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A brief visit to the British Birds of Prey Centre, The National Botanic Gardens of Wales today - this is their White Tailed Sea Eagle which is described as 'The 'Flying barn Door' because that is the length of her wingspan.
I'm not sure who was more surprised in this encounter, We stopped, looked at each other for a few seconds, and then she trotted off, I thought it was magical, I'm not sure what went on in that pretty little head.
A female Roe on the edge of the wood.
For a brief few minutes the early sun lit up the morning mist
Looking east from Wetton Hill towards Wolfscote Hill
This grey heron (ardea cinerea) was visiting my fish pond when I surprised it. Despite flying away, the bird kept a watchful eye from a nearby tree. Photographed in Great Horwood, Buckinghamshire, England.
Caught these little rascals briefly stationed near their den entrance at the Minnesota Zoo.. Dakota Co., central MN.
Visitors: Invited to check out my photostream & albums for various seasonal images of wildlife/scenics/florals.
The great crested grebe is a delightfully elegant waterbird with ornate head plumes which led to its being hunted for its feathers, almost leading to its extermination from the UK. They dive to feed and also to escape, preferring this to flying. On land they are clumsy because their feet are placed so far back on their bodies. They have an elaborate courtship display in which they rise out of the water and shake their heads. Very young grebes often ride on their parents' backs.
At the peak of sunset, I placed my tripod so it would peek over the edge of the cliff. At this angle the distorted shape of the tree would be most pronounced. As well, the only pink cloud in the sky would top the distant island that lay in silhouette.
Then, the moment was gone. One that captivated our attention for such a brief encounter. One that delivered such an exceptional visual delight.
Explore #453
After a short stop at Stourbridge Junction, a couple of West Mids Class 172's continue south with 5K17 0656 Tyseley L.M.D. to Kidderminster.
CSXT 308 leads Q368 past the old P&LE building along the south bank of the Monongahela River. This unique 'triple track' arrangement lasted for a brief time while CSX was undercutting bridges for their National Gateway project to allow double stack containers between Chicago and Chambersburg.
Just as we got to the top of Haystacks there was a brief clearance looking back towards a cloud topped High Crag
As darkness lifted, the volcanic land carried away by the south wind (Tongariro), unveiled itself with its colours and moods in contrast for a brief moment.
Tongariro National Park, New Zealand
The sun briefly emerges from the clouds to illuminate the side of L302 as they take #1 track at Seymour. The CW40-8 and SD40-2 lash up was pretty cool to see this late in the game for both units.
Interested in purchasing a high-quality digital download of this photo, suitable for printing and framing? Let me know and I will add it to my Etsy Shop, MittenRailandMarine! Follow this link to see what images are currently listed for sale: www.etsy.com/shop/MittenRailandMarine
If you are interested in specific locomotives, trains, or freighters, please contact me. I have been photographing trains and ships for over 15 years and have accumulated an extensive library!
(Cut to Trailer Trails RV Campground, another business day. The campground is filled with happy campers, and uniformed assistants roam among them. Caly passes Dyanna, overhearing her talking to another assistant.)
Dyanna: And I can't even tell anyone I was there!
Assistant1: Why not?
Dyanna: Think about it; a civilian is the only survivor of an assassination and mass murder of local elites? I'd be witness-for-the-gas-chamber.
A1: But you didn't have anything to do with it!
Dyanna: People like that, in situations like that, always need a scapegoat. And don't tell anyone, because now that I've told you, people will assume there's a conspiracy. Politicians have got to have their conspiracies.
(A1 looks mortified and glances around while Dyanna takes an unconcerned sip from her sports bottle.)
(Cut to Caly entering Ronan's office where Sienna and Mateo sit at the chairs facing Ronan's desk, each of them have drinks on coasters, and Ronan is cooing over a tiny terrier.)
Caly: What is that?
Ronan: It's called a "dog." (to dog) Yes, you are!
Caly: I know what it's called. Why do YOU have one?
Ronan: When Levi was cleaning up, he found the poor thing hiding in Lilitus' suite. I'm calling him, Scruffles. (smooches the happy little dog, and Caly notices the dog is wearing the Tinktink collar.) Grab a drink. (Caly moves toward the bar.) A soda, from the refrigerator.
(Caly frowns at him, but goes to the refrigerator.)
Sienna: I can't believe any of it happened. I mean...everything is moving on like normal.
Mateo: At least Lucas isn't being blamed for it or anything. (looks at Caly) It was nice of your friend to dress him in a valet uniform. People think he was moonlighting under the table, and just got caught up in it all.
Caly: I'm sorry about your friend, but maybe he was a hero.
Sienna: Because he was killed by a razer?
Ronan: I'm not a razer!
Sienna: Not you, I mean whoever took over his body.
Ronan: (fans himself) Thank goodness.
Caly: I mean, perhaps he was the one who eliminated Lilitus. I've tried to make sense of it, the way he protected Dyanna, and then when he destroyed Lilitus -- it doesn't make sense for a razer to do any of that.
Ronan: Why would a razer allow a human's mind to remain intact?
Mateo: (smiles ruefully) Lucas' mind worked in mysterious ways. (he glances at Sienna and they both quietly chuckle)
Caly: I am willing to concede that Lucas is a hero.
Ronan: (raising his glass with his free hand) To Lucas!
(The others join him in the toast. They set aside their drinks, Ronan scooping the dog under his right arm and walking around the desk to join the group.)
Caly: The two of you also did well. (to Sienna and Mateo) I've decided to train you to be better prepared to fight my kind.
Mateo: But ... we won.
Sienna: The bad guys are evaporated, all goldy-steamy like.
Caly: We stopped the Assembly, and Lilitus, but she was hardly the only razer in the world with delusions of grandeur.
Sienna: More politicians?
Caly: Perhaps, but I have discovered razers in many places. I'm sure there are many more, even in this general area.
Mateo: How cheering. I'm so happy that our near death battle has led to -- more battle?
Ronan: (to Mateo) Now you see why I don't socialize with tenets. (to the dog) They're so depressing. All work and no play.
Sienna: This has got to be the weirdest anti-alien invasion group ever.
Caly: As a matter-of-fact, I was once part of a defense force comprised entirely of sentient flowers that wrapped themselves in my hair.
Sienna: Pretty!
Ronan: (uncertain) Pretty weird.
Mateo: I like the sound of that; Defense Force. Should we get uniforms?
Sienna: Oo! And code names!
Ronan: (smooches Scruffles on the head) Place your bet, Scruffikins! Alien invaders versus happy campers!
(Cut to Levi in a dark room lit by candles. He briefly studies the transformation ring Lilitus used to change Trajan, then puts the ring in a wall safe closing it, and covering the safe with a painting depicting a man and woman standing together, in ancient clothing, gazing across the ocean. He smiles at the painting, turning away.)
Razer's theme plays.
uppbeat.io/track/subsonic-voodoo/jennifers-death?_gl=1*rv...
(The End -- ish)
Thank you SO much to the cast!
Sienna: Bailey
Ronan: Seth
Dyanna: B
Levi: Erebus
Mateo: B
Caly: TB
Clothing Design: Bailey
Set design: Bailey
Shortly after our hike to Holland Falls (see my last post) we arrived to a dreary and overcast Lake McDonald in Glacier Park. Undeterred, we pulled off at one of the parking spots and went down to the shore to skip some stones and play around a bit.
During this time, the sun came out for a brief moment and illuminated some trees in the foreground.
So many souls sleep so eternally under so many chill church floors: it makes me tend to tiptoe, and to whisper.
Sue Kulec wanted to see the whole house and I finally got this pic during a brief period of sunshine. I added some apex trim since I took this and wanted to take another one, but we have had nothing but gloom! We MIGHT have some sun Thursday...ugh.
With some fine mist still hanging just above the surface of the Birmingham & Warwick Junction canal a TfW Class 158 working 1I06 Crewe to Birmingham International is briefly reflected as it heads towards Adderley Park.
The Birth of a Legend: Brief Background on the Shelby Cobra
In the early 1960s, automotive visionary Carroll Shelby envisioned a car that would combine American muscle with European agility. The result was the legendary Shelby Cobra —a fierce hybrid, born from coupling a potent American V8 engine with a lightweight British AC Ace chassis.
SIGNIFICANCE IN AMERICAN AUTOMOTIVE HISTORY
The Shelby Cobra stands as a monumental achievement in American automotive history. It broke the European stronghold on sports car racing and established the U.S. as a serious contender on the international stage. Winning the FIA World Sportscar Championship in 1965, the Cobra became the first American car to claim this prestigious title, sending shockwaves throughout the automotive world.
OVERVIEW OF ITS IMPACT ON RACING
But the Shelby Cobra’s legacy isn’t confined to its aluminum and steel composition. Its racing accomplishments are stuff of legend—from the rigorous 12 Hours of Sebring to the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans. Through these competitions, the Cobra didn’t just achieve victories; it became an enduring symbol of American grit, audacity, and innovation.
1963 – 12 Hours of Sebring: THE AUDACIOUS DEBUT
THE RACE
The 12 Hours of Sebring, a cornerstone in the American endurance racing calendar, is often cited as a rite of passage for new marques seeking international prestige. The Florida race is notorious for its grueling track, a blend of asphalt and concrete that wears both man and machine down to their breaking points. When the Shelby Cobra made its appearance at the Sebring track in 1963, the automotive world was watching with a blend of curiosity and skepticism. Could this American upstart hold its own against the likes of Porsche and Ferrari?
PERFORMANCE AND IMPACT
The Cobras faced a myriad of issues from the outset, including mechanical problems that kept them from clinching the top spot. Yet, despite these setbacks, their performance was revelatory. With blistering speed on the straights and remarkable agility, the Cobras held their ground and gave the European stalwarts a run for their money. Although they didn’t win, the cars demonstrated their considerable potential, setting the stage for their future domination.
KEY DRIVERS AND OUTCOMES
The 1963 Sebring race featured a talented roster of drivers behind the wheels of the Shelby Cobras, including the likes of Dan Gurney and Phil Hill, both of whom had already etched their names in motorsports history. While mechanical issues prevented the team from seizing victory, the experience and data gathered from this race were invaluable. It provided Shelby and his team the necessary insights to refine the Cobra, turning it into a more formidable contender in subsequent races.
The 1963 12 Hours of Sebring may not have been a crowning achievement for the Shelby Cobra, but it was a critical moment of validation. It showed that this audacious American experiment in high-speed engineering was more than just a novelty—it was a serious contender on the global motorsports stage. And it was only a hint of greater glories to come.
DOMESTIC SUCCESS: THE SHELBY COBRA REIGN SUPREME ON HOME TURF
Brief Overview of the SCCA
The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) has long been a bastion for grassroots motorsport in the United States. Established in 1944, the SCCA organizes a wide array of racing events, from amateur autocross to high-level road racing championships. The SCCA National Championships serve as the pinnacle of this ecosystem, a stage where the best in American racing talent convenes to duke it out for domestic supremacy. Within this context, the Championships serve as an essential proving ground for American-made cars, and this is where the Shelby Cobra came to make yet another indelible mark.
How Shelby Cobras Performed in the Series
In the annals of SCCA history, few cars have made as resounding an impact as the Shelby Cobra. Its entrance into the series was akin to a hurricane hitting a placid coastline; it disrupted established norms and immediately set new standards. Cobras didn’t just participate in the SCCA—they dominated. Their combination of raw power, nimble handling, and superior engineering made them almost unbeatable in various classes.
Under the stewardship of experienced drivers and talented mechanics, the Cobras racked up victories and titles, sweeping aside more established names with seeming ease. The car became a staple at SCCA events, its unique roar echoing as both a siren song for enthusiasts and a harbinger of defeat for competitors.
LASTING IMPACT IN DOMESTIC RACING
The Shelby Cobra’s dominance in the SCCA wasn’t just a series of isolated victories; it was a seismic shift in American road racing. The car’s performance emboldened other American manufacturers to aim higher, to think beyond domestic markets, and to set their sights on international racing glory. In essence, the Cobra became the gold standard, the benchmark against which new entrants measured their mettle.
Moreover, the Cobra’s success created a ripple effect that transcended the racetrack. It influenced automotive design, spurring innovation in aerodynamics, engine efficiency, and materials science. Its success also led to a surge in interest in motorsports among the American public, transforming what had been a niche hobby into a mainstream cultural phenomenon.
SHELBY COBRA’S CONTINUED INFLUENCE IN THE RACING WORLD
Long after its initial heyday, the Shelby Cobra continues to resonate in the world of motorsports. The car’s design principles, focused on achieving a perfect balance between raw power and agile handling, have become a blueprint for sports car engineering. Subsequent generations of racers and automakers alike find themselves revisiting the Cobra’s playbook, keen on capturing even a fraction of its groundbreaking magic. Numerous racing events, including vintage and historic races, regularly feature Cobras—both original and replica—as testament to its everlasting appeal and effectiveness.
Source: CLASSIC RECREATIONS
* Car photographed at 2025 British Car Fest, Harper Junior College, Palatine, IL
Chassis No.: CSX. 3033
>>> Only question (in my mind) is [should the Cobra emblem in the upper left corner remain............or be removed? Viewers can give your opinions if you so choose.]
The Welloe Rock, just off Rinsey Head.
The rock is briefly visible at times of low spring tides.
Pics exist of people making a landing on it, God alone knows why ?
The weather is always hit or miss when I visit Cornwall in November. Gone are the crowds, so that's a plus and changing weather fronts provide a challenging yet multitude of shooting possibilities.
Sunrise really didn't amount to much for the first couple of days, so on this particular morning I set my alarm for silly o'clock and prepared for the climb down in the pouring rain so I could set up and wait for something to happen. It really wasn't looking promising and all I could think about was the sausage sandwich waiting for me back at the apartment...As the rain eased there was a break in the clouds across the horizon and some of the high cloud began to catch some colour. The atmosphere on the scene in front of me was amazing...I could see that on the right of frame another impending weather front looming so I got to work and started shooting.
Conditions didn't last for long and before long the scene in front of me had vanished and I was standing in the pouring rain once again, but I was happy I made the effort, pressed the shutter button and experienced something incredibly moody and atmospheric, if only for a brief moment.
So here's a shot I captured that I feel best describes what I experienced. I managed to get a few other shots with longer shutter speeds which I'll post at some point.
I didn't get to as many locations as I had wanted, due to a nasty gout flare-up, but as the week unfolded I managed to get to a few favourite locations and meet up with some fellow Flickr friends, so more tales to come...
Thanks very much for viewing, take care and have a great weekend :-)
GBRf's 73970 is seen idling at Glasgow Central after being decoupled from the Mk.5 stock, though this would be a short lived break as it would later be recoupled to provide power to the stock.
The 73 was tasked with bringing in the empty stock on the night of the inaugural Mk.5 operated service and received quite the welcome as a trio of pipers walked alongside it as it made it's way down the platform towards a party of invited guests.
The original plan was for the 73 to work light back to Polmadie, but assumed issues with 92043 providing power to the stock scuppered that. The ED traveled to Edinburgh on the back of 1M11 and was removed prior to the run down to London.
Exploring the area of Patagonia Lake, Arizona I was 'briefly awarded' the viewing of this delightful Bell's Vireo which netted me my second lifer on this trip.
Thank you for your visit and comment...have a lovely weekend.
This has been quite a winter here in California with all the insane storms and endless days of rain and low elevation snow. Here is a shot one afternoon where a clearing appeared for only a few minutes between rain cells.
Thanks for looking!
For Macro Mondays theme 'Flowers'.
A brief opportunity of sunshine (through a dirty conservatory window) provided lovely back light to capture this flower of my Christmas cactus Schlumbergera buckleyi, allowing the light to glow through the tiny translucent body of the snail - the shell was less than 1cm across.
It is a little-known fact that snails can act as flower pollinators, transferring pollen from the anthers on the cluster of the stamens to the stigma at the end of the long style.
No snails were harmed in the making of this photograph. In fact, the snail seemed to enjoy a wee snack of the pollen - as it crawled along the style, it was fascinating to watch the mouthparts gobbling up the pollen that had fallen from the anthers.
He'll be back...
Explored (Number 19) January 26, 2022 for the Explore take-over - selected from submission to 'Best Wildlife' thread from Your Best Shot 2021.
Rowardennan, Loch Lomond.
www.karlwilliamsphotography.co.uk
Just a wee story to warm the cockles of every Flickr-lover's heart:
The other day, on one of my brief forays into Flickr, I was responding to a group of click-button invites to groups in my usual fashion .. click, click, click and then back to the beginning to issue the obligatory comments and awards. Unfortunately, my internet connection chose that moment to go belly up and I was cut off for a couple of hours or more. When I finally managed to reconnect to Flickr, I was greeted with 3 mails informing me that I'd been banned from 3 of the groups concerned. Call me over-critical if you like, but I reckon that is the height of inefficient lacadaise: two hours, guys, that's snail-mail speed for Chrissake! If you were to sit with your front pages permanently open, and with your sweepers running on turbo speed, surely you could get that down to a few minutes. With a bit of luck and a following wind (and a bit of practice, of course - no gain without pain, as they say) you might even get to the stage of being able to click the "ban" link before the unfortunate Flickrite has had time to even get to your group pool to comment. Now wouldn't that be something to aim for? C'mon .. you know it makes sense .. if a job is worth doing, it's worth doing well!
Incidentally, for those of you who might be interested, I've uploaded a couple of tutorials to my website which you might find of use; click: www.karlwilliamsphotography.co.uk/tutorials
Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus 1758)
Blaca de la col - mariposa de la col.
Flor de Scabiosa columbaria.
Entre escabiosas y otras flores silvestres se paseaba la Mariposa de la Col dando rienda suelta a su apetito. Como buen piérido tampoco hacía gala de quietud en sus breves posares pero se logró alguna que otra foto siguiéndole los pasos en la ruta gastronómica del pradillo donde compartía espacio con distintas especies.
Large white
Among the scabies and other wildflowers, the Mariposa de la Col was walking, giving free rein to her appetite. As a good pieridae, he did not show stillness in his brief postures but he managed to get the occasional photo following the steps in the gastronomic route of the meadow where he shared space with different species.
Piéride du chou
Parmi la gale et autres fleurs sauvages, la Mariposa de la Col marchait, laissant libre cours à son appétit. En bon piéride, il n'a pas montré d'immobilité dans ses brèves postures mais il a réussi à obtenir la photo occasionnelle en suivant les étapes de l'itinéraire gastronomique de la prairie où il partageait l'espace avec différentes espèces.
I shot this last year just before Covid-19 really kicked in. Standing alone in the middle of Pioneer Courthouse Square she stood quietly knowing silence, and her sign, would speak for her.
The Nitrin job slowly works south through Hampton briefly disturbing the small town as it heads back south along the Might Mississippi River.
Tried to get away for a few days of sun and beach, the weather had other plans. Mother Nature knows me so well... I love a stormy sky with a brief moment of light.