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Barbados - Andromeda Botanic Gardens- Caribbean
Described by a Royal Horticultural Society judge as 'one of the most unique and outstanding gardens in the world', Andromeda is the original garden of Barbados and provides visitors with an authentic garden experience. Created as a private family retreat, Andromeda has a wonderful collection of plants with a relaxing pond at the heart of these historic and organic gardens. Comprised of about 20 different but connected gardens, the variety of plants and experiences is incredible. There are over 500 different plant species, including over 150 trees and palms. Enjoy the wildlife - bees, birds and butterflies add so much to the enjoyment! Journey through these gardens at your leisure and marvel at the vision of its creator, the multi-award winning Iris Bannochie (three Gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, Silver Crown of Merit by the Barbadian government and much more). Andromeda Botanic Gardens, 'the best garden in Barbados by far', is also an accredited training provider.
Maxillaria crispiloba, décrite par Pascal Sauvêtre en 2012 mais continuant encore souvent á être confondue et vendue comme Maxillaria fucata bien que bien différente. La même espèce dans deux coloris distincts. Culture de Orquídeas del Valle il y a quelques années en Colombie.
Maxillaria crispiloba, descrita por Pascal Sauvêtre en 2012 pero toadavía a menudo confundida y vendida como Maxillaria fucata auqnue bien différente. La misma especie en dos variedades de colores distintas. Cultivo de Orquídeas del Valle hace algunos años en Colombia.
Julianne Waldock who described this species last year measured the holotype as just shy of 8 mm (without spinnerets) which would make this by far the largest peacock spider species and this was one of the reasons I was so keen on finding and photographing this spider. There is a phenomenon called "island gigantism" meaning that the size of an animal isolated on an island often increases dramatically in comparison to their mainland relative. Therefore it would not be unexpected to find a larger than usual Maratus on Middle Island. I asked one of my individuals to hop onto a ruler, looks to me like under 5 mm. Three mm difference does not sound like much but it is huge if you consider the resulting increase in mass, in other words a spider close to 8 mm long would look massive by comparison. Picture this, If its tail end was in the same position as shown above its eyes would be at the right margin of the picture ! All other individuals I found on Middle Island are of similar size, and if that size is typical of the species it makes Maratus caeruleus not the island giant I was hoping to find, and only slightly larger than its mainland relative Maratus avibus. However, I am not disappointed, beautiful animal.
For more info about this species look into the description to the album, and have a look at the other pictures of this species. And if you are not familiar with peacock spiders yet,,watch my videos on YouTube, channel Peacockspiderman www.youtube.com/user/Peacockspiderman Or check out other peacock spiders in my growing collection www.flickr.com/photos/59431731@N05/collections/7215762742...
You may also like the babies, in fact I am sure you will www.flickr.com/photos/59431731@N05/collections/7215764000...
And for regular updates on my discoveries, videos and photography visit me on Facebook www.facebook.com/PeacockSpider
And that kinda describes my week since I returned from Melbourne - it's been non-stop whirlwind with more travelling & upheavals. Here's to hoping that it will all contribute to a bigger cause without too long a wait.
I love Melbourne for its abundance of art, anywhere at all.... Have a good week ahead!
Described as "She-Who-Shapes-The-Sacred-Land" in ancient Hawaiian chants, the volcano goddess, Pele, was passionate, volatile, and capricious. In modern times, Pele has become the most visible of all the old gods and goddesses. Dwelling in the craters of the Big Island's Kilauea Volcano, she has been sending ribbons of fiery lava down the mountainside and adding new land around the southeastern shore almost continuously since 1983.
This statue of Pele stands in the queue area of the Enchanted Tiki Room attraction at the Magic Kingdom. The placement of these statues around the queue not only draws interest but sets the mood for the coming show.
EXPLORED on March 11, 2015 #168
Thanks for looking, everybody!
post một tấm cho vui trước khi đi ngủ ! =)
Thanks Péo :)
stt ng ta ghi : "đang yêu trở lại thật sao ? "
lòng thấy khó chịu =(
Bệnh một tuần chưa hết ! chắc sắp chết =(
views nhìu mà comments ít nha =||||| !! coi chùa wài kì ghê =)) !
The underwater realm cannot be adequately described in the few short sentences I am about to write. To even try to capture it in words is like trying to describe life itself.
So instead, I will simply state that since I learned to dive back in 1997, my life has changed forever. SCUBA diving is underwater flying in three dimensional space. The wildlife routinely is as curious about you as you are of it. The light shifts through ripples on the surface, and under the kelp, sun beam fractals split, bend and reunite.
Many divers only descend into the depths if the water is clear and warm, but they are missing out. There exists a mystical, magical quality to the light when it passes through planktonic microorganisms, through life itself. I'll take my kelp forests any day over "warm and clear".
And I'm crossing my fingers my ear heals up to allow me to dive another day. The depth of my love for the underwater world knows no bounds.
Nikon D200
Nikkor 10.5mm fisheye
1/250sec @ f6.3, ISO 100
Aquatica Housing with 8" Dome Port
Sea & Sea YS-120 strobes at full and half power
Isabelline describes a fawn colouration and appears in the names of two birds on the British List; Isabelline Shrike and Isabelline Wheatear. I remember reading years ago that the name came from Archduchess Isabella, daughter of Philip II of Spain who vowed not to change her linen until Ostend was taken, but this lasted three years (1601-4) and the colour of her unwashed linen became fashionable. However, this link has been proved wrong as an inventory of Queen Elizabeth I describes a gown of isabella colour in 1600, so the word pre-dates the siege of Ostend. The most likely origin is Queen Isabel I of Castile and Spain (reigned 1474-1504) who also apparently vowed not to change her undergarments until Spain was freed from the Moors, which happened in 1492.
Isabelline Wheatear breeds in grassy steppe habitat from eastern Greece through Turkey, Ukraine right across the Russian steppes as far as Inner Mongolia and NE China. They winter in Pakistan, the Arabian peninsula and NE Africa. There have been about thirty records in Britain, usually juveniles in autumn. Both sexes look like a robust, upright juvenile Wheatear but with a broader black tail band, shown beautifully here by this displaying bird. I photographed this singing male on breeding territory in Turkey where its sandy plumage blended in well with the habitat.
The website for Malibu Creek State Park describes the park like this in its opening paragraph:
Considered the recreational crown jewel of the Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu Creek State Park has over 8,000 acres of rolling tallgrass plains, oak savannahs and dramatic peaks. It's no wonder many call it "The Yosemite of Southern California".
The park was owned by 20th Century Fox from 1946-1974, and portions of classic movies like Planet of the Apes, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, M*A*S*H, and have been filmed in and around here.
Rock Pool is now a place where kids hang out on summer weekends and jump off the cliffs into the water -- even though it's specifically prohibited on signs. This lone tree got some nice afternoon light on it and its reflection was framed nicely by these two rocks in the foreground.
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攝影曾經被描述為用光來做畫。
Photography was once described as painting with light.
- Anonymous
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● Non-HDR-processed / Non-GND-filtered
● Black Card Technique 黑卡作品
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✖ A NOTE TO SOME ADMINS ✖
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Please don't bother to invite me to post and share my works in your group if you insist on asking an invited guest to award or comment, for I consider it impolite and rude and even insulting. I am not being unreasonable and a bad sport; it's always unacceptably unpleasant to be banned from a group or rejected to join a group after HAVING been invited to join a group for being accused of not having followed the group rules, especially when you are invited to share your works.
When I spontaneously post any images in any groups, I always follow group rules to comment or award, because it is out of my own will to post and I know its my obligation to go by the book. So when asked to be a guest to share my photos, I think I deserve something better than a ban in return.
If I had to describe what the climate was like in the Great Lakes Region, I would use these two shots from Whitewater.
On January 29th southern Wisconsin was hit with frigid temps and a stiff wind. Daytime air temperatures in the area reached a high of 6 degrees with gusts up to 25 MPH (so you can imagine what the windchill was like). Local news stations recommended people stay indoors. But with two good trains running in the area, that wasn't gonna happen from me.
Due to the low temperatures, the entire railroad was slammed with a cold weather restriction which meant that track speeds were knocked down to 10 MPH. So while this move left Waukesha with the sun a little too far east, the turtle-like pace gave more than enough time for the sun to swing further west.
So here I was, almost six months to the date, standing on the Highway 12 overpass, shooting another T004R restricted to 10 MPH with the air temps nearly 100 degrees colder than in the other photo. Now if that doesn't sum up the climate around here, then I don't know what does.
This is a shell that I brought back from Baja California, Mexico at least seven years ago. I couldn't always catch big fish, but I could always find shell to light and photograph.
Lighting is from a Yongnuo manual strobes in an 8.6 inch Lastolite soft box positioned on the right side of the shell. Fill light is from a hand held mirror at camera left. The strobe 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 Objects album. For each image in the set, and there are over 2000 of them, I describe how I set up the lighting for that particular shot. www.flickr.com/photos/9422878@N08/sets/72157628079460544/
Other picture of shells that I've posted on Flick can be seen in my Shells album: www.flickr.com/photos/9422878@N08/albums/72157626043932290
The state of Thuringia describes itself as "The green heart of Germany". This is due both to its central location in Germany and to its large proportion of forest. A large part of it is located in the low mountain range of the Thuringian Forest. The highest mountains here reach a height of just under 1000 meters. The Großer Inselsberg with its striking towers can be seen from afar in all directions. A good way to walk up the mountain starts in Bad Tabarz and leads through the Lauchagrund. A number of climbing rocks await hikers here. This picture was taken of one of these rocks, the Aschenbergfelsen, as the sun disappeared behind the summit of the Großer Inselsberg.
The image consists of three individual photos. One for the forest and the mountains, one for the sky. Both were processed into an HDR. The third photo was for the heather in the foreground. This was adjusted in terms of exposure and superimposed in HDR in order to have consistent sharpness in the image.
This picture can also be purchased in my shop:
www.ohmyprints.com/de/motiv/Sonnenuntergang-am-Grossen-In...
This is described in Mike Millichamp's guide to English and Welsh Lights as:
Cockersand, Lancashire.
Rear Light - The tall slate tower lighthouse on a white wooden support has been destroyed. The adjoining lighthouse keeper’s cottage remains situated on the edge of the River Lune near Cockersand Abbey. Built in 1847 the tower was 58 feet high and the light was visible for 7 miles.
Front Light - A tall white painted stone circular tower lighthouse with a traditional light currently operated by the local Port Authority and situated at Plover Scar on the River Lune near Cockersand Abbey. Built in 1847 the tower is 27 feet high and the light was visible for 7 miles.
The lighthouse is also known as Abbey Light.
This image was taken a few seconds *after* the moment I’m about to describe. The best way to have captured it would have been to record the scene as a time-lapse video, but I didn’t have expectations to record on this particular morning.
When I reached KLCC Park (Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park), perhaps around 6:15am, I had positioned myself at different places to get the view of Petronas and the Skybridge as night transitioned to day. When I had reached this vantage, hardly any of the lights of the Petronas Towers were actually *on* or visible. Most of the lights were off similar to Menara Maxis (or Maxis Tower), the building to the right with the orange light on its roof -- it’s actually a gigantic digital clock!
As I waited for sunrise, something unexpected occurred which was very enjoyable to observe -- all the lights of the left tower suddenly came on! However, it was the way that it happened that was special to me. The left tower was illuminated from bottom to top by floor, so it was very similar to watching a set of dominos fall or zigzag in a path. It took about 10 to 15 seconds, but it was fascinating to behold. About two minutes later, the twin tower to the right followed suit. In my mind, which races when I travel to different cities (especially ones I haven’t been to before), I interpreted this as though the Twins were greeting me and everyone else who was in the park that morning.
Alas, within a period of three minutes, Petronas went from dark, imposing, and ominous to bright, alluring, and inviting, thus changing the whole atmosphere of the image you see here.
Please click here to view the KL CITY gallery!
Please click here to view the KL AERIALS gallery!
PROJECT "2014 : 365" / TIA INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY / TIA Facebook / TIA Twitter / TIA Blogger
Rock Choir is described as being the United Kingdom's original, and the world's largest, contemporary choir. ... Rock Choir offers teenagers and adults the chance to sing contemporary songs without the need to audition, read music or have any previous singing experience.
Rock Choir is described as being the United Kingdom's original, and the world's largest, contemporary choir. It holds three Guinness World Records – 'biggest hit act in the UK', 'largest musical act to release an album and 'largest song and dance routine held at multiple locations'. Rock Choir offers teenagers and adults the chance to sing contemporary songs without the need to audition, read music or have any previous singing experience. In November 2017 it had more than 25,000 members rehearsing in 400 locations throughout the UK. In August 2011, Coutts Woman Magazine described Rock Choir as "a community singing phenomenon that is sweeping the country," and "one of Britain's biggest brands.
Street performance Taunton, Somerset, England. December 2021.
I have described the outside of the castle, but not the inside, so here goes! The keep had (but no longer has) a vaulted cellar with an external door, the only internal communication to and from which, must have been a trap-door in the ceiling. Above this was a room that Tranter describes as a sleeping room for the garrison, above which again was the laird's apartment on the 3rd floor, reached by the outside stair. From the laird's apartment, a narrow mural stair led down to the barrack room and another led up to the battlements - an inconvenient arrangement every time the guard changed during the night!
Both this room and the room below it were divided by an internal loft, which was probably used as a sleeping platform.
The parapet wall is unusual because it appears to be almost impossible to see over it! There are two crenels (the 'windows' in a battlement) on the east side (which faces the courtyard), one on the north side, and none on the sides shown here - the west and south sides. I don't know exactly how high the parapet wall is, but based on where the drainage holes at its base are, it would appear to be at least head height. The two crenels on the east side are high enough to have lintels over them.
What words describe peace? calm, heartsease, peacefulness, placidity, sereneness, serenity, tranquillity.
Nellie Vin ©Photography
Barbados - Andromeda Botanic Gardens- Caribbean
Described by a Royal Horticultural Society judge as 'one of the most unique and outstanding gardens in the world', Andromeda is the original garden of Barbados and provides visitors with an authentic garden experience. Created as a private family retreat, Andromeda has a wonderful collection of plants with a relaxing pond at the heart of these historic and organic gardens. Comprised of about 20 different but connected gardens, the variety of plants and experiences is incredible. There are over 500 different plant species, including over 150 trees and palms. Enjoy the wildlife - bees, birds and butterflies add so much to the enjoyment! Journey through these gardens at your leisure and marvel at the vision of its creator, the multi-award winning Iris Bannochie (three Gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, Silver Crown of Merit by the Barbadian government and much more). Andromeda Botanic Gardens, 'the best garden in Barbados by far', is also an accredited training provider.
The common redshank was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Scolopax totanus. It is now placed with twelve other species in the genus Tringa that Linnaeus had introduced in 1758. The genus name Tringa is the New Latin name given to the green sandpiper by the Italian naturalist Ulisse Aldrovandi in 1603 based on Ancient Greek trungas, a thrush-sized, white-rumped, tail-bobbing wading bird mentioned by Aristotle. The specific totanus is from Tótano, the Italian name for this bird
Common redshanks in breeding plumage are a marbled brown color, slightly lighter below. In winter plumage they become somewhat lighter-toned and less patterned, being rather plain greyish-brown above and whitish below. They have red legs and a black-tipped red bill, and show white up the back and on the wings in flight.
The spotted redshank (T. erythropus), which breeds in the Arctic, has a longer bill and legs; it is almost entirely black in breeding plumage and very pale in winter. It is not a particularly close relative of the common redshank, but rather belongs to a high-latitude lineage of largish shanks. T. totanus on the other hand is closely related to the marsh sandpiper (T. stagnatilis), and closer still to the small wood sandpiper (T. glareola). The ancestors of the latter and the common redshank seem to have diverged around the Miocene-Pliocene boundary, about 5–6 million years ago. These three subarctic- to temperate-region species form a group of smallish shanks with have red or yellowish legs, and in breeding plumage are generally a subdued light brown above with some darker mottling, and have somewhat diffuse small brownish spots on the breast and neck.
The common redshank is a widespread breeding bird across temperate Eurasia. It is a migratory species, wintering on coasts around the Mediterranean, on the Atlantic coast of Europe from Ireland and Great Britain southwards, and in South Asia.
They are wary and noisy birds which will alert everything else with their loud piping call.
Redshanks will nest in any wetland, from damp meadows to saltmarsh, often at high densities.] They lay 3–5 eggs.
Like most waders, they feed on small invertebrates.
Jaffa Port (Hebrew: נמל יפו, Nemal Yafo) is an ancient port on the Mediterranean Sea, located in the Old City of Jaffa, now Israel.
Jaffa and its port have a history spanning over three millennia.[citation needed] The port itself is mentioned in various ancient works, including the Hebrew Bible, such as the book of Jonah, and the works of Josephus describing Jewish history and the First Jewish Revolt against Rome. For over 7,000 years it has been actively used, predating Muslims, Christians, Jews, and even Egyptians.[citation needed] Still functional as a small fishing port, the port is currently a recreational zone featuring restaurants and cafés. A lighthouse, Jaffa Light, is located above the port.
In 1917, during World War I, British troops under General Allenby defeated the Ottomans and took Jaffa, which became part of the British-administered Palestine Mandate (1922–1948).[citation needed] In 1947 and 1948 there was sharp fighting between Jaffa, which was largely inhabited by Arabs, and the adjoining Jewish city of Tel Aviv. On 13 May 1948 (a day before the proclamation of the State of Israel), the Arab forces in Jaffa were defeated after long fighting with the Zionist underground Haganah and Irgun Zva'i Leumi forces. On 24 April 1950, the Jewish city of Tel Aviv and the Arab city of Jaffa were unified, and the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality was established.
Today,[when?] Arabs of various denominations constitute about 25,000 inhabitants out of a total of 35,000 people.[citation needed] Jaffa has an old fishing harbor, modern boat docks, and a tourism center.[1] Jaffa is a major tourist attraction with a combination of old, new and restored buildings.[2] Its visitor attractions include art galleries, souvenir shops, restaurants, sidewalk cafes, boardwalks, and shopping. It offers a variety of culture, entertainment and food (fish restaurants). The city is noted for its export of the Jaffa oranges.
The great egret was formally described in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Ardea alba. He specified the type locality as Europe.[6][7] The scientific name comes from Latin ardea, "heron", and alba, "white".[8]
Like all egrets, it is a member of the heron family, Ardeidae. Traditionally classified with the storks in the Ciconiiformes, the Ardeidae are closer relatives of pelicans and belong in the Pelecaniformes, instead. The great egret—unlike the typical egrets—does not belong to the genus Egretta, but together with the great herons is today placed in Ardea. In the past, however, it was sometimes placed in Egretta or separated in a monotypic genus Casmerodius.
The Old World population is often referred to as the "great white egret". This species is sometimes confused with the great white heron of the Caribbean, which is a white morph of the closely related great blue heron. Source: Wikipedia.
long jawed spiders (Tetragnathidae) are a family of araneomorph spiders first described by Anton Menge in 1866. They have elongated bodies, legs, and chelicerae, and build small orb webs with an open hub with few, wide-set radii and spirals with no signal line or retreat.
The oldest known orb-weaving spider is ‘Mesozygiella dunlopi’, an extinct species of orb-weaving spider with specimens found in amber dating from the Lower Cretaceous period. Because there are so many different species of Orb Weavers, they differ in colour shape and size.
The jaws (known as 'chelicerae') are hinged with the fangs at the tips, and when mating the male has to lock his jaws on the females to prevent her eating him. When frightened Long-jawed Orb-weaver spiders lie flat out with their legs stretched out in a straight line. This allows them to hide behind thin vegetation. Or my garden lights.
...corner of East Takaka/Back Rds.
East Takaka Church is described as "a fine example of the small Gothic Revival churches built in timber throughout New Zealand in the second half of the nineteenth century".
The church was constructed in late 1868 for Protestant worship, and is historically significant as one of the earliest churches in Golden Bay.
The first European immigrant ships arrived in 1842. Golden Bay was first settled in late 1842 at Motupipi, close to the maori pa at the mouth of the Motupipi River, though Takaka later became the focus of colonial settlement.
East Takaka grew up around farming, hop-growing and sawmilling, and in Oct.1866 the residents held a public meeting to consider the construction of a ‘place of public worship’. Sawmiller/lay-reader William Handcock donated land for the church and associated burial ground. The original architect and builder(s) are unknown though Scottish settler James McDonald is said to have assisted with the church’s construction.
The first service was held on 5 Nov.1868 and the first burials also occurred in 1868.
A vestry was added by John Smith to the southern façade of the church in 1899. Regular Church of England services were held at East Takaka Church for 118 years, with the last service occurring in December 1986. Both the church and surrounding cemetery have been carefully maintained since the end of weekly services. The church has been re-piled, re-roofed and repainted, and still retains its original pews and other chattels like the hexagonal pulpit (c.1878) and organ (c.1917).
While no longer a place of worship, the church hosts events such as weddings, funerals and baptisms.
It was listed as a Cat.1 Historic Place (No.5113) by Heritage New Zealand in 1990.
Often described as the most photographed point in Colorado. Usually folks get up at sunrise, in the fall, after an early snow to get an amazing shot. This is what happens when you show up late morning, in the middle of summer. It's nice, but do a quick search here on Flickr and you'll see what I missed.
This was the beginning of the 29 mile Four Pass Loop, backpacking around the mountain. This shot might not be impressive, but it's better than the pouring rain and overcast that greeted me upon return four days later.
Coimbra, Portugal - March 2023
Anyone that knows me, knows that I hate to describe photos but please bear with me on this one.
I was in a cafe enjoying some lunch when I saw the band of student merrymakers coming down the street. I quickly grabbed my camera and took a shot.
"Damn, I forgot to turn my Leica shutter speed from OFF to 1/250th" when I fired the shutter.
The student with her hand coming at me then decided to give me a lecture about Portuguese law and privacy and that I had no right taking their photos.
Turns out, the law states that you can't take their "portrait" without their permission or something like that. So I argued with her for a few minutes and then just gave up and finished my lunch. I didn't want to wind up in Portuguese prison after all, especially in a country that I'm trying to establish residency.
I got on WhatsApp and texted my Portuguese photography friend and he said, "Just move along and pay them no mind. You won't be going to prison. That is the law but move along."
When I found the image on the contact sheet you can only imagine how long over exposed the frame would be. So I tried to fix it in the darkroom. The result is the best I could do with it.
I kind of really like the movement and the mysterious-ness of it.
So I've decided to start a new collection of little scenes based on the kings and queens of Scotland. I spend a lot of of time building big models, so the idea is to give myself something to do that's generally quick, fun and easy. I'm inspired by James Pegrum's series on the kings and queens of England, which I think are a really neat way of covering a county's history.
So first up is the apparent first King of Scots, Kenneth MacAlpin, who reigned between 843 and 858. Describing Kenneth’s life is difficult because so much is wrapped up in myth and revision, however all subsequent Scottish monarchs claimed descent from him and as such, the current British monarch, Queen Elizabeth II is descended from him through Malcolm III, Robert the Bruce and James VI and I.
In 839 a succession crisis rose in the Pictish Kingdom of Fortriu, which is often referred to synonymously with Pictland in general, when King Uen son of Óengus, his brother Bran, Áed mac Boanta and other notable members of the dynasty were killed in battle against the Vikings. This situation resulted in at least four would-be kings warring for supreme power.
Kenneth's reign is dated from 843, but it was probably not until 848 that he defeated the last of his rivals for power. Little detail is known of his reign, although a few sources offer some insight. In 849 he had the relics of Saint Columba, which may have included the Monymusk Reliquary, transferred from Iona to Dunkeld. Apparently he also invaded Anglo-Saxon lands six times, capturing Melrose and burning Dunbar.
Kenneth died on 13th February 858 at the palace of Cinnbelachoir, which is thought to have been near Scone. He left at least two sons, Constantine and Áed, who were later kings, and at least two daughters.
The earliest written account of the city is the 10th Century Laguna Copperplate Inscription which describe an Indianized kingdom maintaining diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Medang and commercial exchanges with Ancient Japan and Song Dynasty China. The city was invaded by Brunei's Sultan Bolkiah and was already Islamized by the 15th century when the Spanish first arrived. Manila eventually became the center of Spanish activity in the Far East and one end of the Manila–Acapulco galleon trade route linking Latin America and Asia. This caused it to be called the "Pearl of the Orient". Several Chinese insurrections, local revolts, a British Occupation and a Sepoy mutiny also occurred thereafter. Later, it saw the rise of the Philippine Revolution which was followed by the arrival of the Americans who made contributions to the city's urban planning and development only to have most of those improvements lost in the devastation of World War II. Since then the city has been rebuilt.
Manila was first known as Ginto (land of gold) or Suvarnadvipa by its neighboring provinces, and was officially the Kingdom of Maynila. The Kingdom of Maynila flourished during the latter half of the Ming Dynasty as a result of trade relations with China. Ancient Tondo was maintained as the traditional capital of the empire. Its rulers were equivalent to kings and not mere chieftains, and they were addressed as panginuan or panginoon ("lords"), anak banwa ("son of heaven") or lakandula ("lord of the palace"). During the 13th century, the city consisted of a fortified settlement and trading quarter at the shores of the Pasig river, on top of previous older towns. There is also early evidence of Manila being invaded by the Indianized empire of Majapahit, due to the epic eulogy poem Nagarakretagama which inscribed its conquest by Maharaja Hayam Wuruk.Saludong or Selurong which is a historical name for the city of Manila is listed in Canto 14 alongside Sulot, which is now Sulu, and Kalka.
During the reign of Sultan Bolkiah in 1485 to 1521, the Sultanate of Brunei decided to break the Dynasty of Tondo's monopoly in the China trade by attacking it and establishing the state of Selurong (now Manila) as a Bruneian satellite-state.[8] A new dynasty under the Islamized Rajah Salalila. was also established to challenge the House of Lakandula in Tondo. Islam was further strengthened by the arrival to the Philippines of traders and proselytizers from Malaysia and Indonesia.The multiple states that existed in the Philippines simplified Spanish colonization. Manila was temporarily threatened by the invasion of Chinese pirate-warlord Limahong before it became the seat of the colonial government of Spain.
In 1571 Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi founded the Manila in what today is Intramuros. Manila was made the capital of the Philippine Islands, which Spain would control for over three centuries, from 1565 to 1898. The city was occupied by Great Britain for two years from 1762 to 1764 as part of the Seven Years' War. The city remained the capital of the Philippines under the government of the provisional British governor, acting through the Mexican-born Archbishop of Manila, Manuel Rojo del Rio y Vieyra and the captive Real Audiencia. However, armed resistance to the British persisted, centered in Pampanga, and was led by Oidor Don Simón de Anda y Salazar.
Manila also became famous during the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade which lasted for three centuries and brought goods from as far as Mexico and Peru all the way to Southeast Asia. Silver that was mined in Mexico and Peru were exchanged for Chinese silk, Indian gems, and the spices of the East Indies.
In 1898, Spain ceded the Philippines to the United States. Under the American control, the new government invited Daniel Burnham to plan a modern Manila. The Burnham Plan was a project that attempted to create Manila as Paris on the Prairie, with a vision of a government center occupying all of Wallace Field, which extends from Luneta to the present Taft Avenue. The Philippines Capitol was to rise on the Taft Avenue end of the field, facing toward the sea, and would form, with the buildings of different government bureaus and departments, a mighty quadrangle, lagoon in the center and a monument to Rizal at its Luneta end. Of Burnham’s proposed government center, only three units were built: the Legislative Building and the building of the Finance and Agricultural departments, which were completed on the eve of the War. By then, President Manuel L. Quezon had doomed the Burnham Plan by creating a new capital outside Manila, which was named after him, Quezon City.
Manila was the site of the most fierce battle in the Pacific theater during the war. During the battle, Manila became a city of bloodbath in Asia where 100,000 civilians were killed. It was the second most devastated city in the world after Warsaw during the Second World War. Since then the city has been rebuilt.
With Arsenio Lacson becoming the first elected mayor (prior to this all mayors were appointed), Manila underwent The Golden Age, Manila was revitalized and became once again the pearl of the orient, which Manila has earned before the outbreak of World War II. During the Marcos dictatorship, the region of the Manila metropolitan area was enacted as an independent entity in 1975 encompassing several cities and towns, being as a whole the seat of government of the Philippines.
On 1992, Alfredo Lim became the mayor, and was known for his anti-crime crusades. When Lim ran for the presidency during the 1998 presidential election, his vice mayor Lito Atienza was elected as city mayor. Atienza was known for renovating most of the city's plaza, and projects that would benefit the populace. He was the Mayor of Manila for 3 terms (9 years); barred for seeking a fourth consecutive term. Lim defeated Atienza's son Ali in the 2007 city election and immediately reversed all of Atienza's projects claiming the projects made little contribution to the improvements of the city. On July 17, 2008, councilor Dennis Alcoreza, filed human rights complaints before the Commission on Human Rights, against Lim, and other Manila officials. Twenty four Manila officials also resigned because of the maltreatment of Lim's police forces.
While the eastern part of Manila faced a catastrophe during the flooding of Tropical Storm Ketsana in 2009, the only major inconvenience in the city was the flooded Quezon Boulevard underpass which took two days to clean up and the district of Santa Mesa, the most flooded area within the city. During the 2010 city elections, Alfredo Lim won against secretary Lito Atienza. After a few months of taking office, Lim was harshly criticized on the bloody resolution of the Manila hostage crisis, one of the deadliest hostage crisis in the Philippines.
The best way to describe Hong Kong is a city of contrasts:
Where East meets West,
Where Rural areas meet Urban Areas
Where Mountains (hills in strictly speaking) meet Beaches
Where Rich meet Poor,
etc..
This is most probably the last (at least until my next visit) in my short series of images illustrating the contrasts found in Hong Kong. It is also perhaps my favourite.
Where Land meets Sea.
Without the large container ships in the mid-ground, one would struggle to identify it as Hong Kong. Yet, despite all the concrete and high-rise it is indeed possible to find scenes of natural beauty.
The islands pictured on the horizon, are outside the territory of Hong Kong and are some 35km away. The visibility on this particular afternoon on High West was exceptionally good and is very very rare during the Winter Monsoon - more on this topic in future posts.
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Described as having olive-green upper parts, yellow underparts and a white lower belly. It has a small chestnut-brown cap (not shown here). Its gray hood extends to back, eye-ring is white. It does not wag its tail. Bird was fairly cooperative and quiet while refueling its small body.
John Muir described the Douglas Squirrel as "by far the most interesting and influential of the California sciuridæ". It is a small, lively, bush-tailed tree squirrel, enchanting to watch. Adults are about 33 cm in length (including its tail, which is about 13 cm long), and weigh between 150 and 300 grams. Their appearance varies according to the season. In the summer, they are a grayish or almost greenish brown on their backs, and pale orange on the chest and belly, while legs and feet appear brown. In the winter, the coat is browner and the underside is grayer; also, the ears appear even tuftier than they do in summer. Like many squirrels, Douglas Squirrels have a white eye ring. (From Wikipedia). Explore #44
Excerpt from www.brainproject.ca:
Brain #: 346 (LEFT)
In describing his inspiration for the Brain Project, artist David Drebin noted that the title of this brain says it all: Inner Thoughts. What was once personal and safely nestled inside one’s mind is now on display for all to see. Take a look and see if you discover some inner thoughts of your own.
Brain #: 336 (RIGHT)
When Bobbie Burgers wakes up or falls asleep, various dream-like images often float across her mind’s eye. This is what makes up most of her work; a collage of day dreams, death, rebirth, nature, beauty, age, perfumes and sounds. All her senses intertwined. She has recently been intrigued by how most of her creative work takes place in this dreamlike, subconscious state. Lucid dreaming and dream incubation are a fascinating combination of creative control and controlling one’s own creativity on how we view the world, what we wish to experience and the endless unknown of the human brain.
Described by Goethe as a "sublimely towering, wide-spreading tree of God" and by Victor Hugo as a "gigantic and delicate marvel", the Strasbourg Cathedral is visible far across the plains of Alsace. It can be seen from as far off as the Black Forest or the Vosges Mountains. The reddish-brown sandstone from the Vosges mountains gives the cathedral its distinctive colour.
...Describe your sorrows and desires, the thoughts that pass through your mind and your belief in some kind of beauty - describe all these with heartfelt, silent, humble sincerity and, when you express yourself, use the Things around you, the images from your dreams, and the objects that you remember. If your everyday life seems poor, don’t blame it; blame yourself; admit to yourself that you are not enough of a poet to call forth its riches; because for the creator there is not poverty and no poor, indifferent place. And even if you found yourself in some prison, whose walls let in none of the world’s sounds – wouldn’t you still have your childhood, that jewel beyond all price, that treasure house of memories? Turn your attentions to it. Try to raise up the sunken feelings of this enormous past; your personality will grow stronger, your solitude will expand and become a place where you can live in the twilight, where the noise of other people passes by, far in the distance. - And if out of this turning-within, out of this immersion in your own world, poems come, then you will not think of asking anyone whether they are good or not. Nor will you try to interest magazines in these works: for you will see them as your dear natural possession, a piece of your life, a voice from it. A work of art is good if it has arisen out of necessity. That is the only way one can judge it.
Rainer Maria Rilke
describes the theoretical moment where all judgments about the existence of the external world, and consequently all action in the world, are suspended
The view inside Rome Colosseum. It is as grand as described, as old as dirt and as crowded as people said. Timeless pieces of history full of violence and brutality. Glad I wasn’t part of it.
Described as one of the more dangerous airports to land at because the 5,500-foot runway is not really that hard to land at, but the city's main street intersects with the runway and has to be closed when a plane lands.
The short runway also abruptly ends at the Sea on both ends, forcing pilots to hit the brakes immediately after landing.
Cartell describes it as a van, so maybe the side windows are a later addition?
Both with wipers parked on the screen! Justification for it in my case was that I had to replace the blades, and they have to be parked like that to get them out.
A newly described species that grows in gravel soils in open forest along the Darling Scarp. It is a short in statue plant with one to two flowers, sometimes three which has a red coloured underside to the leaf. This plant was approximately 10cm tall.
Perth hills
Western Australia
Red-necked Footman is described by Yorkshire Moths as a scarce and local resident. But it has enjoyed a range expansion over the last 20 years and has appeared at 55 sites all over Yorkshire, only three of these before 2000. I found this individual resting on a grass head on a grassy ride through a conifer plantation on the edge of the Peak District in West Yorkshire at about 1300 feet asl. This moth was exactly as I found it but I made a composite photograph so you can see the striking yellow abdomen as well as the tiny red collar that gave rise to its name. Incidentally the name Footman was apparently given to this family of moths because of the tall, standing-to-attention appearance when the moths are at rest. This one appears to be freshly-emerged as the wings were velvety black and the red collar is not faded (this collar on a moth is formed by two lobes at the base of the wings, each called a patagium, plural patagia). Its caterpillars feed on lichens (and algae) that grow on conifers, but the shy caterpillar hides by day and only feeds at night. Which probably gave rise to its scientific name Atolmis rubricollis. Atolmis means lacking courage, while rubricollis means red-necked. In France this moth is known as La Veuve, meaning widow, because of its black attire.
“Another head hangs lowly
Child is slowly taken
And the violence, caused such silence
Who are we mistaken?
But you see, it’s not me
It’s not my family
In your head , in your head they are fighting”
Zombie By the Cranberries
I was going to attach the audio of an Air Force or National Guard Jet, diving at our Motorhome. But, I like this picture to much to have a play icon, stuck in the middle of it. I’ll post the audio, to another post. It is one of the many, many acts, I’ve caught on audio. This is our government using its Military; to stalk, harass, intimidate and bait, a US Citizen, on US Soil. There are thousands of Targeted Individuals, in the United States. These American Whistleblowers, Targets, are being used as Test Subjects. For Physiological and Electronic Torture. 60 Minutes (CBS), did a Segment on this; Episode 23, aired 2-20-22, Americans Targeted. I commend them on their efforts to expose this.
In this Segment; American victims, described these Electronic Attacks. Some at our Capitol. They and their family members acquired, devastating medical conditions from these attacks. One government official; described the attacks on his children, while they were sleeping. He said they would toss, turn, there would be a loud noise admitting around their heads. Once removed from the area; they stopped. They suffered from numerous medical conditions. He said he wished our Government would stop Gaslighting, and do something.
Another woman, describing how her child went blind in the right eye. If you have the time, I encourage you to educate yourself on what is really happening in America. You will need a Paramount +, subscription, to stream 60 Minutes that far back. It’s your America, It's worth watching.
During the segment; our own CIA Director, said he doesn’t know who or how they are doing it. I call Bullshit! Mr. CIA Director, if you want to know about Electronic Torture, come see me; Rick Pineiro, now in Grand Junction, Colorado, area. These people have no boundaries. I have 14 years of Targeted experience. It’s pretty much the same Bullshit with our FBI Director, Homeland Security Director and Justice Department. It doesn’t matter what administration is in power. Our Government and many legislators are beyond corrupt. They are what have gotten us here today. Power and Control.
As America continues to astonish the world with its barbaric behavior. Our Government continues to release and duplicate its Zombies, in our communities. These aren’t real Zombies, but are the bottom feeders, the village idiots, sociopaths and self anointed narcissus. They live in every American Community. These are Americans; laying in wait for the next Target to come to their community. Yep, the Boogieman is here, they have no rights, this is America. Their goal is to rid their communities of anyone, they feel not worthy, of living within their communities. Kinda reminds you of the KKK. Guided by Contractors and Branches of our Government; these people have no boundaries, no accountability. And, this is why many local law enforcement agencies, turn a blind eye, or, participate. Kinda reminds me of the KKK, again. I read about them, but not in our schools.
These Americans will use local law enforcement, children, animals, pets, guns, vehicles, Physiological and Electronic Torture. They will destroy your life. They will bait you, discredit you, rally a community against you. Mob you, stalk you, harass you, illegally watch, video and record everything in your life. They and government contractors will use Physiological and Electronic Torture. They will use these tactics; Gaslighting, perform Street Theater, and Baiting you. At VA Clinics, Hospitals and other Medical Facilities. This is what you call Gang Stalking in America. I call it Domestic Terrorism. Our Homeland Security Secretary, wants to increase this type of community hate. He wants more Community Involved Monitoring. These people allowed roaming free across America, without consequence for their actions.
As I composed these 5 images, I took for this picture; someone very close started firing off riffle rounds. Bullets, whizzing not far overhead. When I set up to take pictures this morning (7-6-22), someone starts firing a high-powered rifle in the background. When I stepped out of our Motorhome today, to move our solar panels; someone started shooting a high-powered rifle over our Motorhome. Rounds whizzing over it, as I moved the panels. Koda, inside barking. Then they started firing rounds, into the hill I was taking pictures from this morning. It was just to the front of our camp.
Mr. Homeland Security, CIA and FBI Directors. This happens in Colorado (where I currently am), Wyoming, Arizona and Utah. When I was in the Military, I expected live rounds, aircraft diving overhead; I lived it. I didn’t expect it across, state by state; in the United States of America. This is what happens to brave Americans; trying to expose the truth about Corruption, Electronic Torture and Gang Stalking. It would be great if one of you Directors, would grab your balls, and find a grain of that type of courage!
Until we remove ourselves of our corrupt officials, it will only get worse. Many years ago; I predicted mobbing would eventually get to the point; where Law Enforcement could not control these mobs. Just look through my photostream. Here we are, folks. Aren't you proud! Now I’m going to have Billy-Bob, and his Sister’s Daughter Wife, chase me down in a big pickup truck. Brandishing oversized, American flags in the bed. Go American Education System; showing yourself so vividly.
This photo and all in my photostream are free to download, print, and share. All I ask is you keep my Trade Marks and share something with someone in need. Maybe a couple bottles of water, or a sandwich. You would be surprised how much people do have in common.
I’ve rambled on long enough for today. Violence is not the answer, please educate yourself.
Thanks for visiting our photostream.
This photo pretty much just describes my life, but it is much brighter than my photos of late...It was also another editing NIGHTMARE. I can't figure out why my photoshop cs5 is running so slowly on my computer...it's so bad that everytime i want to drag a photo around a canvas, the load bar has to pop up and it takes atleast 15-20sec...i'm new, but that doesn't seem right.