View allAll Photos Tagged Onceinalifetime
Tongariro Alpine Crossing - 2015
This is Soda Springs about an hour or so in, it's on a tiny detour off the main track and the start of the Mangatepopo Stream, which we're be walking along for a while. The last toilets at on the main track here!
Somewhere near the boutique hotel Locanda Montin, in the Fondamenta delle Eremite area.
Venice, Italy
Engulfed by darkness
Losing its own shine
The red creeping slowly
Onto the moon divine
Oh! What a sight to behold
Awestruck at this heavenly marvel
Slowly moving from gloom to light
Our very own celestial marble.
One of the major highlights of the holiday has to have been this day. We left our cottage before dawn on a perfect autumn day, and drove westwards across the Norfolk countryside with the sky gradually brightening behind us.
Our goal was to be on the beach at Snettisham at least two hours before the very high spring tide (due at 9.30 am). It only happens 4-6 times a year, where the tide is so high that it completely covers the mudflats with water. As a result, all the wading birds that normally feed there are forced into the air, and fly over the beach where we were sitting to land in the RSPB reserve behind us.
I took a couple of hundred photos, and gradually have whittled them down to about 60. These are the first of them. At this point we were looking north north west. Most of the mud was still there, but the tide is gradually approaching from the north. As can be seen, every now and then the birds take off and swirl around, making amazing patterns in the sky. In one or two of the photos, theres a long line of brown just below the horizon. This is not mud, but the birds all gathered together.
It was truly an amazing sight. Likened to the UK equivalent of watching huge herds on the Serengeti in Africa.
Rangitoto Island - 2015
Looking east form Cheltenham Beach to Rangitoto Island, a protected Scenic Reserve. The island is 'pest-free' (except fpr humans!) and is the newest volcano in New Zealand - just 600 years old. The idea of being pest-free, is that there are no rodents, insects, skinks, or other non-native spieces on the island. This allow native spieces, like Kiwis and Tautara, to thrive. New Zealanders take their bio-diversity and bio-security very seriously.
Wellington - 2015
The Wellington Cable Car has run up and down the hill since 1902, it is a Funicular Railway. Work started in 1899, and by 1912 over a million people used it per year, and is still at about that number now. It is used by tourists, students, and commuters, and owned by the City Council. Although it was built as a private venture, it became public in 1947, but has changed hands a few times in it's life.
If you ever go to Wellington, this is a must.
War Memorial Tower, Whanganui - 2015
The view from the tower looking north, up the Whanganui River. The bridge is Dublin St. and the Riverboat Centre is in the middle moored outside the centre is PS Waimarie a paddle steamer ferry, that cruises along the river. In the distance is probably Whanganui National Park.
Downhill Riding, Queenstown - 2015
This was my ride for the afternoon, a Specialized FSR courtesy of Select Bikes. Hitting the downhill trails of the Queenstown Bike Park, and getting the gondola back up for another run. As a cross-country ride, this felt like cheating, but it was immense fun!!
Wellington - 2015
The new Clyde Quay Wharf building from across the marina, with the Saint Gerards Monastery in the background at the foot of Mount Victoria.
The two danced around during their day larger
From last year in January when the foxes mated and I posted a 9 shot sequence from the day. Since then I have only added two more photos to the sequence, and now here are two more that fill in some gaps.
This shot details the day with the first 9 shots all posted on that image's page. And here's the Slideshow of all 13 images posted so far.
Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown - 2015
Over looking Lake Wakatipu from the top of the Skyline Gondola; the Luge track is in the foreground, Queenstown is to the bottom left, the almost island in the centre is a golf course and Kelvin Heights, Cecil Peak is just visible on the right, and across the back are The Remarkables.
It's a stunning place to be!
Auckland Harbour Bridge - 2015
The last thing I saw before my bus back to the airport was a light show from the Harbour. They kitted the bridge out with 51,000 LED bulbs, it's all linked up to an app to request music, and the lights are synched to it! This is all to celebrate the city's 175th anniversary, and the 12th March 2015 was the first night - what a privilege!
www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/arts/67263627/aucklands-bri...
© 2011 Patricia L Walker All Rights Reserved. My images are not to be used, copied, edited, or blogged without my written permission.
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There's a special double birthday today for me...the most special is that of my son - whoop whoop for him!! (Happy Birthday, L!!) The other birthday is that of this Flickr stream!! It's 1 year old today - snaps all around.
Apps Used:
Camera+
FX PhotoStudio (twice) ((one image with Explosion filter; one image with Colored Charcoal Sketch)
Iris (blended the two images together)
Impression
Durie Hill Elevator, Whanganui - 2015
The Durie Hill Elevator goes deep underground, and is met by this tunnel. Built in 1919 to help the residence get to the city, the tunnel is over 200m long and the elevator still works. It's $2 each way, and operated by a very kind lady.
Brookville BL36PH #818, still wearing manufacturer reporting marks BMEX, rests for a little in trail service on O721. Soon it will be lashed to FEC #501 and taken into Hialeah to rest with lots of other foreign power. The next day it'll be found in Fort Lauderdale.
Peacock Fountain, Christchurch - 2015
Built in 1911 by the Christchurch Beautifying Association but fund left by local businessman, politician, and philanthropist John T Peacock. It has moved twice over the years, because people either love it or hate it, and was then put into storage in 1949. It was fully restored, with damaged parts recast, and installed in a new location in 1996. The project cost NZ$270,000, and many locals still hate it!
That is the damaged Arts Centre in the background.
Here's a purely artsy special effects music video that I whipped up today after a long time of not doing any of these. I'm on vacation this week and it was a rainy day outside, so I thought I would use some iPhone video that I shot in downtown Moncton last week on another rainy day to make this. I started out with no goal in mind in particular and the ideas just evolved over the course of the day resulting in this. Music: "Once in a lifetime" by The Talking Heads from their concert album "Stop Making Sense". While the video was shot on my iPhone, all of the compositing, editing, and rendering was done on my PC.
I had to shoot the video about a block away from Froggy Bottoms, It was the closest I could get to it
Skyline, Queenstown - 2015
From my room with a balcony and view at Nomads; the town lit up and alive below, the Skyline Gondola to the right, and Ben Lomond Scenic Reserve/MTB park to the left. A lot of light pollution for paradise, but thankfully it dimmed a little later.
This is a Buddha that I put in Kelsey's Easter basket one year. I thought he might like a visit to her. The trees and the setting sun reflected on his big belly. Must have tickled something fierce. He made me smile and laugh and feel at peace.
Wellington - 2015
Taranaki Street, crossed by Cable Street and Jervois Quay, at night with all the lights at red. The Shed 22 Mac's Brew Bar is on the right, and Circa Theatre to the left.
Christchurch - 2015
Many many buildings remain in an unsafe condition. Some new, some old, some steel and glass, others timber - like this one. This used to be the Christchurch Club, a traditional wealthy gentleman's club, a building designed by Benjamin Mountfort in 1861 with category 1 protection. It's sad to see these old historic buildings in such a state that they will probably be demolished. But moving on is key; Christchurch only needs to look at Napier & Hastings for that.
Working with my point and shoot held above my head. Took my younger girls. It was very exciting. Getting up early paid off. We got a good spot, right on the field, pretty close.
Here's a transcript of his prepared speech:
Remarks of Senator Barack Obama—as prepared for delivery
Abington, Pennsylvania
Friday, October 3, 2008
You know, there were a lot of noteworthy moments in that debate, but there’s one that sticks out this morning. It’s when Governor Palin said to Joe Biden that our plan to get our economy out of the ditch was somehow a job killing plan.
I wonder if she turned on the news this morning.
Because it was just reported that America has experienced its ninth straight month of job loss. Just since January, we’ve lost more than 750,000 jobs across America, 7,000 in Pennsylvania alone. This is the economy that John McCain said – just two weeks ago – was fundamentally strong. This is the economy that my opponent said made great progress under the policies of George W. Bush. And those are the economic policies that he proposes to continue for another four years.
So when Senator McCain and his running mate talk about job killing, that’s something they know a thing or two about. Because the policies they’re supporting are killing jobs every single day.
Well, Abington, I am here to tell you that we cannot afford four more years of this. Because where I come from, there’s nothing more fundamental than having the sense of meaning and purpose that comes with showing up at work in the morning. There’s nothing more fundamental than being able to put your kids through college, or having health care when you get sick, or being able to retire with security. There’s nothing more fundamental than a good paying job.
That’s why we’re here today – because we need to do what we did in the 1990s and create millions of new jobs and not lose them. We need to do what we did in the 1990s and make sure people’s incomes are going up and not down. We need to do what a guy named Bill Clinton did in the 1990s and put people first again. That’s why I’m running for President of the United States of America.
We’ve tried it their way. It hasn’t worked. And it won’t work now. But let me tell you what will work.
What will work is investing $15 billion a year over the next decade in renewable sources of energy like wind and solar – an investment that will generate five million new jobs that pay well and can’t ever be outsourced. And by the way, we can end our dependence on foreign oil in the process, and nothing will help our economy more than that.
What will work is making an investment in rebuilding our crumbling roads, schools, and bridges. That will mean jobs for two million more Americans.
My opponent supports giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas. But what will work is giving those tax breaks to companies that create jobs here at home.
My opponent supports tax havens that let companies avoid paying taxes here in America – tax havens that cost $100 billion every year. But what will work is shutting those tax havens and closing corporate loopholes.
What will work is giving tax breaks to the small businesses that are the engine of economic growth in this country, and cutting taxes – hear me now – cutting taxes – for 95 percent of all working families. Under my plan, tax rates will actually be less than they were under Ronald Reagan.
That’s what will work. And that’s the kind of change Joe Biden and I are going to bring to Washington.
Now, let me be perfectly clear. The fact that our economy is in this mess is an outrage. It’s an outrage because we did not get here by accident. This was not a normal part of the business cycle. This did not happen because of a few bad apples.
This financial crisis is a direct result of the greed and irresponsibility that has dominated Washington and Wall Street for years. It’s the result of an economic philosophy that says we should give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else; a philosophy that views even the most common-sense regulations as unwise and unnecessary. Well, this crisis is nothing less than a final verdict on this failed philosophy – and it’s a philosophy that will end when I’m President of the United States.
That’s what this election is all about.
Because despite my opponent’s best efforts to make you think otherwise, this is the philosophy he’s embraced during his twenty-six years in Washington. And it shows just how out of touch he really is. How else could he offer $200 billion in tax cuts for big corporations at a time like this? How else could he propose giving the average Fortune 500 CEO a $700,000 tax cut at a time when millions of Americans are struggling to pay their bills? How else could he come up with an economic plan that leaves out more than 100 million middle class taxpayers?
Senator McCain just doesn’t get it. Well, Abington, I do get it. And I think all of you get it too.
We know these are difficult times. We know how bad Pennsylvania has been hurting. But here’s what I also know – I know we can steer ourselves out of this crisis. Because that’s who we are. Because that’s what Americans do. This is a nation that’s faced tougher times than these – we’ve faced war and depression; great challenges and great threats. And at each and every moment, we’ve risen to meet these challenges because we’ve never forgotten that fundamental truth – that here, in this country, our destiny is not written for us; it’s written by us.
Here, in the United States of America, the future is ours to shape. That’s what we need to do right now. Part of what that means is passing the rescue plan that’s before Congress. This is a plan that will help us deal with this immediate crisis and put our economy on a firmer footing. It’s a plan I voted for the other night – because I made sure it included taxpayer protections and wasn’t simply a blank check like this administration initially asked for. And it’s a plan that the House is going to be voting on soon. So to Democrats and Republicans in the House who are now on the fence, let me say this: do not make the same mistake twice. For the sake of our families, our economy, and our country, step up to the plate and pass this plan.
But understand, even with this plan, we may face a long and difficult road to recovery. That’s why, if I’m President, passing this rescue plan won’t be the end of what we do to strengthen our economy, it’ll be the beginning. It’ll be the beginning of a long-term rescue plan for our middle class – a plan that will put opportunity within reach for anyone who’s willing to fight for it.
Now, some people have asked whether our weakening economy means the next President will have to scale back his agenda. But I reject the idea that you can’t build a strong middle class at a time when our economy is weak. Because I’ve got a different economic philosophy than John McCain – I believe that building a strong middle class is the key to making our economy strong. And that’s what we’ll do when I’m President of the United States.
So yes, we’ll create millions of new jobs, and yes, we’ll put more money back into the pockets of hardworking families. But we’ll also do something more. We will reform our health care system so we can relieve families, businesses, and our economy from the crushing cost of health care by investing in new technology and preventative care. If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums. If you don’t, you’ll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves.
And we’re going to stand up to the insurance companies. This is personal for me. My mother died when she was 53 from ovarian cancer, and you know what she was doing in her final months? She was in her hospital bed arguing with insurance companies about whether or not it was a preexisting condition. So I know the pain that’s caused by our broken health care system. And that’s why as President, I will stop insurance companies from discriminating against those who are sick and need care the most.
And another thing we know will work in the long term is to make sure that our education system is second to none so that every child in America has the skills they’ll need to compete for high wage jobs in the 21st century. I’ve laid out a comprehensive plan to get there that will give our kids the opportunities they deserve.
When I spoke about that plan a while back, Senator McCain’s top education advisor said that this isn’t an issue he’s been focused on.
Well, let me tell you, if you want to create jobs and grow this economy in the 21st century, you had better focus on education. Because we know that countries that out-teach us today will outcompete us tomorrow.
Finally, I will modernize our outdated financial regulations and put in place the common-sense rules of the road I’ve been calling for since March – rules that will keep our market free, fair, and honest; rules that will restore accountability and responsibility in the boardroom, and make sure Wall Street can never get away with the stunts that caused this crisis again.
But just as we demand accountability on Wall Street, we must also demand it in Washington. That’s why I’m not going to stand here and simply tell you what I’m going to spend, I’m going to tell you how we’re going to save when I am President.
I’ll do what you do in your own family budgets and make sure we’re spending money wisely. I will go through the entire federal budget, page by page, line by line, and eliminate programs that don’t work and aren’t needed. We’ll start by ending a war in Iraq that’s costing $10 billion a month while the Iraqi government sits on a $79 billion surplus. And we’ll save billions more by cutting waste, improving management, and strengthening oversight.
These are the changes and reforms we need. A new era of responsibility and accountability on Wall Street and in Washington. Common-sense regulations to prevent a crisis like this from ever happening again. Investments in the technology and innovation that will restore prosperity and lead to new jobs and a new economy for the 21st century. Bottom-up growth that gives every American a fair shot at the American dream.
I won’t pretend this will be easy or come without cost. We will all need to sacrifice and we will all need to pull our weight because now more than ever, we are all in this together. What this crisis has taught us is that at the end of the day, there is no real separation between Main Street and Wall Street. There is only the road we’re traveling on as Americans – and we will rise or fall on that journey as one nation; as one people.
This country and the dream it represents are being tested in a way that we haven’t seen in nearly a century. And future generations will judge ours by how we respond to this test. Will they say that this was a time when America lost its way and its purpose? When we allowed our own petty differences and broken politics to plunge this country into a dark and painful recession?
Or will they say that this was another one of those moments when America overcame? When we battled back from adversity by recognizing that common stake that we have in each other’s success?
This is one of those moments. I realize you’re cynical and fed up with politics. I understand that you’re disappointed and even angry with your leaders. You have every right to be. But despite all of this, I ask of you what’s been asked of the American people in times of trial and turmoil throughout our history. I ask you to believe – to believe in yourselves, in each other, and in the future we can build together.
Together, we cannot fail. Not now. Not when we have a crisis to solve and an economy to save. Not when there are so many Americans without jobs and without homes. Not when there are families who can’t afford to see a doctor, or send their child to college, or pay their bills at the end of the month. Not when there is a generation that is counting on us to give them the same opportunities and the same chances that we had for ourselves.
We can do this. Americans have done this before. Some of us had grandparents or parents who said maybe I can't go to college but my child can; maybe I can't have my own business but my child can. I may have to rent, but maybe my children will have a home they can call their own. I may not have a lot of money but maybe my child will run for Senate. I might live in a small village but maybe someday my son can be president of the United States of America.
Now it falls to us. Together, we cannot fail. And I need you to make it happen. If you want the next four years looking like the last eight, then I am not your candidate. But if you want real change – if you want an economy that rewards work, and that works for Main Street and Wall Street; if you want tax relief for the middle class and millions of new jobs; if you want health care you can afford and education that helps your kids compete; then I ask you to knock on some doors, make some calls, talk to your neighbors, and give me your vote on November 4th. And if you do, I promise you – we will win Pennsylvania, we will win this election, and then you and I – together – will change this country and change this world. Thank you, God bless you, and may God bless America.
Napier Airport - 2015
After the Tiger Moth we got to explore the Firefighters' hanger, cruise up and down the run way and sit in this beast of an engine. Just like children!
Soundshell, Napier - 2015
The centre of Napier is really the Soundshell, it is a unique centre piece for the rebuilding from the devastating earthquakes of 1931. It was the heart of restyling the city as a 'modern city of the future', and was funded by citizens 'buying' paving slabs etc... crowdfunding pre-internet!
It is an open air public events arena, with an 'outdoor dancing area'.
This is a scan of a print from an old colour slide, taken in the desert outside Doha, Qatar (Middle East) in 1967. I have several of these old photos from Qatar that I need to scan and post as soon as possible. I don't know just where outside Doha this was taken, so I will mark it as Doha on my map - just in case anyone isn't quite sure where Doha is : ) We lived in Doha, Qatar, for just six months. This particular day was very special. One of the local Sheikhs, Sheikh Nasser, put on a "picnic" for employees and their families of one of the large oil companies. Various aspects of nomadic life were carefully arranged for us to see and enjoy, including a typical woven tent, a magnificent camel wearing its spectacular woven dressings, the slaughter of an animal hung from a wooden tripod and then prepared and cooked for us. This meal was eaten inside the tent, with everyone sitting in a circle on woven rugs - no knives or forks of course - and was followed by the preparation of coffee over a fire (and using the beautiful coffee pots that I love so much). Also a trained Saker Falcon (Falco cherrug) was on its perch. A day I've never forgotten, including a ride on one of their camels (what an experience!). A most enjoyable day and one that we all greatly appreciated.
Re:START, Christchurch - 2015
Possibly of the coolest stencils I've ever seen, it's Buzz Lightyear hiding in the Re:START Mall. The city is covered in very cool graffiti street art, but i laughed out loud when I saw this, so it won!
Smash Palace - 2015
Smash Palace is a classic New Zealand film, directed by Roger Donaldson, from 1981. It was set here at Horopito Motors, aka Smash Palace, in Horopito. The town was once busting, now nothing but the wreckers yard and a microbrewery are left.