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Family: Cottidae
When disturbed with light, this cryptic fish partially buried itself in mud on the bottom of a small stream near Bath. At around 8cm, this is a mature fish.
A note on photographing fish from above in shallow water, in low ambient light conditions, for those who are interested: polarising filters are not always useful if you are able to use off camera flash. Here, two of Nikon's R1 units were used, mounted to the end of the lens and angled in towards the animal. The built-in flash (used to trigger the other strobes) was blocked with the IR panel, as this would have caused reflections visible on the surface.
My editing style will always evolve, and I hope that it continues to progress in a positive way. I love how far I have come in the last three years. I'm glad that something caused me to look through the old. The effect was very much in my favor.
Cause sometimes adulting is hard and you deseve a little credit. :D
Each sold separately. Transfer - No Copy
02 Fatpack options ; C-NT and T-NC
Out at the mainstore now!
Another roll developed from this set. difficult to edit bw to show the feeling of the place. color may have been better in some cases
Sunday in love with RIGHTEOUS BROTHERS song...
You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips.
And there's no tenderness like before in your fingertips.
You're trying hard not to show it, (baby).
But baby, baby I know it...
You've lost that lovin' feelin',
Whoa, that lovin' feelin',
You've lost that lovin' feelin',
Now it's gone...gone...gone...wooooooh.
Now there's no welcome look in your eyes when I reach for you.
And girl you're starting to criticize little things I do.
It makes me just feel like crying, (baby).
'Cause baby, something beautiful's dyin'.
You lost that lovin' feelin',
Whoa, that lovin' feelin',
You've lost that lovin' feelin',
Now it's gone...gone...gone...woooooah
Baby, baby, I'd get down on my knees for you.
If you would only love me like you used to do, yeah.
We had a love...a love...a love you don't find everyday.
So don't...don't...don't...don't let it slip away.
Baby (baby), baby (baby),
I beg of you please (please), please (please)
I need your love (I need your love), I need your love (I need your love),
So bring it on back (So bring it on back),
Bring it on back (so bring it on back).
Bring back that lovin' feelin',
Whoa, that lovin' feelin'
Bring back that lovin' feelin',
'Cause it's gone...gone...gone,
and I can't go on,
woh-oh-oh-oh
Bring back that lovin' feelin',
Whoa, that lovin' feelin'
Bring back that lovin' feelin',
'Cause it's gone...gone...
You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling.
This will either get tons of comments or next to none at all and even maybe an unfollow or two due the wrist being bound. Not into bondage been seen and done that all a bit dull from either stand point. but it does make for an erotic image. I will post some more let's say normal images later if I remember to take my laptop home
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr0xJBsVbZY
The whispers in the morning
Of lovers sleeping tight
Are rolling by like thunder now
As I look in your eyes
I hold on to your body
And feel each move you make
Your voice is warm and tender
A love that I could not forsake
'Cause I am your lady
And you are my man
Whenever you reach for me
I'll do all that I can
Even though there may be times
It seems I'm far away
But never wonder where I am
'Cause I am always by your side
'Cause I am your lady
And you are my man
Whenever you reach for me
I'll do all that I can
We're heading for something
Somewhere I've never been
Sometimes I am frightened
But I'm ready to learn
'Bout the power of love
The sound of your heart beating
Made it clear suddenly
The feeling that I can't go on
Is light years away
'Cause I’m your lady
And you are my man
Whenever you reach for me
I'm gonna do all that I can
We're heading for something
Somewhere I've never been
Sometimes I am frightened
But I'm ready to learn
'Bout the power of love
The electrical surprises seem endless. This looks like they pulled a stranger off the street and hired him as an electrician, I use the term very loosely. Planning a kitchen upgrade caused me to look. Almost fell off the ladder. What the heck were these fools thinking!?! Or not thinking...
The first thing we need to understand is what an allergy is. An allergy is a reaction to something outside the body that the body itself feels is a threat to it. More specifically, this is the immune system.
The truth of the matter is, everybody has allergies in as much as the body is...
You know you have a good smile when it gets the pigeons riled up.
I *told* you I'd be getting all bloggy. View Yelena and Wasim's engagement session with bigger photos here!
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New York wedding, event, commercial photographer Ryan Brenizer
Dinamarca - Kvaerndrup - Castillo de Egeskov
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ENGLISH
Egeskov Castle (Danish: Egeskov Slot) is located near Kværndrup, in the south of the island of Funen, Denmark. The castle is Europe's best preserved Renaissance water castle.
Egeskov was first mentioned in 1405. The castle structure was erected by Frands Brockenhuus in 1554.
Due to the troubles caused by the civil war known as the Count's Feud (Danish: Grevens fejde), general civil unrest, and a civil war introducing the Protestant Reformation, most Danish noblemen built their homes as fortifications. The castle is constructed on oaken piles and located in a small lake with a maximum depth of 5 metres (16 ft). Originally, the only access was by means of a drawbridge. According to legend, it took an entire forest of oak trees to build the foundation, hence the name Egeskov (oak forest).
Outside, the castle is a Late Gothic building. Inside the original elements already show Renaissance design.
The castle consists of two long buildings connected by a thick double wall, allowing defenders to abandon one house and continue fighting from the other. The double wall is over one meter thick and contains secret staircases and a well. Defenders were able to attack an enemy's flanks from the two round corner towers. Other medieval defences include artillery ports, scalding holes and arrow slits. The bricks composing the castle are of an oversized medieval type sometimes called "monks bricks". The conical towers are constructed in a series of separate panels.
The architecture includes depressed and round-arched windows, round-arched blank arcading within the gables, and a double string course between the high cellar and the ground floor. The structure contains some of the early indoor plumbing design first used in Europe with vertical shafts for waste. The thick double wall also contains a water well which is accessed from the servants kitchen in the east house. Several of the large rooms have massive parallel exposed beams with some end carving.
Contents of the castle include a massive iron chest from at least as early as the 16th century, which derived from Hvedholm Castle, a property earlier owned by the Egeskov estate about ten kilometers to the west.
Numerous oil paintings are found within the castle including a large painting in the great hall on the first floor of Niels Juel, who defeated the Swedish force in the Battle of Køge Bay in the year 1677.
Other buildings belonging to Egeskov include Ladegården, a thatched half-timbered building which is now part of the museum. Other buildings are used by the museum and for farming. Surrounding the castle is an old park, covering 20 hectares (49 acres) of land. The park is divided into a number of gardens. The renaissance garden features fountains, a gravel path and topiary figures. The fuchsia garden, one of the largest in Europe, contains 104 different species. Other gardens near the castle include an English garden, a water garden, an herb garden, a vegetable garden, and a peasant's garden (bondehave). The gardens also feature four hedge mazes. The oldest is a beech maze several hundreds of years old. This garden is trimmed every year to prevent the trees from dying. The newest maze is the world's largest bamboo maze. It features a Chinese tower in the centre, and a bridge from the tower provides the exit from the maze. The parks feature a three-meter-tall sundial designed by Danish poet and mathematician, Piet Hein.
The estate includes an additional eight square kilometres; 2.5 square kilometres (0.97 sq mi) is forest, with the rest being farmland. The estate has belonged to the Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille family since 1784. In 1986, a full-sized replica of the castle was built in Hokkaidō, Japan, to hold an aquarium. This was constructed with the permission of the Egeskov's owners at the time, Count Claus and Countess Louisa Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille.
Egeskov is home to the following museums.
- A vintage automobile collection
- A vintage motorcycle collection
- A collection describing the history of agriculture
- A collection of flying vehicles
- A collection of Falck and other emergency vehicles
Most of the castle is open to the public, except for the areas used by Count Michael and Countess Caroline Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille. The museum of agriculture and the horse wagon collection is located in the building Ladegård mentioned previously.
Three large modern buildings are occupied by the vintage automobile collection, the vintage motorcycle collection, the Falck collection, and by a collection of airplanes and helicopters. The Falck collection is a collection of vehicles from the Danish rescue company, Falck, emergency vehicles such as fire trucks, ambulances, rescue boats, and other assorted emergency vehicles.
***
ESPAÑOL
El castillo de Egeskov (en danés Egeskov Slot) es un castillo que se encuentra localizado en el sur de la isla de Fionia, en Dinamarca. El castillo es el castillo de estilo renacentista mejor conservado de Europa, por lo que se refiere a castillos que se encuentren rodeados de agua. Aunque la historia de Egeskov se remonta al siglo XV, la estructura del castillo actual fue erigida por Frands Brockenhuus en 1554.
Debido a los problemas e inestabilidades causados por la Guerra Civil Danesa en 1534-1536 (conocida por la historiografía anglosajona y danesa como Guerra del conde, en danés Grevens fejde), una guerra civil que introdujo en Dinamarca la Reforma Protestante, la mayor parte de la nobleza danesa construyó sus residencias planificándolas como auténticas fortalezas. Así, el castillo está construido sobre un lugar pilotes de roble y localizado en un pequeño lago con una profundidad máxima de cinco metros. En un primer momento, el único acceso desde el exterior al castillo era a través de un puente levadizo. Según la leyenda, se necesitó un bosque entero de robles para construir los cimientos del edificio, y de ahí derivaría el nombre de Egeskov (bosque de robles).
El castillo consiste en realidad en dos edificios distintos alargados y conectados entre sí por una pared de doble grosor, permitiendo así a los defensores del mismo abandonar una de las casas y seguir luchando en la otra. La pared doble posee más de un metro de espesor, y alberga escaleras secretas y un pozo. Por otra parte, estaba diseñado de modo que los defensores podían atacar por ambos flancos a los asaltantes desde las dos torres redondas de las esquinas. Otras defensas de tipo medieval incluyen portones para la artillería, matacanes o saeteras. Los ladrillos con los que se edificó el castillo son de un tipo medieval de gran tamaño, a veces llamado ladrillo de monjes. Las torres cónicas están construidas en una serie de paneles separados.
La arquitectura incluye ventanas en arco rebajado, en arco de medio punto y otros, rematadas algunas de ellas por gabletes, así como un doble cordón de arquillos ciegos entre la primera y la segunda plantas, además de un cordón entre el sótano levantado y la planta baja. La estructura incluye una primitiva fontanería, una de las primeras usadas en Europa, incluyendo ejes verticales para el desagüe de las aguas sucias. La gruesa pared doble también contiene canalizaciones de agua limpia que desembocan en la cocina de los criados, situada en la casa oriental.
El contenido del castillo incluye un peto o pectoral macizo de armadura, de hierro, con una antigüedad de al menos el siglo XVI, procedente del castillo de Hvedholm, una antigua propiedad de Egeskov, que se encuentra aproximadamente a diez kilómetros al oeste del castillo de Egeskov.
Igualmente, dentro del castillo existe una amplia colección de pintura, que incluye un gran cuadro situado en el largo pasillo de la primera planta, representando a Niels Juel, quien derrotó a las tropas del Imperio sueco en la batalla de la bahía de Køge, el 2 de julio de 1677, en el marco de las Guerras Escandinavas.
Otro edificios que forman parte de Egeskov es Ladegården, un edificio con armazón de madera que se encuentra cubierta con paja, y que actualmente forma parte del museo. Otros edificios auxiliares están en uso, bien sea por el museo bien para labores agrícolas.
El castillo está rodeado por un antiguo parque, que abarca una superficie total de 200 000 metros cuadrados de terreno. El parque se encuentra dividido en un elevado número de jardines. El jardín renacentista destaca por sus fuentes, un camino de grava y figuras de arte topiario.
El jardín de fuchsias, uno de los más grandes de Europa, contiene 104 especies diferente. Otros jardines inmediatos al castillo incluyen un jardín inglés, un jardín acuático, un jardín de hierbas, un jardín de verduras, y un jardín campesino. En los jardines también destacan cuatro laberintos de seto. El más antiguo es un laberinto que incluye un haya de varios cientos de años de edad. Este jardín es ajustado cada año para prevenir la muerte de los árboles. El laberinto más moderno es el laberinto de bambú, el mayor del mundo de dichas plantas. Destaca en él una torre en estilo chino en su centro, a la vez que un puente que parte de la torre proporciona la salida del laberinto. Existe también un reloj de sol diseñado por el poeta y matemático danés Piet Hein.
La propiedad incluye otros ocho kilómetros cuadrados más, de los que 2,5 son forestales, estando el resto formado por tierras de labranza. La finca perteneció a la familia de los Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille desde 1784. En 1986 se construyó una réplica de tamaño natural del castillo en Hokkaidō, Japón, para albergar un acuario, con el permiso de quienes por entonces eran los dueños de Egeskov, el Conde Claus y la Condesa Louisa Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille.
En la actualidad, el castillo de Egeskov acoge diversos museos o colecciones:
- Colección de automóviles antiguos.
- Colección de motocicletas antiguas.
- Colección museística sobre la Historia de la Agricultura y colección de coches de caballos, en el Ladegården.
- Colección de aparatos voladores.
- Colección de vehículos de bomberos y otros vehículos de emergencias, de la empresa danesa Falck.
La mayor parte del castillo se encuentra abierto al público, con la excepción las áreas reservadas para el uso privado por el conde Michael y la condesa Margrethe Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille, actuales propietarios.
El Museo de agricultura y la colección de coches de caballos se encuentran localizados en el Ladegården, mientras que la colección de automóviles antiguos, la de motocicletas antiguas, la de vehículos de la empresa Falck y la de aparatos voladores (incluyendo aeroplanos y helicópteros) ocupan tres grandes edificios de factura moderna. La colección Falck es una colección de vehículos de la empresa danesa de rescate Falck, vehículos de emergencias como camiones anti-incendios, ambulancias, barcos de rescate marítimo, y otros vehículos variados de emergencias.
October 06, 2015
"An idea isn't responsible for the people who believe in it." - Don Marquis
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I came home late from work today which has ended up throwing the majority of my evening off schedule; so I'm behind and the clock is ticking. But I suppose that's normal and hopefully being later than usual was for a good cause.
When I got home, I grabbed the camera and headed out to the yard to get a shot or two; luckily for me, this guy little guy decided to pose and I was able to get a photo fairly quickly.
Anyway; hope everyone has had a good day.
Click "L" for a larger view.
This young man was trying to draw both giraffes to himself, log enough for his co-worker to run into the habitat to collect a fecal sample.
The giraffes may have been distracted by the lettuce, but my attention was on his tattoos. Even his employer is spelled out in ink.
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YouTube: The Power of ONE
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"I believe that Gandhi's views were the most enlightened of all the political men in our time.
We should strive to do things in his spirit: not to use violence in fighting for our cause, but by non-participation in anything you believe is evil."
Albert Einstein
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Seems everything around here
Stays like stone
Seems it's about time darling
About time we let this all go
"In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins, not through strength but by perseverance." H. Jackson Brown.
Something I love about tropical countries is the ease of getting to incredible waterfalls located in the middle of the rainforest. Taking a path to a waterfall always causes me great expectation, because although you have read about the route, you never really know when these prodigious waterfalls will appear and leave you speechless.
On my trip to the Philippines, I was lucky to visit the Kabigan Falls, which can be reached by a path that the locals have built (with wooden bridges spanning the river), to facilitate the access to the visitors, to whom they act as guides for a small contribution. This is positive because it is easier to reach the main waterfall, but at the same time it makes that the waterfalls receive such amount of people that in the high season the time that you can remain in them is limited. In my case, I visited the waterfalls during the rainy season, so there was no time limit, but there were a lot of people taking a bath in the natural pond created by the waterfall.
For several minutes and after searching and searching, I was unable to find an interesting composition, the riot of the people destroyed the peace that is needed in this type of locations to create a charming image. At times I thought about throwing in the towel and leave the place without any good picture. The falls were amazing but it did not seem like the right time to photograph them. Maybe in the future I could return at dawn and find them without people. But when I was about to tell my girlfriend to leave, I saw the possibility of crossing the stream and then go under some rocks, covering most people with them. Placing the tripod where it was was not easy, and getting there with my feet covered by water and leaves (who knows what nice animals could be under them) less still. But I was able to achieve this composition that isolated me from the crowd, I just had to wait to capture some images without anyone bathing under the waterfall and finally perseverance paid me off.
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"En la lucha entre el arroyo y la roca siempre triunfa el arroyo, no porque sea más fuerte, sino porque persevera." H. Jackson Brown.
Algo que me encanta de los países tropicales es la facilidad para llegar a cascadas increíbles situadas en medio de la selva. Tomar un sendero hacia una cascada provoca en mí siempre una gran expectación, ya que aunque se haya leído sobre el recorrido, nunca sabes realmente cuando estos prodigiosos saltos de agua van a aparecer frente a ti dejándote boquiabierto.
En mi viaje a Filipinas tuve la suerte de visitar las Cascadas Kabigan, a las cuales se accede por un sendero que los locales han construido (con puentes de madera salvando los cruces del río), para facilitar el acceso a los visitantes, a los cuales hacen de guías por una reducida contribución. Esto es positivo porque es más sencillo alcanzar el salto principal de agua, pero al mismo tiempo hace que las cascadas reciban tal cantidad de gente que en temporada alta se limita el tiempo que se puede permanecer en ellas. En mi caso, visité las cascadas durante la estación de lluvias, por lo que no había límite de tiempo, pero sí muchísima gente bañándose en el foso que se crea bajo la cascada.
Durante varios minutos y después de buscar y buscar, era incapaz de encontrar una composición interesante, el alboroto de la gente destruía la paz que se necesita en este tipo de localizaciones para crear una imagen con encanto. Por momentos pensé en tirar la toalla y quedarme sin foto alguna. El lugar era increíble pero no parecía el momento de fotografiarlo. Quizás en el futuro podía volver al amanecer y encontrarlo sin gente. Pero cuando ya estaba a punto de decirle a mi novia que nos fuéramos, vi la posibilidad de cruzar el arroyo y meterme bajo unas rocas y tapar a la mayoría de gente con ellas. Colocar el trípode donde estaba no fue fácil, y meterme allí con los pies cubiertos por agua y hojas (quien sabe que lindos animales podría haber bajo ellas) menos aún. Pero pude conseguir esta composición que me aislaba del gentío, solo quedaba esperar a capturar algunas imágenes sin nadie bañándose bajo la cascada y finalmente la perseverancia dio sus frutos.
6 shot Pan of the Crown Point Bridge. The warm temps and rain causing lots of fog. The flat cloudy light lent itself well to a black and white panorama
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cause this is like hell, and i hope is worth it
me- Mica, you'll LOVE the new place, ut has a room for the nomads to be without being scattered in pieces
Mica- Oh, GOOD! cause , you know, it's not nice having bodies and eyeballs by my side while i try to ignore those are pieces of my body too....
You may view more of my images of Ickworth House, Park and gardens, by clicking "here" !
Please do not insert images, of group invite, thank you!
Ickworth Park. With over 1,800 acres of parkland designed by Capability Brown, the house and its grounds were created as an homage to Italy, the country so beloved by Frederick Augustus Hervey, the 4th Earl of Bristol. The Earl-Bishop spent his life travelling the continent, gathering together a vast collection of paintings, sculpture and artefacts. Already possessed of several houses, he conceived Ickworth primarily as a museum for his treasures. At his death only the Rotunda - the giant circular structure at the centre of the two wings, described by Hervey's wife as 'a stupendous moment of Folly' - was nearing completion. The house was eventually finished by his son. Although Hervey's treasures, confiscated during the French invasion of Italy, were destined never to occupy Ickworth, his descendants made it their life's work to rebuild what has become an exceptional collection of art and silver. Paintings housed in the galleries include works by Velázquez, Titian and Poussin, while the collection of 18th-century portraits of the family is exceptionally fine, featuring canvases by Gainsborough, Reynolds, Vigée-Lebrun and Hogarth. In addition to one of the very best British collections of Georgian Huguenot silver, Ickworth is also home to an impressive array of Regency furniture, porcelain, and domestic objects. More made a career of producing idealised Italian landscapes. His Landscape with Classical Figures, Cicero at his Villa, painted in 1780 and funded in 1993, is a typical work, the misty soft-focus and pastel light adding to its appeal. Hugh Douglas Hamilton's The Earl Bishop of Bristol and Derry Seated before the Prospect of Rome shows Hervey seated at what is thought to be the southern tip of the Borghese Gardens. Ickworth's parklands and gardens can provide a day's activity in their own right. The south gardens are modelled on the formal Italian style, while the gardens to the west of the house are more informal. Visitors can walk or cycle out into the park itself and up to the Fairy Lake. Bright and modern, The West Wing Restaurant overlooks the gardens and can be guaranteed to catch any sunlight on offer. It serves everything from hot meals to snacks, and at weekends the restaurant is open for breakfast. If you're after something rather more formal, try Frederick's restaurant at Ickworth Hotel in the grounds.
The sheep is a quadrupedal, ruminant mammal typically kept as livestock. Like all ruminants, sheep are members of the order Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates. Although the name "sheep" applies to many species in the genus Ovis, in everyday usage it almost always refers to Ovis aries. Numbering a little over one billion, domestic sheep are also the most numerous species of sheep. An adult female sheep is referred to as a ewe (/juː/), an intact male as a ram or occasionally a tup, a castrated male as a wether, and a younger sheep as a lamb. Sheep are most likely descended from the wild mouflon of Europe and Asia. One of the earliest animals to be domesticated for agricultural purposes, sheep are raised for fleece, meat (lamb, hogget or mutton) and milk. A sheep's wool is the most widely used animal fiber, and is usually harvested by shearing. Ovine meat is called lamb when from younger animals and mutton when from older ones. Sheep continue to be important for wool and meat today, and are also occasionally raised for pelts, as dairy animals, or as model organisms for science. Sheep husbandry is practised throughout the majority of the inhabited world, and has been fundamental to many civilizations. In the modern era, Australia, New Zealand, the southern and central South American nations, and the British Isles are most closely associated with sheep production. Sheepraising has a large lexicon of unique terms which vary considerably by region and dialect. Use of the word sheep began in Middle English as a derivation of the Old English word scēap; it is both the singular and plural name for the animal. A group of sheep is called a flock, herd or mob. Many other specific terms for the various life stages of sheep exist, generally related to lambing, shearing, and age. Being a key animal in the history of farming, sheep have a deeply entrenched place in human culture, and find representation in much modern language and symbology. As livestock, sheep are most often associated with pastoral, Arcadian imagery. Sheep figure in many mythologies—such as the Golden Fleece—and major religions, especially the Abrahamic traditions. In both ancient and modern religious ritual, sheep are used as sacrificial animals. Domestic sheep are relatively small ruminants, usually with a crimped hair called wool and often with horns forming a lateral spiral. Domestic sheep differ from their wild relatives and ancestors in several respects, having become uniquely neotenic as a result of selective breeding by humans. A few primitive breeds of sheep retain some of the characteristics of their wild cousins, such as short tails. Depending on breed, domestic sheep may have no horns at all, or horns in both sexes, or in males only. Most horned breeds have a single pair, but a few breeds may have several. Another trait unique to domestic sheep as compared to wild ovines is their wide variation in color. Wild sheep are largely variations of brown hues, and variation within species is extremely limited. Colors of domestic sheep range from pure white to dark chocolate brown and even spotted or piebald. Selection for easily dyeable white fleeces began early in sheep domestication, and as white wool is a dominant trait it spread quickly. However, colored sheep do appear in many modern breeds, and may even appear as a recessive trait in white flocks. While white wool is desirable for large commercial markets, there is a niche market for colored fleeces, mostly for handspinning. The nature of the fleece varies widely among the breeds, from dense and highly crimped, to long and hairlike. There is variation of wool type and quality even among members of the same flock, so wool classing is a step in the commercial processing of the fibre. Depending on breed, sheep show a range of heights and weights. Their rate of growth and mature weight is a heritable trait that is often selected for in breeding. Ewes typically weigh between 45 and 100 kilograms (99 and 220 lb), and rams between 45 and 160 kilograms (99 and 353 lb). When all deciduous teeth have erupted, the sheep has 20 teeth. Mature sheep have 32 teeth. As with other ruminants, the front teeth in the lower jaw bite against a hard, toothless pad in the upper jaw. These are used to pick off vegetation, then the rear teeth grind it before it is swallowed. There are eight lower front teeth in ruminants, but there is some disagreement as to whether these are eight incisors, or six incisors and two incisor-shaped canines. There is a large diastema between the incisors and the molars. For the first few years of life it is possible to calculate the age of sheep from their front teeth, as a pair of milk teeth is replaced by larger adult teeth each year, the full set of eight adult front teeth being complete at about four years of age. The front teeth are then gradually lost as sheep age, making it harder for them to feed and hindering the health and productivity of the animal. For this reason, domestic sheep on normal pasture begin to slowly decline from four years on, and the average life expectancy of a sheep is 10 to 12 years, though some sheep may live as long as 20 years. Sheep have good hearing, and are sensitive to noise when being handled. Sheep have horizontal slit-shaped pupils, possessing excellent peripheral vision; with visual fields of approximately 270° to 320°, sheep can see behind themselves without turning their heads. Many breeds have only short hair on the face, and some have facial wool (if any) confined to the poll and or the area of the mandibular angle; the wide angles of peripheral vision apply to these breeds. A few breeds tend to have considerable wool on the face; for some individuals of these breeds, peripheral vision may be greatly reduced by "wool blindness", unless recently shorn about the face. Sheep have poor depth perception; shadows and dips in the ground may cause sheep to baulk. In general, sheep have a tendency to move out of the dark and into well lit areas, and prefer to move uphill when disturbed. Sheep also have an excellent sense of smell, and, like all species of their genus, have scent glands just in front of the eyes, and interdigitally on the feet. The purpose of these glands is uncertain, but those on the face may be used in breeding behaviors. The foot glands might also be related to reproduction, but alternative reasons, such as secretion of a waste product or a scent marker to help lost sheep find their flock, have also been proposed.
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