Sir Nicholas Bacon (28 December 1510 – 20 February 1579), was an English politician during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I of England, notable as Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. He was the father of the philosopher and statesman Sir Francis Bacon.

He was born at Chislehurst, Kent, the second son of Robert Bacon (1479 - 1548) of Drinkstone, Suffolk, by his wife Eleanor (Isabel) Cage. He graduated from Corpus Christi College, Cambridge in 1527,[1] and, after a period in Paris, he entered Gray's Inn, being called to the bar in 1533. Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries, Henry VIII gave him a grant of the manors of Redgrave, Botesdale, Gislingham,[2] and Gorhambury. Gorhambury belonged to St Albans Abbey and lay near the site of the vanished Roman city of Verulamium (modern day St Albans). From 1563 to 1568 he built a new house, Old Gorhambury House (now a ruin), which later became the home of Francis Bacon, his youngest son.

In 1545 he became a Member of Parliament, representing Dartmouth. The following year, he was made Attorney of the Court of Wards and Liveries, a prestigious and lucrative post, and by 1552 he had risen to become treasurer of Gray's Inn. As a Protestant, he lost preferment under Queen Mary I of England. However, on the accession of her younger sister, Elizabeth in 1558 he was appointed Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, largely owing to the influence of his brother-in-law William Cecil. Shortly afterwards, Bacon was knighted.

Bacon helped secure the position of Archbishop of Canterbury for his friend Matthew Parker, and in his official capacity presided over the House of Lords when Elizabeth opened her first parliament. Though an implacable enemy of Mary Queen of Scots, he opposed Cecil's policy of war against France, on financial grounds; but he favoured closer links with foreign Protestants, and was aware of the threat to England from the alliance between France and Scotland. In 1559 he was authorized to exercise the full jurisdiction of lord chancellor. In 1564 he fell temporarily into the royal disfavour and was dismissed from court, because Elizabeth suspected he was concerned in the publication of a pamphlet, A Declaration of the Succession of the Crowne Imperial of Ingland, by John Hales, which favoured the claim of Lady Catherine Grey (sister of Lady Jane Grey) to the English throne. Bacon's innocence having been admitted, he was restored to favour, and replied to a writing by Sir Anthony Browne, who had again asserted the rights of the house of Suffolk to which Lady Catherine belonged. He thoroughly distrusted Mary, Queen of Scots; objected to the proposal to marry her to Thomas Howard, 4th Duke of Norfolk; and warned Elizabeth that serious consequences for England would follow her restoration. He seems to have disliked the proposed marriage between the English queen and François, Duke of Anjou, and his distrust of the Roman Catholics and the French was increased by the St Bartholomew's Day massacre. As a loyal English churchman he was ceaselessly interested in ecclesiastical matters, and made suggestions for the better observation of doctrine and discipline in the church.

He died at Gorhambury[3] and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, his death calling forth many tributes to his memory. He had been an eloquent speaker, a learned lawyer, a generous friend; and his interest in education led him to make several gifts and bequests for educational purposes, including the foundation of a free grammar school at Redgrave.

He was twice married and by his first wife, Jane Ferneley, had three sons and three daughters.

Bacon's eldest son, Nicholas (c. 1540–1624), was member of parliament for the county of Suffolk and in 1611 was created premier baronet of England. This baronetcy is still held by his descendants, see Bacon Baronets. His second and third sons, Nathaniel (c. 1550–1622) and Edward (c. 1550–1618), also took some part in public life, and through his daughter, Anne, Nicholas was an ancestor of the Marquesses Townshend.

In 1553 he married his second wife Anne (1528–1610), daughter of Sir Anthony Cooke, by whom he had two sons, Anthony Bacon (1558–1601) and Francis Bacon (1561–1626).

Lady Anne Bacon [née Coke], (c. 1528 – 1610), was an English gentlewoman and scholar. She made a lasting contribution to English religious literature with her translation from Latin of John Jewel's Apologie of the Anglican Church (1564).

She was born in Essex, England, one of the five daughters of Anthony Cooke, tutor to Henry VIII’s only son Edward. Cooke ensured that each daughter received a thorough humanist education in languages and the classics. Anne, excelled in Greek, Latin, and Italian.

At twenty-two she translated and published Barnardine Ochyne of Siena's work Ochines Sermons from the Italian. Her translation from the Latin into English of Bishop John Jewel's work of 1564 Apology for the Church of England was a significant step in the intellectual justification of Protestantism in England. The work was a clarification of the differences between Anglicanism and Roman Catholicism, and was critical to the support of Elizabeth I's religious policies.

She married Sir Nicholas Bacon, Queen Elizabeth's Lord Chancellor, in 1553 and their son, possibly adopted, was Francis Bacon who later became a pioneer of the , scientific revolution.

She was for a while the head Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Elizabeth.

Her own views were strongly Puritan and she called for the eradication of all Popery in the Church of England but remained a member all her life.

Just a note of clarification a few people seem to think I am still travelling but my Norway trip is over and I have been back for nearly two weeks

We arrived in Trondheim under heavy grey skies and the weather or light never really improved. It was the one place I visited in the country were the sun never made an appearance. Trondheim is Norway’s third biggest cities but has preserved many of its historical buildings. In this shot you can see several old wooden storehouses along the banks of the River Nidelva that drains into the Trondheim fiord

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE A COMMENT IT’S MUCH APPRECIATED.

IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW MY STREAM I SUGGEST YOU OUGHT TO READ MY PROFILE FIRST

MMB made this unbelievable hat shape sculpt. Both Yale (97legomaniac) and I were pretty stunned that the brim and form of the hat were entirely Pro-create putty, and it fits great onto minifig heads. He sent it to me to add details, so my work is in the seams and insignia and all. His shaping is far better than the M43 I made, the version in a few previous photos of mine.

With the presence of the eagle insignia, this seems like a pretty good time to put up a clarification message about something that should be obvious, but in case it should ever come up as a point of contempt or uncertainty to anyone, I want this to be clear as can be. Creation of German WWII gear in Lego in no way supports or condones the idiotic ideology based on illogical racial bigotry that is called Nazism. Never will or have I put a swastika or an SS on anything Lego, though this is just an extra measure I take. Don't mean to be overdramatic about this, but I'd like to be irrefutably clear.

Enjoy!

Blanche the model... is a great dancer, and friend of mine.

Clarification

1 ) the titles of these photos were placed by the curator of the exposition

2 ) I do not share the title of the photo

....are direct shots, taken with a camera Leica, analog. So are photos in paper and then scanned. Excuse me for the bad quality of the copies.

Blanche the model... is a great dancer, and friend of mine.

Clarification

1 ) the titles of these photos were placed by the curator of the exposition

2 ) I do not share the title of the photo

....are direct shots, taken with a camera Leica, analog. So are photos in paper and then scanned. Excuse me for the bad quality of the copies.

New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA) R160A no. 8557 (Alstom, 2005-2010) is the lead motor on a Manhattan-bound J train seen approaching Kosciuszko St Station on the BMT Jamaica Line. West of Broadway Junction the BMT Jamaica Line actually runs over Broadway, which is why its earlier name was the Broadway Brooklyn Line - the "Brooklyn" clarification needed to distinguish it from the BMT Broadway Line in Manhattan.

oh and for everyone's info....on the topic of adding links to your redbubble site on each photo page....

i got a reply back from flickr....

Putting a link in your photo descriptions is viewed as spammy and not tolerated by the community. If the link is to a commercial site or online store, then yes, it is a violation of our Community Guidelines. Please review those for further clarification: flickr.com/guidelines.gne

so the answer is....don't link to any sales site from the photo page.

while walking at a flea market i chanced upon a bird vendor with a green parakeet on his shoulder. wild parakeets are known to bite so this made his parakeet domesticated and possibly hand reared. i started talking with the vendor to ask more questions about his parakeet and my hunch was right. he placed the parakeet on my hand and, guess what, i ended up taking it home he he he. these shots were taken when i was negotiating with the vendor. price: USD5.00 for a hand reared domesticated parakeet.

The Philippine hanging parrot (Loriculus philippensis) is also widely known as the colasisi[2] taken from its local Tagalog name, "kulasisi". It is a small parrot species of the Psittaculidae family. It includes about eleven subspecies, which are all native to only the Philippines; however, the exact taxonomy is unclear, and at least one of the subspecies might become split off and become a separate species if further research provides clarification.

They are mainly green with areas of red, orange, yellow, and blue varying between subspecies. Only the males have a red area on their fronts, except for the population living on Camiguin, where neither male nor female have this red area. They make nests in tree holes and, unusually for a parrot, the female takes nesting material back to the nest.

source: wikipedia

The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament after its occupants, the Palace lies on the north bank of the River Thames in the City of Westminster, in central London, England.

Its name, which derives from the neighbouring Westminster Abbey, may refer to several historic structures but most often: the Old Palace, a medieval building-complex largely destroyed by fire in 1834, or its replacement, the New Palace that stands today. The palace is owned by the monarch in right of the Crown and, for ceremonial purposes, retains its original status as a royal residence. Committees appointed by both houses manage the building and report to the Speaker of the House of Commons and to the Lord Speaker.

The first royal palace constructed on the site dated from the 11th century, and Westminster became the primary residence of the Kings of England until fire destroyed the royal apartments in 1512 (after which, the nearby Palace of Whitehall was established). The remainder of Westminster continued to serve as the home of the Parliament of England, which had met there since the 13th century, and also as the seat of the Royal Courts of Justice, based in and around Westminster Hall. In 1834 an even greater fire ravaged the heavily rebuilt Houses of Parliament, and the only significant medieval structures to survive were Westminster Hall, the Cloisters of St Stephen's, the Chapel of St Mary Undercroft, and the Jewel Tower.

In the subsequent competition for the reconstruction of the Palace, the architect Charles Barry won with a design for new buildings in the Gothic Revival style, specifically inspired by the English Perpendicular Gothic style of the 14th–16th centuries. The remains of the Old Palace (except the detached Jewel Tower) were incorporated into its much larger replacement, which contains over 1,100 rooms organised symmetrically around two series of courtyards and which has a floor area of 112,476 m2 (1,210,680 sq ft). Part of the New Palace's area of 3.24 hectares (8 acres) was reclaimed from the River Thames, which is the setting of its nearly 300-metre long (980 ft) façade, called the River Front. Augustus Pugin, a leading authority on Gothic architecture and style, assisted Barry and designed the interior of the Palace. Construction started in 1840 and lasted for 30 years, suffering great delays and cost overruns, as well as the death of both leading architects; works for the interior decoration continued intermittently well into the 20th century. Major conservation work has taken place since then to reverse the effects of London's air pollution, and extensive repairs followed the Second World War, including the reconstruction of the Commons Chamber following its bombing in 1941.

The Palace is one of the centres of political life in the United Kingdom; "Westminster" has become a metonym for the UK Parliament and the British Government, and the Westminster system of government commemorates the name of the palace. The Elizabeth Tower, in particular, often referred to by the name of its main bell, Big Ben, has become an iconic landmark of London and of the United Kingdom in general, one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city, and an emblem of parliamentary democracy. Tsar Nicholas I of Russia called the new palace "a dream in stone". The Palace of Westminster has been a Grade I listed building since 1970 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1987.The site of the Palace of Westminster was strategically important during the Middle Ages, as it was located on the banks of the River Thames.[clarification needed] Known in medieval times as Thorney Island, the site may have been first-used for a royal residence by Canute the Great during his reign from 1016 to 1035. St Edward the Confessor, the penultimate Anglo-Saxon monarch of England, built a royal palace on Thorney Island just west of the City of London at about the same time as he built (1045–1050) Westminster Abbey. Thorney Island and the surrounding area soon became known as Westminster (from the words west and minster). Neither the buildings used by the Anglo-Saxons nor those used by William I (r. 1066–1087) survive. The oldest existing part of the Palace (Westminster Hall) dates from the reign of William I's successor, King William II (r. 1087–1100).

The Palace of Westminster functioned as the English monarchs' principal residence in the late Medieval period. The predecessors of Parliament, the Witenagemot and the Curia Regis, met in Westminster Hall (although they followed the King when he moved to other palaces). Simon de Montfort's Parliament, the first to include representatives of the major towns, met at the Palace in 1265. The "Model Parliament", the first official Parliament of England, met there in 1295, and almost all subsequent English Parliaments and then, after 1707, all British Parliaments have met at the Palace.

Detail from A Panoramic View of London, from the Tower of St. Margaret's Church, Westminster (1815) by Pierre Prévost, showing the Palace of Westminster. The original Westminster Bridge is at left, and the roof of Westminster Hall at centre.

In 1512, during the early years of the reign of King Henry VIII, fire destroyed the royal residential ("privy") area of the palace. In 1534 Henry VIII acquired York Place from Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, a powerful minister who had lost the King's favour. Renaming it the Palace of Whitehall, Henry used it as his principal residence. Although Westminster officially remained a royal palace, it was used by the two Houses of Parliament and by the various royal law courts.

The Old Palace was a complex of buildings, separated from the River Thames in the east by a series of gardens. The largest and northernmost building is Westminster Hall, which lies parallel to the river. Several buildings adjoin it on the east side; south of those and perpendicular to the Hall is the mediaeval House of Commons. Further south and parallel to the river is the Court of Requests, with an eastwards extension at its south end, and at the south end of the complex lie the House of Lords and another chamber. The Palace was bounded by St Margaret's Street to the west and Old Palace Yard to the south-west; another street, New Palace Yard, is just visible to the north.

A detail from John Rocque's 1746 map of London. St Stephen's Chapel, labelled "H of Comm" (House of Commons), was adjacent to Westminster Hall; the Parliament Chamber—labelled "H of L" (House of Lords)—and the Prince's Chamber were to the far south. The Court of Requests, between the two Houses, would become the new home of the Lords in 1801. At the north-east, by the river, stood Speaker's House.

Being originally a royal residence, the Palace included no purpose-built chambers for the two Houses. Important state ceremonies took place in the Painted Chamber – originally built in the 13th century as the main bedchamber for King Henry III (r. 1216–1270). In 1801 the Upper House moved into the larger White Chamber (also known as the Lesser Hall), which had housed the Court of Requests; the expansion of the peerage by King George III during the first ministry (1783–1801) of William Pitt the Younger, along with the imminent Act of Union with Ireland, necessitated the move, as the original chamber could not accommodate the increased number of peers.

The House of Commons, which did not have a chamber of its own, sometimes held its debates in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey. The Commons acquired a permanent home at the Palace in St Stephen's Chapel, the former chapel of the royal palace, during the reign of Edward VI (r. 1547–1553). In 1547 the building became available for the Commons' use following the disbanding of St Stephen's College. Alterations were made to St Stephen's Chapel over the following three centuries for the convenience of the lower House, gradually destroying, or covering up, its original mediaeval appearance. A major renovation project undertaken by Christopher Wren in the late-17th century completely redesigned the building's interior.

The Palace of Westminster as a whole underwent significant alterations from the 18th century onwards, as Parliament struggled to carry out its business in the limited available space of ageing buildings. Calls for an entirely new palace went unheeded – instead more buildings of varying quality and style were added. A new west façade, known as the Stone Building, facing onto St Margaret's Street, was designed by John Vardy and built in the Palladian style between 1755 and 1770, providing more space for document storage and for committee rooms. The House of Commons and House of Lords Engrossing Office of Henry (Robert) Gunnell (1724–1794) and Edward Barwell was on the lower floor beside the corner tower at the west side of Vardy's western façade. It was here where the Tax Laws for the American Colonies were put together. A new official residence for the Speaker of the House of Commons was built adjoining St Stephen's Chapel and completed in 1795. The neo-Gothic architect James Wyatt carried out works both on the House of Lords and on the House of Commons between 1799 and 1801, including alterations to the exterior of St Stephen's Chapel and a much-derided new neo-Gothic building (referred to by Wyatt's critics as "The Cotton Mill") adjoining the House of Lords and facing onto Old Palace Yard.

Sir John Soane substantially remodelled the palace complex between 1824 and 1827. The medieval House of Lords chamber, which had been the target of the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605, was demolished as part of this work in order to build a new Royal Gallery and a ceremonial entrance at the southern end of the palace. Soane's work at the palace also included new library facilities for both Houses of Parliament and new law courts for the Chancery and King's Bench. Soane's alterations caused controversy owing to his use of neo-classical architectural styles, seen as conflicting with the Gothic style of the original buildings.

The Burning of the Houses of Lords and Commons (1835).

On 16 October 1834, a fire broke out in the Palace after an overheated stove used to destroy the Exchequer's stockpile of tally sticks set fire to the House of Lords Chamber. In the resulting conflagration both Houses of Parliament were destroyed, along with most of the other buildings in the palace complex. Westminster Hall was saved thanks to fire-fighting efforts and a change in the direction of the wind. The Jewel Tower, the Undercroft Chapel and the Cloisters and Chapter House of St Stephen's were the only other parts of the Palace to survive

Immediately after the fire, King William IV offered the almost-completed Buckingham Palace to Parliament, hoping to dispose of a residence he disliked. The building was considered unsuitable for parliamentary use, however, and the gift was rejected. Proposals to move to Charing Cross or St James's Park had a similar fate; the allure of tradition and the historical and political associations of Westminster proved too strong for relocation, despite the deficiencies of that site. In the meantime, the immediate priority was to provide accommodation for the next Parliament, and so the Painted Chamber and White Chamber were hastily repaired for temporary use.

In 1835, following that year's General Election, the King permitted Parliament to make "plans for [its] permanent accommodation". Each house created a committee and a public debate over the proposed styles ensued.

The Lords Chamber was completed in 1847, and the Commons Chamber in 1852 (at which point architect Charles Barry received a knighthood). Although most of the work had been carried out by 1860, construction was not finished until a decade afterwards.

During the Second World War (see The Blitz), the Palace of Westminster was hit by bombs on fourteen separate occasions. One bomb fell into Old Palace Yard on 26 September 1940 and severely damaged the south wall of St Stephen's Porch and the west front. The statue of Richard the Lionheart was lifted from its pedestal by the force of the blast, and its upheld sword bent, an image that was used as a symbol of the strength of democracy, "which would bend but not break under attack".

The old chamber of the House of Commons was in use between 1852 and 1941, when it was destroyed by German bombs in the course of the Second World War.

The worst raid took place in the night of 10–11 May 1941, when the Palace took at least twelve hits and three people (two policemen and Resident Superintendent of the House of Lords Edward Elliott) were killed. An incendiary bomb hit the chamber of the House of Commons and set it on fire; another set the roof of Westminster Hall alight. The firefighters could not save both, and a decision was taken to try to rescue the Hall. In this they were successful; the abandoned Commons Chamber, on the other hand, was destroyed, as was the Members' Lobby. A bomb also struck the Lords Chamber, but went through the floor without exploding. The Clock Tower took a hit by a small bomb or anti-aircraft shell at the eaves of the roof, suffering much damage there. All the glass on the south dial was blown out, but the hands and bells were not affected, and the Great Clock continued to keep time accurately.

Following the destruction of the Commons Chamber, the Lords offered their own debating chamber for the use of the Commons; for their own sittings, the Queen's Robing Room was converted into a makeshift chamber. The Commons Chamber was rebuilt after the war under the architect Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, in a simplified version of the old chamber's style. The work was undertaken by John Mowlem & Co., and construction lasted until 1950. The Lords Chamber was then renovated over the ensuing months; the Lords re-occupied it in May 1951.

As the need for office space in the Palace increased, Parliament acquired office space in the nearby Norman Shaw Building in 1975, and in the custom-built Portcullis House, completed in 2000. This increase has enabled all Members of Parliament (MP) to have their own office facilities.

The Palace of Westminster, which is a Grade 1 listed building, is in urgent need of extensive restoration to its fabric. A 2012 pre-feasibility report set out several options, including the possibility of Parliament moving to other premises while work is carried out. At the same time, the option of moving Parliament to a new location was discounted, with staying at the Westminster site preferred. An Independent Options Appraisal Report released in June 2015 found that the cost to restore the Palace of Westminster could be as much as £7.1 billion if MPs were to remain at the Palace whilst works take place. MPs decided in 2016 to vacate the building for six years starting in 2022. In January 2018, the House of Commons voted for both houses to vacate the Palace of Westminster to allow for a complete refurbishment of the building which may take up to six years starting in 2025. It is expected that the House of Commons will be temporarily housed in a replica chamber to be located in Richmond House in Whitehall and the House of Lords will be housed at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Parliament Square.

Xcaret Park (Spanish: el parque Xcaret[clarification needed]; Spanish pronunciation: [el ˈpaɾke ʃkaˈɾet]) is a privately owned and operated theme park, resort and self-described ecotourism development located in the Riviera Maya, a portion of the Caribbean coastline of Mexico's state of Quintana Roo. It is part of Xcaret Experiencias Group which also owns the Xplor Park, Xel-Ha Park, and Xenses Park; as well as the Xichen, Xenotes, Xavage and Xoximilco tours and activities. It is situated approximately 75 kilometres (47 mi) south of Cancún, and 6.5 kilometres (4 mi) south of the nearest large settlement Playa del Carmen along Highway 307. It is named after the nearby archaeological site Xcaret, a settlement constructed by the pre-Columbian Maya some of whose structures lie within the boundaries of the park's 81 hectares (200 acres) of land holdings.

A short visit to my local reserve in the afternoon resulted in photos of 2 dragonflies - the only 2 seen.

This was a surprise sighting seen wandering around the field .

I can not tell if it is a female or a juvenile male. No doubt it should be obvious.

Clarification would be welcome.

08887 stands at Euston on 30th January 1995 with Motorail GUV vans and a Motorail loading wagon.

The Motorail brand was introduced in 1966 and was used by Intercity until the end of British Rail Motorail services in May 1995. The Motorail network at this time comprised of seven Motorail trains each way connecting London and Bristol daily (except Saturday) with Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Inverness and Fort William. The car carrying vans shown here were about to be shunted onto the front of a Sleeper to Glasgow Central.

I'm somewhat confused as to the need for the car loading wagon at Euston. They allowed cars to be driven down a platform and directly onto the train. However, I thought Euston had 2 platforms where cars could be driven directly onto the train from the platform ends. Any clarification gratefully received.

Shot taken @ Mukuni Big 5 - Zambia during one of our volunteer staying.

View On Black

Well, sometimes we find on our African pictures comments from people who doubt about our African activity. This is a reasonable reaction, that's why we decided to post some clarification directly on the pictures for all those who can pass through here. Of course all comments are well accepted and we will be glad to answer to all of you. This is part of our work.

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We thank all people who comment our shots with our big cats with these kind of notes:

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What many people don't realize is that once fully grown up those lions go to the canned hunting industry

www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/03/canned-huntin...

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This information can be very useful for people who are not aware about this big sad "industry". Just to let you know, we work in this center since 4 years and I can assure you that all our animals growing here will then be released in a safe area where no farms, no hunters, no shoots will be allowed except for Photo shooting. After so many years in Africa we are enough well informed about this kind of industry and , of course, we would not work and spend all our energies and money for such a market. Our aim is just conservation and breeding program. I could write papers and papers, but it t would be much easier for everybody to have a look in internet at our center : Mukuni Big 5 Safaris

www.mukunibig5.co.zm/volunteerp/

Many other information can be found just typing the name of the center or our names in internet, Facebook etc..

Here in Flickr we have many friends and contacts and they know very well that what we do for these animals is just focused to the safeguard of nature and wildlife.

Further to this, we also have deep information about other centers created for the canned hunting industry. It's not easy to fight them, the governments of many states support this business. But we do what we can through information and some other ways .

Al people interested, are very welcome to join us as volunteering or just for a visit during a possible trip in the area.

Thanks however for your comment which allowed us to give some more information to people .

Laura Bongiorni

Adalberto Mangini

The thing in Orina’s left arm is still an ancient mike, from the sixties (see the previous image of this series, but is this clarification really necessary?). She’s a singer, as I explained in the previous post. In this series she’s totally unplugged, which didn’t spoil our art. Because the real musician is an artist in the first point. Which Orina brilliantly proved in this photo-op – our first and the only yet, but I hope that is far from the last.

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Suecia - Helsingborg - Ayuntamiento

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ENGLISH

Helsingborg (Swedish pronunciation: [hɛlsɪŋˈbɔrj]; spelled Hälsingborg between 1912 and 1970) is a town and the seat of Helsingborg Municipality, Scania, Sweden. It had 140,547 inhabitants in 2016. Helsingborg is the centre of the northern part of western Scania. There is no formal metropolitan area, but the municipality of Helsingborg City and its neighbouring five municipalities (within Scania) had in spring of 2013 a population of 269 489 inhabitants at an area of 1,353 square kilometres (522.396 square miles), a population density of 200 people/km2. This makes Helsingborg the fourth largest population area in Sweden. The city is also Sweden's closest point to Denmark, with the Danish city Helsingør clearly visible on the other side of the Øresund about 4 km (2 mi) to the west, closer than to the city's own remoter areas. If including all population around the northern part of Øresund, as a Helsingborg-Helsingør metropolitan area, its population increases to 732 450 at an area of 2,802 square kilometres (1,081.858 square miles). The busy ferry route, known as the HH Ferry route has through history been operated by several shipping lines. As of 2014 more than 70 car ferries departures from each harbour every day.

Following the Swedish orthography reform of 1906 many place names in Sweden got a modernized spelling. In 1912 it was decided to use the form Hälsingborg. In preparation for the local government reform. In 1971 the Hälsingborg city council proposed that the new, enlarged municipality should be spelled with an "e". This was also the decision of the Government of Sweden, effective from 1 January 1971.

Historic Helsingborg, with its many old buildings, is a scenic coastal city. The buildings are a blend of old-style stone-built churches and a 600-year-old medieval fortress (Kärnan) in the city centre, and more modern commercial buildings. The streets vary from wide avenues to small alley-ways. Kullagatan, the main pedestrian shopping street in the city, was the first pedestrian shopping street in Sweden.

Helsingborg is one of the oldest cities of what is now Sweden. It has been the site of permanent settlement officially since 21 May 1085. Helsingborg's geographical position at the narrowest part of Øresund made it very important for Denmark, at that time controlling both sides of that strait. From 1429 Eric of Pomerania introduced the Øresundstolden (the Sound Dues), a levy on all trading vessels passing through the sound between Elsinore and Helsingborg. This was one of the main incomes for the Danish Crown. Crossing traffic, like fishermen, was not subject to the tax, which was initially directed against the Hanseatic League.

The Sound Dues helped Helsingør to flourish, and some of it spilled over to Helsingborg. The northern narrow inlet to Øresund with its relatively high coastlines made impression on many mariners, and when Kronborg during the Renaissance was rebuilt from a fortress to a Palace the area got famous. Evidence of this is William Shakespeare's Hamlet, which unfolds at Kronborg; the titular Prince of Denmark may well have hidden himself from his uncle in Helsingborg. The era of the Renaissance helped the Kingdom of Denmark, but towards the middle of the 17th century, the situation worsened.

Following the Dano-Swedish War (1657-1658) and the Treaty of Roskilde Denmark had to give up all territory on the southern Scandinavian peninsula, and Helsingborg became submitted to new rulers. King Charles X Gustav of Sweden landed here on 5 March 1658 to take personal possession of the Scanian lands and was met by a delegation led by the bishop of the Diocese of Lund, Peder Winstrup. At that time the town had a population of barely 1,000 people. He soon attempted to erase Denmark totally from the map, by attacking Copenhagen but failed (Treaty of Copenhagen (1660)), and died in Gothenburg soon afterwards. Not much changed for some 15 years, but when Charles XI was declared of age, the new king indeed was unsatisfied with his former rulers[clarification needed] (known as "Förmyndarräfsten" in Swedish history).

Its situation on a conflict-ridden border caused problems for Helsingborg. Denmark recaptured Scania twice, but could not hold it. The last Danish attempt to regain Scania was in 1710, when 14,000 men landed on the shores near Helsingborg. The Battle of Helsingborg was fought on the 28th of February just outside the city, which was badly affected. It took a long time to recover; even in 1770 the city had only 1,321 inhabitants and was still growing slowly.

On 20 October 1811 Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, Marshal of France and crown prince-elect of Sweden (later king Charles XIV John) took his first step on Swedish soil in Helsingborg on his journey from Paris to Stockholm.

From the middle of the 19th century onwards, however, Helsingborg was one of the fastest growing cities of Sweden, increasing its population from 4,000 in 1850 to 20,000 in 1890 and 56,000 in 1930 due to industrialization. From 1892 a train ferry was put in service, connecting Helsingborg with its Danish sister city Helsingør. A tramway network was inaugurated in 1903 and closed down in 1967.

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ESPAÑOL

Helsingborg ( pronunciación sueca: [hɛlsɪŋˈbɔrj] ; deletreada Hälsingborg entre 1912 y 1970) es una ciudad y la sede del municipio de Helsingborg , Scania , Suecia. En 2016 tenía 140,547 habitantes. Helsingborg es el centro de la parte norte del oeste de Scania . No existe un área metropolitana formal, pero el municipio de Helsingborg City y sus cinco municipios vecinos (dentro de Scania) tenían en la primavera de 2013 una población de 269 489 habitantes en un área de 1,353 kilómetros cuadrados (522.396 millas cuadradas), una densidad de población de 200 personas / km 2 . Esto convierte a Helsingborg en la cuarta mayor población de Suecia. La ciudad es también el punto más cercano de Suecia a Dinamarca , con la ciudad danesa Helsingør claramente visible al otro lado del Øresund, a unos 4 km (2 millas) al oeste, más cerca que a las áreas más remotas de la ciudad. Si incluye a toda la población de la parte norte de Øresund, como área metropolitana de Helsingborg-Helsingør, su población aumenta a 732 450 en un área de 2,802 kilómetros cuadrados (1,081.858 millas cuadradas). La ruta ocupada del ferry, conocida como la ruta HH Ferry, ha sido operada a través de la historia por varias líneas navieras. A partir de 2014 más de 70 transbordadores de automóviles salen de cada puerto todos los días.

Tras la reforma de la ortografía sueca de 1906, muchos nombres de lugares en Suecia obtuvieron una ortografía modernizada. En 1912 se decidió utilizar la forma Hälsingborg. En preparación para la reforma del gobierno local. En 1971, el ayuntamiento de Hälsingborg propuso que el nuevo municipio ampliado se escribiera con una "e". Esta fue también la decisión del Gobierno de Suecia, efectiva desde el 1 de enero de 1971.

La histórica Helsingborg, con sus muchos edificios antiguos, es una pintoresca ciudad costera. Los edificios son una mezcla de iglesias antiguas construidas en piedra y una fortaleza medieval de 600 años (Kärnan) en el centro de la ciudad, y edificios comerciales más modernos. Las calles varían desde amplias avenidas hasta pequeños callejones. Kullagatan, la principal calle comercial peatonal de la ciudad, fue la primera calle comercial peatonal en Suecia.

Helsingborg es una de las ciudades más antiguas de Suecia. Ha sido el lugar de asentamiento permanente de forma oficial desde el 21 mayo de 1085.​ La posición geográfica de Helsingborg en la parte más angosta del estrecho fue muy importante para Dinamarca, cuando en aquel momento tenía control sobre ambos lados de ese estrecho. A partir de 1429 los daneses introdujeron el "Deber del Estrecho" (Sound Dues), un impuesto sobre todos los buques comerciales que pasaran por el estrecho entre Elsinor y Helsingborg.​ Este fue uno de los principales ingresos para la corona danesa.

I found this car during a Cruisin' the Coast Car Show. The cars were displayed at a Veterans' Home in Biloxi. The Veterans get to view the cars with the assistance of the personnel. Some of the residents are put on busses and toured around the grounds to make it easier for them to see all the cars. This is a church located on the grounds.

Photographic information:

Since this car was parked by the chruch with no obstructions, I did not have to do much to it. I used a little contrast and clarification. I added a border and my name.

Editing program: Paint Shop Pro

Camera: PhotoSmart 618

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Golden%20Dawn/163/128/21

EVO Motocycles Features

The EVO Motorcycles are optimized for the better ride, animations, passenger and parks, with custom made animations.

You can access to the "special features" of the EVO by clicking the tank cap of the bike.

- Menu Access : Owner - Group - All (for CD Player, LovePose)

- Visibility : Allow you to set On/Off the extra parts

- Damage : On/Off Collision System (Broken Glasses, Smoke, sparkle...)

- Explosion : On/Off (Active Damage Required) The motorcycle will explode after several collisions from weapons or shock.

- CD Player : 45 complete Mp3

Pick Song - Cyclic Mode - Random Mode

- LovePose : New *Deluxe* Menu 280 animations

Cuddles - Dances - Photos - Lady/Gent - Foreplay - Girl Girl - Man Man - 3some - BDSM

You can access to the LovePose menu in 2 ways :

By clicking on the tank cap

By clicking on the invisible circle behind the bike (to enable writing to the local chat /1show or /1hide)

Obviously all the positions of the animations are editable from the menu LovePose to fit with your avatar.

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LowLag Motocycles Features

The LowLag is a version of the bike meant to be lighter than the EVO version.

It is recommended for races and for travel from sim to sim.

It doesn't have special features of the EVO Series

On/Off bag and the headlight cover, by clicking next to them.

This version includes all the "Basic Features".

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The mostly important *Basic Features*

Passeger Sit - Turbo - Flight - Horn - Light On/Off - Burnout - Lock/Unlock - NOS

Parkings - Resizer - Editable Positions by HUD - Alarm - Camera - Different Sounds

Unique animations - Customizable License plate - Exhaust - Engine Vibrations - Mouselook

Auto seat On/Off when the passenger is on bike - Bike control menu customizable

All part of motorcycles (colors & textures) editable by using the Edit Menu of SL.

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HUDs

Both of these HUDs are optional and can be used separately.

Driver HUD: With this one you can have access the Basic Features of the bike.

Fuel HUD: This function simulates the consumption of gasoline on your bike.

Gasoline can be recharged via gas stations that use ACS scripts.

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Driving Tips

** HOW TO START TO DRIVE **

Right click on the bike and sit on the engine, tank or other parts of the bike,

but not on seat (seat is for passenger).

With the arrow keys on the keyboard you can guide the bike.

Here is the list of some keys on the keyboard that will allow various functions to guide.

Drive = ← → ↑

Wheelie = PagUp

Gearshift = Shift + ↑ ↓

Burnout = ↑+ PageDown

Tight steering and Drift = ← → + ↓

NOS = ↑ + ↓

Click on the bike for Stop, Park and other features or click on the Tank Cap for the EVO features

Below you will find attached notecard of driving tips for beginners or advanced customization controls

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Aesthetics Customization

The entire Aesthetics of the bike is editable (colors and textures) using the Edit menu of SL.

Open the box with the full perm textures, so you can use as you wish, or create your own textures.

If you want you can also change the colors directly on the prim through the Edit menu.

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Thank you again to bought our products!

You can contact MotoDesign Resident for any help, clarification or require special customizations for an extra price.

If you bought this item on the Marketplace, you can write a REVIEW and get a random gifts or

you choose between: accessories - outfits - tattoos.

Simply send an im to MotoDesign Resident with the name of the product you want as a gift.

MotoDesign is part of the family of - Vix Motors - Turlaccor Custombike - Eternal SexyShop, some parts of the bikes can refer to some of its creators, we invite you to visit our other shops!

Best regards

MotoDesign Team

Not certain where the adults are at, but this is the second year in a row that I’ve spotted juvenile, Black-crowned Night Herons on the bayou and I have yet to see an adult in roughly 8 years. I presume that I’m looking in the wrong places. This youngster was extremely skittish and jumped from tree to tree and limb to limb trying to escape that clown in the canoe. At least I was able to capture it before it flew off. Photo taken on Arman Bayou.

I am going to add a bit of clarification to this post. Some will call me a bit crazy, and I guess it’s just me. They may be spot on correct as well. I still enjoy the challenge of taking photos and some of the new cameras, including the Sony A7RV that I am currently using are ladened with technology and have all sorts of assists built into them. Turn on the AI and Eye Recognition and the camera never misses the bird buried in the branches no matter how cluttered it might be. I used those features initially but must confess that they are all turned off in my camera. Autofocus is on and that’s about it. I miss a lot of shots, but I also don’t feel like I am using an automatic point shoot camera to take my photos. What you see is what you get, and I usually try to focus on the eye, but that is not always the case.

I also want to say that these are just my opinions and my way of doing things…OLD SCHOOL for this old timer.

A7R08041ula

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oostvaardersplassen

The Oostvaardersplassen (Dutch pronunciation: [oːstˈfaːrdərsˌplɑsə(n)]) is a nature reserve in the Netherlands, which is managed by the State Forestry Service. Covering about 56 square kilometres (22 sq mi), it is noted as an example of rewilding.[1] It is in a polder which was created in 1968, but in spite of the environment having little time to develop, by 1989 it had international importance as a Ramsar wetland.[2]

Geography

The Oostvaardersplassen are located in the municipality of Lelystad, between the towns of Lelystad and Almere, in the province of Flevoland in the Netherlands. The area of 56 square kilometres (22 sq mi) is situated on the shore of the Markermeer in the center of the Flevopolder. The Oostvaardersplassen can be divided into a wet area in the northwest and a dry area in the southeast.

Wet and dry areas

In the wet area along the Markermeer, there are large reedbeds on clay, where moulting geese often feed. This area is also home to great cormorant, common spoonbill, great egret, white-tailed eagle and Eurasian bittern, among many other animals. Oostvaardersplassen is a Special Protection Area for birdlife.[3]

Before the establishment of the reserve, the dry area was a nursery for willow trees, and in the first year hundreds of seedlings could be found on each square metre. This led to concern that a dense woodland would develop, significantly reducing the value of the habitat for water birds. To avoid this, the park's managers brought in a number of large herbivores to keep the area more open, including Konik ponies, red deer and Heck cattle. These large grazing animals are kept out in the open all year round without supplemental feeding, and are allowed to behave as wild animals (without, for example, castrating males). The ecosystem developing under their influence is thought to resemble those that would have existed on European river banks and deltas before human disturbance. However, there is some controversy about how natural the ecosystem is, as it lacks top predators.[1]

Large herbivores

Heck cattle

Before they were driven to extinction, large herbivores in this part of Europe included the tarpan (wild horse), wisent (European bison), red deer (elk or wapiti in North America) and aurochs (wild cattle). The tarpan and aurochs are extinct, but Konik ponies and Heck cattle are able to act as functional equivalents, occupying a similar ecological niche. The only native large herbivores now missing from Oostvaardersplassen are the elk (moose in North America), the wild boar and the wisent.[citation needed] There is a chance that the wild boar will find its way naturally from the Veluwe.

Head count2010 [4]2011 [5]

Red deer 2,200–2,800 3,300

Konik ponies 1,090 1,150

Heck cattle 320 350

Roe deer 30–40 n/a

Natural processes

Given that the Oostvaardersplassen is below sea level, many of its primary processes have been regulated. As the wetlands have been so spectacular, a dyke was made around it to prevent the process of groundwater-related subsidence. While this had temporary advantages, it created a water body with no open connections to the rest of the polder and the negative effects are only now being understood.[further explanation needed]

The cattle, deer and horses have multiplied in the Oostvaardersplassen. However, there is a limit to the number of animals the area can sustain. In the absence of natural predators the rangers shoot animals that are unlikely to survive. It is quite common for 30 to 60 per cent of the population to die in this way. After a die off, the vegetation has a chance to recover and this will get the first natural afforestation of the area under way.

The large herbivore die-offs are also closely related to the confined nature of the reserve and the flat nature of the reclaimed land, with very little shelter. It is fenced, and thus the large herbivores are unable to migrate away from the over grazed areas in Winter to find either shelter or forage.[6] All the large herbivores have an annual cycle of nutrition. Typically in winter and early spring their metabolism slows down. This is also the period in which they are designed to lose condition (body fat). This is where the ability to seek shelter as they would in a natural environment becomes crucial. Effectively the reserve is too small and impoverished to accommodate the natural processes of large herbivores, as for example in the Serengeti where large herbivores migrate over large distances.

During a particularly harsh winter in 2005, many animals in the Oostvaardersplassen died of starvation, leading to public outcry against alleged animal cruelty.

Future development

In many ways the Oostvaardersplassen is an isolated area; it is in a polder and there are currently no corridors connecting it to other nature reserves. The "Ecological Main Structure" plan proposes connections between nature reserves in the Netherlands, calls for a corridor to be created toward nearby Horsterwold (nl). The resulting network, called Oostvaardersland, would be part of Natura 2000, the European-wide network of habitats to which Oostvaardersplassen belongs.[8] The creation of Oostvaardersland will allow seasonal small scale migration and take some strain off the big grazers in winter. In the summer, Oostvaardersplassen will offer rich grazing and the sea winds will keep biting insects at bay, in the winter, the Horsterwold will offer protection from cold winds and supply browse. Oostvaardersland will comprise a total area of 150 square kilometres (58 sq mi). Furthermore, there is an option for a connection to the Veluwe forest. Eventually this could allow wild animals to move to and from Germany.[9]

Oostvaardersland was expected to be finished by 2014. However, the project ran into financial and political troubles. In 2012 the creation of Oostvaarderswold (nl), the 7 × 1 mi connecting corridor between Oostvaardersplassen and the Horsterwold, was stopped, and four members of the regional parliament resigned.[10] The government then planned to sell back the property to the previous owners for less money than it originally paid for the property; according to European nature laws it would then have to turn other lands into wilderness areas to compensate for the loss of the Oostvaarderswold nature area.[11] The reasons for this plan of action, which would cost a lot of public money and make the future creation of Oostvaardersland impossible, are unclear.

The advocates of natural processes are also planning for the wet part of the Oostvaardersplassen to be drained.[clarification needed] It is expected that the natural subsidence will lower the ground level and that this will result in a more natural and dynamic system.

IL LAGHETTO DELLE TOSE

Il Lago delle Tose, un piccolo specchio d’acqua noto fino dall’epoca romana per le caratteristiche termali e i benefici delle sue acque. La località è nota con il nome Lagole. E’ uno spettacolo bellissimo: la poca pendenza delle rocce permette di attraversare anche le cascatelle con agilità, ma la vera sorpresa è quando si arriva a scorgere il piccolo laghetto delle Tose, una piscina naturale formatasi in una vasca rocciosa. Tutta questa area faceva parte di un complesso religioso legato al culto delle acque minerali, note da almeno 2.500 anni per le loro proprietà terapeutiche. Già in età romana venivano a Lagole per immergersi in queste acque ed effettuare l’abduzione del corpo. In alcuni punti infatti, oltre al colore ferruginoso, è possibile sentire anche il tipico odore di zolfo.

Nota personale: la parola "Tose" in dialetto Veneto vuol dire "Ragazze"....chiarimento per chi non è della zona....😁

Note tratte dal sito:

visitcadoredolomiti.com/al-lago-delle-tose/

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THE TOSE LAKE

The Tose Lake, a small body of water known since Roman times for its thermal properties and the benefits of its waters. The area is known as Lagole. It's a beautiful sight: the gentle slope of the rocks allows you to easily cross even the waterfalls, but the real surprise is when you glimpse the small Tose Lake, a natural pool formed in a rocky basin. This entire area was part of a religious complex linked to the cult of mineral waters, known for at least 2,500 years for their therapeutic properties. Already in Roman times, people came to Lagole to bathe in these waters and perform body abduction. In some places, in addition to the ferruginous color, you can also smell the typical sulfurous odor.

Personal note: the word "Tose" in the Veneto dialect means "Girls"...a clarification for those not from the area...😁

CANON EOS 600D con ob. SIGMA 10-20 f./4-5,6 EX DC HSM

Terry the lion! Shot at Mukuni big Five Safaris - zambia

Well, sometimes we find on our African pictures comments from people who doubt about our African activity. This is a reasonable reaction, that's why we decided to post some clarification directly on the pictures for all those who can pass through here. Of course all comments are well accepted and we will be glad to answer to all of you. This is part of our work.

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We thank all people who comment our shots with our big cats with these kind of notes:

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What many people don't realize is that once fully grown up those lions go to the canned hunting industry

www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/03/canned-huntin...

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This information can be very useful for people who are not aware about this big sad "industry". Just to let you know, we work in this center since 4 years and I can assure you that all our animals growing here will then be released in a safe area where no farms, no hunters, no shoots will be allowed except for Photo shooting. After so many years in Africa we are enough well informed about this kind of industry and , of course, we would not work and spend all our energies and money for such a market. Our aim is just conservation and breeding program. I could write papers and papers, but it t would be much easier for everybody to have a look in internet at our center : Mukuni Big 5 Safaris

www.mukunibig5.co.zm/volunteerp/

Many other information can be found just typing the name of the center or our names in internet, Facebook etc..

Here in Flickr we have many friends and contacts and they know very well that what we do for these animals is just focused to the safeguard of nature and wildlife.

Further to this, we also have deep information about other centers created for the canned hunting industry. It's not easy to fight them, the governments of many states support this business. But we do what we can through information and some other ways .

Al people interested, are very welcome to join us as volunteering or just for a visit during a possible trip in the area.

Thanks however for your comment which allowed us to give some more information to people .

Laura Bongiorni

Adalberto Mangini

The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family at the city of Madrid, although now used only for state ceremonies. The palace has 135,000 m2 (1,450,000 sq ft) of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the largest functioning royal palace and the largest by floor area in Europe.

King Felipe VI and the royal family do not reside in the palace, choosing instead the significantly more modest Palace of Zarzuela on the outskirts of Madrid. The palace is now open to the public, except during state functions, although it is so large that only a selection of the best rooms are on the visitor route at any one time, the route being changed every few months. The palace is owned by the Spanish state and administered by the Patrimonio Nacional, a public agency of the Ministry of the Presidency. The palace is on Calle de Bailén ("Bailén Street") in the western part of downtown Madrid, east of the Manzanares River, and is accessible from the Ópera metro station.

The palace is on the site of a 9th-century Moorish Alcázar, near the town of Magerit, constructed as an outpost by Muhammad I of Córdoba and inherited after 1036 by the independent Moorish Taifa of Toledo. After Madrid fell to King Alfonso VI of Castile in 1083, the edifice was only rarely used by the kings of Castile. In 1329, King Alfonso XI of Castile convened the Cortes of Madrid for the first time. King Felipe II moved his court to Madrid in 1561.

The Castilian Alcázar was on the site, mostly built in the 16th century. After it burned down on 24 December 1734, King Felipe V ordered a new palace built on the same site. Construction spanned the years 1738 to 1755 and followed a Berniniesque design by Filippo Juvarra and Giovanni Battista Sacchetti in cooperation with Ventura Rodríguez, Francesco Sabatini, and Martín Sarmiento. King Carlos III first occupied the new palace in 1764.

The last monarch who lived continuously in the palace was King Alfonso XIII, although Manuel Azaña, president of the Second Republic, also inhabited it, making him the last head of state to do so. During that period the palace was known as "Palacio Nacional". There is still a room next to the Real Capilla, which is known by the name "Office of Azaña".

The interior of the palace is notable for its wealth of art and the use of many types of fine materials in the construction and the decoration of its rooms. It includes paintings by artists such as Caravaggio, Juan de Flandes, Francisco de Goya, and Velázquez, and frescoes by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, Corrado Giaquinto, and Anton Raphael Mengs. Other collections of great historical and artistic importance preserved in the building include the Royal Armoury of Madrid, porcelain, watches, furniture, silverware, and the world's only complete Stradivarius string quintet.

The palace was initially built by Muhammad I, Umayyad Emir of Cordoba, between 860 and 880. After the Moors were driven out of Toledo in the 11th century, the castle retained its defensive function. Henry III of Castile added several towers. His son John II used it as a royal residence. During the War of the Castilian Succession (1476) the troops of Joanna la Beltraneja were besieged in the Alcázar, during which the building suffered severe damage.

The only drawing of the castle from the Middle Ages is one from 1534 by Cornelius Vermeyen.

Emperor Charles V, with the architects Alonso de Covarrubias and Luis de Vega, extended and renovated the castle in 1537. Philip II made Madrid his capital in 1561 and continued the renovations, with new additions. Philip III added a long southern facade between 1610 and 1636.

Philip V of Bourbon renovated the royal apartments in 1700. The Alcázar of the Habsburgs was austere in comparison to the Palace of Versailles where the new king had spent his childhood; and he began a series of redesigns mainly planned by Teodoro Ardemans and René Carlier, with the main rooms being redecorated by Queen Maria Luisa of Savoy and the Princess of Ursins in the style of French palaces.

Preserved in the collection of the Ministry of Economy and Finance.

On Christmas Eve 1734, the Alcázar was destroyed by a fire that originated in the rooms of the French painter Jean Ranc. Response to the fire was delayed due to the warning bells being confused with the call to mass. For fear of looting, the doors of the building remained closed, hampering rescue efforts. Many works of art were lost, such as the Expulsion of the Moors, by Diego Velázquez. Others, such as Las Meninas, were rescued by tossing them out the windows. Fortunately, many pieces were saved because shortly before the blaze the king ordered that much of his collection be moved to the Buen Retiro Palace. This fire lasted four days and completely destroyed the old Alcázar, whose remaining walls were finally demolished in 1738.

Italian architect Filippo Juvarra oversaw work on the new palace and devised a lavish project of enormous proportions inspired by Bernini's plans for the Louvre. This plan was not realized, due to Juvarra's untimely death in March 1736. His disciple Giambattista Sacchetti, also known as Juan Bautista Sacchetti or Giovanni Battista Sacchetti, was chosen to continue the work of his mentor. Sacchetti designed the structure to encompass a large square courtyard and resolved sightline problems by creating projecting wings.

In 1760, Charles III called upon Sicilian Francesco Sabatini, a Neoclassical architect, to enlarge the building. Sabatini's original idea was to frame the Plaza de la Armería with a series of galleries and arcades, to accommodate various dependencies[clarification needed], by constructing two wings along the square. Only the extension of the southeast tower known as la de San Gil was completed. Sabatini also planned to extend the north side with a large wing that echoed the style of the main building and included three square courtyards that would be smaller than the large central courtyard. Work on this expansion started quickly but was soon interrupted, leaving the foundations buried under a platform on which the royal stables were later built. The stables were demolished in the 20th century and replaced by the Sabatini Gardens. Charles III first occupied the palace in 1764.

In the 19th century, Ferdinand VII, who spent many years imprisoned in the Château de Valençay, began the most thorough renovation of the palace. The aim of this redesign was to turn the old-fashioned Italian-style building into a modern French-style palace. However, his grandson Alfonso XII proposed to turn the palace into a Victorian-style residence. Alfonso's plans were designed by the architect José Segundo de Lema and consisted of remodeling several rooms, replacing marble floors with parquet, and adding period furniture.

In the twentieth century, restoration work was needed to repair damage suffered during the Spanish Civil War, by repairing or reinstalling decoration and decorative trim and replacing damaged walls with faithful reproductions of the originals.

Shown: 1928 Bugatti Type 35

Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a French car manufacturer of high-performance automobiles, founded in 1909 in the then German city of Molsheim, Alsace by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti. Bugatti cars were known for their design beauty (Ettore Bugatti was from a family of artists and considered himself to be both an artist and constructor[clarification needed]) and for their many race victories. Famous Bugattis include the Type 35 Grand Prix cars, the Type 41 "Royale", the Type 57 "Atlantic" and the Type 55 sports car. The death of Ettore Bugatti in 1947 proved to be the end for the marque, and the death of his son Jean Bugatti in 1939 ensured there was not a successor to lead the factory. No more than about 8,000 cars were made. The company struggled financially, and released one last model in the 1950s, before eventually being purchased for its airplane parts business in the 1960s. In the 1990s, an Italian entrepreneur revived it as a builder of limited production exclusive sports cars. Today, the name is owned by German automobile manufacturing group Volkswagen. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugatti]

The Type 35 was the most successful of the Bugatti racing models. Its version of the Bugatti arch-shaped radiator that had evolved from the more architectural one of the Bugatti Type 13 Brescia, was to become the one that the marque is most known for though even in the ranks of the various Type 35s there were variations on the theme. The Type 35 was phenomenally successful, winning over 1,000 races in its time. It took the Grand Prix World Championship in 1926 after winning 351 races and setting 47 records in the two prior years. At its height, Type 35s averaged 14 race wins per week. Bugatti won the Targa Florio for five consecutive years, from 1925 through 1929, with the Type 35. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugatti_Type_35#Type_35]

The Canadian Automotive Museum is an automobile museum located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The museum features many Canadian-made cars as the automobile industry, specifically the Canadian division of the General Motors, known as General Motors Canada, which has always been at the forefront of Oshawa's economy. The museum was founded in 1962 by a group of Oshawa businessmen through the Oshawa Chamber of Commerce. The venture was initiated mainly to preserve the automotive history of Canada and to present this history in an educational and entertaining manner. Canadian Automotive Museum Inc is a charitable corporation and has been in operation since 1963. The museum is housed in a 25,000 sq ft (2,300 m2) building in downtown Oshawa that was originally the location of Ontario Motor Sales, a local car dealership, in the 1920s. The building maintains its original period architecture right down to the original elevator used to move cars to the second floor. The Museum is affiliated with: CMA, CHIN, and Virtual Museum of Canada. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Automotive_Museum]

Website: www.canadianautomotivemuseum.com

This "Canadian Automotive Museum" tells the story of the 'Canadian Automotive Industry' through its many displays and original artifacts. It is located in the 'Canadian General Motors' town of 'Oshawa' since 1961 and features cars from 1898 to 1930s.

I have been accused for stealing the Inspire Poses name from another store for some time. I was able to prove that these charges were false.

Several months passed and I was not guilty I thought the problem had been cleared up, but I was seriously mistaken. Two days ago I was enjoying the blog posts of some bloggers when my Facebook closed simply saying that I needed to confirm my account, but they did not give me verification option ... they simply deleted my account that was used only for the promotion of the store and the page of store. I entered my personal Facebook and went to search the page when I come across this page "https://www.facebook.com/Inspire-and-Pose-813974972096146/" Using my logo for your things and looking at the page I discover that it is the same one that I had problems months ago. I do not really understand what makes a person do it but it will not stop me from doing what I like. Talking to my friends and other designer, we came to a conclusion: why not change the name of the store? So this store could no longer take advantage of my brand to promote itself. So we started searching for the new name.

From today on, Inspire Pose is called Your Poses. I apologize mainly to my clients and friends for the inconvenience, the only thing I can guarantee is that many new things come from there, We change our name but not our concept that is to bring different poses for you and your family. Your Poses, a new concept in poses.

Thank you!

National surveys of England and Wales have shown a population decline between 1987 and 1998. The numbers of this species have been adversely affected by intensive agricultural techniques. In the lowlands this includes the loss of rough grassland, conversion to arable or improved grassland, loss of mixed farms, and switch from spring to autumn sown crops. In the uplands, the losses may have been due to increases in grazing density. In Armenia the population decline and losing of breeding habitats was also documented; the threats are thought to be intensification of the land use and hunting, but further investigations for threat clarification are required.

Natural England gives grant aid to help restore lapwing habitat within its Environmental Stewardship Scheme. The organisation suggests an option within this scheme called 'Fallow plots for ground-nesting birds'. Uncropped plots at least 2 ha (4.9 acres) in size provide nesting habitat and are located in suitable arable fields, which provide additional foraging habitat.

Locating the plots within 2 km (1.2 mi) of extensively grazed grassland will provide additional foraging habitat. The plots are cultivated in the spring to produce a rough fallow, which is retained without the input of fertiliser or pesticides.

Laura quietly walking with a lion cub! @Mukuni Big 5 Zambia

Made explore on Sep. 10, 2013 - # 477

Well, sometimes we find on our African pictures comments from people who doubt about our African activity. This is a reasonable reaction, that's why we decided to post some clarification directly on the pictures for all those who can pass through here. Of course all comments are well accepted and we will be glad to answer to all of you. This is part of our work.

______________________________________________

We thank all people who comment our shots with our big cats with these kind of notes:

___________________________________________

What many people don't realize is that once fully grown up those lions go to the canned hunting industry

www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/03/canned-huntin...

_____________________________________________

This information can be very useful for people who are not aware about this big sad "industry". Just to let you know, we work in this center since 4 years and I can assure you that all our animals growing here will then be released in a safe area where no farms, no hunters, no shoots will be allowed except for Photo shooting. After so many years in Africa we are enough well informed about this kind of industry and , of course, we would not work and spend all our energies and money for such a market. Our aim is just conservation and breeding program. I could write papers and papers, but it t would be much easier for everybody to have a look in internet at our center : Mukuni Big 5 Safaris

www.mukunibig5.co.zm/volunteerp/

Many other information can be found just typing the name of the center or our names in internet, Facebook etc..

Here in Flickr we have many friends and contacts and they know very well that what we do for these animals is just focused to the safeguard of nature and wildlife.

Further to this, we also have deep information about other centers created for the canned hunting industry. It's not easy to fight them, the governments of many states support this business. But we do what we can through information and some other ways .

Al people interested, are very welcome to join us as volunteering or just for a visit during a possible trip in the area.

Thanks however for your comment which allowed us to give some more information to people .

Laura Bongiorni

Adalberto Mangini

A tighter crop of the moonrise over Mt. Hood one day before the Aug. 21 full blue moon.

Shot from the Pittock Mansion in Portland's west hills during another PDX Nightowls photo meet-up. Thanks again to Victor for arranging it, and to The Photographers Ephemeris that showed the moon would line up for this shot precisely here.

Processed to bring out the alpenglow-lit glaciers on Hood and the lunar surface details.

--

*Edit: Recently (as of the end of Nov. '12), there has been a some questioning the "reality" of this image, due to their being some tell-tale adjusted pixels around the moon. As detailed with images in the comments to the right, I took a wider shot with the moon balanced just like this, and then a minute and 7 seconds later I took a vertical that was zoomed in and had more detail, but the moon had risen about half the moons size to the right. In full disclosure I have Photoshopped the moon "back in time" to it's position at the tip of Hood where I had photographed it in the wider, less detailed shot.

I realize with the number of views and the Tumblr blogging (see below) it was bound to attract this kind of scrutiny. Hopefully you don't feel deceived if you viewed this before the clarification. I don't really feel this is faked, as all the elements come from within the image as shot, and if I has shot the tighter frame a minute earlier I would have gotten this exact view and alignment all in camera.

The editing story is now told and thankfully my photostream can move on...

*Thanks to the Tumblr folks for the huge number of views and re-shares of this image. I was not the person to post this originally to Tumblr, and it would maybe have been nice to have been asked if it was okay to. But most of you are respectful enough include the link here to the original image, so I guess continue to Tumblr away...

I know the birds themselves are a bit distant in this one, but this scene was exactly how I saw the lek (other than the black and white), and so I felt like it captured the essence of the moment better than a closer shot. Just for clarification, I put the photo in black and white to better emphasize the contrast of this relatively colorless landscape, with the foreground of dead grass, the sage, and the snow-covered mountains in the background.

1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440

* The license plate is not the plate to this car so if anyone would be so inclined to try and track the owner, you will be wasting your time. Just thought I would throw this little tidbit in........

Just for clarification, this is a composite image. I took the picture of the car. The background picture of the elegant home, I obtained off the internet.

Hope you enjoy..............

The Lamentation of Christ is an oil-on-panel painting of the common subject of the Lamentation of Christ by the Netherlandish artist Rogier van der Weyden, dating from around 1460–1463 and now in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy.

The work is perhaps the "altarpiece [with] Our Lord's sepulchre [...] and other five figures" which appear in the inventory made in 1492 at the death of Lorenzo de' Medici, and which decorated his Villa at Careggi since as early as 1482. The panel was thus one of the works commissioned by the Medici to van der Weyden, including the Medici Madonna now at Städel of Frankfurt, which has been also assigned to the artist's trip to Italy in 1450. Another hypothesis is that the panel was part of a lost triptych painted for Lionello d'Este of Ferrara, and mentioned in 1449, or that it was the painting described by Giorgio Vasari as Hans Memling's.

The panel adopts the same scheme in Fra Angelico's Pietà for the predella of the San Marco Altarpiece (1438–1443), now at the Alte Pinakothek, Munich, confirming that the Flemish artist visited Florence during his pilgrimage in Italy of 1449–1450, as mentioned in De viribus illustribus by Bartolomeo Facio (c. 1456). The work was later part of the collections of cardinal Carlo de' Medici, being moved to the Uffizi Gallery in 1666. Filippo Baldinucci described it as a work by Albrecht Dürer. In 1989 it was still assigned to Hans Memling by some scholars, but in 1992 reflex photography[clarification needed] showed the underlying drawing, which was clearly executed by van der Weyden.

The painting has a rectangular shape, and shows Christ being buried with the weeping Mary and John the Evangelist holding his hands. The corpse is supported by Joseph of Arimathea and by Nicodemus dressed in refined clothing of the times and gazing out towards the spectator, once thought to be a self-portrait of the artist which is now known to portray Cosimo the elder. A kneeling Mary Magdalene is depicted in the low foreground.

The composition is similar to Angelico's Pietà, but the scene here is more complex and crowded, with less geometrically ordered lines and more anguished faces. The use of oil paint also allowed van der Weyden to obtain deeper colours and a more brilliant light. The attention to details is also typical of the early Netherlandish painting school.

passiflora blossom - thanks for the clarification Ulli. those antennae seem to be the giveaway. Anyway a bunch of them are living on a public fence alongside a nearby street

Always beautiful...

Sempre bellissima...

Toujours belle...

Sempre bela...

Immer schön...

Part two of the 27 part masterclass "How not to take a photae"

Sadly, this is an edited version. Part one went down such a storm that I've decided to charge an arm and a leg for the rest of these superb masterclasses.

1. Use the same wee tripod as you did in masterclass 1.

2. Do most of the same things you did in masterclass 1.

3. Go to a different place from masterclass 1.

4. Remember the train ticket in the hotshoe to cover the viewfinder. Bob is clearly a half wit and forgot.

5. Point the camera at your chosen subject and press the button.

6. You may set your camera for a pre-determined amount of time, or you may press the button again to close the shutter (if using "Bulb" mode)

7. Remember that cooking times vary greatly and more than one attempt may have to be made. This is what we shall call "The Guess Factor" in future masterclasses.

Since we don't want you to suffer from what we Masterclassers call Information Overload, that will do for masterclass 2.

Absorb the above information and we'll move on to part 3 in two weeks time.

If you need clarification on any of the instructions, just buy the book "Bob's Masterclasses - A 27 Point Guide" available from all dodgy bookstores in your area now.

100,70

2016

a definition of a biro

A returning site with 345019 being dragged by Europheonix liveried and Rail Operations Group operated 37601 seen here passing Bow Brickhill, and moving up towards Bletchley before heading to destination of Wembley.

The working started at Old Dalby and I do not have clarification of headcode but presume it to be 5q72.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oostvaardersplassen

The Oostvaardersplassen (Dutch pronunciation: [oːstˈfaːrdərsˌplɑsə(n)]) is a nature reserve in the Netherlands, which is managed by the State Forestry Service. Covering about 56 square kilometres (22 sq mi), it is noted as an example of rewilding.[1] It is in a polder which was created in 1968, but in spite of the environment having little time to develop, by 1989 it had international importance as a Ramsar wetland.[2]

Geography

The Oostvaardersplassen are located in the municipality of Lelystad, between the towns of Lelystad and Almere, in the province of Flevoland in the Netherlands. The area of 56 square kilometres (22 sq mi) is situated on the shore of the Markermeer in the center of the Flevopolder. The Oostvaardersplassen can be divided into a wet area in the northwest and a dry area in the southeast.

Wet and dry areas

In the wet area along the Markermeer, there are large reedbeds on clay, where moulting geese often feed. This area is also home to great cormorant, common spoonbill, great egret, white-tailed eagle and Eurasian bittern, among many other animals. Oostvaardersplassen is a Special Protection Area for birdlife.[3]

Before the establishment of the reserve, the dry area was a nursery for willow trees, and in the first year hundreds of seedlings could be found on each square metre. This led to concern that a dense woodland would develop, significantly reducing the value of the habitat for water birds. To avoid this, the park's managers brought in a number of large herbivores to keep the area more open, including Konik ponies, red deer and Heck cattle. These large grazing animals are kept out in the open all year round without supplemental feeding, and are allowed to behave as wild animals (without, for example, castrating males). The ecosystem developing under their influence is thought to resemble those that would have existed on European river banks and deltas before human disturbance. However, there is some controversy about how natural the ecosystem is, as it lacks top predators.[1]

Large herbivores

Heck cattle

Before they were driven to extinction, large herbivores in this part of Europe included the tarpan (wild horse), wisent (European bison), red deer (elk or wapiti in North America) and aurochs (wild cattle). The tarpan and aurochs are extinct, but Konik ponies and Heck cattle are able to act as functional equivalents, occupying a similar ecological niche. The only native large herbivores now missing from Oostvaardersplassen are the elk (moose in North America), the wild boar and the wisent.[citation needed] There is a chance that the wild boar will find its way naturally from the Veluwe.

Head count2010 [4]2011 [5]

Red deer 2,200–2,800 3,300

Konik ponies 1,090 1,150

Heck cattle 320 350

Roe deer 30–40 n/a

Natural processes

Given that the Oostvaardersplassen is below sea level, many of its primary processes have been regulated. As the wetlands have been so spectacular, a dyke was made around it to prevent the process of groundwater-related subsidence. While this had temporary advantages, it created a water body with no open connections to the rest of the polder and the negative effects are only now being understood.[further explanation needed]

The cattle, deer and horses have multiplied in the Oostvaardersplassen. However, there is a limit to the number of animals the area can sustain. In the absence of natural predators the rangers shoot animals that are unlikely to survive. It is quite common for 30 to 60 per cent of the population to die in this way. After a die off, the vegetation has a chance to recover and this will get the first natural afforestation of the area under way.

The large herbivore die-offs are also closely related to the confined nature of the reserve and the flat nature of the reclaimed land, with very little shelter. It is fenced, and thus the large herbivores are unable to migrate away from the over grazed areas in Winter to find either shelter or forage.[6] All the large herbivores have an annual cycle of nutrition. Typically in winter and early spring their metabolism slows down. This is also the period in which they are designed to lose condition (body fat). This is where the ability to seek shelter as they would in a natural environment becomes crucial. Effectively the reserve is too small and impoverished to accommodate the natural processes of large herbivores, as for example in the Serengeti where large herbivores migrate over large distances.

During a particularly harsh winter in 2005, many animals in the Oostvaardersplassen died of starvation, leading to public outcry against alleged animal cruelty.

Future development

In many ways the Oostvaardersplassen is an isolated area; it is in a polder and there are currently no corridors connecting it to other nature reserves. The "Ecological Main Structure" plan proposes connections between nature reserves in the Netherlands, calls for a corridor to be created toward nearby Horsterwold (nl). The resulting network, called Oostvaardersland, would be part of Natura 2000, the European-wide network of habitats to which Oostvaardersplassen belongs.[8] The creation of Oostvaardersland will allow seasonal small scale migration and take some strain off the big grazers in winter. In the summer, Oostvaardersplassen will offer rich grazing and the sea winds will keep biting insects at bay, in the winter, the Horsterwold will offer protection from cold winds and supply browse. Oostvaardersland will comprise a total area of 150 square kilometres (58 sq mi). Furthermore, there is an option for a connection to the Veluwe forest. Eventually this could allow wild animals to move to and from Germany.[9]

Oostvaardersland was expected to be finished by 2014. However, the project ran into financial and political troubles. In 2012 the creation of Oostvaarderswold (nl), the 7 × 1 mi connecting corridor between Oostvaardersplassen and the Horsterwold, was stopped, and four members of the regional parliament resigned.[10] The government then planned to sell back the property to the previous owners for less money than it originally paid for the property; according to European nature laws it would then have to turn other lands into wilderness areas to compensate for the loss of the Oostvaarderswold nature area.[11] The reasons for this plan of action, which would cost a lot of public money and make the future creation of Oostvaardersland impossible, are unclear.

The advocates of natural processes are also planning for the wet part of the Oostvaardersplassen to be drained.[clarification needed] It is expected that the natural subsidence will lower the ground level and that this will result in a more natural and dynamic system.

The wood duck or Carolina duck (Aix sponsa) is a species of perching duck found in North America. It is one of the most colorful North American waterfowl.

The wood duck is a medium-sized perching duck. A typical adult is from 47 to 54 cm (19 to 21 in) in length with a wingspan of between 66 to 73 cm (26 to 29 in). This is about three-quarters of the length of an adult mallard. It shares its genus with the Asian Mandarin duck (Aix galericulata).

The adult male has distinctive multicolored iridescent plumage and red eyes, with a distinctive white flare down the neck. The female, less colorful, has a white eye-ring and a whitish throat. Both adults have crested heads.

The male's call is a rising whistle, jeeeeee; the females utter a drawn-out, rising squeal, do weep do weep, when flushed, and a sharp cr-r-ek, cr-e-ek for an alarm call.

Behavior

Their breeding habitat is wooded swamps, shallow lakes, marshes or ponds, and creeks in eastern North America, the west coast of the United States and western Mexico. They usually nest in cavities in trees close to water, although they will take advantage of nesting boxes in wetland locations. Females line their nests with feathers and other soft materials, and the elevation provides some protection from predators. Unlike most other ducks, the wood duck has sharp claws for perching in trees and can, in southern regions, produce two broods in a single season—the only North American duck that can do so.

Females typically lay between 7 and 15 white-tan eggs that incubate for an average of 30 days. However, if nesting boxes are placed too close together, females may lay eggs in the nests of their neighbours, which may lead to nests which may contain as many as 30 eggs and unsuccessful incubation, a behaviour known as "nest dumping".

After hatching, the ducklings climb to the opening of the nest cavity, jump down from the nest tree and make their way to water. The mother calls them to her, but does not help them in any way. They prefer nesting over water so the young have a soft landing, but will nest up to 140 m (460 ft) away from the shoreline. The day after they hatch, the young climb to the nest entrance and jump to the ground. The ducklings can swim and find their own food by this time."

These birds feed by dabbling or walking on land. Dabbling means to search for food from the surface of the water, as opposed to diving underneath the surface to scavenge for food.[clarification needed] They mainly eat berries, acorns, and seeds, but also insects, making them omnivores.

The birds are year-round residents in parts of its southern range, but the northern populations migrate south for the winter. They overwinter in the southern United States near the Atlantic coast. 75% of the wood ducks in the Pacific Flyway are non-migratory. They are also popular, due to their attractive plumage, in waterfowl collections and as such are frequently recorded in Great Britain as escapes—populations have become temporarily established in Surrey in the past but are not considered to be self-sustaining in the fashion of the closely related Mandarin duck.[citation needed] Given its native distribution the species is also a potential natural vagrant to Western Europe and there have been records in areas such as Cornwall, Scotland and the Isles of Scilly which some observers consider may relate to wild birds; however, given the wood duck's popularity in captivity it would be extremely difficult to prove their provenance.[citation needed] There is a small feral population in Dublin.[citation needed]

Conservation

The population of the wood duck was in serious decline in the late 19th century as a result of severe habitat loss and market hunting both for meat and plumage for the ladies' hat market in Europe. By the beginning of the 20th century, wood ducks had virtually disappeared from much of their former range. In response to the Migratory Bird Treaty established in 1916 and enactment of the U.S. Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918, wood duck populations began to recover slowly. By ending unregulated hunting and taking measures to protect remaining habitat, wood duck populations began to rebound in the 1920s. The development of the artificial nesting box in the 1930s gave an additional boost to wood duck production. More information on the efficacy of nest boxes can be found in the Conservation Evidence webpage.

Landowners as well as park and refuge managers can encourage wood ducks by building wood duck nest boxes near lakes, ponds, and streams. Fulda, Minnesota has adopted the wood duck as an unofficial mascot, and a large number of nest boxes can be found in the area.[citation needed]

Expanding North American beaver populations throughout the wood duck's range have also helped the population rebound as beavers create an ideal forested wetland habitat for wood ducks.

The population of the wood duck has increased a great deal in the last several years. The increase has been due to the work of many people constructing wood duck boxes and conserving vital habitat for the wood ducks to breed. During the open waterfowl season, U.S. hunters have only been allowed to take two wood ducks per day in the Atlantic and Mississippi Flyways. However, for the 2008–2009 season, the limit was raised to three. The wood duck limit remains at two in the Central Flyway and at seven in the Pacific Flyway. It is the second most commonly hunted duck in North America, after the mallard.

from Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oostvaardersplassen

The Oostvaardersplassen (Dutch pronunciation: [oːstˈfaːrdərsˌplɑsə(n)]) is a nature reserve in the Netherlands, which is managed by the State Forestry Service. Covering about 56 square kilometres (22 sq mi), it is noted as an example of rewilding.[1] It is in a polder which was created in 1968, but in spite of the environment having little time to develop, by 1989 it had international importance as a Ramsar wetland.[2]

Geography

The Oostvaardersplassen are located in the municipality of Lelystad, between the towns of Lelystad and Almere, in the province of Flevoland in the Netherlands. The area of 56 square kilometres (22 sq mi) is situated on the shore of the Markermeer in the center of the Flevopolder. The Oostvaardersplassen can be divided into a wet area in the northwest and a dry area in the southeast.

Wet and dry areas

In the wet area along the Markermeer, there are large reedbeds on clay, where moulting geese often feed. This area is also home to great cormorant, common spoonbill, great egret, white-tailed eagle and Eurasian bittern, among many other animals. Oostvaardersplassen is a Special Protection Area for birdlife.[3]

Before the establishment of the reserve, the dry area was a nursery for willow trees, and in the first year hundreds of seedlings could be found on each square metre. This led to concern that a dense woodland would develop, significantly reducing the value of the habitat for water birds. To avoid this, the park's managers brought in a number of large herbivores to keep the area more open, including Konik ponies, red deer and Heck cattle. These large grazing animals are kept out in the open all year round without supplemental feeding, and are allowed to behave as wild animals (without, for example, castrating males). The ecosystem developing under their influence is thought to resemble those that would have existed on European river banks and deltas before human disturbance. However, there is some controversy about how natural the ecosystem is, as it lacks top predators.[1]

Large herbivores

Heck cattle

Before they were driven to extinction, large herbivores in this part of Europe included the tarpan (wild horse), wisent (European bison), red deer (elk or wapiti in North America) and aurochs (wild cattle). The tarpan and aurochs are extinct, but Konik ponies and Heck cattle are able to act as functional equivalents, occupying a similar ecological niche. The only native large herbivores now missing from Oostvaardersplassen are the elk (moose in North America), the wild boar and the wisent.[citation needed] There is a chance that the wild boar will find its way naturally from the Veluwe.

Head count2010 [4]2011 [5]

Red deer 2,200–2,800 3,300

Konik ponies 1,090 1,150

Heck cattle 320 350

Roe deer 30–40 n/a

Natural processes

Given that the Oostvaardersplassen is below sea level, many of its primary processes have been regulated. As the wetlands have been so spectacular, a dyke was made around it to prevent the process of groundwater-related subsidence. While this had temporary advantages, it created a water body with no open connections to the rest of the polder and the negative effects are only now being understood.[further explanation needed]

The cattle, deer and horses have multiplied in the Oostvaardersplassen. However, there is a limit to the number of animals the area can sustain. In the absence of natural predators the rangers shoot animals that are unlikely to survive. It is quite common for 30 to 60 per cent of the population to die in this way. After a die off, the vegetation has a chance to recover and this will get the first natural afforestation of the area under way.

The large herbivore die-offs are also closely related to the confined nature of the reserve and the flat nature of the reclaimed land, with very little shelter. It is fenced, and thus the large herbivores are unable to migrate away from the over grazed areas in Winter to find either shelter or forage.[6] All the large herbivores have an annual cycle of nutrition. Typically in winter and early spring their metabolism slows down. This is also the period in which they are designed to lose condition (body fat). This is where the ability to seek shelter as they would in a natural environment becomes crucial. Effectively the reserve is too small and impoverished to accommodate the natural processes of large herbivores, as for example in the Serengeti where large herbivores migrate over large distances.

During a particularly harsh winter in 2005, many animals in the Oostvaardersplassen died of starvation, leading to public outcry against alleged animal cruelty.

Future development

In many ways the Oostvaardersplassen is an isolated area; it is in a polder and there are currently no corridors connecting it to other nature reserves. The "Ecological Main Structure" plan proposes connections between nature reserves in the Netherlands, calls for a corridor to be created toward nearby Horsterwold (nl). The resulting network, called Oostvaardersland, would be part of Natura 2000, the European-wide network of habitats to which Oostvaardersplassen belongs.[8] The creation of Oostvaardersland will allow seasonal small scale migration and take some strain off the big grazers in winter. In the summer, Oostvaardersplassen will offer rich grazing and the sea winds will keep biting insects at bay, in the winter, the Horsterwold will offer protection from cold winds and supply browse. Oostvaardersland will comprise a total area of 150 square kilometres (58 sq mi). Furthermore, there is an option for a connection to the Veluwe forest. Eventually this could allow wild animals to move to and from Germany.[9]

Oostvaardersland was expected to be finished by 2014. However, the project ran into financial and political troubles. In 2012 the creation of Oostvaarderswold (nl), the 7 × 1 mi connecting corridor between Oostvaardersplassen and the Horsterwold, was stopped, and four members of the regional parliament resigned.[10] The government then planned to sell back the property to the previous owners for less money than it originally paid for the property; according to European nature laws it would then have to turn other lands into wilderness areas to compensate for the loss of the Oostvaarderswold nature area.[11] The reasons for this plan of action, which would cost a lot of public money and make the future creation of Oostvaardersland impossible, are unclear.

The advocates of natural processes are also planning for the wet part of the Oostvaardersplassen to be drained.[clarification needed] It is expected that the natural subsidence will lower the ground level and that this will result in a more natural and dynamic system.

We explored the woods today. The weather was cold and windy, but sunny and clear. We rushed home and I considered an image with ice. I tossed out ice cubes and photographed them in various positions. This went on for some time before I realized I just wasn't feeling it.

Later, I opened the images from the walk and found this one. The word illumination sparked.

The word represents spiritual awareness, clarification, and light just to name a few examples, all of which resonate with me.

IL SACRO MONTE DI LUSSARI CON LA NEVE

Immediatamente una piccola precisazione...questa bellissima immagine è stata scattata dall'amica Marina e gentilmente concessami per poterla condividere con voi.

Il Monte Lussari, a 1789m, è una chicca del Friuli Venezia Giulia e rappresenta il simbolo dell’unione spirituale delle genti alpine, luogo di preghiera e pellegrinaggio da tutto il mondo. Il Monte Lussari è raggiungibile sia attraverso cabinovia, in circa 10 minuti, sia attraverso il famoso e impegnativo Sentiero del Pellegrino, sia attraverso la strada forestale che parte in corrispondenza dell’agriturismo Prati Oiztinger.

Note tratte dal sito:

escursionifriuli.it/escursioni_a_piedi/monte-lussari/

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

THE SACRED MOUNT OF LUSSARI COVERED BY THE SNOW

Just a quick clarification...this beautiful image was taken by my friend Marina and kindly shared with me so I could share it with you.

Mount Lussari, at 1,789 meters, is a gem of Friuli Venezia Giulia and represents the symbol of the spiritual unity of the Alpine people, a place of prayer and pilgrimage from around the world. Mount Lussari can be reached by cable car, in about 10 minutes, by the famous and challenging Pilgrim's Path, or by the forest road that starts at the Prati Oiztinger farmhouse.

Immagine realizzata con lo smartphone Samsung

In EXPLORE il 13/12/2025 al n. 23 [658 su 1370]

I replaced certain printings on the Arealight Thire helmet with decals. So for clarification, this is a modified version of a printed Arealight helmet. Anyways, I utilized my new leg template, designed in a larger image file to maximize detail level. I personally think this custom turned out great! It's not for sale, but if enough people are interested, I might start selling it. However, the price will be higher due to the cost of the helmet at the difficulty to apply the leg decals (those aren't as easy as they look).

On 26.9.06 63-8886 USAF Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker had landed at Bishkek (FRU) at 20:03 following a combat mission over Afghanistan. After landing, the KC-135R was parked at the intersection of the active runway and a taxiway while the crew awaited clarification on instructions from the air traffic control tower. Meanwhile, a Tupolev 154M of Altyn Air (EX-85718) had been cleared for takeoff on runway 08. The TU-154's right wing struck the fairing of the KC-135R's No. 1 engine. The force of the impact nearly severed the No. 1 engine from KC-135R and destroyed a portion of the aircraft's left wing. The TU-154 lost approximately six feet of its right wingtip, but was able to get airborne and return to the airport for an emergency landing. The KC-135 caught fire and sustained extensive damage. There were 3 onboard and all escaped and the airframe was written off..

see:- flic.kr/p/2jLXfTn

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oostvaardersplassen

The Oostvaardersplassen (Dutch pronunciation: [oːstˈfaːrdərsˌplɑsə(n)]) is a nature reserve in the Netherlands, which is managed by the State Forestry Service. Covering about 56 square kilometres (22 sq mi), it is noted as an example of rewilding.[1] It is in a polder which was created in 1968, but in spite of the environment having little time to develop, by 1989 it had international importance as a Ramsar wetland.[2]

Geography

The Oostvaardersplassen are located in the municipality of Lelystad, between the towns of Lelystad and Almere, in the province of Flevoland in the Netherlands. The area of 56 square kilometres (22 sq mi) is situated on the shore of the Markermeer in the center of the Flevopolder. The Oostvaardersplassen can be divided into a wet area in the northwest and a dry area in the southeast.

Wet and dry areas

In the wet area along the Markermeer, there are large reedbeds on clay, where moulting geese often feed. This area is also home to great cormorant, common spoonbill, great egret, white-tailed eagle and Eurasian bittern, among many other animals. Oostvaardersplassen is a Special Protection Area for birdlife.[3]

Before the establishment of the reserve, the dry area was a nursery for willow trees, and in the first year hundreds of seedlings could be found on each square metre. This led to concern that a dense woodland would develop, significantly reducing the value of the habitat for water birds. To avoid this, the park's managers brought in a number of large herbivores to keep the area more open, including Konik ponies, red deer and Heck cattle. These large grazing animals are kept out in the open all year round without supplemental feeding, and are allowed to behave as wild animals (without, for example, castrating males). The ecosystem developing under their influence is thought to resemble those that would have existed on European river banks and deltas before human disturbance. However, there is some controversy about how natural the ecosystem is, as it lacks top predators.[1]

Large herbivores

Heck cattle

Before they were driven to extinction, large herbivores in this part of Europe included the tarpan (wild horse), wisent (European bison), red deer (elk or wapiti in North America) and aurochs (wild cattle). The tarpan and aurochs are extinct, but Konik ponies and Heck cattle are able to act as functional equivalents, occupying a similar ecological niche. The only native large herbivores now missing from Oostvaardersplassen are the elk (moose in North America), the wild boar and the wisent.[citation needed] There is a chance that the wild boar will find its way naturally from the Veluwe.

Head count2010 [4]2011 [5]

Red deer 2,200–2,800 3,300

Konik ponies 1,090 1,150

Heck cattle 320 350

Roe deer 30–40 n/a

Natural processes

Given that the Oostvaardersplassen is below sea level, many of its primary processes have been regulated. As the wetlands have been so spectacular, a dyke was made around it to prevent the process of groundwater-related subsidence. While this had temporary advantages, it created a water body with no open connections to the rest of the polder and the negative effects are only now being understood.[further explanation needed]

The cattle, deer and horses have multiplied in the Oostvaardersplassen. However, there is a limit to the number of animals the area can sustain. In the absence of natural predators the rangers shoot animals that are unlikely to survive. It is quite common for 30 to 60 per cent of the population to die in this way. After a die off, the vegetation has a chance to recover and this will get the first natural afforestation of the area under way.

The large herbivore die-offs are also closely related to the confined nature of the reserve and the flat nature of the reclaimed land, with very little shelter. It is fenced, and thus the large herbivores are unable to migrate away from the over grazed areas in Winter to find either shelter or forage.[6] All the large herbivores have an annual cycle of nutrition. Typically in winter and early spring their metabolism slows down. This is also the period in which they are designed to lose condition (body fat). This is where the ability to seek shelter as they would in a natural environment becomes crucial. Effectively the reserve is too small and impoverished to accommodate the natural processes of large herbivores, as for example in the Serengeti where large herbivores migrate over large distances.

During a particularly harsh winter in 2005, many animals in the Oostvaardersplassen died of starvation, leading to public outcry against alleged animal cruelty.

Future development

In many ways the Oostvaardersplassen is an isolated area; it is in a polder and there are currently no corridors connecting it to other nature reserves. The "Ecological Main Structure" plan proposes connections between nature reserves in the Netherlands, calls for a corridor to be created toward nearby Horsterwold (nl). The resulting network, called Oostvaardersland, would be part of Natura 2000, the European-wide network of habitats to which Oostvaardersplassen belongs.[8] The creation of Oostvaardersland will allow seasonal small scale migration and take some strain off the big grazers in winter. In the summer, Oostvaardersplassen will offer rich grazing and the sea winds will keep biting insects at bay, in the winter, the Horsterwold will offer protection from cold winds and supply browse. Oostvaardersland will comprise a total area of 150 square kilometres (58 sq mi). Furthermore, there is an option for a connection to the Veluwe forest. Eventually this could allow wild animals to move to and from Germany.[9]

Oostvaardersland was expected to be finished by 2014. However, the project ran into financial and political troubles. In 2012 the creation of Oostvaarderswold (nl), the 7 × 1 mi connecting corridor between Oostvaardersplassen and the Horsterwold, was stopped, and four members of the regional parliament resigned.[10] The government then planned to sell back the property to the previous owners for less money than it originally paid for the property; according to European nature laws it would then have to turn other lands into wilderness areas to compensate for the loss of the Oostvaarderswold nature area.[11] The reasons for this plan of action, which would cost a lot of public money and make the future creation of Oostvaardersland impossible, are unclear.

The advocates of natural processes are also planning for the wet part of the Oostvaardersplassen to be drained.[clarification needed] It is expected that the natural subsidence will lower the ground level and that this will result in a more natural and dynamic system.

Prohibit desitjar la mort de Putin a Facebook .

Amb la guerra a Ucraïna, les xarxes socials s'enfronten a nous reptes sobre quins són els límits de la llibertat d'expressió sota els seus dominis.

La setmana passada, Facebook sorprenia amb l'anunci que permetria desitjar la mort de Putin o dels soldats de les tropes russes.

L'única condició era que fos un clam genèric, no pas una amenaça específica.

No es podia, per exemple, acompanyar el desig de mort amb la ubicació d'alguna unitat militar.

Ara han fet una rectificació –ells en diuen aclariment– i les crides a assassinar Putin, o qualsevol cap d'estat, segueixen estan prohibides, per molt que siguin expressions vagues d'un desig inconcret.

www.ara.cat/media/prohibit-desitjar-mort-putin-facebook_1...

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Putin, the evil spider.

Prohibited Putin's death on Facebook.

With the war in Ukraine, social media is facing new challenges over what the limits of free speech are under its domains.

Last week, Facebook surprised with the announcement that it would wish to put the death of Putin or the soldiers of the Russian troops.

The only condition was that it be a generic claim, not a specific threat.

The death wish, for example, could not be accompanied by the location of a military unit.

They have now made a rectification - they call it clarification - and calls to assassinate Putin, or any head of state, are still banned, no matter how vague they may be.

www.ara.cat/media/prohibit-desitjar-mort- little-facebook_1 ...

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Zambia

Made explore Dec. 25, 2011 - # 50

View On Black

Well, sometimes we find on our African pictures comments from people who doubt about our African activity. This is a reasonable reaction, that's why we decided to post some clarification directly on the pictures for all those who can pass through here. Of course all comments are well accepted and we will be glad to answer to all of you. This is part of our work.

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We thank all people who comment our shots with our big cats with these kind of notes:

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What many people don't realize is that once fully grown up those lions go to the canned hunting industry

www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jun/03/canned-huntin...

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This information can be very useful for people who are not aware about this big sad "industry". Just to let you know, we work in this center since 4 years and I can assure you that all our animals growing here will then be released in a safe area where no farms, no hunters, no shoots will be allowed except for Photo shooting. After so many years in Africa we are enough well informed about this kind of industry and , of course, we would not work and spend all our energies and money for such a market. Our aim is just conservation and breeding program. I could write papers and papers, but it t would be much easier for everybody to have a look in internet at our center : Mukuni Big 5 Safaris

www.mukunibig5.co.zm/volunteerp/

Many other information can be found just typing the name of the center or our names in internet, Facebook etc..

Here in Flickr we have many friends and contacts and they know very well that what we do for these animals is just focused to the safeguard of nature and wildlife.

Further to this, we also have deep information about other centers created for the canned hunting industry. It's not easy to fight them, the governments of many states support this business. But we do what we can through information and some other ways .

Al people interested, are very welcome to join us as volunteering or just for a visit during a possible trip in the area.

Thanks however for your comment which allowed us to give some more information to people .

Laura Bongiorni

Adalberto Mangini

This female goose with her two chicks got very aggressive as we approached them! She quickly attacked the tourists by poking at their feet with her beak, as she chased us away from her chicks! Very unexpected.

At the Zealandia ecosanctuary, Wellington, New Zealand.

Correction: These are Paradise Shelducks, not geese!

(Thanks for the clarification, Lance.)

This image was taken on the Blue Ridge Parkway south of Asheville... This image showing clouds at tree level shows it was taken at ear popping altitude.

I'm adding this for clarification. All of my images here were taken in the "Appalachians". However, they give off the appearance of "smoke" just like the Smoky's..

"The Great Smoky Mountains are a mountain range rising along the Tennessee-North Carolina border in the southeastern United States. They are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains, and form part of the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. The range is sometimes called the Smoky Mountains or the Smokey Mountains, and the name is commonly shortened to the Smokies. The Great Smokies are best known as the home of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which protects most of the range. The park was established in 1934, and, with over 9 million visits per year, it is the most-visited national park in the United States."

For those interested, all of the images posted from this trip are SOOC with no cropping. Just the watermark..

Click here to visit Steve Page Photography on FaceBook

Xcaret Park (Spanish: el parque Xcaret[clarification needed]; Spanish pronunciation: [el ˈpaɾke ʃkaˈɾet]) is a privately owned and operated theme park, resort and self-described ecotourism development located in the Riviera Maya, a portion of the Caribbean coastline of Mexico's state of Quintana Roo. It is part of Xcaret Experiencias Group which also owns the Xplor Park, Xel-Ha Park, and Xenses Park; as well as the Xichen, Xenotes, Xavage and Xoximilco tours and activities. It is situated approximately 75 kilometres (47 mi) south of Cancún, and 6.5 kilometres (4 mi) south of the nearest large settlement Playa del Carmen along Highway 307. It is named after the nearby archaeological site Xcaret, a settlement constructed by the pre-Columbian Maya some of whose structures lie within the boundaries of the park's 81 hectares (200 acres) of land holdings.

and so a little clarification is needed about last night.

a girlfriend who happened to be in the area working thought it would be nice to catch up although she would be in drab hence the guy, after a nice meal we back to her room had a natter and a cuppa and way to much of a giggle..

anyway, it came time to leave.

I put my coat on and made for door that happened to have a large mirror beside it.

I stood checking my makeup for a second when I was joined by my friend, the vision that presented itself was shocking in a good way.

OMG I was slightly shorter and looked like his partner. It was just the perfect image I couldn't get over just how totally convincing i/we looked. Still can't get that image out of my head.

yeah I still have those omg moments.