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I haven't seen too many Monarch Butterflies this summer so far but when I do I wait for moments like this ;) This beauty happened my way last week and I forgot about it ;)

I must add that when I first joined flickr..I had never taken a photograph of a butterfly before. Seeing all the beautiful butterfly photographs on flickr got me hooked. It does require lots of luck and lots of patience.. However, I find it so much fun and we sure don't see butterflies in winter here in Southern Ontario..So I do enjoy shooting them whenever I can ;) Perhaps this may encourage some of you who don't normally shoot them to give it a try? Go on.....I dare ya! :)

The common name “Monarch” was first published in 1874 by Samuel H. Scudder because “it is one of the largest of our butterflies, and rules a vast domain."

Best viewed LARGE.

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VIEW MY WEB SITE AND SHOP HERE

photographydavidsmith.com/

MY GETTY COLLECTION HERE

www.gettyimages.com/search/search.aspx?assettype=image&am...

Here is my first published work even though did it as a freebie its great seeing your work on a web site

www.thewhitehartvillageinn.com/index.html

Here is the flickr set

www.flickr.com/photos/10141102@N08/sets/72157623966405344/

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North of Keswick in the English Lake District and measuring over 3,000 ft is the mighty Skiddaw mountain. I shot both photos whilst on a hike within the eastern part of Whinlatter Forest (west of Keswick).

This was was my birthday weekend away and we had a pretty cool time.

You think that sounds good? Well, the previous year I was in Las Vegas, New Mexico and the year before I was in Tombstone, Arizona. Of course, we made up for it this year as I was in Fredericksburg Texas!

Three outta four ain't bad at all. . . . :))

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skiddaw

View On White

I've always been a big fan of large earthworks art and Olrick Thorson's Standing stones in Acasia California is one of the most impressive I've ever seen. The sheer size of this project is almost hard to believe. ( over 120 feet tall) The remote location near the Oregonian border in Northern Califronia makes it hard to visit, ten mile dirt road and then a hard scramble down to the shore. But once you make the hike, it's so worth it.

The dream of philanthropist William Waits, who grew up on a small dairy farm not far from this spot, the Balance Rocks is the work of famed Norwegian Sculpture Olrick Thorson. This project took almost two years of his life and cost what must be huge sums of money. (because the Waits foundation is completely private entity and wont disclose the cost, no one knows how much. Unbelieveably these are free standing rocks and are not attached at all. Apparently the sheer mass of the rock is far greater than the wind sheer forces of even the strongest winds and once the proper balance is acheived they are very hard to move at all. (I would still think twice about kayacking by on a windy day however!)

Thorson is known for his wry sense of humor and it shows here in his clever use of pre-carving the massive rocks to give them the shape of smaller river rocks one usually associates with these carrins. An entire village of japansese masons lived in the town of Acasia for a whole year preparing the rocks the shape of which were designed with hi tech computers to ensure the proper mass and and size for optimal balancing.

Tragically, Thorson's younger Brother Yanni was crushed to death in a freak accident early on in the carving process. A plaque dedicating the work to his memory sits at the end of the trail not far from where I took this picture. If you're ever in Acasia California, you gotta go check this thing out!

(In a strange coincidence note Olrick's Father Tor was a confidant of my great uncle arthur and they used to hunt mushrooms togeather.)

Catedral de Barcelona @ Barcelona, Cataluña, España

On Black / Fondo Negro then press F11 / luego presiona F11

La Catedral de la Santa Cruz y Santa Eulalia (nombre oficial de la Catedral) es la catedral gótica de Barcelona, sede del Arzobispado de Barcelona, en Cataluña, España.

La catedral actual se construyó durante los siglos XIII a XV sobre la antigua catedral románica, edificada a su vez sobre una iglesia de la época visigoda a la que precedió una basílica paleocristiana, cuyos restos pueden verse en el subsuelo, en el Museo de Historia de la Ciudad. La finalización de la imponente fachada en el mismo estilo, sin embargo, es mucho más moderna (siglo XIX). El edificio es Bien de Interés Cultural y, desde el 2 de noviembre de 1929, Monumento Histórico-Artístico Nacional.

Está dedicada a la Santa Cruz y a Santa Eulalia, patrona de la ciudad de Barcelona (actualmente es más celebrada como tal es la Virgen de la Merced que, estrictamente, es patrona de la diócesis de Barcelona, pero no de la ciudad), una joven doncella que, de acuerdo con la tradición católica, sufrió el martirio durante la época romana. Una de tales historias cuenta que fue expuesta desnuda en el foro de la ciudad y que milagrosamente, a mitad de primavera, cayó una nevada que cubrió su desnudez. Las enfurecidas autoridades romanas la metieron en un barril con vidrios rotos, clavos y cuchillos clavados en él y lanzaron cuesta abajo el barril (de acuerdo con la tradición, se trataría de la calle Baixada de Santa Eulàlia, Cuesta de Santa Eulalia). Y así, hasta trece martirios diferentes, uno por cada año de edad de la santa. Finalmente, fue crucificada en una cruz en forma de aspa, que es el emblema de la catedral y la diócesis, así como el atributo iconográfico de la santa.

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The Cathedral of Santa Eulalia (official name) is the Gothic cathedral seat of the Archbishop of Barcelona, Spain. (Though sometimes inaccurately so called, the famous Sagrada Família is not a cathedral). The cathedral was constructed throughout the 13th to 15th centuries, with the principal work done in the 14th century. The cloisters enclosing the Well of the Geese (Fuente de las Ocas) were completed about 1450. The neo-Gothic façade was constructed over the nondescript exterior that is common to Catalan churches in the 19th century.

The cathedral was constructed over the crypt of a former Visigothic chapel, dedicated to Saint James, which was the proprietary church of the Viscounts of Barcelona, one of whom, Mir Gerberto, sold it in 1058 to bishop Guisleberto. Its site faced the Roman forum of Barcelona,

It is a hall church, vaulted over five aisles, the outer two divided into chapels. The transept is truncated. The east end is a chevet of nine radiating chapels connected by an ambulatory. The high altar is raised, allowing a clear view into the crypt.

The cathedral is dedicated to Eulalia of Barcelona, co-patron saint of Barcelona, a young virgin who, according to Catholic tradition, suffered martyrdom during Roman times in Barcelona. One story is that she was exposed naked in the public square and a miraculous snowfall in mid-spring covered her nudity. The enraged Romans put her into a barrel with knives stuck into it and rolled it down a street (according to tradition, the one now called 'Baixada de Santa Eulalia'). The body of Saint Eulalia is entombed in the cathedral's crypt.

The choir stalls retain the coats-of-arms of the knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece. In his first trip into Spain, Charles, the future Holy Roman Emperor, selected Barcelona as the site of a chapter of his Order. The king had arrived for his investiture as Count of Barcelona, and the city, as a Mediterranean port, offered the closest communication with other far-flung Hapsburg dominions, while the vast proportions of the cathedral would accommodate the grand ceremonies required. In 1518 the Order's herald, Thomas Isaac, and its treasurer, Jean Micault, were commissioned to prepare the sanctuary for the first sitting of the chapter in 1519. Juan de Borgonya executed the painted decoration of the sanctuary.

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In Onexposure

The church stands on a plain at the foot of the road. It is a building with a single nave with a semicircular apse oriented east, the two bodies together directly through the opening arc of the apse. The nave is covered with a barrel vault point, reinforced by two arcs that twist off a simple imposta. The apse is covered by a fourth round of a sphere. Four windows give light to the interior: two in front of the lunch, one in the west and the center of the apse, all with double-stroke and a round arch, the inner monolithic adovellat and a la outside. The entrance gate is located on one side of the south wall and is composed of two semicircular arches adovellats and degradation. The walls that enclose the sides of the ship lift and speaker, beyond the height of the roof with a gable double arc located on the west. This wall was a door open late to edge which was walled up in the restoration done by the Barcelona between 1970 and 1973, while reopening the door for lunch. The work is arranged in small blocks horizontal rows and tied with lime mortar rather sandy. Front door, a bastion of low wall was a small close where there is a sink stone named above were on the inside. We must remember that in the era of the house there are Santamaria anthropomorphic tombs that are part of the ancient necropolis of the church and is now hidden.

The first document which mentions Santa Maria is the consecration of the church of the monastery of San Lorenzo near Bagà, dated 21 November 983, in which the count of Cerdanya-Oliba Besalú and his wife Ermegarda donations made between some underwater the Sta. Maria has five houses, lands, tithes and first, and in a more clear: "Et in Avizano ecclesiam Sanctae Marie et hamlets V et terras et vineas, cum suas decimas et primitias (Parchment n. 1110, AM). The church was therefore within the limits of the old county of Berga and under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Bishop of Urgell, depending on the Benedictine monastery of San Lorenzo near Bagà. The 1003 Count Oliba Cabreta the cedi to the monastery of Santa Maria de Serrateix (which depended on St. Lawrence nearly Bagà). In the tenth century Bishop of Urgell religious communities became the rule of Saint Benedict, taking care of the Benedictine parishes dependents. For this reason, some historians believe that Santamaria's house, next to the church, could have been the seat of a monastery that women would care about the cult of the Virgin Mary. The year 1312 remained the category of the parish as confirmed at the deanery of Berga. Currently depends on the parish of St. Martí as a covered (BENEDICT, 1993). During the Civil War (1936-1939) was leaving the cult and was converted into storage until 1970, the Heritage Service of the Barcelona are carried out important restoration work, returning the cult on 14 May 1973 . From inside the church comes to the front altar of Santa Maria attributed to the Master of Avià, preserved in the National Art Museum of Catalonia and which n'exposa back inside the church . The Virgin Mary was venerated Avià of this church and was known as Our Lady of La Leche, because it calls for pregnant women to assist in the delivery and give them strength to have the baby milk (Joys of Santa Maria de Avià).

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The wheel bug is poised to grab this honeybee. He will use his hooked legs to hold her and then impale the bee with his beak. The beak (rostrum) extends (folds out), impales and then injects toxin and digestive juices into prey. By reversing flow this beak then serves as a straw.

In this photograph the wheel bug's posture reminds me of Count Dracula trying to hypnotize a victim he plans to impale. It did not work as this time the bee escaped.

Rostrum: www.amentsoc.org/insects/glossary/terms/rostrum

The Wheel Bug Rap

Said (or sung) with a funky beat

Your nose is a hypodermic needle,

Your back has wings to fly,

Your legs have hooks to grasp your prey,

And hold them till they die.

(Chorus)

They call you wheel bug,

Cause your back is a wheel,

It's shape is kinda rough.

You're a real bug!

With wings, six legs,

And lots of other insect stuff.

Your head is shaped like two arrows,

Right On It ... a beak and three eyes,

With two feelers of red, you're a sight to dread!

Mr. Wheel Bug ... you're a scary guy.

(Chorus)

Your beak extends like a switch blade,

It's pointed and hollow and kills!

It's a real poison pen ... but there's more!

It's a straw to drink your meals.

(Chorus)

Wheel bug you're so ... prehistoric,

It's good you're only ... one inch long,

I'm glad you're a bug and I'm not one,

And that's the end of this song.

Link to the wheel bug rap: www.flickr.com/photos/drphotomoto/3002340775/

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Weather with me again so as i had planned the Winter will be coastal back to my passion !!! We were treated to one amazing cloud show after this was taken so moved down the beach for wet reflections. Did a small stop on the way home at Mewslade low tide some amazing rocks there , its 70 miles from home to get here , then the horrible steps down and even worse the climb back UP .

The 'Helvetia'

Rhossili shipwreck

The gales around the Gower coast on the morning of 1st November 1887 caused two ships, heavily laden with timber, to be stranded off Mumbles' Head. Unable to navigate the stormy seas to dock at Swansea Harbour, the struggling ships found themselves being blown down the Bristol Channel by the increasingly strong south-easterly winds. One ship luckily managed to reach the shelter of Lundy Island, but the oak-constructed barque of the Helvetia, struck the dangerous sandbank of Helwick Sands. With the next turbulent swell, the ship gained freedom from the shallow waters but was swept precariously around Worm's Head into the shallow waters of Rhossili Bay.

The captain of the Helvetia dropped anchor here and was taken ashore by the coastguard. However, he refused to abandon his ship altogether, leaving the crew aboard the barque, afraid that given the chance, someone might steal her. Unfortunately, the wind refused to die down and when it changed direction suddenly, it forced the ship to drag her anchor. With nightfall rapidly approaching, the decision was finally made for the crew to abandon ship. The tortured wreck of the Helvetia was discovered the next morning, laid to rest upon the sands and surrounded by her cargo of 500 tons of wood.

During the following weeks the timber was systematically collected from the beach and gathered for auction sale, where South Wales timber merchants purchased the cargo at a bargain price. Arrangements were made for the timber to be taken by ship during the summer months. It was during this phase of the wood clearance operation that the sea brought a second disaster to the area.

The steamboat Cambria, from Llanelli, and a small Mumbles sailing vessel, having loaded the Helvetia’s timber from the bay, were both caught short by the tide. The captain of the sailing vessel carried his anchor out to low water to assist in leaving the bay later, but the propeller driven Cambrian needed to wait for high tide.

As the tide came in, the wind picked up pace causing the waves to intensify and swell. As the Cambria started to float with the rising water, it unfortunately turned sideways onto the strengthening waves, and looked as if it would surely be wrecked. However, with the help from the coastguard, the ship was stabilized and the crew managed to sail away safely later the same day. The ship's anchor had been left behind, however, and so some local men were hired to carry the anchor over the sands at low water, to the nearby area of the bay known as Kitchen Corner. There they attached a buoy to the anchor, making it ready for collection when the ship returned later.

When the ship returned to the bay several months later, the Cambria’s master sent a boat ashore with some day-tripping landlubbers. After spending the day at the Rhossili public house 'The Ship Inn', these men finally recovered the anchor. Unfortunately, the weight of the anchor, accompanied by the weight of the six rescuers, proved too much for the boat, eventually causing it to capsize. All six men were thrown into the ocean. Only one of the men made it to the shore alive.

The wreck of the Helvetia itself was sold cheaply to a local man, but before he had a chance to strip the precious copper keel from the vessel, she had started to settle in the sand. Nevertheless, he made good salvage of the ship's deckboards by flooring his kitchen with its wood.

Rhossili was not a stranger to profit from shipwrecks, previous centuries had witnessed the violence of the Rhossili Wreckers - who lured in unsuspecting ships caught in troubled seas to be smashed against the rocks, in order to acquire their cargo. Such purposeful wrecking confined to the past, the locals would still always make good use of the wreckwood from the beaches, and nearly all of the surviving old farm buildings down the far end of the peninsula are constructed from such reclamation.

The ocean-stripped oak carcass of the Helvetia shipwreck is today an easily recognised landmark of Rhossili and must be one of the most photographed of objects on the Gower peninsula as a whole.

View On Black and Large

Esta foto es para curro vázquez y su Señora, ya que fuimos juntos a la "cazeria" de esta ave maravillosa.

Es un ave inconfundible dado su colorido, ya que tiene un plumaje multicolor. La parte superior es rojiza y amarilla, la parte inferior o ventral es verde azulada, y el cuello es de color amarillo. Su tamaño es algo menor que un mirlo común y su pico es largo y apuntado. Es un ave migradora que pasa la temporada estival en la península ibérica desde abril hasta septiembre regresando a sus cuarteles africanos cuando comienza el otoño.

Der im Durchschnitt ca. 28 cm große Bienenfresser ist einer der buntesten Vögel Europas. Er ist kaum zu verwechseln: Der Bauch- und Brustbereich ist türkisfarben, Scheitel- Nacken- und Rückenpartien sind rostbraun, die Flügel sind ebenfalls in beiden Farben gehalten, und über dem gelblichen Kinn befindet sich ein schwarzer Augenstreif. Charakteristisch sind auch der relativ lange, leicht gebogene Schnabel und die verlängerten mittleren Steuerfedern der Altvögel. Jungvögeln sind blasser, und ihnen fehlen diese verlängerten mittleren Schwanzfedern.

This species, like other bee-eaters, is a richly-coloured, slender bird. It has brown and yellow upper parts, whilst the wings are green and the beak is black. It can reach a length of 27-29 cm, including the two elongated central tail feathers. Sexes are alike.

This is a bird which breeds in open country in warmer climates. Just as the name suggests, bee-eaters predominantly eat insects, especially bees, wasps and hornets, which are caught in the air by sorties from an open perch. Before eating its meal, a European Bee-eater removes the sting by repeatedly hitting the insect on a hard surface. It eats some 250 bees daily.

Hace unos días subí una parecida a ésta, pero en su versión a color. Esta está tomada desde el ángulo contrario en bn. Espero que os guste igualmente.

Por si quieres verla en grande

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The home and gardens of the Duke and Duchess of Westminster. It is only opened four times a year to the public, I was lucky enough to be there when it was.

This is an amazingly stunning place that Clairey and I spent a day in...just loved it! 88 acres of beauty!

I did have to laugh at all the flower, tree, and sky photo's I took...because a sky, flower or tree in England is so much different! lol

I hope you all are well and enjoying the summer so far. xo

;0}

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Lonely on the land I walk,

Lonely cross the sea I sail,

Lonely air of beach I stroll:

This lonely life doth take its toll.

Lonely trek of woodland trail,

Lonely mist in haze o’ dawn,

Lonely spies the bird of prey

In lonely circles all astray.

Lonely be such dark of night

When sleep is but a yearning wish,

To dream of sweet companions close,

As wine would pair with diner's dish.

Lonely do these thoughts me make

That draw my blood of precious life:

Replace with stream of flowing pain

To bless my veins with coursing strife.

Lonely years are now my friends,

Lonely cries bereft of sound,

Lonely tears that cool my face:

In lonely life of sullen pace.

Mark R Slaughter

Nikon D90 | Nikkor 18-200mm @ 35 mm | 1/640 @ f/8.0 | ISO 160 | WB : Daylight

Place: Lake Saif Al Malook (جھیل سیف الملوک), Naran (Pakistan)

▌Informações da Foto

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◘ Camera: Pentax *ist D

◘ Lente: Pentax-F 1:4-5.6 35-80mm

◘ ISO: 400

◘ Diafragma: f/4.5

◘ Distância Focal: 48mm

◘ Tempo de Exposição: 1/4000

◘ Exif Completo: Clique aqui!

◘ Veja Grande: Clique aqui! *novo*

▌Informações do Lugar

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◘ Local: Passeio com Salvador Foto Clube.

◘ Informação Adicional: A Ribeira é um antigo bairro das famílias de classe alta baianas e atual bairro da boemia, localizado na Cidade Baixa, em Salvador. A Ribeira é bastante conhecida por causa da famosa Sorveteria da Ribeira, além do lindo pôr-do-sol e seus barzinhos. É na Ribeira, especificamente na Enseada dos Tainheiros, que ocorrem há muitos anos as disputas de remo, entre as antigas equipes do Itapagipe, Vitória e Santa Cruz. Era ali naquele mesmo ponto que existia um hidroporto, em que antes da existência do aeroporto, desciam os aviões com políticos e artistas famosos em Salvador. (fonte: Wikipédia)

◘ Cidade / Estado: Salvador / Bahia

◘ Veja localização no mapa: Clique aqui! [?]

▌Informações de Edição

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◘ Sofware/Plugin: Photoshop CS3 / Viveza / Lucisart

◘ Descrição: mais luz nos tons baixos [módulo escultura] Lucisart) Ajuste de contraste e brilhos em cores com u-points separados (Viveza), Dodge and Burn tool, Bi-Color Graduado azul/laranja, Curvas, Balanço de Cor, Cor Seletiva, Brilho e contraste (Photoshop)

◘ Tempo de Edição: ± 10min

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No group invites, badges and awards, please!

Não envie convites para grupos, flickr badges ou prêmios de grupos, por favor!

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Best On Black. Escalator of the Musée d'Orsay.

Part of "A stroll in Paris"

On Large

Built on top Colina da Penha or Penha Hill, also known as Bishop Hill because of the Bishop Residence, is a Chapel of Our Lady of Penha which was first built in 1622.

The first chapel was erected by the crew and passengers of a ship which had a narrow escape from the Dutch.

Later the chapel served as shrine for sailors embarking on often hazardous voyages.

The chapel today dates back to 1837 when it was completely rebuilt along with the Bishop's Palace.

It is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.

The bell tower of the Church is very distinctive and can be seen anywhere from the harbor.

On one side of the large open courtyard fronting the church is a marble image of the Blessed Virgin Mary facing the border of China, as if praying for that magnificent land.

Her prayers are definitely bearing fruit because now thousands of Chinese tourist dutifully climb up her little hill.

At the foot of a flight of stone steps is a popular grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Along the grotto is also a nice garden with fountains, seating and children's playground.

Nearby is a bronze gravestone with Portuguese inscriptions indicating the resting place of Bishop John Bouner of Macau who was buried here on 18 February 1918

On a clear day the panoramic view from here includes not only Macau but across the Pearl River into China.

One can see the whole harbor and a great collection of old and modern architecture: the Chief Executive's Palace, other colonial residences, the Macau Tower, and the man-made lakes.

macauEvery year, on the 13th of May, thousand of faithful joins the image of Our Lady of Fatima for a pilgrimage and procession.

The procession begins from Sto. Domingo Church and meanders through the narrow streets of Macau.

The procession finally ends in the little courtyard of Penha Church.

Every year at this day, thousands of devotees coming from all over, never fails to accompany the Blessed Virgin Mary.

www.olamacauguide.com/penhachurch.html

Ver En Negro y En Grande

Pues hasta que no salga hacer fotos de nuevo sigo tirando de archivo, en este caso de la quedad en Estivella con los amigos del Call Of DutY, esta foto es en Karting, y le verdad que aunque sea una pequeña carrera, la concentración es indispensable, no me quiero imaginar una carrera de F1. Oropesa (Valencia)

Nota: El procesado, ha sido como suelo hacer los procesados para los retratos, para sacar mucho detalle con capas de sombras e iluminaciones, luego procesado en blanco y negro, una capa de curvas, y luego los detalles de color.

Cámara: D40

Modo De Exposición: Manual

ISO: 200

Velocidad: 1/400

Focal: 175.0 mm

F/ 5.6

Objetivo: 55.0-200.0 mm F/ 4.0-5.6

Procesado: Light room 2

Camera Raw 4.3

Photoshop Cs 3

(Explore #145: Jul 14, 2009)

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Source of two kinds of oil produced in Alberta, Canada: Canola oil and crude oil.

Pumpjacks (also known as nodding donkeys, pumping units, horsehead pumps, beam pumps, sucker rod pumps (SRP), grasshopper pumps, thirsty birds and jack pumps) are the overground drives for a reciprocating piston pump installed in an oil well. It is used to mechanically lift liquid out of the well if there is not enough bottom hole pressure for the liquid to flow all the way to the surface. The arrangement is commonly used for onshore wells producing relatively little oil. Pumpjacks are common in many oil-rich areas, dotting the countryside and occasionally serving as local landmarks.

Depending on the size of the pump, it generally produces 5 to 40 litres of a crude oil-water mixture (called emulsion) at each stroke. The size of the pump is also determined by the depth and weight of the oil to be removed, with deeper extraction requiring more power to move the heavier lengths of sucker rods (see diagram at right).

A pumpjack converts the rotary mechanism of the motor to a vertical reciprocating motion to drive the pump shaft, and is exhibited in the characteristic nodding motion. The engineering term for this type of mechanism is a walking beam. It was often employed in stationary and marine steam engine designs in the 1700s and 1800s.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpjack

Have a great day and thanks for visiting!

***View Larger on Black***

An other classic shot of London. This time of the London Towers along the River Thames.

3 shots blended in Photomatix. A bit of Photoshop for the curves and typical stuff.

I was really lucky during this week with the weather!! The only rain i got was in Dublin for a couple of hours!!

Une autre photo "classique" de Londres et de ses fameuses "London Towers" qui semblent tout droit sorties d'un parc d'amusant style Walt Disney!! :P

3 photos mélangées dans Photomatix et bisounées par après dans Photoshop pour les courbes et autres trucs du genre. La base quoi!! :P

J'ai été trèèèèès chanceux avec la température pendant cette semaine à Londres. J'ai seulement eu un après-midi de pluie et c'était à Dublin.

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I am rather embarrassed about this but I love pink. It's so girly and Jordan-like that it shames me to say it. I used to love purple...but it's a bit goth for me and is not very versatile, and I love black but then it's not really a colour. So it's pink. Not usually baby pink though more fuschia. Actually, any pink. It makes me happy.

Violet started liking blue...which apart from brown is my least favourite colour. So I made it clear that I didn't like blue - although light blue is okay - and so she changed her mind in favour of pink. Oh the power, am such a bully! Anyway, now she loves yellow.

So this is me in Violet's pink wig [nicked from her dressing up drawer] with matching eyeshadow [i always match my eyeshadows with my outfit].

On black

All my pics

My most interesting photos

www.algarvewildlife.com/reserves-guadiana.php

There are many reasons to visit this beautiful part of Portugal: in spring the wildflowers are wonderful, in autumn the fungi are fabulous, but whatever time of year you visit, the birds are brilliant, and this is what the region is most famous for.

The parque itself is designated as a SPA – Special Protection Area. (There is an explanation of conservation designations on the First Nature website...) It is a large area around the little town of Castro Verde, which lies off the western edge of the Parque.

The countryside is a mixture of wooded hills clad with pine or introduced eucalyptus, grasslands studded with holm oak trees under which the famous black pigs forage for acorns in the autumn, and the largest area of rolling steppes in Portugal – even in high summer when the overall impression is of a desert the landscape is unforgettable.

This outstanding natural park partly lies along the Portuguese border with Spain and is best accessed (from the Algarve) by driving to Castro Marim on the Spanish border and heading north along the IC27 and then Route 122 in the direction of Beja. Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana is a huge area covering almost 700 square kilometres and, in order to see all that it has to offer, a stay of two or three days in the area would be ideal.

The Hotel Beira Rio in the lovely little town of Mertola is ideal. The hotel is in Rua Dr. Afonso Costa and well signed from all entry points into Mertola, although you should be ready for some interesting driving around the narrow, cobbled streets on the way! The hotel is simple but immaculately clean and comfortable and has excellent views up and down the River Guadiana, which it overlooks. Breakfast is available but there is no restaurant in the hotel for other meals. The staff supply a map with all the nearby restaurants marked, along with the main tourist attractions.

huge area covering almost 700 square kilometres and, in order to see all that

Access and Facilities

There are a number of routes of varying distances throughout and around the Parque which are easy to follow. The road (route 123) between Mertola and Castro Verde and then back via the IP2 (to Trinidade) and then the 122 returning to Mertola is a triangular route and will give you a really good feel for the area.

Another really enjoyable, and not too long, route is marked off the N267 as Circuto de Serras. It passes through some outstanding mountain scenery with several ideal spots to pause and admire the surroundings. Also, not too distant (about 31 kilometres) from Mertola, is Puolo do Lobo, which is an impressive waterfall on the River Guadiana. Considering how seldom one sees water in rivers in the Algarve, and bearing in mind that Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana sits in the centre of the hottest and most arid region of Portugal with rain well below average, it is quite a surprise to see such a waterfall. Puolo do Lobo is accessed through gates around a kilometre before the waterfall which can be found at the bottom of a steep track. There are parking places and a vehicle turning area very close to the cascade.

Close to Castro Verde there is an Environmental Education Centre run by the Liga da Protectao da Natureza - see the paragraph below for more details.

The Birds of Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana

Any description of the birdlife of Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana has to include both the Little Bustard and the Great Bustard, although excessive pressure from birdwatchers has had a negative impact on the breeding success of these two species in recent years. Before attempting to find and photograph these birds it is a good idea to visit the LPN (Liga da Protecao da Natureza) Castro Verde Environmental Education Centre which lies about 10 minutes drive to the east of Castro Verde itself. The centre is open from 9am – 5pm except on Sundays and Mondays, and the English-speaking staff there will explain the various measures that should be adopted when observing Little Bustards and Great Bustards. There is also information available on all the bird-watching hotspots, including walking trails, that exist in the area.

Of the two species of Bustard to be found in the Parque, the Little Bustard is the more common of the two and most likely to be spotted from the roadside. In Spring the head of male bird, perched on its long black neck, can be seen protruding above the tall grasses as he patrols the nest in the absence of his mate. The Great Bustard is a much shyer bird and more rarely seen by the casual visitor to the area. At a weight of around 18 kilogrammes this monster is Europe's heaviest bird and it seems nothing short of a miracle that it is able to take to the air. Even more sensitive to habitat destruction than the Little Bustard, this amazing bird is on the Endangered List and afforded the highest levels of protection.

Many of the other birds to be found here are classified as rare or endangered. There are a few pairs of Bonelli’s Eagles and Golden Eagles for instance, and Great Spotted Cuckoos, Golden Oriels, Black-shouldered Kites and Blue Rock Thrushes can all be found in the Parque. A recent study of the presence of breeding Eagle Owls in the Parque revealed the highest density of these birds ever recorded. Azure-winged Magpies are common in the area and also many Lapwings, which have become so rare in other parts of Europe where they were once common birds. Other notable species present in the Parque include the European Roller, Bee Eater, Black-bellied Sandgrouse, Montague’s Harrier, Calandra Lark, Common Crane, Lesser Kestrel, Eurasian Griffon Vulture and Eurasian Black Vulture. There have even been sightings of Spanish Imperial Eagles soaring over the area.

Other birds to look out for include the Rufous-tailed Robin, a Black-shouldered Kite, several Buzzards, Red Kites, and numerous Red-legged Partridges scurrying across the roads.

Less affected by visiting birdwatchers and naturalists than some of the rarer birds are the Storks - their nesting colonies are frequently found in trees on the roadsides of the Park. Although common throughout the Iberian Peninsula they nevertheless create huge interest for visitors from other parts of the world.

General Wildlife of Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana

Although best known for being a mecca for bird watchers Parque Natural do Vale do Guadiana is also an excellent place to see many of the wildflowers that occur in southern Portugal, and in autumn, the Parque is an outstanding place to see numerous species of fungi.

One of the earliest of the spring flowers in the area is the cute-looking Friar's Cowl (Arisarum vulgare) which pops up from the base of the plant's arrowhead-shaped leaves as early as December or January. Once the flower season gets underway the roadsides and river banks are consumed with the yellows and purples of early sping as Jonquil, Yellow Hoop-petticoat Daffodil and Barbary Nut burst into flower. They are quickly followed by bright pink Catchflly (Silene colorata) and deep purple Viper's-bugloss (Echium vulgare). The grasslands are a paradise for various members of the pea family including the darkly beautiful Vicia Benghalensis with its thickly hairy stems. In spring the landscape resembles a view through a kaleidoscope with its ever-changing colour as one dominant species of wildflower gives way to the next and so on. By the end of May the extensive crop fields are ripe and golden, but once harvested, this arid area becomes almost desert-like with no indication of the glorious pageant of colour that has gone before. Despite being one of the more instensively farmed parts of the Algarve, the lower useage of herbicides and pesticides on the land than in other parts of Europe means that Mother Nature can still remind us of her power to beautify the countryside with a diversity of flowers and plants beyond the wildest imaginings of even the greatest of our garden designers.

Lying in wait for the first hint of autumn rains are the numerous species of fungi which pop up on the roadsides and in the woodlands of the Parque. One of the more obvious of them is the Parasol mushroom (Macrolepiota procera) which is particularly numerous on the edge of wooded roads throughout the area. It is particularly good to eat and, in a good year, locals sell their excess to passers-by. Chanterelles (Cantharellas cibarius) are another excellent edible species that can be found in both spring and autumn in the Algarve in vast numbers.

Although the temperatures in the Parque in mid summer are very high and the coastal sea breezes seldom penetrate so far inland, this vast open grassland area of the Algarve is well worth a visit at any time of year and provides a very different perspective of southern Portugal from the mainly over-developed coastal area where most of us spend our time on holiday.

Listen

Sin tí no soy nada - Amaral

Sin ti no soy nada,

Una gota de lluvia mojando mi cara

Mi mundo es pequeño y mi corazón pedacitos de hielo

Solía pensar que el amor no es real,

Una ilusión que siempre se acaba

Y ahora sin ti no soy nada

Sin ti niña mala,

Sin ti niña triste

Que abraza su almohada

Tirada en la cama,

Mirando la tele y no viendo nada

Amar por amar y romper a llorar

En lo más cierto y profundo del alma,

Sin ti no soy nada

Los días que pasan,

Las luces del alba,

Mi alma, mi cuerpo, mi voz, no sirven de nada

Porque yo sin ti no soy nada

Sin ti no soy nada

Sin ti no soy nada

Me siento tan rara,

Las noches de juerga se vuelven amargas

Me río sin ganas con una sonrisa pintada en la cara

Soy sólo un actor que olvidó su guión,

Al fin y al cabo son sólo palabras que no dicen nada

Los días que pasan,

Las luces del alba,

Mi alma, mi cuerpo, mi voz, no sirven de nada

Qué no daría yo por tener tu mirada,

Por ser como siempre los dos

Mientras todo cambia

Porque yo sin ti no soy nada

Sin ti no soy nada

Sin ti no soy nada

Amaral es un conjunto musical zaragozano (España) formado por Eva Amaral (vocalista y compositora) y Juan Aguirre (guitarrista y compositor). Su estilo musical se podría denominar Folk Rock, pero fusionado con ritmos latinos, sintetizadores, y con letras de alto contenido poético.

Amaral hasta la fecha (2008) ha vendido más de 2 millones de copias de sus 4 discos.

Amaral is a music group from Zaragoza, Spain. The band consists of Eva Amaral (vocalist) and Juan Aguirre (guitarist). They write their songs together. Eva Amaral started out as a drummer in another group until she set out with Aguirre to play her own material in 1997. Their musical style is often called pop rock, but it is often fused with Latin beats, folk rock, synthesizers, and complex poetic lyrics. Juan Aguirre was born in San Sebastián (also known as Donostia) in the Guipúzcoa province of Spain. He spent his childhood in the town of Gros and currently resides in Zaragoza.

In Wordpress In Blogger photo.net/photos/Reinante/ In Onexposure

Looks Gorgeous LARGE on Black

Lighting Info:

Nikon SB-800 Held By VAL (aka Steve Moore)

Triggered via CLS

Nikon D300

Sigma 18-50mm 2.8

This was the absolute last shot of the night, and 2SiiCK's first official wedding shoot. I must take my hat off to ALL the amazing wedding photographers, this stuff is not easy!

Steve and I, had the pleasure to shoot this wedding this past Saturday, at The Prado in Balboa Park. It was my first time as a lead shooter, as I had shot a few as a 2nd before. We had a blast and the wedding was super cool. The band was amazing and everyone had a great time! At the very end of the night as everyone was getting on the buses to take them back to their hotel, the newlyweds were finally alone for the first time. It was quiet, and Steven and I had our cameras in our bags walking back to the car. We turned and saw the bride and groom running out of the reception hall. He turned to me and asked if I still had my camera out, and I said "in a second I will". He wanted a shot alone with his wife, Steven grabbed a flash and I grabbed my camera. I was hoping I could get a good shot, but only had time to take 3 shots, so I was not expecting much. They posed for the first shot, and it was ok, but I did not want a posed moment. So after the 2nd shot we told them we got it and they turned and said something to each other. I told Steven to hold up the flash again, and I said her name right as he kissed her, she turned and smiled, and we got the shot.

Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. John and Anne Nolie.

Enjoy,

Hector

اهل الخير - gold - اذاعة - القران الكريم - استضافة المواقع - مواضيع - الطفل - الاسرة - الديكور والازياء - الاخبار - الصحف الاسرائيلية - رياضة - المسلمة -الفتاة المسلمة - الاسلام - تاريخ -مأكولات وصحة - نكت وتسالي - فيديو - اغاني واناشيد - خطب - افلام - برامج - اناشيد - هكر - برامج -دليل المواقع - فلسطين - اليوتيوب - بنات الضفة - توبيكات - العاب - تصميم فلاش - تصميم فوتوشوب - معا - القدس - العاب - بلياردو - فيس بوك - عشاق الحور- منتدى- جوالات- جوال - عشاق- رسائل- استضافة- الدعم الفني-المصارعة-صور-الحياة الزوجية-الحور-منتديات فلسطينية-العاب 2011-مقالات - تقارير

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The Inner City Parish Church on the Pest side of the Danube in Budapest dates back to the 12th century. It's actually built on even older structures-an 11th-century Romanesque church commissioned by Hungary's first king, Saint Stephen, plus the remains of the Contra Aquincum (a third-century Roman fortress and tower), parts of which are visible.

There is hardly any architectural style that cannot be found here in some part or another, starting with a single Romanesque arch in its south tower. The single nave, with an equally high transept and unusually slender columns, still has its original Gothic chancel and some frescoes from the 14th-15th centuries. Two side chapels contain beautifully carved Renaissance altarpieces and tabernacles of red marble from the early 16th century.

During Budapest's Turkish occupation the church served as a mosque—a mihrab, a Muslim prayer niche, is a reminder. During the 18th century the church was given two baroque towers and its present facade. In 1808 it was enriched with a rococo pulpit.... seen on the left of this photo.

Explore

2011-11-15

#126

Many thanks!

Series: Skulpturenpark Waldfrieden, Wuppertal

founded by Tony Cragg

skulpturenpark-waldfrieden.de/en/home.html

www.tony-cragg.com/galerien.php?reload

Built for the SWFactions RPG. Original Post: www.eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?/forums/topic/184215-l...

"Better poor on Aargau than rich anywhere else."

Nothing more than a slogan to entice visitors. There was more money on Aargau than almost anywhere in the galaxy, and it did not make it into the hands of the poor.

The fall of the Empire freed many planets from tyranny, but the civilized worlds suffered the most. Instability leads to fear, fear leads to hoarding, hoarding leads to desperation, and then there is violence, on both sides.

Any hint of unrest in the undercity, and the armed guards of the city elite pulled people from their homes. Anything to quell the rumors, to stabilize the markets. The weakest in the undercity began to disappear, and their value to the planet at large dwindled into nothing. 

You were safer on Aargau walking around in Stormtrooper armor than hand-me-downs. The local remnant capitalized on this.

Late night visits to the houses still populated, brute squads culling the lower class for conscripts. Nobody would miss them.

I felt the same about the stormtroopers themselves.

I have become known by the denizens of the undercity as the Shagha, Aargauese for "vengeful spirit". At the very least, they understood what I was doing.

I move quickly and quietly, my years killing for Black Sun finally benefitting someone besides the Princes.

A slain trooper here, a headless guard there, and a legend begins to grow. I pray it gives the people hope. I cannot truly better their lot, but I can protect them until the wind changes, I can keep them in their homes and away from the brutality of war.

There is irony in my bringing brutality to their streets, instead. Only when it is useful.

I know little of morality and even less of good. My methods are not perfect; I am a kind of monster. I have long known this. But there are times in the past where it has been more true, and faced with the current situation, I cannot stand by. This is all I know to do. Perhaps I can yet earn some measure of peace.

- The "Shagha"

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Die Kugelbake ist ein aus Holz errichtetes Seezeichen in Cuxhaven. Der Ausdruck Bake geht auf das Mittelalter zurück, in dem alle Seezeichen – also auch Leuchttürme – so genannt wurden. Sie ist das Wahrzeichen von Cuxhaven, und seit 1913 ist ihr Abbild im Wappen der Stadt vorhanden. Ein Vorgängerbauwerk diente auch als Leuchtturm; heute wird sie aber nur noch als Touristenattraktion nachts angestrahlt.

Sie steht an einem stark befahrenen Schifffahrtsweg in Cuxhaven-Döse und war ein wichtiger Orientierungspunkt für die Schifffahrt. Geographisch endet hier die Elbe, und es beginnt die Nordsee; aus nautischer Sicht trennt sie Außen- und Unterelbe. Die Elbmündung hat auf Höhe der Kugelbake eine Breite von etwa 18 km. Gleichzeitig markiert die Kugelbake den nördlichsten Punkt Niedersachsens. Symbolisch betrachtet, trennt das etwa 30 Meter hohe Seezeichen das Elbe- und das Weser-Mündungsgebiet voneinander.

Errichtet wurde die erste Kugelbake wahrscheinlich 1703 auf Veranlassung des Lotseninspektors Paul Allers, nachdem der bis zu dem Zeitpunkt dort vorhandene Peilpunkt, eine Gruppe von Bäumen, von einer heftigen Sturmflut fortgespült worden war.

Das Bauwerk ist aus Holz errichtet, die Lebensdauer war nie sehr lang, da Holzfäulnis, Witterung, Sturm und Flut der Bake heftig zusetzten, so dass sie spätestens nach 30 Jahren erneuert oder instandgesetzt werden musste. Die erste Erneuerung fand vermutlich 1737 statt.

1853 wurde das Kugelbakenlicht als nächtliche Orientierungshilfe eingerichtet, um die schwierige Fahrwasserkrümmung zu markieren. Es brannte in einer Hütte, die sich innerhalb der Kugelbake befand.

Bei Ausbruch des Deutsch-Französischen Krieges im Jahr 1870 wurde die Leuchthütte aus taktischen Gründen abgebaut, um dem Feind keinen Anhaltspunkt zu bieten. Auch zu Beginn des 1. Weltkriegs musste die Kugelbake weichen. 1924 wurde sie erneut errichtet. Allerdings wurden, anstelle der namengebenden Kugel, zwei runde rechtwinklig zusammengesetzte Scheiben an der Spitze angebracht.

Das Kugelbakenlicht wurde ab 1878 nur noch als Reserve benötigt, da ein Feuerschiff ganzjährig ausgelegt wurde.

Der berühmte Seefunkpionier Jonathan Zenneck versuchte um 1900 eine Funkverbindung zwischen dem Festland und den Schiffen auf der See herzustellen. Innerhalb der Kugelbake wurde eine Holzhütte errichtet, die mit den dafür notwendigen Antennen und technischen Geräten für die allererste Küstenfunkstelle ausgestattet war.

2001 gab die Wasser- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung die Kugelbake an die Bundesvermögensstelle zurück, da das Seezeichen seine nautische Bedeutung verloren hatte. Es wurde dann eine Stiftung zum Erhalt dieses historischen Wahrzeichens gegründet. So ist die Kugelbake seit 2002 im Besitz der Stadt Cuxhaven und steht unter Denkmalschutz. Die heutige Konstruktion stammt aus der Zeit nach 1945.

The chinese Hall of Friendshop is situated in the Chinese garden nestled in a vineyard (Stuttgart, Germany). The garden and its buildings were built in 1993. Chinagarten Stuttgart

Lovely to view Large On Black

Die Halle der Freundschaft steht im "Garten der schönen Melodie" in Stuttgart. Ursprünglich 1993 als Attraktion der IGA im Rosensteingarten gebaut wurde der chinesische Garten mit dem Namen Qingyin an der Birkenwaldstraße / Panoramastraße 1996 neu errichtet

My most interesting photos on black on one site

© 2008 Ursula Sander - All rights reserved.

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Questa foto è in mostra virtuale in questo gruppo.

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Il Monte Rosa visto dal Mottarone.

La montagna dei due laghi", così è chiamato il Mottarone,

per la sua particolare posizione da cui si può godere di un panorama davvero suggestivo, che abbraccia sia il Lago Maggiore che il Lago d'Orta.

Al tempo dei pionieri, il monte era accessibile da

Stresa, soltanto a piedi, utilizzando le vecchie mulattiere degli alpigiani.

Nel 1911 arrivò poi la ferrovia, la prima construita in Italia con cremagliera e trazione elettrica costruita in Italia. Nel 1964 la ferrovia fu chiusa, tuttavia , il Mottarone non è mai stato così facilmente raggiungibile come oggi: è possibile infatti arrivare alla cima sia in automobile che utilizzando la funivia in patenza dal lido di Stresa, dalla quale, lungo il

tragitto, si gode di una splendida e suggestiva vista.

Oltre ai due laghi già citati è possibile ammirare diverse meraviglie naturali: dalla Pianura Padana, con la lontana

cortina degli Appennini, alle Alpi del Monviso, dal Monte Rosa alla serie dei Mischabel, tutti "quattromila". Anche in questo caso, quello che segue è solo uno dei diversi percorsi che è possibile intraprendere. Da Stresa ci si può servire della funivia per arrivare, in pochi minuti, sino alla vetta (1491 m.) , il tragitto dura circa 30 minuti;

L'alternativa è quella di fermarsi alla stazione intermedia dell'Alpino , dove è possibile

ammirare il giardino botanico "Alpinia", all'interno del quale, in un'area di 12.000

metri quadrati, si trovano piante alpine e attrazioni botaniche di rara bellezza. Dall'Alpino si giunge alla vetta del Mottarone in un paio d'ore di cammino, seguendo

la strada asfaltata o seguendo i numerosi sentieri segnalati, in questo caso si seguono

percorsi sterrati. E' anche possibile giungere alla meta partendo da Stresa e percorrendo a piedi l'intero percorso; sono circa 5 ore di cammino, per un tragitto di 14 Km con un dislvello di 1300 m.

I am continuing with a photo of Mount Rainier National Park. This photo was taken in the Tipsoo Lake area which is located near the Chinook Pass at an elevation of 5,430ft/1,656m.

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About this photo: On one of our days in Mount Rainier National Park we visited the Tipsoo Lake area which is really beautiful. The lake offered beautiful views of Mount Rainier, great wild flowers and some good hiking trails. I really enjoyed my day at this lake as it is so serene and so beautiful. While walking along the trails of Tipsoo Lake we had nice views of the wildflower meadows with Mount Rainier as a backdrop, which I thought was so beautiful.

~Camera Settings:

*Camera Model: Sony Alpha DSLR A200

*Focal Length: 55mm

*F-Number: F/16

*Exposure Time: 1/40 sec.

*ISO Speed: ISO-100

*Exposure Program: Aperture Priority (A)

*Exposure Compensation (E/V): -0.7 step

I used a circular polarizer and I added some contrast and saturation in Photoshop to this photo to bring out the colours a little more.

Thank you for dropping by and I hope you like this photo!

Ann :)

Some information about Mount Rainier National Park: Mount Rainier National Park was established in 1899 and has a size of about 235,625 acres (97% is designated Wilderness) and this includes Mount Rainier (14,410ft/4392m). Mount Rainier is an active volcano encased in over 35 square miles of snow and ice. The park contains outstanding examples of old growth forests and subalpine meadows. Whether hiking on its flanks, climbing its summit, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing on its slopes, camping along its glacier-fed rivers, photographing wildflower displays in subalpine meadows, or just admiring the view, nearly two million people go here to enjoy the grandeur and beauty of Mount Rainier each year.

5. Carbon paper River/Mowich Lake: This area is located in the northwestern part of the park and can be reach from a small place called Wilkeson on Highway 165. Here you can also find a Visitor Centre where you can get permits and information. The highway here turns into a gravel road, so you might need a car with high clearance. The road floods frequently, so make sure you check before you go to visit this area. This area has several hiking trails and beautiful lakes, it is also the area with the heaviest rainfall in the park.

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© laurent cabrit / www.cabrit.net

'Panorama sur les Lofoten' On Black

ref: 2006-04-N-05_1097_p

Blois Chateau. Gaston d'Orleans wing. This time in B&W. Some handy history here

In 1626, King Louis XIII gave the Château of Blois to his brother Gaston d'Orléans as a wedding gift. In 1635 there was another attempt to develop the castle but on Gaston's death in 1660, it was abandoned 'clouds rush in' On Black

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Lowry Park Zoo

Tampa, Florida

The Vulturine Guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum) is the largest and most spectacular of the guineafowl bird family. It is a resident breeder in northeast Africa, from southern Ethiopia through Kenya and just into northern Tanzania.

It breeds in dry and open habitats with scattered bushes and trees, such as savannah or grassland. It lays its usually 4-8 cream-coloured eggs in a well-hidden grass-lined scrape.

although all other guineafowl have unfeathered heads, this species looks particularly like a vulture because of the long bare neck and head.

The slim neck projects from a cape of long, glossy, blue and white hackles. The breast is cobalt blue, and the rest of the body plumage is black, finely spangled with white.

The sexes are similar, although the female is usually slightly smaller than the male and with smaller tarsal spurs. Young birds are mainly grey-brown, with a duller blue breast and short hackles.

Vulturine Guineafowl is a gregarious species, forming flocks outside the breeding season typically of about 25 birds. This species' food is seeds and small invertebrates. This guineafowl is terrestrial, and will run rather than fly when alarmed. Despite the open habitat, it tends to keep to cover, and roosts in trees. It makes loud chink-chink-chink-chink-chink calls.

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Part of "A stroll in Paris"

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Luciti

In Onexposure

La consagració de Santa Maria de Lluçà, fou duta a terme pel bisbe de Vic, Idelguer, el 22 de maig de l’any 905. Aquesta església es trobava ad radices castri de Luzano, al peu del castell de Lluçà- és a dir, al lloc actual-. Fou erigida pel prevere Vininza i dotada pels parroquians. Estava formada per una nau amb un petit creuer, en el qual hi havia un absis central i una absidiola a cada extrem. Diu l’acta de consagració que el bisbe va subjectar a aquesta església els vilars o centres d’explotació rural que es repartiren el terme del castell de Lluçà, i moltes esglesioles que ja funcionaven. Santa Maria va ser la cap de les esglésies sufragànies de Sant Pere de Torroella o del Grau, de Santa Eulàlia de Puig-oriol, Sant Agustí de Lluçanès, Sant Climent de la Riba i de Sant Cristòfol de Borrassers. Així doncs, al segle X, ens trobem que les terres lluçaneses estaven organitzades, i el centre era Santa Maria de Lluçà. Cap al 1170 i 1190 ja es va fer una reedificació. La nova església es va construïr sota un mòdul romànic. Hi havia tres altars de l’absis principal, i dues absidioles laterals dedicades a Santa Maria a Sant Joan i Sant Miquel. Els de Santa Maria Magdalena i Sant Agustí serien més tardans, encara que anteriors a 1270. A l’altar e Santa Magdalena, se li va afegir l’advocació de Sant Vicenç, en abandonar-se la capella del Castell. Es va convertir en un temple més gran que, amb moltes modificacions, és el que ens ha arribat als nostres dies.

Es pot assegurar que que abans del 1150 a Lluçà no hi havia cap comunitat, i que la seva església estava regida per un o més sacerdots. Es veu sobretot a través dels testaments dels senyors de Lluçà, que consideren Lluçà com una parròquia més, i per tant les seves preferències són pel monestir de Ripoll. A partir de 1154, ja es fan enterrar a Lluçà. Això ho coneixem gràcies al testament de Bernat Guillem de Lluçà. És a partir de 1168 que trobem la primera comunitat de canonges, amb el primer prior, Pere de Sagàs. És llavors quan s’assegura la subsitència de la comunitat gràcies a donacions. Per suposat, les més importants eren les dels senyors de Lluçà. El segle XIII, va ser el moment de major esplendor de la canònica ja que va rebre importants donacions dels propietaris de la zona. Ens fem una idea de la importància de la influència religiosa de Santa Maria en l’època quan veiem que la majoria de canonges que van excercir de canonges eren fills dels masos veïns. La canònica agustiniana estava sota la protecció de la de l’Estany i es beneficiava dels seus béns i càrrecs, que s’intercanviaven. Deuria ser en aquest s. XIII, tan pròsper, quan es va pintar el revestiment d’altar pintat sobre fusta, avui conservat al Museu Episcopal de Vic, i obra de l’anomenat Mestre de Lluçà. És una obra d’un viu cromatisme i una de les pintures més belles del romànic català. Cap a l’any 1330 comença la decadència espiritual i econòmica, fins a tal punt que al 1357, al monestir, hi havia només el prior, tres canonges i un deodonat.D’altra banda, els terratrèmols que van assolar Catalunya entre 1428 i 1448, van castigar Lluçà que va veure com s’esfondrava la nau de l’església, el campanar i algunes dependències monàstiques. L’any 1592, el papa sumprimeix les canòniques agustinianes a Catalunya, i la de Lluçà s’uneix a la Casa de Caritat de Barcelona que es queda amb tots els seus béns. Al segle XVII es converteix en santuari marià i es porten a terme transformacions a l’església, com l’aixacament del campanar, remodelamanet de la façana, una nova sagristia, un portal pel campanar.... Més tard, al segle XVIII es decora l’església seguint l’estil barroc i s’afegeix un pis amb porxades amb claustre. Ens trobem que de la primera església, no en queda res, excepte unes tombes antropomorfes que hi podrien correspondre. En unes reformes que hi feu la Diputació de Barcelona l’any 1967 es retorna a l’església la seva fesomia original del segle XII. Avui en dia conserva la majoria de frescos i pintures, així com alguna escultura de gran valor. Les seves obres formen un conjunt importantíssim del Romànic Català.

La consagración de Santa Maria de Lluçà, fue llevada a cabo por el obispo de Vic, Idelguer, el 22 de mayo del año 905. Esta iglesia se encontraba ad radices castro de Luzán, al pie del castillo de Lluçà-es decir, en el lugar actual-. Fue erigida por el presbítero Vininza y dotada por los parroquianos. Estaba formada por una nave con un pequeño crucero, en el que había un ábside central y una absidiola en cada extremo. Dice el acta de consagración que el obispo sujetó a esta iglesia los Vilars o centros de explotación rural que se repartieron el término del castillo de Lluçà, y muchas iglesias que ya funcionaban. Santa Maria fue la jefa de las iglesias sufragáneas de Sant Pere de Torroella o del Grau, de Santa Eulàlia de Puig-oriol, Sant Agustí de Lluçanès, Sant Climent de la Riba y de Sant Cristòfol de Borrassers. Así pues, el siglo X, nos encontramos que las tierras Lluçanesa estaban organizadas, y el centro era Santa Maria de Lluçà. Hacia el 1170 y 1190 ya se hizo una reedificación. La nueva iglesia se construyó bajo un módulo románico. Había tres altares del ábside principal, y dos absidiolos laterales dedicadas a Santa Maria en Sant Joan y Sant Miquel. Los de Santa Maria Magdalena y Sant Agustí serían más tardíos, aunque anteriores a 1270. En el altar y Santa Magdalena, se le añadió la advocación de Sant Vicenç, en abandonarse la capilla del Castillo. Se convirtió en un templo más grande que, con muchas modificaciones, es lo que nos ha llegado a nuestros días.

Se puede asegurar que que antes del 1150 en Lluçà no había ninguna comunidad, y que su iglesia estaba regida por uno o más sacerdotes. Se ve sobre todo a través de los testamentos de los señores de Lluçà, que consideran Lluçà como una parroquia más, y por tanto sus preferencias son por el monasterio de Ripoll. A partir de 1154, ya se hacen enterrar en Lluçà. Esto lo conocemos gracias al testamento de Bernat Guillem de Lluçà. Es a partir de 1168 que encontramos la primera comunidad de canónigos, con el primer prior, Pedro de Sagàs. Es entonces cuando se asegura la subsistencia de la comunidad gracias a donaciones. Por supuesto, las más importantes eran las de los señores de Lluçà. El siglo XIII, fue el momento de mayor esplendor de la canónica ya que recibió importantes donaciones de los propietarios de la zona. Nos hacemos una idea de la importancia de la influencia religiosa de Santa Maria en la época cuando vemos que la mayoría de canónigos que ejercer de canónigos eran hijos de los caseríos vecinos. La canónica agustiniana estaba bajo la protección de la de l'Estany y se beneficiaba de sus bienes y cargos, que se intercambiaban. Debería ser en este siglo XIII, tan próspero, cuando se pintó el revestimiento de altar pintado sobre madera, hoy conservado en el Museo Episcopal de Vic, y obra del llamado Maestro de Lluçà. Es una obra de un vivo cromatismo y una de las pinturas más bellas del románico catalán. Hacia el año 1330 comienza la decadencia espiritual y económica, hasta tal punto que en 1357, el monasterio, había sólo el prior, tres canónigos y un deodonat.D Por otra parte, los terremotos que asolaron Cataluña entre 1428 y 1448 , castigaron Lluçà que vio como se derrumba la nave de la iglesia, el campanario y algunas dependencias monásticas. En 1592, el papa sumprimeix las canónicas agustinianas en Cataluña, y la de Lluçà se une a la Casa de Caritat de Barcelona que se queda con todos sus bienes. En el siglo XVII se convierte en santuario mariano y se llevan a cabo transformaciones iglesia, como el aixacament del campanario, remodelamanet de la fachada, una nueva sacristía, un portal por el campanario .... Más tarde, en el siglo XVIII se decora la iglesia siguiendo el estilo barroco y se añade un piso con soportales con claustro. Nos encontramos que de la primera iglesia, no queda nada, salvo unas tumbas antropomorfas que podrían corresponder. En unas reformas que haga la Diputación de Barcelona en el año 1967 se devuelve la iglesia su fisonomía original del siglo XII. Hoy en día conserva la mayoría de frescos y pinturas, así como alguna escultura de gran valor. Sus obras forman un conjunto importantísimo del Románico Catalán.

this way

*** Sorry I haven't been around much. A work filled week & a wicked headache are my excuses du jour. I am going to try to push past this threatening mirgraine, get my shit done and get out of here... I'll catch up with you all soon. Stay warm! ***

Edited with Tara Leigh's Awesome Sauce

You can get her actions here: www.taraleigh.com/blog/

contaminationzone.com/Gallery37.php

Egyptian Gosling ~ Regents Park ~ London ~ England ~ Monday March 23rd 2015.

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Well, yesterday I was mostly in Regents Park in London, England.....where I happened upon these baby Egyptian Geese. There were a pair of Goslings behind the protective fence, which stops dogs and people from getting at them, but also hinders my ambitions to get a decent shot in!

It's worth the trade off I guess as there are some stupid people about who let their dogs do as they wish!!!

Anyhoo...I had to lay partly in the road and shoot between the bars of the fence to get this shot, almost getting run over by the Park Keepers in the process!! They had loads of room to drive passed me but kept beeping their horn for me to move out of the way...Grrrrr!!!

Oh well, I hope your all having a great Week..:)

Egyptian goose

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ~ The Egyptian goose (Alopochen aegyptiaca) is a member of the duck, goose, and swan family Anatidae. It is native to Africa south of the Sahara and the Nile Valley.

Egyptian geese were considered sacred by the Ancient Egyptians, and appeared in much of their artwork. They have been raised for food and extensively bred in parts of Africa since they were domesticated by the ancient Egyptians. Because of their popularity chiefly as ornamental bird, escapes are common and small feral populations have become established in Western Europe.

Taxonomy ~ The Egyptian goose is believed to be most closely related to the shelducks (genus Tadorna) and their relatives, and is placed with them in the subfamily Tadorninae. It is the only extant member of the genus Alopochen, which also contains closely related prehistoric and recently extinct species. mtDNA cytochrome b sequence data suggest that the relationships of Alopochen to Tadorna need further investigation.

Its generic name is based on Greek ἀλώπηξ ('alopex') + χήν ('chen') = "fox-goose", referring to the colour of its back.

Description ~ It swims well, and in flight looks heavy, more like a goose than a duck, hence the English name. It is 63–73 cm (25–29 in) long.

The sexes of this species are identical in plumage but the males average slightly larger. There is a fair amount of variation in plumage tone, with some birds greyer and others browner, but this is not sex- or age-related. A large part of the wings of mature birds is white, but in repose the white is hidden by the wing coverts. When it is aroused, either in alarm or aggression, the white begins to show. In flight or when the wings are fully spread in aggression, the white is conspicuous.

The voices and vocalisations of the sexes differ, the male having a hoarse, subdued duck-like quack which seldom sounds unless it is aroused. The male Egyptian goose attracts its mate with an elaborate, noisy courtship display that includes honking, neck stretching and feather displays. The female has a far noisier raucous quack that frequently sounds in aggression and almost incessantly at the slightest disturbance when tending her young.

This species will nest in a large variety of situations, especially in holes in mature trees in parkland. The female builds the nest from reeds, leaves and grass, and both parents take turns incubating eggs. Egyptian geese usually pair for life. Both the male and female care for the offspring until they are old enough to care for themselves.

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Details:

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II

Lens: Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

Exposure: 4 x 3 exposures (-2,-1,0,+1,+2 EV)

Aperture: f/11

Focal Length: 24mm

ISO Speed: 100

Accessories: Manfrotto 190XB Tripod, Manfrotto 322RC2 Heavy Duty Grip Ball Head, Canon RC1 Wireless Remote

Date and Time: 30 November 2010 1.47pm

Post Processing:

Imported into Lightroom

Exported to Photomatix

Tonemap generated HDR using detail enhancer option

Imported 4 tonemapped images into PTU Gui Pro and created panorama

Imported panorama into Lightroom

Exported tonemapped image to CS5

Curves layer for contrast adjustment

Hue/Saturation layer

Noise reduction layer

Unsharp mask filter

Re-imported back into Lightroom

Added keyword metadata

Exported as JPEG

From Wikipedia:

Hosier Lane is a bluestone cobbled vehicular and pedestrian laneway on the southern edge of the central city grid of Melbourne, Australia. Hosier lane is a much celebrated landmark in Melbourne mainly due to its sophisticated Urban art.

Hosier Lane is also known for its upmarket cocktail lounges including the popular Misty and MoVida. An open air cooking session with MoVida's chef Frank Camorra on Masterchef Australia season 2 showcased the lane as a major Melbourne attraction.

View it large On Black.

Taken at the Detroit Zoo [?], Royal Oak, Michigan, U.S.A. (IMG15030)

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Details:

Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mk II

Lens: Canon EF 15mm f/2-2,-1,0,+1,+2 EV)

Aperture: f/11

Focal Length: 15mm

ISO Speed: 100

Accessories: Manfrotto 190XB Tripod, Manfrotto 322RC2 Heavy Duty Grip Ball Head, Canon RC1 Wireless Remote

Date and Time: 22 November 2010 1.01pm

Post Processing:

Imported into Lightroom

Exported to Photomatix

Tonemap generated HDR using detail enhancer option

Exported tonemapped image to CS5

Curves layer for contrast adjustment

Hue/Saturation layer

Noise reduction layer

Unsharp mask filter

Crop tool

Re-imported back into Lightroom

Added keyword metadata

Exported as JPEG

From The Official Site

The Melbourne Athenaeum started as Melbourne’s first Mechanics Institute on 12 November 1839 - just four years after Melbourne was itself founded. Its original mission was defined as "the diffusion of literary, scientific and other useful knowledge amongst its members". This was to be achieved by maintaining a circulating library, reading room and art gallery and the establishment of classes and lectures.

Today's Athenaeum also houses the Athenaeum Theatre and Comedy Club, a café and retail shop - all of which are leased to managers.

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Have you ever listened to some one talking about they falling in love for the first time in life? No matter how long back it happened, they will narrate each and every second of that moment, what went through them and how they reacted, they even talk about the weather that day. No body forgets those moments they were stolen, no matter how their life is today the stolen seconds live with them. Guess why its called stolen seconds? Yeah they stole those seconds from this world its for them and only for them, what about yours...

அவள் கசக்கிப் போட்ட காகிதம் கூட கவிதையாய்த் தெரிந்தது,

அவள் நடந்து போன பாதையாவும் பூக்களாய் இருந்தது,

நான் மறந்து போன பட்டியலில் என் பெயரும் சேர்ந்து கொண்டது,

அவள் என்னைக் களவாடிப் போன நொடிகள் மட்டுமே பசுமையான நினைவுகளாய்

taken in Tubingen - Germany - August '06

Dedicated to Denis Collette

Dear Friends

I am very busy with my being a volunteer

I am organizing again a fund raising event in Biella (my home town) for:

this project:

STOP AIDS AT BIRTH

The major Cesvi campaign to defeat Hiv/Aids in Sub-Saharan Africa.

www.cesvi.eu/index.php?pagina=pagina_generica.php&id=720

www.cesvi.eu/index.php

www.cesvi.org

Now my project is on line on the official CESVI site! wow!:

www.cesvi.org/?pagina=pagina_generica.php&id=1264

Therefore when I will visit your great shots, often I will just leave a fave, with no comment nor invites.

-------------------------------

Take a look at my INTERVIEW with my Flickr Friend DENIS COLLETTE!!: angiereal.blogspot.com/

Interestingness shots

50 Most interesting slide show

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Caminando sobre el fondo, el cuerpo transparente de Thecamoeba quadrilineata se desliza silenciosamente, fundiéndose paso a paso con cada gota de agua en la que se deshace a cada instante sobre este infinito acuático del Lago de Sanabria bajo la invisible capa de su camuflaje arrugado, discreto y casi inmóvil.

Cuando avanza, Thecamoeba extiende su lisa lengua múltiple y viva sobre el fondo, imperceptiblemente, y como si fuese lava fría, barre así cualquier poso de vida que cayó a los sedimentos imitando una lluvia, lluvia incesante de pequeñas partículas de otros seres: bacterias, minúsculas algas que ahora se mezclan y fluyen en corrientes por su interior.

Varios pliegues rígidos y casi paralelos son el esqueleto de estas amebas del género Thecamoeba , quizá uno de los endoesqueletos más primitivos y sencillos que existan en la Naturaleza -apenas unas estrías marcadas en su interior-. Son los raíles por los que esta ameba de cuerpo plano de deja deslizar dirigiendo su movimiento en cada momento y son también los invisibles muros de contención, a los que su cuerpo se ancla en sus paseos por las superficies del fondo acuático.

La ameba Thecamoeba no extiende su cuerpo en brazos al caminar como lo hacen otras de sus hermanas como Amoeba o Mayorella, camina por los surcos imperceptibles de su dorso, tres o cuatro repliegues rígidos que contienen su cuerpo dentro de una fina película completamente invisible.

En el interior de Thecamoeba quadrilineata se sitúa un núcleo liso en forma de disco que dirige toda la actividad de esta avalancha transparente y fluida. En la parte posterior, se abre como un cráter una gran vacuola pulsante, que expulsa el exceso de líquido que se acumula en el interior de este diminuto cuerpo bombeándolo hacia el exterior a ritmo de un corazón muy lento.

Thecamoeba quadrilineata es casi hermana gemela de Thecamoeba striata, pero tiene un núcleo con nucleolo íntegro y de contorno circular. Ambas hermanas siempre viven sobre superficies húmedas o sumergidas a poca profundidad.

Thecamoeba quadrilineata es una de las numerosas amebas que viven sobre los fondos del Lago de Sanabria de donde se cita desde aquí hoy por primera vez.

Bajo los fondos oscuros del Lago de Sanabria hay un trabajo incesante, el de todos los seres silenciosos que grumo a grumo recogen la lluvia de desechos que el hombre ha provocado al dejar que lleguen a este Lago, hoy de cristal empañado y verde, las aguas sucias de cinco depuradoras que solo tienen la mentira de su nombre como excusa y la de seis puntos de vertido consentidos y escondidos que amenazan de muerte a este Lago que tanto ha cambiado.

Y entre todos estos seres, algunas amebas como la de hoy, Thecamoeba barren el lecho de arena gruesa y roca cubierto de restos de naufragios, infinitos brotes de vida que como diminutas algas se desarrollan desde hace tiempo en estas aguas abonadas por la indecencia consentida.

La fotografía, realizada a 400 aumentos empleando la técnica de contraste de interferencia, se ha tomado sobre una muestra procedente de los fondos del Lago, junto a la Isla de Moras, a cinco metros de profundidad y recogida por Cristina Lorente y Javier Fernández el día 15 de noviembre de 2016 en el Lago de Sanabria (Zamora), desde el catamarán Helios Sanabria el primer catamarán construido en el Planeta propulsado por energía eólica y solar.

LIBRO: Lago de Sanabria 2015, presente y futuro de un ecosistema en desequilibrio

Presentación ponencia congreso internacional de Limnología de la AIL

El Lago en Europa

Informes de contaminación en el Lago de Sanabria

informe de evolución de la contaminación en el Lago de Sanabria

vídeo

El Lago en TVE

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Shot it at Gangasagar fair.Gangasagar Mela(fair) is the largest fair celebrated in West Bengal. This fair is held where the Ganga and the Bay of Bengal form a nexus. Hence the name Gangasagar Mela. The river Ganga which originates in the Gangotri glacier in the snow clad Himalayas, descends down the mountains, reaches the plains at Haridwar, flows through ancient pilgrimage sites such as Benares and Prayag, and drains into the Bay of Bengal. Sagar Island, at the mouth of the river Hooghly in Bengal where the Ganga breaks up into hundreds of streams, and drains into the sea, is honored as a pilgrimage site.

A dip in the ocean, where the Ganga drains into the sea is considered to be of great religious significance particularly on the Makara Sankranti day when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from Sagittarius and this town becomes home to vast fairs, drawing visitors and recluses from all over the state. There is a common belief among the locals that the girls who take the holy dip get handsome grooms and the boys get beautiful brides. When they are done with the ritual obligations, they head towards the Kapilmuni Temple situated nearby, to worship the deity as a mark of respect.

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