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Unlike some of its perpetually active neighbors on the Kamchatka Peninsula, Raikoke Volcano on the Kuril Islands rarely erupts. The small, oval-shaped island most recently exploded in 1778 and 1924.
The dormant period ended around 4:00 a.m. local time on June 22, 2019, when a vast plume of ash and volcanic gases shot up from its 700-meter-wide crater. Several satellites — as well as astronauts on the International Space Station — observed as a thick plume rose and then streamed east as it was pulled into the circulation of a storm in the North Pacific.
On the morning of June 22, astronauts shot a photograph of the volcanic plume rising in a narrow column and then spreading out in a part of the plume known as the umbrella region. That is the area where the density of the plume and the surrounding air equalize and the plume stops rising. The ring of clouds at the base of the column appears to be water vapor.
Learn more: go.nasa.gov/2LhdrLn
Credit: NASA (eol.jsc.nasa.gov/SearchPhotos/photo.pl?mission=ISS059&...)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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The Menindee Lakes is a natural series of lakes that fill with water when the Darling-Baaka River floods. In the 1960s, a series of engineering projects augmented the Menindee Lakes, allowing water to be directed into the lakes and held back or released. This ensured a reliable water supply for the city of Broken Hill, the township of Menindee and secure supply of water for the Lower Darling River and supply to South Australia.
The Menindee Lakes system provides important habitat, nursery and recruitment for native fish, such as the Murray Cod and Golden Perch. It is important habitat for a huge variety of native and migratory bird species. The Menindee Lakes system is vital to the communities of the Far West, providing recreation and amenity, as well as attracting tourism, recreational fishing, horticulture and viticulture.
The Darling-Baaka River is central to the cultural, spiritual and economic lives of the Barkindji people.
The health of the Menindee Lakes and the Darling-Baaka River are intimately linked. The lakes fill from the Darling-Baaka River and water stored in the Menindee Lakes keeps the Lower Darling flowing during dry times. The Great Darling Anabranch is a series of ephemeral creeks, billabongs and lakes that wind their way to the Murray River to the west of the main Darling-Baaka River Channel.
Irrigation expands:
There has been a rapid expansion of irrigation along the rivers in the Northern Basin of the Murray Darling Basin, particularly cotton. Irrigation of cotton has expanded by 4,000% since the 1970s. In 1971 Australia grew 81,000 bales of cotton. By 2012 Australia grew 5.3 million bales. Irrigation dams - Wee Waa
Much of the cotton is grown along the rivers of the Murray Darling in very large irrigation enterprises, with most of the cotton grown on tributaries of the Darling-Baaka River.
Large private storages were built to hold water and other structures were built to capture flood waters. Water licences and water sharing plans allow irrigators to suck huge quantities from the tributaries of the Darling-Baaka even when flows are modest.
The result has been that low and medium flows have virtually stopped flowing down the Darling-Baaka River. Only the largest floods that cannot be captured upstream, or specially protected environmental flows, now make it down to the Menindee Lakes and Lower Darling-Baaka River.
An easy target?
After the Millennium Drought exposed just how over-allocated the river systems of the Murray-Darling Basin were, the Murray-Darling Basin Plan was agreed between the Commonwealth and the states. The Plan aimed to make the Murray-Darling Basin system more sustainable by returning more water to the rivers through buying back water licences and other measures to recover water for the environment.
Menindee Slogan Bus:
The irrigation industry views the water flowing into the Menindee Lakes as wasteful and unproductive (not growing crops). They would prefer water to be taken from the Menindee Lakes to meet the targets under the Basin Plan rather than for the irrigation industry to be compelled to use less water. The industry points to the volume of water that evaporates from the Menindee Lakes each year as a key reason to reduce the amount of water flowing into and being stored in the lakes. The amount of water that evaporates from shallow private storages in equally hot and dry climates is rarely mentioned.
Scientists and environmentalists view the water that flows down our rivers, fills wetland and billabongs, and spills over floodplains as highly productive for nature and vital for sustaining complex ecosystems that have evolved over eons. These flows are also vital for replenishing underground aquifers and for sustaining downstream communities and Indigenous cultures.
Some politicians view the Menindee Lakes as an easy target. The population around Menindee is sparse, without much economic or political clout. The birds, fish and wildlife can not vote, lobby or protest. Taking water from the Menindee Lakes system is seen as politically easier than seeking to recover water from loud, well-connected and politically savvy irrigators. The location of the Menindee Lakes in a remote part of NSW that is out of sight and out of mind for many citizens located on the eastern seaboard also makes it hard for the issue to gain political traction.
A plan to decommission the Menindee Lakes:
After the Menindee Lakes filled from a major flood event in Queensland and NSW 2012, they were rapidly emptied by the Murray Darling Basin Authority and the NSW Government. Usually the lakes would hold water for many years after they filled, but by 2014 they were emptied. As a consequence, Broken Hill was in danger of running out of water and the government announced a plan to drill bores to supply the city with low-quality bore water. Locals were outraged at this plan and were concerned that the Menindee Lakes had been deliberately drained so quickly as part of a plan to justify the decommissioning of the lakes.RIP Menindee Lakes
Another flood filled the Menindee Lakes in late 2016, but again they were rapidly drained, almost inexplicably into a flooding river. By then end of 2017 they were again dry just as drought started to bite and Broken Hill was facing another artificial water shortage.
Flush with cash from privatising the electricity networks, the NSW Government spent $500 million building a 270 kilometres water pipeline from the Murray River at Wentworth to Broken Hill. This ended the city’s reliance on the Darling-Baaka River and Menindee Lakes for water supply. Cotton Australia applauded the construction of the pipeline saying in their Annual Report, "The pipeline is a win for the community, the environment and irrigating farmers, and a solution Cotton Australia and its allies have long lobbied for." Meanwhile the local community was concerned that the pipeline would allow the NSW Government to decommission the Menindee Lakes without worrying about Broken Hill's water supply.
Sure enough, plans to reconfigure the Menindee Lakes are back on the table as a project to 'recover water from the environment' under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan's Sustainable Diversion Limit Adjustment Mechanism. The NSW Government wants to save up to 100 gigalitres of water each year by reducing the volume water stored in Menindee Lakes by up to 80%. A range of proposals have been put forward for consultation.
The Darling River Action Group has labelled the plans as 'ecological genocide.' They strongly oppose the huge reduction in habitat that will occur if reconfiguration plans go ahead. They worry that changing the times between and length of inundation in the lakes will have a major impact on fish breeding and birdlife. The Barkindji native title holders are also strongly opposed to the plans, with significant concerns about the impact on their culture, community, environment and sacred sites.
Fish kills and dry rivers and lakes:
Fish Kill Menindee In the teeth severe drought, predictions of environmental catastrophe on the Darling River came true as millions of fish floated dead on the surface. Hot weather and a lack of flows led to a blue-green algae bloom that stripped the water of oxygen when it died, suffocating many millions of fish along a length of the Darling-Baaka River. Images of giant Murray Cod many decades old floating on the surface of a stagnant, bright green river shocked Australians. If water had been stored in the Menindee Lakes, a flow of water in the Darling-Baaka River could have been maintained and millions of fish and other creatures would have survived. It was noted that the very large mature Murray Cod that had died would have survived numerous previous droughts, so what had changed?
A report by the Australian Academy of Science concluded:
The conditions leading to this event are an interaction between a severe (but not unprecedented) drought and, more significantly, excess upstream diversion of water for irrigation. Prior releases of water from Menindee Lakes contributed to lack of local reserves.
A small flow in mid-2019 led to a partial revival of the Darling-Baaka River and water in the upper lakes of the Menindee Lakes system. However, the Menindee Lakes and Darling-Baaka River face three major threats:
1) The proposed re-configuration of the Menindee Lakes system;
2) The continuing overallocation of water extraction licences in the Northern Basin of the Murray-Darling system;
3) The extent and proposed licencing of floodplain harvesting, which is capturing huge quantities of water before it can even reach the waterways of the Darling-Baaka River.
Source: Save Menindee Lakes (www.savemenindeelakes.org.au/the_history)
Grand Canyon area....Ravens can be found throughout the Grand Canyon, but are most frequently seen on the Rims, and flying along the edge of the Canyon......
With all due respect please do not Arward and Banners for me, it contributes nothing and I prefer a fave or a comment, both is also warmly appreciated.....:-))
A place to embrace one of natures most beautiful sides. A park with its core focus to combine a modern layout with a flower garden.
So far my most complex commission. It allowed me to play and explore everything I had learned in my past commissions to once again grow on this challenge. It took me nearly two weeks to finish but every hour just contributed to a absolutely unique and beautiful flower garden.
Size: Quarter Sim (Skybox)
Land Impact: Roughly 8.000
Time: 10 days (around 50 hours)
The Auditorium Building in Chicago is one of the best-known designs of Dankmar Adler and Louis Sullivan. Completed in 1889, the building is located on South Michigan Avenue, at the northwest corner of Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1975.It was designated a Chicago Landmark on September 15, 1976. In addition, it is a historic district contributing property for the Chicago Landmark Historic Michigan Boulevard District.
Since 1947, the Auditorium Building has been the home of Roosevelt University.
The Auditorium Theatre is part of the Auditorium Building and is located at 50 East Congress Parkway. The theater was the first home of the Chicago Civic Opera and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra
Location:430 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago
Illinois 60605
United States
Built:1889
Architect:Dankmar Adler; Louis Sullivan
Architectural style:Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements
Governing body:Private
NRHP Reference#:7000023
It has been a good year for photography and I have just been asked to contribute a photograph to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University who are in the process of making The Cornell Handbook of Bird Biology , 3rd edition
Caltabellotta is located about 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Palermo and about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northwest of Agrigento.
Caltabellotta stands at an altitude of about 900m. Its Arab name, Kalat-al-Ballut (Oaks’ Rock) evokes the look of the village that is perched atop a rock. Its dominant position contributed to protect it from the attacks of enemies throughout the centuries.
Caltabellotta has been identified with the ancient town of the Sicani Triocala, captured by the Romans in 99 BC. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire and several centuries under the Byzantine Empire, it was stormed by the Arabs, who later built here a castle. In 1090 it was conquered by the Normans of Roger of Sicily.
The town was the location of the Peace of Caltabellotta (1302) which ended the War of the Sicilian Vespers.
photo rights reserved by B℮n
Rovaniemi is the capital of the province of Lapland in northern Finland. It is best known as the official home of Santa Claus and is located just above the Arctic Circle. Rovaniemi is known worldwide as the home of Santa Claus. The Santa Claus Village is a popular attraction, where visitors have the chance to meet Santa Claus, visit his post office and experience the magic of Christmas all year round. Rovaniemi is located right on the Arctic Circle, meaning it is an excellent location to see the Northern Lights, especially during the winter months. The city also offers unique experiences, such as the opportunity to cross the Arctic Circle. The Arktikum is the science center and museum and provides insight into Arctic nature and culture. It features exhibitions on the history, geology, flora and fauna of the region. Located near Rovaniemi, Ranua Zoo is the northernmost zoo in the world. It is home to a variety of Arctic animals, including polar bears, lynx, reindeer and arctic foxes. Rovaniemi enjoys abundant snow cover during most of the winter. Snowfall usually starts in November and continues until April. This creates a fairytale winter environment. Periods of deep frost are common, with temperatures often dropping to -20°C or even lower. Cold waves with temperatures below -30°C are not uncommon.
Santa Claus village is located in Rovaniemi, Finland is known as the Official Hometown of Santa Claus and offers visitors a magical and festive experience all year round. Visitors will have the opportunity to meet Santa Claus in his office, share their wishes and take unforgettable photos. There are extensive opportunities for outdoor activities, such as husky rides, reindeer sleigh rides, snowmobile tours and cross-country skiing, allowing visitors to explore the beautiful natural surroundings. The park is nestled within a series of underground caves, contributing to its mystical ambiance. These caves are adorned with Christmas lights and decorations. After sledding down a chilly hill and enjoying some ice skating, it's delightful to unwind at the Ice Bar with a drink or relish a lunch or dinner at the Snow restaurant, where furnishings, decorations, and even glasses are crafted entirely from ice. It presents a unique opportunity to dine amidst an enchanting wintry setting. Explore the ice gallery featuring exquisite ice sculptures as well. The entire environment is designed to create a magical atmosphere, allowing visitors to immerse themselves fully in the enchantment of winter and Christmas. For those fond of an evening of dancing, there's even an ice disco with lively music at sub-zero temperatures! Savor an icy beverage while dancing in the Ice Bar. Keep in mind that the temperature always hovers between 0°C and -5°C, so don't forget to dress warmly.
Rovaniemi is de hoofdstad van de provincie Lapland in het noorden van Finland. Het is vooral bekend als de officiële woonplaats van de Kerstman en ligt net boven de poolcirkel. Rovaniemi is wereldwijd bekend als de woonplaats van de Kerstman. Het Santa Claus Village is een populaire attractie, waar bezoekers het hele jaar door de kans hebben om de Kerstman te ontmoeten, zijn postkantoor te bezoeken en de magie van Kerstmis te ervaren. Er zijn uitgebreide mogelijkheden voor buitenactiviteiten, zoals huskytochten, rendiersledetochten, sneeuwscootertochten en langlaufen, waardoor bezoekers de prachtige natuurlijke omgeving kunnen verkennen. Het park bevindt zich in een reeks ondergrondse grotten, wat bijdraagt aan de mystieke sfeer. Deze grotten zijn prachtig versierd met kerstverlichting en decoraties. Nadat je op een tube van een ijskoude heuvel bent afgegleden en wat hebt geschaatst, is het heerlijk om bij de Ice Bar te ontspannen met een drankje of te genieten van een lunch of diner in het Snow-restaurant, waar meubels, decoraties en zelfs glazen volledig van ijs zijn vervaardigd. Het biedt een unieke kans om te dineren te midden van een betoverende winterse omgeving. Ontdek ook de ijsgalerij met prachtige ijssculpturen. De hele omgeving is ontworpen om een magische sfeer te creëren, waar bezoekers zich volledig onderdompelen in de betovering van de winter en Kerstmis. Voor degenen die van een dansavond houden, is er zelfs een ijsdisco met gezellige muziek bij temperaturen onder nul! Geniet van een ijzig drankje terwijl je danst in de Ice Bar. Houd er rekening mee dat de temperatuur altijd tussen de 0° C en -5° C ligt, dus vergeet niet om je warm aan te kleden. Rovaniemi geniet van een overvloedige sneeuwbedekking gedurende het grootste deel van de winter. Sneeuwval begint meestal al in november en blijft tot april liggen. Hierdoor ontstaat een sprookjesachtige winterse omgeving.
photo rights reserved by Ben
Close to the village of Arsha in the Kazbegi region lies the Arsha Waterfall, about five kilometers from Stepantsminda Kazbegi. The hike to the waterfall is considered easy and typically takes three to four hours. The trail is unpaved but well-trodden, surrounded by lush meadows, and offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains. The waterfall is one of the lesser-known natural attractions in the area, contributing to its untouched and serene atmosphere. A bit further along is the Toti Waterfall, accessible via a steep trail that passes above the Arsha Waterfall. This waterfall offers spectacular panoramic views and is an ideal spot for a picnic. Visitors can enjoy the tranquility, the breathtaking nature, and even take a refreshing dip in the crystal-clear water. The hike to Toti Waterfall leads through a rugged mountain landscape with breathtaking views of snow-capped peaks and deep valleys. The trail winds along steep slopes and rocky paths, surrounded by dry grasslands and scattered shrubs. Along the way, impressive cliffs and natural formations add a unique character to the scenery. The fresh mountain air and the tranquility of nature make the journey an unforgettable experience. At the end, the spectacular Toti Waterfall awaits as a rewarding sight after the challenging climb.
The Gold Star Cottage is a charming accommodation in the beautiful surroundings of the Georgian Caucasus, near the Arsha Waterfall. The cottages in the photo have a modern A-frame architecture, which creates a cozy and cozy atmosphere, perfectly fitting into the mountain landscape. From the cottage you have a breathtaking view of the rugged mountains and the valley. In autumn the hills turn golden yellow, while in winter the surroundings transform into a fairytale snowy landscape. The proximity of the Arsha Waterfall makes this location ideal for nature lovers and hikers. It is a perfect place for travelers looking for peace, nature and spectacular mountain panoramas.
Nabij het dorp Arsha in de Kazbek regio, ligt de Arsha-waterval, op ongeveer vijf kilometer van Stepantsminda Kazbegi. De wandeling naar de waterval wordt als eenvoudig beschouwd en duurt doorgaans drie tot vier uur. Het pad is ongebaand maar goed begaanbaar, omringd door weelderige weiden en biedt prachtige uitzichten op de omliggende bergen. De waterval is een van de minder bekende natuurlijke attracties in het gebied, wat bijdraagt aan de ongerepte en serene sfeer. Nog iets verder ligt de Toti-waterval, bereikbaar via een steil pad dat bovenlangs de Arsha-waterval loopt. De wandeling naar de Toti-waterval voert door een ruig berglandschap met adembenemende uitzichten op besneeuwde bergtoppen en diepe valleien. Het pad slingert langs steile hellingen en rotsachtige paden, omringd door droge graslanden en verspreide struiken. Onderweg zijn er indrukwekkende kliffen en natuurlijke formaties die het landschap een uniek karakter geven. De frisse berglucht en de rust van de natuur maken de tocht een onvergetelijke ervaring. Aan het einde wacht de spectaculaire Toti-waterval als beloning voor de inspannende klim. De Gold Star Cottage is een sfeervolle accommodatie in de prachtige omgeving van de Georgische Kaukasus, vlak bij de Arsha-waterval. De huisjes op de foto hebben een moderne A-frame architectuur, wat zorgt voor een knusse en gezellige sfeer, perfect passend in het berglandschap. Vanuit de cottage heb je een adembenemend uitzicht op de ruige bergen en de vallei. In de herfst kleuren de heuvels goudgeel, terwijl in de winter de omgeving verandert in een sprookjesachtig besneeuwd landschap. De nabijheid van de Arsha-waterval maakt deze locatie ideaal voor natuurliefhebbers en wandelaars. Het is een perfecte plek voor reizigers die op zoek zijn naar rust, natuur en spectaculaire bergpanorama’s.
This image is best viewed on black. Thank you everyone for visiting, commenting and fav'ing - very much appreciated! Press "L" for better view and "F" if you like it!
This is another view of the Silicon Valley from the Mt. Hamilton Grandview restaurant, similar to one I posted earlier. This one has a wider angle and is cropped to a panorama. The low fog/smog contributed to an eery mystical scene. The brightly lit street is Tully Road in south San Jose. I processed a single exposure into an HDR photo to enhance the micro contrast.
HDR, 1 RAW exposure, NEX-6, _DSC4497_hdr1enh2c
(Cut to the short hall just inside the door.)
Lucas: There you are!
Mateo: Lucas, you seem too happy to see us?
Sienna: Too much caffeine is bad for you.
Lucas: There's a new hire! A she-hire!
Sienna: Nice that you make her sound like a horse.
Mateo: We saw her. She's snackie!
Sienna: Now, you're eating the horse.
Mateo: Si knows all about her.
Lucas: Tell us everything!
Sienna: I can't.
Lucas: Sienna, you're killin' me, here.
Sienna: Nothing I can do about it. Matty already traded the info for
covering my kitchen duty.
(Mateo gives Lucas a "sorry, not sorry" shrug and expression.)
Lucas: Well, you both suck!
(Cut to Camp Director Wilson's office. He gestures Caly to take a seat
in one of two chairs facing his desk, and walks around the desk to his
chair, taking a seat and accessing information on his computer.)
Dir. Wilson: Calypso Moore, you will be a senior at Newport High School
in September?
Caly: Yes. And people usually call me, Caly.
Dir. Wilson: All right, Caly. (smiles) What do you think of Trailer Trails?
Caly: It's almost like staying in a hotel suite.
Dir. Wilson: (smiles) We pride ourselves on comfort and convenience.
Caly: It shows.
Dir. Wilson: (glances at computer screen) It looks like this will be
your first job?
Caly: I hope that's not an immediate disqualification. I'm a quick
learner, and a hard worker. Which sounds like a load of crap, but it's true.
Dir. Wilson: (eyebrows rise and his lips twitch in amusement) We're not
especially concerned with that, Caly. Most of our younger employees are
high schoolers testing the employment waters.
Caly: My dad says I need something constructive to occupy my free time,
and I'd like to contribute to household expenses. So, a job seems like
it will fill both
Dir. Wilson: That's very commendable, Caly. Your parents must be proud
of you.
Caly: I think my dad is. My mom --
Dir. Wilson: (looks at the computer screen and blanches) Oh, Caly. I'm
sorry. You know, I have a good feeling about this. (smiles) I think
you'll fit right in with our team. Welcome to Trailer Trails!
(Caly returns his smile.)
(Caly: Ari
Wilson: DY)
Trinity Church is a historic parish in the Episcopal Diocese of New York, whose church is located at 89 Broadway opposite Wall Street, in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. Known for its centuries of history, prominent location, distinguished architecture and bountiful endowment, Trinity's congregation is said to be "high church", its activities based on the traditions of the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion in missionary outreach, and fellowship. In addition to its main church, Trinity parish maintains two chapels: St. Paul's Chapel, and the Chapel of St. Cornelius the Centurion on Governors Island. The Church of the Intercession, the Trinity Chapel Complex and many other of Manhattan's Episcopal congregations were once part of Trinity parish. Columbia University was founded on the church's grounds as King's College in 1754.
The current church building is the third to be constructed for the parish, and was designed by Richard Upjohn in the Gothic Revival style. Trinity's first church was a single-story rectangular structure facing the Hudson River, which was constructed in 1698 and destroyed in the Great New York City Fire of 1776. The parish's second church was built facing Wall Street and was consecrated in 1790. The third and current church was erected from 1839 to 1846 and was the tallest building in the United States until 1869, as well as the tallest in New York City until 1890. In 1876–1877 a reredos and altar were erected in memory of William Backhouse Astor Sr., to the designs of architect Frederick Clarke Withers, who extended the rear.
The church is adjacent to the Trinity Churchyard, a burial ground, one of three used by the parish. Besides its church and two chapels, Trinity manages real estate properties with a combined worth of over $6 billion as of 2019. Trinity's main church building is a National Historic Landmark as well as a New York City designated landmark. It is also a contributing property to the Wall Street Historic District, a NRHP district created in 2007.
A view of the east side of S. 6th from Adams St. looking south toward Monroe St. With the exception of the neo-traditional style third building down from the corner that was built in the 1990s, all of the structures in this photograph are contributing buildings within the original boundaries of the Central Springfield Historic District. The District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
There are subjects that have been photographed thousands of times.
For me, the point is not to show once more what a place looks like,
but how it feels when I connect it with my own imagination.
Stuttgart City Library is a strong piece of architecture,
but in a purely documentary image it becomes interchangeable for me.
It’s the kind of picture you look at for a moment and forget the next day.
For the wall, I am looking for something else:
an interpretation that still inspires years later.
So this is not a classic documentary photograph.
I take the idea of the architecture and push it further –
into a calmer, clearer, futuristic version that still remains believable.
A smartphone could document this space perfectly well.
So why do we walk in with high-end cameras and lenses
only to produce yet another “correct” documentation?
I deliberately photograph in a way that turns a real location into a personal world.
Many architectural images are clean and technically correct – and still interchangeable.
One has a bit more sharpness, another a bit less noise,
but in the end it’s essentially the same picture.
You recognize the building, but not the person, the photographer, the artist behind it.
That’s where such images lose their impact, especially if you want to live with them on your wall.
Do we really want to contribute the ten-thousandth version of the same scene?
Creating your own visual worlds is much more demanding.
There is no template, nothing to copy, no guaranteed formula.
All you have is your inner idea of the place, and everything has to build around that:
colors that work together, light that carries a certain mood,
and the question of what this image is supposed to express.
That’s also why such a style is hard to imitate –
there is no preset for it, only the artist’s handwriting.
It took me a long time to understand this.
For many years I held back my own signature because I thought
photography had to be “correct” first and foremost.
But that way of working makes many images age quickly.
Photography becomes truly interesting when you dare to think a subject further –
not just to document, but to interpret.
That is what interests me today:
revealing the potential of a place, not just its surface.
If this image encourages other photographers to repeat less
and show more of their own signature, it has done its job.
There are far more possibilities than “natural colors” or “black and white”.
Once you allow your inner version of a subject to flow into the picture,
you start creating images you genuinely want to keep for a long time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
And if you notice a man from the future
in the glass door at the top —
don’t worry, that’s me. 😉
(At 100% zoom: unmistakably the Running Man.)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Technical details
📷 Camera: Sony Alpha 7R V
🔭 Lens: Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM
📍 Handheld – tripods are not allowed at this location
🔍 Focal Length: 14 mm
🌞 Aperture: f/5.6
🌙 ISO: Auto
⏳ Exposure Bracketing (HDR-RAW): 5-frame series with 2.0 EV steps per image
📍 Location: Stuttgart City Library, Germany
This NASA Hubble Space Telescope photo of NGC 7714 presents an especially striking view of the galaxy's smoke-ring-like structure. The golden loop is made of sun-like stars that have been pulled deep into space, far from the galaxy's center. The galaxy is located approximately 100 million light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Pisces.
The universe is full of such galaxies that are gravitationally stretched and pulled and otherwise distorted in gravitational tug-o'-wars with bypassing galaxies.
The companion galaxy doing the "taffy pulling" in this case, NGC 7715, lies just out of the field of view in this image. A very faint bridge of stars extends to the unseen companion. The close encounter has compressed interstellar gas to trigger bursts of star formation seen in bright blue arcs extending around NGC 7714's center.
The gravitational disruption of NGC 7714 began between 100 million and 200 million years ago, at the epoch when dinosaurs ruled the Earth.
The image was taken with the Wide Field Camera 3 and the Advanced Camera for Surveys in October 2011.
Credit: NASA and ESA. Acknowledgment: A. Gal-Yam (Weizmann Institute of Science)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope observation has captured the galaxy CGCG 396-2, an unusual multi-armed galaxy merger which lies around 520 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Orion.
This observation is a gem from the Galaxy Zoo project, a citizen science project in which hundreds of thousands of volunteers classified galaxies to help scientists solve a problem of astronomical proportions — how to sort through the vast amounts of data generated by robotic telescopes. Following a public vote, a selection of the most astronomically intriguing objects from the Galaxy Zoo were selected for follow-up observations with Hubble. CGCG 396-2 is one such object, and was captured in this image by Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys.
The Galaxy Zoo project originated when an astronomer was set an impossibly mind-numbing task; classifying more than 900 000 galaxies by eye. By making a web interface and inviting citizen scientists to contribute to the challenge, the Galaxy Zoo team was able to crowdsource the analysis, and within six months a legion of 100 000 volunteer citizen astronomers had contributed more than 40 million galaxy classifications.
Since its initial success, the Galaxy Zoo project and its successor projects have contributed to more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles and led to a rich variety of intriguing astronomical discoveries above and beyond their initial goals. The success of the project also inspired more than 100 citizen science projects on the Zooniverse portal, ranging from analysing data from the ESA Rosetta spacecraft's visit to Comet 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko to counting killer whales around remote Alaskan islands!
Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, W. Keel; CC BY 4.0
International criminal court / The Hague / The Netherlands
This is one of the new buildings of the International Criminal Court in The Hague (see link below). It is situated at the edge of the dunes and after finishing the buildings the dune nature around the buildings was restored. It was Friday evening, so almost nobody was working there anymore. The size of the building, the plants in and around the building, the bird on the roof and the sunset sky created for me a surreal mood.
From their website www.icc-cpi.int/about:
"Justice is a key prerequisite for lasting peace. International justice can contribute to long‐term peace, stability and equitable development in post‐conflict societies. These elements are foundational for building a future free of violence."
www.icc-cpi.int/about/how-the-court-works/Pages/default.a...
1864
Niels Peter Clemmensen, looking back in time…..
Niels Peter Clemmensen passed away in 1931.
As a young man he was conscripted into the Danish armed forces and fought in the Danish/Prussian war of 1864. (1. Feb – 30. Oct. 1864)
I would like to thank Niels Peter’s Great-Grandson Kjeld for granting me access to the family’s treasure-trove of letters, paintings and photographs that form the basis of my photo-series, and for his permission to publicize my subsequent artwork.
This short-photo series, (which includes some of Niels Peter’s letters sent to his parents from the trenches in Southern Jutland), will also form an introduction to the family’s own private genealogical research. My sincere thanks for the trust in being able to contribute to the extensive digitalization of these letters, paintings and photographs.
See the complete 1864 album here:
Built in 1888, this Queen Anne-style house was built for Herman Weinhardt, president of the Niemann and Weinhardt Table Company and a West Park Commissioner. The house is clad in red brick with a gabled roof, exposed rafter tails, decorative sawn wooden trim, a side porch with turned columns, a shed roof, decorative sawn brackets, spindlework, and a sawn balustrade, front feature windows with decorative stone and patterned brickwork surrounds, a front entrance porch with brick archways and columns, a rough-hewn battered stone base, scalloped wooden shingle cladding at the front gable, and decorative cresting and finials at the roof. The building is a contributing structure in the Wicker Park Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and designated a Chicago Landmark in 1991.
This view shows the south side of the 200 block of E. Washington St. in downtown Bloomington, two blocks west of the Old Courthouse Square. The two buildings on our immediate left were designed by architect A. T. Simmons. Simmons designed the Lafayette Apartments posted earlier in this series, but is probably best known for his more than 71 Carnegie libraries in Illinois and a dozen other states, along with numerous courthouses, schools, churches and other public buildings. Simmons also designed most of the houses in the Cedar Crest Historic District of Normal, Illinois, the other half of the twin municipalities of Bloomington and Normal.
The building with the Paxtons name over its entrance was the first of the two buildings to be constructed. Known as the C. U. Williams & Son Building, the four-story building was constructed as an automobile showroom, garage and lodge hall. Called “the largest in any city of Bloomington’s size,” this impressive steel-frame and brick edifice was testament to the coming automobile age. Of particular note are the large second-story showroom windows designed to display twice as many cars from the street.
According to the McLean County Museum of History, and his son Walter sold the latest models from early automakers, including E-M-F, Chalmers, Moon, Stearns, Studebaker, Willys-Overland and Woods (the latter known for its electric cars). "The manufacturers that we are representing are all old and well-established houses - there cars are long past the experimental stage," was a C. U. Williams & Son promise.
About four years after opening his automobile showroom, Williams commissioned A. T. Simmons to design the Castle Theatre next door. Upon its completion, Williams used the upper floors above the theater for garage space. Both buildings had freight elevators large enough to accommodate the cars of the day.
In later years an office equipment company by the name of Paxtons occupied the C. U. Williams & Son Building. It is now the home of the legal offices of Wylder Corwin Kelly LLP, trial lawyers specializing in medical malpractice.
The Castle Theatre opened January 24, 1916 as a 1,100-seat movie theatre. It was Bloomington's first real movie palace, and remained a popular Bloomington movie theater until 1988. The Castle Theatre reopened in 2003 after a much-needed restoration as a “brew and view” style first-run movie house but was closed again in January 2007. A church, which has used the theater for Sunday morning services since 2005, continued to meet at the Castle Theatre until late-2010. New owners took over and it is now used as a concert venue.
Both the C. U. Williams & Son Building and the Castle Theatre are contributing architectural properties in the Bloomington Central Business District listed in 1985 on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). The district includes roughly twelve square blocks of the city and encompasses 140 buildings, 118 of which are contributing buildings to the district's historic character.
Bloomington is the seat of McLean County. It is adjacent to Normal, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area. Bloomington is home to State Farm Insurance, Country Financial and Beer Nuts. Illinois Wesleyan University is located here, while the neighboring city of Normal is home to Illinois State University and Heartland Community College. Bloomington is 135 miles (217 km) southwest of Chicago, and 162 miles (261 km) northeast of St. Louis. The estimated population of Bloomington in 2019 was 77,330, with a metro population of 191,067.
This series of photos will include some of the flowers.....
Geology and climate are important contributing to the successful establishment of plants within the park. Deep deposits of volcanic ash combined with even rainfall, mild winters and warm summer temperatures are conducive to plant growth for a range of species from around the world. With this variety of plant types Pukekura is unique in offering a diverse range of landscapes from dense remnant tawa/mahoe/pukatea forest to broad lawns with annual bedding displays and themed garden plantings.
Contributing Building – Winter Garden Downtown Historic District – National Register of Historic Places
NRIS #96000850
Opened 1941
The Blue Ridge Mountains are a physiographic province of the larger Appalachian Mountains range. This province consists of northern and southern physiographic regions, which divide near the Roanoke River gap. The mountain range is located in the eastern United States, starting at its southernmost portion in Georgia, then ending northward in Pennsylvania. To the west of the Blue Ridge, between it and the bulk of the Appalachians, lies the Great Appalachian Valley, bordered on the west by the Ridge and Valley province of the Appalachian range.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are noted for having a bluish color when seen from a distance. Trees put the "blue" in Blue Ridge, from the isoprene released into the atmosphere, thereby contributing to the characteristic haze on the mountains and their distinctive color.
Within the Blue Ridge province are two major national parks: the Shenandoah National Park, in the northern section, and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, in the southern section. The Blue Ridge also contains the Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469-mile (755 km) long scenic highway that connects the two parks and is located along the ridge crestlines with the Appalachian Trail.
Data above originated from the following website below:
Soothe your nerves with a nice tall mug of crabuccino. It is both a beverage and a little friend!
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It is officially Time for Crab!
Time for Crab 2025 kicks off today, spanning July 1 - July 31, everyone is invited to contribute their crustacean creations on Flickr and Instagram with the "timeforcrab" tag. All participants enter a raffle, and one lucky winner will receive a copy of 40781 Badnik: Crabmeat signed by the designer, Maxx Davidson.
Get crabbing!
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More images: www.instagram.com/p/DLkcgQlt3p3
The ossuary is a memorial containing the remains of both French and German soldiers who died on the Verdun battlefield. Through small outside windows, the skeletal remains of at least 130,000 unidentified combatants of both nations can be seen filling up alcoves at the lower edge of the building. On the inside of the ossuary building, the ceiling and walls are partly covered by plaques bearing names of French soldiers who died during the Battle of Verdun. A few of the names are from fighting that took place in the area during World War II, as well as for veterans of the Indochina and Algerian Wars. The families of the soldiers that are recognized here by name contributed for those individual plaques.
© Jeff R. Clow
I hope you will join me in contributing some of your photo art to "Eat Art" - a great cause to feed the world's hungry by the sale of art.
You retain ALL rights to your images but simply grant them a right to sell some copies to help feed the hungry.
Here's a link that explains the mission of founder Todd Clark:
Such an easy way for all of us to help a worthy cause. I hope you will join me there....the photo you see above is one of mine that I'm submitting to be sold for this great humanitarian effort.
Together we all can make a difference.
Sculpture contributed by the University of Waterloo
School of Architecture and
the Department of
Architectural Engineering
Original capture on Rollei 200 ISO B+W film shot at 100 ISO on a Mamiya 645 Pro S.
In 1868, British police first manually used red and green gas lights to control horse carriage traffic at night outside the House of Commons. According to Washington State University Magazine, the Americans then contributed the following:
"American policeman Lester Wire designed the first electric traffic light. It was first installed in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 5, 1914, at the corner of 105th and Euclid Avenue.
1917 — First interconnected traffic signal system installed in Salt Lake City, with six connected intersections controlled simultaneously from a manual switch.
1920 — William Potts, a Detroit policeman, invented the first four-way and three-colored traffic lights. He introduced yellow lights to indicate the light would change soon. Detroit became the first city to implement the four-way and three-colored traffic lights."
CCWeek38: Geometry in Road Signs (Diamond-shaped traffic sign)
One of my favourite quotes by Carl Sagan.
Lately I've been learning a lot about what it means to be human and about ways that I can contribute by living a conscious life. I don't know whether it's because it's December and I'm feeling reflective or whether it's because so much is going on in world news. I know that there are so many things wrong with this earth, truly a plethora of sad things from wars, to families being displaced, the meat industry, modern day slavery, our rainforests being destroyed for reasons traced to capitalism, racism, and so much more. The list goes on and it's hard to know where to start to make a difference. Though it all the earth still spins around the sun and I want my time on it to be a positive one. I decided earlier this year to go back to being a vegetarian and now I can say that I'm 95% vegan (still working on that 5%!). It's such a small choice to make in the grand scale of things but it's still a choice, and in the end, I believe it's our individual choices that collectively make an impact.
How are you guys doing this weekend?
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This display was from an area called the Museum. It is part of the Bombay Beach Biennale which occurs on random dates in the spring. The Biennale was founded in 2015 to provide renegade artistic, musical and philosophical expression outside of commercial galleries and events. It also highlights the ecological crisis of the Salton Sea. While thousands of people attend the party and many contribute art, music and performances of every description, we must have visited during a hiatus as we saw almost no one. A culminating celebration happened in mid-April last year. We missed it.
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We saw these freshly cultivated paddy fields on the train journey from Srinagar to Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Rice is the staple food in Kashmir. The summer month of July is the peak paddy sowing time. Agriculture activity was on in full swing in the entire state. It is a family activity, with every member contributing on the fields.
Read full stories on :
Lolab Valley: Kashmir Unexplored
In 2015 the Helsinki City Council decided to build a central library. The state also contributed to the costs, and so Oodi became the flagship of the 100th anniversary of Finland's independance. The library doors were opened to the public on Finland's Independence Day: December 5, 2018.
The planning of the library started already in 1998, and the final design was made by ALA Architects (they won a design competition over 543 other competitors).
ala.fi/ (website in English)
The library has about 70,000 books on shelves and about 2.5 million visitors every year.
Pasadena City Hall, completed in 1927, serves as the central location for city government in the City of Pasadena, California and it is a significant architectural example of the City Beautiful movement of the 1920s.
In 1923, the people of Pasadena approved a bond measure issuing $3.5 million towards the development of a civic center. City Hall was to be the central element of this center. The San Francisco architecture firm of Bakewell and Brown designed City Hall, which has elements of both Mediterranean Revival Style and Spanish Colonial Revival Style architecture. It was completed on December 27, 1927 at a cost of $1.3 million. It measures 361 feet (110 m) by 242 feet (74 m), and rises 6 stories. There are over 235 rooms and passageways that cover over 170,000 square feet (16,000 m2). The defining dome, located above the west entrance, is 26 feet (7.9 m) tall and 54 feet (16 m) in diameter. On July 28, 1980 the Civic Center District, including Pasadena City Hall, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as listing #80000813.
The City Hall has long been a favorite shooting location for filmmakers. The courtyard was used in the 1995 movie "A Walk in the Clouds" to portray a Napa Valley town square. It has also been used as an embassy in the "Mission: Impossible" television series, and a villa in Charlie Chaplin's Oscar-nominated 1940 film "The Great Dictator." Pasadena City Hall currently serves as the city hall of fictional Pawnee, Indiana, in the television show "Parks and Recreation." The dome is visible through the window of the main characters' apartment building in the television show The Big Bang Theory.
Pasadena. California.
The Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security -- Regolith Explorer spacecraft (OSIRIS-REx) will travel to a near-Earth asteroid, called Bennu, and bring a sample back to Earth for study. The mission will help scientists investigate how planets formed and how life began, as well as improve our understanding of asteroids that could impact Earth.
OSIRIS-REx is scheduled for launch in late 2016. As planned, the spacecraft will reach its asteroid target in 2018 and return a sample to Earth in 2023.
Watch the full video: youtu.be/gtUgarROs08
Learn more about NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission and the making of Bennu’s Journey: www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/bennus-journey/
More information on the OSIRIS-REx mission is available at:
www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/osiris-rex/index.html
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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One of the amazingly colourful Marine Iguanas from Suarez Point on Espanola
Marine Iguana
The Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is an iguana found only on the Galapagos Islands that has the ability, unique among modern lizards, to live and forage in the sea. It has spread to all the islands in the archipelago, and is sometimes called the Galapagos Marine Iguana. It mainly lives on the rocky Galapagos shore, but can also be spotted in marshes and mangrove beaches. On his visit to the islands, Charles Darwin was revolted by the animals' appearance, writing “The black Lava rocks on the beach are frequented by large (2-3 ft), disgusting clumsy Lizards. They are as black as the porous rocks over which they crawl & seek their prey from the Sea. I call them 'imps of darkness'. They assuredly well become the land they inhabit.” In fact, Amblyrhynchus cristatus is not always black; the young have a lighter coloured dorsal stripe, and some adult specimens are grey. The reason for the sombre tones is that the species must rapidly absorb heat to minimize the period of lethargy after emerging from the water. They feed almost exclusively on marine algae, expelling the excess salt from nasal glands while basking in the sun, and the coating of salt can make their faces appear white. In adult males, coloration varies with the season. Breeding-season adult males on the southern islands are the most colorful and will acquire reddish and teal-green colors, while on Santa Cruz they are brick red and black, and on Fernandina they are brick red and dull greenish. Another difference between the iguanas is size, which is different depending on the island the individual iguana inhabits. The iguanas living on the islands of Fernandina and Isabela (named for the famous rulers of Spain) are the largest found anywhere in the Galápagos. On the other end of the spectrum, the smallest iguanas are found on the island on Genovesa. Adult males are approximately 1.3 m long, females 0.6 m, males weigh up to 1.5 kg. On land, the marine iguana is rather a clumsy animal, but in the water it is a graceful swimmer, using its powerful tail to propel itself. As an exothermic animal, the marine iguana can spend only a limited time in the cold sea, where it dives for algae. However, by swimming only in the shallow waters around the island they are able to survive single dives of up to half an hour at depths of more than 15 m. After these dives, they return to their territory to bask in the sun and warm up again. When cold, the iguana is unable to move effectively, making them vulnerable to predation, so they become highly aggressive before heating up (since they are unable to run away they try to bite attackers in this state). During the breeding season, males become highly territorial. The males assemble large groups of females to mate with, and guard them against other male iguanas. However, at other times the species is only aggressive when cold. Marine iguanas have also been found to change their size to adapt to varying food conditions. During El Niño conditions when the algae that the iguanas feed on was scarce for a period of two years, some were found to decrease their length by as much as 20%. When food conditions returned to normal, the iguanas returned to their pre-famine size. It is speculated that the bones of the iguanas actually shorten as a shrinkage of connective tissue could only account for a 10% length change. Researchers theorize that land and marine iguanas evolved from a common ancestor since arriving on the islands from South America, presumably by driftwood. It is thought that the ancestral species inhabited a part of the volcanic archipelago that is now submerged. A second school of thought holds that the Marine iguana may have evolved from a now extinct family of seagoing reptiles. Its generic name, Amblyrhynchus, is a combination of two Greek words, Ambly- from Amblus meaning "blunt" and rhynchus meaning "snout". Its specific name is the Latin word cristatus meaning "crested," and refers to the low crest of spines along the animal's back. Amblyrhynchus is a monotypic genus in that Amblyrhynchus cristatus is the only species which belongs to it at this point in time. This species is completely protected under the laws of Ecuador. El Niño effects cause periodic declines in population, with high mortality, and the marine iguana is threatened by predation by exotic species. The total population size is unknown, but is, according to IUCN, at least 50,000, and estimates from the Charles Darwin Research Station are in the hundreds of thousands. The marine iguanas have not evolved to combat newer predators. Therefore, cats and dogs eat both the young iguanas and dogs will kill adults due to the iguanas' slow reflex times and tameness. Dogs are especially common around human settlements and can cause tremendous predation. Cats are also common in towns, but they also occur in numbers in remote areas where they take a toll on iguanas.
Espanola (Suarez Point)
Approximately a 10-12 hour trip from Santa Cruz, Española is the oldest and the southernmost island in the chain. The trip across open waters can be quite rough especially during August and September. Española's remote location helped make it a unique jewel with a large number of endemic creatures. Secluded from the other islands, wildlife on Española adapted to the island's environment and natural resources. The subspecies of Marine iguana from Española are the only ones that change color during breeding season. Normally, marine iguanas are black in color, a camouflage, making it difficult for predators to differentiate between the iguanas and the black lava rocks where they live. On Española adult marine iguanas are brightly colored with a reddish tint except during mating season when their color changes to more of a greenish shade. The Hood Mockingbird is also endemic to the island. These brazen birds have no fear of man and frequently land on visitors heads and shoulders searching for food. The Hood Mockingbird is slightly larger than other mockingbirds found in the Galapagos; its beak is longer and has a more curved shape. The Hood Mockingbird is the only carnivorous one of the species feeding on a variety of insects, turtle hatchlings and sea lion placentas. Wildlife is the highlight of Española and the star of the show is the waved albatross. The island's steep cliffs serve as the perfect runways for these large birds which take off for their ocean feeding grounds near the mainland of Ecuador and Peru abandoning the island between January and March. Known as endemic to the island, Española is the waved albatross's only nesting place. Each April the males return to Española followed shortly thereafter by the females. Mating for life, their ritual begins with the male's annual dance to re-attract his mate. The performance can take up to 5 days consisting of a series of strutting, honking, and beak fencing. Once the pair is reacquainted they produce a single egg and share the responsibility of incubation. The colony remains based on Española until December when the chick is fully grown. By January most of the colony leaves the island to fish along the Humboldt Current. Young albatross do not return to Española until their 4th or 5th year when they return to seek a mate. Geographically Española is a classic example of a shield volcano, created from a single caldera in the center of the island. Over the years as the island has moved further away from the hot spot, the volcano became extinct and erosion began to occur. Española's two visitor sites offer an exceptional island visit. Punta Suarez is one of the highlights of the Galapagos Islands. The variety and quantity of wildlife assures a memorable visit. Visitors find migrant, resident, and endemic wildlife including brightly colored Marine Iguanas, Española Lava Lizards, Hood Mockingbirds, Swallow Tailed Gulls, Blue Footed and Masked Boobies, Galapagos Hawks, a selection of Finch, and the Waved Albatross.Found on the western tip of Española, Punta Suarez offers great wildlife such as sea lions, sea birds and the largest marine iguanas of Galapagos. This is one of the best sites in the Galapagos. The amount of wildlife is overwhelming. Along the beach there are many sea lions and large, colorful lava lizards and marine iguanas. As you follow the trail to the cliff's edge masked boobies can be found nesting among the rock formations. After a short walk down to a beach and back up the other side blue-footed boobies are seen nesting just off the trail. The Galapagos Dove and very friendly Hood Mockingbird are commonly found in this area. The nearby bushes are frequently home to the large-cactus finch, warbler finch, small-ground finch and large-billed flycatcher. Continuing down the trail you come to the only place where waved albatross nest in the islands. Some 12,000 pairs nest on Española each year. The feeling is very dramatic and it seems like a desolate wilderness as the waves crash on the jagged cliffs below and the blowhole shoots water 50-70 feet/15-30 meters into the air. The sky above is full of sea birds including red-billed tropicbirds, American Oystercatchers, swallow-tailed gulls, and Audubon's Shearwaters.
Galapagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands (official name: Archipiélago de Colón; other Spanish names: Islas de Colón or Islas Galápagos) are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, some 900 km west of Ecuador. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site: wildlife is its most notable feature. Because of the only very recent arrival of man the majority of the wildlife has no fear of humans and will allow visitors to walk right up them, often having to step over Iguanas or Sea Lions.The Galápagos islands and its surrounding waters are part of a province, a national park, and a biological marine reserve. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of around 40,000, which is a 40-fold expansion in 50 years. The islands are geologically young and famed for their vast number of endemic species, which were studied by Charles Darwin during the voyage of the Beagle. His observations and collections contributed to the inception of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection.
I apologise for not contributing anything to Flickr for a few days. Sometimes life just gets too busy.
A pair of Arriva Trains Wales Class 142 'Pacer' multiple units heads towards Cardiff Queen Street station on Saturday 9th January 2016. I was waiting, along with many other people, to gain access to the building just out of view on the right. Unfortunately the security guard had failed to turn up at the appointed time to open up, so naturally I grasped the opportunity for some railway photography.
Incidentally, I didn't plan to get these passers-by in the shot; they just happened to be there at the moment the 'Pacer' rolled past.
Go big or stay home. But it's okay to feel small, too.
In fair warning, this is my full-sized avi with a Maitreya body, and the lovely Ademe Warrior outfit from Roped Passions is Maitreya fitmesh: it's just the lovely scenery at Fantasy Faire 2019 that makes makes me teeny.
The Ethereal wings from Lunaria are unscripted, but have a gentle flexi-like motion as you move. They're not flight wings, but they're great for wearing in high-lag areas... or anytime you just want to look wonderful.
I left off jewelry with this outfit, but augmented instead with the beautiful Hope tattoo from Stardust, exclusive for the Fantasy Faire: when the Faire is over, this lovely adornment will be gone!
There are so many wonderful things at Fantasy Faire, and every one helps contribute to the fight against cancer. With 16 sims, you can always get in somewhere and have a look around. Fantasy Faire 2019 is only here until May 5, and there is SO MUCH to see.
Mahalo! A hui hou!
Featuring:
Ademe Warrior by Roped Passions, for Fantasy Faire 2019
Ethereal Wings by Lunaria, for Fantasy Faire 2019
Asteriana Tattoo Hope by Stardust, for Fantasy Faire 2019
99 Luftballons #1 pose by {NanTra}
Full credits are at Blue's Fantasy!
© Dan McCabe
Winner, Red Ribbon, 2014 Whidbey Island Fair
One aspect of this photo that is interesting is the width of the reflection of the moon. This width is determined by how rough or smooth the water is at that point in the reflection. Where the water is rough, the reflection is wider, and where it is smooth, the reflection is narrower.
The twinkling lights on the land across the water are about 3 miles (5 km) away from where this photo was taken.
My first photo with 50 Faves. Thanks to all of you who contributed!!!
Alberobello (literally "beautiful tree") is a small town and comune in Apulia. It has about 11,000 inhabitants and is famous for its unique trulli buildings. The trulli of Alberobello have been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1996.
Alberobello was first mentioned in the early sixteenth century when the first 40 families got land to farm in the area. The abundance of calcareous sedimentary material in the area lead to the building of houses with dry stone without the use of mortar. These houses were the first trulli which contributed to the expansion of the settlement. Building the houses of dry stone was a requirement of Count Giangirolamo II as this way it was avoidable to pay taxes on them.
Built in 1808, this Federal and Greek Revival-style house was constructed by Philip Yeiser, with the central brick section being the original house, with two wings added later in the 19th Century, along with a two-story ionic portico on the front facade. Yeiser owned most of the land now occupied by the surrounding historic district and neighborhood, which was subdivided later in the 19th Century, and noticeably stands further back from the street than the other houses in the neighborhood. The house features a central wing two stories tall and five bays wide, capped with a side gable roof, with five eight-over-eight double hung windows on the second floor and four twelve-over-twelve windows on the first floor, flanking a central front door with a decorative pilaster and cornice surround, with a decorative transom, a two-story ionic portico with a decorated front pediment, with four circular columns in the middle and two square columns on the ends, and two one-story side wings with decorative balustrades on the roof, two twelve-over-twelve double-hung windows on the front facade, and dentils at the roofline, with the whole house being clad in stucco to unify the exterior appearance. The house is a contributing structure in the Lexington Avenue-Broadway Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
SN/NC: Dahlia, Syn. Dahlia Pinnata, Asteraceae Family
Dahlia (UK: /deɪliə/ or US: /dɑːliə/) is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico. A member of the Asteraceae, dicotyledonous plants, related species include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia. There are 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. Flower forms are variable, with one head per stem; these can be as small as 5 cm (2 in) diameter or up to 30 cm (1 ft) ("dinner plate"). This great variety results from dahlias being octoploids—that is, they have eight sets of homologous chromosomes, whereas most plants have only two. In addition, dahlias also contain many transposons—genetic pieces that move from place to place upon an allele—which contributes to their manifesting such great diversity.
Otros nombres de la dahlia, xicamiti,
flor de camote. Proviene de las regiones de Cuernavaca y Tepoztlán, en México. Se conocen más de 2 mil variedades diferentes de esta planta. Crece en forma de mata y puede medir desde unos pocos centímetros hasta más de un metro de altura, según la variedad.Dahlia (Reino Unido: /Deɪliə /o us: /dːliə /) es un género de plantas perennes arbustivas, tuberosas y herbáceas nativas de México. Un miembro de las Asteraceae, plantas dicotiledóneas, especies relacionadas incluyen el girasol, la margarita, el crisantemo y la zinnia. Hay 42 especies de Dahlia, con híbridos comúnmente cultivados como plantas de jardín. Las formas de flores son variables, con una cabeza por tallo; Estos pueden ser tan pequeños como 5 cm (2 pulgadas) de diámetro o hasta 30 cm (1 pie) ("plato de cena"). Esta gran variedad resulta de que las dahlias son octoploides, es decir, tienen ocho conjuntos de cromosomas homólogos, mientras que la mayoría de las plantas tienen solo dos. Además, las dahlias también contienen muchos transposones, piezas genéticas que se mueven de un lugar a otro sobre un alelo, que contribuye a su manifestación de tanta diversidad. Anders Dahl, botánico sueco, fue quien introdujo la flor en los países nórdicos y, como homenaje, la flor recibió su nombre. Los holandeses contribuyeron a la expansión de esta flor en Brasil.
Dahlia, nome comum dália, é um género botânico pertencente à família Asteraceae. É uma herbácea de porte médio, perene. Quando adulta, a planta chega a atingir até 1,50 metro. É originária do México, onde é muito popular. Os índios daquela região foram os primeiros a cultivar dálias, ainda no período do império Asteca. Por volta do final do século XVIII, o diretor do Jardim Botânico de Madrid encantou-se com a flor, durante uma visita ao México. Foi o suficiente para que a dália atravessasse o oceano e chegasse à Europa, onde se adaptou ao clima temperado. Foi o botânico sueco Anders Dahl, responsável pela expansão das dálias pela região nórdica da Europa, que inspirou o nome da flor. Os holandeses e os franceses foram os maiores incentivadores do cultivo e da produção de inúmeras espécies híbridas de dálias. Os imigrantes holandeses contribuíram para a propagação desta flor no Brasil. Hoje, entre naturais e híbridas, existem mais de 3 000 variedades, com uma diversificação de formas, cores tamanhos e adaptações a diferentes condições.
Dahlia, nom commun Dahlia, est un genre de plantes fleurissantes de la famille des marguerites. C'est une herbacée de taille moyenne, vivace. En tant qu'adulte, l'usine atteint jusqu'à 1,50 Metro. Il est originaire du Mexique, où il est très populaire. Les Indiens dans cette région ont été les premiers à cultiver Dahlia, encore dans la période de l'Empire aztèque. Vers la fin du XVIIIe siècle, le directeur des jardins botaniques de Madrid a été enchanté par la fleur, lors d'une visite au Mexique. Il suffisait que le dahlia traverse l'océan et atteigne l'Europe, où il s'adapte au climat tempéré.
C'est le botaniste suédois Anders Dahl, responsable de l'expansion des dahlias par la région nordique de l'Europe, qui a inspiré le nom de la fleur.
Dahlia (uk: /deɪliə /of us: /dːliə /) is een geslacht van bossige, knol, kruidachtige meerjarige planten afkomstig uit Mexico. Een lid van de Asteraceae, Dicotyledonous planten, gerelateerde soorten omvatten de zonnebloem, Daisy, Chrysanthemum en Zinnia. Er zijn 42 soorten dahlia, met hybriden die gewoonlijk worden gekweekt als tuinplanten. Bloemvormen zijn variabel, met één kop per stengel; Deze kunnen zo klein zijn als een diameter van 5 cm (2 inch) of tot 30 cm (1 ft) ("bord"). Deze grote variëteit resulteert van dahlia's zijn octoploïden - dat wil zeggen dat ze acht sets homologe chromosomen hebben, terwijl de meeste planten er slechts twee hebben. Bovendien bevatten Dahlias ook veel transposons - generale stukken die van plaats naar plaats op een allel gaan - wat bijdraagt aan hun manifestatie van zo'n grote diversiteit. Anders Dahl, de Zweedse botanicus, was degene die de bloem introduceerde in de Alnend landen en als eerbetoon kreeg de bloem zijn naam. De Nederlanders hebben bijgedragen aan de uitbreiding van deze bloem in Brazilië.
Dahlia (Regno Unito: /deɪliə /o us: /dːliə /) è un genere di piante perenni folli, tuberose, erbacee originarie del Messico. Un membro delle Asteraceae, piante dicotyledoni, specie correlate includono il girasole, la margherita, il crisantemo e la zinnia. Esistono 42 specie di dahlia, con ibridi comunemente coltivati come piante da giardino. Le forme di fiori sono variabili, con una testa per stelo; Questi possono essere piccoli come 5 cm (2 pollici) di diametro o fino a 30 cm (1 piedi) ("piatto per la cena"). Questa grande varietà deriva da Dahlias che sono poltoploidi, cioè hanno otto serie di cromosomi omologhi, mentre la maggior parte delle piante ne ha solo due. Inoltre, le dahlia contengono anche molti trasposoni - pezzi generatici che si spostano da un luogo all'altro su un allele - che contribuiscono alla loro manifestazione di tale grande diversità. Anders Dahl, botanico svedese, è stato colui che ha introdotto il fiore nei paesi nordici e come omaggio il fiore ha ottenuto il suo nome. Gli olandesi hanno contribuito all'espansione di questo fiore in Brasile.
Dahlia (UK: /DEɪliə /oder USA: /dːliə /) ist eine Gattung von buschigen, knallberechtigen, krautigen Staudenpflanzen, die in Mexiko beheimatet sind. Ein Mitglied der Asteraceae, dicotyledonous -Pflanzen, verwandte Arten umfassen Sonnenblumen, Daisy, Chrysanthemen und Zinnia. Es gibt 42 Arten von Dahlia, wobei Hybriden üblicherweise als Gartenpflanzen angebaut werden. Blütenformen sind variabel, mit einem Kopf pro Stamm; Diese können nur einen Durchmesser von 5 cm oder bis zu 30 cm ("Teller") sein. Diese große Vielfalt resultiert aus Dahlien, die Oktoploide sind - das heißt, sie haben acht Sätze homologer Chromosomen, während die meisten Pflanzen nur zwei haben. Darüber hinaus enthält Dahlien auch viele Transposons - genetische Stücke, die sich von Ort zu Ort auf ein Allel bewegen, was zu ihrer Manifestierung einer so großen Vielfalt beiträgt. Anders Dahl, der schwedische Botaniker, war derjenige, der die Blume in die nordischen Länder vorstellte, und als Hommage bekam die Blume seinen Namen. Die Niederländer trugen zur Ausweitung dieser Blume in Brasilien bei.
Dahlia（英国： /deɪliə /またはus： /dgrliə /）は、メキシコに自生したふさふさした、塊状の草本多年生植物の属です。 キク科のメンバーである双子葉植物、関連種には、ヒマワリ、デイジー、菊、Zinniaが含まれます。 42種のダリアがあり、ハイブリッドは一般的に庭の植物として栽培されています。 花の形は可変であり、茎ごとに1つの頭があります。 これらは、直径5 cm（2インチ）または最大30 cm（1フィート）（「ディナープレート」）までです。 この非常に多様性は、ダリアが卵巣であることに起因します。つまり、8セットの相同染色体がありますが、ほとんどの植物は2つしかありません。 さらに、Dahliasには、対立遺伝子の上に場所から場所へと移動するジェネティックな多くのトランスポゾンも含まれています。 スウェーデンの植物学者のアンダース・ダールは、北欧諸国に花を紹介し、オマージュとして花は彼の名前を得た人でした。 オランダはブラジルでのこの花の拡大に貢献しました。
Dahlia (المملكة المتحدة: /deɪliə /أو الولايات المتحدة: /dːliə /) هي جنس من النباتات الدائمة الكثبانية ، العشبية الأصلية للمكسيك. عضو في Asteraceae ، والنباتات dicotyledonous ، والأنواع ذات الصلة تشمل عباد الشمس ، و Daisy ، و chrysanthemum ، و Zinnia. هناك 42 نوعًا من داليا ، مع الهجينة التي تزرع عادةً كنباتات حديقة. أشكال الزهور متغيرة ، برأس واحد لكل ساق. يمكن أن تكون هذه القطر صغير مثل 5 سم (2 بوصة) أو ما يصل إلى 30 سم (1 قدم) ("لوحة عشاء"). ينتج هذا التنوع الكبير عن دالياس هو الأخطبوط - أي أن لديهم ثماني مجموعات من الكروموسومات المتماثلة ، في حين أن معظم النباتات لديها اثنتين فقط. بالإضافة إلى ذلك ، يحتوي Dahlias أيضًا على العديد من عمليات النقل - القطع الجينية التي تنتقل من مكان إلى آخر على أليل - والتي تساهم في إظهار هذا التنوع الكبير. كان أندرس دال ، عالم النبات السويدي ، هو الشخص الذي قدم الزهرة إلى بلدان الشمال الأوروبي وكمحية حصلت الزهرة على اسمه. ساهم الهولنديون في توسع هذه الزهرة في البرازيل.
(...) had it not been for the magnificent material contributed by the Polish squadrons and their unsurpassed gallantry, I hesitate to say that the outcome of battle would have been the same.
Air Chief Marshall Sir Hugh Dowding
The Republic of Cape Verde (Portuguese: Cabo Verde)
is an island country, of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa.
Around 95% of the population is Christian.
The economy of Cape Verde is service-oriented, with commerce, transport, and public services accounting for more than 70% of GDP. Although nearly 38% of the population lives in rural areas, agriculture and fishing contribute only about 9% of GDP. Light manufacturing accounts for most of the remainder. Fish and shellfish are plentiful, and small quantities are exported.
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It’s seven in the morning
First things first
Gotta go tinkle
Get that coffee brewing
And take Tango out!
Everyone else is sleeping
A new day is breaking
It’s a bit rainy out today
But the air is fresh
And Tango found a new friend!
No stillness for me here
This habit is so unpredictable
With his eyes so expectant
A walk, some food and finally love
It’s seven in the morning
And I already need a hug!
by Bambi Chicque
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There is a delightful array of offerings at The Spoonful Of Sugar Festival; Designers created exclusives and have good deals on other items from their shops. Remember, when you purchase from the Donation Vendors you are contributing to a worthy cause and support for Doctor’s Without Borders.
Visit Spoonful Of Sugar Festival!
LOCATION OF PHOTO:
Cincinnati City Hall is a registered historic building in Cincinnati, Ohio, listed in the National Register on December 11, 1972.
The main building comprises four and a half stories with a nine story clock tower. An optical trick known as forced perspective makes the building appear even larger than it actually is. As it becomes taller, its windows get smaller.[2]
The building was constructed by the David Hummel company of Cincinnati using stone quarried in Wisconsin, Ohio, Missouri, and Indiana. Marble stairways and wainscoting originated in Italy and Tennessee, while granite columns were obtained from Vermont. Stained glass windows were installed which depict Cincinnatus and illustrate Cincinnati's early history.[3] A granite statue of Jesus was contributed by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1864 and displayed in the alcove on the south side of the building until 2003.
Driving down a small country road we both saw an old rickety sign for a stone church which was not visible from the road and so Anita did a U-turn (she's getting really good at that!) and we went back to find a small one track gravel path leading off into the fields. At one point we had to stop and open a gate to go through but what a treat when we finally rolled up to this church. Being of an inquisitive and adventurous spirit Anita tried the door and found it to be unlocked and in we went!
So beautiful on the inside and part of it had been sectioned off for a school at one point. The pews are not facing the pulpit but sitting on the sides of it with a center aisle leading to it. You can see a corner of a desk that was used in the school room that looks like 3 pupils at a time would have used it. Here's is what I found out about this place:
Old Stone Church, also known as Green Spring Church and Stone Church, is a historic Lutheran church located at White Hall, Frederick County, Virginia. It was built about 1820, and rebuilt in 1838 after a fire. It is a one-story, gable-roofed, cut stone church. Also on the property is a contributing cemetery with many headstones dating from the early to mid-19th century and two stone gate pillars. It is the second oldest stone church surviving in Frederick County.
We thoroughly enjoyed our visit there and explored the cemetery and grounds also. There was such a sense of peace and serenity in that place! It is located at the most northern and western part of the state and right after that we were in West Virginia.
And now we are off adventuring again and I think in a northerly direction..... but that is Always subject to change! LOL Have a great Sunday everyone and if you get the chance, go do some adventuring but don't forget the cameras! :D