Every evening gather several thousand visitors in Oia, to enjoy the famous Santorini sunset. However, the best atmosphere comes when most visitors have left the place and the blue hour begins.

Jeden Abend versammeln sich einige tausend Besucher in Oia, um den berühmtesten Sonnenuntergang auf Santorini zu geniessen. Die beste Stimmung kommt allerdings erst, wenn die meisten Besucher den Ort verlassen haben und die blaue Stunde beginnt.

Danke für deinen Besuch! Thanks for visiting!

bitte beachte/ please respect Copyright © All rights reserved

No snow here. It is too warm. Something to do with global warming. However, we will create our own snow ;-)

But a Christmas Eve snow

A day early this year...

___________

Even though we remain hovering right at the freezing point, early this morning big, fluffy, and wet snowflakes began to fall, continuing even now and providing a beautiful, fresh white accent to the landscape...the northwoods' annual celebration of the season. This shot, as with so many others over the years, taken from my deck.

[This is also the time of year at which I get confused as to whom I've wished Season's Greetings and to whom I have not. Forgive me if I repeat myself and, in the spirit of the holidays, be patient with an old man, accepting good wishes however often they may be repeated. It's the thought, not the memory, that counts. ;-))]

These are also spoons, however the other sides, so they could very well be forks or knives ;-)

Have a great day everyone!

However, I did not write the name of this lovely lady and do not remember the landscape where I took the pic oopsy!

Wish you all a lovely afternoon ♥

Feel to listen ♪🎧♫

Peter Gundry A beautiful Delusion

We always seek the best POV of the subject, however the subject may be so different at different POVs… Am I confusing you? 😉 No matter which angle I look at this mountain, it always attracts me in its unique beauty! This sandbar disturbs the perfect reflection, but adds the charm of imperfection!

Th Bow Lake was very shallow, I was so close to the Mountain, I felt I could almost touch it... Nice to capture the whole mountain with wide length. 😊

PS: I was spoiled by all the supports from my dearest Flickr friends! Words can not express my thankfulness...!!!

………………

You can also find me at

**500px**

However big, however small

Let me be part of it all

Share your dreams with me

We may be right, we may be wrong

But I wanna bring you along to the world I see

To the world we close our eyes to see

I close my eyes and I can see

A world that's waiting up for me

That I call my own

Through the dark, through the door

Through where no one's been before

But it feels like home....

Wood Warbler - Phylloscopus sibilatrix

The wood warbler (Phylloscopus sibilatrix) is a common and widespread leaf warbler which breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe, and just into the extreme west of Asia in the southern Ural Mountains.

This warbler is strongly migratory and the entire population winters in tropical Africa.

It is a summer visitor to the United Kingdom, seen from April until August. It has declined there in recent years. It is now very rare in Ireland, where only one or two pairs are recorded breeding in most years, usually in County Wicklow.

Various factors associated with forest structure, including slope, forest cover, proportion of broad-leaf forest, canopy height and forest edge length, all influenced the occupancy rates of this declining forest species. Conservation measures are therefore required that provide and maintain the wood warblers preferred forest structure. There is also a preference for forest in the non-breeding season, however this habitat is declining in wintering areas such as Ghana. Despite the decline in forest habitats, there has been no change in number of wood warblers as it appears that this species can use degraded habitats, such as well-wooded farms. However, further loss of trees will likely have a negative impact on this species in the future

A hint or a promise that Springtime should be just around the corner. However, during the following days the White of this blossom was replaced with the White of snow as an Artic blast swept down across the UK.

The spotted hyena is a very social animal; however, its social system is openly competitive rather than cooperative, with access to kills and mating opportunities depending on the ability to dominate other clan-members. Females provide only for their own cubs rather than assist each other, and males take no part in rearing cubs. Spotted hyena society is matriarchal; females are larger than males, and dominate them. Spotted hyenas are scavengers and often dine on the leftovers of other predators. But they are also skilled hunters that will take down wildebeest or antelope.

The weather is unspeakable today and has been for nearly a week and I'm really champing at the bit to get out. However, in the meantime here's some Puffins from the Isle of May to cheer us up

Common Whitethroat - Sylvia communis

The common whitethroat (Sylvia communis) is a common and widespread typical warbler which breeds throughout Europe and across much of temperate western Asia. This small passerine bird is strongly migratory, and winters in tropical Africa, Arabia, and Pakistan.

This is one of several Sylvia species that has distinct male and female plumages. Both sexes are mainly brown above and buff below, with chestnut fringes to the secondary remiges. The adult male has a grey head and a white throat. The female lacks the grey head, and the throat is duller.

This species may appear to be closely related to the lesser whitethroat, the species having evolved only during the end of the last ice age similar to the willow warbler and chiffchaffs. However, researchers found the presence of a white throat is an unreliable morphological marker for relationships in Sylvia, and the greater and lesser whitethroats are not closely related.

This is a bird of open country and cultivation, with bushes for nesting. The nest is built in low shrub or brambles, and 3–7 eggs are laid. Like most warblers, it is insectivorous, but will also eat berries and other soft fruit.

Population:

UK breeding:

1,100,000 territories

A beautiful long-tailed white seabird. The White-tailed Tropicbird breeds on almost every island of the Seychelles. However, birds that breed on predator free islands are more successful. Here, birds often nest on the ground at the base of trees. There is intense competition for good nest sites, with birds fighting viciously for the best spots. Young birds are grey and fluffy, and do not grow long tail feathers for a year or more. When their chicks are fatter than they are themselves, adult White tailed Tropicbirds abandon them; the chicks become so hungry that they make their own way to the sea.

A cat in greenery is a harmonious combination ... however, cats are always and everywhere harmonious :)

The ancient Egyptians had a special relationship with cats: they were revered as sacred animals; mummified like humans; depicted in sculpture and frescoes. And the very first cat "portrait" was written by the Egyptians.

For a long time it was believed that the Egyptians tamed cats. However, in 2004, a burial site dating back to 9500 BC was discovered in Cyprus. e., in which a cat was found together with a man. A wild beast would hardly have been put in a grave. It turned out that cats lived with people long before they appeared in Egypt. The Middle East began to be considered the birthplace of domestic cats, and Egypt was forgotten for some time. But not for long: in 2008, a burial was opened in southern Egypt, in which six cats were found - a male, a female and four kittens. Although this burial was younger than the Cypriot one (about 6000 years), it became clear that cats were known in Egypt much earlier than was thought until recently.

It is known that the ancestor of the domestic cat was the steppe cat Felis silvestris lybica - it still lives in the steppe, desert and partly mountainous regions of Africa, Western, Central and Central Asia, in Northern India, Transcaucasia and Kazakhstan. In 2007, it was possible to establish that all modern cats descended from him.

Seafarers brought the first cats to Rus' in the pre-Christian era. Exotic animals were a valuable commodity: the cost of a cat until the 15th century was comparable to the value of a healthy arable animal - an ox.

The Tüshaus mill is a water mill near Dorsten-Deuten in North Rhine-Westphalia. The mill is located on the southern edge of the forest area of Üfter Mark, where the water of the Hammbach River from Rhade is stowed to the mill pond.

The history of the Tüshaus-Hof, to which the mill belongs, can be traced back to 1382. The lords of Lembeck, who held the water law in their territory, leased a whale mill driven by the water of the Hammbach in 1615 to a certain Mr. Tuschhaus.

However, the mill was not the first building on this site, as it was built on older foundations. Sheep were mainly kept in the extensive heathland surrounding the area. The wool was rolled in the Tüshaus mill by a hammer mill and sold as felt material to the region's cloth makers for further processing. The billing books include customers from Wesel, Recklinghausen, Westerholt, Dülmen, Münster and Dinxperlo.

The mill had already been increased in 1752 and expanded by a second mill wheel, so that since 1754 it also served the tenant Joan-Heinrich Tüshaus as an oil mill. The oil was obtained mainly from the rapeseed and linseed of the surrounding fields. In 1880 Albert Brosthaus was the Ölmüller, followed by Dumpe and Schetter. The old plants of the oil mill were replaced in 1914 by a modern hydraulic oil mill, which pressed the oil out of the seeds with 350 atü. The operation of the oil mill was discontinued around 1948 for economic reasons.

The Pyrrhuloxia (pronounced however your mouth decides in the moment) is the desert’s answer to a cardinal—same spiky crest, but with more attitude and less hydration.

I found this one perched on a rare leafy ocotillo, posing like he owned the place. With his candy-corn beak, dusty-red plumage, and permanent side-eye, he’s the bird version of a grumpy old-timer who’s seen things.

He’s tougher than his Northern cousin—built for heat, sand, and yelling at you from a bush for reasons known only to him. His song? Like a cardinal, but sharper, higher, and just a little bit judgmental.

Get the light right, and he glows like a desert ember.

He sings with a sting and glares like a monk—

A feathered grump with desert funk.

Estany de Pessons, Canillo, Andorra.

En el extremo más oriental de la Parroquia de Encamp, subiendo el Puerto de Envalira, a la derecha encontramos los estanques y el circo de Pessons. Se trata de un magnífico circo glaciar granítico donde podremos disfrutar del mayor conjunto lacustre de Andorra. El circo se encuentra rodeado de cimas como los conocidos pico de Pessons, pico de Ríbuls, el Montmalús,... todos ellos cercanos a los 2.800m de altura. Se trata de un sitio muy frecuentado y popular debido a su riqueza natural y de su fácil acceso. Sin embargo, en este valle siempre encontraremos rincones escondidos desde donde poder disfrutar de los magníficos paisajes y aguas cristalinas de sus lagos de alta montaña.

At the easternmost end of the Parish of Encamp, going up the Port of Envalira, to the right we find the ponds and the Pessons circus. It is a magnificent granite glacial cirque where we can enjoy the largest lake complex in Andorra. The circus is surrounded by peaks such as the well-known Pessons peak, Ríbuls peak, Montmalús,... all of them close to 2,800m in height. It is a very frequented and popular site due to its natural wealth and its easy access. However, in this valley we will always find hidden corners from where we can enjoy the magnificent landscapes and crystal clear waters of its high mountain lakes.

The chapel of Queen Mary's heart near Transylvania's Bran Castle.

Little known, but invaluable in beauty, is the Church of the Heart of Queen Mary of Bran

hides an extremely beautiful story about Queen Mary.

A faithful replica of the Stella Maris church from the town of Walsik, which was granted by Romania after World War II in Bulgaria, was built in Byzantine style at the request of Princess Eleana in memory of her mother, Queen.

History says that one of Queen Mary's greatest pleasures was spending time in Balchik's chapel and her wish was to bury her heart there after she died. Because this was no longer possible, the princess demanded the construction of a chapel very close to Bran Castle. The box containing the queen's heart was temporarily deposited in the wooden church of Bran Castle and after a year was transferred to a crypt dug into the rock of Bran Maggiore, awaiting the completion of the church.

In 1947, however, it was the abolition of the monarchy in Romania by the communist regime, so although the chapel was completed in time, it was no longer sanctified and Queen Maria's heart remained hidden in the rock for 27 years! It was not until 1968 that the director of the Bran Museum, together with others, opened the crypt and the sarcophagus and found the golden box containing the queen's heart. Inside the gold box was another silver box wrapped in English and Romanian flags, as well as platinum and gemstones. Since then, Queen Maria's heart is in the National Museum of Romanian History

Παρεκκλήσι η καρδία της Βασίλισσας Μαρίας κοντά στο κάστρο Μπράν της Τρανσυλβανιας.

Λίγο γνωστό, αλλά με ανεκτίμητη ομορφιά, η Εκκλησία της Καρδιάς της Βασίλισσας Μαρίας του Bran

αποκρύπτει μια εξαιρετικά όμορφη ιστορία για τη Βασίλισσα Μαρία.

Πιστό αντίγραφο της εκκλησίας Stella Maris από την πόλη Βάλτσικ , που παραχωρήθηκε από τη Ρουμανία μετά τον Δεύτερο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο της Βουλγαρίας, χτίστηκε σε βυζαντινό ύφος, κατόπιν αιτήματος της πριγκίπισσας Eλεάνας, στη μνήμη της μητέρας της ,Βασίλισσας Μαίρη.

Η ιστορία λέει ότι μία από τις μεγαλύτερες απολαύσεις της Βασίλισσας Μαρίας ήταν να περάσει ο χρόνος στο παρεκκλήσι του Bάλτσικ και η επιθυμία της ήταν να θάψει την καρδιά της εκεί μετά που πέθανε. Επειδή αυτό δεν ήταν πλέον δυνατό, η πριγκίπισσα απαίτησε την κατασκευή ενός παρεκκλησίου πολύ κοντά στο Κάστρο του Μπράν. Το κουτί που περιείχε την καρδιά της βασίλισσας ήταν προσωρινά κατατεθειμένο στην ξύλινη εκκλησία του Κάστρου Bran και μετά από ένα χρόνο μεταφέρθηκε σε μια κρύπτη που έσκαψε στο βράχο του Bran Maggiore, περιμένοντας την ολοκλήρωση της εκκλησίας.

Το 1947, ωστόσο, αποτελούσε την κατάργηση της μοναρχίας στη Ρουμανία από το κομμουνιστικό καθεστώς, οπότε αν και το παρεκκλήσι ολοκληρώθηκε εγκαίρως, δεν ήταν πλέον αγιασμένο και η καρδιά της Βασίλισσας Μαρίας παρέμεινε κρυμμένη στο βράχο για 27 χρόνια! Μόνο το 1968 ο διευθυντής του Μουσείου Μπραν μαζί με άλλους άνοιξαν την κρύπτη και τη σαρκοφάγο και βρήκαν το χρυσό κουτί που περιείχε την καρδιά της βασίλισσας. Στο εσωτερικό του χρυσού κιβωτίου υπήρχε ένα άλλο κιβώτιο από ασήμι τυλιγμένο σε σημαίες της Αγγλίας και της Ρουμανίας, καθώς πλατίνα και πολύτιμοι λίθοι. Έκτοτε, η καρδιά της Βασίλισσας Μαρίας βρίσκεται στο Μουσείο Εθνικής Ιστορίας της Ρουμανίας.

⭐️Thank you in Advance for your kind ‘Faves’ Visits and Comments they are so very much appreciated. 👍

I cannot always ‘Thank’ everyone individually, for their Visits and ‘Faves’ however, I will always try to respond and thank all those that leave a ‘Comment’. If I do not reply to your 'Comment', it is not because I am ignoring you, it's because I have not seen the 'Comment'.

Your 'Comments' do not always appear in 'Notifications' or Flickr mail, so, I am sorry for any delay in responding. Often your 'Comment' is only spotted 'On the Page' on the day, that I see it. (seen ONLY when replying to someone HAS 'Commented' on the image, and I see a notification)

Male common blues have violet-blue upper wings with grey-beige undersides. However, females vary from those with predominantly brown upper wings and orange crescents, usually more common in the south, to those with more blue, found farther north and west.

This butterfly is common throughout the UK. There are often two broods, with eggs laid in June, then August and September. Common blue caterpillars hibernate and pupate in April and May giving rise to adults in May and June.

The caterpillars are short, green and furry. They feed on the underside of young leaves, leaving the upper leaf epidermis intact. This creates silvery blotches on the leaves that are easy to spot.

The caterpillars secrete nutrient-containing substances that attract ants. In turn, the ants protect the caterpillar from predators. Ants probably tend the chrysalis too.

Adults drink nectar from flat-headed flowers. Caterpillars eat wild, leguminous plants such as bird's-foot trefoil, rest harrow and white clover.

Paseo de Martí a.k.a. Paseo del Prado is a European-style boulevard that separates Centro Habana from La Habana Vieja. The original idea was to create a street as splendid as any found in Paris or Barcelona. After the revolution Paseo de Martí and many of its buildings deteriorated or even collapsed. However, some sections of the street have been renovated.

I do my best to save my drama for my art.

However .....

Every once in a great while, someone needs reminding that I'm not an idiot.

Eye Monocole is from: [rd] Rise Design, my dear friend Reya Darkstone.

Hair is from Truth.

The above are both available at the Vintage Fair

Collar is from Cae.

Very Appropriate ... and vintage.

Wikipedia: The dusky leaf monkey, spectacled langur, or spectacled leaf monkey (Trachypithecus obscurus) is a species of primate in the family Cercopithecidae. It is found in Peninsular Malaysia, Myanmar and Thailand; however, dusky leaf monkeys have occasionally been observed in Singapore. It is not clear whether these monkeys are escaped pets or whether they swam to Singapore on their own volition from Johor, Malaysia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dusky_leaf_monkey

Conservation status: Endangered

I was just trying to burn some time... Before I went to bed. Photo could of been better however I'll take it.. Long days in Yosemite

Be still, my love

I will return to you

However far you feel from me

You are not alone

I will always be waiting

And I'll always be watching you

Speak to me, speak to me, speak to me

🎵 Listen here 🎵

Taken at Hanging Gardens of Babylon

I do appreciate you all 💖

Swards however, never get tired. I hope you saved your energy. If you haven't, you might not last five minutes,,,

【memo】

@Mainstore

EVIE - Chill Vibes Outfit (FatPack)

EVIE - Boost Sneakers (FatPack)

👍EVIE Mainstore

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Entrepreneur/198/22/3985

*PKC* Bee Belly Piercing (HW Items)

-00-Katana Box_FatPack

-00-Katana Poseset

tram K0415 hair / HUD-B

---

MINIMAL - Sora Skybox RARE

♬♬♬Today's Tune♬♬♬

youtu.be/WSJiLyTRY2g

However, I have to look at the sky, I should make a sentence of heart.

Enjoy an image of the skyline of Seattle, Washington, USA, a few minutes before sunrise in April 2021.

You can review a reverse timelapse that features this image here. It's in reverse because the actual daybreak was less impressive than I had anticipated. However, when seen in reverse (as though it was a sunset instead of a sunrise), it looks much more engaging.

Latest blog articles:

- Happy Mothers Day

- The Land in the Lullaby

TIA OFFICIAL WEBSITE / TIA TWITTER / LA VUE ATYPIQUE (BLOG) / VIMEO

cannot avoid being surprised from time to time :-)

Bertrand Russell

HBW!! Truth Matters! Character Matters!

contorted flowering quince, 'Contorta', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina

In 1908, the Düsseldorf-based Central-trade-ssociation for Rhineland, Westphalia and neighbouring districts praised a competition for a fountain in front of the Düsseldorf Art Palace.

As a "figurative representation of the iron industry and the mining industry," it was to be sent to the 1902 on the site on the banks of the Rhine (then Kaiser Wilhelm Park, now Rheinpark) the industrial and commercial exhibition was held.

Among the 44 designs submitted, the jury, which was prominently occupied by the painter Fritz Roeber, the painter Georg Oeder, the architect Wilhelm Kreis and the Düsseldorf garden director Walter von Engelhardt, was Prize awarded, so also do not recommend a design for execution. It was initially planned to give the authors of the shortlisted drafts the opportunity to revise them in a second stage of competition (a closer competition).

The fountain was built in its original form between 1911 and 1913. While the Düsseldorf architect Gotthold Nestler designed the actual well complex, the sculptor Friedrich Coubillier created the three bronze figures "Schmied Vulkan," "Bergmann" and "Hüttenarbeiter." Miner and cottage worker are depicted in the loincloth. The bronze casting of the figures took place at the Kunstgießerei Lauchhammer.

On the occasion of the opening of the Grand Art Exhibition in 1913, the industrial fountain in front of the former Art Palace was inaugurated. In 1925 the fountain was dismantled there because of the extensive new buildings at the Ehrenhof.

In 1939, the three sculptures were erected in a new facility on Fürstenplatz in Friedrichstadt. In 1942 the figures were to be melted down as metal donations by the German people for armaments and were removed. However, they remained intact, and in 1950 they were restored.

The beach of Kolona is basically a narrow strip of land that connects Kythnos to the islet of Agios Loukas. However, it has a particular charm, partly due to its fine, golden sand and the sea lapping at both of its sides.

Words However Kind Can't Mend Your Heartache

But Those Who Care And Share Your Loss, Wish You

Comfort And Peace Of Mind

www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnRx-7BwsxA

Like North Falls further upstream, Middle North Falls has certain characteristics which one could argue give it an edge when comparing it to the park's main attraction, South Falls. Despite being considerably shorter, Middle North Falls is a markedly amorphous waterfall which changes physical shape in a very dramatic way as the volume of water in North Silver Creek changes. The 106 foot tall falls take the form of a narrow column of water during the summer months, funneled to perhaps 5 feet wide at most by a narrow runnel in the bedrock. With greater stream flow in the winter and spring months however, North Silver Creek sheets out across the 60-foot wide creek bed and turns the falls into a broad curtain of water, with part of the falls impacting on a twisting chute of basalt which then slides to join the more volumnous half of the creek in the plunge pool.

Middle North Falls is one of four waterfalls in Silver Falls State Park which features a trail which traverses behind the falling water. Unlike the other three, the trail leading behind Middle North Falls is a dead-end, constructed purely to allow access to additional views of the falls.

Despite being from the cactus family, the May flower does not have any thorns. It originates in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil and is scientifically known as schlumbergera truncata.

Its preferences are similar to orchids in terms of support. In its natural environment it prefers to use tree trunks as support. Therefore, this place is one of the best to keep your flower.

The name of this plant became popular due to its flowering, which takes place in May. However, it can be known in other ways depending on the region you are in. Thus, other common names are: silk flower, easter cactus for the southern hemisphere and christmas cactus for the northern hemisphere.

This flower fell in love with gardening enthusiasts because it is medium in size, has a huge variety of colors such as pink, pale yellow, red, orange and white, in addition to being very easy to grow.

The May flower reaches 30 cm in height, and can be kept in smaller pots with a diameter of 10 cm. Another curiosity is that if this plant is pollinated, it produces pink fruits with 1 to 2 cm when ripe.

***

This plant blooms in autumn, which in Brazil takes place between March and May. This time is close to Easter, which is also related to the flower. On the other hand, it can still bloom around Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere.

In this way, the May flower is linked to festivals that symbolize rebirth and life. Because it has many cheerful colors, it brings more liveliness to any environment in which it is, valuing any garden decoration around it.

The name silk flower is related to the soft and delicate texture of this flower. Therefore, these definitions are also among its meanings, offering more softness to the place where it is grown. That's why you can even stay in the plants to improve the energy of the house.

If offered as a gift, its symbolism indicates an attitude of pure and true feeling. It can also be used for declarations of love, representing the sincerity of the relationship.

The Flame-faced Tanager is one of the most spectacular members of the diverse and exceptionally colorful genus Tangara. Living up to its common name, the forehead begins as a deep glimmering red, shading into a brilliant yellow on the nape and sides of the head. This "flame" contrasts sharply with the jet black back. The Flame-faced Tanager is a common member in mixed species foraging flocks in the canopy of humid montane forest from the Andes of extreme southwest Venezuela south to central Peru. It forages exclusively along mossy branches and occasionally peering at the underside in search of arthropods. There are three subspecies of the Flame-faced Tanager, described based mostly on minor differences in plumage. The species is typically found from 1000-2600 m and is most numerous above 1500 m. The IUCN Red list assesses the Flame-faced Tanager as a species of Least Concern; however, the population size is declining due to habitat destruction. Thus, the Flame-faced Tanager should become the focus of future studies.

Have a Peaceful Saturday!

Thanks a lot for your visits, comments, faves, invites, etc. Very much appreciated!

© All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be downloaded, reproduced, copied, transmitted or manipulated without my written explicit permission. All rights reserved. Please contact me at thelma.gatuzzo@gmail.com if you intend to buy or use any of my images.

My instagram if you like: @thelmag and @thelma_and_cats

Black Dragon....that's my "new thing I've tried" today. I kept hearing about it and was curious about the "fantastic shadow abilities"...ok, I'm exaggerating, no one said that, but it's the impression I got lol. I have to say that I think the quality of my image is a little better? maybe? It is different but not hard to use, however, I will be back to my comfy Firestorm as Phoenix when not taking pics.

Anyway...it was fun to experiment with it and I'll probably use it for my flickr pics.

Just my two cents....

Have a great day! ♥

Macro Mondays -- Inspired by a song

Wasted away again in Margaritaville,

Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt.

-- Jimmy Buffett, "Margaritaville"

This is a strange source of inspiration for someone who is neither a big country & western fan nor a tequila lover. However, I was raised and currently live in a community that is very country and so have grown up hearing all the songs. And at a recent party I was talked into drinking some tequila shots which brought back many memories (mainly of why I don't drink tequila).

Disclaimer: No real margaritas were mixed, imbibed, or in any way harmed in the making of this photo.

8:52 Amuse Yourself – however you want!

Calakmul (auch Kalakmul) war während der klassischen Periode eine mächtige Stadt der Maya. Zusammen mit El Mirador und Tikal ist Calakmul eine der größten jemals entdeckten Maya-Städte. Calakmul befindet sich rund 300 km südöstlich der Stadt Campeche (Mexiko) im gleichnamigen Bundesstaat.

Calakmul erstreckte sich auf einer Fläche von ca. 30 Quadratkilometern und besaß über 100 Kolossalbauten; es sind insgesamt mehr als 5000 Gebäude bekannt. Dominierend sind hier vor allem die sogenannten „Strukturen“ I und II. Letztere besitzt eine Höhe von ca. 45 Metern. Der Großteil von Calakmul ist jedoch bisher weder ausgegraben noch eingehender erforscht worden. Über die Einwohnerzahlen lassen sich nur Spekulationen anstellen. Für den Stadtkern etwa wird eine Bevölkerung von etwa 50.000 Menschen angenommen.

Calakmul (also Kalakmul) was a powerful Mayan city during the classical period. Along with El Mirador and Tikal, Calakmul is one of the largest Mayan cities ever discovered. Calakmul is located around 300 km southeast of the city of Campeche (Mexico) in the state of the same name.

Calakmul spread over an area of approximately 30 square kilometers and had over 100 colossal buildings; a total of more than 5000 buildings are known. The so-called "structures" I and II dominate here. The latter has a height of approx. 45 meters. However, most of Calakmul has not been excavated or explored in depth. Only speculations can be made about the population. A population of around 50,000 people is assumed for the city center.

7400867/ Standing Bear

It was a lovely fall day for our drive into the wilderness of Denali. Our 66 mile (round trip 132 miles/ 7 ½-8 hour trip) adventure to the Eielson Visitor’s Center had produced some great shots. However, our drive back to the entrance was going to give yet some more captures of the animals of Denali. As we rounded the curve to the Sable Ramp, we saw three bears to our left. Our Driver, Kat, positioned the shuttle so that all had a view of the animals grazing for berries. Suddenly a phone alarm sounded and Mom stood to get a better view. All passengers were delighted to see her stance. With the rhythm of a machine gun, one could hear the constant hum of the cameras as many hoped to capture this bear in the wonderful fall colors.

My friend and I send you all our best wishes for a Merry Christmas surrounded by yours

Joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas - Frohe Weihnachten - Buon Natale - Feliz Natal - Feliz Navidad - Kala christougenna -

Mille merci chers amis, pour votre grand soutien et gentillesse depuis longtemps, c'est un plaisir et un honneur pour moi,

Au delà de nos différences nous sommes tous des habitants de la Terre ce weekend arrive le temps de Noël , le temps de la Paix.

N'oublions pas cependant ceux qui n'ont rien, sont seuls où opprimés, alors si tout n'est pas parfait pour le réveillon ou les cadeaux peu importe, ayons tous une pensées pour ces personnes victimes des Guerres ou démunies. Paix sur le Monde !

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Thousand thanks you dear friends, for your great support and kindness for a long time, it is a pleasure and an honor for me,

Beyond our differences we are all inhabitants of the Earth this weekend is Christmas time, the time of Peace.

Let's not forget, however, those who have nothing, are alone or oppressed, so if everything isn't perfect for Christmas Eve or the gifts, let's all have a thought for these people who are victims of wars or destitute. Peace on the World !

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4aolQtgJds

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8e5XtjQ7Fy4

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBXDlPkuXeQ

www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4cyWxevyAY

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQushjP2Wqk

www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnsvsMm_KBU

When I saw the fog this morning, decided to go out to shoot some photos. However, as I was driving around, the fog started fading and the rain arrived. Very wet, cloudy spring morning.

Cornelius Coot is the founder of the city of Duckburg, and a historical hero to the residents of Duckburg.

The Cornelius Coot statue first appeared in the Donald Duck comic Statuesque Spendthrifts (1952) by Carl Barks. Here, Scrooge and the rich Maharajah of Howduyustan compete at building the largest statue of Duckburg's founder, eventually leading to Duckburg being filled with gigantic statues of its founder. Barks re-used Coot's statue in Statues of Limitations (1957) and The Day Duckburg Got Dyed (1957). Afterwards, Coot's statues became a recurring location in the stories, and can be spotted in many comics taking place in Duckburg.

In a later story by Don Rosa, Cornelius was said to be the grandfather of Grandma Duck, which would make him Donald Duck's great-great-grandfather. However, Coot was not related to Donald in Barks' original stories.

However dark the night, however dim our hopes, the light will always follow the darkness. After rain the sun will shine.

Okara Facial Hair to buy at the Mainstore.

Credits: For Full Details Click Here

She was one of the greatest loves of my life. She was my once in a lifetime dog and friend. This was her in all of her wondrous glory back in 1997 on a week long backpacking trip into Algonquin Provincial Park. If you look closely you can see her bear bell around her neck. She was quite young here and lived to be 15 years old and still continues to live deep within my heart.

The information says taken on November 29th 2020 however that is when I took a photo of the original photo which was taken back in 1997.

Finally home! not that my summer so far has been boring (the last 2 months involved quite a bit of traveling), however there is no place like home. I took this one at the port of Aigina island in Greece, and I will say that it was a very challenging shot. I had with me only my small tripod, so I was pretty much layed on the ground and my camera wouldn't focus so I had to switch it to manual focus and tried to do it via the screen and not through the viewfinder. It was a lovely night, the blue hour more specifically, and the waterfront promenade at Aigina's port was quite busy. After the last ferry of the day departs from the island, they shut down the main street to pedestrians only so it's really nice for families to walk without being worried about traffic.

Bjarno - Factor 30

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJv9-V9-zZc

Barn Owl - Tyto Alba

Like most owls, the barn owl is nocturnal, relying on its acute sense of hearing when hunting in complete darkness. It often becomes active shortly before dusk and can sometimes be seen during the day when relocating from one roosting site to another. In Britain, on various Pacific Islands and perhaps elsewhere, it sometimes hunts by day. This practice may depend on whether the owl is mobbed by other birds if it emerges in daylight. However, in Britain, some birds continue to hunt by day even when mobbed by such birds as magpies, rooks and black-headed gulls, such diurnal activity possibly occurring when the previous night has been wet making hunting difficult. By contrast, in southern Europe and the tropics, the birds seem to be almost exclusively nocturnal, with the few birds that hunt by day being severely mobbed.

Barn owls are not particularly territorial but have a home range inside which they forage. For males in Scotland this has a radius of about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the nest site and an average size of about 300 hectares. Female home ranges largely coincide with that of their mates. Outside the breeding season, males and females usually roost separately, each one having about three favoured sites in which to conceal themselves by day, and which are also visited for short periods during the night. Roosting sites include holes in trees, fissures in cliffs, disused buildings, chimneys and haysheds and are often small in comparison to nesting sites. As the breeding season approaches, the birds move back to the vicinity of the chosen nest to roost.

Once a pair-bond has been formed, the male will make short flights at dusk around the nesting and roosting sites and then longer circuits to establish a home range. When he is later joined by the female, there is much chasing, turning and twisting in flight, and frequent screeches, the male's being high-pitched and tremulous and the female's lower and harsher. At later stages of courtship, the male emerges at dusk, climbs high into the sky and then swoops back to the vicinity of the female at speed. He then sets off to forage. The female meanwhile sits in an eminent position and preens, returning to the nest a minute or two before the male arrives with food for her. Such feeding behaviour of the female by the male is common, helps build the pair-bond and increases the female's fitness before egg-laying commences.

Barn owls are cavity nesters. They choose holes in trees, fissures in cliff faces, the large nests of other birds such as the hamerkop (Scopus umbretta) and, particularly in Europe and North America, old buildings such as farm sheds and church towers. Buildings are preferred to trees in wetter climates in the British Isles and provide better protection for fledglings from inclement weather. Trees tend to be in open habitats rather than in the middle of woodland and nest holes tend to be higher in North America than in Europe because of possible predation.

This bird has suffered declines through the 20th century and is thought to have been adversely affected by organochlorine pesticides such as DDT in the 1950s and '60s.

Nocturnal birds like the barn owl are poorly monitored by the Breeding Bird Survey and, subject to this caveat, numbers may have increased between 1995-2008.

Barn owls are a Schedule 1 and 9 species.

Population:

UK breeding:

4,000 pairs

Europe:

110-220,000 pairs

I would like you to join me on our tour of the North Eastern Québec (Gaspésie) - Gatineau - Matane. It is important to get out of the house during this COVID pandemic for a change in scenery.

This is one of our first stops during our road trip. We camped for two nights in New Richmond, Québec.

I loved the light colours

CC Welcome!

"Walk Places Where Feet Do Not Normally Go, Look At Things That Are Not Normally Looked At."

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Cheers.

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Hello my amazing Flickr friends !

Today is an orange day at Color my World Daily and the theme at Crazy Tuesday is « single ». So you will understand that Mr. Teddy Bear couldn’t be with us this week since he isn’t single anymore… However, Mr. Teddy Bear has a very good friend who happens to be single: Mr. Dino. That is why he is the hero of today’s picture. Mr. Dino is truly a nice guy but some of his personal characteristics make it very difficult, for him, to find love. First of all, Mr. Dino has a very, very high voice. People constantly call him « madame » while on the phone. He has very short arms which makes difficult to pick stuff from the floor… Also, being blue isn’t appropriate for all the decors… And you surely don’t want to repaint your house at the very beginning of a relationship. Also, he has a very scary looking shadow, which might scare a few potential candidats. All those details are the reasons for Mr. Dino being single. But who knows, maybe after today’s picture he will find love…

Mucho, mucho amor for you all !!

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments / favs/ general support / happy thoughts!! Stay safe and well!!