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If I were to describe my dream summerhouse, I would probably describe a Swedish cabin like this. I've always had a passion for Sweden, and having visited it quite a few times on holidays I always admired the little red wooden cabins, so I really enjoyed this project, trying to make it as realistic and idealistic as I can remember.
Quite a time since I've last posted, but I just had to get this post perfect! Besides that I have been working on some sets and smaller vehicles, so you can definitely expect a few great posts somewhere this year. I might also make a 'normal' post of this build showcasing the entirety, which is a pretty large freeform, and this scene doesn't cover everything.
I want to thank everybody on Discord and Instagram who helped me so much, and due to their feedback I was able to get it just as I imagined it. Also very proud of the way it turned out with Photoshop, I'm pretty inexperienced in editing, but with a lot of trial and error and some help and criticism I was able to make it look perfect.
First described in mediaeval times, snails have long been used to protect precious belongings from being stolen. Thieves would find the valuables covered in slimy mucus - hence the origin of the term 'sticky fingers'. Potential thieves would pick up the slime on their hands, leading to arrest.
The image shows a Canon lens hood being protected by a snail, for Macro Mondays theme 'Photography Gear'.
No snails were harmed in the process of making this photograph.
"All 335 living species of hummingbirds are found exclusively in the Americas. These birds astounded and fascinated the adventurous European naturalists who first encountered them zipping about in the tropics. Ever since, the logical assumption has been that this family of tiny, hovering birds originally evolved in the New World. It therefore came as a great surprise when in 2003 a fossil-bird expert named Gerald Mayr recognized that several 30-million-year-old remains from a site in southern Germany were actually fossil hummingbirds. Mayr carefully described those hummingbird fossils, clearly documenting that hummingbirds occurred in the Old World during the early part of their evolutionary history.
Mayr’s specimens were clearly hummingbirds—features of their bone structure showed that they could rotate their wings to hover, and their elongated bills even suggested that they fed on flowers. However, these first-known European hummingbirds differed from all present-day hummingbirds in various details of their anatomy, suggesting that they were an early precursor on the hummingbird evolutionary tree.
A spectacular new hummingbird specimen from the same early period was recently unearthed in southern France and described by a team of paleontologists. The skeleton of the new hummingbird fossil is nearly complete, and the rock matrix around the bones even reveals the outline of the bird’s feathers, making it easily possible to discern the shapes of this ancient hummingbird’s wings and tail.
...."
By Irby Lovette
Allaboutboids.com
this pic is priceless to me words cant describe the emotion in the room!!!! very first hug ever!!!!!!!!
When it was first described, the author, Terry Gosliner, mentioned its similarity to a xeniid soft coral and suggested it was probably a defensive camouflage strategy to protect it from predators. The photos show the similarity to a soft coral with polyps retracted, very well. This animal is a member of the family Chromodorididae which contains some of the most brightly coloured nudibranchs. Most store distasteful chemicals they obtain from their sponge prey in their skin and the brightly coloured ones seem to be 'shouting loudly' to potential predators that they should be avoided. Miamira alleni on the other hand, is one of the few that has decided that discretion is the better strategy, but they still store distasteful chemicals in their skin - just in case their camouflage fails.
(Bill Rudman). Found in Anilao, South Luzon Philippines.
Wikipedia describes these animals as very shy and nocturnal. Evidently the ones at O'Reilly's can't read.
O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, Queensland, Australia
San Miniato al Monte is a basilica in Florence, central Italy, standing atop one of the highest points in the city. It has been described as one of the finest Romanesque structures in Tuscany and one of the most scenic churches in Italy. There is an adjoining Olivetan monastery, seen to the right of the basilica when ascending the stairs.
St. Miniato or Minas was an Armenian prince serving in the Roman army under Emperor Decius. He was denounced as a Christian after becoming a hermit and was brought before the Emperor who was camped outside the gates of Florence. The Emperor ordered him to be thrown to beasts in the Amphitheatre where a panther was called upon him but refused to devour him. Beheaded in the presence of the Emperor, he is alleged to have picked up his head, crossed the Arno and walked up the hill of Mons Fiorentinus to his hermitage. A shrine was later erected at this spot and there was a chapel there by the 8th century. Construction of the present church was begun in 1013 by Bishop Alibrando and it was endowed by the Emperor Henry II. The adjoining monastery began as a Benedictine community, then passed to the Cluniacs and then in 1373 to the Olivetans, who still run it. The monks make famous liqueurs, honey and herbal teas, which they sell from a shop next to the church.
The interior exhibits the early feature of a choir raised on a platform above the large crypt. It has changed little since it was first built. The patterned pavement dates from 1207. The centre of the nave is dominated by the beautiful freestanding Cappella del Crocefisso (Chapel of the Crucifix), designed by Michelozzo in 1448. It originally housed the miraculous crucifix now in Santa Trìnita and is decorated with panels long thought to be painted by Agnolo Gaddi. The terracotta decoration of the vault is by Luca della Robbia.
The crypt is the oldest part of the church and the high altar supposedly contains the bones of St Minias himself (although there is evidence that these were removed to Metz before the church was even built). In the vaults are frescoes by Taddeo Gaddi.
The raised choir and presbytery contain a magnificent Romanesque pulpit and screen made in 1207. The apse is dominated by a great mosaic of Christ between the Virgin and St Minias on its vaulted ceiling dating from 1297; the same subject is depicted on the façade of the church and is probably by the same unknown artist. The crucifix above the high altar is attributed to Luca della Robbia. The sacristy is decorated with a great fresco cycle on the Life of St Benedict by Spinello Aretino (1387).
#418
The edge of the rise prior to the sprawling Iron Age site of Ulaca is alive with vivid boulders. The shot is taken from before the sites final rise and so still high above the fluvial plane below. One has a throne carved into its top, and the way the natural mineral erratic's, some visible on the horizon of this image, are 'appropriated' by culture and passage coheres with other iron age sites in the greater area.
The site features a sauna, and as you sit in its two well worn stone-carved chairs (see later), aside the larger and still steamy 'changing room', you 'hear' the conviviality and sweat of a pre Roman spirit of cleanliness and pride. The sauna is a practical space that is described on Wiki Fr as an 'initiation' space. If a community of a sample 500 people each use the facility once a week, then everyone could access for 30 minutes for just a 12 hour day, perhaps not the best description of the concept of 'initiation'. Likewise for Wiki Fr, the site's monolithic stairs (see below) are described as being there for 'sacrifices'. Stairs do exist with summits used for sacrifice, but this vivid explanation adds a cold breath over other possible usages, from a meeting point for local 'bigmen' from the valley below, to a vivid waiting space for pre Gladiator specialist warriors; a meeting point for traders, to a loci for spiritual rites of passage and an arena for speech, specific oratory and controlled song - and indeed many of the above according to context and time and date.
The shot is a montage using a Takumar 35mm at the first bounce of dawn. The exposure has been brightened a tad to return the image to my memory of the light.
AJ
I brought this flower inside from the garden this afternoon because it's easier to control the lighting indoors than out.
Lighting detail: The main light was a Yongnuo manual flash in a Lastolite soft box positioned at camera right, and just out of the frame. Back lighting came from a second Yongnuo flash in a Rogue grid behind the flower at camera left. Fill light is from
a hand held mirror at camera left. The strobes and my tripod mounted camera were triggered with a Yongnuo RF=603N.
Other plants, flowers, fruit or thingys that I've photographed using strobes can be seen in my Strobe Lit Plant set. For each image in the set, and there are over 1900 of them, I describe how I set up the lighting for that particular shot. www.flickr.com/photos/9422878@N08/sets/72157628079460544/
Other pictures that I've taken of Birds of Paradise flowers can be seen in my creatively titled Birds of Paradise album, and there are just over 100 of them.
The Bee:
In the 1800s Manchester was awash with textile mills that were commonly described as ‘hives of activity’ and the workers inside them compared to bees. From there the worker Bee became the symbol of Manchester. There are many references to the Bee thought-out the City Centre.
The Metrolink:
The tram in the picture has stopped at the St Peter's Square tram station. The Metrolink opened on 27 April 1992 and is in the City Zone of Greater Manchester's Metrolink light rail system. The stop's platforms were extended in 2009. Later redevelopment in 2015–16 demolished the original two platforms and replaced them with a four-platform interchange.
Rain:
Well that speaks for itself; Manchester is known the world over as a rainy city.
The image is straight although it doesn’t look it….
Nitroglobus is proud to announce the return of acclaimed artist Kian with his new exhibition DRAG.ed & FRAME.d, on view throughout December 2025 at The Annex of Nitroglobus.
After his last showing, Zornian Women (June 2023), I repeatedly invited Kian to present new work. His return marks not only a renewed collaboration but also a striking continuation of his distinctive artistic voice.
In DRAG.ed & FRAME.d, Kian delves into themes that lie at the heart of his practice—humor, daring aesthetic choices, and provocative conceptual play. The series moves fluidly “between power and vulnerability,” as the artist describes, exploring identity, performativity, and the thresholds between constructed and perceived selves.
Kian is back with a topic that is unmistakably his. His work is daring, humorous, and thought-provoking, encouraging visitors to look beyond boundaries and conventions. I’m sincerely happy to welcome him again to Nitroglobus.
Visitors are encouraged to read Kian’s accompanying text, which offers a deeper look into the conceptual motivations behind the exhibition.
Opening party: Monday, 1st December, 12 PM SLT
Music by DJ Joss Floss
LM: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/166/4...
*****
Description by the artist:
Welcome to Drag.ed and Frame.d—an intimate visual journey shaped through the art of drag and the boundless possibilities of photography. These images reveal a character who shifts fluidly between power and vulnerability: at times bold, vibrant, and unapologetically commanding; at others quiet, fragile, and suspended in moments of loneliness. Through this duality, I explores the emotional spectrum of identity and performance, challenging how we see strength, beauty, and self-expression.
Drag, in his hands, becomes more than costume—it becomes a language. A space where diversity thrives, where boundaries of gender, presence, and reality are stretched and redefined. Each photograph invites viewers to question what is real, what is constructed, and what lies in the in-between.
Thank you for stepping into this world. May these images encourage you to embrace complexity, celebrate difference, and find truth in every transformation.
Kian
Described as the jewel of the pond, there's only a few birds that rival the Wood Duck's handsome plumage. Common in marshy ponds and wetlands, wood ducks nest high in a tree cavity somewhere in a nearby woodland. The chicks are born and have to make a leap of faith to the forest floor before mom ushers them to the water where they are raised for the rest of the summer.
The Red-vented Bulbul, described as noisy and gregarious, is notorious for eating orchid buds and many kinds of fruit so they have become a serious agricultural pest. They are common on Oahu but birds reaching other islands have been controlled. Taken on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Many thanks for your visit and comments. They are very much appreciated.
Indianapolis: A City under Siege
A Short Series
I am going to share a short series of photographs I made not too long ago. All of them are very near the downtown location of the most recent mass shooting.
Kids as young as 13 years old are carrying assault rifles and 9mm Glock's stuffed in the legs of their pants and in oversized backpacks. Gun battles using these military-style weapons by children from ages 13-18 years old have the city under siege.
After each shooting, law enforcement officers describe how the rampant access to guns by children is something they cannot stop nor defend the general public against. Elected officials wring their hands and start promising new laws that won't have any more impact than the current laws. Those laws are typically curfews or trying to go after the parents of the kids committing the crimes. The problem with guns isn't something you'll hear politicians say much about.
It's not rocket science folks. All the baloney about how guns are never part of the problem, that it's 100% the people with the gun that is the problem, is nothing more than a pathetic excuse by lawmakers who have done all they can to make guns easily accessible by anyone and everyone, including children.
The number one killer of children in America today is a gun. Not cancer, not diabetes, not drowning, not drugs. Guns. Welcome to the cesspool of death and destruction our elected officials have created. And remember: the solution is to put more guns on the street.
Indianapolis, IN
2025
© James Rice, All Rights Reserved
I've described the South Shore as the Duneland Essence on more than one occasion on here, and many many more times than that in real life conversation. While I'm grateful for the unique photo opportunities the Double Track NWI project is bringing, I can't help but feel sad that the centuries-in-the-making interurban feel will effectively die with it. That is what I, and most others that I know, will miss the most. Scenes such as this, an electrified commuter railroad coming within 25' of a house, and but up against multiple backyards with nothing in between the two. This isn't some two-times-yearly used branchline for railcar storage, though I've always felt this location certainly gives that impression. You might notice the basketball hoop in the backyard of the blue house - sure enough, a few minutes before this was taken, the local youth were playing a friendly game that resulted in their ball landing right in the middle of the gauge multiple times.
But, as I mentioned, I have to be grateful that there are still -some- opportunities available to photograph trains in these places, and with so much work going on, what you can frame up are often subjects you could almost never see before the project began. This train was no exception.
The current infrastructure has had the capability to run electrified passenger trains many times a day between mileposts 33.0, where we are here, and 44.0 near Dune Park. Now, this stretch has been completely deenergized - overhead electric, signals, everything is now dark. Instead of doing 79 miles per between Michigan City and Chesterton, all train movements are now warrant-controlled, restricted to 25mph max, and all road crossings between the two mileposts are considered out of service, requiring all trains to stop before proceeding at each. Thankfully, a very small amount of CSS freight trains and the occasional work train on the NICTD side are all that pass through this stretch. This is a bit different though.
NICTD is still offering options for passengers to be bused between stations at Michigan City and Dune Park (out of the work zone, where business is still as usual). As a result, the passenger trains now begin and terminate at Dune Park, where they can be serviced at the base level - mostly just janitorial tasks. But, like everything in life, it's only a matter of time before something more serious requires attention from a shop - in this case, the South Shore's shops in Michigan City.
To take care of this, the passenger guys have been doing occasional ferry moves of EMUs between the two locations through the work zone, and here is one such example. My favorite motor on the South Shore period (freight and passenger considered), NICD 1001, with all its nose light excellence, was the power this morning with five EMUs for Dune Park. The crew has just received their track warrant to pass the dark signal directly behind me, and are treating me and my camera to quite a smoke-filled show getting their train back up to speed... smoking is another nice trait about this unit. The horn ain't bad either!
And thus completes another caption that is entirely too long. I should try writing a book sometime or something, so many words would look a lot less awkward in one...
A recently described species from the Stirling Range NP. I don't believe this Hibbertia is yet in cultivation and difficult to understand why it isn't ? The colour is a bright orange that stands out in the landscape. Only growing to 30cms or so would make it perfect for rockeries or small gardens
----------------------------- JESUS ✝️ SAVES-------------------------------
SALVATION THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - ALONE!
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
❤️❤️ IT'S ALL JESUS AND NONE OF OURSELVES! ❤️❤️
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the SALVATION of everyone WHO BELIEVES: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel a RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM GOD IS REVEALED, a righteousness that is by FAITH FROM FIRST TO LAST, just as it is written: "THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH." (Romans 1:16-17)
16 KNOW that a man is NOT justified by observing the law, but by FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be JUSTIFIED BY FAITH in CHRIST and NOT by observing the law, BECAUSE BY OBSERVING THE LAW NO ONE WILL BE JUSTIFIED. (Galatians 2:16)
1. Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2. BY THIS GOSPEL YOU ARE SAVED, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
3. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4. that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5. and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. 6. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8. and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
9. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them--yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 11. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:1-11)
7. Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9. I am the gate; whoever enters through me WILL BE SAVED. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10. The thief comes only to STEAL and KILL and DESTROY; I have come that they may have LIFE, and have it to the FULL. (John 10:7-10)
1 Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. 4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
5 Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them." 6 But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:1-13)
Jesus came to bring spiritual LIFE to the spiritually dead and set the captives FREE! FREE from RELIGION, ERROR and outright LIES, so WE might serve THE LIVING GOD! In SPIRIT and in TRUTH!
So you'll KNOW, and not think you're to bad for God to love. The Christian LIFE isn't about how good WE are, because NONE of us are! It's about how GOOD JESUS IS! Because JESUS LOVES US, so much he died in our place and took the punishment for all of our sins on himself. The wages of sin is DEATH, and Jesus took the death WE so richly deserved for us and died in our place. The good news is, there's no more punishment for sin left. WE, you and I were all born forgive as a result of the crucifixion of God himself on the cross that took away the sins of the whole world. All we have to do is believe it, and put your Faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ. That my friends is REAL UNCONDITIONAL LOVE! YOU ARE LOVED. ❤️ ✝️ ❤️
For the best Biblical teaching in the last 2 centuries! Please listen to and down load these FREE audio files that were created with YOU in mind. It's ALL FREE, if you like it, please share it with others. ❤️
archive.org/details/PeopleToPeopleByBobGeorgeFREE-ARCHIVE...
CLICK ON THE LETTER "L" TO ENLARGE.
My THANK'S to all my Flickr friends who've favored and/or commented on my photos, I very much appreciate you're kindness! ❤️
© All Rights reserved no publication or copying without permission from the author.
...Hard to describe what was in our mind when we had these shooting serie..
I think we both had different moods and thoughts while doing this ''experimental''; I was trying to play with lights and moods, and she was propably playing with her past thoughts in her head..
I liked her dark warrior style make up and her sort of ''red-fire'' type of revenge look in her eyes..like a "red angel"..Could have been even more brutal and harsh--but it was sort of ''first time'' experience for both of us...
Can't really describe this shot. This is sooo not what I was expecting. I took this shot directly into the sun so I could get a nice soft yellow flare to the whole photo. I tend to like detail and strong contrast so thought maybe I would change it up a bit. Of course once I got into processing, I threw that out the window and went back to detail and contrast... Guess I'll learn another day.
Another one of those shots that I probably find more interesting than anybody else... Still getting a hang of the whole macro thing. These are the first bokeh dots that I have gotten though! I need to shoot wide open though because these angular bokehs are driving me nuts. Anybody know a macro that has rounded aperture shutters?
I THINK this is an immature queen anne's lace.
Described on the website as one of worlds great bridges, if you see it first hand it would be hard to disagree. Magnificently spanning the Avon Gorge, it was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, but unfortunately wasn't finished until 1864, 5 years after his death.
August 27, 2011 - Amherst Nebraska
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"Stacked Plates" is storm chasers jargon for us to describe a strongly striated mesocyclone! Oh this was a B E A U T Y!
Late August 2011. This was a LP (Low Precip) Storm, and she didn't drop an ounce of rain. If anything did come down it evaporated before it hit the ground. It was so damn hot and humid and was just happy the sun was blocked out by the clouds and then this came along. Along with the severe warning it had on it a few counties north of my location as it moved south.
You can clearly see the mid-level inflow bands. Better known as striations. These were so well defined it was jaw dropping!
When the storm got close enough I couldn't really see or verify a wall cloud of any type. We had a few lowerings, but nothing significant to get me to report it. So I really can't call this a supercell. But it sure was fun one to witness!
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Dale Kaminski @ NebraskaSC Photography
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St. Olaf has been described in his statue as a noble king on body armour, crown on his head. In reality Olof (995-1030) was a marauding viking and a king fighting for power. The statue is situated in the Central hall of Olavinlinna castle.
Not much to describe this other than "another boring silver TRAXX along the Maintal", but made slightly less boring by the fact it is operated by LINEAS who aren't too common along this busy freight artery.
This machine, built by Bombardier (now Alstom) is owned by AKIEM who are a big provider of locomotives to private operators. Their electric fleet was almost exclusively TRAXX until 2023 when the first of 100 newly built Siemens Vectrons was delivered.
LINEAS started out as the freight arm of the Belgian national railways (B Logistics) but the majority share was sold to a private investor - with SNCB retaining a minority stake - and rebranded as LINEAS.
Thungersheim, July 2023.
Jacob's Ladder refers to a ladder to heaven described in the Book of Genesis (28:11-19) which the biblical patriarch Jacob envisioned during his flight from his brother Esau:
Jacob left Beersheba, and went toward Haran. He came to the place and stayed there that night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it [or "beside him"] and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your descendants; and your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and by you and your descendants shall all the families of the earth bless themselves. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done that of which I have spoken to you." Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, "Surely the LORD is in this place; and I did not know it." And he was afraid, and said, "This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."
Described in 2017 by the National Geographic as the coolest place on the planet, its not difficult to see why. No roads lead here which adds to the adventure. A beautiful hidden gem on the Donegal Coast.
Great Linnaeus describes two family members of our plant: Urens and Insipida, and then this Oleracea under the name Spilanthes, devised by Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin (1727-1817). But curiously he doesn't remark on the 'Electric' quality of this little daisy which hails from Central South America (Brazil and Paraquay). Whence its name in English: Para Cress.
A more complete and rather more fascinating description is given by Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet de Lamarck (1744-1829) in his Encyclopedia of 1785. Under the generic name 'Bidens' he describes it as numbing the mouth and causing an excess of saliva. In English it's sometimes called the Toothache Plant because chewing the buds or flowerheads masks any oral pain. And its taste - as I discovered, too, this morning - has an electric quality to it. In fact, I didn't just carefully chew a single floret but brashly popped an entire bud: an hour later my mouth was still numb...
Describes how I feel about my photography today... :(
Talking photos with a friend and they pointed out that all of my photos are very similar... :-/
Explored on flickr on the afternoon of 23rd February 2017. Thanks for the views, faves and kind comments. :)
Sphere Within Sphere describes a series of spherical bronze sculptures by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro. In 1966, Pomodoro was commissioned to create a 3.5-meter sphere for Expo 67 in Montreal. The success of this sculpture propelled Pomodoro's works into the mainstream, allowing for commissions that would land his sculptures at the Headquarters of the United Nations and the Vatican Museums.
Over his career, Pomodoro has created 45 of these popular sculptures— aptly named Rotante, Sphera, or Sphera con sphera. The spheres range in size from as small as half a meter up to 4 meters in diameter. They are meant to represent the 'ideal city,' with contrasting imagery of organic and human shapes combined with technological and gear-like components. The spheres can be seen as a promising rebirth of a less troubled and destructive world. Pomodoro describes his desire for building these sculptures, stating, "breaking these perfect, magic forms in order to reveal their internal ferment, mysterious and alive, monstrous and yet pure; I [want to] create a discordant tension, a conflict, with the polished shine: a unity composed of incompleteness."
Versions of the sculpture can be found around the world, below is a comprehensive list (** indicates true Sphera con sphera sculptures. Unmarked locations allude to Sphera or Rotante).
How would you describe these two faces?
The image was taken from my hotel across the river from the Tower Life Building in San Antonio, Texas. The faces are but a sampling of the structure which was originally called The Medical Arts Bldg. built in 1926, to be used as a hospital and Dr.'s offices and is now on the National Register Of Historic Places. It features many Gothic and Art Deco elements such as Gargoyles and other stone work faces and winged creatures that can be seen on closer observation. The building is a short distance away from The Alamo. I was able to get this photo straight on from my room.
The sooty tern was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1766 as Sterna fuscata, bearing this name for many years until the genus Sterna was split up. It is now known as Onychoprion fuscatus.[2] The genus name is from ancient Greek onux, "claw" or "nail", and prion, "saw". The specific fuscatus is Latin for "dark".[3]
Colloquially, it is known as the wideawake tern or just wideawake. This refers to the incessant calls produced by a colony of these birds, as does the Hawaiian name ʻewa ʻewa which roughly means "cacophony".[4] In most of Polynesia its name is manutara or similar – literally "tern-bird",[5] though it might be better rendered in English as "the tern" or "common tern". This refers to the fact that wherever Polynesian seafarers went on their long voyages, they usually would find these birds in astounding numbers. It is also known as kaveka in the Marquesas Islands, where dishes using its eggs are a delicacy.[6]
The sooty tern has little interspecific variation, but it can be divided into at least two allopatric subspecies. Some recent authors further subdivide the Indopacific population into up to eight subspecies altogether, but much of the variation is really clinal. The affinities of eastern Pacific birds (including the famous manutara of Easter Island) are most strongly contested.
Onychoprion fuscatus fuscatus (Linnaeus, 1766) – Atlantic sooty tern
Underparts white. Breeds Atlantic and Caribbean.
Onychoprion fuscatus nubilosus (Sparrman, 1788) – Indopacific sooty tern[7]
Underparts light grey in fresh plumage, dull white in worn plumage. Breeds from Red Sea across Indian Ocean to at least central Pacific. Some authors restrict this taxon to the Indian Ocean population and use the following subspecies for the birds from Indonesia to the Americas:
Onychoprion fuscatus infuscatus – Sunda sooty tern (Lichtenstein, 1823) – Sunda Islands and vicinity
Onychoprion fuscatus oahuensis – Central Pacific sooty tern (Bloxam, 1826) – Bonin Islands through Micronesia to southern Polynesia
Onychoprion fuscatus serrata – Melanesian sooty tern (Wagler, 1830) – Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia
Onychoprion fuscatus luctuosa – Juan Fernández sooty tern (Philippi & Landbeck, 1866) – Juan Fernández Islands
Onychoprion fuscatus crissalis – East Pacific sooty tern Lawrence, 1872. [8] – Eastern Pacific from Guadalupe Island to Galápagos Islands
Onychoprion fuscatus kermadeci – Kermadec sooty tern Mathews, 1916. [9] – Kermadec Islands
Onychoprion fuscatus somaliensis – Somali sooty tern – Maydh Island (Gulf of Aden)
This recently described species lives life in extreme conditions. Like many other Tympanocrypis, this species can be found active in the hottest parts of the day in the scorching stony deserts upon which they live. Being able to thermoregulate and remain active in the hottest parts of the day allow them to exploit an entire niche for themselves; otherwise occupied by other species at the less-extreme end of the desert days.
These individuals were found basking in the mid-afternoon, at 38°C!
Tennant Creek, Northern Territory.
This site is described on pages 135-139 of my 320-page guidebook, "Photographing California Vol. 2 - South", available in hardcopy or ebook via Amazon:
www.jeffsullivanphotography.com/blog/photographing-califo...
Often described as Donkeys in Pyjamas these donkeys on the Ile de Ré wore coloured leggings to protect them from the flies and mosquitoes when they were working in the salt pans. Now they wear them for the benefit of tourists.
Content: The message describes a military unit's Sunday routine, where soldiers would march to church in full dress uniform, an important military ritual that was often a source of discontent among the troops. The writer mentions that the two lieutenants and trumpeter leading the parade are both under 20 years old.
Message Transcription - "This is a picture of us coming from Church Parade You can just see part of my face over that fellows hat. The second one in the front row and I could just see over his hat. This is the way we go every Sunday. The two lieutenants and trumpeter ahead and we follow, they are pretty particular about Church parade and every body has to be on it. Neither one of these officers are 20 yet but both are nice fellows."
(20 June 1916) - We reached Petawawa at 7 o'clock on the morning of June 2, and found the weather cool and conditions contrary to our expectations. The land is undulating and there are numerous trees. Of course one would not call them trees in British Columbia, but they afford considerable shade and that will mean a lot when we get the real warm days. There is no disputing the fact that there is sand here, but plenty of grass grows on it and we are not troubled to any extent by it. The camp is bounded on three sides by the Petawawa and Ottawa rivers. There is some fine scenery on both waterways and we are allowed to swim in the Ottawa, which privilege is extensively utilized. The Petawawa flows too swiftly and is considered too dangerous for swimming. On our north across the Ottawa is a low range of hills which remind us of the Sooke hills. The camp is too large for anyone to view it from any especial vantage point. From our little knoll we can see the lines of our own brigade and those of another two brigades on the west. At present there are several thousand artillerymen here. There is an artillery range some distance from our lines. The different units are out firing every day. A visit to this famous range is a privilege in store for us and the boys are anxiously looking forward to it. We, no doubt, will get plenty of firing before we get out of Petawawa.
"We had good weather until Thursday last, when we were visited by a genuine Ontario rain. It rained off and on in torrents and drizzles until yesterday and even spoiled a church parade on Sunday. We were all praying for a look at the sun in order to get our clothes dried, and this morning we were delighted to see the bright beams coming through the tent flaps. By noon, however, some of the boys were wishing it would rain again. It does not matter much what the weather or other conditions may be; it is a soldier's privilege to kick and complain, and he certainly takes advantage of it. The most of the boys are having their hair cut in the 'close crop' style, which no doubt will give an impetus to the growth of moustaches, an impetus which is sadly needed by some of us. The order for moustaches came out two days ago and the boys are assiduously coaxing the straggling and struggling fluff. As a result of the heat, we heard to-day that we were to have straw hats to protect our fair countenances. I guess they will be the same kind of hats that the Western Scots had.
"The battery and column are now getting down to their real work in earnest. 'Reveille' sounds at 5 a.m. daily, and on Sunday at 6.30 a.m. The boys work until 5 p.m., and have a wholesale amount of dismounted and gun drills, lectures on shells and ammunition, fitting of harness, knots and splices and a sprinkling of fatigues. Our horses arrived on Saturday after a thirteen-day trip from Victoria. Some of them were rather shaky when they got here and are now recuperating. In a few days they will be ready for work and we expect to start battery manoeuvres in the near future.
"The 62nd Battery has a fine situation and is far enough away from the rivers to escape the largest swarms of 'skitoes.' We have two rows of tents, with seven and eight men in a tent. Between the tents are the horse lines, the horses being held by head ropes and hobbles. There are fine horses in some of the other lines, but when our horses are in shape I think we will be able to line up with any of them.
Ranunculus abortivus - Littleleaf buttercup
Ranunculus aconitifolius - Aconite-leaf buttercup
Ranunculus acraeus - a newly described species from Otago, New Zealand
Ranunculus acris - Meadow buttercup
Ranunculus alismifolius - Plantainleaf buttercup
Ranunculus andersonii - Anderson's buttercup
Ranunculus aquatilis - Common water crowfoot
Ranunculus arvensis - Corn buttercup
Ranunculus asiaticus - Persian buttercup
Ranunculus auricomus - Goldilocks buttercup (type species)
Ranunculus biternatus - Antarctic buttercup
Ranunculus bonariensis - Carter's buttercup
Ranunculus bulbosus - Bulbous buttercup
Ranunculus californicus - California buttercup
Ranunculus canus - Sacramento Valley buttercup
Ranunculus cassubicus - Kashubian buttercup
Ranunculus crassipes - Subantarctic buttercup
Ranunculus cymbalaria - Marsh buttercup
Ranunculus eschscholtzii - Alpine buttercup
Ranunculus ficaria - Lesser celandine
Ranunculus flabellaris - Yellow water buttercup
Ranunculus flammula - Lesser spearwort
Ranunculus fluitans - River water crowfoot
Ranunculus glaberrimus - Sagebrush buttercup
Ranunculus glacialis - Glacier buttercup
Ranunculus gormanii - Gorman's buttercup
Ranunculus hebecarpus - Delicate buttercup
Ranunculus hispidus - Bristly buttercup
Ranunculus hydrocharoides - Frogbit buttercup
Ranunculus jovis - Utah buttercup
Ranunculus kadzusensis Makino - Maehwamarum (see Ganghwa Maehwamarum Habitat)
Ranunculus lapponicus - Lapland buttercup
Ranunculus lingua - Greater spearwort
Ranunculus lobbii - Lobb's buttercup
Ranunculus longirostris - Water buttercup
Ranunculus lyallii - Mount Cook Lily - reputedly the largest buttercup
Ranunculus macounii - Macoun's buttercup
Ranunculus micranthus - Small-flowered crowfoot
Ranunculus moseleyi - Moseley's buttercup
Ranunculus muricatus - Spinyfruit buttercup
Ranunculus occidentalis - Western buttercup
Ranunculus orthorhynchus - Straightbeak buttercup
Ranunculus papulentus - Large River buttercup
Ranunculus parviflorus - Smallflower buttercup
Ranunculus pedatifidus - birdfoot buttercup
Ranunculus peltatus - Pond water crowfoot
Ranunculus pensylvanicus - Pennsylvania buttercup
Ranunculus platanifolius - Large white buttercup
Ranunculus populago - Popular buttercup
Ranunculus pusillus - Low spearwort
Ranunculus pygmaeus - Pygmy buttercup
Ranunculus recurvatus - Hooked Crowfoot
Ranunculus repens - Creeping buttercup
Ranunculus sardous - Hairy buttercup, Sardinian buttercup
Ranunculus sceleratus - Celery-leaved buttercup
Ranunculus septentrionalis - Swamp buttercup
Ranunculus sieboldii[4]
Ranunculus testiculatus - Bur buttercup
Ranunculus thora - Thora buttercup
Ranunculus uncinatus - Woodland buttercup
Described as "pugnacious" and "boisterous". I find them a challenge to photograph as they disappear and reappear in the marsh reeds. Photographed on the Western Slope, Colorado.
The National Churches Trust describes St Mary's in Potterne as a “an Early English church of exceptional purity and austerity.”
A priest, and land held by the Bishop of Salisbury, was recorded at Potterne in Domesday Book of 1086, and in Victorian times, a 10th Century font was found on the site of the present day Church of England parish church of St Mary. It was built in the 13th century and has survived with little change, beyond work to the tower in the 15th century and restoration by Ewan Christian. Pevsner describes it as, “An Early English parish church of exceptional purity and indeed classicity” and linked this to the Bishops’ ownership of the manor.
The church is cruciform, with a substantial tower over the crossing, and original lancet windows. It is built of rubble stone, with ashlar to the upper tower. The south porch was added in the 14th century, and in the 15th the tower was made higher and given an elaborate battlement. Restoration in 1870–2 included re-roofing and the removal of galleries, and the stained glass is from various dates in that century.
From the 11th century, the church had been linked to All Saints at West Lavington as tithes from both churches endowed a prebendary at Salisbury Cathedral. From 1967 the benefice was held in plurality with Worton and since 2017 the parish has been part of the Wellsprings benefice, which extends to Seend, Bulkington and Poulshot.
Potterne is a village with a population of 1,544 (2021), 2 miles/3 km south of the Wiltshire market town of Devizes.
This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.
Best described as extremely windy at this point and wet. I decided to get lower to the rocks and hide away from the high winds. Thankfully I felt safe lower down from the cliff edge. This is a cracking place and one I will return at another time when the weather isn't so tough for photography. The grey day really brought out the beautiful blue aqua colours in the sea.
As promised under my last photograph, I thereby start the small series describing the Polish coal mainline.
First things first - what do we see on the picture?
ST44-1265 together with ST44-1256 are heading a heavy aggregate train to Gdańsk Osowa in some very unfavorable lighting conditions. The train is entering Kościerzyna after a short stop at the entry signal, providing a cool smoke show.
So now about the railway line. The Coal-Mainline of Poland is one of the greatest infrastructural undertakings of interwar period Poland. Not often do we get to see railway projects mentioned in our school history books, yet this one made it, which just goes to show how important it was.
There were a couple of reasons for building it, but there is one most important one.
Poland was a nation very rich in coal and it was one of the main exports (15 million tonnes a year) before the second world war. All thanks to the very developed region of Silesia, parts of which were aquired from the 3 occupiers of Poland throughout the 19th century. As one of the biggest coal mining regions in central Europe, it had a lot of significance and the coal had to be transported out to customers. This was often done with the help of cargo ships, which could sail across oceans and transport gigantic amounts of freight. Tthe largest harbour locally was Gdańsk, which got the status of Free City of Danzig. The semi-free government of the semi-free city state however put a lot of barriers on Polish exports and so the country had to find another way - construct a new, better and bigger harbour.
The location for it was chosen in Gdynia, a small fishing village 15 kilometers north of Danzig. Before the start of WW2, it had grown into a city of 130 thousand people with a big and prosperous harbour, which was to become the terminus of the numerous coal trains from the South. Here another problem emerged - all major railway routes leading to it, were passing through Danzig! There was only one way to solve this problem - bypassing the city via Kociewie and the very hilly (rolling hills formed by a glacier) historical region of Kashubia.
And so, the construction of the railway line started in 1928 on the South, with the first part of it connecting Herby Nowe and Inowrocław. There it connected to the already built railway line Inowrocław - Bydgoszcz, and from Bydgoszcz once again it went on through uncharted territory of the Tuchola woodlands - via Wierzchucin and Kościerzyna all the way to Gdynia.
At the end of 1930 the entire Northern and Southern sections of the line had been finished, but there were problems with the construction works and funding for the middle section. Consequently, normal traffic on the entire line from Silesia to Gdynia hadn't been started until 1937. The total length of the line reached just under 500km.
Before the start of WW2 countless pairs of freight trains from Silesia to Gdynia ran through what mostly was "no man's land". Because of that, running local passenger trains wasn't really viable, and so freight was prioritised, allowing for more throughput.
More posts about the line to come :)
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus
Powis Castle (Welsh: Castell Powys) is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country house near Welshpool, in Powys, Wales. The seat of the Herbert family, earls of Powis, the castle is known for its formal gardens and for its interiors, the former having been described as "the most important", and the latter "the most magnificent", in the country. The castle and gardens are under the care of the National Trust. Powis Castle is a Grade I listed building, while its gardens have their own Grade I listing on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.
The present castle was built in the 13th century. Unusually for a castle on the Marches, it was constructed by a Welsh prince, Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, rather than by a Norman baron. Gruffydd was prince of the ancient Kingdom of Powys and maintained an alliance with the English king Edward I during the struggles of the later 13th century. He was able to secure the position of his son, Owain, although the kingdom itself was abolished by the Parliament of Shrewsbury in 1283. After his father's death, Owain was raised to the peerage as Owen de la Pole, 1st Lord of Powis. Following his own death c. 1293, and the death of his only son, he was succeeded by his daughter, Hawys Gadarn, "the Lady of Powis". Hawys married Sir John Charlton in 1309.
In the late 16th century the castle was purchased by Sir Edward Herbert, a younger son of William Herbert, 1st earl of Pembroke, beginning a connection between the family and the castle that continues today. The Herberts remained Roman Catholic until the 18th century and, although rising in the peerage to earls, marquesses and Jacobite dukes of Powis, suffered periods of imprisonment and exile. Despite these setbacks, they were able in the late 17th and early 18th centuries to transform Powis from a border fortress into an aristocratic country house, and surround it with one of the very few extant examples of a British Baroque garden.
In 1784 Henrietta Herbert married Edward Clive, eldest son of Clive of India, a match which replenished the much-depleted Herbert family fortune. In the early 20th century, George Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis, redeveloped the castle with the assistance of the architect George Frederick Bodley. Herbert’s wife, Violet, undertook work of equal importance in the garden, seeking to turn it into "one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, in England and Wales". On the 4th Earl's death in 1952, his wife and his sons having predeceased him, the castle passed into the care of the National Trust.
History
First castles at Welshpool: 1111–1286
Unlike the castles at Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and nearby Montgomery, which were built by the English to subdue the Welsh, the castles at Welshpool were built by the Welsh princes of Powys Wenwynwyn as their dynastic seat.[1] In addition to the current site, two motte-and-bailey castles and a set of earthworks are located nearby.[2] The names Trallwg/Tallwm and Pola are used interchangeably in early primary sources, and it is unclear which of these sites is being referred to.[3]
The earliest reference dates from 1111, when Cadwgan ap Bleddyn is mentioned as having planned to construct a castle at Trallwng Llywelyn,[3] the oldest record of a native Welsh castle.[4] Domen Castell, a motte-and-bailey near the modern railway station, is considered the most likely site of Cadwgan's castle, although it is uncertain whether it was completed as he was assassinated the same year.[5] The first documentary account of an extant castle at Welshpool is a description of the successful 1196 siege by an English army, although the castle was retaken by the Welsh within the year.[5][6]
The earliest castle at the current site may have been a timber building constructed by Owain Cyfeiliog or his son, Gwenwynwyn (r. 1197–1216).[7] The present masonry structure contains 13th-century fabric,[8] most likely the work of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn (r. 1241–1287) – although historians are uncertain when this took place.[a][10] In 1274, Gruffydd's "first castle" at Welshpool was destroyed by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as punishment for his involvement in a scheme to assassinate Llywelyn.[b] The castle was documented again in 1286, when it was listed amongst Gruffydd's possessions as "la Pole Castr".[12] A detailed examination of Powis Castle's extant masonry carried out between 1987 and 1989 revealed early stonework incorporated into the later structure, putatively the remains of an early stone shell keep.[13] At the end of Edward I's conquest of Wales in 1282–83, the king permitted Gruffydd to rebuild his castle at Welshpool as a reward for his loyalty.[14]
Early history: 1286–1644
Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury[c]
In 1286, four years after the conquest of Wales, Gruffydd's son, Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn became the last hereditary prince of Powys when he renounced his royal title, and was granted the barony of de la Pole, (i.e. "of the Pool", a reference to Welshpool, formerly called just "Pool").[d][16][17] The ancient Kingdom of Powys had once included the counties of Montgomeryshire, much of Denbighshire, parts of Radnorshire and large areas of Shropshire, but by the 13th century had been reduced to two independent principalities – Powys Wenwynwyn and Powys Fadog – roughly equivalent to Montgomeryshire and South Denbighshire (plus Maelor Saesneg), respectively; Welshpool had become the capital of Powys Wenwynwyn, of which Owain had been heir. On the death of Owain, the castle passed to his daughter Hawys, who married Sir John Charlton.[17] The Charltons continued to live at Powis until the fifteenth century when two daughters, Joyce Tiptoft and Joan Grey inherited the castle and estates. Both were equally divided, each daughter and her husband living in a portion of the castle.[18]
In 1578 an illegitimate son of the last Baron Grey of Powis, began leasing the lordship and castle to a distant relative – Sir Edward Herbert (d. 1595), second son of Sir William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke. Edward eventually bought the castle outright in 1587, beginning the connection between the Herberts and Powis Castle which continues today.[19] Sir Edward's wife was a Roman Catholic and the family's allegiance to Rome and to the Stuart kings was to shape its destiny for over a century.[16] Sir Edward began the transformation of Powis from a border fortress into an Elizabethan country house. The major remaining element of his work is the Long Gallery.[19]
Herbert's descendent William Herbert, 1st Baron Powis (c. 1573–1655), was a supporter of Charles I, and was granted the barony of Powis in 1629.[19] His loyalty during the English Civil War cost him his castle and his estates.[20] On 22 October 1644 Powis Castle was captured by Parliamentary troops and was not returned to the family until the restoration of Charles II in 1660.[21]
The Herberts: 1660–1800
The Hercules statue which stood originally in the Water Garden
On the restoration, the Herberts returned to Powis, and in 1674 William Herbert (c. 1626–1696) was created Earl of Powis (of the first creation). The state bedroom was installed in about 1665 and further improvements, including the construction of the Great Staircase followed in the 1670s. These developments were most probably carried out under the direction of William Winde, who may also have designed the terraced gardens. His employer, although restored to his estates, and raised in the peerage, was barred by his Catholic faith from high office under Charles II. On the accession of the King's brother, James in 1685, Herbert became one of the new king's chief ministers, and was again advanced in the peerage becoming Marquess of Powis in 1687, but fell at the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and followed James into exile in France.[e] William III granted the castle to his nephew, William Nassau de Zuylestein, 1st Earl of Rochford. Herbert died, still in exile, in 1696.[24]
Despite their 30-year exile, the Herberts were able to continue with developments at the castle and even to live there on an irregular basis, the Baroque water garden below the castle being completed at this time.[25] Their fortunes were also materially improved by the discovery of a lucrative lead mine on their Welsh estates.[24] The second Marquess, also William, was reinstated in 1722. On the death of his son, the third Marquess in 1748, the marquessate became extinct, while the castle and estates passed to a relative, Henry Herbert (c. 1703–1772), of Oakly Park in Shropshire, who was made 1st Earl of Powis (of the second creation) by George II.[26] Herbert married Barbara, the fifteen-year-old granddaughter of the 2nd Marquess, in 1751. Their eldest son, George Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis (1755–1801), died unmarried and the earldom of the second creation became extinct.[f][27] Powis was much neglected during his tenure. John Byng, 5th Viscount Torrington, a diarist and traveller who chronicled his journeys into Wales in the 1780s and 1790s, described the castle in 1784, "In the gardens not even the fruit is attended to; the balustrades and terraces are falling down, and the horses graze on the parterres!!!"[28] The castle itself was in no better condition, a visitor in 1774 describing it as "in Neglect and Ruin".[27] Nonetheless, the potential of the site was recognised. George Lyttelton, the politician, poet and essayist, recorded his impressions in 1756, "About £3,000 laid out upon Powis Castle would make it the most august place in the Kingdom."[29]
The Clives and Herberts: 1801–1952
The Outer Courtyard with the Fame statue in the foreground
In 1784, Henry Herbert's daughter, Henrietta, married Edward Clive (1754–1839), the eldest son of Clive of India.[30] Clive had followed his father to India, and served as Governor of Madras. Henrietta's brother died in 1801, whereupon the title lapsed; in 1804, her husband was created first Earl of Powis (of the third creation). The Clive fortune paid for long overdue repairs to the castle, which were carried out by Sir Robert Smirke.[31][32] Their son, Edward (1785–1848), inherited his late uncle's Powis estates on his 21st birthday, taking the surname Herbert in compliance with his uncle's will.[30] Edward Herbert served in a range of administrations as an Anti-Catholic Tory, his speeches in the House of Commons being "cautious and pertinent, although marred by dull delivery". He died in 1848, following a shooting accident at Powis in which he was fatally injured by his second son.[33] No further major changes were made to the Powis estate during his time, or in the long tenure of his eldest son Edward Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis (1818–1891), although the castle was well maintained. In honour of his great-grandfather, the earl was offered the viceroyalty of India by Benjamin Disraeli but declined, writing "Not worth considering. Powis" on the envelope containing the invitation.[34]
The final alterations to Powis Castle were undertaken at the beginning of the 20th century by George Frederick Bodley for George Charles Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis (1862–1952). The rooms designed by Bodley remain his only extant decorative scheme; the longevity of the 4th Earl, the deaths of his heirs, and his bequest of the castle to the National Trust saw the early 20th-century remodelling remain largely unaltered.[g][36] The 4th earl's wife, Violet (nee Lane-Fox), undertook the final transformation of the gardens of Powis Castle, which she felt had the potential to be "the most beautiful in England and Wales".[37] The Countess died following a car accident in 1929, and Lord Powis outlived both his sons, who died on active service, Percy from wounds received at the Battle of the Somme in 1916,[38] and Mervyn in a plane crash in 1943.[39] On his own death in 1952, he bequeathed the castle and gardens to the National Trust.[h][42]
The National Trust: 1952–present
The 4th earl was succeeded by his cousin, Edward Herbert, 5th Earl of Powis (1889–1974). Edward's heir was Christian Herbert, 6th Earl of Powis (1904–1988). He was succeeded by his cousin, George Herbert, 7th Earl of Powis (1925–1993),[42] who was in turn succeeded by his son, John, the 8th and current Earl.[43] The Herbert family continue to live in part of the castle, under an arrangement with the National Trust.[44] The Trust has undertaken a number of major works of restoration during its ownership, including the Marquess Gate,[45] the Grand Staircase,[46] and the sculpture of Fame in the Outer Courtyard.[i][47] The castle and its gardens receive around 200,000 visitors annually. Wikipedia
The National Churches Trust describes St Mary's in Potterne as a “an Early English church of exceptional purity and austerity.”
A priest, and land held by the Bishop of Salisbury, was recorded at Potterne in Domesday Book of 1086, and in Victorian times, a 10th Century font was found on the site of the present day Church of England parish church of St Mary. It was built in the 13th century and has survived with little change, beyond work to the tower in the 15th century and restoration by Ewan Christian. Pevsner describes it as, “An Early English parish church of exceptional purity and indeed classicity” and linked this to the Bishops’ ownership of the manor.
The church is cruciform, with a substantial tower over the crossing, and original lancet windows. It is built of rubble stone, with ashlar to the upper tower. The south porch was added in the 14th century, and in the 15th the tower was made higher and given an elaborate battlement. Restoration in 1870–2 included re-roofing and the removal of galleries, and the stained glass is from various dates in that century.
From the 11th century, the church had been linked to All Saints at West Lavington as tithes from both churches endowed a prebendary at Salisbury Cathedral. From 1967 the benefice was held in plurality with Worton and since 2017 the parish has been part of the Wellsprings benefice, which extends to Seend, Bulkington and Poulshot.
Potterne is a village with a population of 1,544 (2021), 2 miles/3 km south of the Wiltshire market town of Devizes.
This description incorporates text from the English Wikipedia.
If you can imagine that the California Scrub Jay shows it's breeding colors May-August; you have to wonder how much bluer it can be if this was taken in January! It's one of my favorite birds which behavior like crows. I've described the foraging and caching techniques with squirrels and crows under most of the images I've posted.
I'd love to have them in my back "yard," but neither they nor crows have ever shown up there. But a mile away, it's rare NOT to see individuals near the lake, a lake surrounding by oaks and the jays supplementary diet of acorns.
The California Scrub Jay was "divided" by "the folks who know" into Coast, Island, and Inland Scrub Jays about four years ago. The Island jay IS easily distinguished, but the Coast and Inland are just a little less blue and are probably indistinguishable to the newcomer.
Breakdown: The California scrub jay (Aphelocoma californica) is a species of scrub jay native to western North America. It ranges from southern British Columbia throughout California and western Nevada near Reno to west of the Sierra Nevada. The California scrub jay was once lumped with Woodhouse's scrub jay and collectively called the western scrub jay. The group was also lumped with the Island scrub jay and the Florida scrub jay; the taxon was then called simply the scrub jay. The California scrub jay is nonmigratory and can be found in urban areas, where it can become tame and will come to bird feeders. While many refer to scrub jays as "blue jays", the blue jay is a different species of bird entirely. In recent years, the California scrub jay has expanded its range north into the Tsawwassen region of British Columbia.
They are not, as I just said, "blue birds" any more than crows are "black birds." The only bluebird I know from the Rockies west are the Mountain Bluebirds. And my favorite "blue birds" are the blue birds of my yoot, the Blue Jays of the east. I miss them, but having a California Scrub Jay isn't "settling for less."
“NGC 2264 describes several objects in the constellation Monoceros lying about 2,700 light-years from Earth. One is the Christmas Tree star cluster, here lying on its side with the blazing bright star S Monocerotis marking its trunk at Lower left. There is a diffuse red nebula caused by H-alpha emissions from hydrogen gas stimulated by ultraviolet radiation emitted by S Monocertis and the cluster's other white-blue stars. There are two special star forming regions in the red nebula. At centre right, off the tip of the Christmas Tree, is the Cone Nebula, named for its apparent shape sculpted by fierce stellar winds emitted from the stars. It is a dark molecular cloud within which other new stars are forming. Numerous other sculpted swirls of nebulosity are nearby. At centre left is the Fox Fur Nebula, Sharpless 273, named for the rich textured appearance sculpted by stellar winds in that region. In contrast, the blue nebula is a reflection nebula caused by scattered blue light reflecting off residual dust in a region where stars have already formed” [adapted text, credit SkyandTelescope].
The image is made up of a Luminance - Hydrogen Alpha blend for the resolution, and then a low resolution, small set of Red, Green, and Blue forming the colour channel. You can see I push the data a little too hard to reveal the detail, so maybe one day in the future I can collect more luminance and Ha to perhaps achieve a smoother result. But for the time being, I’m quite happy with the result from new Pixinsight procedures learnt.
Thanks for having a look.
Hi Res version:
c2.staticflickr.com/2/1849/30241366108_6a24dd52b9_o.jpg
Information about the image:
Instrument: Planewave CDK 12.5 | Focal Ratio: F8
Camera: STXL-11002 + AOX | Mount: AP900GTO
Camera Sensitivity: Lum+Ha: Bin 1x1, Red, Green, Blue: Bin 2x2
Exposure Details: Lum: 32 x 900sec [8hrs], Ha: 31 x 1200 [8hrs] RGB: 450sec x 6 each [2.25hrs]
Viewing Location: Central Victoria, Australia.
Observatory: ScopeDome 3m
Date: January-February 2018
Software Enhancements: CCDStack2, CCDBand-Aid, PS, Pixinsight
Author: Steven Mohr
In my previous post I described my reason for being out this way and having arrived at Portage at 2015 I knew the Coastal would arrive soon. The sun was soon to be obscured by clouds so I decided to move a bit further south where the sun was still shining. I settled on this view of the train exiting the Placer River Valley with my view point towards the Portage Valley. I framed the shot with the Fireweed in full bloom and my luck held with the sun shining until after the train disappeared.