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On the beach I started to walk towards Thornham Point but clouds to the west looked very dark & thundery showers had been predicted, so turned back & did not get as far as the Buntings. Just a few Sanderlings along the tide line, wish my legs could move as fast as theirs.
2005 Chandra observations revealed new details about the fiery ring surrounding the stellar explosion that produced Supernova 1987A. The data give insight into the behavior of the doomed star in the years before it exploded, and indicate that the predicted spectacular brightening of the circumstellar ring has begun.
Supernova 1987A occurred in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a galaxy only 160,000 light years from Earth. The outburst was visible to the naked eye, and is the brightest known supernova in almost 400 years. Optical hot-spots (pink-white) now encircle the ring like a necklace of incandescent diamonds. The Chandra data (blue-purple) reveals multimillion-degree gas at the location of the optical hot-spots.
Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/PSU/S.Park & D.Burrows.; Optical: NASA/STScI/CfA/P.Challis
#NASA #MarshallSpaceFlightCenter #MSFC #Marshall #ChandraXrayObservatory #cxo #supernova #supernovaremnant #HST #HubbleSpaceTelescope #Hubble #GSFC #GoddardSpaceFlightCenter #Goddard #NASAGoddard
Top temperature predicted this week by the kind folks at the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM or as we used to call it, the Weather Bureau - why a Bureau though?) is a humid 35C. Sounds like no-one has told them it's now Autumn! Putting that aside, we were down the back alleys of Fortitude Valley in Brisbane and I noted these old commercial buildings (read shops and maybe Bubbles Bath House - whatever that could be!!!!) with four old brick chimneys. Well, they are old and back then of course before Global Warming it seemed to get colder for sure in winter. Chimneys are not rare in Brisbane at all on older buildings but I do wonder even then how many times they were lit up.
Thanks to everyone for your kind enquires about my hearts progress this last week, that support is greatly appreciated. After all the tests, they have confirmed that my heart has deteriorated in terms of its pumping capacity since my last echo sound three years back. Well, that's the heart failure for you I guess. It's kind of relentless. One happy note amongst a sea of bad (my blood pressure is also very low too which goes with the above)...when I started my cardio vascular journey as a 34 year old it was high enough 240/150 to blow my head off and get rushed immediately to hospital. My doctor at the time thought his blood pressure machine (it has a name but I can't spell it) was broken and took three readings on two machines. I have battled high BP since and it's an unpleasant change really to swim to the other end of the pool as low BP is harder to treat.
Anyway, the happy note was that I also had a four hour stress test on my heart, that test is a chemical one (walking on a treadmill uphill would kill me) so they do CT's before and after filling you with chemicals that mimic stressing your heart and radio active tracers that allow them to see your heart arteries and muscle - the upshot of which was 13 years after my quadruple by-pass, the arteries are at least still good, despite all those chocolates that our neighbour gave us at Christmas etc etc etc!
So now I am on new drugs for me and new drugs on the market that hopefully will strengthen my heart a bit without lowering my BP further. It's kind of a Catch 22 and complicated journey. I know that many of you have your own to make and of great challenge...getting old isn't all line dancing and orchid growing! Have a happy weekend everyone. And thanks again.
The weather predictors "flurries will not stick"
"TOO WARM THE SNOW WILL MELT" ha
Still weird we do not get snow in December. Rarely get snow anyway. Like once ever three years in February.
See how bright the flowers color was. Cut them all down 2 days later. . . sigh
I was on a hike in the Alps with our dog Giorgio. The weather forecast predicted it would be a sunny day! But the God of the weather had other plans. His humor is more complex. It’s much funnier to have fog, followed by a pinch of strong wind and a few hours of snowstorm. I think it was an experiment to test how long it will take until I’m going crazy (lol), because suddenly all the three components were there! We were still high up on the mountain and had to hurry to reach our home. From a distance I saw a house like the one on my photo! Such houses are only used in summer for the cows. In winter they are empty!
Do you know those movies where a small group of teenagers find a small little house in a place in the wilderness only to die one after the other? Well, it was too late for us to descent the mountain, so we went to this little house to seek shelter from the storm.
And then we stood in front of the door. The house was made of wood and was very very old. The wind was getting stronger and stronger and the wooden beams rattled! Should we really enter this house? I heard the wind whispering to me: „Get in there my little boy, please go inside the house!“. The trees behind me began to bend over because the wind was getting stronger and the sky changed to a mystical dark. Oh boy, if a witch is in the house there, I will die :-)
I stood closer to the door and listened. What was in there? I heard something! I tried to open the door. Very good, it was open he he he! But honestly, I did not wanted to enter this place! And again I heard the wind that whispered to me with a raspy voice: „Come in my boy, here it is warm and beautiful, come in!“. I slowly opened the door and Giorgio began to growl. The door squeaked and in front of me I saw only darkness. And again that scary whisper: „Come in and bring me luck“ … for a felt eternity it was very quiet except for Giorgio who was still growling … and suddenly a raven flew over our heads into the open! Ahhhhhh … I swore vilely in six different languages! What a fright!!!! My heart has fallen down into my shoes, and since then I try to get it back again (lol). I think I am aged about 20 years ha ha ha!
Well, we were about 30 minutes in this cottage. And then after this time the sun came out! This day was one of the sunniest days of my vacation :-)
I want to thank all very much for your "views", "Comments" and "Favourites" :-) The only thing that matters is that you have joy in this photo. Again, thank you :-)
Rain is predicted for the next few days, and after a few sprinkles, you might have thought the clouds would wimp out, but they engaged in a remarkable display of a game of "hide the Sun".
Cloud cover over the Sun is not new to the Pacific Ocean, but the layers of clouds made the scene rather melodramatic!
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Every photo walk is different - Young Fallow Deer in Morning Light - On the way home, it is never easy to predict what a Nikon Z8 memory card will carry. Sometimes you press the shutter within the first minutes and the card fills quickly; sometimes you wait patiently without taking a single frame, imagining the photograph long before it exists.
Wildlife follows its own rhythm — and occasionally, it takes you along with it.
This pre-Christmas morning at Bradgate Park began as the rising sun broke through dark, scattered clouds. As the light softened, the landscape slowly revealed itself. At times, gentle morning light becomes incredibly effective; at other moments, you work more technically, placing the strength of the light behind you and allowing experience to grow with every frame.
The first encounter came from the rocky hilltops: a young male fallow deer, standing still, looking directly into my lens with wide, unblinking eyes.
“Young Fallow Deer in Morning Light.”
After meeting two fellow photographer friends, I joined them along the River Lin, which flows through Bradgate Park in North Leicestershire. A small group of hinds crossed the river, resisting the powerful current — a moment of shared instinct and determination.
Later, while searching for Stonechat, as on previous visits, a herd of red deer appeared, spreading calmly across the greenery. The majestic stag once again became the natural favourite of our lenses, and I worked to capture several compelling poses from different angles under direct sunlight.
The Grey Heron ultimately defined the photograph of the day. Under clean, softly broken sunlight, framed against the River Lin, the scene felt complete.
After a 3.5-hour photo walk, as I returned to the car park, my favourite bird — the tiny Robin — seemed to offer a quiet farewell. Shot in direct sunlight, the background bokeh remained simple, while the feather details glowed beautifully. With the NIKKOR 500mm and 1.4x TC at ƒ/8.0, its poised and noble stance emerged clearly.
Good evening and thank you for looking.
Every photo walk is different - On the way home, it is never easy to predict what a Nikon Z8 memory card will carry. Sometimes you press the shutter within the first minutes and the card fills quickly; sometimes you wait patiently without taking a single frame, imagining the photograph long before it exists.
Wildlife follows its own rhythm — and occasionally, it takes you along with it.
This pre-Christmas morning at Bradgate Park began as the rising sun broke through dark, scattered clouds. As the light softened, the landscape slowly revealed itself. At times, gentle morning light becomes incredibly effective; at other moments, you work more technically, placing the strength of the light behind you and allowing experience to grow with every frame.
The first encounter came from the rocky hilltops: a young male fallow deer, standing still, looking directly into my lens with wide, unblinking eyes.
“Young Fallow Deer in Morning Light.”
After meeting two fellow photographer friends, I joined them along the River Lin, which flows through Bradgate Park in North Leicestershire. A small group of hinds crossed the river, resisting the powerful current — a moment of shared instinct and determination.
Later, while searching for Stonechat, as on previous visits, a herd of red deer appeared, spreading calmly across the greenery. The majestic stag once again became the natural favourite of our lenses, and I worked to capture several compelling poses from different angles under direct sunlight.
The Grey Heron ultimately defined the photograph of the day. Under clean, softly broken sunlight, framed against the River Lin, the scene felt complete.
After a 3.5-hour photo walk, as I returned to the car park, my favourite bird — the tiny Robin — seemed to offer a quiet farewell. Shot in direct sunlight, the background bokeh remained simple, while the feather details glowed beautifully. With the NIKKOR 500mm and 1.4x TC at ƒ/8.0, its poised and noble stance emerged clearly.
Good evening and thank you for looking.
I've captured some unforgettable moments with my camera, and I hope you feel the same joy viewing these images as I did while shooting them.
Thank you so much for visiting my gallery, whether you leave a comment, add it to your favorites, or simply take a moment to look around. Your support means a lot to me, and I wish you good luck and beautiful light in all your endeavors.
© All rights belong to R.Ertuğ. Please refrain from using these images without my express written permission. If you are interested in purchasing or using them, feel free to contact me via Flickr mail.
Lens - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f5.6 and full length. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.
I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -
Your comments and criticism are very valuable.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and explore :)
On Friday I dropped by a local park after work and spotted an immature Red-tailed Hawk sitting on a nest box on a pole and scanning the ground below for a potential prey. I took my position slightly below on a slope, away from it and waited. Then the bird dove down and I started tracking it. Soon it disappeared from view and I took my finger off the shutter.
Later when I looked at the photos on my computer I realized that I took seven extra frames after the bird disappeared from view. To illustrate the point I created this short video after stitching the frames together and introducing slight delay between frames. At 20 frames per second on Z9 that 7 frames amount to close to 300 ms - it took me that long to stop taking photos after the bird disappeared behind the slope. Some may call it reaction time. After the light hit the retina, it took about 30 ms to reach my brain which then took another 120ms to process before the command was sent to my finger to stop taking photos. But this also means we are always living in the past, I only 'saw' the bird disappearing 150 ms after it actually happened. Interesting dilemma.
So, how does a catcher catch a ball that is moving fast? By the time the catcher 'sees' the ball it has already gone past him in reality. A successful catch is still possible because brain extrapolates and predicts where the ball will be before eyes see it. Take a close look at the frames after the bird disappeared. One could see that I was still tracking downward (ground moved upward) because the brain predicted where the bird would be and my hands simply followed it. Fascinating, isn't it?
I also wondered if 300 ms reaction time in the field is good. So I took a test on my computer with color changing circle and my average reaction time came out to be 261 ms., a very respectable number compared to the average of 248 ms found in a group of 18-20 year old medical students. It's raining outside and I am stuck indoor, so I decided to write this up and created this benchmark to measure against as I grow old. And now go measure yours, see where you stand.
By the way, I could've set an alternate title as 'We are always living in the past'. I took the ideas from an article that I just read (theconversation.com/what-youre-seeing-right-now-is-the-pa...)
The weather forecast predicted rain, rain and more rain for the weekend, so when I noticed a brief break in the clouds early this morning, I grabbed my camera and drove off in search of a composition or two... I didn't find much...
I processed this in B&W just to be different... :)
Nikon D300, Sigma 18-200mm at 80mm, aperture of f11, with a 1/250 second exposure.
Click here to view this one large.
Click here to check out my Vertorama tutorial.
ODC-That's Life
Some believe the Woolly Bear Caterpillar can predict whether or not we'll have a mild/severe Winter. The bigger the orange band the milder the winter. If it's true I think winter is going to be a little more severe, though they're predicting a milder winter for us up here in the Finger Lakes.
It's been a strange but nice Saturday. The weather forecast had predicted a cloudy day, with possible rainstorms in the afternoon. Nothing strange, it was the trend of the entire week. My summer vacation were going to end, and It was my last chance for a serious hike. I left the house at 6 AM and I started to hike on the trail that leads into Otro valley. Cloudy sky, but the clouds were high and it was windy. I did not know where I wanted to go. In the end, following a tradition of the last five years, I thought I had to reach Zube pass, despite the elevation gain, almost 1.800m (5,900ft), and the lack of a serious training. I had been at Zube at the end of every summer since my child was born. On the top of the pass there is a small chapel of the Virgin, dedicated to the protection of families all over the world. I am not a religious person, but that small chapel, in that place, always had a sort of mystic call for me. If the weather was bad, moreover, I had already taken so many shots up there, in the previous years, that I would not have cried for the missed photographic opportunity.
Thick clouds started to roll in at 8.30 AM, but they created an effect that was similar to thermal inversion, that is much more common during fall and winter. At an elevation of 2.400m (7,870ft ) the clouds were below my feet, and the summits of the high mountain were all there, clearly visible.
I reached Zube pass, 2.876m (9,436ft), at 9.30AM. Three hours and an half, not that bad at all. I was there, and I was alone, with a breath taking view. Despite the fact that you can use two cable lifts to shorten the trail (but starting from other valleys), and in the good season many people hike to the pass, I was the first one to reach the summit.
I have many shots with the most spectacular summits of Valsesia (and I will post many of them in a time to come), but I choose this one because it reminds me of how long the trail is.
I stood up there for an hour, with the Virgin, without caring of the temperature, that was close to Zero Celsius, and the fact that I had just a light jacket, shorts and a bottle of water. Probably the major discomfort was for Mary the Virgin, alone up there with a sinner and an unbeliever... but the Maker has a lot of pity.
E' stato un sabato strano, ma simpatico. Le previsioni del tempo avevano previsto una giornata nuvolosa, con possibili temporali nel pomeriggio. Niente di strano, è stato il trend di tutta la settimana. Le mie vacanze estive stavano per finire ed era la mia ultima possibilità per una camminata seria. Sono uscito di casa alle 6 del mattino e ho iniziato a fare un'escursione sul sentiero che porta nella valle di Otro. Cielo nuvoloso, ma le nuvole erano alte ed era ventoso. Non sapevo dove volevo andare. Alla fine, seguendo una tradizione degli ultimi cinque anni, ho pensato di raggiungere il passo Zube, nonostante il dislivello, quasi 1.800 m, e, molto peggio, la mancanza di allenamento. Sono salito a quel passo alla fine di ogni estate da quando è nato mio figlio. Sulla cima del passo c'è una piccola cappella della Vergine Maria, dedicata alla protezione delle famiglie in tutto il mondo. Non sono una persona religiosa, ma quella piccola cappella, in quel luogo, ha sempre avuto una sorta di mistico richiamo per me. Se il tempo fosse stato brutto, per di più, ho già fatto così tanti scatti da lassù in altre occasioni che non avrei pianto per l'occasione fotografica mancata.
Le nuvole spesse hanno iniziato a farsi vive alle 8.30, ma hanno creato un effetto simile all'inversione termica, che è molto più comune in autunno e in inverno. Ad un'altitudine di 2.400m erano sotto i tuoi piedi e le vette più alte erano tutte lì, chiaramente visibili.
Ho raggiunto il passo Zube, a 2.870m, alle 9.30. Tre ore e mezza, non così male alla fine. Ero lì ed ero solo, con una vista mozzafiato. Nonostante sia possibile utilizzare due funivie per accorciare il sentiero (salendo però da altre valli), e nella buona stagione molte persone camminano fino al passo, sono stato il primo a raggiungere la vetta.
Ho molti scatti con le vette più spettacolari della Valsesia (e ne posterò molte in un momento a venire), ma scelgo questo perché mi ricorda la strada fatta.
Sono rimasto lassu' per un'ora, con la Vergine Immaccolata. Senza preoccuparmi troppo della temperatura, che era vicino a Zero, e del fatto che avevo solo una giacca leggera, pantaloncini e una bottiglia d'acqua. Probabilmente il disagio maggiore e' stato per Maria, sola lassù con un peccatore e un miscredente ... ma il Creatore è misericordioso.
Sunrise at home. Some sunrises are colourful and some are just blah. I tend to miss most of the good ones (nothing to do with wanting to stay in bed ofcourse). Pretty hard to predict, and sunsets seem even more difficult. Then there are the times when you pack up and think you've wasted your time, only to find that 3 minutes later the sky fires up with unbelievable colour, but you are now not in position for a shot.
Sky Guide predicted this flare at 21:39:09 at my location. So I setup my Canon 1100D using Backyard EOS for a 45 second exposure and ISO400. I collected RAW and JPEG data. I only used RAW as the JPEG seems very much inferior. I kicked off the exposure 20 seconds earlier. EXACTLY on time the flare appeared which I find astounding.
To avoid trailing stars I decided to use my guide camera using PHD2. Was difficult to obtain accurate focus on my main camera but 10-12 test exposures seemed to do the trick. Future focus attainment should be easier as I have now marked the point on my lens which is a 18-55mm. Using 18mm. And in case you wondered, No, you can't use infinity. I have used a LP filter but I was a bit up against it as a distant street light was directly casting light onto the Lens.
You can also see Andromeda Galaxy in the bottom centre part of the image. There is also another object in the picture that I think is some sort of space debris but I am unable to confirm. The mottled effect to the left of the flare is part of the Milky Way, our own Galaxy.
Processing was done in Pixinsight (DBE and NR) and Photoshop.
Skyfire predicted a beautiful sunrise. Clear sky and Intellicast predicted heavy clouds. Well, there was a sliver of pretty pinkish sunlight... that ended about 30 seconds before I got my camera set up for this shot. Oops!
A sunny early afternoon swim in a crystal-clear turquoise body of water.
Staring at my original photograph has triggered memories from the Minority Report film, with Tom Cruise. I think this is one of the best creations of Steven Spielberg and one of those movies I would definitely watch more than once.
The three young women holding hands in the water, making a star formation, resemble the Precogs (Precognitives) in the movie. Their powerful psychic abilities are key in predicting and projecting premeditated murders... but I'll let you watch the movie, if you haven't already.
I changed the water look, altered the daylight, added the rays, and gave the image more pop.
These lovely daisy-like flowers (argyranthemum Frutescens) have been blooming their hearts out since well before their predicted April appearance. Since February, in fact - months of bonus color. I love the subtle differences in each flower - family resemblance, individual bloom. I admire their longevity, too. Not to mention their cheerfulness.
I'm not the first to say that one of the few silver linings in this crazy lockdown is the increased frequency with which we're all reaching out to the ones we love. Why did it take a crisis for this connectedness to bloom? When we lived a thousand miles apart, John and I spoke on Skype nearly every evening - a simple check-in, a deepening of the bond. But I never used the same technology with the rest of my family. I always took for granted that there would be time later to catch up and share, even if we rarely did. Ironic, now, that I'm holed up here with John and using video to chat with everyone else. On Sunday, we're planning a big extended family, multi-generational online "brunch" across eight time zones. However chaotic it turns out to be, I look forward to seeing those distinct and familiar faces - the ones who do and do not look like me - lined up on the screen, the people who brighten and enrich my world. Even and especially now.
...Canoe Boy will be posting some Greenies and Tri-Colored Heron shots from Horsepen Bayou in the future.
The weather forecast predicted clear skies to the West at sunset… which coincided perfectly with our planned visit to Neist Point… the most Westerly point on the Isle of Skye.
The sky was indeed (fairly) clear when we arrived at the point about half an hour before sunset… but the wind was blowing like crazy… and cold… my fingers were numb even before I’d managed to set up my tripod. Finding a unique and strong composition in these conditions would be quite a challenge… actually… in those conditions… standing up straight was quite a challenge!
I liked this composition as soon as I saw it. I liked how the two large rocks on the extreme left grabbed my eyes and drew them into the frame in the direction of the large cliff and lighthouse. I also liked how the rocks and cliff were roughly the same size in the frame… and I really liked that the cliff was approximately half-way (in the frame) between the rocks and the lighthouse.
The only problem with my composition… was that it felt a bit too heavy on the left. I might have been wishing for clear skies earlier in the day… but now I needed a big dark, heavy cloud on the right to balance out the composition. When I looked out to sea to my right… I noticed a low, light-grey cloud approaching fast. It took me a few seconds to realise that the low clouds was in fact rain… and it took less than a five minutes before I felt the first drop. That was when I took this photo.
Seconds later the rain was pelting down… I packed my camera away… huddled up behind a rock to escape the wind… and sat there with a huge grin on my face for a full five minutes. The approaching rain had created the perfect balance that I was looking for in my (completely unique) composition… magic moments… yeah this felt good!! This is what landscape photography is all about!
I do apologize for not having had much time for Flickr this week… I haven’t even had time to process more than a couple of images from Skye… but I promise to catch up with all your latest images sometime over the weekend.
Nikon D800, Nikkor 14-24 at 20mm, aperture of f11, with a 1/20th second exposure.
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The rare Tau Herculids meteor shower predicted for May 30/31, 2022 as a possible meteor storm, but instead produced a modest "normal" meteor shower. The meteors appeared yellowish (as in the bright meteor) and were slow-moving, and often had a sparkling effect as they moved, again as per the irregular brightness of the bright meteor streak. The meteors were from remnants of the Comet 73P/Schawassmann-Wachmann 3 which broke apart in 1995.
This is a blend of exposures taken over 90 minutes from 11:24 pm MDT to 12:52 am MDT, capturing 15 meteors, including a very bright one, the best of the night, which left an orange ionization "smoke" trail expanding away from the meteor over the next few minutes. Another fainter meteor below centre also left a short "smoke trail."
This shows the radiant point of the Tau Herculids, actually located in Böotes above the bright star Arcturus below centre. The Coma Berenices star cluster is below the bright meteor. Corona Borealis and Hercules are left of Arcturus, while bright Vega in Lyra is at far left. The Big Dipper is at top.
This is a blend of 29 exposures for the meteors and smoke trails, stacked onto the sky background taken just before the very bright meteor occured earlier in the night when the sky was still blue from lingering twilight.
All were with the Canon R6 for 15 seconds each but at ISOs from 800 to 3200, increased through the night as the sky darkened, and with the 15mm Venus Optics lens wide open at f/2. The camera was on a tracking mount to keep the stars stationary over the sequence to aid in aligning and stacking the images, so the meteors appear in their correct positions relative to the background stars. Shot from home in Alberta on a very clear and fine night, a pleasant change for a celestial event!
Sunsetwx.com predicted a decent sunrise for this morning, so my 10 year-old and I planned last night to get up and out to familiar territory, the arboretum, for today's picture. Right back smack-dab in my comfort zone, winter sunrises at The Tree with the sun coming up in the gap. Felt good, man.
We saw this guy and his dogs at another part of the arboretum while scouting potential shooting locations, and I was delighted when we got to my usual spot and I saw him and his pooches ambling down the road toward us.
He noticed us taking pictures and started to walk out of the frame, but I asked him to please not go out of his way, and so he kept walking toward us and we got to pet the dogs and chatted with him for a few minutes. He said he hoped he hadn't messed up our photos, and I said of course not, because honestly, though the best colors of the sunrise hadn't happened yet when he happened by, this is far and away my favorite picture I got today.
Well, as predicted, the second winter storm in a span of a week hit the Sedona area. This latest storm hit during the overnight hours so it was cool to wake up to a blanket of white on the red rocks and desert vegetation. Unfortunately, Mother Nature forgot to turn on the lights until mid morning so it was difficult shooting. The light went from flat to retina burning in a very quick period of time! This shot of Coffee Pot Rock is probably my favorite of the morning.
I checked the aurora predictor site I used and it called for activity this evening. Peeking outside, I could see faint moving light to the north, even with maladjusted eyesight. So I quickly bundled up (it was -26 C) and hopped in the car to zip down to my usual north-facing lakeshore view.
I set up very close to the shore because despite a few weeks of cold, there was still slush on the ice and I felt and heard frequent booms of the ice cracking.
This image is a panorama comprising 8 vertical shots using my manual 24mm Bower lens which handles night shots beautifully. The lights were dancing somewhat., and pretty brihgt, so I could use nice short shutter speeds.
Hugin didn't know how to stitch this image automatically, so I had to manually select individual stars in each image to use as control points. I'm pretty pleased with this, although I will try again with another set of shots which were darker but had more distinct aurora lines.
I wasn't sure this shoot would work because of the waxing moon, but it lit the snow nicely.
A stormy day in Dallas ends with a turbulent but stellar sunset. You can often predict them here by watching the western sky begin to clear at the right time. Then a quick visit to the levees near downtown provides a nice vantage point.
The Britain's WWII aircraft positional predictor with two operators. They always sold this model with one operator but in reality this needed about six people to operate it.
I was given one of these as a small child and it was always with my military models but, at that time, I did not know what it did.
See here for a Youtube video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG6Rr5Kg6Qk
There was no Youtube when I was small !!!!!!!
TE1742 (SN09CFX) blinded for Route 207 to White City, which could happen if this batch transfers to HZ
Tinderbox
Elton John
Nostradamus said "I predict
That the world will end at half past six"
What he didn't say, was exactly when
Was he listening to the radio?
Was he listening to the government?
Well he got us spooked anyway
We'd been running hot up until today
But a wind of change blew across our sails
We were coasting on a winning streak
We were kings until the power failed
We've been living in a tinderbox
And two sparks can set the whole thing off
Rubbing up together around the clock
Lately we've been getting more roll than rock
You and me together in a tinderbox
We've been shooting this great old barn for a few years now, and during the week, we got the sad news that it had succumbed to a grassfire.
My mate Paul did some investigation, and to our relief, and I'm sure the owners, it somehow escaped the fire relatively unharmed.
I've had a look back at some of my past images of it, and it looks like it held up pretty well.
In the unpredictable land and climate that we live in, this is one of the reasons I spend so much time looking for and photographing these beautiful character filled buildings. You just never know when they will be razed to the ground and gone forever.
This is why I love photography so much.
Capturing moments in time, and preserving memories.
Hope you like "Tinderbox"
Cheers, Mike
I have photographed this pine for 20 odd years and many of the creatures that lived in, on and around it. In recent times it has formed a texture layer in my multiple exposure adventures in-camera.
I know that our youngest granddaughter will be really upset when she learns that her old tree friend is no more.
A sad day.
I tried imaging of the object at another site open toward west. The frame got clearer resulting longer stream length than before.
The date was specially good for imaging of sodium ion stream from Mercury. The planet passed the perihelion on March 31, 2023 or 16 days before the date. The sodium ion density was predicted to be highest on April 17, 2023, when Mercury passed 60 degrees, true anomaly angle of the orbit around Sun. Mercury was at the greatest eastern elongation on April 12, 2023, and the elongation was not so less yet on the date resulting relatively easy observation from Earth. And furthermore, solar activity has been higher than usual recently.
"Photoionization Loss of Mercury's Sodium Exosphere: Seasonal Observations by MESSENGER and the THEMIS Telescope" by Jasinski JM et al 2021:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8243941/
Sodium ion stream looked bilateral near Mercury and long, more than one degree beyond the left edge of the frame including faint part on this exaggerated noisy frame, though the length was limited due to low transparency here in higher air humidity area in Eastern Asia. Surrounding stars got trailed during the exposure due to differential atmospheric refraction. Trailing length and vertical distance from the object were related to positive correlation.
North is up, and east is to the left.
Here is a trial JPG frame with longer telescope on April 13, 2023:
www.flickr.com/photos/hiroc/52817928781
equipment: AstroPhysics 130GTX "Granturismo," Field Flattener at f/6.7 focal length 873mm, 22.1mm Spacer, EOS Adapter, Kipon EOS-EOS R adapter, Edmund Optic 50mm 589nm Bandpass Filter, and Canon EOS R-SP4II, modified by Seo-san on ZWO AM5 Equatorial Mount, autoguided at Mercury with Fujinon 1:2.8/75mm C-Mount Lens, Pentax x2 Extender, ZWO ASI 120MM-mini, GPUSB, and PHD2 Guiding
Exposure: one shot 480 seconds at ISO 6,400 and f/6.8
The exposure started at 10:17:23UTC April 16, 2023. The object was at 6.0 degrees above horizon at the moment, 53 minutes after sunset and 31 minutes before the end of twilight.
site: 1,160m above sea level at lat. 35 24 24 North and long. 138 38 28 East near Mt.Fuji in Asagiri Shizuoka 静岡県朝霧高原. It was a calm evening. Ambient temperature was around 9 degrees Celsius or 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind was mild. Atmospheric turbulence was bad at the low elevation less than 6 degrees above horizon, and guide error RMS was more than 2".
Previously in Chapter 6 The Two Societies
This piece gave me the title to this chapter and was what I listened to much of the time when writing. It perfectly sets the tone for these scenes and the events that take place in our story.
⚜️The voyage had been long, just as Tabitha Kinkade had predicted. And while not terribly eventful overall, there was one mystery that troubled them throughout their journey. Quite often they were watched by an ominous, dark figure. A man in a dark, hooded cloak. He always kept his distance, holding to the shadows. And while he never approached, he loomed over them the entire trip. At one point, Prince Jelani grew tired of the enigma and decided to confront the man. However, Tabitha advised caution, as situations such as these would usually reveal themselves in time. Tabitha had learned long ago in her training, that without provocation most things or people that lingered around her, would eventually proclaim their identity. And if provoked they might flee or be lost, which could result in a costly delay. Besides, he'd done nothing thus far that would warrant a confrontation. And so, they would allow circumstances to run their course.
⚜️Once safely landed at the port in Calcutta both Tabitha and Lexington needed a warm bath and some much-needed rest away from the constant bumping ride of the ship's cabins. One of their porters was from Algeria and spoke Tamazight, a native tongue of the Berber people. It was obvious that Lexington was delighted to talk to someone from his native lands, which made Tabitha smile watching her friend speak in a language she had not heard for so long.
⚜️When the two travelers finally arrived at their hotel, both Tabitha's and Lexington's multilingual skills came into play when dealing with her pets and the porter's fears. Tabitha had taken just two of her wolves on the journey, Rolf and Kiva, as they were natural mates. Neither offered any hostility toward the porters or anyone else for that matter without Tabitha's command. However, aside from their daily walks on board the ship, they'd spent a great deal of time in their cages and were quite restless. Fortunately, with some gentle persuading, they were able to calm the porters and settle into their rooms.
⚜️The next morning was Easter. It was Sunday and their contact from the Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary had sent a carriage to pick them up for services.
"We're to attend the Christian services, my lady?" Lexington inquired as he held his hand to help her into the carriage.
Tabitha grinned politely before answering him with a lofty and nonchalant demeanor, as was her custom when jesting with her friend,
"But of course, Dear Lexington. It's Easter! You didn't believe we were going to escape services today of all days, did you?"
At which point, she patted the seat next to her in the carriage.
"Now, come along."
Lexington's grumbling, as the rickety carriage made its way along the bustling streets of Calcutta, nearly made her laugh aloud as they rode toward the church. Not having the heart to tease him farther, she looked over at the handsome Berber while placing her gloved hands around his arm.
"Dear Lex, I've gone too far this time."
At which time she did laugh.
"The look on your face.... oh, dear Lexington, I adore you so!"
Lexington began to smile a little himself watching Tabitha giggle then asked. "What has brought this on my lady?"
Tabitha finally composed herself and assured him that she didn't expect him to attend the Easter services at the church as it was not his faith. While Catholic herself, she nor her parents had ever forced Lexington into their religious beliefs. They believed the workings of the soul were God's work.
Lexington breathed a sigh of relief at the news but in the end decided to attend anyway, out of respect for Tabitha and for their host.
⚜️Father Thomas Haskell was a lean man in his sixties. His bald head looked slick and shiny in the bright sun and his white hair gleamed. When he shook Tabitha's hand, she felt how rough and callused they were, and his skin was leathery tan. It was obvious Father Haskell spent much of his time in the gardens around the church. He wore the traditional robes of a parish priest and as with most Catholic holy men of that day, he appeared humble and somewhat trite. After introductions were made, he did not hesitate to reveal to the duo that he not only believed in the evil beings that scoured the earth but were unfeigned in his support of the Shadowhunters.
"You and your kind my dear are destined to rid the world of these heinous creatures. I am at your disposal of course."
As the bells of the church rang and the church doors began to open the priest looked at the church and then smiled when he turned back toward his guest.
"It is a delight to have you both visit us this morning and if you'll forgive me Lady Kindake I must attend to my flock. Services are about to begin, and I am expected inside. I've reserved seats for you both, won't you follow me."
Tabitha nodded and smiled as did Lexington
"Of course, Father Haskell," she responded.
And with that, they both followed the priest toward the grand doors that opened to the church's foyer.
As they approached, both Tabitha and Lexington noticed a striking man standing near a fountain. His hair was dark as a raven's wing and his equally dark beard was neatly trimmed. He wore a very smart-looking cutaway coat and silk vest that gave away his social status and as the man began to walk in their direction Tabitha could see that he was of average height and appeared to be in his peak years. She also noted how mysterious and mesmerizing his eyes were, and it was at that moment a commotion could be heard at the entrance to the church which caught all their attention.
Father Haskell began to walk faster and broke into a run with Tabitha and Lexington close behind him. When they reached the onlookers, the priest was determined, but not overly aggressive as he made his way through the congregation that had gathered there. Once through the crowd, Tabitha was surprised to see that the mysterious man she'd noticed outside was already just inside the large doorway. Lexington reached to touch her arm quietly, his way of letting her know he'd noticed as well. Turning quickly to rejoin the priest, they were greeted with the most morbid sight. At the top of the staircase, hanging from her neck, and high into the massive, vaulted ceiling was a young woman. Her face, though discolored and contorted was still beautiful as her lifeless body swung several feet above the top of the staircase.
Wanting desperately to help, Lexington started to climb the staircase but quickly came back to his senses realizing the poor woman's body was well out of reach. Looking over at Father Haskell, Tabitha watched as he moved his hand over his chest making the sign of the cross. His eyes were filled with dread and tears as he gazed up at the woman's corpse. She thought he might be in shock as she walked over to him.
"Father! Father Haskell!"
Shaking his head, he looked at Tabitha and then back at the woman's corpse.
"Dear God, whatever shall we do?!"
Tabitha motioned for Lex to join her and as he approached, she responded.
"This is your church Father and your congregation. They're depending on you. I'd suggest you postpone services this morning or at least move them to another location as quickly as possible."
Father Haskell nodded, still bewildered when he gazed back up at the woman's body hanging there, but when he looked back at them both again, he appeared to be himself.
"Quite right Lady Kinkade. We can set up chairs and move services to the garden."
Lexington looked back up at the girl's body and then back to Tabitha.
"My lady, the local authorities will be here soon. I'd suggest, well, if Father Haskell would allow us to represent the church in this matter, we could begin an investigation."
Tabitha looked at the girl again then back at Father Haskell.
"Father, do you know this woman?"
He nodded as he answered.
"Yes, she came to me about a week ago, she told me she was having nightmares, very vivid nightmares that were very real to her."
Tabitha and Lex looked at each other then back at the priest.
"She said she'd been sleepwalking as well. I.. well, I just can't think. I must get this situation under control!"
Tabitha nodded, reaching to hold the priest’s hands. "That's quite alright Father. From what you've told us this young woman may hold clues to the mystery that's brought us to Calcutta and you. Will you allow us to represent the church and aid you?"
Father Haskell nodded as he knew the Kinkade name very well and Tabitha's father had been a friend. He also trusted Cardinal Antonio implicitly.
"Yes, yes of course. Cardinal Antonio has sent you to us after all. And as I said before, if there's anything you need, anything at all. Please let me know. For now, however, I have much to do and must leave you."
⚜️Her name was Malini Gadhavi. She had been a mother and wife and her father and mother owned a bakery in town. She helped her parents with the business as did her children. Her husband, Harshad worked on the docks. They had all been notified of her death. Malini's body was taken to a crypt beneath the church where so many people in the community had been taken for decades. Out of respect, Tabitha and Lex had not examined the body yet. When the family arrived, they both bowed their heads, watching as they were escorted to the undercroft. Neither Tabitha nor Lexington were looking forward to questioning them.
⚜️The afternoon wore on and with their interrogations near completion, they'd learned very little. That was until the woman's mother told them about one of Malini's dreams. Sitting with them in Father Haskell's office the poor woman stared blankly at a candle's flame as Tabitha held her trembling hands, listening. She said that on one occasion her daughter had been able to remember one of her dreams completely. Melini had said it was so clear in her mind, and unlike most dreams, it felt as though it had happened. In this nightmare, she had emerged from a cave not far from her home. She also told her mother there was a man there with her in a cloak and a hood over his head. This dark, ominous being followed her to the mouth of the cave. Malini said the man never came close but watched her from the shadows. Her daughter told her that in the dream she roared like an animal and when she peered into the trees, she could feel the forest come alive with the heartbeats and movements of every living creature. And then she told her mother that even at that distance she could not only hear but smell the people in town. It was then her mother began to cry. Tabitha comforted her, giving a nod to Lexington and Father Haskell. The interrogations were now over.
⚜️It had been a long day. Nighttime was upon them, and they all needed rest. Standing there in the small tomb, the air was cool, and the smell of old dirt filled their nostrils as they began to examine Malini Gadhavi's body. Her fingernails and toenails showed no signs of dirt, blood, or flesh. Her body, as well as her hair, was clean as though it had just been washed. There were also no injuries, not even a scar, and when they turned her on her side to look at her back there was no tattoo, no brand of any kind. Holding a candle over the young woman's corpse, Lexington glanced over at Tabitha.
"This is peculiar my lady. She should have some sort of brand on her even if she wasn't a member with the pack we seek."
Tabitha nodded but didn't look up as she continued to scan the woman's body for any evidence and clues.
"Agreed Lex, this is odd. Melini's dream was not an uncommon one for a werewolf, other than the presence of the dark man of course. And yet, I do not see a brand anywhere on her. Or any physical evidence she was Lycan for that matter. We must be missing something."
Lexington pulled his candle away to poor some of the melted wax onto the dirt floor and as he did, Father Haskell brought his lantern closer to help Tabitha see. Then just as Lex brought the candle back Tabitha gasped and cried out.
"Wait! I saw something. When you brought your candle back Lex. It was yellow like, like... It was something on her skin!"
Lexington and the priest looked at each other then back at Tabitha as she continued.
"The lights... somehow. Father, bring your lantern back to where you had it, and Lex you take the candle away, and then bring it back just as you did before."
Both did as instructed but Tabitha only sighed with disappointment asking them both to try again. Shaking her head, she was both exhausted and frustrated when she pounded her fist on the stone slab. After which time she folded her arms to lay her head down for a moment. Lexington watched her and then offered some sound advice.
"My lady let us retire for the evening and come back in the morning with rested eyes."
Tabitha looked up at him but didn't raise when she answered.
"No Lex, not yet. I know I saw something. We must find it!
With her head still laying on her arms, she looked at them both.
"Now let's do this again. And Lexington when you bring the candle back, do it very slowly please."
Lexington nodded unenthusiastically, then began to move the candle away from the woman's body when Tabitha screamed out.
"Stop! Don't move! Do you see it?! It's there on her shoulder. You must not move, either of you. It's the lights!"
Both men looked at each other, each wondering if the trials of this day had finally gotten the best of the hunter, then listened as she explained.
"It's the lights! Look see, the glass of Father Haskell's lamp is red, and so the flame gives off a deep red hue, while the candle's light of course is much brighter. Obvious of course but, if you carefully peer into the candle's blue flame and with the help of the red glow from Father Haskell's lantern you can see it!"
Taking a candle in hand she invited Lexington to take her place.
"Now as I hold the candle look through the blue of its flame Lex. Can you see it?"
Lex nodded and gasped, then excitedly scrambled for his journal. As he did, Tabitha looked at the priest's bewildered face and offered further explanation.
"My guess is it's phosphorous under the skin Father. The lights set off some sort of chemical reaction allowing it to be seen. Once Lex has studied the tattoo and made a drawing, we'll hold the lantern and candle so you can observe for yourself."
Having to peer through the flame made the study of the tattoo quite difficult, however, Lexington was able to examine it thoroughly.
"How very interesting Ms. Tabitha. The ink leaves no protrusions on the skin, and it's entirely undetectable under normal light conditions."
Tabitha smiled as she listened and nodded.
"Is it our pack Lex?"
"Yes, my lady. She was a member of the pack we're tracking.
Tabitha nodded once more and raised an eyebrow as she spoke.
"I think it's obvious that Malini Gadhavi was not a willing participant. The poor woman. Such torment."
Gathering herself she redirected her attention toward Father Haskell.
"Father, do you know of any caves in the area?"
The priest nodded as he spoke, the radiant red hue of his lantern causing his face to look very macabre under the low ceiling of the underground chamber.
"Why yes of course. There are several smaller caves, but Mawsmai Cave is the largest in the area. It's not far but it will easily be a day’s journey there and back."
Tabitha and Lexington listened intently,
"Could you show us on a map Father?"
"Of course. If you'll follow me to my office, I can set you on the right path."
Gathering their things, they followed Father Haskell from the dank black corridor where Malini Gadhavi's broken body lay. As they wearily made their way up the stone stairwell Tabitha muttered to herself.
"We will avenge you and your children Melini. Whoever did this to you will pay. I promise you."
A soft beam of light showed across the young woman’s corpse from the top of the stairs. From deep in the vault their faint voices could be heard and then the door closed, and all was dark, and all as silent, forever.
🐺🐺🐺🐺
⭐This capture and this chapter of this story could not have been possible without the help of some truly wonderful people who I'm honored to know as friends
.
⭐First of all I'd like to thank my dear friend and mentor Morgan Talbot who not only opened up his beautiful sim to me to I could take this shot but provided the build itself and many of the characters. He also took the time to model for this shot. Morgan's advice and support are always so very special to me. But perhaps calling him my friend is the most remarkable treasure of all. Thank you babes.💓
⭐Next, I would like to thank my dear friend Harper Blackwood for her help and for enduring my rough drafts for this chapter. Thanks for being the lab rat this time babes. Not a rat but like...in a lab. She gets it. lol But mostely I'd like to thank Harper for her support, her encouragement, and her precious friendship. You're the best girl.💓
⭐Lastly and as the say, certainly not least, I want to thank my very dear friend and mentor Marcus Strong. His unwaivering support and encouragement is precious to me. He's has always there to help in any way he can, whether thats advice, modeling, or just to tell me I'm doing a good job. I can never repay this man for all he's done for me. I'm honored to call him my friend. Thank you babes.💓
Captured at the predicted end of totality. This eclipse was moderately dark at totality and the colors of ozone band were muted for this event. I like the almost total time better than mid totality for photography as the solid red ruddy color gives way to other colors of blue and purple that grade across the Moon's disk. A bit more challenging to photograph but for me much more interesting. How the Moon sits in the Earth's shadow and as it moves through it results in a dynamic change in color that is fascinating to watch.
Captured with a Questar Telescope and Nikon Z8 in Tucson AZ. Tucson had severe weather rain high wind clouds that cleared as totality begin resulting in a quick set up when it was practical to do so. The Questar with its optics facilitates capturing the color gradation with its slower optics and high resolution.
Warm rich red, oranges and golds predict leafy new life to this unusual tropical tree that has delicate powderpuff flowers and dark foreboding chard-like bark.
Witches, trolls, ghosts... they seem to belong in this tree's world.Such a contrast to the rows of delicate new-red, orange and gold leaves that emerge from these fractured trunks. And the red and green mobile clusters that float about as they grow in the breeze.
Sabicu wood or sabicu comes from two species of the genus Lysiloma. Lysiloma sabicu (L.) Benth. occurs sparingly in the Bahamas, Jamaica, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba. It was named by George Bentham (1800-1884) from a Cuban specimen examined in 1854. Bentham went on to identify a second species, Lysiloma latisiliquum (L.) Benth., which grows best in the Bahamas. The latter is commonly known as 'wild tamarind' or 'false tamarind'.
The wood of both species is similar, mid-brown in color with a reddish hue, heavy (specific gravity of 0.40-0.75) hard and durable. Some timber is well figured, but most relatively plain. The wood has been used in construction, shipbuilding and furniture making, although its weight is a distinct drawback for the latter purpose. The stairs of The Crystal Palace in London, in which The Great Exhibition of 1851 was held, were made of sabicu due to its durability. Despite the enormous traffic that passed over them, the wood at the end was found to be little affected by wear.
Seen on my morning walk in Biscayne Park, a neighborhood in Miami FL