View allAll Photos Tagged Difficulty
I encountered considerable difficulty researching the yellow-painted house on Richmond Street. The street has changed names several times, and this added to my difficulty. The section of Richmond Street between Brock (Spadina Avenue) and Bathurst Street was a originally named Little Richmond, and later was changed to Farley Avenue. In 1870, the houses on Richmond between Portland and Bathurst had no postal numbers. However, the most westerly house on the north side of the street, before Bathurst Street, was the home of James Irwin, a fitter with the Grand Trunk Railway. This was likely the small yellow house that remains on the site today. In 1872 and 1873, the Toronto Directories of those years do not list any houses on the street.
In 1875, the most westerly house on the north side of Richmond, before Bathurst Street, was the the house of Solomon Phillips, a labourer. In 1876, it was the home of Miss Mary Franklin, a teacher.
I find it amazing that this house has survived for over a century, and remains on its original location. I must admit that I fear for its future, as the property has a “For Sale” sign on it.
(more details later, as time permits)
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Another year has elapsed since I last photographed the tango dancers gathering on Pier 45 (where Christopher Street runs into the Hudson River in New York City's West Village), on the weekend before Labor Day, late-August 2014. But the sun was shining one weekend in early June of 2015, and I decided to venture down to Greenwich Village once again...
As I've mentioned in other Flickr sets, I have now met a few of the dancers at previous tango event over the past several; years, and I used to make a point of introducing myself to some of them, handing out business cards with my Flickr address so that people would be able to find these pictures without too much difficulty. But the dancers have good reason to be more interested in the music, and the movement of their partners, than a guy on the sideline with a camera -- so most of them have simply ignored me…
Altogether, I've now taken a dozen sets of tango-related photos, and you can see a thumbnail overview of them in this Flickr collection. And if you'd like to watch some other examples NYC tango dancing, check out Richard Lipkin's Guide to Argentine Tango in New York City.
Even though the dancers seem fresh and enthusiastic each time I come down here to Pier 45, I have a definite sense of deja vu: arguably, I’ve seen it all, I’ve photographed it all, I’ve heard all the tango music several times before. So I decided to do something different this time: I took all of the photos with my iPhone6+ camera. I used the “burst mode” feature on the camera-phone, so even though I took some 4,000 separate images, there were only about 400 “bursts,” and the iPhone hardware was kind enough to tell me which one or two images were reasonably sharp in each burst. From that smaller subset, I was eventually able to whittle things down to 50 images that I thought were okay for uploading to Flickr; that’s what you’ll see here.
Actually, the reason I was motivated to do all of this was not Flickr, but Instagram: for reasons that I can only assume are a stubborn testament to the “culture” of its community, Instagram insists on a “square” format, rather than the 3:2 or 4:3 aspect ratio favored by most DSLR and point-and-shoot cameras. Even worse, it insists that the photos be uploaded one-at-a-time from a mobile device. Ironically, this last restriction may prove to be too much; I’m uploading the photos to Flickr from my desktop Mac, but I don’t know if I’ll have the patience to upload them individually to Instagram…
Aside from that, I’ve concluded that the iPhone6+ is a handy little device for casual, ad hoc photos and videos; but it really doesn’t have the features I’ve come to depend on for the photos I want to publish. I won’t go into all of the technical details; chances are that you either don’t know, or don’t care, about those details. And if you do, chances are that you’ve made up your mind one way or another. As for me, I will definitely keep using the iPhone for some of my photos — especially the ones that really are casual, unplanned, ad hoc photos when I’ve got no other equipment that I can use. But with sophisticated little “pocket cameras” like the Sony RX-100 and Canon G7X, those moments are pretty rare for me … still, it was an interesting experiment.
As I've also pointed out in some previous Flickr albums, you can see a video version of the tango dancers from 2011, complete with music (which isn’t really tango music, but that’s okay), on my YouTube page; it’s here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqmnTQuwn54&list=UUUXim5Er2O4... (more details later, as time permits)
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Another year has elapsed since I last photographed the tango dancers gathering on Pier 45 (where Christopher Street runs into the Hudson River in New York City's West Village), on the weekend before Labor Day, late-August 2014. But the sun was shining one weekend in early June of 2015, and I decided to venture down to Greenwich Village once again...
As I've mentioned in other Flickr sets, I have now met a few of the dancers at previous tango event over the past several; years, and I used to make a point of introducing myself to some of them, handing out business cards with my Flickr address so that people would be able to find these pictures without too much difficulty. But the dancers have good reason to be more interested in the music, and the movement of their partners, than a guy on the sideline with a camera -- so most of them have simply ignored me…
Altogether, I've now taken a dozen sets of tango-related photos, and you can see a thumbnail overview of them in this Flickr collection. And if you'd like to watch some other examples NYC tango dancing, check out Richard Lipkin's Guide to Argentine Tango in New York City.
Even though the dancers seem fresh and enthusiastic each time I come down here to Pier 45, I have a definite sense of deja vu: arguably, I’ve seen it all, I’ve photographed it all, I’ve heard all the tango music several times before. So I decided to do something different this time: I took all of the photos with my iPhone6+ camera. I used the “burst mode” feature on the camera-phone, so even though I took some 4,000 separate images, there were only about 400 “bursts,” and the iPhone hardware was kind enough to tell me which one or two images were reasonably sharp in each burst. From that smaller subset, I was eventually able to whittle things down to 50 images that I thought were okay for uploading to Flickr; that’s what you’ll see here.
Actually, the reason I was motivated to do all of this was not Flickr, but Instagram: for reasons that I can only assume are a stubborn testament to the “culture” of its community, Instagram insists on a “square” format, rather than the 3:2 or 4:3 aspect ratio favored by most DSLR and point-and-shoot cameras. Even worse, it insists that the photos be uploaded one-at-a-time from a mobile device. Ironically, this last restriction may prove to be too much; I’m uploading the photos to Flickr from my desktop Mac, but I don’t know if I’ll have the patience to upload them individually to Instagram…
Aside from that, I’ve concluded that the iPhone6+ is a handy little device for casual, ad hoc photos and videos; but it really doesn’t have the features I’ve come to depend on for the photos I want to publish. I won’t go into all of the technical details; chances are that you either don’t know, or don’t care, about those details. And if you do, chances are that you’ve made up your mind one way or another. As for me, I will definitely keep using the iPhone for some of my photos — especially the ones that really are casual, unplanned, ad hoc photos when I’ve got no other equipment that I can use. But with sophisticated little “pocket cameras” like the Sony RX-100 and Canon G7X, those moments are pretty rare for me … still, it was an interesting experiment.
As I've also pointed out in some previous Flickr albums, you can see a video version of the tango dancers from 2011, complete with music (which isn’t really tango music, but that’s okay), on my YouTube page; it’s here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqmnTQuwn54&list=UUUXim5Er2O4...
Looking out from Llanthony Road Bridge down the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal, in Gloucester, Gloucestershire.
Conceived in the Canal Mania period of the late 18th century, the Gloucester and Berkeley Ship Canal scheme (as it was originally named) was started by architect and civil engineer Robert Mylne. In 1793 an Act of Parliament was obtained authorising the raising of a total of £200,000. The project rapidly encountered financial difficulties - to such an extent that Mylne left the project in 1798. By half way through 1799 costs had reached £112,000 but only 5½ miles of the canal had been completed. Robert Mylne's role was taken over by James Dadford who had originally been engaged as resident engineer on the project in 1795. Lack of funds resulted in the company ceasing to employ Dadford in 1800.
Between 1800 and 1810 various attempts were made to raise money to allow further building but they came to nothing. Moneys from tolls and rents allowed for some improvements to be made to the basin at Gloucester in 1813.
From 1817 onwards the Poor Employment Act meant it was possible for the company to loan money from the Exchequer Bill Loan Commission. This along with further share issues provided enough money to bring the scheme to completion. After these significant delays, the canal opened in April 1827. In the course of its construction the canal had cost £440,000.
By the middle of the nineteenth century it proved possible to pay a small dividend, the debt to the Exchequer Bill Loan Commission having been repaid with the help of a loan of £60,000 from the Pelican Life Assurance Company. In 1871 the last of the debts incurred in the course of funding the canal including the Pelican Life Assurance Company loan were paid off.
In 1905 traffic exceeded 1 million tons for the first time. Oil was added to the list of cargoes carried by the canal, with bulk oil carriers taking fuel to storage tanks sited to the south of Gloucester. In 1937 the canal was navigated by the submarines HMS H33 and HMS H49.
The canal was nationalized in 1948. At the same time the Sharpness Dock Police which had policed the dock since 1874 were absorbed into the British Transport Police. In 1955 the Board of Survey of Canals and Inland Waterways released a report that, among other things, described the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal as carrying substantial traffic and offering scope for commercial development.
By the mid 1980s commercial traffic had largely come to a halt with the canal being given over to pleasure cruisers with the exception of a few passages by grain barges. The oil trade ceased in 1985 with the closure of the petroleum depot at Quedgeley.
When I walk around with my nieces, people do think they are my daughters :)
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p.s. Jesus! Anybody experiencing difficulty in uploading photos to flickr? I've been trying for the last three days! Gosh! Using the old uploadr today... yesterday even the old one wasn't working.
For some people, a cardboard box is their home.
I am thankful to have a roof over my head. Other people sadly aren't as fortunate.
It's easy to take things for granted in our lives, but not everyone is so lucky and today as a group we are trying to raise awareness about the Charity Shelter and the great work they do.
With such a cold winter this year its important to remember those not as fortunate as ourselves, who don't have a nice warm home. Shelter do such a fantastic job in helping those with housing difficulties we think its important to recognise their efforts.
england.shelter.org.uk/what_you_can_do
scotland.shelter.org.uk/what_you_can_do
Made from a cardboard box, brown paper and brown tape. All recycled of course!
I've mentioned before that my son has some significant physical disabilites and severe learning difficulties. As you can imagine, this makes life tough at times. Fortunately there are many people and organisations who do amazing things to help and support people in our position. Through their care, we were alerted to a fund of money available to provide a bit of a break for our family. Having applied and been given it, we decided to spend the half-term holiday doing something that Fenton would love. My father-in-law has been going to the Bluebell Railway, a 9 mile stretch of preserved railway, for over 15 years, volunteering as engine crew. He spends most autumn and spring half-terms driving the trains by day and sleeping in a 'converted' container. Fenton, like most boys his age, loves wheels, tractors, diggers, lorries and trains! So together we hatched a plan that would see us all stay locally (giving Grandad somewhere a little more luxurious to stay) and we would come along to the railway for at least part of each day.
I've got quite a few pictures to share. We also wanted to thank the people who helped us by getting them out quickly and so I've decided to blast them all out in a single week mirroring our trips. It makes Tuesday a little thin (we only spent a short time at the railway and then went elsewhere) and Thursday rather lengthy (you'll see why on Thursday - but I took nearly 500 shots) but hopefully it'll be interesting. I fear it is also a return to 'verbose' Lee - but then I know some of you like that. The rest can just enjoy (hopefully) the pictures. Anyway, enough of the pre-amble - let's get on with it.
This is the locomotive 'Birch Grove' an E4 class at Kingscote station. The driver (Ian Wright - more on him later) is checking the coal stocks. Monday was a very cold but sunny day and I loved the shadow of the lamp post. The swirling steam escaping from various locations was pretty but unpredictable.
See below for some more from the day (all clickable) or check out the set.
PS Any mistakes are mine, until father-in-law corrects me - then they'd be his ;)
A white Monarch, named nivosus by Lepidopterists, is grayish white in all areas of the wings that are normally orange (Vane-Wright 1993). Several authors (Stimson and Meyers, 1984; Vane-Wright 1993) have assumed that the white form results from the inability of the butterfly to synthesize the normal orange pigment, but this hypothesis has never been tested. The white Monarchs appear to be normal in all other respects giving rise to many questions. Why is this form so rare? Is nivosus selectively eaten by predators? Does it have difficulty finding mates? Is the genetic basis for this form the same in all populations? These, and many other questions, need to be answered.
and all that because of the difficulties to name that thing? :)
1. first floor weeps in a playful manner
paul said, it's called "2nd floor" ... so i changed it
2. 2nd floor weeps in a playful manner
ludovic said, it's called "1st floor" ... so i changed it to "upper floor"
3. i'm still open for nice suggestions .. :)
btw, it's called "erster stock" (1st floor) where i live ...
Among the many difficulties the bird photographer faces in the tropics is the high humidity, which often results in hazy shots, like this one.
Despite the difficulties, the failures and the pain, despite I've been betrayed and all the troubles within, I had to walk this path alone and I've reached the top of the mountain...
Dedicated to my Friend Eric who, I hope, will see the strong symbol in this picture of him.
Mont Ventoux - France
20200305 : 25/715 = 3.50%
66 620 draws its train through the loading bunker at Tunstead Quarry with empties from Tunstead Bottom End Yard, which will load with limestone rocks to form 6H22 the 11.08 to Hindlow Quarry. Beside 66620 is the Industrial Shunter from the previous image. The train is running late at this point due to loaded difficulties at the beginning, resulting on one cab being covered in limestone sludge, images of the cab will follow.
This was a great location with a view over the vast Tunstead Quarry.
Taken at 1113 on the 13th September 2018.
This bee zooming through space to reach the allium flower reminded me of the Kansas state motto: "To the stars through difficulties."
For a while now, things got mixed up, and claim everyone who cannot get to safety quickly. As a consequence, crucial parts are now on hold. This turned into a heavy load on exhausted shoulders that desperately wait and hope for a shift to compensate for the difficulties.
Over time, patience started wearing thin and frustration began splashing around. Yet things aren't always up to whom would like to change them. And so, I continued waiting and hoping for a shift to compensate for the difficulties.
But then, there was land in sight on this arduous journey. With the destination in front of my eyes, I am amazed dreams finally come true. And yet, I also realize the overwhelming feeling of being rewarded with the long-desired shift to compensate for the difficulties.
One of the most famous of the Brittany lighthouses. Built in 1887,
with great difficulty, on the rock known as "The Old One." The square granite tower is 89 feet tall. White, red and green lights are displayed from 9 panels, 4 seconds on, 1 second off, 4 seconds on 1 second off, and 1 second on and 1 second off.
Located in the Iroise Sea 1 mile west of the Pointe du Raz
The photo was taken from a ferry between Audierne and Ile de Sein, on a clear calm sunny day. Imagine what it might look like in a fierce storm.
The Iroise Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean between Pointe du Raz and Ile de Sein notorious for violent storms and huge waves.
Meet Prodny, here with his two keepers, Hannah (left) and Lanais. He’s a 40-year-old retired racehorse who lives in Teddington, west London, with his friends Trigger, Wizz, Dougie, Eddy, Marcus and Jack. Their home is the Park Lane Stables, an inclusive Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) centre.
These gentle creatures offer local children and adults with a wide range of disabilities, learning difficulties and mental health issues the opportunity to ride, carriage drive and care for horses.
It’s known that riding and being near horses can be highly therapeutic, making a tangible difference to a person’s fitness, confidence, happiness and general wellbeing. The Park Lane Stables have been a part of Teddington’s life for 13 years, and a gaggle of horses and ponies making their sedate way to nearby Bushy Park is a familiar and heartwarming sight to local residents.
But a few months ago, the Stables were given notice to quit by their landlord – unless they could come up with... £1 million!
And guess what? They’ve done it! Thanks to the tenacity and ‘can do’ attitude of the wonderful Natalie O’Rourke, who runs the Stables, they’ve hit the crowdfunding trail and the media big time, attracting names such as Rob Brydon (who lives locally), Rory Bremner and Claire Balding along the way – and a couple of days ago they hit their target.
It’s a truly extraordinary and uplifting story, which highlights the community spirit of Teddington, the generosity of ordinary people, and the ‘little guy’ winning against all the odds. We all now hope that the Stables will continue to be an important part of our local life for many, many years to come.
The difficulty to get from a to b in the fjord country of SW Norway is illustrated by this view. It also shows the typical nature there, apart from fjords, lakes and human settlements.
I spent most of yesterday afternoon searching for 56124 (56302) which was somewhere on the Okehampton branch. After checking out every road bridge between Oke and Bow I eventually found her 1/2 mile east of Bow station. She was standing alone on a tree lined embankment, engine off.
I had forgotten the difficulties regarding photography on the branch, there are precious few locations and certainly less panoramic opportunities. The sunset amounted to nothing and she showed no signs of budging. Blue hour came and presented some different lighting effects as the trackside safety lighting came on.
Soooo....here through the trees is 56124 awaiting her next turn of duty near Bow.
Moremi Game Reserve
Botswana
Southern Africa
Click On Image To Enlarge.
Botswana has the largest elephant population on the continent due to tight protection and civil unrest in neighbouring countries. The relative difficulty in accessing the wildlife areas coupled with the military threat to poachers has allowed the elephant population in Botswana to grow.
The Chobe River front was once only a part of the ancient elephant migration routes but with civil war in Angola and the war of liberation in Namibia the elephants fell victim to mass poaching.
Rival armies were killing elephants for target practice and to sell ivory for weapons. The elephants reacted to this threat by not crossing Chobe River, instead the Chobe then became the dry season refuge for the herds and over the years the numbers built up and the reputation of Chobe grew.
There have been incidents of poaching in Botswana, mainly rhino, but the government decided to set up a military task force in the fight against the scourge. Poachers were ruthlessly dealt with and the task force became a full-time anti-poaching unit.
The end of the war in Namibia, and relative peace having returned to Angola, the elephants have slowly but surely started moving across the Chobe River again. There are many elephants that have not had the experience of the migration routes and still see Chobe as a dry season refuge.
The Linyanti area of Botswana was once a hunting concession but in the past 10 years, with only photographic tourism being offered, the elephants are starting to return en masse to the region and Linyanti today is being touted as equal to Chobe when it comes to elephant experience.
Other areas of Botswana such as the Okavango Delta also see high concentrations of elephant due to the permanent water source.
Joy and difficulty are an odd combination, and much of life is lived seeking one and avoiding the other. I used to think they came one at a time, like alternating currents. Now I realize they're both present, all the time. I'm developing eyes to see both simultaneously, as no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. (Rick Warren)
The difficulty with color is to go beyond the fact that it's color – to have it be not just a colorful picture but really be a picture about something. It's difficult. So often color gets caught up in color, and it becomes merely decorative. Some photographers use [ it ] brilliantly to make visual statements combining color and content; otherwise it is empty.
~ Mary Ellen Mark, Mary Ellen Mark : 25 Years by Marianne Fulton , ISBN: 0821218387 , Page: 5
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P.S.
● Non-HDR-processed / Non-GND-filtered
● Black Card Technique 黑卡作品
Épernay (51), France.
The SNCF class BB15000 was introduced on 3rd July 1971 and would become the most important locomotive on the northern and northeast network in France.
Already in 1972 BB15001 was used for testing a potential speed raise to 200 km/h (124mph) on the Paris-Strasbourg main line. While the locomotive had no technical difficulties at those speeds, the project was not continued due to the enormous cost of the infrastructure works which had to be undertaken.
BB15001 was withdrawn from service on 31st March 2019, 22 days after this picture was taken.
Following difficulties with the K1 the day before, and in very wet conditions, David Lloyd George leads Criccieth Castle on the approach to Beddgelert
Had difficulty choosing this week and ran out of time too. Off out today as belated birthday meet up so catch all you eggs later
I had difficulty IDing this little bird, so I enlisted the help of fellow Flickreenos, Maureen Sullivan and Don Delaney, who said it was a Willow Flycatcher. I also have an article about birds from Vallecito, where our place is in Anza Borrego Desert, which lists the Willow Flycatcher as one of the migrating birds through the area.
From the USGS site I read that the southwestern Willow Flycather (Empidonax traillii extimus) was placed on the federal Endangered Species list in 1995.
Willow Flycatcher
Empidonax traillii
Member of the Nature’s Spirit
Good Stewards of Nature
Story here.
Strobist: Quadra "A" head in the MaxiLite, camera left and high, f/22. SB-28 lying on the ground to the right, 1/2 power. The ambient is around f/18. Exposure is f/5 using the Singh-Ray Vari ND filter. Triggered by Skyport.
PP in LR4/CS6
Explore #160, November 29, 2012
The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path.
Jim Rohn
I had difficulties with Nanami for a while. I quess it was just the fact that she's more beautiful than cute.But when I now redressed her with more casual clothes and stopped being afraid to mess her curly long hair, I love her again ^^ Funny how simple the solution can be.
These pics were taken just supaquick because the sun was already going down. That's why her clothes are so wrinkled too :<
To be honest, i had alot of difficulties to sketch. Dezio always has alot of character in his letters. How his stuff combines elements from western and eastern calligraphy with classical graffiti. Playful with lots of life and fun to watch.
This had me choked for a bit. Throwing outlines in the bin and scratching my head. At one point i decided to use watercolours, a medium i've been using alot lately. This opened the gates for me. I like watercolour because of the rich colours. You can put the brush against the paper and just let it flow, no corrections. I decided to sketch this straight to paper with alot of darker colours, with a hint of reds and purples for warmth. The main focus is ofcourse still on the letters and flow.
The chinese coin certainly isn't an element that's new for you, but i felt it would be in place with the rustic coloring.
Abandoned sometime ago, was used by an artist for a "1,000 shadows" project - seems to have gone downhill since then.
The 4H tour. Taking in some Italian delights on a 4 day explore.
My blog:
timster1973.wordpress.com
Also on Facebook
www.Facebook.com/TimKniftonPhotography
online store: www.artfinder.com/tim-knifton
The theme of the week is "Prime" and since the moderators gave us some latitude on how to define the theme - I took it. This is the first time we've gone camping as a family (hence the PRIME-ary camping trip).
Interesting degree of difficulty here... its our first time camping (as I mentioned) in a brand new large 10-man tent (which I didn't bother to heed advice of other campers and have a trial set-up at home) in a downpour of rain in the mountains. That being said - we got it done and the four of us high-fived our accomplishment. (took us about an hour)
I also brought a tall pop up tent so we could put it over the fire-pit and still have a raging fire in the rain - gotta have a fire..
I took this picture of Myra, Zack and Drew (you can see them in the tent) after the rain slowed down in the night..
Tifa: And, we're back on Madmen* after some technical difficulties**. Tifa Lockhart here with Madman. Grendel is out on assignment.
Madman: War in the store?? That's right, folks are fighting over those essentials that are hard to get.
Tifa: But first, Paprihaven is not the only community suffering. While we are facing a war, Coopers Town is dealing with a pandemic that has strained their resources. We have with us, live from Coopers Town, Judy Goldfarb with Sky News.*** Judy, thank you for joining us. What is Coopers Town's biggest challenge during this pandemic?
Judy: Thank you Tifa. We have a bit of a store war over here as well. An elderly lady started to beat a fellow shopper with a leek. Apparently had this poor lad stepped too close to her turf and she felt the need to fend him off. So I'd say social distancing has become a real problem.
Madman: Leaks!? Like news leaks? What?
Tifa: Leeks! It's a vegetable. So, Judy-
Madman: How do you beat a person with a leaky vegetable? So, anyway, Judy-
Tifa: -... *sigh*
Madman: - given that you are in Coopers Town which is famous for its equestrian heritage and this segment features a hospital, do you think there's any validity to some people preferring to say "horse spittle" instead of "hospital"?
Tifa: No one says that! Only you!
Madman: I'm people!! Judy, if you wouldn't mind answering my question...
Judy: *strained laughter* … Very amusing I'm sure Mr Madman.
Madman: So, do you?
Judy: Oh, you were serious. Well no. I can't say we do. Unless you're in kindergarten and just learnt how to play with words.
Tifa: Ooohh, BURN! Okay, let's-
Madman: Now, jestaminnit!!! I-
Tifa: My turn, Madman! I think we've exhausted the "horse spittle" angle of this news topic, as compelling as it was. Now, Judy, you mentioned social distancing. Is that a voluntary community effort in Coopers Town or is it mandated? And I'm curious as to what the Coopers Town political structure is. I was looking at photos and see you have a royal palace. Is Coopers Town under a monarchy?
Madman: Cause our leadership is a mess right now!
Judy: There, there Mr Madman. Well Tifa, it's both. Since the Sindys in our town demanded social distancing from the Barbies long before the pandemic broke out, they lived by that rule anyway. While the Barbies needed some involuntary guidance from the government. The royal palace? Oh, the palace yes. It's regally royal alright, but doesn't really rule.
Tifa: It sounds like there may be discriminatory practices against Barbie in Coopers Town. We'd love to dig a bit deeper there but we're up against the break so we'll sadly have to stop.
Madman: Been a hoot, Suite Judy Black Specs, let's do it again! Don't be a stranger though you couldn't be stranger than me! 🎵🎤Strangers in the night exchanging glances, wondering in the night 🎶
Judy (thinking) Gasp!!! What did the young madperson call me?! Quick, I have to come up with a comeback fast so I seem jolly and prepared...
Tifa: Aaaand, that's our cue!
Madman: 🎵🎤What were the chances we'd be sharing love 🎶
Tifa: Thank you all at home for watching Madmen on PRPN and-
Madman: 🎵🎤Before the night was throoooouuuuugh!! 🎶
Tifa: -thank you Judy Goldfarb from Sky News in Coopers Town for joining us. We give you the last word.
Judy: My pleasure dear and Mr Mad-as can-be-Man. It's been most interesting. I'd like to give one last shoutout for PRPN appearing on Sky News next week when we learn more about the war. Don't miss that!
Madman: 🎵🎤Strangers without malice, seeking romances, with Judy in the palace, long slow dances, next weeeeeeeek!! 🎶
*cut to commercial*
_____________________________________________
* The Madman editorial news program on Channel 35! Last seen way back in number 1282!
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/39095659414/
** There were technical difficulties as Coopers Town is forever 80s...
www.flickr.com/photos/paprihaven/49916862422/
*** See the svelte and sophisticated Judy on Sky News in Coopers Town!
www.flickr.com/photos/135742756@N07/49676797806/
This was a photo collaboration with Sky at CooperSky! Co-scripted and imagined. 😊 😊
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity,
an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
- Winston Churchill -
We're here visiting The glass is half empty
Despite all the difficulties of this month, I've managed to make my 3rd and final entry to FebRovery, and I'm very happy to share it with you!
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"Proteus" was designed by military engineers and adopted by research centres on various, far from the Earth, planets to serve as a highly mobile tanker for transporting valuable substances that were found there with the purpose of making breakthroughs in different scientific fields. This type of Planetary Rover is based upon Monster Truck construction, its chassis and grand passability. The vehicle is under the operation of two pilot-spacemen and there are two steering wheels for each of them. The cistern has thick sides and a lot of sensors that transmit the information about the condition of the substance straight to the cockpit, because some of them are extremely reactive...and in order not to shake them up, the elaborate suspension plays right into scientists' hands!
The Difficulties In Providing Veruca Salt With A Glass Elevator - by Northside Jim
TLDR: The risk to an injured Piping Plover stuck north during migration is starvation in the deep winter (food source freeze). Piping Plover can be trapped safely in the nesting season when they are healthy and on a nest. Trapping them in the wild in the winter when they are injured is the opposite and can easily result in worse injury and often death. Piping Plover can sometimes be rehabilitated in the nesting season on their nesting grounds. The opposite is true in the winter as there are no good release options. Releasing them into winter has poor survival rates, holding them in captivity for the winter has poor survival rates, and flying them on a plane to the Bahamas is untested and very risky.
Lots of folks who have visited Holgate this fall have met a very special little lady: Veruca Salt.
Veruca is a banded, breeding, female Piping Plover. She sadly suffered an awful series of of tragedies this summer when she attempted to nest at Island Beach State Park, just barely seeing her chicks through to fledge, and then losing the last one right before the official fledge date. She had a rough go of it in the 2018 season.
But come late summer, she appeared ready to head off to the Bahamas to rest for the winter and hopefully to return next spring to give it another go.
Unfortunately, it’s now December and she’s still in New Jersey: specifically, hobbling around Holgate on Long Beach Island with both an injured foot and an injured leg.
She looks fat and strong, and she forages and flies just fine. But for whatever reasons, most likely related to the injury, she is choosing to stay put. And while it stinks to see any animal hobbling around on one leg, that is actually not the thing that is most worrisome and problematic about her situation.
What is most worrisome is that her foraging will likely freeze up later this winter and she’ll starve. While it’s still not too late, she needs to head south. Sooner rather than later. Injured legs heal but starvation is irreversible.
There is a good chance she will get a move on if the weather gives her the right incentives. She is being monitored closely, both formally and informally, but day after day, she seems perfectly content to stay at Holgate. I certainly understand. But it would seem she needs to go. Yet still… she is choosing this place to stay.
So the big question: “Is there anything that can be done for her?”
Of course. There are many things that can be done; some smart, some not so smart, some too risky, and some unnecessary. Some which might help, and some which are an almost guaranteed death sentence for her. All of the right people have all of the options and are watching her closely as her life unfolds, watching the clock, and weighing the risks.
But because she is a critically endangered species of the utmost importance on the state and federal levels, whatever is done for her must have the absolute best chance of her long term survival. No unnecessary risks can be taken because the consequences are too great. She could die very, very easily through hasty action. Veruca Salt belongs to a protected, endangered species, and the people who have spent their lives learning how to help them know all too well the risks of hasty intervention.
Many of those risks are not obvious to the rest of us. Nor is the (current) lack of urgency and the wisdom of patience and thoughtful, experienced caring in this situation.
Lucky for Veruca she is in a very rare, Federal Wilderness area, managed by an extremely experienced Refuge staff, in a State with extreme dedication to and experience with Piping Plovers, and where we have some of the greatest minds in plover handling & science working today. And because of the difficulties and complexities in making the right decision for how best to help her, all sorts of others have been drawn into the conversation for consultation. Veruca Salt is probably the most considered, discussed, and loved Piping Plover on the planet right now.
Her plight is difficult to watch for anyone; certainly most difficult of all for those few people with the knowledge, experience, ability, responsibility, and authority to actually do the things that will have the best chance of resulting in her long term survival.
I’ve recently had several conversations with people on the beach who are quick to ask what seems like the obvious question: “why don’t the feds just grab her and fix her leg?” The simple answer is that it is not that simple. Fortunately, the people monitoring her understand from experience all the reasons why it’s not as simple as it appears on the surface, and have ideas and strategies to mitigate some of the risks.
The first problem is the trapping: trapping a healthy, flighted bird with an injury like Veruca Salt’s in the wild has an extremely high probability of making the injury much worse, or even adding another injury to her predicament. Or, equally bad, terrorizing her to the point where she dies of heart failure or aborts the migration she needs, and perhaps is just about, to make. That’s not theoretical, but statistical. At best, it could easily spook her off the habitat she has chosen for her recovery where she is making decent progress to some place less ideal and far more dangerous for her.
We’re lucky to have Michelle Stantial in New Jersey as she is an incredibly skilled and experienced trapper. Yet she knows first hand the world of difference between trapping healthy birds on the nest in summer (which is how PIPL are studied) and trapping injured birds in the wild in the winter. They are not same thing at all. They are opposites in terms of potential risks and rewards.
The second, really, really important, problem is what to do with her if she is actually trapped. She is not necessarily treatable. A big strike against her is that she is injured, but not injured enough.
She has a flag band on her injured leg and there is no doubt that removing the flag would increase the chance of, and probably speed of, any recovery. But the actual injury above the knee, and the extent of the foot injury, is unknown. They could be two separate injuries, as in a Ghost Crab attack where small beach nesting birds get both legs damaged at the same time. It is unknown what the injuries are, if they are treatable, or even if they require treatment. Again, luckily, we have the expertise of Dr. Erica Miller in New Jersey who is actually a master of tiny-splints in the event they do go ahead with trapping.
But the most difficult aspect is that the timing is off. Just as it is very safe to trap a nesting Piping Plover in summer, but very difficult and dangerous to trap one in winter, it is also much easier to rehabilitate one successfully in the summer and very difficult to do the same thing in the winter.
The trouble is migration. If she were to go to rehab now, there are really only two options: a.) let her go in the middle of winter which has an extremely high and well understood probability of being a death sentence, or attempting to hold her until spring which also has an extremely high and well understood probability of being a death sentence. Both are generally considered high risk, if not outright unwise. (Note the same is true with our other summer nesting species like Osprey. Fledgling Osprey who get found injured in the fall, and go to rehab, getting released late in the migration season, have extremely poor survival rates.)
Put another way, the extreme risks of attempting a winter rehab/release are well known to have a low probability of success. Her ability/desire to get herself south is totally unknown and could very well be her best option. Some would make the case it would be a fool’s gamble for that reason alone.
There actually is a third, crazy, option, which our very own Christina Davis is advocating for in the event a trapping is attempted: rehab her and then fly her to the Bahamas on a plane (or even drive her to the Carolinas) and release her there. This is probably the best theoretical option, but mostly because it is so unheard of. The truth is (forgetting the unbelievable expense) is that the whole experience might be too disorienting; and what we know about how poorly they do in captivity suggests she might not even survive the flight.
It is super sad to watch her, as it is watching any animal with an injury. I was motivated to write by a friend who saw her a few times and assumed because she was still there that no one cared. The exact opposite is true. The monitoring and plan for getting Veruca Salt back to Island Beach State Park next summer is probably the biggest thing happening in New Jersey wildlife right now.
The character Veruca Salt once famously said (Tim Burton version): “Make time go faster, Daddy!” It is tough to watch her predicament drag on.
But she still has some time. For me (and I’m no authority), my favorite option is that she moves south soon, weakens slightly, and becomes a significantly better candidate for trapping, rehabilitating, and releasing successfully.
It is difficult to watch her out there in this highly unusual situation. But I know firsthand how many smart people are working on this, and am comforted by their deep experience, their proven skill, and their wisdom. All of the risk here is in acting too soon and too hastily; not in acting too late and too thoughtfully.
These 1,500 words are meant to set out some basic and very specific facts for those interested in Veruca Salt’s situation and her future; as this is a very easy and totally-understandable situation to see backwards from the reality: to see a lack of action as a lack of caring, a lack of progress as a lack of effort, silence as a lack of vigorous discussion.
I’m super sorry for you Veruca, super sorry for everyone who sees this bird and feels sad, super sorry for everyone who feels angry because they don’t know how many people are working on helping this one, very special, animal, or don’t understand just how tough a real solution is, and super sorry for whoever has to make the final, tough calls on this as winter approaches.
RFTNS is cheering you all on.
I’ll close by noting that it’s curious that her namesake, Veruca Salt, is synonymous with the perils of a lack of patience. Godspeed, Veruca Salt!
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Just rescued from a cobweb and found to have a missing left forewing. It was able to fly but with great difficulty. Hampshire, UK.
My wife planted lavender some years ago and now the plant is thriving and huge. It smells really good and bees love it. All day long, there is activity on the lavender, which makes it a good place to practice insect macros. But it ain't easy. Bees do not remain on one flower for very long, so there is a certain amount of luck involved in achieving focus and clicking off a shot before the busy yellow and black critter flies off to the next flower. Of roughly 500 shots, this was the only one that I felt was sharp enough to keep. And even then, it's not a good shot in terms of its composition. I just have to keep at it, I guess.
Following from the big launch at the Yorkshire Hotel, in June 2024. There have been some set backs in regard to these buses entering service. Issues with software communication, pantographs and other difficulties. Have led to a longer then promised launch into service. But thankfully 2211, 2212 and 2213 are now seeing daytime use on the route, with an occasional trip to Ripon. Currenty there are some road works in the town centre, leading to buses pausing on Fishergate. When commencing a journey back to Harrogate and then Leeds, buses go along North Street, then left into Marshall Way. Then into Blossomgate, Park Street and Firby Lane. Then into Somrset Row and right into Low Skelgate and then forward on the normal route.
Here 2211 is seen turning into Marshall Way from North Street heading for Harrogate, along the diversion route.
Of all difficulties which impede the progress of thought, and the formation of well-grounded opinions on life and social arrangements, the greatest is now the unspeakable ignorance and inattention of mankind - in respect to the influences which form human character.
Whatever any portion of the human species now are, or seem to be, such, it is supposed, they have a natural tendency to be: when the most elementary knowledge of the circumstances in which they have been placed, clearly points out the causes that made them what they are.
- John Stuart Mill, The Subjection of Women ( 1869 )
Don't worry you don't have to burn out any brain cells thinking, it's just that I unexpectantly picked up a nice little Christmas present for myself today which had just arrived on the rail in my charity shop. I simply adore tight Quiz bodicon dresses and look what I bought. The even more gorgeous one on the right was on eBay and I so loved it I saved a picture but not only was it a lot more than the three-pounds I paid for this one on the left which itself is more than tight enough being a size-twelve, I might have had real difficulty with the other one as it was just a tiny 10. Putting the two images tgether I was pleasant;ly chuffed to have found something a bit like my dream ticket with those delicious watery tulips.
Once upon a time, I had real difficulties trying to balance enjoying a beautiful scene in front of me and flitting around trying to photograph it well enough to blow minds. Joke, that time was less than two years ago and I still struggle with it, and I'm sure many minds remain intact!
But, I'm doing better. These days I remind myself to be a traveler first and photographer second, which oddly also makes me a better photographer, I think, taking a minute to survey things NOT through a viewfinder before choosing a lens and composition.
You know what the perfect combination is, though? This. I get to be the photographer carefully setting up my shot (14mm lens, you were a phenomenal investment for enormous things like Proxy Falls), and then, wireless remote in hand, I also get to be the traveler, picking my way through the slippery wet rocks, listening to the rage of the water, getting closer to the falls than I ever would dare with a camera, and looking up, up, up watching an entire world of water fall practically on my face. And I still get a photo of the whole thing.
It's magical.
(Driving the McKenzie Highway, however, is not.)