Surprise !!! Clowesia warscewiczii. Il y a des plantes que l'on ne s'attend pas á rencontrer car on pense qu'elle vivent dans une autre région et tout d'un coup elles apparaissent in situ durant un tour de 11 jours que j'ai guidé. dans les départements du Valle del Cauca et du Cauca, Colombie. en plus c'est un genre que je n'avais jamais vu fleuri en milieu naturel !

Surprise !!! Clowesia warscewiczii. There are plants you don't expect to find because you think they live in another region and suddenly they appear in situ during an 11 days tour I guided in Valle del Cauca and Cauca departments, Colombia. Moreover a genus I had never seen blooming in its native habitat !

Sorpresa !!! Clowesia warscewiczii. Hay plantas que uno no espera encontrar porque piensa que vienen de otra region y de repente aparecen in situ durante un tour de 11 días que guié en los departamentos del Valle del Cauca y del Cauca, Colombia. Además es un género que nunca había visto florecido en su hábitat natural !

Expecting an entire train, I was instead given a single locomotive that was making its way east on the River Subdivision at Kellogg. It's okay though! I will take whatever comes why way even if its just lite power!

Just love the way it's taking off on little tippy toes, all I've got are deer pics from Bradgate Park at the moment, I'm like a little lost sheep in the evenings without foxes to go and see.

I climbed up the mountain trail along the mountain stream and I expected

Surrounded by a beautiful green of 40 meters in the head

The waterfall that echoes a cool sound of water appears in front of my eyes

was.

I think it's great!

and cried one person!

And as close as possible to the waterfall .

For in the water that flows gravely down to the

I am fascinated to cleanse my body.

Respecting the warmth of nature

I love that time and space!

Went out to try and find a shot for this week. Did all the expected stuff, stairwells, looking down from the outside of buildings etc. Was coming back down from the top of a stairwell when I saw this was not expecting a great deal as it was shot through old perspex and the room was not well lit. But sometimes you are surprised by the results.

The math library at the University of Illinois in Champaign.

Expecting a nice sunset, I went for a drive. I noticed these interesting clouds forming to the east so I scrambled to find a subject to photograph. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to compose my foreground the way I wanted (wet marsh), but when those clouds lit up....... wow!

Better viewed large please. xx

26.8.2021.

Expecting Bulleid Pacific No 35018 I was somewhat disappointed when a couple of Duffs appeared on the SSE!

Newly painted Class 47 No 47815 (two tone green) and 47848 (West Coast maroon) head 1Z24, the 07.40 Carnforth - Scarborough 'Scarborough Spa Express'.

Seen here passing the caged semaphore at Weaverthorpe.

Sometimes, fireworks don't explode where you expect them... Thanks to photoshop, I develop my own technique to put them where I want them to be plus combining this with my DRI technique.

Parfois les feux d'artifices n'explosent pas toujours là où on voudrait... Grâce à photoshop, j'ai développé ma technique qui me permet de les mettre là où je les veux en la combinant à ma technique DRI.

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My technique is alway the same:

Three exposures -2EV, 0, +2EV and then temperature adjustement using Lightroom and layering with luminosity mask using photoshop. Removal of distracting stuff with the stamp tool or patch tool. High pass filter to enhance details. Then saturation, contrast selectively control, dodge and burn where need...

DRI stand for Dynamic Range Increase. Three RAW files are used to achieve this. Rather than using a software like Photomatix for instance, I simply use mask to blend, my own way, the light, dark and normal shot with Photoshop and Lightroom.. To me, It looks more natural than the usual HDR treatment that I would normally applied.

Merci pour les visites, commentaires, récompenses, invitations et favoris. S.V.P. n'utilisez pas mes images sur des sites web, blogs ou autres médias sans ma permission.

Merci!

© Tous droits réservés

Ma technique est toujours la même:

Trois prises de vue -2EV, 0, +2EV. Ensuite ajustement de la température de couleur avec Lightroom et usage de calques et masques de luminosités avec Photoshop. Retrait d'éléments de distraction avec l'outil tampon. Filtre High pass pour le rehaussement des détails. Ensuite saturation et contraste ajustés de façon sélectives et locales. Dodge and burn là où requis...

DRI vient de l'anglais Dynmic Range Increase, qui pourrait se traduire par étendue dynamique améliorée. Les même 3 fichiers RAW entrent dans la composition d'un DRI. Plutôt que de se servir d'un logiciel comme Photomatix qui fait tout le travail, je me sers plutôt de masques pour filtrer l'éclairage dans photoshop et Lightroom. De mon point de vue, cette façon de faire donne une image plus naturel que le traitement HDR que j'employais auparavant.

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Sometimes when you least expect it and are not prepared for it the most spectacular events unfold right in front of your eyes. After having a disappointing day of photographing we had called it quits and were gonna grab dinner and head home, untill my friend spotted these Great Horned Owls. This was probably one of the most memorable encounters I have ever had with wildlife. The Male here takes off as he sets off to hunt on a dark Florida night.

SN/NC: Eucalyptus Grandis, Myrtaceae Family

Batistella Family's Farm Entrance Hallway planted with Eucalyptus. Very decorative. In the interior of São Paulo state, city of Guararapes.

Entrada de la Hacienda de la Familia Batistella en Guararapes, São Paulo, Brasil -- totalmente plantada con eucaliptus.

Entrada da Fazenda Córrego Seco, familia Batistella em Guararapes, São Paulo. Uma linda plantação de eucalipto. Na Rodovia Mal Rondon, SP-300.

Brazil is the world’s largest beef exporterby volume, leading a market that is expected to grow by 35% over the next two decades. With its vast territory, favorable climate, and strong cattle ranching culture, Brazil is poised to serve a growing share of the global market.

To face these challenges and spur a cycle of economic growth, Brazil’s beef industry must increase transparency across the supply chain, offering better visibility into the origins of its cattle and,most important, ensuring that production is not linked to deforestation.Brazil’s agribusiness industry has been a major driver of the country's economy. While Brazil’s GDP rose a mere 1.1% in 2019, agriculture grew3.81%—accounting for around 21% of the country’s total output. The beef industry, including retail and other associated sectors, is one of the main pillars of Brazil’s agribusiness sector, making up 8.5% of the country’s GDP in 2019.

O Brasil é o maior exportador mundial de carne bovina em volume, liderando um mercado que deverá crescer 35% nas próximas duas décadas. Com seu vasto território, clima favorável e forte cultura pecuária, o Brasil está preparado para atender uma parcela crescente do mercado global. Para enfrentar estes desafios e estimular um ciclo de crescimento económico, a indústria da carne bovina do Brasil deve aumentar a transparência em toda a cadeia de abastecimento, oferecendo melhor visibilidade sobre as origens do seu gado e, o mais importante, garantindo que a produção não está ligada ao desmatamento. A indústria do agronegócio brasileiro tem sido um importante impulsionador da economia do país. Embora o PIB do Brasil tenha aumentado apenas 1,1% em 2019, a agricultura cresceu 3,81% – representando cerca de 21% da produção total do país. A indústria da carne bovina, incluindo o varejo e outros setores associados, é um dos principais pilares do setor do agronegócio brasileiro, respondendo por 8,5% do PIB do país em 2019.

Brasil es el mayor exportador de carne vacuna del mundo por volumen y lidera un mercado que se espera que crezca un 35% en las próximas dos décadas. Con su vasto territorio, clima favorable y una fuerte cultura ganadera, Brasil está preparado para atender una porción cada vez mayor del mercado global. Para enfrentar estos desafíos y estimular un ciclo de crecimiento económico, la industria cárnica de Brasil debe aumentar la transparencia en toda la cadena de suministro, ofreciendo una mejor visibilidad de los orígenes de su ganado y, lo más importante, garantizando que la producción no esté vinculada a la deforestación. La industria agroindustrial de Brasil ha sido un importante impulsor de la economía del país. Si bien el PIB de Brasil aumentó apenas un 1,1% en 2019, la agricultura creció un 3,81%, lo que representa alrededor del 21% de la producción total del país. La industria de la carne vacuna, incluido el comercio minorista y otros sectores asociados, es uno de los principales pilares del sector agroindustrial de Brasil y representó el 8,5% del PIB del país en 2019.

Il Brasileè il più grande esportatore mondiale di carne bovina in termini di volume,guidando un mercato che si prevede crescerà del 35% nei prossimi due decenni.Grazie al suo vasto territorio, al clima favorevole e alla forte culturadell’allevamento del bestiame, il Brasile è pronto a servire una quotacrescente del mercato globale.

Peraffrontare queste sfide e stimolare un ciclo di crescita economica, l’industriabrasiliana della carne bovina deve aumentare la trasparenza lungo tutta lacatena di approvvigionamento, offrendo una migliore visibilità sulle originidel suo bestiame e, cosa più importante, garantendo che la produzione non sialegata alla deforestazione. L’industria agroalimentare brasiliana è stata unodei principali motori dell’economia del paese. Mentre il PIL del Brasile ècresciuto solo dell’1,1% nel 2019, l’agricoltura è cresciuta del 3,81%,rappresentando circa il 21% della produzione totale del paese. L’industriadella carne bovina, compresa la vendita al dettaglio e altri settori associati,è uno dei pilastri principali del settore agroalimentare brasiliano, rappresentandol’8,5% del PIL del paese nel 2019.

Brazilië is qua volume de grootsterundvleesexporteur ter wereld en leidt een markt die naar verwachting dekomende twintig jaar met 35% zal groeien. Met zijn uitgestrekte grondgebied,gunstig klimaat en sterke veehouderijcultuur is Brazilië klaar om eengroeiend deel van de wereldmarkt te bedienen.

Om deze uitdagingen het hoofd te bieden en eencyclus van economische groei te stimuleren, moet de Braziliaanserundvleesindustrie de transparantie in de hele toeleveringsketen vergroten, eenbeter inzicht bieden in de oorsprong van het vee en, het allerbelangrijkste,ervoor zorgen dat de productie niet gekoppeld is aan ontbossing. DeBraziliaanse landbouwindustrie is een belangrijke motor van de economie van hetland geweest. Terwijl het bbp van Brazilië in 2019 met slechts 1,1% steeg,groeide de landbouw met 3,81% – goed voor ongeveer 21% van de totale productievan het land. De rundvleesindustrie, inclusief de detailhandel en andereaanverwante sectoren, is een van de belangrijkste pijlers van de Braziliaanselandbouwsector en vertegenwoordigt in 2019 8,5% van het bbp van het land.

Le Brésilest le plus grand exportateur mondial de viande bovine en volume, leader sur unmarché qui devrait croître de 35 % au cours des deux prochaines décennies. Avecson vaste territoire, son climat favorable et sa forte culture d’élevage debétail, le Brésil est sur le point de servir une part croissante du marchémondial.

Pourrelever ces défis et stimuler un cycle de croissance économique, l’industriebovine brésilienne doit accroître la transparence tout au long de la chaîned’approvisionnement, en offrant une meilleure visibilité sur l’origine de sonbétail et, plus important encore, en garantissant que la production n’est pasliée à la déforestation. L’industrie agroalimentaire brésilienne est un moteurmajeur de l’économie du pays. Alors que le PIB du Brésil n’a augmenté que de1,1 % en 2019, l’agriculture a augmenté de 3,81 %, ce qui représente environ 21% de la production totale du pays. L’industrie bovine, y compris la vente audétail et d’autres secteurs associés, est l’un des principaux piliers dusecteur agroalimentaire brésilien, représentant 8,5 % du PIB du pays en 2019.

Brasilien ist der mengenmäßig größte Rindfleischexporteur der Welt und führt einen Markt an, der in den nächsten zwei Jahrzehnten voraussichtlich um 35 % wachsen wird. Mit seinem riesigen Territorium, dem günstigen Klima und der ausgeprägten Viehzuchtkultur ist Brasilien bereit, einen wachsenden Anteil des Weltmarktes zu bedienen.Um diesen Herausforderungen zu begegnen und einen Kreislauf des Wirtschaftswachstums anzukurbeln, muss die brasilianische Rindfleischindustrie die Transparenz in der gesamten Lieferkette erhöhen, einen besseren Einblick in die Herkunft ihres Viehs bieten und vor allem sicherstellen, dass die Produktion nicht mit der Abholzung der Wälder zusammenhängt. Die brasilianische Agrarindustrie war ein wichtiger Motor der Wirtschaft des Landes. Während Brasiliens BIP im Jahr 2019 lediglich um 1,1 % stieg, wuchs die Landwirtschaft um 3,81 % – was rund 21 % der Gesamtproduktion des Landes ausmachte. Die Rindfleischindustrie, einschließlich des Einzelhandels und anderer damit verbundener Sektoren, ist eine der Hauptsäulen des brasilianischen Agrarsektors und machte im Jahr 2019 8,5 % des BIP des Landes aus.

تعد البرازيل أكبر مصدر للحوم الأبقار في العالم من حيث الحجم، وتقود سوقًا من المتوقع أن تنمو بنسبة 35% خلال العقدين المقبلين. بفضل أراضيها الشاسعة، ومناخها الملائم، وثقافة تربية الماشية القوية، تستعد البرازيل لخدمة حصة متزايدة من السوق العالمية.

ولمواجهة هذه التحديات وتحفيز دورة من النمو الاقتصادي، يتعين على صناعة لحوم الأبقار في البرازيل أن تعمل على زيادة الشفافية عبر سلسلة التوريد، وتوفير رؤية أفضل لأصول الماشية، والأهم من ذلك، ضمان عدم ربط الإنتاج بإزالة الغابات. كانت صناعة الأعمال الزراعية في البرازيل محركًا رئيسيًا لاقتصاد البلاد. وفي حين ارتفع الناتج المحلي الإجمالي في البرازيل بنسبة 1.1% فقط في عام 2019، نمت الزراعة بنسبة 3.81%، وهو ما يمثل حوالي 21% من إجمالي إنتاج البلاد. تعد صناعة لحوم البقر، بما في ذلك تجارة التجزئة والقطاعات الأخرى المرتبطة بها، إحدى الركائز الأساسية لقطاع الأعمال الزراعية في البرازيل، حيث تشكل 8.5٪ من الناتج المحلي الإجمالي للبلاد في عام 2019.

ブラジルは世界最大の牛肉輸出国であり、今後 20 年間で 35% の成長が見込まれる市場をリードしています。広大な領土、良好な気候、強力な牧畜文化を備えたブラジルは、世界市場でますます大きなシェアを占める態勢が整っています。これらの課題に直面し、経済成長のサイクルを促進するために、ブラジルの牛肉産業は、サプライチェーン全体の透明性を高め、牛の産地の可視性を高め、最も重要なこととして、生産が森林破壊に結びつかないようにする必要があります。ブラジルのアグリビジネス産業は、ブラジル経済の主要な原動力となっています。 2019年のブラジルのGDPはわずか1.1%増加したが、農業は3.81%増加し、国の総生産量の約21%を占めた。小売およびその他の関連部門を含む牛肉産業は、ブラジルのアグリビジネス部門の主要な柱の 1 つであり、2019 年の同国の GDP の 8.5% を占めています。

"To expect the unexpected shows a thoroughly modern intellect."

~ Oscar Wilde

I'm approximately one year into fanning on the CP North Toronto sub and in the 13ish months, I've learned to never be suprised at anything CP does. With rumors flying left right and center about the SD70ACUs being mandated trailing locomotives, it was both suprising and not suprising (becuase CP) that one was going to be the sole power on a Chicago to Toronto autorack train. Fast forward a day, CP 2-240 is in Wolverton with CP 7058 and they decide to lift UP 4101 (Who came into Wolverton on a different train). Also; shocker, they were running light power to Toronto with a lift at Hornby. Unexpectedly (or maybe it should be expected), they lifted 3 tankers in Hornby and continued east, not stopping (aside from getting blocked by GO) until Toronto yard.

When I say expect the unexpected, its in reference to these sub 10 car trains that routinely see on "autorack" trains.

Very dissapointed with this shoot. I expected a heck of alot more out of this doll and all her pictures came out terrible. I took her out for two shoots. She did improve the secound shoot ,but still wasn't perfect. In the end I only have myself to blame. Snow White is next week, and I'm going to try my hardest to do much better.

Well I was not expecting to see this little fellow at the Highland Wildlife Park it was just so special for me. I honestly cannot remember the last time I saw a red squirrel for myself. The Highland Wildlife Park do have feeder boxes out for the squirrels they do feed them hazelnuts but the squirrels also forage for buds, fungi, insects and berries. This wee one sat for what seemed a while and I enjoyed watching it. This was an extremely good start to my outing to the park.

2nd Surprise of the Day in Colour

I love Peking Duck but have never seen how it is made. Our first surprise came in a market where this guy was doing Peking Duck the traditional way (even if in a metal in stead of a clay oven). He kindly allowed me to take photos of the process. The golden ones are cooked, the white ones uncooked. The rest is self-explanatory.

Went Walkies yesterday, looking for one thing unsuccessfully but found many other surprises in this amazing city.

Theme

La Ruota Del Delore: the Wheel of Pain.

This vessel is a direct spiritual successor to the famed La Bomba, which struck so valiantly with its host of torpedoes at the Valparaisan fleet during the Azzorre Crisis. A massive magazine ring of 40 torpedoes rotates like a revolver, firing its arsenal in sequence from the lowest point. Enormous rubber rollers inside and below the ring move and aim the weapon, on direction from the torpedoes' dedicated rangefinder. This revolving design allows for more accurate torpedo targeting and for more torpedoes to be launched from a smaller platform. Its disadvantages are its height (throwing off weight distribution,) its tendency to jam and stop rotating during battle, and its high cost. An accountant in the Principale Marine reportedly suffered an aneurysm upon hearing how many vessels the admirals wanted to buy.

Unlike La Bomba, La Ruota is a (somewhat) balanced vessel even after expending its torpedoes. It shares its heavy AA suite and advanced fire control with the Pendenza-class, adding 4 6" guns for anti-surface actions, and carries a hydrophone for better anti-submarine detection. It also shares similar speed and (lack of) armor to its sister ship. Observers expect the Ruota-class esploratori to be deployed alongside the Pendenza, depending on how badly the expected cost overruns the budget.

This photo shows La Ruota Del Dolore in a different oceanic camouflage scheme, omitting the "ghost" patches of light green in favor of a simpler mix of lighter blue tones.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzMl0-bhNcM

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n.4148 del torino pillow fight

Astronomers using NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope have discovered that the universe is expanding 5 percent to 9 percent faster than expected.

“This surprising finding may be an important clue to understanding those mysterious parts of the universe that make up 95 percent of everything and don’t emit light, such as dark energy, dark matter and dark radiation,” said study leader and Nobel Laureate Adam Riess of the Space Telescope Science Institute and Johns Hopkins University, both in Baltimore, Maryland.

The results will appear in an upcoming issue of The Astrophysical Journal.

To read the full article, click here.

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These official NASA photographs are being made available for publication by news organizations and/or for personal use printing by the subject(s) of the photographs. The photographs may not be used in materials, advertisements, products, or promotions that in any way suggest approval or endorsement by NASA. All Images used must be credited. For information on usage rights, click here.

2019

Maternity Photo Session for our upcoming Twin Girls

photos by : Jamee Sandalwood

A veces nos decepcionamos con las cosas, pensamos que no son como

nosotros queremos pero eso ocurre porque ponemos demasiadas

expectativas, nos hacemos una idea idílica de como se van a suceder los

acontecimientos,muchas veces me ha pasado y a veces todavía me sigue

pasando.. TGDT

And I keep trying with the strobist! // Y sigo intentando hacer cosillas con el strobist :)

[ . 339 - 365 . ]

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My first effort with the Holga 120N toy camera. You never know what to expect with this camera!

Film: Ilford HP5.

Edited in Lightroom.

expect the unexpected...many wildlife photographers know stories about that. we found this western tiger swallowtail while looking for bears, southern BC

Despite being English, I've never particularly been a fan of the royals but the fact Meghan and Harry are now hanging out in Victoria, BC seems to have people quite excited. :-)

(Snapped on iPhone 6)

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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sefton_Park

Sefton Park is a public park in south Liverpool, England. The park is in a district of the same name within the Liverpool City Council Ward of Mossley Hill, and roughly within the historic bounds of the large area of Toxteth Park. Neighbouring districts include modern-day Toxteth, Aigburth, Mossley Hill, and St Michael's Hamlet.

The park is 235 acres (0.95 km2) in area[1] and has been designated a Grade II* Historic Park by English Heritage[citation needed] making it one of three such parks in the city, along with the nearby Princes Park and St James Cemetery.

History

The site of the park was once within the boundaries of the 2,300-acre (9.3 km2) Royal Deer Park of Toxteth which became "disparked" in 1591. The land eventually came under the control of the Earl of Sefton.

As Toxteth rapidly grew, the green fields and woodland of Toxteth Park grew into narrow streets and courts packed tiny uninhabitable houses where the air was stagnant, there was little or no sanitation and running water consisted of one tap in the middle of the court. At the same time there was demand for large aristocratic mansions in the South of Liverpool. In 1862 the Borough Council Engineer recommended a site for this development. An Act of Parliament[which?] in 1864 permitted corporations to borrow sums of money up to half a million pounds to be repaid over thirty years. This allowed steps to be taken towards the purchase of land for Sefton Park. In 1867 the Council purchased 375 acres (1.52 km2) of land for the development of the park for £250,000 from the Earl of Sefton.

Even though it was recognised by politicians that clean, fresh open spaces were now regarded as necessity there was an outcry from the public that £250,000 was extravagant and wasteful. As with neighbouring Princes Park plots of land on the perimeter were sold for housing which helped in the funding of the layout of the park.

Soon after, a European competition was launched to design a grand park. 29 entries were received and the competition was won by a French landscape architect Édouard André with work on the design also undertaken by Liverpool architect Lewis Hornblower. The park was opened on 20 May 1872 by Prince Arthur who dedicated it "for the health and enjoyment of the townspeople".

The Park design is based on circular, oval and marginal footpaths, framing the green spaces, with two natural watercourses flowing into the 7-acre (0.028 km2) man-made lake. Hornblower’s designs for the park lodges and entrances were elaborate structures, and included follies[specify], shelters and boathouses. The parkland itself included a deer park and the strong water theme was reflected by the presence of pools, waterfalls and stepping stones. The Park, its exclusive villas and ornamentation reflected the grandeur of the City during its mid Victorian period when Liverpool was the second city of the Empire.

The perimeter road's outer edge is lined with Victorian buildings constructed to around 1890, and Edwardian houses. Additional development of the park continued with the construction of the iron bridge in 1873.

The park had a gallops[specify] which led to it being nicknamed "the Hyde Park of the North" but was always referred to by locals as "The Jockey Sands".[citation needed]

A major park improvement programme was undertaken in 1983 prior to International Garden Festival.

Sporting uses

Sefton Park Cricket Club moved their ground to the park in 1876 and WG Grace was amongst the three Gloucestershire players who made up a "South of England" team who won there in 1877. The park also has tennis courts, a bowling green, a popular jogging circuit and local league football is a regular weekend fixture. It is also used every November to hold the European Cross Country Championships trial races for the British team.

Entertainment uses

The park has also been a site for Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra's summer pops season, Africa Oyé and the Moscow State Circus. Bands have also played at the park in the 80s such as Echo and the Bunneymen.

Restoration

In 2005 the park received provisional approval for a major £5 million Heritage Lottery funded renovation project which involves the refurbishment and improvement of many of the park's features. The work began in June 2007 was expected to be completed in summer 2009. This work was very controversial with some regular users of the park as it included destroying trees and breeding sites of birds.[2] The work led to the formation of the "Friends of Sefton Park" campaigns.

Notable features of the park

Palm House

This is a Grade II* three-tier dome conservatory palm house designed and built by MacKenzie and Moncur of Edinburgh which opened in 1896. Liverpool millionaire Henry Yates Thompson (the great nephew of the founder of Princes Park) gifted £10,000 to the city to fund the construction. It was designed in the tradition of Joseph Paxton's glass houses and was stocked originally with a rich collection of exotic plants.

During the Liverpool Blitz of May 1941 a bomb fell nearby and shattered the glass. It was reglazed in 1950 at a cost of £6,163 with costs covered by War Restoration funds. A period of decline and deterioration culminated in its closure in the 1980s on grounds of safety.

In June 1992, a public meeting was held highlighting the dereliction and calling for restoration. A petition was presented to the City Council by what had become the "Save the Palm House" campaign. A public fund raising campaign was established, with a "sponsor a pane" programme generating over £35,000. This led directly to the conversion of Save the Palm House into a registered charity (Friends of Sefton Park Palm House). The Palm House was partially repaired and reopened in 1993. It was fully restored at a cost of £3.5 million with Heritage Lottery and European funding and reopened in September 2001. It is now both a popular visitor attraction offering free and paid-for public entertainment and is venue for hire.

The eight ‘corners’ of the Palm House are marked by statues by the French sculptor Leon-Joseph Chavalliaud. These include explorers Captain Cook, Christopher Columbus, navigators Gerardus Mercator and Henry the Navigator, botanists and explorers Charles Darwin, Carl Linnaeus and John Parkinson and landscape architect Andre le Notre. Inside the Palm House are two sculptures by Benjamin Edward Spence "Highland Mary" and "The Angel's Whisper".

The grounds of the Palm House feature a statue of Peter Pan which was one of the last works by the British sculptor Sir George Frampton. This is Grade II listed and is a replica of a similar statue given as a gift for the visiting public to Kensington Gardens by author J.M. Barrie. The statue was donated to the park by George Audley in 1928 and was unveiled in the presence of Barrie. It originally sat in Sefton Park but was damaged in the 1990s. It was restored at Liverpool's Conservation Centre, and returned to the more secure location of the Palm House's grounds in December 2005.

Shaftesbury Memorial and Eros Fountain

This is Grade II listed and situated in the centre of the Park next to the cafe and former site of the aviary. The fountain, made from bronze and aluminium, was unveiled in 1932 and is a replica of a memorial to Lord Shaftesbury created by Sir Alfred Gilbert in London's Piccadilly Circus. It was restored in 2008 with a new aluminium Eros statue replacing the original which now resides in Liverpool's Conservation Centre.

Grotto

An artificial cave also known as Old Nick's Caves. This was built around 1870 by French rockwork specialist M. Combaz. It includes a waterfall which flows into a mirror pond.

Other statues and facilities

The park features a Gothic drinking fountain and several prominent statues including a memorial to William Rathbone V by Sir Thomas Brock unveiled in 1887, and an obelisk, the Samuel Smith memorial located by the principal entrance to the Park. There is a bandstand, popular since the Victorian era, which is said[by whom?] to be the inspiration for The Beatles' song Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. An iron bridge was opened in 1873 which spans the Fairy Glen. There is a cafe in the centre of the park called the Aviary Cafe and a pirate themed children's play area opened in 2009.

Former features of the park

Aviary

An aviary was introduced to the park in 1901 and was home to many exotic birds. After falling into disuse in the 1990s, the old cages were removed during the restoration project and replaced with a new curved viewing point overlooking new outside planting.

The Concert

The park also boasted a small open-air theatre – "The Concert" – near the café which featured singers, magicians and talent contests to entertain local children during the summer holidays. This was removed in the 1970s.

Boating lake

The lake was a popular venue for boating until the 1970s, with a jetty and boat hire facilities. The lake was totally emptied in 2007 for the extensive renovation work and all of the fish (which included specimen weights of carp, tench, roach, pike and golden orf)[citation needed] were caught with large nets and sent to various locations across the UK. Following its restoration, the lake was refilled in 2010. Turtles have also been spotted in the lake.

Others

There was a small pirate ship located in one of the lakes until the early 1990s when it was removed due to falling into disrepair.

I didn't expect to see Orioles in the desert during the summertime, but apparently some have stayed. My neighbor has water running all the time to water his Cottonwood trees and has created a small oasis for birds. Lucky me!

Much better Fullscreen

Hooded Oriole

Icterus cucullatus

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We can regularly expect to see two of our four US Sapsuckers up here in the mountain (8600 ft. msl). The other one that is regular is the Williamson's. The Red-breasted is primarily a West Coast bird, and the Yellow-bellied is mainly an Eastern bird... although vagrants may show up anywhere in North America. Because of limited high-altitude access to areas favored by the Williamson's, that species is probably the most sought after by listing NM birders. Although this Red-naped Sapsucker is a mostly only a Rocky Mountains species, it still has a wider mapped range than the Williamson's.

IMG_1418; Red-naped Sapsucker

A sign at Independence Dam close to Defiance Ohio.

Taken with an outstanding Ricohmatic 225. This is a 120 roll film 6x6 TLR, shot on Kodak Ektar 100 film and self developed. Every frame on this roll came out perfectly exposed using the built in uncoupled selenium light meter. 64 or so years old and this camera is a gem.

Some of the CNY goodies you can expect if you visit us on CNY! Story and recipe is here

Expected of you to put them in a bowl & eat them.. ♥

The last thing I expected to find at the top of the Buttertubs Pass, which links Wensleydale (in the background) and Swaledale in the Yorkshire Dales, was this beautiful Austin Healey 100/6 - one of the classic English sports cars of all time. It was built from 1956 to 1959 and had a six-cylinder 2.6 litre engine. Its successor, the Austin Healey 3000, had a 2.9 litre engine. The 100/6 used a tuned version of the BMC C-Series engine previously fitted to the Austin Westminster, initially producing 102 bhp and increased in 1957 to 117 bhp by fitting a revised manifold and cylinder head. It had a top speed of around 104mph, and would accelerate from 0-60 in just under eleven seconds. The average fuel consumption was around 21mpg. But its looks, road-holding and sheer class far outweigh those modest figures.

The traditional place to photograph this mill is from the other side of the river, but in this example I took a chance and managed to find my way to the other side.

For what it's worth I would warn against trying to get to the other side of the river. For starters it's on private land. And I kinda ignored the signs and just drove my car around the farmer's field. I half expected to get chased off the land by an angry landowner! But the other more important issue is the path/road that leads to the mill. Its great for tractors and 4X4s, but not so great for my modest Kia Ceed. There were a number of time I half expected to to get the car stranded, and along the route there are a number of very large rocks which unless you're careful can easily damage the average car with low clearance.

In the end I think it was a gamble worth taking. But I dont think ill try it again.....Not in a car anyway.

The dark shrouded figure placed his hand on the vault door. Closing his eyes, he felt every gear and spring in the mechanism. He paused, remembering a time when he had been a hero. When he had fought against what he had become. He banished that thought and continued with his work. The people he had dedicated his life to protect had repaid him with alienation, calling him a monster, freak, and mutant. They were fools. Now it was time to get what he deserved!

Suddenly there was a tremendous crash as glass flew across the room. The figure that stood in the shattered remains of the window was his old friend, whom he betrayed and left for dead. The only one who could spoil the criminal's plan.

The newcomer smiled, brushing glass shards off his cape.

"Expecting me?"

A pair of red foxes beside their den that they have prepared for a new litter.

Halloween season is upon us and all things supernatural creepy and spooky is on most of our minds.

So I was wondering do you believe in Ghosts??

Ok I know we are mostly a bunch of level headed people but even some the most scientifically minded of us humans have a belief in the supernatural.

So have you seen a ghost or experienced odd things happening? have the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end for no reason?

I suppose I have to respond as well.

I do think I have seen at least a shadow on our landing and things have moved without any of us moving them or so the family say.

this one will get you going. one night no so long ago when the girls were away for the weekend I was awoken by a tugging of the covers looking down expecting to see the dog I was little worried when she turned out to be asleep in the other room.

Ok yeah it could have been a vivid dream, the shadow could have just been a shadow and the objects not were we left them could just be us being forgetful .

What should I wear for so some Halloween photos