The Meridian Building, with its distinctive brick exterior and centralized location, has been a landmark in Downtown West Palm Beach since 1926. Recently designated as a Historical

Building, The Meridian first opened as the Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Company Building, housing the original phone network for the area.

The building is still physically attached to the large

AT&T Switching facility servicing the entire Caribbean and the BellSouth Cable Vault is located in the basement.

The building is set up with an expansive fiber-optic network, heavy-duty high-grade electric power, and a substantial structural design making it an ideal facility for any telecommunications and/or high tech companies needing unique access to telecommunications and fiber optic connectivity.

Last but not least, the architectural aesthetics of the interior are awesome with high ceilings, huge window openings, and large open floor plates. Similar to what you might see in NYC and Chicago but very rare for South Florida.

In summary, the Meridian Building offers a very unique office opportunity in a great Downtown

location.

Fantastic centralized location in Downtown West Palm Beach. Two blocks from Clematis Street, two blocks from CityPlace, two blocks from the Intracoastal Waterway.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

www.emporis.com/buildings/261530/the-meridian-building-tq...

www.loopnet.com/Listing/14031958/326-Fern-Street-West-Pal...

www.apartmenthomeliving.com/apartment-finder/Alexander-Lo...

www.trulia.com/p/fl/west-palm-beach/326-fern-st-west-palm...

www.loopnet.com/Listing/17569743/326-Fern-Street-West-Pal...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

I like hillsides that beckon upwards, where you can't see the other side or what might be waiting for you. I suppose it's the wanderlust in me, wanting to take me over every hill and explore every inch of the earth from top to bottom and somehow remember it all. The sky was so expansive that day, and possibilities were endless. I'd like to be there today, exploring or sitting in the grass staring up into the sky being blinded by the blue.

An expansive forest with facilities, and I had it all to myself. Therefore, I was able to take some of my night photos, particularly this one and this one, without anyone's interfering light.

Landmannalaugar is a region near the volcano Hekla in the southern part of Iceland's highlands.

(Wikipedia)

-----

I returned to Iceland for my third time there to hike the world’s famous Laugavegurinn (Laugavegur) trek combined with its Fimmvörðuháls hiking neighbour; we went in the south-to-north direction starting in Skógar and finishing our journey in the colorful Landmannalaugar area.

The itinerary was rather straightforward and not surprising: Skógar -> Fimmvörðuháls -> Þórsmörk -> Emstrur (Botnar) -> Álftavatn -> Hrafntinnusker -> Landmannalaugar.

We were quite lucky with the weather except for the Emstrur -> Álftavatn part when we experienced the most horrible weather I have ever encountered during my hiking trips – really strong wind and constant rain made from this part a “survival” odyssey. It is often said that weather is a crucial factor in this hike and our experience from this particular day (and also from the other – beautiful – days) just confirmed that.

This is a shot taken during our sixth day in the area - we were hiking from the Hrafntinnusker hut to our final destination - Landmannalaugar.

Kansas, USA. Quite a demonstration of "winds aloft".

Expansive skies a couple months ago along Leupp Road east of Flagstaff with South and North Sheba Craters cresting the horizon.

"Catalina Mountains P1" is an expansive panoramic view of the Santa Catalina Mountains of Arizona as viewed from the Sonoran Desert in Oro Valley. There is virtually no limit to the size this ultra-wide panoramic may be printed. If you desire a size larger than available in my "Print Shop' or are interested in a sectional wall mural please contact me directly. Thank You. Oro Valley, Arizona January 5th 2016 Copyright Mark Myhaver ift.tt/1OQKxMC via 500px ift.tt/2cOOpyl

With its expansive golden sands and crystal-clear waters, Kealia Beach invites travelers to immerse themselves in the island’s natural beauty. Surfers flock to the rolling waves, while families enjoy leisurely walks along the pristine coastline. Kauai Hawaiian Islands USA

As Robin Wall Kimmerer points out in her meditative book (‘Braiding Sweetgrass’), the Land can be many things. For those who retain ancestral values, the Land gives, heals, and sustains. Therefore, it a sacred obligation that needs protection. For those who know where to look, it can be an expansive grocery store or pharmacy. For those who are lost within, the open land is solace (Gretel Ehrlich, The Solace of Open Spaces). However, for those who ‘own’ land, the Land is a mere commodity to possess, ‘develop’, and/or made profit out of. Depending on what the onlooker is expecting of the land, the land can be pristine or barren. It could thus be revered or desecrated. Respected, reciprocated, and restored, or ransacked.

The other day, we visited a bizarre land in the Death Valley National Park. The outside of the land was eroded by time and hauteur, and the inside was corroded with swirling blues and dark clouds. Quite a resemblance there to myself, I thought. To connect with this land, Rishabh and I left our hurries behind and settled in these yellow hills for the afternoon.

This area has been inhabited for millennia by the Timbisha Shoshone people of Uto-Aztecan origin, who have lived here in harmony with the land. They smudged ochre earth (‘Timbisha’) from these hills to bolster their spirituality. Subsistence living meant communal hunting and harvesting of mesquite beans, piñon nuts, roots, and berries and annual summer migrations to higher elevations to escape deadly temperatures of valley floors. Their deep attachments to the land was highly strained and severed when President Hoover’s executive order established the Death Valley National Monument in 1930s.

Prior to federal protection in 1930s, silver and borax discoveries brought many prospectors to the valley in the 1880s. A big part of the land was then possessed and mined by the ‘Harmony Borax Works’ company, who raked borax off the floor and rolled them out of the valley in double wagons pulled by the famous 20-mule team for 165 miles to Mojave. Why is the 20-mule team famous, you ask? The ‘20 mule-team’ was an advertisement symbol –even a gimmick perhaps– which was devised by Stephen T. Mather, who then worked for the borax company and later established the National Park Services. Mather popularized Death Valley among park goers using the same advertisement slogan that is still around as a photo on boxes of '20-Mule Team Borax’ in your favorite grocery store.

“Are we going to Zabriskie Point for the sunset or stay here?” Rishabh’s question pulled me back to the present moment. I looked at the land in front of me again. The tilting light was illuminating the land’s relief. I could not make up my mind if the land was barren or pristine. The eroded land felt more than a pharmacy, sustainer, or a solace. It felt like a shelter. It felt like home. So, I replied to Rishabh, ‘Here.’

Love this view of an abandoned barn - makes for a good subject with sky supporting a pleasing rural scene

Explore - 1.8.25

Expansive viewpoint on scenic Bear Lake and adjoining upland region..from Bear Lake Overlook and Rest Area, northern Utah.

Art Installation "UNCERTAIN JOURNEY"

"Chiharu Shiota lets visitors immerse into a dreamlike, submerged place with her expansive installation in the large hall of the project exhibition and invites them on a journey into the unknown. A dense network of blood-red woolen threads, which resembles the human brain, connects with isolated metal boats in the hall. Each of these woollen threads can be understood as one aspect from a life's journey of a person's life. So every metal boat carries a fullness of individual people, always intertwined with others. However, this "journey into the unknown" has no end. The boats carry our collective dreams and hopes for the future on both stormy and calm seas. A journey full of uncertainty and wonder." - Quote from the printed exhibition guide

"Chiharu Shiota lässt die Besucher mit ihrer raumgreifenden Installation im großen Saal der Projektausstellung in einen traumhaften, versunkenen Ort eintauchen und lädt sie zu einer Reise ins Ungewisse ein. Ein dichtes Geflecht aus blutroten Wollfäden , welches dem menschlichen Gehirn ähnelt, verbindet sich mit vereinzelten Metallbooten im Raum. Jeder dieser Fäden kann als ein Aspekt des Lebensweges eines Menschen verstanden werden. So trägt jedes Metallboot eine Fülle individueller Personen, stets verflochten mit anderen. Jedoch hat diese "Reise ins Ungewisse" kein Ende. Die Boote tragen unsere kollektiven Träume und Hoffnungen für die Zukunft auf sowohl stürmischer als auch ruhiger See. Eine Reise voller Unsicherheit und Wunder." - Zitat aus dem Ausstellungsführer

Shiprock (Navajo: Tsé Bitʼaʼí, "rock with wings" or "winged rock") is one of those incredible sights that can only be found in the American Southwest.

Imagine driving over an expansive, flat, high desert plain. There is nothing in sight that breaks the horizon. It is just dead flat. Then, off in the distance, a sharp, vertical smudge catches your attention...as you continue driving, Shiprock gradually reveals itself continuing as it grows to over 1,500 feet.

Solitary, massive and stark.

I had to get up at '0-dark-thirty' to make a long drive from Farmington to be set up by sunrise. This shot was taken about three miles south of Shiprock near the Red Rock Highway (Indian Service Route 13) where it crosses over the volcanic ridge line that you can see on the left side of the photo...which made for a wonderful leading-line feature.

If you would like to see more of my work from the Southwest, you are welcome to visit my website at:

www.firefallphotography.com/

Jeff

My Website ¦ Facebook ¦ My Blog ¦ Google+

Explored on Dec. 30, 2013

Nothing beats a lax full-day train chasing session in south central Florida’s expansive sugar cane fields south of the Inland Sea. Amongst the fields of sugar cane stalks, powerlines, and canals, a yellow speck is spotted off in the distance; a cane train waiting to head back into the mill. Following an hour long wait and a brief check-up with some passing Hendry County sheriffs questioning my parked car off the side of Evercane Rd., #USSC405 [GP38-2] slowly proceeds west towards the end of the Ritta sugar cane loadout off of the SCFE's Fort Pierce Subdivision with loads for U.S. Sugar’s processing mill in Clewiston. This job only had 20 loaded cars for the mill, which lies out of view two miles to the west.

The locomotive in the lead was of particular interest to me that day. Even though USSC only rosters three types of locomotives for road jobs [not including their SWs and MPs that stay within yard limits], none of their locomotives were built new for them, each of them having operated for multiple railroads prior or having been extensively rebuilt at some point during its lifetime. USSC 405 is no exception to this. It would begin its life in late 1979 as a GP40-2 built for the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad as #422. Following careers on the GTW and HLCX, it would be sold to US Sugar around 2006, now with a de-turboed 16-645E but still using its original but slightly altered carbody.

It gained notoriety to me while on USSC for the two Leslie horns that are mounted on the unit: an RS3L and an exceptionally rare tabby S5T. Although other locomotives on the roster have two horns, I believe this one has the best looking and sounding one. Might’ve gotten too carried away hounding the unit all day on the jobs it went on, but those will be for another time.

•

Clewiston, FL

SCFE Ritta Branch

Date: 12/10/2022 | 14:17

ID: [unknown]

Type: Loaded Cane

Direction: Westbound

Car Count: 20

1. USSC GP38-2 #405

•

© Vicente Alonso 2022

This work is based on a photo of a bouquet of spring flowers seen at a flower shop in Manhattan.EXPLORE

Expansive mall with European-style decor offering fashion boutiques, outlet stores & a food court

🚩

VenusFort (ヴィーナスフォート)

Aomi, Koto City, Tokyo (東京都江東区青海)

Moon panels in one of the expansive garden alcoves at this estate blend classical and natural beauty. Completed in 1913, this was home to four generations of the Rockefeller family - from JD through Nelson. See www.hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/kykuit for info about this home.

See more images of historic mansions in this area of the Hudson River at flic.kr/s/aHskj8RBrf

Expansive green lawns of Fitzroy Gardens looking towards the spire of St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne.

During these last years, with the arrival of mirrorless digital camera, changing equipment means spending a lot more expansive and faster depreciate value.

Why did I choose Canon when I started ?

For ergonomics and for the help i received by the photographers on Youtube chanels.

Even back then, i apreciate Cinema and paintings and Canon color tones.

In order of preference, over the past three years, which brands made me leave Canon?

1/ Leica : The unique and ultimate rendering of M lenses mounted on Leica M camera.

The result is also very good on Leica Sl but a little different.

The first SL was very attractive, the second is even more so.

More solid, more resistant to water and dust, better grip and large sensor to crop, I thought of mounting Leica SL 90-280mm F/2,8-F4.

2/ Sony : The technological advance as image stabilization with IBIS, Eyes AF, high speed burst mode and dynamic range sensor. The A9 was the best mirrorless action camera and the the A7III, a very important game changer .

3/ Nikon : The D500 and 200-500mm combo is excellent value for money.

For D850 , probably the most important features in a DSLR in relation to its size.

I'm curious to know more about the new light 500mm PFE.

Why didn't I switch? ?

1/ Leica : Leica M requires very regular practice, quite far from animal photography.

www.flickr.com/photos/garivalden/47644784091

Leica SL1 / SL2 are good but very expansive and there is no Eyes AF which is annoying in 2020.

The zoom 90-280mm at F4 are enough faster.

Note : For portraits, the SL Lens APO Summicron série is fabulous.

pbase.com/gege67/image/172465706/

2/ Sony : I do not like the skin tones, the fault of Sony lenses (same reproach for Sigma).

However, I apreciate Canon EF lenses mounted on Sony A7 or A9 that delivers pics with warm and details lacking on 5d Mark III.

Here is the gallery of a specialist in the combinaisons :

www.flickr.com/photos/mike-mkvip/

Why didn't I switch to Sony camera with Canon EF lens ?

- To have to choose between adapters Metabones (faster AF) and Sigma MC11 (more versatile)

- To have to deal with changing firmware with commercial policy

- To have to clean too often the dusts of the sensor (on my 5D, I do once a year)

- The unconfortable grip on A7, better on A9 (I shoot without tripod with 300mm 2,8 is II)

3/ Nikon : The rendering is a matter of taste, I don't apreciate the Nikon color science which I find a few « dull ».

However I regulary see Nikon D5 shots on flickr, the colors are often catchy, very dynamic for sport or wildife but not very apropriate to create my cinematographic look.

I apreciate the rendering of D500 but hard to come back to crop sensor.

I plan to shot more birds but I don't want to care and use 2 systems.

Why didn't I buy Canon EOS R et what I think about Canon RF?

Less ergonomics than 5D (touch bar) , no IBIS, no better burst mode,

Rendering very flat and dull tones especially with new Canon RF.

This is page of the Canon 28-70mm F2 RF (cost 2900 euros)

www.flickr.com/groups/canon_rf_28-70mm_l/pool/

And the page of the old (2002) 24-70mm 2,8 EF (600 euros second hands)

www.flickr.com/groups/24-70l/pool/

I'll let you guess what I prefer ;-)

About the new little 70-200mm 2,8 RF, I am very disappointed that we cannot mount new RF extender.

Photographers on the road would have loved a 200mm 2.8 for portraits and 300mm F4 for animal.

I'm curious to know more about the new Canon RF 100-500mm.

Are the new Canon R5 and R6 game changer ?

Short answer : Yes !!! because Canon catch up on Ibis and does better than Sony with Animal AF.

These last three years, here was my features list :

Camera compact / 10 shot per second / flip screen / Ibis / Eyes AF / High Iso capability

The Canon R6 is perfect for me.

Do I have still doubt about Canon R6 ?

- 20 Mpixels sensor ; Advantage for good High Iso, weigt files on computer but more difficult to crop image.

The R5 has a big sensor but it' s too expansive.

- I hope the rendering with RF lens will be better than the EOS R, otherwise, I will go on with my old EF .

- Only 600/700 shots with one battery, that would be a big inconvenience for the wedding photographer as for the off road wildlife. I can shoot 1000 pics per day without charging the battery my DSLR

- The sensor ibis default mode would permanently activate the lens stabilization and cause premature wear.

In conclusion, like many Canon owners, I find the Canon R6 very attractive.

I'm thinking of buying it in the fall of 2020.

Gari Valden

Please feel free to follow me on Flickr , Instagram and Twitter X

℗ © 2020 Copyright - All Rights reserved

🇫🇷 En français ici:

www.flickr.com/photos/garivalden/50195581718

Cael Ystafel the expansive grounds, stretching from the heart of the home of Kinnaird Fiachra to the Forest of Hours and beyond to Scape in the east, are open to the public, offering a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the serene surroundings and rich experiences that await.

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Echo/49/207/37

TNC Social Media Info:

Discord • Facebook • Primfeed • SL Group • Website

The Colorado River is one of the principal rivers (along with the Rio Grande) in the Southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The 1,450-mile-long river drains an expansive, arid watershed that encompasses parts of seven U.S. states and two Mexican states. The name Colorado derives from the Spanish language for "colored reddish" due to its heavy silt load. Starting in the central Rocky Mountains of Colorado, it flows generally southwest across the Colorado Plateau and through the Grand Canyon before reaching Lake Mead on the Arizona–Nevada border, where it turns south toward the international border. After entering Mexico, the Colorado approaches the mostly dry Colorado River Delta at the tip of the Gulf of California between Baja California and Sonora.

Known for its dramatic canyons, whitewater rapids, and eleven U.S. National Parks, the Colorado River and its tributaries are a vital source of water for 40 million people. A extensive system of dams, reservoirs, and aqueducts divert almost its entire flow for agricultural irrigation and urban water supply. Its large flow and steep gradient are used to generate hydroelectricity, meeting peaking power demands in much of the Intermountain West. Intensive water consumption has dried up the lower 100 miles of the river, which has rarely reached the sea since the 1960s.

Native Americans have inhabited the Colorado River basin for at least 8,000 years. Starting around 1 AD, large agriculture-based societies were established, but a combination of drought and poor land use practices led to their collapse in the 1300s. Their descendants include tribes such as the Puebloans, while others including the Navajo settled in the Colorado Basin after the 1000s. In the 1500s, Spanish explorers began mapping and claiming the watershed, which became part of Mexico upon its independence in 1821. Even after most of the watershed became US territory in 1846, much of the river's course remained unknown. Several expeditions charted the Colorado in the mid-19th century—one of which, led by John Wesley Powell, was the first to run the rapids of the Grand Canyon. Large-scale settlement of the lower basin began in the mid- to late-1800s, with steamboats sailing from the Gulf of California to landings along the river that linked to wagon roads to the interior. Starting in the 1860s, gold and silver strikes drew prospectors to the upper Colorado River basin.

Large-scale river management began in the early 1900s, with major guidelines established in a series of international and US interstate treaties known as the "Law of the River". The US federal government constructed most of the major dams and aqueducts between 1910 and 1970; the largest, Hoover Dam, was completed in 1935. Numerous water projects have also involved state and local governments. With all of its water fully allocated, the Colorado is now considered among the most controlled and litigated rivers in the world.

The environmental movement in the American Southwest has opposed the damming and diversion of the Colorado River system due to negative effects on the ecology and natural beauty of the river and its tributaries. During the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, environmental organizations vowed to block any further development of the river, and a number of later dam and aqueduct proposals were defeated by citizen opposition. Since 2000, extended drought has conflicted with increasing demands for Colorado River water, and the level of human development and control of the river continues to generate controversy.

photo rights reserved by B℮n

Montenegro is a country in Eastern Europe bordering Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania and the Adriatic Sea. It used to be a part of Yugoslavia. The capital is Podgorica. The name Montenegro is Italian and means Black mountain. Montenegro was an independent princedom between 1878 and 1910 and an independent kingdom until 1918. That year Montenegro became part of Yugoslavia. In 2003 Yugoslavia was transformed into the new country of Serbia and Montenegro, but this fell apart in 2006 when both countries went their separate ways. Montenegro is therefore the youngest country in Europe. Montenegro is not a member of the European Union, but it is a member of NATO. Despite the fact that Montenegro is not yet an EU Member State, people do pay with the euro. Montenegro may be small, but this beautiful nation has a huge array of natural and man-made wonders. Once overlooked in favor of more famous Mediterranean countries, Montenegro is quickly gaining a reputation as a great place to travel. It's easy to see why. The mountainous hinterland is home to deep gorges, flowing rivers, glacial lakes and old-growth forests, popular for adventure activities. The winding coast runs along pretty blonde bays overlooking the royal blue Adriatic Sea, ancient Venetian villages and UNESCO-walled towns. You get a beautiful view of the Kotor bay from the P1 road to the top of mountain Lovćen, a somewhat steep and very narrow route. From here futher to Jezerski peak to the Njegos Mausoleum at an altitude of 1660 meters, and it officially represents the tallest mausoleum in the world.

The Njegos Mausoleum is a most impressive and very mystic destination. Petar II Petrovic Njegos was the bishop and the ruler of Montenegro. He was the most popular spiritual and military leader in 1800. The mausoleum is situated in the Jezerski peak, at a height of 1660 meters, and it officially represents the highest mausoleum in the world. The road from the beginning plateau for climbing on to the Njegos mausoleum is made of numerous stony stairway (from the foot up to the entrance into the mausoleum there are 461 staircases), and one part of the path leads through a well done and lighted marble tunnel. The area is surrounded by the beauty of beech, oak and linden forests. The fresh mountain air will welcome you compared to the muggy and summer heat, which is characteristic of the Coast. Photo taken from Jezerski peak on mount Lovćen at 1,749 m.

Montenegro is een land in Oost-Europa en grenst aan Bosnië en Herzegovina, Servië, Kosovo, Albanië en de Adriatische Zee. Vroeger was het een deel van Joegoslavië. De hoofdstad is Podgorica. De naam Montenegro is Italiaans en betekent Zwarte berg. Montenegro was tussen 1878 en 1910 een zelfstandig prinsdom en tot 1918 een zelfstandig koninkrijk. Dat jaar werd Montenegro onderdeel van Joegoslavië. In 2003 werd Joegoslavië omgevormd in het nieuwe land Servië en Montenegro, maar dit viel in 2006 uit elkaar toen beide landen een eigen weg gingen. Montenegro is misschien klein, maar deze prachtige natie heeft een enorm scala aan natuurlijke en door de mens gemaakte wonderen. Ooit over het hoofd gezien ten gunste van meer bekende mediterrane landen, krijgt Montenegro snel een reputatie als een geweldige plek om te reizen. Het is gemakkelijk te zien waarom. Het bergachtige achterland herbergt diepe kloven, stromende rivieren, gletsjermeren en oerbossen, populair voor avontuurlijke activiteiten. De kronkelige kust loopt langs mooie blonde baaien met uitzicht op de koningsblauwe Adriatische Zee. Het Njegos Mausoleum is een zeer indrukwekkende en zeer mystieke bestemming. Petar II Petrovic Njegos was de bisschop en de heerser van Montenegro. Hij was de meest populaire spirituele en militaire leider in 1800. Het mausoleum ligt op de Jezerski-piek, op een hoogte van 1660 meter, en het vertegenwoordigt officieel het hoogste mausoleum ter wereld. De weg vanaf het beginplateau om naar het Njegos-mausoleum te klimmen, bestaat uit talrijke stenen trappen vanaf de voet tot aan de ingang van het mausoleum zijn er 461 trappen, en een deel van het pad leidt door een goed uitgevoerde en verlichte marmeren tunnel. Het gebied is omgeven door de schoonheid van beuken-, eiken- en lindebossen. De frisse berglucht zal u verwelkomen in vergelijking met de zwoele en zomerse hitte die kenmerkend is voor de kust. Foto genomen vanaf Jezerski peak van berg Lovćen met een hoogte van 1749m.

Noted by U.S. Senator Bill Nelson as “a jewel for downtown Fort Pierce and the Treasure Coast”, the four-story Federal Courthouse features a full-height atrium with exposed gable steel roof trusses and an expansive exterior glass wall. Column-free areas and a 21- foot floor-to-floor height at the third-floor level allow for the addition of future courtrooms to complement the two provided on the fourth floor.

The building structure consists of cast-in-place concrete slabs and joists framing to cast-in-place concrete frames supported on a mat foundation. The architectural standing seam roofing across the main roof level is supported by sloped steel structural elements bearing on the flat concrete roof structure. The roofing at the two fourth-floor courtrooms is framed and supported by pitched steel bar joists with a steel roof deck, providing high ceilings for the courtrooms.

The exterior walls, designed for blast and wind load requirements, are comprised of reinforced concrete masonry units with a stucco finish.

As required by the GSA, the project conforms to the ISC Security Design Criteria as well as their Progressive Collapse requirements.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

www.emporis.com/buildings/1260927/alto-adams-united-state...

www.woodspeacock.com/engineering/ft-pierce-federal-courth....

www.flsd.uscourts.gov/content/fort-pierce

pat.bhamaps.com/TabReport.aspx?appid=8c205c54407f4486855e...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

This is the view from the Windsor Lawn looking back at the renovated Hotel Del Coronado.

www.hoteldel.com/venues/windsor-lawn/

Framed by swaying palm trees and lush landscaping, the expansive Windsor Lawn directly overlooks the Pacific, rendering it ideal for al fresco cocktails or an outdoor event for up to 700 guests. Its location in front of the iconic Victorian building gives you endless options for the perfect wedding reception, social gathering or party. 16,390sq ft. Venue

thecoronadonews.com/2025/02/hotel-del-coronado-nears-comp...

For 137 years, the Hotel del Coronado has stood as a monument to Gilded Age opulence, a place where presidents brushed shoulders with Hollywood's glitterati, its Victorian architecture a timeless symbol of grandeur.

Following a $160 million restoration on track to be completed by June, the hotel's historic Victorian neighborhood will be revitalized, blending its 1888 heritage with contemporary luxury.

The Victorian neighborhood's restoration is part of a $550 million project, a transformation extending across its five distinct neighborhoods â bringing the resort's total accommodations to 938 guest rooms â as well as its culinary offerings, front porch and lobby, ballrooms and more.

. . . . .

People think they want an 1888 room, Petrone remarked, but I tell them, "No, you don't."

The original rooms were sparsely furnished, with hard wooden chairs, small beds and minimal conveniences.

The redesigned interiors now feature botanical-inspired artwork, round mirrors, period-appropriate headboards, plush bedding and expanded bathrooms, marrying historical charm with contemporary luxury.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_del_Coronado

The Hotel del Coronado, also known as The Del and Hotel Del, is a historic beachfront hotel in Coronado, California, just across San Diego Bay from San Diego. A rare surviving example of an American architectural genre - the wooden Victorian beach resort - it was designated a California Historical Landmark in 1970[4] and a National Historic Landmark in 1977.[3][5] It is the second-largest wooden structure in the United States (after the Tillamook Air Museum in Tillamook, Oregon).

When the hotel opened in 1888, it was the largest resort hotel in the world.[6] It has hosted presidents, royalty, and celebrities, and been featured in numerous films and books.[7]

San Diego 2025

Expansive mall with European-style decor offering fashion boutiques, outlet stores & a food court

🚩

VenusFort (ヴィーナスフォート)

Aomi, Koto City, Tokyo (東京都江東区青海)

Expansive mall with European-style decor offering fashion boutiques, outlet stores & a food court

🚩

VenusFort (ヴィーナスフォート)

Aomi, Koto City, Tokyo (東京都江東区青海)

A view from Guest Service to Rear Seasonal. The picture doesn't do it justice - this is a HUGE space.

Painted Desert / Petrified Forest National Park

Arizona, USA

I like the colorful and yet expansive feel of this scene.

The very appropriately named Painted Desert is also part of the Petrified Forest National Park. It is located in the northeast part of the state of Arizona on a high (5,000 ft) desert plateau and extends beyond the park into the Navajo Nation. The park is somewhat odd, but interesting. Access is easy because Interstate 40 actually runs through the park with the Painted Desert being on the northern side and the Petrified Forest on the southern side of the highway. With the orientation of the view points the afternoon sun lights this part of the park nicely. The summer can bring magnificent monsoon clouds, but the temperatures are often extreme (Expect every day to approach 100F and often 110F). We were lucky during our visit with a moderate number of visitors and mild temperatures.

Nikon Z8

Nikon Z 24-70 f/2.8 at 24 mm

1/125 sec at f/11 ISO 64

November 8, 2023

© 2023 Ronald Drewnowski - All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use is prohibited.

The Ivy Miami is located in the neighborhood of Downtown Miami, along the north end of the Miami River. It was built in 2008-9 and consists of 45 floors and 477 units. Located next to the river. The building stands tall in the middle of the riverfront next to the Wind by Neo and the Mint Condo buildings. Facing the river and downtown, The Ivy Miami overlooks Brickell Avenue, it is a gated residential condominium that’s in a private, landscaped park at the edge of the Miami River.

Some of the Ivy Miami Condo Amenities Include:

13 ½ acre oasis, connection to the 5.5 mile river walk, short distance from Brickell Village, the Performing Arts Center, and the city’s central business district. It is easily accessible to the airport and all surrounding beaches. The Ivy Miami is a gated community with 24-hour security, an infinity edge pool, tennis center, gardens, riverfront club, and an expansive outdoor sports area.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:

www.emporis.com/buildings/240040/the-ivy-miami-fl-usa

skyscraperpage.com/diagrams/?

theivymiamicondosforsale.com/

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Edited with Adobe Lightroom Classic and Adobe Photoshop 2022

The more expansive version. Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/StuartLeche.C9Photography" rel="nofollow">Stuart Leche - C9 Photography</a>

King Penguins under expansive skies on white sandy beaches in the Falkland Islands.

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This expansive panorama captures the raw beauty of Ireland in autumn. Lush green grasses sway in the wind, leading the eye towards a tranquil lake reflecting the dramatic, cloud-filled sky. The rolling hills in the distance, dotted with trees displaying autumnal hues, create a sense of depth and timelessness. This vista showcases the serene and wild spirit of the Irish landscape during the fall season.

Visit my webshop shop.drokov.com for high quality photo prints that fit Ikea frames.

Habitat

Canada Geese live in a great many habitats near water, grassy fields, and grain fields. Canada Geese are particularly drawn to lawns for two reasons: they can digest grass, and when they are feeding with their young, manicured lawns give them a wide, unobstructed view of any approaching predators. So they are especially abundant in parks, airports, golf courses, and other areas with expansive lawns.

Food

Food SeedsIn spring and summer, geese concentrate their feeding on grasses and sedges, including skunk cabbage leaves and eelgrass.

During fall and winter, they rely more on berries and seeds, including agricultural grains, and seem especially fond of blueberries.

They’re very efficient at removing kernels from dry corn cobs. Two subspecies have adapted to urban environments and graze on domesticated grasses year round.

Nesting

NEST PLACEMENT

On the ground, usually on a muskrat mound or other slightly elevated site, near water. They prefer a spot from which they can have a fairly unobstructed view in many directions.

Female selects the site and does much of nest construction.

She adds down feathers and some body feathers beginning after the second egg is laid.

She does all the incubation while her mate guards her and the nest.

NEST DESCRIPTION

A large open cup on the ground, made of dry grasses, lichens, mosses, and other plant material, and lined with down and some body feathers.

NESTING FACTS

Clutch Size:2-8 eggs

Number of Broods:1 brood

Egg Length:3.3 in (8.3 cm)

Egg Width:2.2 in (5.6 cm)

Incubation Period:25-28 days

Nestling Period:42-50 days

Egg Description:Creamy white.

Hatchlings are covered with yellowish down and their eyes are open.

They leave the nest when 1-2 days old, depending on weather, and can walk, swim, feed, and even dive.

They have enough energy remaining in their yolk sac to survive 2 days before feeding.

Behavior

Canada Geese eat grain from fields, graze on grass, and dabble in shallow water by tipping forward and extending their necks underwater. During much of the year they associate in large flocks, and many of these birds may be related to one another. They mate for life with very low “divorce rates,” and pairs remain together throughout the year.

Geese mate “assortatively,” larger birds choosing larger mates and smaller ones choosing smaller mates; in a given pair, the male is usually larger than the female.

Most Canada Geese do not breed until their fourth year; less than 10 percent breed as yearlings, and most pair bonds are unstable until birds are at least two or three years old. Extra-pair copulations have been documented.

During spring, pairs break out from flocks and begin defending territories. Spacing of these pairs is variable and depends on availability of nest sites and population density; where population is large, even after a great many fights birds may end up nesting in view of one another, and some populations are semi-colonial.

Canada Goose threat displays may involve head pumping, bill opened with tongue raised, hissing, honking, and vibrating neck feathers.

When an intruding goose doesn’t retreat, geese may grab each other by breast or throat and hit each other with their wings. Fighting may result in injuries.

Female selects nest site, builds nest, and incubates eggs. She may brood goslings in cold, wet, or windy weather and while they’re sleeping for first week after hatching. Male guards the nest while female incubates.

Soon after they hatch, goslings begin pecking at small objects, and spend most of their time sleeping and feeding. They remain with their parents constantly, though sometimes “gang broods” form, especially in more southern latitudes. These can include at least two broods, and sometimes five or more, that travel, feed, and loaf together, accompanied by at least one adult.

Young often remain with their parents for their entire first year, especially in the larger subspecies. As summer wanes birds become more social; they may gather in large numbers at food sources; where food is limited and patchy, may compete with displays and fights.

In winter, Geese can remain in northern areas with some open water and food resources even where temperatures are extremely cold. Geese breeding in the northernmost reaches of their range tend to migrate long distances to winter in the more southerly parts of the range, whereas geese breeding in southern Canada and the conterminous United States migrate shorter distances or not at all. Individuals tend to return to the same migratory stopover and wintering areas year after year. Spring migration may be difficult for observers to track because of over-wintering birds and movements between nighttime resting areas and feeding areas, but the bulk of spring migratory movements tend to move north behind the retreating snow line, where the temperature is averaging 35 degrees.

Migrating flocks generally include loose aggregations of family groups and individuals, in both spring and fall. Flights usually begin at dusk, but may begin anytime of day, and birds fly both night and day. They move in a V formation, with experienced individuals taking turns leading the flock.

Conservation

Canada Geese are common and increased between 1966 and 2015, according to the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

The total North American population in 2015 was between 4.2 million to over 5.6 million. The species rates a 6 out of 20 on the Continental Concern Score. It is not on the 2016 State of North America's Birds Watch List. The proliferation of lawns, golf courses, and parks offers Canada Geese such reliable habitat that in some areas the birds stay all year round instead of migrating like they used to do. Recently, some communities have had to begin considering some Canada Geese as nuisances (for eating grass or fouling lawns) or even hazards (around airports, where collisions with planes can be very dangerous). Some 2.6 million Canada Geese are harvested by hunters in North America, but this does not seem to affect its numbers.

Stowe Mountain Lodge, Stowe, Vermont.

For over a century Stowe has attracted the world’s most discerning travelers, who have cherished the beauty of the area’s covered bridges, sparkling lakes, rambling woodlands and majestic peaks. The Stowe Mountain Lodge has set a new standard of luxury and aesthetics for the East Coast’s most magnificent resort. Built in the new “Vermont-Alpine” style, Stowe Mountain Lodge offers a truly luxurious setting, while still paying respect to the Vermont traditions of utilizing local artisan products and embracing the tranquility of nature.

The six-story, 312-room lodge draws on the architectural tradition of turn-of-the-century summer camps created by the great families of New England. The lodge’s exterior features a picturesque façade of woven timber and shingles that draw upon the natural harmony found in nature, as well as stone veneer created from local quarries, and expansive glass to bring the beauty of the lodge’s outdoor surroundings to the indoors.

Marino Rocks

South Australia

One of my favourite spots to visit along the south coast of Adelaide. Sadly the sky was bland with not a cloud in sight but there's always something about sunset and the after light that's calming. First sunset shoot I've done in ages as well.

This image is 3 images blended manually with the photomatix image.

Following this , layers for effects included :

- Colour balance layer for the sky (was greyish initially)

- Colour balance layer for the foreground pebbles to accentuate the glow

- Noise reduction layer on the sky and water

- High pass filter layer underneath the noise reduction layer

- Resized bordered signatured watermarked etc

View On Black

Expansive mall with European-style decor offering fashion boutiques, outlet stores & a food court

🚩

VenusFort (ヴィーナスフォート)

Aomi, Koto City, Tokyo (東京都江東区青海)

While it often seems unvarying from our viewpoint on Earth, the sun is constantly changing. Material courses through not only the star itself, but throughout its expansive atmosphere. Understanding the dance of this charged gas is a key part of better understanding our sun – how it heats up its atmosphere, how it creates a steady flow of solar wind streaming outward in all directions, and how magnetic fields twist and turn to create regions that can explode in giant eruptions. Now, for the first time, researchers have tracked a particular kind of solar wave as it swept upward from the sun's surface through its atmosphere, adding to our understanding of how solar material travels throughout the sun.

Scientists analyzed sunspot images from a trio of observatories -- including the Big Bear Solar Observatory, which captured this footage -- to make the first-ever observations of a solar wave traveling up into the sun’s atmosphere from a sunspot.

Tracking solar waves like this provides a novel tool for scientists to study the atmosphere of the sun. The imagery of the journey also confirms existing ideas, helping to nail down the existence of a mechanism that moves energy – and therefore heat – into the sun’s mysteriously-hot upper atmosphere, called the corona. A study on these results was published Oct. 11, 2016, in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

Image credit: Zhao et al/NASA/SDO/IRIS/BBSO

Read more: go.nasa.gov/2dRv80g

NASA image use policy.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.

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his photo captures a serene and expansive rural landscape under a bright blue sky. The foreground is dominated by a vibrant field of yellow canola flowers in full bloom, stretching into the distance. The gentle rolling hills are layered in shades of green and yellow, creating a patchwork effect. In the background, small clusters of trees sit atop the horizon, adding depth and contrast to the scene. Fluffy white clouds drift across the sky, enhancing the peaceful and idyllic atmosphere. The image evokes a sense of calm and the beauty of nature in summertime.

Like musical instruments

Abandoned in a field

The parts of your feelings

Are starting to know a quiet

The pure conversion of your

Life into art seems destined

Never to occur

You don’t mind

You feel spiritual and alert

As the air must feel

Turning into sky aloft and blue

You feel like

You’ll never feel like touching anything or anyone

Again

And then you do

-- Tom Clark

Cael Ystafel the expansive grounds, stretching from the heart of the home of Kinnaird Fiachra to the Forest of Hours and beyond to Scape in the east, are open to the public, offering a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in the serene surroundings and rich experiences that await.

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Echo/49/207/37

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It reminds me of a medieval castle. It really is on that scale but made out of concrete and smells of hops!

Taking in the view at Glacier National Park.