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For four days, I patiently waited for the right conditions at this famously windy lake in the Canadian Rockies.
Actually, that's a lie. I was most impatient as the wind teased me with split-second glimpses of what could be only to rev up and dash my plans of capturing a serene moment like this.
After three days, I gave up and left to try my hand at some other promising locations in the Rockies.
While I did manage to capture some lovely images in different locations, I felt that I had unfinished business back on this lake so I resolved to return and give it one last try.
I'm glad I did.
Sure enough, a 5AM sunrise sojourn down to the lakeshore on the fourth day gave me the 'once in a lifetime shot I'd been searching for.
This single exposure was one of the easiest I've ever had the pleasure to shoot.
Using the Fuji GFX100S with the 100-200mm telephoto I was able to frame up this lovely composition at 135mm.
It was still almost dark so I was forced to shoot a 30" exposure which is why you can see some streaks in the water from the slow-moving leaves.
Moments like this are exactly what I live for and I even captured the moment in a vlog. Watch this space over the coming weeks for some beautiful, inspiring, and hilarious vlogs from this trip.
Thanks for reading.
Gavin
Venice (Venezia) really needs no introduction. The Serenissima has been a fabled destination for centuries. Just the name Venice is enough to conjure up a host of images, even for those who have not yet set foot in Italy: gondoliers in striped jerseys, the Rialto and the Bridge of Sighs, masked balls, golden barges, courtesans in gondolas and crumbling palaces facing streets made of water. The western world's most famous figures visited Venice, marveled at the gold mosaics of St Mark's, admired art in churches, explored the city's maze of canals (or, in Byron's case, swam in them), and then proceeded to preach Venice's wonders to those unable to make the journey. In these days of budget airlines, however, Venice really is open to anyone. Both Ryanair and EasyJet run flights to Venice, so the city of lions and doges has never been so accessible.
Venice is a glorious cliché, more romantic, more beautiful and more surprising than you could expect. No matter how many photographs or films you may have seen, it is still a jaw-dropping experience seeing Venice's canals and palaces for the first time. That first cruise down the Grand Canal - punctuated by exclamations and photo-snapping - is one of life's unforgettable experiences.
Venice's quietest season is winter. You're unlikely to find Venice empty of tourists at any time, but late autumn and the first part of the winter are the best times to come if you want to avoid the crowds and take advantage of cheaper hotel rates. This is the best time to see a (relatively) tourist-free Venice - but be prepared for icy temperatures and mists. In January and February the two-week-long Carnival is one of Venice's big attractions and the crowds flock in - it is even more important at this time to book a hotel well in advance. There are masks and parties; it's a bit tamer now, though, than the decadent excesses of the past. As the spring turns into summer, tourist numbers rise; and Venice in the height of summer is avoided by many; August can be swelteringly hot. The Venice Film Festival takes place in late August and early September.
Venice is composed of more than a hundred tiny islets, packed closely together around canals. The city is in a lagoon, protected from the sea by a long strip of land called the Lido. Venice is famously sinking. Every year high water levels (acqua alta) threaten the city's fabric, and it has long been feared that the beautiful city will one day disappear beneath the water. Many ideas (and funds) have been put forward to protect the endangered heritage site, but the problem is a complex one and 'solutions' such as those to construct a giant water-gate are controversial.
For centuries Venice was a republic of immense power; controlling trade routes in the Adriatic, and waging successful wars with rival states. Ruled by a doge, who had his powers controlled by a cabinet, Venice was a proud and rich republic, known as la Serenissima, the most serene. Every year the Doge would take part in a symbolic ceremony, the Marriage of the Sea, to celebrate Venice's mastery over the ocean. Like most great powers, however, Venice's glory was followed by a decline. La Serenissima lost her chattels in wars, and the city's trade routes declined in importance. By the eighteenth century, Venetians was already seeking profits from the tourist trade, leasing fine palazzi to foreign travelers.
Earl Spencer has split up with his second wife after five years of marriage, it was reported yesterday.
Charles, the younger brother of Princess Diana, allegedly walked out on wife Caroline, 39, a former nursery school teacher.
Last night, Countess Spencer was said to be ‘devastated’ by the split, as she returned to the couple’s £4.5million London townhouse with their two children.
She did not speak as she rushed into the property with Edmund, two, and four-month-old Lara.
An employee refused to confirm if Earl Spencer was in residence at his Althorp estate in Northamptonshire, and the aristocrat failed to return calls about the break-up.
But one close friend of the Countess said: ‘Caroline is heartbroken. She was shattered by his decision to up and leave. And let’s not forget they have two young children.’ Earl Spencer’s first marriage, to former model Victoria Lockwood, lasted just six years, and the couple divorced in 1996.
Yesterday, another source claimed tensions between the Spencers grew following an extraordinary incident in May, when the Earl, 42, was savagely beaten by his former best friend Darius Guppy.
The incident, at Guppy’s South African home, was triggered by allegations that Earl Spencer had tried to seduce his wife Patricia in the 1990s. Guppy, a fellow Old Etonian, was serving a jail sentence for gems fraud at the time.
Earl Spencer vehemently denies the allegation. At a dinner party at Althorp in mid-1995, attended by Mrs Guppy and two woman friends of his then wife, Victoria, Earl Spencer is said to have made advances towards all three woman.
They rejected his attentions and Mrs Guppy vowed to keep the incident to herself.
But last April she heard the other two women had mentioned their alleged encounter to a third party and decided to tell her husband, before he found out from somebody else.
Guppy then lured Spencer to his home for the confrontation, which left the Earl with a black eye, cut nose and bruised cheek. He later claimed these were ‘cricket injuries’.
The Guppys refused to comment yesterday. A source told the News of the World: ‘Caroline was devastated that Charles was drawn into this saga.
‘She is very good friends with Patricia and Darius and didn’t think their friendship would be tarred by accusations about her husband’s behaviour. The last few months have blown her world apart.
‘Not only has she had to deal with the rumour and intrigue from friends asking about Charles and Patricia – but also the marriage split. ‘She has vowed to fight on and get on with the rest of her life for the sake of her children.’ The source said the Earl’s frequent business trips abroad also contributed to the break-up.
During his first marriage, Earl Spencer had an affair with South African Chantal Collopy. She returned to her husband, but later appeared in court to support Victoria during the divorce hearing.
Earl Spencer was accused of being a serial adulterer during the proceedings.
He first met Caroline, whose nickname is ‘Pidge’, at Oxford University when the pair were undergraduates.
Their romance blossomed after she helped him over his divorce and they ‘came out’ as a couple at the premiere of the film Notting Hill. Countess Spencer was formerly married to the PR guru Matthew Freud, and the couple had two children before they parted in 1999.
News of the Spencers’ split comes just days after the ninth anniversary of Diana’s death. Earl Spencer famously launched a withering attack on the Royal Family during his sister’s funeral.
FROM: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=403468&in_page_id=1770
Once thought to be extinct, the takahē was famously rediscovered in Fiordland back in 1948. They have since been the focus of New Zealand's longest running endangered species recovery programme. The total takahē population is now around 400 birds, including eight here at Tāwharanui Regional Park.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grasmere_(lake)
Grasmere is one of the smaller lakes of the English Lake District, in the county of Cumbria. It gives its name to the village of Grasmere, famously associated with the poet William Wordsworth, which lies immediately to the north of the lake.[1]
The lake is 1680yd (1540m) long and 700yd (640m) wide, covering an area of 0.24 mi² (0.62 km²). It has a maximum depth of 70 ft (21m) and an elevation above sea level of 208 ft (62m). The lake is both fed and drained by the River Rothay, which flows through the village before entering the lake, and then exits downstream into nearby Rydal Water, beyond which it continues into Windermere.[1][2]
The waters of the lake are leased by the Lowther Estate to the National Trust. The waters are navigable, with private boats allowed and rowing boats for hire, but powered boats are prohibited. The lake contains a single island, known as The Island.[1]
Since 2012 the lake's north-easterly inlet has been home to the Daffodil Hotel, which is overseen by the Harwood and Brady families.
Etymology
" 'The lake flanked by grass'; 'gres', 'mere'. Early spellings in 'Grys-', 'Gris(s)-' might suggest ON 'griss' 'young pig' as 1st el.[ement], but the weight of the evidence points to OE/ON 'gres' 'grass', with the modern form influenced by Standard English....The medial '-s(s)e-' may, as suggested by Ekwall in DEPN,[4] point to ON 'gres-saer' 'grass-lake' as the original name...".[5] Plus the element "'mere' OE, ModE 'lake, 'pool'".[6](OE is Old English up to c1100 A.D.; ON is Old Norse).
Whitby is a seaside town in North Yorkshire, England. It has an established maritime, mineral and tourist heritage. Its East Cliff is home to the ruins of Whitby Abbey, where Cædmon, the earliest recognised English poet, lived. The fishing port developed during the Middle Ages, supporting important herring and whaling fleets and was (along with the nearby fishing village of Staithes) where Captain Cook learned seamanship. It is also, of course, where Dracula famously landed in Bram Stoker's novel. The gulls are huge and it is an offence to feed them due to the number of attacks in recent years. This one is asking for chips.
Mt. Saint Helens (Washington State) with just a touch of alpen glow as the sun is setting off to the right at dusk. She is famously known for erupting in 1980. (Where were you?) That was the most deadly and destructive happening in the history of the United States. I was out in the Pacific Ocean on a charter boat when the captain heard on the radio that I-5 was closed, but we did not find out why until later. The wild flowers were in bloom last June, and signs of growth since the eruption is everywhere. There is still evidence of the massive destruction everywhere you look though.
This is a 3 shot HDR, all raw and natural in Lightroom. No, woud not have needed the HDR treatment necessarily, but by using the over exposed shot for the shadows, less noise is the result along with better contrast to work with in the low light. The Split Toning edit in Lr brought some life into this image with the highlight color value at 35 and the saturation turned up quite a bit. My standard color values for that edit are 35 for the highlights and 220 for the shadows, usually at very low opacity. A touch of high pass sharpening was used on the peak and flowers only at low opacity.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_St._Helens
Thank you for your kind visits my friends; you are very much appreciated!
Facebook: Ernie Misner
Mariefred, Sweden
Swans are the largest extant members of the waterfowl family Anatidae, and are among the largest flying birds. The largest living species, including the mute swan, trumpeter swan, and whooper swan, can reach a length of over 1.5 m (59 in) and weigh over 15 kg (33 lb). Their wingspans can be over 3.1 m (10 ft).[10] Compared to the closely related geese, they are much larger and have proportionally larger feet and necks.
The Northern Hemisphere species of swan have pure white plumage. Swans famously mate for life, and typically bond even before they reach sexual maturity.
Among the bird world’s most skilful flyers, Cooper’s Hawks are common woodland hawks that tear through cluttered tree canopies in high speed pursuit of other birds. You’re most likely to see one prowling above a forest edge or field using just a few stiff wingbeats followed by a glide. With their smaller lookalike, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawks make for famously tricky identifications. Both species are sometimes unwanted guests at bird feeders, looking for an easy meal (but not one of sunflower seeds).
Right before I took this shot I was taking pictures of small birds from my bedroom window when suddenly the hawk swooped over and all the birds disappeared very quickly. Luckily for them the hawk came up empty handed!!
They call Stilo most famously “The City of the Sun” with its East facing high slopes at an elevation of 386 m I can see how people that observed Stilo in the morning would name it that. Agriculture has been the mainstay of Stilo for centuries with a large fertile river valley at its feet but in modern times iron deposits in the surrounding mountains has led it to being a center for metal production. This scene captures the sunrise from the Ionian illuminating the backside of the 15th century church of San Francesco and its large bell tower also the remains of structure that I attribute to former city walls but correct me if I am wrong in this thinking.
I took this on Sept 18th 2023 with my D850 and Nikon 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 at 170mm, 1/250s, f5.6 ISO 2500 processed in LR, PS +Lumenzia ,Topaz, and DXO
Disclaimer: My style is a study of romantic realism and still a work in progress
Civita di Bagnoregio is an outlying village of the comune of Bagnoregio in the Province of Viterbo in central Italy. It lies 1 kilometre east of the town of Bagnoregio and about 120 kilometres north of Rome. The only access is a footbridge from the nearby town, with a toll introduced in 2013. Because of the toll, communal taxes were abolished in Civita and nearby Bagnoregio. And because of its unstable foundation that often erodes, Civita is famously known as "the dying city". It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").
Civita is situated in the valley of the badlands (Valle dei Calanchi), a region east of Lake Bolsena and west of the Tiber Valley, in the municipality of Bagnoregio. It consists of two main valleys: the Fossato del Rio Torbido and the Fossato del Rio Chiaro. Originally these places might have been easier to reach and were crossed by an ancient road that linked the Tiber Valley to Lake Bolsena.
The morphology of this region was caused by erosion and landslides. The territory is made up of two different formations of rocks, different in chronology and constitution. The most ancient formation is that of clay; it comes from the sea and forms the base layer which is particularly subject to erosion. The top layers are made up of tuff and lava material. The fast erosion is due to the streams, to atmospheric agents but also to deforestation.
Civita, which is inhabited by only 16 people, is situated in a solitary area and it is reachable only by a reinforced concrete pedestrian bridge built in 1995. The bridge is generally restricted to pedestrians, but to meet the requirements of residents and workers the Municipality of Bagnoregio issued a statement that these people may cross the bridge by bike or by motorcycle at certain times. The reason for its isolation is the progressive erosion of the hill and the nearby valley which creates the badlands; this process is still ongoing and there is the danger that the village could disappear. This is why Civita is also known as "The Dying Town".
Excerpt from www.gpsmycity.com/attractions/eglise-saint-nicolas-(st-nicholas-church)-12762.html:
Eglise Saint-Nicolas (St. Nicholas Church), Brussels
Dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Bari, the patron saint of sailors (famously known as Santa Claus), this church has a history dating back to the 12th century but has undergone significant restoration efforts on several occasions – most notably in the 1950s when portions of its exterior were reconstructed in a simple Gothic style. One distinctive feature is the deliberate orientation of its three broad nave aisles, which were built at an angle to the chancel to accommodate a nearby stream. An intriguing relic of the past is the cannonball embedded high up in the third pillar on the left side of the nave, a remnant from the French bombardment of 1695.
Inside the church, you can find valuable artworks such as 'The Virgin and Child' painting by Rubens and the Vladimir Icon from Constantinople, dating back to 1131. Among other art pieces, there's also a splendid gilded copper reliquary shrine in the right-hand aisle, crafted in Germany during the 19th century to honor a group of Catholics martyred by Protestants in Gorinchem, Netherlands, in 1572.
Excerpt from www.gpsmycity.com/attractions/eglise-saint-nicolas-(st-nicholas-church)-12762.html:
Eglise Saint-Nicolas (St. Nicholas Church), Brussels
Dedicated to Saint Nicholas of Bari, the patron saint of sailors (famously known as Santa Claus), this church has a history dating back to the 12th century but has undergone significant restoration efforts on several occasions – most notably in the 1950s when portions of its exterior were reconstructed in a simple Gothic style. One distinctive feature is the deliberate orientation of its three broad nave aisles, which were built at an angle to the chancel to accommodate a nearby stream. An intriguing relic of the past is the cannonball embedded high up in the third pillar on the left side of the nave, a remnant from the French bombardment of 1695.
Inside the church, you can find valuable artworks such as 'The Virgin and Child' painting by Rubens and the Vladimir Icon from Constantinople, dating back to 1131. Among other art pieces, there's also a splendid gilded copper reliquary shrine in the right-hand aisle, crafted in Germany during the 19th century to honor a group of Catholics martyred by Protestants in Gorinchem, Netherlands, in 1572.
Reynisfjara, Iceland
A famously treacherous stretch of black sand beach. Plenty of signs greet you and warn of the risk of rogue waves that will catch out the unwary. I approached with caution and studied the swell and the tide for some time before setting my tripod and taking a few shots, all the while with one eye out to sea.
These sea stacks were really impressive, and I hope that this shot combines the moody cloud, surf, black sand beach and stacks well. I hope you like it.
Old Norse texts portray Odin as the son of Bestla and Borr along with two brothers, Vili and Vé, and he fathered many sons, most famously the gods Thor (with Jörð) and Baldr (with Frigg). He is known by hundreds of names. Odin is frequently portrayed as one-eyed and long-bearded, wielding a spear named Gungnir or appearing in disguise wearing a cloak and a broad hat. He is often accompanied by his animal familiars—the wolves Geri and Freki and the ravens Huginn and Muninn, who bring him information from all over Midgard—and he rides the flying, eight-legged steed Sleipnir across the sky and into the underworld. In these texts he frequently seeks greater knowledge, most famously by obtaining the Mead of Poetry, and makes wagers with his wife Frigg over his endeavors. He takes part both in the creation of the world by slaying the primordial being Ymir and in giving life to the first two humans Ask and Embla. He also provides mankind knowledge of runic writing and poetry, showing aspects of a culture hero. He has a particular association with the Yule holiday.
Whitby Abbey still echoes its once glorious past and is fairly complete. Famously it was the setting for Bram Stokers Dracula and given the Gothic feel of the place, it was the perfect setting.
OR "Another one!," as he'd famously say.
As I was poking around Topeka in the morning, I heard the UP 6030 on the radio, looked it up on this here site, and found that it had JUST been released from the GE factory in Ft. Worth. Interestingly, this was released with the same group of CPKC units that I had JUST photographed in Franklin Park, IL a few days earlier ( flic.kr/p/2rc42DX )!
It was just wild to me that I was able to track these units down hundreds of miles from each other, working for two different railroads within weeks of their release from the factory.
Regardless, this was UP's MNPHN (North Platte-Herington), and with it's new crew on board, it's under way, as it pulls down the "New South" in the yard towards the Kansas River Bridge, and the ex-RI Golden State Route.
NS train 32N, (nicknamed 32 Nitro after it famously derailed in East Palestine earlier in 2023) passing the large farm at Moultrie on the former PRR's line from Alliance to Yellow Creek on the Ohio River. The train came from TRRA's Madison yard in East St Louis with traffic off of UP for NS in Conway. It typically bypassed East Palestine in 2023 while repairs were being made, running through Bayard on the Cleveland Line instead of on the FT Wayne line. It has an SD70M in the consist that I likely saw in California in the 90's in the gray and red of the SP.
... dramatic geology. The basalt columns, famously displayed in the nearby Giant's Causeway, can be seen in the cliff face. Headlands and bays, beaches and scree slopes are in evidence ... not to forget the thin veneer of soil used in agriculture.
Our first picking from the four strawberry plants in a hanging basket. I hope they are not all going to ripen one at a time!
Garbo's most famous quote was ”I want to be alone”. In 2005, the American Film Institute voted it to be the 30th most memorable movie quote of all time. It is derived from the 1932 film Grand Hotel in which she famously said, “I want to be alone” emphasised immediately by “I just want to be alone.”.
The Hawker Sea Fury was a British naval fighter-bomber developed in the late 1940s, known for its exceptional speed and handling as one of the fastest piston-engine aircraft ever built. It featured a massive Bristol Centaurus 18-cylinder radial engine, producing around 2,500 horsepower, requiring a five-blade Rotol propeller to efficiently convert power into thrust without excessive diameter or supersonic tip speeds. This propeller design allowed the Sea Fury to achieve excellent acceleration, climb performance, and short takeoff distances, which were crucial for carrier operations. The combination of its powerful engine, advanced aerodynamics, and five-blade propeller made the Sea Fury a formidable aircraft, famously used during the Korean War, where it even managed to shoot down a MiG-15 jet.
On a very warm Sunday morning, a local CSX destined for Sumter heads through Devine Junction to get on the Eastover Sub as part of running the Wye to organize the cars for more efficient delivery. The conductor is running with the door open to get some airflow into the cab. However, although the crew had previously announced their intention, the dispatcher ultimately told them they couldn't leave a car in the junction as they had intended and they had to modify their plans.
The remains of the Gate Tower still provide a sense of the original height of the fortifications at Pevensey Castle.
The castle was built on a site that at the time was a naturally defensible peninsula that stood out to sea and was a former Roman fortification. Famously this is the place where the Norman Conquest of England began, when William the Conqueror landed here on 28 September 1066. He built temporary defences at Pevensey, probably within the Roman fort, and later a great medieval castle developed inside its walls.
East Jersey Rail and Terminal Co. SW1500 321B takes a cut of tank cars up the Constable Hook Industrial Track for unloading at one of IMTT's racks in Bayonne. The 321B is more famously known as being the Southern Railway's "River Street Rambler" SW1500.
The Saint Augustine Church, famously known as the Paoay Church, takes you back to the Philippine’s Spanish colonial era with its charming baroque architecture.
Built from 1694 to 1710, Paoay Church is the most outstanding example of earthquake baroque architecture in the Philippines. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, Paoay Church is nothing short of wonderful!
The business of Parliament takes place in two places, the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Parliament exists to challenge the work of government, approve new laws and debate government policy and current issues.
Westminster Hall is a striking building and is officially a royal palace. Standing on the banks of the river Thames the Parliamentary buildings hold many important historical stories, most famously Guy Fawkes.
Photo Equipment: Sony DSC-H7
Jungen, an artist of mixed European and Indigenous heritage who lives and works in British Columbia, is known for his use of unusual raw materials in the construction of his art — most famously, Nike Air Jordan shoes, which he cut up into small pieces to make various sculptures evocative of First Nations war bonnets.
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Boscobel House famously became a place of refuge for the future Charles II, who in 1651 concealed himself in an oak tree near the house in order to evade Parliamentarian forces.
More information about Boscobel House.
Last week I climbed Ord Hill in the hope of a good view of the Kessock Bridge, I had wanted to do this for quite some time. It is not a high hill and the walk is mostly through forestry but you get a grand view of the Kessock Bridge below which spans the Beauly Firth. If you zoom in you will the see the football stadium of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, they play in the Scottish Premier League and famously won the Scottish Cup in 2015. The bridge was opened in 1982 and saves a considerable amount of time if you are travelling to and from the City of Inverness.
It has been described as having a fruity taste, with the initial bite being sweet and then immediately turning to "molten lava".
The Carolina Reaper, now famously known as the world’s hottest chili pepper, averages 1,569,300 SHU on the Scoville Scale with levels that even peak over 2,200,000 SHU. In other words, it’s a pepper that’s a 100 times hotter than a Jalapeno.
This restaurant is on the main plaza in the old medina. Chefchaouen is an ancient city in the Rif mountains of north central Morocco. It's famously known as "The Blue City" due to the use of a pure blue color on the walls of the buildings and passage ways.
Blakeney National Nature Reserve...The tang of salty sea air and the clinking of halyards add to the sensory experience as you gaze out over saltmarsh and tidal creeks at those famously big North Norfolk skies, the deep orange sun sinking slowly over the horizon
More memories of Paris!
Le dome des Invalides etait comme un bijou dans cet ocean de batiments. J'ai ete inspire' par toutes les differentes sortes d'architecture que l'on pouvait voir, de l'ancien mur sans platre au premier plan, jusqu'au dome dore' des Invalides, et les buildings modernes a l'horizon !!
Montmartre is the highest hill in Paris, and a village atmosphere still pervades these ancient streets. There's a great description of it in Wikipedia if you like history: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montmartre
The building with the gold dome is part of Les Invalides. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia: "Les Invalides in Paris, France consists of a complex of buildings in the 7th arrondissement containing museums and monuments, all relating to France's military history, as well as a hospital and a retirement home for war veterans, the building's original purpose. It is also the burial site for some of France's war heroes." You can read more about it here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Les_Invalides
And here is the website of the Invalides and its Dome -- also known as the Museum of the Army. It is famously the location of Napoleon's tomb: www.musee-armee.fr/en/your-visit/museum-spaces/dome-des-i...
The Purple Finch is the bird that Roger Tory Peterson (world reknown naturalist and ornithologist) famously described as a “sparrow dipped in raspberry juice. "
The Purple Finch is very similar to the House Finch but is a little bit larger and chunkier.
❖ Thank you for your continued support! Have a great day.
❖ Merci de votre soutien indéfectible! Bonne journée.
❖ If I am not here, you can find me on 500px at 500px.com/blue_iris
Jungen, an artist of mixed European and Indigenous heritage who lives and works in British Columbia, is known for his use of unusual raw materials in the construction of his art — most famously, Nike Air Jordan shoes, which he cut up into small pieces to make various sculptures evocative of First Nations war bonnets.
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Pay the toll to the angels
Drawin' circles in the clouds
Keep your mind on the distance
When the devil turns around
Yes; it's my semi-annual RED picture for Valentines' Day. Past ones are here. I'm single for this one but I'm honestly doing great with that. And it gave me a chance to create an anti-cupid look. It's still on theme. Devils are famously horny, right?
Like a poem said by a lady in red
You hear the last few words of your life
With a haunting dance, now you're both in a trance
It's time to cast your spell on the night
Cameron hairbase by Sante at Cupid Inc, Visceral ponytail by Beusy, Inferno makeup by Just Magnetized, Dylan gloves and Dexter overalls by Kindex, Better Devil tail by Schadenfruede, Ezra boots by Salem and arm fades by Achroma.
Chefchaouen is an ancient city in the Rif mountains of north central Morocco. It's famously known as "The Blue City" due to the use of a pure blue color on the walls of the buildings and passage ways. This building was across the street from the main gate into the old city; you can see some of the Rif Mountains in the background.
Cobh, County Cork Ireland, Summer 2023
Cobh, formerly known as Queenstown, is on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland and it is one of the major Irish ports. It was the departure point for 2.5 million of Irish people who emigrated to North America between 1848 and 1950. On 11 April 1912, Cobh was famously the final port of call for the RMS Titanic. Another tragically-notable ship to be associated with the town, is the RMS Lusitania that was sunk by a German U-boat off the Old Head of Kinsale contributing to the American entry into World War I. On a high point in the town stands St Colman's Cathedral, one of the tallest buildings in Ireland. Cobh's houses have been generally very colourful.
The famous Sycamore Gap on Hadrians Wall. This tree most famously was in Robin Hood:Prince of thieves.
This is taken from the other side of the usual photograph to make use of the wonderful golden hour light.
The crops into the original pictures show the Watchstone in closer detail and the two holes in the gatepost towards Odin. The demolished Odin Stone famously and religiously had a hole through which bargains and bonds were made. The tale of the Orkney Pirate involves a divorce through the stone. The light here makes evident that holes are still to be found even if only for light and wind making near silent mouths except for in the imagination and maybe also in the reverence given to them.
In betwixt the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness Circles stands a tall, commanding, proud, orienting, way making, shadow avenue casting and processional marking stone. There used to be more, one with a whole within it. The remaining tall stone stands as your companion when you cross the Brig O’Brodgar and it stays outside the the two large circles that were once stoned, henged and kept ready for the Sun to bring along the days of praise and for the set stones to cast the ways standing within the haze.
© PHH Sykes 2023
phhsykes@gmail.com
Orkney's Stones of Stenness. Yes, they are older than Stonehenge!
www.orkneyology.com/stones-of-stenness.html
The Watchstone
www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/watching-the-watchstone/
The Watchstone, Stenness
orkneyjar.com/history/monoliths/watchst.htm
Ring of Brodgar Circle henge
www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/388/ring_of_brodgar.html
The Ring of Brogar
www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=139
Ring of Brodgar Stone Circle and Henge, Mainland Orkney
www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/ring-of...
Ring Of Brodgar
canmore.org.uk/site/1696/ring-of-brodgar
The Standing Stones of Stenness Circle henge
www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/389/standing_stones_of_...
Stenness - Stone Circle in Scotland in Orkney
www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=158
Stones of Stenness Circle and Henge
www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/stones-...
Stones Of Stenness
Take these little rockets lightly at the traffic light, and you lose! "To give some idea of this mechanical system’s efficiency, the Delta S4 Corse famously ran 0-60 MPH in 2.4 seconds on gravel, nearly identical to the F1 cars of the era."
The Group B car rulebook stipulated that 200 identical roadgoing variants of the car had to be presented for a competition variant to qualify and the Delta S4 was finally homologated on November 1st 1985.
Now, certain sources claim that the actual number of produced models is closer to 150, while some argue that the numbers were in fact much smaller. That wouldn’t be a surprise considering Lancia’s legendary ruse when homologating the 037 by presenting the same batch of cars on two different lots.
The delays in development meant that the Delta S4 race car was ready to debut at the very end of the group B rally car 1985 season which it did in great style, but more on that later. Now, let’s see what made Lancia Delta S4 so formidable.
For the competition cars to maintain light weight, Abarth constructed the frame of the S4 in used lightweight chrome-molybdenum tubular spaceframe with carbon fiber reinforcements.
The tubular frame of the Delta S4 was constructed in a similar manner to the 037, yet with improved rigidity, enabling the car to perform better under demanding conditions of various rallying across the championship.
Even though the car shared its name with the 5-door hatchback, the Delta S4 Stradale retained only the front grille, the windshield glass and rear lights with its pedestrian namesake. The headlights were sourced from the Fiat Ritmo and virtually everything else was unique for this car.
The two-door hatchback-like car featured lightweight epoxy and fiberglass body panels with both the front and the rear being clamshell panels. The S4 Stradale featured the iconic flared fenders which later found their way onto the Delta HF Integrale, whereas the large side scoops covering the whole C pillar fed air to the turbo and supercharger intercoolers mounted horizontally behind the engine bay cover.
The imposing look of the Delta S4 Stradale was upped even more in the competition-ready Corse trim. The front clamshell panel featured a Gurney flap on the hood and a front splitter with aerodynamic winglets moulded into the edges of the front bumper panel. The rear had exposed exhausts, and the roof mounted spoiler featured a prominent aerodynamic wing.
The body of the Corse version was constructed in lighter carbon fiber composite with hollow shell Kevlar doors keeping the weight even more down. Unlike the glass windows of the S4 Stradale, the Lancia Delta S4 Corse had fixed perspex windows.
Engine and Transmission
Carrying over from the 1984 variant of the 037, the Delta S4 had a Fiat Twin Cam 16-valve inline-four engine.
Originally developed by Aurelio Lamperdi, this aluminum alloy engine had been in production since 1966 and over the course of decades, it powered various Fiats, Alfa Romeos, and Lancias. In the case of the Delta S4, it was one of its most extreme iterations as it was thoroughly reworked by Abarth, officially getting the name Abarth 233 ATR 18S.
Unlike the 2.1-liter unit from the 037 EVO, the Delta S4 used the 1.8-liter variant which enabled the car to stay under the 2.5-liter class with a minimum weight of 1,962 lb or 890 kg, essential for rally success. Also, for better weight distribution due to the centrally mounted transfer case, the engine was rotated 180° compared to its position on the Lancia 037.
Just like in the 037 EVO, the engine was twin-charged, meaning it was both turbocharged and supercharged to eliminate issues with turbo lag – a common occurrence in early turbocharged cars. This complicated system was well-engineered and proved to be reliable during pre-production testing and Delta S4’s competing years too.
In the lower RPM range, it was the supercharger boost giving additional power to the engine while the turbo activated to work in unison with the supercharger midway into the RPM range. Finally, when the engine was getting to its redline, the supercharger disengaged letting the turbo provide
For the Corse variant, the Abarth was able to extract way more power from the setup. Various sources claim that the power during engine testing surpassed the 1000 hp mark, but the rally cars ran around 450 horsepower at 8,000 RPM and 289 lb-ft of torque for the 1985 season.
In 1986, the figures were raised to 480 hp at 8,400 RPM and 362 lb-ft of torque, although the power output was unofficially over 550 horsepower. Moreover, Markku Alen claimed that his Delta S4 had 750 horsepower at the final event of the 1986 season.
The S4 Corse engine ran on 7.1:1 compression, while the KKK K27 Turbo and Volumex R18 supercharger provided a boost of 1.5 bar. Both the competition and the street trim engine had dry-sump lubrication, but only the racing car had a functional roof-mounted scoop for the oil cooler
This tour de force of an engine was mated to Hewland 5-speed dogleg manual gearbox sending the power to the wheels via innovative three-differential all-wheel drive. In the Corse variant, the central Ferguson viscous coupling allowed front-to-rear power distribution to range from 25:75 to 40:60 to both the front and the rear ZF limited-slip differential.
On the other hand, the Delta S4 Stradale had fixed 30:70 power distribution between the front open and the rear limited-slip ZF differential via central Ferguson viscous coupling.
To give some idea of this mechanical system’s efficiency, the Delta S4 Corse famously ran 0-60 MPH in 2.4 seconds on gravel, nearly identical to the F1 cars of the era.
Irlanda, County Cork, Cobh, Primavera 2023
Cobh, in precedenza nota come Queenstown, si trova sulla costa sud della contea di Cork, in Irlanda ed è uno dei principali porti irlandesi. E' stato il punto di partenza per 2,5 milioni di irlandesi emigrati in Nord America tra il 1848 e il 1950. L'11 aprile 1912, Cobh fu l'ultimo porto di scalo per il Titanic. Un'altra nave tragicamente associata con la città, è il Lusitania che fu affondata da un U-boat tedesco al largo della Old Head di Kinsale contribuendo all’ingresso in degli Stati Uniti nella Prima Guerra Mondiale. Su un punto alto della città sorge St Cattedrale di Colman, uno degli edifici più alti in Irlanda. Le case di Cobh sono storicamente piene di colore, ma le più note sono sicuramente le cosiddette case a "mazzo di carte". Queste 23 case praticamente identiche sono state costruite su 23 livelli e ognuna differisce nel colore dalla vicina.
Cobh, formerly known as Queenstown, is on the south coast of County Cork, Ireland and it is one of the major Irish ports. It was the departure point for 2.5 million of Irish people who emigrated to North America between 1848 and 1950. On 11 April 1912, Cobh was famously the final port of call for the RMS Titanic. Another tragically-notable ship to be associated with the town, is the RMS Lusitania that was sunk by a German U-boat off the Old Head of Kinsale contributing to the American entry into World War I. On a high point in the town stands St Colman's Cathedral, one of the tallest buildings in Ireland.
Cobh's houses have been generally very colourful, but the best known of them are the so-called “Deck of Cards” houses. These 23 almost equal houses were built on 23 levels and each one differs in colour from its neighbouring building.
Barronette Peak is where people look for mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus). Goats, native to the greater region but introduced to Yellowstone, are not common in the park. Finding a white-coated goat on a white-coated mountain is quite the challenge. Let me know if you see one in this photo, taken New Year's day, 2022, at air temperatures well below freezing.
Barronette Peak, part of the Absaroka Range, rises 10,354 feet (3,156 m). It's not only tall, but it's also a hefty, long mountain with plenty of prominence.
It was gratifying to see so much snow on Barronette's slopes. The park and entire surrounding ecosystem have been on the brink - or worse - of drought off and on for several years. Winter precipitation is especially important for restocking ground water, streams, and lakes as it usually melts at a rate that allows it to be absorbed by the soil, and to restock streams and other waterways without creating flooding and erosion, compared to heavy rains.
According to Google, the mountain was named for John ("Yellowstone Jack") Baronette (1829–1901) by the Hayden Geological Survey of 1878. It was the mountain-namers that misspelled it as Barronette; the peak still officially goes by the misspelled name.
Baronette famously constructed the first bridge across the Yellowstone River (an engineering feat in any era) near Tower Falls. His other contribution to the history of the park is that he found - alive - Truman Everts (for whom another Yellowstone mountain is named), an explorer who had been lost for 37 days after leaving an an expedition led by General Henry Dana Washburn (for whom yet another park mountain is named).
Of all those memorially-named mountains, only Barronette has goats. Goats are occasionally also seen on Thunderer and on the cliffs in Golden Gate. I might add that Ferdinand Hayden (of geological survey fame) only got a nice valley named for him.
I used my Sony α9 mirrorless body to get this shot, just to see how well the combination with the Sony FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS would perform under very challenging conditions, including that it was hand-held against the car door. With the mirrorless camera I could actually see what would be termed "heat waves" on a day that was above freezing (which the high never even approached). So it needed a smidge of sharpening and contrast adjustment but I think my new rig captured the subject decently enough.
Every physicist and electrical engineer knows Nikola Tesla, the Serbian who invented--among many other things--wireless power transmission and the alternating current electrical system we use today. But Edison was the more ruthless businessman, Marconi got the credit for radio, and Tesla survived on a small stipend from Westinghouse in his last years.
01:00 UTC; 22-06-2023
Now on the downhill side of Blair Hill, the CNW heritage unit is back on the move after stalling just East of here. A 1x1 coal empty behind him tacked on and shoved over the crest of Blair hill. This hill famously stalled a manifest ahead of 4014 last year. Oliver got a great video of 4014 shoving that train up and over.
Perched high on the cliffs at Etretat, the Notre Dame de la Garde chapel surveys the rugged Norman coast famously captured on canvas by Claude Monet.
A very different perspective of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Such beauty!
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Taken in Glastonbury’s famously eclectic high street, captures a moment of everyday magic with a twist of sci-fi humour.
At the centre, the bold red “Portal” shopfront and a mysterious striped beacon evoke a scene straight from Star Trek, inviting the viewer to wonder: is someone about to be beamed up? Around it, an ensemble of locals and wanderers pause beneath a lush tree—bikers, mystics, passersby—all seemingly caught between worlds.
Blending the surreal with the familiar, this image is a celebration of Glastonbury’s quirky soul: a town where myth, mysticism, and imagination converge in everyday life