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I took almost the exact same shot with the exact same power 10 weeks ago. But since I was playing tour guide for an out of state railfan friend I was more than happy to oblige getting him one of the classic Constitution State spots.
Connecticut Southern train CSO-4 is southbound on Amtrak's Springfield Line headed back to Hartford after making a turn to CSXT's West Springfield yard behind OHCR 8530 and CSOR 3901 (both are GE B39-8Es built in Dec. and Nov. 1987 respectively as LMX lease units for service on the Burlington Northern orginally numbered 8530 and 8511 respectively).
They are passing the historic depot here at about MP 48.5 on Amtrak's Springfield Line which dates from 1875 and was closed by Penn Central on 1971. PC planned to demolish it until citizens rallied and got it placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. Amtrak trains continued to call at the platform until 1981 when the stop was moved down south of I91 where a large parking lot was built. Damaged by fire in 2004 the building was finally purchased by the town from Amtrak in 2014. Stabilized for now, once renovations are complete the town plans to lease it for commercial use and it should be much more valuable once the Amtrak and CTRail stop moves back here from the south of town location. Funding is secured, the design is complete and construction should start soon. Here is what is planned for the site: www.nhhsrail.com/pdfs/proj%20320-0016%20windsor%20locks%2...
While the look and feel of this area will change it seems that this classic structure from railroading's past has a bright future!
Windsor Locks, Connecticut
Friday April 21, 2023
The exact date of the origin of Newlands Church is unknown, but is believed to be some time in the middle 16th century. Christopher Saxton’s map of 1576 shows a church on the site marked "Newlande Chap.". The church was mentioned again in 1594 when John Mayson of the local farm Stoneycrofte left the sum of 3s 4d to Newlandes Chappell in his will. Due to the effects of the plague of 1558 the church did not have an Incumbent in its early years and it was not until 1610 that Anthony Bragg was installed as the church’s first Lay reader. A Lay reader was an unqualified member of the clergy (usually a local person) who could read the services but could not perform christenings, marriages, or Communion, these duties being the bailiwick of the primary priest on his rounds of the valley. Nine Lay readers served the church until 1731, the longest serving being Thomas Birkhead (1654–1690) and John Atkinson (1690–1728).
Another shot of the historic police hut in Arrowtown. Built in 1863 it is the oldest wooden structure in Arrowtown and constructed from pit-sawn red beech. It was originally part of a police camp but the exact use of the building isn’t known. It is said to have been used for storing gold during the gold rush.
Not an exact 1:1 situation because there was less bright light in case of the right picture. Therefore the ISO is 2500 vs. ISO 1000 on the left pic. This leads of course to the loss of some resolution...
Shots were taken at almost the same distance and 100% crops were taken.
Both shots were taken wide open at f:13.
Giralda es el nombre que recibe la torre campanario de la catedral de Santa María de la Sede de la ciudad de Sevilla, en Andalucía (España). Los dos tercios inferiores de la torre corresponden al alminar de la antigua mezquita de la ciudad, de finales del siglo XII, en la época almohade, mientras que el tercio superior es una construcción sobrepuesta en época cristiana para albergar las campanas. En su cúspide se halla una bola llamada tinaja sobre la cual se alza la estatua de bronce que representa el Triunfo de la Fe y que tiene función de veleta, ciertamente hermosa, el Giraldillo, inicialmente llamada Giralda, hasta que a toda la torre el pueblo dio este nombre.
La Giralda mide 104,1 metros de altura, incluido el Giraldillo, que mide 7,69 metros. Fue durante siglos la torre más alta de España, así como una de las construcciones más elevadas y famosas de toda Europa (por comparación; la Torre de Pisa mide 55,8 m y el Big Ben 96,3 m). El 29 de diciembre de 1928 fue declarada Patrimonio Nacional y en 1987 integró la lista del Patrimonio de la Humanidad. Su arquitectura única y original de formas cuadrangulares exactas, adornada de torrecillas y pináculos, ha servido de inspiración a multitud de torres posteriores en Estados Unidos, Rusia, Polonia y otros países del mundo.
Durante el periodo de dominación almohade, la ciudad de Sevilla se convirtió en la capital de Al-Ándalus, lo que trajo a la ciudad una actualización de sus infraestructuras procediéndose a la construcción de algunas grandes edificaciones. En este ámbito se comenzó el levantamiento de una nueva mezquita mayor en el solar que actualmente ocupa la catedral. La construcción de esta nueva mezquita mayor, que reemplazaba a la existente en la plaza del Salvador, se inició el año 1172 y en 1182 se pronunció el primer jutba (sermón de viernes) en la mezquita. Tenía orientación de norte a sur, ligeramente hacia el sureste, y su puerta principal correspondía a la actual Puerta del Perdón que da entrada al patio de los Naranjos, que formaba parte del recinto de la misma. El alzado exterior de la mezquita tenía influencias de la mezquita de Córdoba, mientras que la estructura de su planta procedía del modelo de las mezquitas marroquíes de Marrakech y de Tinmal.
En 1183, Al-Ándalus sufría una presión agresiva de las fuerzas castellanas y portuguesas, que hostigaban el campo sevillano. En respuesta, en diciembre de ese año el califa Abu Yaqub Yusuf puso en marcha un gran ejército en dirección a la península. Cruzó el estrecho de Gibraltar y entró en la ciudad de Sevilla el 25 de mayo de 1184. Con ocasión de su estancia en Sevilla, el 26 de mayo de 1184 ordenó al gobernador de la ciudad la construcción del alminar de la mezquita.
El 19 de junio de 1195 el emir Abu Yaacub al-Mansur derrotó a Alfonso VIII de Castilla en la batalla de Alarcos. Al regresar ordenó la realización de unas grandes esferas de bronce dorado para ser colocadas en la parte superior del alminar. Fueron colocadas el 10 de marzo de 1198 en presencia del emir. Estas estaban sobre una columna grande de hierro que se cimentaba en la parte superior del alminar. Estas cuatro bolas o manzanas doradas ensartadas en un vástago vertical reciben el nombre de yâmûr en la cultura árabe y se ha utilizado, aunque no siempre, para coronar mezquitas. El transcurso de las obras se conoce con detalle gracias a las crónicas de Ibn Sahib al-Salá.
El esquema deriva del modelo de la mezquita de Córdoba. El primer cuerpo tenía 50,51 m de alto y una planta cuadrada de 13,61 m de ancho. El segundo cuerpo medía 14,39 m de alto y su planta era cuadrada de 6,83 m de ancho. Sobre el segundo cuerpo había una cúpula y sobre esta el yâmûr. En 1248 se produjo la Reconquista de Sevilla por Fernando III el Santo y la mezquita fue consagrada como templo cristiano. Algo habitual cuando se conquistaban municipios musulmanes era añadir campanas a los alminares, así como retirar el yâmûr para colocar una cruz y, bajo ella, una veleta, aunque este yâmûr no se retiró.
No obstante, el 24 de agosto de 1356 se produjo un terremoto que trajo consigo el derrumbamiento de las cuatro bolas. No existe demasiada información sobre el aspecto de la torre entre este acontecimiento y el siglo XV. Al parecer, esta estructura fue sustituida por una espadaña con una campana y, en algún momento posterior, la torre se coronó con una cruz.
Según se desprende del Plano de Bidaurreta, 1480-1498, descubierto por Begoña Alonso mientras investigaba sobre unos canteros, único plano original que nos ha llegado de la catedral gótica, en el proyecto original la torre iba a ser derribada, pero se ha entendido que por necesidad económica o deseo de inaugurar lo antes posible el templo, se decidió mantenerla.
El 6 de junio de 1556 falleció el Maestro Mayor de la catedral, Martín Gaiza, y el cabildo convocó un concurso para escoger a su sustituto. En 1557 se presentaron los maestros mayores de las principales capitales andaluzas: Hernán Ruiz, Andrés de Vandelvira, Francisco del Castillo, Juan de Orea, Luis Machuca y Pedro de Campo. También se presentó Miguel Gainza, que había sido aparejador en la catedral desde 1542. El 14 de diciembre fue escogido Hernán Ruiz. Al parecer, llegó de Córdoba con un proyecto definitivo de cómo debería renovarse la torre y contaba incluso con una maqueta de escala 1:50. En su diseño, Hernán Ruiz añadió un completo cuerpo de campanas. Las obras empezaron en abril, ya que constan el inicio de los pagos realizados de ladrillo y yeso. Las obras fueron especialmente lentas los primeros años, aunque hubo mayores adelantos a partir de 1562.
En 1565, las obras de edificación ya estaban acabadas. El nuevo cuerpo tenía un remate en forma de estatua que hacía las funciones de veleta, que fue colocado el 13 de agosto de 1568. El nombre original de la escultura en 1568 fue Triunfo de la Fe victoriosa, o sencillamente Fe, y unos años después (posiblemente a finales de siglo) pasó a ser denominada Giralda (literalmente, "que gira") y que la RAE define como "veleta de torre que tiene figura humana o de animal". Este nombre quedó en testimonios escritos como El viaje entretenido (1603) de Agustín de Rojas Villandrando o en El Quijote (1605) de Miguel de Cervantes, que residió en la ciudad desde 1588. Al final ese denominación se aplicó al conjunto de toda la torre y la escultura pasó a ser conocida como Giraldillo. El Giraldillo fue diseñado por el pintor Luis de Vargas, inspirado en la diosa Palas Atenea o Minerva, posteriormente se realizó el modelado escultórico por Juan Bautista Vázquez el Viejo. Es la escultura en bronce del Renacimiento más grande del mundo
La torre, debido a su compleja historia, está constituida por varios cuerpos perfectamente imbricados, mostrando un ejemplo perfecto de la riqueza del crisol de culturas existente en la ciudad. Para la construcción del cuerpo musulmán, tal y como se puede apreciar en su base, se emplearon los restos de algunos edificios y aras de la Hispalis romana, pudiéndose encontrar en ellos varios epígrafes en latín alusivos a labores portuarias y del comercio del aceite durante finales del s.I d.C. a principios del s.II d.C..
El cuerpo principal es de planta cuadrada, en el que la cara oeste mira al patio de los Naranjos, la este a la plaza de la Virgen de los Reyes, la norte a la calle Placentines y la sur a la plaza del Triunfo.
El remate superior de depurado estilo renacentista fue llevado a cabo por Hernán Ruiz II, entre 1558 y 1568, en el que se distinguen las siguientes partes:
En primer lugar se encuentra el cuerpo de campanas con la misma superficie cuadrada que la parte inferior. Fue levantado entre 1560 y 1562 y está rematado con la llamada terraza de las azucenas, por las cuatro jarras de azucenas colocadas originalmente en 1751 y rehechas en bronce por el orfebre Fernando Marmolejo Camargo durante la restauración de 1981.
El penacho, que acaba en una cúpula
Esfera de bronce sobre la que se asienta la escultura de la veleta, es conocida con el nombre de la tinaja, tiene 1,45 metros de diámetro.
La veleta que representa la victoria de la Fe cristiana, conocida como Giraldillo, fue realizada entre 1566 y 1568, terminándose de colocar el 13 de agosto de este año. La estatua fue fundida en bronce por Bartolomé Morel, según modelo realizado con toda probabilidad por Juan Bautista Vázquez el Viejo
La Giralda cuenta con un total de 24 campanas, de las que 18 son de volteo y 6 de badajo. Se trata, pues, de la catedral de España con un mayor número de campanas, sin tener en cuenta los carillones. Las campanas, que se encontraban en un estado de conservación pobre, fueron restauradas en 1998, acometiéndose diversas actuaciones.
www.andalucia.org/es/turismo-cultural/visitas/sevilla/mon...
The Giralda (Spanish: La Giralda [la xiˈɾalda]) is the bell tower of Seville Cathedral in Seville, Spain. It was built as the minaret for the Great Mosque of Seville in al-Andalus, Moorish Spain, during the reign of the Almohad dynasty, with a Renaissance-style top added by the Catholics after the expulsion of the Muslims from the area. The Giralda was registered in 1987 as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, along with the Alcázar and the General Archive of the Indies. The tower is 104.1 m (342 ft) in height and remains one of the most important symbols of the city, as it has been since the Middle Ages.
The mosque was built to replace the Umayyad mosque of 'Addabas, since the congregation had grown larger than the modest prayer hall could accommodate. It was commissioned in 1171 by caliph Abu Ya'qub Yusuf . Construction was slowed down by the redirection of an existing city sewer that needed to be moved to accommodate the broad foundation for the building, an engineering obstacle that slowed progress by four years.
From the beginning, craftsmen from all over Al-Andalus and the Maghrib were enlisted in the mosque's planning, construction, and decoration, and the caliph himself was highly invested in the process and was said to have visited the site daily. By 1176, the mosque was complete, save for the minaret; however, Friday prayer was not held there until 1182, and it was not until 1184 when construction even began on the minaret
Construction stalled once again in 1184 with the death of the architect, and a month and a half later, the caliph, who died while commanding the Siege of Santarém. It was picked up four years later by the caliph's son, Abu Yusuf Yaqub al-Mansur, aided by a group of architects and designers, including Sevillan architect Ahmad ibn Basuh and Sicilian architect Abu Layth Al-Siqilli. The minaret was built using both local bricks and recycled marble from old Umayyad monuments. On 10 March 1198, the tower was completed with the addition of four precious metal spheres (either gold or bronze) at the tower's peak to commemorate al-Mansur's victory over Alfonso VIII of Castile, which had taken place four years prior.
Before its partial destruction in a 1356 earthquake, the mosque was comparable in size to the great mosque of Cordoba and its walls faced the cardinal directions with mathematical preciseness. The prayer hall was symmetrical and airy, with a still-extant courtyard, the Patio de los Naranjos, or "Courtyard of Orange Trees. Its interior had a stucco-carved dome over the mihrab, as well as several matching carvings over the arched doorways. The minbar was decorated in a Cordoban style, constructed from expensive wood and embellished with sandalwood, ivory, ebony, gold, and silver.
The minaret, which still stands as the Giralda, contains a series of ramps winding around the perimeter of several vaulted chambers at the tower's core. These ramps were designed with enough width and height to accommodate "beasts of burden, people, and the custodians," according to one chronicler from the era. The decorated facades and windows on the tower are stepped to match the ramps in order to maximize light to the chambers inside. This exterior brick decoration was mainly done by 'Ali al-Ghumari, a Berber craftsman who also did repair work on the interior. The facades of the tower did contain some plaster embellishment, but they were removed during a modern restoration.
The main gateway, still in existence, contains a metal-plated door with geometric decoration and floral knockers.
After Seville was recovered by the Christians in 1248 during the Reconquista, the city's mosque was symbolically converted into a cathedral. This involved changing the liturgical orientation, closing and screening off exits and archways, and creating several small family chapels. The former mosque was not well-maintained by any of the groups inhabiting their own sections of the building during this period, and most of the records from the 13th and early 14th centuries describe its neglect, damage, and consequent destruction to make way for a new cathedral.
This structure was badly damaged in a 1356 earthquake, and by 1433 the city began building the current cathedral. Local stone to build with was scarce, and there were few skilled stonemasons in the area, so timber and stone had to be shipped from overseas, and like its earlier incarnation, the construction of the cathedral brought together artisans from all over its respective empire, this time as far away as Germany and the Netherlands. Construction took 73 years and was completed in 1506.
Today, the Giralda stands as one of the largest churches in the world and an example of the Gothic and Baroque architectural styles. The metal spheres that originally topped the tower fell during the earthquake, and the spheres were replaced with a cross and bell. The new cathedral incorporated the tower as a bell tower and eventually built it higher during the Renaissance under architect Hernán Ruiz the Younger, who was commissioned to work on the tower in 1568. This newer section of the tower contains a large inscription of Seville's motto, NO8DO, spoken No me ha dejado, meaning "[Seville] has not abandoned me." Alfonso X of Castile gave the motto to the city when it continued to support his rule during an insurrection. Covering the top of the tower is the "Lily section" which surrounds the enclosure with the bell. The statue stands 4 m (13 feet) in height – 7 m (23 ft) with the pedestal – and sit on top of the tower from its installation in 1568.
The base at street level is a square of 13.6 m on the side and which sits on a solid foundation which is a bit wider, 15~16 m and about 5 m deep. The foundation is built with solid, rectangular stones, some taken and reused from the Roman wall nearby.
The part which corresponds to the original Moorish minaret is about 51 m high, with the Christian addition it is 98.5 m high and taking into account the wind vane it is 104 m high. The weather vane (giralda), which gives its name to the building, is over 4 m tall, 7 m including the base.
The tower has a ramp with 35 segments wide and tall enough to allow a person to ride on horseback to the top of the Moorish tower. The Christian addition has a final stair with 17 steps leading up to the bells.
Buildings inspired by the Giralda
Replica of the Giralda, in Kansas City, Missouri, twinned with Seville.
Many towers have borrowed from the Giralda's design throughout history. Several church towers in the province of Seville also bear a resemblance to the tower, and may have been inspired by the Giralda. These towers, most notably those in Lebrija and Carmona, are popularly known as Giraldillas.
Numerous replicas of the Giralda have been built in the United States, mostly between 1890 and 1930:
The second Madison Square Garden in New York City, designed by Stanford White, built in 1890
A replica in the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Missouri
The clock tower of the Ferry Building in San Francisco, completed in 1898
The clock tower of the Railroad Depot in Minneapolis, destroyed by wind in 1941
The Freedom Tower in Miami, Florida, built in 1925
The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida, built in 1926
The Wrigley Building in Chicago, built in 1920
The Terminal Tower in Cleveland, built in 1930
The building has also inspired buildings outside the US and Spain, such as:
The clock tower at the University of Puerto Rico's Río Piedras campus.
Seven Sisters (Moscow), seven Soviet-era skyscrapers in Moscow, Russia
Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw, Poland
Las hipótesis apuntan al siglo I en la época de los Flavios, y también a la época de Nerva o Trajano. La imposibilidad de datación exacta no impide que encabece la clasificación de mejores obras de ingeniería civil en España. Sus 167 arcos de piedra granítica del Guadarrama están constituidos por sillares unidos sin ningún tipo de argamasa mediante un ingenioso equilibrio de fuerzas. Obra extraordinaria, en la que la utilidad convive con la armonía y la belleza, ha prestado servicio a la ciudad hasta fechas recientes. A través de los siglos, apenas ha sufrido modificaciones.
El acueducto de Segovia conduce las aguas del manantial de la Fuenfría, situado en la sierra cercana a 17 kilómetros de la ciudad, en un paraje denominado La Acebeda. Recorre más de 15 kilómetros antes de llegar a la ciudad. El agua se recoge primeramente en una cisterna conocida con el nombre de El Caserón, para ser conducida a continuación por un canal de sillares hasta una segunda torre (llamada Casa de Aguas), donde se decanta y desarena, para continuar su camino. Después recorre 813 m (con una pendiente de un 1%)1 hasta lo alto del Postigo (el espolón rocoso sobre el que se asentaba la ciudad en torno al Alcázar). Antes, en la plaza de Día Sanz, hace un brusco giro y se dirige hacia la plaza del Azoguejo, donde salva la depresión con una arquería, que presenta todo el esplendor del monumento. En la parte más elevada mide 28 metros (con cerca de 6 metros de cimientos) y tiene dos órdenes de arcos sobre pilares. En total tiene 166 arcos. Desde su llegada a la ciudad hasta la plaza de Día Sanz hay 75 arcos sencillos y a continuación 44 arcadas de orden doble (esto es, 88 arcos), siguiendo después otros cuatro arcos sencillos. En el primer sector del acueducto aparecen 36 arcos apuntados, reconstruidos en el siglo XV para restaurar la parte destruida por los musulmanes en el año 1072. En el piso superior, los arcos tienen una luz de 5,10 metros, con los pilares de menor altura y grosor que los del piso inferior. El remate es un ático por donde discurre el canal conductor de agua (con una sección en forma de U de 180 x 150 cm), adaptándose el piso inferior a los desniveles del terreno. En el piso inferior, los arcos tienen una luz que oscila alrededor de los 4,50 metros y los pilares disminuyen su sección de manera escalonada, de abajo arriba: en la coronación tiene una sección de 1,80 x 2,50 metros, mientras que en la base llegan a alcanzar 2,40 x 3 metros.
Está construido con sillares de granito asentados sin argamasa entre ellos. Sobre los tres arcos de mayor altura había en la época romana una cartela con letras de bronce donde constaba la fecha y el constructor. También en lo alto pueden verse dos nichos, uno a cada lado del acueducto. Se sabe que en uno de ellos estuvo la imagen de Hércules Egipcio, que según la leyenda fue el fundador de la ciudad. En tiempos de los Reyes Católicos se colocaron en esos dos nichos la imagen de la Virgen de la Fuencisla (patrona de la ciudad) y San Sebastián. Sin embargo, hoy en día tan sólo se puede apreciar la primera talla. El 4 de diciembre, onomástica de Santa Bárbara, patrona del cuerpo de Artillería, cuya academia está en Segovia, los cadetes arropan la imagen de la Virgen con una bandera. La línea de arcos se levanta organizada en dos pisos, con una decoración simple en la que predominan unas sencillas molduras, que enmarcan y estructuran el edificio.
En la época de los Reyes Católicos se realizó la primera gran obra de reconstrucción del acueducto. Se encargó de las obras el prior del monasterio cercano de los Jerónimos del Parral, llamado Pedro Mesa. Se reedificaron 36 arcos, con mucho respeto hacia la obra original. Más tarde, en el siglo XVI, fue cuando se pusieron en los nichos centrales las estatuas antes mencionadas de la Fuencisla y San Esteban.
El acueducto es el hito arquitectónico más importante de la ciudad. Se ha mantenido en activo a través de los siglos y quizás por eso haya llegado al tiempo presente en perfecto estado. Hasta casi nuestros días proveía de agua a la ciudad de Segovia, y más concretamente a su Alcázar. En los últimos años ha sufrido un patente deterioro causado principalmente por la contaminación medioambiental y a los propios procesos de erosión del granito. Las vibraciones originadas por el tráfico, contra lo que se pudiera pensar, no le afectan debido a su gran masa e inercia, hecho comprobado gracias a las recientes auscultaciones dinámicas efectuadas. Para garantizar su supervivencia, se ha procedido a un minucioso proceso de restauración que ha durado casi ocho años, bajo la dirección del arquitecto Francisco Jurado, al tiempo que se ha desviado el tráfico rodado de las inmediaciones del monumento (la plaza del Azoguejo se ha transformado en zona peatonal).
En 1992 los coches dejaron de pasar por debajo de los arcos del acueducto. Con todo, sigue expuesto a la contaminación, ya que se sigue circulando a escasos metros de él.
Hay una leyenda del Acueducto de Segovia en la que se cuenta que una niña criada subía todos los días hasta lo más alto de la montaña y bajaba con el cántaro lleno de agua. Un día, harta de aquello, pidió al demonio que construyera algún medio para que no tuviera que subir y bajar todos los días con el cántaro. Entonces, por la noche, se le apareció el diablo y le concedió el deseo a cambio de que, si conseguía terminar el acueducto antes de que cantara el gallo, le tendría que dar su alma. La niña accedió y el diablo comenzó a construir el acueducto, momento en que la niña se arrepintió de haberlo deseado. Justo cuando le quedaba una piedra para terminar cantó el gallo, lo que hizo que perdiera la apuesta y la niña no perdió su alma. En el hueco que quedó es donde está ahora puesta la estatua de la Virgen de la Fuencisla.
y para escuchar:
One moment I'm driving home with a car full of groceries. Next minute I'm on hands and knees contemplating the slow motion turmoil unfolding in this ancestral burial ground. That's just how my life works. Spontaneity is the key. That and the ability to at least momentarily divert my attention in quest of life moments. I'm in the process of watching yet another summer fly by in a seemingly endless series of days filled with work, errands and chores. By my way of thinking, summer will forever (and soon) pass into memory no matter what I do. The only way to forestall the inevitable is attempt to inject some meaning wherever possible. For me that involves shifting life into proverbial park if even for a few minutes. It's often a matter of shifting priorities, and literally borrowing a few minutes from this or that. I find that most times I benefit more from the side trip than I do suffer from whatever delay it causes me. On this particular day a cold front had swept through overnight ushering in wonderful cloud structure the next morning. I just happened to be passing by this burial ground and simply pulled over. I've explored here many times; it's one of the oldest cemeteries in the area. Yet each time I visit I seem to discover something I hadn't noticed before. Or I see familiar things in a different light. The creative mind tends to work that way. I never feel exactly the same way when I visit, so it stands to reason I will see things differently each time. My intrigue with the sky led me to this exact place. I was trying to let the sky be defined by the shapes of the gravestones as I composed shots. That's when the weirdly parallel tilt of the stones became relevant. I'd noticed it before but it was only from this angle that it took on any real significance. Rather jarring actually. Discord among the adjacent stones that were still mostly upright. The inscriptions were too faded to read. But I couldn't help but wonder if the graves were of brothers and/or sisters...a sibling rivalry that transcends life.
Location: King of Prussia, Pennsylvania
Date: -
Back in the day, when things were a bit different. Uncertain of the exact date of the photo, I'm remembering 2001-2002 ish.
Bottles , Philippines
To be exact: vinegar bottles with the sunrise sunlight shining through them.
Vinegar , or Suka in the Tagalog language , is one of the most used ingredients in the Filipino kitchen.
The prevalent use of Suka is due in large part to the extended shelf life bestowed upon goodies cooked in vinegar–a necessary culinary impact needed for tropical climates during the days of pre-refrigeration.
But most of all, the Filipinos like the sour flavor , called Asim in Tagalog, that vinegar provides.
It's used in many Filipino dishes, like paksiw and adobe. It's also used as a dipping sauce for many fish dishes.
Bote, Pilipinas
Upang maging eksaktong : suka bote sa pagsikat ng araw liwanag ng araw nagniningning sa pamamagitan ng mga ito.
Suka , o Suka sa wikang Tagalog , ay isa sa mga pinakaginagamit na mga mga sangkap sa mga Filipino kusina.
Ang kalat paggamit ng Suka ay dahil sa malaking bahagi sa pinalawig na buhay shelf bestowed sa goodies niluto sa suka - isang kinakailangang culinary tama kailangan para sa tropikal na klima sa mga araw ng pre- pagpapalamig .
Ngunit higit sa lahat , ang mga Pilipino gusto ang maasim na panlasa, na tinatawag na Asim sa Tagalog , nagbibigay na suka .
Ito ay ginagamit sa maraming mga pagkaing Pilipino , tulad ng paksiw at adobe . Ito ay ginagamit din bilang isang hubad sauce para sa maraming mga pagkaing isda.
To the people of the Philippines , excuses for possible translation mistakes from english to tagalog.
exact same vista as in the previous photo, taken minutes apart, but with a very different camera/lens/film = a totally different mood
The school bus 616 has commenced, but the exact date is not known as it is not appearing on the departure boards. It was definitely running by the 18th June – this photo was taken on the 19th.
When the route last ran on 20th March it was using mainly old Geminis, so it was a pleasant surprise to see one of these E400 Citys on consecutive days.
Only one of the two journeys ran and there were some punters on it – in my experience, commuters do use this and the 699 to get them to Southgate Station, perhaps as the little brats don't get on these buses till later in the route.
This is the EXACT PERCENTAGE that I give a flying FUCK about what your religion (OR ANY) says about homosexuality.
Exact.
Note: this is in response to the nonsense going on with this.
Io immagino di dirgli, mentre mi accendo una sigaretta e come un'ancora la tengo tra le labbra, che deve morire.- Muori carogna! Che le tue viscere possano marcire dentro di te, e che la tua lingua sozza, ruvida e putrida ti possa far soffocare. Nel più breve tempo possibile!-
Lo sa cosa intendo, benissimo, altrochè.
Perchè ora potrei godermi i momenti di intimità in un altro modo...
I imagine to tell him, while I am igniting me a cigarette and as an anchor I hold it among the lips, that has to die. - Die carcass! What your bowel can decay inside of you, and that your filthy, rough and rotten language can make you suffocate. In the briefest possible time! -
He knows him what I intend, very well.
Because I could now enjoy the moments of intimacy in another way...
I believe this is a female meadowhawk dragonfly (Sympetrum sp.), but exact species is unclear. It was photographed in the weeds near a pond at the Montreal Botanical Garden, in Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Pentax D-FA 100mm F/2.8 Macro plus Raynox DCR-250, with off-camera diffused Godox V850ii flash. Seven frame handheld focus stack, with EXIF from the first frame.
IMPORTANT:
If you would like to use this photo in a way that is appropriate under its Creative Commons license, you are welcome to do so, but please make sure to credit me by my real name and Flickr handle, and please also include a link to the Flickr page of the photo, as well as a link to the relevant Creative Commons license text. I have put examples of proper attribution on my profile page. Optionally, you may also send me a little note about your use... :)
For any other type of use, please contact me to properly license this image.
Thank you!
(IMGP8806-12_ZSDMapR_CrEtcShrp)
Tijdsbeeld exact 40 jaar geleden,toen lag er (ook) sneeuw.
Neerpelt gesponserd door het "Gemeentekrediet"
On a fairly overcast and somewhat gloomy Tuesday morning, a UP Officer's Special train heads west out of Tunnel 1. The train is a welcome site to the Moffat, which has is low on traffic and high on repetitiveness lately. The train came to Denver from North Platte, NE overnight, and is heading west as far as Helper, UT today. The exact nature of the trip is unknown.
©2020 ColoradoRailfan.com
Exact een half uur na RTB Cargo volgde SBB Cargo met Melzo-shuttle 40030 naar Rotterdam. De 189 288 had de eer om de trein op 27 juni 2018 te rijden, opvallend met groot licht.
This exact location was buzzing with people the day before in the late afternoon - playing in the water and the falls. Looked like fun, but it's not what I wanted for my photos. Waking up just a little early solved the problem. Plus, the lighting was much better!
Het is exact 10 uur op een waterkoude januariochtend als de 2012 van lijn 7 de brug over de Nieuwe Vaart oversteekt en de Czaar Peterstraat gaat inrijden. het is zo'n dag dat die grijze mist urenlang blijft hangen- wat dan weer wel een sfeervolle opname biedt van Molen De Gooyer, laatst overgeblevene van een grote groep korenmolens die tussen de 17e eeuw en eind 19e eeuw op de bolwerken van de Buitensingelgracht stonden.
Momenteel rijdt hier geen tram, en als die in het voorjaar terugkeert zal het zijn in de vorm van lijn 1.
Deze foto maakt deel uit van het compilatie album ( in ontwikkeling) "Greatest Hits", dat HIER te vinden is :
Tapie dans un vallon solitaire et verdoyant, superbement restaurée, cette abbaye donne une vision exacte de ce qu'était un monastère cistercien vivant en autarcie. En 1147, l'abbatiale est consacrée par le pape Eugène III en présence de saint Bernard, fondateur de l'ordre des Cisterciens. Les terres données par Raynard de Montbard sont appelées Fontanetum, car comme nombre de lieux défrichés par les moines, elles «flottent sur des fontaines».
L'abbatiale est l'une des plus anciennes églises cisterciennes conservées en France. Le cloître, adossé au flanc sud de l'église, à la fois robuste et élégant, est un accomplissement de l'art de cette époque.
Classée monument historique français dès 1862, l'abbaye est classée au patrimoine mondial de l'UNESCO depuis 1981 (WHL-165bis).
Unsure about the exact model of this one, but what a banger! I honestly thought this would be long off the road but it transpires that its still taxed and even on the first owner... although I imagine it lost its original numberplate a while back but has remained with this owner since then. I honestly thought I would never see one with such home made repairs, just shows you that this sort of thing is still out there, even in 2013.
Star trail, single exposure lasted 1 hour, which replaces two other photographs of mine taken in previous years in this exact spot.
For various reasons I think this one is better.
This is in fact the third time I take a star trail in this exact place! A fair dose of perseverance is important in these things :-)
By the way, you are looking to the otherworldly area below the Freney, southwest face of Mont Blanc massif, Italian side. One of the most geometric locations of the Alps, because of the harmonious relationship between peaks, stars (the Polaris is exactly above the Aiguille Noire) and Earth's rotation.
From left to right: Mont Blanc de Courmayeur, Aiguille Croux, Aiguille Blanche, Aiguille Noire, Mont Rouge de Peuterey.
Above: Polaris
Faint light from west: moon (33%) just set
Light from east: the area of Courmayeur, many km far away but present in the form of light pollution.
One of the main reasons that lead me to continue this photographic activity is the joy of discovery. Sometimes I deliberately prefer to plan less in order to don't lose the ability to be surprised by something different and unexpected.
I guess this is why I'm also starting to appreciate more and more the star trails... yes, for the "tale of the unexpected" within this photographic genre.
Of course, knowing the cardinal point I'm directing my camera I can easily predict the shape that the trails of stars will assume (due to the Earth's rotation)... also, I can carefully choose the focus, composition, white balance, estimate according to the conditions of non-light the various settings, yes I can do this - I have to - although in pitch dark is rather tricky... nevertheless, just ask any sincere photographer, the end result of a star trail is always an enigma. A most pleasant one! :-)
It's amazing, in fact, to note the amount of light & colour a camera manages to capture at night, in the dark, just continuing to "observe" for an hour, constantly and relentlessly, the spot we have carefully chosen!
Well, this is indeed something that our eyes could never do, our eyes can look only frame by frame, we are technically not able to make the sum of light in time.
So, what to say, except "thanks to the cameras for this!" :-) ... for the chance to discover new things and also for helping us to think in a not too anthropocentric way, reflecting on the fact that there is not only our human way to see. Actually the way we see is only one possible reading of the "reality", so, let's discover the others!
_____________________
©Roberto Bertero, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.
Está situado en el punto geográfico exacto del cabo de Gata, por tanto es la parte más oriental del sur de España. Seguramente el lugar debe su nombre a la presencia de focas monje que habitaban este arrecife y que los antiguos navegantes podían confundir con sirenas, actualmente ya no hay presencia de estos mamíferos en la costa de Cabo de Gata.
Las formaciones del arrecife que se elevan por encima del nivel del agua son antiguas chimeneas volcánicas, y que deben su color oscuro al material volcado por ellas. Desde lo alto del mirador se pueden observar los escarpados acantilados de la zona y en el fondo, el agua que rodea el arrecife, es como un cristal que nos permite observar el mosaico del fondo marino coloreando el mar de turquesas, verdes y todas las tonalidades de azul.
⛳️ Arrecife de las Sirenas
###############################
Olympus OMD M 1 mark III f 8 ISO 400.
editada con Photoshop Expres
With trunks of memories
Still to come
We found things to do
In stormy weather
Long may you run.
I've done so many shoots with Belle, I am not even sure the exact number. This was from a very short shoot where Belle needed something quite specific for her acting work. Even as short and sweet as the shoot was, it was, like always, great to have Belle in front of my camera.
Lyrics: Long May You Run by the Stills-Nash Band (but really Neil Young).
The exact same composition, I just love this one. Keep coming back to this place and shoot this wreck ones. The weather was so promising.
Best viewed large on black.
Exact een week nadat de witte 189 823 voor de kalktrein zat kwam deze vandaag met lege kolentrein 48730 naar de Westhaven. Samen met de rode soortgenoot 189 085 komt de trein via spoor 6 door Amsterdam Centraal gerold.
NO COMMENT, SAVE OR FAVE FROM ANY ONE WHO DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH PHOTOS ENOUGH FOR MY
SHOTS.
A Shih Tzu (English: /ˈʃiːtsuː/; Chinese: 西施犬; pinyin: xīshī quǎn), also known as the Chrysanthemum Dog, is a toy dog breed, weighing 10 - 19 pounds when fully grown. The exact origins of the breed are unknown, but it is thought to have originated in Tibet and then been developed in China although various hypotheses exist.The Shih Tzu is a sturdy little dog with a short muzzle and large dark eyes. They have a soft and long double coat. A Shih Tzu should stand no more than 28 cm (11 in.) at the withers and with an ideal weight of 4.5 to 8.6 kg (10 to 19 lbs). Drop ears are covered with long fur, and the heavily furred tail is carried curled over the back. The coat may be of any color, though white and with blazes of grey are frequently seen. The Shih Tzu is slightly longer than tall, and bigger dogs ideally should carry themselves "with distinctly arrogant carriage". A very noticeable feature is the underbite, which is required in the breed standard.[1] The traditional long silky coat, which reaches the floor, requires daily brushing to avoid tangles. Because of their long coat and fast-growing hair, regular grooming is necessary, which may be expensive and should be taken into account when considering adopting one of this breed. Often the coat is clipped short to simplify care. For conformation showing, the coat must be left in its natural state, though trimming for neatness around the feet and anus is allowed. The shorter cut is typically called a "puppy cut"[2] or a "teddy bear cut" when the puppy cut is accompanied by a fuller, rounder face, resembling a stuffed animal.[3]
I will appreciate any comment, fave on my photo. No multi invites please. I do not welcome any photo made by a cell phone
ipads.
Gabriel García Márquez:
Murió de mal aroma.
Rosa idéntica, exacta.
Subsistió a su belleza,
Sucumbió a su fragancia.
No tuvo nombre: acaso
la llamarían Rosaura,
O Rosa-fina, o Rosa
del amor, o Rosalba;
o simplemente Rosa,
como la nombra el agua.
Más le hubiera valido
ser siempreviva, Dalia,
pensamiento con luna
como un ramo de acacia.
Pero ella será eterna:
fue rosa; y eso basta;
Dios la guarde en su reino
a la diestra del alba.
youtu.be/vNT2Xq0jKo8?list=PL0nAkWYs28luK3nMl-pYXKkjkAMNCtJ5-
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🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
🌹🌹🌹
🌹🌹
🌿🌿
🌿
🌿
🌿
🌿 🌿🌿
🌿🌿 🌿
🌿 🌿
🌿🌿
🌿
🌿
🌿
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🌹Te mando la primera rosa del Mes de la Mujer...
An un-marked Mack Superliner (possibly Exacts looking at the trailers) heads past the roadhouse at Pimba enroute to Roxby Downs with yet another load of sulphur from Adelaide
Exact 1 jaar na het vorige plaatje op Zürich HB werd dezelfde nachttrein daar wederom op de foto gezet. Op 14 januari 2024 staat de NJ 465 vertrekgereed naar Graz en Zagreb Glavni Kolodvor. Ditmaal was de tractieleverancier wederom een 'bijzondere' loc: de 11161, de laatste groene 4/4 bij SBB Personenverkehr..
"We cannot tell the exact moment a friendship is formed as in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses, there is at last one that makes the heart run over.”
The Parasol I got from a local festival a while ago, where people dress up like pilgrams and indians and sleep in teepees(seriously)...and then they have a flea market and sell antique stuff......and the dress my husband got for me from Japan...♥
© ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED That means its not yours to use in ANY way, shape, or form.
My montage photograph was created using four of my trips photos all taken on the 9 September 2024
I have seen and recorded the Bee Eaters sightings at this exact location for the last four years, they are nesting in the sand-banks in the foot-hills Sierra de Pujálavrez Spain.
On this visit there were around 30 Bee eaters seen, but in previous sightings we have seen far larger numbers.
...gently touched by a tinture of citrus. The exact booze proportions used to make this concoction are known only to the mixologist behind the bar at the venerable "Bryant's Cocktail Lounge" on Milwaukee's South Side. I threatened to play a solo on my viola if the management didn't reveal the recipe, but the bouncer wasn't impressed. He looked like he had broken strings before, and if provoked would do so again. Plus he noticed that I had left my axe at home. He was more perceptive than Spinoza. The game played at this velveteen hole is far wiser than the one an alto-man plays...
The only Florida East Coast trains I shot on my recent trip were the exact same pair on two subsequent days. After getting this 915 local on Tuesday as seen here: flic.kr/p/2nhiUeZ I shot them again the very next day.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that even though it was the same geep, it had been turned since the prior day making for a much nicer image. GP40-2 FEC 935 (blt. Dec. 1966 as a straight GP40 for the Burlington Route as CBQ 173) has a much shorter train this time hustling south at about MP 154.2 on the 369 mile long mainline that stretches down the east coast from the St. Johns River Bridge in Jacksonville to Hialeah Yard in Miami. They have just crossed Main Street up near the historic center of town and are on the single track north of the Indian River City interlocking where the dozen miles of double main begins.
Titusville, Florida
Wednesday April 27, 2022
Je ne sais pas trop si cela est exact, qu'une pomme par jour éloigne le médecin pour toujours. Chose certaine, deux clémentines par jour attirèrent à l'époque, cette Chouette rayée (Barred Owl) et ce, durant plus de trente jours et elle ne s'en portait pas plus mal.
Friande de fruits (clémentines, raisins verts et/ou rouges etc.), elle était affectueusement prénommée «Clémentine» par les internautes du temps en plus de faire l'objet d'un article qui traitait "d'étrangetés ornithologique".
Québec, province de Québec, Canada.
This tutorial is done in Photoshop CS3, and you need some basic knowlegde to follow it. The numbers are the exact ones I used.
Step by step snapshots at www.soffia.net/tutorial.html
1. I duplicade the layer twise, on one layer I erase out carefully the mountain with soft eraser, opacity 100 flow around 60. (you can also use masks) One layer is just to have the photo as it is.
2. Name the layers ( image01) mountains, clouds and just_in_case_layer.
3. Go to creatae new fill or adjustment layer and choose Levels. (Image 02) I tweeked the 3 arrows untill I got 8 ~ 0,73 ~ 200
4. Go to creatae new fill or adjustment layer again but this time choose Brightness/Contrast. and put in -12 for brightness and contr. -28 (Image03)
5. Go to creatae new fill or adjustment layer again and choose Hue/Saturation. (Image 04)
take up saturation to 22
6. For now, I´m fairly happy with the mountains, so now I drag the Clouds layer on top of all the layers. (Image 05)
7. Then I merge the mountains with all the adjustment layers by selecting all the layers, and choose merge layers (Image 06)Name the Layer mountains again if it´s called hue/saturation.
8. Now we can work on the clouds, you can turn off the mountains layer by clicking on the eye on the left. Go to creatae new fill or adjustment layer and choose Levels. (Image 02) I tweeked the 3 arrows untill I got 18 ~ 0,84 ~ 215
9. I want a little more contrast in the big cloud so duplicade the clouds layer, name it cloud-contrast go to Image - Adjustment - Levels. Use 59~ 0,64~ 195. The reason why I choose levels from there is cause I only want it to affect the new cloud layer(Image 07)
10. with the cloud-contrast layer picked, go to Image - Adjustment - Brightness/Contrast and put brightness to +36 and contrast +17
11. I find the cloud too red, so go to Image - Adjustment - hue/saturation, in Edit: choose
Reds and take the saturation down to -42. After that I rease around it so the layer would look like this (Image 08)
12. Let´s go to the Clouds layer again, Go to creatae new fill or adjustment layer and choose Brightness/Contrast. put in +45 for brightness (Image03)
13. Go to create new fill or adjustment layer (Image 04) and choose Hue/Saturation. In Edit:
Blues hue: -13 sat: -67
Cyans hue: -10 sat: -57 (or tweek the numbers untill you´re happy with the colors......)
15. Merge the layers by selecting Cloud-contrast,clouds and the all the adjustment layers(image 06) (you can also select the layers and hit Ctrl + E )
16. Turn on the Mountains Layer. Flatten image. Then I did some more adjucstment with hue/sat, cyan -9 and -39 then blues -4 and -22 and Yelloes -35. And then I went to levels and did 8 ~ 1,16 ~ 255.
17. Then I put the lomo gradient fill with 40 % opacity on that layer
I did use the clone stamp to erase out a part of the sky, the dark bottom part... :P
And finally I ran it through Neat Image, a software I bought the other day. neatimage.com/
I could probably spend another hour tweeking and tuning. But let´s say this done for now.
many thanks to david Dalziel for directing me to this beautiful bay i had admired his images from this area didn't find the exact spot i had wanted but found this one instead.
Main Street in the Heartland of America – But what year is this ? - At first glance this could have been back in the mid-1960s, but in reality this scene is from July 3rd, 2016 where in Viroqua, Wisconsin a pair of classic Chevys are heading to a Holiday weekend car show. – This is one of those shots where everything came together quickly and unexpectedly. – While setting up to shoot the Sun and shadows on the old buildings, these two vintage cars rolled into the frame simultaneously and at the same exact moment that two other “modern” vehicles completely cleared out of the view. – A simple and less than spectacular image, but one of those magic photographic moments that I will always remember. ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©
It is truly awesome and wonderful to see the incredible love found in wildlife between parent and baby . This was taken recently in Etosha, Namibia and I recall that exact moment this was taken. My heart did a little flip as I watched how carefully the mother zebra cared and protected her colt. A real highlight in life for me to experience these beautiful moments !
Have a great day everyone and a very blessed one !!!!!!!
Met exact 200 minuten vertraging komt de 186 237 van NS Internationaal voorbij met het leeg mat. 70408. De City Night Line 418 strande vandaag door een defecte loc in Emmerich, uiteindelijk kwam de 186 237 als redder in nood de trein ophalen. Met ruim drie uur vertraging werd Amsterdam bereikt, waarna zoals gewoonlijk werd door gereden naar de Zaanstraat. Na omlopen komt de trein precies tussen twee hagelbuien door in de zon voorbij!
Don't know exact species here - perhaps a Cherry-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum internum)? Any ID help would be appreciated.
Exploring old photos, this is another one from 2016. Shot near a chalet we had rented for a short stay in Stoneham, north of Quebec City.
Pentax D-FA 100mm F/2.8 Macro plus Raynox DCR-250, with off-camera diffused Yongnuo YN-560 III flash. Single frame, uncropped.
IMPORTANT:
If you would like to use this photo in a way that is appropriate under its Creative Commons license, you are welcome to do so, but please make sure to credit me by my real name and Flickr handle, and please also include a link to the Flickr page of the photo, as well as a link to the relevant Creative Commons license text. I have put examples of proper attribution on my profile page. Optionally, you may also send me a little note about your use... :)
For any other type of use, please contact me to properly license this image.
Thank you!
(IMGP5298_EtcShrp)
I uploaded this exact photo about 500 times because I kept knit picking how I processed it. I decided to stick with this one and its final. I've been having a lot of trouble with editing, still.
I've wanted to take this exact shot for at least 6 months, but kept putting it off as it takes all kinds of willpower to get up at 3am, leave the house at 4 then drive down to sixteen beach in Rye.
It took even more willpower when I realised I left my Tripod mount for my camera on the kitchen bench when I was halfway down eastlink and had to turn around. As a result of my poor packing, I just missed the sunrise but was still able to get some nice long exposure shots of the "Dragon" rock which was my main purpose for going.
Despite crappy weather and rain I'm happy with the result. To be honest I'm just happy I didn't damage or lose anything! I wasn't sure I'd get away clean with this one as the rocks are around 100m off shore, very slippery and difficult to get too. Many enthusiasts have lost their camera gear here as the area is filled with very small rock pool formations that are surprisingly deep, one miss step and you can kiss your phone, car keys, and your camera gear goodbye!
HAY UN NIÑO EN LA CALLE
A esta hora, exactamente,
hay un niño en la calle.
Le digo amor, me digo, recuerdo que yo andaba
con las primeras luces de mi sangre, vendiendo
una oscura vergüenza, la historia, el tiempo,
diarios,
porque es cuando recuerdo también las presidencias,
urgentes abogados, conservadores, asco,
cuando subo a la vida juntando la inocencia,
mi niñez triturada por escasos centavos,
por la cantidad mínima de pagar la estadía
como un vagón de carga
y saber que a esta hora mi madre está esperando,
quiero decir, la madre del niño innumerable
que sale y nos pregunta con su rostro de madre:
¿qué han hecho de la vida?
¿dónde pondré la sangre,?
¿qué haré‚ con mi semilla si hay un niño en la calle?
Es honra de los hombres proteger lo que crece,
cuidar que no haya infancia dispersa por las calles,
evitar que naufrague su corazón de barco,
su increíble aventura de pan y chocolate,
transitar sus países de bandidos y tesoros
poniéndole una estrella en el sitio del hambre,
de otro modo es inútil ensayar en la tierra
la alegría y el canto,
de otro modo es absurdo
porque de nada vale si hay un niño en la calle.
Dónde andarán los niños que venían conmigo
ganándose la vida por los cuatro costados,
porque en este camino de lo hostil ferozmente
cayó el Toto de frente con su poquita sangre,
con sus ropas de fe, su dolor a pedazos
y ahora necesito saber cuáles sonríen
mi canción necesita saber si se han salvado,
porque sino es inútil mi juventud de música
y ha de dolerme mucho la primavera este año.
Importan dos maneras de concebir el mundo,
Una, salvarse solo,
arrojar ciegamente los demás de la balsa
y la otra,
un destino de salvarse con todos,
comprometer la vida hasta el último naufrago,
no dormir esta noche si hay un niño en la calle.
Exactamente ahora, si llueve en las ciudades,
si desciende la niebla como un sapo del aire
y el viento no es ninguna canción en las ventanas,
no debe andar el mundo con el amor descalzo
enarbolando un diario como un ala en la mano,
trepándose a los trenes, canjeándonos la risa,
golpeándonos el pecho con un ala cansada,
no debe andar la vida, recién nacida, a precio,
la niñez, arriesgada a una estrecha ganancia,
porque entonces las manos son dos fardos inútiles
y el corazón, apenas una mala palabra.
Cuando uno anda en los pueblos del país
o va en trenes por su geografía de silencio,
la patria
sale a mirar al hombre con los niños desnudos
y a preguntar qué fecha corresponde a su hambre
que historia les concierne,
qué lugar en el mapa,
porque uno Norte adentro y Sur adentro encuentre
la espalda escandalosa de las grandes ciudades
nutriéndose de trigo, vides, cañaverales
donde el azúcar sube como un junco en el aire,
uno encuentra la gente, los jornales escasos,
una sorda tarea de madres con horarios
y padres silenciosos molidos en la fábricas,
hay días que uno andando de madrugada encuentra
la intemperie dormida con un niño en los brazos.
Y uno recuerda nombres, anécdotas, señores
que en París han bebido
por la antigua belleza de Dios, sobre la balsa
en donde han sorprendido la soledad de frente
y la índole triste del hombre solitario,
en llanto, sus señoras, tienen angustia y cambian
de amantes esta noche, de médico esta tarde,
porque el tedio que llevan ya no cabe en el mundo
y ellos son los accionistas de los niños descalzos.
Ellos han olvidado
que hay un niño en la calle,
que hay millones de niños
que viven en la calle
y multitud de niños
que crecen en la calle.
A esta hora, exactamente,
hay un niño creciendo.
Yo lo veo apretando su corazón pequeño,
mirándonos a todos con sus ojos de fábula,
viene, sube hacia el hombre acumulando cosas,
un relámpago trunco le cruza la mirada,
porque nadie protege esa vida que crece
y el amor se ha perdido
como un niño en la calle...
Armando Tejada Gómez
nombre::: inocencia / foto::: mediActivista