Nottingham trams
View allAll Photos Tagged Confirmed
We had it confirmed yesterday that our dear Flickr friend, Gérard had left us. I say confirmed because I had noticed he had not reappeared as he always did and the days of his absence were increasingly disturbing. I thought about him often of late...his loyalty, consistent presence and most of all his humor. He is the only one I've ever known who I could really hear laugh when he wrote "LOL."
It's funny how this medium can actually develop what can only be defined as real friendships when one anticipates and looks forward to daily interactions and comments. I recall the shock I felt when he informed us of his condition...and clearly recall also the shock he himself felt in just those few dramatic words. I eagerly awaited his return to Flickr from his treatments and, when he did, marveled at his spirit during this impossibly difficult time.
Gérard and I shared musical tastes and frequently exchanged YouTube links we thought appropriate to an image or an expressed thought. In many ways, we were on the same "wave length" and we discussed and mourned the losses in the musical arena this year. And now he has joined them. It has indeed been a year of loss.
So adieu, mon ami. You will be missed deeply by many, as myself, who have never met or even spoken to you...a tribute indeed. Oh, and I can tell that's you captured in this image by the white head...;-)
And one more link to carry you onward...
At least I believe this is the correct ID, waiting for iNaturalist to confirm. Identification confirmed (6/25).
I saw 3 young hybrid offspring from 1 pure California Scrub-Jay and 1 pure Steller’s Jay yesterday. They were both showing intermediate features of both species. I watched 3 of the young at once begging from an adult California Scrub-Jay and an adult Steller’s Jay. This rare hybrid combo has been documented before in Chilliwack from 2018-2021 in an adult bird. This is the first confirmed breeding record of hybrid fledglings that I know of being documented in BC.
I said this last post regarding Nutmeg and this new release confirmed my thoughts...Nutmegs texturing IS even better than before...how is this possible you may ask? I don't know, but what I do know is that this new set is outstanding. If I could box this up and send it to myself in RL I would do just that and decorate my patio with it...Please go check it out at Kustom 9 if you already haven't ...you won't be sorry.....
Pictured from the Nutmeg French Cafe set:
Nutmeg. French Cafe Iron Chair Adult and PG
Nutmeg. French Cafe Wooden Chair Adult
Nutmeg. French Cafe Table / 1
Nutmeg. French Cafe Table / 2
Nutmeg. French Cafe Journal Stack / 1
Nutmeg. French Cafe Journal Stack / 2
Nutmeg. French Cafe Teacups
Nutmeg. French Cafe Napkins
Nutmeg. French Cafe Watering Can
Nutmeg. French Cafe Linen Bag
Nutmeg. French Cafe Teatime Rack
Nutmeg. French Cafe Plant
Nutmeg. French Cafe Teapot
Nutmeg. French Cafe Bonus Plant
Kustom 9: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/kustom9/116/98/22
Nutmeg Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/REKA%20NUTMEG/233/125/21
Nutmeg Flickr: flic.kr/ps/Yr6Sn
Additional Nutmeg items available:
Nutmeg. Dreamy Pastels Rug (Shiny Shabby)
Nutmeg. Dreamy Pastels Basket Bonus Item (Shiny Shabby) maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shiny%20Shabby/160/119/21
Nutmeg Mainstore:
Nutmeg. Bucolic Serving Bowl / 1
Nutmeg. Bucolic Console Table
Nutmeg. Farmhouse Brunch Table Bonus Item
Nutmeg. Dacha Old Oriental Rug Decor
Nutmeg. Warm Respite Lamp
Misc.
Heart - Wildwood - Ivy Ash Tree Stump
Heart - Wildwood - Spanish Broom - Yellow
DRD - Recycled Garden Nook
Garden- by anc curly forest grass
KraftWork Garden Guardian Fountain . Stone
Thanks for your support and make it a great week! 😊
Skippy and his stuffed tiger cross the log bridge…
As many of you know, I'm a big fan of the classic comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes. I wanted to create a playful tribute that references their legendary log bridge crossing.
Keep imagining.
Keep blazing trails.
And keep shining bright, my friends!
Dear Railfan friends / Liebe Eisenbahnfan freunde!
Happy Christmas Folks & Frohe Weihnachten an alle!!!
Temuulen.B & Monrailpic Tours
2023 Group tour dates:
- Summer tour: 17 - 27 June 2023 (Mainline)
- Branch line: 28. Jun - 01.Jul 2023
- Autumn tour: 17 - 30. September (Golden Autumn and Gobi)
ALL THE TOURS ARE CONFIRMED and SEATS AVAILABLE!
Enquire tours: monrailpic@gmail.com
MONRAILPIC TOURS
Fall foliage is always breathtaking in the beautiful Rocky Mountains which extend 3.000 miles through North America. The forests are home to many species of birds and mammals including elk, mule deer, black bear, wolverine, cougar and lynx. Grizzly bears may exist in this region but there has not been a confirmed sighting of a grizzly bear in Colorado since 1979.
Mandarin Duck:-
We have not confirmed his ring number this visit, but it is more than likely it is the same returning duck as in previous years.
His full ring number is 4274391 and he was ringed as an adult male on the 9th of April 2015 at Bestumkilen, near Akershus, Oslo in Norway!
(courtesy of the Grampian ringing Group)
The male has the most elaborate and ornate plumage with distinctive long orange feathers on the side of the face, orange 'sails' on the back, and pale orange flanks. The female is dull by comparison with a grey head and white stripe behind the eye, brown back and mottled flanks. They were introduced to the UK from China and have become established following escapes from captivity.
Courtesy: RSPB
After the small orchids presented in my last uploads, I now present to you an exuberant flower of Brazilian origin, and know as Bráunia, Rosa da mata, Rosa da montanha, Chapéu de sol (see the names in english below).
Although quite large (the ones I photographed here are approximately from 15 to 20cm in diameter), they were also difficult to photograph properly because they are hanging on the branches, wrapped in the shadow of numerous leaves, therefore with low light.
.Scientific name: Brownea grandiceps
.Family: Fabaceae, Caesalpinioideae.
.Popular Names: Rose of the jungle, Brownea, Mountain's Rose, Sun Hat
.Origin: The species is native to Brazil, but not endemic, being also recorded in Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and Bolivia. Its occurrence in Brazilian lands was officially registered in Amazonas, Pará, Federal District and Rio de Janeiro. Possibly it is also present in other states, a fact that can only be confirmed by more comprehensive botanical studies.
.Average height: 6-8m in cultivation, 10-20m in the forest.
.Morphological characteristics: They have large leaves and, when young, have a pinkish-purple color, turning green when adults.
The inflorescences are showy, large and composed of several dense flowers in the form of pendant balls, which appear at the end of the branches; the color of the flowers can vary from orange to red.
Very ornamental tree due to the beauty of its flowering, which especially attracts hummingbirds. The wood can be used to make crates. The flowers are used in traditional medicine as an anti-hemorrhagic, property already partially confirmed by scientific studies.
Northern Goshawk (confirmed)
This is a rare sighting for Bucks County. The last time it was reported was in 1982. I was in the right place at the right time. Not one of my best shots, but it was a gloomy day with real bad light. I'm glad I was able to get this shot for the records. Lucky me!
Said the confirmed minimalist......
The prettiest garden ever, with bright zinnias, marigolds, blackeyed susans, lambs ears, daisies....even more, all smashed together!
#29/52, Bokeh in nature, 52 weeks, the 2022 edition
Was nice to finally see this long-awaited species in BC. This is the first time one has been confirmed with a photograph. The bird was first found by Susan Fennellow yesterday in Agassiz. What a beautiful adult too! As a bonus we found a Redhead in the slough beneath him. I watched him catch a rat too and eat it which was cool! BC Bird #442 for me.
It changes it winter coat slowly for a summer one hence the change of colour. (Can't believe I thought I had found something fantastic). I should've asked a Slovak first as I was laughed at for thinking it was something strange lol
..HFF!!
I hope everyone is holding up OK. There have only been 2 confirmed cases in my little town of 2500. luckily no one here ever goes anywhere..;) This lighthouse has a little historical significance. A schooner carrying the bricks for the tower foundered on the sandbar at the entrance to Aransas Pass during high seas in late December 1855. The crew was rescued, but the ship and its cargo were a total loss. During 1856, new bricks arrived at the island, followed later by the lantern room, and finally a fourth-order Fresnel lens. The keeper’s dwelling and the fifty-five-foot, octagonal tower, with a coat of brown paint, were completed by the early part of 1857. The light from the tower’s lantern room first illuminated the night sky above the pass later that year.
Sometime after the start of the Civil War, the lens was removed from the lantern room for safekeeping. Control of the tower passed repeatedly between Confederate and Union forces. Then, on Christmas Day 1862, Confederate General John B. Magruder ordered the destruction of the tower. Two kegs of powder were exploded inside the tower, damaging the upper twenty-feet of brickwork and destroying most of the circular staircase.
After the war, Texas’ lights were gradually repaired or rebuilt and returned to service. Early in 1867, a work crew arrived to repair the upper portion of the damaged tower at Aransas Pass. Acting District Lighthouse Engineer M.F. Bonzano described a winter storm that hampered the work: “During the progress of the repairs one of the severest Northers ever experienced on the Texas coast occurred. The cold was so severe that frozen fish were hove ashore by the hundreds and birds of all sorts sought refuge in the tower and camp of the workmen where they perished in large numbers.” Aransas Pass Lighthouse was the last principal light along the coast to return to service, doing so in the spring of 1867.
Mandarin Duck:-
We have not confirmed his ring number this visit, but it is more than likely it is the same returning duck as in previous years.
His full ring number is 4274391 and he was ringed as an adult male on the 9th of April 2015 at Bestumkilen, near Akershus, Oslo in Norway!
(courtesy of the Grampian ringing Group)
The male has the most elaborate and ornate plumage with distinctive long orange feathers on the side of the face, orange 'sails' on the back, and pale orange flanks. The female is dull by comparison with a grey head and white stripe behind the eye, brown back and mottled flanks. They were introduced to the UK from China and have become established following escapes from captivity.
Courtesy: RSPB
Scientists confirmed the fact that the south of Kazakhstan and bordering areas of central Asia were the center from where wild tulips originated. Having appeared here at the end of Miocene-beginning of Pliocene, i.e.10-20 millions years ago, the representatives of this genus spread over South Europe, North Africa, India, China. The maximum number of species (64)is concentrated in Middle Asia countries, i.e. Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan . Kazakhstan is the richest in terms of wild tulip species. Thirty-four species grow in the vast areas of Kazakhstan steppes, deserts and mountains
"Tricholoma sulphureum, also known as sulphur knight or gas agaric, is an inedible or mildly poisonous mushroom found in woodlands in Europe. It has a distinctive bright yellow colour and an unusual smell likened to coal gas. It occurs in deciduous woodlands in Europe from spring to autumn.
It has a convex cap with a vague umbo up to 8 cm (3 in) across, sulphur yellow in colour. The thick, sinuate gills, stipe and flesh are similarly bright yellow. The smell, caused by the chemical skatole, is enough to distinguish it from other yellow fungi. John Ramsbottom reports that it has a complex smell that has been likened variously to Jasmine, Narcissus, Hyacinth, Hemerocallis flava, Lilac, Tagetes, decayed hemp or coal gas, as well as described as nauseating or foetid. The taste is bitter.
Tricholoma sulphureum is found in deciduous woods, particularly beech, and can occur anytime from spring until autumn. It is found across Europe and has been confirmed as far east as China. It is also distributed in North America, where it grows also with conifers. It is commonly known as the "Stinker" or "Sulfur Trich". In Turkey, it is considered critically endangered. - WiKi
"De narcisridderzwam is een fraaie, kleine tot middelgrote paddenstoel die in nauwe samenwerking (ectomycorrhiza) leeft met verschillende boomsoorten - vooral eiken en beuken, in zeldzame gevallen ook met hazelaars en met coniferen. De zwam heeft een voorkeur voor bomen die minstens enkele tientallen jaren oud maar nog wel vitaal zijn - bij zeer oude en verzwakte bomen neemt het aantal vruchtlichamen weer af. Hij groeit dikwijls in de berm van met eiken of beuken beplante wegen, op zandig-lemige bodems. De hoed is aan de bovenzijde zwavelgeel, dikwijls met roodbruine of olijfkleurige tinten in het midden, en heeft een diameter van 2.5 tot 7 centimeter. Hij is bolvormig met een enigszins gegolfde rand, in oudere toestand meer uitgespreid, waarbij hij een umbo (knobbel) houdt in het midden. De plaatjes aan de onderzijde zijn zwavelgeel van kleur en staan vrij ver uiteen. Tussen twee normale plaatjes bevinden zich 1 of meerdere verkorte exemplaren, die worden aangeduid als lamellulae. De steel is zwavelgeel en bezet met een gering aantal roodachtige vezels. Hij kan onderaan en in het midden dikker zijn dan aan de top. De narcisridderzwam is een voorbeeld van een paddenstoel die sinds de jaren zeventig van de vorige eeuw aanzienlijk zeldzamer is geworden.
Narcisridderzwammen verspreiden een onaangename geur, die aan aardgas doet denken en zijn giftig.
De soortnaam sulphureum betekent "zwavelgeel". De genusnaam Tricholoma is afgeleid van twee Griekse woorden en betekent "met harige rand". Op de hoed van de narcisridderzwam is dit niet van toepassing .Vroeger werd de bruine narcisridderzwam (Tricholoma bufonium) van Tricholoma sulphureum onderscheiden, maar volgens moderne mycologen is T.bufonium een ondersoort van T.sulphureum , hoewel dit door sommigen wordt betwist." - Info op internet gevonden
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Misty/57/60/28
122 Koreans were confirmed to have died after being taken to work in coal mines on Hashima Island.
News are being delivered to the magical creatures all over the Kingdom for their part at this event.
The amazing talents are being confirmed and the magical stage is being built at the BOSL sim.
EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC
AUGUST 27, 2011
COMING SOON!
~~~~~
Angel Dessous ~ Bliss Couture ~ Body Talking ~ Champagne! Sparkling Fashion ~ Finesmith Designs ~ Garded Secret ~ House of Europe ~ Loveli Mi ~ Tres Beau. (More to be Confirmed)
On one of my recent walks through the nature reserve "Gemene Weidebeek" I thought I spotted a 'stranger' among the gulls - a Little Egret?!
For once I hadn't brought my camera with me, so I rushed home and when I returned, it was still there. A zoom with my camera confirmed that indeed it was a Little Egret! (see my next photo)
We have not confirmed his ring number this visit, but it is more than likely it is the same returning duck as in previous years.
His full ring number is 4274391 and he was ringed as an adult male on the 9th of April 2015 at Bestumkilen, near Akershus, Oslo in Norway!
(courtesy of the Grampian ringing Group)
The male has the most elaborate and ornate plumage with distinctive long orange feathers on the side of the face, orange 'sails' on the back, and pale orange flanks. The female is dull by comparison with a grey head and white stripe behind the eye, brown back and mottled flanks. They were introduced to the UK from China and have become established following escapes from captivity.
Courtesy: RSPB
Confirmed as a Northern Harrier (thanks, [https://www.flickr.com/photos/buckeye1] ). It's one of a pair that seem to be patrolling this meadow, part of the Novato Creek flood plain near Deer Island.
Confirmed and officially snatched. 12-2-16 was the day our lives changed. Love this collection!! The grunge glam aesthetic with a long anticipated 90s moment gives me life. Amazing!! Can't wait for spring!
Taken a few hours before Leeds United's return to the Premier League was confirmed and crowds of thousands descended on the area.
I went to Powell River to see my lifer Black-tailed Gull. It is a bird I have always wanted to see. It was a really long day to get there and get back home but was worth every minute. He flew all the way from Asia, the least I can do is travel 6.5 hours and take 2 ferries to see him! He used to stay on a rock in the middle of the ocean that you had to have a boat to get to but today he flew right into town on the government dock allowing us to view him from land. I also got to see a pod of Pacific White-Sided Dolphins frolicking behind him. I rarely get to see dolphins so it was a special treat. This gull is really stunning. It is a 3rd cycle gull and he has beautiful pale eyes, white eye arcs and that unique yellow bill with black ring and red tip. Plus of course his conspicuous black tail band and white rump. He flew into the ocean once for a quick swim and it allowed me to see that. He really is very elegant with his dark grey back and wings and black wingtips. I'm really lucky I got to see him so close to shore today. This is the 422 nd bird I have seen in BC. This is the second rare Asiatic gull in BC right now as a Slaty-backed Gull was found a few days later but has not been relocated.
This is a heavy crop but wanted to post it anyways since it is such a special bird.
This is only the 3rd confirmed photo documented record for the province of BC. This bird is listed as a code 4 by the ABA.
We have not confirmed his ring number this visit, but it is more than likely it is the same returning duck as in previous years.
His full ring number is 4274391 and he was ringed as an adult male on the 9th of April 2015 at Bestumkilen, near Akershus, Oslo in Norway!
(courtesy of the Grampian ringing Group)
The male has the most elaborate and ornate plumage with distinctive long orange feathers on the side of the face, orange 'sails' on the back, and pale orange flanks. The female is dull by comparison with a grey head and white stripe behind the eye, brown back and mottled flanks. They were introduced to the UK from China and have become established following escapes from captivity.
Courtesy: RSPB
I love hearing their crystalline call - usually I gaze up in every direction trying to figure out where they are! They're such beautiful birds!
A sea eagle,its range includes most of Canada and Alaska, all of the contiguous United States, and northern Mexico. It is found near large bodies of open water with an abundant food supply and old-growth trees for nesting.
The average lifespan of bald eagles in the wild is around 20 years, with the oldest confirmed one having been 38 years of age
Confirmed!!! I know it's a little under two months until convention but I couldn't help myself. The new collection is an amazing floral moment!!! Hoping I can snag Queen Vero and the bae Rarity. XXXO
The fin whale, also known as finback whale or common rorqual is a cetacean belonging to the parvorder of baleen whales. It is the second-longest species of cetacea on Earth after the blue whale. The largest reportedly grow to 27.3 m (89.6 ft) long with a maximum confirmed length of 25.9 m (85 ft), a maximum recorded weight of nearly 74 tonnes, and a maximum estimated weight of around 114 tonnes.
The fin whale's body is long and slender, coloured brownish-grey with a paler underside. At least two recognized subspecies exist, in the North Atlantic and the Southern Hemisphere. It is found in all the major oceans, from polar to tropical waters, absent only from waters close to the pack ice at the poles and relatively small areas of water away from the open ocean. The highest population density occurs in temperate and cool waters. Its food consists of small schooling fish, squid, and crustaceans including copepods and krill.
This is three of the six we saw in a small pod offshore from the island.
Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada. July 2013.
autumn 2018
do you see the other yet?
Processed with Blackie
update on the northern Calif. fire:
Camp Fire
Location: Butte County
140,000 acres burned
40 percent contained
63 fatalities confirmed
11,862 structures destroyed (including homes)
The true identity of the ladies in these paintings still have not been confirmed. There are various ideas about their identity. Some believe that they are the ladies of the king's while others think that they are women taking part in religious observances. These pictures have a close resemblance to paintings seen in the Ajanta caves in India.
Submitted: 03/02/2017
Rejected: 03/02/2017
Rejection Reasons by Getty:
Legal: Problematic Location (Private Property/Access Restriction)
This type of property or event restricts access through fees/tickets, which typically means that photography is prohibited without special permission. contributors.gettyimages.com/article.aspx?article_id=3715'
Los Angeles County Arboretum:
Lou and I stopped by Baldwin Lake to photograph the four Great Blue Herons who were searching for food when an incoming bird caught our attention.
It was this adult White-faced Ibis! It's my first ever and Lou's first at the arb. How cool is that?!!!
UPDATE: Confirmed first ever reported being seen at the arboretum! It will be added to their official bird list, now 252 species!
UPDATE: Photo published in the Arboretum's August Online Newsletter!
A perfect weekend demanded time on the lake, this taken from my dock before heading out yesterday in the canoe. Today is rainy and dismal...somehow fitting, I reckon, for Memorial Day.
Knossos (alternative spellings Knossus, Cnossus, Greek Κνωσός, pronounced [knoˈsos]) is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and considered as Europe's oldest city.
The name Knossos survives from ancient Greek references to the major city of Crete. The identification of Knossos with the Bronze Age site is supported by tradition and by the Roman coins that were scattered over the fields surrounding the pre-excavation site, then a large mound named Kephala Hill, elevation 85 m (279 ft) from current sea level. Many of them were inscribed with Knosion or Knos on the obverse and an image of a Minotaur or Labyrinth on the reverse, both symbols deriving from the myth of King Minos, supposed to have reigned from Knossos.[5] The coins came from the Roman settlement of Colonia Julia Nobilis Cnossus, a Roman colony placed just to the north of, and politically including, Kephala. The Romans believed they had colonized Knossos.[6] After excavation, the discovery of the Linear B tablets, and the decipherment of Linear B by Michael Ventris, the identification was confirmed by the reference to an administrative center, ko-no-so, Mycenaean Greek Knosos, undoubtedly the palace complex. The palace was built over a Neolithic town. During the Bronze Age, the town surrounded the hill on which the palace was built.
The palace was excavated and partially restored under the direction of Arthur Evans in the earliest years of the 20th century. Its size far exceeded his original expectations, as did the discovery of two ancient scripts, which he termed Linear A and Linear B, to distinguish their writing from the pictographs also present. From the layering of the palace Evans developed de novo an archaeological concept of the civilization that used it, which he called Minoan, following the pre-existing custom of labelling all objects from the location Minoan.
The site of Knossos was discovered in 1878 by Minos Kalokairinos. The excavations in Knossos began in 1900 by the English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans (1851–1941) and his team, and continued for 35 years. Its size far exceeded his original expectations, as did the discovery of two ancient scripts, which he termed Linear A and Linear B, to distinguish their writing from the pictographs also present. From the layering of the palace Evans developed an archaeological concept of the civilization that used it, which he called Minoan, following the pre-existing custom of labelling all objects from the location Minoan.
Since their discovery, the ruins have undergone a history of their own, from excavation by renowned archaeologists, education and tourism, to occupation as a headquarters by governments warring over the control of the eastern Mediterranean in two world wars. This site history is to be distinguished from the ancient.
A new long-legged species for my prairie bug and spider species set, with a confirmed iNaturalist ID.
Some species info: www.inaturalist.org/taxa/208043-Diogmites-angustipennis
The virus was confirmed to have reached Latvia on 2 March 2020, having been brought along with people returning from abroad.
The government of Latvia declared a state of emergency on 13 March 2020 with a number of epidemiological safety measures and restrictions, primarily limiting gatherings, TRAVEL, most public venues, and educational institutions.
I was on holiday at home when new restriction plan was declared. My trip back to UK was supposed to be on 14th March but as per new measures Latvia was going to close the borders and cancel all travels out to UK. I managed to book the flight and return to UK with The Last Plane To UK, that left Latvia 11th March
Yellow-rumped and orange-crowned warblers are still in the yard, but in reduced numbers. In addition to the usual suspects there are plenty of wilson's warblers, goldfinches, purple finches, golden-crowned kinglets, and siskins. I believe I keep hearing a yellow warbler--never yet confirmed in the yard--but I haven't definitely laid eyes on it and the many flashes of yellow from wilson's warblers and goldfinches are running a lot of interference. I'm also waiting on the tanagers, which are very numerous in the neighborhood but have not yet found their way to the yard for baths. American goldfinch, backyard Olympia.
Good Monday morning everyone. This was the surprise I was talking about from Saturday, way to early in the season for this species, and my book confirmed that this was the case. Well in any case always so good to see and to get the chance to photograph them catching their food on the fly. very exciting indeed.
Thanks for visiting, commenting and all the kind words, greatly appreciated.
I had planted them for the pleasure of it; I grew them without ever thinking of painting them.
Claude Monet .
NO PHOTOSHOP.
Water lilies are a well studied clade of plants because their large flowers with multiple unspecialized parts were initially considered to represent the floral pattern of the earliest flowering plants, and later genetic studies confirmed their evolutionary position as basal angiosperms. Analyses of floral morphology and molecular characteristics and comparisons with a sister taxon, the family Cabombaceae, indicate, however, that the flowers of extant water lilies with the most floral parts are more derived than the genera with fewer floral parts. Genera with more floral parts, Nuphar, Nymphaea, Victoria, have a beetle pollination syndrome, while genera with fewer parts are pollinated by flies or bees, or are self- or wind-pollinated Thus, the large number of relatively unspecialized floral organs in the Nymphaeaceae is not an ancestral condition for the clade.
The Huntington Library and Botanic Gardens. San Marino. California.
In keeping with the season - and the brutal -39°C temperature this morning (for my American friends, it's about the same in °F) - here is a winter macro shot. I suspect those living north of California don't think of winter as a time for macro photography. No flowers, no bugs. But the world close up is fascinating in any season.
I have isolated patches of flax growing along my driveway and in my garden. It self-seeds, and provides me with gorgeous, tiny blue flowers all summer; it can get a little weedy looking but never takes over an area like some weeds do, so I am happy to let it come back, year after year.
This is agricultural flax, not to be confused with the two species of wild flax found in the prairies and pasture lands in my area (one is pale blue, the other pale yellow). Flax seeds are edible, a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids; the oil from them is refined as linseed oil; the fibres from the plant are used in textiles. The ancient Egyptians used flax linens to wrap their mummies. Earliest confirmed human usage of flax dates back 30,000 years.
Photographed in my backyard in Val Marie, Saskatchewan (Canada). Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission ©2017 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Photographed at my home. I believe that this is the first time I have confirmed 2 male Black-chinned Hummingbirds at my home at the same time. I had a feeling that there have been 2 recently but never saw them together until today. IMG_0498
Walkers confirmed today that Worcester Sauce flavour crisps has been shelved. Ready salted though is still a thing. Today has been a bad day.
~~
Photo taken at Grosvenor Park, Chester (October 2018).
Tohono Chul Botanical Gardens
Tucson, AZ
It took me a long time to id this hummingbird. I originally thought it was a Costas's, but the gorget wasn't just right. I saw another black-chinned here on Flickr and that confirmed it.
This is not my image but taken by my Sister-in-law with a point and shoot! Just had to share it.......
Knossos (alternative spellings Knossus, Cnossus, Greek Κνωσός, pronounced [knoˈsos]) is the largest Bronze Age archaeological site on Crete and considered as Europe's oldest city.
The name Knossos survives from ancient Greek references to the major city of Crete. The identification of Knossos with the Bronze Age site is supported by tradition and by the Roman coins that were scattered over the fields surrounding the pre-excavation site, then a large mound named Kephala Hill, elevation 85 m (279 ft) from current sea level. Many of them were inscribed with Knosion or Knos on the obverse and an image of a Minotaur or Labyrinth on the reverse, both symbols deriving from the myth of King Minos, supposed to have reigned from Knossos.[5] The coins came from the Roman settlement of Colonia Julia Nobilis Cnossus, a Roman colony placed just to the north of, and politically including, Kephala. The Romans believed they had colonized Knossos.[6] After excavation, the discovery of the Linear B tablets, and the decipherment of Linear B by Michael Ventris, the identification was confirmed by the reference to an administrative center, ko-no-so, Mycenaean Greek Knosos, undoubtedly the palace complex. The palace was built over a Neolithic town. During the Bronze Age, the town surrounded the hill on which the palace was built.
The palace was excavated and partially restored under the direction of Arthur Evans in the earliest years of the 20th century. Its size far exceeded his original expectations, as did the discovery of two ancient scripts, which he termed Linear A and Linear B, to distinguish their writing from the pictographs also present. From the layering of the palace Evans developed de novo an archaeological concept of the civilization that used it, which he called Minoan, following the pre-existing custom of labelling all objects from the location Minoan.
The site of Knossos was discovered in 1878 by Minos Kalokairinos. The excavations in Knossos began in 1900 by the English archaeologist Sir Arthur Evans (1851–1941) and his team, and continued for 35 years. Its size far exceeded his original expectations, as did the discovery of two ancient scripts, which he termed Linear A and Linear B, to distinguish their writing from the pictographs also present. From the layering of the palace Evans developed an archaeological concept of the civilization that used it, which he called Minoan, following the pre-existing custom of labelling all objects from the location Minoan.
Since their discovery, the ruins have undergone a history of their own, from excavation by renowned archaeologists, education and tourism, to occupation as a headquarters by governments warring over the control of the eastern Mediterranean in two world wars. This site history is to be distinguished from the ancient.