Fun watching this Squirrel Posing in the Sun.

This is a Challenge in a newly formed Group, It is the Down Under Challenge 2022. We are small but growing and you are welcome to join us if you are into Photo Manipulation. The main idea here is to have fun with Challenges and the Challenge will be posted on the 1st and 15th of the month.

Only Challenge entries can be posted to this Group.

Take a look HERE

This Challenge was Posted by Jaci XIV

Castle Drogo is a country house and mixed-revivalist castle near Drewsteignton, Devon, England. Constructed between 1911 and 1930, it was the last castle to be built in England. The client was Julius Drewe, the hugely successful founder of the Home and Colonial Stores. Drewe chose the site in the belief that it formed part of the lands of his supposed medieval ancestor, Drogo de Teigne. The architect he chose to realise his dream was Edwin Lutyens, then at the height of his career. Lutyens lamented Drewe's determination to have a castle but nevertheless produced one of his finest buildings. The architectural critic, Christopher Hussey, described the result: "The ultimate justification of Drogo is that it does not pretend to be a castle. It is a castle, as a castle is built, of granite, on a mountain, in the twentieth century".

The castle was given to the National Trust in 1974, the first building constructed in the twentieth century that the Trust acquired. The castle is a Grade I listed building. The gardens are Grade II* listed on the National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.

In 1910 Julius Drewe bought about 450 acres (1.8 km2) south and west of the village of Drewsteignton in the belief that he was descended from the Drewe family that once lived here.[2] Born Drew, the son of George Smith Drew and his wife Mary, née Peek, both from substantial families of grocers, Drewe added the "e" to his surname later in life.[3] At the age of 18, Drewe was sent to China as a tea-buyer by his uncle, Francis Peek (c.1836–99), a partner in Liverpool tea-merchants Peek and Winch. Julius's great uncle, Richard Peek (1782–1867), one of the three brothers who founded Peek and Winch, was an abolitionist and philanthropist who was on the organising committee of the anti-slavery conventions held in London in 1840 and 1843. The Peek and Winch company later expanded into coffee, cocoa, rubber and spices, and owned plantations in the Dutch East Indies. In 1878, Drewe returned to Liverpool and opened the Willow Pattern Tea Store. In 1883, Drewe and John Musker (1846–1926) founded the Home and Colonial Trading Association (later Home and Colonial Stores), which sold teas selected in India by Drewe, alongside other groceries. By 1903, the company had 500 stores. By the time of his death in 1931 he had bought up an estate of 1,500 acres. Around 1910 he asked Edwin Lutyens to build him a castle.[4] According to his son Basil, he did so on the advice of Edward Hudson, proprietor of Country Life magazine, who was both a patron and a champion of Lutyens. Drewe was now 54 years old, but he still had time, energy and money to create his new family seat. The budget was £50,000 for the castle, and a further £10,000 for the garden.[5] Lutyens wrote privately of his concern over Drewe's ambitions; "I do wish he didn't want a castle but just a delicious loveable house with plenty of good large rooms in it".[6] On 4 April 1911, Drewe's 55th birthday, the first foundation stone was laid.[7]wikipedia

This is my interpretation of the ultimate MidCentury Modern Workspace. 50 plus year old designs that still looks timeless yet modern and contemporary. Dieter Rams would say "Less is More." Don Draper would say, "Make it simple, but make it significant." Yes, it is expensive but it will outlive and outlast any computers I have or will have for the next 40 years. This is a "luxury desk set-up."

George Nelson Swag Leg Desk design by Charles Pollock for Nelson Associates in 1958.

Eames Soft Pad Management Aluminum Group Chair designed in 1969 by the legendary design masters, Charles and Ray Eames. Both manufactured by Herman Miller. Artemide Tolomeo Lamp. Designed by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina for Artemide. 1987. The design classics. All featured and on displays at various Museums of Modern Art like NY MoMA. George Nelson Bench for storage. Everything pictured are authentic, licensed pieces.

BTW, people have been wondering. Yes, you can fit a 27" iMac on a George Nelson Swag Desk. As long as it is under 25 lbs.

I'm pretty much complete except I might swap out the Tolomeo Lamp for an AJ (Arne Jacobsen) Desk Lamp.

Update: Thanks. This was featured on lifehacker.com

lifehacker.com/the-mid-century-modern-workspace-1677860878

Final project for this year's animation class.

Soundtrack: My Name Is Mud - Primus.

This is the Great Fountain Geyser. This was one I had never seen. This was our last night in Yellowstone.

I always love to go to Great Fountain in the evening because you can get some great sunsets with reflections in the geyser pool. We knew Great Fountain was going to erupt sometime near the time we would be there. I told Shirley we would head back to the room at 9:30 PM. It erupted at 9:15. We were so lucky to see this magnificent geyser. The amount of water it throws in the air is just amazing.

This was my final geyser eruption, and it was the 21st eruption I saw in 5 days.

This is a long exposure version of a shot I uploaded a few months ago. I wasn't sold on it at the time I took it but the more I look the more I like it.

- Dove Lake, Cradle Mountain, Tasmania

coloquei os blocos lado a lado pra ter uma idéia de como ficará, depois de colocar as molduras ficará maior.

Central Railway Station, Helsinki - Finland (Suomi) / September 2012

© Copyright 2012 Mario Rasso

All Rights Reserved. Please contact me, if you are interested in using my work

e-mail: mariorasso@yahoo.com

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Helsinki Central railway station (Finnish: Helsingin päärautatieasema, Swedish: Helsingfors centralstation) is a widely recognised landmark in central Helsinki, Finland, and the focal point of public transport in the Greater Helsinki area. The station is used by approximately 200,000 passengers per day, making it Finland's most-visited building. It serves as the point of origin for all trains in the local VR commuter rail network, as well as for a large proportion of long-distance trains in Finland. The station also hosts the Rautatientori metro station, which is the busiest station of the Helsinki Metro.

On 7 June 2010, the Helsinki Central railway station was officially renamed Helsingin päärautatieasema-Helsingfors centralstation (Helsinki main railway station, or Helsinki central railway station) in Finnish and Swedish, replacing the previous official name Helsingin rautatieasema-Helsingfors järnvägsstation (Helsinki railway station). The Finnish transport bureau use "Helsinki C" as a shorthand, and there were erroneous news reports that this shorthand would also be taken into official use. The Turku Central railway station was renamed in a similar manner.atieasema, Swedish: Helsingfors centralstation) is a widely recognised landmark in central Helsinki, Finland, and the focal point of public transport in the Greater Helsinki area. The station is used by approximately 200,000 passengers per day, making it Finland's most-visited building. It serves as the point of origin for all trains in the local VR commuter rail network, as well as for a large proportion of long-distance trains in Finland. The station also hosts the Rautatientori metro station, which is the busiest station of the Helsinki Metro.

On 7 June 2010, the Helsinki Central railway station was officially renamed Helsingin päärautatieasema-Helsingfors centralstation (Helsinki main railway station, or Helsinki central railway station) in Finnish and Swedish, replacing the previous official name Helsingin rautatieasema-Helsingfors järnvägsstation (Helsinki railway station). The Finnish transport bureau use "Helsinki C" as a shorthand, and there were erroneous news reports that this shorthand would also be taken into official use. The Turku Central railway station was renamed in a similar manner.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

what is it with T girls and the urge to take a photo in the bathroom/ loo/ restroom ?

I just can't pass one without whipping out my............camera to take a photo.

This is how I looked an hour after finishing work the night, That's how long it takes to go from him to her. sometimes the results are good others times it doesn't really work. Its even more of a gamble If I have to do my makeup in the car before heading out for the night

Maybe that's why we hit the bathroom! just to make sure we don't look to scary.

This image is a 2000X1250 pixel scan from a slide, print or negative. The vast majority of the shots were scanned during the 2007-2014 period. Some images may be re-uploaded from the earliest versions which were done in a smaller size and are noted accordingly.

The images here from my own collection. They are a combination of my own photographs, as well as those acquired over 40+ years through trading, purchasing, and attending various slide events around the world.

This photostream was initially created in 2017 for archival purposes, and in the years since (to 2023) has had over 11 million image views.

REG’N: SU-BMM

TYPE/SRS: Airbus A300B4-203

MSN: 175

OPERATOR: AMC Airlines

AIRPORT (if known): Frankfurt FRA

DATE (if known):

PHOTOGRAPHER (if known):

De laatste maand van de HLE 16's 1601 en 1604 is geteld. Deze kleine serie locs met een belangrijke internationale carriére heeft vanwege een verouderd indusisysteem de weg moeten ruimen. Na wat losse inzetten hier en daar in België, is deze serie definitief in 2011 aan de kant gezet.

De 1601 en 1604 zijn niet zomaar hier gekomen. Na de buitendienststelling van de serie HLE 16 werden deze locs een lange poos te Oostende neergezet. Ondanks het feit dat de locs officieel buiten dienst stonden, werden ze nog af en toe versleept of tegen de draad gezet. Samen met de rest van de serie (op de 1603 na, die was een plukloc) hebben deze daar een hele poos gestaan.

Ondanks het feit dat het een relatief kleine serie is (8 locs) zijn er toch 2 locs bewaard gebleven. De 1602 en 1608 waren de locs die we in de toekomst nog kunnen blijven zien. De 1607 is al een langere tijd ter ziele. Voor de overige 5 locs zag het er een stuk minder rooskleurig uit dan voor de museumexemplaren. De aanwezige 1601, 1603, 1604, 1605 en 1606 werden naar Kortrijk verplaatst om klaar gemaakt te worden voor de rit naar de sloper. Opvallend detail is dat de locs toch nog rijvaardig zijn gemaakt, een week voor vertrek richting de sloper! Dit zal waarschijnlijk met een eventuele koper te maken gehad hebben, maar die koop is niet doorgegaan.

In de morgen van 14 februari 2012 werden de locs richting sloper Casier te Deerlijk versleept. Al snel werd er begonnen met de sloop van de 1606, en de 1603 volgde een paar dagen later. De 1605 volgde als derde loc. Toch bleven de 1601 en 1604 opvallend lang bij de sloper staan. Er gingen geruchten dat een buitenlands bedrijf toch interesse had in de locs, echter had dit bedrijf er 3 nodig. De 1605 was dus 'per ongeluk' gesloopt. Ondanks het feit dat er geen interesse meer was vanuit het betreffende bedrijf, werd er toch nog gewacht met het slopen van de 1601 en 1604. Misschien was er toch nog hoop voor deze twee locs!

Op 30 augustus 2012 zijn de locs na lange stilstand bij Casier vertrokken van het terrein waarop ze officieel hun laatste meters zouden rijden en hun einde zouden vinden. In de avond zijn de locs met een goederentrein, getrokken door de HLE 1204, richting Gent goederenbundel vertrokken. Het plan was dat de locs verkocht zouden gaan worden aan het buitenland. De geruchten gingen dat deze locs opgeknapt zouden gaan worden in Raeren, om vervolgens richting Oost-Europa te vertrekken. Dit bleken echter geruchten te zijn en zo hebben ze van 30 augustus 2012 tot half maart 2015 daar gestaan.

Half maart zijn de locs naar het emplacement aan de Farmanstraat gesleept. De locs zullen hoogstwaarschijnlijk gesloopt gaan worden bij Van Heyghen Recycling. Dit bedrijf zit verderop in de straat, dus de locs zullen niet belanden op de schrootbergen op de achtergrond.

De toekomst ziet er niet echt rooskleurig meer uit voor de locs. De lange stilstand in Gent heeft de locs niet bepaald goed gedaan. Ondertussen zijn er al diverse lekkages ontstaan, met alle gevolgen van dien. Bovendien ontbreken er diverse onderdelen, van meters tot leidingen tot ramen. Daarnaast valt er al te zien dat er diverse souvenirjagers zijn geweest.

De kans dat de locs dan nog ook rijvaardig op de baan zullen komen, valt nihil te noemen. De locatie waar de locs staan geeft wel genoeg aan over de toekomst van de locs. Ook de staat laat zeker te wensen over, en om een serie van twee 49-jaar oude locs in leven te houden zou ook een te grote kostenpost worden.

De foto toont de verbleekte en afgedankte NMBS 1601 en 1604, welke hun laatste dagen staan af te wachten in de haven van Gent. Het grijze weer helpt goed mee aan de grauwe sfeer van deze foto. Een triest einde van deze ooit zo glamoureuze locs.

Gent Zeehaven, 28-3-2015.

It is nice to get away from the lighting for a while... This is taken from Coronado Island right next to the ferry dock. It is also an example of the HDR function in LR6. It did a really nice job and was really fast to boot...

This is a scan of an original kodachrome slide. It was scanned with an Epson Pro V750, and finished up with very minor post processing work in Photoshop.

The original comes from my own slide collection, which contains both my own photos and those acquired over the past forty or so years collecting.

The uploading of the material in this Flickr collection is just for the purpose of sharing the pictures with people who may find them of interest. Comments are welcomed.

MSN: 11127

TYPE/SRS: Fokker F28-4000

REG'N: LV-MZD

OPERATOR: Aerolineas Argentinas

LOCATION/DATE: Buenos Aires-AEP

REMARKS:

'Denarau Island is a small private resort island in Fiji northwest of the main island of Viti Levu. The 2.55 km² island is attached to the mainland via a short bridge and is located 5 km north west of the town Nadi and 10 km west of Nadi International Airport.' (Wikipedia)

Denarau is known for its 18-hole golf course, international chains such as Hilton, Sheraton, Radisson, Westin, Sofitel and Worldmark, and a marina with a shopping center. Private vilas are also built on this island. Locals do not have access there unless they are taxi drivers or work at the resorts or marina.

www.pinterest.com/pin/504895808202369269/

Seeing this heart today was the universe's way of talking to me today- I was very worried that I was running late for a photo session appt- I was on the verge of tears- I saw this heart, and then my husband sent me the most lovely little message via text- It was so full of love- I ended up getting where I needed to go, yes a bit late, but the sky was the most gorgeous sunset glow- I would not have got that glow so bright had I had I got there when I was supposed to. And to top it off, I met the most lovely family!! They were so nice.

And I just got back from dinner with Her which always makes me happy.

My heart is overwhelmed with love tonight.

Thank you.

© All rights reserved. Use without permission is illegal.

La zona, posta a metà strada tra la montagna e la pianura e punto di passaggio per raggiungere il Friuli, fu da sempre un sito strategico. Attorno al X secolo fu eretta una fortezza controllata dai vescovi di Belluno, ma di probabili origini romane. Lo stesso toponimo sembra derivare dal latino cuniculus indicante i passaggi sotterranei del castello[6].

Conegliano "nacque" però nel XII secolo, quando un gruppo di famiglie nobili si organizzò creando un governo di tipo comunale attorno alla bastia, con la conseguente formazione di un borgo. Il Castello di Conegliano rimase sempre il centro del potere, sia civile (con la sede della podesteria) che religioso (con la collegiata di San Leonardo). Le attività artigianali ed agricole furono incentivate dalla fondazione di numerosi monasteri: Santa Maria in Mater Domini (1231), il convento dei Padri Umiliati di San Polo (1316), Sant'Antonio, San Francesco dei Frati Minori (1231), per non parlare degli ospizi e delle congregazioni di laici.

Con il sanguinoso assalto del 1153, Conegliano fu però subito sottomessa al comune di Treviso che ne potenziò le difese, ricostruendo il castello, vista la posizione chiave verso il Friuli con i domini del Patriarcato di Aquileia. La cittadina seguì le sorti della Marca e passò agli Ezzelini e agli Scaligeri, che la munirono di nuove fortificazioni. Anche con la Repubblica di Venezia, a cui Treviso passò nel 1337, e la breve parentesi dei Carraresi (1384-1388) l'opera fu continuata e venne innalzata una cinta muraria che racchiudesse il borgo. I lavori di fortificazione e di ampliamento si protrassero anche nei secoli successivi, nonostante il rovinoso attacco degli Ungari del 1411. Il paese si abbellì anche di palazzi signorili e istituzionali ma la decadenza si fece sentire già dopo la guerra della Lega di Cambrai.

Nel Settecento il castello, già da tempo in rovina, fu in gran parte demolito per fornire materiale di recupero utile alle nuove costruzioni, tra cui il Palazzo Comunale (1744).

Come tutto il Veneto, la città passò a Napoleone e infine agli Austriaci che ne svilupparono l'economia e le infrastrutture. Con la costruzione della Strada Maestra d'Italia e della ferrovia (1858) il centro vitale del paese si spostò più a sud, attorno alla stazione. Nel 1866 passò con tutto il Veneto al Regno d'Italia. Nel 1917, dopo la Disfatta di Caporetto, Conegliano fu occupata dagli Imperi Centrali e subì notevoli danni. La città riuscì successivamente a risollevarsi grazie alle ferventi attività economiche (prodotti caseari, vinicoli, officine meccaniche ecc.).

it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conegliano

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Today is finally starting to look like spring. The sun is shining, the snow is melting, and it got up to 66 F today. Farmer Smurf can’t wait to get busy in the garden, but it's a little too early yet.

365 Days in Color, blizzard blue and/or almond No. 11

315/365

365 Toy Project No. 70

70/365

You are not them. You are not your family. You do not have to be trapped into their footsteps or their habits. I’m so sick of being afraid of picking up the bad traits of my family. I’m so sick of being stressed because I feel like I can never impress them.

My best friend since we were two has come to church every once and a while with me growing up but this summer she gave her heart to God and she’s absolutely amazing. However, one day she came and told her Dad something exciting that happened at a youth event and his response was “You can’t believe everything you hear at church.” When she told me this she was crying, she…being a girl who has these walls that block off so many people from seeing her broken like that, was crying because of this strong amount of discouragement she felt. Aren’t your parents supposed to build you up? Like when we’re four and you painted the ugliest thing yet your mother or father had put it up on the fridge and praised you for how beautiful it was.

Then there are some of you that come from broken families, abusive families,families who do not have the same beliefs as you, or maybe you even come from a great, happy, united family yet you just feel you do not fit.

The bible says obey your parents and I am in no way telling you otherwise. But I am telling you that they…do not control who you will be. Or at least, you do not have to let them.

Growing up Ruth was my favourite book in the bible. It’s a story about a woman(Ruth) who marries into a family yet when her husband dies and her mother-in-law plans on going back to her homeland Ruth begs and pleads to go with her. She leaves her own family, her own land, perhaps even the beliefs she was raised to believe. All to follow a woman she had become so close with. Yes, they were not related by blood yet Naomi(the mother in law) loved Ruth.

“…and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and you have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.” Ruth 2:11,12

Ruth was blessed. And blessed. And blessed. She married a man named Boaz and bore a son named Obed who happened to be the grand father of David.

What I’m getting at here is when you watch your family and you are hurt by them you need to understand that yes, God tells us to love everyone and you should love and forgive them yet you do not have to force yourself to be like them. To believe the same things as they do. You do not have to feel discouraged like my own friend had. Because, like God did with Ruth, he can bring people into your life that will affect you and encourage you and love you. Whether they’re your relatives or not.

You are your own person and God find that so beautiful. He died so you could be free from your sins so why are you letting yourself be captive to these huge shadows your family or friends cast on you? You are not them.

So do not let them tear you down or destroy your faith or hope. Because there will always be someone else out there meant for you who believes the same and who wants to see you grow not to bottle that light.

(I'm tagging charlotte because she is wonderful and so encouraging even if she doesn't have the same beliefs. And she inspired this more than i can even explain)

Here is another photo from Monday’s session with the Redwing……..

Our smallest thrush, it is a common winter visitor. The pale stripe over the eye and the red patch on its flanks help to identify this member of the Thrush family. Redwings are sociable birds and will generally form large flocks for migration and their time in the UK in the winter months. Often forming mixed flocks with Fieldfares. The first returning redwings are usually seen in Britain in late September, with the big movements taking place in October.

Unlike other subspecies of the Thrush family, Redwings unusually tend to nest on the ground.

The nest site can be in a tree, bush, rotten tree stump, or even direct on the ground on a bank. The nest is made of twigs, grass, lichen and moss, and sometimes with an inner lining of mud, with the final lining being normally made up of fine grass. The overall final structure makes a substantial cup, with only the female bird having taken part in the construction. There are one or two broods per year of 5-6 eggs, and again only the female carries out the task of incubation. Thankfully, the male bird does get involved in feeding the young, and shares this role with the female.

The diet is varied and includes snails, earthworms, slugs and insects, then progressively more berries and fallen fruit in the winter months. Hawthorn, holly and rowan berries are the native species which are eaten, but in gardens, parks and shopping centre car parks etc. then berries from ornamental shrubs including pyracantha and cotoneaster will readily be eaten.

The chicks fledge just 14 days after hatching, allowing the parents to have a second brood.

It is estimated that between 50-100 pairs nest in the northern areas of Scotland. For wintering birds in the UK, this is estimated population is around 690,000 birds. Classified as Amber in the UK under birds of conservation concern . as with most wildlife in the uk the Goldcrest is protected under the wildlife and countryside act , 1981.

Read more at www.wildonline.blog

Lamborghini is best known for their extravagant car designs. This Murciélago is styled by Luc Donckerwolke (1965).

It's an all-wheel drive sports car.

It's a very uncommon appearance on Dutch roads.

6496 cc 12 cyl. mid-engine.

1730 kg.

Production Murciélago series: 2001-2010.

Production Murciélago LP 640: March 2006-2010.

Original first reg. number: Nov. 2, 2006.

New Dutch reg. number: March 9, 2016.

Sold at Sept. 11, 2017.

Amsterdam-O., near IJburglaan, S114, April 20, 2016.

© 2016 Sander Toonen Amsterdam | All Rights Reserved

There is so much going on across this ancient fortress high over Dorset. The huge peaks and troughs of land, forged by bygone civilisations out of the natural hillside, providing an imposing defense from would-be attackers.

Then there are the smaller ripples in the earth formed simply by gravity gradually pulling the earth down in waves, and finally the more recently added hurdle fencing, intended presumably to prevent too much land slippage.

And then of course the much smaller, seemingly random holes dug by a certain little dog while waiting for the photographer to do his stuff.

The Blue Tit is a popular and easy to recognise garden favourite. With its small size and distinctive blue and yellow plumage , the Blue tit is a regular garden visitor that’s wide spread throughout the British Isles and mainland Europe. The Blue Tit is a member of the Tit family of birds , Paridae . Usually resident , the bird does not migrate and in fact most stay within a short distance from where they hatch , typically less than 20 miles.

The Blue Tit is around 12 cm long with a wingspan of 18 cm and weighs between 11- 20 g . With a blue crown and dark line passing through the eye, with white cheeks to the chin. The forehead and a bar on the wing are white. The nape, wings and tail are blue and the back is yellowish green. The underparts is mostly yellow with a dark line down the abdomen. Both male and female adult birds have a similar appearance.

The Blue tit will nest in any suitable hole in a tree, wall, or stump, or an artificial nest box, competing with Great Tits and House Sparrows for nesting sites. The same hole ( nesting site ) is returned to every year, and when one pair dies another pair will takes possession of the nesting site. It is estimated that there are 3,300,000 breeding pairs in the UK.

The successful breeding of chicks is dependent on sufficient supply of green caterpillars as well as satisfactory weather. Breeding seasons may be affected badly if the weather is cold and wet between May and July, particularly if this coincides with the emergence of the caterpillars on which the nestlings are fed.

Eggs are small in size, 14–18 mm in diameter. The egg size does vary, depending mostly on the size of individual females and habitat . The nesting material is usually moss, wool, hair and feathers, and the eggs are laid in April or May. The number in the clutch can be very large with seven or eight eggs laid by a single female. During the incubation period, female blue tits perform all of the incubation, however the male feeds the female during this time.

The Blue Tits diet is made up of small insects and spiders during the summer months supplemented by fruit , nuts and the young buds of trees and plants. The bird has adapted and evolved the ability to digest milk and cream and is an acrobatic favourite on bird feeders up and down the country.

Read more at www.wildonline.blog

And nothing is sure anymore

Except all that you are and stand for

Guide me toward your portal

Portal, Lights

And as usual, Aphra took her annual photos with these little flowers ^^ <3 Here are the ones from past years:

www.flickr.com/photos/46543511@N03/6886801816/in/set-7215...

www.flickr.com/photos/46543511@N03/8669287470/in/album-72...

www.flickr.com/photos/46543511@N03/13806554203/in/album-7...

The Rosette Nebula is an emission nebula that lies about 5000 light years away in the constellation Monoceros. At the centre of the nebula lies the star cluster NGC 2244 which comprises massive O and B type stars that drive the stellar winds that have all but cleared the central region of gas and dust. These stars also provide the energy that excites the ring shaped emission cloud known as the Rosette Nebula.

Full Resolution: www.pbase.com/gailmarc/image/141710079/original

This is an LHaRGB image (60, 210, 60, 60, 60 minutes). All subs were unbinned. Ha, L and RGB subs were 30, 5 and 10 mins respectively.

FOV is 2.44 x 1.62 deg @ 2.21 arcsec/pixel.

Takahashi TOA-150 refractor @ F5.5 (FL=825mm) on a Paramount ME, SBIG STL 11000M camera and Takahashi 645 Super Reducer.

Barrington Court is a Tudor manor house begun c. 1538 and completed in the late 1550s, with a vernacular seventeenth-century stable court (1675), situated in Barrington, near Ilminster, Somerset, England. It was the first house acquired by the National Trust, in 1907, on the recommendation of the antiquarian Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley.

Barrington Court, once dated 1514 and considered an early example of a symmetrical front, was completed in the late 1550s for William Clifton, a London merchant who had been assembling a Somerset estate. Its central entry porch leads into a screens passage with the Hall on the left and, an innovation, a service passage leading to the kitchen wing that occupies the right wing. A symmetrically sited gatehouse (rebuilt) was set far forward of the house, to permit a full view of its symmetrical facade.

The interior of the house suffered from its demotion to a tenant farm, and from a fire in the early nineteenth century; after being almost derelict it was repaired under the supervision of Alfred Hoare Powell. Barrington Court was acquired by the National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty in 1907 and was leased to Col. Lyle of Tate & Lyle in the 1920s. He and his wife turned the house around and refurbished the court house and renovated Strode House (built by William Strode in the 1600s) which was originally a stable and coach block. It was at this time that the Lyles contracted Gertrude Jekyll to design the three formal gardens on the property that are kept in beautiful condition by the head gardener.

Texture by pareeerica:

Grunge Chocolate:

www.flickr.com/photos/8078381@N03/3173423766/

Explored 23.07.09 - #177

Bristol is a city, ceremonial county and unitary authority in England. Situated on the River Avon, it is bordered by the ceremonial counties of Gloucestershire, to the north; and Somerset, to the south. Bristol is the most populous city in South West England. The wider Bristol Built-up Area is the eleventh most populous urban area in the United Kingdom.

Iron Age hillforts and Roman villas were built near the confluence of the rivers Frome and Avon, and around the beginning of the 11th century, the settlement was known as Brycgstow (Old English: 'the place at the bridge'). Bristol received a royal charter in 1155 and was historically divided between Gloucestershire and Somerset until 1373 when it became a county corporate. From the 13th to the 18th century, Bristol was among the top three English cities, after London, in tax receipts.

Bristol was a starting place for early voyages of exploration to the New World. On a ship out of Bristol in 1497, John Cabot, a Venetian, became the first European to land on mainland North America. In 1499, William Weston, a Bristol merchant, was the first Englishman to lead an exploration to North America. At the height of the Bristol slave trade, from 1700 to 1807, more than 2,000 slave ships carried an estimated 500,000 people from Africa to slavery in the Americas. The Port of Bristol has since moved from Bristol Harbour in the city centre to the Severn Estuary at Avonmouth and Royal Portbury Dock.

Bristol's modern economy is built on the creative media, electronics and aerospace industries, and the city-centre docks have been redeveloped as centres of heritage and culture. The city has the largest circulating community currency in the UK, the Bristol Pound, which is pegged to the pound sterling. The city has two universities, the University of Bristol and the University of the West of England, and a variety of artistic and sporting organisations and venues including the Royal West of England Academy, the Arnolfini, Spike Island, Ashton Gate and the Memorial Stadium. It is connected to London and other major UK cities by road and rail, and to the world by sea and air: road, by the M5 and M4 (which connect to the city centre by the Portway and M32); rail, via Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway mainline rail stations; and Bristol Airport.

-Wikipedia

vimeo.com/73884050

This is a non-Kodachrome slide; it was scanned with an Epson Pro V750, and then finished with minor post processing via Photoshop.

The original comes from my own slide collection which I have photographed and/or otherwise acquired during the past forty years.

They are posted here simply to share a part of airline & airliner history for people who are interested.

MSN 55056 Boeing 717-100 SX-BOA

Olympic Aviation

Shannon

[...] There is an eagle in me that wants to soar, and there is a hippopotamus in me that wants to wallow in the mud [...]

-- Quote by Carl Sandburg (American Historian, Poet and Novelist, 1878-1967)

Rome, Italy (May, 2008)

Meeeesha :)

She recently got a flea bath and not only is she clean of fleas, but also extra white and fluffly. She's been strutting around the house. Every morning between 6:30 and 7 she knocks on our door and I have to get up and let her in. I never regret it because all she does is cuddle.

1913:

Pictured here is a 1913 photograph of six “cool” bikers on their Excelsior/Henderson “auto cycles” (motorcycles). These bikes were high quality contemporaries of “Harley” and “Indian” and were the first bikes to break the 100mph barrier. The third bike in the lineup shows an original 1913 Oregon license plate. Although the men here were no doubt biker buddies or track competitors, they were a far cry from the outlaw biker “gangs” that would begin forming after WWII.

Cultural Phenomenon:

When leather jacketed Marlon Brando roared into town on his Triumph T6 while wearing menacing dark aviator glasses in the 1953 cult classic “The Wild One”, hair stood up on the necks of every rebellious youth that had eyeballs in his head. The visual impact of that movie was so strong that Brando’s image would instantly achieve iconic status. No one had ever seen that kind of brazen and disrespectful behavior from a young man in a movie before. And, although not a great movie, it generated images and attitudes about bikers that are with us to this day. Interestingly, the movie was banned in the UK for about sixteen years.

The Chaffinch , Fringilla coelebs

The Chaffinch is the UK’s most common finch and sometimes overlooked and not fully appreciated despite being one of our most colourful garden visitors. the striking double white wing bars and primary and secondary wing feathers. Its summer plumage is brighter that its winter plumage. The male Chaffinch has a pink breast and cheeks, blue-grey crown and nape, and chestnut brown back. In summer, its bill is grey-blue, turning to pale brown in the winter. The female has an olive-brown back, and grey-brown underparts becoming almost white towards the rump, which is greenish. The juveniles are similar to the female but lack the greenish rump. The bill is brown in both the female and juveniles.

The Chaffinches build a neat cup nest from moss, grass, and feathers bound with spiders’ webs, lined with feathers and wool, and decorated with lichen and flakes of bark. The nest is usually in a fork of a tree or shrub.Breeding takes place from April to June with a clutch of four to five eggs.The eggs of the Chaffinch are about 20 mm by 15 mm in size, and are smooth, glossy, and light blue with purple-brown blotches. The duties of incubating the eggs are performed by the female. The newly-hatched young are fed by both adults.Chicks will normally fledge after around 15 days. Unlike most of our small passerines, chaffinches usually only have one brood a year.

Resident birds are mostly sedentary with juveniles moving only short distances from the place where they were hatched. Between September and March, the population increases with 10-20 million immigrants from Scandinavia and Western Europe looking for food. These birds are usually found in large flocks on open farmland, whereas resident British birds are usually in woodlands and hedgerows.

Read the full story at www.wildonline.blog

This little beauty with a blueish metallic sheen and a finely punctated elytra is a Chrysolina varians leaf beetle. The host plant is St John's wort (Hypericum sp.) but here it is sitting at the edge of a leaf of a rhodendron.

Looking closely at its feet and antennae, you can notice they are dirty with yellow pollen which is there because it sat on a different plant first but didn't like it and after opening it's elytra and displaying a wonderful pair of orange wings it flew off - right before I was about to take a shot of those wings!

Not sure if this is a guy or a girl. They are quite variable in colour and can be green, bronze, reddish or blueish black but it doesn't seem to be connected with which sex it is.

Part 1: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/48691243057/

Part 2: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/48901142637/

No life ring but a great sunset. Tolvsrød, outside Tønsberg, Norway.

The photo is taken from the top of a small part of the beach right north of the peninsula of Vallø. This part of the beach is not very often used by the locals because of the "high" pollution level. Earlier, Esso had a refinery on Vallø and I guess that all the parts of old oil barrels and iron pipes that are still lying on the beach come from that "proud" era.

Fortunately, you cannot see these things on the photo, but they are nevertheless there. I felt it had to be said. Pollution is definitely a thing to fight.

Here is another version of this photo.

Here is an out-of-bounds version of this photo.

This photo was nominated for the informal photo contest for March 2007 on www.preus.no

Explore: Highest position: 136 on Saturday, March 3, 2007

So This Is Christmas by John Lennon (Lyrics)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoMn8tURL_E&list=RDLoMn8tURL_...

Nikon Micro 45mm f/2.8 ED PC-E

www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/45mm-pc-e.htm

Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own.

H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

This is a photo of a red-breasted nuthatch that kindly agreed to pose for me in my backyard. Indeed, it was the first of the season. Usually, the nuthatches migrate from the area (presumably north) late in spring and return at the end of August and early September. One of the things I like about the nuthatch is its ability to assume remarkable poses with considerable dexterity and flexibility. The photo was taken in September 2012, with my trusty Olympus digital camera. Enjoy.

+++ DISCLAIMER +++

Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based on historical facts. BEWARE!

Some background:

The OV-10 Bronco was initially conceived in the early 1960s through an informal collaboration between W. H. Beckett and Colonel K. P. Rice, U.S. Marine Corps, who met at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, and who also happened to live near each other. The original concept was for a rugged, simple, close air support aircraft integrated with forward ground operations. At the time, the U.S. Army was still experimenting with armed helicopters, and the U.S. Air Force was not interested in close air support.

The concept aircraft was to operate from expedient forward air bases using roads as runways. Speed was to be from very slow to medium subsonic, with much longer loiter times than a pure jet. Efficient turboprop engines would give better performance than piston engines. Weapons were to be mounted on the centerline to get efficient aiming. The inventors favored strafing weapons such as self-loading recoilless rifles, which could deliver aimed explosive shells with less recoil than cannons, and a lower per-round weight than rockets. The airframe was to be designed to avoid the back blast.

The MV-10Hs are expected to provide support for these ground units in the form of all-weather reconnaissance and observation, close air support and also forward air control duties for supporting ground units. Precision ground strikes and protection from enemy helicopters and low-flying aircraft were other, secondary missions for the modernized Broncos, which are expected to serve well into the 2040s. Exports or conversions of foreign OV-10s to the Black Pony standard are not planned, though.

General characteristics:

Crew: 2

Length: 42 ft 2½ in (12,88 m) incl. pitot

Wingspan: 45 ft 10½ in(14 m) incl. tip sails

Height: 15 ft 2 in (4.62 m)

Wing area: 290.95 sq ft (27.03 m²)

Airfoil: NACA 64A315

Empty weight: 9,090 lb (4,127 kg)

Gross weight: 13,068 lb (5,931 kg)

Max. takeoff weight: 17,318 lb (7,862 kg)

Powerplant:

2× General Electric CT7-9D turboprop engines, 1,305 kW (1,750 hp) each,

driving 8-bladed Hamilton Standard 8 ft 6 in (2.59 m) diameter constant-speed,

fully feathering, reversible contra-rotating propellers with metal hub and composite blades

Performance:

Maximum speed: 390 mph (340 kn, 625 km/h)

Combat range: 198 nmi (228 mi, 367 km)

Ferry range: 1,200 nmi (1,400 mi, 2,200 km) with auxiliary fuel

Maximum loiter time: 5.5 h with auxiliary fuel

Service ceiling: 32.750 ft (10,000 m)

13,500 ft (4.210 m) on one engine

Rate of climb: 17.400 ft/min (48 m/s) at sea level

Take-off run: 480 ft (150 m)

740 ft (227 m) to 50 ft (15 m)

1,870 ft (570 m) to 50 ft (15 m) at MTOW

Landing run: 490 ft (150 m)

785 ft (240 m) at MTOW

1,015 ft (310 m) from 50 ft (15 m)

Armament:

1x M197 3-barreled 20 mm Gatling cannon in a chin turret with 750 rounds ammo capacity

7x hardpoints for a total load of 5.000 lb (2,270 kg)

2x wingtip launch rails for AIM-9 Sidewinder AAMs

The kit and its assembly:

This fictional Bronco update/conversion was simply spawned by the idea: could it be possible to replace the original cockpit section with one from an AH-1 Cobra, for a kind of gunship version?

The basis is the Academy OV-10D kit, mated with the cockpit section from a Fujimi AH-1S TOW Cobra (Revell re-boxing, though), chosen because of its “boxy” cockpit section with flat glass panels – I think that it conveys the idea of an armored cockpit section best. Combining these parts was not easy, though, even though the plan sound simple. Initially, the Bronco’s twin booms, wings and stabilizer were built separately, because this made PSR on these sections easier than trying the same on a completed airframe. One of the initial challenges: the different engines. I wanted something uprated, and a different look, and I had a pair of (excellent!) 1:144 resin engines from the Russian company Kompakt Zip for a Tu-95 bomber at hand, which come together with movable(!) eight-blade contraprops that were an almost perfect size match for the original three-blade props. Biggest problem: the Tu-95 nacelles have a perfectly circular diameter, while the OV-10’s booms are square and rectangular. Combining these parts and shapes was already a messy PST affair, but it worked out quite well – even though the result rather reminds of some Chinese upgrade measure (anyone know the Tu-4 copies with turboprops? This here looks similar!). But while not pretty, I think that the beafier look works well and adds to the idea of a “revived” aircraft. And you can hardly beat the menacing look of contraprops on anything...

The exotic, so-called “tip sails” on the wings, mounted on short booms, are a detail borrowed from the Shijiazhuang Y-5B-100, an updated Chinese variant/copy of the Antonov An-2 biplane transporter. The booms are simple pieces of sprue from the Bronco kit, the winglets were cut from 0.5mm styrene sheet.

For the cockpit donor, the AH-1’s front section was roughly built, including the engine section (which is a separate module, so that the basic kit can be sold with different engine sections), and then the helicopter hull was cut and trimmed down to match the original Bronco pod and to fit under the wing. This became more complicated than expected, because a) the AH-1 cockpit and the nose are considerably shorter than the OV-10s, b) the AH-1 fuselage is markedly taller than the Bronco’s and c) the engine section, which would end up in the area of the wing, features major recesses, making the surface very uneven – calling for massive PSR to even this out. PSR was also necessary to hide the openings for the Fujimi AH-1’s stub wings. Other issues: the front landing gear (and its well) had to be added, as well as the OV-10 wing stubs. Furthermore, the new cockpit pod’s rear section needed an aerodynamical end/fairing, but I found a leftover Academy OV-10 section from a build/kitbashing many moons ago. Perfect match!

All these challenges could be tackled, even though the AH-1 cockpit looks surprisingly stout and massive on the Bronco’s airframe - the result looks stockier than expected, but it works well for the "Gunship" theme. Lots of PSR went into the new central fuselage section, though, even before it was mated with the OV-10 wing and the rest of the model.

Once cockpit and wing were finally mated, the seams had to disappear under even more PSR and a spinal extension of the canopy had to be sculpted across the upper wing surface, which would meld with the pod’s tail in a (more or less) harmonious shape. Not an easy task, and the fairing was eventually sculpted with 2C putty, plus even more PSR… Looks quite homogenous, though.

After this massive body work, other hardware challenges appeared like small distractions. The landing gear was another major issue because the deeper AH-1 section lowered the ground clearance, also because of the chin turret. To counter this, I raised the OV-10’s main landing gear by ~2mm – not much, but it was enough to create a credible stance, together with the front landing gear transplant under the cockpit, which received an internal console to match the main landing gear’s length. Due to the chin turret and the shorter nose, the front wheel retracts backwards now. But this looks quite plausible, thanks to the additional space under the cockpit tub, which also made a belt feed for the gun’s ammunition supply believable.

To enhance the menacing look I gave the model a fixed refueling boom, made from 1mm steel wire and a receptor adapter sculpted with white glue. The latter stuff was also used add some antenna fairings around the hull. Some antennae, chaff dispensers and an IR decoy were taken from the Academy kit.

The ordnance came from various sources. The Sidewinders under the wing tips were taken from an Italeri F-16C/D kit, they look better than the missiles from the Academy Bronco kit. Their launch rails came from an Italeri Bae Hawk 200. The quadruple Hellfire launchers on the underwing hardpoints were left over from an Italeri AH-1W, and they are a perfect load for this aircraft and its role. The LAU-10 and -19 missile pods on the stub wings were taken from the OV-10 kit.

Painting and markings:

Finding a suitable and somewhat interesting – but still plausible – paint scheme was not easy. Taking the A-10 as benchmark, an overall light grey livery (with focus on low contrast against the sky as protection against ground fire) would have been a likely choice – and in fact the last operational American OV-10s were painted in this fashion. But in order to provide a different look I used the contemporary USAF V-22Bs and Special Operations MC-130s as benchmark, which typically carry a darker paint scheme consisting of FS 36118 (suitably “Gunship Gray” :D) from above, FS 36375 underneath, with a low, wavy waterline, plus low-viz markings. Not spectacular, but plausible – and very similar to the late r/w Colombian OV-10s.

The cockpit tub became Dark Gull Grey (FS 36231, Humbrol 140) and the landing gear white (Revell 301).

The model received an overall black ink washing and some post-panel-shading, to liven up the dull all-grey livery. The decals were gathered from various sources, and I settled for black USAF low-viz markings. The “stars and bars” come from a late USAF F-4, the “IP” tail code was tailored from F-16 markings and the shark mouth was taken from an Academy AH-64. Most stencils came from another Academy OV-10 sheet and some other sources.

Decals were also used to create the trim on the propeller blades and markings on the ordnance.

Finally, the model was sealed with a coat of matt acrylic varnish (Italeri) and some exhaust soot stains were added with graphite along the tail boom flanks.

A successful transplantation – but is this still a modified Bronco or already a kitbashing? The result looks quite plausible and menacing, even though the TOW Cobra front section appears relatively massive. But thanks to the bigger engines and extended wing tips the proportions still work. The large low-pressure tires look a bit goofy under the aircraft, but they are original. The grey livery works IMHO well, too – a more colorful or garish scheme would certainly have distracted from the modified technical basis.

Copyright Susan Ogden

Just a little something that i believe is important...those of you on FB know that i have shared this there, but since this is a very art based and creative community i decided to share it here as well.

Not gonna lie...some of you will not want to take the time to read it...but it is dear to my heart because it explains SO much TO me...ABOUT me, and the other creatives i know. It may come as a surprise to some of you and others not so much. it puts into words what i have tried over the years to explain to those that do not get me.

i was one of the ones surprised by this....mainly because it was like someone was sitting voyueristically at my window and writing down each and every one of these things while they watched me. They did not miss ONE thing. freaky....and yet a relief of having a way to express what i feel on a daily basis.

i am off to explore and run some errands...do some collecting and commune with me for awhile. I hope those of you that take the time to look at this will think about what it says....and maybe understand the creative in you...or others around you to some degree. Not everyone will hit every point on this list dead center....but most of you will KNOW which ones are you instantly!

Have a beautiful Tuesday and revel in being you! oh, and please do comment....i love hearing what you think when it comes to your journey in creativity!

www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/20-things-remembe...

Entropy is appealing, or at least the visual signs of entropy are appealing. Lots of us are drawn to images (& to make images of) things like weathering, rust & decay. We all know nothing lasts forever & I think that part of the attaction, to see things that demonstrate that idea.

We spend so much time fighting entropy. We clean & paint & repair all the time fighting this process. Sometimes it nice to accept decline & enjoy it, even if only in an image. Maybe it remindes us that sometimes, just sometimes, it's OK to let things go & let nature take it's course.

If you like my work click the "Follow" button on Flickr.

Other places to see my work rumimume.blogspot.ca/, Google+ google+, twitter

The buses of Scotland - Park’s of Hamilton (Coach Hirers) Limited

Park's Motor Group is a private family-owned business which is one of the largest privately owned motor dealership groups in Scotland, representing 26 manufacturers. They are also partners in the Motability scheme, offering cars to disabled road users. In addition to motor vehicle retailing, the company has a luxury coach hire service under the name Park's of Hamilton, and operates scheduled services in Scotland and England.

Douglas Park founded the business in 1971 as Park’s Thistle Coaches, initially as a small, three-coach operation. In 1977, the company diversified into the motor trade with their first Datsun franchise in Hamilton, before adding a second a year later in Strathaven. From this point on, the business began to grow in the motor trade and by 1986 were appointed agents for Honda and BMW. In 1992, Park's Motor Group opened the UK's first multi-franchise complex in East Kilbride which featured Citroën, Fiat, Honda, Kia, Nissan, Renault and Suzuki. Since then through acquisitions and good reputations, it has added dealerships for most car companies including high end companies such as Bentley and McLaren.

Park's of Hamilton are Scotland's leading luxury coach operators with in excess of 120 coaches, which caters for both business and leisure travel throughout Britain and Europe. it’s a reputation that they’ve gained from their earliest days focusing on high quality and rapidly replacing vehicles after a few years meaning a very low average age.

Initially Bedford coaches were preferred but from the mid-1970s, Volvo coaches were purchased and these became increasingly preferred almost to the exclusion of others. Park’s became one of Volvo Bus’s most important customers and indeed a Volvo service centre for buses and trucks was opened near to Park’s depot, which is located not in Hamilton but actually in Blantyre.,That’s not to say we’re not to say other types were not used and many manufacturers have offered demonstration vehicles to try and tempt Park’s away from Volvo including Scania. MAN and IVECO.

Initially Duple body work was specified but Park’s wasn’t immune to high profile purchase. It was one of the few UK-users of Volvo’s integral C10M coach launched in the 1980s although after the demise of Duple, it moved to Plaxton bodywork. However quality issues with new Plaxton Premiere and Excalibur ranges saw overseas bodywork preferred, from either Van Hool and Jonckheere. Plaxton bodywork came back in to the frame with the launch of the Plaxton Panther and Paragon ranges.

Initially an all black livery was used with white lettering and initially Park’s Thistle Coaches fleet name although it later changed to the more recognised Park’s of Hamilton fleet name. Black was apparently selected as no other company used an overall such coloured livery and the coaches would stand out. Then with the arrivals of the C10M the livery changed from allover black to a red/grey livery. The amounts of red and grey were then tinkered with over the next few years. The fleet name then changed in the 1990s to ‘Park’s Motor Group - Scotland’s Driving Force’ although a black /gold livery returned in at the start of the millennium and Park’s of Hamilton fleetname came back soon after that.

In 1996 Park's of Hamilton expanded with the acquisition of Trathens Travel Services, based in Plymouth. In late 2009, the Trathens branding was dropped in favour of the Park's of Hamilton branding. The company provides VIP coaches for most Central Scotland based Scottish Premiership football teams, including Celtic, Rangers and the Scottish National Football Team. The continued provision of coaches to Celtic FC is seen as controversial by some of that clubs fans as Douglas Park is also chairman of arch rivals Rangers FC. Tour buses have also been supplied to holiday companies.

Although primarily a coach operator, service bus work has been run although it could be best described as ‘dipping a toe into the water’….for a short while in 1994 it ran an East Kilbride-Glasgow City Centre express service, with its Van Hool bodied Volvo B10Ms probably offering a higher standard than the competing Atlanteans and Olympians of competing Strathclyde’s Buses services. The services were withdrawn after a few weeks. It also assisted Stagecoach when it launched Stagecoach Glasgow in 1997 by running some local services, again in East Kilbride, using Stagecoach branded minibuses but utilising Park’s drivers. Again these were unsuccessful. Commuter services have also been run in the past but the pandemic and home working has blasted the economics of such services and they’ll be unlikely to return. Some schools services have also been run.

Park's of Hamilton have also operated express coach services under contract to National Express from London Victoria Coach Station to Plymouth, Newquay, Penzance, Manchester, Blackpool and Aberdeen.

It also operates services on behalf of Megabus and Scottish Citylink and is a significant contractor for Citylink. Following the joint venture between Stagecoach and Comfort Delgo to run Scottish Citylink, the Competition Authorities demanded that the joint venture divest certain journeys to increase competition. In 2008 Parks purchased these Glasgow to Aberdeen and Edinburgh to Inverness services of Scottish Citylink. They run using Park’s branded buses but in Citylink colours, Citylink route-numbers, are bookable through the Citylink website and ticket agents. You have to ask whether it was worth all the effort by the Competition Authorities.

It also run for a while Citylink Gold. This was a laudable attempt to improve the image of coach travel offering a hostess service, complementary beverages and food, wi-fi and improved seating. The services were initially run by Park’s on behalf of Scottish Citylink but proved very successful. They ran initially between Glasgow - Inverness/Aberdeen but were so successful they were expanded and extra journeys added using Stagecoach vehicles (branded Megabus Gold) and services started from Edinburgh. However the pandemic saw these off.

Park’s set the standard of luxury coaching in Scotland and many operators aspire to the standards they set. It has a modern fleet which is constantly renewed and kept immaculate. It’s fleet consists mainly of Volvo buses, mostly Plaxton and Jonckheere bodies. However this odd example is LSK870, which was new for National Express duties as BV67JYZ. It’s time on National Express over, it’s been repainted into Citylink livery for use on those services. Note the Parks of Hamilton logo on the upper front windows.

The Lovell Telescope is a radio telescope at Jodrell Bank Observatory, near Goostrey, Cheshire in the north-west of England. When construction was finished in 1957, the telescope was the largest steerable dish radio telescope in the world at 76.2 m (250 ft) in diameter; it is now the third-largest, after the Green Bank telescope in West Virginia, United States, and the Effelsberg telescope in Germany. It was originally known as the "250 ft telescope" or the Radio Telescope at Jodrell Bank, before becoming the Mark I telescope around 1961 when future telescopes (the Mark II, III, and IV) were being discussed. It was renamed to the Lovell Telescope in 1987 after Sir Bernard Lovell, and became a Grade I listed building in 1988. The telescope forms part of the MERLIN and European VLBI Network arrays of radio telescopes.

Both Bernard Lovell and Charles Husband were knighted for their roles in creating the telescope. In September 2006, the telescope won the BBC's online competition to find the UK's greatest "Unsung Landmark". 2007 marked the 50th anniversary of the telescope.

Jodrell Bank Observatory hosts a number of radio telescopes as part of the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics at the University of Manchester. The observatory was established in 1945 by Bernard Lovell, a radio astronomer at the university, to investigate cosmic rays after his work on radar in the Second World War. It has since played an important role in the research of meteoroids, quasars, pulsars, masers and gravitational lenses, and was heavily involved with the tracking of space probes at the start of the Space Age.

There are three other active telescopes at the observatory; the Mark II, and 42 ft (13 m) and 7 m diameter radio telescopes. Jodrell Bank Observatory is the base of the Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN), a National Facility run by the University of Manchester on behalf of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

The Jodrell Bank Visitor Centre and an arboretum are in Lower Withington and the Lovell Telescope and the observatory near Goostrey and Holmes Chapel. The observatory is reached from the A535. The Crewe to Manchester Line passes by the site, and Goostrey station is a short distance away. In 2019, the observatory became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovell_Telescope

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodrell_Bank_Observatory

Depends on your point of view, I suppose. Sure, what you see is not natural. But, then again, what about a woman who colors her hair, wears makeup (including false lashes), and accentuates her figure?

Am I that much different?

And, bottom line, this is what I consider myself to be. So, I am NOT pretending!

Once we placed Alice in the car, she laid on the soft bed, and when I approached to assure her that everything is going to be amazing, she rolled on her back a little and allowed me to scratch her belly.

This rescue video is coming up soon here: www.youtube.com/eldad75

The Tolmin Gorge is the common name used to refers the Tolminka and Zadlaščica Gorges, which are one of the most magnificent natural attractions in Tolmin.

The Tolmin Gorges are the lowest and probably the most beautiful entry point into the Triglav National Park. The circular path leads us through the wild gorges of rivers Tolminka and Zadlascica. The two rivers meet here, continuing their journey together, which merge into the only confluence in the gorges on the territory of Slovenia.

The deep gorge awaits all visitors with moss-covered walls and high rock formations.

The gorge itself is longer than you can walk in, as only a 2 km stretch of it has been built. The gorge has two levels. One passes by the Tolminka River. At the end of it is the fabulous, narrow strait.

During the trip in the gorge you can see the Bear's Head or the Devil's Bridge.