What struck me consistently about photographing people in Xinjiang was that nobody objected, posed or prepared themselves to be photographed. They just gave you their direct, immediate attention.

Neither Jasper nor I have shaved in over a week because we've been on vacation. In addition to both of us being unshaven, we're both blue merle. 😁 Jean, Jasper and I all went to Prescott, AZ to do some hiking and birding and relaxing. We stayed at an Airbnb (see first comment) which was very comfortable. Jasper really appreciated the temperatures. One morning it was about 46ºF (~8ºC) with highs consistently around 75ºF (~24ºC). Back to work on Monday. Guess I'll have to shave. But Jasper will likely keep his 11.5 year no-shave streak 😉.

Capel Curig walk - It can't always be sunny. Some rain spots despite consistently wiping them off, but it was a typical Snowdonian morning.

Truly consistent is only the change

Wahrlich beständig ist allein der Wandel

(Japan)

I’m not a hardcore birder, I shoot only when both the opportunity and mood arise simultaneously, both of which does not happen very often.

I remember feeling challenged shooting this bird and as such it was a great experience.

1. Tiny bird, smaller even than the common Kingfisher but way more colourful.

2. This being a Forest Kingfisher, it’s always in the thicket, never in the open. Had to shoot at very low shutter speed hoping to catch it in between twitches just to keep ISO low enough to preserve details. Being as dim as it was, had to also boost up the EV to avoid having to do any shadow recovery.

3. 600mm even on APS-C crop was barely sufficient.

4. Trying to squeeze out as much details as possible. Used normal wireless release via OVF; MUP+EFC; Live-view, none made any consistent and significant difference. This was where I got a little mad at Nikon’s useless implementation of EFC on the D500, even more useless than the auto AF fine-tune feature. What’s the point of putting in features that don’t really work!? EFC in Live-view would have helped but infuriatingly, you can activate EFC in Live-view yet you can’t use EFC in Live-view, get your act together Nikon!

5. Getting the right pose with the beak pointing sideways and preferably upwards for the slightly haughty look plus some catch-light in the eye.

An experience to remember. a most beautiful bird, its red feathers extend down the centre back of its head to the collar in a narrowing ridge looking like its beak with the dark blue patches on each side of this ridge giving it the appearance of having eyes and beak at the back of its head! This is likely a defensive marking. Especially interesting when the Micronesia Kingfisher became extinct in the wild due to introduced brown tree snake sneaking up on it from behind while the bird was totally focused ahead and below as kingfishers normally do.

Shooting very small birds is always challenging as conditions constantly change with the subject constantly on the move while you aim for that perfect pose which can disappear in a twitch.

I toyed with the idea of getting the Sony a99ii with A-mount Tamron 150-600mm G2 after this but gave it up eventually. It’s not feasible to shoot with so many different systems.

Shot on tripod at 1/15s!

Uploaded a much better image (albeit cropped) with my latest post processing workflow.

IN ENGLISH BELOW THE LINE

Una corona muralis és un tipus de condecoració (i després decoració simbolica heraldica) consistent en una corona en forma de muralla. Aquí ho construiren de veritat.

monestir romanic de Sant Miquel de Fluvià no és molt conegut, però força interessant. Fou fundat el 1045, tot i que la església data del 1066. Era una dependencia de St. Miquel de Cuixà, i cap al s. XVII, a St. Pere de Galligans. Continuà com a monestir fins el 1835.

S'en conserva la magnifica església i campanar romanics, fortificats molt després, al s. XV. Com a part de la fortificació, s'excavà un fossat entorn l'església, esbentrant el claustre romanic pel bell mig. Actualment s'ha excavat i restaurat parcialment tant el claustre com el seu fossat destructor. El campanar mostra el que semblen impactes de projectils de setge a la part superior, pel que sí que sembla que serví com a fortificació, potser durant la guerra civil catalana.

www.monestirs.cat/monst/aemp/ae49fluv.htm

===================

A "corona muralis" or walled crown is a Roman condecoration and latter a heraldic element of a lot of city coats-of-arms. Here they really crowned with walls this apse.

The Romanesque monastery of Sant Miquel de Fluvià is not very well known, but quite interesting. It was founded in 1045, although the church dates from 1066. It was a dependency of St. Miquel de Cuixà abbey, and towards the s. XVII, of St. Peter of Galligans abbey. It continued as a monastery until 1835.

The magnificent Romanesque church and bell tower are the main remains of the abbey, fortified much later, in the XV Century. As part of the fortification, a moat was dug around the church, splitting and destroying the Romanesque cloister. Currently, both the cloister and its destructive moat have been excavated and partially restored. The bell tower shows what appear to be impacts from siege projectiles at the top, so it does seem to have served as a fortification, perhaps during the Catalan Civil War.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant_Miquel_de_Fluvi%C3%A0

She consistently hit around 174mph.

US131 Motorsports Park

06.26.2010

Grilled cheese:

Slice focaccia bread, spread with butter, and layer provolone. Grill for 3-4 minutes a side

For the soup:

2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 red onion, diced

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 Tbsp dried basil

1 tsp salt

6 oz. evaporated milk

Small handful fresh basil leaves, sliced thin

Add tomatoes, onion, broth and dried spices and salt to crock pot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

Carefully use a ladle, scoop tomatoes and onions out of the pot (draining excess liquid back into the pot as you're doing this....the idea is to get most of the chunks out) and into a blender. Blender on high speed until smooth. Return blended tomato mixture to crock pot.

Slowly stir in evaporated milk until soup is a consistent color (add more or less milk based on your preferences).

Stir in basil leaves.

Turn crock pot down to "warm" until ready to serve.

Soup serves 10.

Per serving:

Cal 64

Fat 2.6g

Protein 3.5g

Carbs 7.2g

Grilled Cheese

For 1/2 sandwich (shown):

Cal 320

Fat 17g

Protein 14g

Carbs 30g

So, just eat more soup than grilled cheese and you'll be ok! :)

Tarteta vegana

Ingredientes:

- Frutillas

- Frutas cocidas

- Cacao

- Almidón

- Naranja

- Canela

- Crema instantanea chantilly (Gourmet)

- Harina sin polvos de hornear

- Polvos de hornear

- Azúcar

- Perlitas chocolate

Preparación:

Tamizar 2 tazas de harina, agregar cacao y azúcar a gusto... agregar agua tibia y revolver energicamente con una cuchara de palo en un bowl. Una vez la mezcla tenga una consistencia más a liquida se agrega el polvo de hornear suavemente y se revuelve con cuidado hasta que cuaje. Aparte cocemos 2/3 de una tasa de cacao a fuego lento con una tasa de agua, cascara de naranja rallada y canela. Agregamos almidón lentamente mientras revolvemos y cuando espese llevamos a la nevera a enfriar. Volviendo con el biscocho, ya cuajado con el polvo de hornear, lo ponemos en un molde aceitado y llevamos al horno a temperatura media por apróx 20 a 30 minutos hasta que suba. Ahora el chocolate caliente ya frío lo usamos en el lugar de la leche con la base de crema chantilly (mientras menos usemos más espesa la crema) luego armamos nuestra tarteta y decoramos a gusto.

I think I have found a way to repeat this shape (not consistently) by setting larger first drop (S1=80), relatively short first delay(D1=50), smaller second drop (S2=20), very short second delay (D2=5), medium third drop (S3=30). With this settings, I can get this shape much easier.

(For those who does not understand what it is above, those are parameters used for my Water Drop Kit, currently on KickStarter)

The reasoning is the larger first drop will create high jet with relatively more momentum, and because of relatively short first delay, when the smaller second drop collides with the jet, it creastes a smaller splash but the jet is still going up because the second drop is small. Then when the third drop collides with the splash, liquid flows along the first splash forming a long tube. Of course, this is my guess, need to see this under my high speed camera once I build my high power light source for it.

This video shows more of it

True love is not only the passion between two people. It's sharing the same experiences,being yourself without any fear of being mocked or criticized.

It's being able to share silent moments without awkwardness.

It's laughing with the one you love for the most silly things.

It's having respect for the needs of your beloved.The complete trust you have for each other.

It is an element calmer and deeper than any other feeling you'll experience.

La mariposa Niña Celeste integra el linaje Lycaenidae, dentro de la categoría de los lepidópteros. Pertenece al conjunto Lysandra, en la clasificación Icarus. Este insecto habita con predominancia en la Península Ibérica, tanto en la planicie como en los picos de 2000 metros de altura.

A simple vista, este animal se reconoce por su color celeste, claro e invariable. En una mirada más atenta, puede diferenciarse el bello fleco de sus alas, bordeadas por fimbrias donde se intercalan el blanco y el negro en un juego sutil. En cuanto a su tamaño, este varía entre los 3 y los 5 cm. La especie presenta diferentes rasgos formales entre los sexos.

Se reconoce al macho al observar el interior azul metalizado de las alas, adornado de una hilera discreta de manchas negras. Por su parte, la hembra tiene tonos acaramelados en el anverso, con sombras naranjas y un vértice axilar celeste, compartiendo los puntos oscuros con el macho. En ambos también, la capilaridad del cuerpo es blanca y afelpada, y los ojos son negros.

Para la colocación de sus huevos, la Lysandra escoge, en la medida de lo posible, aquellas leguminosas de tallos resistentes, como la “herradura”, una especie vegetal que además de tener la consistencia apropiada para sujetar al futuro capullo, es perenne.

Gracias a su ciclo reproductivo bianual, es posible presenciar las diferencias generacionales de la mariposa Niña Celeste. En su primer ciclo, este insecto posee una fuerte pigmentación azul; en tanto que en el segundo el color se va desprendido gradualmente hasta que sus alas alcanzan la transparencia cristalina.

En el período de seis meses que vivencia como oruga, se alimenta mediante la succión de la savia de las herbáceas, preferentemente de los tréboles. La metamorfosis definitiva tiene lugar en mayo y en agosto. La segunda camada siempre es un poco más pequeña que la primera en cuanto al tamaño de cada individuo.

El estudio minucioso de las costumbres de la oruga comprobó que la misma entabla relaciones amistosas con cierta especie de hormiga. Entre ambos insectos se crea una singular sociedad, en la que acuerdan protegerse mutuamente.

Su hábitat ideal es el que le brindan las praderas y bosques húmedos, aunque se adapta con relativa facilidad a las regiones de escasez de prados y pobreza de suelos. Este último registro respecto a su facultad de cambiar de hábitat se realizó al comprobar que luego de la destrucción de los encinares béticos, la mariposa Niña Celeste encontró nuevos horizontes donde hacer su hogar.

En la Península Ibérica existen veintiuna especies integradas en el género polyommatus.

La polyommatus bellargus se adscribe al subgénero meleageria, que lo comparte con las siguientes especies:

- Polyommatus albicans

- Polyommatus caelestissima

- Polyommatus coridon

- Polyommatus daphnis

- Polyommatus hispana

Al igual que ocurre con la mayor parte de los licénidos, las polyommatus son lepidópteros de pequeñas dimensiones (unos 30 milímetros de envergadura el macho y algo mayor la hembra) y muchas semejanzas taxonómicas. De hecho, resulta bastante difícil diferenciar algunas especies a simple vista.

Taxonomia

Filo: Artrópoda

Subfilo: Hexápoda

Clase: Insecta

Orden: Lepidóptera

Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Lycaenidae

Subfamilia: Lycaeninae

Tribu: Polyommatini

Genero: Polyommatus

Subgenero: Meleageria

Especie: P. bellargus

Nombre binomial: Polyommatus ícarus

Nombre comun: Niña celeste

Pale yellowish warbler, very similar to Common Chiffchaff. Best separated by consistently different song, but note yellower belly, longer and brighter eyebrow, and longer wings than Common Chiffchaff. Typically found in native woodlands during breeding season in Iberia and Morocco, migrating to West Africa in nonbreeding season.

This little bird had just been banded and was not entirely happy with the process, as demonstrated by the marks on the fingers of the bander. After release, it sat on a nearby shrub and watched us cautiously before flying away.

Erg Chebbi, Morocco. March 2019.

Baura - Ferrara - Italia

La trebbiatura è l'attività conclusiva del raccolto consistente nella separazione della granella del frumento e degli altri cereali dalla paglia e dalla pula.

Le fasi della trebbiatura possono essere riassunte in:

1. Battitura della fascina di grano;

2. Separazione della paglia dalla granella tramite la ventilazione e scuotitura della paglia;

3. Concia del grano:

4. Raccolta del grano nel contenitore in legno posizionato nella parte anteriore bassa.

La trebbiatura era nel passato, per i contadini, un evento molto importante e faticoso. Il lavoro, iniziato a ottobre, novembre con l'aratura e la semina, si presentava particolarmente difficile al momento della mietitura, quando con una piccola falce bisognava tagliare il grano ormai maturo, con l'incombente pericolo di rimetterci il mignolo, vuoi per la fatica, vuoi per i raggi roventi che dardeggiavano sui mietitori.

Dopo aver legato i covoni occorreva depositarli nell'are dove venivano accatastati da mani esperte. Poi giungeva il momento della trebbiatura che non era meno difficoltosa delle precedenti operazioni. Per i bambini però l'arrivo della trebbia rappresentava un piacevole diversivo.Non c'era bisogno di essere avvisati, primo perchè d'estate, tolti quei dieci minuti per il pranzo, tutti stavano fuori a giocare, secondo: i trattori a testa calda che trainavano le trebbie erano talmente assordanti, che se ne percepiva l'arrivo già da lontano.

Dopo aver espletato i preliminari, ognuno prendeva il suo posto: "il pagliarino" con paglietta ed occhiali da aviatore anteguerra, coadiuvato da due donzelle, si piazzava in cima alla macchina ed infilava i covoni sciolti fra gli ingranaggi. Poi c'erano gli addetti ai sacchi, tenuti costantemente d'occhio dal trattorista che portava il conto dei quintali prodotti.

Intanto i sacchi riempiti venivano caricati sul carro dei buoi per essere condotti a destinazione. Nel frattempo altri si incaricavano di innalzare le mucchi di paglia.

A quel punto i bambini davano sfogo all'impazienza, scorrazzando tra la paglia, si buttavano sulle morbide montagne di pula, giocavano a nascondino finchè non giungevano le ombre della sera.

Blackpools North Pier.

Built in the 1860s, it is also the oldest and longest of the three. Although originally intended only as a promenade, competition forced the pier to widen its attractions to include theatres and bars. Unlike Blackpool's other piers, which attracted the working classes with open air dancing and amusements, North Pier catered for the "better-class" market, with orchestra concerts and respectable comedians. Until 2011, it was the only Blackpool pier that consistently charged admission.

Andre de Dienes is one of the great photographers of these times. His techniques are that of a master and a superb technician. There is a consistent brilliance in the print quality of his works and more than technical competence, de Dienes has the gift of achieving perfect rapport with his model. In the field of nude photography he is unequalled. (Photography, 1956)

We have good opportunities to photograph this uncommon and beautiful Sparrow this season due to drier conditions in the local wetlands. These conditions favor the LeConte's and Nelson's Sparrows. They both nest in the Sedges which are now closer to the trail. I posted three shots of this LeConte's in different attitudes to help with identification. One of these shots shows it singing.

The sound it makes does not seem consistent with the effort it makes to produce it.

Click on the link below to hear the song.

www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Le_Contes_Sparrow/sounds

Big Lake Interpretive Trail. Parkland County. Alberta.

Member of the Flickr Bird Brigade

Activists for birds and wildlife

After three years of anticipation, here we are! Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has finally been released in theaters, and my god it was amazing. I've already seen the film three times while in Kansas City. It was everything I hoped it would be. The entire movie is incredible. It truly is the kick starting of the DC Cinematic Universe, and I could not be more excited for Justice League Part One in November 2017!!

Alright, here we go!

(this is all very rough, so please bare with me lol)

Batman:

Ever since the initial black & white reveal photo of Ben Affleck in the Batsuit, I had always wondered "How the hell am I gonna make that cowl?" That question was answered for me toward the end of 2015 when I came across minifigmadness' Batman cowl. As soon as I saw it, I knew with a little sanding, I could make it look a hell of a lot closer to the BvS cowl than anything I'd be able to do by modding Lego's. As soon as I got a hold of one, that's exactly what I did! I know not everyone will agree, but I think it turned out great! Also, thanks to a lot of feedback later on in the process of making the figure I sculpted a chinstrap onto the cowl that really completed the whole thing. That in itself was a real challenge, because I had already painted the cowl in my own black color, and sculpting onto something after you already painted it tends to mess things up pretty bad. Anyway, the chinstrap was sculpted in three sections, the main strap itself, and then the two separate pieces that create the curve in each corner. I had a couple of major concerns with it though, the sturdiness of it for one, and how consistent it would look with the rest of the cowl. A few days of sanding and a ton of sealant/various layers of thick paint later, I managed to solve both of those issues! The rest of the figure was really just continuing the pattern that Lego already had going on their printed torso, and if there's one thing I absolutely hate while making figures, it's repetition. Painting the exact same two little lines all over the entire figure while trying to keep it all organized wasn't exactly what I would call enjoyable. Regardless, I knew it would look awesome in the end, and so I pressed on lol. Throw a few black lines in certain areas on top of that, and I had a properly upgraded Ben Affleck Batsuit! Finally, for his weapon, I decided to go with the grenade gun that he uses during both his fight with Superman, and when the Trinity assembles to face Doomsday (hence my decision to allow both the regular Batman and the Armored Batman to share it). At first, I tried to heavily modify a BrickArms D9-8R and glue on a Tiny Tactical grenade launcher attachment. That failed miserably, so I ended up modifying a Coreburner instead, and then I cut the grenade launcher off of a CombatBrick gun instead of potentially wasting another one from TT. This version ended up being a much better idea, and once all of the base colors were applied I painted a fair amount of detail on both sides. Oh and he has a pair of TT glove tops as well, because they're great, they look great on so many figures, and I don't care what anyone else says ;)

Superman:

Ok, this figure was definitely a lot simpler. When it comes to body suits on characters, I can paint them with a decent amount of reference over a period of time no problem. However, getting likeness to an actor right is never an easy thing to do. Thankfully, and I realize not everyone will agree here either, but I think I nailed it on the first try. This isn't always the case, but I'm glad it was this time around! His hairpiece is the same one that Lego debuted with the official BvS Superman minifigure, and despite me saying I wasn't going to use it and that it wasn't Henry Cavill's hairstyle, I quickly realized (thanks to epicnick100) that sanding the sides of it down would make all the difference. Originally, I was going to use a classic Superman hairpiece and just slice off the 'S' curl and paint over that. I still think that could've worked just fine, but this I feel was the better option of the two. Then the rest of the figure's look stems from the printed torso, and to give that more depth, I painted various areas in my own dark blue and metallic blue colors. Kal-El also sports a pair of TT glove tops, but this time painted in metallic blue. Right above that on each arm is the wrist design he now has that I've painted on as well (and it wraps around the entirety of each arm by the way). Finally, his thighs both feature the same metallic blue details on the sides, and his boots are painted to wrap around all four sides of each leg as well. Also, for whatever reason, painting the front of each of his boots was a living hell and I have no idea why lol.

Wonder Woman:

For a printed minifigure in a set, I thought Lego's Wonder Woman figure was brilliant. The new hairpiece, shield, head, torso designs, and leg printing…everything is great. It was one of their best superhero minifigs in recent years, but I wanted to take it a lot further. So that meant taking their amazingly printed minifigure, and dropping the sword, legs, and torso. As I mentioned, I loved the super accurate torso designs on the original fig, and I did my best to paint my own version of them over onto an Arealight curved torso while also making the straps 3D. The heavily modified/painted CapeMadness waistcape that I decided to make in favor of Lego's printed version was by far the biggest change I made. Before even attempting it, I first had to steal and brasso a pair of flesh legs from the bacta-tank Luke Skywalker minifigure. For whatever reason though, despite the more precise cutting that was involved with Wonder Woman's waistcape, I found it easier to make than any of the ones I did for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. As you might be able to tell, the painting process of it was definitely more than just the denim lines. I had to extend the gold plated and heavily detailed armor that I already had on the torso onto the waistcape itself. It wasn't easy to keep it consistent, but I think it turned out pretty good and I definitely tried my hardest. So back to talking about the legs; they were easily the most time consuming part of the figure, and it was almost like painting an Iron Man suit due to all of the detail selection I had to do in order to make sure what I painted would be as accurate as possible. I'm really happy with how they turned out, and the gold areas do have a bit of mild weathering as well. Her gauntlets were painted to be a full wrap around extension of the small chunk Lego had already managed to print onto the arms in the first place. I think it worked out quite well, and I'm especially fond of the painted details on them that are closest to the torso. For the longest time, I had planned on making my own Wonder Woman face using the tiara design that Lego already had on their head, but in the end I decided that there was really no reason for it. Lastly, I decided to scrap the sword she came with in the set, and paint one of BrickForge's instead, with weathering added to the sword's guard as well. Oh and the shield is the same one from the set, but I gave it plenty of battle damage :)

Armored Batman:

I'll say this first; my Armored Batman figure would either look drastically different or just flat out not exist at all if it weren't for Brickzalive. The entire figure is a painted cast made from his incredible sculpt of the movie's iconic armor that he worked on for several months. After collaborating with Josiah on the Halo 5: Guardians Arbiter, I was not only super excited that he was able to get this one produced, but just being able to work on another one of his sculpts in general! So, after a night of sanding and eventually priming the whole thing, I got to work on what ended up being a fairly simple paint job actually. Batman's armor in the movie does have some dark grays/dark metallic colors here and there (which I made

sure to portray on the figure), but it's mostly all silver with a lot of weathering. I was pretty specific with the order in which I painted everything; for most of it, I would start at the top and work my way down to the bottom. Once each piece was fully painted in its base colors, all of the weathering would always be the final touch. The cape is painted in a very dark gray color, because I thought black would've looked too invasive on the rest of the figure. Finally, as mentioned above, he shares the same grenade gun with the normal Batman, but to keep his accessories at least a little bit unique to him, I gave him one or BrickArm's grenade shells to represent a Kryptonite round. Also, I realize not everyone is big on toe sculpting, but it's not something that has ever bothered me really :)

Lex Luthor:

Man, this figure was about as last minute as it gets for me. Knowing Lex's outfit wouldn't be that difficult for me to tackle, I decided to put it off until I was done with everyone else lol. Let me start off by saying the entire figure was mostly based on his character poster, along with a few screenshots from the rooftop scene. The hairpiece I decided to paint for him was the obvious choice; the real challenge of the figure was getting the likeness right. I've painted a lot of faces before, but Jesse Eisenberg was a bit of a challenge. The main issue was definitely the mouth, at first I tried a smirk, I really didn't like it at all, and it almost made him look "older" than I wanted it to. Lex does smirk quite a bit in the movie, but he also has his fair share of serious moments as well. With that in mind, I went for a serious expression, and I think it looks a hell of a lot better than what I had originally. His coat is a modified CapeMadness trench coat, fully painted in dark gray with buttons galore. The figure's arms are also painted in my own dark gray color, with the wrist of each hand painted in white. So basically this entire figure is 100% painted, and that of course includes the torso, which may not be totally color accurate, but is mostly accurate nonetheless! Lex's legs are pretty basic, featuring only a couple of rings on his shoes, this was because I had pretty much no idea what they looked like aside from a blurry screenshot of his back, and they get covered up by the coat anyway. Lastly, I painted the bandage onto his right hand, and painting a design around the entirety of a minifigure's hand is something I rarely do. Poor Alexander will never be able to grip an accessory in his right hand ever again, but...WORTH IT!

Doomsday:

My third big-fig, Doomsday! I remember when him being in the movie was just a rumor, but the moment he was revealed in the second trailer, I knew any chances of making Alfred or the Knightmare Batman suit had just bit the dust. Regardless of what you might think about his appearance, Doomsday was absolutely incredible in the movie, the CGI for him was fantastic, and thankfully he really didn't go through any drastic changes during the fight, so my figure is still pretty accurate! When I first approached this, I knew I was going to use one of Decool's big-figs as a base once again like I did for The Thing. Eventually, I ended up ordering their Venom, and sanding away any part of it that resembled that character. I'm not at all ashamed of using it either, I think I turned it into something pretty awesome, and tearing off a Hulk hairpiece, or sanding the crap out of a Darkseid big-fig is just unnecessary. It was also pretty clear that more sculpting would need to be done on top of the bone protrusions. This involved sculpting entire sections around his eyes, chin, chest, and knees. None of which were particularly easy, especially the tiny bone protrusions on top of each eye section, but thankfully sculpting/painting the larger protrusions scattered around the upper half of his body were a little easier to do. A few of the ones you see behind his head along with most of the ones on his shoulders are meant to be accurate, however the rest on his back are pretty much all randomized due to lack of reference. The painting process was a little extensive as you can imagine, and once everything was sculpted on I started by basically lathering the whole thing in dark gray paint. Then came the light gray weathering and the brownish skin effect; finding a proper balance between the two was time consuming to say the least lol. Doomsday also had me struggling a bit with likeness again, as I got his eyes right fairly quickly, but the mouth was more difficult. In the end, I based the entire mouth off of Lego's Hulk big-fig. To wrap this all up, I do want to point out that the scar on his upper right breast was carved in on purpose, because it certainly stands out quite a bit on his body. Also, the scar that was on General Zod's face is Doomsday's face in the movie too, so of course I painted it onto my figure because that's just a really cool detail for me to pass it up.

These figures were a blast to finally make, and I'm really proud of each one. Why no Alfred though? Or Knightmare Batman? Or Lois? Well, I'm only one person, with one hell of a tight schedule for 2016, and I can't make everyone.

Thank you so much for reading through all of that, and if you drop this a favorite, let me know what you think in the comments too!!

Watch "LEGO Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice Minifigures - Showcase" via YouTube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITxIVfXYcMw

I know that I'm a few days late with this one, but I wanted to make sure to congratulate the American Bison for being named as the official National Mammal of the US ... exactly 2 days ago.

It's quite an honor bestowed upon the largest mammal in North America, which weighs in at up to 2,000 pounds and stands an impressive 6 feet high (males). They are quite fast and aggressively unpredictable at times. It's not unheard of for them to go after those who invade their space and have at times made headlines for teaching those not intelligent enough to understand how to act around wild animals. Enough said about that.... =:-0

We had the opportunity to photograph them on a recent trip during the winter out to Yellowstone NP. They must withstand the harsh reality of sub-freezing temperatures and strong winds of a Yellowstone winter. They are plentiful as well within the Yellowstone Ecosystem, which is the only place in the US where bison have consistently lived since the prehistoric times. Now that's impressive, I think.

The bison is often used as a symbol of conservation in the US and who can forget the old "Oh Give Me A Home"? Of course, in that song they were called buffalo. In the US, they're pretty much referred to as either, though their real designation is that of bison. :-)

So I hope that you're as excited as I am about the official designation. Thanks for stopping by to view and especially for sharing your thoughts and comments.

© 2016 Debbie Tubridy / TNWA Photography

www.tnwaphotography.wordpress.com

www.tnwaphotography.com

the weather is consistently beating me. on the plus side, though, my little bundle of *things* to use in photographs is growing.

i've decided that i'm going to go for a run either tomorrow night or wednesday. i have my second university interview on wednesday and already have an offer from the previous one.

36 days left and my stream is all over the place aha

My 'first of season" for this species,with migrational movements time expected to be over by now.

Small numbers of this species winter over in our area, with Sidney Island being the "epicentre" so to speak.

This was my first sighting of the season...and this flyby was heading North in a flightpath consistent with a Sidney Island destination

Black Brant BLBR (Branta bernicla nigricans)

Saanichton Spit

aka

Cordova Spit

aka

TI̸X̱EN 'the Spit" ( Tsawout First Nation )

Central Saanich BC

TIXEN

DSCN1750

Historically hundreds wintered in the Greater Victoria area but that population was apparently overhunted into non existence in the early 1900s

A celebratory quote from a well known TV programme of the past.

Today I attended The Open for the first time. It was quite the experience under generally blue skies watching players from all over the world do battle on this links course. There consistent level of skill, the huge enthusiastic crowds, condition of the course and number of international visitors emphasised the special place The Open has in the heart of golfers worldwide.

Somewhat a distant figure in this view is the local golfer Tommy Fleetwood who ended the day as joint leader at five under par. Maybe he will come good and win his first major on a links course just 18 miles from where he learnt to play golf.

Rock on Tommy.

This afternoon I sat on a Rotterdam cafe terrace in Delfshaven. A lady was telling me an interesting story. The story came from a different context than mine and it had different rules. But it was a good story and it sounded surprisingly consistent. What I liked was the different reality living unnoticed in our midst.

I promised to find a few pictures that might fit the story. Here they are.

I wish the story and it's author much success.

Whole story here:

www.flickr.com/photos/uair01/sets/72157624141321801/

Camera: Zeiss Ikon Super Ikonta III (531/16)

Lens: Carl Zeiss Tessar f/3.5 75 mm

Film: Ilford HP5 Plus 400, rated @ ISO 800

Exposure: 1/125 sec and f/5.6, hand-held

Film developed and scanned by Foto Brell, Bonn

Edited under Adobe Lightroom

To avoid blurring due to camera shake and to achieve consistent sharpness in the depth of the room, medium format cameras are usually used with a tripod. At shorter distances to the subject, the background often remains slightly out of focus even when stopped down significantly, which can look unwanted and therefore incorrect – in contrast to clear blur. To avoid this impression and especially to use the blur as a creative tool, I like to take photos with the aperture open or only slightly stopped down. Then the blurriness looks intentional and is clearly noticeable even at a short viewing distance or with a small image format. A welcome side effect is the more flexible way of working without a tripod, for which the compact and lightweight folding cameras in particular were developed.

2024-12-28 9847-CR3-L1T3

Another overcast dull breezy Sunday morning at the Ravines with very little light. Only about another 3 months of this grey overcast skies before we get a little more consistent sunlight.

Consistently ranked in the top 10 waves along Australia's 10,685 beaches, the point at Lennox Head was the third site in Australia to be declared a National Surfing Reserve. Lennox Head, New South Wales, Australia. www.robertdowniephotography.com

Love Life, Love Photography

Tilted red tower marks entrance to Polish war museum by Kwadrat, Gdansk

An angled tower wrapped in red concrete panels and glazing contains the entrance to this second world war museum, which is mostly housed beneath the surface of a public plaza in the Polish city of Gdansk. A jury headed by Daniel Libeskind awarded Studio Architektoniczne Kwadrat the project for the Museum of the Second World War following an international competition in 2010. The studio, which is based in the nearby town of Gdynia, said it put forward a proposal that was "a bit risky", but also "something unusual, very distinctive and memorable".

A tower rising 40.5 metres above the new public square provides the dominant feature of the building, which is located next to a canal in a district called Wiadrownia that was destroyed during fighting in 1945. "The idea behind the design is simple enough," said the architects, "to position the main part of the museum underground so as not to completely use up the small plot of land intended for investment. We have concealed the other functions in a sculptural form. In this way, it was possible to find space for a vast square, and the whole premise became symbolic."

The project comprises three distinct but connected parts, with the underground spaces dedicated to the past, the plaza representing the present, and the tower symbolising the future. The monolithic tower features surfaces set at angles as much as 45 degrees from the vertical, lending it a dynamic appearance that alters when viewed from different directions. Three of its four trapezoidal facades are clad in terracotta-red panels, while the fourth side and kinked roof are filled in with glazing that allows natural light to flood into the interior.

"This simple sculptural form, devoid of literal meaning, evokes various associations," said the architects. "It has already been likened to a bastion, a barrier, a crumbling house or a bunker, and when illuminated at night, it resembles a burning candle. At the same time, it fits in with the city image and the geometry of shipyard cranes – the symbol of the port of Gdansk."

The glazed facade of the tower incorporates an entrance at its base, which is situated at basement level and is reached by a wide set of steps leading down from the plaza. The tower contains a library, lecture halls and a restaurant with a viewpoint looking out across the city skyline. The majority of the 23,000 m2 building is located beneath the paved public square, which aims to provide people with a place to meet, socialise and relax. Staircases descend from the entrance through a large void to the level of the ticket office, cloakroom and exhibition spaces dedicated to telling the story of the war in Poland. A corridor with a narrow skylight at its apex guides visitors through a series of austere exhibition rooms featuring a palette of concrete, steel and oak details.

In addition to digital displays and physical exhibits, the spaces include several recreations of places such as a pre-war shopping street, ruined buildings surrounding a Soviet tank, and the interior of a Warsaw apartment reflecting different stages of the conflict. At the level of the plaza, a bridge connects the tower with a long, narrow volume containing offices. A walkway that passes beneath the bridge is lined with gabion cages filled with red brick and rubble from Gdansk. A further wedge-shaped structure that emerges from the square contains the entrance to an underground parking garage. Both this volume and the offices are clad in the same red tiles as the tower to create a consistent aesthetic across the museum's different spaces.

Guys I am having the worst issues with my blogs server as it is consistently maxing out the server CPU, so they block my website. I am constantly being put in the virtual corner and it sucks. What is the use of a website if you cant have more than 2k visiting it everyday? It just doesn't make sense. Can you share who your server is and how they deal with your blog load? The next option for me is a significant cost increase to like 80 dollars a month.... and that is insane.

LINGERIE: Provacative: Tales of Poe Halloween Edition by Blacklace

HAIR: Hannah by MINA ~ Available at Hairology

HEADDRESS: Pretty Things Aster [dark] by LODE ~ Available at The Chapter Four {Oct 4 to Oct 28}

TATTOO: Black Widow Tattoo by Queen of Ink ~ Available at AnyBody{October 4 to October 20}

EYEMAKEUP: Witching hour by WarPaint ~ Available at Season of the Witch {October 14 to Nov 4}

NAILS: Spooky Nails by Moon Amore ~ Available at The Secret Hideout {October 8 to Oct 31}

NECKLACE: Persephone Necklace by Violetility ~ Available at Season of the Witch {October 14 to Nov 4}

BRACELETS: Amuletum Wicca Maitreya Bento by L'Emporio ~ Available at Season of the Witch {October 14 to Nov 4}

HEELS: Automne Boot {onyx} by AZOURY ~ Available at Cosmopolitan {October 8 to October 23}

SKIN: Kyouko {nordic} by DeeTaleZ ~ New in Mainstore

HEAD: Kimberly by CATWA

EYES: Vampy Demon Eyes by Song ~ Available at Nightmare {oct 1 to October 31}

POSE: Series One by an lar

DECOR:

[Black Bantam] Pumpkin Baby Surprise ~ Available at The Chapter Four {Oct 4 to Oct 28}

Thistle Grimoire - Hot Lava Love Potion Set ~ Available at Season of the Witch {October 14 to Nov 4}

HPMD* MakeMesses!-Fallen Leaves - by Happy Mood

Shelves, frames, rugs and doormats : All by *pm* paper moon.

Sofa, coffee table, vanity table, chair, screen : Vita’s Boudoir – Haunted Manor. New in store.

{C&C} Hearthside Cauldrons ~ Available at Season of the Witch {October 14 to Nov 4}

SN/NC: Gmelina Philippensis, Lamiaceae Family

The spelling of the name of this taxon has invariably been Gmelina philippensis. However, in A revision of the genus Gmelina (Lamiaceae), Kew Bulletin Vol. 67: 293 - 329; 2012; Rogier de Kok, it is consistently spelled Gmelina philippinensis. Since the original name (as per IPNI) was spelled Gmelina philippensis, we are assuming this to be an error and are retaining the original name. Common names are parrot's beak, wild sage, badhara.

Gmelina philippensis is an evergreen, usually spiny, straggling or climbing shrub or small tree. It can grow up to 7 meters tall. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental throughout the tropics. It appears in East Asia - Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Philippines. Also in India and most of Asia.

The juice of the fruit is applied to eczema of the feet. It is also used as a leech repellent. The fruit, pounded with lime, is applied as a poultice to the throat as a remedy for cough. The extract of the roots is used internally as a stimulant, resolvent, and in treating diseases of the joints and nerves. The juice of the roots is used as a purgative and in treating fatigue. An extract of the leaves is used externally as a stimulant, resolvent, and in treating diseases of the joints and nerves.

Gmelina philippensis is een groenblijvende, meestal stekelige, achterblijvende of klimmende struik of kleine boom. Hij kan tot 7 meter hoog worden. De plant wordt uit het wild geoogst voor lokaal gebruik als medicijn. Het wordt op grote schaal gekweekt als sierplant in de tropen. Het komt voor in Oost-Azië - Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodja, Vietnam, Filippijnen. Ook in India en het grootste deel van Azië.Het sap van de vrucht wordt aangebracht op eczeem van de voeten. Het wordt ook gebruikt als bloedzuiger. De vrucht, fijngestampt met limoen, wordt als kompres in de keel aangebracht als middel tegen hoest. Het extract van de wortels wordt intern gebruikt als stimulerend middel, oplossend middel en bij de behandeling van gewrichtsaandoeningen en zenuwen. Het wortelsap wordt gebruikt als zuiverend middel en bij de behandeling van vermoeidheid. Een extract van de bladeren wordt uitwendig gebruikt als stimulerend middel, oplossend middel en bij de behandeling van gewrichtsaandoeningen en zenuwen.

Gamelina é o nome desta trepadeira no Brasil. Originária da Índia, tem o nome científico ligado às Filipinas onde parece ter algo de sua origem, não se sabe com exatitude pois ora se referem a ela como filipense ora como filipinense. Mas o nome original é filipense. Em outros países recebe o nome de bico-de-papagaio pelo formato engraçado das flores que lembram o bico desta ave. Pode chegar a 7m de altura, se enreda ou cresce como arbusto. É tida como excelente planta medicinal para tratar a tosse e também como estimulante para acalmar os nervos e também as juntas. O suco de suas raízes se usa para diminuir a fadiga, cansaço. Sem falar que tem lindas flores… de um formato único que chama a atenção de todos. A combinação marrom-amarelo é sem dúvida muito bonita.

Gmelina, planta originaria de la India y la especie más conocida es la gmelina arborea y no la enredadera gmelina philippensis. Fue introducida en Centro y Suramérica y es usada para la cura de muchas enfermedades como garganta , nervios, estrés. No es muy común y es de gran belleza visual. Su nombre en inglés si puede traducir como pico-de-papagaio.

During this time period the Utah Railway consistently had an empty coal train depart Provo in the morning hours and it was a good bet you would catch it somewhere on Soldier Summit at first light. In this case at the west switch of Kyune on an absolutely beautiful late Fall day. This train would veer off the main at Utah Railway Junction and load their train at Wildcat. Once loaded they would bring their train to Martin where a 6-unit mid-train helper would added for the shove to Soldier Summit. Usually you would find these trains cutting out the help at either Kyune or Colton and on occasion the summit

J Pod on a rainy Saturday

Eagle Wing Tours is Canada’s first 100% carbon-neutral whale-watching company, and certified Gold with Green Tourism Canada. They are also members of 1% for the Planet and are proud to support a variety of local conservation initiatives that directly benefit the whales. Consistently voted #1 on TripAdvisor since 2007, they go the extra mile (or 50!) to give their guests an amazing wildlife experience. Environmental stewardship is a core value of this family-owned company, and they actively work to protect the Salish Sea and all of its inhabitants. Eagle Wing Tours inspires the conservation of the marine environment, with a thrill! www.eaglewingtours.com

Consistently rated one of the best golf courses in South Carolina.

It feels good to get back in a rhythm of posting shots on a consistent basis.

Sandy Beach is on the South Shore of Oʻahu in Hawaii. It is known for its excellent bodyboarding and bodysurfing opportunities due to a shore break that breaks very close to the shore, and consistent barrels all along the beach. Consequently, more injuries occur per year at Sandy Beach than any other beach in Hawaii, earning it the infamous nickname, "break-neck" beach. The water is especially dangerous during high surf, when strong rip currents are present. The beach park is a beautiful isolated stretch of sand that lays just beyond the popular Halona Blowhole between Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve Park on the west and Makapuʻu Point on the east along Kalanianaole Highway in Honolulu's south side.

Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the link below:

www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/

Consistent recoil SMG.

The Combat Advanced Round Submachine Gun (C.A.R. SMG) is a Pilot weapon in Titanfall 2 known for its hipfire accuracy and striking paint job.

The LEGO C.A.R. is 29” long (93 studs) and has many features: moving trigger, reloadable magazine, sliding charging handle that moves the bolt, folding foregrip, opening right-side dust cover, and all attachments. The attachments include all sights (factory issue, HCOG Ranger, Holosight, Threat Scope), Extra Ammo mod, Pro Screen, suppressor from the first Titanfall, and the light ammo/heavy ammo swap from Apex Legends.

More photos and a video to come; full photo set coming first to my website www.NickBrick.com

One of the most consistently exciting and suspenseful movie franchises of all time is Mission Impossible. I love these movies, and this scene of Ethan Hunt infiltrating the Black Vault is one of my favorites.

I played around with jumper plates and tiles to add that pressure plate look to the floor, and added a rat in the ventilation shaft. And of course, I used the official Ethan Hunt minifigure. Hope y’all like this one!

-Patrick

Se denomina descubrimiento de América al acontecimiento histórico del 12 de octubre de 1492, consistente en la llegada a América de una expedición dirigida por Cristóbal Colón por mandato de los Reyes Católicos, Isabel de Castilla y Fernando de Aragón. Colón había partido del Puerto de Palos dos meses y nueve días antes y, tras cruzar el océano Atlántico, llegó a una isla del continente americano, Guanahani, creyendo que había llegado a la India. Este hecho es uno de los momentos fundamentales de la historia universal y representa el encuentro de dos mundos que habían evolucionado independientemente desde el poblamiento de América.1​

Varios años después de la llegada de Colón, los europeos fueron percatándose de que el lugar al que habían llegado no estaba conectado por tierra a Europa y el resto de la «tierra conocida», como se esperaba de la India, sino que formaba un continente distinto. Así, a partir de 1507 se le comenzó a llamar América. En los siglos posteriores al descubrimiento del nuevo mundo, España, Portugal y en menor medida Inglaterra, Francia, Holanda, Rusia, Dinamarca y Noruega, Suecia y otras potencias europeas, compitieron por la exploración, conquista y colonización del continente americano, e introdujeron como

esclavos a millones de personas secuestradas en África, lo cual llevó a procesos de disolución y anomia de cultura milenarias, así como al surgimiento de nuevas conformaciones étnicas, culturales y políticas.

Eres más que bienvenido para comentar mi fotografía y mencionar el nombre de tú grupo. Por favor no me dejes uno de esos enormes logos que pululan por la red. Gracias también por los más de cinco millones de visitas que he recibido en redes.

You are more than welcome to comment my photography and even leave the name of your group. But please do not leave one of those big logos, that are flooding the network. Thank also for the + 5 million visits that I receive in networks.

Si quieres ver algo más de mi fotografía ve a:

to see my photography go to:

www.flickr.com/photos/agustinruiz/

500px.com/agustin_ruiz_morilla

vimeo.com/agustinruizmorilla

Tenney Park / Madison, Wisconsin

--

Instagram | Unsplash

A consistent sign of springs' arrival in Virginia is the beautiful blossoms of the Pink Dogwood.

Just another photo of the Potsdamer Platz. As you may have experienced, I am using a new consistent style of post processing - which is rather using hard contrasts than much color.

Facebook | Tafelzwerks Blog | Tafelzwerk Fotografie | 500px | Google+ | Twitter

I often wish I could have more of a consistent portfolio but I am a roamer. I love too many genres. Anything with a face and a story is what I love to shoot. I think it's why for me, I'm always still inspired to shoot and edit. I do whatever seems exciting at the time.

If you're looking for tools for your photos please visit my store here and consider joining my Facebook Group

I'm sending out a FREE overlay this month, so please sign up for my newsletter

Facebook I Google + I Twitter I Instagram

I just noticed that there is a focusing problem with my Alpa Reflex 6b. I'm sure I focused every shot on this roll very carefully, but I nevertheless noticed that all pictures that were shot wide open (i.e., with narrow DoF) were out of focus.

Later, I checked the accuracy of the focusing mechanism by focusing some objects at varying distances and measuring the actual distance from object to film plane with a folding rule and Lo and behold, the distance indicated on the lens barrel when the object was perfectly in focus was consistently about 10% short of the actual distance.

The photos are somewhat painting-like, but still, that is not what is wanted.

I think that this time I eliminated the possibility that the problem was behind the camera. I assume it must be in the camera body, such as the matte screen having shifted slightly from its nominal position.

Shot at Klassikstadt, Frankfurt, Germany

Alpa Reflex 6B, made in 1959

Kern Macro Switar 1:1.8/50 AR

Kodak Ektar 100 colour negative film

Developed and scanned by www.meinfilmlab.de

Homily072124-16SunOT

We seem to live in troubled times. Last week father Sebatian mentioned that we need to rise above the things that easily divide us. As our faithful shepherd, he told us not to lose hope. I am grateful that our pastor, has a very calming presence among us. He consistently tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus, the truth, the way, and the life. It seems simple enough, but so many people that surround us, outside these peaceful walls, go about their own business not needing a shepherd. Each of us have stories of loved ones that listen to other voices fighting for a resting place in their heads. We live in a world that wants us to live on the edge of chaos where hope is banished. Sometimes we may lose hope, but we know how to recover-it is here in our community where we know that peace is found. It is here where we meet Christ, our shepherd.

From our first reading from Jeremiah, we hear about the discord and divisions among the flock of Israel by corrupt and false shepherds who are leading the people astray. We can relate! We live in a culture that bombards us with chatter, especially in our political arena. Who and what do we listen to? What false shepherd has snagged our attention? Jeremiah reminds us that the God of Israel will always gather his people and raise up shepherds to care for them-this passage also applies to us.

In our second reading from Ephesians, Saint Paul (acting in his role of a shepherd) is bringing together two groups…Jewish Christians and non-Jewish Christians. The first group was still hanging on to their Jewish laws and customs and the gentile converts… who did not relate or live with such laws. Saint Paul in this case, is calming these two groups by reminding them that through the blood of Christ, they who were once divided-have become one in Christ. This is also what unifies us, even in our differences, and this unity is most visible when we receive communion-Christ… the shepherd residing in each of us.

What is interesting about our Gospel reading from Mark, we get to meet the crowd of curious people following Jesus and his apostles…they are alluded to as sheep without a shepherd. Jesus and the disciples are tired and looking for a place to rest-the disciples had just returned from the mission that Jesus had sent them on. The only rest they will find from the crowd, unfortunately, is on the journey in the boat. When they arrived at their destination, the hungry crowds were waiting. The question that needs to be asked is what are the crowds waiting for? Jesus is very aware of their needs and desires to teach them.

As we live our ordinary lives, as faithful Christians, we also have an awareness of the many sheep who surround us that are without a shepherd. We know that many of them are listening to and being guided by false shepherds. Their messages are carried heavily on social media, TV and radio. Others quickly mimic their ideas and make them their own. Who are these individuals? They are our neighbors, friends and family. The content of their message is divisive and appealing but can easily be countered when compared to the Gospel message.

Our call and responsibility, as disciples of Christ are to engage with these individuals in the way we live our lives, in our acts of kindness, and sometimes with words.

For example, a few days ago, the doorbell rang at our house. The camera revealed that it was a nicely dressed couple. I guessed that they were Jehovah Witnesses. The temptation was not to answer the door, but my inner voice said be kind, and answer. I greeted them with a peaceful smile. Graciously, I indicated that our home is a Catholic home. I told them politely and truthfully that we do believe that Jesus is God in our myst. They disagreed, and we parted ways…with a gentle smile. No confrontation, and only the truth that separates us.

As disciples of Christ, sometimes we will be cast into a shepherd’s role…whether it be in our immediate families, or within our circles of influence, or here in our local church. Regardless, our most important Shepherd Jesus Christ that we will receive in a moment also invites us to take HIM out into a broken world. His sheep are waiting. Our Psalm 23 tells us not to fear anything…beside restful waters he leads us…he refreshes our souls.

Since 1985 this trackage hasn’t seen any consistent passenger traffic leaving the twin ports deprived of any consistent chance at photographing any passenger cars around the area. That doesn’t mean we don’t get spoiled sometimes though, between the two scenic railroads in town there is plenty of representation however it’s not quite the same as the class one’s bringing their toys out to play. This years family event for BNSF employees got the highlight in my opinion, as for the first time in a while the full BNSF executive train was brought up to run shuttles between Duluth and Superior along the former Northern Pacific mainline and a clean pair of GE’s to move it with grace. Seen on its first run out of Duluth, BNSF 7922 slowly passes under the ex DMIR Duluth ore docks on its way towards the Grassy Point bridge that will bring it to Wisconsin.

Sun on November 21, 2018 13:25 UT

Credit: Giuseppe Donatiello

I found some old raw files from November 2018 obtained to perform a test with the DayStar ST 60/930 SolarScout SS60-ds H-Alpha OTA for New Orion.

It is a simple overlap between a short shot to have a good reading of the disk and a longer exposure to record the chromosphere and some tiny prominences (the Sun was at its minimum activity).

No tricks for editing, just a slight color tuning to return a tone consistent with the H-Alpha line.

Okanagan Valley is BC’s premier grape growing region. With an ever-changing panorama, the valley stretches over 250 kilometers, across sub-regions, each with distinct soil and climate conditions suited to growing a range of varietals from sun-ripened reds to lively fresh and often crisp whites.

With quiet family-run boutique vineyards to world-class operations, the Okanagan Valley wineries are rich in tradition and character, consistently ranking among the world’s best at international competitions.

British Columbia Canada

Fenómeno luminoso consistente en la aparición simultánea de varias imágenes del Sol reflejadas en las nubes y, por lo general, dispuestas simétricamente sobre un halo.

For years we here in Southern California endured some really severe drought. Little did I know that years of drought can have at least one benefit, and that is the buildup of wildflower seeds. Through the drought years there have always been wildflower blooms, but just not intense ones. I’ve read that during those years the seeds build up in the soil as the plants choose not to germinate, biding their time for better conditions. Often when we get any bout of serious winter rain everyone starts getting excited assuming that even just one storm will produce a super bloom or even a good one, but that is not the case. Consistent rain throughout the winter months, month by month, is what is required to get truly exceptional blooms. Finally after years of drought those conditions line up and all those dormant seeds germinate at once. For parts of SoCal in 2016, 2017, and now 2019 we have experienced just that. And this year’s bloom of poppies in the Walker Canyon area by Lake Elsinore is the biggest superbloom ever there according to a ranger I talked to. The poppies are absolutely spectacular! A few other flowers are sprinkled around here or there, but the state flower of California reigns absolutely supreme. The crowds are pretty huge (fueled by all media, traditional and social), but I wandered for six miles through the land and was able to walk away with plenty of people-free natural landscapes like this one.

De la familia Cunoniaceae también se le conoce como muermo. Es un árbol nativo de gran floración, melífero, que permite que en la zona sur se venda miel de ulmo, producto característico, de gran sabor, delicado aroma y consistencia. Tiene múltiples usos, entre ellos ornamental. Recuerdo que en la zona de Liquiñe se me informaba que cuando el ulmo florecía mucho, habría un invierno muy frío porque nevaría más.