View allAll Photos Tagged Directives
... or at least my interpretation of it.
Check out the whole set - Amazing Thailand.
This one hit #2 on Explore!
Koh Samui, Thailand
2007
In a bout of over enthusiasm or compliance with early NBC directives, Maidstone and District chose to paint a few of their smartly-liveried dual-purpose AEC saloons in "National White". These early versions included a tiny fleetname underlined in the constituent company's green or red NBC colour.
This vehicle got grey wheels and "dustbin lids" on the rear !
A purchased print
Geltsdale is a hamlet and former civil parish, now in the parish of Castle Carrock, in the Carlisle district, in the county of Cumbria, England, to the southeast of Castle Carrock village.
In 2001 the parish had a population of 6.
On 1 April 2003 the parish was abolished and merged with Castle Carrock
Geltsdale RSPB reserve is a nature reserve in Geltsdale, Cumbria, England. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds manages the site for upland birds such as the hen harrier and black grouse.
The reserve is within a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) called Geltsdale & Glendue Fells. Along with other SSSIs in the North Pennines, it is designated a Special Protection Area under the Birds Directive. The reserve is managed within the context of a commercial hill farm.
The Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB; Welsh: Dyffryn Gwy) is an internationally important protected landscape straddling the border between England and Wales. It is one of the most dramatic and scenic landscape areas in southern Britain.
The River Wye (Welsh: Afon Gwy) is the fifth-longest river in the United Kingdom. The upper part of the river passes through the settlements of Rhayader, Builth Wells and Hay-on-Wye, but the area designated as an AONB covers 326 square kilometres (126 sq mi) surrounding a 72-kilometre (45 mi) stretch lower down the river, from just south of the city of Hereford to Chepstow.
This area covers parts of the counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Monmouthshire, and is recognised in particular for its limestone gorge scenery and dense native woodlands, as well as its wildlife, archaeological and industrial remains. It is also historically important as one of the birthplaces of the modern tourism industry. The area is predominantly rural, and many people make a living from tourism, agriculture or forestry. Ross-on-Wye is the only town within the AONB itself, but Hereford, Monmouth, Coleford and Chepstow lie just outside its boundaries.
The varied landscapes of the Wye Valley can be explained by underlying rocks and structures, and how ice and then the river and tributary streams have acted upon them through time.
Close to Hereford, the geology of the area around the village of Woolhope is largely made up of Silurian limestones, shales and sandstones. To the south of this, the Herefordshire lowlands are largely underlain by red mudstones and sandstones, producing a redder soil. These rocks are softer than the limestones elsewhere, so the river created more meanders, a wider floodplain, and a gentler and more rolling landscape. Around Symonds Yat, limestones and red sandstones meet. This leads to a landscape of hills and plains, as well as substantial meanders which have formed impressive river cliffs.
The Lower Wye landscape was formed by the river acting on a series of layers of rock that dip towards the Forest of Dean. Here the river has incised into the margins of the Old Red Sandstone plateau to form a gorge with substantial river cliffs. The steepest parts of the Wye gorge are cut through the Carboniferous Limestone. Here the combined action of the river, natural joints in the rocks and quarrying have exposed many vertical faces, particularly between Tintern and Chepstow.
Geological interest extends underground, and there are many rock shelters and solution caves in the area. These include King Arthur's Cave and many others in the area of Symonds Yat and Slaughter Stream Cave near Berry Hill. At St Arvans, near Chepstow, the underground watercourses have carved out long cave systems, which exit at Otter Hole at the base of Piercefield cliffs – the only cave system in England or Wales which can only be reached through a tidal sump, making it a mecca for experienced cavers.
Lancaut and Ban-y-Gor are Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust nature reserves. They both have SSSI status being part of the nationally important Lower Wye Gorge SSSI and within the Wye Valley AONB. The Wye Valley is important for its rich wildlife habitats.
The area has three sites of international importance, designated as Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) under the European Union's Habitats Directive. These are the River Wye (Afon Gwy), the Wye Valley and Forest of Dean Bat Sites (Safleoedd Ystlumod Dyffryn Gwy a Fforest y Ddena) and the Wye Valley Woodlands (Coetiroedd Dyffryn Gwy). It supports a population of lesser horseshoe bats, a growing population of peregrine falcons, goshawks, ravens, rare whitebeam, nightjar and lesser known fish like the shad and twaite. The main Welsh populations of the small but colourful moth Oecophora bractella are found here.
In September 2006 it was reported that one colony of lesser horseshoe bats in the area had reached record numbers, with some 890 bats in a small stone barn (599 adults and 291 babies recorded).
The valley has been inhabited for at least 12,000 years. Caves near Symonds Yat and Chepstow provide evidence of settlement dating from Palaeolithic times, and finds from later stone ages such as the Neolithic have also been found. These have yielded evidence of how prehistoric human populations lived as nomadic hunters and traders.
Standing stones at Huntsham, Staunton, and Trellech all have origins dating back to the Bronze Age. Later, Iron Age forts along the lower Wye Valley, and in the Woolhope area, took advantage of the natural hilltops and promontories to form well-defended settlements. It is likely that many of these marked the edges of disputed tribal pre-Roman territories.
Watling Street ran through the Roman settlements of Ariconium (just north of modern Ross-on-Wye) and Blestium (Monmouth), and a number of other small Roman settlements are known. The first evidence of the exploitation of iron and coal in the valley is found in the Roman period, with iron working known from sites at Monmouth, Trellech and elsewhere, as well as in the adjoining Forest of Dean. The medieval boroughs of Goodrich and Chepstow, at each end of the Wye Gorge, may have originally been established at this time.
Closely following the River Wye, Offa's Dyke was built in the 8th century under King Offa to mark out the boundary between England and Wales and is, today, the longest archaeological monument in Britain. Offa's Dyke Path long distance footpath today traces the route through the Wye valley on the English bank, while the Wye Valley Walk follows the Welsh bank.
When the Normans conquered the region in the 11th century they immediately built major castles at Chepstow and Monmouth to defend the territory. Smaller castles were built at St Briavels, Ruardean, Goodrich and Wilton Castle.
Tintern Abbey was founded in 1131 by Cistercian monks, and largely rebuilt in the 13th century. It is the best-preserved medieval abbey in Wales and an outstanding example of Gothic architecture.
Many of the smaller villages in the area probably date from the Middle Ages, and much of this expansion was probably associated with the early iron industry. The medieval iron industry consumed large quantities of charcoal and much of the woodland was coppiced for this purpose. Trellech was one of the largest communities in Wales during this period.
Iron has been made in the Wye Valley since Roman times, using the ready supply of timber, good quality ore and abundant charcoal from the Forest of Dean. The river provided transport for the raw materials and finished product, and with the introduction of the blast furnace in the 16th century, its tributaries began to be used for water power.
The first brass made in Britain was founded at Tintern in 1566. Wire-making followed, with water mills situated on all the tributaries of the lower Wye. The area resounded to the noise and smoke of heavy industry for the next 400 years and gave rise to many pioneering industries. For instance, Whitebrook became famous for paper milling, when wallpaper became a fashionable way to decorate houses. At Redbrook, copper works were established by 1691, and a century later the village became one of the world's major tinplate manufacturing centres. This industry survived until the 1960s and was renowned for producing the thinnest, highest quality plate in the world. The Lydbrook valley was also a thriving centre for metal industries, such as the manufacture of telegraph cables.
The valley woodlands were carefully managed to produce mature trees for shipbuilding, or by coppicing for charcoal, and to provide bark for tanning. The valley industries were also massive consumers of timber. A ship of 150 tons, for example, required 3,000 wagonloads of timber to complete – and in 1824, 13 ships were launched at Brockweir alone.
The river was the economic backbone of the region, providing an important means of transport, trade and communication. In late medieval times, salmon weirs hindered free passage on the river, but the Wye Navigation Act in 1662 enabled the river's potential to be developed. By 1727 shallow draught boats could get upstream beyond Hereford, and a significant shipbuilding industry developed at Monmouth, Llandogo, Brockweir and Chepstow. However, by 1835 it was stated that the Wye "can scarcely be considered a commercial highway" above Monmouth, and by the 1880s Brockweir bridge was the effective upper limit of navigation.
As the 19th century progressed, the valley's industries gradually declined, and management of the woodlands lessened when there was no longer a ready market for their products.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wye_Valley
The Forest of Dean is a geographical, historical and cultural region in the western part of the county of Gloucestershire, England. It forms a roughly triangular plateau bounded by the River Wye to the west and north-west, Herefordshire to the north, the River Severn to the south, and the City of Gloucester to the east.
The area is characterised by more than 110 square kilometres (42.5 sq mi) of mixed woodland, one of the surviving ancient woodlands in England. A large area was reserved for royal hunting before 1066, and remained as the second largest crown forest in England, the largest being New Forest. Although the name is used loosely to refer to the part of Gloucestershire between the Severn and Wye, the Forest of Dean proper has covered a much smaller area since medieval times. In 1327 it was defined to cover only the royal demesne and parts of parishes within the hundred of St Briavels, and after 1668 comprised the royal demesne only. The Forest proper is within the civil parishes of West Dean, Lydbrook, Cinderford, Ruspidge, and Drybrook, together with a strip of land in the parish of English Bicknor.
Traditionally the main sources of work have been forestry – including charcoal production - iron working and coal mining. Archaeological studies have dated the earliest use of coal to Roman times for domestic heating and industrial processes such as the preparation of iron ore.
The area gives its name to the local government district, Forest of Dean, and a parliamentary constituency, both of which cover wider areas than the historic Forest. The administrative centre of the local authority is Coleford, one of the main towns in the historic Forest area, together with Cinderford and Lydney.
For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forest_of_Dean
Biesbosch National Park
The Biesbosch National Park is a green maze of several rivers, islands and a vast network of narrow and wide creeks. The area is one of the largest, valuable natural areas in the Netherlands. What’s more, it is one of the few remaining fresh-water tidal areas in Europe. The Nieuwe Merwede canal divides the National Park equally between the provinces of Noord-Brabant and Zuid-Holland. The part in Noord-Brabant is called the Brabantse Biesbosch. The part in Zuid-Holland is divided into the Sliedrechtse Biesbosch and the Dordtse Biesbosch. The National Park covers an area of approximately 9,000 hectares.
The vegetation mainly consists of willow-woods that developed out of the willow-shoots of former withy-beds due to decades of neglect. These marshy woods alternate with grasslands and reed-lands that have run wild with weeds. There's also an abundance of fauna to be found too. For example beavers, foxes, deers, hares, pine martens, geese, ducks and various birds of prey.
The Biesbosch is an important area for birds to rest, forage and breed. This watery area is of such international importance to waterfowl and waders that a large area, the Brabantse Biesbosch has been officially recognized as a ‘Wetland’. This high natural value is confirmed by other European agreements like the Habitats Directive and the Birds Directive.
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'At the End of the Day'...On a Wild Isle.
On a bright sunny evening, with their distinctive orange bills and legs, ten of the leaders of a large flock of White-fronted Geese, Anser, albifons flavirostris flying in to settle on Loch Gruinart at the end of their grazing day out on the grasslands and scrub fields.
Greenland White-fronted Goose Notes and Information:
The White-fronted Goose is a grey goose, bigger than a mallard and smaller than a mute swan. Adults have a large white patch at the front of the head around the beak and bold black bars on the belly. The legs are orange and Siberian birds have pink bills, while Greenland birds have orange bills. This species does not breed in the UK. Two races visit the UK in winter - birds which breed in Greenland and birds which breed in Siberia. The current wintering areas need protection, including avoiding drainage of traditional wintering areas in southern England. RSPB Notes.
What they eat:
Grass, clover, grain, winter wheat and potatoes.
Measurements:
Length:65-78cm
Wingspan:130-165cm
Weight:1.9-2.5kgPopulation:
UK wintering:13,500
Identifying features:
Greenland White fronted goose
Feather colour: Black Brown Cream/buff Grey White
Leg colour: Orange
Beak: Orange Red Long Duck-like Chunky
Natural habitats: Farmland Grassland Marine and intertidal Wetland
Similar birds: Greylag goose, Taiga bean goose,
Pink-footed goose
Where and when to see them:
White-fronted geese can be seen in south England especially the Severn estuary in Gloucestershire and the Swale estuary in Kent for Siberian birds. Ireland and West Scotland for Greenland birds.
'Birdguides' Notes... Goose 'fitness tracker' reveals migration struggles
Greenland White-fronted Geese make a 600-mile round trip each year to overwinter in Scotland but not every bird finds it easy, according to new research from Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT).
Specially designed bird ‘fitness trackers’ have revealed what happens to the birds as they struggle over the sea for long distances, trying to navigate the angry North Atlantic and getting blown off course by unpredictable storms.
Migration is a particularly vulnerable time for Greenland White-fronts. One goose took just 14 and a half hours to fly from Iceland to Greenland, but two others took days to complete the same journey, being forced to spend a lot of the time bobbing on the sea.
The complete migration routes of Greenland White-fronted Geese in spring, as monitored by the WWT (WWT).
WWT researcher Ed Burrell has just returned from the tiny island of Islay, Argyll, where he’s been downloading data from the bird fitness trackers. He said: “We’ve just downloaded all this amazing data from these individual birds to see what they’ve been up to. From studying the leg from Iceland to Greenland in May this year, we see what a difference a day makes.
“We can tell that the weather turned on two birds who left the same evening, as they landed on the sea – so they wouldn’t be blown further, of course. By using an extra gadget called an accelerometer – a bird 'fitness tracker' so to speak – which measures the movement of the tag, we can tell that they bobbed about for a bit. To avoid the terrible conditions, the birds went for a swim.”
The blue-tagged goose left Iceland at 3.30 am on 6 May in calm conditions, arriving in Greenland 14-and-a-half hours later at a speed of 33.5 mph. The green-tagged goose left at 4 pm on 3 May accompanied by a good tailwind that later turned on the bird, blowing it towards the Arctic Ocean and forcing it to hunker down in the sea. It later landed in Greenland 53 hours after its journey began.
The red-tagged goose had it even worse, leaving the same evening as Green, but taking a traumatic 63 hours to complete the trip.
Researchers at WWT have been tracking these birds to find out why they are declining so rapidly. Since the turn of the century, 50 per cent of the population has vanished.
Thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd and other generous funders, WWT is able to carry out pioneering research using the finest technologies available to try and prevent further loss of these magnificent birds.
White-fronted Goose is one of eight wetland species of birds threatened with extirpation in Britain. Numbers have declined from 35,000 in 1999 to 18,900 in 2016 due to a number of threats at their breeding grounds. People keen to support our drive to save this species can donate here.
Northern Ireland Notes:
Anser albifrons flavirostris Dalgety & P. Scott, 1948
Family: Anatidae
While it may graze with other geese on manicured pastures, this goose is also a bird of wild boglands and marshes, returning faithfully each year to favoured areas. It breeds on the coastal fringes of western Greenland and winters almost entirely in Ireland and Scotland. Its eastern counterpart, the European white-fronted goose, winters in England.
In brief...
Scarce wintering bird to traditional sites in the west of Northern Ireland
Prefers blanket bog with pools or agricultural grassland
It is a winter visitor found from late October to early April
The Greenland white-fronted goose is Amber listed in both Irish and UK Birds of Conservation Concern
Threats include habitat loss from drainage, inappropriate development and disturbance.
Species description:
The white-fronted goose is a medium-sized, grey-brown goose, which is slightly smaller than the more familiar greylag goose. It has bold black bars across its belly. Its name derives from the white forehead blaze above its beak. The Greenland race is distinctive in being rather dark and having an orange bill and legs. Young birds can be distinguished early in the winter by their reduced white forehead and lack of bars on the belly.
Life cycle
Greenland white-fronted geese breed entirely in the arctic coastal fringe of western Greenland, up to 700m above sea level. They nest amongst hummocks in the tundra, and the timing of egg laying is determined by the thaw of snow. The young geese are tended by both parents and remain as a family through the first autumn and winter. They migrate to Ireland together via south-west Iceland. During the winter months the geese form flocks which remain at traditional sites. These are often improved grasslands where protein-rich shoot tips are grazed. Some small flocks remain faithful to blanket bog feeding sites where they eat the tubers of bog cotton and sedges.
Similar species:
The greylag goose is much more numerous in Northern Ireland. It is a bigger, heavier bird with a larger orange bill and pink legs and lacks the white forehead and black bars on the belly. In flight the greylag has broad pale forewings which contrast with the rest of the plumage. The pink-footed goose is a scarce migrant with pink legs, a noticeably dark head and neck and small, stubby bill. The eastern race of white-fronted goose, which is rare in Ireland, differs in having a pinkish bill.
How to see this species:
There are only a few sites where they winter regularly. On Lough Foyle they can be found feeding on the fields around the southern part of the lough. These birds are not always present, and are more often at Lough Swilly which lies just to the west in Donegal. The other flocks can be difficult to track down, leading to many real wild goose chases! The small flock at Annaghroe on the River Blackwater (County Tyrone) can often be viewed from a public road. Occasionally, flocks or single birds are seen on migration at other sites such as Strangford Lough.
Current status:
The wintering population in Northern Ireland seems to have decreased since the 1960s when around 500 wintered. Several traditional sites have been lost to drainage, peat cutting and afforestation. In recent years, numbers at Lough Foyle have been very variable, with usually between 40-50 birds present. Over 1,000 winter nearby at Lough Swilly in County Donegal. Lower Lough Macnean in County Fermanagh supports the largest regular flock of about 100 birds, while there are smaller numbers on the Pettigo Plateau bogs (Fermanagh/Donegal) and at the River Blackwater (County Tyrone). The most important site in Ireland is the Wexford Slobs which supports a spectacular 10,000 geese each winter.
This is not a quarry species and is protected under the Wildlife (NI) Order 1985. It is also listed in Annex I of the EU Birds Directive as a species which must be the subject of special conservation measures.
Why is this species a priority in Northern Ireland?
The Greenland race is Amber listed in the UK and Irish Birds of Conservation Concern lists because both UK and Ireland support more than 20 per cent of the NW European population in winter.
Threats/Causes of decline
Some traditional sites in Northern Ireland have been lost because of drainage (Downpatrick Marshes) or the encroachment of forestry. Inappropriate siting of wind turbines could also threaten some flocks and the geese are also very vulnerable to human disturbance. The world population increased following a ban on hunting in their wintering grounds in 1982, although there is evidence of a recent decrease in numbers.
Conservation of this species:
Current action
Some sites visited by this species are designated as Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSIs) and Special Protection Areas (SPAs)
Department of Agriculture and Rural Development’s (DARD) Countryside Management Scheme and Environmentally Sensitive Areas Scheme include measures designed to protect and enhance habitats for wintering geese
Some key sites are surveyed each winter by a combination of conservation bodies and volunteer counters as part of the nationally co-ordinated Wetland Bird Survey (WeBS).
Proposed objectives/actions
The status of the Greenland white-fronted goose will continue to be monitored and appropriate conservation action undertaken if required.
What you can do
Volunteer as a Wetland Bird Survey counter by contacting EHS or RSPB
Report incidents of illegal shooting to PSNI or EHS
Report any sightings to Northern Ireland Birdwatchers’ Association Flightline. Tel: 028 9146 7408.
The River Wye (Afon Gwy in Welsh), in Hereford, Herefordshire.
It is the fifth-longest river in the UK, stretching some 134 miles from source to sea. For much of its length the river forms part of the border between England and Wales.
Romans constructed a bridge of wood and stone just upstream of present-day Chepstow. It has been navigable up to Monmouth since at least the early 14th century. In the 1660's it was improved to enable vessels to pass weirs. According to Herefordshire Council Archaeology, these were flash locks.
The work proved to be insufficiently substantial and in 1696 a further Act of Parliament authorised the County of Hereford to buy up and demolish the mills on the Wye and Lugg. All locks and weirs were removed, except that at New Weir forge below Goodrich, which survived until about 1815. This was paid for by a tax on the county. Weirs were removed all along the Wye in Herefordshire, making the river passable to the western boundary, and beyond it at least to Hay on Wye.
A horse towing path was added in 1808, but only up to Hereford; previously, as on the River Severn, barges were man-hauled. Money was spent several times improving the River Lugg from Leominster to its confluence with the Wye at Mordiford, but its navigation is likely to have been difficult. The Wye remained commercially navigable until the 1850s, when commercial traffic moved to railways. It is still used by pleasure craft.
It is a Special Area of Conservation and one of the most important rivers in the UK for nature conservation. It is an important migration route and wildlife corridor, as well as a key breeding area for many nationally and internationally important species. The river supports a range of species and habitats covered by European Directives and those listed under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In Powys the river lies within the Radnorshire Environmentally Sensitive Area. Much of the lower valley is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Information Source:
Pseudo HDR fom a single RAW file captured while diverting from our normal approach to Vancouver en route from Victoria.
This is an unusual perspective. Normally we approach from either East or West. We were on the eastern approach, but warnings of wind shear sent us to the western approach at the last minute. I was sitting in the co-pilot seat and heard the diversion directive on the headset.
So we flew along False Creek for a bit before rounding Stanley Park and making our landing behind the skyscrapers on the horizon that rim Coal Harbor. Note the new giant Shangrila is literally in the clouds.
This perspective is looking North along Granville street. On this side of the bridge is Granville Island, a very cool place to visit when you come to Vancouver, which I hope my photos will make you want to do.
[A new ecstaticist feature] PP notes: I overdid the noise reduction. I have a low tolerance for noise and this means I sacrifice detail, which might not always be the right decision. I think I need to learn more about layering and masking so I can remove noise in areas and keep detail in other areas. Suggestions are welcome for my own learning and other who read below. You can see what I mean in the larger and original sizes.
Hello everyone! I hope you are all having a great start to your weekend & an amazing last day of 2022! Today I will be sharing the third set of photos of an interior design project that we have recently completed. For this project, we were commissioned to design the entire interior of the home, as well as the patios and balconies. Any landscaping details that you see in this and upcoming photos of this project, have been completed by the landscapers that are employed by the community that our client lives in.
In the first photo, you are getting a look at what may be my favourite room of this project, the kitchen! For this space, we created a ton of custom elements, which really help distinguish this kitchen from all the others that have been installed in this model of home. To start, we created a custom mesh wooden surround, which helps enclose all cabinetry and appliances, such as the wine fridges on the left hand side of the photo. We’ve also created a custom glass door fridge, along with custom glass door cabinetry on each side of the range, in a beautiful tinted black finish. These details help break up the heavy usage of wood and stones in this space, providing a nice contrast of a more delicate material.
In the second photo, you are getting a peak into the breakfast area, which is adjacent to the kitchen. This is a much more intimate space than the dining room, which I showcased in my previous post, due to the space being smaller overall and having a lesser seating capacity. As you can see, we stuck with our client's directive, using lots of beige, cream and white tones, with graphite and black accents to provide a grounding effect.
As always, the team & I thank you so much for following us along our design journey & supporting The Design Firm! You support is what keeps us going <3
Lastly, I always recommend viewing my photos in full screen mode when able! This allows you to see the true depth and detail of the spaces that my colleagues and I create for our clients.
Photo Credit - Sean Hardy
"Okay, what's with all the red shirts standing around? Ut-oh... The Prime Directive? Uh - I thought interference with consenting alien adults was okay... "
THEOLOGY IS THE STUDY OF THE WAYS WE KNOW AND EXPERIENCE God. The word itself comes from two Greek roots: theos meaning “god,” and logos meaning “word.” In Greek philosophy the idea of logos was extended to also mean “knowledge.” We use this root today as a suffix to describe the body of knowledge for particular disciplines such as psychology or sociology. In most of the biblical era, the Jewish people didn’t have what we think of as an intellectually defined theology. They had stories, practical applications of those stories, laws, and action directives from God—what we call commandments or mitzvot. The theology of the Hebrews was rooted in a way of thinking that was holistic and unique, what has been called Hebraic thinking.
Imagine perceiving the world in such a way that past and the present, time and space, nature and spirituality are seen as integrated and not separated into disconnected spheres of experience—this is the essence of Hebraic thinking. Our biblical ancestors experienced their own ancestors in a kind of present-tense state since the line between the living and the dead was somewhat blurred. In this “primitive” way of seeing the world, there was no significant distinction between what we call the animate and inanimate worlds. Modern Jews, Christians, and academic scholars alike would do well to relearn the Bible through the thought processes of the biblical characters themselves.
Indeed, I’m not sure we can really understand what Moses, the prophets, or Jesus were really saying without a clear comprehension of the Hebraic mode of thought. Understanding Hebraic thinking can give us a glimpse into the theology of our biblical ancestors, especially how they understood the interrelationship between the natural and spiritual worlds. But it also gives us insight into how they might have interpreted the original words, stories, and concepts in the Bible. Most of us learn the Bible in translation, thousands of years after the words were spoken, from an entirely different culture, and viewed through a radically different lens.
-Jesus : first-century rabbi / Rabbi David Zaslow with Joseph Lieberman.
Of detail, burned, dissolved, and broken off
Like graveyard marble sculpture in the weather,
There is a house that is no more a house
- from Directive, by Robert Frost
Dory sez:
"Ah yes, the Meeces and BunBuns are holding their current round of demonstrations today over the price of Cheese and Carrots respectively. Good to see how Democracy plays out in the real world. Wait a minute though .......
A Small Animals Directive (or SAD for short) has just been published on Brushtail Mousie's website proclaiming that neither a VAT reduction on Cheese nor Carrots is going to be granted by her de-facto finance ministry!
Could it just be that Democracy around these parts is simply an illusion? Brushtail Mousie rules as always ..... sigh ...... "
🐭 🐰 🐭 🐰🐭 🐰🐭 🐰🐭 🐰🐭 🐰🐭 🐰🐭 🐰🐭 🐰🐭 🐰
Deers outside The Madhouse.
Don't use this image on websites, blogs or other media without explicit permission.
© All rights reserved
Every January the ivy that grows at our barn wall is full of birds. Blackbirds mostly, but also pigeons and once I spotted an Eurasion blackcap (it was one of my earlier pictures here in the stream). Its fruits ripen when few other food sources are available to the birds.
"A large number of species of wild birds naturally occurring in the European territory of the Member States are declining in number, very rapidly in some cases. This decline represents a serious threat to the conservation of the natural environment, particularly because of the biological balances threatened thereby. [...] The preservation, maintenance or restoration of a sufficient diversity and area of habitats is essential to the conservation of all species of birds." DIRECTIVE 2009/147/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 30 November 2009
on the conservation of wild birds (eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX:32009L0147)
"Bei vielen im europäischen Gebiet der Mitgliedstaaten wildlebenden Vogelarten ist ein Rückgang der Bestände festzustellen, der in bestimmten Fällen sehr rasch vonstatten geht. Dieser Rückgang bildet eine ernsthafte Gefahr für die Erhaltung der natürlichen Umwelt, da durch diese Entwicklung insbesondere das biologische Gleichgewicht bedroht wird. [...] Schutz, Pflege oder Wiederherstellung einer ausreichenden Vielfalt und einer ausreichenden Flächengröße der Lebensräume ist für die Erhaltung aller Vogelarten unentbehrlich." RICHTLINIE 2009/147/EG DES EUROPÄISCHEN PARLAMENTS UND DES RATES vom 30. November 2009 über die Erhaltung der wildlebenden Vogelarten (eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/DE/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A32009...)
An amazing role-play SIM with something for everyone. Beloved long-lasting space in my heart for this place, this time this wonderful journey into space of the imagination....yes Savy a wonderful walk down memory lane!
New Triscalia (Planet Tatu)
100% Star Trek RP. The Full on Star Trek Experience. From Academy Cadet to Star Fleet Officer. It's all here. How far will you go?. Real ships, real space, and real people.
Triscalia I
The sun in the Agonian system has gone nova. Forcing the people on Argonia to find a new home.
They did just that. Now settling on the planet Tatu the former Argonians are now Tatuines. As they build and acclamate to a new surrounding, Star Fleet business revs up again. The Academy on Tatu has opened and the space station is fully functional. New adventures await this recoursful lott.
But what awaits them is the question.
"The Yongzheng Emperor admiring flowers with his court"
(detail)
The Yongzheng emperor reigned from 1722 until 1735.
He was the fourth emperor of the Qing dynasty
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yongzheng_Emperor
Although the reign was short, the period saw many cultural and aesthetic advances under an emperor who prized artistic excellence. The emperor himself oversaw and approved every aspect of ceramic production in the imperial kilns, and official records note that he would comment on the quality and properties of new creations, issuing directives such as ‘make thinner’, and to refine to achieve ‘an elegant presence’.
The link below by the Victoria and Albert Museum, provides excellent information on silk painting:
The space race is heating up again in ways we haven't seen since the end of the Cold War. We haven't been to the moon since 1972 but a number of private companies and national agencies have begun looking to our nearest celestial neighbor with renewed interest, not only as a site of scientific study but also as a fuel resource and potential staging area for trips further out into the solar system.
Last December, Trump signed Space Policy Directive-1, which directs NASA "to lead an innovative and sustainable program of exploration with commercial and international partners to enable human expansion across the solar system and to bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities."
Essentially, the move will help NASA better organize exploratory efforts with its international partners and private spaceflight companies."I don't even like to use the word return -- to go forward to the moon, sustainably," NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine told a Senate subcommittee hearing in September. "What we're doing now is entirely different than what we did back [during the Apollo era]."
To that end, NASA has since submitted to Congress a plan to establish the necessary infrastructure to not just get us back to the moon but to return there regularly. Dubbed the "Exploration Campaign", this plan focuses on three core areas: low-Earth orbit (LEO), the crewed missions to the moon for long-term habitation and study, and robotic missions to Mars and beyond. The Gateway is going to be wild. It will consist of at least "a power and propulsion element [with] habitation, logistics and airlock capabilities," per NASA. The power and propulsion bits will be launched first, around 2022, via an SLS rocket. These will not only allow the Gateway to adjust its lunar orbit, but they'll also serve as communications platforms for space-to-Earth and space-to-moon messages. The habitation elements are expected to be delivered in 2024 and should allow astronauts accommodations for up to 60 days.
[[[PRIMARY DIRECTIVES:]]]
> SERVE MASTER BORG.
> EXTERMINATE ALL NINJAS.
~
Entry to Round 1 of the 2018 Bio-Cup, sub-theme being Ninjago.
Heavily referenced the 'Nindroid' Minifigures, where I pretty much tried to jam in as many of their iconic features as I could.
(Initially that eye was an eyebrow - either way could've worked, but cheers to gravity for informing that executive decision)
Cocoa's entry: www.flickr.com/photos/137256403@N07/43311489531
Felix's entry:
During May 1974 the New South Wales coast was being battered by large storms which brought heavy swells off both Sydney and Newcastle ports. Newcastle port reported a swell of over 17 m (56 ft) at the entrance.
The Sygna was on its maiden voyage, waiting for a load of 50,000 tonnes of coal destined for Europe at the time of the accident. It was anchored 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) off Newcastle when the Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe storm warning and directive for ships to move out to sea. Seven of the ten ships anchored off Newcastle did so, however the Sygna was not one of them (#)
....um yeah...looks like it anchored a little closer in! This was the shot I set out to get and I was pretty happy with how it turned out. Complete with eagle and this time bluebottles.
# Courtesy of Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Sygna
Here's my LEGO rendition of the 2022 Ferrari F1-75, which was raced by Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The 2022 Formula One World Championship saw a major change of the technical regulations, with the reintroduction of ground effect aerodynamics and restriction of radical designs. These changes were implemented with the intention to reduce an F1 car's wake of turbulent air (aka "dirty air") that disturbs the aerodynamic flow of following cars, thus allowing for closer racing and more overtaking.
The F1-75 proved to be competitive at the beginning of the 2022 season, taking 2 wins, 2 poles, 3 fastest laps, and 5 podiums in the first 3 races. However, unreliability and a downturn in performance (especially after the FIA's Technical Directive 39 which was targeted at reducing porpoising) in the latter half of the season resulted in Red Bull winning both the drivers and constructors championships with relative ease.
This approximately 1:15 scale LEGO creation was probably the most difficult F1 car I've built to date. The design of this car is quite a departure from the previous F1 cars I've built, so I had to approach this build with a blank slate. The sidepods and engine cover shaping of the F1-75, which some have likened to a bathtub, is very organic and unique. Recreating this was by far the most challenging aspect of this creation. I hope I have done this car justice as it is one of the coolest F1 cars in terms of design in my opinion. A big thanks goes to Steve Hall (Instagram: @stevehallego) for making the stickers that help recreate the livery.
Instructions are available on Rebrickable: rebrickable.com/mocs/MOC-143121/noahl/ferrari-f1-75
Links to my other Ferrari F1 cars:
1991 Ferrari 643
1997 Ferrari F310B
2007 Ferrari F2007
2014 Ferrari F14 T
2015 Ferrari SF15-T
2016 Ferrari SF16-H
2017 Ferrari SF70H
2018 Ferrari SF71H
2019 Ferrari SF90
2020 Ferrari SF1000
2021 Ferrari SF21
Instagram: @noahl.lego
This is the antenna that will transmit back the first close-up images of the distant Dimorphos asteroid since its orbit was shifted by a collision with NASA’s DART spacecraft.
The 1.13-m diameter High Gain Antenna of ESA’s Hera mission went through a week-long test campaign at the Compact Antenna Test Range, part of the Agency’s ESTEC technical centre in the Netherlands.
The CATR’s metal walls isolate external radio signals while its foam-spike-lined interior absorb radio signals to prevent reflections and reproduce the empty void of space. Each test session took more than 10 hours at a time, with the antenna rotated a degree at a time to build up a 360 degree picture of the antenna’s detailed signal shape.
“The High Gain Antenna is really a crucial part of our mission – it will be our sole means of receiving data and sending commands with the volume we need, with the Low Gain Antenna as backup for low data rate emergency communications” explains Hera antenna engineer Victoria Iza.
Hera system engineer Paolo Concari adds: “Coupled with an innovative deep-space transponder, this antenna will also perform science in its own right. Doppler shifting in its signals due to slight shifts in Hera’s velocity as the spacecraft orbits Dimorphos will be used to derive the mass and shape of the asteroid. But for this radio science experiment to work well, the antenna signal will need to remain stable over time, which means the antenna itself has to maintain its geometrical shape very precisely.”
The High Gain Antenna was manufactured by HPS in Germany and Romania. The company was checking that the antenna’s CATR test performance met mission requirements, comparing the results to simulated radio frequency data.
“The antenna reflector is made of carbon fibre, which makes it very stable and resistant to temperature extremes and general environmental stresses,” comments Fulvio Triberti from HPS. “With a total mass of just 7.5 kg, it is a scaled up version of a smaller model produced for ESA’s Euclid’s observatory, which will operate 1.5 million km from Earth. But Hera’s antenna will need to operate over much greater distances still than Euclid, transmitting and receiving across as far as over 400 million km.”
Located on the exterior of the spacecraft, the High Gain Antenna is especially susceptible to accelerations during launch and the high and low temperatures experienced in space – for added protection against the latter, the antenna will be flown covered in a Kapton-Germanium sunshield that provides thermal isolation while radio waves can still pass through it.
So, as a next step, the antenna will undergo vibration testing at IABG in Germany, to reproduce launch stresses, followed by ‘thermal vacuum’ testing at AAC in Austria, to simulate temperature extremes. Then the antenna will return to the CATR next spring, in order to check that this environmental testing did nothing to degrade its radio-frequency performance.
Antenna engineer Ines Barbary led the CATR test campaign: “The challenge for us has been the very high gain of the antenna, and also its tightly focused directivity – it is a very narrowly focused beam with low side lobes. Our test signals cross less than 2 m from our antenna to the High Gain Antenna within the chamber but our specialist software can transform the signals as if they are travelling across vast distances.”
The High Gain Antenna boosts its signal more than 4000-fold to reach Earth, focused down to only half a degree, so that the entire spacecraft will move in order to line up with its homeworld.
“It’s a fantastic feeling to see flight hardware take shape like this,” concludes Paolo. “And all involved did a great job in making it happen on time, to meet our launch schedule in October 2024.”
Credits: ESA-SJM Photography
A re-envisioning of the classic 1984 Apple Macintosh commercial to perhaps reflect on how some things may have changed since then.
“Today, we celebrate the first glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directives. We have created, for the first time in all history, a garden of pure ideology—where each worker may bloom, secure from the pests purveying contradictory truths. Our Unification of Thoughts is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on earth. We are one people, with one will, one resolve, one cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death, and we will bury them with their own confusion. We shall prevail!”
Excerpt from www.thestar.com/news/gta/2021/09/22/ryerson-university-un...:
Ryerson University has a new public art piece on campus honouring the Dish With One Spoon Territory it sits on — a move one elder says is a positive step in the institution’s commitment to reconciling with Indigenous communities.
On Wednesday, the university unveiled a new monument on its campus near the busy intersection of Gould Street and Nelson Mandela Walk. Casually dubbed the “Ring,” the monument is a three-metre tall metal band designed by Indigenous-owned and operated firm Two Row Architect.
The university has been on a path to reconcile with Indigenous communities recently, in the form of renaming itself and choosing not to restore or replace the statue of Egerton Ryerson that was toppled down by protesters.
Joanne Dallaire, elder and senior advisor on Indigenous relations and reconciliation at the university, said that healing from the damage that colonial constructs have left on Indigenous people is personal and will look different for everyone. Still, Dallaire thinks that the efforts the university is making, such as the new monument, are a step in the right direction.
“It makes a statement that Ryerson is very committed, now and into the future, because it’s a significant piece of art to recognize, respect, and continue to reconcile with Indigenous communities,” Dallaire said.
It took over two years for the monument to come to fruition. Dallaire is a co-chair at Ryerson’s Truth and Reconciliation Strategic Working Group, which led community workshops and worked with the architects, “making sure that we got it done in the right way, in a good way,” Dallaire said.
Two Row Architect worked alongside the group to create a physical rendition of a “Land Acknowledgement,” said the firm’s Matthew Hickey, a Mohawk architect belonging to the Six Nations First Nation.
Collaborating with Indigenous community members was a crucial part of bringing the monument to life and making sure that it sends a message that would resonate with all Indigenous people, regardless of their backgrounds, both Hickey and Dallaire said.
“In my eyes, the Indigenous community at the university designed this monument, (Two Row Architect) was just the conduit by which they brought their collections of ideas into focus,” said Hickey. “The outcome of the work is for everyone, it is intended to have presence, be welcoming, be universal and inclusive in its form and its details. It welcomes everyone to learn and be a part of the larger circle of life.”
Every detail of the Ring was intentional: Its shape is a nod to how prominent circles are in numerous Indigenous practices, such as how meetings are formed in circles so that all voices are coming from equal positions. The Ring is also made of Corten weathering steel, which is intended to adapt to its environment over time.
The Ring is embellished with perforations that form the animal symbols representing each of the Seven Grandparent teachings: Humility, Courage, Honesty, Wisdom, Truth, Respect and Love. These principles are adapted by several Indigenous communities to help guide people through life.
“We can take these seven teachings and transform them into anything that we’re working on because the teachings are singular in their word and multiple meanings can be applied to them,” Dallaire said.
For the time being, the monument won’t include a plaque explaining the specificities of the Ring — Dallaire wants people to form their own experiences and understandings of it when they observe the monument themselves. Just like the Seven Grandparent teachings, Dallaire wants the monument to be open to interpretation.
“Sometimes, if you are too directive, especially in art, you force the viewer to see one thing instead of getting their own interpretation and like all things in Indigenous communities, things are our own interpretation as well as the teachings that come behind it,” Dallaire said.
AI = Artificial Intelligence
Following The Prime Directive, no Planetary Systems were harmed in the creation of this image.
Created for SOTN February 2019, FUTURAMA.
I made this a few years ago (2016 I think.) A couple days ago when I was looking for something SciFi I found it again. A bit of manip in Photoshop yesterday and this is what came out...
2 SciFi images purchased from Renderosity.
Robot from public domain.
= = = = = = = = = = = = =
© All rights reserved. This image may not be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic, mechanical, photocopying & recording without my written permission. Thanks.
~ Thank you for visiting my photostream, for the invites, faves, awards and kind words. It's all much appreciated. ~
Le Z12111 28 longe la rive nord du Lac Long tout juste avant Les Étroits, où il changera de rive pour poursuivre sa route du côté sud. À peu près à un tier du tonnage du train se trouve la locomotive télécommandé qui n'a d'autre choix que de suivre les directives de la locomotive de tête.
Z12111 28 runs along the north shore of Lac Long just before Les Étroits, where it will change banks to continue on the south side. Roughly a third of the train's tonnage is the remote-controlled locomotive, which has no choice but to follow the lead locomotive's instructions.
I don't know about ya'll but it was a bit of a struggle to shimmy Annik's feet into her shoe. But anyways, her stuff is fabulous.
(And her dress has this great lace underneath the chiffon)
The space and room for human rights and freedom is so little now in Hong Kong after the implementation of national security law. There are so many incidents have happened in Hong Kong and I am not able to recap here/ In short more pro-democratic activists are arrested. News media are restructured so that there is no investigative reporting or opposition views. Civil servants are forced to take oath and asked not to express any opinion against the directives of government.
There is absolutely no room for rights and freedom of speech. Many Hong Kong people chose to leave and many are going to UK or other countries like Canada and Australia.
I was shooting architecture lines at Aberdeen Centre.
Hope you have a good weekend!
Fuji X-T3
Fuji XF 10-24mm F4
"Instruction"
Train journey to Hanoï (Gia Lam station)
Voyage en train en direction de Hanoï - Gare de Gia Lam (Vietnam)
Website : www.fluidr.com/photos/pat21
www.flickriver.com/photos/pat21/sets/
"Copyright © – Patrick Bouchenard
The reproduction, publication, modification, transmission or exploitation of any work contained here in for any use, personal or commercial, without my prior written permission is strictly prohibited. All rights reserved."
Hatfield Moors is very unusual place and the type of habitat that one would not associate with Britain. However, once upon a time habitats such as peatlands, bogs, heathland and mossland was much more common. They are a great place to visit and one that should not be forgotten.
.
www.gov.uk/government/publications/south-yorkshires-natio...
South Yorkshire's National Nature Reserves (NNRs)
Humberhead Peatlands
The moors are remnants of wetland that occupied the floodplain of the Humberhead Levels thousands of years ago
Main habitats: peatland
Features of interest
The Humberhead Peatlands NNR comprises Thorne, Goole, and Crowle Moors, as well as Hatfield Moors and it represents the largest area of raised bog wilderness in lowland Britain at 2,887 hectares in size.
The site is a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for its habitat. and an internationally important breeding site for the nocturnal, insect-feeding nightjar which was responsible for the area being declared as a Special Protection Area (SPA) under the European Birds Directive.
A wide range of habitats supports the 5,000 species of plants and animals that have been recorded on the reserve of which more than 4000 are insects. There is also a sizable population of adders on the Moors.
More than 200 bird species have been recorded and approximately 75 have bred. Winter visitors include whooper swans, pink-footed geese and short-eared owls. From March-July a very special summer visitor is the diminutive woodlark and oystercatcher, lapwing, ringed plover and great crested grebe can be spotted around the lakes.
Directions
By train
There are train stations at Thorne and Crowle .
By bus
Bus services run to the villages, call 01302 734309 and 01652 657053 for the Tourist Information Centres covering the area.
Call 01709 515151 for South Yorkshire transport.
On foot
Thorne, Hatfield & Crowle are on the route of the 72km circular Peatlands Way which connects with the Trans Pennine Trail.
School and community groups
Humberhead Peatlands NNR offers outdoor learning opportunities for schools. These are aimed at both primary and secondary schools .
Contact
For more information contact Natural England Enquiries, tel. 0300 060 3900 or email enquiries@naturalengland.org.uk
To discuss school visits or volunteering opportunities contact the Community Support Officer on 07766 420290.
Inspired by one of my favourite films, I decided to design and build my own versions of some of my favourite characters and moments from 'WALL.E'. Launching off this 9 part series I've decided to build the 'Directive' that can save the world, the plant. Inspired by the shoe design I came up with for my Billy & Charlie series, I decided to use that build to represent the boot and modifyed it to accommodate the all important plant. I hope you like this first instalment, I know it's small but it's arguably the most important part of the story. Stay tuned for the rest of the series coming soon
Portland Head Light is a historic lighthouse in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. The light station sits on a head of land at the entrance of the primary shipping channel into Portland Harbor, which is within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. Completed in 1791, it is the oldest lighthouse in Maine. The light station is automated, and the tower, beacon, and foghorn are maintained by the United States Coast Guard, while the former lighthouse keepers' house is a maritime museum within Fort Williams Park.
Construction began in 1787 at the directive of George Washington, and was completed on January 10, 1791, using a fund of $1,500, established by him. Whale oil lamps were originally used for illumination. In 1855, following formation of the Lighthouse Board, a fourth-order Fresnel lens was installed; that lens was replaced by a second-order Fresnel lens, which was replaced later by an aerobeacon in 1958. That lens was updated with a DCB-224 aerobeacon in 1991.
In 1787, while Maine was still part of the state of Massachusetts, George Washington engaged two masons from the town of Falmouth (modern-day Portland), Jonathan Bryant and John Nichols, and instructed them to take charge of the construction of a lighthouse on Portland Head. Washington reminded them that the early government was poor, and said that the materials used to build the lighthouse should be taken from the fields and shores, materials which could be handled nicely when hauled by oxen on a drag. The original plans called for the tower to be 58 feet tall. When the masons completed this task, they climbed to the top of the tower and realized that it would not be visible beyond the headlands to the south, so it was raised another 20 feet.
The tower was built of rubblestone, and Washington gave the masons four years to build it. While it was under construction in 1789, the federal government was being formed, and for a while it looked as though the lighthouse would not be finished. Following passage of their ninth law, the first congress made an appropriation and authorized the Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton, to inform the mechanics that they could go on with the completion of the tower. On August 10, 1790, the second session of congress appropriated a sum not to exceed $1500, and under the direction of the President, "to cause the said lighthouse to be finished and completed accordingly." The tower was completed during 1790 and first lit January 10, 1791.
During the American Civil War, raids on shipping in and out of Portland Harbor became commonplace, and because of the necessity for ships at sea to sight Portland Head Light as soon as possible, the tower was raised 20 more feet. The current keepers' house was built in 1891. When Halfway Rock Light was built, Portland Head Light was considered less important, and in 1883, the tower was shortened 20 feet (6.1 m) and a weaker fourth-order Fresnel lens was added. The former height and second-order Fresnel lens were restored in 1885 following mariners' complaints.
The station has changed little except for the rebuilding of the whistle house in 1975 due to its having been badly damaged in a storm. Today, Portland Head Light stands 80 feet (24 m) above ground and 101 feet (31 m) above water, its white conical tower being connected to a dwelling. The 224 airport-style aerobeacon is visible for 24 nautical miles (44 km; 28 mi). The 400-watt metal halide lamp is rated for 20,000 hours and produces 36,000 lumens of light at 200,000 candlepower.
The grounds and keeper's house are owned by the town of Cape Elizabeth, while the beacon and fog signal are owned and maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard] as a current aid to navigation. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places as Portland Head light (sic) on April 24, 1973, reference number 73000121.
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Head_Light
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Italien / Südtirol - Mendelkamm
On the way to Monte Roen - Chamois
Auf dem Weg zum Monte Roen - Gämse
The chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) is a species of goat-antelope native to mountains in Europe, from west to east, including the Cantabrian Mountains, the Pyrenees, the Alps and the Apennines, the Dinarides, the Tatra and the Carpathian Mountains, the Balkan Mountains, the Rila–Rhodope massif, Pindus, the northeastern mountains of Turkey, and the Caucasus. The chamois has also been introduced to the South Island of New Zealand. Some subspecies of chamois are strictly protected in the EU under the European Habitats Directive.
Names
The English name comes from French chamois. The latter is derived from Gaulish camox (attested in Latin, 5th century), itself perhaps borrowing from some Alpine language (Raetic, Ligurian). The Gaulish form also underlies German Gemse, Gams, Gämse, Italian camoscio, Ladin ciamorz.
The usual pronunciation for the animal is UK: /ˈʃæmwɑː/ or US: /ʃæmˈwɑː/, approximating the French pronunciation [ʃamwa]. However, when referring to chamois leather, and in New Zealand often for the animal itself, it is /ˈʃæmi/, and sometimes spelt shammy or chamy. The plural of "chamois" is spelled the same as the singular, and it may be pronounced with the final "s" sounded. However, as with many other quarry species, the plural for the animal is often pronounced the same as the singular.
The Dutch name for the chamois is gems, and the male is called a gemsbok. In Afrikaans, the name gemsbok came to refer to a species of Subsaharan antelope of the genus Oryx, and this meaning of "gemsbok" has been adopted into English.
Description
The chamois is a very small bovid. A fully grown chamois reaches a height of 70–80 cm (28–31 in) and measures 107–137 cm (42–54 in) (the tail is not generally visible except when mating).[6] Males, which weigh 30–60 kg (66–132 lb), are slightly larger than females, which weigh 25–45 kg (55–99 lb). Both males and females have short, straightish horns which are hooked backwards near the tip, the horn of the male being thicker. In summer, the fur has a rich brown colour which turns to a light grey in winter. Distinct characteristics are white contrasting marks on the sides of the head with pronounced black stripes below the eyes, a white rump and a black stripe along the back.
Biology and behaviour
Female chamois and their young live in herds of up to 15 to 30 individuals; adult males tend to live solitarily for most of the year. During the rut (late November/early December in Europe, May in New Zealand), males engage in fierce battles for the attention of unmated females. An impregnated female undergoes a gestation period of 170 days, after which a single kid is usually born in May or early June. On rare occasions, twins may be born. If a mother is killed, other females in the herd may try to raise the young. The kid is weaned at six months of age and is fully grown by one year of age. However, the kids do not reach sexual maturity until they are three to four years old, although some females may mate at as early two years old. At sexual maturity, young males are forced out of their mother's herds by dominant males (who sometimes kill them), and then wander somewhat nomadically until they can establish themselves as mature breeding specimens at eight to nine years of age.
Chamois eat various types of vegetation, including highland grasses and herbs during the summer and conifers, barks and needles from trees in winter. Primarily diurnal in activity, they often rest around mid-day and may actively forage during moonlit nights.
Chamois can reach an age of 22 years in captivity, although the maximum recorded in the wild is from 15 to 17 years of age. Common causes of mortality can include avalanches, epidemics and predation. At present, humans are the main predator of chamois. In the past, the principal predators were Eurasian lynxes, Persian leopards and gray wolves; with some predation possibly by brown bears and golden eagles. Chamois usually use speed and stealthy evasion to escape predators and can run at 50 kilometers per hour (31 mph) and can jump 2 m (6.6 ft) vertically into the air or over a distance of 6 m (20 ft).
Distribution and habitat
The chamois is native to the Pyrenees, the mountains of south and central Europe, Turkey, and the Caucasus. It lives in precipitous, rugged, rocky terrain at moderately high elevations of up to at least 3,600 m (11,800 ft). In Europe, the chamois spends the summer months in alpine meadows above the tree line, but moves to elevations of around 800 m (2,600 ft) to spend the winter in pine-dominated forests.
Hunting and wildlife management
As their meat is considered tasty, chamois are popular game animals. Chamois have two traits that are exploited by hunters: the first is that they are most active in the morning and evening when they feed; the second is that they tend to look for danger originating from below, which means that a hunter stalking chamois from above is less likely to be observed and more likely to be successful.
The tuft of hair from the back of the neck, the gamsbart (chamois "beard"), is traditionally worn as a decoration on hats throughout the alpine countries.
Chamois leather
Chamois leather, traditionally made from the hide of the chamois, is very smooth and absorbent and is favoured in cleaning, buffing, and polishing because it produces no scratching. Modern chamois leather may be made from chamois hides, but hides of deer or domestic goats or sheep are commonly used.
Chamois fabric
A fabric known as chamois is made variously from cotton flannel, PVA, Viscose, and other materials with similar qualities. It is napped to produce a plush surface similar to moleskin or chamois leather.
(Wikipedia)
Der Mendelkamm, auch Mendelgebirge oder Mendelzug genannt, ist eine etwa 35 km lange Gebirgsgruppe in Südtirol und im Trentino. Der Mendelkamm wird zur Nonsberggruppe gerechnet und damit zu den Südlichen Kalkalpen.
Lage
Der Mendelkamm trennt das Nonstal im Westen und das Etschtal im Osten auf der Länge zwischen Gampenpass und Rotaliana-Ebene. Auf dem Großteil der Strecke verläuft die Grenze zwischen dem Trentino und Südtirol über den Gipfelkamm, nur das nördlichste Teilstück am Deutschnonsberg liegt zur Gänze in Südtirol und das südlichste Teilstück ab der Höhe der Salurner Klause im Trentino.
Topographie
Der Mendelkamm zeichnet sich durch verhältnismäßig geringe Höhenunterschiede auf seinem Gipfelkamm aus. Nur einmal unterschreitet er deutlich eine Höhe von 1500 m am Mendelpass, nur einmal überschreitet er eine Höhe von 2000 m am Roen. Ebenfalls auffällig ist die Asymmetrie des Bergkammes im Längsprofil: Während das Nonstal im Westen größtenteils nur mit geringen Steigungsgraden zu den Gipfeln ansteigt, die von dort betrachtet oftmals als wenig markante Hügelkuppen erscheinen, bricht die Gebirgsgruppe nach Osten ins Etschtal sehr steil ab.
Der Mendelkamm verläuft vom Gampenpass (1518 m s.l.m.) südlich von Meran, der den Kamm vom Laugen trennt und das Etschtal mit dem Deutschnonsberg verbindet, zunächst in einem leichten Bogen nach Südosten über wenig markante erste Erhebungen, darunter Schönegg (1772 m) und Hochkührast (1836 m), zum Gantkofel (1866 m). Am Gantkofel, der mit seinem großen Felsabbruch über dem Bozner Talkessel im Osten thront, biegt der Mendelkamm nach Süden ab. Von hier ab bildet er die Grenze zwischen Südtirol und dem Trentino und überragt auf einer Strecke von etwa 14 km im Osten die Überetsch genannte Landschaft, die durch den parallel verlaufenden Mitterberg zum Talboden der Etsch hin abgetrennt ist. Der nächste Gipfel ist der Penegal (1737 m), ehe der Kamm zum Mendelpass (1363 m) hin abfällt. Dieser ist durch die SS 42 und die Mendelbahn verkehrstechnisch erschlossen.
Südlich vom Mendelpass steigt das Gelände über diverse Zwischengipfel zum höchsten Berg des Mendelkamms, dem Roen (2116 m), an. Am Roen, an dessen Ostseite das Überetsch ins Unterland übergeht, befindet sich auch die einzige Schutzhütte der Gebirgsgruppe, die Überetscher Hütte (1775 m). Gegen Süden fällt das Gelände wieder rasch zum Grauner Joch (1800 m) ab und erreicht in der Folge mit mehreren Erhebungen nur noch Höhen zwischen 1600 m und 1700 m. An der Westseite dieses Gebiets liegt die Altopiano della Predaia genannte Hochfläche. Der erste Gipfel, der wieder über 1800 m hinaufreicht, aber sich ansonsten nur wenig markant im Kammverlauf erhebt, ist das Tresner Horn (1812 m). Hier biegt der Mendelkamm in südwestliche Richtung ab und befindet sich knapp hinter dem Fenner Joch (1563 m), dem nach Südosten der Fennberg (1468 m) und die Salurner Klause vorgelagert sind, und den Cimoni (1729 m) nur noch im Trentino.
Auf dem letzten Teilstück erreicht der Mendelkamm an der Wiggerspitze (Cima Roccapiana, 1873 m) und an der Cima Monticello (1857 m) noch einmal bedeutende Höhen. Er fällt schließlich über die weitläufige Terrasse von Monte Mezzocorona in die Rotaliana-Ebene bei Mezzocorona ab, wo das Nonstal ins Etschtal einmündet.
Weinbau
Nicht nur bei Tramin und Kaltern, sondern auch bis zum nördlicheren Eppan findet der Weinbau durch den speziellen, lockeren Kalkstein und die zugehörigen Schotterböden ideale Wachstumsbedingungen. Die Süd- bis Südost-Hänge eignen sich für kräftige und fruchtbetonte Rebsorten vom Gewürztraminer bis zum Weißburgunder oder Sauvignon. Das milde Klima des Überetsch und der Mendel-Osthänge darüber wird unter anderem durch häufige Fallwinde geprägt, deren Erwärmung (um etwa 6° pro 1.000 Höhenmeter) ein gut durchlüftetes Mikroklima erzeugt.
Pflanzenwelt
An den westlichen und östlichen Hängen des Mendelgebirges gibt es teils ausgedehnte Wälder mit Rotbuchen und Waldkiefern. Auf über 1000 m Meereshöhe sind Fichtenwälder, und vor allem auf der Nonstaler Seite Lärchenwiesen. Auch die Legföhre kommt an einigen Stellen vor. Die Flora ist ähnlich jener der Dolomiten, doch fehlen Hochgebirgspflanzen, da die Gipfel nicht so hoch sind.
Herkunft des Namens
Das Wort Mendel erscheint schon in einem Dokument von 1429 in der Form an der Mendell.
Eine sichere Erklärung zur Etymologie gibt es nicht. Egon Kühebacher hält eine Verwandtschaft mit einem romanischen menda für möglich, welches im Sardischen „nicht bebautes, als Weide dienendes Land“ bedeutet. Falls ein Zusammenhang mit althochdeutsch mendi („Freude, Wonne“) besteht, könnte sich der Name auf das gute Weideland, auf die ergiebigen Jagdgründe, aber auch auf die sommerliche Frische beziehen, die der Hitze im Talboden gern vorgezogen wird; seit jeher verbringen viele Bewohner der östlichen Mendelhänge den Sommer dort im Gebirge. Eventuell handelt es sich aber auch um ein vorindogermanisches Reliktwort, das im baskischen mendi mit der Bedeutung „Berg“ eine Parallele findet.
(Wikipedia)
Die (Alpen-)Gämse (Rupicapra rupicapra), vor der Rechtschreibreform Gemse geschrieben und in der Jägersprache mit Gams oder Gamswild bezeichnet, ist eine in Europa und Kleinasien beheimatete Art der Ziegenartigen. Zusammen mit der Pyrenäen-Gämse und weiteren Arten gehört sie zur Gattung der Gämsen (Rupicapra).
Die Gämse wurde von der Schutzgemeinschaft Deutsches Wild zum Wildtier des Jahres 2012 gekürt.
Merkmale
Ausgewachsene Gämsen haben eine Kopf-Rumpf-Länge von 110 bis 130 Zentimetern, einen bis zu acht Zentimeter langen Schwanz, eine Widerristhöhe von 70 bis 85 Zentimetern und ein Gewicht von 25 bis 40 Kilogramm (Weibchen) bzw. 35 bis 50 Kilogramm (Männchen). Gämsen verfügen über einen kräftigen, jedoch gedrungenen Körperbau. Der schlanke Hals trägt einen zur Schnauze hin stark verschmälerten, kurzen Kopf. Beide Geschlechter tragen Hörner, auch Krucken oder Krickel genannt. Diese werden bis zu 25 Zentimeter lang und sind drehrund. Sie sind an der Wurzel kreisförmig eingekerbt, gerade aufsteigend und an der Spitze rückwärts gebogen. Die Hörner werden im Gegensatz zu dem Geweih der Hirsche und des Rehwilds im Winter nicht abgeworfen. Die spitzen Ohren der Gämsen besitzen eine Länge von ca. einer halben Kopflänge.
Die Gämse hat verhältnismäßig lange, kräftige Beine mit relativ großen Hufen. Im Gegensatz zum Rotwild hat die Gämse keine Tränengruben, sondern eine Brunftfeige. Dieses Drüsenorgan befindet sich hinter den Hörnern in einer Höhlung. Zur Brunftzeit sondert es ein schmieriges, streng riechendes Sekret ab.
Im Sommer ist die Gämse schmutzig rotbraun, auf der Unterseite hell rotgelb, auf dem Rücken mit einem schwarzbraunen Aalstrich, an der Kehle fahlgelb, im Nacken weißgelblich. Die Hinterseite der Schenkel ist weiß, der Schwanz auf der Unterseite und an der Spitze schwarz. Von den Ohren verläuft über die Augen hin eine schwarze Längsbinde.
Im Winter ist die Gämse oben dunkelbraun oder braunschwarz, am Bauch weiß, an den Füßen und am Kopf gelblichweiß, auf dem Scheitel und an der Schnauze etwas dunkler. Beide Kleider gehen unmerklich ineinander über. Jäger unterscheiden das große, dunkelbraune Waldtier von dem kleineren, rotbraunen Grattier.
Eine wesentlich auf die Steiermark beschränkte, seit dem 16. Jahrhundert dort belegbare Farbmutation der Gämse wird Kohlgams genannt. Sie zeichnet sich dadurch aus, dass die sonst hellen Unterseite, Kehle- und Wangen-Partien dunkel gefärbt sind, wobei die Stirn und die Innenohren ihre übliche helle Färbung beibehalten.
Verbreitung und Lebensraum
Bei der Gämse handelt es sich um eine weitgehend auf Europa beschränkte Art, was in der Tierwelt eine nennenswerte Besonderheit darstellt. Sie besiedelt den ganzen Alpenraum und Teile des Balkans. Das größte Revier befindet sich im Hochschwabgebiet in der Steiermark. Wie archäologische Funde belegen, erstreckte sich das Vorkommen noch vor 7000 bis 4000 Jahren auch auf weitere gebirgige Gegenden, etwa in den deutschen Mittelgebirgen. Nach Aussetzungen und vereinzelten Zuwanderungen aus den Alpen existieren mittlerweile wieder kleine Populationen im Jura, in den Vogesen, im Schwarzwald, auf der Schwäbischen Alb, auf der Fränkischen Alb sowie im Lausitzer Gebirge.
Als Lebensraum ist die Gämse auf steiles, möglichst teils felsiges Gelände angewiesen. Dort kommen ihre körperlichen Fähigkeiten am besten zum Tragen. So ermöglichen ein vergleichsweise großes Herz, ein hoher Anteil sauerstoffbindender roter Blutkörperchen und der spezielle Bau der spreizbaren Hufe den Gämsen Bewegungssicherheit und Leistungsvermögen unter diesen Bedingungen. Auch wird das Gefälle der Landschaft genutzt, um sich stets in einem geeigneten Mikroklima aufzuhalten, zumal bereits Temperaturen ab 12 Grad von den Tieren als eher unangenehm empfunden werden. Ob das Gelände bewaldet ist, hat im Grunde keine zentrale Bedeutung.[6] In den Alpen ergibt es sich, dass die Gämsen sich meist oberhalb des Waldgürtels in Höhen zwischen 1500 und 2500 Metern aufhalten. Nahrungsknappheit zwingt sie im Winter zum Abstieg in tiefere – bewaldete – Lagen.
Lebensweise
Weibchen und Jungtiere leben in Herden von 15 bis 30 Tieren. Die sozialen Bande ändern sich mit den Jahreszeiten. Im Sommer sind sie sehr intensiv. Zum Winter hin wird der Herdenzusammenhalt lockerer und manche Herden vermischen sich oder lösen sich auf. Böcke leben einzelgängerisch und suchen erst im Spätsommer eine Herde auf. Sie vertreiben die männlichen Jungtiere, wenn sie alt genug sind, und behaupten sich in Kämpfen gegen Geschlechtsgenossen. In der zweiten Novemberhälfte erfolgt dann die Paarung.
Ende Mai oder Anfang Juni wirft die Gämse ein, selten zwei oder drei Junge, die bald der Mutter folgen und drei Monate gesäugt werden. Die Tragzeit beträgt sechs Monate. Die Geißen werden nach zwei Jahren geschlechtsreif. Im dritten Jahr ist das Junge ausgewachsen. Die Gamsböcke erreichen ein Alter von 15 Jahren, die Weibchen werden bis zu 20 Jahre alt.
Ihre Nahrung besteht aus vor allem jungen Trieben der Alpensträucher (Alpenrose, Erle, Weide, Wacholder, Kiefer) und Bäume sowie aus Kräutern, Blättern und Gräsern, im Winter auch aus Moos und Flechten.
Feinde
Raubtiere wie Luchs, Wolf und Bär stellen ihnen nach. Der Steinadler schlägt hin und wieder Gamskitze.
Gämsen sind außerdem durch herabrollende Steine und Felsstücke gefährdet sowie durch Lawinen (besonders frühe Herbstlawinen sind häufig tödlich für Gamskitze), in strengen Wintern auch durch Futtermangel.
Mensch und Gämse
Bejagung
Die Jagd auf Gämsen findet aufgrund ihrer Lebensweise meist im Hochgebirge statt. Da Gämsen keinen steilen Grat und keine felsigen Gegenden scheuen, ist die Jagd mühsam und oft gefährlich. Der tatsächlich bejagbare Bestand ist oft sehr gering, da durch die widrigen Umweltbedingungen insbesondere im hochalpinen Winter viele Jungtiere nicht überleben. Auch können Seuchen wie Gämsblindheit, Räude und andere parasitäre und infektiöse Erkrankungen für hohe Todesraten mitverantwortlich sein. Auch in den Mittelgebirgsregionen kann heute jedoch aufgrund der sicheren Populationsgrößen wieder eine nennenswerte Bestandsabschöpfung verzeichnet werden. Im Jagdjahr 2015/16 wurden nur in Bayern 4250 und Baden-Württemberg 500 Tiere erlegt. 2010/11 lagen die Zahlen bei 4070 und 400. Die deutsche Gesamtquote ist im Gegensatz zu anderen bejagten Tierarten seit 15 Jahren fast unverändert. Auch in Österreich sind die Quoten stabil, sie lagen 2015/16 bei 20.370 und 2010/11 bei 20.300 erlegten Gämsen.
In der Schweiz lag der Abschuss 2009 sowie 2010 jeweils bei etwa 13.000. Die Gämsenpopulation in der Schweiz nimmt seit Jahren kontinuierlich ab. Die Abschusszahlen waren nicht den tatsächlichen Gegebenheiten angemessen, sodass eine Überjagung die Bestände dezimiert hat. Besonders auf Faktoren wie Klimaveränderungen, neue Prädatoren und zunehmenden Tourismus sei zu wenig Rücksicht genommen worden. Die Abschussquote 2015 lag bei 11.650 Tieren, dem niedrigsten Wert seit 15 Jahren. Die Gesamtpopulation der Gämsen auf dem Gebiet der Schweiz beträgt etwa 90.000. Um die Bestände langfristig zu sichern und den Abwärtstrend zu beenden, wurde im Dezember 2016 von JagdSchweiz und der Jagd- und Fischereiverwalterkonferenz ein gemeinsames Positionspapier sowie eine Broschüre zum verantwortungsvollen Umgang mit der Gämse erarbeitet. Ziel ist es, die Jagd den lokalen und aktuellen Gegebenheiten anzupassen: „Bei der Jagd ist die Frage nicht, welche Gämsen wir jagen wollen, sondern was der Bestand erlaubt zu entnehmen, um gesunde Bestände mit einer möglichst natürlichen Alters- und Sozialstruktur zu sichern. Zur Beantwortung dieser Frage und als Voraussetzung für ein erfolgreiches Management braucht es gute Datengrundlagen. Ganz wesentlich ist dabei die Bereitschaft der Jägerinnen und Jäger mitzuhelfen, Datengrundlagen zu sammeln und die Gamsbestände in gewissen Gebieten zu schonen.“
Verwertung
Das Fleisch der Gämsen ist wohlschmeckend und wird hoch geschätzt; das Gamsfell ergibt ein schönes Leder, das vor allem zu Hosen und Handschuhen verarbeitet wird. Die Hörner werden zu Stockgriffen und die Haare auf dem Widerrist der Böcke als Hutschmuck (Gamsbart) verarbeitet.
Im Magen der Gämsen findet man zuweilen die sogenannten Gämskugeln (Bezoar). Dieselben wurden wegen vermeintlicher arzneilicher Wirksamkeit ebenso wie das Gamsblut früher teuer bezahlt, sind aber ohne medizinischen Wert. Jung eingefangen, lassen die Gämsen sich mit Ziegenmilch ernähren und werden sehr zahm, bisweilen pflanzen sie sich in der Gefangenschaft fort.
(Wikipedia)
I didn't get to play around with these dolls (especially Eugie) as much since I was still starry-eyed over the convention collection. Hopefully, there won't be delay on this year's dolls. I hated getting them before and after convention last year. It really made them feel second-class. I'm crossing my fingers that Eugenia will be this year's W Club doll. I miss her!!!
Today I saw one of ours and a NATO unit just walking past each other. They shouldn’t be able to override base directives like this.
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Built for New Elementary: www.newelementary.com/2021/11/lego-bionicle-20th-annivers...
A tribute to one of my favorite Pixar films. Read more about the genesis of this pic here: thereeljames.wordpress.com/2015/07/17/lego-great-outdoors/
"Guidelines"
Hanoi (Vietnam)
Website : www.fluidr.com/photos/pat21
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