www.spokesman.com/stories/2020/sep/08/it-all-happened-so-...

WHITMAN COUNTY UNITED WAY FIRE RELIEF FUND

As we are well aware, the Western US has been burning. Yesterday, I stopped in on what is left of the small town of Malden, in Eastern Washington State.

The area is heavy with the noxious smell of everything that has burned, as well as the continuing pall of smoke coming up from California and Oregon from all of the other numerous fires.

I have visited Malden to take photos multiple times over the years and felt sick to see what had become of the area. Some of the residents who have lost their homes are living in campers on site.

It was surreal, like a black and white movie, as most color has either been burned up, painted with soot by the consuming flames, or muted by the fog of smoke hanging in the air.

This scene continues to play out again and again all over the West Coast.

I truly hope the folks of Malden and the numerous others that have suffered loss from the fires persevere.

—BG

I refuse to give in

Here is look back over a decade to a triple headed steam spectacular! This is the caption I wrote when this was originally shared on RP.net:

White Pass and Yukon Railway narrow gauge rotary snow plow #3 (Cooke 1899) is departing Glacier and crossing the curved trestles as it marches upgrade. This location is 14.1 miles from and 1871 ft higher than Skagway. The vintage snow fighter is being pushed by steam locomotives #73 (Baldwin 2-8-2 blt. 5-47) and #69 (Baldwin 2-8-0 blt. 4-07) with coach 211 trailing. #211 was built by AC&F in 1918 for Oregon's Sumpter Valley coming to Alaska during WWII courtesy of the US Army. The cupola was added in 1946. The White Pass is America’s busiest tourist railroad and an engineering marvel of any era. Regular tourist trains operate for the four month cruise ship season of mid-May to mid-Sept with the WP&Y largely dormant the remaining 8 months of the year. In days of old it was a 110 mile freight hauler supporting the Yukon mining industry and before that a major WWII supply conduit during the building of the Alaska Hwy. Like the town it calls home, the WP&Y was born during the heady days of the 1898 Klondike Gold Rush and experienced booms and busts through the years but has persevered, and today is the most popular excursion for the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit Alaska each summer.

Bridge 14A - Glacier Station

North of Skagway, Alaska

Monday April 25, 2011

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あまり土こんもり盛ったお山にね

さくらを一本植えたとさ

.

人知れず春が来たこと告げている

今日も静かな町のかたすみ

.

嬉しくてお山のさくらに話したよ

願いはほんとにかなうんだってね

.

泣いてたよ元気な君がいないから

話しに行こう今日もあの山

.

みつめてるお山の上のさくらの木

嵐の夜も今日の良き日も

.

*

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[digi*ana*logue] guardian angel

Finally got this flimsy, vintage wrought iron plant stand up yesterday, new pots and flowers, and all it needed was to be leveled and balanced. No easy task all alone. Had to use that stupid painters tape and then it only would hold a second ... but I persevered because of SoS!

It was indeed a balancing act to keep it standing ... hope my fixes last!

Happy Smile on Saturday! :-)

This shot epitomises both the highs and lows of being a rail enthusiast perfectly, but quite the capture for 2023. There is quite the story behind this one too! The subject is a pair of ED's - recently acquired from Govia Thameslink Southern 73202 and 73136 "Mhairi" on the 6Y42 14.05 Hoo Junction-Eastleigh East Yard departmental consisting of a healthy load of 23 JNA and MLA ballast wagons, seen at the small hamlet of Northbrook during twilight hour shortly after 20.30, nearly 3 hours later than its booked time.

I had originally arrived at this location some four and a half hours earlier in anticipation of catching this working in the fine afternoon sunlight; by this stage everything seemed to be running to time and as expected. Our woes began when the ED's stopped at Feltham Junction for 50 minutes - at this stage several passenger workings in that area were also on stop therefore, despite the obvious delay, nothing seemed out of the ordinary providing the ED's kept pushing on, which they subsequently did albeit with an unexplained 15 minute stop just outside Staines.

Things became more concerning when 6Y42 came to an abrupt halt outside Woking station. A phone call to 'control' (thanks to our on-location informant) ascertained a braking issue with the ED's and it also transpired this was the reason for the stoppage at Feltham too - our dire situation was confirmed when there had been no movement for over half an hour; with this news to hand, the gallery called the shots and left feeling bitterly disappointed, making the long walk of shame back to civilisation (anyone who's visited this spot will know its not the quickest or easiest spot to reach).

It was only once we had reached our vehicles that 'control' provided some unexpected news to my informant - 6Y42 was back on the move and it was hurtling down the main! We were back on - it was a no-brainer, the last men standing (whittled down to 3 from 6) were going back. Things appeared to be going well until another issue and a prolonged stoppage became apparent outside Basingstoke - gutter!

My informant left at this stage, but I was determined to persevere a little longer more in hope than in anticipation, after all it had already been resurrected three times earlier and I was clutching on to the belief it could go again, however the late-evening sun was now against me, dropping like a stone towards the horizon line.

I was about to call it quits one final time (I had already begun packing up) when Y42 started moving again. I wasn't going to leave without a shot now regardless of the conditions. However, haste was needed with it still some 30 minutes away and having to allow two passenger workings to pass. The informant returned having made it back to his car before getting the nod (again).

Finally, at the ungodly hour (photographically) of 20:35 and with the light just about holding out, the 73 duo finally passed us exactly 175 minutes late. I could finally make the walk of triumph back in the knowledge that my mission had been accomplished, arguably with a better result than expected with hindsight. At 5 hours spent at this location, this has to be a personal record for the longest I've had to wait (or waste - depending if you are a glass half full or empty kind of person) for a single working. Special mention goes to fellow-Flickrite Wetbag for the gen and for keeping my sanity in check, and to MJ for the initial headsup which faciliated the move.

Admittedly I was disappointed of the late-running and the low-light, but thankfully Lightroom has polished the image up immaculately to the extent that I'm absolutely chuffed with the end-product! It will be very difficult to better a shot of this working. The reward is even more satisfying now as the unreliability of the 73’s on this working meant they were dropped a few weeks later, meaning this was the only occasion I will likely capture them on a class 6 freight.

Also, taken with the assistance of a pole.

‘There is no spiritual life without persistent struggle and interior conflict. This conflict is all the more difficult to wage because it is hidden, mysterious, and sometimes almost impossible to understand. Every serious Christian is willing to make a few initial sacrifices. It is not hard to make a good start. But it is hard to continue, to carry on the work begun and to persevere in it through many years until the end. … We are not “converted” only once in our life but many times, and this endless series of large and small “conversions”, inner revolutions, leads finally to our transformation in Christ.’

-Thomas Merton, Life and Holiness p. 116

A tree, some roots exposed, hangs on to the side of a cliff over Hwy 1 near Waddell Creek Beach. Just north of Santa Cruz, California.

Can you survive and thrive in Second Life?

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Check our Facebook post at www.facebook.com/MadPea and comment with your SL legacy name to get in the giveaway! We'll draw THREE random winners to get a MadPea SLife Lessons Game! Winners will be announced Saturday, August 13th after 6 PM (SLT).

Endeavouring to persevere!

If you were to ask me when my best years, photographically speaking, were since I got my first digital cameras were, I'd say 2010 to 2014. In 2010, my SX10 was the first to give me some distance, say a bird 15 feet away. What made me successful was perseverence and determination under tough summertime conditions on the mountain. I actually did better at the Alhambra Slough with wading birds that didn't all take off when a twig snapped.

But, back to the mountain. I had started with the Bluebird Restoration Project, so naturally I went after bluebirds as I did my three mile nestbox trail(s). But in the process, I found swallows, and wrens, and woodpeckers... You get the idea. My ancillary subjects became easier (except for the Violet-green Swallow, and the Belted Kingfisher with the latter being a purposeful nemesis that teased for three years). In the process of going after the House Wren, I probably took as many as 300 shots of the Bewick's Wren. I didn't focus on the House wren until one day I heard one sing, and then I would check out their known hiding places before and after the nest boxes. And here's one of my "later" House wrens which, btw, rarely perched on barbed wire. (I used to check barbed wire for the Loggerhead Shrike, but in six years, never found one. I'd just find remnants of its meals on the wire.)

So, here, from 2013 in my first weeks with the SX40 camera, is one of my better House Wrens.

Oh, btw, the messiest nest builders of any bird is the House wren. The male will place six, even 10 sticks in a nest box or a hole in the side of an old hen house, and the female will pick one. Does he ever come back to clean out the sticks left behind. Of course not! Always cleaning up after the kids so that the bluebirds could nest...

For more photos of the five species of wrens on the mountain(s), see my album on Wrens and Song Birds. I believe there are 10 of House wrens in song, but you'll have to google for the prettiest songs in birddom.

This is a 1000 piece jigsaw, which I started around January 8 and finally finished it yesterday. :-)))

I have never taken 4 weeks to complete a jigsaw before!!

The colorful Eiffel Tower was great to do, but outside it was boring brown, with a slight shade difference. In the end I had to do it from the back so that it was easier to find the pieces that I had put in the wrong place.

Oláaaaa como estão ? Estava com muitas saudades de postar fotos, demorei mais cheguei! Voltei a minha rotina, descanso somente anoite, e posto minha primeira foto do ano e que venha muitas! Desculpem pela foto tremida, perdi meu tripé, não sei aonde eu guardei! Meu irmão que me ajudou na foto! Espero que vcs gostem! Venho com uma mensagem com carinho =).

Sabe aquela sensação de que sempre a gente quer voar o mais alto possível até onde conseguir, pois então aprendi que a gente é capaz de tudo basta querer e correr atrás! Se você tem sonhos e deseja conquistá-los não deixe de perseverar e se for para voar mais alto voe ate onde você pode, e nunca deixe que os outros derrubam seus sonhos, sempre haverá uns que irão derrubar, mais a vida sempre ensina que quando um muro cai basta termos força e construir e erguer de volta!Aproveite o início do ano e começa e uma nova etapa, e lembre-se sempre, você é capaz! Que seus sonhos se realizem.

Um Beiijo enorme com carinho para cada um.

Uma ótima semana! *-*

_______________________________________________________________________________

Hello how are you? It was with great longing to post photos, I took over I got! I went back to my routine, rest only by night, and put my first picture of the year and many to come! Sorry for the blurry picture, I lost my tripod, I do not know where I keep it! My brother helped me in the picture! I hope you guys like it! I come with a message of love =).

You know that feeling that we always want to fly as high as possible to get far, because then I learned that we can do anything and just want to chase! If you have dreams and want to win them to persevere and not let it go to fly higher up where you can fly, and never let others knock your dreams, there will always be some who will break down, the more life always teaches that when a wall falls just have the strength and build and build back! Take the beginning of the year and begins a new stage, and always remember, you are able! May your dreams come true.

A huge Beiijo with love for each one.

A great weekend!

Wenn wir uns lange nicht gesehen haben .. ist deine Zeit an mir auch nicht spurlos vorbeigegangen.. 😣👍

If we haven't seen each other for a long time.. your time hasn't passed me by without a trace either.. 😣👍

Paddy poised in a slate quarry. Thought I'd try editing this in Capture One … my first go … it's got layers (gulp!) and a different way of working .. still I'll persevere with the free trial. .. Must look at some of the learning videos!

I was in Ottawa this past weekend and had a chance to visit Hogs Back Falls. I was drawn to this ice covered sapling that through the miracle of nature was growing from the side of this rock outcrop right over the rushing rapids of the Rideau river below. It amazes me how life can at times be so fragile yet persevere through the harshest of climates and conditions.

Thanks for viewing and hope you enjoy!

Yayyyy!!! ヽ(=´▽`=)ﾉ💝

I get mid Summer gift again ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

My work has been selected again as a cover for "💋💋 ~~ for designers and bloggers ~~ 💋💋" Group ヽ(^◇^*)/ 💖🌼🍦

I'm sooooo glad and, sooooo honor and, soooo Ultra Exciting!!!｡:.ﾟヽ(´∀`｡)ﾉﾟ.:｡

and, Thank you so much again for choose my work my dear group owner and, admins (人´ω｀*).☆.。.:*・゜Arigatou♡💖🎁🌊👙

+++💋💋 ~~ for designers and bloggers ~~ 💋💋 Group+++

www.flickr.com/groups/14758817@N22/

***I'm very sorry 😣

I will reply late, so please leave this post with no comment 🙏***

We travelled in two minds, shore or moor? Strong winds promised good wave action but in the end some great light swayed us to go inland. Needless to say the great light had been and gone by the time we arrived at Minions but we persevered, hanging about in a biting wind hoping for a break in the clouds which wasn't to be.

Wir waren im letzten Jahr nicht 1x auf dem Campingplatz und das wird in diesem Jahr wohl nicht besser werden. Wir überlegen, ob wir uns von unserem lieben Freund trennen !? 😣😕😐

(Im Werk Wolfsburg und im Volkswagenwerk Hannover (ab 1956) liefen insgesamt 1,8 Millionen T1 in verschiedenen Ausführungen vom Band. 1967 endete die Fertigung des T1 in Deutschland, in Brasilien wurde er weiter bis 1976 gebaut.)

We weren't on the campsite once last year and it probably won't get any better this year. We are considering breaking up with our dear friend!? 😣😕😐

(In the Wolfsburg plant and in the Volkswagen plant in Hanover (from 1956) a total of 1.8 million T1s in various versions rolled off the assembly line. Production of the T1 in Germany ended in 1967, and it continued to be built in Brazil until 1976.)

My legs screamed in protest, but the view from the British Lookout silenced them with a gasp. After a grueling 4-kilometer slog from the Francés Lookout, I finally stood at a staggering 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) above sea level.

Below me, the north valley unfurled like a crumpled velvet tapestry. Imposing granite walls rose from the emerald expanse, their sheer scale eliciting a muttered "what the hell?" – a phrase that perfectly captured the humbling beauty before me.

This, my friends, was the crown jewel of the French Valley – Mirador Británico, a hidden gem and undisputed highlight of the W Trek. It's not for the faint of heart; reaching this viewpoint requires a dedicated day of hiking. But for those who persevere, the reward is a jaw-dropping 360-degree panorama.

Pehoe Lake shimmered like a fallen sapphire, dwarfed by the colossal Los Cuernos peaks and the mighty Paine Grande. These granite titans, unseen from other vantage points, thrust skyward like the spires of a forgotten city.

A Grueling Ascent for Glorious Vistas

The British Lookout isn't for the weary. Those seeking a gentler pace can descend from the Francés Lookout. But for the determined hiker, a further 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) beckons. This leg promises a scenic wander through native forests, but be warned – the elevation gain is no joke. It's a 500-meter (1,640 ft) climb on a rocky path, switchbacking through dense woods before emerging into the open at Mirador Británico.

The effort, however, is utterly eclipsed by the reward. From this lofty perch, you'll have a front-row seat to the Cuernos' dramatic display and the surrounding forest of granite spires. Keen-eyed climbers will even spot "The Fin," a notorious challenge for mountaineers.

A Parade of Patagonian Giants

Let's not forget the supporting cast in this awe-inspiring spectacle. From left to right, a parade of majestic peaks unfolds: Cerro Castillo (1,421 m / 4,662 ft), the towering twins of Cerro Los Gemelos (1,998 m / 6,555 ft), the needle-like Cerro Aguja de los Quiquichos (1,703 m / 5,587 ft), the stubby Cerro El Tambor (230 m / 754 ft), the imposing Cerro Cota (2,000 m / 6,562 ft), the aptly named Catedral (Cathedral Hill) at a staggering 2,200 m / 7,218 ft, and the Shark's Fin (Aleta de Tiburón) at 1,717 m / 5,633 ft, just to name a few. (Hover over the photo if you're on a computer to see my peak annotations!)

Nature's Masterpieces: A Cathedral Carved by Glaciers

The French Valley itself is a masterpiece of glacial sculpting. The colossal western walls of Cerro Cota 2000 (2,000 m / 6,562 ft) and Cerro Catedral (2,200 m / 7,218 ft) dominate the landscape. Cerro Cota aptly lives up to its name, its highest point reaching a cool 6,562 ft. Cathedral Hill, on the other hand, earned its moniker from its sheer eastern face, which resembles a magnificent cathedral facade.

To the north, the granite ridge known as Aleta de Tiburón (Shark's Fin / 1,717 m / 5,633 ft) cuts a dramatic silhouette against the sky. Millions of years of glacial erosion have honed this peak into a climber's dream, its steep slopes a testament to nature's relentless artistry.

A Challenge Worth Taking

Reaching the British Lookout is no walk in the park. The hike is typically an out-and-back affair, with a moderate to challenging difficulty rating due to the steady elevation gain.

The full trek from Frances Domos to Paine Grande Refuge takes a whopping 10 hours, covering a challenging 23 kilometers (14 miles). The initial part is relatively easy, but the section between the French Valley's beginning and the British Lookout is a heart-thumper. This is why this vantage point is best reserved for experienced hikers.

A Fairytale Trek Through a Patagonian Paradise

The trail itself winds through a scene straight out of a fairytale. Towering, snow-capped peaks pierce the horizon, their reflections shimmering in the crystal-clear glacial lakes that dot the landscape.

But the true star of the show is the French Valley. As you round a bend in the trail, it unfolds before you like a majestic amphitheater carved

Voilà lorsque l'on persévère sur une espèce pour avoir un plan qui se respecte dans l'action. Une centaines de clichés pour réaliser de belles photos, un 5% gardé seulement.

This is when we persevere on a species to have a self-respecting plan in action. Hundreds of shots to take beautiful photos, only 5% kept.

It was not the best of weather and it actually started to rain but I persevered and am glad I did.

One taken previously at my feeding area. I found this post whilst on a family outing. I was on the lookout for suitable props and saw this laying on the ground. I have a number of images from this post. My plan was to get the Jay on top of this......but its not playing ball at the moment. I will persevere, as I think in the right conditions it will make for an excellent shot. Until then I will be posting a few other birds that frequented the post :)

Once again thank you all for taking the time to view my images and to comment/fave it is much appreciated :)

Summer in japan is too hot to bear.😣 Characterized by high temperature and high humidity.😥

今日も35℃超えの猛暑日でした。幼少の頃は, 32℃が猛暑の基準値でしたが, 近頃の猛暑はもはや日本列島が亜熱帯気候地帯になって仕舞った感が致します。皆様、暑中お見舞い申し上げます。新型コロナ感染防止と熱中症対策に気を付けましょう。

Yayyy!!! ヽ(=´▽`=)ﾉ💝

I get mid Summer gift again ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

My work has been selected again as a cover for "SL Lucky Charms" Group ヽ(^◇^*)/ 💖🌻🍦

I'm sooooo glad and, sooooo honor and, soooo Ultra Exciting!!!｡:.ﾟヽ(´∀`｡)ﾉﾟ.:｡

and, Thank you so much again for choose my work my dear group owner and, admins (人´ω｀*).☆.。.:*・゜Arigatou♡💖🎁🌊👙

+++SL Lucky Charms Group+++

www.flickr.com/groups/14761972@N22/

***This release is already over. and, I'm very sorry 😣

I will reply late, so please leave this post with no comment 🙏***

When I first came to this coast in 2013, every walk at low tide was a magical wonderland of discovering perfectly formed little sea stars of purple, red and orange on every rock! I was enchanted by your celestial beauty and also amazed to learn that you are a top predator. I wasn’t expecting that since you can’t chase anyone, but your little suction feet, besides providing a wave-proof grip, also enable you to forcefully pry open mussel shells. I had just barely gotten to know you when in the spring of 2014 the devastating plague of Sea Star Wasting Disease arrived here.

Within a few months, you all got horribly ill with lesions, your bodies fell apart and you hung strangely from the rocks on just one twisted arm … and then you died and disappeared. All of you. It was heart-breaking. How you must’ve suffered. And it was shocking. Would there be no more sea stars? It felt like the beginning of the end of the world. Scientists scrambled to understand what was happening. The potential loss of a species felt incredibly personal and intimate in that moment. I felt the pure grief of losing one of the family, our earth family.

Slowly I grew accustomed to the gloomy, colorless rock surfaces where you no longer were, and years passed. However, now in 2017, you’re back!!! What’s more, I see hundreds of little baby sea stars everywhere together with what seem like giant elders who have survived somehow. You have not only persevered but returned with an army of little replacements! It fills me with such a deep happiness to see you again, and you have taught me a lesson about hope.

Be the joyous magician of immortality!

Claudia

We persevered through a very rainy evening at Cradle Mountain - this was as good as it was going to get at sunset.

Mercy means you expect suffering in your relationships and are willing to endure it.

Mercy means you are willing to live with the poor.

Mercy means you resist the temptation to favoritism.

Mercy means you are committed to persevere in hardship.

Mercy rejects a “personal happiness” agenda.

Mercy means you live with a commitment to forgive.

Mercy means you overlook minor offences.

Mercy does not compromise what is morally right and true.

A commitment to mercy will reveal the treasures of your heart.

70000 Britannia storms through Albrighton Shropshire. Not very authentic really. However, the Brit was on a non passenger mainline loaded test run, and that's what I wanted to capture today. Hopefully when she's out on a rail tour I can photograph something more authentic.

Had to use manual focus on this one, the autofocus was a little cranky that the blades were too thin.

On Black

Made front page briefly! Ultimately ended up with Explore #108

Explore #176, November 15, 2008

Snail on a mission. What his mission is, I do not know, but I am confident that he will persevere.

It's a cold, wet day here... about the coldest we've had so far. I'm denying the current conditions by doing some "window shopping" for new tropicals for next year. SO FUN. I'm currently swooning over the Thai Black Banana. I want one.

What a difference 30 minutes and 24 km makes, we arrived in Zutphen damp but drying out the sun actually tried to break through several times after leaving the car at a nearby parking lot exploring our way to the old town of this lovely historic Hanseatic town.

Zutphen has been inhabited for over 1700 years and was founded by the Franks during the time of the Roman Empire making it one of Holland’s oldest cities.

Being founders of the Hanseatic League the town has always been prosperous and despite its small size boasts over 450 national monuments thanks to its long wealthy history.

When you are slogging about dripping wet hunched over loaded down with camera gear in the pissing rain you just have to persevere and hope for a break in the weather or good spots that can shield you from the wet while shooting.

For most travel photographers its not like we will always have another opportunity to be back in the same direction so good wet weather gear and umbrellas are the order of the day when traveling in the fall most especially in the Netherlands.

Captured here is the pedestrian mall leading to the Tower of the Walburgis church which was at one time 113m tall but since 1600 reduced to a mere 76m though small in stature it is still a beauty and has been around since the 13th century ushering the locals to sermon.

I took this on September 19th, 2017 with my D750 and Nikon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens at 28mm 1/8s, f/11 ISO 100 processed in LR, PS +Lumenzia, Topaz , Luminar and DXO

Disclaimer: My style is a study of romantic realism as well as a work in progress.

Fairburn Tank 42073 climbs towards Newby Bridge Halt.

Sometimes things aren't clear right away.

That's where you need to be patient and persevere and see where things lead ~ Mary Pierce.

After word of the Evergreen mill spre as d like wildfire, I made it a point to get out and shoot around the Canton area. This was my first time being back in the area since I moved 45 minutes south nearly two years ago; the mood had definitely changed. Even though the news devastated Haywood County, people weren't standing around singing the blues. Rather, most people held their head high and were determined to make old Papertown persevere.

Foinaven in the distance on the left and Arkle looming larger towards the centre.

I am not sure about this image, the surface of Loch Stack was heavily rippled by the wind and uninviting but I persevered with a 10 stop ND filter resulting in a 30 second exposure. What do you think?

We’ll be traveling down to Hertfordshire tomorrow to see my daughter et al and to be honest I started to get a little anxious about the drive. I’ve never been a keen driver for long distances, but as needs must over the years I’ve had to drive all over. For work I was up to the midlands all the time and now all my family live away so staying in touch involves lots of traveling. Prior to the pandemic I was regularly doing 700 miles round trips visiting the grandchildren, but now after 14 months of relative no driving these epic distances are a little daunting. It’s a confidence thing and I’m sure once well into the journey I’ll be ok, hopefully keeping the toilet stops down to one and I can persevere the leg aches that I will sure to get. So take my mind of it here is a #waveWednesday taken back in April, called Shape shifter. It’s a rare wave photo in that it’s not taken with my Canon 7dmkii and 100-400 combo sitting on a tripod. I decided to go light and local on the afternoon of this storm, carrying my fujifilm XH1 and 70-300mm lens plus 1.4x, all taken handheld. It was an experiment, the results were OK, but it won’t replace my DSLR for these sessions in a hurry.

We can’t escape pain; we can’t escape the essential nature of our lives. But we do have a choice. We can give in and relent, or we can fight, persevere, and create a life worth living, a noble life. Pain is a fact; our evaluation of it is a choice. - Jacob Held

Optimism is the most important human trait, because it allows us to evolve our ideas, to improve our situation, and to hope for a better tomorrow. - Seth Godin

Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! xo💜💜

Tiny brilliant-colored snowplant buds (Sarcodes sanguinea) push up through the newly thawed ground of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It always seems very special to find these small crimson treasures in the spring. Soon these buds will be large red flowers, seemingly from another time. Interestingly enough, the snowplant does not use photosynthesis, it actually grows from fungi under the ground. So, sunlight is not necessary. You will find these treasures usually in the darker places of the forests.

OMG😲!!!

I get mid Summer gift again ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

My work has been selected again as a cover for "KARA." Group ヽ(^◇^*)/ 💖🌻🍦

I'm sooooo glad and, sooooo honor and, soooo Ultra Exciting!!!｡:.ﾟヽ(´∀`｡)ﾉﾟ.:｡

and, Thank you so much again for choose my work my dear group owner and, admins (人´ω｀*).☆.。.:*・゜Arigatou♡💖🎁🌊👙

+++KARA. Group+++

www.flickr.com/groups/14685933@N25/

***I'm very sorry 😣

I will reply late, so please leave this post with no comment 🙏***

“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.”

― Seneca the Younger

GWR 5029 Nunney Castle heads the GBIV across the Offa's Dyke footpath while climbing to Llanfihangle Summit.

During a brief outing to a nearby arboretum, the visit got off to a challenging start but we persevered, made a detour around a blocked entranceway and forged through overgrown trails to arrive at our favorite spot - the shaded sitting area next to the lake.

There were a few dragonflies dashing about here and there, landing for a split second on a small reed or branch, only to take off again to another small reed or branch. Alas, this one decided to moon me right as I grabbed this shot!

My first dragonfly of the year - which appears to be a Blue Dasher.

Back to my people photos again… this couple spent ages taking different selfies with the mountains behind them. Was interesting to watch! Well done France...just beat us at the rugby...😣xx

1 Corinthians 13:6 NIV

6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

We watched a couple people ascend the slippery slope to the Lookout which sits atop a pinnacle of rock at 5,685 feet. The trail to the lookout is short and steep but the road to get to the trailhead is long and pot holed with confusing intersections. The weather forecast claimed afternoon clearing so we persevered. It was interesting to see the Lookout but I would rather have had terrific views. Oh well, another time.

Panowie u bocianów są bardzo wytrwali i zręczni. Nie wystarcza im by samiczka wysiadywała 1 jajo, trzeba kolejnych zapłodnionych :-)) /

Gentlemen of storks are very persevered and clever. They lack one important egg, fertilized they need further :-))

I composed this image of the Bow River and Bow Valley while hiking the Muleshoe Trail in Canada's Banff National Park. The hiking path starts at river level, so I had climbed quite a bit.

Muleshoe Trail is a fine trail at the beginning, running through spacious meadows that provide sweeping vistas of Bow Valley, but about three-quarters of the way up, the trail disappears in a tangle of deadfall. Persevere through this mess of rampikes, and one will reach a summit cloaked in trees, but views can be found a short distance away. The trail terminates in Muleshoe Ridge, east of Corey Mountain, but I must confess that while I have hiked Muleshoe Trail many times, I've never made it that far.

The name "Bow" refers to the reeds that grew along its banks and which were used by the local First Nations people to make bows; the Blackfoot language name for the river is Makhabn, meaning "river where bow weeds grow."