To all my friends and family who bring sunshine to my life, I give to you a little ray of Winter sunshine and wish for you all a very Happy, Peaceful and Healthy New Year in 2017 and always. Lots of love, Poppy xo

“We cannot glimpse eternity by closing our eyes and eternity is in a single moment, so live each moment with heart and eyes wide open, fling open wide your arms, pull it to you and embrace it, enjoy it as a child would do and let it pass into the next, ad infinitum ...”

- AP

"in our dreams we live our lives and in our lives we live our dreams." - AP

Soundtrack : www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yu38a7w9Ss4

THE SWEETEST DAYS – VANESSA WILLIAMS

WHERE BEAUTIFUL STILL WATERS RUN

When I've had a happy day

I don't want it to end

in my memory it can last forever

and in my heart, my friend

because like all friends a memory can

bring love and warmth to mind

and leaves us with appreciation

of all that we found kind

I try to live within the moment

I try to breathe and find

my inner voices quieten in the stillness

and memories spring more easily to my mind

I feel the soft touch of your fingers

curl around my own

and close my eyes; breathe in your goodness

and feel myself at home

contentedness is not complacent

it knows it can be torn

but worry not within this moment

enjoy this simple morn

for unexpected pleasures carry

memories and us through time

and warm us in the depths of Winter

when mountains are so hard to climb

you came and made a change in me

enriched me beyond price

the ache within me is now filled with gladness

you melted my heart of ice

you bathed me in a pool of longing

eyes glistened in the sun

diamonds sparkled on the surface

where beautiful still waters run

a soul may not be tangible

but I swear yours was to me

I was placid; softened in your aura

you set my body free

so that I may float above those mountains

where stormy skies may darken

and snow-capped peaks that may hinder my journey

can no longer stop me from being hearkened

my voice is gentle; softly spoken

since to me you brought your light

and I will sleep and dream of memories

that warm me through the night

and when I wake and see the sunlight

peeping through the clouds

I'll smile and sigh with deep contentment

and say your name out loud

to thank you for the memories given

that left my heart in wonder

and found me wanting to surrender

to the faintest sounds of thunder

for in the storm I'm closer to you

I feel so strong; alive

and truly living in the moment

I know I will survive …

- AP - Copyright remains with and is the intellectual property of the author

Copyright © protected image please do not reproduce without permission'

A compilation of two of my photographs

You can just make out on the right the faintest hint of the day to come :)

I've had mixed luck photographing sunset from Lonesome Lake. Last winter, I hiked up to the lake and froze my butt off waiting for a completely cloudy sunset. I was able to take one of my favorite mountain panoramas during blue hour, but the alpenglow and golden clouds I was hoping for never materialized.

This winter, I was descending from the summit of Cannon Mountain with no plans to stop at the lake. The Kinsman Ridge trail was a literal frozen waterfall so I was traveling much slower than normal. When I got to Lonesome Lake, the faintest hint of alpenglow was glimmering on Mount Lafayette. I decided to stay and, although the sky was almost cloudless, I did get to see this beautiful soft glow on the high peaks of Franconia Ridge.

You can see more on my website here: davidhowlandphoto.com/collections/recent-work/products/al...

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has produced the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant Universe to date. Known as Webb’s First Deep Field, this image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 is overflowing with detail.

Thousands of galaxies – including the faintest objects ever observed in the infrared – have appeared in Webb’s view for the first time. This slice of the vast Universe is approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length by someone on the ground.

This deep field, taken by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), is a composite made from images at different wavelengths, totaling 12.5 hours – achieving depths at infrared wavelengths beyond the Hubble Space Telescope’s deepest fields, which took weeks.

The image shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago. The combined mass of this galaxy cluster acts as a gravitational lens, magnifying much more distant galaxies behind it. Webb’s NIRCam has brought those distant galaxies into sharp focus – they have tiny, faint structures that have never been seen before, including star clusters and diffuse features. Researchers will soon begin to learn more about the galaxies’ masses, ages, histories, and compositions, as Webb seeks the earliest galaxies in the Universe.

First, focus on the galaxies responsible for the lensing: the bright white elliptical galaxy at the centre of the image and smaller white galaxies throughout the image. Bound together by gravity in a galaxy cluster, they are bending the light from galaxies that appear in the vast distances behind them. The combined mass of the galaxies and dark matter act as a cosmic telescope, creating magnified, contorted, and sometimes mirrored images of individual galaxies.

Clear examples of mirroring are found in the prominent orange arcs to the left and right of the brightest cluster galaxy. These are lensed galaxies – each individual galaxy is shown twice in one arc. Webb’s image has fully revealed their bright cores, which are filled with stars, along with orange star clusters along their edges.

Not all galaxies in this field are mirrored – some are stretched. Others appear scattered by interactions with other galaxies, leaving trails of stars behind them.

Webb has refined the level of detail we can observe throughout this field. Very diffuse galaxies appear like collections of loosely bound dandelion seeds aloft in a breeze. Individual “pods” of star formation practically bloom within some of the most distant galaxies – the clearest, most detailed views of star clusters in the early Universe so far.

One galaxy speckled with star clusters appears near the bottom end of the bright central star’s vertical diffraction spike – just to the right of a long orange arc. The long, thin ladybug-like galaxy is flecked with pockets of star formation. Draw a line between its “wings” to roughly match up its star clusters, mirrored top to bottom. Because this galaxy is so magnified and its individual star clusters are so crisp, researchers will be able to study it in exquisite detail, which wasn’t previously possible for galaxies this distant.

The galaxies in this scene that are farthest away – the tiniest galaxies that are located well behind the cluster – look nothing like the spiral and elliptical galaxies observed in the local Universe. They are much clumpier and more irregular. Webb’s highly detailed image may help researchers measure the ages and masses of star clusters within these distant galaxies. This might lead to more accurate models of galaxies that existed at cosmic “spring,” when galaxies were sprouting tiny “buds” of new growth, actively interacting and merging, and had yet to develop into larger spirals. Ultimately, Webb’s upcoming observations will help astronomers better understand how galaxies form and grow in the early Universe.

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Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI

Their challenger was the enigmatic Monsieur LeClerc, a gentleman known for his inventive prowess and his love for elaborate mechanical contraptions. Monsieur LeClerc was a master of automatons, and his latest creation was a marvel that could play the violin with such soulful perfection it was said to bring the listener to tears.

The duel was to be held in the grand hall of the gentleman's club, a fitting arena where intellect and innovation were the swords with which one battled. The terms were elegantly simple: the invention that most captivated the assembly would be deemed the victor.

For the Clockwork Sibyls, this was more than just a contest; it was an opportunity to shift the paradigm of their time. They walked down the street, each step a silent but steadfast claim on the future they envisioned—a world where science and art danced in harmonious symphony, and where the work of a woman's mind was heralded as a masterpiece of the modern age.

As Lady Abigail and Lady Beatrice approached the stately doors of the gentleman's club, a murmur of anticipation rippled through the crowd. The contest was not merely a display of scientific prowess; it was a spectacle that had the entire city holding its breath.

Inside the grand hall, the air was thick with the scents of polished wood and the faintest hint of machine oil—a perfume for the inventors' soirée. Monsieur LeClerc took the stage first, unveiling his automaton with a flourish. The figure, dressed in the finery of a concert violinist, lifted its bow. As it played, the room fell into a reverent hush, the music weaving through the air like a tangible spell. The automaton's performance was flawless, soulful yet hauntingly mechanical.

(Part 4 flic.kr/p/2pFEHab)

(Part 1 flic.kr/p/2pFFzbK)

Image created in DALL-E

Story co-created by Grace and ChatGPT

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

An hour or so after parking my car I had trudged up the creek and found this brilliant little cascade. Such a perfect little autumn spot without the faintest of disturbances. The cloudy morning made perfect photo capturing opportunities! :)

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has delivered the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe so far. Webb’s First Deep Field is galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, and it is teeming with thousands of galaxies – including the faintest objects ever observed in the infrared.

Webb’s image is approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length, a tiny sliver of the vast universe. The combined mass of this galaxy cluster acts as a gravitational lens, magnifying more distant galaxies, including some seen when the universe was less than a billion years old. This deep field, taken by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), is a composite made from images at different wavelengths, totaling 12.5 hours – achieving depths at infrared wavelengths beyond the Hubble Space Telescope’s deepest fields, which took weeks. And this is only the beginning. Researchers will continue to use Webb to take longer exposures, revealing more of our vast universe.

This image shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago, with many more galaxies in front of and behind the cluster. Much more about this cluster will be revealed as researchers begin digging into Webb’s data. This field was also imaged by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), which observes mid-infrared light.

Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI

#NASAMarshall #msfc #gsfc #jwst #space #telescope #jameswebspacetelescope

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More about the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA Media Usage Guidelines

We did not know what to make of her. In our minds we tried to pin her to a corkboard like a butterfly, but the pin merely went through and away she flew."

Jerry Spinelli "Stargirl"

Black Kite

≠=====================≠

Interesting raptor. They work in groups, sometimes very large numbers. The large tail seems to enable them to 'row' through the aiir even on the faintest of breezes.

(Click pic for best view)

Medora's Song

From: The Corsair, Lord Byron

Deep in my soul that tender secret dwells,

Lonely and lost to light evermore,

Save when to thine my heart responsive swells,

Then trembles into silence as before.

Then, in it center, a sepulchral lamp

Burns the slow flame, eternal but unseen;

Which not the darkness of despair can damp,

Though vain its ray as it has ever seen.

Remember me - Oh! pass not my grave

Without one thought whose relics there recline

The only pang my bosom dare not brave

Must be to find forgetfulness in thine.

My fondest, faintest, accents hear -

Grief for the dead not virtue can reprove;

Then give me all I ask'd - a tear

The first - last - sole reward of so much love!

Seems Horatio Greenough was a fan of Lord Byron's, and that's where the idea of bringing Medora to life so to speak came from.

A Wicked Turn

Acte 10

But also like said cat, he was mildly curious, suspicious as to who had made such a gingerly executed entrance unto the landing of the floor below?

And… instinct was telling him that whoever was treading so lightly below, was treading alone…..!!

He grasped the Jewelled tiara, turned, and darted from the room and took up a position just outside the sitting room doorway through which he had entered the corridor.

Silently he moved, listening intently as the cautious steps slowly made their way upstairs from the grand entranceway below…

His sharp ears picking up the faintest sound of a swishing skirt!. He could sense that the (probably bejewelled) owner of those feet, which were treading ever so lightly, ever so elegantly, was as much on the alert as he was, listening out into the darkness for any hint of danger, much the same as he.

Only she was not sure if there was an intruder, and he was, very sure, there was!

He licked his lips, as he pondered it over for a few precious seconds.

Was this, after all, some type of elaborate ensnarement?

Or was it, as they say, a difficulty mastered, so an opportunity won?

Should he stay, or should he go?….

That was his question, and the answer needed to be made forthwith!

[15:53] Fenna DeCuir had followed him a while, cris crossing the place and eventually she walked right up to him. When she came to a halt, there was still a respectable distance between the two. Eyes narrowed as she titled her head from the right to the left, eyeing him. ''YEAH FUCKFACE BETTER DROP THAT WEAPON. WOULD HATE TO END UP SHOOTING YOU IN THE HEAD WITH IT INSTEAD OF CHOKING YOU WITH YER LARGE INTESTINE!'' she called out loud enough for the scientist to hear.

[15:56] Laurick Scarbridge just held the rifle up on his shoulder as he looked at Fenna with a quirked brow. The red head tapped the body of the rifle on the side of his head, smiling brightly as that woman blocked his path. He continued to move forward without much regard for her and leaned forward when he arrived at the first bump - leaning forward as he tilted his head, "Oh my, you. I wasn't expecting /you/ just yet. Not in this weather!" he said as the rain hit the waters that surroudned them.

[15:59] Fenna DeCuir: ''The weather, reflects my mood. It rains. I want it to be raining men.'' she paused, dark twinkle in her eyes. ''Dead men.'' she wouldnt move back as he walked closer, nor would she move towards him. Hand reached down and she unhooked the heavy chain from her thighband. Only to wrap the first couple of shackles around the knuckles of her right hand. ''Pussy.'' she said then, grinning.

[16:01] Laurick Scarbridge quirked a brow as she wrapped the chain around her hand. He glanced down at the weapon in his right hand and shrugged his shoulders as he tossed the stock rifle into the water. His hands moved to wrap around his back as he hopped over the first ridge and then continued to move toward toward Fenna with a large smile on his face, "I'm surprised you agreed to these terms, that I am. We'll see - we really will. I don't think you'll be happy with the outcome, though."

[16:05] Fenna DeCuir smirked. ''Oh, I know that. Would love to put your cock into the meatgrinder once I am done with you, too bad I have none here.'' she shrugged, nodded at the water. ''Guess the sharks will have to do the trick then..'' she moved forwards then herself, slowly. One step after the other, though this just lasted for a moment. Fenna then took a sprint, swung the heavy rusty chain through the air and would attempt to hit him right against the face. '''Lets not talk. HUH!''

[16:07] Laurick Scarbridge held his hands behind his back as Fenna advanced and continued to talk. He just smiled that large grin. For once, the red head didn't open his mouth. When Fenna came forward with the chain he actually ducked down and attempted to avoid the damage. Fenna would notice right away something off about his reflex speed. Judging by the speed which with he moved, he had some sort of augmentation in his knees .. or at least his joints. Once the chain had moved out of his range, he backed up, hopefully, before she could continue to swing once more. His right hand raised up and he tutted his finger at Fenna and winked.

[16:11] Fenna DeCuir wouldnt think of any sort of augumentation. She probably thought he was an alien and the fact that he ducked, just fueled her anger more. Expression darkened instantly, low growl was released from her throat. The tree they were standing on, got more slippery by the rain and for a moment she nearly lost balance. She jumped back though and ended up into a crouch, one hand placed in front of her while the other still had that chain. She stood up then, slowly and would indeed try to hit him again. ''FIGHT THEN ASSHOLE!!''

[16:16] Laurick Scarbridge stood up straight right after she had crouched down after the failed attack. Laurick continued to back away from Fenna as she would likely chase him down the pipeline like a crazy woman spinning a chainlink .. chain. The red head glanced behind him as he hopped back over the various ridges, just taking enough care not to trip. The winds started to pick up and almost knock him off balance as his hair was now soaked from the rain. He stopped and looked back toward Fenna to see exactly what she would do now. His balance was starting to wane with increase in the weather conditions - the pipes being incredibly slippery.

[16:22] Fenna DeCuir 's hoodie was soaked, as was her shirt. Nope, not wearing a bra. She grunted when he moved back and instantly began to chase him. Run, hop, run, hop. Using the chain as if it were a lasso. Slicing through the air as she rush over to the man. ''BUG!!'' she yelled and tried to hit him against the ear before quickly pulling back. Hit or not, she would then simply try to throw him off balance by jumping forwards in an attempt to push him down. And yes, would it work she'd go down too.

[16:24] Laurick Scarbridge the chain missed again as Laurick's head movement seemed to be rather impressive. Apparently he was good at dodging physical strikes. It was the combination that got him. Fenna's double up with the takedown had been enough to nail him. Laurick's right foot mis-stepped after he dodged the chain and when she'd thrown her shoulder into his armored abdomen his whole body lost control and his right leg collapsed. The red head's back collided with the pipeline and his radio bashed against the metal and splattered into the water beside them. The splash got into his right eye, and rolled down his cheek. He started to laugh. That same laugh that he always laughed as Fenna now had top position over him.

[16:31] Fenna DeCuir winced only briefly when the two of them found a quick way down to the pipeline. She would now straddle him, eyes rolled back a moment and she released a low feral hiss. Anger, hate those were the feelings she was most familiar with and this man seemed to just know how to trigger her. With the chain still wrapped about her knuckles she tried to throw a right hook straight for his jaw since she was still on top right now. ''DONT FUCKING LAUGH!!!'' she screamed in anger and frustration.

[16:33] Laurick Scarbridge hadn't moved to remove her from the mount position that she had on his abdomen, but he had positioned himself so it was difficult for her to move up. When she sat up and threw that right hook right to his face with the chain - it connected. The red head's cheek made a dull thudding noise, and almost immediately started to turn red. But as she started to retract her fist he sat up. He sat up and looked straight into her eyes with that strange heterochromic gaze - the large smile on his lips - and winked at her. If she'd made another aggressive movement toward him, Laurick would attempt to wrap his arms underneath of her armpits and hook his hands together to pull her down toward the ground to stifle her movements the best that he could.

[16:38] Fenna DeCuir would of course make another aggressive movement. She was Fenna after all. And Fenna was angry. Lips twitched when her first connected, but this wasn't enough. She wanted blood. She wanted alot of blood. The fact that he was smiling at her, pissed her off more. ''FIGHT YOU FUCKIN PUSSY!!'' was yelled by the woman that was nearly blinded by her rage at this point. Hand reached out for his shoulders, but felt his hands on her body then. She changed plans and now lunged forwards, attempting to ram her forehead against his nose.

[16:41] Laurick Scarbridge had competed in wrestling in his younger years and had rudimentary knowledge of the sweeping techniques still. He didn't stop Fenna from butting heads with him, his gaze was down at their legs though. Fenna would feel a shift between her knees as Laurick's abdomen region bucked up and his whole body weight shifted to his right side as he attempted to throw Fenna onto her back - it was more of a roll for him to get on top. Her head connected with his with a loud thud and another crackle. Fenna hit hard, that was for sure. Laurick would have a black eye or two and a broken nose at the very least. Blood didn't come from his nostrils after that. But something escaped from his mouth, that laugh, that same damn laugh, "Kwa hoo hoo hoo!"

[16:46] Fenna DeCuir was thrown off balance, arms swung about in his attempt to get her off him. It worked partly, though she did managed to place a hand behind her on the pipeline to keep herself up half. Her clothes were soaked, the heavy wind didn't made it easier at all. She would try to place her feet onto the rusty old surface quick, so she could push herself back to her feet..

[16:50] Laurick Scarbridge had almost immediately attempted to ram his shoulder into Fenna to shove her back against the pipeline when she'd attempted ot stand up. He may not have been the largest dog, but he was a vicious one when he got his way, and he might have had his position over Fenna at this point. The rain started to come down harder ontop of the two, the water around them splattering loudly. The large grin was still on the red head's face as the lightning flashed in the background. Blood flowed freely from either side of his lips, as his cheek where she had hit him with the chain started to turn a violet hue.

[16:53] Fenna DeCuir could have made an attempt to ram her feet against his chest when he tried to push her back. But, she did not. The faintest scent of blood distracted her, if only for a second. And that was the exact moment the man's attempt to shove her back against the pipeline worked. She grunted, would not stay still. Feet tried to kick him while hands were clawing at his face, oh yes..she had some dam sharp nails.

[16:56] Laurick Scarbridge was slow and methodical, as if the worry of Fenna or the story was the farthest thing from his mind. His full lips were grinning wide, blood running down either side of his mouth. His eyes were alight with a passion. When Fenna started to buck her legs he would move his legs to attempt to just siftle the movement by crushing his thighs to hers. Her hands, he didn't bother to stop. Her nails would dig deeply into that already damage cheek and ripped the skin easily, blood almost squirting from the wound she had inflicted. His eyes were still locked on her face as he attempted to hold Fenna by the throat with his fleshy right hand, his left hand would slowly rear back as he if were measuring her. His cheeks however would be burning if he felt pain, instead, he bled - with the smile on his face. That odd bloody smile.

[17:02] Fenna DeCuir tried to think of something else but the blood on his face. This was a task she quickly gave up. She growled at him like a hungry wolf, nails would keep trying to rip more skin over as the crimson liquor now dribbled down her fingers as well. Head was pushed back then when she felt his hand wrapping about her delicate throat. Fingers would start to move up towards his eyes while she contiued to swear and scream at him. Spanish, english words. And none of them were actually sounding nice.

[17:06] Laurick Scarbridge just started to laugh as his usually pearly white teeth showed to be covered in his own blood from his gums. When Fenna's fingers moved up to his eyes and started to push on the soft orbs - that was when Laurick finally struck out. His right hand wrapped tightly and firmly around her delicate skin - his left mechanical hand hummed violently. His shoulder jerked and the closed metal fist would come toward Fenna. If she hadn't moved .. it would come again .. and again .. and again. Until she had either dodged it or it had put her out, Laurick's left hand would attempt to violently slam into that beautiful face and put her into a dream world for a time. The rain had started to kick up around them, it was now pouring and it was hard to see anything around them except for the silouhette of the rain that formed about their bodies.

[17:16] Fenna DeCuir was too cocky to pay much attention to the hand that wrapped about her throat. She knew he couldn't choke her anyway. That fact made her grin, his blood streamed down her hand and small wrist and eyes seemed to brighten a bit. And while she was clawing at his face, his eyes and thought she had the victory of this one in her pocket.. he threw his robo hand into the mix. Now, she -was- paying attention to that hand. One hand tried to remove his from her throat, desperatly tried to wriggle her body free as he hit her over and over. Cracks could be heard here and there, split lip..and within the next moments half of her face would change colors most likely. But the blood and her anger werent exactly a good combination.. however she could not permit to frenzy here, with this scientist. Fighting herself, fighting him. It would soon become too much. She hissed ferally, eyes stared right at him before they rolled back and her hand slowly slippe off his face..

[17:21] Laurick Scarbridge still had that smile on his face. That wide bloody smile. His eyes practically alight with glee at this point. His grip on her throat grew tighter and tighter as he continued to strike her and strike her. Each hit illicited a much brighter response from Laurick's smile. It grew and grew with the amount of damage he had done to Fenna. When her hands finally slipped off his face and presumably her body started to go limp - the grip on her throat subsided. He merely held her there as she went limp. The red head tilted his head and leaned in to look at her, slowly letting her neck go from his grip - and to leave her to slump in the water unconscious and bloodied. He took in a long breath and let out another as his chest heaved now - showing the utter tiredness. He took a step away from Fenna and glanced down at the blood that now stained the dark metal of his arm. He raised the knuckles up to his lips and ran his long blood stained tongue along the metal to remove it. The Doctor moved away from Fenna's body and stepped onto the swamp grass. He leaned over and wiped at his legs and then looked up at the sky as a rain drop hit him in the face .. and many more plastered him and cleansed his face of his wounds. The red head just started to laugh.

[17:25] Fenna DeCuir was just laying there. The storm, heavy rain..the fact that she looked like she had another close encounter with a truck, it didnt matter now. Mascara stains soon covered the pale, heavily bruised flesh. It was indeed not waterproof. Big chance the storm would blow her right into the sea.. hopefully she woud wake up before sharks smelled the blood on her.

The Oriental Bay-Owl (Phodilus badius) is a denizen of dense rainforest; with its short and rounded wings it is able to manoeuvre between branches and twisted understory lianas while hunting for small animals, often stopping to perch peculiarly on vertical saplings as seen here. Like its larger relatives, the barn owls, the concave shape of the face is designed to focus sounds towards its ears, enabling the bird to hone in on even the faintest sounds of prey. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).

Greta stood in the moonlight, her skin pale as fallen snow, untouched by time or warmth. Her hair, silken and colorless, flowed like frost through her fingers, catching the faintest glimmer of silver from the night. But it was her eyes, red as a blood moon, ancient and unblinking, that marked her as something more than mortal, a creature of haunting grace and quiet hunger.

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------ BLOG CREDITS ------

• \\NeonSheep// - Alfreda Crown

• .ET. Cersei (Reborn) Red

• -Influence-FlatAss Deformer UPDATE

• / HEAD / lel evox / AVALON 4.0

• *AvaWay* BRIGID Earrings Set for lel Evo X F Human Ears

• REBORN by eBODY v1.69.6

• / GUMS / TEETH / lel evox 4.0

• / EYES / lel evox 4.0

• Vibing -- leah rings -- gold -- ebody linked

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• UNHOLY MEGAERA HEAD CHAIN - COPPER

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My Blog: spilledgutsblogs.blogspot.com/2025/10/greta.html

Elise Capalini's boots slip on the slicker floor when he pulls her down the branching tunnel. It smells even -worse- here, if that's possible, but her nose detects a scent that is out of place. "She's still back there," she tells Eamon, and thinks of the keys she felt in her pocket earlier; she wonders what they open--and if they open anything in the church. They -did- wake up there.

Bailey Longcloth peeks around the corner seeing the two near the ladder really wishing they'd chosed a less fragrant way to get to the church

Eamon Cale glances back down the tunnel, and swears again. He's starting to panic now, a flicker of fear building in his gut that has everything to do with 'getting caught' and being blackbagged off to God fucking knows where by the Legion. Even back home, they talked about the Legion, although he'd never had to deal with them. But in his head, they've taken on a level of Darth Vader monstrosity. "Up. Get yer arse up," he hisses, shoving Elise toward the ladder. "Climb..." He turns around, crouching swiftly to draw the hidden knife from inside his boot.

Bailey Longcloth shouts down the tunnel, "Hey, are you guys still down here? It totally stinks and is way dark down here. Did ya find the church yet? I hope they've got a shower cause like it's really gross"

Elise Capalini doesn't argue with Eamon. She grabs the ladder and climbs, boots slipping on each rung as she moves up. When she reaches the top, she doesn't think of going on without him; it's simply not in her nature to leave a person. They seem in this together right now. "And you," she says, crouching and offering him a hand down--but he's bending and reaching for something--she can't see it in the dark, but she can hear the slide of metal on leather. "Eamon."

Elise Capalini: ((unless lag never lets me get up there. :P))

Bailey Longcloth hears what sounds like boots on metal and walks slowly down the tunnel to the opening humming to herself. She wasn't so much afraid of the dark, she just didn't like being alone in it. "Hello? You guys down here?"

Eamon Cale hears that soft voice behind him, but he doesn't turn back. He rises, a slow shadow straightening from the deeper shadow of the tunnel's floor, and starts toward that cheery, mocking voice. Long fingers twiddle the knife, until the hilt settles into his palm. It's a familiar weight, welcoming, and cold. He says nothing, the only sound of his approach the faintest scrape of his boots as he moves.

Bailey Longcloth looks up relieved to see someone "Oh, good I didn't lose ya" she'd see the knife in his hand and frown "Dude, what's the deal with the knife? You can't possibly be afraid of me, big guy like yourself" she'd chuckle and kick at the ground

Elise Capalini watches Eamon's shadow form move away from her, not toward. She stays crouched on the ledge and draws her PDA out, trying her father once more--but once more, there is no answer. Right then and there, she gives up hope of contacting him; something terrible has happened, she's sure of it. "Ea--" He's not coming back--she thinks he's going to murder that woman if she doesn't back off. She drops down off the ledge--breaking back into the church was one thing; murder was something else.

Eamon Cale's lips skin back from his teeth. "Afraid o' ye?" he whispers. "No. But busybodies get what's comin..." With a sudden snarl, he leaps forward from the upper tunnel, landing hard between the tracks. He feints with his knife, surprisingly fast, then lunges his free hand for her throat, his forward momentum enough to drive her back and against the opposite wall.

Bailey Longcloth squeels as he reaches for her throat and hits the wall behind her. She'd duck out of reach of his hand landing in a crouch. "Dude, you've got some serious anger management issues. " she'd straighten up and glare at him growling a bit. "I just wanted ... to ... to tag along. I'm... i'm all by myself." she'd start to whimper a bit and rub at her nose

Elise Capalini's eye widens as Eamon goes down off the ledge and lunges for the girl. Her brothers also taught her, she thinks with a chill, that one needed to kill prey as quickly as possible, and leave no trace. Traces could be tracked--and she bets Eamon knows that. She saw it in his eyes earlier. He's done this before. She walks to the end of the slick tunnel and watches the girl drop in a crouch. "Leave us be--you were warned."

Eamon Cale sneers when she tucks into her crouch. It puts her head at a good level; he would fist his hand into her hair, at the crown where it hurts the most, and force her head back, his blade cold and suddenly pressed to her throat. "No' sure she wants ta listen, Elise," he almost purrs. Dark eyes flick over her body, and come to rest on the gun at her thigh. "Elise. Come get this gun."

Bailey Longcloth yells as he grabs a hold of her hair. She goes suddenly still as the knife is pressed at her throat, her eyes widening. she'd start whimpering more, a tear falling from her eyes, "I... I'm sorry. I just wanted some company" her bottom lip would start to tremble

Elise Capalini drops back into the main subway tunnel and crosses to Eamon's side. She would crouch down and reach for the gun, her eye steady on the female cat. "You shouldn't have followed," she says, fingers curling around the gun. She would draw it out slowly, its weight very strange in her palm.

Eamon Cale tilts his head slowly, his dark gaze fixed as he stares into those tear-filled eyes. "Ye don't want m' sort o' company, lass," he whispers. He waits until he sees Elise back away, the gun in hand, then he shoves the other cat away hard. Waving Elise toward the ladder again, he backs away, knife at the ready. "I see ye again," he growls. "Ye'll be able ta wear yer guts like a daisy chain."

Eamon Cale: ((as Bails' AO attempts to disarm me by waving her tail XD))

Elise Capalini: ((mind the tail, always :P))

Elise Capalini steps backwards, still graceful and balanced, and lifts the gun, holding it steady on the other cat. She moves back toward the ladder, until she's backed up against it, but doesn't yet climb, praying the girl runs away.

Bailey Longcloth whimpers as he pushes her away and she falls on her butt. Tears now falling from her eyes in a steady stream. She couldn't believe this was Elise and the Father, the man that would marry her and Ioh in a few weeks. She'd nod to the two, not moving.

Bailey Longcloth: ((it's a killer tail :P))

Eamon Cale: ((thank you, Bails. Now I actually feel guilt. XD))

Elise Capalini: ((bwahaha))

Darkness Odigaunt: ((XD nice one Bails))

Bailey Longcloth: (( welcome Eamon :P wait until Ioh sees you *wink*))

Eamon Cale: ((grins!))

Elise Capalini whispers, "Just run...run..." to the girl. Her hand tightens around the gun and she steps up the first rung of the ladder. "Eamon--come on." It's a soft hiss in the sewer dark.

Eamon Cale backs up until he reaches the ladder. "Climb," he hisses to Elise. He turns toward her, waiting, and would flash a fierce grin as she does. "Comin, love," he whispers, and gives her bonny arse a swat. "Up ye get."

Elise Capalini hisses a little when he swats her, but up she climbs, flicking her tail in his direction as she goes; she remembers his smile from the med den...this one was more devastating in its own way.

Bailey Longcloth sticks her head in her hands as she sits down in the tunnel, crying and whimpering. wondering what was going on in this city. she'd watch the two head up the ladder sadly

Eamon Cale puts his knife in his teeth and starts up the ladder. At the top, he stares around them, getting his bearings. "Church has ta be fookin on top o' us," he rasps. "I'm no' reachin that manhole, though. This way... I see light."

Bailey Longcloth stands up as they leave wiping the tears from her eyes. she'd head back to the den, a sorrowful look on her face

After a couple of hours exploring the lanes in the Lakes over Honister Pass we were getting desperate for some mobile signal. Miles was back at home re (re re) taking his driving test, the time had come and gone with no hint of a bar of signal and eventually I picked up the faintest of signals to be greeted with the news he'd finally passed....and news that he's passed his first year at uni (but we'd guessed that)

It's here – the deepest, sharpest infrared view of the universe to date: Webb's First Deep Field.

Previewed by President Joe Biden on July 11, the image shows us galaxies once invisible to us. The full set of full-color images and data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope will be revealed July 12: nasa.gov/webbfirstimages

_

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has produced the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date. Known as Webb’s First Deep Field, this image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 is overflowing with detail.

Thousands of galaxies – including the faintest objects ever observed in the infrared – have appeared in Webb’s view for the first time. This slice of the vast universe covers a patch of sky approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length by someone on the ground.

This deep field, taken by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), is a composite made from images at different wavelengths, totaling 12.5 hours – achieving depths at infrared wavelengths beyond the Hubble Space Telescope’s deepest fields, which took weeks.

The image shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago. The combined mass of this galaxy cluster acts as a gravitational lens, magnifying much more distant galaxies behind it. Webb’s NIRCam has brought those distant galaxies into sharp focus – they have tiny, faint structures that have never been seen before, including star clusters and diffuse features. Researchers will soon begin to learn more about the galaxies’ masses, ages, histories, and compositions, as Webb seeks the earliest galaxies in the universe.

This image is among the telescope’s first-full color images. The full suite will be released Tuesday, July 12, beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT, during a live NASA TV broadcast. Learn more about how to watch.

Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world's premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

NASA Headquarters oversees the mission for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages Webb for the agency and oversees work on the mission performed by the Space Telescope Science Institute, Northrop Grumman, and other mission partners. In addition to Goddard, several NASA centers contributed to the project, including the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston; Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Southern California; Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama; Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley; and others.

NIRCam was built by a team at the University of Arizona and Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Technology Center.

Download full-resolution, uncompressed versions at webbtelescope.org/news/first-images.

Last Updated: Jul 11, 2022

As the full moon rises over Yosemite valley in the southeast and casts it's light on Yosemite Falls, the faintest detection of a moonbow (lunar rainbow) can be seen at upper Yosemite Fall from Cook's Meadow. I was recently interviewed for an article on moonbows for SF Gate: www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Moonbow-Yosemite-Falls-pho... www.optimalfocusphotography.com and www.instagram.com/optimal_focus/

.FASHION TELLER HOUSE.

Season of the Witch: The Raven Empress

issuu.com/fashiontellersl/docs/fashionteller-seasonofthew...

MODEL: Carley Benazzi

SCENE PHOTOGRAPHER: Polly Elan

The Raven Empress has the power to control all ravens and birds at her whim.

Her Wiccan skills include the ability to see through the bird’s eye and hear the faintest distant cry.

Many say this witch can even predict any future events. Beware of her many dark talents.

Meet All the Witches:

Blog: thefashionteller.wordpress.com/

Blue Swimmer Crabs - baked roe

The baked roe was even more tasty with the flavours concentrated after baking!

---

We decided to have blue swimmer crab congee for dinner one night, so I got a couple of fresh blue swimmer crabs from the Queen Vic Market for around AUD7 (AUD15.99/kg), and a Golden Bream (AUD13.99/kg) for later.

As it turns out, the blue swimmer crabs were really fresh! They smelt briney like the sea, with not even the faintest whiff of ammonia or fishiness. I tasted some of the raw roe and it was fantastic! Not as rich as the kani miso I had in Japan, but very tasty nonetheless. I also tried some of the raw flesh and that was tasty too and it just seemed to melt in your mouth, but not that tasty. Perhaps that's why you never find raw crab on the menu in Japan, always cooked or grilled.

I removed the gills, broke them in half, and into the pot of congee. The shells went under the grill.

The resulting congee was very tasty, but the flesh of the crab was tastier still!

- Blue Swimmer Crab Congee

- Blue Swimmer Crabs - baked roe

- Blue Swimmer Crabs - roe

- Blue Swimmer Crabs

- Blue Swimmer Crabs - close up

- Blue Swimmer Crabs - shell

- Golden Bream

Underworld Soul

Color: Black

Leather Type: Glossy Vinyl

Total Lenght: 24.5 inches

Maker: Gloves UA

Softness Scale 10/10

This is my first pair made of any other material than leather. I've always been hesitant to try anything else but I must say I'm charmed by this pair. I love their tight presence on my arms and hands and I absolutely adore how they shine, even under the faintest of lights. Great quality and a touch of originality with a flared opening at the end. Wonderful!

Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) on July 27, 2020 from the Columbia Icefields (Jasper National Park, Alberta) from the Toe of the Glacier parking lot, looking north over Sunwapta Lake, formed by the summer meltwater of Athabasca Glacier. So this is a portrait of ice in the sky and icy water on Earth.

This was my parting shot of the comet, as it was fading rapidly at this time receding from Earth, though it was still naked eye. Plus the waxing Moon was going to be lighting the sky much more in the following week. So this was the night!

While it was pale to the eye, the long expposure of the camera did pick up the blue ion and white dust tails very well. The ion tail extends about 15° and the dust tail at least 10°. The tails are certainly more prominent than in 99% of any comets we see any given year! So this was still a nice comet!

Red and green bands of airglow, some faint magenta aurora on the horizon, and some lingering blue perpetual twilight at his northern latitude all tint the sky. The Big Dipper stars are at top. Arcturus is at far left. The orange star at bottom is Tania Australis, here made a little larger by it shining through some thin haze.

This is an exposure blend of a stack of 4 x 4-minute untracked exposures for the ground, with 4 x 2-minute tracked and stacked exposures for the sky. Stacking the images smooths noise. Tracking the sky prevents star trailing in the long exposures required to reveal the faintest stars and the subtle comet tails.

The camera was on the iOptron SkyGuider Pro tracker. For the ground shots I simply turned the tracker motor off. All with the 24mm Sigma Art lens at f/2.8 and Canon EOS Ra at ISO 1600 for the ground and ISO 3200 for the sky.

Topaz Sharpen AI applied to the ground; Topaz DeNoise AI applied to the sky. In camera LENR employed on all shots on this warm night. The foreground is lit in part by lights from the Icefields Centre buildings off camera to the right.

On Friday, we found out that Baby A has allergies to milk protein, eggs and peanuts.

Anyone who followed along on his 365 knows that we struggled with his food sensitivities from the time he was just an infant. We are happy to have the information, but, to be honest, are a little taken aback by the egg allergy ( which is considered severe ) and the whole peanut thing ( which, the doctor gave us the faintest glimmer of hope, may be less of an issue in a year's time...). The milk protein? bah;), we had that one figured out on our own,lol.

So we go forward with good information and have fingers crossed that all the allergies will be outgrown with time.

Until then...salut peanut butter, bizarro raw egg health drinks and...sob...cheese.

Oh, and the face? It is actually a joyful face;)...he has just tasted his first piece ( tiny ) of bbq'd hot dog here;).

The final act in the great play called "The Aurora That Lasted All Night Long" that the Icelandic Natural Theatre put on for us on our recent visit to Iceland. Kevin Benedict and I were having dinner after a great day of shooting around Hofn/Vestrahorn when Kevin's aurora report suddenly jumped up to major activity levels. We literally almost pulled a dine and dash as we panicked trying to find a waiter to pay our bill. Bill finally settled we raced outside the restaurant to a spectacular display - my first true aurora experience, other than a brief glimpse from a plane near Montreal one time.

As auroras are ephemeral and can fade at any time we hurriedly set up cameras and started shooting just outside the town to get away from the lights. After a few shots we decided we could take the risk and drive back to Vestrahorn mountain for a more dramatic backdrop. We did that, got some great (though in my case unsatisfactorily blurry) shots, and as the aurora light faded, we drove back to the hotel satiated with our auroral feast. Some time later as we were going through the photos back at the hotel, the aurora meter jumped back up again so we went back outside the hotel for act II, which featured a very different looking aurora display, with long, glowing and shimmying ribbons of light stretching from horizon to horizon (vs the more indistinct and localized green clouds we saw in Act I).

This continued for some time, maybe 2 hours, it's about 3am by now, and we've taken all the shots we could possibly think of (and then some) and even just stood around admiring the dancing lights for a while. Finally we decided we'd been lucky so far, and we weren't going to waste an event like this sleeping, so figured why not push our luck further and drive to Jokulsarlon for even more incredible backdrops. And indeed our luck held through Act III, we got more fabulous aurora shots at Jokusarlon, with yet new and different features, including more streaks of different colors and long-lasting formations. See Kevin's post for a great example: flic.kr/p/HNAcdY

After another couple of hours and having exhausted multiple locations at Jokulsarlon we could see the faintest hints of dawn and decided to proceed down to Iceberg beach where we had planned to shoot at sunrise. When we got there I was consumed by a desire to get a shot of the aurora glow through an ice chunk on the beach. In fact, I rudely just marched away from some other photographers there who clearly wanted to strike up a conversation. The mind’s eye just could not be denied here, social niceties be damned. Of course, I was still stumbling around in the near-dark, tripping over rocks and pieces of ice with something like an addict’s desperation level. With just a few brief minutes of darkness left, I finally found a piece of ice sticking up enough to catch the last glow of the aurora. Technically speaking, it's not the greatest shot I've ever taken, but it might be one of the most dramatic and unique. I was extremely happy to have a keepsake from a very worthy final act to this incredible tale of natural beauty, good fortune and go-for-broke photographic decision making.

Truly one of the great experiences of my life and a night I will not forget.

I wish. Montana Rail Link SD45-2 #316 leads BNSF's M PVODEN1 07 over UP's Moffat Line.

I still laugh about catching this. I had spent most of the day hiking around Big 10 photographing whatever showed up. My piece of junk radio shack scanner crackled the faintest conversation where I thought the dispatcher talked to an MRL something east. I hiked the 45 mins out of Big 10 and drove west completely doubting what I'd maybe heard and fully prepared to also miss the ghost train if it happened to be between Plain and Cliff. I arrived at Cliff right as a work train was backing into the siding at east Cliff and lo and behold MRL 316 east was waiting in the siding. Even then I barely had the time for a mad dash to tunnel 29, sliding, trying to climb up deep snow in the shade as the train crossed South Boulder Creek and popped out of tunnel 29.

12.8.04

Located in the Snowdonia National Park this picturesque valley and place of serenity has not always been so quiet. In 1886, the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) opened the Gorsedda Slate Quarry in the valley. The village of Treforys was built to house the quarrymen and consisted of 36 houses set in 3 streets. A sophisticated slate mill, Ynys Y Pandy, was also built to dress and finish the slate before being transported on a newly laid 3ft gauge tramway down to the harbour town of Porthmadog. But this flood of activity was short lived. After a short 20 years of excavation, the quarry was closed down as quality slate became more and more scarce. As the local paper reported, “everything that could facilitate the works was produced, nothing being wanting but the slate vein”

.

The empty shell of Ynys Y Pandy still stands at the foot of the valley. A stark, man made monument set against a stunning mountainous back drop. The remains of the village of Treforys is less apparent. A blanket of green has devoured all but the faintest outlines of that early, expectant community. The water of the lake that once fed a 26ft water wheel, the beating heart of the mill, is now still and provides a quiet oasis for fishermen and passing walkers.

Text source: www.dioni.co.uk/cwmystradllyn-the-most-beautiful-valley-i...

Against my better judgement, I attempted to include many fainter Perseids during the 2016 meteor shower. It was very difficult to extract some meteors from the 111 frames used in this final image because of strong background green airglow. However, since I went to the effort to produce this, I thought I might as well upload it.

Brightest in this group: www.flickr.com/photos/79387036@N07/41083607722/in/photost...

Faintest meteors are probably ~4th magnitude. The f-stop used was f/4 not f/8 as listed to the right.

Padma River, Louhojong.

It's true, the moon may be shrinking. But that's not why tonight's full moon will be the smallest and faintest of the entire year.

The Moon Has Shrunk, and May Still Be Contracting

And also watch out for the moon observatory day on Sept 18, 2010 a special full moon night. Read more here Observe the Moon Night

A brief visit to Cannon Hall, Cawthorne today revealed the start of the flowers. Much later than last year, no doubt due to the very cold weather we've had and, yes, at long last, spring is beginning. I was really pleased with this pic; it seemed the most appropriate to add an old poem of mine. I had been looking for the right shot.

Where Are You?

Where are you in the dark of night, as I lay alone – the bed an acre of soft empty sheets?

Where are you as I wake, shafts of bright sunshine clouding my saddened and aching eyes?

and all around me, normality screams.

Where are you when the empty trolley stumbles down the supermarket aisles?

Where are you when I want to share with you the rough and engulfing difficulties of my day?

and all around me, normality scares.

I am here, holding your hand against mine,

enfolding your beating heart, as frustration weeps.

I am the breath of warm summer air as you aimlessly wander,

and frosty cold winters with crackling fires.

I am the wind caressing the leaves that rustle overhead,

and the soft call of birds on the wing.

I am the faintest hint of fragrance that dances around your room, when you least expect,

and the breath-taking face that smiles at you from a photograph.

I am the petals of the springtime blossom that fall at your feet,

and the gentle rain that refreshes and soothes.

I am the hugging canopy of trees that darken and cool the road below,

and the burnished autumn fallen leaves.

Never fear my love.

Never worry.

I will guide, and protect and comfort you.

I will reach out for you, understanding your sorrow.

And until we are together again, I will patiently wait.

Observations by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have taken advantage of gravitational lensing to reveal the largest sample of the faintest and earliest known galaxies in the universe. Some of these galaxies formed just 600 million years after the big bang and are fainter than any other galaxy yet uncovered by Hubble. The team has determined for the first time with some confidence that these small galaxies were vital to creating the universe that we see today.

An international team of astronomers, led by Hakim Atek of the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland, has discovered over 250 tiny galaxies that existed only 600-900 million years after the big bang— one of the largest samples of dwarf galaxies yet to be discovered at these epochs. The light from these galaxies took over 12 billion years to reach the telescope, allowing the astronomers to look back in time when the universe was still very young.

Read more: www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/hubble-spies-big-bang-frontiers

Credit: NASA/ESA

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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A portion of the open cluster NGC 6530 appears as a roiling wall of smoke studded with stars in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 6530 is a collection of several thousand stars lying around 4,350 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. The cluster is set within the larger Lagoon Nebula, a gigantic interstellar cloud of gas and dust. Hubble has previously imaged the Lagoon Nebula several times, including these images released in 2010 and 2011. It is the nebula that gives this image its distinctly smoky appearance; clouds of interstellar gas and dust stretch from one side of the image to the other.

Astronomers investigated NGC 6530 using Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. They scoured the region in the hope of finding new examples of proplyds, a particular class of illuminated protoplanetary discs surrounding newborn stars. The vast majority of known proplyds are found in only one region, the nearby Orion Nebula. This makes understanding their origin and lifetimes in other astronomical environments challenging.

Hubble's ability to observe at near-infrared wavelengths – particularly with Wide Field Camera 3 – have made it an indispensable tool for understanding star birth and the origin of exoplanetary systems. The new NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope's unprecedented observational capabilities at infrared wavelengths will complement Hubble observations by allowing astronomers to peer through the dusty envelopes around newly born stars and investigate the faintest, earliest stages of star birth.

Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, O. De Marco; Acknowledgment: M.H. Özsaraç

#NASA #NASAMarshall #NASAGoddard #ESA #HubbleSpaceTelescope #HST #astrophysics #nebula

Read more

More about NASA's Hubble Space Telescope

NASA Media Usage Guidelines

It would be a few years yet before Conor could sport even the trace of a moustache. The chocolate milk now coating his upper lip would have to suffice for now. Whether he knew it or not. "Knife...kit?" The words sounded foreign in his mouth, as if Bastian were suddenly speaking Spanish to him. "I just used regular water. And a little bit of soap. Just the regular kind." Somewhere, deep in Midian, there was a decapitated bar of soap. "And my sleeve. It was clean though. My sleeve. Err...mostly, anyway." He glanced back up at Guin, the faintest hint of betrayal on his face. "You have one? A kit? Mine didn't come with one. Just the gold and the kaleidoscope." Skinny arms crossed over a pinched chest as he considered. "Eyup. I knew. That's how I knew to know to ask you. To ask him. For me. 'Bout the knife, not the knife kit. I didn't know about the kit. And I didn't have his number yet. But I wouldn't have asked about the kit anyway 'cause I didn't know about it. Wait..what? What were we talking about?"

On the way to the tarn, close to Sárospatak. I am sure it has an interesting story; but I have no the faintest idea what it is.

Milky way, photographed from Mauna Kea, Hawaii.

Mauna Kea ("White Mountain") is a dormant volcano on the island of Hawaii, the largest and southernmost of the Hawaiian Islands. It is located about 300 km (190 miles) from Honolulu, which lies on the island of Oahu. The highest point in the Pacific Basin, and the highest island-mountain in the world, Mauna Kea rises 9,750 meters (32,000 ft) from the ocean floor to an altitude of 4,205 meters (13,796 ft) above sea level, which places its summit above 40 percent of the Earth's atmosphere.

Mauna Kea is unique as an astronomical observing site. Its distance from city lights and a strong island-wide lighting ordinance ensure an extremely dark sky, allowing observation of the faintest galaxies that lie at the very edge of the observable Universe.

View from Mt Macedon Cross through the trees where just the faintest blush of gold lit some of the trees. Boy was it windy so the intrepid FFF+ decided coffee was needed! Lovely day out yesterday and good to see everyone. Many thanks to Jette for driving!

Our first decent clear sky for goodness knows how long here allowed me to image our well-known galactic neighbour M31 also catalogued as NGC 224.

Also known as The Great Andromeda Galaxy it is one of the faintest objects visible to the naked eye and is visible as a faint smudge (Mag. 3.4) on moonless nights. It lies a t a distance of some 2.5 million light years and is estimated to be 220,000 light years in diameter - around twice the size of our galaxy!

The galaxy itself has a dense and compact nucleus and is accompanied by two satellite galaxies M32 (the denser appearing and above right of centre) and M110 bottom left of centre.

Imaged in the usual awful light pollution:-( The inevitable clouds rolled in the early hours :-(

Imaged with a focal reduced ED80 on a Skywatcher HEQ5Pro mount.

Stock (Unmodified) NikonD5300

30x5min guided subs. with Flats, Darks & Bias files.

Finder/Guidescope and ASI 224MC camera.

Processed with AstroPixelProcessor and Photoshop.

A portion of the open cluster NGC 6530 appears as a roiling wall of smoke studded with stars in this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. NGC 6530 is a collection of several thousand stars lying around 4,350 light-years from Earth in the constellation Sagittarius. The cluster is set within the larger Lagoon Nebula, a gigantic interstellar cloud of gas and dust. Hubble has previously imaged the Lagoon Nebula several times, including these images released in 2010 and 2011. It is the nebula that gives this image its distinctly smoky appearance; clouds of interstellar gas and dust stretch from one side of the image to the other.

Astronomers investigated NGC 6530 using Hubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys and Wide Field Planetary Camera 2. They scoured the region in the hope of finding new examples of proplyds, a particular class of illuminated protoplanetary discs surrounding newborn stars. The vast majority of known proplyds are found in only one region, the nearby Orion Nebula. This makes understanding their origin and lifetimes in other astronomical environments challenging.

Hubble’s ability to observe at near-infrared wavelengths – particularly with Wide Field Camera 3 – have made it an indispensable tool for understanding star birth and the origin of exoplanetary systems. The new NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s unprecedented observational capabilities at infrared wavelengths will complement Hubble observations by allowing astronomers to peer through the dusty envelopes around newly born stars and investigate the faintest, earliest stages of star birth.

Text credit: European Space Agency (ESA)

Image credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, O. De Marco; Acknowledgment: M.H. Özsaraç

For more information: www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2022/hubble-views-a-st...

I haven't got the faintest idea about what this thing his !

it looks like he has a grasshopper dead on his back

Dernier stade d'une nymphe de Cardinal

C A L M - C H A O S

📍 Luxulyan Valley

Woodland scenes are notoriously tricky to photograph due to the chaotic tangle of overlapping trunks and branches baked into a two dimensional image. This scene is a little chaotic, but for me, there's also a calmness to it.

Taken from Luxulyan's Velvet Path, the faintest touch of mist knocks back the trees on the other side of the valley, while the closer trees jostle for attention.

Sometimes I get drawn into "shooting the light" without a strong subject (and those shots are usually binned). Here though, I felt that the two trees to the front were just about strong enough, together with the orange leaves which almost appear to be floating.

Canon 6D MkII | 24-105mm lens at 55mm | ƒ/5.6 | 1/8 sec | ISO 400 | Tripod | Polarising filter | Lightroom & Photoshop | Taken at Luxulyan Valley on 11-02-2023

© Andrew Hocking 2023

**Contact me or head over to my website for prints**

The twisted, thorny vines present an obstacle for larger animals to overcome but for native birds, like this Prothonotary warbler, weaving through the tangled mire is just part of a normal day. Dressed in warm tangerine plumes he is the only vestige of bright color on the floor of this murky bog. Only the faintest light manages to trickle down through a robust canopy to bathe nature's stage in a mottled resplendence. Nature's weave is a delicate entrée of balanced forces detectable only to those who take the time to savor its delicate recipe. #ProthonotaryWarbler #NJPineBarrens

A gift from Pele (the Hawaiian goddess of fire, lighting, wind & volcanoes) - an oozy offering of freshly born lava weeps from a surface vent enabling us to see its raw primal beauty as it flows like thick syrup then quickly hardens with only the faintest exposure to air. A hard crust of black rock forms like the skin of cooling milk on a hot chocolate insulating the molten rock that continues to seethe beneath, flowing outward with the force of its viscous weight and gravity causing the hardening skin crack & creak as it tries to settle like moored ships on a windy day against the docks. The heat never ceases to burn as the light of molten lava seeps through the cracked & undulating surface of the Pahoehoe lava.

Near Kalapana, Hawaii.

Located in the Snowdonia National Park this picturesque valley and place of serenity has not always been so quiet. In 1886, the Prince of Wales (future King Edward VII) opened the Gorsedda Slate Quarry in the valley. The village of Treforys was built to house the quarrymen and consisted of 36 houses set in 3 streets. A sophisticated slate mill, Ynys Y Pandy, was also built to dress and finish the slate before being transported on a newly laid 3ft gauge tramway down to the harbour town of Porthmadog. But this flood of activity was short lived. After a short 20 years of excavation, the quarry was closed down as quality slate became more and more scarce. As the local paper reported, “everything that could facilitate the works was produced, nothing being wanting but the slate vein”

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The empty shell of Ynys Y Pandy still stands at the foot of the valley. A stark, man made monument set against a stunning mountainous back drop. The remains of the village of Treforys is less apparent. A blanket of green has devoured all but the faintest outlines of that early, expectant community. The water of the lake that once fed a 26ft water wheel, the beating heart of the mill, is now still and provides a quiet oasis for fishermen and passing walkers.

Text source: www.dioni.co.uk/cwmystradllyn-the-most-beautiful-valley-i...

this was at the corner store where I get beer, so almost home, and finally last spot of 6/2.

had a big sticker "original patina" in the window, and it looked it, just the faintest signs of age. I asked and he said yeah. Impressive survivor!

There are days when I go out into the yard and can’t even manage to hear the faintest peep or chirp. Then there are days like today, when wild turkeys flock by the dozen, purring and clucking as if in anxious celebration; days when white-tailed deer worry less, and study me more intently than I, them. These are the days I am most thankful for when nature’s creatures can share a small patch of land with a man, tired of a species’ misgivings, showing me that a clandestine world of beauty still exists for those that choose to wait. #WhitetailedDeer

The only audible sound, as I glide into this stand of water bound Kahikatea at the edge of Lake Brunner, is the faintest of whispers from the breeze in the treetops, and even that, only now and then.

"Art to me is an anecdote of the spirit"

"Pictures must be miraculous."

- Mark Rothko

Minimalist landscape at its best: a line of trees and the faintest hints of town in the distance, with an artistic sweep of a field forming the only other shape. All else is white.

Prints, masks, cards and other things are available via the website: www.shinyphoto.co.uk/photo/Snowy-Days-1-3597d0f3a598f1b24...

Where the Blue Fades

Time crumbles like weathered stone,

its dust a pale haze of grey

that settles in the hollows of my chest.

I search for you there—

in the places where light breaks,

then fades like the dying edge of blue.

The sky forgets its color,

its azure skin peeled back to grey.

It is the same with memory:

your voice, once clear as a bell,

now dissolves in the air,

a thread unwinding into silence.

How quietly love unravels—

like mist dissolving into itself,

like waves pulling the shore into their hunger.

You are the distant hue,

a blue I can no longer name,

slipping further with every blink.

In this grey expanse,

I am only the shadow of what was,

moving without rhythm,

waiting for the colors to return,

though I know they will not.

Time, that betrayer,

has stolen even the shape of you,

leaving only the faintest outline

and the ache where blue once lived.

The Milky Way is stunning this week, This was captured the night before last, right before I captured some time-lapse footage of the Milky Way.

I was asked whether this is actually how the Milky Way looks. The answer is complicated. You can clearly see the stripe of the Milky Way including the dark detail in the center, so when I see a photo like this, it's instantly recognizable. But our memory is not static. Seeing a photo like this _modifies our memory_, makes us associate the resulting image with the original experience. So if you go back and view the Milky Way again specifically to examine it critically and compare it to the photos you've taken, it seems that our eyes seem to pick up the individual stars better, while the camera does seem to pick up the cloud-like glow.

So the answer is yes and no. The camera does do a better job of picking up the faintest light, but the image you capture not only captures an immediately recognizable record of your experience, it becomes part of your current impression of the experience.

That's why landscape photographers can adjust a photo in post-processing software and say "This is exactly how I remember it" but they may be producing an image which doesn't really resemble the original colors much at all. While humans can perceive and distinguish between up to millions of colors studies have concluded that we can remember as few as 17.

So this is how I perceive and remember the Milky Way as I pursue photographs of it. I can see it clearly in the sky, even as I look through my viewfinder to compose the shot. Since the image of that moment becomes my experience, whether it looks like this in all respects at the time is largely irrelevant. Unless I specifically think about the question of how well the stars and photos match, I literally don't notice any difference between the Milky Way I see in the sky and what appears in photos like this one. To even notice a difference, I had to go back out to consider that question while looking at the Milky Way, to see if it really looked like the photos. I had to include that sure, there is a difference, but from the standpoint of our experience and memory, practicing Milky Way photography makes your overall experience, your perception of it, match these photos.

This is from the storm we had on 11 September, facing toward the Southeast.

I got to my shooting spot as the sun had started downward but it was still pretty bright outside. You can see the red in the white clouds on the right hand side. Wanted to be there so I could see which way the storms were headed.

There were clouds and thunder off to the East and just the faintest glimpse of lightning, barely visible. I thought to myself "I've got that ND Filter, lets see if I can figure out how to use it". This is the first shot I took with it, got lucky and got a couple.

If you look at the EXIF you'll see I had it cranked down to f29.0 which I figured would block out a lot of light. The ISO at 800 was because I'd left it on AUTO instead of cranking it down as well so that was a definite mistake. I had the filter cranked down to 32 and had the camera on BULB and held the shutter for 2 seconds which was a lot considering the other settings.

The original came out pretty bright, darkened it up in post which also revealed the little bit of rainbow on the right!

The shot isn't super sharp, what I found is that the AutoFocus doesn't play well with the dark of the filter. If you have a cheaper filter like mine (the screw on type) you have to focus manually. What I've been told and read is that people who use the AutoFocus use it first then screw on the filter. This works I suppose but you run the risk of losing the focus when the lens is screwed on since it may twist the barrel of the lens enough to throw it off.

All in all a good experiment, one more thing I can cross off my Photo Bucket List. With a little luck and a lot of practice I'm slowly getting better!