I was recently in Virginia and wanted to see some evidence of Fall. I was a few weeks early, and was a bit discouraged, but did see this in the North Fork of the Thornton River.

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you. He will never leave you or forsake you. Do not be afraid, do not be discouraged.

Deuteronomy 31:8

Kings Canyon is a canyon in the Northern Territory of Australia located at the western end of the George Gill Range about 323 kilometres southwest of Alice Springs and about 1,316 kilometres south of Darwin within the Watarrka National Park. The walls of Kings Canyon are over 100 metres high, with Kings Creek at the bottom. Part of the gorge is a sacred Aboriginal site and visitors are discouraged from leaving the walking tracks. According to geologists, the valley was formed more than 400 million years ago. It cuts through a layer of Mereenie Sandstone, which was deposited here 400 million years ago. The sandstone can be viewed in the form of 30-m high cliffs, and as you go deeper, you can witness the softer Carmichael Sandstone, which has been present here for 440 million years. These two layers of sandstone are divided by a thin layer of purple shale or mudstone which depicts the environmental changes between the two formations. 15698

From the 2019 archives, not published on Flickr before.

The sentinel tree is well-known to tour guides, photographers, and others who frequent the Tidal Basin during Cherry Blossom season. Taken in 2019, this picture shows the tree during sunrise. As you can see, the sentinel tree seems to watch over Washington, DC.

Its' storm-damaged branches blossom before most of the other trees surrounding the Cherry Blossom season. For many of us, this bloom marks the real beginning of throngs of people storming the Tidal Basin.

Unfortunately, this year many Washingtonians are not going to see or photograph the Tidal Basin in its cherry blossom glory, thanks to the COVID-19 and the need to engage in social distancing to combat the disease. Some photographers and tourists decided to go anyway, forcing the city to shut down blocks of streets to discourage them from coming down to the Tidal Basin.

These people would rather risk infection and spreading the disease, obviously not taking the pandemic threat seriously. We live in a free country, and often that empowers those who engage in self-will run riot. But we do need to come together and unite.

Our country is only at the tip of the coronavirus iceberg. Great suffering lies ahead for many. Some will lose their lives, their families will suffer, others will simply get very ill, and then there are those who will be leveled by great economic damage. It is a time for compassion and caring. We need to watch over each other.

Life continues, and some mornings, weary of the noise, discouraged by the prospect of the interminable work to keep after, sickened also by the madness of the world that leaps at you from the newspaper, finally convinced that I will not be equal to it and that I will disappoint everyone—all I want to do is sit down and wait for evening. This is what I feel like, and sometimes I yield to it.

Albert Camus

The first lighthouse was erected in 1838, at a price of £11,589. There had been a call for a light at this location for some years by master shipmen in the nearby city of Liverpool, especially after the steamer the Rothsay Castle ran aground and broke up nearby in 1831 with 130 people losing their lives.[4]

The present Lighthouse, built 1835-1838, is 29m tall and was designed by James Walker. It was his first sea-washed tower, and a prototype for his more ambitious tower on the Smalls.

The Lighthouse has a stepped-base designed to discourage the huge upsurge of waves that had afflicted earlier lighthouses on the site and reduce the force of the water at the bottom of the tower. Wiki

Visit this location at Cloud Galleries @ Corsica South Coasters in Second Life

Mood: True Colors - Cyndi Lauper, Justin Timberlake, Anna Kendrick (Boyce Avenue ft. Rachel Grae cover)

❤ KiB Designs - EMMA TOP for #LAZYSUNDAY - 65L

-Dates: March 17-19 (SLT) Get it in Marketplace today!

Link: -MP: bit.ly/4a9YT93

-Flickr: flic.kr/p/2pDHYGs

-Blog: bit.ly/3VruUox

-LM: maps.secondlife.com/.../Lost%20Dreams.../184/194/23

❤ FAYE Earrings by ::PM:: Purple Moon Creations for Designer Showcase. Spring inspired earrings featuring bright and fun colors to customize them to any situation.

Get it here: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Corrupted%20Innocence/62/4...

❤ SPRING POOL pack by Fashiowl Poses at 60L MARKETPLACE Sale // The sale starts at 10am slt on Wednesday and ends by Saturday 10am slt. Link: marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Fashiowl-Spring-Pool/25843426

- 12 bento poses

- individual poses separately included

- pose stand included

In-world store: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Northern%20Forests/9...

Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/goiizane/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fashiowlposes

You with the sad eyes

Don't be discouraged, oh I realize

It's hard to take courage

In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all

The darkness inside you

Can make you feel so small

Show me a smile then

Don't be unhappy

Can't remember when

I last saw you laughing

This world makes you crazy

And you've taken all you can bear

Just call me up

'Cause I will always be there

And I see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

Old photo taken at a farm in Cleveland, Tn.

a bit of hope for them.

below is a print made with the flower on the wrong side of the paper. I pulled it out of the sun when I realized what had happened. It made an impression anyway.

this little sunflower prints out looking like the gerberas. in real life they didn't look the same.

**chai and I had a bad night last night. I was restless and probably disturbed his sleep.

I got up this morning feeling pretty good, tho'. I made my coffee and Leon and I had our morning talk before starting on our chores. we talked about the war and both of us ended up discouraged.

he cleaned the kitchen, I'm still working on my bedroom and the walk-in closet. distractions.

when will this end? we are being held prisoners by a maniacal megalomaniac.

Sometimes, I feel so tired...and so discouraged...that I wish I could pull a Rip Van Winkle...and fall asleep for 100 years...and wake up later to see how it all turned out. And I wouldn't even care how long my beard grew while I slept. Just so long as my sleep was uninterrupted.

~~Sheree~~

You with the sad eyes

Don't be discouraged, oh I realize

It's hard to take courage

In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all

The darkness inside you

Can make you feel so small

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

I see your true colors

Shining through

~ Stemberg/Weller, Cyndi Lauper, True Colours

Coved-19 + Осень.... Но унывать не стоит даже тогда, когда для уныния есть все основания.

Hilominlo Pahto is one of the largest temples in Bagan. It was built in 1211 by King Nandaungmya and belongs to the late period of Bagan architecture. It is a contemporary of Gawdawpalin in Old Bagan.

It is common to find shops selling souvenirs and religious goods in the precinct of temples as seen in this photo, while UNESCO discourages this tradition.

Gulls eyeing up the crab bait - jetty Aberdovey, Wales

(The latest BBC news on how to discourage unwanted gulls advised to stare them out.)

However, while I stared at the decoys, the perpetrators swooped in from behind, and the bate was gone!

Pavo cristatus

COMMON NAME: Peacocks

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Afropavo, Pavo

TYPE: Birds

DIET: Omnivore

Peacocks use their unique plumage both to attract mates and to discourage predators by appearing bigger.

GROUP NAME: Muster, ostentation, pride

In the wild, peacocks have an average lifespan of 10-25 years. In captivity, peacocks have been known to live longer, averaging between 40-50 years in age. Even though there are many differences between the peahen and the peacock, they both actually are both quite similar in their lifespans.

It was my third visit to the forest at the end of the day we booked the last jeep safari ride and it was quite a nice and different experience where we saw some bison, poisonous reptiles and wild elephant, some beautiful peacocks, kingfisher birds, on the way we saw the tribal houses and people who stay inside the forest, and talked to them to know more wildlife experiences from them and had a cup of tea,

Castelmola viewed from Naxos on Sicily. Apparently the Italians built their cities high up to discourage pirates, which were once common around the Italian coast, coming from several different countries throughout history.

Please see my other Photographs at: www.jamespdeans.co.uk

This particular male "Saga" has been a common fixture on the beach of Lake Ontario for the past 3 springs. He fathered 3 chicks in 2022, returned in 2023 and with his partner "Chewie" successfully raised 3 chicks and now in 2024 has partnered with a female "Lola" and successfully incubated 4 eggs. The 4 eggs hatched on June 13 and 14 and the chicks were banded on June 21. Unfortunately 2 of the chicks were predated on June 24 and another one on June 25 leaving only one juvenile for the parents to raise. This is discouraging for an endangered species that has had so much difficulty in trying to repopulate.

This years juvenile "Red Dot" was trying to fledge on July 5 and the last sighting of Lola was late evening July 6 so is assumed she has migrated south.

This is Saga posing for a few shots but I did not realize until editing that a Shoreline Wolf Spider had jumped from the sand and landed on his chest and 1 second later was on his back. It rode around on his back for approximately 5 minutes before jumping off. These spiders are common on beaches where they can easily feed on arthropods that populate a sandy habitat. This species is native to Canada.

A special thankyou to chief park naturalist "Kristen Osborne" for identifying the spider for me.

A special thank you to all who visit, fave and/or comment on this photo. Much appreciated.

At the lower end of Whatcom Falls Park is this small pool. Swimming and jumping is highly discouraged. Stop by on a hot summer day and see how THAT is working out for them.

Copyright. Please do not use this photo or share on a website without written permission.

Kings Canyon is a canyon in the Northern Territory of about 323 kilometres southwest of Alice Springs and about 1,316 kilometres south of Darwin within the Watarrka National Park. The walls of Kings Canyon are over 100 metres high, with Kings Creek at the bottom. Part of the gorge is a sacred Aboriginal site and visitors are discouraged from leaving the walking tracks. According to geologists, the valley was formed more than 400 million years ago. It cuts through a layer of Mereenie Sandstone, which was deposited here 400 million years ago. The sandstone can be viewed in the form of 30-m high cliffs, and as you go deeper, you can witness the softer Carmichael Sandstone, which has been present here for 440 million years. These two layers of sandstone are divided by a thin layer of purple shale or mudstone which depicts the environmental changes between the two formations. 15670

The Old 'Jot Em Down' store circa 1930 became the UGA Barn Sign in 2000 when the family was discouraged with Quincy Carter as QB. It has since been the site of every important message in Dawg Nation. University Of Georgia NCAA National College Football Champions 2021. Go Dawgs!!! Located at 4775 Ga Hwy 15 S. Tennille Ga 31089.

You with the sad eyes

Don't be discouraged, oh I realize

It's hard to take courage

In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all

The darkness inside you

Can make you feel so small

Show me a smile then

Don't be unhappy

Can't remember when

I last saw you laughing

This world makes you crazy

And you've taken all you

Can bear

Just, call me up

'Cause I will always be there

And I see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

I see your true colors

Shining through (true colors)

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

Like a rainbow

Oooooh oooooh oooh like a rainbow

Can't remember when

I last saw you laughing

Oooooh

This world makes you crazy

Taking all you can bear

Just, call me up

'Cause I'll be always be there

And I see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid (don't be afraid)

To let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

Like a rainbow (Oooh)

Like a rainbow

Oooh

~Justin Timberlake & Anna Kendrick

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFZILaGa-TA

A small male side-blotched lizard saw me approaching and he started doing pushups when I was 50 feet away. The pushups are meant to discourage other males from entering his territory, which he uses for courting females.

I don't know how he knew I was male.

This male, I think, is a juvenile that is developing the orange throat color that advertises the highest-testosterone, most aggressive of the three male color morphs.

Well-fed. We switched out the feed and discouraged the squirrels, for a while.

I went looking for owls today. My search started at 6:55am as I stood next to a field with visions of a Snowy flying in low from the Southwest just as the sun was rising, it's prey firmly clutched in its glistening talons. The hues of golden hour danced on its wings as the endless clicks of my shutter filled my buffer, but never beyond capacity. Everything was there, except of course, the Snowy who obviously had not read my script.

Not to be discouraged, I was heartened by the news of a Great Horned Owl seen yesterday not far from my house. Stopping by the woods later in the day, I searched and searched, but no GHO. I decided it was time to call it a day and started to get into my car when a friend, who is an expert Owl spotter pointed towards the woods at a suspicious shadow perched on a branch. Yes! It was a Barred rather than a GHO, but I was overjoyed and rewarded with the sight of a lovely Barred Owl surrounded by fall leaves.

Although the weather forecast can seemed discouraging, perhaps the pursuit of clear skies will be rewarded with a glimpse of northern lights that appearing at the starry sky. Kattfjordeidet,Tromsø, in north of Norway.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LPn0KFlbqX8

Performed by: Cyndi Lauper

Written by: Billy Steinberg, Tom Kelly

You with the sad eyes

Don't be discouraged

Oh I realize

It's hard to take courage

In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all

And the darkness inside you

Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

Like a rainbow

Show me a smile then

Don't be unhappy, can't remember

When I last saw you laughing

If this world makes you crazy

And you've taken all you can bear

You call me up

Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let it show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

Like a rainbow

If this world makes you crazy

And you've taken all you can bear

You call me up

Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let it show

Your true colors

True colors

True colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

Like a rainbow

(147)

Macro Mondays - Center Square B&W

The idea of photographing a lighted bulb, for the macro theme of this Monday, came in my mind Sunday morning.

I started to go around in the house looking for an incandescent light bulb, to my surprise I realized that there is not one left. Over time they have all been replaced by LED ones.

I did not let myself be discouraged, I tried with an LED light bulb and I realized that it could be just as interesting.

This is the result.

My X = My 100 Favorite Places to take photographs in Southern New Jersey, USA!

Location: My Garden, Mays Landing, New Jersey, USA (in Atlantic County)

__________

COMMENTS DISABLED.

Please feel free to favorite, or leave comment notes on the photo itself. I return those comments too!

~~~~~

I am feeling a little discouraged with my 52weeks...

Week 21 has got me. I'm tempted to skip it. LOL ! I've been stuck here for quite some time.. PAPER ...PAPER?!! I'm having issues photographing paper (or have I even tried??) I don't know.. I feel like I can't do a good - interesting photo of paper. But I guess this week I must try.

The next two weeks I have photo sessions booked on my ONLY day off.. *very busy lately*. Both are baby portraits! I'm looking forward to it...

_____________

Please feel free to favorite this, leave a photo comment note on the photo.. or comment on the next photo about this one..

**I will be posting a "PAPER" photo as soon as I can...** I've literally been struggling with this for a while.. *The ideas... are kind of blank* But now that I'm admitting this to ya'll I'm getting some ideas... So, I'm gonna try!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK EVERYONE. God bless.

PS: I LOVE my new contact lenses!!

♥ ♬

You with the sad eyes

Don't be discouraged,

Oh I realize

It's hard to take courage

In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all

The darkness inside you

Can make you feel so small

Show me a smile then

Don't be unhappy

Can't remember when

I last saw you laughing

This world makes you crazy

And you've taken all you can bear

Just, call me up

'Cause I will always be there

And I see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

hahhahha..... that makes me laugh. But, on some Flickr sites, that is what I have seen them called.

Oh, alright... he does look sort of majestic... they are pretty big and are nice colours, and have an unusually long tail....but, honestly? around here ... we just call them a nuisance and they are good scavengers. If they try to build a nest in any neighbours' trees I try to discourage them. I don't want to hear that raucous noise at 4 am in the summer months.... yikes!

This photo is from the same time as yesterday's Flicker in the Hawthorn right beside this photo. A late fall shot when it was still nice and dry, and the leaves were all crispy and still on the ground.... always some pretty colour and lots of texture. I like how the white on them always looks so clean and snowy white.

"You, with the sad eyes

Don't be discouraged

Oh, I realize

It's hard to take courage

In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all

And the darkness it's inside you

Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful

Like a rainbow!"......

Visit this location in Second Life

" When you're feeling down and blue, it breaks my heart to see you unhappy.

Please let me take care of your heart and bring some brightness to your life. Let me bloom in the midst of your gloom and fill your soul with all the happiness you could ever dream of.

You don't have to worry about me because I'm happy just to please you and make sacrifices for your happiness. I'm not discouraged and I don't expect anything in return, except for the joy of seeing your heart happy.

My heart always blooms sweetly for only you, and there is no one more devoted to your happiness than I am.

Together we'll bloom, like the sweetest of flowers... 💕🌹🌞🌸🌞"

I ❤️ You

Saphira ❤️ Hansen

ღ.-:**★**:-.ღ.-:**★**:-.ღ.-:**★**:-.ღ

My love, I want to offer you a deep sacrifice,

To always be there for you, no matter the price.

Gently and seamlessly, my love flows true,

Offering you my heart in all that I do.

Whenever you feel lost in loneliness,

My heart aches to ease your distress.

In the darkness of your gloomy heart,

May I be the light that sets you apart.

Let me care for you, shower you with affection,

Bring you joy, and make your heart feel a connection.

Like a flower that blooms within your soul,

I promise to love you and make you whole.

My love for you is unconditional and pure,

A sacrifice I willingly make, of that I am sure.

Your happiness is all I ask for in return,

For you, my love, my heart shall always yearn.

With no expectations, I give you my heart,

For your happiness is my only work of art.

I'll stay by your side through thick and thin,

And be your faithful companion in all that's within.

I'll remain by your side, in good times and bad,

A faithful companion, never making you feel sad.

My love will nurture and cherish yours,

Together we'll bloom, like the sweetest of flowers.

I promise to nurture and cherish your love,

To make you happy, and to be the flowers in your heart,

For in this sacrifice, I find my deepest joy,

Loving you unconditionally, forevermore.

Thistles are quite lovely in their own way. However, sharp prickles often occur all over the plant surfaces such as the stem and flat parts of the leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the plant against herbivorous animals, discouraging them from feeding on the plant.

Elliston, 2019

On my trip to Elliston last summer, I sat around in the wind, drizzle and cold for over an hour, waiting for the puffins to land on the mainland. (For anyone who is not familiar with the site, the puffins nest on a little island not far from the mainland, but definitely too far for closeups. If you want to see them close up, you must wait until they land on the mainland, which doesn’t always happen.) I chatted with a gentleman who apparently visits there often and he told me that the wind was the wrong way that day for them to land on the mainland, and he basically said I should come back another day when the wind is in the opposite direction. The man left and I was feeling a little discouraged. I had traveled 300 km that day to see them. So, I figured I would at least try to get a few in flight shots as they were zooming by, and I also held onto a little hope that one might land on the mainland.

Less than an hour after the man left, a puffin landed at the edge of the mainland! Then another! And another! For the next several hours, so many puffins landed on the mainland, that I didn’t know which way to point my camera! I ended up taking over 2000 puffin photos that day.

So, there’s a lesson to be learned here. 😁

16-Aug-2020. The UK had been experiencing record heat in the month of Aug. We planned to get our share of the beach in the midst of the COVID19 pandemic.

It was a 2-hour drive to the beach, and the UK weather didn't fail to disappoint. It was raining quite heavily when we arrived at 2PM. It's a little discouraging. Summer may already be behind us.

4PM the sky cleared. We're greeted with a warm sun and a clear sky with scattering of cumulus clouds. The best part of it, most of the beach goers have decided to pack - leaving the beach all to ourselves. We didn't have to worry about keeping our distance.

Hope you find some enjoyment despite the situation we're in. Keep safe everyone.

Specialty bits from a precision screwdriver set. Some of you may recognize the one on the left, but all three are for screws meant to discourage disassembly of electronic devices by ordinary people.

Explore, June 23, 2007. Leon, my husband, in Lomo, working on our new entrance gate and courtyard area. Maybe the deer will be discouraged. View large.

Looking towards the family farm, some tree breaks, and field stubble left over after a discouraging harvest.

- Barnes County, [Photo captured with phone]

In these lockdown days, campervans and visitors are rightly discouraged on Skye. This is our van Ruby, on its last outing at Camas Malaig beach with Blaven, the Cuillin and the Red Hills in the background and photographed on the loveliest of days, marking the end of autumn 2019 on the island. #StaySafe. #StayHome

Alas, this love is not to be. Their parents don't approve and will do all they can to discourage this Northern Shoveler and an American Wigeon from seeing each other.

Wild American Bison (calf), Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Bison births usually occur between March and May. A female, called a cow, will give birth after a gestation period of nine months. Usually, she will give birth to only one young at a time, though twins have been recorded. Bison calves are born big. American Bison calves weigh a massive 30 to 70 lbs. at birth, according to the U.S. Department of Interior. A calf is protected not only by its mother, but also by the whole herd. Title adapted from the classic western folk song sometimes called the "unofficial anthem of the American West" - Home On The Range by Dr. Brewster Higley.

About less than an hour's drive east of Phoenix Arizona lies the Superstition Mountains which is the alleged location of the lost Dutchman mine. The story starts with a man named Jacob Waltz who come out these mountains with gold he said he got from a mine he found but died not long afterwards taking the secret of it's location to his grave. One must remember that less than ten miles away the town of Goldfield had an operating goldmine that extracted enough gold to be worth hundreds of millions in todays dollars. So that there was another nearby motherload of gold was nearby was quite believable. Some men over years have come out with some gold claiming they found the lost mine but these turned out not to be true. With gold now worth $1300 an ounce today the allure of lost treasure will still excite people today. The legend of the mine faded from public view until 1931 when the amateur explorer and treasure hunter Adolph Ruth disappeared until months later a skull was found with two bullet holes in it and dental records provided a positive match. You would think someone getting murdered would deter people instead it had the opposite effect with area being flooded with wannabe treasure hunters and less than savory types heavily armed going into the mountains reported. The state designated the area a state park with anyone caught trying prospecting subject to swift arrest. Considering Arizona's penal system known for it's alleged inhumane prison system where many inmates live in unairconditioned cells or tents in the brutal summer heat which is a long discussion in itself is enough to discourage 99% would be treasure hunters.

It's been a while I havn't posted something here. I have to admit that I becomes more and more difficult to take pictures. Partly because my job takes me more time. But the main reason is probably that as I progressed into photography, I raised my standards to a point that taking a satisfactory picture was a kind of gamble : I realised that when I went out with my camera, there was less and less picture that I found worth posting. Let's be honest : even if it's - I think - good to privilege quality over quantity, it's also quite discouraging to know that you have maybe less than 1/10 chance to get someting good ... So I take less pictures than I used to ... I hope that I'll find new inspiration with spring ...

Of course, I should probably not think in terms of chance, but in terms of work and planification : I know, but, as you know, having good idea is not that easy. That's why I also like the "chance-factor" in photography ...

However, as every year, on a white foggy sunday, I like to go shooting these cascades in Soubey : Spring is always a little bit sooner there. And I like the enchanted forest setting that it creats ... I was particularly happy with the constrast between the light in the background and the shadows on the foreground. I decided to accentuate it in post-processing, to create a more oniric image ...

I'm never dating in SL again! C-R-A-Z-Y

↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓↓

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FMtxACKlYM

You with the sad eyes

Don't be discouraged

Oh I realize

It's hard to take courage

In a world full of people

You can lose sight of it all

And the darkness, inside you

Can make you feel so small

But I see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful,

Like a rainbow

Show me a smile then,

Don't be unhappy, can't remember

When I last saw you laughing

If this world makes you crazy

And you've taken all you can bear

You call me up

Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors are beautiful,

Like a rainbow

So sad eyes

Discouraged now

Realize

When this world makes you crazy

And you've taken all you can bear

Just call me up

Because you know I'll be there

And I'll see your true colors

Shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

True colors, true colors

Cos there's a shining through

I see your true colors

And that's why I love you

So don't be afraid to let them show

Your true colors, true colors

True colors are beautiful,

Beautiful, like a rainbow

Show me your colors

Show me your rainbow

Show me your colors

Show me your rainbow

(That's why i love you)

Show me your colors

Show me your rainbow

Icelandic weather changes on a whim. Weather predictions typically show a 15 day forecast with rain and depressing weather but once you are there, it usually means you will see some rain, clouds but also sunshine through clouds and the occasional sunny day. 80% of the time the weather was just awesome. Don't be discouraged by weather predictions, just go to Iceland and take it all in :)

Edison failed 10, 000 times before he made the electric light. Do not be discouraged if you fail a few times.

Napoleon Hill

no rules, no limitations, no boundaries it's like an art™

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Lion hunting has occurred since ancient times and was often a royal pastime; intended to demonstrate the power of the king over nature. The earliest surviving record of lion hunting is an ancient Egyptian inscription dated circa 1380 BC that mentions Pharaoh Amenhotep III killing 102 lions "with his own arrows" during the first ten years of his rule. The Assyrians would release captive lions in a reserved space for the king to hunt; this event would be watched by spectators as the king and his men, on horseback or chariots, killed the lions with arrows and spears. Lions were also hunted during the Mughal Empire, where Emperor Jahangir is said to have excelled at it. In Ancient Rome, lions were kept by emperors for hunts, gladiator fights and executions.

The Maasai people have traditionally viewed the killing of lions as a rite of passage. Historically, lions were hunted by individuals, however, due to reduced lion populations, elders discourage solo lion hunts. During the European colonisation of Africa in the 19th century, the hunting of lions was encouraged because they were considered as vermin and lion hides fetched £1 each. The widely reproduced imagery of the heroic hunter chasing lions would dominate a large part of the century. Trophy hunting of lions in recent years has been met with controversy; notably with the killing of Cecil the lion in mid-2015.

Every fall a few of these birds show up in the Ottawa area, and often on the Ottawa River. They tend to be easily spooked by people. I have had some luck in the past hiding in naturally-occurring blinds and waiting for them to fly in to feeding spots.

This year a large mixed group arrived on the Lake in early October and stayed for weeks. Like many migrants, the Wigeons arrived and established themselves without concern for people or photographers. Once word got out, of course, their behaviour changed, and they relocated to parts of the Lake that are inaccessible to people or sufficiently remote to discourage photographers.

But for about a week, including for some sunny crisp fall days, they organized themselves to eat and find shelter for the nights, and they were unusually calm around the tiny group of die-hards that came to see them. A pair of Pied-billed Grebes arrived at almost the same time, and they drew much of the attention away from the Wigeons.

I tried to spend as much time as I could near these beautiful birds, and followed their progress will into November, before they headed south.

I like this image in part because the bird is in the light and because the green band on one wing is showing - I love seeing that band.

Although I think of them on water, on a trip to Vancouver a year or so ago I ran across a flock of about sixty on the grass near the sea wall at Stanley Park. They behaved like a flock of Canada Geese, eating grass and wandering around. Context is everything.

Wigeons are voracious feeders, ripping vegetation out from below the water surface. They are almost always seen with something green hanging out of their mouths, at least in my experience. They are aided in this respect by having a much shorter bill than most ducks, which permits greater force to be exerted at the tip.

(see adjacent photo)

p.s. I put pine cones in that planter to discourage the critters that keep shoveling holes in the soil in my containers. It didn't work. They just mangled the pine cones and left a mess anyway.