View allAll Photos Tagged Imaginable
Over 16 million acres were burned during July and August. In total, over 25,000 square miles were burned although with later summer fires that number will continue to climb.
I wondered how that land mass would compare to something I could relate to in Minnesota. Various sites differ a little on how many acres comprise our state, but most report a little less than 80,000 square miles.
Translated, the square miles burned in Canada would compare to about a third of all of Minnesota getting burned. It is easy with that in view, to realize how massive the clouds of smoke were that affected the atmosphere and gave us a red appearing sun.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
So one of the benefits of having groups stampede through my shot every 15 minutes was hearing the guides point out certain characteristics about the different formations that Martin and I were shooting. Usually it was only after the fact that I would look back and see the buffalo or eagle. In this case, I was all the way home and working on this shot before I found out that this formation is sometimes known as the Windy Lady. Depending on the angle, I think you can make out something that resembles a face, long flowing hair and and a neck. In either case, I thought it was the most amazing formation in the lower canyon, and shot it from just about every angle imaginable. You might see this shot reappear in the coming weeks as either an piece of chewing gum stuck on a shoe or a uvula. :)
Plas Newydd was home to the Ladies of Llangollen and their friend and housekeeper, Mary Carryl. In 1768, the two young women from the Irish landed classes, met in Inistiogue and became great friends. However, ten years later, both Eleanor Butler and Sarah Ponsonby found themselves in difficult situations. Eleanor was about to be sent to a convent in France, while Sarah was fending off the advances of her guardian's husband. They decided the only way out of their problems was to leave Ireland and look for a place where they could find peace.
They arrived in Llangollen in 1778 and in 1780, they rented the small house high on a hill above the town and quickly began making it their home for the next 50 years, eventually buying the property in 1819. Here they devoted theselves to self-improvement, farming, gardening and house-improvements. Apart from extending the building, they began decorating both inside and out with some of the most ornate wood carvings imaginable. There are two fonts within the beautifully restored grounds that are rumoured to have come from Valle Crucis.
The Ladies of Llangollen became legends during their own lifetimes, with regular visits from famous and cultured people such as the Duke of Wellington, Sir Walter Scott and William Wordsworth, as well as those who were just curious. The era of these remarkable ladies came to a close when Lady Eleanor Butler died in 1829 and Sarah Ponsonby following two years later. They are buried in Llangollen churchyard with their friend and faithful servant of many years, Mary Carryl.
For one week, in one town, over fifty countries gather for one of Wales’s most unique experiences. Last July over 120,000 performers and festival-goers from all over the world visited Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod in the picturesque Dee Valley, North Wales. This cool and cultural event, considered as 'Wales’s gift to the World' was established in 1947 to promote peace and goodwill between nations through music and dance.
www.flickriver.com/photos/jimborobbo/popular-interesting/
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Many of us older individuals can clearly recall phrases from our childhood that were either used against us or to encourage us during our young lives.
With a busy house full of eight water bugs, my father would often say, “Settle down. Do you have ants in your pants?” Before I realized what a figure of speech was, I wondered what kind of experience my dad must have had at some point in his life, causing him to inquire if we were suffering the same experience.
This Northern Flicker has a relationship with ants, although not in the same vein as my dad had in mind. Ants are one of the main meals of this member of the woodpecker family.
Unlike their head-knocking woodpecker cousins, Northern Flickers are more likely to be observed on the ground than in trees. In mid-to-late September, alert bird watchers will readily see them fluttering along country roads in small groups, searching for ants in the yellowing grasses as they eat heartily in preparation for their migration to the south, as far as Central America.
Flickers are well adapted to probe ant hills or beetle tunnels. They have a long, barbed tongue that they can extend up to two inches to unearth their six-legged prey.
While in Minnesota, they are busy. In the spring, the male and female work together to prepare a hollowed-out nest, incubate eggs, and feed a young family of six to eight beggars.
Upon their return from their winter vacation, they may not return to the same nest, but they do come back to the same stretch of woods or other foraging territory from which they left.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
I've had a long association with this place, albeit from a distance. Everything I know about not was gleaned through observation from a moving car. At the core is a Civil War era Greek Revival home. An architecturally inappropriate front porch was added at some later day. And the residence was subsequently converted into a wicker shop. Hard times eventually followed and the place has stood vacant for the past several years. I stopped here about five years ago and took my first photos of the place. However at that point it didn't look all that bad, at least externally. The early signs of abandonment tend to be subtle and apparent only if you really know what to look for. I pass here every so often visiting relatives in the area and so I tend to keep an eye on it. It's always that way with me and abandonments. I feel a personal stake in their condition and outcome and I get nervous with any sign of change. Even seeing a parked car causes me anxiety as I imagine someone else exploring the place. Weird to feel so possessive about a place that I don't own and have zero stake in. But no weirder I suppose than my proclivity to visit and document places like this. Lately I've felt an in creasing sense of pressure knowing the end is probably near. parcels of adjacent land have been cleared and it seems like just a matter of time until this house is bulldozed. I live to document the end phase of abandonments, to chronicle their last days before the slate ids wiped clean. Timing is everything. The fear is always that I'll roll up on the street and see that eerie emptiness of an empty lot. Has happened before; I'm looking for a familiar old house but all I see is what was behind it. Always jarring to realize you'll never see it again. And with it that odd magnetic attraction to this place or that place is forever broken. This road is once again just a road and there's no reason to even look in this direction when driving by. Anyway I resolved the other day to make a pilgrimage of sorts to this house for the last rites. I waited for the most dismal day imaginable and Sunday did not disappoint. Raw, windy, overcast and light rain. Ideal conditions for the photo and a very low likelihood of being accosted by strangers. Standing here at point blank range, it was obvious that time had finally caught up with the old house. It looked much worse for the wear and the overgrowth was divine. The sense of abandonment was greatly enhanced by the trees still in bare branch mode and the fallen tree limbs in the front yard. I'd picked the perfect moment (or perhaps it had picked me).
Psarocolius decumanus
(Crested oropendola / Oropéndola crestada)
The crested oropendola is a New World tropical icterid bird. It is a resident breeder in lowland South America east of the Andes, from Panama and Colombia south to northern Argentina, as well as on Trinidad and Tobago.
It is seen alone or in small flocks foraging in trees for large insects, fruit and some nectar. The male is 46 cm long and weighs 300 g; the smaller female is 37 cm long and weighs 180 g.
The crested oropendola inhabits forest edges and clearings. It is a colonial breeder which builds a hanging woven nest, more than 125 cm long, high in a tree.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crested_oropendola
Photo taken at the AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA, Barú, Cartagena, Colombia.
Colombia is the number one country in the world to have the largest varieties of birds, having about 1,876 species and almost 70 kinds that belong specially to Colombia. AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA has done an amazing job to show that. You see some of birds free and others in beautiful habitats. Peacocks, Toucans, Pink Flamingos, Crane Corona, Guacamayas, Pelicanos, Ducks, all types of little colorful birds Colombia is most famous for it, every imaginable birds are here.
This place is so well design, and so well taking care of, that you think some times you are in paradise!
www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g1507145-d982271...
Explore Worthy, Mini Challenge 23 - Serenity Landscape (2020 Art)
From my capture of cattle grazing in KZN Province, South Africa.
To commemorate all the white farmers murdered in South Africa since 1994, when the ANC government took over the country.
This past week has seen Edi Neumeister (67yo) chopped to death with a panga in KZN Province.
An elderly farmer couple were brutally assaulted on their farm in Northwest Province, the 64yo farmer burned all along his back with boiling water, amongst other savage injuries.
Just a small distance from us, on a farm outside the town, a middle aged couple were badly beaten, especially the woman.
Just in one week.
We have had thousands of farmers and their wives and children savagely tortured and brutally murdered. Amongst other things, a 3 yo little girl gang raped and then burned alive. A 12yo boy drowned in boiling water.
And the world says nothing, because the mainstream media tells no one. Because it not politically correct.
But i shall tell you all, in South Africa, it is a war zone, especially on the farms. The people who feed the entire population are being annihilated, and in the most demonic ways imaginable.
Another in my set of images taken during a five-day cruise on the famous Yangtze River in China. The river cruise sailed from Wuhan, a city now made famous by the Coronavirus, westwards to our final destination Chongqing, a sprawling city of over 31 million people.
Along the way we passed all sorts of interesting sights including every type of water craft imaginable, large industrial factories, beautiful mountain scenery, numerous not-so-beautiful destructive quarries along the river's edge, ancient temples, small villages and of course the three Gorges Dam project.
We passed by many beautiful limestone mountains, including the ones shown here.
the most simple of things, are usually far more perplexed then imaginable.
Those things I consider serenity.
On her 90th birthday. She called this photo "just about okay" ("geht grad so"), when I showed it to her, which is the greatest praise imaginable for a portrait of her. She doesn't like the idea that she no longer looks like she did 15 years ago. But we had a good laugh, when I teased her about this.
Have been rooting through some old photos pre-dslr. This is Gracie, just after her arrival. She was the most well behaved pup imaginable. She is a little more mischievious now!
Explore 20th November Highest position 76
Horace Walpole, the popular English writer and politician, in 1754, was enamored with a Persian fairy tale about princes who regularly made fortunate discoveries. He coined the phrase Serendipity, generally associated with the result of people finding something really favorable when they were not looking for it.
The majority of unique wildlife shots my wife and I are privileged to share come from totally unexpected observations that come without warning.
A couple of days ago, we were nearing the end of our morning wildlife trip after not seeing a whole lot of either birds or animals during this slack season, when both migration and the opening of various hunting seasons contribute to a scarcity of visible wildlife. We were headed back to town on a busy county paved road and probably a little fatigued after several hours of studying the countryside.
About two miles from town, I spotted a ball of red fur on a sloping, manicured lawn leading down to the road. I swerved to the shoulder, hoping I did not hit the mailbox protruding from a neighbor's driveway. In the space of about 10 seconds before the young fox took off, I was able to get several shots off.
This cub would have been born this spring and is just now learning to do things on his own.
It will soon face a great challenge as winter sets in and threatens its very existence. During the winter, it will adapt to the cold by often curling into a ball and using its bushy tail as insulation. In the midst of storms and bitter cold, it will use a den to help it survive.
Less than half of young foxes will survive their first year, and if they do, their life in the wild typically lasts only several years.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
My wife and I rarely argue anymore. By the time you reach our age, it simply takes too much energy.
That said, there is one issue we have been going back and forth on. As my body and reflexes have slowed down about as much as an aging NFL running back after a decade of hits from other behemoths, I have been pushing for us to buy a convertible to use year-round in my quest for the perfect wildlife shot.
Unfortunately, when I spot a potential shot of a bird or animal that is fairly unique, by the time I go through my responses and squeeze out of our vehicle to get a good perspective, the wildlife object of my camera is already in Iowa.
However, there are times when an individual bird cooperates when they recognize my growing frailties.
This eagle was lunching on a freshly run-over raccoon, located in the middle of a busy road. As we approached, it looked up, hesitated, then took off right in front of our vehicle to escape the traffic.
I quickly asked my wife to grab the steering wheel, pressed the down button on my window, leaned out like a short giraffe, and took this shot. I may be wrong, but I thought I saw a slight grin on the eagle’s face as it glimpsed me.
A convertible would have saved me a lot of effort.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
I try to stay optimistic, but that means that I have to avoid the news! I pray for the biggest blue wave imaginable in November that will totally hobble the petulant, ignorant child that currently resides in the White House and all his corrupt, incompetent, disgusting minions!!! When I think of the loss of great leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy whose assassinations happened 50 years ago this year, I can't comprehend how we have come to this and how much damage can occur before he is removed from power.
"Now I lay me down before I go to sleep.
In a troubled world, I pray the Lord to keep,
keep hatred from the mighty,
And the mighty from the small,
Heaven help us all ...
~ Lyrics by Ron Miller - first performed by Stevie Wonder
"The arc of the moral universe is long,
but it bends toward justice."
~ Theodore Parker - popularized by Martin Luther King, Jr. who was murdered 50 years ago this month.
The northernmost of all Pteroglossus, the Collared Aracari ranges from southern Mexico south through Colombia, Venezuela and western Ecuador.
They are medium-sized fruigivores found in a variety of wooded habitats including wet lowland primary forest, second growth, forest patches, and plantations of coffee, cacao and fruits, generally below 1000 meters. Collared Aracaris customarily travel in groups of 3 - 10 individuals in the subcanopy and canopy.
neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p...
Photo taken at the AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA, Barú.
"Colombia is the number one country in the world to have the largest varieties of birds, having about 1,876 species and almost 70 kinds that belong specially to Colombia. AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA has done an amazing job to show that. You see some of birds free and others in beautiful habitats. Peacocks, Toucans, Pink Flamingos, Crane Corona, Guacamayas, Pelicanos, Ducks, all types of little colorful birds Colombia is most famous for it, every imaginable birds are here.
This place is so well design, and so well taking care of, that you think some times you are in paradise!"
www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g1507145-d982271...
NRW-Forum Düsseldorf ,
Ehrenhof 2,
40479 Düsseldorf
Besuch der Ausstellung "Wonderwalls - Art & Toys"
Verwirklicht wird die Ausstellung mit Unterstützung des Düsseldorfers Selim Varol, der die wohl umfangreichste Sammlung
von urbaner Kunst und Designer Toys zusammengetragen hat. Graffitis, Schablonen, Mosaike, Aufkleber und Collagen, Skulpturen, Performances, Formen der Kommunikationsguerilla und des „Culture Jammings“, mit Arbeiten unter anderem von JR, Banksy, KAWS, Swoon, Shepard Fairey, Osgemeos, Herakut oder Prune Nourry umfasst die Ausstellung jede erdenkliche Kunstdisziplin im öffentlichen Raum. Die von Gesellschafts- und Konsumkritik geprägten Arbeiten, die ihren Ursprung in der Pop- und Skateboardkultur der 90er Jahre haben, sind heute genauso relevant wie zum Zeitpunkt ihrer Entstehung und verdeutlichen in ihrer Zusammenstellung das unerschöpfliche kreative, spielerische und politische Potenzial von Street Art, Designer Toys und urbaner Kunst. (Quelle: NRW-Forum)
NRW Forum Düsseldorf ,
Ehrenhof 2,
40479 Dusseldorf
Visit to the exhibition "Wonderwalls - Art & Toys"
The exhibition is realized with the support of Selim Varol from Düsseldorf, who probably has the most extensive collection
of urban art and designer toys. Graffiti, stencils, mosaics, stickers and collages, sculptures, performances, forms of communication guerrilla and "culture jamming", with works by JR, Banksy, KAWS, Swoon, Shepard Fairey, Osgemeos, Herakut or Prune Nourry, among others, the exhibition includes every imaginable art discipline in public space. The works, which are shaped by social and consumer criticism and have their origins in the pop and skateboard culture of the 90s, are just as relevant today as they were when they were created and, in their compilation, illustrate the inexhaustible creative, playful and political potential of street art, designers toys and urban art. (Source: NRW Forum)
For nearly a week, my wife and I watched these two juvenile Eastern Kingbirds joust for supremacy over perching space on a country wire fence. The one on the left appears to be instructing its sibling where there was more room to sit rather than to crowd him.
Born earlier this summer, these two are already showing a taste of their feisty temperament that will characterize their adult life.
Adult Eastern Kingbirds are summer residents across much of Minnesota. Easily recognizable when perched upright on fence posts, shrubs, or treetops, they survey open spaces for flying insects that make up the bulk of their diet. Their crisp black-and-white plumage with a tail that looks like it was dipped in white paint gives it a regal appearance.
The bold character of the Eastern Kingbird sets it apart from other birds of its size. Weighing barely 1.5 ounces, they are very aggressive defenders of their territory.
During nesting season, kingbirds will launch fearless attacks against much larger intruders like hawks, crows, herons, and even bald eagles.
Their relentless harassment usually causes the larger birds to retreat, simply to escape the harmless but annoying attacks.
Kingbirds place a strong emphasis on family as both the male and female work tirelessly to defend the nest, feed the chicks, and ensure their survival. Their staunch protective actions have earned them the title of “tyrant flycatcher” from many birdwatchers due to their assertive, territorial behavior.
These small but fierce birds remind us that courage is not always defined by size.
Now, if the parents could only get these two to stop quarreling with each other.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
Ruby Falls truly is a gem along Paradise River, a magical setting where the presence of water sprites at play is easily imaginable! A photo really doesn’t properly portray the drop and volume of this lovely waterfall during spring melt. I had seen photos previous to my first visit to Ruby Falls and thought she wasn’t all that big so was I ever so pleasantly surprised at her real-life magnitude! Ruby’s intricate strands of gushing water splaying out into Paradise River are simply beautiful. Her thunderous roar completes the sensory experience.
Flickr Explore 3mar21
Snow just piles on every corner imaginable, but like a fairy tale, two class Dv12s are marching like goblins in the snowy forrest.
Open since 1902 and still run by the Harper Family in Seneca Rocks, West Virginia. A typical country store in that it has a little bit of everything imaginable. But Harper's is essentially a living museum and is well worth exploring even it you do not need anything.
For Macro Monday's theme "Inspired by a Song" ....I was still working on this photo, but had to give up and post because I was running out of time... and my computer hates me... seriously hates me....
Anyway... my "Inspired by a Song" shot was inspired by a trip to Home Depot today where I ran into a co-worker, and one of my most favorite people, ever... who made my trip to Home Depot.... like a vacation... the hardware version of DisneyWorld... no, I'm serious... we were both off from Kohls today because they gave us "Vacation time"... 4 hours... and we were trying to decide which 4 hours of the day was actually our "vacation"... and I know that the hour that I spent there in HD was clearly one of my vacation hours... as I learned everything I will ever need to know about LED light bulbs, which will most likely outlive me... and glue.... Shoe Goo, apparently being the glue of choice for every project imaginable.... Yes, I bought some ... and then on to a lecture about how I had better find my "stud finder" (haha.... yeah, don't even go there!!!) and forget about wall anchors ... I also explained one of my projects, and watched my friend, shake his head (in disbelief) and disagreement with my thoughts.... was made fun of about my hoarding tendencies... and also, was introduced and shook hands with several HD employees because my friend knows them ALL, on a first name basis, and had a little story to go with each one.... and knowing him, they may all be made up stories, but were entertaining nonetheless.... and I left there, thoroughly entertained.... and having no clue why I had gone in there in the first place... BUT.... I do have Shoe Goo!!!
James Taylor.... Handyman.... "I fix broken hearts. I know that I truly can." Photo and story have nothing to do with broken hearts .... although my preferred photo, did have a heart instead of a bolt.... but my computer decided that you didn't need to see it.... and what do my photos ever have to do with the topic or title anyway.... Happy Macro Monday!
A couple of days ago, when my wife and I went out on a wildlife hunt before sun-up, the fog was so heavy we could not see further than 30 yards in any direction. Over the next several hours, the fog drifted and lifted, finally revealing the blue sky.
There wasn't much I could photograph, but I did take this foggy landscape shot. Since the beginning of the early goose hunting season, visible wildlife has been very sparse. We went from seeing 40-50 deer every morning to less than five now.
Last Saturday morning, we came upon a scene just outside of Cambridge that may be a general cause for this. Several duck hunters were pulling a small camouflaged boat out of the water onto the roadway while one of their mates was sending his black Lab into the small pond on the other side.
I could not see what the dog was paddling after, but a few yards away, four terrified swans were trying to frantically clamber out of the water onto the shore to escape. Right in their midst, a frightened goose was crouching down, trying to hide.
Since then, we have not seen one waterfowl on the ponds on either side of the road, the first time since spring. That experience made the calmness of this scene reassuring.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
For many of us who are way past our school days, we can still remember the rush of adrenaline we experienced in high school when we had just gotten seated and our teacher announced we were going to have a pop quiz over the material we had gone through the day before.
Looking back, I am not sure of the reasoning for these quizzes, but invariably someone in the class would raise their hand and ask the teacher, “Will this count on our final grade?”
However, those quizzes seem quite tame in relation to the pop quizzes deer undergo in Minnesota each fall. This fine specimen of buck whitetail deer will have been eagerly sought after by hunters from the middle of September right up until the last day of December. He had just completed a frantic gallop across an open field when I photographed him as he paused briefly before entering the woods.
This year’s season marks the beginning of over 150 years of deer hunting seasons in Minnesota, following the first one established in 1858, when I was just a boy.
Deer have to endure a gauntlet of weapons used against them, starting with bow hunting, followed by rifles, and ending with shotguns. Their main defense starts with alertness to every sound of a branch crunching, catching the whiff of human, or spotting the almost imperceptible movement of a hunter.
On average, there are anywhere from 150,000 to 200,000 deer harvested each year in our state.
Deer numbers have tended to increase both in Minnesota as well as nationwide, where there are an estimated 30 million or more roaming the countryside as well as the edges of urban areas.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
Eurasian Sparrowhawk / accipiter nisus. Lincolnshire. 05/01/17.
After three frenzied days attempting to photograph some local Waxwings, it was almost a relief to tear myself away to the edge of a silent, tranquil Lincolnshire woodland! There it was just me and assorted birds......and the most beautiful light imaginable. Absolute soul food.
.
I think the highlight of the day was the arrival of this strikingly handsome male Sparrowhawk - what a bird he was!
Furthermore, he stayed in the area for at least 10 minutes, showing spectacularly from every angle.
I'm rather liking the start to my 2017 photography year! :-))
The Indian peafowl or blue peafowl (Pavo cristatus), a large and brightly coloured bird, is a species of peafowl native to South Asia, but introduced in many other parts of the world.
The male, or peacock, is predominantly blue with a fan-like crest of spatula-tipped wire-like feathers and is best known for the long train made up of elongated upper-tail covert feathers which bear colourful eyespots. These stiff feathers are raised into a fan and quivered in a display during courtship.
The Indian peafowl is the national bird of India
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_peafowl
Photo taken at the AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA, Barú.
Colombia is the number one country in the world to have the largest varieties of birds, having about 1,876 species and almost 70 kinds that belong specially to Colombia. AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA has done an amazing job to show that. You see some of birds free and others in beautiful habitats. Peacocks, Toucans, Pink Flamingos, Crane Corona, Guacamayas, Pelicanos, Ducks, all types of little colorful birds Colombia is most famous for it, every imaginable birds are here.
This place is so well design, and so well taking care of, that you think some times you are in paradise!
www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g1507145-d982271...
Rosguill Peninsula, Downings, County Donegal, Ireland
This tranquil beach 'Tra na Rossan' differs from many other beaches, due to it being seated between these giant rocky hills on either side. On the slopes of these hills grow lush green fern, wildflowers & purple bloom heather. Between these wildflowers can be found herds of friendly donkeys & sheep grazing freely for miles.... The proper way it should be and a credit to the local farmers 👏
Like many beaches dotted along this peninsula of Rosguill, it's waters shimmer the most stunning shades of emerald & turquoise imaginable. It's not a mystery on why wild dolphins love to play in these waters so much! 🌊
Hope you enjoy! Please Favourite & Follow to view my newest upcoming works, Thank you
Greek Theater at Taormina, Sicily, Italy.
Perched on a hilltop in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable is the Ancient Teatro Greco of Taormina. Located on the eastern shores of Sicily, Taormina is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in all of Italy. Sitting some 250 meters above the Ionian Sea, Taormina is a popular destination with tourists due to its trendy beaches and beautiful setting.
The Greek Theatre here is the second largest of its kind in all of Sicily behind only the Greek Theatre of Siracusa. Built in the third century BC, the theatre is remarkably well preserved and it still used today for opera and musical performances.
Constructed during the Greek Hellenistic period, the theatres design and horseshoe layout are typical of Greek construction. The theatre was literally carved out of the rock on Mount Tauro and had a capacity of 5,000 spectators. However, the extensive use of brick in the theatre suggests a Roman influence and researches feel that the Romans most likely rebuilt the theatre over the original Greek foundation. This transformation took place during the 2nd century AD and the Romans used the theater for gladiator contests as opposed to plays and gatherings during the Greek period. While the theatre is most often referred to as the Teatro Greco because of its Greek origins, it is also referred to as the Greco-Roman Theatre because of its Roman renovation.
For video, please visit youtu.be/G3Z2Q0iukRg
(Part 4)
The demon-possessed Father Virtue had broken the rules and grown attached to his sexy victim, but his superiors needn't know that. After keeping her in the basement of the Cathedral and satisfying his own lust for her in every way imaginable, she finally transformed into the herald of Hell he desired her to be. Sister Innocence was transformed into Mother Satana, and the priest designated himself Father Übel.
He made her his right hand, and together they worked on corrupting the congregation of the Cathedral, then others in the region. Their influence spread until the sin and debauchery of the people finally paved the way for the ultimate goal:
Demonic Invasion.
Fin.
Cyanocorax affinis
(Black-chested jay / Carriquí pechiblanco)
Measuring 34 cm (13 in) long, the black-chested jay is easily recognized from its distinctive facial pattern and yellow eye. The head, face, and chest are mostly black with violet-blue spots above and below the eye, as well as a violet-blue malar stripe. The underparts are white as is the tip of the tail, while the upperparts and wings are mainly dark violet-blue.
It is found in Colombia, northwestern Venezuela, Panama and far eastern Costa Rica.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-chested_jay
Photo taken at the AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA, Barú, Cartagena, Colombia..
Colombia is the number one country in the world to have the largest varieties of birds, having about 1,876 species and almost 70 kinds that belong specially to Colombia. AVIARIO NACIONAL DE COLOMBIA has done an amazing job to show that. You see some of birds free and others in beautiful habitats. Peacocks, Toucans, Pink Flamingos, Crane Corona, Guacamayas, Pelicanos, Ducks, all types of little colorful birds Colombia is most famous for it, every imaginable birds are here.
This place is so well design, and so well taking care of, that you think some times you are in paradise!
www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g1507145-d982271...
A field of Borage grown to help rejuvenate tired soil. This photo is taken from Old Down, on the southwest side of Basingstoke Hampshire. A field that so far has survived the ravages of urban sprawl. I had wondered where all the bees had gone form the gardens. I found them here it was absolutely swarming with every species imaginable.
Dora.. better known as Poopy. Over 12 years old now but still thinks she's puppy most of the time and the most loving, loyal, best friend imaginable.
Located on Mount Goliath, a Bristlecone Pine endures some of the most severe weather imaginable and at an elevation of 11,633 feet above sea level. These amazing trees are hundreds of years old. There are a few more images of Bristlecone Pines in my gallery. They are located a couple of hundred feet below the site where this was photographed.
Part of my Surfcoast /Great Ocean Road trip. Bay of Martyrs - There are plenty of lookout areas to enjoy along this stretch of coastline, particularly at sunset when the sky turns a milky pink
NOT a composite.
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THE IMAGE:
Not a composite!
After chasing a thunderstorm to Crater Lake we were treated to the greatest display of light imaginable.
This is a 3 shot stitch with an ultra-wide, to get the full double rainbow.
Thank you for looking!
Yes Gnomesville is a real place, located in Western Australia, just on the side of a road. No one knows exactly how it started but one story goes it started with 1 gnome and people started leaving gnomes to keep it company. There are now in excess of 10,000 of the little guys there, every type of gnome imaginable , from funny, to rude to quirky to cute, celebrity gnomes, drunk gnomes, sporty gnomes , you name it and there is probably a gnome there.. Some people have travelled from Europe, USA, UK and left their well-travelled gnomes here. It’s a quirky but fun place to wander around. And of course there is a new gnome there following our visit, I named him Neil, after a height-challenged acquaintance 😉 Just a quick iPhone pic. Happy weekend out there, and remember, there’s no place like gnome.
1st day of summer slide! Though the weather at the time was the total opposite of summery. The original photo had the dullest background imaginable due to rainy weather (and the fact it was early in the morning).
This photo went into photoshop as a picture of a lemon on a dull, rainy day and it came out as a mixture of a lemon and a lime on a sunny summery day. If only it was a summery day...... On the 1st day of summer!
Happy Summery Sliders Sunday!
HSS :)
The last few years have been exceptionally tough to the United State's tinplate making operations, with increasing pressure from foreign steel dumping into country with numerous tin operations being idled all across. A direct sign of this becoming an increasingly worrisome problem was brought to the forefront to workers of United Steelworkers Local 2911 in May of 2023. WARN notices were filed by Cleveland Cliffs, with 300 layoffs expected the following month in June.
The reasoning being cited as the company could not compete and was being out-priced with the drastically cheaper imports flooding the market. Cliffs response was a trade case filing with the Department of Commerce to declare unfair trade practices on foreign tin and chromium products, to which the Dept of Commerce did so on 4 countries being Canada, China, South Korea, and Germany.
Further review from the International Trade Commission in February of 2024 rejected the tariffs - claiming no material injury to the industry and that products imported are sold at a reasonable price. For those interested to read the entire report, it can be found here.
On February 15th 2024, as a direct response to the ITC ruling, Cleveland Cliff's announced an "indefinite idling" of the tin mill operations located in Weirton, WV. WARN notices were filed for the remaining 900 employees notifying that the last day of operations would be April 15th of 2024.
April 15th would mark the end of more than 115 years of continuous steel making in the city of Weirton, WV and the last piece of the once vast Weirton Steel Corporation's operational facilities. In the photo above, Weirton Steel 306, painted up in current owner Cleveland Cliff's company colors is seen passing by the matching tandem mill buildings distant right of the train.
They are shuttling empty boxcars specifically made for moving tin coils from the mill to be transloaded onto trucks a few miles away. This is the "famous" Weirton Steel shot off of the West Virginia Route 2 bridge, looking down into what is now just a shell of the plant's former self. In the 1980's you could stand up on this bridge and see a nonstop orchestra of steel products being moved in every direction imaginable. The beginning of the end started in 1996, beginning the path down to a long and slow death leading to Weirton Steel Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in May of 2003.
In the bankruptcy proceedings that followed at auction, most assets were acquired by International Steel Group for $237 Million dollars. ISG would rename Weirton Steel to ISG Weirton Steel in May of 2004.
ISG did not waste time announcing a $30M clean up and modernization plan for the plant, involving the abatement and demolition of obsolete and idled structures. The scrapped steel was used to feed the blast furnaces on location.
Early 2005. The hammer falls one last time. Mittal Steel makes an offer totaling $4.5 billion dollars to buy ISG. The merger was completed in April of 2005, and ISG Weirton Steel became Mittal Weirton Steel. One month later, Mittal announces the idling of the blast furnaces and double strand casters by years end.
November of 2005 saw Mittal make the decision to permanently shut down the blast furnaces and accompanying furnaces due to high operational costs.
Following the Mittal - Arcelor merger in 2006, Arcelor Mittal announces the shut down of the hot mill in 2008. With just the cold sheet and tin operations left open, Arcelor Mittal sold all unused property (1,100 acres in all) to Frontier Steel of Buffalo, NY in 2017, who demolished all remaining structures on site.
The last several days have been ones of significant change in the countryside around our town. Just last week, this bean field was a dark green; this morning, it shows the change of the season as it has yellowed and will soon begin the drying process that will result in harvest next month.
Many trees are already showing reds, yellows, and golds as they begin the ever-hastening lurch toward full fall colors.
The habits of wildlife are in full change mode as well. Deer are largely absent as they can read in the Star Tribune that bow season starts this Saturday, followed by other opportunities for them to be shot by two-legged pursuers.
Waterfowl are doing practice runs for migration as they fly high overhead from one body of water to another. Small songbirds are gorging themselves on seeds and berries as they load up for the trip south.
I even noted an old photographer headed to Shalom, our great thrift store, to update his autumn wardrobe, where he will splurge and buy the latest warm fashions for $3 each, which will look an awful lot like his last year's fashion.
If you like the change of seasons in Minnesota, this is a good time. If you find yourself dreading the coming winter, I already like you.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
📍 La Habana
Havana is a synthesis of all Cuba, capital of the island and one of the most beautiful cities in Latin America.
The charm of the “Pearl of the Caribbean” continues to act, whoever knows it returns enriched and conquered.
Renewed, it offers everything imaginable in terms of colonial architecture.
Its most important neighborhoods, Old Havana, Vedado, Miramar, Centro Havana and the Malecón will make you enjoy the memories of the old architecture.
Havana is the tropical splendor, which gathers the best of Spain, the best of Africa and the best of the Antilles. Havana, with its old American cars, its hustle and bustle, its bare buildings, its history, its people and its rhythms leaves no one indifferent.
If you wanna learn in the field, please check out and join my next trip to Cuba , check below:
🌎 Planet Cuba Photography Tour Workshop 2023 & 2024 🌎
👉 tristanphotos.com/tours/cuba-photo-tour/
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Now your turn !
Would you like to visit La Habana ? Or maybe do you have any question ? Either way let me know in the comments below ! 🎉
Call me old-fashioned, but it gives me a warm feeling to see mates together in nature. Over the last several years, my wife and I have often observed these two eagles sitting above a stagnant wetland pond through the various seasons here in Minnesota.
Their perch, seen here with green curtains a few weeks ago, is now bereft of leaves and soon will bear the white traces of winter, and yet barring tragedy, they will endure that together as well.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
This style of Mustang is still considered as "Generation 1", though if placed side-by-side with a 1965-66 Mustang I personally see a considerable difference.
By 1971-73, the Ford Mustang had evolved into this style. This one is the SportsRoof fastback model on which the backlite was about as horizontal as imaginable. There were notchback and convertible models as well. Though still considered as the 1st Generation of Mustangs, these were about 3" wider than even the 1969-70 versions and were the largest and heaviest of Generation 1. Departing from the original concept of a light, sporty-looking compact 2-door that was embodied by the 1965-66 Mustang, Ford executive Lee Iacocca, the man most associated with the Mustang's creation was reported to have said about the 1971-73 models, "The Mustang market never left us, we left it."
Wildlife photography, especially with birds, is largely an opportunistic venture coupled with a lot of luck. Smaller birds, especially, are seldom stationary long enough for a photographer to get the shot he wants or to make doubly sure the camera settings are correct.
There are other obstacles that are not under his control as well. Each summer’s habitat can change from the previous one.
The last time my wife and I saw Great Egrets was five years ago, when a larger flock of several dozen descended on one of our smaller wetland ponds just a few miles outside of our town. We spent some very enjoyable time watching their aerial take-offs and landings as well as their patient hunting skills.
Therefore, we were happy to see egrets again this year, but this time there were just two, and they were 20 miles apart in very small ponds. My guess is we won’t see any more this year.
Egrets come to our state in mid-April from as far away as Mexico and Central America. By early November, they will have left for the winter. Unlike many other birds that migrate at night, most egrets migrate in solo or small group flights during the day.
While here, egrets fish much like herons, stalking their aquatic prey with times of patient stillness before suddenly striking out with their colorful bill. Egrets eat more than fish, consuming frogs and other crustaceans.
Included in their diet is an occasional rodent, grasshopper or even an unfortunate smaller bird.
I took this photo early in the morning darkness, shortly before our latest round of rain showers.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
This beautiful juvenile Red-tailed Hawk is in its first year of the University of Life. There is more than a 50 percent chance it will flunk out.
Only an estimated 30-40% of its peers will make it through their first harsh Minnesota winter, not only because of biting north winds and snow but also due to their inexperience.
Juveniles are clumsy hunters. While adults live on substantial meals from voles, rabbits, and squirrels, their young start out hunting grasshoppers, frogs, and smaller songbirds. If hungry enough, juveniles will even join a crew of crows, eagles, and vultures that is eating carrion.
Their efforts can be comical in nature. They often fumble in their strikes, drop prey when flying, or choose prey that is too large for them to handle. In their first year, each hunt is a lesson, and the sooner they learn the ropes, the better their survival chances become.
Young Red-tailed hawks can often be observed perching for long periods on utility poles and other objects as they watch everything around them, a part of their study habits that helps in hunting situations.
A clue to identifying juvenile Red-tailed hawks is the lack of the iconic red on their tail, which they will not develop for around another year.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
The last several times my wife and I have journeyed out on our wildlife safaris (very small game), we have seen dwindling numbers and fewer species of both birds and animals.
Great Egrets beautified our area's small wetland ponds for what seemed like only a few weeks, and now, except for a straggler here and there, they are gone. Some flew to the southeastern part of the US, others to Mexico, Central America, or the Caribbean.
Nearly every fall now, as my active life recedes, I often think of the phrase in the old hymn that we used to sing in our small country church, "Life at best is very brief, like the falling of a leaf, Be in time."
Sweet, cuddly babies grow into young children with a mind of their own. Young children develop into teenagers, 'nuff said, and suddenly they are adults with their own families, as our daily influence on their lives almost disappears, and we face the challenges of finding meaning in empty homes and frail bodies.
The cycle of life that once seemed endless in our youth does indeed end, both for the wildlife of our world as well as for the humans that take pleasure in them for a season.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)
Greek Theater at Taormina, Sicily, Italy.
Perched on a hilltop in one of the most beautiful settings imaginable is the Ancient Teatro Greco of Taormina. Located on the eastern shores of Sicily, Taormina is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in all of Italy. Sitting some 250 meters above the Ionian Sea, Taormina is a popular destination with tourists due to its trendy beaches and beautiful setting.
The Greek Theatre here is the second largest of its kind in all of Sicily behind only the Greek Theatre of Siracusa. Built in the third century BC, the theatre is remarkably well preserved and it still used today for opera and musical performances.
Constructed during the Greek Hellenistic period, the theatres design and horseshoe layout are typical of Greek construction. The theatre was literally carved out of the rock on Mount Tauro and had a capacity of 5,000 spectators. However, the extensive use of brick in the theatre suggests a Roman influence and researches feel that the Romans most likely rebuilt the theatre over the original Greek foundation. This transformation took place during the 2nd century AD and the Romans used the theater for gladiator contests as opposed to plays and gatherings during the Greek period. While the theatre is most often referred to as the Teatro Greco because of its Greek origins, it is also referred to as the Greco-Roman Theatre because of its Roman renovation.
For video, please visit youtu.be/G3Z2Q0iukRg
This young hawk got caught in a downpour and is looking around for something to use to dry off. Spreading of feathers is a normal method that many birds use to dry off after a rainstorm.
I ran this hawk photo through several AI bird sites. Sometimes I think birding sites just throw out the first thing that comes to their mind. I got three different species suggested. I often use a percentage approach in evaluating answers. If I ask five sites and three of them agree, there is a good chance they are right.
The prevailing opinion was that it was a juvenile Cooper’s Hawk. Juvenile hawks can be difficult to identify, as often they look quite different from what they will look like in another year or two.
But juvenile Cooper’s Hawks have yellowish colored eyes during their first year, which matches this hawk’s eye color. Those eyes will gradually darken to red as they mature.
The Cooper’s Hawk species in Minnesota is called a partial migrant, meaning that not all individual hawks leave our state for the winter. They tend to stay year-round more in southern Minnesota, while hawks in the northern part of Minnesota head south, wintering as far south as Honduras.
(Photographed near Cambridge, MN)