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Viewed from a vaporetto on the Grand Canal, the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore is a 16th-century Benedictine church on the island of the same name in Venice, designed by Andrea Palladio, and built between 1566 and 1610. The church is a basilica in the classical renaissance style and its brilliant white marble gleams above the blue water of the lagoon opposite the Piazzetta and forms the focal point of the view from every part of the Riva degli Schiavoni.
The campanile (bell tower), first built in 1467, fell in 1774; it was rebuilt in neo-classic style by 1791.
The façade is brilliantly white and represents Palladio's solution to the difficulty of adapting a classical temple facade to the form of the Christian church, with its high nave and low side aisles, which had always been a problem. Palladio's solution superimposed two facades, one with a wide pediment and architrave, extending over the nave and both the aisles, apparently supported by a single order of pilasters, and the other with a narrower pediment (the width of the nave) superimposed on top of it with a giant order of engaged columns on high pedestals. On either side of the central portal are statues of Saint George and of Saint Stephen, to whom the church is also dedicated.
This description incorporates text from English Wikipedia.
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.
WE'VE ALL HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR GARBAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.DSC02731ulpr
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%
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.
This lovely natural wreath adorning our front door was hand made in Herefordshire, England, by members of ECHO – a small independent charity which provides day opportunities and social activities for adults with learning disabilities in the county.
ECHO's vision is ‘a society where all people with disabilities are heard, valued, respected and supported to make choices and flourish.’ Registered Charity No: 1096449
I and my difficulty in showing the whole face hehe :)
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Eu e minha dificuldade em mostrar o rosto todo hehe :)
Tem post novo lá no blog!: corujasnaprateleira.wordpress.com/
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
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
Location: Coruscant Underworld, Night Life District
Objective: Delivery of supplies.
Difficulty: Well, it should have been easy.
—LOG ENTRY—
After dodging Admiral Jud’s hunters, I escaped the cold atmosphere of Orto Plutonia and headed to meet my old friend Jahk Duran. I guess after our split he found a group called The Survivors to take refuge with. He told me of their fearless leader Zach, as well as their missions on Tatooine and Zeffo. More recently though has been the outbreak of riots all throughout Coruscant. Since they’ve started to die down he’s been tasked with bringing in supplies and rebuilding the city. I’ve gotta say being away from the action has gotten to me; I miss it, but I’m glad to get back to it.
Entering the Coruscant sky gave me a real idea of what we were up against. Scattered spots of destruction and fire as far as I could see. Im not sure what the riots didn’t touch. I was given coordinates to Coruscant’s Fine Arts District, which is located next to the Night Life district. Cant land there because to my understanding the place is crawling with Imps which makes it a real hot zone. Soon after touching ground in the arts district I met up with Jehk, I felt overwhelmed after not seeing him for so long. We talked shortly on whats been keeping us busy and the such, but with short time we had to get situated with The Survivors and make it over to the Night Life District to start moving supplies.
—END LOG—
“Cray get a move on brother we got quite the walk ahead of us, we have to meet up with group leader.”
“Whats exactly our plan here Jehk?”
“We need to rebuild this city in the end and get rid of the remaining Imperial scum that crawls the underworld. There shouldnt be too many Imps left but watch yourself. Plus you were telling me about that Admiral Jud and his plot to defeat you. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of his men. Just stay on your toes, watch for anything out of the ordinary, and stick with the group... if you do that you’ll be fine.”
The two men made there way into a large hub, there meeting Jehk’s group leader Hozz Igo.
“I take it you’re the Cray I’ve been hearing rumors about?”
“Yes sir, that would be me, at your command!”
“Well rest easy, we are pretty easy going around here, but when its time to get the jobs done we do it! And thats what will happen concerning these supplies.”
Hozz turns to address the group.
“Hey!! We will be moving in small groups. Taking a few crates each to 6 locations. My group will be Jehk and our new blood Cray Schaf, need to see what this mans made of. As for the rest of you keep your same groups as we had for controlling the riots. Watch your back for Imperial Scouts or just some lowlife thugs looking to ruin your day. You have valuable items here. A lot of people want this stuff but we have a job to do... so lets get to it. Each of your crates should already have the destinations locked in, all you gotta do is escort it.”
The group scurries to get their cargo and move out. In the midst of the chaos Cray finds himself looking up into the vast city planet of Coruscant. There spotting an old Imperial astro mech droid moving across a walkway... Cray lets Jehk know but he assures him there aren’t any Imps in the immediate area.
Cray moves over to the crates and checks the destinations. Theres a nightclub by the name “Clúb Ice” located in the heart of the Nightlife District.
“Lucky us”
He turns on the hover mode and punches the destination into the AGS. Now? Well all they gotta do now is make sure the supplies get there. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem, right?
“Its awfully quite around here” Jehks uneasy voice is sure a cause for concern. For having riots not to long ago the roads are extremely calm. Only the occasional bit of rubble or dumpster fire. Moving deeper into the heart of the district the men started spotting people on binoculars looking down at their convoy, talking through communication holograms or to each other about the goods the men were traveling with.
After a cautious stroll they make it to the club, typing in the codes to drop the crates and then getting an update through high command that the people picking up the supplies were running a tad late and now they are going to have to sit with the supplies until they arrived.
“Well thats just great!” Exclaims Hozz. Clearly not his first time dealing with this type of situation. The men take watch. Each glaring a different direction... it’s almost nothing for 20 minutes. The men are starting to become uneasy.
“Can anyone hear that” Hozz quickly questions as the sound of metal clanking sends shivers down the spines of both Cray and Jehk.
“Well whatever it is its getting closer, who’s picking up these supplies anyways??” Cray questions as he holds his gun in the direction of the metal clanking.
“Ha, you act like we are supposed to know, they just gave us this mission, with the location. They don’t tell us anything else.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me” Cray is in disbelief, but theirs no time to sit and ponder, whatever is making noise is right around the corner. He gets ready.
What rounds the corner stuns all the men.
“An Imp Medical droid? I haven’t seen one of those in ages!” Cray sets his weapon down. He asks the droid what its doing here.
“Just going for a walk”
And no later as it says that a scout trooper and Imperial Bounty hunter make their way out of the Nightclub’s balcony accompanied by the astro mech droid Cray saw earlier. He takes out his staff and makes quick work of the medical droid while Hozz and Jehk take care of the enemies on the roof. With one of Jehks shots sending the astromech’s head flying.
With the supplies still secured the men end up waiting another 2 hours before anyone arrives. It was a quick and quiet transaction. Tired from the day and ready to head back the men make their way to get some rest because this is just one of 5 supply running missions. And they can be sure to see many more foes along the way.
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. 😊 😊
Still at the Pauatahanui Bird Sanctuary... This Pied Stilt was some distance from the Hide I was in, but her cry was 'different' to other Stilts in the swamp, and that drew my attention to her... And then I saw them: two very small chicks splashing around in the shallows!
Unfortunately, there was a wall of Sea Grass between me and this little Family, the opening in the wall of the Hide didn't allow me to shoot over the Grass, and the white stuff behind "Mum" is foam whipped up by the big storm a few days ago.
However, ever the Optimist, I hoped that the big Zoom on the "Powershot" would overcome the natural difficulties, and... well: the results are mixed. Mum has been recorded sharply; the Chicks... are there, but the results might have been better had they been attached to Mum's Apron Strings rather than fooling around in the wet stuff...!
And just in case you can't see them, the Chicks are just in front of the plants centre-left... OH, and guess what??? I've just this moment spotted a THIRD chick a little to the right of the plants in question, and a couple of feet away from the other two! (How about that!?!).
This is the first time I've ever seen Pied Stilt chicks, and even though this Image could have been better, the long cold wait in the Hide really was worth it...! :-))
(PS You might see the chicks a wee bit more clearly if you left-click the Image so you can view Large!).
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!
exit63.wordpress.com/2018/12/03/the-difficulties-in-provi...
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.
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 )
Caswell Bay. Gower Peninsula. Wales. August 2020.
This was the first time I saw the relatively new 'Surfability' people in action. They provide inclusive surfing lessons and experiences. This includes people who otherwise might not be able to enjoy this activity, such as some people with disabilities and learning difficulties. They have some specialist equipment, that can be seen here, such as beach access wheelchairs and tandem surfboards.
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.)
One of the primary difficulties faced in the USSR's espionage efforts was the issue of extraction. Realistically, covert operations consisted far less of silent executions and far more about successfully retrieving and extracting valuable information. Losing covert agents to capture slowed these efforts, and ensuring a compromised agent was still able to extract with their information was deemed important to Soviet research.
R&D in this area ranged from new techniques in dead-drops and disguises, advanced insertion and extraction strategies, and new covert tactics, as well as a veritable gambit of gadgets and weapons. In the weapon field, particular effort was put into concealable, compact weaponry to aid in agent survival. These weapons were not designed as much to be covert in usage, as to be covert in storage until such a time as they were needed. One of these, the Chertenok project, sought to provide a PDW weapon which could meet the minimum combat needs of an agent on the run, yet could be broken into smaller parts and stored. It could be broken down into the stock, the receiver, and the barrel. The magazine served as the majority of the grip, and the use of an optic was optional, allowing the break down PDW to be easily stored. The Chertenok was also designed with the latest in Soviet recoil mitigation technologies to provide a solid combat platform, while being chambered in reverse engineered 5.7 armor piercing round. The project did not reach fruition until 1990, one year before the Union's collapse, and ultimately was never put into use, as far as any official records show.
"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
Have a great day!
“The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path.” ~ John Rohn
Kind of fun to take the "road less traveled" from time to time and go to a place that provides at least a temporary escape from the hustle & bustle of daily life....nourish the soul; it's good for you & everyone else you come into contact with :-)
Hope everyone has a wonderful, safe, & enjoyable weekend...many thanks for all your visits & kind words!!!!!
" Resilience "
The capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness:
Back in the day, March 21st was considered to be the first day of Spring
Woke up to a nasty surprise ce matin
-18C when factoring in the windchill factor
We in Canada, like these crocus shoots recover quickly from difficulies
And like Arber Xhekaj, my favourite Montreal Canadians dedenceman, can be very tough !!
😉
Amen !
Bon Printemps à tous
{Tumblr Difficulties}
Hair: .Olive. the Willow Hair @UBER
Dress: { VinCue } Lemny+Dress {G~Gift}
Choker: Kibitz - Stretch choker - white @Creepy Kawaii
Headband: REIGN.- Studded Bow Band- Black/Silver @Creepy Kawaii
Whenever people suffered the difficulty in real life, they either faced the challenge with courage or hided themselves in their secret garden temporiarily, made their sophicated thoughts within, and then find way to breakthrough again.
Have you ever own your secret garden ? It could be a real place in real world , or just a mental place at your mind, which made yourself feel safe & help you calm down from the suddently sufferings in real life.
Try to create the secret garden through the overlayering composition, it can be a place mixed with variable emotions, happiness, sorrow, hate, sadness, peaceful etc, not necesarry a subjective garden in vision, maybe just a private corner under the tree, on the meadow, or even the space between the leaves & air.. tell me how you think about your secret garden.
Aegithalos caudatus.
The wonderful number of visiting birds at Dean Mason's reflection pool hide gave me endless opportunities to capture different looks - the difficulty is purely being endlessly distracted by fresh chances !
Worldwide, 55 million people are living with Alzheimer's and other dementias.
Alzheimer’s disease is a degenerative brain disease and the most common form of dementia. Dementia is not a specific disease. It's an overall term that describes a group of symptoms.
In the later stages of the disease, a person with Alzheimer's may not remember familiar people, places or things. Situations involving memory loss and confusion are extremely difficult for caregivers and families, and require much patience and understanding.
What are the signs of age-related dementia?
Memory loss, which is usually noticed by someone else.
Difficulty communicating or finding words.
Difficulty with visual and spatial abilities, such as getting lost while driving.
Difficulty reasoning or problem-solving.
Difficulty handling complex tasks.
Difficulty with planning and organising.
Looking for information or advice about dementia or Alzheimer's? Call the Dementia Helpline free on 0800 888 6678 for support from our dementia specialist Admiral Nurses. The Helpline is open from 9am to 9pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday.
Does anyone else have difficulty photographing Grey Partridges? Their status as a gamebird has probably made them very wary of man but in my experience they are almost hysterical in comparison with grouse. I still see them quite regularly in the Pennines but I rarely get a chance to point a camera at one as they are invariably running or flying away. This morning started just the same when I saw two Grey Partridges running down the road in front of me before they flew over a wall. As luck would have it there was a gate, and as I paused there they were, and hanging around long enough for a photograph from the car window.
The male is on the left and you can just see the chestnut horseshoe mark on his belly. The female does all the incubation and chick rearing by herself so is much more cryptically plumaged.
The Latin and Greek word for Partridge is Perdix, but this apparently comes from the Greek verb perdesthai, meaning to break wind. Most sources suggest it is the whirr of the wings that gave rise but the call could also be a plausible reason. For Grey Partridge the call is supposed to sound like a cork twisting in a bottle but the flaw is that in Greece the Chukar is the common partridge, and that bird calls its name.
Another film shot -- this one from my Mamiya medium format camera. This was taken a few weeks ago. I did manage to take a couple shots with my D300 this past week. The only problem is that I dumped a cup of coffee onto my MacBook Pro on Tuesday (four weeks before my first final). So I'm currently without a hard drive to download my photos onto (and without Photoshop).
Keep your fingers crossed for my laptop.
I had a lil bit difficulty breathing :P so had to rest for a while...and i captured this :D. The months of Feb, March and April are the best month to climb the mountain because of the dry season. But you can climb anytime in the whole year although you must be aware that sometimes the weather can be so unpredictable you wont be able to make it to the top because of the heavy rain that caused flood on the top of mountain or very thick fog your visibility will be very poor. Wet season are Nov-January, the temperature can be as low as 0 deg. Celsius and very windy! The mountain is quite easy to climb but maybe i felt that way bcos i trained prior to the climb :P But, even after the train the climb was not as smooth as experienced climbers. Never underestimated the climb, its always better to prepare.
I want to wish a Happy Birthday to Giu, live your life to the fullest and best of luck in everything! enjoy your day.
One of the difficulties at the Bisti Badlands is that there are no developed trails. One of the benefits of no trails is that - if you see something in the distance - you simply hike to it. Unless you arrive after a night of 2 inches of rain and minor flash-flooding that causes significant detours.
I saw this feature in the distance, approached, and stood amazed as it towered above me.