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The Competition Results Are In
This is a long one, but I think it is worth a cursory read. :)
My last post was no accident. I was hoping it would be a lead-in to this post, and that I would be posting some good news from the photo competition. I am happy to say that I am.
Sunday afternoon, Kendra and I drove back down to Monterey for the awards ceremony. Before I go any further, let me break down the contest.
First, there are two divisions, "Novice" and "Open". A novice cannot have made more than $200 from selling photography or have won more than three 1st or 2nd place awards in three separate photo competitions. Kendra is a novice. Everyone else is in the "Open". I was in this division.
You may enter no more than five total images, and no more than three in any one category. The categories are "Wide Angle", "Macro", and "Behavior".
After my disastrous first dive, I went with wide angle for my second dive. I had a much more enjoyable dive as I am generally more successful with shooting wide angle. The conditions and choice of reef were better, too. This did require a longer swim, which leads me to a funny story.
Two years ago, I competed in this very same contest. Kendra was just along for the ride. I wanted to maximize my chances of getting that winning shot, so I insisted on doing three dives. Now, I've done three dives in a day many times. Heck, I've done six dives in a day. From a boat. Ten years ago.
Needless to say, three dives in one day is just too many. The cumulative effect of three long swims out to the site, on the dive, and back to shore coupled with the trudging up and down steep beaches with 80 pounds of dive and camera gear resulted in my legs completely and utterly cramping on the swim in from the third and final dive. I have never had such pain and cramping in both my legs at the same time. We're talking complete cramping of quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
At one point, I was laying on the bottom, clutching my camera in one hand, both legs immobilized in pain, and clawing the sand with my free hand, pulling myself to shore, one arm length at a time. When I grew tired of this futile mode of transport, I inflated my BC jacket in order to rise to the surface and determine how far I was from shore. My legs would simply not work.
Meanwhile, Kendra is witnessing all this and laughing. Ultimately, she had to tow me in to shore, and I barely could walk up the beach.
Fast forward to this year's competition, and I knew three dives was out of the question. But I'm two years older, and still not much of a beach diver, preferring my kayak as the main mode of getting me to the dive site. So here we were, ending out second dive, and my left leg seizes up. Yep, complete and total upper leg cramp. As it loosens up, my right leg starts to seize. Memories of 2007 come flooding back, and I can only laugh...in between the flashes of pain.
Needless to say, I made it ashore, without assistance I might add.
Images were submitted back in Monterey. I submitted the maximum three in Wide Angle, one in Macro, and one in Behavior. Kendra submitted two in Wide Angle, none in Macro, and none in Behavior.
Back at the awards ceremony, Kendra and I wondered just how well we would fare. The Behavior category yielded nothing. Not unexpected considering Kendra didn't enter, and my shot was an afterthought. The Macro category was the same as Behavior.
Wide Angle is where the dynamic duo of Kendra Karr and Jim Patterson shined. Kendra won first and third in the Novice division. I won First, Second, and an Honorable Mention in the Open division. Wow! We were shocked and humbled to say the least. We also realized that we would both be competing for the "Best of Wide Angle" distinction wherein the judges choose their favorite of the two divisions' 1st place winners.
And Kendra did me One Better. She won "Best of Wide Angle".
Read Kendra's post to hear how the contest ended, it should be fun and entertaining.
And here are my three winning shots. Keeping with the theme of the contest, these are unedited, straight from the camera. All I did was add my signature and resize for Flickr. That's it.
Conwy is a walled market town and community in Conwy County Borough on the north coast of Wales. The town, which faces Deganwy across the River Conwy, formerly lay in Gwynedd and prior to that in Caernarfonshire. Wikipedia
This is an infrared image of St. Mary Falls in Glacier National Park. St. Mary Falls is less than 2 miles roundtrip from the trailhead on the Going-to-the-Sun road just west of St Mary lake. This is a beautiful two-tiered waterfall dropping anywhere from 35-50 feet. Even on the hot day that we visited (August 29, 2013) the rush of the aqua-green glacier water cooled the breeze for a refreshing stop ! We went on further up to see Virginia Falls. (Nikon D300, full conversion at 665nm done by Kolarivision).
What is joy?
It is a bird that we all want
To catch.
It is the same bird that we all love
To see flying.
Sri Chinmoy
texture by lenabem anna
Cherry is playing a game of Pet Rescue Saga. She turns the iPad around to show you all the pets she is rescuing! 🐶🐱👧📱
Salzburg, Austria
Salzburg (Austro-Bavarian: Såizburg; literally: "Salt City") is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the city of the federal state of Salzburg.
Salzburg's "Old Town" (Altstadt) has internationally renowned baroque architecture and one of the best-preserved city centres north of the Alps. It was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997. The city is noted for its Alpine setting.
Salzburg was the birthplace of 18th-century composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In the mid-20th century, the city was the setting for parts of the American musical and film The Sound of Music, which features famous landmarks in Austria. The musical was a partnership between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II.
The capital city of the State of Salzburg (Land Salzburg), the city has three universities. It has a large student population who add liveliness and energy to the area, and the universities provide culture to the community.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salzburg
20101230_7D_IMG_3845_Salzburg
Sunset is coming sooner now since we're in August and the blue light makes its appearance earlier. It had just turned 800pm and we were about to call it a night. It had been a nice evening with a cool breeze, enjoyed by about four or five of us at the depot in Dyer. I got up to leave and took one last glance down the tracks, having left my scanner in the car. (I know, I'm lazy.) Surprised by a headlight, we grabbed our cameras and got ready for whatever was coming south. Turned out to be K500, an ore train off the BNSF and headed to Reynolds. Leading it was one of those sharp CITX lessors, CREX 1205. That blue and gold striped nose looked good in the blue light. A nice way to end a nice night.
This image is © Copyright 2016 Colin Myers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide in Perpetuity. Use of my images without permission is illegal.
Absolutely no permission is granted in any form, fashion or way, digital or otherwise, to use copy, edit, reproduce, publish, duplicate, or distribute my images or any part of them on blogs, personal or professional websites or any other media without my direct written permission.
If you wish to use any of my images for any reason or purpose please contact me for written permission.
“Nirvana is not the blowing out of the candle.
It is the extinguishing of the flame because day is come.”
(Rabindranath Tagore - Indian Poet, Playwright and Essayist, Won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913, 1861-1941)
Those Rajsthani villagers came a long way in order to worship in Varanasi (Benaras).
I saw them leaving a small boat on the holy waters of the Ganges nearby Manikarnika Ghat where all earthy lives are ending, it was at dusk.
Suddenly the words of Tagore are giving deeper colours to the souls living in this image...
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Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.
Kevan is busy today so I got to pick the image!! Kevan shot this photo of a tender moment between two Barred Owls!! It is amazing what you see when observing wildlife!!
On a side note we received several questions about the Sandhill Crane image. We shoot all our images with our Canon Camera in "landscape". I also used a flash when I shot the courtship image. The flash eliminates most shadows and increases and sharpens the details!! The amount of flash we use it very small, Kevan describes it as a small puff of light. Linda
As always thanks for looking and we will see everyone on Wednesday!!
Please be advised that our images are fully protected by US Copyright Law. The images may not be downloaded for personal, commercial or educational use, copied to blogs, personal websites, used as wallpaper, screensavers, or be deeplinked, etc. With NO Exceptions. If you would like to use an image, you MUST contact us to obtain written permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining written permission.
This is Jackson and Joshua enjoying a fish pedicure during our trip to Cabo San Lucas. These fish eat the dead skin from feet and legs and leave them feeling smooth. According to the boys the fish tickled at first as they nibbled but it felt good in the end.
For more of my creative projects, visit my short stories website: 500ironicstories.com
M22 (NGC 6656) is a rich globular cluster that is visible in the dense star fields of Sagittarius. If you took pictures of it throughout the night, you could look for RR Lyrae variables to measure the distance to it. This is the method Harlow Shapley used -- based on Henrietta Leavitt's period-luminosity analysis -- to measure the size of the Milky Way Galaxy and our position within it. The bright star at the lower right is 24 Sgr.
From 16 90s exposures preprocessed in Nebulosity, stacked and initially processed in PixInsight, with final touches in PS CS 5.1. Taken with a Celestron Edge HD at f/2.3 with Hyperstar and an Atik 314L+ color CCD.
Image center (J2000) is at
RA 18h 35m 31s
DEC -23° 52' 32"
Seen heading southbound on the M1 motorway at Milton Keynes.
BV69LUA is a 2019 Mercedes-Benz Tourismo M/2 (C53FLt) from Wilfreda-Beehive of Adwick le Street near Doncaster.
Delivered new to Wilfreda in October 2019.
This is the macro of a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly. They love open habitats, moist meadows, deciduous woodlands, moist conifer and oak woods. Just one generation a year. Their color varies according to the area, eastern males are orange-brown, western males more orange, darker towards the base and with black markings and spots. The females are tan instead of orange, and has a greater dark area at the wings base.
My photography is mostly nature. I enjoy macro photography a lot, but it is difficult to decide what a I like the most about this art.
EXPLORE:
Sixty three of my photos made it to Explore, one appeared on the front page, and others at 14, 25 and 52. If you’d like to see them, please go to my Explore set.
TO MY FRIENDS:
Flicker has giving me opportunity to meet a group of wonderful people. Thanks for making me feel so proud of what I do and love.
ABOUT GROUPS:
I only submit my photos to groups which pages are not private.
MY THANKS:
I appreciate your visit and your comment. Thank you!
Martha.
My photography is mostly nature. I enjoy macro photography a lot, but it is difficult to decide what a I like the most about this art.
EXPLORE:
Sixty one of my photos made it to Explore, one appeared on the front page, and others at 14, 25 and 52. If you’d like to see them, please go to my Explore set.
TO MY FRIENDS:
Flicker has giving me opportunity to meet a group of wonderful people. Thanks for making me feel so proud of what I do and love.
ABOUT GROUPS:
I only submit my photos to groups which pages are not private.
MY THANKS:
I appreciate your visit and your comment. Thank you!
Martha.
When the proverbs are right 😅… the left black walnut is from my neighbor’s tree… the tiny little one is from mine .
Curug Seribu is a 330 ft tall waterfall located at Mt. Salak, an active volcano in West Java. Mt. Salak is considered to be a mystic place by the locals since there have been many people who died there. Earlier this year a Russian jetliner fell and all 46 passengers and crews died. Furthermore, there had been 6 more airplanes fallen in this area in the past 10 years. And in this particular waterfall, there were 4 people drowned last year; their bodies were found 2 days later at 33ft deep under the falls.
I took some shots and then quickly went on my way out of that area :)
EXPLORED #226 - THANK YOU ALL AND OUR AMAZING GOD . . .
I love the late afternoon sun or the early morning sun but because I am not usually out of bed early, then this is my favourite time as by the time I crawl out in the morning the sun has beaten me up and the lovely golden light has been replaced by a more hard white kind of light rather than this golden light.
And so, as the day came to a close, I was presented with this beautiful scene. God, in all His glory and those God's Fingers are magnificent in their beauty. I love the reflections on the water too.
This bay was sown from the air today. I watched two planes working today. Both planes today are Ayres Turbo Thrush and designed for this sort of work. They can also be used to spray or to water dump too!!!
And as the golden sun sinks down below the horizon, it is time for me to slip quietly off to bed to rest my weary head and dream of tomorrow and what is has to bring.
Thank you God for the beauty you have brought to me, for the unexpected gifts that have arrived in this form, and for a great camera to catch them . . . I am extremely blessed as is Rosey too.
God bless you all and may your dreams come true God Willing . . .
Sumerang is blessed with more than 5 uninhabited islets which arc 180 degrees around the bay. Some are rock flats but at least two are soaring limestone karst cliffs that seem to be sentinels of the blue waters. As for now, there are no signs of tourists. Talk about an undiscovered gem that is not even identified in any commercial map.
the bay of Sumerang, Lombok Timor (East Lombok), Indonesia
more of the heavenly beaches of East Lombok in colloidfarl.blogspot.com/
EXPLORED! Highest position: 147 on Thursday, July 9, 2009
Still busy, these next two weeks will probably be even worse...
Getting stronger, on Thursday they scheduled me the final job interview (already succesfully passed through two) for a really interesting opportunity.
I will be meeting the General Manager of the company. Sounds good!
The shot
Another sunrise from my April Tuscany trip. Taken some minutes before "Tuscany Sunrise @75mm". Tighter crop, less contrasty.
I'm in love with that place.
The Processing
Photoshop: (SINGLE EXPOSURE)
- Duplicated the background layer, switched to soft light mode and applied a gradient mask (sky only)
- Switched to LAB mode and applied two curves to improve contrast and tones
- Back to RGB, added a vibrance layer to boost up minor tones
- Used color balance tool to improve colors
- Duplicated the background layer, switched to linear add and applied a gradient mask (foreground only)
- Created an Overlay layer to adjust light
- Resized
- Run Noise Ninja to reduce Noise
- Sharpening (Smart Sharpen + more accurate)
- Framing and signature.
Take a look at it, LARGE on Black :
The best is yet to come, on Black
@ You all
Comments, faves and critiques are always welcomed!
I wish you all a splendid sunday and a marvellous week ahead.
I will be checking your streams out tonight.
www.spurnpoint.com/Spurn_Point.htm
Spurn is a very unique place in the British Islands. Three and a half miles long and only fifty metres wide in places.
Extending out in to the Humber Estuary from the Yorkshire coast it has always had a big affect to the navigation of all vessels over the years. Help to some and a danger or hindrance to others. This alone makes Spurn a unique place.
Spurn is made up of a series of sand and shingle banks held together with mainly Marram grass and Seabuckthorn. There are a series of sea defence works built by the Victorians and maintained by the Ministry of Defence, till they sold Spurn to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust in the 1950s. The defences are in a poor state, breaking down and crumbling. This is making Spurn a very fragile place wide open to the ravages of the North Sea.
One of the most striking features of Spurn is the black and white lighthouse near to the end of Spurn. Now just an empty shell not used since it was closed down at dawn on the thirty first of October 1986.
There have been many Lighthouses on Spurn over the years the first recorded at around 1427. The present light was built from 1893 TO 1895. The small tower on the beach on the Estuary side was originally the low light. It was built and put in to operation at around 1852. This light was no longer needed when the present lighthouse was opened in 1895.At a later date the light was removed and it was used as a store for explosives and later as a water tower. The tank can still be seen on the top. When it was operational there was a raised walkway from the shore to the lighthouse so it could be reached at all stages of the tide.
The present lighthouse was built to replace an old lighthouse that was positioned just to the south of the present one. You can still see the round perimeter wall surrounding the old keepers cottages and the base of the old lighthouse which had to be demolished due to it settling on it's foundations making it unsafe.
The only light on Spurn today is a flashing green starboard light on the very end of the point and the fixed green lights marking the end of the Pilots jetty.
Because of Spurns ever moving position there have been many Lighthouses over the years. There is a very good book by George.de.BOAR, called History of the Spurn Lighthouses, produced by the East Yorkshire Local History Society. This is one of a series of books on local history.
www.spurnpoint.com/Around_and_about_at_Spurn.htm
Around and about there are plenty of places to eat and drink. Starting from the north of Spurn at Kilnsea there is the Riverside hotel offering good quality food drink and accommodation. Coming south towards Spurn and still in Kilnsea there is the Crown and Anchor pub. A welcoming place serving bar meals fine beers and offering bed and breakfast at very reasonable rates. At the crossroads before you turn towards Spurn there is the Spurn heritage coast visitors centre. Where there is a small cafe and exhibition. At the entrance Spurn point nature reserve is an information centre and bird observatory selling books pamphlets, etc., and the last toilet on Spurn.
Past the lighthouse is the last car park. Two hundred metres further on you find the Humber Lifeboat and Pilot stations. Near the houses is a Small caravan selling tea, coffee, cold cans, hot and cold food, crisps and sweets.
All are open all year round apart from the heritage centre which is open thought the season.
BIRD WATCHING.
Is a very popular pastime as Spurn is internationally famous for birds. There are up to two hundred species recorded at spurn every year. Some of which are extremely rare. The Marmora's Warbler seen at Spurn In June 1992 was only the third recorded in Britain.
SEA FISHING.
The beaches of Spurn provide some of the best sea fishing in the area, with Cod and Whiting and Flats being caught through the winter and Skate, Flats and Bass through the summer. There is sport to be had all the year.
At the very end of Spurn is deep water ideal for Cod but this only fishes best two hours either side of low water, the tide is to strong at other times. All along the seaward side of Spurn is good for all species of fish at all times though over high water being the better. The riverside of Spurn is very shallow and only produces Flats and the bass over high water.
THE BEACH.
The beaches at Spurn are of soft sand and shingle. Whichever way the wind is blowing you can just pop over the dunes to the outer side. There are fossils and all manners of things to find beach combing. Swimming is not safe any were near the point end as there are very strong tides at up to six knots at times. But in side Spurn around the point car park is perfect at high water. The beach does not shelf to fast and very little tide. You can have the place to your self at times, as Spurn is never really busy weekdays.#
A very popular pastime at Spurn is Fossil hunting. There is a good abundance of fossils to be found in amongst the pebbles and shingle.
The Shark Trust has a very interesting PDF file tell you all about Shark Skate and rays the mermaids purses you find on the beach are egg shells from sharks and Rays. Click the link to down load the Shark Trust Brochure.
WALKING.
Walking or strolling at spurn is very easy, as there are no hills. There are various sign posted paths up and down the point. For the fit a complete walk round the whole point is about 8 miles, taking in all the point round the point end and back to the "warren" information place at the start of Spurn. You will need good footwear, as much of the paths are sand. There is limited access for disabled, but not to the point end, as you have to go via the beach.
You can park your car at the point car park and walk round the point end and back to the car park about a mile, or just stroll around the point were you choose. The only place you are not allowed to go are down the pilot's jetty and the centre square of the Lifeboat houses.
In spring and early summer Spurn is covered with a large amount of wild flowers of all species.
There are common to the not so common; from Orchids to bluebells. I must remind you Spurn is a nature reserve and the picking of all flowers is prohibited. When visiting please enjoy Spurn, as it is a very beautiful place and leave only your footprints.
Horse Riding.
There is riding available nearby at the North Humberside Riding Centre. The stables are ideally located with rides along quiet country lanes, by-ways, plus miles of sandy beach and riverbanks. The cross-country course offers a variety of fences for both the novice and the more experienced rider.
www.spurnbirdobservatory.co.uk/
A Brief History of Spurn Bird Observatory
Following visits to Spurn by several members of the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union in the late 1930's, a communal log for ornithological observations was instituted in 1938. This included a roll-call of species, the beginnings of a recording system, which later became standard in bird observatories. Realising the potential of the Spurn peninsula for the regular observation of bird migration a group of enthusiasts, notably Ralph Chislett, George Ainsworth, John Lord and R.M. Garnett, had the idea of setting up a bird observatory, with the Warren Cottage at the northern end of the peninsula as an ideal headquarters. Unfortunately the outbreak of war forced them to put their plans on hold but shortly after hostilities ceased a lease for Warren Cottage was obtained from the War Department and the observatory was established shortly afterwards under the auspices of the Y.N.U. with the four members mentioned above forming the first committee. A preliminary meeting was held in September 1945 to decide on the site for a Heligoland trap, work on which was begun almost immediately and the first bird (a Blackbird) was ringed on November 17th. The first minuted committee meeting was held on March 9th 1946 and the observatory was opened to visitors at Whitsuntide that year.
Initially coverage was limited to the main migration seasons, being extended to winter weekends in the early 1950's to trap and ring some of the large numbers of Snow Buntings which used to occur at that time of year and gradually coverage was increased (whenever possible) to cover the late spring and summer. In 1959 there was an important development when the Yorkshire Naturalists' Trust (now the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust) became the owners of the peninsula and thus the observatory's landlord. In 1960 a full time warden was appointed by the Trust, and although having no official connection with the observatory the fact of having an observer on the peninsula year-round inevitably helped to improve the ornithological coverage. This was especially the case from 1964 when the current warden, Barry Spence, was appointed, in conjunction with the fact that an interest in birds and their migrations was steadily growing and more bird-watchers were staying at the observatory, often for longer periods.
When the observatory opened there was accommodation for seven visitors in Warren Cottage and facilities included two chemical toilets, the Warren Heligoland trap and an ex-army hut as a ringing hut. Over the next ten years a further five Heligoland traps were constructed along the peninsula, although today only three remain in existence. In 1959 the observatory gained the use of the Annexe, one of two ex W.D. bungalows built at the Warren during the early 1950's, thus increasing the accommodation capacity to seventeen and providing much improved toilet facilities. Over the years the accommodation and facilities have been gradually improved to try to make the visitor's stay at Spurn as comfortable as possible. Other improvements have also taken place, in 1968 part of one of the derelict buildings at the Point was converted into a ringing laboratory ready for the first B.T.O. Ringing Course, held in autumn of that year and in 1971 part of one of the derelict buildings at the Warren was also converted into a ringing laboratory. The other part of this building became a laboratory for the use of students of Leeds University but this also became available to the observatory in the mid 1980's when the University no longer had a use for it. Subsequently it was converted into a self-contained accommodation unit for two, complete with kitchen facilities, and although officially known by the somewhat unimaginative name of Room F (the rooms in the Annexe being known as Rooms A, C, D & E, - whatever happened to Room B?), it was somewhat irreverently christened "Dunbirdin" by regular visitors to Spurn.
In 1965 a sea-watching hut was erected east of the Warren beyond the line of the former railway track. Due to coastal erosion it became necessary to move this in late 1974, when it was hoped that it would last at least as long as it had in its first position. Alas this was not to be, as the rate of erosion increased dramatically in the mid 1970's, necessitating a further move in early December 1977. In that year a clay bank had been built across the field behind Warren Cottage (Clubley's field) to prevent the flooding of arable land by wind-blown sea water, but on January 11th 1978 Spurn suffered its worst flooding ever when a strong to gale-force north-westerly wind combined with a spring tide. In late 1981 due to extensive construction works at Easington a large quantity of boulder clay became available and this was used to build up and extend the bank across Clubley's field, south towards Black Hut and north beyond Big Hedge to join up with an existing bank (which had been built in 1974) behind the scrape. In 1982 the sea-watching hut was repositioned on top of this bank, where it remained until the bank itself was washed away in the early 1990's.
A number of other changes to the observatory recording area began to take place from the early 1970's, including extensive building operations at the Point, commencing in 1974, with the construction of a new jetty for the Humber Pilot boats, new housing for the Spurn Lifeboat crew and the conversion and renovation of various existing buildings for use by the Coastguard and the Pilots. In 1978 following damage to the existing road south of the Warren area a new tarmac road was laid to the west of the original one, this lasted until 1988 when a second "new road" loop had to be laid, followed in 1991 by the construction of the existing loop road running along the Humber shore from just south of the Warren to just beyond Black Hut. The construction of this road resulted in the destruction of the actual Black Hut, although the area still bears the name. In 1981 the lines of wartime concrete anti-tank blocks running from the seashore to the Canal Zone were removed to fill in a breach at the Narrow Neck. This resulted in the southward extension of the Scrape field by the farmer up to Big Hedge and the start of a gradual decline in the condition of this hedge and its attractiveness to birds. In 1982 a local resident excavated a pond for shooting purposes in the wet area adjoining the Canal Zone. This never really proved successful and the land was later purchased by the Y.W.T. and the pond enlarged to become what is now known as Canal Scrape. In 1984 a famous Spurn landmark, the Narrows "Hut", a wooden migration watch shelter which had stood at the Narrow Neck for twenty-three years, was set fire to by person or persons unknown and completely destroyed, it was replaced the following year by a more solid construction made from breeze-blocks.
A period of considerable change began in 1988 when the Spurn peninsula was designated as part of the Spurn Heritage Coast. Projects undertaken include the enlargement of the Canal Scrape mentioned above and the erection of a hide overlooking it, a hide overlooking the Humber wader roost at Chalk Bank, a public sea-watching hide alongside the observatory one, provision of additional car-parking space, the restoration of the short-turf habitat in the Chalk Bank area, provision of footpaths, etc. A major project was the renovation of the Blue Bell in Kilnsea for use as offices, an information centre and a small cafe, which became fully operational in 1995. Another fairly recent project has been the creation of another scrape/pond on Clubley's field.
In 1996 the observatory celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, and for the first time in its history SBO employed a full time seasonal warden. This position has since been expanded and the observatory now enjoys the services of a year- round warden. In 1998, with a view to the future, a small bungalow in Kilnsea was purchased with money bequeathed by the late John Weston, a long time committee member, who regrettably died in 1996. This was followed in 1999 by the purchase of a strip of land adjacent to the property and is now known as the ‘Church Field’, this is planted with a sacrificial crop every year, and has also had several groups of trees planted and a feeding station placed in the north-east corner. Access to this field is available by becoming a member of ‘Friends of Spurn Bird Observatory’, a venture set up in 2003 to eventually help with the building of a new observatory when the old one falls way to the sea.
This is the final video (which you can watch here: youtu.be/n-ttuRpVqjo) part of last week's outing, a stroll around M&S at Bluewater in those lovely seamed stockings. I did, though, change my skirt for one slightly longer for this walk.
“Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, Till Earth and Sky stand presently at God’s great Judgment Seat; But there is neither East nor West, Border, nor Breed, nor Birth, When two strong men stand face to face, tho’ they come from the ends of the earth!”
-Rudyard Kipling
This is the estuary of the Han River with the uncompleted 12.5km Incheon Bridge still waiting for the East section to be connected to the West section. More information can be had here:
www.newcivilengineer.com/archive/korean-colossus-incheon-...
The estuary of the Han River in South Korea
Trip35 Fuji200
2008
Although downtown Portland, Maine is not historic, 2-foot territory, there are some distinct advantages to this location for the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Co. & Museum. Unlike most Maine railroads, this one is definitely not a tree-tunnel. Although only 1.3 miles long, this line is quite scenic, with beautiful views of Portland's harbor, and on hot summer days, the passengers enjoy cool breezes as well. In this frame, the former Bridgton & Saco River #7, a 33-ton, 2-4-4T built in 1913, takes her passenger consist railroad east toward the Cutter Street Crossing, perhaps a quarter mile ahead.
Trying for a wee bit more natural look.Just a little foundation and lippy, might even feel confident stepping out like this ❤️
India is still under a huge pall of Covid 19 pandemic with the highest death and infection fevers. People are not dying so much because of the disease but because of lack of facilities and non vaccination of the populace. Democracy skews sometimes and brings forth leaders who are popular but are totaly unfit to think rationally.
Continuing this series on the Elephant at Work in one of the Saw Mills in Fort Kochi.
The tiny shifts and maneuvers that the elephant makes to move such heavy loads is a case in point in this series. The deft way with which the trunk is being used to pull the tree can be seen here. Not much body effort either.
The elephant is a gentle giant and has been to a certain extent used extensively in Kerala for ceremonial parades for Hindu temples.
The non temple elephants also work on per hour basis in timber yards moving tree trunks, stacking and unstacking.
Other than that elephants used to be the bulwark of the armies of the Indian kings as they fought off the invasions coming from the Khyber Pass into the rich fertile plains of India. That worked for some time but then the horses and guns changed that.
_DSC9219 nef 21 retouch jpeg
Alternative title: You've lost something!
Gibt der den Startschuss zum Stolpern?
Alternativtitel: Du hast da was verloren!
Her name is Yoyo, my new dollie Yeolume <3. She is a present from Ars Gratia Artis (AGA) ＾∇＾I'm so happy!!!! :D
- Tomorrow more pics!! ^^
Spinalonga (Greek: Σπιναλόγκα) is an island located in the Gulf of Elounda in north-eastern Crete, in Lasithi, next to the town of Plaka. The island is further assigned to the area of Kalydon. It is near the Spinalonga peninsula ("large Spinalonga") – which often causes confusion as the same name is used for both. The official Greek name of the island today is Kalydon.
According to Venetian documents, the name of the island originated in the Greek expression στην Ελούντα stin Elounda (meaning "to Elounda"). The Venetians could not understand the expression so they familiarized it using their own language, and called it spina "thorn" longa "long", an expression that was also maintained by the locals. The Venetians were inspired for this expression by the name of an island near Venice called by the same name and which is known today as the island of Giudecca.
The island was subsequently used as a leper colony from 1903 to 1957. The last inhabitant, a priest, did not leave the island till 1962, in order to maintain the Greek Orthodox tradition of commemorating a buried person 40 days, 6 months, 1 year, 3 years, and 5 years after their death. There were two entrances to Spinalonga, one being the lepers entrance, a tunnel known as "Dante's Gate". This was so named because the patients did not know what was going to happen to them once they arrived. However, once on the island they received food, water, medical attention and social security payments. Previously, such amenities had been unavailable to Crete's leprosy patients, as they mostly lived in the area's caves, away from civilization.
After the leper colony was dissolved, Spinalonga sank into oblivion; interest in it was revived by the work of people like Maurice Born.
Spinalonga was one of the last active leper colonies in Europe; others that have survived Spinalonga include Tichileşti in eastern Romania, Fontilles in Spain and Talsi in Latvia. As of 2002, few lazarettos remain in Europe.
Today, the uninhabited island is a popular tourist attraction in Crete. In addition to the abandoned leper colony and the fortress, Spinalonga is known for its small pebble beaches and shallow waters. The island can easily be accessed from Plaka, Elounda and Agios Nikolaos. Tourist boats depart from all three towns on a daily basis (every 30 minutes from Elounda). Since there is no accommodation on Spinalonga, the tours last only a few hours.
Spinalonga is under consideration to become a World Heritage Site.
Text courtesy of Wikipedia.
This is another lake from Beartooth Pass Scenic Byway. This byway is east of Yellowstone National Park and there are nearly a thoursand lakes throughout this area. (Check out the map that I've tagged!)
It was really smoky due to all the forest fires in the area, but I think this image still turned out really well considering.
is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large and often prominent flowers. Lilies are a group of flowering plants which are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the Northern Hemisphere and their range is temperate climates and extends into the subtropics. Many other plants have "lily" in their common names, but do not belong to the same genus and are therefore not true lilies. True lilies are known to be highly toxic to cats.[4]
Missy is sent to pick up things for clients on occasion. This summer I want her out and about in public in basically nothing ever but her maid uniform. She has to see that every time she catches her reflection in glass or a mirror, and know everyone everywhere knows of her permanent daily job.
She told me she is having trouble remembering anything but her maid identity and is seeing herself as having been only a maid as her job . Sounds like she is blocking out her past to be able to cope with this fulltime image and position in life that is all she every experiences now
A grab shot (the original is rather lop-sided) of 31116 propelling empty wagons towards Dunstable at Luton Bute Street on 7 January 1988. The working is unknown, but possibly for scrap material to be picked up at Vauxhall Motors. This was the last year of operation, with the exception of a final railtour in 1989 and a weed-killing train in 1990 (2 x class 20s, did anyone photograph that one?!).
About the only thing still surviving in this picture is the pub, which has been boarded up and derelict for years now. All else has been swept away; the Luton Bus Leyland National, the bridge, 31116 and Green Shield stamps!
Pentax K1000/50mm
Ilford FP4
Antigua is a small city surrounded by volcanoes in southern Guatemala. It’s renowned for its Spanish colonial buildings, many of them restored following a 1773 earthquake that ended Antigua’s 200-year reign as Guatemala’s colonial capital. Architectural landmarks include baroque La Merced church, noted for its ornate yellow-and-white facade. It's integral to the city’s famous Semana Santa, a holy week with parades and rituals.
And that is what it is , the Grandstand at Epsom Downs Racecourse - home of the Derby . Come June this place will be heaving with people here to watch the races .
The first race at Epsom Downs was recorded in 1661 and the predominantly flat course was mentioned in the diary of Samuel Pepys. Similarly, Charles II was said to be a regular attender of races. Epsom houses the third largest racehorse training facility in the country and the course featured heavily in the 1952 film ‘Derby Day’. Epsom Downs is situated on the largest remaining public space south of London, and as it is a public area people can watch the Derby for free – a race that used to be the most attended sporting event of the year.
With an overall course capacity of 120,000, Epsom also opened a new Duchess’s stand in 2009, which holds 11,000 people and cost a total of £23.5 million to build. Just a few minutes down the road from Epsom town centre, Epsom Downs is extremely easy to get to by car, accessible by coming off Junction 9 of the M25.
During the racing season AA signs direct racegoers from the motorway to the course. If travelling by train, there are three stations all with very good access to the track. Epsom train station is just a ten-minute taxi or bus ride away, with a shuttle bus service available on Derby day. Epsom station is well served by services from London Waterloo and London Victoria. Alternatively, Tattenham Corner station is a half mile walk from the course, with Epsom Downs station slightly further away.
The grade 1 course at Epsom Downs is one of the best in the country as you would expect of a track that hosts two Classics. Shaped like a horseshoe and measuring 1m4f in circumference, Epsom hosts flat racing only.
The grandstand is positioned to the left of the open end of the left-handed horseshoe which is stiff and undulating in nature. Although the home straight at Epsom is 3½f in length, a chute coming off Tattenham Corner allows for 5f straight races to take place. There are two other chutes that allow for six and seven furlong contests with a slight left bend prior to the reasonably sharp left turn onto the home stretch. There is a minor elevation on the right hand side but the hint of bias is largely cancelled out by the slightly better ground usually being on this side of the course.
Horses at Epsom have to deal with the difficult undulations, with a rise of 105ft in the first 5f of the course alone. The second last turn goes into an incredibly steep downhill, with a 92ft decline spread out over 3½f. This makes the final part of the course exceptionally fast paced with the result being exceptionally exciting finishes in tightly contested events.
An absences of long distance races means that this is far from an uncommon sight either. As there’s no complete circuit at Epsom, the course cannot hold races greater than a mile and a half.
Five Furlongs at a Rapid Pace
The straight 5f course at Epsom is virtually downhill all the way, bar the final 100 yards, making it the fastest of its kind anywhere in the world. The high-standing of the course also allows it to attract some very talented sprinters, ensuring some rapid times are posted for minimum distance races.
In 2012, this was something officially recognised in the Guinness World Records as Stone of Folca won the Epsom Dash in an incredible time of 53.69s. Some still believe that the course record belongs to Indigenous though, who clocked 53.60s in June 1960 but this was prior to the introduction of electronic timing. Stone of Folca was a 50/1 outsider when storming to a record-breaking win. He started from stall number two, trailed by Desert Law and Catfish who began out in gates 16 and 15 respectively.
There aren’t a huge number of contests over the minimum distance. A lack of five furlong races means it’s hard to get a real sense if there’s any bias but from the little info we do have, a spot away from the middle appears to be preferable.
This didn’t always used to be the case as research published in 1983 found that for the preceding seven years, there were three times as many winners from the top four stalls than the bottom four stalls. Whether the drainage has trained or this was just a statistical anomaly is unclear but for now there isn’t much bias over the straight five furlong course.
In terms of races over six to eight furlongs, once again there is little in the way of bias. Whilst there is a left-handed turn to contend with, there have been a number of wins for horses with high draws, suggesting the vagaries of the going tend to equal things out.
An Ultimate Thoroughbred Test
When looking at shape, distance and undulations, Epsom has certain similarities with Brighton but there’s nothing else that really compares with the test the Surrey course offers. Its turns, hills and cambers mean that horses must work every muscle when competing here. A fine sense of balance is an absolutely essential trait too, as is plenty of raw speed in the shorter races as those setting the early pace often end up being difficult to catch on the downhill finish.
The stiffness of the test produces shocks here and there (see 50/1 Qualify in the 2014 Oaks) but, ultimately, Epsom is a course that continues to identify some of the best colts and fillies around. A long list of truly great names have claimed glory on the switchback course and this will continue to be the case.
The biggest race every year at Epsom is without doubt the Epsom Derby. Scheduled to run each June, the Derby was first contested in 1780 and runs over a distance of 1m4f. Widely known as Britain’s richest race, the Derby is the most prestigious of the five ‘Classics’, and is the middle leg of the Triple Crown.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien has seen his horses win the previous three, becoming the first person to train three consecutive winners at the Derby (2012-2014). Two other famous races also run at Epsom every June are the Epsom Oaks and the Coronation Cup. The Oaks was established in 1779 and measures 1m4f, whilst the Coronation cup wasn’t run until 1902, and measures the same distance.
HTT Folks