This Azure Kingfisher was very shy. It was always in heavily congested areas that were difficult to approach. I had to wade into the creek to get this angle of it perched on a Pandanus frond over the creek. The feathers on it's back were particularly vibrant in the dappled light. Pungalina, Northern Territory.

this is what i feel like today. =(

[340/365]

explore # 45

Male'

The "Santa Fe" transfer, BNSF train Y-KCK3111-02T, threads its way across the UP KC Metro Sub out of UP's 18th St. Yard and into The By's at Terminal JCT. With 18th St. being congested as usual, the BNSF 311 Job was unable to make it back home to BNSF's Argentine Yard, but 18th St. was at least able to let them out of the yard and head to Track 2x2 at Armstrong to tie down.

Leading the train is pair of former BN units, an SD40-2 and an SD60M. The leader, the BNSF SD40-2 No. 1974, was built in February of 1974 as the Colorado & Southern No. 923, wearing BN's Cascade Green paint scheme with C&S markings above the number boards.

Sitting over at UP's Armourdale Yard is UP train CNRFK1-02 on Track 211 and UP train CRDNA9-31 on Track 210.

The DPU on the CRDNA9-31 is the UP No. 7007, an AC4400CW originally built as the GECX No. 4007 in March of 1997, part of small group of GE warranty protection units eventually purchased by the UP. The 7007 is the first one UP has rebuilt. 9/3/23.

The shift towards private flying, that many wealthy people saw as a necessary service during COVID-19, is now showing signs of becoming something else: a pricey but sought-after alternative to a premium ticket on a commercial flight.

Since COVID restrictions and impacts are lessening in most parts of the world, many are staying on for the convenience and reliability that private jets offer. Especially, now airports all over Europe are overcrowded and congested due to a big shortage in airport staff. Passing check-ins and security is becoming a big and lengthy hassle. Whilst, the risk of your luggage not making it to the ‘other side’ is increasing rapidly. It resulted in both more first-time jet owners and families and even small- and medium businesses flying private.

This can also be seen in the number of private jets at Schiphol. It’s increasing more quickly than commercial aviation. Pre-corona, the numbers of private jets was approximately 18 to 19 thousand flights annually. In 2020, this was reduced to just 14 thousand. But in 2021 it already bounced back to 18.651 flights per year. Of course, the jury is still out for the numbers of 2022. But given the rather busy tarmac and apron at Schiphol Oost, it shouldn’t be a surprise if the number passed the 20 thousand marker.

Technical stuff

This is a single shot. At 400ISO, f7.1, -2/3EV, 1/5800 and 55mils. The rather high shutter speed was due to the fact I had to shoot over my head for a good framing. And this always results in a less steady way of making a photo.

Pro-production in Lightroom included: balancing the light, conversion to black-and-white and cropping. Finally, I added the copyright signs (in Photoshop). The latter is, alas, there to stay due to the frequent copying of my photos. So, don't bother commenting on that.

With steam to spare, a not so clean Saltley Stanier Class 5/Black 5 No. 45260 squeals around the tight curves at Barnt Green junction station with a City of Birmingham excursion, 1Z33 to Weston Super Mare.

To avoid the congested Lickey incline this train will detour via Redditch and Evesham (MR) then rejoin the Gloucester to Birmingham main line at Ashchurch Junction and continue its journey later on in the day.

F. A. Haynes - 01 August 1962.

© Anthony Haynes - All rights reserved so please do not use this image without my explicit permission.

It finally got me. I've been dodging the cold that's going around my office for a week. My throat felt a little strange on Friday and Saturday. On the way to church this morning, the back of my throat was itchy. That's when I knew I had been tagged! Now my head is congested and I'll need a new box of tissue very soon. JUST in time for work Monday morning. CRAP!

... imagine to be here,

having lunch or dinner on an old boat sailing on Naviglio channel.... a romantic way to live Milan....

closing your eyes...

this is Milan but it has nothing to do with the most modern part of the city, this is the magic of Naviglio Grande....

© All rights reserved

Mallard / anas platyrhynchos. Cossall, Nottinghamshire. 03/04/25.

'A DAY FOR REFLECTION.' (2)

I watched a pair of Mallard flying up and down the congested canal at Cossall. They often landed on a small area of open water in this disused waterway. The reflections of the drake swimming close to Reed Mace offered some great image making opportunities.

BEST VIEWED LARGE.

Almost two years ago, in mid-June large amounts of rocks and mud congested the tracks between Nagymaros and Zebegény stations, bursting over the retaining walls after heavy rain showers.

For a few weeks, train replacement buses were running while the debris could be completely removed from the section in question.

Since then almost every weekend a trainset like the one pictured above occupies one of the tracks so that the workers could clean the retaining walls with heavy machinery to prevent the accident from happening again.

Recent political and social changes around the world and the emergence of the pandemic (please read more below), prevent me from enjoying beautiful, relaxing surroundings in nature and keep me locked in within a turmoil of dark thoughts. This image is a part of the series on "Living in a Changing World"

I thought I understood some "truths" about the world I live in. I notice the resurgence of aggressive nationalism, intolerance, and hate rising in my world. I see that people are entitled not just to their opinion but to their own facts. They are entitled to their rights even if it means that others may not be entitled to their lives as a result of not wearing a mask. I see that normal tolerance and compassion are now becoming optional. I see that allies treat each other as enemies and that dictators are becoming friends of our nations. I am confused, puzzled, anxious, angry, and I feel powerless to affect the changes.

The pandemic has changed my daily life completely and made me feel cut off. It has also changed how I photograph as I can no longer photograph in public indoor spaces or in congested city areas where I used to take most of my photos. I can not travel beyond my vicinity. I, therefore, have to return to my earlier subject matter and find something new to say.

Ricky : “Okay guys. I’ve got an update on Grandma... Her pneumonia is better but she’s still congested and can’t really talk. They’re hoping to move her into a rehab tomorrow. The rehab will help her broken pelvis. I gave her a pedicure yesterday, mainly to keep my status as her favorite... She showed everyone what a great job I did!”

Me : “Ummmmm.... Ricky?? Who gave her a pedicure yesterday?!”

Ricky in a low whisper : “...you did...”

Me : “Please speak up so everyone can hear you..”

Ricky : “You did Grandma’s pedicure..”

Me : “Yes I did.”

Ricky whispering to herself : “...I’m still the favorite...”

I took this shot two months ago when the rivers were just awakening from their long winter's nap. Now they are teeming with fish, and angler's are competing with one another for the best dip netting spot. I rather like them when they were less congested.

Motorists on the M42 were treated to a spectacle on 10th May 2024, as their commute was enhanced by the sight of Tyseley's 'Castle' No. 7029 'Clun Castle' making a spirited departure from the nearby Widney Manor pick-up while heading Vintage Trains 'The Great Western (1Z48), 1Z46 0830 Birmingham Snow Hill - Bristol Temple Meads. This was the first leg of a two-day charter to Plymouth celebrating the famous 1Z48 high speed charter in 1964. As it crosses the M42 it is greeted by Chiltern Class 168 No. 168216 forming their 1R10 0707 London Marylebone - Birmingham Moor street service. Although at the tail end of the Birmingham rush hour, the traffic was not congested. Copyright Photograph John Whitehouse - all rights reserved

I know Sage had quite a few fans over here on Flickr. So I wanted to share the saddening news of her recent passing. About six months ago I had noticed she was starting to retain some water in her abdomen. I took her into the vet and after some extensive testing she was diagnosed with severe right sided congestive heart failure. There was not much we could do but to give her some medications, and try to give her the best fun and adventurous life I could. She was a little slow and deliberate and she had to take it easy, but she enjoyed life with me to the fullest and there are no regrets. Her little heart gave its last beats on 01-02-2016. She passed away very peacefully and seemingly painless as she just got tired, laid down and drifted to sleep. Its been a crushing blow to me as she was my everything, my best friend and adventure companion for 11 great years. I know that time will ease the pain and that her life will live on in my many amazing memories.

Rest in peace Sage, I'll always love you.

10-04-2004 to 01-02-2016

Please don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without my explicit permission.

© rogerperriss@aol.com All rights reserved.

Continuation of a Story

After I retired and twenty- five years later, I made a return trip to Sri Lanka. Now I had the time and the money to see more of the island at a leisurely pace. Yes, sadly the civil war was still raging on. What I learned from my first trip there and what I suspected before I first visited, was the war was confined to the north of the island. Yes, Colombo endured some random bombing attacks, but they were few.

I didn’t recognize Colombo. The population had mushroomed. The streets were clogged with automobiles and were a congested nightmare. The old Cinnamon Hotel, however, was still one of the city’s famous places to stay. I chose, however, to stay at another world famous hotel, the Galle Face hotel on the Galle Face Green, next to the Indian Ocean.

The hotel’s origin was as the small Galle Face House, a Dutch villa. In 1864, four English men expanded the structure and created the Galle Face Hotel. The name is derived from the expansive green lawn in front of the Indian Ocean. It now is considered one of the oldest hotels east of the Suez Canal. The description speaks to its complicated colonial past. The hotel is cited in the book entitled, “1000 Places to See Before You Die”, my favorite travel guide.

The lovely old white colonial property has a wonderful wide veranda, a great place to relax and contemplate the hotel’s history. The soft gentle breeze from the sea combines with the stirring of air from the old ceiling fans. You are taken back to the island's romantic past.

The image is a lily in a pitcher.

The Gladesville Bridge, completed in 1964, connects the suburbs of Gladesville, which is located on the northern bank of the Parramatta River, and Drummoyne, which is located on its southern and eastern sides.

Europeans first settled in this part of Sydney soon after landfall at Sydney Cove, when Crown grants of thirty-acre lots were made in the vicinity of Gladesville in the 1790s to encourage agricultural pursuits to the area. Two of the first grantees were John Doody and Ann Benson.

Gladesville is named for convict John Glade, who arrived to the colony in 1791. Glade prospered soon after his arrival, and by 1802 owned 60 acres in the district (encompassing earlier land grants to Doody and Benson). In 1836, Glade received an additional Crown grant of 50 acres between Glades Bay and Looking Glass Bay (including Gladesville Point). In the late 1830s, a limited number of settlers were attracted to the area by the employment opportunities associated with the establishment of the Tarban Creek Asylum in 1837.

The future suburb of Gladesville remained isolated and rural until the middle of the nineteenth century. In 1856, William Whaley Billyard purchased and subdivided the early land grants to Doody, Benson and Glade into large urban building blocks; this subdivision was known as the Gladesville Estate. Billyard promoted land in the Gladesville Estate as suitable for 'gentlemen's residences' and sold blocks on which he had built villas to wealthier settlers of the colony of NSW.

Billyard erected a wharf at Gladesville on the Parramatta River to provide better access to Sydney, and therefore to ensure the sale of land from his estate. This wharf was connected to the Great North Road (now Victoria Road) via Wharf Road, which was also built under instruction from Billyard. In 1881, a bridge was built across the Parramatta River between Drummoyne and Huntleys Point (Gladesville), thereby connecting Gladesville to the rest of Sydney. The first Gladesville Bridge was a 'two lane swing span iron bridge' to the south west of the present Gladesville Bridge. The introduction of tram services to the area in the 1880s meant that both Gladesville, and Drummoyne were increasingly populated from this time.

Drummoyne lies on the eastern side of the Parramatta River from Gladesville, and was also an agricultural district in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. By 1806, land grants to members of the NSW Corps were cancelled and 1,500 acres of land was granted to surgeon John Harris; this land grant was known as Five Dock Farm and encompassed the future suburbs of Five Dock, Drummoyne, Chiswick and Abbotsford. Harris sold Five Dock Farm in 1836, and the following year the estate was subdivided for sale into 30- and 60-acre lots. In 1853, merchant William Wright purchased land in area, and named the suburb Drummoyne after his family home in Scotland.

From the 1860s onwards, local residents agitated for Drummoyne to be connected to Sydney by direct road. By 1882, the Iron Cove bridge between Drummoyne and Rozelle had been completed, which encouraged further subdivision and settlement to the area (as did the Gladesville Bridge to the north). By the 1890s, Drummoyne was being serviced by regular ferry services and a public tram system, encouraging further suburban development. Five Dock and Drummoyne were amalgamated to form the Municipality of Drummoyne in 1902 (the Municipal district of Five Dock, including Drummoyne, had been incorporated in 1871).

By the 1950s, traffic along the original (1881) Gladesville Bridge was becoming congested, commuters complaining of long delays in crossing the bridge. Clearly a new bridge was needed to alleviate traffic build up. In 1959, the Department of Main Roads (DMR) let the contract to build a 'six-lane high level concrete arch bridge over the Parramatta River' to the partnership of Reed & Mallik Ltd (Engineers, Salisbury, England) and Stuart Bros (Builders, Sydney, Australia). The new Gladesville Bridge was built to a design by the engineering firm of Messrs. G Maunsell & Partners (London, England).

The Gladesville Bridge, described as one of the 'most spectacular of replacement bridges built in the Sydney', was officially opened on 2 October 1964 by Her Royal Highness Princess Marina of Kent and the Hon P D Hills MLA, Deputy Premier, Minister for Local Government and Minister for Highways. The bridge was opened to traffic on 24 October 1964. At the time of its construction, the Gladesville Bridge was the longest reinforced concrete arch span in the world. The new Gladesville Bridge was constructed as part of a program of works undertaken by the DMR in the 1960s to provide a series of freeway systems out of Sydney. The new bridge was to form part of a proposed North Western Freeway leading from Newcastle to the centre of Sydney via the inner city suburbs of Glebe and Annandale. It was one of three projected freeways leading out of the city. The North Western freeway was intended to replace the Five Bridges route (which also included Pyrmont Bridge, Glebe Island Bridge, Iron Cove Bridge and Fig Tree Bridge). By the early 1970s, protests about the route of the proposed freeway through some of Sydney's inner city suburbs (such as Glebe and Annandale) meant that the DMR's plan was never realised. Gladesville Bridge was one of three bridges constructed along this proposed route; the other bridges were the Tarban Creek and Fig Tree Bridges, and as such are vestiges of the DMR's unrealised plans.

The DMR regularly inspected the bridge from the time of its completion (1964), until at least the early 1970s. DMR records indicate that divers inspected parts of the bridge exposed to water (namely the submerged abutments and thrust blocks) every 6 months from December 1965, to check for spalling in the reinforced concrete and for marine growth. It is unclear whether these inspections continue to be carried out, however, oral history testimony from engineers involved with its construction suggest that the bridge has not been rigorously maintained in recent times, with complaints about condition of the concrete (discolouration and spalling).

The roadway of Gladesville Bridge was widened in the 1970s, in order to allow for greater traffic flow over the bridge, and along the heavily trafficked route of Victoria Road. The roadway of the bridge was increased from six lanes to eight, taking in some of the width of pedestrian walkways on either side.

At the time of inspection in August 2004, the Gladesville Bridge was in sound structural condition.

Source: New South Wales Heritage Register.

We took our three younger grandchildren down to Swanage, Dorset for the day.

Swanage isn’t the easiest place to get to. It’s very popular which means that the roads that take you to it are often pretty congested. But when you do eventually get there it’s worth it. Even more so on a nice sunny day!

The picture was taken on our walk down from parking on a side street about a mile away from the seafront, and then as we walked along the promenade towards the cliffs.

We had lunch in Harry Ramsden’s fish and chip shop, though none of us had fish! It’s not the cheapest for food but it was pretty good.

The children in the picture are Eowyn, Willow and Wulf.

We were there from around lunchtime until about 4 O’Clock. The rest of the day was sitting in a car trying to get there and back again!

During a ride months ago. These days, the streets are congested with people going to parties or malls for Christmas shopping.

Control Point Morgan, located a mile and a half west of Chicago Union Station, is one of the busiest points on Metra's entire system, functioning as a crossover point for trains close to but outside of the congested maze of CUS. The signal bridge pictured here, being the westernmost set, is of Pennsylvania Railroad heritage and, up until a few years ago, still held original position lights. In this photo, however, the last Metras for the night are already gone, leaving CP Morgan dead until the morning.

A night shot of the mixmaster in Downtown Dallas as it continues to be reconstructed in this congested freeway. The mixmaster has been criticized as one of the top ten 'Worst Commuting Bottlenecks' in the nation by the AAA (American Automobile Association).

Singapore is a safe but boring place to visit. Enter Formula One racing. Every September, the heavily congested urban city roads are transformed into a 5km racetrack. The post-race concert is awesome too with Mariah Carey, Alan Lambert, Missy Elliot etc prancing on stage. No wonder they call Formula One a travelling Circus.

The Grand Trunk Western was known as the "Good Track" railroad, and the railroad proved it by the way they liked to run. Here's some proof. Train 437 screams through the busy city of Harvey, IL doing a good 50 per. GP9 4545 is leading just as the railroad gods intended, long hood forward, as the westbound is passing under the Illinois Central viaduct, and over the B&OCT's Chicago Heights sub. The Trunk never slowed down for congested city areas as other railroads would do. They flew through Griffith, Munster, Lansing, South Holland, Harvey, and Blue Island on their way to Elsdon yard in Chicago. This is a rescan of a shot I posted six years ago. I was on duty at Harvey tower, doing my job inspecting the train. Just happened to have my camera with me. Seems like that happened alot...

I rushed Joey to the vet's office after hearing him howl a couple of times and found him briefly panting under my car in the garage. I feared for the worst, thinking that he might have high blood pressure spikes or signs of a congestive heart failure. I had never seen him like that (with his mouth open as if gasping for air) and felt it was a medical emergency.

Thank goodness all was well, his blood pressure was actually lower than his previous visit in January. He also weighed at 5.62kg, slightly more than his last visit to the vet's.

This was the first time I went to the vet's and returned home using a Grab ride share (it's like Uber or Lyft). I was alone and feared it would be difficult to find empty parking space, so I decided not to drive.

Apologies if I haven't spent much time on Flickr lately. Our previous domestic help June isn't returning to work with us due to immigration reasons. We were supposed to receive a replacement maid last week but no thanks to the stupid, ongoing battle between the Malaysian and Indonesian human resources ministries, she wasn't allowed to fly to Malaysia pending the outcome of the issue. 😡

No, we are not the only family who's affected by the temporary ban on Indonesian maids.

NPR 5517 west is in the process of finishing up spotting the elevator in Fordville, while tying up the somewhat congested traffic in town. We parted ways with the COWLs at this point, quite happy with our success from the day. We had done well up until this point, having no rain at all for shooting. I only hope the next time I get to shoot these SD60F's that the zebra stripes will still be alive and well, but I genuinely have my doubts. From here it was off to the BNSF Devil's Lake Sub, with the first stop at Niagara.

NS 8099, the Southern Railway heritage unit, leads a Houston-bound manifest through Tower 26 on a hot August afternoon.

Although most trains headed for Englewood Yard will turn east here, UP has been running trains "the long way" to get to Englewood more often the last few years. The train will run south to Tower 30 on the Galveston Sub, then turn north and use the Strang Sub to approach Englewood from the south. This adds more than 10 miles to the journey, but with the Houston Terminal perennially congested sometimes creative routings win out.

MPBEW 20 (Manifest- Pine Bluff, AR to Englewood Yard [Houston, TX])

NS ES44AC #8099

NS AC44C6M #4342

UP SD70M #3788

Houston, TX

August 21st, 2023

This photo of a church on the grounds of UVA (University of Virginia) was taken while driving right in the heart of the University grounds. It no longer holds services but is available for weddings etc. I think I will teach a class: How to take pictures while driving. There will be different sections to the class like: How to take a photo while driving through congested downtown streets without causing an accident or running over random pedestrians and How to take a photo while driving on winding mountain roads with sheer drop offs and no guardrails and live to develop your photos. Also a class on Know your camera well enough to adjust settings without looking. Or how about: How to drive, take pictures and not annoy the guy riding up on your bumper? But let me ask you this, have you found the bird yet?

Ahh..the one week mark of my project 365. Only 51 weeks left now!

I saw this huge cloud formation after leaving the movies this evening...and to think, I almost didn't bring my camera..

Anyway, I looked it up and these clouds are referred to as cumulus congestive clouds. Say that 5 times fast...but I have tons of photos of these enormous formations that I will be putting up in the upcoming weeks/month; just have some post work to do!

It's best to view LARGE on BLACK!

instagram

I urge you to please View On Black

In the hills of Eastern Nebraska, the top of a grain elevator peaks over a grove of trees, as a towering cumulus cloud signals the beginnings of a possible brewing storm.

Many many thanks to all the family of flickr users for any comments, Faves, notes, and invites!

2 seperate textures, both from PlayingWithBrushes

The Royal Palace of Caserta in Italy is a former royal residence that was built in the 18th century. It is the largest royal residence in the world.

Constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples, the Palace covers an area of about 235,000 m. The architect of this magnificent palace was Luigi Vanvitelli.

The whole architectural complex at Caserta was primarily designed to give the kingdom a new capital.

The King wanted a new royal court and administrative center for the kingdom, in a location protected from sea attack, and distant from the revolt-prone and congested city of Naples.

In 1997, the interior was replicated as Queen Amidala’s Palace of the planet Naboo in Star Wars I- The Phantom Menace. It was used as a location for four days after it had been closed to visitors.

In 2002, the same palace was used as Queen Jamillia’s palace in Star Wars: Episode II-Attack of the Clones.

The same palace was also used as Vatican City in the movie Mission: Impossible III.

"Oh Mister Blue Sky,

Please tell us why

You had to hide away for so long (so long)

Where did we go wrong?

Hey there Mister Blue,

We're so pleased to be with you

Look around, see what you do

Everybody smiles at you..."

- Electric Light Orchestra (E.L.O.)

I thought I would post something vastly different from the regular stuff, and share a photo reflective of my own personal mood currently.

This photo is the latest from my personal "Psycheography" project, and was my tribute to welcome the Spring season. I have never been happier to see Winter conclude, particularly in the metaphorical sense. Ironically, this photo was captured on the very last day of Winter at Solstice Park in Seattle.

If you were in Seattle that day, you remember this day well. You were very likely out and about that day, soaking in the sunshine, capturing your own images, and happily accepting (or contributing to) the traffic congesting the scenic routes all around the city. It was just a gorgeous day to be outside, alive, and grateful.

TIA OFFICIAL WEBSITE / VUE ATYPIQUE / TIA TWITTER / TIA OFFICIAL BLOG / TIA INSTAGRAM

On Tokyo's Shinjuku metro line - the busiest and most congested line in the world. During the rush hour, additional staff are employed to push commuters onto the trains and squeeze them into the last remaining space.

Emma and I boarded in the evening when it's easier to enjoy the experience of these cool, spacious and efficient trains.

Welcome to Monday's "true" wildflowers. These are flowers that I've found from Banff to L.A. most in three national parks, but some just along the highway.

Today, I give you a hoverfly whose species is unknown because nobody's going to go through 6,000 species to figure it out. More about it in two paragraphs...

This hoverfly is on a Western Pearly Everlasting ((Anaphalis margaritacea) wildflower found on a slope of Mt. Rainier in Washington state.

There are around 110 species or Pearly Everlasting, with the vast majority being native to central and southern Asia, but there is one species native to North America that is fairly well known and popular in cultivation, namely the western pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea). What a twofer bargain for a Monday.

The name probably derives from the common practice of drying the flowers and stems for decorations through winter months. This plant was used extensively by Native Americans for a variety of medicinal purposes.

For Jan Magwire and the rest of you with aphids: Hoverflies, also called flower flies or syrphid flies, make up the insect family Syrphidae. As their common name suggests, they are often seen hovering or nectaring at flowers; the adults of many species feed mainly on nectar and pollen, while the larvae (maggots) eat a wide range of foods. In some species, the larvae are saprotrophs, eating decaying plant and animal matter in the soil or in ponds and streams. In other species, the larvae are insectivores and prey on aphids, thrips, and other plant-sucking insects. Unlike ladybugs, you can't buy hoverflies in bulk through a nursery, so you'll have to plant plants that are attractive to hoverflies.

Photograhpically: This image didn't need vignetting since the background wasn't that "messy" or congested with other plants. Although dodging corners (which I perfected in high school) could have been used, shooting from "directly above," being close, fast, and wide-open seems to have done the job for me. The best way to get a vignette with many wildflowers is to shoot from above, but there aren't that many flowers that allow a top view and/or getting very close to the ground.

Happy Mother's Day for all who celebrate!

The local cherry blossoms finally bloomed after a late start this spring. I realized while zooming in on the wide-angle image on the computer screen that I was missing out on some telephoto opportunities.

Does anyone have a strong preference for wide angle vs. telephoto for your landscape photography? I tend to prefer wide angle, but as I live in a congested area, I don't always have the luxury of sweeping vistas. Let me know your thoughts!

Just love Hong Kong, day or night, love it.

*Fujifilm X-A1 *Voigtlander Heliar 15mm f/4.5

My Hong Kong Days.

VIA 64 is seen passing CN 321, with the congested Turcot interchange in the background. The latter has steel beams in gondolas, a common commodity on this train.

This composite X-ray (blue)/radio (pink) image of the galaxy cluster Abell 400 shows radio jets immersed in a vast cloud of multimillion degree X-ray emitting gas that pervades the cluster. The jets emanate from the vicinity of two supermassive black holes (bright spots in the image). These black holes are in the dumbbell galaxy NGC 1128 (see optical image), which has produced the giant radio source, 3C 75.

The peculiar dumbbell structure of this galaxy is thought to be due to two large galaxies that are in the process of merging. Such mergers are common in the relatively congested environment of galaxy clusters. An alternative hypothesis is that the apparent structure is the result of a coincidence in time when the two galaxies are passing one another, like ships in the cosmic sea.

Careful analysis of the recent Chandra and radio data on 3C 75 indicates that the galaxies and their supermassive black holes are indeed bound together by their mutual gravity. By using the shape and direction of the radio jets, astronomers were able to determine the direction of the motion of the black holes. The swept-back appearance of the radio jets is produced by the rapid motion of the galaxy through the hot gas of the cluster, in much the same way that a motorcyclist's scarf is swept back while speeding down the road.

Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/AIfA/D.Hudson & T.Reiprich et al.; Radio: NRAO/VLA/NRL

#NASA #MarshallSpaceFlightCenter #MSFC #Marshall #ChandraXrayObservatory #cxo #galaxy #blackhole #supermassiveblackhole

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Another perspective of our congested central business district filled with skyscrapers.

Kindly seek permission if you want to download or use this photo.

Copyright © Jansen Chua Photography 2015.

All rights reserved.

Conrail Shared Assets PN-13 brings an inbound 62V up the Waldo Running Track in Jersey City, NJ on March 4, 2020 with a pair of SD70ACes. While Path trains are a frequent sight at Journal Square, there is still some freight traffic that traverses through in order to run around their train or for headroom. The trash trains are frequent visitors to this section of track that was once part of the ex-Pennsylvania Passaic and Harsimus (P&H) Branch to Harsimus Yard in Jersey City, as the track is now home to a 4100 foot runaround track. The trash trains must run the power around their train in order to bring it to the trash facility at New Jersey Rail Carriers, located in Kearny, NJ. This runaround is more favorable than running around between CP West Croxton and CP1 on the Conrail Northern Branch, as the route is normally congested.

An hour plus earlier was a different story. Navigating congested streets from the street trackage at Chestnut down towards the boardwalk. Finding semi-illegal parking luckily a stones throw from the shot. A massive traffic jam created by the gates coming down and holding this part of town up during the Big Trees walking speed shove down Beach Street.

Santa Cruz is so cool.

Quiet residential neighbourhood? No, not at all! It is an avenue in the Strijp-S suburb. Still, no cars seem to congest its peaceful streets, used first and foremost by cyclists. Bikes are the Dutch, ecological means of transport.

Strijp-S used to be the sprawling industrial centre of Philips in Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Then Strijp-S has been redeveloped as a thriving complex with shops, cafés, restaurants, a concert hall and the world’s biggest skateboard park. The tower of St. Trudo church is seen in the background, under skies scattered with clouds.

Strijp-S is a suburban heaven so peaceful that it can serve as a model for the “Peace On Earth” saying, fitting for Boxing Day.

Cairo cityscape at sunset showing minarets, as seen from Al Azhar Park, Salah Salem St, El-Darb El-Ahmar, Cairo, Egypt

Don't forget to look up when you are roaming around Hong Kong, life happens on many levels.

Trawbreaga Bay, Malin Head, Inishowen, County Donegal, Ireland

The view from 'Knockmany Bends’ overlooking ‘Five Fingers Strand’ & the sand dunes of Lagg. This strand takes its unusual name from the five long black sea-stacks that can be seen on the north end of this rocky shore. The surrounding sand dunes are some of the highest in all of Europe! These dunes were formed around 5000 years ago and now have their own protected & unique ecosystem.

Each year many folk travel abroad to highly congested tourist traps in search of tropical waters & white sandy beaches. If they only realised what is already here in Ireland along our shores, then they may think twice before spending a small fortune when they easily visit areas like here for free & also have the entire beach to themselves.

Ok I admit we don’t exactly have the foreign heat & most times we get 4 seasons in one day! 😂 but it’s our variable weather which carves & shapes our stunning landscape & shorelines. Whilst wearing shorts or raincoats we must still be thankful for what we have around us 🙏

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This capture makes the marina look very "congested" but in fact its the "compression" effect of the tele lens used. This is a nice peaceful time of morning when most people are still in bed.