The opening in our little stream is getting smaller on each sub-freezing temperature day.

 

This wild turkey came into the yard and spent time cleaning up under the feeders, before having a drink.

 

The water feature has a heater that helps keep the water flowing.

 

Rondeau Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada, January 14, 2023.

 

Meleagris gallopavo

 

Lake Ontario's cyclical tide, combined with below freezing temperatures makes for some very interesting ice cliffs. These cliffs dropped upwards of 40 feet, and extended about a half mile out onto the frozen water.

 

Very beautiful, but super dangerous ice cliffs are the last real topography that can be found until one reaches the west coast hundreds miles, and another country away.

It was a break-out day for butterflies in our area today, as the weather suddenly turned for the better. I saw many members of this species and one Milbert's Tortoiseshell as well. Fourteen days earlier I saw a few Comptons, but then snow and freezing temperatures resulted in no other sightings until today.

Greetings from the frozen north! Oh, Minnesota, why do you have to be so very very cold?!

 

Jacket, Fang. Dress, I Heart Ronson. Tights, Forever 21. Socks, Target. Boots, Nine West.

 

These open-weave tights were totally inappropriate for the below-freezing temperatures, icy wind, and intermittent flurries. Knee-high socks didn't help much.

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The summer is slipping away through my fingers and I am very unhappy... I want to go places, see things, experience new views and I know that time is short before the world will be covered in snow and the freezing temperatures will be keeping me tucked away at home... I dream of never-ending summer...

Bear Rocks Preserve - Dolly Sods, West VA

 

The Dolly Sods name derives from an 18th-century German family — the Dahles — and a local term for an open mountaintop meadow — is "sods".

 

From the West Virginia Encyclopedia:

 

Dolly Sods is situated on a part of the Allegheny Plateau and features flat, windswept plains and striking topography. It is a rocky, high-altitude plateau with sweeping vistas and lifeforms normally found much farther north in Canada, and is the highest plateau of its type east of the Mississippi River.

 

The sandstone boulder-strewn plains of Dolly Sods were once covered with a majestic red spruce forest where trees grew to 90 feet tall and more than four feet in diameter. This original forest was logged in the 1800s, and the underlying thick, fertile soil was destroyed. The area is now primarily heath barrens where azalea, mountain laurel, rhododendron, huckleberries and blueberries abound. Cranberries and the carnivorous sundew plant are found in upland bogs characterized by sphagnum moss.

 

The climate of Dolly Sods is harsh, with frost and freezing temperatures possible all year. Almost constant prevailing winds from the west create ‘‘flagged’’ spruce, stunted trees with branches only on the eastern side, away from the wind.

 

Its 10,215 acres contain an extensive system of hiking trails.

 

THANKS FOR VIEWING!

....snow and freezing temperatures....great scott!

 

Superman was so not amused that he just fell over and collapsed in the snow right after this shot....and his head fell off. I was tempted to leave him there to teach him a lesson!

Goðafoss, Iceland

 

View On Black

 

In the year 999 or 1000, the Lawspeaker Þorgeirr Ljósvetningagoði made Christianity the official religion of Iceland. After his conversion it is said that upon returning from the Alþingi, Þorgeirr threw his statues of the Norse gods into the waterfall, hence the name Goðafoss, or "waterfall of the gods."

 

The mist added to the dramatic beauty of this place. Getting wet was half the fun. After spending a good hour or two by the falls, we were compelled to load up on Emergen-C as I waited for the icicles in my hair to melt (mist + freezing temperature + long hair = icicles).

by piathevanagon ift.tt/1VBiTEW

Pictured in Rotherham in freezing temperatures on 10-12-17 is Huddersfield Daimler CVG6,472 on the free bus service at the SYTT open day.

Dried fish at Skarsvag, fish are put out in the freezing temperatures to dry brittle. Then eaten like chips

Cloudy sky and bone freezing temperatures in Hamburg last week.

Today it was -10C and windy outside, but yesterday I was able to take this image of a snowdrop fighting through winter to make a statement: freezing temperatures and miserable weather will not stop the arrival of spring. At the edge of winter, nature has adapted to survive just fine.

 

Snowdrops and other flowers that bloom at this time of the year have a sort of “antifreeze” protein that prevents water turning to ice inside cells and killing them in temperatures that harm other plants. They may droop a little more when it’s freezing cold, but they bounce back as the temperature rises. The wonders of evolution at play – the snow around the base of this flower doesn’t bother it at all.

 

Which is a good thing, because snowdrops are my wife’s favourite flower and we’re trying to establish a healthy group of these in our garden. Knowing that the snow around such a flower is iconic, but that this one had started blooming in an area with remaining fresh snow from a few days before, I transplanted the snow to this location from a shaded part of the yard. I also deliberately designed the background, falling off to a deep pale blue. Maybe the right word there I “pail” blue, since the colour is coming from a small blue garbage pail placed in behind.

 

Here’s a behind-the-scenes image of the setup: donkom.ca/bts/snowdrop-bts.jpg

 

I used a flashlight to add extra sparkle to the snow, which when out of focus with a Trioplan 100 lens turns into a very beautiful bokeh. Those faint circles dancing around in the background are only possible with direct light hitting the snow and having a very shallow depth of field. The Trioplan 100 (and many other similar lenses) only display this “magical” bokeh when shooting wide open, so you need to choose your focus carefully if you’re after a single-shot image like this. Aligning the camera to the subject to make sure your focal plane passes through as much of the subject as is necessary can be difficult. If I was a little higher and aimed the camera at the flower head, much of the rest of the flower would be out of focus. I feel this angle finds the right balance – but there were dozens of other shots that didn’t find that balance! Much adjusting and experimenting was required here.

 

In the end, this image is trying to tell a story. That’s a hard thing to do with macro photography of static subjects, and I’ve failed at it many times in the past. This image is as much about fragile beauty as it about strength and perseverance, which is why it’s a personal favourite in my work photographing flowers. Absolutely inspired by my wife Desi to make this image. <3

 

If you’d like to walk through our award winning gardens here, you should absolutely consider a workshop. I’ve got a number of full-day macro workshops in July and August, and a variety of 3-hour water droplet refraction workshops coming up: www.donkom.ca/workshops/ - I promise you’ll walk away with magical images and new knowledge and techniques to be creative and inventive with your photography.

A huge metal sculpture of a horse standing at the side entrance of Lake San Murezzan where the traditional ‘White Turf Races’ take place in St. Moritz — these are different horse races that are performed on the frozen Lake where a lot of high society people meet, party and show off. The belly of the horse is hollow and can be entered through a stepladder at the back of the horse.

 

Unfortunately this year the ice of the lake was quite thin so they already had to cancel the first races. This morning however there is some hope that the rest of the lake will be frozen very fast as we have some traditional freezing temperatures again.

6023 "King Edward II" makes a spirited departure from Bewdley,on the Severn Valley Railway.High winds,snow and freezing temperatures made this spot (Church View) quite an "interesting" choice of viewpoint. 17th March 2018.

Highest Explore Position #156 ~ On January 12th 2009.

 

Silver Pheasant - Wingham Wildlife Park, Wingham, Kent, England - Sunday January 4th 2009.

Click here to see the Larger image

 

Click here to see My most interesting images

 

Well, as promised, we here a break from Sunset photos....and in their place is this striking game bird..the Silver Pheasant...which until last weekend, I'd NEVER heard of, let alone seen!!!

I've also just learned that in the UK...your not allowed to kill game on a Sunday or at night...so this lil chap is safe to go about his business today..:O))

 

This guy was almost impossible to get a decent shot off as he wouldn't stay still, in the Park they wander all over, as they are not kept in cages or enclosures. So trying to get close enough and down low to take a good shot was very difficult, I think I only managed to capture about 3 decent shots, of which this is one..:O))

 

So after days of below freezing temperatures here in London, the sun has come out and it's a tad warmer...Yahhh...after yesterday, when it was ridiculously cold allllllllll day, I should be able to venture out for a shoot somewhere today, but not game obviously..in the literal sense I mean..lol..:O)))

 

I hope your all having a great Sunday..:O)))

  

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ The Silver Pheasant, Lophura nycthemera is a large, approximately 125cm long, white pheasant with bare red facial skin, red legs and glossy black below. The male is adorned with white, long, patterned tail and black dropping crest on its crown. At least two years is needed to attain full male plumage. The female is an olive brown with black-tipped crest.

 

The Silver Pheasant inhabits to the mountain forests of mainland Southeast Asia and China. There are fourteen subspecies of Silver Pheasant, distributed from east Burma, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, China to the island of Hainan and recently seen in Smiths Station, Alabama.

 

The nominate subspecies Lophura nycthemera nycthemera of southeastern China and northern Vietnam is the largest and whitest race. The southern subspecies have varying amounts of grey or black markings and shorter tails.

 

The Silver Pheasant, widespread and a common species in most of its habitat range, is evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

 

Breeding Season: Silver are among the first birds to begin laying. Don't be surprised to find an egg when there is still snow on the ground!

 

Breeding Age: Second year, but first years birds are often fertile.

 

Clutch Size: 6 to 15

 

Incubation Period: 26-27 days.

 

Misc. Aviculture Notes: Bold, curious, beautiful and majestic, the Silver Pheasant is a perfect aviary bird and great for beginners to pheasant keeping. Male Silvers have a reputation of being aggressive towards their keepers and hens.

Here's another environmental headshot from down in lovely Quidi Vidi village. Terri was looking for a new headshot and she was a big fan of the headshot I did recently for Tasha. So this past weekend we braved the freezing temperatures and grabbed a few shots. This was her favorite and it's got lots of likes on Facebook so I thought I'd share it here.

 

Strobist:

SB910 into 26" Rapidbox, held on monopod. Fired by CLS from my D7100.

The Sahara is one of the hottest regions of the world, with a mean temperature over 30°C. Variations may also be huge, from over 50°C during the day, to freezing temperatures at night in winter. Daily variations are also very important.

 

The Sahara also receives very little rain (the Intercontinental Convergence Zone moves up from the south, but stops before the center of the Sahara while the winter rainfall of North Africa does not reach far south enough to regularly bring rain to the central Sahara). Not only scarce, the rain is also extremely irregular. Each rainfall is followed by a major vegetation growth and blooming.

 

Another peculiarity of the desert is the presence of wind. Small and hot dust-filled winds creating dust devils are observed and full-blown wind and sand storm occur as soon as early spring. Local inhabitants protect themselves from heat, cold and mostly wind and sand by covering their heads. (Wikipedia)

Today I finally had the opportunity to search for some surviving crocuses. The bleak winds and freezing temperatures have ruined many young plants. In a nearby park I came across a patch of fairly fresh crocuses to star in a short, windy and sunny photo shoot.

The bamboos (Bambusoideae) are a subfamily of flowering perennial evergreen plants in the grass family Poaceae.

 

Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. In bamboos, the internodal regions of the stem are hollow and the vascular bundles in the cross section are scattered throughout the stem instead of in a cylindrical arrangement. The dicotyledonous woody xylem is also absent. The absence of secondary growth wood causes the stems of monocots, including the palms and large bamboos, to be columnar rather than tapering.

 

Bamboos are some of the fastest-growing plants in the world, due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Certain species of bamboo can grow 88.9 Centimeters within a 24-hour period, at a rate of 3 cm/h (a growth of approximately 1 millimeter every 2 minutes). Bamboos are of notable economic and cultural significance in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, being used for building materials, as a food source, and as a versatile raw product. Bamboo has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick or concrete and a tensile strength that rivals steel.

 

The word bamboo comes from the Kannada term bambu, which was introduced to English through Malay.

 

SYSTEMATICS AND TAXONOMY

The bamboos have long been considered the most primitive grasses, mostly because of the presence of bracteate, indeterminate inflorescences, "pseudospikelets", and flowers with three lodicules, six stamens, and three stigmas. Following more recent molecular phylogenetic research, many tribes and genera of grasses formerly included in Bambusoideae are now classified in other subfamilies, e.g. the Anomochlooideae, the Puelioideae, and the Ehrhartoideae. The subfamily in its current sense belongs to the BOP clade of grasses, where it is sister to the Pooideae (bluegrasses and relatives).

 

The bamboos contains three clades classified as tribes, and these strongly correspond with geographic divisions, representing the New World herbaceous species (Olyreae), tropical woody bamboos (Bambuseae) and temperate woody bamboos (Arundinarieae). The woody bamboos do not form a monophyletic group; instead, the tropical woody and herbaceous bamboos are sister to the temperate woody bamboos. Altogether, there are more than 1,400 species in 115 genera.

 

Tribe Olyreae (herbaceous bamboos)

Tribe Bambuseae (tropical woody bamboos)

Tribe Arundinarieae (temperate woody bamboos)

 

DISTRIBUTION

Bamboo species are found in diverse climates, from cold mountains to hot tropical regions. They occur across East Asia, from 50°N latitude in Sakhalin through to Northern Australia, and west to India and the Himalayas. They also occur in sub-Saharan Africa, and in the Americas from the mid-Atlantic states south to Argentina and Chile, reaching their southernmost point at 47°S latitude. Continental Europe is not known to have any native species of bamboo.

 

Recently, some attempts have been made to grow bamboo on a commercial basis in the Great Lakes region of east-central Africa, especially in Rwanda. In the United States, several companies are growing, harvesting, and distributing species such as Phyllostachys nigra (Henon) and Phyllostachys edulis (Moso).

 

ECOLOGY

Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth, with reported growth rates of 250 cm in 24 hours. However, the growth rate is dependent on local soil and climatic conditions, as well as species, and a more typical growth rate for many commonly cultivated bamboos in temperate climates is in the range of 3–10 centimetre per day during the growing period. Primarily growing in regions of warmer climates during the late Cretaceous period, vast fields existed in what is now Asia. Some of the largest timber bamboo can grow over 30 m tall, and be as large as 15–20 cm in diameter. However, the size range for mature bamboo is species dependent, with the smallest bamboos reaching only several inches high at maturity. A typical height range that would cover many of the common bamboos grown in the United States is 4.6–12 metres, depending on species. Anji County of China, known as the "Town of Bamboo", provides the optimal climate and soil conditions to grow, harvest, and process some of the most valued bamboo poles available worldwide.

 

Unlike all trees, individual bamboo stems, or culms, emerge from the ground at their full diameter and grow to their full height in a single growing season of three to four months. During these several months, each new shoot grows vertically into a culm with no branching out until the majority of the mature height is reached. Then, the branches extend from the nodes and leafing out occurs. In the next year, the pulpy wall of each culm slowly hardens. During the third year, the culm hardens further. The shoot is now considered a fully mature culm. Over the next 2–5 years (depending on species), fungus begins to form on the outside of the culm, which eventually penetrates and overcomes the culm. Around 5–8 years later (species and climate dependent), the fungal growths cause the culm to collapse and decay. This brief life means culms are ready for harvest and suitable for use in construction within about three to seven years. Individual bamboo culms do not get any taller or larger in diameter in subsequent years than they do in their first year, and they do not replace any growth lost from pruning or natural breakage. Bamboos have a wide range of hardiness depending on species and locale. Small or young specimens of an individual species will produce small culms initially. As the clump and its rhizome system mature, taller and larger culms will be produced each year until the plant approaches its particular species limits of height and diameter.

 

Many tropical bamboo species will die at or near freezing temperatures, while some of the hardier or so-called temperate bamboos can survive temperatures as low as −29 °C. Some of the hardiest bamboo species can be grown in places as cold as USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5–6, although they typically will defoliate and may even lose all above-ground growth, yet the rhizomes will survive and send up shoots again the next spring. In milder climates, such as USDA Zone 8 and above, some hardy bamboo may remain fully leafed out year-round.

 

MASS FLOWERING

Most bamboo species flower infrequently. In fact, many bamboos only flower at intervals as long as 65 or 120 years. These taxa exhibit mass flowering (or gregarious flowering), with all plants in a particular cohort flowering over a several-year period. Any plant derived through clonal propagation from this cohort will also flower regardless of whether it has been planted in a different location. The longest mass flowering interval known is 130 years, and it is for the species Phyllostachys bambusoides (Sieb. & Zucc.). In this species, all plants of the same stock flower at the same time, regardless of differences in geographic locations or climatic conditions, and then the bamboo dies. The lack of environmental impact on the time of flowering indicates the presence of some sort of "alarm clock" in each cell of the plant which signals the diversion of all energy to flower production and the cessation of vegetative growth. This mechanism, as well as the evolutionary cause behind it, is still largely a mystery.

 

One hypothesis to explain the evolution of this semelparous mass flowering is the predator satiation hypothesis which argues that by fruiting at the same time, a population increases the survival rate of their seeds by flooding the area with fruit, so, even if predators eat their fill, seeds will still be left over. By having a flowering cycle longer than the lifespan of the rodent predators, bamboos can regulate animal populations by causing starvation during the period between flowering events. Thus the death of the adult clone is due to resource exhaustion, as it would be more effective for parent plants to devote all resources to creating a large seed crop than to hold back energy for their own regeneration.

 

Another, the fire cycle hypothesis, argues that periodic flowering followed by death of the adult plants has evolved as a mechanism to create disturbance in the habitat, thus providing the seedlings with a gap in which to grow. This argues that the dead culms create a large fuel load, and also a large target for lightning strikes, increasing the likelihood of wildfire. Because bamboos can be aggressive as early successional plants, the seedlings would be able to outstrip other plants and take over the space left by their parents.

 

However, both have been disputed for different reasons. The predator satiation hypothesis does not explain why the flowering cycle is 10 times longer than the lifespan of the local rodents, something not predicted. The bamboo fire cycle hypothesis is considered by a few scientists to be unreasonable; they argue[20] that fires only result from humans and there is no natural fire in India. This notion is considered wrong based on distribution of lightning strike data during the dry season throughout India. However, another argument against this is the lack of precedent for any living organism to harness something as unpredictable as lightning strikes to increase its chance of survival as part of natural evolutionary progress.

 

More recently, a mathematical explanation for the extreme length of the flowering cycles has been offered, involving both the stabilizing selection implied by the predator satiation hypothesis and others, and the fact that plants that flower at longer intervals tend to release more seeds. The hypothesis claims that bamboo flowering intervals grew by integer multiplication. A mutant bamboo plant flowering at a non-integer multiple of its population's flowering interval would release its seeds alone, and would not enjoy the benefits of collective flowering (such as protection from predators). On the other hand, a mutant bamboo plant flowering at an integer multiple of its population's flowering interval would release its seeds only during collective flowering events, and would release more seeds than the average plant in the population. It could therefore take over the population, establishing a flowering interval that is an integer multiple of the previous flowering interval. The hypothesis predicts that observed bamboo flowering intervals should factorize into small prime numbers.

 

The mass fruiting also has direct economic and ecological consequences, however. The huge increase in available fruit in the forests often causes a boom in rodent populations, leading to increases in disease and famine in nearby human populations. For example, devastating consequences occur when the Melocanna bambusoides population flowers and fruits once every 30–35 years around the Bay of Bengal. The death of the bamboo plants following their fruiting means the local people lose their building material, and the large increase in bamboo fruit leads to a rapid increase in rodent populations. As the number of rodents increases, they consume all available food, including grain fields and stored food, sometimes leading to famine. These rats can also carry dangerous diseases, such as typhus, typhoid, and bubonic plague, which can reach epidemic proportions as the rodents increase in number. The relationship between rat populations and bamboo flowering was examined in a 2009 Nova documentary "Rat Attack".

 

In any case, flowering produces masses of seeds, typically suspended from the ends of the branches. These seeds will give rise to a new generation of plants that may be identical in appearance to those that preceded the flowering, or they may produce new cultivars with different characteristics, such as the presence or absence of striping or other changes in coloration of the culms.

 

Several bamboo species are never known to set seed even when sporadically flowering has been reported. Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa balcooa and Dendrocalamus stocksii are common examples of such bamboo.

 

AS ANIMAL DIET

Soft bamboo shoots, stems, and leaves are the major food source of the giant panda of China, the red panda of Nepal and the bamboo lemurs of Madagascar. Rats will eat the fruits as described above. Mountain gorillas of Africa also feed on bamboo, and have been documented consuming bamboo sap which was fermented and alcoholic; chimpanzees and elephants of the region also eat the stalks.

 

The larvae of the bamboo borer (the moth Omphisa fuscidentalis) of Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Yunnan Province, China, feeds off the pulp of live bamboo. In turn, these caterpillars are considered a local delicacy.

 

CULTIVATION

COMMERCIAL TIMBER

Timber is harvested from both cultivated and wild stands, and some of the larger bamboos, particularly species in the genus Phyllostachys, are known as "timber bamboos".

 

HARVESTING

Bamboo used for construction purposes must be harvested when the culms reach their greatest strength and when sugar levels in the sap are at their lowest, as high sugar content increases the ease and rate of pest infestation.

 

Harvesting of bamboo is typically undertaken according to the following cycles:

 

1) Life cycle of the culm: As each individual culm goes through a 5– to 7-year life cycle, culms are ideally allowed to reach this level of maturity prior to full capacity harvesting. The clearing out or thinning of culms, particularly older decaying culms, helps to ensure adequate light and resources for new growth. Well-maintained clumps may have a productivity three to four times that of an unharvested wild clump. Consistent with the life cycle described above, bamboo is harvested from two to three years through to five to seven years, depending on the species.

 

2) Annual cycle: As all growth of new bamboo occurs during the wet season, disturbing the clump during this phase will potentially damage the upcoming crop. Also during this high rainfall period, sap levels are at their highest, and then diminish towards the dry season. Picking immediately prior to the wet/growth season may also damage new shoots. Hence, harvesting is best a few months prior to the start of the wet season.

 

3) Daily cycle: During the height of the day, photosynthesis is at its peak, producing the highest levels of sugar in sap, making this the least ideal time of day to harvest. Many traditional practitioners believe the best time to harvest is at dawn or dusk on a waning moon.

 

LEACHING

Leaching is the removal of sap after harvest. In many areas of the world, the sap levels in harvested bamboo are reduced either through leaching or postharvest photosynthesis.

 

EXEMPLES OF THIS PRACTICE INCLUDE:

Cut bamboo is raised clear of the ground and leaned against the rest of the clump for one to two weeks until leaves turn yellow to allow full consumption of sugars by the plant.

A similar method is undertaken, but with the base of the culm standing in fresh water, either in a large drum or stream to leach out sap.

Cut culms are immersed in a running stream and weighted down for three to four weeks.

Water is pumped through the freshly cut culms, forcing out the sap (this method is often used in conjunction with the injection of some form of treatment).

 

In the process of water leaching, the bamboo is dried slowly and evenly in the shade to avoid cracking in the outer skin of the bamboo, thereby reducing opportunities for pest infestation.

 

Durability of bamboo in construction is directly related to how well it is handled from the moment of planting through harvesting, transportation, storage, design, construction and maintenance. Bamboo harvested at the correct time of year and then exposed to ground contact or rain, will break down just as quickly as incorrectly harvested material.

 

ORNAMENTAL BAMBOOS

The two general patterns for the growth of bamboo are "clumping" (sympodial) and "running" (monopodial). Clumping bamboo species tend to spread slowly, as the growth pattern of the rhizomes is to simply expand the root mass gradually, similar to ornamental grasses. "Running" bamboos, on the other hand, need to be controlled during cultivation because of their potential for aggressive behavior. They spread mainly through their roots and/or rhizomes, which can spread widely underground and send up new culms to break through the surface. Running bamboo species are highly variable in their tendency to spread; this is related to both the species and the soil and climate conditions. Some can send out runners of several metres a year, while others can stay in the same general area for long periods. If neglected, over time they can cause problems by moving into adjacent areas.

 

Bamboos seldom and unpredictably flower, and the frequency of flowering varies greatly from species to species. Once flowering takes place, a plant will decline and often die entirely. Although there are always a few species of bamboo in flower at any given time, collectors desiring to grow specific bamboo typically obtain their plants as divisions of already-growing plants, rather than waiting for seeds to be produced.

 

Regular observations will indicate major growth directions and locations. Once the rhizomes are cut, they are typically removed; however, rhizomes take a number of months to mature, and an immature, severed rhizome will usually cease growing if left in-ground. If any bamboo shoots come up outside of the bamboo area afterwards, their presence indicates the precise location of the removed rhizome. The fibrous roots that radiate from the rhizomes do not produce more bamboo.

 

Bamboo growth is also controlled by surrounding the plant or grove with a physical barrier. Typically, concrete and specially rolled HDPE plastic are the materials used to create the barrier, which is placed in a 60– to 90-cm-deep ditch around the planting, and angled out at the top to direct the rhizomes to the surface. (This is only possible if the barrier is installed in a straight line.) If the containment area is small, this method can be detrimental to ornamental bamboo, as the bamboo within can become rootbound and start to display the signs of any unhealthy containerized plant. In addition, rhizomes can escape over the top, or beneath the barrier if it is not deep enough. Strong rhizomes and tools can penetrate plastic barriers, so care must be taken. In small areas, regular maintenance may be the best method for controlling the running bamboos. Barriers and edging are unnecessary for clump-forming bamboos, although these may eventually need to have portions removed if they become too large.

 

The ornamental plant sold in containers and marketed as "lucky bamboo" is actually an entirely unrelated plant, Dracaena sanderiana. It is a resilient member of the lily family that grows in the dark, tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and Africa. Lucky bamboo has long been associated with the Eastern practice of feng shui and images of the plant widely available on the Web are often used to depict bamboo. On a similar note, Japanese knotweed is also sometimes mistaken for a bamboo, but it grows wild and is considered an invasive species. Phyllostachys species of bamboo are also considered invasive and illegal to sell or propagate in some areas of the US.

 

USES

CULINARY

Although the shoots (new culms that come out of the ground) of bamboo contain a toxin taxiphyllin (a cyanogenic glycoside) that produces cyanide in the gut, proper processing renders them edible. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths, and are available in supermarkets in various sliced forms, in both fresh and canned versions. The golden bamboo lemur ingests many times the quantity of the taxiphyllin-containing bamboo that would kill a human.

 

The bamboo shoot in its fermented state forms an important ingredient in cuisines across the Himalayas. In Assam, India, for example, it is called khorisa. In Nepal, a delicacy popular across ethnic boundaries consists of bamboo shoots fermented with turmeric and oil, and cooked with potatoes into a dish that usually accompanies rice (alu tama (आलु तामा) in Nepali).

 

In Indonesia, they are sliced thin and then boiled with santan (thick coconut milk) and spices to make a dish called gulai rebung. Other recipes using bamboo shoots are sayur lodeh (mixed vegetables in coconut milk) and lun pia (sometimes written lumpia: fried wrapped bamboo shoots with vegetables). The shoots of some species contain toxins that need to be leached or boiled out before they can be eaten safely.

 

Pickled bamboo, used as a condiment, may also be made from the pith of the young shoots.

 

The sap of young stalks tapped during the rainy season may be fermented to make ulanzi (a sweet wine) or simply made into a soft drink. Bamboo leaves are also used as wrappers for steamed dumplings which usually contains glutinous rice and other ingredients.

 

Pickled bamboo shoots (Nepali:तामा tama) are cooked with black-eyed beans as a delicacy food in Nepal. Many Nepalese restaurant around the world serve this dish as aloo bodi tama. Fresh bamboo shoots are sliced and pickled with mustard seeds and turmeric and kept in glass jar in direct sunlight for the best taste. It is used alongside many dried beans in cooking during winter months. Baby shoots (Nepali: tusa) of a very different variety of bamboo (Nepali: निगालो Nigalo) native to Nepal is cooked as a curry in Hilly regions.

 

In Sambalpur, India, the tender shoots are grated into juliennes and fermented to prepare kardi. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word for bamboo shoot, karira. This fermented bamboo shoot is used in various culinary preparations, notably amil, a sour vegetable soup. It is also made into pancakes using rice flour as a binding agent. The shoots that have turned a little fibrous are fermented, dried, and ground to sand-sized particles to prepare a garnish known as hendua. It is also cooked with tender pumpkin leaves to make sag green leaves.

 

In Konkani cuisine, the tender shoots (kirlu) are grated and cooked with crushed jackfruit seeds to prepare 'kirla sukke'.

 

The empty hollow in the stalks of larger bamboo is often used to cook food in many Asian cultures. Soups are boiled and rice is cooked in the hollows of fresh stalks of bamboo directly over a flame. Similarly, steamed tea is sometimes rammed into bamboo hollows to produce compressed forms of Pu-erh tea. Cooking food in bamboo is said to give the food a subtle but distinctive taste.

 

In addition, bamboo is frequently used for cooking utensils within many cultures, and is used in the manufacture of chopsticks. In modern times, some see bamboo tools as an ecofriendly alternative to other manufactured utensils.

 

MEDICINE

Bamboo is used in Chinese medicine for treating infections and healing. In northern Indian state of Assam, the fermented bamboo paste known as khorisa is known locally as a folk remedy for the treatment of impotence, infertility, and menstrual pains.

 

CONSTRUCTION

Bamboo, like true wood, is a natural composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio useful for structures.

 

In its natural form, bamboo as a construction material is traditionally associated with the cultures of South Asia, East Asia and the South Pacific, to some extent in Central and South America, and by extension in the aesthetic of Tiki culture. In China and India, bamboo was used to hold up simple suspension bridges, either by making cables of split bamboo or twisting whole culms of sufficiently pliable bamboo together. One such bridge in the area of Qian-Xian is referenced in writings dating back to 960 AD and may have stood since as far back as the third century BC, due largely to continuous maintenance.

 

Bamboo has also long been used as scaffolding; the practice has been banned in China for buildings over six stories, but is still in continuous use for skyscrapers in Hong Kong. In the Philippines, the nipa hut is a fairly typical example of the most basic sort of housing where bamboo is used; the walls are split and woven bamboo, and bamboo slats and poles may be used as its support. In Japanese architecture, bamboo is used primarily as a supplemental and/or decorative element in buildings such as fencing, fountains, grates and gutters, largely due to the ready abundance of quality timber.

 

Various structural shapes may be made by training the bamboo to assume them as it grows. Squared sections of bamboo are created by compressing the growing stalk within a square form. Arches may similarly be created by forcing the bamboo's growth into the desired form, costing much less than it would to obtain the same shape with regular wood timber. More traditional forming methods, such as the application of heat and pressure, may also be used to curve or flatten the cut stalks.

 

Bamboo can be cut and laminated into sheets and planks. This process involves cutting stalks into thin strips, planing them flat, and boiling and drying the strips; they are then glued, pressed and finished. Long used in China and Japan, entrepreneurs started developing and selling laminated bamboo flooring in the West during the mid-1990s; products made from bamboo laminate, including flooring, cabinetry, furniture and even decorations, are currently surging in popularity, transitioning from the boutique market to mainstream providers such as Home Depot. The bamboo goods industry (which also includes small goods, fabric, etc.) is expected to be worth $25 billion by 2012. The quality of bamboo laminate varies among manufacturers and varies according to the maturity of the plant from which it was harvested (six years being considered the optimum); the sturdiest products fulfill their claims of being up to three times harder than oak hardwood while others may be softer than standard hardwood.

 

Bamboo intended for use in construction should be treated to resist insects and rot. The most common solution for this purpose is a mixture of borax and boric acid. Another process involves boiling cut bamboo to remove the starches that attract insects.

 

Bamboo has been used as reinforcement for concrete in those areas where it is plentiful, though dispute exists over its effectiveness in the various studies done on the subject. Bamboo does have the necessary strength to fulfil this function, but untreated bamboo will swell with water absorbed from the concrete, causing it to crack. Several procedures must be followed to overcome this shortcoming.

 

Several institutes, businesses, and universities are researching the use of bamboo as an ecological construction material. In the United States and France, it is possible to get houses made entirely of bamboo,[citation needed] which are earthquake- and cyclone-resistant and internationally certified. In Bali, Indonesia, an international K-12 school, the Green School, is constructed entirely of bamboo, for its beauty and advantages as a sustainable resource. There are three ISO standards for bamboo as a construction material.

 

In parts of India, bamboo is used for drying clothes indoors, both as a rod high up near the ceiling to hang clothes on, and as a stick wielded with acquired expert skill to hoist, spread, and to take down the clothes when dry. It is also commonly used to make ladders, which apart from their normal function, are also used for carrying bodies in funerals. In Maharashtra, the bamboo groves and forests are called Veluvana, the name velu for bamboo is most likely from Sanskrit, while vana means forest.

 

Furthermore, bamboo is also used to create flagpoles for saffron-coloured, Hindu religious flags, which can be seen fluttering across India, especially in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, as well as in Guyana and Suriname in South America.

 

Bamboo was used for the structural members of the India pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The pavilion is the world’s largest bamboo dome, about 34 m in diameter, with bamboo beams/members overlaid with a ferro-concrete slab, waterproofing, copper plate, solar PV panels, a small windmill, and live plants. A total of 30 km of bamboo was used. The dome is supported on 18-m-long steel piles and a series of steel ring beams. The bamboo was treated with borax and boric acid as a fire retardant and insecticide and bent in the required shape. The bamboo sections were joined with reinforcement bars and concrete mortar to achieve the necessary lengths.

 

TEXTILES

Since the fibers of bamboo are very short (less than 3 mm), they are not usually transformed into yarn by a natural process. The usual process by which textiles labeled as being made of bamboo are produced uses only rayon made from the fibers with heavy employment of chemicals. To accomplish this, the fibers are broken down with chemicals and extruded through mechanical spinnerets; the chemicals include lye, carbon disulfide and strong acids. Retailers have sold both end products as "bamboo fabric" to cash in on bamboo's current ecofriendly cachet; however, the Canadian Competition Bureau and the US Federal Trade Commission, as of mid-2009, are cracking down on the practice of labeling bamboo rayon as natural bamboo fabric. Under the guidelines of both agencies, these products must be labeled as rayon with the optional qualifier "from bamboo".

 

AS A WRITING SURFACE

Bamboo was in widespread use in early China as a medium for written documents. The earliest surviving examples of such documents, written in ink on string-bound bundles of bamboo strips (or "slips"), date from the fifth century BC during the Warring States period. However, references in earlier texts surviving on other media make it clear that some precursor of these Warring States period bamboo slips was in use as early as the late Shang period (from about 1250 BC).

 

Bamboo or wooden strips were the standard writing material during the Han dynasty, and excavated examples have been found in abundance. Subsequently, paper began to displace bamboo and wooden strips from mainstream uses, and by the fourth century AD, bamboo slips had been largely abandoned as a medium for writing in China. Several paper industries are surviving on bamboo forests. Ballarpur (Chandrapur, Maharstra) paper mills use bamboo for paper production.

 

Bamboo fiber has been used to make paper in China since early times. A high-quality, handmade paper is still produced in small quantities. Coarse bamboo paper is still used to make spirit money in many Chinese communities.

 

Bamboo pulps are mainly produced in China, Myanmar, Thailand and India, and are used in printing and writing papers. The most common bamboo species used for paper are Dendrocalamus asper and Bamboo bluemanea. It is also possible to make dissolving pulp from bamboo. The average fiber length is similar to hardwoods, but the properties of bamboo pulp are closer to softwood pulps due to it having a very broad fiber length distribution. With the help of molecular tools, it is now possible to distinguish the superior fiber-yielding species/varieties even at juvenile stages of their growth, which can help in unadulterated merchandise production.[

 

WEAPONS

Bamboo has often been used to construct weapons and is still incorporated in several Asian martial arts.

 

A bamboo staff, sometimes with one end sharpened, is used in the Tamil martial art of silambam, a word derived from a term meaning "hill bamboo".

Staves used in the Indian martial art of gatka are commonly made from bamboo, a material favoured for its light weight.

A bamboo sword called a shinai is used in the Japanese martial art of kendo.

Bamboo is used for crafting the bows, called yumi, and arrows used in the Japanese martial art kyudo.

Bamboo is sometimes used to craft the limbs of the longbow and recurve bow used in traditional archery, and to make superior weapons for bowhunting and target archery.

The first gunpowder-based weapons, such as the fire lance, were made of bamboo.

Bamboo was apparently used in East and South Asia as a means of torture.

 

OTHER USES

Bamboo has traditionally been used to make a wide range of everyday utensils, particularly in Japan, where archaeological excavations have uncovered bamboo baskets dating to the Late Jomon period (2000–1000 BC).

 

Bamboo has a long history of use in Asian furniture. Chinese bamboo furniture is a distinct style based on a millennia-long tradition.

 

Several manufacturers offer bamboo bicycles, surfboards, snowboards, and skateboards.

 

Due to its flexibility, bamboo is also used to make fishing rods. The split cane rod is especially prized for fly fishing. Bamboo has been traditionally used in Malaysia as a firecracker called a meriam buluh or bamboo cannon. Four-foot-long sections of bamboo are cut, and a mixture of water and calcium carbide are introduced. The resulting acetylene gas is ignited with a stick, producing a loud bang. Bamboo can be used in water desalination. A bamboo filter is used to remove the salt from seawater.

 

Food is cooked in East Timor in bamboo in fire. This is called Tukir.

 

Many minority groups in remote areas that have water access in Asia use bamboo that is 3–5 years old to make rafts. They use 8 to 12 poles, 6–7 metres long, laid together side by side to a width of about 1 metre. Once the poles are lined up together, they cut a hole crosswise through the poles at each end and use a small bamboo pole pushed through that hole like a screw to hold all the long bamboo poles together. Floating houses use whole bamboo stalks tied together in a big bunch to support the house floating in the water. Bamboo is also used to make eating utensils such as chop sticks, trays, and tea scoops.

 

The Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD) Chinese scientist and polymath Shen Kuo (1031–1095) used the evidence of underground petrified bamboo found in the dry northern climate of Yan'an, Shanbei region, Shaanxi province to support his geological theory of gradual climate change.

 

SYMBOLISM AND CULTURE

Bamboo's long life makes it a Chinese symbol of uprightness, while in India it is a symbol of friendship. The rarity of its blossoming has led to the flowers' being regarded as a sign of impending famine. This may be due to rats feeding upon the profusion of flowers, then multiplying and destroying a large part of the local food supply. The most recent flowering began in May 2006 (see Mautam). Bamboo is said to bloom in this manner only about every 50 years (see 28–60 year examples in FAO: 'gregarious' species table).

 

In Chinese culture, the bamboo, plum blossom, orchid, and chrysanthemum (often known as méi lán zhú jú 梅兰竹菊) are collectively referred to as the Four Gentlemen. These four plants also represent the four seasons and, in Confucian ideology, four aspects of the junzi ("prince" or "noble one"). The pine (sōng 松), the bamboo (zhú 竹), and the plum blossom (méi 梅) are also admired for their perseverance under harsh conditions, and are together known as the "Three Friends of Winter" (岁寒三友 suìhán sānyǒu) in Chinese culture. The "Three Friends of Winter" is traditionally used as a system of ranking in Japan, for example in sushi sets or accommodations at a traditional ryokan. Pine (matsu 松) is of the first rank, bamboo (také 竹) is of second rank, and plum (ume 梅) is of the third.

 

The Bozo ethnic group of West Africa take their name from the Bambara phrase bo-so, which means "bamboo house". Bamboo is also the national plant of St. Lucia.

 

BAMBOO, NOBLE AND USEFUL

Bamboo, one of the "Four Gentlemen" (bamboo, orchid, plum blossom and chrysanthemum), plays such an important role in traditional Chinese culture that it is even regarded as a behavior model of the gentleman. As bamboo has features such as uprightness, tenacity, and hollow heart, people endow bamboo with integrity, elegance, and plainness, though it is not physically strong. Countless poems praising bamboo written by ancient Chinese poets are actually metaphorically about people who exhibited these characteristics. According to laws, an ancient poet, Bai Juyi (772–846), thought that to be a gentleman, a man does not need to be physically strong, but he must be mentally strong, upright, and perseverant. Just as a bamboo is hollow-hearted, he should open his heart to accept anything of benefit and never have arrogance or prejudice. Bamboo is not only a symbol of a gentleman, but also plays an important role in Buddhism, which was introduced into China in the first century. As canons of Buddhism forbids cruelty to animals, flesh and egg were not allowed in the diet. The tender bamboo shoot (sǔn筍 in Chinese) thus became a nutritious alternative. Preparation methods developed over thousands of years have come to incorporated into Asian cuisines, especially for monks. A Buddhist monk, Zan Ning, wrote a manual of the bamboo shoot called "Sǔn Pǔ筍譜" offering descriptions and recipes for many kinds of bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoot has always been a traditional dish on the Chinese dinner table, especially in southern China. In ancient times, those who could afford a big house with a yard would plant bamboo in their garden.

 

In Japan, a bamboo forest sometimes surrounds a Shinto shrine as part of a sacred barrier against evil. Many Buddhist temples also have bamboo groves.

 

Bamboo plays an important part of the culture of Vietnam. Bamboo symbolizes the spirit of Vovinam (a Vietnamese martial arts): cương nhu phối triển (coordination between hard and soft (martial arts)). Bamboo also symbolizes the Vietnamese hometown and Vietnamese soul: the gentlemanlike, straightforwardness, hard working, optimism, unity, and adaptability. A Vietnamese proverb says, "When the bamboo is old, the bamboo sprouts appear", the meaning being Vietnam will never be annihilated; if the previous generation dies, the children take their place. Therefore, the Vietnam nation and Vietnamese value will be maintained and developed eternally. Traditional Vietnamese villages are surrounded by thick bamboo hedges (lũy tre).

 

IN MYTHOLOGY

Several Asian cultures, including that of the Andaman Islands, believe humanity emerged from a bamboo stem.

 

In Philippine mythology, one of the more famous creation accounts tells of the first man, Malakás ("Strong"), and the first woman, Maganda ("Beautiful"), each emerged from one half of a split bamboo stem on an island formed after the battle between Sky and Ocean. In Malaysia, a similar story includes a man who dreams of a beautiful woman while sleeping under a bamboo plant; he wakes up and breaks the bamboo stem, discovering the woman inside. The Japanese folktale "Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" (Taketori Monogatari) tells of a princess from the Moon emerging from a shining bamboo section. Hawaiian bamboo ('ohe) is a kinolau or body form of the Polynesian creator god Kāne.

 

A bamboo cane is also the weapon of Vietnamese legendary hero, Saint Giong, who had grown up immediately and magically since the age of three because of his wish to liberate his land from Ân invaders. An ancient Vietnamese legend (The Hundred-knot Bamboo Tree) tells of a poor, young farmer who fell in love with his landlord's beautiful daughter. The farmer asked the landlord for his daughter's hand in marriage, but the proud landlord would not allow her to be bound in marriage to a poor farmer. The landlord decided to foil the marriage with an impossible deal; the farmer must bring him a "bamboo tree of 100 nodes". But Gautama Buddha (Bụt) appeared to the farmer and told him that such a tree could be made from 100 nodes from several different trees. Bụt gave to him four magic words to attach the many nodes of bamboo: Khắc nhập, khắc xuất, which means "joined together immediately, fell apart immediately". The triumphant farmer returned to the landlord and demanded his daughter. Curious to see such a long bamboo, the landlord was magically joined to the bamboo when he touched it, as the young farmer said the first two magic words. The story ends with the happy marriage of the farmer and the landlord's daughter after the landlord agreed to the marriage and asked to be separated from the bamboo.

 

In a Chinese legend, the Emperor Yao gave two of his daughters to the future Emperor Shun as a test for his potential to rule. Shun passed the test of being able to run his household with the two emperor's daughters as wives, and thus Yao made Shun his successor, bypassing his unworthy son. Later, Shun drowned in the Xiang River. The tears his two bereaved wives let fall upon the bamboos growing there explains the origin of spotted bamboo. The two women later became goddesses.

 

WIKIPEDIA

a night at a desert camp with fire and local music with freezing temperatures, but - you will easily meet people from all over the world...

Even with above freezing temperatures today, the wind chill was cold enough to stop melt on shoreline ice.

Went for a high key approach to this image. The Grouse was in early morning shade, deep snow and it was -14 ! Its feathers were frosted with the freezing temperature. These Grouse are such hardy creatures to survive such harsh conditions. Glen Quaich, Amulree, Perthshire.

Sat in my portable photo hide for over four hours in freezing temperatures waiting (in vain) for the lesser whitethroat to appear. It had been seen about two hours before I arrived, but I expected it to reappear at times. It is one of the eastern races and could have come from as far away as Siberia. Not the subspecies curucca that breeds in the UK.

 

It definitely was not my hide putting it off as there were plenty of other birds visiting the feeding station area and so I had a good time anyway. There's always tomorrow.

 

I quite liked this blue tit perched up on an isolated shrub

Like to see the pictures as Large as your screen? Than why not click on the Slideshow : www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/sets/72157622436074363/s...

 

Tibet has varying elevations and geography. The Changtang (northern Plateau) is one of the coldest, highest (over 4400m) and most barren areas of Tibet. Winter here is the harshest in Tibet with temperatures often getting down to -30C (-22F) or colder. Freezing temperatures occur even in the summer there.

 

Amdo (northeast Tibet) has huge rolling grasslands giving way to high mountain ranges and is home to many nomads. While Amdo is not as high as Changtang, winter is still long and cold. With an average elevation of over 3400m and sitting in the most northern region of Tibet, winter can come early. Freezing temperatures are common by mid-Septemeber. Amdo also gets more snow than most regions of Tibet. If you have ever seen a picture of Tibetan nomads in snow, chances are it was taken in Amdo. Winter temperatures can easily get to -20C (-4F) and the high areas of Golok Tibet Autonomous Prefecture can get to -30C. Summers are short, but pleasant in Amdo with temperatures getting up to 24C (75F) by mid-July (nights are still cold though).

kekexili.typepad.com/life_on_the_tibetan_plate/2007/01/ti...

Sub-freezing temperatures make ice skating over the backyard grass possible at my home in Texas.

Gotta love that heated steering wheel in sub freezing temperature.

Haven't had much time to shoot lately, But all that will be changing... Driving into light.

 

Brrrr! still applies today, here in Pennsylvania, as we have freezing temperatures in April.

You can't always trust the advice that you receive on Flickr. Even from your faithful friends.

 

I normally try to keep my feet dry, when shooting waterfalls and creeks. This is a good strategy when shooting in below-freezing temperatures. On my last visit to this location, Flickr friend Ivan Sorensen ridiculed me for worrying about wet feet. Big mistake. Think about it - a guy with the name of Brook, and you suggest that he should get wet. Needless to say, on Friday afternoon I embraced Ivan's suggestion and promptly walked into the creek. Sweet! It enabled me to get some really nice shots of a tiny cascade below the falls.

 

But it didn't end there. I waded up the creek to the falls. And then I wondered what it would look like from behind the falls using my 12-24 f/4 Nikkor. So I dragged myself up the rocks behind the falls. It was beautiful. But very wet. Tiny rivulets of water were spouting out of cracks in the cliff in various spots, ensuring that I got a good soaking. But at least the water was reasonably warm.

 

Later, on the way home, I attracted plenty of stares as I made a quick stop at the grocery store for some essentials - strawberry & rhubarb pie and ice cream.

May your lucky stars follow you wherever you go! Happy 2017 folks!

 

Here's a short time lapse video I made on a recent trip to Sedona, AZ. Low light pollution makes it an ideal place to see and shoot stars. I settled on this composition as it was close to the place we were staying. Given the freezing temperatures at night in Sedona, my plan for this shoot was to set up the intervalometer to capture about 480 images for a 20 sec video and take shelter in our room while the intervalometer did its job. Unfortunately my Opteka intervalometer decided it was the best time to break down! My only option was to keep pressing the shutter manually while standing out in the cold. And that's what I did! After shooting about 200 frames in the 40F weather for nearly 2 hours and listening to the howling of coyotes in the distance, I wrapped up my session, happy that I'd be able to get at least an 8 sec video. Of course I was thrilled not to have become fodder for coyotes as well :-) Each of the frames in this video was shot at ISO 2000, 16mm, f/2.8 and 20s.

 

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© Jay Fine 2011

Nikon D300S/Nikon 12-24mm f/4 @13mm at f/5.6 for 1/160 of a second. ISO 200.

Last night ice began flowing down the Hudson and started to collect at the South Cove in Battery Park City like the pieces of a giant jigsaw puzzle. Converted to black and white in PS CS3 plus a hint of blue in honor of the freezing temperatures.

Winter comes and goes in our parts of the country. Some days we have freezing temperatures, next day feels like spring. I am enjoying every bit of the season. Last year I have noticed how much of a cool weather girl I am , so much more soul searching to do for me..but I know me and the winter generally go along together well..

 

When I was getting ready to shoot this portrait of my little miss, this is exactly what I had in mind. Cool, moody,wintery and a bit old film like....when she put the leave over her face, I knew it was a winner.

 

All my pictures are copyright protected. Please do not use without my written permission

 

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I stopped and snapped a few shots of the Lake Michigan shoreline on Saturday.

Since then we've had two more days of above freezing temperatures and the snow has melted significantly, but has not disappeared entirely.

Neighbors were turfing their garden and then put the sprinklers on which I thought was strange in freezing temperature, but I'm no gardener so what do I know. Got something to photograph anyway.

A pumpkin left outside since October had started to rot over the winter snow and freezing temperatures, however with a warm spell yesterday, a hole was found in it today as an animal (most likely a squirrel) had a feast.

 

New Yorkers bundled up during record breaking low temperatures due to the weather phenomenon called the "Polar Vortex" in NY, NY on January 7, 2014.

This was taken the morning following a freak late spring snow-storm on the Yukon River that stranded a large flock of migrating swallows. Sunny and clear that morning, to conserve energy with the freezing temperatures, some of the swallows appeared to be in a state of slowed metabolism called 'torpor', allowing me to get exceptionally close. This one was also utilizing 'nature's down jacket', keeping warm by fluffing its feathers, giving it a rounded appearance.

 

Several of the photos and the story attracted international media attention. This week, even the Yukon News featured a story about my work: www.yukon-news.com/arts/26057/

This lovely viola has survived several episodes of sub-freezing temperatures, at once delicate and resilient.

  

*******************

copyright © Mim Eisenberg. All rights reserved.

 

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This new roof was completed by a registered Master Thatcher and it has transformed the home.

 

Completed in December 2014 and as the sky shows, just in time for the heavy rain, cold days and freezing temperatures ahead.

Some crazy weather. First we are hit with a snow storm with freezing temperature, then the temperature skyrockets to 40s and then drops again and rises into the 50s. Thought it would be a cool idea to do some fog photography. Did a long exposure shot of a traffic light late a night.

We've had rain and freezing temperatures the last few days - which has resulted in everything being coated in glare ice. Beautiful and dangerous.

Little girl dressed to play outside in freezing temperatures

I had too many pictures of blue snow, now I found some shots of the opposite: no blue snowflake in sight :) The straat lighting coloured everything in a warm yellow(-ish) glow, in visual contrast withthe freezing temperatures.

 

In previous years such snow cover was very unusual and, when it happened, it only lasted a few hours. Now we've had this for a month! Global warming :)

With a freezing temperature of 10 degrees, I captured this photo from the front porch. Suzy Sunshine is trying to scatter the dark clouds away as she peeks above the horizon.

Took this at the Lachine Canal this morning. Regardless of the cold and freezing temperatures, this family of ducks was wading and foraging the canal waters.

"The Desert Tortoise can survive a year or even longer without access to water. Their water intake comes from the grass and wildflowers they consume during the spring. Whether it is the extreme heat of the summer, or the freezing temperatures of the winter, the Desert Tortoise is able to use its claws to burrow under the ground for protection. These adaptations allow it to survive in the extreme conditions of the Mojave Desert."

Captured on my bike commute at freezing temperatures - with sunshine like that, snowfall in march is quite enjoyable.

"Today it's a crisp clear day at a freezing -17°C (or 0 °F)

..but it feels Like - 25 °C (or -13 °F) with the Canadian north-blowing winds at 15km/h." ~Tomitheos

 

Self Portrait - Copyright © 2011 Tomitheos Photography - All Rights Reserved

 

Sunrise: 7:43 PM

Sunset: 5:17 PM

Relative Humidity: 50%

Pressure: 102.68 kPa

Driving Visibility: 24.0 km

 

© All rights reserved. After 2 nights out in freezing temperatures (-10°C last night), and deep snow, she is back. She looks very scruffy, but doesn't seem to have suffered frost bite or anything.

I found her hiding in a neighbour's shed. I went out shaking her dry food, and heard a pitiful meow, and there she was poking her head out of a hole in the door.

 

Thank you to all who left comments of encouragement on the previous picture, they were very much appreciated.