View allAll Photos Tagged Features,
The light released the features from the dark, but the dark kept a hold on some only letting go as the Sun progressed.
© PHH Sykes 2022
phhsykes@gmail.com
St Clement's Church
www.historicenvironment.scot/visit-a-place/places/st-clem...
Harris, Rodel, St Clement's Church
canmore.org.uk/site/10521/harris-rodel-st-clements-church
Rodel The Sheela Na Gig Project
Features:
-J-Tac Custom Receiver
-ARFX stock
-Magpul MIAD pistol grip
-Magpul XTM rail covers
-Geissele SMR-style RIS
-VLTOR Low Profile gas block
-AAC Blackout flash hider
-Mepro 21M RDS
Cusworth Hall is an 18th-century Grade I listed country house in Cusworth, near Doncaster, South Yorkshire in the north of England. Set in the landscaped parklands of Cusworth Park, Cusworth Hall is a good example of a Georgian country house. It is now a country house museum.
The house is constructed of ashlar with slate roofs. The rectangular 6 x 5 bay plan main block is linked to 5 x 2 bay service wings.
The Wrightson family had held the lordship of Cusworth since 1669.
The present house was built in 1740–1745 by George Platt for William Wrightson to replace a previous house and was further altered in 1749–1753 by James Paine. On William's death in 1760 the property passed to his daughter Isabella, who had married John Battie, who took the additional name of Wrightson in 1766. He employed the landscape designer Richard Woods to remodel the park. Woods was one of a group of respected landscape designers working across the country during the 18th century and Cusworth was one of his most important commissions in South Yorkshire, another being at Cannon Hall. Woods created a park of 250 acres with a hanging and a serpentine river consisting of three lakes embellished with decorative features such as the Rock Arch and the Cascade.
The estate afterwards passed to John and Isabella's son, William Wrightson (1752–1827), who was the MP for Aylesbury from 1784 to 1790 and High Sheriff of Yorkshire for 1819–1820. He was succeeded by his son William Battie-Wrightson (1789–1879), who at various times was MP for East Retford, Kingston upon Hull and Northallerton. He died childless and Cusworth Hall passed to his brother Richard Heber Wrightson, who died in 1891.
The property was then inherited by his nephew William Henry Thomas, who took the surname Battie-Wrightson by Royal Licence and died in 1903. He had married Lady Isabella Cecil, eldest daughter of the 3rd Marquess of Exeter. Between 1903 and 1909 Lady Isabella made further alterations to the house. She died in 1917, leaving an only son Robert Cecil Battie-Wrightson (1888–1952). On his death in 1952, the estate descended to his sister, a nurse who had married a Major Oswald Parker but later was variously known as Miss Maureen Pearse-Brown and as Mrs Pearce. She was obliged to sell the contents of Cusworth Hall in October 1952 to meet the death duties levied at Robert Cecil's death. She subsequently sold the hall to Doncaster Council.
Cusworth Estate Cusworth was first mentioned as ‘Cuzeuuorde’ in the domesday survey of 1086 but there has been a settlement here for centuries dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. Many different families had held the lands and manor but they did not always live at Cusworth.
‘Old Hall’ A large house is first mentioned in 1327. Robert Wrightson bought the lands and manor of Cusworth in 1669 from Sir Christopher Wray. The first surviving map of Cusworth is that of Joseph Dickinson's 1719 plan which shows the hall and gardens covered only 1 acre with the orchards a further 2 acres. What is most significant at this time was the ‘Parke’ of some 25 acres. The ‘Old Hall’ was next to the walled gardens in the centre of Cusworth village. In 1726 the ‘Old Hall’ was expanded including altering the gardens between 1726 and 1735. This expanded the kitchen garden into the size and form we know today with the Bowling Green and Pavilion.
In the period 1740–1745 William Wrightson employed George Platt, a mason architect from Rotherham, to build a new hall – the current Cusworth Hall – high on a scarp slope on the Magnesian Limestone removing the Hall, and the family, from the village of Cusworth. The ‘Old Hall’ was largely demolished in the process, many components from the old building re-used in the new.
Cusworth Hall Cusworth Hall itself and its outbuildings are at the centre of the park enjoying ‘prospect’ over the town of Doncaster. The Grade I-listed eighteenth century hall was designed by George Platt in the Palladian style. Cusworth Hall is handsome, well proportioned, with wings consisting of a stable block and great kitchen. Later additions by James Paine include a chapel and library. It has decorative outbuildings including a Brew House, Stable Block and Lodge. In addition it has a decorative garden called Lady Isabella's Garden on the west side adjacent to the chapel. On its eastern flank the stable block and gardeners' bothy. Attached to the bothy is a decorative iron enclosure known as the Peacock Pen.
Cusworth Park Cusworth Park is an historic designed landscape with a Grade II listing in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens. It was designed and created by the nationally known landscape architect Richard Woods to ‘improve’ the park in the style made famous by Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown now termed ‘The English Landscape Park’. Work started in 1761 laying out the ‘grounds and the serpentine river’.
The land forming the existing park is 60 acres (25 hectares) – 250,000m, and was part of the much larger parkland (250 acres) and estates (20,000 acres) of the Battie-Wrightson family who owned Cusworth Hall.
The walled garden The earliest description of the layout of the park and walled gardens is that shown on Joseph Dickinson's 1719 plan. In 1761 Richard Woods altered areas within the walled gardens. Together ‘woods’ Kitchen Garden and Green House Garden occupy the site of the orchard shown on Dickinson's plan.
The purchase of bricks from Epworth for the construction of the walled gardens is recorded in the New House Accounts.
The garden was a compartmentalised space, however with focus on domestic production in some sections, exotics in another, an orchard, and formal flower gardens in the rest.
The kitchen gardens included pine pits (pineapple house), later to become stove houses and mushroom houses.
The Entrance Terrace (Upper Terrace) Old plans show a narrow walled enclosure or ‘entrance terrace' running east–west. The walls of this enclosure may well have been of stone or stoned faced and still, in part survives. To the south are the main components of the walled garden. Access from the terrace down to the bowling green is via a flight of stone steps.
Bowling Green Described on Richard Woods plans of 1760. This is a roughly square, walled enclosure where the bowling green is surrounded by an earthed banked terraced walk. The enclosure is defined by a brick wall, which was lowered along its western side to give a view over to the Green House Garden.
Summerhouse / Bowling Pavilion Built 1726. The summerhouse is the main architectural feature of the walled garden. It is of two stories with the upper storey accessed from the Bowling Green. There is an impression of more carefully shaped quoins at the corners but it is probable that the walls were originally rendered and lime washed externally. There are windows giving views across the Bowling Green from the upper chamber and across the Flower Garden from the lower chamber.
During restoration in the 1990s the upper chamber was decorated with Trompe-l'œil. showing views of imagined walled gardens at Cusworth.
Flower Garden The garden was designed to be viewed principally from the higher position of the bowling green. It was subdivided by cross-paths and furnished with four formal beds. Although one of the smallest compartments, the flower garden was the most highly ornamental and tightly designed. It would have created a formal, colourful architectural space contrasting with the simplicity of the bowling green
Hall Garden The function of the Hall Garden is not clear but appears to have been an extension of the decorative scheme of the flower garden. The Hall Garden has a perimeter walk and is then divided into two plots by a further, central path.
Peach House This whitewash wall indicates the position of the peach house.
Melon Pits Melon pits ran east–west along this area.
Orchard Through the 18th century the orchard was not enclosed and remained open until the late 19th century. It was double its current size extending back up to Cusworth Lane until the northern half was sold off for housing in the 1960s.
Kitchen Garden (No longer existing) The west, south and this east boundary wall(s) of the garden still exist but the plot of land was sold off for housing in the 1960s. There was an access gate between the Hall Garden and the kitchen garden (this can be seen bricked up in the northwest corner). This garden had a perimeter walk and was planted with trees arranged in parallel lines orchestrated around a small building at the northern end of the compartment.
Green House Garden (No longer existing) The kitchen garden represents the greater part of the area occupied by the original orchard shown on Dickinson's 1719 plan. The remaining area was described on Woods’ plan as the Green House Garden and was shown divided into two unequal parts. Both parts of the garden appear to have been planted with trees, probably fruit trees. A building abuts the bowling green in roughly the position as the one shown on the Dickinson plan but there is an additional building, roughly square in plan, to the northwest corner of the enclosure. This was probably the Dovecote for which Wrightson paid £9 15s 0d in 1736.
The west boundary wall still exists and this low (east) wall that runs along the length of the bowling green but the plot of land was sold off for housing in the 1960s.
In 1961 Doncaster Rural District Council purchased Cusworth Hall and the adjoining parkland from the Battie-Wrightson family. The Council undertook an initial restoration of the grounds and also recreated what is now the tearooms within the former stable block. The former reception rooms and spacious galleries now house the Museum of South Yorkshire life, officially opened on 30 September 1967.
Cusworth Hall and Park underwent an extensive £7.5 million renovation between 2002 and 2005, involving essential conservation repairs to the Hall and extensive restoration of the landscape gardens. Within the hall external repairs to the stonework and roof were undertaken to ensure that the exterior was watertight, whilst internal works upgraded internal services and enabled new displays to be installed.
The restoration of the designed landscape have been greatly influenced by a comprehensive analysis of available archive material, among which are the original written memoranda and sketches produced by Richard Woods for his site forman Thomas Coalie. An integrated archaeological programme also formed a key aspect of the restorations, recording in detail landscape features such as the Rock Arch, Cascade, and Bridge. This restoration has not 'recreated' the 18th century scheme, although elements are still incorporated within a 'living' amenity garden that is now thriving as a result of the recent work undertaken in partnership with the Friends of Cusworth Park.
The Hall reopened to the public on 23 May 2007 and the new displays document the history of South Yorkshire and it is a valued resource for local residents, students and school groups alike.
Cusworth Hall Museum and Park is the venue for a varied program of seasonal exhibitions, events and activities linked to the history of the area. including Country Fairs, vintage vehicle rallies, historic re-enactments, wildlife sessions and a range of seasonally themed events. A free, weekly, 5 km parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9 am in the grounds of Cusworth Hall. The first event was held on Saturday 5 October 2019 and was hosted by the staff at Cusworth in collaboration with the local community.
Additionally, Doncaster Museums' Education Service offers a range of learning sessions to schools and educational establishments. Specialist and experienced Education Officers deliver learning workshops to schools across a broad range of topics as well as out-of-school-hours activities for families and local communities.
Architecturally striking complex overlooks beautiful water gardens. Canadian crafts by 50 contributing artists. Art Gallery features paintings, prints by local artists. Annex building features furniture, fashions, jewellery, fine art, housewares, garden art.
Constructed between 1847 and 1849 by the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway, (MS&LR - later became the Great Central), this is Torksey railway Viaduct, which crosses the River Trent between Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire, roughly half way between Lincoln and Gainsborough. Designed by John Fowler (1817-1898), who later was one of the two engineers for the Forth Rail Bridge, Torksey Viaduct is a rare, and early surviving example of a tubular girder bridge.
There are two 130-foot spans over the River Trent, each consisting of two massive wrought iron girders - as seen here.
These are supported on stone piers - one in the centre and one at each side. On the Lincolnshire side is a 570-foot approach viaduct of 20 spans, and the bridge proper starts over a small natural island in the river. The position of the Bridge was chosen to use this island to simplify the task.
Captain Lintorn Simmons, the Board of Trade’s inspector, refused to grant permission for the viaduct to be opened, having “entertained doubts as to the ultimate security” of the bridge. After much argument, Fowler, supported by the Engineering profession, won the day, and the first train passed over in April 1850.
The bridge was twice strengthened - in 1877 & 1897, because increasing traffic and train loads. A conventional steel lattice girder (again, seen in this photograph) was inserted centrally into both main spans in the 1897 works, whilst the northern girders were moved out to maintain track clearances.
The "Leverton Branch", as this line (which ran between Sykes Junction near Lincoln and Clarborough, just West of Gainsborough), was known, was closed on November 3rd 1959, with Lincoln-Sheffield trains taking the only slightly less direct route through Gainsborough Lea Road. However, the line to the West of the Trent was reinstated in 1969 to serve the new power station at Cottam's need for coal, whilst on the Lincolnshire side, the line was run from Sykes Junction to the Shell petrol depot at Torksey. Only the viaduct itself remained closed.
The Oil traffic ceased in the late 1980s, and the track is now all lifted (and the road bridge on the Gainsborough-Lincoln road was removed).
Until the early 1990s it was possible the walk across the viaduct - this was no longer possible by the 1990s as the track bed had been removed on the bridge itself, and that part was fenced off. Happily, this was resolved during the las 12 months. The cycling and footpath charity Sustrans have installed the required safety fencing and reinstated the bridge bed on the North side. There is now a fine footpath over the impressive bridge to the riverbank on the Western (Nottinghamshire) side of the river. This shot shows the (still without a track bed) South side of the bridge.
The viaduct is rightly covered by a Grade II* listing but worryingly, also features on English Heritage's Buildings at Risk register.
Camera: Nikon F5
Lens: Nikkor 28-80mm zoom
Film: Kodak Ektar 100
I have an incurable appetite for a freshly laundered and astutely pressed satin blouse. The one which I'm wearing here has a rear fastening, which creates uncluttered clean lines at the front. Sadly this particular example has neither a high neckline nor tailored cuffs. Two features which when added to the rear fastening, makes for my most favourite of blouse designs. Unfortunately such blouses are rather rare and almost impossible to find these days
©️ July 2019
The badlands surrounding the Little Missouri River in North Dakota are a prime example of erosion's effects upon the various sedimentary layers and variably dense matierials contained within. Not only does one find different layers of sediment from the ancient sea that once existed here but also countless hoodoos and iron oxide-laden formations that were once embedded within softer materials that have long since eroded away. The cannonball concretions found in the north unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park are good examples, formed thousands or even millions of years ago by pore water that moved in miniscule spaces, deposting various minerals that sometimes collected around a nucleus. If you want to read more, follow the link below:
geologyscience.com/gallery/geological-wonders/cannonball-...
I've been experimenting with different features available in my Olympus E-M1X and a handful of the Pro lenses, one of which is focus stacking. While one usually sees this technique used for macro images, it can also be quite handy for landscapes, for it takes a series of images at different focus points and ultimately blends the image set into one image with a depth of field that far exceeds the natural range of a lens. I cheated and post-processed the resulting .jpg file that is stacked and saved in-camera in addition to the original .raw files. Working with such features seemed approriate on a rather gray day at the park this past week. (2-6-2024)
"Gate tower, five-story, square solid building with bell roof, slightly protruding upper floor and arched gate passage, 1307, extension marked 1598.
Ochsenfurt (German: [ˈɔksn̩ˌfʊʁt]) is a town in the district of Würzburg, in Bavaria, Germany. Ochsenfurt is located on the left bank of the River Main and has around 11,000 inhabitants. This makes it the largest town in Würzburg district.
Like Oxford, the town of Ochsenfurt is named after a ford where oxen crossed the river.
The town is situated on the left bank of the River Main, 21 kilometres (13 mi) south of Würzburg.
Ochsenfurt was one of the places in Germany where King Richard I of England was detained in 1193 while on his way to England from the Third Crusade.
A monastery, Tückelhausen Charterhouse, dedicated to Saints Lambert, John the Baptist, and George, was founded in 1138 by Otto I, Bishop of Bamberg, as a double canonry of the Premonstratensians. From 1351 it belonged to the Carthusians and was secularised in 1803.
The charterhouse was largely converted for private residential use and since 1991 contains a museum of Carthusian life.
Ochsenfurt also features several Protestant and Roman Catholic churches, among them that of St Michael (Michaelskapelle), a Gothic edifice.
In 1911 there was a considerable trade in wine and agricultural products, other industries being brewing and malting. Ochsenfurt also has one of the largest sugar factories in Germany.
Lower Franconia (German: Unterfranken) is one of seven districts of Bavaria, Germany. The districts of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia make up the region of Franconia. It consists of nine districts and 308 municipalities (including three cities).
After the founding of the Kingdom of Bavaria the state was totally reorganised and, in 1808, divided into 15 administrative government regions (German: Regierungsbezirke, singular Regierungsbezirk), in Bavaria called Kreise (singular: Kreis). They were created in the fashion of the French departements, quite even in size and population, and named after their main rivers.
In the following years, due to territorial changes (e. g. loss of Tyrol, addition of the Palatinate), the number of Kreise was reduced to 8. One of these was the Untermainkreis (Lower Main District). In 1837 king Ludwig I of Bavaria renamed the Kreise after historical territorial names and tribes of the area. This also involved some border changes or territorial swaps. Thus the name Untermainkreis changed to Lower Franconia and Aschaffenburg, but the city name was dropped in the middle of the 20th century, leaving just Lower Franconia.
From 1933, the regional Nazi Gauleiter, Otto Hellmuth, (who had renamed his party Gau "Mainfranken") insisted on renaming the government district Mainfranken as well. He encountered resistance from Bavarian state authorities but finally succeeded in having the name of the district changed, effective 1 June 1938. After 1945 the name Unterfranken was restored.
Franconia (German: Franken, pronounced [ˈfʁaŋkŋ̍]; Franconian: Franggn [ˈfrɑŋɡŋ̍]; Bavarian: Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: Fränkisch).
Franconia is made up of the three Regierungsbezirke of Lower, Middle and Upper Franconia in Bavaria, the adjacent, Franconian-speaking, South Thuringia, south of the Thuringian Forest—which constitutes the language boundary between Franconian and Thuringian— and the eastern parts of Heilbronn-Franconia in Baden-Württemberg.
Those parts of the Vogtland lying in Saxony (largest city: Plauen) are sometimes regarded as Franconian as well, because the Vogtlandian dialects are mostly East Franconian. The inhabitants of Saxon Vogtland, however, mostly do not consider themselves as Franconian. On the other hand, the inhabitants of the Hessian-speaking parts of Lower Franconia west of the Spessart (largest city: Aschaffenburg) do consider themselves as Franconian, although not speaking the dialect. Heilbronn-Franconia's largest city of Heilbronn and its surrounding areas are South Franconian-speaking, and therefore only sometimes regarded as Franconian. In Hesse, the east of the Fulda District is Franconian-speaking, and parts of the Oden Forest District are sometimes regarded as Franconian for historical reasons, but a Franconian identity did not develop there.
Franconia's largest city and unofficial capital is Nuremberg, which is contiguous with Erlangen and Fürth, with which it forms the Franconian conurbation with around 1.3 million inhabitants. Other important Franconian cities are Würzburg, Bamberg, Bayreuth, Ansbach and Coburg in Bavaria, Suhl and Meiningen in Thuringia, and Schwäbisch Hall in Baden-Württemberg.
The German word Franken—Franconians—also refers to the ethnic group, which is mainly to be found in this region. They are to be distinguished from the Germanic people of the Franks, and historically formed their easternmost settlement area. The origins of Franconia lie in the settlement of the Franks from the 6th century in the area probably populated until then mainly by the Elbe Germanic people in the Main river area, known from the 9th century as East Francia (Francia Orientalis). In the Middle Ages the region formed much of the eastern part of the Duchy of Franconia and, from 1500, the Franconian Circle. The restructuring of the south German states by Napoleon, after the demise of the Holy Roman Empire, saw most of Franconia awarded to Bavaria." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
Features a wide mix of traditional heritage fruit trees, including cooking varieties like Bramley's Seedling alongside specific "Winston" apple trees..National Trust orchards in Kent report a bumper, early apple harvestNational Trust orchards in Kent report a bumper, early apple harvest. A hot spring/summer and a lack of late frosts have been credited for a bumper, early harvest at orchards across the south east.
Features:
UC - Cocktail Dress
UC - Main Store - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sounds%20Gravis%20Beach/10...
UC - Marketplace - marketplace.secondlife.com/en-US/stores/159240
Other Styling:
Hair - Magika - May Hair
Rings- Yummy - Celebration
💫My Socials💫
📌Primfeed www.primfeed.com/danity.mynx
📌Flickr www.flickr.com/photos/danity_mynx/
📌Facebook www.facebook.com/DanityMynx
Villa d'Almè (BG) - Italy - 2018
Visit my social network:
www.facebook.com/wizartgraffiti/
Electric Boogaloo
Smoothbore 12 gauge pistol, features threaded lead pipe as a barrel.
Anarchy thing for no real raisin.
This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image features part of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau in western Africa.
Zoom in or click on the circles to explore this image at its full 10 m resolution.
With an area of 36 125 sq km, Guinea-Bissau is one of the smallest nations in continental Africa. This tropical country is made up of highlands in its northeastern region and, pictured here, lowlands near the Atlantic coast.
Captured in May 2026, the image shows how this coastal region is dominated by low plains scattered with mangrove swamps and cut through by rivers and estuaries, which branch out in the terrain like roots from a plant.
Tidal waters soak the interior on a daily basis, reaching up to 100 km inland – this is possible due to the flat coastal topography. The resulting sea inlets are a distinctive feature of Guinea-Bissau, which has the largest number of saltwater rivers in western Africa. For this reason, Guinea-Bissau features a blend of freshwater and saltwater rivers and estuaries, as shown also in this image.
The Geba River (freshwater) meanders from northeast through plains before emptying into the Atlantic Ocean in the Canal do Geba – the wide estuary at the top of this image. On its way, it carries water and nutrients, useful for agriculture, but also sediment, silt and organic matter which cause the milky colour of the water. The mouth of the Geba estuary is shared with its major tributary, the Corubal River, seen in the image joining from southeast.
Just south of the Canal do Geba is the Rio Grande de Buba, a saltwater estuary, whose shores are surrounded by mangroves in the lower half and which mixes with the seawater of the Atlantic Ocean. It represents a unique example in West Africa of an arm of the sea extending so far inland. At its eastern end lies Buba – visible as a brown, structured area – the largest city in southern Guinea-Bissau and the capital of the region.
Due to its unique environment, Guinea-Bissau is home to remarkably diverse flora and fauna, protected in various national and natural parks. The Cufada Lagoons Natural Park, located between Canal do Geba and Rio Grande de Buba, is also a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and home to a large subpopulation of the critically endangered western chimpanzee.
The decline of western chimpanzees will have significant consequences for Guinea-Bissau’s environmental balance and rich biodiversity. Over the last few decades, the number of these primates in West Africa has fallen by 80% – a trend likely to continue unless urgent, coordinated action is taken at local, national and international levels.
Credits: contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026), processed by ESA; CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO
Today's dip into the past features Southern Pacific 1UEICC 12 on 9/12/1993. UEICC was a short lived train with one purpose..... helping to rebuild Union Electric's stock pile of coal at Labadie, MO after the brutal flooding in the summer of 1993. The surplus of coal dwindled down during the summer because both of their supply routes were severed. In the fall of that year, they added some Southern Illinois coal to the mix to build the pile back up. This is one of those trains, which originated on the IC at a mine I can't recall, hence the five IC GP40s behind the SP. I saw this train only three times, and every time it had SP 5112 on the lead. While this would be a welcome leader today, I was disappointed then that the consist was not solid IC.
This is the empty sitting at Warson Road getting ready to return to Illinois. One neat thing about this train was the appearance of the old red and yellow KMCX hoppers, which had been gone from UE trains on this line for a couple years already.
Excerpt from Wikipedia:
Bon Echo Provincial Park is a provincial park in southeastern Ontario, Canada, approximately 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) north of Cloyne. The park is within township boundaries of both North Frontenac and Addington Highlands, roughly separated by Highway 41.
Bon Echo features several lakes, including Bon Echo Lake; Joeperry Lake, along Rainey Creek; and part of Mazinaw Lake, the seventh-deepest lake in Ontario. The southeastern shore of Mazinaw Lake features the massive 100-metre-high (330 ft) Mazinaw Rock, an escarpment rising out of the water, adorned with many native pictographs.
Nanabozho, a trickster from Ojibwe legend and cultural hero is the unofficial mascot of Bon Echo Park. He is featured prominently in pictographs adorning the sides of the rock escarpment on Mazinaw Lake. The site of the Mazinaw pictographs was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1982.
Another element of the SLS (Space Launch System) rocket for Artemis II is poised for flight. Technicians joined the core stage March 23 with the stacked solid rocket boosters for the mission at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Teams with NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program and primary contractor Amentum used one of the five overhead cranes inside the spaceport’s Vehicle Assembly Building to lift the rocket stage from the facility’s transfer aisle to High Bay 3, where it was secured between the booster segments atop the launch tower.
In thi image, Artemis II Core Stage is lifted into High Bay 3 inside the Vehicle Assembly Building at the Kennedy Space Center on Sunday, March 23, 2025.
Credit: NASA/Frank Michaux
#NASA #space #moon #NASAMarshall #msfc #sls #spacelaunchsystem #nasasls #rockets #exploration #artemis #ArtemisIV #NASAMichoud
She features all the necessary details, seating for 2 figs, and got an openable front trunk.
Can be built in 4 colors:
Dark Bluish Gray
Light Bluish Gray
White
Reddish Brown
Instagram:
GV Florida Transport GD113
Taken at GV Florida Motorpool, Earnshaw St. cor. Arsenio Lacson Ave., Sampaloc, Manila; July 30, 2016; 3:20 PM
Golden Dragon no. 113
Class: Deluxe
Manufacturer: Del Monte Motorworks, Inc. (DMMWI)
Model: DMMWI DM14 1st Generation
Engine: Hino P11C-TH
Chassis: Hino RM2PSS
Layout: Rear-Engine / RWD
Features: 2x2 spacious seats, 41 seater, LCD TV & DVD, Restroom Equipped.
WestCanna features products ranging all the way from flower, concentrates, and cartridges, to topicals, and even cannabis-infused bottled water! These are people that look to every avenue to find products that their medical customers need. Not solely to get stoned, but also relax and relieve bodily pain via bath bombs or salves
The photo features several lifeguard towers silhouetted against a gradient sky , taken at the Golden Hour, that transitions from warm orange and pink hues near the horizon to a soft blue above. The contrast between the dark towers and the vibrant sky draws attention to the structures, creating a sense of vigilance and quiet readiness.
The fading light of the sunset casts long shadows and emphasises the silhouettes of the towers, giving the scene a dramatic and slightly ominous feel. The gradient of colours in the sky adds depth and enhances the overall mood, suggesting the calmness of the end of the day while hinting at the potential dangers that lie beneath the ocean's surface.
The image can be seen as a visual metaphor for the unseen dangers that lurk in the waters off Cape Cod. The lifeguard towers stand as silent sentinels, symbolising human efforts to monitor and protect against the threats posed by seal hunting sharks. The peaceful beauty of the sunset contrasts with the underlying tension of the potential menace, creating a powerful narrative about the balance between nature's beauty and its dangers.
"Inspired by the McLaren F1 GTR ‘Longtail’, the 675LT features striking carbon fibre bodywork that increases downforce by an astonishing 40 percent over any other model in the Super Series.
Performance is similarly striking. The re-engineered M838TL V8 twin-turbocharged engine produces 675PS (666bhp) and 700Nm (516lb ft) – increases of 25PS (25bhp) and 22Nm (16lb ft) – and the seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox is now twice as fast.
The carbon fibre MonoCell provides the 675LT with an unrivalled combination of lightness, safety and stiffness, in common with all models in the McLaren Super Series. But an obsessive weight-saving strategy unlocks a further 100kg reduction compared with the 650S. From lightweight carbon fibre racing seats to a 1mm thinner windscreen, no opportunity to save weight has been overlooked.
Ultra lightweight forged alloy wheels and Pirelli P-ZERO™ Trofeo R tyres, carbon ceramic brakes and an uprated suspension system that embraces technology from the McLaren P1™ also contribute to the radical specification...."
~McLaren
Photographed driving around Monaco during Top Marques Monaco 2016.
________________________________________________
Features: Movable canards, folding wingtips, "retractable" slats and flaps, movable vertical stabilizers, functioning landing gear and pop-up missile bays.
Mass Production WR-02 Base Model
Medium reFrame (reverse joint)
Effective range: Long to short (dependent on armament)
Classification: Base model for modular assault units
Armaments: N/A
The finalised model of the WR-01 Prototype, this unit drops the experimental Quorus cannon in exchange for further augmented muscle strands at 19 horsepower each and up to 300 pounds extra force for its auxiliary thrusters. Designed to be modularly equipped to suit different needs, the WR-02 features removable armour which is detrimental to its tensile strength but allows for heavier armaments to be mounted.
---
No change to the camera setup, still looking REAL shabby. Some will notice that the right arm is slightly different to the left, this is because i had to find alternatives to make a SNOT assembly for that arm since i don't have enough of them SNOT bricks
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the glorious spiral galaxy NGC 5643, which is located roughly 40 million light-years away in the constellation Lupus, the Wolf. NGC 5643 is a grand design spiral, which refers to the galaxy’s symmetrical form with two large, winding spiral arms that are clearly visible. Bright-blue stars define the galaxy’s spiral arms, along with lacy reddish-brown dust clouds and pink star-forming regions.
As fascinating as the galaxy appears at visible wavelengths, some of NGC 5643’s most interesting features are invisible to the human eye. Ultraviolet and X-ray images and spectra of NGC 5643 show that the galaxy hosts an active galactic nucleus: an especially bright galactic core powered by a feasting supermassive black hole. When a supermassive black hole ensnares gas from its surroundings, the gas collects in a disk that heats up to hundreds of thousands of degrees. The superheated gas shines brightly across the electromagnetic spectrum, but especially at X-ray wavelengths.
NGC 5643’s active galactic nucleus isn’t the brightest source of X-rays in the galaxy, though. Researchers using ESA’s XMM-Newton discovered an even brighter X-ray-emitting object, called NGC 5643 X-1, on the galaxy’s outskirts. What could be a more powerful source of X-rays than a supermassive black hole? Surprisingly, the answer appears to be a much smaller black hole! While the exact identity of NGC 5643 X-1 is unknown, evidence points to a black hole that is about 30 times more massive than the Sun. Locked in an orbital dance with a companion star, the black hole ensnares gas from its stellar companion, creating a superheated disk that outshines the NGC 5643’s galactic core.
Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, D. Thilker
#NASAMarshall #NASA #NASAHubble #Hubble #NASAGoddard #galaxy
Another lovely short pleated skirt added to my collection. This one has 2 stand out features for me. Firstly it is pink which is always a nice colour to get a skirt in, but secondly it has 2 horizontal white stripes around it just above the hem. This gives it a bit of a cheerleader skirt look, which I love :-)
A well-preserved town situated on a unique site with outstanding religious heritage features, Le Puy-en-Velay is a haven of peace and a source of spiritual inspiration. Here, visitors can relax and recharge their batteries. Internationally recognised as a starting point for St. James Way (the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela), the town of Le Puy-en-Velay is also a great family holiday location in the centre of the Haute-Loire.
The religious architectural heritage of Le Puy-en-Velay
The sheer majesty of the town is further reinforced by the high cultural quality of its architecture. Be sure to visit the Cathedral of Notre-Dame du Puy, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the departure for the Way of Saint James pilgrimage route. Inside the cathedral are several interesting works including the statue of the Black Virgin and a 12th century cloister.
Other religious monuments look down over the city. Perched on the Corneille rock is the high statue of Notre-Dame-de-France (the town's protective virgin), and you can't miss the Chapel of Saint Michel d’Aiguilhe towering 82 m (269 ft) high atop "Le Rocher" rock.
An attractive town, Le Puy-en-Velay is also known for its ancient buildings and well preserved architecture. The very stones and paths of the town are a testament to architectural skill. The charming historical streets winding their way up to the cathedral provide a great place to stop off in one of the many restaurants where local specialities are served, including AOC (controlled origin) Le Puy lentils and of course the famous Velay Vervaine, a precious liquor offering digestive benefits (to be consumed in moderation).
Blocks September 2019 issue features my Pick-up truck instructions in "MOC this" column. You can build the little truck following the instructions. It has been funny taking "step by step" pictures and I love the outcome.
Alternatively you can see the instructions straight by clicking here.
Blocks is one of the most popular magazine about LEGO bricks. Each month it’s full of reviews, hints, how-to features, from LEGO experts. Honored to spot my MOCs on there!
Blocks is available here.
Don’t miss it!
Norton74 | Facebook | Instagram | LEGO Ideas
[777] Runabout
Features included:
️🌊 High quality PBR materials
🌊 Optional Accessories
️🌊 Drinks Dispenser with MyStory Compatible Drinks
🌊 Global Fuel System & MyStory plugins
️🌊 Natural Rocking Motion
🌊 Realistic Water Particles
🌟 Ultra smooth sim crossing!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/777MotorsSL
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/777motors
Primfeed: www.primfeed.com/jamesnguyen94.resident
Market piace: marketplace.secondlife.com/en-US/stores/200353
Mainstore: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Highway%20Star/144/134/23
This Hubble Picture of the Week features the galaxy LEDA 857074, located in the constellation Eridanus. LEDA 857074 is a barred spiral galaxy, with partially broken spiral arms. It also has a particularly bright spot right in its bar: this is a supernova snapped by Hubble, named SN 2022ADQZ, and quite relevant to this Picture of the Week.
The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has observed a vast range of celestial objects, from galaxies, to nebulae, to star clusters, to planets in the Solar System and beyond. Observing programmes usually seek to gather data so that astronomers can answer a specific question. Naturally, this means most scheduled observations target an object that astronomers have already researched. Some are famous, like the Crab Nebula or the globular cluster Omega Centauri; others might not be so well known to the public, but still be featured in hundreds of scientific papers, such as the Spider Galaxy or NGC 4753. Not so with this galaxy: LEDA 857074 is named in fewer than five papers, one of which is the Lyon-Meudon Extragalactic Database itself. Virtually no data have been recorded about it, other than its position: since its discovery, it simply hasn’t been studied. So how did it attract the gaze of the legendary Hubble?
The supernova is the answer — SN 2022ADQZ was detected by an automated survey in late 2022, and led to Hubble being pointed at its host galaxy, LEDA 857074, in early 2023. Astronomers have catalogued millions of galaxies, so while today tens of thousands of supernovae are detected annually, the chance that one is spotted in any particular galaxy is slim. We also do not know how actively LEDA 857074 is forming stars, and therefore how often it might host a supernova. This galaxy is therefore an unlikely and lucky target of Hubble, thanks to this supernova shining a spotlight on it! It now joins the ranks of many more famous celestial objects, with its own Hubble image.
[Image Description: A close-in view of a barred spiral galaxy. The bright, glowing bar crosses the centre of the galaxy, with blurred spiral arms curving away from its ends and continuing out of view. It’s surrounded by bright points of light that indicate stars and galaxies. The galaxy also hosts a bright supernova in its central bar.]
Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, R. J. Foley; CC BY 4.0
South Flagler House is an ultra-luxury waterfront condominium development located at 1355 South Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach, Florida. Developed by Related Ross and designed by the globally renowned Robert A.M. Stern Architects (RAMSA), the project features two 28-story limestone-clad towers rising from a shared garden podium. The development topped out in late 2025 and is scheduled for completion in Fall 2027.
Residences & Pricing
The project features 105 to 121 private residences, including townhomes, multi-bedroom condos, and expansive penthouses. Interiors are custom-designed by Pembrooke & Ives, combining classic Palm Beach elegance with floor-to-ceiling glass and expansive terraces overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Ocean.
According to current Zillow property listings, available units broadly range from $7.5 million to over $28 million.
Large-scale penthouses within the complex have reportedly commanded contracts upwards of $40 million.
World-Class Amenities
The complex boasts approximately 50,000 square feet of resort-style amenities and hospitality-driven services.
Wellness & Pools: A 25-meter lap pool, lakefront cabanas, hot tub, and private men’s and women’s spas featuring ice plunges, steam rooms, and saunas.
Athletics & Recreation: A private pickleball court, sports simulator lounge, golf simulator, and state-of-the-art fitness center.
Leisure & Conveniences: On-site elevated dining, a coffee shop, private gardens, a children's playroom, co-working spaces, and a fenced outdoor dog run with a sculpture garden.
Service Layer: 24-hour onsite staff, concierge, 24-hour valet parking, private keyed elevators, and two deeded parking spaces per residence.
Situated along the Gold Coast at the southern edge of West Palm Beach’s arts district, South Flagler House sits right across the bridge from Palm Beach Island. It offers immediate access to the Norton Museum of Art, Palm Harbor Marina, and the luxury shopping of Worth Avenue.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.google.com/search?q=south+flagler+house+west+palm+bea...
www.google.com/search?q=what+is+the+architectural+style+o...
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/r/rainhammarshes/index.aspx
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/r/rainhammarshes/about.aspx
One of very few ancient landscapes remaining in London, these medieval marshes right next to the River Thames were closed to the public for over 100 years and used as a military firing range.
We managed to acquire the site in 2000 and set about transforming it into an important place for nature and a great place for people to visit. Now you can expect to see breeding wading birds in spring and summer, and large flocks of wild ducks in winter.
Birds of prey and rare birds are regularly seen too. There are also water voles in the ditches and rare dragonflies flit across the boardwalks.
There is an innovative visitor centre, with huge picture-windows that look out across the marshes. It is full of environmentally friendly features and already boasts a handful of prestigious architectural awards.
There is also a shop and café and a new wildlife garden and children's adventure play area too. A full events programme offers something for everyone, and while we still have several years to go to finish all the visitor features out on the reserve, it is already an incredible transformation. Boardwalks throughout the reserve give access for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
Opening times
From 1 November to 31 January, we're open from 9.30 am - 4.30 pm. From 1 February to 31 October, it's 9.30 am - 5 pm. We're closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Entrance charges
Car park: voluntary £1 donation. Reserve: Free to RSPB members and residents of Havering and Thurrock. Non-members: £3 adult, £1.50 child, £9 family (two adults and up to four children). There are extra costs for some events - please check when you book.
If you are new to birdwatching...
Birds are easy to see year round. The reserve runs a number of regular events for birdwatchers throughout the year, from novice to expert, including weekly Wednesday guided birding walk with Howard Vaughan, dawn chorus walks, winter spectacle birding event, a new birdwatching club for children, February's flock bird event and spring walks. There are also designated open days and weekends. Please see the events pages for further information.
Information for families
There is an evolving events and walks programme specially designed for families, with activities for all. All the reserve's paths and boardwalks are family and wheelchair friendly. There are also Adventure and Toddler's Playgrounds.
Information for dog owners
No dogs allowed, except registered assistance dogs. However, dogs are allowed on the Thames riverside path - a public footpath and cycleway running adjacent to the reserve.
Star species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
Avocet
The delicate forms and and piping 'kluit' calls of avocets are becoming a more and more frequent site at Rainham throughout the year.
Lapwing
Lapwings from different places visit Rainham Marshes during the year. Wintering birds are replaced by breeding birds in spring and other birds that have bred further north pass through in summer and autumn.
Little egret
Little egrets can now be seen here in large numbers right throughout the year. Dispersing juvenile birds lead to a sudden rise in numbers in late summer and autumn.
Peregrine
The large concentrations of wildfowl and waders regularly attract hunting peregrines - especially in autumn and winter.
Ringed plover
These neatly banded waders can be seen performing their 'run and stop' feeding routine here.
Seasonal highlights
Each season brings a different experience at our nature reserves. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.
Spring
Wheatears, stonechats, oystercatchers, hobbies, curlews, swifts, sand martins, house martins, warblers, marsh harriers, reed buntings, water and short-tailed voles, damselflies, marsh frogs, grass snakes, water shrews.
Summer
Black-tailed godwits, whimbrels, greenshanks, snipe, little egrets, dunlins, lapwings, teals, swifts, common sandpipers, ruffs, starlings, avocets, yellow wagtails, oystercatchers, yellow-legged gulls, bank and water voles, water shrews, marsh frogs, wasp spiders, red foxes.
Autumn
Marsh harriers, arctic terns, bearded tits, thrushes, finches, skylarks, meadow pipits, jackdaws, stonechats, hen harriers, goshawks, merlins, peregrines, short-eared owls, barn owls, avocets, black-tailed godwits, white fronted geese, pintails, wigeons, crickets, butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies, stoats, weasels, red foxes.
Winter
Bullfinches, ringed plovers, oystercatchers, golden plovers, water and rock pipits, little egrets, snipe, chiffchaffs, curlews, lapwings, dunlins, redshanks, shelducks, peregrines, kingfishers, short-eared owls, red foxes, stoats, weasels.
Facilities
Visitor centre
Car park
Toilets
Disabled toilets
Baby-changing facilities
Picnic area
Group bookings accepted
Guided walks available
Good for walking
Pushchair friendly
Viewing points
Currently two bird hides, family orientated Marshland Discovery Zone and several open viewing areas.
Nature trails
There are a network of nature trails currently in place, which are utilised for specific guided walks and events. There are approximately 2.5 miles plus of nature boardwalks, all designed for wheelchair and pushchair access.
Refreshments available
Hot drinks
Cold drinks
Sandwiches
Snacks
Shop
The shop stocks:
Binoculars and telescopes
Books
Bird food
Bird feeders
Nestboxes
Outdoor clothing
Educational facilities
The Education team offer a comprehensive and exciting array of curriculum linked field study visits for all school levels. We have Woodland, Reedbed and Marshland Discovery Zones, an Environment and Education centre, fully equipped classrooms, specific study areas, pond dipping areas and lots more. It's a safe and inspiring environment to get close to nature. A selection of lifelong learning courses on a variety of topics are run throughout the year, along with a range of children's activities, including holiday clubs. Please contact us for further details.
Cafe
Our cafe gives magnificent views not only over the ancient wildlife-filled grazing marsh, but also across Old Father Thames which flows majestically past the window. It is the perfect place to relax after exploring our nature trails or as a respite stop after the hustle and bustle of shopping nearby.
We serve our own exclusive coffee that is grown, imported and roasted by us. It's Fairtrade, organic and certified bird-friendly by the Smithsonian Institute, so now you can help save nature simply by enjoying a great cup of coffee!
Whether you are after a refreshing cuppa and a slice of our fabulous home-made cake, or a filling sandwich, panini or jacket potato, you will find something to tickle your taste buds. We look forward to seeing you soon!
Opening hours
From 1 November-31 March, we're open from 9.30 am to 4.30 pm. From 1 April-31 October it's 9.30 am to 5 pm. We're closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Highlights from our menu:-
Fabulous home-made cakes
Locally-made soup
Freshly-prepared jacket potatoes with a variety of fillings
Locally-baked pies and pasties
Made-to-order toasties, paninis and sandwiches
Lovely cafe with warming soup and fantastic cake. Yummy!
Access to the cafe
The cafe is fully wheelchair-friendly.
Children welcome
We're happy to serve smaller portions and we can also warm baby food in the microwave.
We use local ingredients
All produce is sourced locally where possible, including ham, bacon, sausages, soup and pies.
Dietary requirements
Jacket potatoes, sandwiches etc all have veggie options, as well as a veggie pastry. We have vegan meals. The soup and jacket potatoes are wheat-free; some gluten-free cakes are available.
Accessibility
8 August 2013
This is a Summary Access Statement. A full access statement is available to download from the webpage.
Before you visit
Clear print site leaflet available from our reserve reception
Free entry for RSPB members, residents of Havering and Thurrock. For other visitors admission charges apply. Carer or essential companion admitted free with disabled visitor
No dogs. Registered Assistance dogs only
Visitor Centre, car park and reserve trails are open 9.30 am to 4.30 pm from 1 November-31 March and 9.30 am to 5 pm from 1 April-31 October; closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day
Check accessibility for events and activities.
How to get here
Purfleet Railway Station is a 15 minute walk to reserve
Bus stops near the reserve entrance.
Car parking
110 spaces and seven Blue Badge spaces
Gates locked at 5 pm
Surface is loose gravel
No formal drop-off point
No height restrictions.
Visitor centre and shop
Ground floor shop, slight slope to heavy door with 10 mm lip, normally open. Assistance bell. Non-slip tiles. Reasonable lighting. Some display units tall or deep. Pen and paper available. Bird seed bins are outside the shop.
The visitor centre and cafe are on first floor, accessed by a long ramp left of Blue Badge parking. Entry by two sets of double heavy doors opening outwards. No threshold. NOTE JUNE 2012, power assistance is out of order so an alternative bell is provided.
Step-free, level access throughout and non-slip tiles. Lowered counter section. Good lighting. Pen and paper available. Binocular hire. Staff available to assist.
Nature trails
Three signposted trails, a mix of flat gravel surface paths and boardwalks. Information boards in large print. Trails start at the visitor centre across a short section of non slip grill with a short steep section. You can leave the reserve part way round and along the River Thames. Use the one way turnstile or gate (Gate key code available from reception)
Viewing facilities
Four hides on the circular walk. None on the Woodland walk. All level entry either adapted for wheelchair spaces or designed for everyone to gain the same great views. Marshland Discovery Zone has touch interpretation. Shooting Butts Hide has 14 stairs and a lift.
Toilets and baby changing facilities
Accessible toilet on ground and first floors (Baby changing in first floor)
Catering
Café on first floor. Good lighting. Non slip tile flooring. Self-service. Menus are clear print. Staff available to assist.
Picnic area
Eleven tables with wheelchair spaces, on soft and hard surfaces, level ground behind visitor centre. Alternatively, a table in the adventure playground and toddler's play area. Visitors are welcome to consume their own food and drink here.
Education facilities
Education team offer a wide and exciting array of curriculum linked field study visits at our Environment and Education centre, fully equipped classrooms, specific study areas, pond dipping areas.
Help us improve accessibility by sending feedback to the Site Manager.
For more information
Rainham Marshes
E-mail: rainham.marshes@rspb.org.uk
Telephone:01708 899840
RM19 1SZ
How to get here
By train
The nearest railway station to this reserve is Purfleet. Purfleet train station is on the C2C line from Fenchurch Street. The reserve is a 15 minute walk from the station following the brown pedestrian signs along the riverside path. Turn right out of the station and then join the path at the Royal Pub. Follow the Riverside path and then cross the Mardyke Bridge to the Visitor Centre.
By bus
The ensignbus 44 bus route which runs between Lakeside and Orsett Hospital, Grays, stops near the reserve entrance on New Tank Hill Road. This bus runs every hour and up to 30 minutes during peak periods. The service is operated by Ensignbus (01708 865656).
By road
The reserve is located off New Tank Hill Road (A1090) in Purfleet which is just off the A1306 between Rainham and Lakeside. This is accessible from the Aveley, Wennington and Purfleet junction off the A13 and J30/31 of the M25.
Cycling at Rainham Marshes
RSPB Rainham Marshes is just a stone's throw from London, easily accessible by public transport, on foot and by bike. Located on ancient marshland nestled beside the river Thames, it really is a special place to enjoy the great outdoors.
The reserve itself offers a leisurely amble in a superb setting with fantastic facilities such as an award-winning, eco-friendly visitor centre with cafe and shop.
If cycling is your thing, a brand new cycle route links the villages of Purfleet and Rainham. This runs beside the reserve, following the Thames, looping round and passing the stone barges.
Both on the reserve and along the riverside path, you will see a variety of interesting, sometimes rare, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians as well as bugs and beasties of all kinds. You will also be able to learn so much of the history and importance of this area.
Our work here
Rainham Marshes protects an ancient, low-lying grazing marsh in the Thames Estuary. Its complex of wet grassland and ditches, together with rank grassland and scrub, supports many breeding and wintering birds.
Wildlife also includes scarce wetland plants and insects, and a key population of the nationally declining water vole.
The site has a history of neglect, but the RSPB is working to restore important habitats and improve their biodiversity. This will transform a former wasteland into an important natural asset, and help raise public awareness of local conservation issues.
Managing the marsh
Birdlife on the marsh includes breeding waders, such as lapwing, redshank and snipe, as well as important numbers of wintering wildfowl, waders, finches and birds of prey.
We plan to enhance the habitat for these birds by creating a mosaic of unflooded tussocky grassland, flooded short grassland and semi-permanent pools. This will also benefit important plant species, such as golden dock.
Meanwhile we will improve the ditch system for the benefit of water voles, reptiles and amphibians, invertebrates and breeding birds.
Leaving well alone
We will leave the areas of tall rank grass and scattered scrub unmanaged in order to retain their existing conservation value. Wildlife in these habitats includes small mammals, reptiles and invertebrates, and birds such as wintering short-eared owls and breeding stonechats.
We will also look after sandy areas for their specialist insect life.
Silt lagoons
Lagoons on the reserves are currently used for commercial silt dredging. We will work around this in order re-create and maintain a complex of brackish lagoons and reed-swamp for important wildlife, including breeding, wintering and passage waterfowl.
While some lagoons will remain operational, we will manage others rotationally and keep the rest permanently open.
Access for all
We aim to make the site accessible to everyone, without impinging on the dredging operation or compromising our conservation priorities. We will develop and promote the reserve as a major visitor attraction and centre for environmental education. We aim to encourage interest in local and general conservation, and create a broader understanding of the work of the RSPB.
Funding
Current work is being funded by the EU’s Interreg IVA Two Seas Cross-border Cooperation Programme 2007-2013, Homes and Communities Agency’s Parklands Funding administered by Essex County Council, and Biffa Award and Veolia Cleanaway Havering Riverside Trust, both through the Landfill Communities Fund.
Thanks to help on the reserve from employees of Goldman Sachs, Royal Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Earthwatch, Barclays, Royal Mail, Family Mosaic, Ipsos Media we have been able to deliver more for wildlife and people at Rainham Marshes.
Here's to a great week! Thanks for lookin', and have a great day!
Have an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch? Check out www.WDWWallpapers.com for the app WDW Pics, which features currently over 70 high quality shots of WDW to use as the background for your device!
nrhp # 73002208- H. T. Klugel Architectural Sheet Metal Work Building is a historic factory building located at Emporia, Virginia. It was built in 1914, and is a one-story, five bay wide, brick structure with stepped parapets on the sides. The front facade is sheathed in decorative silver and black painted worked sheet metal in an Edwardian Classicism style. It features large rounded arches with a fan tracery filling the top of the arch. It also has a balustrade with pedestals capped by onion domes that top the east and west bays.[3]
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.[1] It is located in the Belfield-Emporia Historic District.
from Wikipedia
This image features IC 3476, a dwarf galaxy that lies about 54 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Coma Berenices. Whilst this image does not look very dramatic — if we were to anthropomorphise the galaxy, we might say it looks almost serene — the actual physical events taking place in IC 3476 are highly energetic. In fact, the little galaxy is undergoing a process known as ram pressure stripping, which is driving unusually high levels of star formation within regions of the galaxy itself.
We tend to associate the letters ‘ram’ with the acronym RAM, which refers to Random Access Memory in computing. However, ram pressure has a totally distinct definition in physics: it is the pressure exerted on a body when it moves through some form of fluid, due to the overall resistance of the fluid. In the case of entire galaxies experiencing ram pressure, the galaxies are the ‘bodies’ and the intergalactic or intracluster medium (the dust and gas that permeates the space between galaxies, and for the latter the spaces between galaxies in clusters) is the ‘fluid’.
Ram pressure stripping occurs when the ram pressure results in gas being stripped from the galaxy. This stripping away of gas can lead to a reduction in the level of star formation, or even its complete cessation, as gas is absolutely key to the formation of stars. However, the ram pressure can also cause other parts of the galaxy to be compressed, which can actually boost star formation. This is what seems to be taking place in IC 3476: there seems to be absolutely no star formation going on at the edge of the galaxy bearing the brunt of the ram pressure stripping, but then star formation rates within deeper regions of the galaxy seem to be markedly above the average.
[Image Description: A dwarf spiral galaxy. The centre is not particularly bright and is covered by some dust, while the outer disc and halo wrap around as if swirling water. Across the face of the galaxy, an arc of brightly glowing spots marks areas where new stars are being formed. The galaxy is surrounded by tiny, distant galaxies on a dark background.]
Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, M. Sun; CC BY 4.0
This collage features photos from CC group members, who for the last challenge were "Shooting the light".
* Sunrise
* Sunset
* Blue Hour (the short period of time directly before sunrise and after sunset, when natural light has a blue tinge)
* Golden Hour ( the short period of time after sunrise or before sunset, during which daylight is redder and softer than when the sun is higher in the sky.)
Find out more at Compositionally Challenged, where we aim to inspire creativity and improve our technical skills.
The Parson Barnard House (1715)
179 Osgood Street
North Andover, MA 01810
978-686-4035
The Parson Barnard House (1715) retains many of its original features, based on a documented history of this significant 18th Century building. The first owners and inhabitants of the house were ministers of the North Parish Church of North Andover, including Rev. Thomas Barnard, Rev. John Barnard and Rev. William Symmes. Towards the end of the 18th century the house was used as a summer home at which time the carriage barn was built. The North Andover Historical Society purchased the Parson Barnard House in 1950 in order to preserve a typical house built in the town during the early 18th century. Architectural features: Abbott Lowell Cummings describes the Parson-Barnard House as a 'progressive' example of timber-frame construction for its time, with its vertically divided front door, plastered walls and chimney, covered lintels and piers, and underlying ground-sill which was built to support the frame of the house. Cummings cites the house as a 'transitional' example of juxtaposing traditional frame methods with 'a rich display' of ';applied finished trim.' The right-hand parlor chamber preserves 'dramatic evidence' of transitions between two major architectural styles. Today the house is interpreted through four periods of architecture to show its evolution over the centuries. Designations: National Register of Historic Places (1974); National Historic District (1979).
SOURCE: essexheritage.org/attractions/parson-barnard-house-1715
This little F40 along with step by step instructions is featured in my first lego book that is now available!
It is the result of a great collaboration between me and the very talented lego book author Mattia Zamboni.
It features 12 lego models of iconic dream cars in minifigure scale and step by step instructions to build them!
Dodge Charger R/T '70
Porsche 911 Turbo
Corvette Stingray C3
Ford Mustang GT Fastback ‘67
Pagani Zonda Cinque
Lamborghini Countach
Ferrari F40
Ford GT
Bugatti Atlantic Type 57SC
Shelby Cobra 427 S/C
Ferrari 458 Italia
Datsun 240Z
Austrian Butterflies - Schmetterlinge Österreichs
This small set features the seventh species in a series of alpine butterfly photos taken in the Tyrol region of western Austria.
____________________________________________________
Swallowtail [Papilio machaon, ssp.gorganus]
Classification: LEPIDOPTERA > Papilionoidea (butterflies)
> Papilionidae (Swallowtails) > Papilioninae
Local common name: Schwalbenschwanz
A pristine, fresh Swallowtail is a spectacular butterfly for sure. Interestingly, the most intensely coloured and marked form of the species [ssp.britannicus] is only resident in Britain, although only found within specific areas of the Norfolk Broads where its larval foodplant Milk-parsley grows. I understand that they are relatively easy to see if you know where and, importantly, when to look for them. The European race [ssp.gorganus] are slightly larger and paler; migrants may occasionally be seen in the south.
Unlike in Britain, the Swallowtail is widely distributed across much of Europe where it can be found in a much broader range of habitats as the larvae feed on a variety of umbellifers and rues. I assumed we'd see them in Austria in the meadows, but it took a long trek down from one of the mountain cable car stations to find an area where there were a small group of males who spent virtually all their time in conflict whilst trying to defend a territory. It was a well-known spot adjacent to woodland, but strangely the area seemed to be devoid of any of the normal plants where you'd expect to see them, so when they did settle it was in the grass. Most of those that I managed to photograph were a bit tatty as a result of their aerial battles. Further down the mountain track there was another area that they frequent, but only one was seen. It was in slightly better condition with intact wing-tails, and in a better setting, but unfortunately the weather was rather breezy and it couldn't settle. I only managed to get a couple of shots before it was swept away in the wind. So, all in all, a bit disappointing, albeit I did see a few and was able to grab some record shots.