Protective Mimicry
View allAll Photos Tagged Gainers,
This double crested cormorant did a few circles of the lake to gain altitude before it finally left the area. Gave me a few passes at it. Didn't nail the focus, but I liked the dynamic pose enough to post it.
...
Flay you alive
One more word and you won't survive
And I'm not scared
Of your stolen power
I see right through you any hour
I won't soothe your pain
I won't ease your strain
You'll be waiting in vain
I got nothing for you to gain
I'm taking it slow
Feeding my flame
Shuffling the cards of your game
And just in time
In the right place
Suddenly I will play my ace
The museum was founded in October 1983 in Toronto at Exhibition Place and later moved to Ontario Place theme park.
In 1994, it moved to St. Marys, Ontario.
The Hall of Fame and Museum is dedicated to preserving Canada's baseball heritage which dates back to June 4, 1838, when a game which very closely resembled today's game of baseball was played in Beachville, Ontario.
The Hall gained some major attention when Pete Rose became eligible for election for earning his 4,000th MLB hit while playing with the Montreal Expos in 1984, however Rose has yet to be elected to the Hall.
There is no Beauty Without Some Strangeness
- Edgar Allan Poe
________________________
The Raven:
Ravens are among the smartest of all birds, gaining a reputation for solving ever more complicated problems invented by ever more creative scientists.
The Raven is an acrobatic flier, often doing rolls and somersaults in the air. Young birds are fond of playing games with sticks, repeatedly dropping them, then diving to catch them in midair.
People around the world sense a certain kind of personality in ravens. Edgar Allan Poe clearly found them a little creepy. The captive ravens at the Tower of London are beloved and perhaps a little feared: legend has it that if they ever leave the tower, the British Empire will crumble.
Common Ravens can mimic the calls of other bird species. When raised in captivity, they can even imitate human words; one Common Raven raised from birth was taught to mimic the word “nevermore.”
The oldest known wild Common Raven was at least 22 years, 7 months old. It was banded and found again in Nova Scotia.
(Nikon D750, Nikor 80-200/5.6, 1/320 @ f/8.0, ISO 400, edited to taste)
A northern pintail takes off from the Big Salt Marsh at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge in Stafford County, KS.
It must be so satisfying to 'drive' a traction engine.
Thank you all for visiting - it is really appreciated. Have a good week.
created by KHWD
want to see more images or read the blog?
www.motorhome-travels.net/post/blog-206-scotland-mull-ork...
On Unst, Shetland’s northernmost island, a striking Viking longhouse and ship replica offer a vivid glimpse into Norse life and legacy.
Unst is believed to be the first landfall of Vikings in the North Atlantic, and today it boasts the highest density of rural Viking sites in the world—over 60 longhouse remains have been identified across the island. The Viking Unst Project, centered in Haroldswick, brings this history to life through two captivating reconstructions: a 9th-century longhouse and the Skidbladner, a replica of the famed Gokstad ship.
The longhouse, built using traditional materials and techniques, stands as a tactile interpretation of Norse domestic architecture. Its turf walls, timber frame, and central hearth evoke the communal warmth and practicality of Viking living. Visitors can explore the interior freely, gaining insight into how families cooked, slept, and gathered in these elongated, multifunctional spaces. The reconstruction draws on archaeological findings from three key Unst sites—Hamar, Underhoull, and Belmont—each revealing layers of Norse settlement from around 1025 to 1220.
Just steps away, the Skidbladner rests beside Harold’s Wick, its sleek silhouette echoing the seafaring prowess of Viking explorers. Modeled after the Gokstad ship discovered in Norway, this replica showcases the craftsmanship and navigational ingenuity that enabled Norse expansion across Europe. With its clinker-built hull and graceful curves, the ship is both a tribute to Viking engineering and a symbol of their adventurous spirit.
Together, the longhouse and ship form a compelling open-air museum, accessible year-round and free to explore. They’re not just static displays—they’re immersive storytelling tools, anchoring Unst’s identity in its Norse heritage. Whether you’re tracing the footsteps of settlers or marveling at maritime design, these reconstructions offer a tangible connection to a time when Unst was a frontier of Viking ambition.
A faschinating little shop by this name, found along George Street, along my driving route to work.
I haven't actually been inside yet, just stopped to shoot its title mural along the side of the building.
Hello to all my Flickr friends. As many of you know, just over a year ago my beautiful wife Marilyn had a stroke. Her road to recovery has had its ups and downs. Last February, she came home from the rehab hospital in a wheelchair, but by late spring she was able to walk short distances with the aid of a walker. She was gaining strength and more independence with each passing day. Unfortunately, this past November she had two falls, with the second one putting her back in the hospital. But again, her strong determination has resulted in her fighting through the pain as a result of the falls, and the limitations caused by the stroke. Another Christmas and New Year day in hospital, but she will be home soon. I took this photograph over forty years ago when I was shooting and developing black and white film with my Canon 35 mm SLR camera. I love her look of determination, which has been one of her qualities ever since I’ve known her. This determined spirit has been very strong over the course of this past year.
For all of us, this past year has been difficult, but we must always look forward to the New Year and tackle any challenges, good or bad, that come our way. So, to all of you, a very Happy and healthy New Year.
My participation on Flickr will continue to be limited in the coming new year, but hopefully by the summer I will return on a more regular basis.
The film that I used for this photograph was Kodak Tri-X pushed to 1600 ISO using Diafine developer to process the negatives.
Fear
I Feared …
I feared being alone
Until I learned to like Myself.
I feared failure
Until I realized that I only Fail when I don't try.
I feared success
Until I realized that I had to try in order to be happy with myself.
I feared people's opinions
Until I learned that people would have opinions about me anyway.
I feared rejection
Until I learned to have faith in myself.
I feared pain
Until I learned that it's necessary for growth
I feared the truth
Until I saw the ugliness in lies.
I feared life
Until I experienced its beauty .
I feared death
Until I realized that it's not an end, but a beginning.
I feared my destiny,
Until I realized that I had the power to change my life.
I feared hate
Until I saw that it was nothing more than ignorance.
I feared love
Until it touched my heart, making the darkness fade into endless sunny days.
Until I learned how to laugh at myself.
I feared growing old
Until I realized that I gained wisdom every day.
I feared the future
Until I realized that Life just kept getting better.
I feared the past
Until I realized that It could no longer hurt me.
I feared the dark
Until I saw the beauty of the starlight.
I feared the light
Until I learned that the Truth would give me Strength.
I feared change,
Until I saw that even the most beautiful butterfly had to undergo a Metamorphosis before it could fly.
- Unknown
For Macro Monday ....... Theme Time
I was lost for an idea,so I thought I would try something completely different and add a bit of colour and go abstract ...... Still, nothing ventured ,nothing gained ,as they say ....
Im Herzen eines neuen Kulturquartiers zwischen Bocholter Innenstadt und Aasee liegt das Textilwerk mit Weberei und Spinnerei. Die beiden Standorte des Industriemuseums verbindet eine Brücke über den Fluss Aa. In den imposanten Sälen der historischen Spinnerei Herding erhalten Sie spannende Einblicke in historische und moderne Technik, erleben Modegeschichte und aktuelles Design.
The textile factory with weaving mill and spinning mill is located in the heart of a new cultural quarter between Bocholt city center and Lake Aasee. The two locations of the Industrial Museum are connected by a bridge over the River Aa. In the imposing halls of the historic Herding spinning mill, you can gain exciting insights into historic and modern technology, experience the history of fashion and current design.
Bernache cravant
Branta bernicla - Brant Goose
Un souvenir de Janvier de ces petites oies qui font halte sur le Bassin d'Arcachon où elles trouvent leurs mets favoris ( zostères, salicornes, algues vertes) afin de prendre des forces pour poursuivre leur voyage !!
Belle semaine à vous ...prenez soin de vous
2021-01-10_15-56-39_01-
Branta bernicla - Brant Goose
A memory of January of these little geese who stop at the Arcachon Bay where they find their favorite dishes (eelgrass, samphire, green algae) to gain strength to continue their journey !!
Have a nice week ... take care of yourself
300 Clarence Gaines St
Paducah Kentucky
McCracken County
Photo taken June 15, 2021
The Present building erected 1940-43 with help of Works Progress Administration.
We took Alyeska on her very first hike with us. I was worried how her little body would manage and we went prepared with a bag to carry her in if needed. We chose a relatively easier/shorter trail but still with a moderate elevation gain, and she handled it without any problems while it actually left me winded after the climb!😅
It gains the more it gives, and then it rises with the fall. So let go, just let go, cause there's beauty in the breakdown.
Sure hope we all soon can comfortably see aerial views like this again! :)
Have a terrific day, everyone...
1955 Cadillac Eldorado
Dagmar bumpers (also known as "bullet bumpers") is a slang term for chrome conical-shaped bumper guards that began to appear on the front bumper/grille assemblies of certain American automobiles following World War II. They reached their peak in the mid-1950s.
The term evokes the prominent bosom of Dagmar, a buxom early-1950s television personality featuring low-cut gowns and conical bra cups. She was amused by the tribute.
As originally conceived by Harley Earl, GM Vice President of Design, the conical bumper guards would mimic artillery shells. Placed inboard of the headlights on front bumpers of Cadillacs, they were intended to both convey the image of a speeding projectile and protect vehicles' front ends in collisions. The similarity of these features to the then popular bullet bra as epitomized by buxom television personality Dagmar was inescapable.
As the 1950s wore on and American automakers' use of chrome grew more flamboyant, they grew more pronounced. The black rubber tips they gained on the 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham and other models were known as pasties.
Postwar Cadillacs began sporting conical bumper guards in the 1946 model year. In 1951 models, some were raised into the grille. In 1957, black rubber tips appeared. The element continued to become more pronounced in size through 1958, but were eliminated in the 1959 Cadillac redesign.
Mercury sported Dagmars in 1953 through the 1956 model year. Lincoln added Dagmars in 1960, with a black rubber ring separating the body from the chrome tip.
Buick added Dagmars on its 1954 and 1955 models, in 1954 as part of the bumper assembly, and moved into the grille in 1955.
Packard included large Dagmars on the bumper in 1955 and 1956 models.
Full-sized Chevys in 1961 and 1963 also had small rubber Dagmars on the front bumper, and 1962 Ford Galaxie had small rubber Dagmars as an option.
Saddlerock Trails-Wenatchee, WA. Length: 1.3 miles from trailhead to the top of Saddle Rock
Elevation Gain: 950 ft
Follow the old jeep road from the parking area on Circle Street to the top of Saddle Rock. Be prepared for some sweeping views of the city.
Rolling into the nice super elevated curve just south of Gaines, Michigan is Grand Trunk Western train #410 running from Durand to Lang Yd. in Toledo, Ohio. Normally a pair of SD40's this day you found no complaints from me with GP9 4544 leading SD40 5929 - December 18, 1976.
"There will always be someone who doesn't see your worth, don't let it be you."
"The more you allow people to live their lives, the better your life will get. The more control you give up the more you gain".
"Growing is painful. But nothing is as painful being stuck where you don't belong."
Mel Robbins
There's only one thing left here to say
"Love's never too late"
I've broken free from those memories
I've let it go, I've let it go
And two goodbyes led to this new life
Don't let me go, don't let me go
youtu.be/AqajUg85Ax4?si=X783jdSLnJ7dIf7k
The lovely Avril Lavigne, a Canadian gal - She got it right, Dont let yourself go.. ♥
Pacific white-fronted geese after taking off from the Colusa National Wildlife Refuge on their spring migration to the northern reaches of Alaska and Canada. Currently two populations of white-fronted geese are recognized: the Pacific Population and the Mid-Continent Population. Numbers of Pacific Population white-fronted geese have increased steadily over the last decade.
Thanks, as always, for stopping by and for all of your kind comments -- I appreciate them all.
© Melissa Post 2018
Bar-tailed Godwiths hold the world record for the longest land migration non-stop flight over 11,000km.
Bar-tailed Godwits alter themselves physically before migration.
Gain body fat (accounts for 55% of their weight)
To do this they shrink their liver, kidney and gut
Only the organs essential for long-distance flight are maintained.
They use a mental-maps for navigation which almost certainly includes star-charts and beak-compasses.
The birds follow patterns of movement engrained into a culture that evolved with the ecosystem they inhabit today,
Amazing Nature.
Object: LBN 576 The Popped Balloon Nebula in Cassiopeia (November 2023)
LBN576 (aka The Popped Ballon Nebula) is a faint supernova remnant that lies in the constellation of Cassiopeia and is estimated to be 9780 light years from earth with a diameter of 98 lightyears and is roughly 10,000 years old.
The field also contains two small open star clusters NGB7788 & MGC7790 to the left of center.
- Acquisition Date: 11/14/2023 to 11/19/2023
- Location: Western Massachusetts, USA
- Imaging Camera: QHY600PH-M -10°C - Mode 1(High Gain) Offset:15 Gain:56
- Telescope: Takahashi FSQ106EDXIII @ f/5 (530mm focal length - 106mm aperture)
- Mount: Astro-Physics AP1100 w/GTO4
- Guide scope: Celestron Off Axis Guider
- Guide Camera: ASI174m mini
- Software: Adobe Photoshop CS5, Sequence Generator Pro, PixInsight 1.8 Ripley, Aries Astro Pixel Processor
Filters:
- Chroma Ha 3nm 50mm
- Chroma OIII 3nm 50mm
- Astrodon Gen II E 50mm Red, Green & Blue Filters (for RGB stars)
Exposure Times:
- Hydrogen Alpha (Ha): 60 x 10min. (600min) bin 1x1
- Oxygen III (OIII):49 x 10min. (490min) bin 1x1
-Red: 36 x 120 sec (72 min)
-Green: 33 x 120 sec (66 min)
-Blue: 36 x 120 sec (72 min)
Total Exposure:1300min. (21.67hrs)
Sky Quality:
-Magnitude: 19.71
-Bortle Class 5
-1.41 mcd/m^2 Brightness
-1234.6 ucd/m^2 Artificial Brightness
mt. royal is 10,507 feet in elevation. the hike is a 3.5 mile round trip w/ 1047 feet in elevation gain.
Looking down the coire across Coire an Lochan below us to the blue waters of Loch Morlich in the distance, the town of Aviemore can just be made out to the left. But from here, on the Cairn Gorm plateau, we have a fine view west across the Scottish Highlands.
Cairn Gorm, the mountain from which the Cairngorm mountain range gets its name, stands at 1245 meters (4085 feet) and is my 4th Munro of the season, my 27th in total. The hike (no bike this time) sees me covering a circuit of just over 7 miles and making an elevation gain of around 762 meters (2500 feet).
Ok, maybe not a thousand, but the Goose Lake Railroad runs in some of the most isolated regions of California and Oregon. The former SP Lakeview Branch runs from Alturas, CA to Lakeview OR, branching off the famous Modoc Line. Due to few industries on the line resulting in low income, this branch has seen several railroads running this track over the years, but Goose Lake seems to be doing fine as Lakeview gains more traffic and customers. Seen here, a northbound brings somewhere around twenty or thirty cars toward Lakeview at Surprise Station.
Rolling thru Gaines, Michigan having just left the home terminal in Durand a couple miles back is GTW train #450 a turn to east yard in Detroit with former boiler GP9 4930 leading 2 sisters on February 26, 1983.
As I climb higher, the clouds descend and completely shroud the summit of Glas Tulaichean. Normally I would give this up and wait for a better day, but as we're soon moving away this is my last chance to gain the 10% of Munro's bagged.
Glas Tulaichean is my 5th Munro of the season and the 28th in total, bringing me to a Munro completion rate of near enough 10%. The mountain stands at 1051 meters (3448 feet) and is the last one I will do as I have now moved away from Scotland and back to my roots in South Yorkshire as the pull of the Grandchildren was just too strong.
On a cold fall day, a bighorn sheep chose to rest on a natural rock bench that had been heated by the sun. It was so content it was chewing its cud while soaking up the sunshine.
You may want to enlarge to see more detail of the sheep but I purposely shot for distance to get a better idea of the setting.
Photographed in the Colorado National Monument, Grand Junction, Colorado.
A marker cairn near the foot of the final rise to the summit of Cairn Gorm sits by the side of the path we're following through the rocks and boulder fields as very little can grow and survive at this altitude.
Cairn Gorm, the mountain from which the Cairngorm mountain range gets its name, stands at 1245 meters (4085 feet) and is my 4th Munro of the season, my 27th in total. The hike (no bike this time) sees me covering a circuit of just over 7 miles and making an elevation gain of around 762 meters (2500 feet).
In the midst of darkness,
Lies a beacon of light,
Which valiantly defies the night
With uncanny prowess.
Victory seems dutiful,
Success, vain,
But no kingdom can fall
With no loss gained.
The future is uncertain,
And the present is collapsing,
The weak are weeping,
Those strong in Him, forever living.
Doug Harrop Photography • April 8, 1977
Santa Fe 5581 leads a well powered eastbound train through the world famous "Tehachapi Loop" at Walong, California.
From Wikipedia: "The Tehachapi Loop is a 3,779-foot-long (0.72 mi; 1.15 km) spiral, or helix, on the Union Pacific Railroad Mojave Subdivision through Tehachapi Pass, of the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County, south-central California. The line connects Bakersfield and the San Joaquin Valley to Mojave in the Mojave Desert.
Rising at a steady two-percent grade, the track gains 77 feet (23 m) in elevation and makes a 1,210-foot-diameter (370 m) circle. Any train that is more than 3,800 feet (1,200 m) long — about 56 boxcars — passes over itself going around the loop. At the bottom of the loop, the track passes through Tunnel 9, the ninth tunnel built as the railroad was extended from Bakersfield."
Once the bridge started to pop through, I knew the morning was going to provide some unique images.
For the whole sequence:
www.flickr.com/photos/62226820@N03/albums/72177720327011452/