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2011 Rome (Piazza Campo de' Fiori)
Nella Roma in bianco e nero, assediata dalla guerra di liberazione dal nazifascismo, alcune piazze erano vivaci mercati popolati di “pesciaroli” e “piazzaroli” urlanti al banco della frutta e della verdura. Campo de’ Fiori era molto vivace già all’epoca, oggi vivace centro della vita notturna, ma anche rappresentazione tra le più fedeli dello spirito popolare romanesco.
Una delle scene più iconiche del film “Campo de’ Fiori”, diretto nel 1943 da Mario Bonnard, mostra Anna Magnani nei panni di una verace fruttivendola mentre battibecca con i clienti. Attorno a lei si anima tutto il folklore romano tipico di questa piazza. Ma perché si chiama così? Se lo domandano in tanti, compresi i turisti attratti da quel richiamo floreale nel nome. Per rispondere, dobbiamo rispolverare un po’ di storia e di leggende che nella Capitale non mancano.
Dove si trova Campo de’ Fiori
Campo de’ Fiori è una piazza del centro di Roma, tra le mete più amate, soprattutto per il mercato mattutino aperto dal lunedì al sabato, e per la movida notturna. Unica tra le piazze monumentali del centro storico a non ospitare una chiesa. Il quartiere è un complesso residenziale appartenente al Municipio 8, situato tra Villapizzone e Ghisolfa, in particolare tra piazza Navona e piazza Farnese. È uno scorcio tipico della Roma più popolare, reso celebre nella modernità grazie al cinema neorealista e ai racconti tramandati nei secoli di storia, dalla sua costruzione fino ai giorni nostri.
Come nasce Campo de’ Fiori
La piazza ha origini antiche, infatti fu realizzata per ordine di Papa Calisto III nel 1456, in un’area che un tempo era un campo fiorito. La pavimentazione della piazza risale al 1440, momento in cui iniziarono a sorgere locande e alberghi per accogliere i pellegrini. Tuttavia, il famoso mercato sarà trasferito qui solo nel 1869, perché a quel tempo si svolgeva a piazza Navona. Tuttora, ogni mattina dal lunedì al sabato, la piazza si anima con bancarelle di fiori, frutta, carne e pesce fresco.
Perché Campo de’ Fiori si chiama così?
Tra incredibili leggende e qualche certezza storica, oggi sappiamo che il nome di Campo de’ Fiori deriva proprio da un campo di coloratissimi fiori che si trovava in questo luogo prima della costruzione della piazza. Questo vasto prato verde era ricco di erba, fiori e orti coltivati.
Oltre alla versione più accreditata sull’origine del nome, non mancano i racconti romantici, come quello che collega il nome “Campo dei Fiori” a una donna chiamata Flora, amata da Pompeo. In questo vivace quadrilatero della capitale non sono mancati i tragici eventi che l’hanno resa ancora più leggendaria nell’immaginario collettivo dei romani.
Perché è famosa Campo de’ Fiori?
La piazza è famosa per diversi motivi, perché la sua storia, complessa e avvincente, include momenti di grande vitalità e tragici eventi. Oltre ad aver rappresentato un luogo di mercato prospero, noto per la vendita di cavalli e prodotti artigianali, è stata teatro di esecuzioni capitali, tra cui quella del filosofo Giordano Bruno, arso sul rogo nel 1600. Oggi, la statua di Giordano Bruno domina il centro della piazza, per commemorare il filosofo e il suo sacrificio. ( Nicola Teofilo )
In black and white Rome, besieged by the war of liberation from Nazi-fascism, some squares were lively markets populated by “pesciaroli” and “piazzaroli” shouting at the fruit and vegetable stall. Campo de’ Fiori was already very lively at the time, today a lively center of nightlife, but also one of the most faithful representations of the Roman popular spirit.
One of the most iconic scenes from the film “Campo de’ Fiori”, directed in 1943 by Mario Bonnard, shows Anna Magnani in the role of a genuine greengrocer while she bickers with customers. All the Roman folklore typical of this square comes to life around her. But why is it called that? Many people ask themselves this question, including tourists attracted by that floral reference in the name. To answer, we need to dust off a bit of history and legends that are not lacking in the Capital.
Where is Campo de’ Fiori
Campo de’ Fiori is a square in the center of Rome, among the most popular destinations, especially for the morning market open from Monday to Saturday, and for the nightlife. It is the only monumental square in the historic center not to host a church. The neighborhood is a residential complex belonging to Municipio 8, located between Villapizzone and Ghisolfa, in particular between Piazza Navona and Piazza Farnese. It is a typical glimpse of the most popular Rome, made famous in modern times thanks to neorealist cinema and the stories handed down over the centuries of history, from its construction to the present day.
How Campo de’ Fiori was born
The square has ancient origins, in fact it was built by order of Pope Calixtus III in 1456, in an area that was once a flowery field. The paving of the square dates back to 1440, when inns and hotels began to arise to accommodate pilgrims. However, the famous market was only moved here in 1869, because at that time it was held in Piazza Navona. Even today, every morning from Monday to Saturday, the square comes alive with stalls selling flowers, fruit, meat and fresh fish.
Why is Campo de’ Fiori called that?
Between incredible legends and some historical certainties, today we know that the name Campo de’ Fiori derives from a field of colorful flowers that was in this place before the construction of the square. This vast green lawn was full of grass, flowers and cultivated vegetable gardens.
In addition to the most accredited version of the origin of the name, there is no shortage of romantic tales, such as the one that links the name “Campo dei Fiori” to a woman called Flora, loved by Pompey. In this lively quadrilateral of the capital there has been no shortage of tragic events that have made it even more legendary in the collective imagination of the Romans.
Why is Campo de’ Fiori famous?
The square is famous for several reasons, because its complex and compelling history includes moments of great vitality and tragic events. In addition to being a prosperous market place, known for the sale of horses and handicrafts, it was the scene of capital executions, including that of the philosopher Giordano Bruno, who was burned at the stake in 1600. Today, the statue of Giordano Bruno dominates the center of the square, to commemorate the philosopher and his sacrifice.
( Nicola Teofilo )
The astute philosopher seeks the optimum environment to contemplate the epistemological, metaphysical, and axiological concepts that form the foundational pillars of philosophical investigation.
Some masters have retreated to mountain heights. Others to temples of knowledge. Linus prefers a bench in Turtle Crossing Park.
It offers the quiet solitude (Sometimes.) that is conducive to clear, flowing thought. Both inductive and deductive reasoning are vigorously pursued.
...
...grrrmbbll...
...
Linus has deduced that his hunger is an epistomological certainty, his empty stomach is a metaphysical reality, and a cheeseburger is of immense axiological value.
...
...grrrmbbll...
...
Time to head to Boop's. There, Linus will be able to more fully explore the insurmountable ontology of the cheeseburger, the profound aesthetic of grilled beef and cheese, and the evident causality on the effect of his hunger.
It's all for philosophy.
•────────────────•°•❀•°•────────────────•
A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Peanuts Collection
50 Years Celebration
Linus
1998, Flambro
Flambro is another of our favorite brands for the Peanuts license. We had an account with them when we had our collectibles store and Flambro never failed to delight with their colorful and innovative designs.
This series, celebrating the 50th anniversary of Peanuts (Which occured in 2000), features nine figurines, each of them incredibly cute, such as Linus here.
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/50429117446/
Linus has been seen making Sally Brown's day in BP 2022 Day 93:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51979042027
And ruining Sally Brown's evening in Halloween 2018:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/44916334414
Linus has been seen in celebrating Christmas 2017:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/25405215048
And Christmas 2022:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/52583890655
And loooots of philosophizing in BP 2019 Day 104:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/47556990622
In BP 2022 Day 86:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/51964794123
In BP 2023 Day 71:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/52742510422
In BP 2024 Day 119:
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/53684193732
in BP 2025 Day 117:
Ophrys sphegodes (orchidaceae) 085 25
Ophrys sphegodes was first described by Miller from England in 1768 and despite it's familiar common name, the Early Spider Orchid's latin name refers to it's resemblance to a wasp.
This species has a wide distribution, though due to a legion of sub-species, varieties and similar Ophrys, its precise range is difficult to delineate with any certainty. Its northerly range is however relatively well known due to the absence of any similar Ophrys with which to confuse it. Belgium, southern England and Central Germany form the northernmost outposts, where, although highly localised can be quite frequent.
To the south it is thought to reach southern Spain and in the east it's known to occur, albeit very uncommonly in Corfu. Its choice of habitat is wide but never strays from alkaline substrates and avoids competitive, rank vegetation. In England Ophrys sphegodes is exclusively confined to the kinder climatic conditions found in the coastal environments of the south of the country.
In the north of its range it vies with Orchis mascula to be the first orchid of Spring and on the continent can appear as early as mid March, thus justifying it's common name. One of the key distinguishing features of Ophrys sphegodes is the restricted basal field and the constricted base to the stigmatic cavity. In the south of its range both natural variation and gene ingression can cause great difficulties with identification.
Source: John and Gerry's Orchids of Britain and Europe
I can say one thing with near certainty. There are many images I have shot in the swamps that I will not be able to recreate because chances are I can't find the same subject and place again. And even if I did go to the exact location, the conditions might be vastly different than what I encountered before for me to recognize it. Hence, I often take in the scene and try to ponder the slightly spiritual nature of what I am seeing and experiencing. I took this picture at one moment that I knew meant something exceptional.
Have a great weekend!
Happy Valentine's Day with a famous, wonderful poem by Wisława Szymborska
Amore a prima vista
Sono entrambi convinti
che un sentimento improvviso li unì.
È bella una tale certezza
ma l’incertezza è più bella.
Non conoscendosi, credono
che non sia mai successo nulla tra loro.
Ma che ne pensano le strade, le scale, i corridoi
dove da tempo potevano incrociarsi?
Vorrei chiedere loro
se non ricordano -
una volta un faccia a faccia
in qualche porta girevole?
uno “scusi” nella ressa?
un “ha sbagliato numero” nella cornetta?
- ma conosco la risposta.
No, non ricordano.
Li stupirebbe molto sapere
che già da parecchio tempo
il caso stava giocando con loro.
Non ancora del tutto pronto
a mutarsi per loro in destino,
li avvicinava, li allontanava,
gli tagliava la strada
e soffocando una risata
si scansava con un salto.
Vi furono segni, segnali,
che importa se indecifrabili.
Forse tre anni fa
o lo scorso martedì
una fogliolina volò via
da una spalla a un’altra?
Qualcosa fu perduto e qualcosa raccolto.
Chissà, era forse la palla
tra i cespugli dell’infanzia?
Vi furono maniglie e campanelli
su cui anzitempo
un tocco si posava sopra un tocco.
Valigie accostate nel deposito bagagli.
Una notte, forse, lo stesso sogno,
subito confuso al risveglio.
Ogni inizio infatti
è solo un seguito,
e il libro degli eventi
è sempre aperto a metà.
–---------------
Love at First Sight
They’re both convinced
that a sudden passion joined them.
Such certainty is beautiful,
but uncertainty is more beautiful still.
Since they’d never met before, they’re sure
that there’d been nothing between them.
But what’s the word from the streets, staircases, hallways—
perhaps they’ve passed by each other a million times?
I want to ask them
if they don’t remember—
a moment face to face
in some revolving door?
perhaps a “sorry” muttered in a crowd?
a curt “wrong number” caught in the receiver?—
but I know the answer.
No, they don’t remember.
They’d be amazed to hear
that Chance has been toying with them
now for years.
Not quite ready yet
to become their Destiny,
it pushed them close, drove them apart,
it barred their path,
stifling a laugh,
and then leaped aside.
There were signs and signals,
even if they couldn’t read them yet.
Perhaps three years ago
or just last Tuesday
a certain leaf fluttered
from one shoulder to another?
Something was dropped and then picked up.
Who knows, maybe the ball that vanished
into childhood’s thicket?
There were doorknobs and doorbells
where one touch had covered another
beforehand.
Suitcases checked and standing side by side.
One night, perhaps, the same dream,
grown hazy by morning.
Every beginning
is only a sequel, after all,
and the book of events
is always open halfway through.
–---------------
Miłość od pierwszego wejrzenia
Obo-je są prze-ko-na-ni,
że po-łą-czy-ło ich uczu-cie na-głe.
Pięk-na jest taka pew-ność,
ale nie-pew-ność jest pięk-niej-sza.
Są-dzą, że sko-ro nie
zna-li się wcze-śniej,
nic mię-dzy nimi ni-g-dy się nie dzia-ło.
A co na to uli-ce, scho-dy, ko-ry-ta-rze,
na któ-rych mo-gli się od daw-na mi-jać?
Chcia-ła-bym ich za-py-tać,
czy nie pa-mię-ta-ją -
może w drzwiach ob-ro-to-wych
kie-dyś twa-rzą w twarz?
ja-kieś ,,prze-pra-sza-m'' w ści-sku?
głos ,,po-mył-ka-'' w słu-chaw-ce?
- ale znam ich od-po-wiedź.
Nie, nie pa-mię-ta-ją.
Bar-dzo by ich zdzi-wi-ło,
że od dłuż-sze-go już cza-su
ba-wił się nimi przy-pa-dek.
Jesz-cze nie cał-kiem go-tów
za-mie-nić się dla nich w los,
zbli-żał ich i od-da-lał,
za-bie-gał im dro-gę
i tłu-miąc chi-chot
od-ska-ki-wał w bok.
Były zna-ki, sy-gna-ły,
cóż z tego, że nie-czy-tel-ne.
Może trzy lata temu
albo w ze-szły wto-rek
pe-wien li-stek prze-fru-nął
z ra-mie-nia na ra-mię?
Było coś zgu-bio-ne-go i pod-nie-sio-ne-go.
Kto wie, czy już nie pił-ka
w za-ro-ślach dzie-ciń-stwa?
Były klam-ki i dzwon-ki,
na któ-rych za-wcza-su
do-tyk kładł się na do-tyk.
Wa-liz-ki obok sie-bie w prze-cho-wal-ni.
Był może pew-nej nocy jed-na-ko-wy sen,
na-tych-miast po zbu-dze-niu za-ma-za-ny.
Każ-dy prze-cież po-czą-tek
to tyl-ko ciąg dal-szy,
a księ-ga zda-rzeń
za-wsze otwar-ta w po-ło-wie.
The Portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga is an oil on wood painting attributed to the Italian Renaissance artist Raphael, executed c. 1504–1505, and housed in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
Contemporary sources speak of a portrait of Elisabetta Gonzaga executed by Raphael.
The painting was likely part of the Ducal collection of Urbino, brought to Florence in 1635 as Vittoria della Rovere's dowry. It is mentioned with certainty for the first time in 1773, when it was transferred from Palazzo Pitti to the Grand Ducal wardrobe of the Uffizi. In a 1784 inventory it was attributed to Giovanni Bellini's school, while that of 1825 listed it as by Andrea Mantegna.
It was attributed to Raphael for the first time in 1905. Other artists to whom the portrait has been assigned include Francesco Francia, Giovan Francesco Caroto, Francesco Bonsignori and Albrecht Dürer.
The woman portrayed is Elisabetta Gonzaga, wife of Duke Guidobaldo I of Urbino (the portrait is now exhibited at the Uffizi next to the latter's) and a woman of literary and artistic interests. Details include the black dress with applied trim in a patchwork pattern, and the scorpion-like ferronière on the woman's forehead. Her hairdo includes the coazzone, a long plait which is present also in a medal of her now at the British Museum.
The share of diesel traction on the so-called Brabant Route and the extension to Roosendaal has declined sharply. Consider, for example, the ore trains to Dillingen, which were hauled by a trio of 6400s, or the frequent use of the Class 66 by various carriers. A certainty these days is Railtraxx, which still uses a Class 66 for trains between Antwerp and Andernach. On July 12, 2025, the 266 009, leased from Beacon, hauled the train westbound past the Koolhoven district of Tilburg.
play with CS3 again, need new shooting out there soon!
tell me if you have a blog or etc... I'll like to visit it!!!
Thank you for visiting my photostream and being such wonderful friends
For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.
Vincent Van Gogh
This image was taken last week in Central Utah We had some beautiful air glow. Air glow is the beautiful green haze on the horizon. It is caused be oxygen molecules being excited by the sun.
adj. *Elysian
1. of such surpassing excellence as to suggest divine inspiration
2. resembling paradise; causing happiness"elysian peace" "a paradisal place without work or struggle"
3. relating to the Elysian Fields
Elysian Sunset, Mastigouche Eildlife Reserve, Quebec, Canada.
PixQuote:
"In the end it all comes down to this: you have a choice between giving your work your best shot and risking that it will not make you happy, or not giving it your best shot -- and thereby guaranteeing that it will not make you happy. It becomes a choice between certainty and uncertainty. And curiously, uncertainty is the comforting choice."
-Ted Orland
Tahai, Rapa Nui, Easter Island, Chile.
The three ahu of Tahai
But without a doubt, the great focus of attention at Tahai are its three ahu or ceremonial platforms located on the small rocky cliff that rises above the sea. The altars form a visual line that stars in this magnificent setting. If you look straight at the platforms, the first group on the left with five moai statues is the Ahu Vai Uri, the next one is the Ahu Tahai and the last one with a single statue wearing a pukao or hat is the Ahu Ko Te Riku.
Ahu Vai Uri
The Ahu Vai Uri, whose name could be translated as dark water or green water, is the platform with the largest number of erected statues. Its construction dates from 1200 AD. and its five restored moai are a sample of the different styles of how they were carved.
The first one on the right is currently a piece of rock that is barely recognizable. However, the one that follows, much better preserved as such as the first on the left, has a lower and more robust body than the rest and shows a grim expression.
Ahu Tahai
Ahu Tahai has a single solitary moai about 4.5 meters high. The figure, which is very eroded, shows a thick torso and a wide neck, and rises on the oldest platform of the complex built around 700 AD.
Despite the enormous wear suffered by the moai over time, it still shows the greatness and pride of the ancestors they represent and, in some way, still transmits that mythical power called mana.
Ahu Ko Te Riku
Ahu Ko Te Riku is the last and singular platform located further north. Above it rises a single moai of 5.1 meters high that was restoredwith all the elements that adorned the old finished statues.
On his head it carries a pukao, a cylindrical piece carved in red scoria from the Puna Pau volcano. This form, which according to different opinions, represents a hat or a hair bun, was placed in the last phase of construction of the ahu. It is believed that the original pukaoof this moai was used to carve the Christian cross that is found in the nearby cemetery to Tahai, but there is not even the certainty that it had one. The other differentiating element of Ahu Ko Te Riku is that it supports the only moai that has eyes of the whole island.
For video, please visit youtu.be/b3LaCk0laBo
Taking pictures in Tallinn reminded me of living in a 200+ year old house in Alexandria: there are no right angles! A painting that was level with the ceiling was crooked against the floor and at least one side wall, so it was impossible to hang anything "straight."
from above, they become ants in a world they did not design, their orange vests small flames against concrete certainty. yellow cables snake through shadows like veins of possibility, connecting what was to what will be. in this geometry of progress, human hands still matter most. we build cathedrals from steel and glass, but it is the workers who breathe life into our dreams. every structure is a prayer written in sweat and precision.
La vida aparece como un lienzo en blanco donde cada uno de nosotros vamos dando pinceladas con más o menos acierto…Lee más www.grada.es/pintando-la-navidad-grada-173-amparo-garcia-...
Life appears as a blank canvas, each one of us is giving brushstrokes with more or less certainty....read more www.grada.es/pintando-la-navidad-grada-173-amparo-garcia-...
Das Leben ist wie eine leere Leinwand, auf der jeder von uns mit mehr oder weniger Erfolg Pinselstriche macht... Lesen Sie mehr www.grada.es/pintando-la-navidad-grada-173-amparo-garcia-...
I am not averse to photographing interesting insect experiences, and this was one for the books. Walking across a grassy field, I came across a small - one metre square - movement of ants. There were thousands in a very small space. I have read a lot of material about what might have led to this, but nothing that gives me certainty. The best explanation is that a queen was moving, and the cluster was a consequence of protecting/preparing for the move.
It was an amazing sight, and the image doesn’t do enough to capture the experience of thousands of small creatures struggling to accomplish some task that is utterly opaque to human observers.
`seven years of bad luck after breaking a mirror’.
Bad luck from a broken mirror is a common superstition around the world.
Mirror whole completes me.
Careless servant passes not the fragile and vulnerable glass.
Shards of glass will separate my soul.
By Almaz Wren.
“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know his own beauty or perceive a sense of his own worth until it has been reflected back to him in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.”
― John Joseph Powell, The Secret of Staying in Love
“Faith is a process of leaping into the abyss not on the basis of any certainty about ~where~ we shall land, but rather on the belief that we ~shall~ land.”
Carter Heyward
A visit to Thornwick Bay back in June 2018 and we came across these two fellas.
The 'fella' part is not said with any degree of certainty I have to say. They could in fact be two females or one of each for all I know!
From what I do know (which is very little), they are tricky to tell apart, for a novice like me anyway. The only information I have is that the male is slightly larger than the female (and yep, still don't have a clue).
Anyway, I didn't actually care because I was way too excited to have even seen them :o)
I love taking photos, why hide it, but this is not the only reason why I adore photography as an outdoor activity ... I also love processing photos while I'm at home ... I know my way around HDR tools (I must have used most of them) ... I know them well enough to claim with certainty that those tools, no matter how effective, are not a panacea for exceptionally presented colored photos ... Modern photo processing Software (Gimp, Corel Photo paint, Elements, Photoshop) and their accompanying plugins incorporate excellent tools as well, in order to help someone retouch spot by spot over a photograph's content, selectively highlight its different parts and create an alternative outcome, sometimes even more believable than the one coming out of any HDR tool ...
This is how the above seen photograph was processed ... It presents an Eastern Kavala aquaculture facility, located at a natural and of a rather considerable size lagoon formed exactly two kilometers away from Strymonas river outfall ... More frames from this lagoon, all taken during summer 2014 will follow ....
EXIF: High end compact Olympus Digital Camera SZ-31MR , Normal program mode, f 3,0, Focal Length 4,5 mm, ISO 80, spot metering mode, light source cloudy weather, auto white balance, auto focus mode, shutter speed 1/1250 s, no tripod, no flash ...
Queen Elizabeth was one of the most recognised, photographed and inspirational women I have ever known. Even though, like many others, I knew that this day will come, I was shocked when it actually did. For many, she has been a symbol of certainty and continuity in a very changing and uncertain world. For me and for so many others around the world, she embodied many admirable qualities, such as her unwavering devotion to duty and service.
Queen Elizabeth was not only the rock on which modern Britain was built, as our PM has said in her tribute, but also our jewel. Her death is an end of an era.
In his tribute to her in 1977, in the queen’s Silver Jubilee, Phillip Larkin said:
“In times when nothing stood,
But worsened, or grew strange,
There was one constant good:
She did not change”.
My vibe, my calm and also my storm, my greatest certainty is that being with you is all I need and all I want always. You know that without you nothing is fun and the sun doesn't shine well, but if you are with me everything is good, the day is clear with beautiful sunshine. Falling in love with you wasn't magical, you are the love of my life, nothing more, difficulties exist to be overcome and we always manage, because love always comes first <3 You are my strength every day and my inspiration on how to love and be loved and we do it very well. I want to say that you are and always will be my universe of good things, you have a vibe that my God I love when you lift me up when I'm down, thank you for existing my love and always being with me. You always take me back to the night we met, I love you life ❤️️
Shortened version of Pablo Neruda's poem.
"He who becomes the slave of habit,
who follows the same routes every day,
who never changes pace,
who does not risk and change the color of his clothes,
who does not speak and does not experience,
dies slowly.
He or she who shuns passion,
who prefers black on white,
dotting ones "it’s" rather than a bundle of emotions,
the kind that make your eyes glimmer,
that turn a yawn into a smile,
that make the heart pound in the face of mistakes and feelings,
dies slowly.
He or she who does not turn things topsy-turvy,
who is unhappy at work,
who does not risk certainty for uncertainty,
to thus follow a dream,
those who do not forego sound advice at least once in their lives,
die slowly.
He who does not travel, who does not read,
who does not listen to music,
who does not find grace in himself,
she who does not find grace in herself,
dies slowly.
He who slowly destroys his own self-esteem,
who does not allow himself to be helped,
who spends days on end complaining about his own bad luck,
about the rain that never stops,
dies slowly.
(...)
Let's try and avoid death in small doses,
reminding oneself that being alive requires an effort far greater than the simple fact of breathing".
Ich musste zu diesem Zeitpunkt daran denken, als Ronald Reagan sich am 05.11.94 mit einem Brief an seine Nation wandte:
- - Ich beginne nun die Reise, die mich zum Sonnenuntergang meines Lebens führt, in der Gewissheit, dass über Amerika immer wieder ein strahlender Morgen heraufdämmern wird. - -
I had to think about it at that time when Ronald Reagan wrote a letter to his Nation on 05.11.94:
-- I begin now the journey that leads me to the sunset of my life , in the certainty that over America again and again a bright morning will dawn. - -
Lady Evangeline stood motionless on the marble balcony, her silk gown rustling in the evening breeze as golden light painted the horizon. The weight of her father's ultimatum pressed against her thoughts—marry for political alliance or face exile from everything she had ever known. Each option carried consequences that would ripple through generations.
The soft sound of footsteps made her breath catch. Warm fingers encircled her wrist, gentle yet insistent, drawing her back from the precipice of indecision. She turned to find Lord Adrian's steel-gray eyes studying her with unwavering certainty.
"There is no choice to be made," he said, his voice cutting through her turmoil like a blade through silk. "We leave at dawn. Together." His grip tightened slightly, anchoring her to the present. "Your father's games end tonight."
The sunset blazed behind them as Evangeline realized that sometimes the most logical decision was to trust in love's calculated risk.
This is the second Burrowing Owl record for the province of New Brunswick - so a very rare bird! Discovered in early August, it is still around as of September 11, having settled in to a new home on the sea wall at Castalia Marsh on Grand Manan Island.
There is some debate about the origin on the bird, whether it is from the Florida/Caribbean population or from western North America. My guess is that it is from the west, as that group is migratory and has occasionally sent birds east. Only a DNA test would determine the issue with certainty.
There was also fairly heated discussion about the impact of photographers on the owl's welfare. By the time of my arrival on the island it had already been present for at least a week and a half, occupying a very busy spot beside a road, parking lot, picnic ground and dog-walking beach. I strolled up to it early on a very foggy morning, assessed that it wasn't perturbed by my presence (I had to wait a while for it to look towards me) and took a few pictures. I returned a couple days later and secured some video. It seems to have survived the ordeal.
A bigger test will be the onset of winter. If it thinks it is in Mexico and plans to stay until next April, it is in for a bit of a surprise. Maybe it can be netted and relocated south once the bad weather arrives and its condition shows signs of deteriorating.
Member of the Flickr Bird Brigade
Activists for birds and wildlife
Il pioppo un albero di grande bellezza, elegante e spesso celebrato nelle letteratura, lo sapevate che:
Un pioppo nero americano centenario fu abbattuto nel 1898 e alle sue radici fu trovata una lapide incisa da navigatori scandinavi nel 1362, e conferma che gli europei avevano raggiunto l’America prima di Cristoforo Colombo. Nella Pianura Padana quando nasceva una bambina i contadini piantavano 1000 piccoli pioppi: dopo circa 20 anni, i pioppi abbattuti costituivano la dote della ragazza che si sposava. I nati dal 5 al 13 agosto - dal 1 al 14 maggio - dal 3 al 11 novembre - dal 4 al 8 febbraio sono protetti, secondo l’oroscopo celtico, dal pioppo. Nel 1999 il consiglio era: non abbandonate il campo, non abbiate paura della battaglia, ma lanciatevi con la certezza del vincitore. Le stelle vi proteggono in ogni settore.
Il legno di pioppo è stato usato da Leonardo da Vinci per dipingere la sua celebre Monna Lisa.
The poplar tree of great beauty, elegant and often celebrated in literature, did you know that:
A centenary of American black poplar was felled in 1898 and its roots was found a stone engraved by Scandinavian sailors in 1362, and confirms that the Europeans had reached America before Christopher Columbus. In the Po Valley when a child was born 1000 small farmers planted poplars after about 20 years, the poplars were felled the dowry of the girl he married. Those born August 5 to 13 - May 1 to 14 - November 3 to 11 - February 4 to 8 are protected, according to the Celtic horoscope, from poplar. In 1999 the advice was: do not abandon the field, do not be afraid of the battle, but launch yourself in the certainty of the winner. The stars will protect you in every area.
Poplar wood has been used by Leonardo da Vinci to paint his famous Mona Lisa.
When you scream, it sounds like a lullaby
When you beg, I get all gooey inside
Tonight I take your eyes, mind and tongue
To spread the word and watch your kingdom come
Another night with you, another wound
You keep me in stitches, you tear me to pieces
I need new voices in my head to speak my secret evils with
I need new lovers in my bed to be my friends and special pets
I need your scent all over me
I need to taste your blasphemy
I need to know with certainty that the nectar was worth the squeeze
It's just the way that we are diseased
It's the blade that stains us
It's the sweetest disease
It's so contagious
It's just the way that we are diseased
I's the blade that stains us
It's the sweetest disease
It's so contagious
Once upon a time
I ripped the wings from my spine
But when I hide inside your eyes
I still pretend that I can fly
Tell me every secret
So you can fall in love
Then to fall to pieces
I need new voices in my head, a new disguise for me to hide
I need new lovers in my bed to feed my secret appetites
I need your sins all over me
I need to taste this tragedy
I need to know with certainty the nectar was worth the squeeze
~Otep
Song: Special Pets
This shot was taken on my last morning in Canada just as the sun's rays were beginning to hit the peak of the distant mountain range. The forecast called for nothing but clouds and the rain throughout the trip but as this picture shows, the weather is never a certainty in the mountains. If any of you familiar with this lake, no, I did not take the plunge off the diving board.
Thanks for looking and please let me know what you think of the shot.
"I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream." - Van Gogh
Thanks to Tessa for modeling.
This was partially inspired by Shane Black’s time lapse video
“Adventure is Calling” Watching it makes me want to pack up my whole life into a suitcase and just go out there and explore. Possibly forever. I think I could be infinitely happy, just me and my camera and all the stars. Also inspired by Rosie Hardy's work and writing on space.
I found this telescope for 7 dollars at goodwill, and I hope it brings us all back to the time when stars were magic and we knew nothing and everything all at once. We were our best wishing selves when we were small and the world was big and made of possibility.
Himantoglossum adriaticum (Orchidaceae) 140 25
Himantoglossum adriaticum was first described from Trentin (Italy) by H. Baumann in 1978 and its name refers to the centre of its distribution, either side of the Adriatic. This species is a member of the widespread Himantoglossum hircinum group which have long been known as the Lizard Orchids. Although there are currently seven European species officially recognized within this group, there is almost certainly due to be some rationalisation and demotions to sub-specific status amongst this number.
This species is similar to Himantoglossum hircinum but is generally less robust, the inflorescence containing fewer individual flowers which for many years led botanists to simply regard this species as just a lax flowered Himantoglossum hircinum. There are however obvious differences and notably in the helmet formed by the perianth which in Himantoglossum adriaticum is smaller and more closely compacted. The central lobe or "tail" is usually less twisted than in Himantoglossum hircinum but this is not seen by the authors as an especially reliable differentiating characteristic.
The range of this species is not known with certainty due to its similarity to the very much more common Himantoglossum hircinum. It is however known with certainty from Slovenia and northern Croatia. together with most of Italy, excluding Sicily. Small but stable populations exist in Hungary and Austria and small numbers can be found in both Slovakia and the Czech Republic. The Himantoglossum genus as a whole produce little nectar and rely on many and various insect pollinators, thus making hybridisation all the more probable.
Source: John and Gerry's Orchids of Britain and Europe
In Winter rain and cold, flowers are blooming in confusion
and steps I used to take no longer seem to take me
to where they once did with such certainty...
It is a new terrain in which we find ourselves
and learn to rethink, relearn, like a new born child
...sylvia...sometimes
The ultimate insight is the outcome of moments when we are stirred beyond words, of instants of wonder, awe, praise, fear, trembling, and radical amazement; of awareness of grandeur, of perceptions we can grasp but are unable to convey, of discoveries of the unknown, of moments in which we abandon the pretense of being acquainted with the world, of knowledge by inacquaintance. It is at the climax of such moments that we attain the certainty that life has meaning, that time is more than evanescence, that beyond all being there is someone who cares.
-Thunder in the Soul To Be Known by God, Abraham Joshua Heschel
My second attempt at shooting the famous Jaoanese Maple tree at the Portland Japanese Garden. Last year I was here a few days too early and the tree was just starting to turn colors, with a lot of green and yellow. I posted a shot from that visit, which I confess was significantly color-shifted and never looked quite right to my eyes, so I've been wanting another go at it. This time I managed to get to the garden a few days later, almost exactly at peak color time, so no color shift required (but definitely some vibrancy and light/shadow enhancement).
I really love the shape of the tree of course but also the range of colors you end up with in the image from the deep greens of the moss to the bright greens of the bushes in background to the bright yellow, orange, and deep reds of the maple leaves. It makes for an eye-popping image and deeply satisfies the inner need for grabbing those fall colors. I sacrificed some time in the NC mountains for a trip out west where I managed to grab some color in a few different locations. I did notice that last year's image had a lot of moss covering all over the tree which adds some lovely texture and catches the light, and the tree is nearly 'bald' this year, having somehow lost its moss covering off the branches (if anyone knows what happened to the moss - please drop a note in the comments! I'm curious).
I was delighted to meet several other photographers there in line to shoot the maple, including the talented Bruce Omori, whom I met in Hawaii a couple of years ago and who I can say with fair certainty is the world's pre-eminent lava photographer and an all-around terrific guy. Bruce runs the Extreme Exposures Gallery in Hilo HI, if you are ever in the vicinity I strongly urge you to drop in and say Hi (www.extremeexposure.com/About).
Sometimes I still can't quite believe my luck. I always imagined what it would be like to find the man I wasn't sure was just a figment of my naive imagination. I always felt him with me, within my mind. And I have felt something that cannot be compared to the feeling of a simple imagination or daydream. Whenever I didn't feel like I belonged, and in fact at applied to nearly every moment of my life, it was the only thing that could make me feel fine.
I often sat for hours lost in thought and I was in another dimension of my life, with him, without understanding how that could be possible.
And the older I got, the more time passed and the more often I was disappointed in the illusion of something with a random man, the more often I heard that what I wanted didn't exist, the more naive I felt.
„Such things don‘t exist“.
I knew for sure that I felt it because it existed.
But everything and everyone spoke against this feeling. And then, when I recognized you, I understood. And now, after all this time and all the moments that were meant for you and that I didn't spend like this, you are finally here. And what I feel is even greater than I could have expected. I can't believe you finally found me, I always wondered what would happen if...
And now it's as if I'm finally complete. No, actually I always was, but now I'm growing beyond myself and suddenly everything that was a vague assumption before becomes certainty. I've never felt like this before. Suddenly I understand that love is much more than what I knew about it, greater than any beautiful feeling I understood it to be. Greater than a word can express.
You give me security, I feel one with you and together we grow, become better versions of ourselves and nothing can change my love for you. You are my joy, the sweet secret that denies the madness of this world any justification for its existence. You make everything easier, more beautiful, better.
I love you, Kostaki.
When I wake up in the very early morning, long before anyone else, I don’t feel lonely. On the contrary: I draw strength and confidence from the certainty of being the only one who is now awake and taking a look at the dark city.
Date:04/19/20
Random thoughts on this first week of Easter! I'm sitting in my home office, looking out the window at a pear tree that is in full blossoms...and I see a Robin building a nest. It is spring and the worms are plentiful on this rainy and cloudy day. My mood is mixed. I'm surrounded by new green and the arrays of color that Spring brings. However, in the next breath...I am reminded of how fragile life now appears to be.
I am waiting for the earth to shake. With over a thousand aftershocks, I find myself feeling the ground shake, when it isn't. I keep asking myself when will this event from March 18, the initial 5.7 quake...stop sending waves of uncertainty. This is in addition to the feelings of helplessness one gets from the coronavirus. These are truly strange times.
No more certainty in making plans. Now waves of chaos direct each new day. What will tomorrow be like? Every night I anticipate an aftershock to wake me up. Now, I wake in the blackness of the night, and think to myself...did I just feel a shake?
Then I think how blessed I am! I am not a ventilator. Will I ever be? If I am...am I ready...not to wake up? Now, I am digging deep for the answer to this question. A part of me is very stoic and another part of me feels like I not ready. What do I need to do to feel ready?
It is ironic that the answer is right in front of me. Yes, this is the Easter season and it is Spring. These are gifts that are given to me...and I do have a heightened awareness of what these gifts mean. This is also the Season of forgiveness. I need forgiveness. Is it possible to live a life without regrets?
I suspect not.
Yes, this is the Season to dig very deep! One has to let go of those things that haunt the soul. The "real" has never been clearer. May I never lose that focus...a new gift...has arrived on my shore. Did this insight take an earthquake and a virus to lay bare the "real?"
And I paraphrase: Lord help me to accept the things that I can change and the wisdom to know the things I can't...and the wisdom to know the difference.
-rc
The dream has been airlifted to safety
at least it seemed so
a moment ago
allaying fears of yet more anxiety
knowing nothing of reality has certain advantages
though recommended it is not
in truth, such certainty's forgot-
the way this life manages
to recoup instinctive possession of place
standing strong to survival's post
pilloried by a society that loves to boast
of it's own trumpeting charms of disgrace!
we offer thanks not to that which 'moulds' us
but rather the missing ingredient
under the guiding hand of the April expedient
that which affords a natural haven to bless
the missing spirit in us all
where elements rage but fail to calm
an explosively thoughtless time bomb;
a subsumption of a sensory close call
can we possibly dig what we cannot reap;
if we're unable to digest our own home-grown choice
with little or no voice
where next will this silence creep
now pain is the slang term for health
a dialect in the emotional subsoil-
the salt of the Earth in spots can foil
even the big brotherly hounds of stealth
give in or fade out is the political message
from those pampered ministerial amphitheatres
our leaders blow up out of their own massaged figures
leaving the populous to decode the cyclic presage
allow Nature to introduce something She'd like us to know;
from the heart of decision
to the mind of control you envision,
just be sure of exactly what it is you're about to bestow.
by anglia24
10h10: 15/04/2008
©2008anglia24
For my part I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream. ~Vincent Van Gogh
The Ducal Palace is a Renaissance building in the Italian city of Urbino in the Marche. One of the most important monuments in Italy, it is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1998.
The construction of the Ducal Palace was begun for Duke Federico III da Montefeltro around the mid-fifteenth century by the Florentine Maso di Bartolomeo. The new construction included the pre-existing Palace of the Jole. The solid rock hillside salient was impregnable to siege but was problematic for carving out the foundation of a palace. Thus, a prominent fortress-builder, Luciano Laurana, from Dalmatia, was hired to build the substructure; but Laurana departed Urbino before the living quarters of the palace were begun. After Laurana, the designer or designers of the Ducal Palace are not known with certainty. Leading High Renaissance architect Donato Bramante was a native of Urbino and may have worked on the completion of the palace.
The Ducal Palace is famous as the setting of the conversations which Baldassare Castiglione represents as having taken place in the Hall of Vigils in 1507 in his Book of the Courtier.
The palace continued in use as a government building into the 20th century, housing municipal archives and offices, and public collections of antique inscriptions and sculpture (the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, see below). Restorations completed in 1985 have reopened the extensive subterranean network to visitors.
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I'd taken some photos of the Elizabeth Line shortly after it opened but I knew there was loads more photographic potential that remained untapped. When I was last in London I therefore spent a bit of time exploring a couple of the stations. Pretty sure this sho was taken a Bond Street but can't say with any certainty as they all look almost identical.....
Click here for more photos taken underground : www.flickr.com/photos/darrellg/albums/72157670949337253
From Wikipedia, "The Elizabeth line is a high-frequency hybrid commuter rail and rapid transit service in London and its suburbs. It runs services on dedicated infrastructure in central London between London Paddington and Abbey Wood; along the Great Western Main Line from London Paddington to Reading and Heathrow Airport in the west; and along the Great Eastern Main Line between Liverpool Street and Shenfield in the east. The service is named after Queen Elizabeth II, who officially opened the line on 17 May 2022 during her Platinum Jubilee year; passenger services started on 24 May 2022.
Under the project name of Crossrail, the system was approved in 2007, and construction began in 2009. Originally planned to open in 2018, the project was repeatedly delayed, including for several months as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic."
© D.Godliman