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Looking West Sunrise from a Western view point, most of these tend to be bland, this was full of nice clouds, shot in North Carolina.
New Zealand has the most delightful wooden Churches dotted all over the countryside, sometimes nowhere near a township. And they always look so well looked after. I don't think I saw one that needed a lick of paint!
Posted for Fenced Friday
* One of the most extraordinary aspects of the city of Bologna is its amazing range of porticos. Today the historic centre of Bologna, that is to say the area included into the city walls of the thirteenth century, contains some 38 kilometres (23 miles) of porticos build during a long historic period from the eleventh to the twentieth century. It was very hot while we there but you could walk almost everywhere in the shade of these porticos. No doubt in bad weather you would be equally protected from rain and snow. Many Italian cities had extensive systems of porticos but most got rid of many of them to allow the roads to be widened. Bologna has chosen to put people before cars, which is a change. They are very pleasing to walk through, light and shadows constantly change under them. I took quite a few shots of these architectural features some of them will no doubt appear later in my stream.
THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WRITE A COMMENT IT’S MUCH APPRECIATED AND SO MUCH MORE INTRESTING THAN JUST GIVING A FAVE
Most of the Sunflowers we have in the garden are just about done, but there's still a couple that are viable. Here's one of them!
Description in English, German and Dutch
English:
During my walk from Murnau to Ohlstadt in Bavaria I walked along the Loisach river. The Loisach is a tributary of the Isar and the Isar is a tributary of the world famous Danube. Some parts of the river have a beautiful blue-green color. I decided to get off the trail to get a closer look at the river. When I got close to the current I was enchanted by the beauty of the water and the green surroundings. I was all alone, because the spot I had chosen is not known by tourists, but it is very beautiful. On the waterfront I decided to take some pictures first and then turn my phone off completely. No distraction for a while. With my pants pulled up I walked barefoot into the clear water and that was very cooling on this sun-drenched warm summer day. Staring at the impressive mountains of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, I then stood in the shallow part of the river and decided to close my eyes and think about nothing for a while. It was another special experience in beautiful Bavaria where I experienced a moment of satisfaction and ultimate peace in one of the most beautiful tributaries of the world. All my beautiful experiences of recent times have been made possible by the 9 euro ticket. Unfortunately, everything comes to an end and August 31 was the last day that the ticket could be used. I used it for three months. Only 27 euros for travelling in thee months. Sweet 9 euro ticket, it was an honor to carry you with me in the summer period. I miss you already, but the memories will last forever in the form of my photos. There will therefore be a lot of pictures here on Flickr of my adventures in Germany.
Deutsch:
Bei meiner Wanderung von Murnau nach Ohlstadt in Bayern bin ich an der Loisach entlang gelaufen. Die Loisach ist ein Nebenfluss der Isar und die Isar ist ein Nebenfluss der weltberühmten Donau. Einige Teile des Flusses haben eine schöne blaugrüne Farbe. Ich beschloss, den Weg zu verlassen, um mir den Fluss genauer anzusehen. Als ich mich der Strömung näherte, war ich von der Schönheit des Wassers und der grünen Umgebung verzaubert. Ich war ganz allein, denn der Ort, den ich mir ausgesucht hatte, ist bei Touristen nicht bekannt, aber sehr schön. An der Uferpromenade beschloss ich, erst ein paar Fotos zu machen und dann mein Handy komplett auszuschalten. Keine Ablenkung für eine Weile. Mit hochgezogener Hose ging ich barfuß ins klare Wasser und das war an diesem sonnendurchfluteten warmen Sommertag sehr erfrischend. Mit Blick auf die imposanten Berge von Garmisch-Partenkirchen stand ich dann im seichten Teil des Flusses und beschloss, die Augen zu schließen und eine Weile an nichts zu denken. Es war ein weiteres besonderes Erlebnis im schönen Bayern, wo ich einen Moment der Zufriedenheit und des ultimativen Friedens in einem der schönsten Nebenflüsse der Welt erlebte. All meine schönen Erlebnisse der letzten Zeit wurden durch das 9-Euro-Ticket ermöglicht. Leider geht alles zu Ende und der 31. August war der letzte Tag, an dem das Ticket verwendet werden konnte. Ich habe es drei Monate lang benutzt. Nut 27 euro! Süßes 9-Euro-Ticket, es war mir eine Ehre, dich 3 monaten mitzunehmen. Ich vermisse dich jetzt schon, aber die Erinnerungen werden in Form meiner Fotos für immer bleiben. Daher wird es hier auf Flickr viele Bilder von meinen Abenteuern in Deutschland geben.
Nederlands:
Tijdens mijn wandeling van Murnau naar Ohlstadt in Beieren liep ik langs de Loisach rivier. De Loisach is een zijrivier van de Isar en de Isar is dan weer een zijrivier van de wereldberoemde Donau. Sommige gedeelten van de rivier hebben een prachtige blauw-groene kleur. Ik besloot om van het pad af te gaan om de rivier van dichterbij te kunnen aanschouwen. Toen ik vlakbij de stroming aankwam werd ik betoverd door de schoonheid van het water en de groene omgeving. Ik was helemaal alleen, want het plekje wat ik had uitgekozen is niet bekend bij toeristen, maar wel erg mooi. Aan de waterkant besloot ik om eerst wat foto's te maken en daarna mijn telefoon helemaal uit te zetten. Even geen afleiding. Met mijn broek opgestroopt liep ik met blote voeten het heldere water in en dat was erg verkoelend op deze zonovergoten warme zomerdag. Starend naar de indrukwekkende bergen van Garmisch-Partenkirchen stond ik daarna in het ondiepe gedeelte van de rivier en besloot om vervolgens mijn ogen dicht te doen en even helemaal nergens aan te denken. Het was weer een bijzondere ervaring in het wonderschone Beieren waarbij ik een moment van voldoening en ultieme rust heb ervaren in een van de mooiste zijrivieren van de wereld. Al mijn mooie ervaringen van de afgelopen tijd zijn mede mogelijk gemaakt door het 9 euro ticket. Helaas komt aan alles een einde en was 31 augustus de laatste dag dat het ticket gebruikt kon worden. Drie maanden heb ik er gebruik van gemaakt. Lief 9 euro ticket, het was een eer om je 3 keer bij me te mogen dragen. Ik mis je nu al, maar de herinneringen blijven voor eeuwig bestaan in de vorm van mijn foto's. Er zullen daarom nog een hoop foto's hier op Flickr volgen van mijn avonturen in Duitsland.
As with most things in China, their highways are impressive. Beautifully built and with manicured gardens down the middle. Not so impressive is the traffic sense; what was this three wheeled vehicle doing in the centre lane on a three lane highway?
What was our bus driver thinking? Why fall in behind a slow moving three wheeled vehicle when he could have pulled out and passed it long before we caught up with and followed this red terror. China is a country of inexplicable contradictions encountered every day we were there.
Museum for international Expressionism in one of Rotterdam’s most beautiful villas. The Chabot Museum has an important collection of works by Dutch expressionist Henk Chabot (1894-1949) and is housed in one of Rotterdam’s most beautiful villas. The peaceful homely atmosphere of this listed monument built in 1938 does perfect justice to Chabot’s paintings and sculptures and to works by his contemporaries and present-day kindred spirits. Expressionism and the inter-war period are central to the museum’s temporary exhibitions. The gardens surrounding the building and the other villas scattered around Museum Park are part of an oasis of green in the very centre of Rotterdam. THE VILLA
The striking white villa was designed in 1938 by architect G.W. Baas, who worked many years for the renowned architects Brinkman & Van der Vlugt (known for the monumental Van Nelle Factories, the Feijenoord Stadium and the Sonneveld House in Rotterdam). Baas left the completion to architect L. Stokla when he was appointed as the building coordinator of the Kröller- Müller Museum at the Hoge Veluwe.
The villa in modernist style was initially built as a private residence for the Kraaijeveld family. Distinguishing features of the house are light and airy spaces, a typical openness to the garden and a unique view of the Museumpark and its surroundings. A visit to the homely, light and elegant Chabot Museum combines modern art, architecture and history.
Source: chabotmuseum.nl
Spent most of the night out with a friend capturing shots of this wonderful storm. If you look closely in the waters below, you will see a smudged line across the middle. That was a beaver swimming by that startled us with a tail-slap.
This is one of my very favourite aurora photos, and it happens to be mine! =D
than meets the eye :-)
Punch, 1934
narcissus, tazetta daffodil, j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina
Wikipedia: Wat Phra Kaew is one of the oldest and most revered Buddhist temples in Chiang Rai. It is unclear when the temple was founded. The temple was originally called Wat Pa Ya or Wat Pa Yea (Thai: วัดป่าเยี้ยะ, meaning the Temple in the Golden Bamboo Forest), as it was surrounded by a dense yellow bamboo grove locally known as Yeah or Yah. In 1434 the temple's octagonal Chedi (Pagoda) was struck by lightning and it fell apart to reveal a Buddha covered with stucco inside. The Buddha was then placed in the abbot's residence, who later noticed that stucco on the nose had flaked off, revealing a green figure inside. The abbot removed all the stucco and found a Buddha image made of a green semi-precious stone, which became known as Phra Kaew Morakot or the Emerald Buddha. "Emerald" here simply means "green colored" in Thai. The temple has been thus called Wat Phra Kaew after this holy Buddha image ever since.
In 1990, a new Phra Kaew Marakot image was commissioned and carved in China out of Canadian jade in honor of Somdej Phra Srinagarindra, the Princess Mother's ninetieth birthday. The image is an intentionally close but not exact replica of the Phra Kaew Marakot in Bangkok; it is 48.3 cm wide across the lap and at 65.9 cm high, it is just 0.1 cm shorter than the original. The new image is called Phra Yok Chiang Rai (Chiang Rai Jade Buddha) and is housed in Haw Phra Yok. A dedication ceremony was held in Bangkok on 20 September 1991 (B.E. 2534) and the image was installed with a grand procession at Wat Phra Kaew, Chiang Rai on 19 October of the same year.
Pukekura Falls.... most likely the waterfall is not a natural one. It was ennobled by hand before the visit of the young Queen Elizabeth and her husband, Prince Philip, to New Zealand in the summer of 1954; and now there is a pump which makes the waterfall alive.
Waterfall height: 12m
Pukekura Falls are best viewed at night, during the Festival of Lights. The park is beautiful at any time of day or year, but every summer Pukekura Park hosts the spectacular Festival of Lights. From December to February, hundreds of lighting displays turn the park into a huge, illuminated fantasyland.
All attention focuses on the specific instant, almost too good to be true, which can only vanish in the following one :-)
Willie Ronis
HMM! HPPT! Character Matters!
echinacea, coneflowers, sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina
Most of the stain mills are white, varying slightly the color of the roof, black, gray, etc., that's why Belmonte mills attract so much attention.
These mills are made of ancient stone and a bit neglected, which in part is what gives it that special beauty and differentiates it from the rest of the mills with its light brown color.
Belmonte (Cuenca/ Comunidad autónoma Castilla-La Mancha/ Spain).
iPhone 6 snapseed mextures
As I was driving into work, the morning sun was making its way thru the mist and fog, trees are just starting to burst with color and I couldn't help myself but to pull over and take it all in. I drove up on this ridge and parked. I walked up to the open gates and noticed several small spider webs, glistening from the dew in the morning sun and started snapping away, I was very excited to see these come out so well on my iPhone. Tiny moments otherwise unwitnessed, my "stopping to smell the roses" moment.
When most people think of Iowa, they think of flat land and corn fields but they likely don't know about the Driftless - a small section in northeastern Iowa that all the Pleistocene glaciers forgot to cover and level out. As a result of those lucky misses, our landscape is filled with steep forested hills and sheltered valleys where small clear cold-water streams flow. Beavers have dammed this small stream up into a brook trout paradise.
in fact, it’s a very difficult medium to really excel well in because basically, people don’t work hard enough – they’re lazy. Don’t be lazy!
Martin Parr
HPPT! Ukraine Matters!
echinacea, coneflower, j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina
Acacia pycnantha, most commonly known as the golden wattle, is a tree of the family Fabaceae. It grows to a height of 8 metres and has phyllodes instead of true leaves. The profuse fragrant, golden flowers appear in late winter and spring, followed by long seed pods. Wikipedia
The golden wattle is the floral emblem of Australia with its masses of sunshine yellow balls of flowers brightening the bush and gardens in late winter to early spring. It grows from 2 to 10 metres tall and is fast growing, but sadly can be short lived. Adapts to most soils as long as they are free draining, and can take some frost and dry periods. Performs best in temperate climate zones. A useful plant- the flowers are fragrant and can be used for making perfume, the seed is edible and the bark is rich in tannins. Green seed can be cooked like peas. Ripe seed can be baked then ground with a mortar and pestle into a low glycaemic flour.
Note– this plant originates from South Australia, but has become a problem plant in some areas where it is becoming weedy and competing with the natural species. Southern Western Australia is one area where this happening. (Gardening with Angus)
Most of my pictures are taken in and around the city of Molde, witch is the capital of Møre og Romsdal, in the country of Norway
This one was taken in "The green corridor."
"The green corridor runs from the seafront at Reknes to the baroque Chateau villa, continuing through the Reknes Park up to the "Pavillion" at the Rekneshaugen viewpoint. The nature trail then passes through the Romsdal Museum and proceeds to the viewpoint Varden (407 m.a.s.) where you can enjoy a marvellous view of the town, the fjord and the Molde panorama."
My Website:
Godafoss is Iceland’s most impressive and beautiful waterfall. Its name is associated with the country’s history. Having been settled on the 9th and 10th centuries, the Norse pagan religion was dominant. With the growth of Christianity throughout Europe, the pressure to abandon Norse increased to the point that Iceland feared an invasion. In 1000 AD it adopted Christianity as the official religion and the decision maker made the symbolic gesture of throwing the pagan idols into the waterfall. Hence its name since then: The Waterfall Of the Gods.
This photo, taken at sunrise, is from my second day photographing Godafoss. The weather on the first day there was pretty bad, thick cloud cover, rainy and windy Returning on the day after proved to be a wise decision, as the place is spectacular and well justified the change in our plans (something that you should be prepared for in Iceland, due to its moody weather conditions...!).
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Iceland
© All rights reserved Rui Baptista. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
”The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.” — Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
Most likely melted away by now, here's the Tonti Canyon Icefall in early January. Five exposure HDR processed with Nik HDR Efex Pro 2
Most of my photographs are taken in and around the city of Molde, in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway.
This one was taken at the Rose Garden on roof of Molde Town Hall.
A rose is a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus Rosa, in the family Rosaceae, or the flower it bears. There are over a hundred species and thousands of cultivars.
My Website:
It has a 600 ft. (183 m) wide crater.
Most of the volcano is covered by snow.
After the Arenal, climbing a steep snow (glacial) ridge. Extra 32 minutes for me. It normally takes 40 minutes.
We left from the Hut at 2:00 am.
It is 6:20 am (sunrise time).
***
With its elevation of 5,023 metres (16,480 ft), Tungurahua just over tops the snow line (about 4,900 metres (16,100 ft)).
Tungurahua's top is snow-covered and did feature a small summit glacier which melted away after the increase of volcanic activity in 1999.
***
The glacier is small and represents only the final 40 minutes of the climb.
Crampons are recommended.
The rest of the climb is scree and demanding, especially if it is muddy.
……”Don’t” being the most often in this case. How many photo’s do you have to take to get ALL FOUR sets of flashing lights on at the same time!?! And there’s the digital delay to cope with! Jill liked it and that’s all that mattered. Its my first picture for ‘Smile On Saturday’ so I hope you smiled at my expense?……..Have a great W/End and be sure to stay Covid safe - protect yourself & help to protect others who may be more vulnerable. Alan;-)……
For the interested I’m growing my Shutterstock catalogue regularly here, now sold 59 images :- www.shutterstock.com/g/Alan+Foster?rid=223484589&utm_...
©Alan Foster.
©Alan Foster. All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.……
I'm still working on some edits to put shots up on another site. This is an old photo from my archives that has been reworked and resized. There are several that have similar looks to them, owing to the fact that the storm that rolled through Daytona Beach Shores that day was so impressive that I took tons of shots. All were taken from the balcony of the condo I was staying at. Unfortunately, all were taken with a point & shoot camera, so the clarity is mediocre on most, and there was just so much I could do with editing, but still, the images do convey the incredible force of nature in a powerful way.
The sunset shots were taken after the storm had passed, and that's not the sun glowing THROUGH the clouds that you see, but the REFLECTION of the sun off the clouds, as the sun sets in the west here, and these views are facing east, northeast or southeast towards the Atlantic.
The shot called Stormy Day was right before the storm hit, and Stop! You're Going the Wrong Way! was also at the beginning of the storm. Oddly enough, there was little or no rain, and the lightning and thunder produced by the thunderhead stayed mostly inside of the cloud itself. I suppose I should have been inside while it went through, but I was so captivated by it that I couldn't stop taking photos! These are among my most colorful, but that is mostly from the editing. The colors after the storm were much more pastel, and the storm itself wasn't as dark looking. These images create the mood I experienced looking at the beauty of it all, so I hope you enjoy!
John Lennon - Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The war is so long
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear...
Pix taken at Cu Mara SL the pix on the moon from The Vietnam War
Have a look in large view^^
The tiger leafwing, is the most common and well known species of the genus Consul of subfamily Charaxinae in the brush-footed butterfly family (Nymphalidae). It is found all over the Neotropics.
The length of the forewings reaches about 30–40 millimetres (1.2–1.6 in). The uppersides of the wings have a bright orange and black pattern, with two yellow bands across the angular forewings. The hindwings are tailed. This butterfly is part of a mimicry ring, as a matter of fact the cryptic undersides of the wings mimic a dead leaf. The eggs are laid on the leaves of various species of Piperaceae of which the caterpillars feed. The caterpillars are dark green with reddish spots along the back, while the chrysalis are pale green.
This species is present in deciduous forest, rainforest, and cloud forest. It usually prefers the forest canopy, the banks of rivers and the forest edges, at elevations between sea level and about 1200 m.
I am now offline for the next week so will catch up with everyone next week when I am back home. Thanks to all my friends for your lovely comments and encouragement. It has been weird in a different time zone and not in my normal routine here on Flickr but back to normal routines next weekend
Most plants cannot live in saltwater, since the water drowns their roots and the salt poisons their systems. Seaweed, however, is not a true plant and does not use systems that can be waterlogged. It has thick, rubbery stems that protect it from the corrosive ocean water, and uses simplified versions of roots and leaves to hold it in place and absorb sunlight. More complicated types of seaweed even have specialized bladders that allow it to float.
For most all of the adults I know, but not me. For me, there is no such thing as a summer too long, or a winter too short.
Disclaimer: I do not have to drive to work. For three years in the early1980's, I did have to drive to work. During those years I was not the winter lover I am now.
The plumage of most kingfishers is bright, with green and blue being the most common colours. The brightness of the colours is neither the product of iridescence or pigments, but is instead caused by the structure of the feathers, which causes scattering of blue light (the Tyndall effect).
The kingfishers have long, dagger-like bills. The bill is usually longer and more compressed in species that hunt fish, and shorter and more broad in species that hunt prey off the ground. The largest and most atypical bill is that of the shovel-billed kookaburra, which is used to dig through the forest floor in search of prey. They generally have short legs, although species that feed on the ground have longer tarsi. Most species have four toes, three of which are forward-pointing.
The irises of most species are dark brown. The kingfishers have excellent vision; they are capable of binocular vision and are thought in particular to have good colour vision. They have restricted movement of their eyes within the eye sockets, instead using head movements to track prey. In addition, they are capable of compensating for the refraction of water and reflection when hunting prey underwater, and are able to judge depth under water accurately. They also have nictitating membranes that cover the eyes to protect them when they hit the water; the pied kingfisher has a bony plate which slides across the eye when it hits the water.
Clevedon Pier is a seaside pier in the town of Clevedon, Somerset, England on the east shore of the Severn Estuary. It was described by Sir John Betjeman, as "the most beautiful pier in England" and was designated a Grade I listed building in 2001
most of the Spring blooms are done, except for the Dogwoods and Azaleas which are still going strong - HCS!
The wader most likely to be found along Ireland’s rocky shoreline. Mainly a winter visitor from northeast Canada and northern Greenland but good numbers pass through Ireland in spring and autumn en route to/from arctic and subarctic breeding grounds. About the size of a Starling, with a stocky build and short orange legs. In winter, its dark brown upperparts, white underside and black breast crescent make it difficult to see amongst seaweed. Spring birds are brighter and show rich chestnut markings on the wing and back. In flight, Turnstones show a series of black and white stripes, resembling a miniature Oystercatcher. Usually occurs in small flocks, moving with head down, constantly flicking over seaweed fronds, pebbles and beach debris with its short, stubby bill, in search of sand hoppers and other invertebrates.
Known in North America as the 'Ruddy Turnstone', there is also a second species, the 'Black Turnstone', which lives on the Pacific coast of North America.
Most of the Fenland lies within a few metres of sea level. As with similar areas in the Netherlands, much of the Fenland originally consisted of fresh- or salt-water wetlands, which have been artificially drained and continue to be protected from floods by drainage banks and pumps. With the support of this drainage system, the Fenland has become a major arable agricultural region in Britain for grains and vegetables. The Fens are particularly fertile, containing around half of the grade 1 agricultural land in England.