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Spell it however you like, we are told. It’s an informal name!
Thanks The humid South's favorite landscape tree -- surprisingly, thriving in temperate Berkeley, as a street tree!! Four of them near campus.
latimesblogs.latimes.com/home_blog/2011/09/crape-myrtle-t...
My flower of choice for the theme this week, luckily I'm blessed with quite a beautiful garden, so it was a difficult choice. However I'm happy with the more 'muted' feel to the shot.
(For Macro Mondays theme: Flowers in Black & White)
© M J Turner Photography
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Even though I live only 10 miles from Scotland, last weekend was the first time I'd ventured across the border since the Coronavirus restrictions were introduced in March of last year.
I managed to capture the amazing A1 Locomotive of 60163 Tornado hauling the Northern Belle railtour along the West Coast Main Line, which was an added bonus as originally this leg of the railway journey was supposed to be diesel hauled until Carlisle, then picked up by 6201 Princess Elizabeth locomotive. However, after this engine recently suffered a fault with it's boiler, Tornado has been replacing it on all excursions where possible and, since it is was nearby anyway, it was able to haul this leg of the journey from Glasgow too.
I hadn't photographed along this stretch of railway before so I wasn't sure of what the viewpoints would be like, but looking at the map I thought this section looked promising and luckily it was - providing a wonderful moody backdrop with Tewsgill Hill beyond.
However, I am back in the land of Dracula!
But this time, I've come fully prepared - garlic and crucifix!
An image from last year that I took the day before my Dad's funeral in Dallas. So, these images hold a very special meaning to me. Certainly one of the most beautiful of warblers--sadly, however, a Federally Endangered Species that only breeds in Texas.
The ranch I took the photos on has been placed in a Trust that will forever keep this land in it's natural state in perpetuity.
So, the Golden-cheeked Warblers and Black-capped Vireos will be able to continue breeding there long after all of us are gone!!!
This bird is perched in an Ashe Juniper....the one tree needed for this bird to survive----GCWA use the peeling bark of the Ashe Juniper to build their nests.
And, yes, this tree is a CONIFER-----all Junipers are Conifers!
St Michael’s Church
Situated in St. Michael’s Alley, Cornhill, London, EC3V 9DS
St Michael’s is a medieval church with pre-Norman Conquest foundation. It is believed that the church was in existence in the early 1130’s. However the medieval part was lost in the Great Fire of London (apart from the tower) and replaced with what is now the present building.
Some early history shows that the church was in possession of the Abbot and convent of Evesham until 1503 when it was settled on to the Drapers Company. A new tower was built in 1421. There were lodging for the choristers which were maintained by Sir John Rudstone, unfortunately these fell into decay after his death in 1530.
Some early folklore tells a story of an apparition ‘an ugly misshapen sight’ which appeared when the bell ringers were ringing in a storm. This caused them to faint, they later discovered scratch marks in the masonry. These became the ‘Devil’s Clawmarks’.
According to the Monuments of London (City), Sir Christopher Wren had the church completely rebuilt after the Great Fire at the cost of £4,686.10s,with the exception of the tower which was restored. In 1721 Wren also replaced the tower. Sir Nicolas Hawksmoor completed the upper stages of the tower.
More repairs in 1790. The church then went through further restoration work under Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1860. More work took place in 1868.
There many things to see inside St Michael’s, the reredos (altar screen) representing Aaron and Moses was painted by Robert Streater. Decoration over the main porch was by John Birnie Philip ‘St Michael disputing with Satan. Many of the columns are adorned with angels.
Stained glass by Clayton and Bell was installed. The Representation of Christ in the large circular East window to be admired. The organ originally built by Renatus Harris in 1684 but much altered and enlarged, last restoration 2011.
There is a First World War memorial outside the church, a statue of St Michael by Richard Reginald Goulden.
Fortunately the church escaped damage in WWII, it was designated Grade 1 listing in 1950. In 1960 the Victorian paintwork was replaced by a more subdued scheme of Gold, Blue and White. In 2011 a new set of 12 bells were installed in the tower cast by Taylors of Loughborough.
“Feeling at peace,
however fragilely,
made it easy to slip into the visionary end of the dark-sight.
The rose shadows said that they loved the sun,
but that they also loved the dark,
where their roots grew through the lightless mystery of the earth.
The roses said: You do not have to choose. ”
― Robin McKinley, Sunshine
Blog Post / Boudoir: Bed of Roses
This is the old path to Thurlestone. However following a cliff collapse this path is now closed and there is a diversionary path around the back of the house in the distance which means you can't get a really good view of Thurlestone Rock which is a shame. Burgh Island and Bigbury on Sea are off to the left.
© This photograph is copyrighted. Under no circumstances can it be reproduced, distributed, modified, copied, posted to websites or printed or published in media or other medium or used for commercial or other uses without the prior written consent and permission of the photographer.
This year we have hardly had a morning where the sun has broken from the cloud! However two weeks ago the forecast looked okay so 5am start to get to this spot. I know on a tranquil windless day it can work well and this morning thankfully it was indeed.
Just after the sun cleared the trees a flock of birds passed by over the over so i shot this. I used an 0.3 ND grad and also a sunset filter on the camera to warm the colours a little but didnt need to do any editting (I'm getting lazy in my latter days!)
It's been a while since I've got any shots from the RSPB in Burton, however yesterday was quite decent. After seeing the Egyptian Geese this rather large fella was quite happy to come relatively close to the screen. Unfortunately despite me being poised for about 20 mins waiting for a takeoff shot I missed it.
A bit of a miracle getting so close to this species as they are extremely shy and wary. Normally they spot you and hide. However, on passage migration they appear to be much more confiding. They are usually found on desolate moorland and mountain sides but on passage migration they have been recorded on the coast and even in peoples gardens. They will stay if you have berries!
www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/discoverandlearn/b...
Slightly smaller and slimmer than a blackbird - male ring ouzels are particularly distinctive with their black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band. The ring ouzel is primarily a bird of the uplands, where it breeds mainly in steep sided valleys, crags and gullies, from near sea level in the far north of Scotland up to 1,200m in the Cairngorms.
Breeding begins in mid-April and continues through to mid-July, with two broods common, and nests are located on or close to the ground in vegetation (typically in heather), in a crevice, or rarely in a tree. The young are fed a diet consisting mainly of earthworms and beetles.
Overview
Latin name
Turdus torquatus
Family
Chats and thrushes (Turdidae)
Where to see them
Ring ouzels can be found in upland areas of Scotland, northern England, north west Wales and Dartmoor. When on spring and autumn migration they may be seen away from their breeding areas, often on the east and south coasts of the UK where they favour short grassy areas.
When to see them
Ring ouzels arrive in March and April and leave again in September.
What they eat
Insects and berries
UK Breeding:-
6,200-7,500 pairs
Conservation
22 July 2011
The first national survey in 1999 estimated the UK ring ouzel population at 6,157-7,549 pairs, with further range contractions and a likely 58 per cent decline in population size since 1988-91.
Recent studies aimed at understanding these declines suggest that low first-year, and possibly adult, survival may be the main demographic mechanisms driving the population decline. The large population decline qualifies the ring ouzel for inclusion on the red list of birds of conservation concern.
Eary into the trip home, empty hoppers head back to the now defunct York Canyon, New Mexico mine. These trains didn't seem to last long. The mine petered out early on. Had they lasted, the entire La Junta Sub would be welded rail by now. However, that's another subject almost entirely.
Here they are, crossing the Vermillion River on the south side of Streator, Illinois, in all their Warbonnet and Kodachrome 25 glory. September 19, 1996.
No, not really. However, back in 1986 they were not that hard to find. Here's one of the now extinct species, at La Grange.
Normally you will not encounter them...sometimes however, when you are lucky, you are able to meet these spooky, yet elegant and friendly figures... Thanks Monique for your kind assistance in making this image!
The need to visit this particular place came to me, while i was studying the cable car railway to the Janikowo soda plant. When tracing its route going from Janikowo we first see the station, where carts were separated between Inowrocław and Janikowo, then it crosses a lake and continues through the fields towards the Bielawy quarry. There is a catch however, as the cable car railway stops some 2 kilometers before the actual quarry/cement plant. How have I not noticed this before?
But the curiosities don't stop there. Naturally the cable cars have to get their load somehow, and to my great surprise and utmost amazement - this is done with a standard railway, which runs here from the cement plant, at a length of around 2,5km. At the end, the wagons are unloaded and the load is transferred to the cable car. Crazy!
I dug deeper. As it turns out, the station is reffered to as K1 (which is why I jokingly call it Masherbrum) and I found many reports of former workers, who talked about the railway on various forums. But... no pictures from here existed! The industry enthusiasts photographed the transloading facility itself, some bus-lovers shot pictures of busses with the station and cable car, which served as a background, but seemingly no railfan has ever step foot here. That made me curious, maybe the train doesn't run in the end? Checking areal photos from the place out of 3 different sources I found around 20 shots taken across the span of the past 15 years. Only around half of them had any traffic on this station, maybe that was why, maybe this doesn't run very often...
Nevertheless, me and a friend of mine from the region embarked on a journey. We came in the morning and... there it was, a train was just unloading on the station! Our excitement was short-lived though, as our car's tire had burst before we even reached it, which stopped us significantly. But no matter. It turns out that the train had been here for the rest of the day. It looks as if they only unloaded one wagon each hour (or even fewer). I think the train comes here only every 2 days and stays here for unloading.
To connect all the dots, as in the title, I need to add on another bit of information, which was also very interesting to me. The reports of workers, which I had mentioned earlier talk about EL2 locomotives being used to bring the cargo wagons here. Sure enough, one of the former catenary pylons is hiding just behind the locomotive on this picture, as the train is leaving K1 towards the quarry, headed by SM42-2083. Some of the pylons even retained their original designations and each one of them is marked with the designation "K1". I think this is the first picture published on the internet, which features this place and a train.
One last thing are the wagons. They are only used on this line and they are made up of the type 41W, which were manufactured in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski (1952-1959) and Wrocław (1960-1964). The factories each had their own little details on carriages and this helped me determine that both the producers supplied the wagons to this industrial railway. My rough estimate is that the plant currently has around 100 such wagons in use, and they only are used for internal transports to K1.
I hope you enjoyed the trillogy about Wapienno's internal railways.
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus
The weekend before the last I was really mad at myself for being too lazy to get out in the cold in the morning, and by the time I was motivated, I didn’t have much time. Nevertheless, I thought I could take a short walk with my camera at lunchtime, so I was going to drive to a specific place in my hometown from which I knew that it had potential for some nice images. However, there was quite a layer of snow on the road and so I couldn’t drive up the hill, mostly because I had to slow down to get around the only tight turn. I really regret not getting out sooner because then I could have walked up there, but that’s the way it was. So I spent the following week hoping for some snow the next weekend.
Fortunately, it snowed the next Friday and this time I was sure to get out, no matter what the weather conditions are. The next morning, we woke up, put on several layers to protect ourselves from the cold and started our hike up the local mountain. Since not a single person had hiked up there that morning, we had to fight our way through a calf-high layer of snow resulting in a hike that took us more than two hours instead of the 45 minutes it takes us to get up there in summer. Of course we stopped a few time to take some images, but mostly with our smartphones as the snow was beautiful, but I found the scenes were lacking some mist that reduces the chaos and typically drastically simplifies such forest scenery.
Once we reached the top, we were very happy that the hut was open and we could warm up and get something to drink and eat. After a fairly substantial lunch, we decided to start our descent, but before I really wanted to walk up the last few steps to the summit cross, especially since a bit of mist was rolling in. I knew that I had once taken a quite nice image at this spot, but I noticed that my girlfriend wasn’t really in the mood to wait long for me since it was really cold and windy out there. So I hurried up, took out my camera and snapped a few handheld shots, and I was really glad I did when I looked at them on the laptop. Even though it was not exactly what I had imagined, I really like how this image turned out. I hope you like it too!
My sincere thanks goes out to all those who invite my images to their groups. I cannot however honour many of the group rules by commenting/inviting other images due to time constraints.
First of all, I didn't want to pause here. However, my previous workstation hardware forced me to do so. This photo is now my first rendering with the new machine.
I like these light rail arches very luckily there are around 731 of them in Berlin;) They are there for a wide variety of purposes. Among other things, they were used as warehouses and business premises, later even discos and bars. They are also used as underpasses.
Apartments or studios were not built because the rumbling of the trains is not to be endured here. (ツ) By the way, here we see arcs 045 to 055!
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EOSR | RF50mm f/1.2L USM
Exposure: ƒ/16 | 3″s ND +8stops ISO 50
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This image is subject to full copyright © Please do not use my images on websites, blogs, or in other media without express written permission. It is not permitted to copy, download,
reproduce, retransmit, modify, or manipulate my photos.
F̶̅G̅. 2021 © all rights reserved
Eyelashes have the impressive ability to transform your face. Eyelashes complement the face as does lipstick, however eyelashes may actually even do it more.
Take these [Pink&Love] Oh My Autumn Lashes for example. These EvoX lashes draw a contrast between my eyes and eyelids - just like lipstick draws attention to the contrast between my lips and its surrounding facial features.
Long eyelashes could be flirtatious indicators for men, since we tend to blink more slowly than men do. This soft and fluttering accentuating signal undoubtedly serves us as a means of expressing our attractiveness.
Lipstick has been used for centuries by women all over the world to enhance their appearance, express themselves, and feel more confident. I complemented my looks with SENTINUS BEAUTY Ivana Lipstick to draw attention to my lips by making them look fuller and more defined.
To help remind me of my next date, I am wearing this SO SILLY Interactive Fruity Watch. Like my smart watch in RL, it is very fun to wear since it sequentially rolls through different dial faces.
You can find all the the above referenced beauty products exclusively featured at the SWANK Fall into Autumn Event for November.
Taxi to SWANK Fall into Autumn Event:
Hare_Geàrr
Rebirth, Intuition, Balance
"Geàrr brings the benefit of balance and intuition, of promise and fulfillment. The hare is a creature of the Goddess, of the night and of the moon, however representing dawn, clarity and the East."
Lepre_Geàrr
Rinascita, Intuito, Equilibrio
"Geàrr porta il beneficio dell'equilibrio e dell'intuito, della promessa e del compimento. La lepre è creatura della Dea, della notte e della luna, rappresentando comunque l'alba, la chiarezza e l'Oriente."
Testo tratto da L'oracolo dei Druidi. Lavorare con gli Animali Sacri della Tradizione Celtica. Text taken from The Oracle of the Druids. Working with the Sacred Animals of the Celtic Tradition.
www.edizionilpuntodincontro.it/libri/l-oracolo-dei-druidi...
Ein motivischer Notbehelf am Ufer der Naab. Am 05. September 2024 statte ich der KBS 855 einen Besuch ab und widmete mich der Streckenkunde aus Fotografen-Sicht. Bei Nabburg gibt es einige Möglichkeiten. Allerdings musste ich feststellen, dass die bekannten Stellen am Ufer der Naab ziemlich zugewachsen waren. Während des feuchten Sommers war das Strauchwerk in die Höhe geschossen. Letztlich fand ich die hier gezeigte Stelle als Kompromisslösung. Die frisch aufpolierte 218 438 mit dem RE 4861 von Hof nach München HBF war mir natürlich ein Bild wert.
A provisional motif on the banks of the Naab. On 5 September 2024, I paid a visit to the KBS 855 and devoted myself to learning about the route from a photographer's point of view. There are several options near Nabburg. However, I realised that the familiar spots on the banks of the Naab were quite overgrown. During the wet summer, the shrubbery had shot up. In the end, I found the location shown here as a compromise solution. The freshly refurbished 218 438 with the RE 4861 from Hof to Munich main station was of course worth a picture.
The Santa Monica Pier is a large double-jointed pier at the foot of Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California. With an iconic entrance, the pier is popular with residents and visitors as a landmark that is over 100 years old.
Santa Monica has had several piers; however, the Santa Monica Pier is two adjoining piers that long had separate owners. The long, narrow Municipal Pier opened September 9, 1909, primarily to carry sewer pipes beyond the breakers, and had no amenities. The short, wide adjoining Pleasure Pier to the south, a.k.a. Newcomb Pier, was built in 1916 by Charles I. D. Looff and his son Arthur, amusement park pioneers. Attractions on the Pleasure Pier eventually included the Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome building (which now houses the current carousel and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places), the Blue Streak Racer wooden roller coaster (which was purchased from the defunct Wonderland amusement park in San Diego), the Whip, merry-go-rounds, Wurlitzer organs, and a funhouse.
The Carousel was built in 1922 on what was often referred to as a Pleasure Pier and features 44 hand-carved horses. It was rebuilt in 1990 inside the Hippodrome. A calliope provides musical accompaniment.
The La Monica Ballroom opened on July 23, 1924. Designed by T.H. Eslick with a Spanish façade and French Renaissance interior, it was the largest dance hall on the west coast, accommodating 5,000 dancers on its 15,000-square-foot (1,400 m2) hard maple floor. Country music star Spade Cooley began broadcasting his weekly television show from the ballroom in 1948, where the enormously popular program remained until 1954. In the summer of 1955, the Hollywood Autocade opened at the La Monica with one-hundred famous and unusual cars, including Jack Benny’s Maxwell and a Rumpler Drop Car. From 1958 until 1962, the ballroom served as a roller skating rink; first as Skater's Ballroom, and later as the Santa Monica Roller Rink, where the speed skating club won many state and regional championships. The La Monica Ballroom was demolished in 1963.
The Pleasure Pier thrived during the 1920s but faded during the Great Depression. During the 1930s, the pier was mainly used as a ferry landing, while most of the amusement park facilities were closed down and its attractions sold off.[8]
The bridge and entry gate to Santa Monica Pier were built in 1938 by the federal Works Project Administration, and replaced the former grade connection.
The Newcomb Pier was privately owned until it was acquired by the city in 1974.During the 1960s and 1970s various plans were proposed that would entail removal of the pier. The strangest one called for the construction of an artificial island with a 1500-room hotel. It was approved by the City Council, but citizens formed "Save Santa Monica Bay" to preserve the pier.[11] The outstanding order to raze the pier was revoked by the city council in 1973. Within that same year, the Carousel and Hippodrome were memorable sets featured in the film The Sting, although the story was set in Chicago.
In the 1950s, Enid Newcomb suggested to family friend Morris "Pops" Gordon that his two sons, George and Eugene, purchase and operate the Pier’s arcade. It didn’t take much persuasion, for the Gordons instantly took to the Pier and ultimately made Playland Arcade into the Pier’s longest running enterprise offering the day’s contemporary games alongside those of yesterday, providing inexpensive entertainment to a diverse crowd. George’s daughters Marlene and Joanie have kept the business within the family, and the next generation of Gordons is already in training to maintain the family tradition.
In 1983, the Santa Monica Pier experienced a significant loss. On January 27, there were reported swells of 10-feet during this winter storm. When the storm was over, the lower deck of the pier was destroyed. The City of Santa Monica began repairs on March 1, 1983, when another storm rolled in. A crane which was being used to repair the west end was dragged into the water and acted as a battering ram against the pilings. Over one-third of the Pier was completely destroyed.
The City of Santa Monica created a non-profit in response to the damage and called it Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation (SMPRC). SMPRC conducted the daily operations of the Santa Monica Pier, such as managing events, filming, promotions, tenants, and street performers. To date, SMPRC has produced the Santa Monica Pier Paddle Board Race and the Twilight Summer Concert Series. Also, in 2011, SMPRC changed the company name to the Santa Monica Pier Corporation (SMPC).
Ventured over to Fairy Falls on this particular morning not completely wind free however as you are quite low below the trees the effects of wind are reduced. Sun was in and out of the clouds and getting the timing right for some dappled light and nicely lit rocks and reflection of foliage in the flowing water.
Using a polariser only and adapting camera settings in manual to the flow of water just right and a compromise of a few moving trees. And of course peace and quiet.
401Da-314 hauls EP05-23 through the Staszica settlement in Pruszków, as preparations for the 2024 night of museums.
Recently, while browsing throught Philipp's gallery I came across his picture of the M62-0023 with a prefab settlement in the background. Then I remembered that I have one more pic to show from the transport of EP05-23 for the night of museums, utilising a similar subject.
What I didn't mention in my last posts about my only visit on the WKD is that the unelectrified connecting track between Komorów and Pruszków was proposed to be upgraded to serve the role of a normal commuter rail line.
Pruszów is one of the largest cities in the Warsaw metro area and it has two active passenger rail lines, but neither of them passes through the most densely populated areas. Activating the unelectrified track connecting PKP PLK and WKD would mean that citizens get almost direct access to railways at their doorstep.
However, as always, due to many difficulties, like:
-lack of funding
-level crossing avery couple of meters
-noise pollution
-a fire brigade positioned directly on the railway tracks (soon in one of my next posts)
-lack of diesel units in WKD
-and others
the project was never finalised.
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus
‘Art of pruning’. Still life, not a genre I’ve any claim to being any good at - arranging bowls of fruit or flowers is not my thing! However, I rather like this patch of concrete by the Caravan Port might well be featuring again in the future. Hope your W/End is going well and you’ve not succumb to the wretched Corona virus!! Stay fit & well, Alan:-)…..
366 - I’ve decided to do this to force me to pick up a camera other than when we are away on our travels (they will be posted as normal) - I will be interested to see what transpires, they will be varied I’m sure so we’ll see where inspiration takes me over the course of the year, hopefully at the end of it I will be a better photographer. Feel free to critique as you see fit, but please don’t feel obliged, I anticipate they will not be to all tastes. Have a great year and if you also have embarked on a 365 project then good luck in seeing it through, Alan:-)
For the interested I’m growing my Shutterstock catalogue regularly here, now sold 37 images :- www.shutterstock.com/g/Alan+Foster?rid=223484589&utm_...
©Alan Foster.
©Alan Foster. All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.……
I missed most of the peak time for heather this year. However, I did manage to pop up to Stanage one school night, when there seemed like there might be a tiny break in the cloud cover. For once, I was right 😊 The light lasted for about 3 minutes! Or maybe a little bit more but whilst I was still in flap mode 😁
Bamford Edge is seen in the mid-ground, with Win Hill the little pimple in the distance.
© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved
It can happen to anyone, from any walk of life.
20 years ago I had a career that I was incredibly proud of, saving lives, I had a home, mortgage, car and disposable income. I was confident and, even though I hate to blow my own trumpet, I was incredibly good at the work that I did.
I was, however, bullied, harassed, abused, belittled and ostracised by management and many colleagues in a toxic environment where this behaviour had spread like a cancer. This went on daily for 13 years. I thought that I was 'ignoring' it and just knuckling down in my work. I didn't know, until it was too late, that this was damaging both my physical and mental health.
After some time off due to a stress breakdown I returned and the bullying turned into a witch hunt. They succeeded. My mental and physical health had been destroyed. I was wrongly advised to resign by a union that had representatives embedded in management. I was too unwell to pursue any means of recompense.
Losing my career lead to my first Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy attack. This one was nearly fatal.
I have suffered from Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) for at least 20 years as a direct result of this. Only finally receiving help for the condition last year after years of medical denial because the establishment at the time did not understand the connection between non-life threatening instances and PTSD despite mounting evidence. Thankfully it is much better understood today.
The bullies took my career, my confidence, my identity, my physical health, my mental health and now they have taken my relationship and my home. My ex being unable to cope with my PTSD and reacting to it in a way that was making it worse in a cycle that just destroyed our relationship.
Now, unable to work and unable to claim benefits for the moment, unwell, terrified and struggling at times to cope with basic life things, I am facing this horrendous situation that is so daunting there are times that my thoughts go to a very dark place.
I never imagined any of this would happen to me. I was on top of the world back in the early 2000s. The best time of my entire life.
Maybe I deserved this. Maybe I did something terrible in a former life. I don't know. I can't make sense of it.
I don't want to give up just yet. I want to fight back. I just have so little actual physical support. PTSD can cause isolation. Distrust. Withdrawal.
I have lost my few best friends since moving to Scotland for numerous reasons outside of my control. My family are 300 miles away and offer just loving thoughts. I am on my own.
On Friday I will be completely on my own for the first time in 20 years. This time without the confidence and abilities I had back then. I have to try and find them but without safety, comfort and familiarity I face an impossible task. It can take monumental effort just to cook a simple meal. PTSD is a terrible thing to have.
I am sharing my story as I don't know when or how I will return to Flickr.
Photography has been my recovery. My saviour from PTSD. An adrenaline kick from street photography, the excitement of the edit when you return home. Sharing my photographs with you and taking time to enjoy your photographs. The Flickr routine has kept my sanity and been an important part of my day for years now. I fully intend to return but the odds are against me at least for the moment.
Some of you wanted to help by donating towards the expensive Internet costs I will face in temporary housing.
I hate asking for help but please know that I am incredibly grateful for the help that I have received, both financially and otherwise. Just knowing that people care is a help in itself.
If you wish to keep in touch with me via WhatsApp while I am unable to get my PC online then please Flickrmail me your contact details. (bearing in mind that over the next few days my time is limited).
My PC will be packed tomorrow so I may make one more post before I go. I'll make sure it is a happier picture.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. I am profoundly thankful for the friendships and acquaintances that I have made here. You are all wonderful, awesome people. Thank you.
Homelessness can happen to anyone.
February in Illinois is usually a bitter cold month with lots of snow. However, February 2024 has been setting weather records all month, with two days left to surprise us some more!
In Chicago's history there have only been 3 tornadoes during February in the past 74 years, until February 27th, 2024, when up to six may have touched down, but still need to be *officially confirmed! (See update below.)
The day-time temperature on February 27th, reached 74 degrees Fahrenheit, missing the 1976 record of 75 degrees F. Then late in the evening, a cold front moved in, dropping the temperature over 50 degrees, bringing severe thunderstorms that included wind gusts of up to 85 mph, dangerous lighting, hail measuring up to 1.75 inches in circumference, and in some areas damaging tornadoes that took down trees and ripped apart homes and property.
In our suburb, we had winds of approximately 35-40 mph, 1-inch hail, drenching rain, and spectacular lightning.
I had the best luck ever at capturing some lightning bolts and the wild flashes in the clouds, from my front porch!
For reference, the historical temperature in February ranges from -17 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit, with an average of 35 degrees F. The typical rainfall is 2.06 inches, and 8.22 inches of snowfall.
*Update on February 29, 2024, it was confirmed that 11 tornadoes touched down in the Chicagoland area!
Slim pickings in the usual nature areas in SE Florida the last few weeks. However, we are lucky to almost always have a few interesting subjects to observe and photograph. This guy was flying in front of a very light stem which I removed in PS.
There is no point in hurrying because you are not actually going anywhere.
However far or long you plod, you are always in the same place: in the woods.
It’s where you were yesterday, where you will be tomorrow.
The woods is one boundless singularity.
Bill Bryson
Topaz Studio
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Use without permission is illegal.
Please Note: I PREFER NOT TO BE FAVED.
BUT IF YOU DO GIVE ME A FAVE AND IT IS WITHOUT A COMMENT- YOU WILL GET YOU BLOCKED.
Pulpit Hill in Oban normally has fabulous near 360 degree views. However in the snow clad clouds of a cold February day there was little of the scenery to be seen.
This little chap however made the climb worthwhile.
Corvids are one of my favourite species always full of character and mischief and none more so than this little beauty the hoodie.
Closely related to England's Carrion Crow they are to me a lot cheekier and more flamboyant than their close cousins.
Whilst not everyone's cup of tea I am a self confessed fan going far enough to having a real passion for them.
Hooded Crow (Corvus cornix) (also called hoodie)
Pulpit Hill Oban - Scotland
Many thanks to all those who take the time to comment on my photos. It is truly appreciated.
⭐️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)
In the early 1800's, many thoughtful Americans believed that isolation and the difficulties of communication would force the Mississippi Valley settlements to form a separate nation. Hoping to hold the frontier, Congress, in 1800, established a post route from Nashville (TN) to Natchez (MS). The Trace, then a series of Indian Trails, had drawn from the Secretary of State the bitter comment, "The passage of mail from Natchez is as tedious as from Europe when westerly winds prevail." To speed the mail, President Jefferson ordered the army to clear out the trail and make it a road. Postriders, carrying letters, dispatches, and newspaper helped bind the vast turbulent frontier to the republic. However, their day passed by the mid-1830's when steamboats, running from New Orleans to Pittsburg, robbed the Trace of its usefulness as a main post route.
The pathway shown above is a section of the original Old Natchez Trace near Eupora, Mississippi (before the road) that you can walk on as it winds back and forth across the newer Natchez Trace Road. Some sections are fairly flat adjacent to the nearby roadway and others are deeper, worn out paths that are usually referred to as the 'Sunken Trace'.
Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
After yesterday's post we return to standard railway topics, however still remaining near the cement plant "Kujawy" and the huge limestone mine. The facility contains one more curiosity, besides the previously mentioned cable car railway.
Me and Jarek have visited the station Wapienno a couple of years back and there was one thing I very vividly remembered from that trip. We were trying to find our way around the place to the station and searching for spots to photograph the limestone shuttle to Inowrocław. In doing so, we passed many places where a deteriorated track cut the street, and it was accompanied by a couple of lonely standing metal pylons. They very much looked like catenary poles, but what could they be doing here? I just thought they were taken from some tram network or used as lighting poles.
I later had gone on to disregard the topic completely, but a new breakthrough happened a few months back, when me and my friends were investigating the history and railway network of the Dębiec mining and metallurgical plant. We found it while browsing Open Railway Map, as it had an extensive railway network and was hidden deep in the forests of central Poland. We dug very deep in the internet and finally, in some remote corner of the plant's web page we found a picture gallery, showing the former glory of the local railways. Our jaws dropped in amazement, as we saw the network... electrified. Not only that, it featured pictures of the locomotives working there. They were the popular "Crocodiles" of the EL2 series from Hennigsdorf. "No way", we thought, "the locomotives only worked in the lignite mines", and quickly rushed to the EL2's Polish wikipedia page. There it was. "Apart from the lignite mine in Konin, the locomotives were delivered to the lignite mine in Adamów, the Dębiec plant and... the cement plant "Kujawy" in Wapienno". That's when I got a flashback from our previous trip and everything clicked. I knew I had to come back here.
I had to spend a couple more days, studying the cement factory's extensive railway network. By digging for a few more hours I found only a few pictures here aswell as one on Facebook which intrigued me even more. There I could read the comments of the former workers, which were very valuable.
The catenary, which covered the entirety of the complex - from Wapienno to Piechcin, used to look very crude. The wires were hanging from supports resembling those used on tram networks and the cables were very loose. Consequently, the pylons were placed frequently - between 25 and 30 meters apart, a third of the standard distance on normal railways. The catenary reached very remote places of the facility and spanned a total length - from my cude calculations - of around 9 kilometers. The remains of the catenary pylons are still there in many places and they fulfill the role of lighting poles nowadays, but wherever you see thin, long shadows, separated 30 meters from eachother. on aerial images, you can be sure that this was a part of the catenary.
This is exactly what we see on this picture. Further back there was a much more beautiful frame to be taken, but I really wanted to capture the remains of the catenary. Another reason for choosing this place is to talk about a now non-existant branch to the station in Piechcin (this picture shows the place where it used to be - the diagonal dirt path heading off into a curve and then later into the plant), which would have constituted a second track (to the right) in this very place. Catenary supports which we found lead me to believe that it also used to be electrified. Therefore PKP had two dropoff/pickup spots for trains to/from the mine and cement plant - in Piechcin and Wapienno. The branch also used to transport forced laborers from the very shortly lived prison camp in Piechcin (1950-1956) to the quarry near Bielawy.
On the picture is SM42-2083, heading to the place I call Masherbrum, which I will talk about tommorow. Congratulations if you managed to read through all this :D, I had no idea the text I had written would be so long. But when there is so much to discover... as far as I know, nobody had taken photographs of this place before me, because everyone always goes to the station Wapienno and chases the limestone shuttle to Inowrocław.
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus
This photo is already in my photostream; however, I decided to edit it again and post it for you all to see.
The horse grazing is Molly and she was over 20 years old, sadly she passed away over the summer. She was one of the few horses that I felt comfortable riding. I am very sorry to say that Smokey has also died- a couple of months ago. He was over 30 years old, so I'm just glad that he had a long life. He made a wonderful subject staring at the camera in this shot. My daddy bought him for my little sister to learn to ride on a gentle horse; we had only had him for a few years. Both of these horses were so kind and gentle, and I loved them dearly.
Species ID found on Xavier Gardere - Harrington's pages Thank you Xavier👌 www.flickr.com/photos/xavier-gardere/
⭐️Thank you in Advance for your kind ‘Faves’ Visits and Comments they are so very much appreciated. 👍
😮😮 Microsoft have trashed the file I USUALLY get these 'reply addresses' from, (autosave to server), and have reduced a document with 170 pages in, to 1 with 2 lowercase "ii's" on!! (Using an old backup file right now😮) so, sorry about the delay in responding😮
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)
Larry and I did, however, summit all four of these peaks in August of 2010 over two separate hikes:
www.flickr.com/photos/benandlarry/albums/72157624638976337
The fine weather has been holding, and so we thought we would venture to the summit of Prairie Mountain. We summit this one very frequently, and always have a good time, always seeing something different each time. We walked just over 7 km's return distance, gaining just over 700 m'a of elevation, taking 3¼ hours to do so.
However tempestuous this scene may appear in this photo, the ocean was far more furious in person. What makes the difference is the absence of movement.
This is in Fremont, at a pond. I'm not sure what the bird is, maybe a crane, however I do know that two of them are pelicans.
Last week we were on the holidays at the seaside in Croatia. We also went in the national park Plitvice. There were so many people, but however it`s beautiful. :)
DELIGHTFUL, plump-bodied wader, its rather unobtrusive and is surprisingly easy to overlook. However when discovered, it often endears itself to birders because of its confiding habits. Returning again to the Kentish Coast at Hamton.
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THANK YOU for your time and kind comments, please stay safe, and God bless........ ..................Tomx
This little project for myself means a lot to me, life really spirals in ways we can’t simply control, however I always try to make the best out of any situation and this is how this came to life, I don’t know how to paint like Bob Ross but I really enjoy landscaping on sl and that’s just my way of expressing myself and a way to pour my whole heart out.
[wip cause I’m never truly done]
Туул is marked as a station on Google however no evidence of one being there was apparent. Anyway it marked the first location for some spotting on our first full day in Mongolia. After our very early arrival the day prior on no sleep we needed a steady day so the location was just outside Ulaanbaatar.
During a lucky patch of sun 2TE25KM-0520 heads south with a RZD Boxcar rake potentially heading for the Chinese border. Maybe the train is loaded with Russian produce but I'd hazard a guess it will come back with more products made in China for the Russian market.
2TE25KM-0520 is from the 4th batch of the Bryansk built machines and was built in 2021. There are now 27 of these locos working in the country with build dates ranging from 2017 to late 2024.
The Regensburg city warehouse was built in 1910. However, its function as a silo warehouse was abandoned at the end of 2018. The city of Regensburg is now planning to transform the now listed warehouse into a creative quarter. A creative authority is working on creating unique spaces for artists. The interior of the warehouse was open to the public as part of the 2024 harbour festival.
Das Stadtlagerhaus Regensburg wurde 1910 erbaut. Seine Funktion als Silospeicher wurde jedoch Ende 2018 aufgegeben. Die Stadt Regensburg plant nun, das mittlerweile denkmalgeschützte Lagerhaus in ein Kreativquartier umzugestalten. Eine Kreativbehörde arbeitet daran, für Künstler einzigartige Räumen zu schaffen. Das Innere des Lagerhauses war im Rahmen des Hafenfestes 2024 zugänglich.