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Life is sweet, especially if you're a Monarch Butterfly enjoying the sweet nectar that comes from these flowers. The Lantana is known to attract butterflies of all kinds, due to it's sweet smelling flowers and nectar.
This is a migratory species, wintering in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, and Australasia, usually on fresh water. The shape of the lower bill gives it an upturned appearance. They have long greenish legs and a long bill with a grey base. They show a white wedge on the back in flight. They are somewhat larger than the related Common Redshank. The usual call is a rapid series of three short fluty notes syllabilized as teu-teu-teu.
The Neckarfront is probably the most photographed town in Tuebingen. The ensemble of multi-storey, gabled houses stretching from the Eberhardsbrücke neckar upwards until characteristic Hölderlinturm with the landing of the punts. With this, the southern side of the houses sit on the still existing in parts of the city wall.
The overall picture is one of the Neckarfront superior tower of the collegiate church.
Die Neckarfront ist wohl der meistfotografierte Ort Tübingens. Das Ensemble aus mehrstöckigen, giebelständigen Wohnhäusern zieht sich von der Eberhardsbrücke neckaraufwärts bis zum charakteristischen Hölderlinturm mit der Anlegestelle der Stocherkähne. Mit dieser, der südlichen Seite sitzen die Häuser auf der noch in Teilen vorhandenen Stadtmauer. Zum Gesamtbild gehört der die Neckarfront überragende Turm der Stiftskirche.
- Game: DmC 5
Tools:
- ReShade 4.9.1
- 4K DSR
- Camera, Fov, Hud, Timestop, etc; by Otis_Inf
framedsc.github.io/GameGuides/devil_may_cry_5.htm
Comparison Link: imgsli.com/Mzk5MzM
This is the Castlefield area of Manchester which has Roman remains. Mancunium was established in AD79.
The canals are not very clean, but I like the jumble of bridges and pathways. This is a 5 photo stitch, I wish the light was more romantic , but there you go. #Dogwoodchallenge week8 Panorama. Should have taken in portrait mode for pano.
North Afghanistan
Takhar Province
North Afghanistan has some very fertile soils but not sufficient water.
Midd march the winter is over. The snow is melting and activiteis in agriculture will start.
Vegetation is sprouting and nature starts to grow.
Misty is incredibly food motivated which is a good thing for the keepers. Her being so motivated by food allows them to train her. This training is extremely important for them and her as it allows the keepers to ask Misty to perform simple yet certain things which allows them, do all over body checks for the vet.
She basically will do anything for food and I guess in the wild she would be the same being the hunter for the pride.
Rudbeckia is a plant genus in the Asteraceae or composite family. Rudbeckia flowers feature a prominent, raised central disc in black, brown shades of green, and in-between tones, giving rise to their familiar common names of coneflowers and black-eyed-susans. Wikipedia
Family: Asteraceae
Scientific name: Rudbeckia
Rank: Genus
Higher classification: Heliantheae
Subtribe: Rudbeckiinae
Subfamily: Asteroideae
This is another one of my favorites of Lauren. I think it captures her personality pretty well...
Website - ModelMayhem - Facebook - Twitter
This is the oldest Wesleyan Chapel that has been in continuous use since being built. Wesley preached here and it is a remarkable example of Non conformist architecture. He recommended the octagonal shape to avoid conflict with the established church. The chapel was later expanded so becoming an elongated octagon. On the right is the Church Hall built about 100 years after the Chapel.
Model is Remy @ Wallflower
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE continue to rate my portfolio 5 stars and help me win 2,000 dollars!!!
It would mean the absolute world to me if you could take just 10 seconds out of your day and vote for me. Thank you to everyone who has, and continues to do so. And you can vote every 24 hours!
This is my 5th and final Fog shot of the LFE in San Francisco last November. I'd tried to compose each scene differently with each having unique lighting condition and perspective. This one is just before the Sun rises and I studied the movement of the fog to get it to a level to show almost deck level of the bridge and also the fog rolling thru the trees in the foreground to give it a unique look. Man, the blanket of fog is so thick and massive that it seems to go on forever.
This is a 20 second exposure to get the smooth flowing movement of the fog layer with a 6 stop ND filter.
Passau
is a town in Lower Bavaria, Germany.
It is also known as the Dreiflüssestadt or "City of Three Rivers,"
because the Danube is joined at Passau by the Inn from the south and the Ilz from the north.
@Wikipedia
Today we have our national holiday. It is more low-key than usually is the case because of the floods and because several detachments are helping out in Wallonia (yesterday we had a day of National Mourning).
There always is a military parade first, followed by a civil parade. This year the latter focused on young people, vaccination, health workers and logistics and the civil protection units, firemen, police, postmen etc and volunteers. The motor brigade of the Police of Brussels took part with their (old) Harley-Davidsons!
In between there were performances by musicians and slam poets beamed in from several locations in Belgium each time with a small public (Covid rules) consisting of volunteers, Red Cross workers, health workers, members of the civil protection.
For the military parade, several detachments took part in the parade, including special forces.
This year there also were detachments from South Korea and Luxembourg to commemorate that in 1951 (70 years ago) a contingent from Belgian and Luxembourg fought and won one of the key battles in the Korean war for which the Belgian Contingent received a US Presidential citation at the time.
As usual there was a role for our EU partners as well with a Airbus A330 MRTT in tanker configuration taking part in the fly over. Together, six EU member states (among which Belgium) bought nine A330 MRTTs to strengthen NATO.
Representing the EU member states (from Italy, Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, and France) that quickly came to our rescue during the floods under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, ambulances of these countries also took part in the parade. They received a warm applause.
Crown Princess Elisabeth, who just completed her first year officer training at the Royal Military School (which is a university), was marching together with the unit she has been part of during her training.
Sportsmen Axel Witsel and Wout Van Aert had recorded a message of support for the people of Wallonia.
The event concluded with the military band performing the European anthem and then the Belgian anthem (Belgium is one of the six Founding Fathers of the European Union that meanwhile consists of 27 member states, with several more European countries currently going through the accession process and several more expected to apply for membership soon).
This is a remake of the world famous picture made by Andre Kertesz, The Fork. My bowl is just a little bit more shallow than the original so the shadow of the fork is not as deep. Also the fork itself is flat instead of round.
The Basilica of St. Lawrence, completed in 1905 is of a distinctive Catalan style with the tallest freestanding elliptical dome in North America. Asheville is a city and Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina located at the confluence of the French Broad and Swannanoa rivers, it is the most populous city in Western North Carolina. Print size 13x19 inches.
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city. Trieste is located at the head of the Gulf of Trieste and throughout history it has been influenced by its location at the crossroads of Germanic, Latin and Slavic cultures. In 2009, it had a population of about 205,000 and it is the capital of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trieste province.
Trieste was one of the oldest parts of the Habsburg Monarchy from 1382 until 1918. In the 19th century, it was the most important port of one of the Great Powers of Europe. As a prosperous seaport in the Mediterranean region, Trieste became the fourth largest city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (after Vienna, Budapest, and Prague). In the fin-de-siecle period, it emerged as an important hub for literature and music. However, the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Trieste's union to Italy after World War I led to some decline of its "Mittel-European" cultural and commercial importance. Enjoying an economic revival during the 1930s and throughout the Cold War, Trieste was an important spot in the struggle between the Eastern and Western blocs. Today, the city is in one of the richest regions of Italy, and has been a great centre for shipping, through its port (Port of Trieste), shipbuilding and financial services.
For further information on this fascinating city please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trieste
A couple of days ago I have received an interesting email. A person has found my youtube videos and wanted just to thank me. That was a surprise for me.
The topic was related to coming out as a crossdresser to your partner. For the person, who wrote me it was very hard to accept that the boyfriend turned to be a lady sometimes…it is hard, but being open to your partner might surprise you – if there is true love, the partner will try to understand what is hidden behind – the whole world! We all deserve to be happy the way we are!
I am very happy, that my videos could help someone to accept their partner! Crossdressing is an Art of transformation, and one of my main goals is to prove that!
I hope you will like my thoughts and it will help you or your partner!
Thank you Andy for reaching to me!
Love and be loved!
Anastasia
Taizō-in (退蔵院) is the oldest sub-temple (tatchū (塔頭)) of the Myōshin-ji Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple, situated in the northwest of Kyoto, Japan. It was founded by Zen priest Muinsoin in 1404. The original temple buildings were burned during the Ōnin War (1467-1477), and were later rebuilt.
A new pond garden, or yoko-en, was designed by Kinsaku Nakane in 1963-1966. The new garden is large enough for visitors to walk in, and contains azaleas and a stream that cascades along the main axis, directly toward the main viewing position. The stream flows around rocks, gradually widening until it empties into a pool in front of the viewer.
(Wikipedia)
De Vooruit is een historisch zalencomplex aan de Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat in Gent en werd geopend door de Samenwerkende Maatschappij Vooruit Nr.1 in 1913.
Het gebouw werd ontworpen door Ferdinand Dierkens. De bouw werd aangevat in 1911 en in 1913 geopend als Feestlokaal van Vooruit, naar de socialistische verbruikersorganisatie (of coöperatie) Vooruit (1891-1970), die uit de grond werd gestampt om de fabrieksarbeiders te beschermen tegen de labiliteit van het grootkapitaal. In de "kunstentempel Vooruit" konden arbeiders tegen erg democratische prijzen eten, drinken en van cultuur genieten.
Vooruit was oorspronkelijk het feest- en kunstencentrum van de Gentse arbeidersbeweging, met een feestzaal (balzaal), cinema, theatergroep, enzovoort. Na de oorlog verloederde het gebouw tot in 1982 de aanzet werd gegeven naar zijn huidige vorm als kunstencentrum.
Sinds 1982 worden de vijf belangrijkste zalen (Balzaal, Theaterzaal, Domzaal, Concertzaal en het Café) gebruikt door de vzw Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER voor debatten, literatuuravonden, feesten, festivals, concerten, filmvertoningen, dans- en theatervoorstellingen. Het gebouw werd gerestaureerd en in 1983 erkend als monument. In 2000 kreeg het de Vlaamse monumentenprijs na grondige restauratiewerken
Bron: nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Vooruit
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De Vooruit is a historic hall complex on Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat in Ghent and was opened by the Samenwerking Maatschappij Vooruit Nr.1 in 1913.
The building was designed by Ferdinand Dierkens. Construction started in 1911 and opened in 1913 as the Vooruit Festivities Location, after the socialist consumer organization (or cooperative) Vooruit (1891-1970), which was started up to protect factory workers against the lability of big business. In the "Vooruit arts temple" workers could eat, drink and enjoy culture at very democratic prices.
Vooruit was originally the party and arts center of the Ghent workers' movement, with a banquet hall (ballroom), cinema, theater group, and so on. After the war, the building deteriorated until in 1982 the impetus was given to its current form as an arts center.
Since 1982, the five main halls (Balzaal, Theaterzaal, Domzaal, Concert Hall and the Café) have been used by the non-profit organization Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER for debates, literature evenings, parties, festivals, concerts, film screenings, dance and theater performances. The building was restored and recognized as a monument in 1983. In 2000 it was awarded the Flemish monument prize after thorough restoration work
Hestercombe House, Nr. Taunton, Somerset
Hestercombe House is nestled in the parish of West Monkton approx. 13 miles away from Taunton, Somerset. Originally built in the 16th century for the Warre family where it remained for approx. 400 years. The house was enlarged and changes were made, alas that work is no longer visible, due to extensive renovation work carried out in and around 1875. The house today is a mixture of different styles of architecture, Neoclassical, Italianate and French but pleasing to the eye.
Sometime in the 18th century a watermill was built, today this is now the visitor’s centre.
The garden when originally set out consisted of a grand cascade, a Gothic Alcove, a Tuscan Temple Arbour, several Ponds and a folly Mausoleum. A formal parterre was added in the 1870’s. Between 1904-1906, an Edwardian Garden was laid out by Gertrud Jekyll and Edwin Lutyens doyens of the Art and Crafts Movement.
Lutyens designed the Orangery (Grade 1 listed). The ‘Great Plat’ featured Gertrude Jekyll’s herbaceous planting. Unfortunately very little of this work exists today. By the early 1970’s the formal gardens were largely run down. It was then that Somerset CC along with the Fire Brigade that restoration work started. In 1995 a project to restore the Landscape garden, in 1998 The Great Plat was replanted. In the same year work on the Victorian Terrace commenced and the fountain repaired.
Another garden where each year more improvements have been completed to make it a great place to visit. This is the 1st of 2 postings.
Ancient #Mosaic art is taught at the #Madaba Institute and Restoration in #Jordan ExploreTraveler.com/
This is part of a privately owned garden that a public footpath borders. The 15 - 46 picture from a couple of days ago, was also from this same location.
Best viewed in large: - View On Black
Single RAW
Camera raw.
PS.
ContrastMaster.
This is NON - HDR..........
**************** THANK YOU ALL FOR VISITS, FAVES AND KIND WORDS ****************
************** PLEASE NO INVITES, IMAGES, LOGOS OR FLASHING SIGNS *************
Medicine Lake is fascinating! The Maligne River backs up here and disappears underground, where there's a huge invisible river system that drains in many directions. So instead of being a real lake, it's a bathtub that overflows periodically and looks like this. So cool. Certainly the prettiest bathtub I've ever seen.
I miss Banff and Jasper. I sure hope I get back there this summer (probably inevitable, knowing my restless, wanderlusty nature and my crazy love affair with this place).
The Jerónimos Monastery or Hieronymites Monastery is a former monastery of the Order of Saint Jerome near the Tagus river in the parish of Belém, in the Lisbon Municipality, Portugal; it was secularised on 28 December 1833 by state decree and its ownership transferred to the charitable institution, Real Casa Pia de Lisboa.
The monastery is one of the most prominent examples of the Portuguese Late Gothic Manueline style of architecture in Lisbon. It was classified a UNESCO World Heritage Site, along with the nearby Tower of Belém, in 1983.
The Jerónimos Monastery replaced the church formerly existing in the same place, which was dedicated to Santa Maria de Belém and where the monks of the military-religious Order of Christ provided assistance to seafarers in transit. The harbour of Praia do Restelo was an advantageous spot for mariners, with a safe anchorage and protection from the winds, sought after by ships entering the mouth of the Tagus. The existing structure was inaugurated on the orders of Manuel I (1469–1521) at the courts of Montemor o Velho in 1495, as a final resting-place for members of the House of Aviz, in his belief that an Iberian dynastic kingdom would rule after his death. In 1496, King Manuel petitioned the Holy See for permission to construct a monastery at the site. The Hermitage of Restelo (Ermida do Restelo), as the church was known, was already in disrepair when Vasco da Gama and his men spent the night in prayer there before departing on their expedition to India in 1497.
The construction of the monastery and church began on 6 January 1501, and was completed 100 years later. King Manuel originally funded the project with money obtained from the Vintena da Pimenta, a 5 percent tax on commerce from Africa and the Orient, equivalent to 70 kilograms of gold per year, with the exception of those taxes collected on the importation of pepper, cinnamon and cloves, which went directly to the Crown. With the influx of such riches, the architects were not limited to small-scale plans, and resources already prescribed for the Monastery of Batalha, including the Aviz pantheon, were redirected to the project in Belém.
Manuel I selected the religious order of Hieronymite monks to occupy the monastery, whose role it was to pray for the King's eternal soul and to provide spiritual assistance to navigators and sailors who departed from the port of Restelo to discover lands around the world. This the monks did for over four centuries until 1833, when the religious orders were dissolved and the monastery was abandoned.
The monastery was designed in a manner that later became known as Manueline: a richly ornate architectural style with complex sculptural themes incorporating maritime elements and objects discovered during naval expeditions, carved in limestone. Diogo de Boitaca, the architect, pioneered this style in the Monastery of Jesus in Setúbal. Boitaca was responsible for drawing the plans and contracting work on the monastery, the sacristy, and the refectory. For its construction he used calcário de lioz, a gold-coloured limestone quarried from Ajuda, the valley of Alcántara, Laveiras, Rio Seco and Tercena. Boitaca was succeeded by the Spaniard Juan de Castilho, who took charge of construction around 1517. Castilho gradually moved from the Manueline to the Spanish Plateresque style, an ornamentation that included lavish decorations suggesting the decorative features of silverware (plata). The construction came to a halt when King Manuel I died in 1521.
Several sculptors left their mark on this building: Nicolau Chanterene added depth with his Renaissance themes, while the architect Diogo de Torralva resumed construction of the monastery in 1550, adding the main chapel, the choir, and completing the two stories of the monastery, using only Renaissance motifs. Diogo de Torralva's work was continued in 1571 by Jérôme de Rouen (also called Jerónimo de Ruão) who added some classical elements. The construction stopped in 1580 with the union of Spain and Portugal, as the building of the Escorial in Spain was now draining away all the allocated funds.
On 16 July 1604, Philip of Spain (who ruled after the Iberian Union) made the monastery a royal funerary monument, prohibiting anyone but the royal family and the Hieronymite monks from entering the building. A new portal was constructed in 1625, as well as the cloister door, the house of the doorkeepers, a staircase and a hall that was the entrance to the upper choir designed by the royal architect Teodósio Frias and executed by the mason Diogo Vaz. In 1640, the prior Bento de Siqueira ordered construction of the monastery's library, where books owned by the Infante Luís (son of King Manuel I) and others linked to the religious order were deposited.
With the restoration of Portuguese Independence in 1640, the monastery regained much of its former importance, becoming the burial place for the royal pantheon; within its walls four of the eight children of John IV of Portugal were entombed: the Infante Teodósio (1634–1653), the Infanta Joana (1636–1653), King Afonso VI (1643–1683) and Catarina de Bragança (1638–1705). In 1682 the body of Cardinal Henrique was buried in the transept chapels. On 29 September 1855, the body of King Afonso VI was transported to the royal pantheon of the House of Braganza in the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, along with his three brothers and sister.
In 1663, the Brotherhood of the Senhor dos Passos occupied the old Chapel of Santo António, which was redecorated with a gold tiled ceiling in 1669, while the staircase frescos with the heraldry of Saint Jerome were completed in 1770. The retables were completed in 1709 and 1711, valuable alfaias were presented to the religious order, and the sacristy was redecorated in 1713. The painter Henrique Ferreira was commissioned in 1720 to paint the Kings of Portugal: the regal series was placed in the Sala dos Reis (Hall of the Kings). Henrique Ferreira was also commissioned to complete a series of nativity paintings.
The monastery withstood the 1755 Lisbon earthquake without much damage: only the balustrade and part of the high choir were ruined, but they were quickly repaired. On 28 December 1833, the Jerónimos Monastery was secularised by state decree and its title transferred to the Real Casa Pia de Lisboa to serve as a parochial church for the new civil parish of Santa Maria de Belém. Many of the artworks and treasures were either transferred to the crown or lost during this period. It was vacant most of the time and its condition began to deteriorate.
Restoration work began on the monastery after 1860, starting with the southern façade under supervision of the architect Rafael Silva e Castro, and in 1898 under Domingos Parente da Silva. Although the cloister cistern, internal clerical cells and the kitchen were demolished at this time, three reconstruction projects proposed by architect J. Colson, including the introduction of revivalist neo-Manueline elements, failed to gain the required approval. In 1863, architect Valentim José Correia was hired by the ombudsman of the Casa Pia, Eugénio de Almeida, to reorganise the second storey of the old dormitory and design the windows (1863–1865). He was subsequently replaced by Samuel Barret, who constructed the towers in the extreme western end of the dormitories. Similarly and inexplicably, Barret was replaced by the Italian scenery designers Rambois and Cinatti, who had worked on the design of the São Carlos Theatre, to continue the remodelling within the monastery in 1867. Between 1867 and 1868, they profoundly altered the annex and façade of the Church, which then appeared as it does today. They demolished the gallery and Hall of the Kings, constructed the towers of the eastern dormitory, the rose window of the upper choir and substituted the pyramid-shaped roof of the bell tower with the mitre-shaped design. The remodelling was delayed by the 1878 collapse of the central dormitory. After 1884, Raymundo Valladas began to contribute, initiating in 1886 the restoration of the cloister and the Sala do Capítulo, including construction of the vaulted ceiling. The tomb of Alexandre Herculano, designed by Eduardo Augusto da Silva, was placed in the Sala do Capítulo in 1888.
To celebrate the 1898 fourth centenary of the arrival of Vasco da Gama in India, it was decided to restore the tomb of the explorer in 1894. The tombs of Vasco da Gama and Luís de Camões, carved by the sculptor Costa Mota, were placed in the southern lateral chapel. A year later the monastery received the remains of the poet João de Deus, later joined by the tombs of Almeida Garret (1902), Sidónio Pais (1918), Guerra Junqueiro (1923) and Teófilo Braga (1924).
The Minister of Public Works opened a competition to finish the annex, which would serve as the National Museum of Industry and Commerce (Museu Nacional da Indústria e Comércio), but the project was canceled in 1899, and the Ethnological Museum of Portugal was installed.
Further remodelling of the monastery was begun in 1898 subsequent to the work done by Parente da Silva in 1895 on the central annex, now simplified, as well as restoration of the cadeirals (the chairs used by the clergy in religious services), which were completed in 1924 by sculptor Costa Mota. In 1938 the organ in the high choir was dismantled at the same time that a series of stained-glass windows, designed by Abel Manta and executed by Ricardo Leone, were replaced in the southern façade.
As part of the celebrations marking the centenary of modern Portugal in 1939, yet more remodelling was completed in the monastery and tower. During these projects, the baldachin and tomb of Alexandre Herculano were dismantled and the cloister patio was paved. In 1940 the space in front of the monastery was redesigned for the Portuguese Exposition. The Casa Pia vacated the interior spaces of the cloister and the tombs of Camões and Vasco da Gama were transferred to the lower choir. A series of windows designed by Rebocho and executed by Alves Mendes were completed in 1950.
In 1951 the remains of president Óscar Carmona were entombed in the Sala do Capítulo. They would later be transported to the National Pantheon in 1966 to join the bodies of other former presidents and literary heroes of the country.
The Maritime Museum was inaugurated in the western wing of the monastery in 1963.
The church and the monastery, like the nearby Torre de Belém and Padrão dos Descobrimentos, symbolise the Portuguese Age of Discovery and are among the main tourist attractions of Lisbon. In 1983, UNESCO formally designated the Monastery of the Hieronymites and Tower of Belém as a World Heritage Site.
When Portugal joined the European Economic Community, the formal ceremonies were held in the cloister of the monument (1985).
Two major exhibitions took place at the monastery during the 1990s: 4 séculos de pintura, in 1992; and the exposition "Leonardo da Vinci – um homem à escala do mundo, um Mundo à escala do homem", in 1998 (which included the Leicester Codex, on temporary loan from Bill Gates).
At the end of the 20th century, remodelling continued with conservation, cleaning and restoration, including the main chapel in 1999 and the cloister in 1998–2002.
On 13 December 2007, the Treaty of Lisbon was signed at the monastery, laying down the basis for the reform of the European Union.
this is me cooking awesomeness
recipe!:
1 lb ground beef (i put onion powder and garlic salt in it)
penne rigate (i don't measure...just do what feels right)
pasta sauce (i use Ragu)
MIX it and add some heat
TOP it with Mozzarella and...
enjoy!
Here is another shot with the fisheye that I took today. I promise this will be it with this lens as I had to return it to my friend who owns it today.
This is Hack Bartholomew. He caught my attention as I was waiting in line for a healthy breakfast at Cafe du Monde. He was very entertaining as he was playing the Alabama fight song the morning after our big win in the Sugar Bowl.
I bought his CD and asked if I could take his photo.
Boys made a practical joke on Dutch (aka Gold Leader) as they replaced his workhorse to a miniature version of Y-wing awhile he was taking a nap. Unfortunately he can't fly with this thing. It's main purpose is to sit on the shelf and just look nice.
Yuba decided that hiding in a partially flattened cat house in a room we use to store boxes (hopefully a temporary basis) while the workers for the installation of the air conditioner were working was for the best.
The only cactus genus that is more confusing than Opuntia is that of Echinopsis. In both cases, there is a great number of species (over 100) and a tremendous amount of variation.
Echinopsis plants range from very small, flattened-globose plants to quite large, treelike giants. As a result, there is a long list of synonymous names for many of the species. Some synonyms referring to other synonyms that refer to a subspecies of some seemingly distinct species. Sorting through these names often feels like a wild goose chase and is quite frustrating.
In more recent thinking, the previous two genera of Trichocereus and Lobivia are included with Echinopsis. However, it is not at all uncommon for enthusiasts to use all three names in discussion even if their labels read Echinopsis. This usage reflects the general (inexact) situation that the larger, columnar members are distinguished as Trichocereus while Lobivia includes a select group of smaller, not-as-spiny plants which typically flower from low on the plant similar to most Rebutia species. This leaves the bulk of plants referred to as Echinopsis to be mostly spiny, ribbed, globose plants.
The main factor that ties these plants together are their very large, showy flowers. These flowers are all very similar in structure: funnel shaped, with hairy/wooly scaled floral tubes. The flowers seldom last more than a single day and may be diurnal or nocturnal, depending on the species. These species hybridize easily and have resulted in a tremendous number of hybrids that some cactus growers specialize in or grow exclusively. There are certainly enough hybrids to keep even ardent hobbyists busy.
Because of their exceptional flowers, many Echinopsis species are found in garden centers and collections world-wide. The larger species (aka Trichocereus) are also popular landscape plants in warmer parts of the world. Plants of this genus are widespread throughout South America and inhabit a wide range of habitats and climates.
The Brown Pelican is a comically elegant bird with an oversized bill, sinuous neck, and big, dark body. Squadrons glide above the surf along southern and western coasts, rising and falling in a graceful echo of the waves. They feed by plunge-diving from high up, using the force of impact to stun small fish before scooping them up. They are fairly common today—an excellent example of a species’ recovery from pesticide pollution that once placed them at the brink of extinction.
This juvenile was photographed at Clearwater Beach, Florida just before it took off and settled in the water for the next 30 minutes or so.
Technical Information (or Nerdy Stuff):
Camera - Nikon D5200 (handheld)
Lens – Nikkor 18-300mm Zoom
ISO – 100
Aperture – f/5.6
Exposure – 1/320 second
Focal Length – 250mm
The original RAW file was processed with Adobe Camera Raw and final adjustments were made with 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
Praça da Sé (English: See Square) is a public space in São Paulo, Brazil. Considered as the city's central point, it is the point from where the distance of all roads passing through São Paulo are counted. The square was the location of many historic events in São Paulo's history, most notably during the Diretas Já movement. The name originates from the episcopal see of the city, the São Paulo Cathedral.
A Praça da Sé é um espaço público em São Paulo, Brasil. Considerado o ponto central da cidade, é o ponto de onde é contada a distância de todas as estradas que passam por São Paulo. A praça foi o local de muitos eventos históricos na história de São Paulo, principalmente durante o movimento Diretas Já. O nome é originário da sede episcopal da cidade, a Catedral de São Paulo.
i think this is some kind of wild orchid, although i found it hanging from the tree in a mall park today. the first time i saw one of these and it is quite a remarkable flower to shoot!
happy sunday my friends! did not get headaches today hooray!!! and blood pressure is controlled! aaaaah this is bliss!!!
almost bedtime here in manila so i will have to catch up with you in the morning!
Is this not a delightfully adorable little bluebird?
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copyright © Mim Eisenberg. All rights reserved.
See my photos on fluidr: www.fluidr.com/photos/mimbrava
I invite you to stroll through my Galleries: www.flickr.com/photos/mimbrava/galleries
Seen at the Classic Car and Bike Meet at Earls Barton, Northamptonshire on 02 June 2021 is this 1971 Volkswagen T2 Westfalia Camper Van.
First registered in the UK in June 2020.
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Francisco Aragão © 2015. All Rights Reserved.
Use without permission is illegal.
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Spanish
El Parque del Retiro (no confundir con los Jardines del Buen Retiro), popularmente conocido como El Retiro, es un parque de 118 hectáreas (1 180 000 m²) situado en Madrid. Es uno de los lugares más significativos de la capital española.
Los jardines tienen su origen entre los años 1630 y 1640, cuando el Conde-Duque de Olivares (Gaspar de Guzmán y Pimentel), valido de Felipe IV (1621–1665), le regaló al Rey unos terrenos que le habían sido cedidos por el duque de Fernán Núñez para el recreo de la Corte en torno al Monasterio de los Jerónimos de Madrid. Así, con la reforma del Cuarto Real que había junto al monasterio, se inició la construcción del Palacio del Buen Retiro. Contaba entonces con unas 145 hectáreas. Aunque esta segunda residencia real iba a estar en lo que en aquellos tiempos eran las afueras de la villa de Madrid, no estaba excesivamente lejos del Real Alcázar y resultó ser un lugar muy agradable, por estar en una zona muy boscosa y fresca.
Bajo la dirección de los arquitectos Giovanni Battista Crescenzi y Alonso Carbonell se construyeron diversos edificios, entre ellos el Teatro del Buen Retiro, que acogió representaciones de los dramaturgos españoles del Siglo de Oro, entre ellos Calderón de la Barca y Lope de Vega. Perduran aún el Casón del Buen Retiro, antiguo Salón de Baile con frescos de Lucas Jordán, y el llamado Salón de Reinos, un ala del Palacio del Buen Retiro decorado antaño con pinturas de Velázquez y Zurbarán, entre otros; y los jardines de la posesión real.
Éstos se formaron al mismo tiempo que el palacio, trabajando en ellos, entre otros, Cosme Lotti, escenógrafo del Gran Duque de Toscana, y edificándose una leonera para la exhibición de animales salvajes y una pajarera de aves exóticas. El Estanque grande, escenario de naumaquias y espectáculos acuáticos, el Estanque ochavado o de las campanillas y la Ría chica pertenecen a este período inicial.
A lo largo de la historia, el conjunto sufrió modificaciones, no siempre planificadas, que cambiaron la fisonomía del jardín, como el Parterre, diseñado durante el reinado de Felipe V (1700–1746), la Real Fábrica de Porcelana del Buen Retiro en tiempos de Carlos III (1759–1788) o el Observatorio Astronómico, obra de Juan de Villanueva, reinando Carlos IV (1788–1808). El rey Carlos III fue el primero en permitir el acceso de los ciudadanos al recinto, siempre que cumpliesen con la condición de ir bien aseados y vestidos.
Durante la invasión francesa, en 1808, los jardines quedaron parcialmente destruidos al ser utilizados como fortificación por las tropas de Napoleón. El palacio fue casi totalmente destruido.
Tras la contienda, Fernando VII (1814–1833) inició su reconstrucción y abrió una parte del jardín al pueblo, como ya hiciera Carlos III. El monarca se reservó una zona, entre las calles de O'Donnell y Menéndez Pelayo, donde construyó una serie de edificios de recreo, siguiendo la moda paisajística de la época, que aún se conservan, como la Casita del Pescador, la Casa del Contrabandista y la Montaña artificial.
Reinando Isabel II (1833–1868) se abrió la calle de Granada, que más tarde se llamaría de Alfonso XII, vendiéndose al estado los terrenos comprendidos entre ésta y el Paseo del Prado que fueron urbanizados por particulares.
Tras la revolución de 1868, (la Gloriosa), los jardines pasan a ser propiedad municipal y sus puertas se abrieron a todos los ciudadanos, comenzando una época en la cual, la Ría grande y el Estanque de san Antonio de los Portugueses se transformaron en Paseo de Coches. Se colocaron las fuentes de los Galápagos y de la Alcachofa, erigiéndose también la fuente del Ángel Caído en lo que fueron terrenos de la Fábrica de Porcelanas, obra de Ricardo Bellver. En el Campo Grande se edificaron el Palacio de Cristal y el Palacio de Velázquez, obra de Ricardo Velázquez Bosco. En esta época, concretamente a finales del siglo XIX, transcurre la novela que Pío Baroja tituló Los Jardines del Buen Retiro, en la que se narra la vida de la capital en torno a este enclave.
Las últimas obras de ajardinamiento fueron las ejecutadas por el jardinero mayor Cecilio Rodríguez, que diseñó la rosaleda y los jardines que llevan su nombre.
El maestro Manuel Lillo compuso el pasodoble «Quiosco del Retiro» dedicado al lugar de conciertos matutinos en el que la Banda Sinfónica Municipal de Madrid actúa durante el verano.
El alcalde Enrique Tierno Galván designó a Antonio Mingote como Alcalde Honorario del Parque de El Retiro.
English
The Buen Retiro Park (Spanish: Parque del Buen Retiro, literally "Park of the Pleasant Retreat", or simply El Retiro) is the one of the largest parks of the city of Madrid, Spain. The park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century, when it became a public park.
The Buen Retiro Park is a large and popular 1.4 km2 (350 acres) park at the edge of the city center, very close to the Puerta de Alcalá and not far from the Prado Museum. A magnificent park, filled with beautiful sculpture and monuments, galleries, a peaceful lake and host to a variety of events, it is one of Madrid's premier attractions. The park is entirely surrounded by the present-day city.
Wikipedia
This is not a photoshot effect. Those colours was the result of a very dry weather, dust in the air and smoke from wildfires elsewhere.
DSCF7725_0001
"Paisley is a vegetal motif, often shaped like a droplet or kidney bean. The online textile glossary compares a typical pattern to half of the T'ai Chi symbol or the mango tree. This printed shawl, credited to the Victorian textile designer George Haite, is from the 19th century. Image shot 2006. The exact date is unknown. ............
Paisley arrived in Britain via Scotland, in the town which would give the print its Anglo name. From roughly 1800 to 1850, using Jacquard looms, the women of Paisley adapted the traditional design primarily by weaving woolen shawls."
www.theguardian.com/fashion/gallery/2011/sep/26/paisley-l...