous insects; they do not have a pupal stage and undergo an incomplete metamorphosis with a series of nymphal stages from which the adult emerges. Eggs laid inside plant tissues are usually shaped like grains of rice, while other eggs are the size of a pinhead, ellipsoidal, or nearly spherical. A clutch may have as many as 1500 eggs, and they take about a week to hatch into aquatic nymphs or naiads which moult between six and 15 times (depending on species) as they grow. Most of a dragonfly's life is spent as a nymph, beneath the water's surface. The nymph extends its hinged labium (a toothed mouthpart similar to a lower mandible, which is sometimes termed as a "mask" as it is normally folded and held before the face) that can extend forward and retract rapidly to capture prey such as mosquito larvae, tadpoles, and small fish. They breathe through gills in their rectum, and can rapidly propel themselves by suddenly expelling water through the anus. Some naiads, such as the later stages of Antipodophlebia asthenes, hunt on land.

 

The nymph stage of dragonflies lasts up to five years in large species, and between two months and three years in smaller species. When the naiad is ready to metamorphose into an adult, it stops feeding and makes its way to the surface, generally at night. It remains stationary with its head out of the water, while its respiration system adapts to breathing air, then climbs up a reed or other emergent plant, and moults (ecdysis). Anchoring itself firmly in a vertical position with its claws, its skin begins to split at a weak spot behind the head. The adult dragonfly crawls out of its nymph skin, the exuvia, arching backwards when all but the tip of its abdomen is free, to allow its exoskeleton to harden. Curling back upwards, it completes its emergence, swallowing air, which plumps out its body, and pumping haemolymph into its wings, which causes them to expand to their full extent.

 

Dragonflies in temperate areas can be categorized into two groups, an early group and a later one. In any one area, individuals of a particular "spring species" emerge within a few days of each other. The springtime darner (Basiaeschna janata), for example, is suddenly very common in the spring, but disappears a few weeks later and is not seen again until the following year. By contrast, a "summer species" emerges over a period of weeks or months, later in the year. They may be seen on the wing for several months, but this may represent a whole series of individuals, with new adults hatching out as earlier ones complete their lifespans.

   

Sex ratios

 

The sex ratio of male to female dragonflies varies both temporally and spatially. Adult dragonflies have a high male-biased ratio at breeding habitats. The male-bias ratio has contributed partially to the females using different habitats to avoid male harassment. As seen in Hine's emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana), male populations use wetland habitats, while females use dry meadows and marginal breeding habitats, only migrating to the wetlands to lay their eggs or to find mating partners. Unwanted mating is energetically costly for females because it affects the amount of time that they are able to spend foraging.

   

Flight

 

Dragonflies are powerful and agile fliers, capable of migrating across the sea, moving in any direction, and changing direction suddenly. In flight, the adult dragonfly can propel itself in six directions: upward, downward, forward, backward, to left and to right. They have four different styles of flight: A number of flying modes are used that include counter-stroking, with forewings beating 180° out of phase with the hindwings, is used for hovering and slow flight. This style is efficient and generates a large amount of lift; phased-stroking, with the hindwings beating 90° ahead of the forewings, is used for fast flight. This style creates more thrust, but less lift than counter-stroking; synchronised-stroking, with forewings and hindwings beating together, is used when changing direction rapidly, as it maximises thrust; and gliding, with the wings held out, is used in three situations: free gliding, for a few seconds in between bursts of powered flight; gliding in the updraft at the crest of a hill, effectively hovering by falling at the same speed as the updraft; and in certain dragonflies such as darters, when "in cop" with a male, the female sometimes simply glides while the male pulls the pair along by beating his wings.

 

The wings are powered directly, unlike most families of insects, with the flight muscles attached to the wing bases. Dragonflies have a high power/weight ratio, and have been documented accelerating at 4 G linearly and 9 G in sharp turns while pursuing prey.

 

Dragonflies generate lift in at least four ways at different times, including classical lift like an aircraft wing; supercritical lift with the wing above the critical angle, generating high lift and using very short strokes to avoid stalling; and creating and shedding vortices. Some families appear to use special mechanisms, as for example the Libellulidae which take off rapidly, their wings beginning pointed far forward and twisted almost vertically. Dragonfly wings behave highly dynamically during flight, flexing and twisting during each beat. Among the variables are wing curvature, length and speed of stroke, angle of attack, forward/back position of wing, and phase relative to the other wings.

   

Flight speed

 

Old and unreliable claims are made that dragonflies such as the southern giant darner can fly up to 97 km/h (60 mph). However, the greatest reliable flight speed records are for other types of insects. In general, large dragonflies like the hawkers have a maximum speed of 36–54 km/h (22–34 mph) with average cruising speed of about 16 km/h (9.9 mph). Dragonflies can travel at 100 body-lengths per second in forward flight, and three lengths per second backwards.

   

Motion camouflage

 

n high-speed territorial battles between male Australian emperors (Hemianax papuensis), the fighting dragonflies adjust their flight paths to appear stationary to their rivals, minimizing the chance of being detected as they approach.[a] To achieve the effect, the attacking dragonfly flies towards his rival, choosing his path to remain on a line between the rival and the start of his attack path. The attacker thus looms larger as he closes on the rival, but does not otherwise appear to move. Researchers found that six of 15 encounters involved motion camouflage.

   

Temperature control

 

The flight muscles need to be kept at a suitable temperature for the dragonfly to be able to fly. Being cold-blooded, they can raise their temperature by basking in the sun. Early in the morning, they may choose to perch in a vertical position with the wings outstretched, while in the middle of the day, a horizontal stance may be chosen. Another method of warming up used by some larger dragonflies is wing-whirring, a rapid vibration of the wings that causes heat to be generated in the flight muscles. The green darner (Anax junius) is known for its long-distance migrations, and often resorts to wing-whirring before dawn to enable it to make an early start.

 

Becoming too hot is another hazard, and a sunny or shady position for perching can be selected according to the ambient temperature. Some species have dark patches on the wings which can provide shade for the body, and a few use the obelisk posture to avoid overheating. This behaviour involves doing a "handstand", perching with the body raised and the abdomen pointing towards the sun, thus minimising the amount of solar radiation received. On a hot day, dragonflies sometimes adjust their body temperature by skimming over a water surface and briefly touching it, often three times in quick succession. This may also help to avoid desiccation.

   

Feeding

 

Adult dragonflies hunt on the wing using their exceptionally acute eyesight and strong, agile flight. They are almost exclusively carnivorous, eating a wide variety of insects ranging from small midges and mosquitoes to butterflies, moths, damselflies, and smaller dragonflies. A large prey item is subdued by being bitten on the head and is carried by the legs to a perch. Here, the wings are discarded and the prey usually ingested head first. A dragonfly may consume as much as a fifth of its body weight in prey per day. Dragonflies are also some of the insect world's most efficient hunters, catching up to 95% of the prey they pursue.

 

The nymphs are voracious predators, eating most living things that are smaller than they are. Their staple diet is mostly bloodworms and other insect larvae, but they also feed on tadpoles and small fish. A few species, especially those that live in temporary waters, are likely to leave the water to feed. Nymphs of Cordulegaster bidentata sometimes hunt small arthropods on the ground at night, while some species in the Anax genus have even been observed leaping out of the water to attack and kill full-grown tree frogs.

   

Eyesight

 

Dragonfly vision is thought to be like slow motion for humans. Dragonflies see faster than we do; they see around 200 images per second. A dragonfly can see in 360 degrees, and nearly 80 percent of the insect's brain is dedicated to its sight.

   

Predators

 

Although dragonflies are swift and agile fliers, some predators are fast enough to catch them. These include falcons such as the American kestrel, the merlin, and the hobby; nighthawks, swifts, flycatchers and swallows also take some adults; some species of wasps, too, prey on dragonflies, using them to provision their nests, laying an egg on each captured insect. In the water, various species of ducks and herons eat dragonfly nymphs and they are also preyed on by newts, frogs, fish, and water spiders. Amur falcons, which migrate over the Indian Ocean at a period that coincides with the migration of the globe skimmer dragonfly, Pantala flavescens, may actually be feeding on them while on the wing.

   

Parasites

 

Dragonflies are affected by three major groups of parasites: water mites, gregarine protozoa, and trematode flatworms (flukes). Water mites, Hydracarina, can kill smaller dragonfly nymphs, and may also be seen on adults. Gregarines infect the gut and may cause blockage and secondary infection. Trematodes are parasites of vertebrates such as frogs, with complex life cycles often involving a period as a stage called a cercaria in a secondary host, a snail. Dragonfly nymphs may swallow cercariae, or these may tunnel through a nymph's body wall; they then enter the gut and form a cyst or metacercaria, which remains in the nymph for the whole of its development. If the nymph is eaten by a frog, the amphibian becomes infected by the adult or fluke stage of the trematode.

   

Dragonflies and humans

 

Conservation

 

Most odonatologists live in temperate areas and the dragonflies of North America and Europe have been the subject of much research. However, the majority of species live in tropical areas and have been little studied. With the destruction of rainforest habitats, many of these species are in danger of becoming extinct before they have even been named. The greatest cause of decline is forest clearance with the consequent drying up of streams and pools which become clogged with silt. The damming of rivers for hydroelectric schemes and the drainage of low-lying land has reduced suitable habitat, as has pollution and the introduction of alien species.

 

In 1997, the International Union for Conservation of Nature set up a status survey and conservation action plan for dragonflies. This proposes the establishment of protected areas around the world and the management of these areas to provide suitable habitat for dragonflies. Outside these areas, encouragement should be given to modify forestry, agricultural, and industrial practices to enhance conservation. At the same time, more research into dragonflies needs to be done, consideration should be given to pollution control and the public should be educated about the importance of biodiversity.

 

Habitat degradation has reduced dragonfly populations across the world, for example in Japan. Over 60% of Japan's wetlands were lost in the 20th century, so its dragonflies now depend largely on rice fields, ponds, and creeks. Dragonflies feed on pest insects in rice, acting as a natural pest control. Dragonflies are steadily declining in Africa, and represent a conservation priority.

 

The dragonfly's long lifespan and low population density makes it vulnerable to disturbance, such as from collisions with vehicles on roads built near wetlands. Species that fly low and slow may be most at risk.

 

Dragonflies are attracted to shiny surfaces that produce polarization which they can mistake for water, and they have been known to aggregate close to polished gravestones, solar panels, automobiles, and other such structures on which they attempt to lay eggs. These can have a local impact on dragonfly populations; methods of reducing the attractiveness of structures such as solar panels are under experimentation.

   

In culture

 

A blue-glazed faience dragonfly amulet was found by Flinders Petrie at Lahun, from the Late Middle Kingdom of ancient Egypt.

 

Many Native American tribes consider dragonflies to be medicine animals that had special powers. For example, the southwestern tribes, including the Pueblo, Hopi, and Zuni, associated dragonflies with transformation. They referred to dragonflies as "snake doctors" because they believed dragonflies followed snakes into the ground and healed them if they were injured. For the Navajo, dragonflies symbolize pure water. Often stylized in a double-barred cross design, dragonflies are a common motif in Zuni pottery, as well as Hopi rock art and Pueblo necklaces.: 20–26 

 

As a seasonal symbol in Japan, the dragonflies are associated with season of autumn. In Japan, they are symbols of rebirth, courage, strength, and happiness. They are also depicted frequently in Japanese art and literature, especially haiku poetry. Japanese children catch large dragonflies as a game, using a hair with a small pebble tied to each end, which they throw into the air. The dragonfly mistakes the pebbles for prey, gets tangled in the hair, and is dragged to the ground by the weight.: 38 

 

In Chinese culture, dragonflies symbolize both change and instability. They are also symbols in the Chinese practices of Feng Shui, where placements of dragonfly statues and artwork in parts of a home or office are believed to bring new insights and positive changes.

 

In both China and Japan, dragonflies have been used in traditional medicine. In Indonesia, adult dragonflies are caught on poles made sticky with birdlime, then fried in oil as a delicacy.

 

Images of dragonflies are common in Art Nouveau, especially in jewellery designs. They have also been used as a decorative motif on fabrics and home furnishings. Douglas, a British motorcycle manufacturer based in Bristol, named its innovatively designed postwar 350-cc flat-twin model the Dragonfly.

 

Among the classical names of Japan are Akitsukuni (秋津国), Akitsushima (秋津島), Toyo-akitsushima (豊秋津島). Akitsu is an old word for dragonfly, so one interpretation of Akitsushima is "Dragonfly Island". This is attributed to a legend in which Japan's mythical founder, Emperor Jimmu, was bitten by a mosquito, which was then eaten by a dragonfly.

 

In Europe, dragonflies have often been seen as sinister. Some English vernacular names, such as "horse-stinger", "devil's darning needle", and "ear cutter", link them with evil or injury. Swedish folklore holds that the devil uses dragonflies to weigh people's souls.: 25–27  The Norwegian name for dragonflies is Øyenstikker ("eye-poker"), and in Portugal, they are sometimes called tira-olhos ("eyes-snatcher"). They are often associated with snakes, as in the Welsh name gwas-y-neidr, "adder's servant". The Southern United States terms "snake doctor" and "snake feeder" refer to a folk belief that dragonflies catch insects for snakes or follow snakes around and stitch them back together if they are injured. Interestingly, the Hungarian name for dragonfly is szitakötő ("sieve-knitter").

 

The watercolourist Moses Harris (1731–1785), known for his The Aurelian or natural history of English insects (1766), published in 1780, the first scientific descriptions of several Odonata including the banded demoiselle, Calopteryx splendens. He was the first English artist to make illustrations of dragonflies accurate enough to be identified to species (Aeshna grandis at top left of plate illustrated), though his rough drawing of a nymph (at lower left) with the mask extended appears to be plagiarised.[b]

 

More recently, dragonfly watching has become popular in America as some birdwatchers seek new groups to observe.

 

In heraldry, like other winged insects, the dragonfly is typically depicted tergiant (with its back facing the viewer), with its head to chief.

   

In poetry and literature

 

Lafcadio Hearn wrote in his 1901 book A Japanese Miscellany that Japanese poets had created dragonfly haiku "almost as numerous as are the dragonflies themselves in the early autumn." The poet Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694) wrote haiku such as "Crimson pepper pod / add two pairs of wings, and look / darting dragonfly", relating the autumn season to the dragonfly. Hori Bakusui (1718–1783) similarly wrote "Dyed he is with the / Colour of autumnal days, / O red dragonfly."

 

The poet Lord Tennyson, described a dragonfly splitting its old skin and emerging shining metallic blue like "sapphire mail" in his 1842 poem "The Two Voices", with the lines "An inner impulse rent the veil / Of his old husk: from head to tail / Came out clear plates of sapphire mail."

 

The novelist H. E. Bates described the rapid, agile flight of dragonflies in his 1937 nonfiction book Down the River:

 

I saw, once, an endless procession, just over an area of water-lilies, of small sapphire dragonflies, a continuous play of blue gauze over the snowy flowers above the sun-glassy water. It was all confined, in true dragonfly fashion, to one small space. It was a continuous turning and returning, an endless darting, poising, striking and hovering, so swift that it was often lost in sunlight.

 

In technology

 

A dragonfly has been genetically modified with light-sensitive "steering neurons" in its nerve cord to create a cyborg-like "DragonflEye". The neurons contain genes like those in the eye to make them sensitive to light. Miniature sensors, a computer chip and a solar panel were fitted in a "backpack" over the insect's thorax in front of its wings. Light is sent down flexible light-pipes named optrodes[c] from the backpack into the nerve cord to give steering commands to the insect. The result is a "micro-aerial vehicle that's smaller, lighter and stealthier than anything else that's manmade".

 

[Credit: en.wikipedia.org/]

A natural blockage on this Maine brook causes the autumn leaves to gather and sparkle in the late afternoon light.

 

NOTE: All images are Copyrighted by Greg A. Hartford. No rights to use are given or implied to the viewer. All rights of ownership and use remain with the copyright owner.

I'm not sure how to begin, but it seems that my Little Joey has additional health issues that's more than his chronic kidney disease.

I've noticed him flop on his side on my bed and sprawl on the floor, letting off a yowl. He was in pain but it's not due to his CKD.

A thorough examination, full body X-rays and ultrasound revealed that Joey is having arthritis in his hind legs.

The vet said that he had no intestinal blockages but she was worried about Joey's bladder.

 

A new blood work was done and for some reason his SDMA figures put him in the high region, although Joey is stable at Stage 2 at this point of time. This contradicts an earlier blood test done at the Gasing Veterinary Hospital, which indicated that Joey was at Stage 1.

 

Managing CKD is very tricky and if I don't monitor Joey's health closely he could worsen over time.

 

Athritis is the last thing I needed because it's already difficult enough dealing with his CKD.

 

Joey spent a night at the vet's for observation but he did not pee throughout his overnight's stay. That's not surprising as he wouldn't drink much due to his anxiety. I'm surprised that the vet didn't even suggest subcutaneous fluid injection.

 

Joey's on gabapentin for his joint inflammation pain management but the drug is making him lethargic as a side effect. Non steroidal anti inflammation drugs like meloxicam is not recommended as it can potentially damage his kidneys further.

 

I'm sorry for not being able to update

my photo stream lately. A lot has happened since, with Cherie and Sunny being sent to this vet for their respective issues. They're both fine but Joey's health is my biggest concern.

I have to distance myself from Sunny and Cherie. As much as I'm fond of them, they don't understand that Joey needs special care and attention.

Joey's strange hiding behavior for the past few months explains things.

Not only he was avoiding Mimi the black cat, he was also silently suffering from both physical and psychological pain.

BR Sulzer Type 2 No. 25135 heads a down parcels train north of Ryecroft Junction on 14th August 1979.

 

The train is taking the then goods-only Ryecroft Junction - Rugeley Trent Valley line owing to the blockage of the normal route via Wolverhampton following a serious derailment at Bushbury Junction the previous day.

 

71'2743

A new place for urban shoot.

Clifford pier skyscraper is almost there for the photographers and the tourists. Together with the marina bay sand, merlion park, waterfront and esplanade, the whole marina bay has now formed up to a loop. Visitors will have no problem by walking visit all these places without any blockage. A great development from URA.

Discover the new look of marina bay with your camera, start shooting......

singapore river..

marina bay.

marina bay sands.

.

 

This one must have been abandoned long ago. The former road to this house now was a rough path, grown over with bushes and other vegetation. I walked for 5 minutes to reach the house to see whether there were any good angles from which to shoot it but it was fully engulfed in what had been its shelter belt.

 

It is interesting to see how the asphalt shingle siding has peeled off the second story and how the branches on the left side are pressing on the roof. I might visit later in the year when the deciduous trees have lost their leaves. However, much of the blockage is by Spruce trees.

I miss my mommy.

57305 draws 6X24 through the weeds and past sister 57312 which was shut down in the passing loop alongside Cavendish Dock whilst the consist was extracted from the terminal.

312 was then attached to what is the rear end but would lead to Sellafield once back on the main line at Salthouse Junction.

Procedures have been tightened up here following the derailment at Salthouse in November 2013 during which one and a half KXAs being propelled by a 57 ended up in the dirt due to the trap points not being set correctly by the train staff, resulting in total blockage of the main line.

On August 21, 2017 the greater Atlanta Metro Area was in the path of a solar eclipse...the path of totality traveling across the entire USA. A first in many years. Our area was in the 97% maximum blockage path making it much darker than usual...however this image was taken when the blockage was at approximately 20-25%

Whilst out on my once daily bit of exercise, i came across the issue of the blockage at Bromsgrove, 66057 lying beached in the banking engines headshunt, having became stranded there late last night, and also causing damage to an on coming passenger train, fortunately no one was hurt, and the damaged passenger train eventually made its way empty to Tyseley early this morning.

24/03/2020

Inspiration can be so hard to stimulate. It takes effort, it takes a certain frame of mind, and it takes persistence. Sometimes it needs a catalyst, something to jolt the grey matter and free up the boring predetermined path towards inevitability. Something to infiltrate your mind and help you see the world with a different set of ‘eyes’ and help weave a slightly different set of neural pathways. This can take the form of a piece of writing, a painting, or even a conversation, but one thing is for sure, the lack of inspiration, a blockage in stimuli, is one of the major factors that will dampen the spirits of the creative mind.

Please don’t assume that this arduous journey into the unknown will be a walk in the park, or that you will ever arrive at a destination. No for it to be worthwhile, the further you venture into this barren wilderness without a map or even a compass, the more lost you must become! So why bother? Why put yourself through this arduous emotionally charged journey?

Well paradoxically, the more work you invest in creative development, the more you face those egotistical creative defence mechanisms, the greater the rewards towards an enriched creative experience.

 

Anyway this is all very well, but how can we force that new direction. How can we break that photographers block! Well you might want to start with guidance, in the form of deeply considered and sensitively applied feedback. It can do wonders if intelligently administered, but best of all from somebody that knows how and when to offer it to you as an individual. All too often people only offer their particular views, just replicating what they would do. (“This is wrong, you want to do it like me” kind of rubbish). But feedback that is given that comes from somebody that has taken the time to understand your creative direction and merely taps into and confirms a pre-existing subconscious knowing, with the main objective of it is to sets your imagination into overdrive, then it’s working.

 

Anyway, there are many other ways to stimulate inspiration, and many of them will be different for each of us, but the key factor is to enjoy the journey, and what a complex, enjoyable journey it can be.

 

As always, if you fancy coming along on a workshop, I have some day courses in the north of England and a seascape weekend workshop with Antony Spencer coming up. See my profile for details if you’re interested...

 

Sierra National Forest, Tulare County, California 2013

Opened in 1972, Peterborough Power Signalbox has just under a month before it closes and control passes to York. The north panel signaller completes a Line Blockage form, whilst his south panel colleague does likewise.

A sulfuric acid spill happened on our national road connecting the South and North of the country. This caused major road blockages. My wife and I were traveling this route and to take along detour. Just as we reached the national road from the detour, we had to wait for another more than an hour stoppage.

In the woods near the Snake Pass, Derbyshire.

In the wake of Hurricane Fiona, the Hillsborough River Trail (what my wife and I call the 'hospital trail') was devastated and rendered virtually impassable. Some of the worst blockage is shown here; I suspect it may be a long time before they get around to opening this popular path up again.

Variations on a theme «...with a film across Moscow»

Film: Target 200 135/36 (expired 04/1994) was exhibited as ISO 80

Camera: Pentax MZ-7 + Lens: Mir-1B 37mm ƒ2,8 M42 VOMZ

Photo taken: 29/05/2016

Scanner: Epson Stylus Photo RX500

(All of the pictures from this film shown on the standard process C-41, scanned without modifications and filters in RAW-DNG application VueScan, invert in Lightroom.)

 

Tretyakov Drive (Russian: Третьяковский проезд) is a short street with boutiques and shops with many luxury goods located in Kitai-gorod in Moscow and known as one of the most expensive shopping areas in the world.

 

The mediaeval-looking archway onto Theatre Drive was designed by architect Alexander Kaminsky (1829–1897) in 1871. The project was financed by Kaminsky's brother-in-law, Pavel Mikhailovich Tretyakov, who was also the founder of the Tretyakov Gallery.

 

The Tretyakovs' frustration over a blockage on Nikolskaya Street is said to have inspired them to buy the land and revive a Middle Ages thoroughfare from Nikolskaya to the Theatre Drive, across the former Kitai-gorod wall.

As the title says, I was totally blocked by a fire engine just when I got onto the freeway. There was a long line of vehicles behind me. It turned out that a Mercedes SUV was stuck on the freeway for some reason. Two fire engines had arrived at the scene. I am not sure if there was a leakage of fuel or what. The firemen got out of their fore engines and examined the Mercedes. After a while, a police vehicle next to the fire engine as shown in this photo pushed the Mercedes out of the way with its front grill before this fire engine moved out of the way. There goes my typical morning commute.

The current timetable (which doesn't get any better with the 8) often has the bus that's due to leave Dubford second arriving before the one that leaves first. And the loop round to release the first bus doesn't always go well....

 

It took 10 minutes to get the first X40 out from this blockage as a rather nervous lamppost looks on. Never mind, time was caught up by not stopping for passengers at the Lidls stop...

 

Kingswells passengers cite late running X40 buses as a reason they have used the service less.

Words, for me, feel clumsy, bumbling, awkward…insufficient. Telling my stories through words is an anxiety-inducing task: a series of daunting, opaque, painful and limiting blockages. The flow eludes me. There is a deep well of emotion in the protective sanctuary of my innermost self yet inaccessible through words.

And so I make images.

 

Within the making of images, I have begun to hear my truest voice. It’s felt a little like rubbing sticks together to make fire: the passionate effort, then tiny sparks…then a delicate flame in the sparsest of kindling.

The solitude I craved showed up in the scenes I framed. The beauty I held holy blew her hot breath over nature’s every pixel. Light found my hurts and showed me how to diffuse her magic into the shadows. I lit the unseen corners. I softened the hard lines and balanced the darkness. I painted each square and rectangle with mood and longing and anger and love. I felt the luminous warmth of color and sunlight and shape and dimension penetrate the tight fist of my closed off heart…until

I could say with that true voice what I was meant to say.

Until I felt hope.

 

During this long and tenuous communion with hope, I have still carried the heavy burdens of self-doubt, anger, depression, anxiety, fear, and still too often, hopelessness. I have fought and screamed, kicked, cursed and burned blisters into my skin as I stood stubbornly in the fire of my own struggles.. But, image by image, I have come to understand what it is I wish to express, what I wish to feel and give. In this voiceless music, I have discovered a purpose, brilliantly illuminated with the radiant glow of hope.

It is this fiery and glittering torch of hope I wish to give to you, so that you might know the essence of your truest voice, so that you might feel the peace, solitude and beauty your soul craves, so that you might know and bring to light the color and shape, dimension, depth and passion of your most delicate and sacred dreams. So that your struggle may ease as mine has eased. So that you might find your gifts to share with the world.