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The Las Vegas Monorail provides a quick and convenient connection along the Las Vegas Strip, linking riders to world-class restaurants, shows, shops, day and nightclubs, spas, hotels, and casinos. In minutes, Monorail riders can travel the famous Las Vegas Strip in a safe, comfortable and clean environment—without the hassles of traffic or wasted time. Las Vegas Monorail carries nearly 5 million people every year and is 100% electric.
-- Las Vegas Monorail 'Did You Know?' --
‧ Las Vegas Monorail has carried over 98 million riders since opening.
‧ Las Vegas is host to countless trade shows, conventions, and public events that draw in millions of visitors per year. During an average 4-day citywide convention, Las Vegas Monorail carries 140,000 passengers.
‧ The Las Vegas Monorail route contains 21,120 feet of track (exactly 4 miles) that averages 30 feet above the ground (highest point is over 60 feet above the ground) and has a 26 inch wide running surface (one of the smallest footprints of any elevated train anywhere).
‧ Las Vegas Monorail provides significant reductions in vehicle miles and emissions for our Southern Nevada community. In fact, the Las Vegas Monorail has been responsible for eliminating over 38 million vehicle miles on our roadways.
‧ In 2022 alone, Las Vegas Monorail carried over 4.3 Million riders. That's almost the entire population of Rome, Italy.
‧ Each train has 48 tires total and our entire fleet uses 432 tires at any given time. The Las Vegas Monorail system went through 363 tires in 2017.
-- Technical Information (or Nerdy Stuff) --
‧ Camera - Nikon D7200 (handheld)
‧ Lens – Nikkor 18-300mm Zoom
‧ ISO – 200
‧ Aperture – f/5.6
‧ Exposure – 1/640 second
‧ Focal Length – 120mm
The original RAW file was processed with Adobe Camera Raw and final adjustments were made with Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
Amtrak provides a "window on America" with views of all sorts of different kind of lifestyles. The northbound City of New Orleans has already left the urban neighborhoods behind and is cutting across the Manchac Wildlife Area with a different kind of "Man shack" standing on piles in the background. Akers, LA 9/26/19
Seaspan ULC [...] provides marine-related services to the Pacific Northwest. Within the Group are three shipyards, an intermodal ferry & car float business, and a tug and barge transportation company that serves both domestic and international markets. Seaspan is part of the Washington Companies, owned by Dennis Washington. Seaspan is run by his son Kyle Washington, as Executive Chairman, who has become a Canadian citizen.[1] Seaspan ULC was formerly known as Seaspan Marine Corporation, and prior to that Washington Marine Group.[2] Wikipedia
Have a great new week and stay safe.
It is a modern sculpture project in South Korea.
Its main artist is Yoo Young-ho (South Korean sculptor). The concept provides a man, 6 m high, bowing in a typically Asian greeting gesture. The blue color means lack of prejudice.
In October 2012, a statue was unveiled in the neighbourhood of Buceo, Montevideo, Uruguay, as part of a planned world series in multiple locations.
Another statue was unveiled in October 2013 in South Korea, near the Korean Demilitarized Zone, in Haean, Yanggu County, Gangwon.
A third statue was unveiled in January 2016 in Panama City, Panama, the second to be unveiled in Latin America.
***
The work was donated by the Korean government.
'For the friendship between Korea and Uruguay'
***
Artist:
Yoo Young-ho (born 1965) is a South Korean sculptor.
He graduated in 1991 from the College of Fine Arts, Seoul National University. Later he studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in Germany.
One of his sculptures is located in Seoul's Digital City subsection. It is known as Square-M Communication, a piece of large-scale installation art that resembles a man looking at his own image on a screen. It is 7m in length, 6m in width, and 6m in height using blue-painted stainless steel, representing peace and neutrality. The sculpture is seen briefly in Marvel's The Avengers: Age of Ultron.
He became famous with his Greetingman project, consisting in huge blue-colored statues of a bowing person. One statue was installed in Montevideo, Uruguay. Yoo's intention was to start the project at the farthest place from Korea.
Yoo's idea is to promote peace around the world with his artistic concept; one of his statues has been erected near the Korean Demilitarized Zone, in Haean, Yanggu County, Gangwon, which was the battleground of one of the fiercest battles of the Korean War. Yoo plans to further erect 1000 statues in places like Vietnam, Berlin, and Palestine.
This canvas provides a dazzling glimpse of the transitional period during which Riopelle gradually abandoned the over-all method. We can observe masses of distinct colours and textures, where form begins to detach from the background. In this work, the sun’s rays make their way through the shifting foliage.
The morning sun reflects off unseen lower rocks and provides a glow on the bottom of the Mesa Arch which frames a view of Canyonlands National Park. The La Sal Mountains are seen in the distance.
Nikon D800
Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 at 24 mm
1/60 sec at f/10 ISO250
Single photo
July 25, 2016
The Limehouse Basin provides a navigable link between the Regent's Canal and the River Thames, through the Limehouse Basin Lock. The Basin, built by the Regent's Canal Company, was formerly known as Regent's Canal Dock and was used by seagoing vessels and lighters to offload cargoes to canal barges, for onward transport along the Regent's Canal. Although initially a commercial failure following its opening in 1820, by the mid 19th century the dock (and the canal) were an enormous commercial success for the importance in the supply of coal to the numerous gasworks and latterly electricity generating stations along the canal, and for domestic and commercial use. At one point it was the principal entrance from the Thames to the entire national canal network. Its use declined with the growth of the railways, although the revival of canal traffic during World War I and World War II gave it a brief swansong. The redevelopment of the Basin started in 1983 as part of the London Docklands Development Corporation's overall masterplan for the Docklands area. However, it took many years for the scheme to come to fruition.
The Milky Way provides a dramatic visual background to the starry night sky with Jupiter. June 5, Jupiter was at it's greatest opposition from the Sun and hence the closest distance to us. It is exceedingly bright over the next day or two. In fact tonight and tomorrow it will be at it's brightest visibility.
Floodwater provides a reflection of "A Private View" by Kevin Atherton (1995), public art in Cardiff Bay.
PS. The artist liked this photo and asked for a copy so he could print it out, chuffed!
51°27'19.62"N 3°10'44.23"W
A small opening to the blue sky above provides enough light to make the sandstone walls of Upper Antelope Canyon glow as though lit from within. The previous pictures were from Lake Powell's Antelope Canyon arm. The slot canyons are above lake level and dry except during heavy rainfalls, which can cause flash floods through the canyons with water levels of 10-15 feet or more.
Blended from three exposures.
See other pictures from the set here Arizona and Utah 2013
One more attempt to warm up the parts of the country under the grip of the polar vortex. This shot was taken in the morning, and it was pleasantly cool deep in the slot canyon. See the picture of the thermometer below in comments to see the temperature later that afternoon outside.
Yesterday’s figures continue to provide hope that the corona emergency is easing while the epidemic continues to demand a high toll: 230 corona-related deaths were recorded and 211 patients were hospitalised, bringing the total number of people that are treated in hospital to 4,527. Meanwhile, the corona death toll in Belgium keeps attracting attention of the international press. Whilst the European press acknowledges that our figure is an overestimate and that it’s nearly as we are being too honest some US press is less diplomatic when talking about the mortality rate in Belgium: “Champion of Coronavirus” and “Belgian Corona Riddle” … Our virologists are urging caution when comparing figures and stress that we are the only country to include deaths in care homes. I think we all should realize that the corona crisis is not a race and that we'd be better off concentrating on finding the best way to count deaths instead of pointing fingers. In the midst of all of this, I continue with my daily corona walk documenting Ghent as it unrolls before my eyes… - Brugse Poort, Ghent, Belgium
After the great flood, even those industries which provide us the most essential commodities in life will be useless.
To get the weekend started off right, suggest to me some music. Those who know me know that I’ve never really been a big “music” person. Late in high school I used to memorize and live my life through the deep meanings behind listen to Rush. Then Iron Maiden, Megadeth… then in college I expanded my mind and listened to all gangsta rap. Then out of college, since I thought I was a “mature business professional” I started listening to jazz & classical. Four months working/living in Australia turned me on to techno/trance, house music and chillout. And then in the twilight of my life here I’ve been listening to a lot of bosa nova, French pop, eclectic music they play on the local NPR station (click on Music at the top) and other crap you’ll find on Youtube. But from time to time I’ll find myself enjoying some Kanye too. I’m all over the map.
After listening to this guy on KCRW, Radio 1 and Triple J, I might actually for the first time in the last… maybe 8 years buy a new CD. Miike Snow has such a great sound and vibe. It’s not fast, it’s not poppy, it just has good music and a voice that goes with it. Anyone else heard of him? This song and video totally describes the kind of sound I’m into at the moment. His first public show was last month! This guy is going to blow up. Doesn't even have a website yet.
So to get this party the weekend started out right, suggest to me some music. Something I can listen to at work, or perhaps crank up in the car with the windows down after work. Link to youtube, or just the name. k, thanks luvyoubyebye.
And have a safe, fun weekend. Emphasis is on fun.
New research on nine craters of Saturn's largest moon provides more details about how weathering affects the evolution of the surface – and what lies beneath.
Scientists have used data from NASA's Cassini mission to delve into the impact craters on the surface of Titan, revealing more detail than ever before about how the craters evolve and how weather drives changes on the surface of Saturn's mammoth moon.
Some of the new results reinforce what scientists knew about the craters – that the mixture of organic material and water ice is created by the heat of impact, and those surfaces are then washed by methane rain. But while researchers found that cleaning process happening in the midlatitude plains, they discovered that it's not happening in the equatorial region; instead, those impact areas are quickly covered by a thin layer of sand sediment.
That means Titan's atmosphere and weather aren't just shaping the surface of Titan; they're also driving a physical process that affects which materials remain exposed at the surface, the authors found.
This composite image shows an infrared view of Saturn's moon Titan from NASA's Cassini spacecraft, captured in 2015. Several places on the image, visible through the moon’s hazy atmosphere, show more detail because those areas were acquired near closest approach.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/University of Idaho
#NASA #Cassini #JPL #JetPropulsionLaboratory #NASAMarshall #SolarSystemandBeyond #space #astronomy #Saturn #astronomy #planet #Titan
Gloucester Lock provides the only access for barges and canal boats between the docks and the River Severn. It was originally two locks in a staircase; the recesses of the middle gates can still be seen.
The larger windows of Lock Warehouse (1834) date from the 1920s when the building was used for sack cleaning and repairs.
Gloucester Docks is an historic area of the city of Gloucester. The docks are located at the northern junction of the River Severn with the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal. They are Britain's most inland port.
The docks included fifteen Victorian warehouses, that are now listed buildings. It also contains the Gloucester Waterways Museum (opened 1988) and the Soldiers of Gloucestershire Museum (opened 1990); the Robert Opie Collection of Advertising and Packaging was also here from 1984 until 2001.
Riverwood
Riverwood provides a unique outdoor experience. Located in central Mississauga, Riverwood combines the power of nature, history and art to provide visitors with an experience unlike any other. Visitors can enjoy using the Culham Trail and a scenic footpath located on the eastern valley slope. While on the trails, visitors can experience spectacular views of wildlife including deer, birds, squirrels and many other animals that make Riverwood their home.
A little puddle provides a near perfect mirror for my second look at Norfolk Southern local H04. Previously relegated to working overnight under the cover of darkness thanks to pandemic reduced train frequencies on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor they have been working on days starting at 0900 at Baltimore's Bayview Yard and working to the big Clorox plant in Perryman daily and as far north as Havre de Grace at least once a week.
Here they are seen on the old line having just finished working Plastipak Industries they are getting their train back together so they can start back south. The old line is a 1 3/4 mile long stub of the old main line through town that lead to the original 1866 bridge. After the mainline was realigned slightly on the approach to the new and higher 1906 structure still in service the old line into town was retained and more than a century later it still has three rail served customers located on it.
NS 5620 is a GP38-2 that was rebuilt with a chopped nose in 2005 from a Southern high hood GP38AC oroginally blt. Aug. 1971 as CNOTP 2871.
Havre de Grace, Maryland
Friday April 2, 2021
Provide carbon emissions reductions by keeping forests standing which can then offer up to a third of the wildlife-climate solutions.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgJ1t2S7O6M
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AVAWAY Felicity necklace, earrings
Indigo Sally Static 2 mirror pose
Revision provides better color balance.
Turbulent skies resulting from very strong downslope winds off the Rockies. Surface winds reached 40 gusts to 60 during the afternoon. The sky was full of lenticular clouds most of the day as record high temperatures reached into the mid 60's. It got up to the mid 80's near Denver, 100 miles to my south.
Mutually beneficial relationships provide relaxation for those blessed with them, and observing and photographing symbiotic relationships in nature is relaxing for me.
This bumblebee that seems to be hugging a coastal buckwheat (eriogonum latifolium) flower illustrates the essential role of pollinators in nature.
The beautiful petals of a flower exist to attract the bees or other pollinators needed for the plant to produce fertile seeds. Bees, of course, obtain essential nutrients from both nectar and pollen.
Recent decades have taught us much about interdependence in nature. Growing up in New York, I learned that my brother's hayfever was caused by brightly flowering goldenrod that grew wild near us. But the real culprit was, of course, the ragweed that grew in the same places at the same time. Ragweed's nondescript, green flowers drew little attention to it. Ragweed does not need to draw attention from pollinators, because it is wind-pollinated. It is said that a single ragweed plant may produce about a billion grains of pollen per season.
Photo taken in Santa Cruz, California
This species and the Ground Squirrels provide for my amusement when the birding gets slow at our pond. These rodents know every nook and cranny of the jumbled rock border surrounding the pond, and can navigate through this maze with amazing dexterity and speed. It's their "jungle gym" and safe house! I have to constantly watch and pan them through my viewfinder to quickly capture a still moment like this... they're usually in frantic motion. This guy, however, is pausing to warm up in the morning sunrise and nibble on some purloined bird seed... nights up here are cool. She's become a regular visitor... I call her "Notch Ear." These rodents and several bird species keep the areas under the seed feeders clear of dropped seed.
IMG_6366; Colorado Chipmunk
All plants provide ecological and the enviroments benefits. They filter the air, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen. They play a crucial role in the cycle of the region for all living things in the life of plants as well as animals.
“The Eye Moment photos by Nolan H. Rhodes”
Theeyeofthemoment21@gmail.com
www.flickr.com/photos/the_eye_of_the_moment
“Any users, found to replicate, reproduce, circulate, distribute, download, manipulate or otherwise use my images without my written consent will be in breach of copyright laws.”
Tree along the Manuels River trail in Manuels, Newfoundland.
Her roots lay exposed to the world; yet they provide strength to the land around her.
As photographers we are lucky to have many tools at our disposal to help us create the images we desire. These tools include a variety of cameras, lens, and editing software to choose from. We also have an endless number of workshops, tutorials and guides filled with information to help push us further in our craft. There is one tool though that I feel is key. One that money cannot buy and one that is very hard to teach…and that is the ability to pre-visualize a shot. No matter what camera gear we have or what software knowledge we have I think it is vital that one has the ability to see their shot before even taking a picture…before even looking through the viewfinder.
I have walked by this tree along the Manuels River trail many times and have always been amazed at its exposed roots. It has a creepy almost scary feel to it yet a sense of beauty. For months now I have pre-visualized an image of this tree and I decided to finally make this image come to light.
Photographing this tree from only a foot off the ground helped create a much different scene then looking at it from a standing position. I wanted to place emphasis on the roots and use them as a leading line. I spent two mornings trying to capture the image I wanted and on this foggy morning it all finally came together.
This image was also a personal challenge for me to push my creative abilities and skills with the camera. At such a low perspective and close proximity of the roots I had to use a technique called focus stacking which meant I ended up taking 7 different images at F8 and manually focusing from front to back working my way up the tree to capture all the elements in focus. Even if I had shot this at F22 I would not have been able to have everything in perfect focus from front to back.
Being able to pre-visualize an image in your mind of a photo you want to create is such an important skill to have. It gives you a clear guide on what you want to shoot and how you want to shoot it. It also gives you the ability to see a scene differently than others and see the potential in it while others my just walk past it.
**Feel free to comment, like and share with all your nature loving friends**
The Tallahassee City Hall, located in downtown Tallahassee, FL, provides municipal services for residents of Tallahassee. The building houses government offices, including the Tallahassee legislative body, and provides public records, government services, and information about Tallahassee services.
Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.localoffices.org/town-city-halls/florida/leon-county
search.leonpa.gov/Property/Details/2136251941760
© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.
Infrared images from Juno provide the first glimpse of Ganymede's icy north pole.
On its way inbound for a Dec. 26, 2019, flyby of Jupiter, NASA's Juno spacecraft flew in the proximity of the north pole of the ninth-largest object in the solar system, the moon Ganymede. The infrared imagery collected by the spacecraft's Jovian Infrared Auroral Mapper (JIRAM) instrument provides the first infrared mapping of the massive moon's northern frontier.
The only moon in the solar system that is larger than the planet Mercury, Ganymede consists primarily of water ice. Its composition contains fundamental clues for understanding the evolution of the 79 Jovian moons from the time of their formation to today.
Ganymede is also the only moon in the solar system with its own magnetic field. On Earth, the magnetic field provides a pathway for plasma (charged particles from the Sun) to enter our atmosphere and create aurora. As Ganymede has no atmosphere to impede their progress, the surface at its poles is constantly being bombarded by plasma from Jupiter's gigantic magnetosphere. The bombardment has a dramatic effect on Ganymede's ice.
Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/ASI/INAF/JIRAM
Snow provides a beautiful and contrasting overlay for this scene at Douglas Falls, West Virginia. Past acid mine drainage unfortunately polluted the North Fork of the Blackwater River, and clean-up efforts are ongoing. www.dep.wv.gov/WWE/Programs/nonptsource/WBP/Documents/WBP... The rocks are now stained a colorful rusty red...so beautiful in photographs but so unfortunate in thought.
Former Santa Fe GP39-2's provide the power for this afternoon's "Run 12", CPKC train YKK12-30, as it creeps into the West Bottoms on Main Track 2 of the UP KC Metro Sub at St. Louis Ave.
This is a daily transfer between CPKC's Knoche Yard and UP's 18th St. Yard. BNSF transfer is often utilized by this move when the 311 Job from Argentine dies at Knoche in the morning.
Typically, the nocturnal "Run 20", the job that delivers from Knoche to the BNSF at Argentine, shares the same CPKC power used by "Run 12" in daylights. "Run 20" brings a transfer to Argentine and returns light power while at virtually the same time the BNSF 311 Job brings a transfer to Knoche and returns home light power. However, sometimes both jobs hours of service expire before they can return their power to their respective yards, and when this happens, this usually means "Run 12" ends up with the BNSF transfer power to make their daily run to the UP with a transfer. 11/30/25.
From the Washington Trails Association:
The furthest northwest tip of the contiguous United State, Cape Flattery provides a dramatic backdrop to a surprisingly accessible hike. It's managed by the Makah Tribe, who provide permits for parking here at Washburn's General Store, The Makah Museum, and many other locations in Neah Bay. As you drive through on the way to the trailhead, be sure to purchase yours -- they're good for the year, and you can also use it for Shi Shi Beach.
From the trailhead, depart down a wide, graveled trail into open forest. Heading gently downhill, the trail narrows down to boardwalk, keeping hikers out of the worst of the mud before transitioning to rooty tread. Signs along the way encourage you to stay on the trail; please honor these. This area sees enough traffic that a spur trail can quickly impact the area in a bad way. Preserve your future visits here by remaining on trail during this visit.
Eventually, the trail returns to boardwalk, carrying you over a boggy sections as the wind intensifies. You're approaching the point. Three turnoffs exist that allow you to see views from all sides of the point. The first branches off to the left, to a viewing platform that allows you to peer down the sheer south side of the point. The second, a few hundred feet further down the trail, is a two-layered affair, where you can enjoy an expansive view north from the upper deck, and a more intimate view of the sea caves below from the lower layer.
The third and last is, appropriately, the piece-de-resistance: a viewing platform accessed via a very steep but short stepladder. Straight ahead is Tatoosh Island. A lonely lighthouse sits on the island, which is constantly buffeted by waves and wind. To the north, it's the rocks of Cape Flattery reef, while to the south it's Kessiso Rocks. Birds wing in the breeze, and the seas around here teem with life.
The constant pounding surf and the meeting of water with land here provides an ideal place for animals of all sorts to feed. As you gaze out on the Pacific, look for seagulls, cormorants, shorebirds of many other sorts, and marine animals like whales or otters playing in the surf.
When you've had your fill, return the way you came.
The Afsluitdijk provides a road link between the provinces of Friesland and North Holland. Since North Holland was part of Vesting Holland ("Fortress Holland"), the national redoubt of the Netherlands at the time, and control of the sluices in the Afsluitdijk was necessary for planned defensive inundations in case of a military invasion, Kornwerderzand was considered strategically important by the Dutch government. From 1931 onwards, fortifications consisting of seventeen casemates and three bunkers were constructed. The position was manned with approximately 220 troops in 1939.
During the German invasion of the Netherlands in World War II, the Kornwerderzand position was defended by Dutch troops. On May 13 and May 14, 1940, the fortifications were attacked by the German first Cavalry Division, while the Luftwaffe attacked supporting Dutch naval units. The German troops, initially lacking support by heavy artillery, were unable to take the position. The fortifications also withstood attacks by dive bombers. The next day the Dutch military in the Netherlands (except for the province of Zealand) surrendered, and the battle ended with the surrender of the position.
In 1943, the occupying German military improved the defenses by building three additional bunkers.
Nowadays, some of the fortifications can be visited as part of the Kazemattenmuseum ("casemate museum").
A dramatic Chandra image from 2008 of the nearby galaxy Centaurus A provides one of the best views to date of the effects of an active supermassive black hole. Opposing jets of high-energy particles can be seen extending to the outer reaches of the galaxy, and numerous smaller black holes in binary star systems are also visible.
The image was made from an ultra-deep look at the galaxy Centaurus A, equivalent to more than seven days of continuous observations. Centaurus A is the nearest galaxy to Earth that contains a supermassive black hole actively powering a jet.
A prominent X-ray jet extending for 13,000 light years points to the upper left in the image, with a shorter "counterjet" aimed in the opposite direction. Astronomers think that such jets are important vehicles for transporting energy from the black hole to the much larger dimensions of a galaxy, and affecting the rate at which stars form there.
High-energy electrons spiraling around magnetic field lines produce the X-ray emission from the jet and counterjet. This emission quickly saps the energy from the electrons, so they must be continually reaccelerated or the X-rays will fade out. Knot-like features in the jets detected in the Chandra image show where the acceleration of particles to high energies is currently occurring, and provides important clues to understanding the process that accelerates the electrons to near-light speeds.
This year, NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory celebrates its 20th year in space exploring the extreme universe.
Credit: NASA/CXC/CfA/R.Kraft et al
Montezuma National Wildlife refuge provides resting, feeding, and nesting habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds. Montezuma is situated in the middle of one of the most active flight lanes in the Atlantic Flyway.
Two hundred forty-two species of birds, 43 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles, and 16 species of amphibians can be found on the refuge for at least part of the year. The wide array of wildlife can be credited to the varied habitat types found there, from marsh to forest, shrub- and grassland.
www.flickr.com/photos/shankargallery/sets/72157603265917514
Dec 26, 2006 Calligraphy by Richard Lazzara
A bamboo photo blind provides semi-hidden viewing and photographing of wildlife surrounding a wetlands meadow and erstwhile 'beaver pond.'
Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve
DeKalb County (Medlock Park), Georgia, USA.
15 December 2019.
**************
▶ The reverse view: here.
▶ A more expansive view of the (mostly dry) meadow: here.
***************
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Yellow provides me to see a bit of sunshine in these dark days of winter. I placed a twig wreath, beads and bees along with my vase of sunflowers on a mirror. I love seeing the back of the sunflower in the top of the photo.
Colourful partitions provide a nice contrast to the concrete pillars, City of Westminster College.
According to Flickr today this is my 20th most interesting photo in all my time on flickr, despite having only received 10 comments. Sadly this illustrates what flickr has become over the last 2 years.
© All Rights Reserved
Since we have had a week of rain I had to dig in to last months camping pics!!
Puro bellota cien por cien.
La montanera es la ultima fase de la cría del cerdo ibérico y consiste en dejar pastar al animal en la dehesas, donde se produce el engorde tradicional entre bosques de alcornoques y encinas, siendo su fruto, la bellota, el alimento fundamental antes del sacrificio. A este método de cebo solo se destinan los ejemplares mas aptos que hayan culminado las anteriores fases.
La fase de montanera va desde octubre a febrero, coincidiendo con el periodo de maduración de la bellota. Los animales entran en esta etapa con unos 90 kilogramos de peso y pueden llegar a terminar la misma con 160 en años de una buena cosecha de bellotas.
En la montanera, en oposición al sistema intensivo de producción, el cerdo ibérico vive en libertad en este espacio y permanece en movimiento, por lo que esta es la base de la calidad de su carne. De hecho, durante la montanera cada cerdo requiere de aproximadamente una hectárea de dehesa. En esta fase fundamental, la bellota, por su elevado contenido en hidratos de carbono, aporta energía al animal que se transformará en su famosa grasa infiltrada, y, junto a las hierbas, añadirán el peculiar perfume. Tras ser curado en sal y entre tres y cuatro años de secado, estará listo para ser disfrutado..
Authentic pure iberian ham with designation of origin.
The ¨montanera¨¨ is the last phase of the Iberian pig´s rearing and consists of letting the pig¨s graze in the pastures where the tradicional fattening process takes place among holm oak and cork oak forests. The acorn is the fundamental foodstuff before slaughter. Only the tallest specimens that have complited the previous stages are used for this fattening method.
The ¨montanera¨ season runs from October to February, coinciding with the acorn ripening period. The animals enter this stage with around 90 kilos and can end up with around 160 kilos in years of good acorn harvests. During the montanera, the pigs live freely in these spaces and remain in movement, which is the basis of the quality of their meat. In fact, each animal requires approximately one hectare of pastureland. The carbohydrate contant of acorns provides the animal with energy that will be transformed into fat infiltrated in its muscles and which give its peculiar scent. After curing with salt and drying for three to four years, it is ready to be anjoyed.
Meaning ‘The lake by the dairy pastures’, and situated towards the head of the valley of the River Cocker, Buttermere is 1.24 miles (2 km) long, 620 yards (570 m) wide, 75 feet (23 m) deep and 329 feet (100m) above sea level. There is a footpath running round the perimeter of the lake which is about 4.5 miles (7.2km) long, and provides very popular walks to the summits of Haystacks and Red Pike.
To provide scale, the tongue of the glacier is 3 km wide. Tasersuaq Glacier is 70kms long after it leaves the Greenland Ice Sheet. This glacier is one of six that drain into Godtha˚bsfjord.
Scientists are currently studying the glacier in response to climate change. The runoff is measured and assessed and also the surface mass balance of the Greenland ice sheet in the Nuuk region (southwest of Greenland) is being measured, observed and assessed using output of two regional climate models.
My oblique aerial photograph also reveals the regional jointing and faults in the landmass.
The outwash of meltwater and moraine extends for 7 kms down the valley then enters Lake Tasersuaq. In this image much of the surface of the lake has refrozen through the winter and in early summer when this was photographed the lake ice was at its maximum extent.
The wooden carving inside #buddhist temples are beyond remarkable and this safe havens provide physical and spiritual shelter to the monks. Apprentice Buddhist monk. Taken in #bagan , #myanmar . (c) Joel Santos #liveforthestory #amazing_shots #amazing_shotz #amazingworld #travelphotos #people_infinity #portrait_planet #portrait_universe #burma #burmeese #portrait_mood #bbctravels #wandertravel #mandalay #joelsantosphoto
Merry Christmas
PINK TAXI
The Langham, Chicago houses a London-style taxi that has been specially imported from Great Britain and retrofitted to U.S. auto standards for the convenience and privileged use of guests.
The Pink Taxi provides guests with a luxurious option to travel a two mile radius outside the hotel through the scenic streets of Chicago.
An approaching monsoon storm provides some interesting clouds, drama and dappled light over the colorful formations of the Painted Desert.
The Painted Desert / Petrified Forest is a US National Park located in northeast Arizona. Millions of years of erosion have exposed the colorful landscape of the Painted Desert. "The trees lived over 200 million years ago. Since then, contents moved to today's positions, the region was uplifted, and climate changed. What was once a tropical environment became today's semi-arid grassland. Over time, the wind and water wore away the rock layers and exposed fossilized ancient plants and animals. The hills will yield more fossils as weathering sculpts the Painted Desert's soft sedimentary rock."
Source: The National Park Service
Nikon D800
Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 at 40 mm
1/320 sec at f/7.1
ISO 100
Single exposure
Sept 21, 2014
From the Zoo Gems HST program. A blend of Hubble and ground-based Japanese Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC) data to add color and depth to the details Hubble provides. I used a dirty trick on the HSC data to make it blend better with Hubble data... I added a fine grain/noise to it. I might be the only one in the world who adds noise instead of trying to smooth it. It looks better this way, I tell ya.
North is up.
A general purpose machine gun provides covering fire for troops
Royal Gibraltar Regiment trains in the UK
Soldiers from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment have recently completed their annual four-week exercise in the UK where they have made use of training facilities not available on The Rock.
After their mandatory shooting tests on the impressive ranges at Hythe in Kent, the troops moved on to Sennybridge to make full use of the huge Brecon Beacons training area.
Unusually, the weather in South Wales was warm and sunny, so sunny in fact that a ban was imposed on the use of certain types of weapons because of the increasing number of large-scale grass fires.
During the exercise, the regiment was visited by its Commander-in-Chief, His Excellency Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns, and by the British High Commissioner to The Gambia, Mr Phil Sinkinson. Sir Adrian said:
"I have been very impressed with the regiment's skills and motivation. Clearly, the exercise has been planned to gain maximum value from those facilities which are not available in Gibraltar."
Whilst at Hythe, every soldier completed his annual combat marksmanship test which included distances of 50, 100, 200, 300 and 400 metres. To fail at any one of these distances meant that a soldier failed the whole test.
Major Ivor Lopez said:
"Hythe's ranges are excellent. As well as the rifle ranges, there are ranges for sniper weapons, for our underslung grenade launchers and for our light support weapons.
"There is also a full scale 'village' in which we can practise our internal security tactics. We don't have these facilities in Gibraltar so we have to exploit this opportunity to the full."
After a long journey to the Sennybridge Training Area in South Wales, the troops stepped off the coach straight onto the training area and into five days of living 'in the field', carrying everything they needed on their backs.
During this period they practised all their basic infantry skills and relearned the art of living out in the open. Although the days were sunny and warm, night-time temperatures often dropped below zero.
The sheer size of the training area provided an opportunity to brush up on map-reading skills, so essential for soldiers who are not used to such an expanse of training land or navigating using 1:50000 maps.
It also tested the Regiment's ability to communicate by the use of radios across an area many times the size of Gibraltar. Major Lopez continued:
"We have brought twenty Moroccan troops with us and that also makes us think about how we work in a multinational environment.
"Soldiers' basic skills are learned here in Sennybridge and then adapted for use in Gibraltar. And everything that will be used later in the year on Exercise Jebel Sahara has been learned here."
A further advantage of training in the Brecon Beacons is that most of the Army's infantry courses are held there. The better the regiment's troops get to know Brecon, the better their chances of doing well on their career courses.
By the middle of the third week of the exercise, the troops were carrying out company-sized attacks using 'live' ammunition and 'live' hand grenades.
In one attack, three sections each of eight men made their way up a tight valley, knowing that the 'enemy' was hidden somewhere and was about to open fire on them.
The 'enemy' was represented by electronically-operated pop-up targets but as each soldier ran and dived for cover before opening fire with at least thirty 'live' rounds, there had to be some very real safety measures in place.
Private Daniel Rodgers said:
"I've enjoyed all the live firing. A lot of it has been exciting and I've learned a lot of new skills.
"At the recruit infantry training centre you don't do the training for Fighting In Built Up Areas and I've never done platoon attacks with 'live' ammunition. I'm really enjoying it."
Running separately from the main exercise is the six-week Junior Non-Commissioned Officers' cadre. This tough course helps the regiment select which of its top Private soldiers will achieve their promotion to Lance Corporal.
Several members of the cadre have already dropped off the course and others have injured themselves so the numbers are falling.
Private Luke Willis said:
"We know that promotion depends on how well we do here. Everyone wants to get one of the top slots. The first week was tough as we had snow and ice at night but since then the weather has improved - until today!"
The final days of the exercise saw the cadre setting off on its final task whilst the main regimental exercise was moving into its most intense phase.
The officers who planned the annual exercise had aimed for something that was 'ambitious but achievable' and, clearly, they had certainly achieved their aim.
The Regiment's Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Colin Risso, said:
"This exercise qualifies our unit and our people for all our operationally-mandated tasks in Gibraltar and goes further in preparing every commander and soldier for wider professional utility.
"Let's be under no illusion, this is serious business and we will seize every opportunity we can to achieve the best results."
My florist provides me with some beautiful blooms to fill my house with. Much was my delight to discover these white and mauve chrysanthemums in his shop. The humidity that we are currently experiencing this summer won't make these blooms droop, as they are very hardy and long lasting.
Chrysanthemums, what I still call "mums", are also known as "chrysanths" by my mother and many other people. They are flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Asia and northeastern Europe. Most species originate from East Asia and the center of diversity is in China. Countless horticultural varieties and cultivars exist.
The Funeral Museum at Vienna's Central Cemetery provides insights into the funeral and cemetery culture of past centuries. Interesting, morbid and wonderfully bizarre. Don't miss the merchandising items in the museum shop, dripping with black humor Das Bestattungsmuseum am Wiener Zentralfriedhof gibt Einblicke in die Bestattungs- und Friedhofskultur der vergangenen Jahrhunderte. Interessant, morbid und herrlich skurril. Nicht versäumen: die vor schwarzem Humor triefenden Merchandising-Artikel im Museumsshop www.bestattungsmuseum.at