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In our garden, "Pelargonium"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelargonium
Canon 70D with EF100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
IMG_5271ddp
TaProhm Temple is one that all tourists have to visit when in Angwor Wat, Cambodia due to its fame as the setting of Tomb Raider. The giant banyan trees are taking over the ruins, though they are now being managed in order to avoid further damage to the temple. One giant tree that was threatening to knock down an entire wall was removed.
I stood here for quite a while waiting for all the tourists to clear out of the way, but that never happened. So I used the magic of Photoshop to "vamoose" them. I decided to leave the lone photographer there since she does add scale to help you see how giant the tree is !
Every day is leg day.
Come see me at : www.Chanyungco.com / Breaking The Ice / Good Press Gallery / Fistful Of Books & follow me @elchanyungco on instagram.
Click here to say hi
Marsaxlokk is a traditional fishing village in the South Eastern Region of Malta, with a population of 3,534 as of March 2014.The village’s name comes from marsa, which means "port" and xlokk, which is the local name for south east. The word is related to the name for the dry sirocco wind that blows from the Sahara, comparable to the equivalent Catalan word, "xaloc". The village is known for the Marsaxlokk Market, a large market which takes place around the whole village on Sundays and tourist market all days during the week. The inhabitants of the village are called the Xlukkajri and are historically fishermen.
noun
a vibrant, explosive sunrise or sunset, typically during a morning or evening with high clouds.
This definition is currently under copyright status.
Italien / Südtirol - Puezgruppe
On the way to the Rifugio Puez to the Col dala Pieres
Auf dem Weg von der Puezhütte zum Col Dala Pieres
The Passo Gardena mountain pass (2,121 m a.s.l.) separates the Puez Group in the western Dolomites from the Sella Group.
The Puez Group is bounded by the Val Gardena in the south and by the Val Badia in the east. The Passo Gardena is the crossing between these two valleys. In the north-west the Puez Group borders the Odle Group, both give the name to the beautiful Puez-Odle Nature Park. Two side valleys, the Vallunga and the Zwischenkofeltal, divide the Puez Group - Puezgruppe in German and Gruppo del Puez in Italian - into two zones. In the western part the Monte Stevia (2,555 m a.s.l.) and the famous Piz de Puez peaks with the near Col de Puez (2,723 m a.s.l.) are located.
In the eastern part the Gardenaccia High Plateau, Mt. Sassongher (2,665 m a.s.l.) and the Cir Group (2,592 m a.s.l.), which is accessible via hiking paths and vie ferrate, can be found. In summer, several tours also lead to the mountain huts in the Puez Group, among them the Puez Mountain Hut (2,475 m a.s.l.), which is accessible from Col Pradat in Colfosco, the viewpoint under Mt. Sassongher, within about 2 hours, or from Selva Gardena within 5 hours. And the Stevia Mountain Hut at 2,312 m a.s.l. is accessible within 4.5 hours from Santa Cristina in the Val Gardena.
(suedtirolerland.it)
Die Puezgruppe ist eine Gebirgsgruppe in den westlichen Dolomiten, die sich in Südtirol (Italien) befindet.
Lage und Umgebung
Die Puezgruppe wird im Süden von Gröden und im Osten vom Gadertal begrenzt. Der Übergang zwischen den beiden Tälern, das Grödner Joch, trennt die Puezgruppe von der Sellagruppe. Im Norden fallen die Erhebungen ins Campilltal ab. Im Nordwesten bildet die Roa-Scharte (ladinisch Furcela dla Roa) den Übergang zur Geislergruppe, mit der sie oft zur Puez-Geisler-Gruppe zusammengefasst wird. Der Cislesbach bildet die Westgrenze des Gebirges.
Die Puezgruppe befindet sich im Gebiet der Gemeinden St. Christina in Gröden, Wolkenstein in Gröden, Corvara, Abtei und St. Martin in Thurn und ist fast komplett im Naturpark Puez-Geisler unter Schutz gestellt.
Gliederung
Die Puezgruppe beinhaltet auch selbst mehrere Untergruppen. Das Langental – von Gröden abzweigend – und das Zwischenkofeltal – ein Kampiller Seitental – teilen das Gebirge in Südwest-Nordost-Richtung grob in zwei Blöcke.
Im südlichen Teil des westlichen Block liegt der Gebirgsstock der Stevia (2552 m) und des Col dala Pieres (2747 m), im nördlichen Teil befinden sich die höchsten Gipfel der Gruppe mit den Puezspitzen (Westliche Puezspitze: 2918 m, Östliche Puezspitze: 2913 m), dem Piz Duleda (2909 m) und dem Puezkofel (2723 m), an dessen Fuß sich die Puezhütte (2475 m) befindet.
Der östliche Block besteht hauptsächlich aus der weitläufigen Gardenazza-Hochfläche mit ihrer mondähnlichen Landschaft mit weiten Geröllalmen und Steinhügeln, wo auch bedeutende Ammonitenfunde gemacht wurden. Nach Nordosten zweigen von hier Ausläufer ab, die den Kamm zwischen Campiller und Gadertal bilden. Die Hochfläche wird im Südosten vom Sassongher (2665 m) überragt, am südwestlichen Ende, nach dem Lech de Crespëina, schließen am Grödner Joch gelegen die Zacken der Cirspitzen an.
(Wikipedia)
USCGC Mohawk 913 is a 270' United States Coast Guard Famous-class medium endurance cutter. She was launched on September 9th, 1989, at Robert Derecktor Shipyard Incorporated of Middletown, Rhode Island and commissioned in March 1991. She is the third cutter named for the Mohawk nation, a tribe of Iroquoian Indians who lived in the Mohawk Valley of New York.
*[left-double-click for a closer-look - she is 'in-service' now]
Mohawk is the 13th and last of the 270 foot Famous-class cutters. Built by the former Robert Derektor Shipyards of Rhode Island, Mohawk was christened on September 9, 1989. Since the time of her commissioning in March 1991, she served the Coast Guard in a wide variety of missions including Search and Rescue, Maritime Law Enforcement, and Alien Migrant and UFO Interdiction Operations.
Mohawk has been responsible for the rescue of more than 5,000 Haitian, Cuban, and Dominican Republic migrants and has supported as many as 756 migrants on deck at one time. Mohawk has also seized more than 20,700 pounds of illegal drugs. This, as well as Mohawk's role in several search and rescue cases and numerous boardings to enforce the United States national laws, has earned Mohawk two Unit Commendations, the Joint Meritorious Service Award and two Humanitarian Service Awards. Mohawk is homeported in Key West, Florida. On January 13th, 2010, the Mohawk was ordered to assist in the humanitarian relief efforts following the 2010 Haiti earthquake. Her nickname is "Mighty Mo"
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USCGC_Mohawk_(WMEC-913)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
United States Coast Guard - Sector Key West
U.S.A. Naval Air Station - Key West Harbor
Key West, Florida - Florida Keys - 11/26/22
The U.S. Coast Guard is recognized as a leader in the field of search
and rescue. To meet this responsibility, the Coast Guard maintains search and rescue facilities on the East, West and Gulf coasts,
as well as in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico.
U.S. Coast Guard patrols our southern border
throughout the 90 miles to Cuba and beyond
*[On a personal note: my younger first-cousin Marty ALWAYS said when we were kids that when he grew up he wanted to work on
the water with the US Coast Guard. Well, he really lived that dream!
He worked for the US Coast Guard for the last 30+ years, enduring moves from Tampa Florida, to Alaska, to Hawaii and back to North Carolina. He will be retiring with many honors within the next year.
Great job, Marty! We're all very proud of you! - Ooh Rah! *salute*]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Coast_Guard
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.
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.
"Floo powder is a glittery, silver powder used by witches and wizards to travel through the Floo Network. The Network connects most wizarding households and buildings. The powder turns a fireplace's flames harmless and emerald green. It is tricky to use; one must toss a handful of powder into a fireplace connected to the Floo Network, walk into the flames, and state the desired destination loudly and clearly to ensure arrival in the proper location."
This worked out perfectly for The Teleidoscope's Theme this week which "flour". The white blur you see up there is exactly the way the flour looked when I snapped the photo, I was pretty happy that it only took me three times to get it, any more and my living room would have been covered in white!
Glad you're enjoying the series so far, I think I have 2 more ideas to try out before I wrap it up.
This is Mom from nest # 1
I'm going to be predictable again, positive thoughts to this family as they journey north for the salmon runs. Looking forward to seeing you again in the fall!
This is one of the 4 pianos at our house! Yes, I really DO collect about everything . . . This little piano is a 3/4 baby grand, and smaller than many. It sits in our sunroom, and is maybe the second oldest piano here. We have a big heavy ornate upright that is from the 1800s, and a white baby grand in the bedroom that it was said Jerry Lee Lewis played in the studio where we bought it! Downstairs in the art studio, I have my childhood piano that I took lessons on- it was in climate controlled storage when a tornado hit and every unit but ours was practically destroyed. My sister and her family moved it for me, which was a hard task due to the fact there was no electricity for days and they had to find a truck to move it in- Ken & I were away. I was SO thankful!
And I DO play, but very poorly these years, as I do not take time to practice like a real piano owner should! :)
Taken for the Jules' Photo Challenge Group:
March 29
World Piano Day
What is Gabon?
The .ga domain is the country code top-level domain (ccTLD) for Gabon. Gabon with its estimated population of 1,564,000, ranks as the 44th most populous country in Africa. These domains with the .ga extension are very popular in Gabon and around its geographical area.
If I'd known this photo would be so popular, I would have done a better job on it : )
Don't click on this link, unless, you want to. It's titled "Sexy Girls."
~Marcus Aurelius
This is the last picture from the photowalk downtown. Took this one outside of Fifth Avenue place downtown that has a few little, albeit expensive shops; I've never venture in, but it just looked so lively inside compared to that of the gloomy sky!
Hope you enjoyed this series!!
Thanks for stopping by my friends!
I don't mind invitations, but please no big, shiny, flashing, glitter graphics, they will be deleted. Also, please contact me if you would like to use my pictures for any reason. Thanks!
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My blog: HDR Exposed HDR Tutorial almost done!!
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!
Fall is my most favorite season, I am still trying to figure out how to capture the natural beauty through my camera. I am trying every year to do better. You will be able to tell me how am I doing. Currently I will be posting fall leaves with bokeh. Hope you will enjoy them as much as I loved capturing them.
This is for all you people who think Brighton just as a stony beach. On the ultra low tides there can be a hell of a lot of sand!
Checkout more images of Brighton swimming club on my website here. I also have big set of Brighton Swimming club photos in this Flickr set.
Taken with the new Samsung Galaxy NX. Which is like a cross between a DSLR and tablet (it runs Android). Read my review of the Samsung Galaxy NX to find out more. You can also see photos I've taken with the Galaxy NX in this Flickr album.
Processed with VSCO for Lightroom. I love Lightroom, in fact I am a long time user and written several tutorials on it's use check them on on my blog here.
Thinking is seeing.... Every human science is based on deduction, which is a slow process of seeing by which we work up from the effect to the cause; or, in a wider sense, all poetry like every work of art proceeds from a swift vision of things.
Words by Honoré De Balzac
for Flickriver - Sophie Shapiro
.
You say you really know me,
not afraid to show me
what is in your eyes
Tell me about the rumours
Are they only rumours?
Are they only lies?
Falling out of a perfect dream, coming out of the blue.
Is it true?
Is it over?
Did I throw it away?
Was it you?
Did you tell me you would never leave me this way?
Download the Song for sure !
This is for Dee Dee who sent me an email reminding me it was "Chester time again"...
Thank you Steve for the background fix:). Someday I'll wash the windows....(sigh).
Here is Don Jensen figuring out his composition on the Eagle Creek trail.
I'm running out the door here, trying to get some stuff together. But planning on heading back out there tomorrow morning. The rain has been steady, so I'm hoping the place will be gushing again. Not sure we'll get a sun break like this, but I'm looking forward to seeing what happens.
I'd never met Don in person until this trip, and man, we had a good time. He's been posting some gorgeous shots from our morning. Check out his stream!
This is the Lion Nebula located in the constellation Cepheus, also cataloged as Sh2-132 in the Sharpless Catalog. It is a relatively faint emission nebula located approximately 10,000 lightyears away.
Tech Specs: William Optics REDCAT 51 Telescope, ZWO ASI071MC camera running at 0F and Optolong L-eXtreme 2” Filter, 4 Hours using 5-minute subs, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro mount, ZWO EAF (ProAstroGear Black-CAT) and ASIAir Pro, guided using a ZWO 30mm f/4 mini guide scope and ZWO 120 mini, processed in PixInsight. Image Date: August 30, 2025. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Explore Front Page 2010-09-18
This is the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood along the Griboedov Canal in Saint Petersburg, Russia. The name refers to the blood of Tsar Alexander II of Russia, who was assassinated here, on the 13th of March 1881, by anarchist conspirators. In 1883 Tsar Alexander III began the construction of the church as a memorial to his father. Work progressed slowly and the church was not completed until 1907. Architecturally the church differs from Saint Petersburg's other churches and cathedrals that predominantly are built in Baroque and Neoclassic style. The Savior on Blood harks back to medieval Russian architecture in the spirit of romantic nationalism. It intentionally resembles the 17th-century Yaroslavl churches and the celebrated Saint Basil's Cathedral in Moscow.
In the aftermath of the Russian Revolution, the church was ransacked and looted, badly damaging its interior. The Soviet government closed the church in the early 1930’s. After the Second World War, it was used as a warehouse for vegetables, leading to the sardonic name of “Savior on Potatoes”.
In 1970, management of the Church passed to Saint Isaac's Cathedral (then used as a highly profitable museum) and proceeds from the Cathedral were funnelled back into restoring the Church. It was reopened in 1997 but has not been reconsecrated and does not function as a full-time place of worship, it is a Museum of Mosaic. Even before the Revolution it never functioned as a public place of worship, having been dedicated exclusively to the memory of the assassinated tsar and only memorial services were held here.
HDR made from three shots with tripod, AEB -2, 0 +2. Equipment: Canon EOS 500D and EF-S10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM. Processed with Photomatix Pro 4.0, Photoshop Elements 7.0, Topaz Adjust 4 and Noise Ninja.
Please don't use my photos without my permission!
However my book SPARKS is still in the shops and still makes a great present...
www.amazon.co.uk/Sparks-Adventures-Photography-Stephen-Le...
But it is 52 degrees raining, and Brrr outside. Good day to stay in and fiddle around with flickr. lol.
This is an entry in to the CCCIX Hermits Hovel Category and part five of my ongoing CCCIX storyline:
Going to see the Stargazer
Seeing that his campaign of shock and gore is moving along well, Gorang decides it is time to complete the other half of the deal. The Crown King demanded that he rid the kingdom of the fowl beast that has been terrorizing villages for as long as they were there.
Gorang knows if he is to defeat such a beast, he must seek counsel with the clans elder sage, Arnoz the Stargazer. He will have the answers!
Enjoy, and Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Don't we all want to know the secret to happiness? Christmas time is here once again. During this time of the year a person's thoughts are often centered on Jesus. Jesus knew that true happiness involves relationships with others. We humans are gregarious by nature, so we cannot be truly happy if we isolate ourselves or if we are constantly in conflict with those around us. We can be happy only if we feel loved and if we love others. Fundamental to such love, Jesus taught, is our relationship with God. Jesus was interested in human happiness. He began his well-known Sermon on the Mount with nine beatitudes—nine expressions that begin: “Happy are . . .” (Matthew 5:1-12) In that same sermon, he taught his listeners to examine, purify, and discipline their minds and hearts—replacing violent, immoral, and selfish thoughts with peaceful, clean, and loving thoughts. (Matthew 5:21, 22, 27, 28; 6:19-21) During the Christmas season, I feel that people put forth a special effort to be kind toward their fellow man. I really like that. I strive to live that way everyday. Many of you may be surprised to know that I don't celebrate Christmas. Yes, it is true. I stopped celebrating Christmas years ago. It was a personal decision. I learned of things about the celebration that actually go against what Jesus taught. So, after I learned those things I couldn't pretend that I didn't know them. My conscience would no longer allow me to take part in the celebration. In a way, it has been difficult not to celebrate Christmas because I am a real team player. Yes, I like to be a part of the crowd and be just like everyone else. It feels good to be accepted and to be like everyone else. However, I want to be pleasing to God and I don't want to participate in anything that would be offensive to him. So, why am I even talking about this? Well, because it is that time of the year. Yes, I am an odd ball during this time. I accept it though. I hope that I don't offend anyone by sharing my thoughts. I respect everyone's decision to celebrate anything that they want to. I'm just sharing a part of myself. That is just what I do.
"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...
NGC 891 is an edge on spiral galaxy that lies some 30 million light years in the constellation Andromeda. Its appearance is similar to how the Milky Way would look from a distance. Many more distant galaxies are also visible in this image.
Details:
Scope: TMB130SS
Camera: QSI690-wsg8
Guide Camera: Starlight Xpress Ultrastar
Mount: Mach1 GTO
RGB: 42x5min each - super-luminance made from RGB frames
Software: SGP, PHD2, APCC, Pixinsight
10.5 hrs total exposure
The 25 de Abril Bridge is a suspension bridge connecting the city of Lisbon, capital of Portugal, to the municipality of Almada on the left (south) bank of the Tagus river. It has a total length of 2,277 metres, making it the 46th longest suspension bridge in the world.
From its inauguration in 6 August 1966 up to 1974, the bridge was named Salazar Bridge (Ponte Salazar), after Portuguese Prime Minister António de Oliveira Salazar, who ordered its construction. After the Carnation Revolution, which overthrew the remnants of Salazar's regime, the bridge was renamed for April 25, the date of the revolution. It is also commonly called the Tagus River Bridge.
Later changes had to be made due to the rapid increase in population. In the 1990s, a fifth car lane was added, and in 1999, a lower deck, used as a railway track, which was planned since the beginning, was finally built. Today, the upper deck carries six car lanes while the lower deck carries a double track railway, electrified at 25 kV AC.
From the late 19th century, there had been proposals to build a bridge across the Tagus. In 1929, the idea advanced when the Portuguese engineer and entrepreneur, António Bello, requested a government concession for a railway crossing between Lisbon and Montijo (where the Vasco da Gama Bridge, the second bridge serving Lisbon, was later built in 1998). As a result, the Minister of Public Works, Duarte Pacheco, created a commission in 1933 to analyse the request. The commission reported in 1934, and proposed building a road and rail bridge. Bids were obtained, but the proposal was subsequently put aside in favor of a bridge crossing the river at Vila Franca de Xira, 35 kilometres north of Lisbon.
In 1953, a new government commission started work and, in 1958, recommended building the bridge, choosing the southern anchor point adjacent to the recently built monument to Christ the King (Cristo-Rei). In 1959, the international invitation to tender for the project received four bids. In 1960, the winner was announced as a consortium headed by the United States Steel Export Company, which had also submitted a bid in 1935. The American School of Lisbon was founded largely to educate the children of the American engineers brought to Portugal to work on the construction of the bridge.
Construction began on 5 November 1962. Forty-five months later, six months ahead of schedule, the bridge was inaugurated on 6 August 1966. Presiding at the ceremony was the President of Portugal, Admiral Américo Thomaz. Also present were the Prime-Minister, António de Oliveira Salazar, and the Patriarch of Lisbon, Cardinal Manuel Gonçalves Cerejeira. The bridge was named Salazar Bridge (Ponte Salazar), after Prime Minister Salazar.
United States Steel International Inc., based in New York, was prime contractor for the bridge. Morrison-Knudsen of Portugal Ltd., an American firm based in Boise, Idaho, was U.S. Steel's principal associate. Morrison-Knudsen had previously worked on the San Francisco Bay Bridge. The bridge was designed by Steinman, Boynton, Gronquist and London of New York, and Tudor Engineering Company of San Francisco. The steel was imported from the US. Four workers lost their lives, out of a total of 3,000 who worked on the site. Construction took a total of 2,185,000 man-hours of work. The total cost of the bridge came to 2.2 billion Portuguese escudos, or US$32 million (US$225 million in 2011 adjusted for inflation).
Soon after the Carnation Revolution in 1974, the bridge was renamed the 25 de Abril Bridge, the day the revolution had occurred. A symbol of those times was captured on film, with citizens removing the large brass letters spelling "Salazar" from one of the main pillars of the bridge and painting a provisional "25 de Abril" in its place.
The upper platform, running 70 m above water, had four car lanes, two in each direction, with a dividing guardrail. On 23 July 1990, the guardrail was removed and a fifth, reversible lane was created. On 6 November 1998, the side walls were extended and reinforced to make space for the present six lanes. Cars crossing the bridge make a peculiar hum because the two inner lanes are made of metallic grating rather than asphalt to minimize aerodynamic forces by means of pressure equalization.
Since 30 June 1999, the lower platform has carried a double track railway. To accommodate that, the bridge underwent extensive structural reinforcements, including a second set of main cables, placed above the original set, and the main towers were increased in height. The railway had been part of the initial design, but was eliminated for economy, so the initial structure was lightened. The original builder American Bridge Company was called again for the job, performing the first aerial spinning of additional main cables on a loaded, fully operational suspension bridge.
Traffic soon increased well beyond predictions, and has remained at maximum capacity despite the enlargement from four to six lanes, the addition of the railway, and the building of a second bridge serving Lisbon, the Vasco da Gama Bridge. A third bridge has been on and off government plans for some time, but the idea has been dropped presently, due to Portugal's budget constraints.
This was done on the rotating platform
This is my buddy's brilliant idea though, i took stole it and ran with it!! thanks rich
strobist:
SB28 taken off the camera and flashed towards the rim during the long exposure
yay!! explore 080222
a small feature here..thanks kevin for appreciating the photo!
thepassionatepursuit.com/2008/02/25/flickr-find-the-lexus...
My name is Carey and besides Photography my passion is music.
I am a singer/songwriter and if you enjoy my photos I would love hear what you think of my music.
If you go to www.Jango.com , an internet radio site,and put in Carey Newton as the artist you can listen to some of my songs.
I also have a free download of the song Enchanted Mountain at
www.cdbaby.com/cd/careynewton
Can also be found on iTunes
Blizzard is clearly not your ordinary, run-of-the-mill Rock Dove. She/he attached him/herself to our local flock about a year or so ago and has been a regular ever since. The really strange thing is that Blizzard has never, not even once, flown down from our house roof to feed at our feeders with the rest of the flock. Not sure what Blizzard lives on but it's certainly isn't our bird feed! The early morning sun provided the nice warm white to Blizzards feathers. I see no leg band—which adds some mystery to where he/she came from as clearly he's not a wild bird (and check out those nice feathered feet!).
Years ago I was friends with a fellow who raced pigeons and occasionally he would get calls from people who found one of his birds at their home (all the birds have bands identifying their owners with contact information). They would call him up and ask what they should do with the bird and his answer was always "Eat it!" Once the shock wore off a bit he would explain that these are homing racing birds and the bird they had never made it home—it was useless as a racing bird so they might as well keep it as a pet (or supper) since he had no use for it.
This is Switzerland. No need to take a plane to the other side of the world, sometimes you have awesome places just around the corner.
A sylph is a mythical creature as light as air and as graceful as water.
Lovely new pointe shoes for Rosie, in a few weeks they'll look like hell. They don't last that long being made of satin and layers of paper stiffened with glue, about 12 hours worth of dancing is all. This pair may make it through the summer. There is a very thin pad that wraps around and cushions the toes, much thinner than you would guess.The muscles in the feet are conditioned and strengthened for years before you get to this stage.
For ODC ~ using light to isolate the subject
~ Image by Laurarama, © All rights reserved
do not duplicate, alter or use my images or essays without my written permission
A rare picture of maxxxi taking a photo with her new mobile phone taken by me with my new mobile!!
It was father day and the weather was beautiful so I popped up to my dads allotment to try out my new camera phone on dads lovely veg……… there’s a small area put to one side for mum to grow flowers…there I found these amazing seed heads next to some panes of cloche or greenhouse glass. I was trying to capture the multiple refracted reflection of the seeds in the glass ……didn‘t realise till I uploaded to my computer that I‘d captured myself too !!! ……oh well never mind!
maxxxi.
This waterfall is located just west of Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Highlands, south of Interlaken. The waterfall drops 297m from a hanging valley that ends in overhanging cliffs above the Weisse Lütschine.
The stream, on reaching the verge of the rocky walls of the valley, forms a cascade so high that it is almost lost in spray before it reaches the level of the valley. After rain, and early in the season (as seen above) when fed by melting snow, Staubbach Falls is very striking. The force of the stream above the fall at such times is sufficient to carry the water clear of the precipice, and the whole mass descends in a condition of liquid dust, between spray and cloud, that sways to-and-fro with the gentlest breeze. In a dry summer, when the supply of water is much reduced, the effect is comparatively insignificant.
The building in the foreground, in the village of Lauterbrunnen, would appear to be apartments. I cannot find it on that the street view element of that well-known online mapping tool - replaced in the 30+ years since then...?