This castle sits high on a hilltop above the town of Sintra, Portugal. It was built in the mid-19th century at the behest of then Prince Ferdinand (and later King Ferdinand 11), who hired a German archtect to build a fantasy castle, which ended up an architectural mist-mash with Gothic towers, Renaissance domes, Moorish minarets and Portuguese carvings.

"Ferdinand II was one of the most cultured men of 19th century Portugal. A polyglot, he spoke German, Hungarian, French, English, Spanish, Italian and, of course, Portuguese. In his childhood, the then Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha received a thorough education in which the arts, especially music and drawing, played fundamental roles. During his entire life, he maintained a deep connection with the arts whether as an artist, collector or sponsor and becoming known nationally as the King-Artist.

Shortly after his arrival in Portugal, he fell for Sintra and acquired, from his own personal fortune, the Monastery of Saint Jerome, then in ruins, as well as all the lands surrounding the property. This sixteenth century monastery held an enormous degree of fascination for the king stemming both from his Germanic education and the romantic imaginary prevailing at the time that attracted him to the hills and the aesthetic value of the ruins. The original project was simply to restore the building as the summer residence for the royal family but his enthusiasm led him to opt for the construction of a palace and extending the pre-existing construction under the supervision of Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege, a mineralogist and mine engineer who was then residing in Portugal." (Online Sources.)

Sintra has a long history as a place for the famous and wealthy, who sought a retreat from Lisbon and from crowds. It provided a home to a number of literary luninaries including Lord Byron, for a time. However, I found beautiful Sintra quite overrun by tourist hordes, to which I contributed.

Too many blank books reside on my shelves, filled with scribbles, dried leaves, ticket stubs, and blank pages. I adore trees and I know they're vital to our ecosystem. I resolve to finish books I've started! And not to collect pens.

#MacroMonday, #GuiltyPleasures

Another guilty pleasure: macros of notebooks and pens with shallow dof.

Nikon D810, Nikkor 105mm f/2.8

1/4 sec; f/11; ISO 64

manual exposure, tripod

LED light and bounced off-camera SB800 at 1/16th power

Thanks for your kind comments in the past. I read every comment with interest and joy.

You can see a definite warp in this galaxy, which resides 2.5 million light years from earth and contains 400 billion stars or more.

M31 ISO 3200 24 frames 41M 46S -3200. This image taken with my new to me 2nd hand 300 F4 canon lens. The lens was once again very hard to find critical focus, I don't think I found the sweet spot as the stars in each image had a slight shadow. I stacked all the images to produce this photo, which turned out a well detailed image, with the stars looking a little blocky. Next effort I will shoot at F5.0, possibly more pinpoint stars.

The 300 F4 prime lens turns out point stars across the field, but not quite to the edge of the photo, but superior to my previous lens the 70/200 mk2 which was sharp only in the central 30% of the field of view, see the similar photo a little further down my stream, both photos have been cropped. This in no way effects the daytime performance of these lenses, using autofocus, they are both razor sharp.

District de Farafangana (Madagascar) - Habituellement, il y a toujours au moins un technicien agricole de l’ONG Inter Aide qui réside dans les villages qui bénéficient d’un programme de sécurité alimentaire. Il est là pour assister au quotidien les villageois afin de mettre en œuvre des techniques agricoles naturelles et performantes pour développer des productions alimentaires suffisantes afin de lutter contre les périodes de disette.

Alors quand une délégation de l’ONG d’une dizaine de personnes rend visite aux villageois avec le responsable de secteur, et un journaliste français, c’est un véritable événement qui attise la curiosité.

Ces villages sont particulièrement isolés et défavorisés. Avant qu’Inter Aide ne vienne au secours de ces paysans, ils étaient régulièrement victimes de périodes de famines entre deux récoltes. Surtout si ces dernières n’avaient pas été fructueuses. Des périodes qui, selon les conditions climatiques, pouvaient durer plus de 4 mois. Ils tentaient alors de se nourrir dans la forêts avec des racines set plantes sauvages, des fruits, des herbes comestibles etc.

Tout au long de mon périple dans ces villages du district de Farafangana, j’ai vite réalisé que c’était la première fois depuis des années que je rencontrais des gens qui ne possédaient pas de smartphones. Si ce n’est pas un signe manifeste de pauvreté !?

I met villagers without smartphones

Farafangana District (Madagascar) - There is always at least one agricultural technician from the NGO Inter Aide who resides in villages that benefit from a food security program. He is there to assist the villagers on a daily basis in order to develop natural and efficient agricultural techniques to develop sufficient food production to fight against periods of scarcity.

So when a delegation of around ten people from the NGO travels with the head of the sector, accompanied by a French journalist, it is a real event.

These villages are particularly isolated and disadvantaged. Before Inter Aide came to the aid of these farmers, they were regularly victims of periods of famine between two harvests. Periods which, depending on climatic conditions, could last more than 4 months. They then tried to survive in the forest by feeding on roots and wild plants, fruits, edible herbs, etc.

Throughout my stay in these villages in the Farafangana district, I quickly realized that this was the first time in years that I had met people who did not have smartphones. If this is not a clear sign of precariousness !?

untitled ( Experimental)

A message to all women in the world... Freedom resides deep within You!! You are precious, unique individuals !! Freedom of choice and expression is your human right. Sending love and light!!

I am thinking about humanity in art and the struggles many artists woman face in their art/ life. That ,pain we feel suffering real things that empower art the energy that moves resides deep within you that ignites it, We mustn't lose our essence, listen to your inner voice that helps you stay true and be free to express yourself as an artist creator an individual. This is precious!! It is important we stay true....

My heart goes out to the very brave, courageous Ukrainian people and all innocent people who are suffering through this war. l pray for peace and harmony soon to the Ukrainian people to the world. Stay strong !

Sea#art #painting #artist #fineart #love #newyork #acrylic #acrylicpainting #artwork #artworldly #artistsoninstagram #newyorkartist #artofinstagram #expression #expressionism #abstract #originalart #design #designer #artstudio #studio #blue #green #yellow #impressionism #collage #collageart #loveart #night #naturelovers

secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/stop_the_war_loc/?cWVJdnb💙💛💙🌍🙏

The flower that it's residing on is called Buddleja davidii, or White Profusion, a popular type of butterfly bush. If I ever get the acres, I'm going to grow many of these bushes.

"Happiness resides not in possessions, and not in gold, happiness dwells in the soul."

~Democritus~

Location ; Tanjung Balau, Kota inggi

Technical info:

16 stops firecrestND filter

f/8

ISO100

329s exposure

Software:

Lightroom 4.0

PS CS46- Topaz

I had seen images of this location a few days prior. As I needed to get out of the house I decided to take a trip to Arizona where these “Elephant Feet” reside.

Reside they do right by the road, which is my kind of photography! But 385 miles away is not necessarily my kind of range.

Cloud cover wise, the weather looked promising. Off I went. From looking through a bunch of selfie images on the web, I knew that whatever elephant left his feet behind in prehistoric times, he was big. During the drive I pondered how to light these things out, as I wasn’t going there for a daytime selfie.

Well, that problem sorted itself out very quickly. I had completely underestimated the traffic on that highway, so came nightfall, it became clear who was going to do the lighting and how: Cars and trucks! From both directions.

Then the clouds moved in, like they do so often when you want to photograph the night sky! I wasn’t too concerned, I knew they were going to dissipate later on.

Then a Semi trailer truck moved in. The parking area is quite big, so I wasn’t too concerned. He maneuvered around a bit but then, to my growing horror, he started to back up and back up and back up until the rear of the trailer was sticking in between the two feet. Nooooo! Was this guy insane???

I ran up to the cab and started to plead with the driver to see if he really needed to park right in between the feet. I told him that I had come all this way from Santa Fe, NM to take some night photography at this very spot. After some hm-ing and ha-ing he agreed, because he happened to be from Albuquerque and didn’t want to cause distress to a fellow New Mexican. So he pulled his truck out of there only to park over by my car at the other end of the parking area.

After a while he proceed to work on his “reefer” unit for which he needed a work light, which of course bathed the feet in an ugly white light. His work consisted of trying to start a really loud generator for about two hours or more.

After he was finally done I proceeded with my camera work. I have a bed platform in my SUV so I finally went to sleep to the sound of a generator.

This place is completely unprotected, which is evident in the shreds of white toilet paper stuck to the brush like flags, the graffiti on the feet, the broken beer bottles and the general “trampledness” of the place.

Oh, not to forget drivers sticking their rears between an elephant’s feet!

Despite all that it’s a cool place.

Reside x The Mens Stadium

Huni Set ;

4 Swatches

Legacy M/Jake/Gianni

Taxi : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Mens%20Stadium/236/1...

This guy resided on our kitchen counter, beneath a wooden block that contains a set of knives, and sometimes he would make an appearance and let me take a few quick shots before darting back to his lair. For this image, created for Sliders Sunday, I ran him mainly through Topaz Glow. Check him out feeding on a fly in the first comment below.

Mouse Chaser and Desk Supervisor Prissy seems to stay where ever I am, since I am in front of the computer a lot she has decided to reside in the place you see and to follow the curser with her paw, a bit distracting, but she seems to like my pictures..

7DWF, Saturday: Landscape

The Federal Chancellery in Berlin-Tiergarten is a modern building ensemble built between 1997 and 2001. The ensemble is as monumental - spanning an area of 73.000 square meters, including a helicopter landing spot and the "chancellor's garden" - as it is controversial. The building was commissioned by then Chancellor Helmut Kohl, however the first Chancellor to actually reside there was Kohl's successor Gerhard Schröder in 2001. The building was designed by Axel Schultes and Charlotte Frank. At a height of 36 meters it surpasses Berlin's even height of 22 m (which doesn't mean that there are no other buildings higher than 22 m; in fact there are quite many), and is said to be the world's largest government headquarter (about 8 times the size of the White House in Washington, D.C.). It was, amongst architectural questions of style, this gigantomania that was a main point of criticism, to which Helmut Kohl answered at that time: "This is the Chancellery. It is not a district office. It represents Germany. This is no longer temporary architecture."

In case you wonder about my title: Just like (m)any other (official) building(s) in Berlin, the Federal Chancellery was soon nicknamed by the Berliners, its most popular name being "Waschmaschine" ("washing machine"), due to its cubic shape in combination with the round shape of its main window (which you can't see in this capture; please see first comment). And then there is the intense heatwave in all of Europe at the moment, with temperatures mostly higher than 30 °C / 86 °F (and even higher temperatures to be expected; next week the thermometer could hit 40 °C / 104 °F in Germany; sigh...)

Soundtrack(s), if you like: Your favourite song from Stevie Wonder's 1980 album "Hotter Than July", or, if you prefer just one song or don't know Stevie's album, Keziah Jones' "Cubic Space Division": Ctrl/Strg + www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RlSq_ACevg

Taken during a wonderful photowalk with Sabine.R, marionrosengarten, --Conrad-N-- and H. Roebke.

Bitte bei 30 Grad waschen

Das Bundeskanzleramt, im Volksmund wegen seiner quadratischen Grundform und dem markanten runden Hauptfenster (von dieser Seite nicht zu sehen, bitte im ersten Kommentar nachschauen) auch "Waschmaschine" genannt, wurde, von Helmut Kohl noch während seiner Amtszeit in Auftrag gegeben, zwischen 1997 und 2001 nach Plänen von Axel Schultes und Charlotte Frank erbaut. Als erster Kanzler residierte dort dann aber nicht mehr Kohl, sondern sein Nachfolger Gerhard Schröder. Schon zu Bauzeiten wegen seines architektonischen Stils und der gigantischen Ausmaße mit einer Gesamtfläche von 73.000 Quadratmetern - inklusive Hubschrauberlandeplatz und Kanzlergarten - kritisiert, die das Ensemble zum größten Regierungssitz der Welt machen (ca. 8-mal größer als das Weiße Haus in Washington), machte es nur wenige Jahre nach seiner Fertigstellung bereits wegen erster Baumängel erneut Schlagzeilen. Der allgegenwärtigen Kritik entgegnete Helmut Kohl seinerzeit: "Das ist das Kanzleramt und nicht ein Landratsamt. Es zeigt etwas von Deutschland. Das ist keine temporäre Architektur mehr."

Aufgenommen während eines wunderbaren Fotospaziergangs mit Sabine.R, marionrosengarten, --Conrad-N-- and H. Roebke. 30 °C hatten wir an diesem Tag zum Glück nicht gehabt, aber seitdem will sich das Thermometer gar nicht mehr in erträgliche Bereiche nach unten bewegen.

Soundtrack, wenn gewünscht: Euer jeweiliger Lieblingssong von Stevie Wonders 1980er Album "Hotter Than July", oder, wenn es gleich ein YouTube-Link sein soll (oder Ihr das Album nicht kennt), Keziah Jones' "Cubic Space Division": Ctrl/Strg+

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RlSq_ACevg

With a total range in Europe and Asia of about 32 million square kilometres (12 million square miles) and a total population estimated to be between 250 thousand and 2.5 million, the IUCN lists the bird's conservation status as being of "least concern". The vast majority of eagle-owls live in mainland Europe, Russia and Central Asia, and an estimated number of between 12 and 40 pairs are thought to reside in the United Kingdom as of 2016, a number which may be on the rise.

The Pennine Way.

Former-demonstrator BP14 FJZ now resides with Yarrantons of Eardiston and the commonplace allocation for the 758 (Tenbury Wells - Worcester) service

It is pictured here making its way into Worcester City Centre, having crossed under the railway bridge

Vehicle Details

Operator: Yarrantons of Eardiston

Fleet Details:

Registration: BP14 FJZ

Vehicle Type: Mercedes-Benz O295 Citaro

The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle-owl that resides in much of Eurasia. It is also called the Uhu and in Europe, it is occasionally abbreviated to just the eagle-owl. It is one of the largest species of owl, and females can grow to a total length of 75 cm (30 in), with a wingspan of 188 cm (6 ft 2 in), with males being slightly smaller. This bird has distinctive ear tufts, with upper parts that are mottled with darker blackish colouring and tawny. The wings and tail are barred. The underparts are a variably hued buff, streaked with darker colouring. The facial disc is not very visible and the orange eyes are distinctive.

The Eurasian eagle-owl is found in many habitats, but is mostly a bird of mountainous regions or other rocky areas, often those near varied woodland edge and shrubby areas both with openings and/or wetlands to hunt a majority of their prey. Additionally, they inhabit coniferous forests, steppes, and other areas at varied elevations that are typically relatively remote. Eurasian eagle-owls are occasionally found amongst farmland and in park-like settings within European cities, even rarely within busier urban areas. This eagle-owl is a mostly nocturnal predator, hunting for a range of different prey species. Predominantly, their diet is comprised by small mammals such as rodents and rabbits, but they also prey on larger mammals and birds of varying sizes. More secondary prey can include reptiles, amphibians, fish, large insects and other assorted invertebrates. The species typically breeds on cliff ledges, in gullies, among rocks, or in other concealed locations. The nest is a scrape containing a clutch of two eggs typically, which are laid at intervals and hatch at different times. The female incubates the eggs and broods the young, and the male provides food for her, and when they hatch, for the nestlings, as well. Continuing parental care for the young is provided by both adults for about five months.At least 12 subspecies of the Eurasian eagle-owls are described.

In addition to being one of the largest living species of owl, the Eurasian eagle-owl is also one of the most widely distributed. With a total range in Europe and Asia of about 32 million km2 (12 million sq mi) and a total population estimated to be between 250 thousand and 2.5 million, the IUCN lists the bird's conservation status as being of least concern. The vast majority of eagle-owls live in Continental Europe/Scandinavia, Russia (which is almost certainly where the peak numbers and diversity of race occurs), and Central Asia. More minor populations exist in Anatolia, the northern Middle East, the montane upper part of South Asia and in China; in addition, an estimated 12 to 40 pairs are thought to reside in the United Kingdom as of 2016 (where they are arguably non-native), a number which may be on the rise. Tame eagle-owls have occasionally been used in pest control because of their size to deter large birds such as gulls from nesting.

Clicked at ladakh

Maybe this owl does not look amused because it suffers from Irritable Owl Syndrome, ha, ha. So many owl species tend to have an "angry" expression. An up close and personal shot of a little Burrowing Owl, who resides at the Alberta Bird of Prey Centre in Coaldale, southern Alberta, a wonderful place that rehabilitates and releases (whenever possible) various birds of prey - hawks, owls, Bald Eagles, Turkey Vultures, and Golden Eagles. Some of these birds act as Wildlife Ambassadors, too, educating the public.

""As a result of its ENDANGERED Species status in 1995, it has the focus of a variety of conservation efforts. Operation Burrowing Owl and other projects involving habitat preservation with landowners have been created. Populations are monitored by Fish and Wildlife departments. They have been reintroduced into the British Columbia interior, where it was extirpated. Outlook would improve if larger areas of habitat were preserved and harmful pesticides were banned in all areas of their range. Numbers could increase if an increased tolerance to burrowing mammals develops (i.e. badgers) – provides homes for the Burrowing Owl. Outlook: perilous." From burrowingowl.com.

burrowingowl.com/visit/index.php

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burrowing_Owl

I have only ever once seen a Burrowing Owl - two, possibly three of them - in the wild, and I was so very lucky to get that chance. To say that it was a thrill is an understatement! These endangered owls are tiny and so difficult to see, especially when they are down in the grasses. I may add a previously posted photo of a wild one in a comment box below.

It had been a few years since my last visit to the Alberta Birds of Prey Centre - I had only been maybe three or four times - and I had been longing to go back. Much too far and all new driving territory for me to even think about driving there myself. However, on 9 September 2016, that is exactly what I did. A friend had said she would come along, too, but she emailed me at 1:00 am that morning to say that she assumed our trip had been cancelled, as she hadn't heard back about the time to meet. In fact, I had sent two emails giving the time, so I don't know what happened there. Very unfortunate, as it would have been great to have had company on such a long drive, and I know she would have had fun with her camera.

I knew it would be a long day and further than I would normally drive - and in a brand new car that I had/have yet to learn to drive! It didn't look or feel quite as new after travelling 481 km! Only got lost twice, one minor and the other major. Must have taken a wrong turn somewhere way down south and I ended up in the city of Lethbridge, that I had very carefully planned to avoid. After driving for three and three-quarter hours, I finally arrived at my destination, to my huge relief.

Despite getting there later than I had hoped, I still had more than enough time to wander round the grounds and photograph the various raptors. Some were tethered out in a grassy area and others, including this Burrowing Owl, were in outdoor cages. It looks like this one had an injury to its beak? Wonderful to get such a close look at the various majestic birds.

I took a slightly different way home via #845 (?), making absolutely sure that I didn't accidentally find myself in Lethbridge again and it wasn't too long before I found myself in the area that I had driven weeks ago, when I went SW of Vulcan to look for Common Nighthawks (without any luck).

Just so happy that I finally made myself do this drive. When I Googled the Centre's website, I had discovered that they were closing two days later for the winter. So, it was either a case of going the next day or not at all till next May onward.

The day after this adventure, 10 September 2016, I took my daughter on a long drive in Kananaskis. This was yet another place that I had longed to be able to drive for many years - and finally I did it! I had been lots of times with various friends, but this was the very first time I had ever driven myself. We had planned to do this a few weeks earlier, but then my car had major repairs that needed to be done. Instead, I knew I just couldn't put any more money into my 17-year-old car, and I ended up replacing it. So glad we went on this particular day, as it snowed the following day.

Kylie Dress

13 swatches | Net version | Materials enabled

Legacy F | Reborn | Kupra | BBL Impressions | BBW

linktr.ee/Residesl

There is a dog that resides at the hotel we were staying at.

Tess. She’s a lovely young border collie, and can often be found at the front of the hotel on the grass; with her tennis ball in her mouth, or next to her.

She wants you to pick up the ball and throw it for her; at the same time she doesn’t want to let it go out of her possession. It’s an inner battle that she has with herself.

If you do manage to get it she’ll chase it, but, won’t let you have it again.

She’d follow us around as we walked across the field, or sit near us as we sat on a bench… tempting us with the ball.

Tess is very popular amongst the hotel guests, the ones we saw had the same experience as us.

She wasn’t interested in running around with Patches. Which I think Patches was grateful for. Patches enjoys a peaceful less strenuous life.

Irton hall Hotel

Cumbria

Snowbowl resides on the San Francisco Peaks, a remnant of the former San Francisco Mountain, which are held as sacred to 13 different Native American tribes in the region. These tribes include the Navajo, Apache, Hualapai, Yavapai, Hopi, and other Native Nations. To date, they have lost all lawsuits they had filed to stop further development and expansion of this alpine ski resort.

With over 10 million Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) residing in North America alone, the Mallards are one of the best-known and most recognizable ducks. the mallard is a dabbling duck found throughout the temperate and sub-tropical areas around the world. The most abundant and wide-ranging duck on earth. The mallard usually inhabits the freshwaters of North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Mallards usually feed on plants, such as grass seeds, leaves, stems and aquatic plants, and vegetation like grains, rice, oats and corn. However, they are also seen feeding on insects, mollusks, small fish, tadpoles, freshwater snails, fish eggs, frogs and crustaceans. This beautiful drake was photographed at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.

Click on the link below to explore your options. Select from fine art prints, canvas, acrylic or metal prints for your home or office. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out on updates, sales, and new blog posts.

www.cuttsnaturephotography.com

With over 10 million Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) residing in North America alone, the Mallards are one of the best-known and most recognizable ducks. the mallard is a dabbling duck found throughout the temperate and sub-tropical areas around the world. The most abundant and wide-ranging duck on earth. The mallard usually inhabits the freshwaters of North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Mallards usually feed on plants, such as grass seeds, leaves, stems and aquatic plants, and vegetation like grains, rice, oats and corn. However, they are also seen feeding on insects, mollusks, small fish, tadpoles, freshwater snails, fish eggs, frogs and crustaceans. This Mallard Duckling comes in for a close-up at White Rock Lake in Dallas, Texas.

Click on the link below to explore your options. Select from fine art prints, canvas, acrylic or metal prints for your home or office. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out on updates, sales, and new blog posts.

www.cuttsnaturephotography.com

This is a tower that probably serves as a lighthouse too. It resides on the spiral jetty at Montrose Beach...so I won't be adding this to the "Guess Where" group.

This is one leg of it which looks like a "Wicker Man"-type stick figure to me...

Thilo Schoder (born February 12, 1888 in Weimar, died July 8, 1979 in Kristiansand) was a German architect who from 1932 resided in Kristiansand. He was a key member of the Bauhaus School founded by Walter Gropius, which was dissolved by Adolf Hitler immediately after the National Socialist takeover of power in 1933.

Schoder came to Norway for the first time in 1928. He was then married to singer Bergljot Brandsberg-Dahl. From 1930, working conditions in Germany became more difficult. He lived in the city of Gera, and in the state of Thuringia the Nazis came to power that same year. Schoder lost the battle for the director position at the State College of Arts and Crafts in Weimar against a national socialist candidate.

He was a great name in German architecture, and also designed furniture and cars. In Gera he designed large residential complexes, a hospital and a car factory. His specialty was large residential complexes, in line with the visionary German modernism of the time. In Norway, he was first ousted by architect colleagues, and did not get a work permit until 1936. But Schoder was a popular centerpiece among the city's intellectuals, and developed friendship with Arnulf Øverland and other Norwegian cultural figures.

Schoder was arrested by the German occupiers in Kristiansand as early as May 10, 1940. He survived the war by drawing barracks for the Germans, and at the same time drew on large, visionary housing projects to be realized in the city just after the war. The long residential blocks on "Solbygg" in Kristiansand are architectural highlights for functionalism in Norway, with underground garage facilities from 1946. Schoder also built villas and townhouses, including a number of Bauhaus-style wooden houses on "Flaten" in the Lund district. The dwelling house on Hannevik Terrasse is one of his architectural highlights in Southern Norway. In Germany, the style of the Kristiansand era is called Southern Country Modernism.

His trademark is round shapes, not least rounded corners and round windows in both wall and wood. Schoder also demanded extensive control over the projects and it happened that he insisted on deciding the color of the house in the construction contract. He also designed furniture for many of the houses, integrating wall-mounted shelves and furniture.

wikipedia

Orvieto Cathedral is a large 14th-century Roman Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and situated in the town of Orvieto in Umbria, central Italy. Since 1986, the cathedral in Orvieto has been the episcopal seat of the former Diocese of Todi as well.

The building was constructed under the orders of Pope Urban IV to commemorate and provide a suitable home for the Corporal of Bolsena, the relic of miracle which is said to have occurred in 1263 in the nearby town of Bolsena, when a traveling priest who had doubts about the truth of transubstantiation found that his Host was bleeding so much that it stained the altar cloth. The cloth is now stored in the Chapel of the Corporal inside the cathedral.

Situated in a position dominating the town of Orvieto which sits perched on a volcanic plug, the cathedral's façade is a classic piece of religious construction, containing elements of design from the 14th to the 20th century, with a large rose window, golden mosaics and three huge bronze doors, while inside resides two frescoed chapels decorated by some of the best Italian painters of the period with images of Judgment Day. The cathedral has five bells, dating back to the Renaissance, tuned in E flat.

The construction of the cathedral lasted almost three centuries with the design and style evolving from Romanesque to Gothic as construction progressed. The flagstone of the cathedral was laid on 13 November 1290 by Pope Nicholas IV, and construction was entrusted to chief-mason (capomastro) Fra (Friar) Bevignate di Perugia (also called Fra Bevignate da Gubbio) using a design by Arnolfo di Cambio (the architect of the cathedral of Florence). The cathedral was initially designed as a Romanesque basilica with a nave and two side aisles. However, when Giovanni di Uguccione succeeded Fra Bevignate, the design was transformed into Italian Gothic forms.

Construction continued slowly until, in 1309, the Sienese sculptor and architect Lorenzo Maitani (universalis caput magister) was commissioned to work on the church and solve several issues concerning the load-bearing capabilities of the building, especially of the choir. He substantially changed the design and construction of the building, increasing the similarity of the building to Siena Cathedral. The architecture of both buildings sometimes is classified as a substyle of Gothic architecture: Siennese Gothic style.

Maitani strengthened the external walls with flying buttresses, which proved later to be useless. These buttresses were eventually included in the walls of the newly built transept chapels. He rebuilt the apse into a rectangular shape and added a large stained-glass quadrifore window. Starting in 1310 he created the current façade up to the level of the bronze statues of the symbols of the Evangelists. He also added much of the interior. He died in 1330, shortly before the completion of the cathedral, succeeded by his sons.

In 1347 Andrea Pisano, the former Master of the Works of the Florence Cathedral, was appointed the new Master of the Works. He was followed in 1359 by Andrea di Cione, better known as Orcagna. The mosaic decoration and the rose window are attributed to him. This once octagon-based design was replaced by Orcagna with the new 22-sided polygon. This type of geometrical base is uncommon in Gothic architecture. Due to the window's unusual shape, statistical and geometric techniques were used to achieve a symmetrical design.[2] The Sienese architect Antonio Federighi continued the decoration of the façade between 1451 and 1456, adding some Renaissance modules. In 1503 Michele Sanmicheli finished the central gable and added the right spire, which was finished by Antonio da Sangallo, Junior in 1534.

Final touches to the façade were made by Ippolito Scalza by adding the right pinnacle in 1590 and the left in 1605–1607. All in all, the succeeding architects kept a stylistic unity to the façade.

The Gothic façade of the Orvieto Cathedral is one of the great masterpieces of the Late Middle Ages. The three-gable design is attributed to Maitani, who apparently had been influenced for the façade by the Tuscan Gothic style of the Siena Cathedral by Giovanni Pisano (1287–1297) and the plan for façade of the Florence Cathedral by Arnolfo di Cambio (1294–1302).

The signature element is the golden frontage, which is decorated by large bas-reliefs and statues with the symbols (Angel, Ox, Lion, Eagle) of the Evangelists created by Maitani and collaborators (between 1325 and 1330) standing on the cornice above the sculptured panels on the piers. In 1352 Matteo di Ugolino da Bologna added the bronze Lamb of God above the central gable and the bronze statue of Saint Michael on top of the gable of the left entrance.

The bas-reliefs on the piers depict biblical stories from the Old and New Testament. These marbles from the fourteenth and fifteenth century are the collective and anonymous work of at least three or four masters with assistance of their workshops, It is assumed that Maitani must have worked on the reliefs on the first pier from the left, as work on the reliefs began before 1310. The installation of these marbles on the piers began in 1331. They depict from left to right:

stories of the Old Testament: Book of Genesis

the Tree of Jesse with scenes from the Old Testament with messianic prophesies of Redemption.

scenes from the New Testament with below Abraham sleeping: episodes from the lives of Jesus and Mary

Last Judgment: Book of Revelation

Above this decoration are glittering mosaics created between 1350 and 1390 after designs by artist Cesare Nebbia. These original pieces have been replaced and redesigned in the centuries since, particularly in 1484, 1713 and 1842. Most of these mosaic represent major scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, from the "Nativity of Mary" in the lower right gable to the "Coronation of the Virgin Mary" in the topmost gable. One of these glassmakers is recorded as Fra Giovanni Leonardelli.

Central to the mosaics is the large rose window built by the sculptor and architect Orcagna between 1354 and 1380. In the niches above the rose window stand the twelve apostles, while in niches on both sides twelve Old Testament prophets are represented in pairs. Statues in niches are typical for French Gothic cathedrals, which may have been an influence. Eight statues have been attributed in the records to Nicola de Nuto. The spandrels around the rose window are decorated with mosaics representing the four Doctors of the Church. The frame of the rose window holds 52 carved heads, while the center of the rose window holds a carved head of the Christ.

The newest part of the decoration are the three bronze doors which give access to the entrance of the cathedral. These were finished in 1970 by the Sicilian sculptor Emilio Greco (1913–1995) depicting mercies from the life of Christ and are surmounted by a sculpture of the Madonna and Child created by Andrea Pisano in 1347.

The cathedral's side walls, in contrast to the façade, are built with alternating layers of local white travertine and blue-grey basalt stone.

A small plant resides next to some 1.7 billion year old red granite.

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Bar La Torre resides in a 12th century tower in Borgo Pretale along an ancient Roman road in Tuscany. The tower was built as a roadside inn providing refreshment, merriment and lodging for the many Crusaders travelling enroute to– and (hopefully) returning from the fighting in the holy land. The walls here at the tower's base flare out to over eight feet thick to support the enormous weight of the structure… little wonder it still stands after nine hundred years have passed!

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The nearby galaxy Messier 33 contains a star-forming region called NGC 604 where some 200 hot, young, massive stars reside. The cool dust and warmer gas in this stellar nursery appear as the wispy structures in an optical image from the Hubble Space Telescope. In between these filaments are giant voids that are filled with hot, X-ray-emitting gas. Astronomers think these bubbles are being blown off the surfaces of the young and massive stars throughout NGC 604.

NGC 604 also likely contains an extreme member of the class of colliding-wind binaries, as reported in a recent paper. It is the first candidate source in this class to be discovered in M33 and the most distant example known, and shares several properties with the famous, volatile system called Eta Carinae, located in our galaxy.

Chandra’s X-ray data (blue) are combined in this image with optical data from Hubble (purple).

Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/CfA/R. Tuellmann et al.; Optical: NASA/AURA/STScI/J. Schmidt

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Hear my soul speak:

The very instant that I saw you, did

My heart fly to your service; there resides,

To make me slave to it; and for your sake

~ William Shakespeare. from The Tempest: III, i

Resting on the winds resides a peaceful colony, a peculiar yet awe-inspiring settlement. It is springtime and the flowers are in bloom while the locals join in the colorful merriment and open their doors welcoming travellers. What surprises await you in the Isles of Tarrin?

The Region is sponsored by Teegle and beautifully created by Teager, Ketsui Naidoo and Monstaar

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From slide taken when diving off the Carib Explorer in 2001..

The Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle-owl that resides in much of Eurasia. It is sometimes called the European eagle-owl and is, in Europe, where it is the only member of its genus besides the snowy owl (B. scandiacus), occasionally abbreviated to just eagle-owl. It is one of the largest species of owl, and females can grow to a total length of 75 cm (30 in), with a wingspan of 188 cm (6 ft 2 in), males being slightly smaller. This bird has distinctive ear tufts, with upper parts that are mottled with darker blackish colouring and tawny and the wings and tail are barred. The underparts are a variably hued buff, streaked with darker colour. The facial disc is poorly developed and the orange eyes are distinctive.

( from the photo workshop ''Birds of Prey" )

© Mieneke Andeweg-van Rijn 2016

All rights reserved.

"Namasté - J'honore ce lieu en toi dans lequel réside l'univers entier.

Je m'incline et honore ce lieu en toi ou se trouvent l'amour, la vérité, la lumière et la paix.

Lorsque tu es dans ce lieu en toi, et je suis dans ce lieu en moi, alors nous ne sommes qu'un."

***

"Namaste - I honor the place in you in which the entire universe dwells. I honor the place in you which is of love, of truth, of light, and of peace. When you are in that place in you, and I am in that place in me, we are one."

__________________________________________________

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All my images are protected under international authors copyright laws and may not be shared, downloaded, reproduced, copied, or edited -in any way- without my written explicit permission. Any unauthorized use is strictly illegal and can be punishable by law.

If you want to use my photographs, you must request my permission via ✎ Flickr Mail or using → My Website's Contact Form

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"A special tradition that is shared by many Scandinavians is the planting or the knowing of a special tree in Swedish called a „Vårdträd‟, and in Norwegian a „Tuntre‟; a sacred tree planted

in the center of the yard on a family farm that reflects an intimacy with place. The caring for the tree demonstrates respect for ancestors‟ spirits that were/are believed to reside in the tree, and is a moral reminder of caring for the farm or place where one lives. One Norwegian told me that the „tuntre‟ provided a direct connection with the nature spirits that lived underground at his farm.

The tradition of sacred trees in Scandinavia goes back to the pre-Christian Viking Age, and likely long before that. Remarkably, it is a tradition that can still be seen as part of the cultural landscape throughout the Scandinavian countries. "

From "SACRED TREES OF NORWAY AND SWEDEN:

A FRILUFTSLIV QUEST" By Douglas Forell Hulmes

Professor of Environmental Studies

Prescott College

220 Grove Avenue

Prescott, AZ 86303 Arizona, U.S.A.

A Beautiful bird residing in my house in varandah. Sometime on the TV cable and sometime on the tube light end. He or she is alone. The bird always come at evening and fly out in the very early morning. During day time the bird do not seen within my house area.

The shots are taken at night about 10PM!!!!!

Guinea Gold...another currently residing in the garden.

Fields of summer

l am immersed by stunning delicacy in earths rich wild grass hues scorched by the suns warmth and light in their golden brown hues so tender glisten with suns rays to light up the soul..

A message to all woman in the world...Freedom resides deep within You!! You are precious unique individuals !! Freedom of choice and expression is your human right. Sending love and light!!

My heart goes out to the very brave courageous Ukrainian people, and all innocent people who are suffering through this war. l pray for peace and harmony soon to the Ukrainian people to the world. Stay strong !!❤️💙💛💙🌍🙏

secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/stop_the_war_loc/?cWVJdnb

Sea#art #painting #artist #fineart #love #newyork #acrylic #acrylicpainting #artwork #artworldly #artistsoninstagram #newyorkartist #artofinstagram #expression #expressionism #abstract #originalart #design #designer #artstudio #studio #blue #green #yellow #impressionism #collage #collageart #loveart #night #naturelovers

My heart resides in the forests and the mountains. The place I feel the most alive is amongst the tall timbers that stretch toward the sky, canopies blanketing the world below. I’m not quite sure if its the safe feeling I get, or the magical characteristics that evolve with each changing moment as I step around a new tree trunk. Whatever the cause and even though my time in the forest is rare, I continue to dream of a life spent amongst the trees. A life where the forest overtakes me.

The model here is Emily Opper, a kind girl and awesome model we met while in NYC!

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The sun sets over the New Forest where it meets the Solent. Many people don't realise the wonderful New Forest reaches a stretch of the coast which overlooks the Isle of Wight. Much nature resides here.

Enjoying the view into the Austrian Karwendel from a bench on the German side, residing on a panorama walkway between Westliche Karwendelspitze and Nördliche Linderspitze.

Above Mittenwald, Bavaria, Germany.

A heavily decaying piano resides in this stunning neglected palace in Poland.

Shot in May 2016, a beauty that I have wanted to get at for a while.

I create this image with the help of a friend Dan, between us we flattened the footprints in the dust and then proceeded to kick up just a little amount of the rubble in the background as the light poured through late on this spring day.

In Florida, the difficulty of taking photos at the water level resides in the fact that there may be snakes in the grass and alligators in the water, which has nothing to do with the northern regions. When I shoot at the water level, I check if alligators are close by and if there are snakes in the grass, but would I really see them ???

When the "locals" see me lying so close to the water, either they smile or they tell me that only tourists are not aware of the danger of doing so.

Some told me that they saw alligators attacking deer and would not want to be in my place.

En Floride, la difficulté de prendre des photos au niveau de l'eau réside au fait qu'il peut y avoir des serpents dans l'herbe et des alligators dans l'eau, ce qui n'a rien à voir avec les régions nordiques. Lorsque je prends de telles photos au niveau de l'eau, je regarde attentivement si des alligators peuvent s'approcher de moi et s'il y a des serpents dans l'herbe, mais est-ce que je les verrais vraiment???

Lorsque les "locaux" me voient ainsi étendu près de l'eau, soit qu'ils sourient ou soit qu'ils me disent que seuls les touristes font preuve de tant de négligence, qu'ils ont déjà vu des alligators s'attaquer à des cerfs, qu'ils ne voudraient pas être à ma place.

Orange county, Florida, USA

ANDAN GUAN Penelope montagnii. An Andean Guan is perching on a limb at the Yanacocha Reserve on the upper northwestern slopes of Volcán Pichincha to the west of Quito in northwestern Ecuador at 2:02 PM on November 3, 2016.

The Andean Guan resides in the high Andes of Ecuador, Colombia, Perú, Venezuela, and Bolivia.

Una Pava Andina Penelope montagnii está posada sobre una rama en la Reserva Yanacocha en las cuestas superiores noroccidentales del Volcán Pichincha al oeste de Quito en el nordoeste de Ecuador a las 2 y 2 de la tarde el 3 de noviembre de 2016.

For OPTIMAL DETAILED VIEWING of this Andean Guan, VIEW AT THE GIANT SIZE (1715 x 1300) using the direct Flickr link: www.flickr.com/photos/neotropical_birds_mayan_ruins/35609...

Na Floresta de Cèdre Gouraud, na cordilheira do Médio Atlas, Marrocos, reside uma subpopulação significativa de macacos-de-gibraltar (Macaca sylvanus), primatas também conhecidos como macacos-berberes. Esta espécie, endémica do Norte de África e a única de macacos a viver naturalmente no continente africano fora das regiões subsarianas, encontra-se ameaçada de extinção. O nome da floresta deriva de um cedro-do-atlas centenário em homenagem ao general Gouraud, cujo tronco permanece como atração turística após a sua morte. Os macacos adaptaram-se à presença humana, interagindo frequentemente com os visitantes. Este ecossistema, dominado por cedros-do-atlas, é crucial para a conservação da biodiversidade, servindo como habitat vital para estes primatas. A sobrevivência dos macacos-de-gibraltar enfrenta desafios como a perda de habitat e a pressão humana, sendo fundamental a consciencialização para práticas responsáveis e respeito pelo ecossistema local.

The Cèdre Gouraud Forest, in the Middle Atlas mountains of Morocco, is home to a significant subpopulation of Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus), primates also known as Barbary apes. This species, endemic to North Africa and the only monkey that lives naturally on the African continent outside the sub-Saharan regions, is threatened with extinction. The forest's name derives from a century-old Atlas cedar named after General Gouraud, whose trunk continues to be a tourist attraction after his death. The monkeys have adapted to the presence of humans, frequently interacting with visitors. This ecosystem, dominated by Atlas cedars, is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity, serving as a vital habitat for these primates. The survival of Barbary macaques faces challenges such as habitat loss and human pressure, making it essential to raise awareness about responsible practices and respect for the local ecosystem.

This monster, born from dreams and fear,

whispers secrets, only he can hear,

It shields him from the world outside,

in its warm presence, he can confide.

he steps into brightness-feeling whole.

It was just me and a couple of barn owls loudly wondering "Hoooo?" I was on this early spring morning in southern Oregon.

This abandoned barn resides in a wildlife park a little less than two hours from home. I had scouted it out the week before during the day. For this shoot I left the house around midnight to get down there and get set up. I finished up around 5:30 and was home by 7:30 a.m.

I took tracked exposures of the sky followed by untracked exposures for the foreground -- with the camera in the same place -- then blended them in Photoshop. I dimly lit the barn and foreground with a small hand-held LED light panel. This is the back side of this particular barn. I'm really glad that tree was there on the left; it provides a nice visual anchor for that side of the panorama. And if you look closely at the full image, on the far side of the roof's apex, you can see a little figure sticking up. That's an owl, one of two that were hanging out with me that morning.

I used a modified Canon EOS 6D with a Tamron 15-30mm lens. Tracking was done with a Star Adventurer 2i.

Sky: 6 frames, tracked | 24mm | f/3.5 | ISO 2000 | 90s each

FG: 6 frames, no tracking | 24mm | f/3.5 | ISO 3200 | 120s each | LLL

With over 10 million Mallard ducks (Anas platyrhynchos) residing in North America alone, the Mallards are one of the best-known and most recognizable ducks. the mallard is a dabbling duck found throughout the temperate and sub-tropical areas around the world. The most abundant and wide-ranging duck on earth. The mallard usually inhabits the freshwaters of North America, Europe, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. Mallards usually feed on plants, such as grass seeds, leaves, stems and aquatic plants, and vegetation like grains, rice, oats and corn. However, they are also seen feeding on insects, mollusks, small fish, tadpoles, freshwater snails, fish eggs, frogs and crustaceans. A Mallard drake (Anas platyrhynchos) flies into a cove to land at White Rock Lake near Dallas, Texas.

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