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Henry prior to adopting me at a 'Cats Protection' volunteer's home in early November 2024.
Henry was rehomed and adopted into the Axe household on December 27th 2024.
Henry is a previously abandoned kitty who has had a very difficult start to his life with a very long story behind his circumstances.
Henry is now completely safe in his new forever home and he doesn't need to worry about a thing anymore.
Henry was born circa 2022.
Congenital sensorineural deafness in white cats is very common however and thankfully Henry's hearing is perfect. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congenital_sensorineural_deafness_i...
Note Henry's misaligned claws on his right paw which have been successfully repaired and realigned.
All my white cat's www.flickr.com/photos/stuart166axe/tags/whitecat
My Henry album flic.kr/s/aHBqjBWhvS
NGA CAMPUS EAST
NOTE: This image is an HDR, or High Dynamic Range image, and is a combination of three photos.
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- An early morning interior view of the atrium in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East project here, Oct. 15, 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District, part of the North Atlantic Division, is managing design and construction of the $1.7 billion project. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo illustration by Marc Barnes)
Pavilion Mountain Grade aka. Kelly Lake Hill . The former BC Rail climbs from Lillooet to Kelly Lake on one the longest grades in North America. The grade thru these S-curves is 1.57%, after adding resistance for curvature, the equivalent grade is closer to 2%. This spot is the transition from the gentler grade from here to Lillooet, and the torturous 2.2% grade from here to Kelly Lake. A early curve realignment can be seen here with old trestle pilings and roadbed wrapping around the outside of the deep cut. The train is empties, and all the xtra power will be used on loaded trains heading back south....
originally shot with the canon demi ee17 half-frame camera on tri-x 400 film, realigned in photoshop.
NGA CAMPUS EAST
NOTE: This image is an HDR, or High Dynamic Range image, and is a combination of three photos.
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- An early morning interior view of the atrium in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East project here, Oct. 15, 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District, part of the North Atlantic Division, is managing design and construction of the $1.7 billion project. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo illustration by Marc Barnes)
This 725 feet-high hill (Law in Old English means hill) is some four miles east of Haddington in East Lothian, and is a major landmark that can be seen from many miles around. It is volcanic in origin and is the site of an oppidum - an ancient Celtic fortified town or hill fort - which covered at its maximum extent about 16 ha (40 acres). There is evidence of occupation and signs of ramparts from around 1000 BC. The ramparts were rebuilt and realigned many times in the following centuries. Excavations have shown it was occupied in the Late Iron Age from about AD 40 until the last quarter of the 2nd century (about the time that the Antonine Wall was manned by the Romans). Following the Roman withdrawal to Hadrian's Wall, it was predominantly uninterruptedly occupied from about 220 until about 400 when the rampart was replaced by one that was more impressive.
It is the site of the Traprain Law Treasure, the largest Roman silver hoard from anywhere outside the Roman Empire and which included exquisite silver artefacts. These are now in the care of the Royal Museum of Scotland.
Source: Wikipedia
While NS 811 completes a crew change in Bluefield, NS #8021 coasts with its own empty hopper train across Cooper's Trestle near Bramwell, WV on March 21, 2021. Constructed as part of a massive realignment project by the N&W in the late 1940s, Cooper's Trestle is a classic location for photographers on the N&W Pocahontas Division.
Had a bit of time off around the Holidays so I did up a bunch of smallish, quick, darkroom prints from the Hasselblad. The film holders kind of make a nice border as part of the process. Are they keepers? Who knows. But they're printed. Was good practice and anyways helped with realigning the enlarger. This one from Monterey California. ilford Art 300 and selenium flavored coffee as a toner.
A thought occurred to me last week after the recent reminiscing about Rutger Hauer's famous finishing comments in Blade Runner- and that is if you're not printing your work, then where is it? (Especially for digital only users.) On a thumb drive? If that thumb drive fails or falls down a storm drain then all your work goes away faster then Roy Batty's tears in the rain. Permanence and survivability of printing techniques may be the better part of an illusion and heck, it's only paper, but at least there is something to hold in your hand.
And speaking of survivability... Rest in peace Severus Snape.
- Lucretius.
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It rarely rains in southern California, but we do get those days occasionally during the winter season. It was raining for the past two days and finally the sun is back out. I was going over the old photographs and realized that I missed processing one of the panorama stitch images from our trip to Colorado during the fall of 2016. If my memory is correct this shot was made at McClure Pass at an overlook that faces east towards the town of Marble and a range of mountains that includes Mt Daly, Capitol Pean, and Sheep Mountain.
This shot was taken using the 24-70mm lens in vertical orientation at 56 mm and is a stitched together from about 9 images. I used a 2 stop ND grad filter which I realigned for each shot. I am lucky enough to have a ballhead that has the panning mechanism close to the clamp making easier to pan at the right degrees. The shot was taken at sunset with some amazing light on the mountainside.
NGA CAMPUS EAST
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- An interior view of the atrium in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East building here, Sept. 23, 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District, along with NGA, is leading design and construction of the $1.7 billion project. The campus is located in Northern Virginia, on what was formerly known as Fort Belvoir's Engineer Proving Grounds. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Marc Barnes)
Old Bayview Ave Bridge.
It's been long abandoned, bypassed by the Bayview realignment and high level bridge that towers just to the west in 1929. It's been sitting idle in the valley for almost 100 years without traffic.
Toronto, Ontario
Olympus TG-4
After realigning the switch out of Good Yard in Bloomington, this D49 crew is picking up speed as they roll through Yuton with a healthy train of interchange for the Tazewell in Peoria.
Yuton, IL
2020.04.01
NGA CAMPUS EAST
NOTE: This image is an HDR, or High Dynamic Range image, and is a combination of three photos.
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- An early morning exterior view of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East project here, Oct. 12, 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District, part of the North Atlantic Division, is managing design and construction of the $1.7 billion project. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo illustration by Marc Barnes)
As if things weren't hard enough for this mama mallard fending off the harassing geese, along comes another female mallard. I don't get the logic here why another female adult is a threat but I saw the same thing with the Peahen and her 10-chick family a couple of weeks ago. Maybe the mom is afraid the little ducklings will get confused and realign with the other female? What a struggle it is to raise a family!
The Lincoln Flume 2015 travelling down Flaxengate, Lincoln, Lincolnshire.
The event was organised by The Rotary Club of Lincoln Colonia, based on a project by artist Luke Jerram called Urban Slide. This was first seen in an urban setting in Bristol as part of their Park and Slide event which proved a very successful public participation event. All proceeds raised were donated to local charities.
Flaxengate is a street dating from 870. In 1215 it was called Haraldestigh; 1661 Flaxgate; 1831 Flaxen Gate. The part south of Clasketgate was called Chequer Lane in 1826. It was found in excavations to have been resurfaced several times up until 1050. Its importance was overshadowed in the mid/late 11th century by that of Grantham Street, and it fell into disrepair. No structural evidence for the late Saxon period was found on the frontage during excavations at The Collection, but there was antler working. A further resurfacing took place around 1300. The name Flaxengate was revived in 1830 by the Lighting and Paving Commissioners. The section north of Grantham Street was realigned to the east in 1969/70, with the earlier western extent at the eastern end of the 1972 excavations. The section between Grantham Street and Clasketgate was widened on the west side in 1982, with the demolition of 31 Clasketgate.
U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The highway, which became one of the most famous roads in the United States, ran from Chicago, Illinois, through Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona before terminating in Santa Monica in Los Angeles County, California, covering a total of 2,448 miles.
It was recognized in popular culture by both the 1946 hit song "Route 66" and the Route 66 television series, which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964. It was also featured in the Disney/Pixar animated feature film franchise Cars, beginning in 2006. In John Steinbeck's novel The Grapes of Wrath (1939), the highway symbolizes escape, loss, and the hope of a new beginning; Steinbeck dubbed it the Mother Road. Other designations and nicknames include the Will Rogers Highway and the Main Street of America, the latter nickname shared with U.S. Route 40.
US 66 was a primary route for those who migrated west, especially during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, and it supported the economies of the communities through which it passed. People doing business along the route became prosperous, and they later fought to keep it alive in the face of the growing threat of being bypassed by the more advanced controlled-access highways of the Interstate Highway System in the 1960s and 70s.
US 66 underwent many improvements and realignments over its lifetime, but it was officially removed from the United States Highway System in 1985 after it was entirely replaced by segments of the Interstate Highway System. Portions of the road that passed through Illinois, Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arizona have been communally designated a National Scenic Byway by the name "Historic Route 66", returning the name to some maps. Several states have adopted significant bypassed sections of the former US 66 into their state road networks as State Route 66 and much of the former route within the San Bernardino County, California, is designated as County Route 66. The corridor is also being redeveloped into U.S. Bicycle Route 66, a part of the United States Bicycle Route System that was developed in the 2010s.
Delmarva Central's SE-2 is returning northbound at the junction with the onetime PRR's Crisfield Branch south of Princess Anne, MD. The Crisfield Branch is just an industrial spur now about 2 miles in length and serves Mountaire Farms of Delmarva-a large grain facility. The junction was relocated/realigned making a trailing point move for the southbound local from Harrington, DE. Ilford HP5+, Pentax MX.
NS 338 rolls northbound by the now-replaced Southern signals at AT&O; the tracks here have also been realigned since this photo
NGA CAMPUS EAST
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- Several contractors with Safway Inc., working in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Campus East facility, await more parts while disassembling scaffolding here, July 27, 2010. The scaffolding was erected to allow contractors to work safely while installing the arched roof of the building, and is disassembled one piece at a time, and then passed down the scaffolding to tethered workers positioned on each level. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District is managing design and construction of the $1.7 billion project as part of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure military construction programs which are ongoing at or near Fort Belvoir. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Marc Barnes)
NGA CAMPUS EAST
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- An aerial view of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East project under construction here, Sept. 8, 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District is leading design and construction of the NGA complex. The facility includes an eight-story main office building, technology center, visitor control center, parking garage, central utilities plant and remote inspection facility -- 2.4 million square feet in all. NGA Campus East is being constructed as part of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure programs here. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Marc Barnes)
The National Graves Association maintains that it was also used after 1798 to bury veterans of the conflict, including Matthew Tone, brother of Wolfe Tone. Bartholomew Teeling was also supposedly buried at Croppies' Acre after being hanged at Provost Prison, Arbour Hill. However, archaeological investigations have failed to find any human remains and its status as a grave is uncertain. The precise site of the burials was long disputed, all being known was that the dead had been buried on marshy ground near the Royal Barracks. Other reports mentioned that the corpses of the executed were thrown into the Liffey as a public deterrent; the river being tidal at this point. In addition, the River Liffey was realigned in this area to extend the city's quays. The supposed "Croppies' Acre" was for a long time a soldiers' playing field.
Making a swing on the realignment, the Wabash quickly makes their way through Detroit Lakes, maxing out their speed limit of 40mph.
We immediately gave pursuit of this train, and didn't catch him until Hawley due to congestion and road work.
NGA CAMPUS EAST
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- An aerial view of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East project under construction here, Sept. 8, 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District is leading design and construction of the NGA complex. The facility includes an eight-story main office building, technology center, visitor control center, parking garage, central utilities plant and remote inspection facility -- 2.4 million square feet in all. NGA Campus East is being constructed as part of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure programs here. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Marc Barnes)
Coal loads bound for Long Beach exit the twin tunnels at Thistle, catching the soft glow at dusk along the realigned right-of-way, rebuilt after a massive landslide in 1983 blocked the canyon in and wiped out the original D&RGW route. The Spanish Fork River lies below with the former roadbed and highway to its right and left respectively, the area now a picturesque campground with a great view of the tracks. The highway realignment can also be seen traversing the huge cut in the upper left of the frame.
NGA CAMPUS EAST
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- An aerial view of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East project under construction here, Sept. 8, 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District is leading design and construction of the NGA complex. The facility includes an eight-story main office building, technology center, visitor control center, parking garage, central utilities plant and remote inspection facility -- 2.4 million square feet in all. NGA Campus East is being constructed as part of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure programs here. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Marc Barnes)
43047 and 43059 are the power cars on this East Midlands Trains HST, working 1B48 13.45 Nottingham - St. Pancras International, and pictured crossing Seaton Viaduct on the line between Manton Jn. and Kettering.
Work to realign the line through Market Harborough meant Midland Main Line services had been diverted via Corby all week.
Stagecoach-owned East Midlands Trains would be replaced by Abellio-owned East Midlands Railway less than three months later, while these HSTs gave way to ex-LNER HSTs during 2020, which themselves ran for the last time in May 2021.
When first introduced in the 1970s, HSTs gained the derogatory nickname "tram". This was, apparently, because once you got to your destination, the driver simply changed ends - like on a tram - rather than having to run round or even shunt release a loco, but perhaps also being sarcastic about their speed.
Visit Brian Carter's Non-Transport Pics to see my photos of landscapes, buildings, bridges, sunsets, rainbows and more.
Switching at the asphalt plant completed, BNSF's local job to Rosario heads back up the spur towards the main for their return to Albuquerque. Towards the foreground can be seen a bridge abutment and pier, one of two former crossings of the perennial Rio Galisteo that date back to the original construction of the AT&SF in New Mexico. In the 1960's, the main line was relocated across a large fill and impressive cut between here and Waldo. This relocation was due to the building of a dam on the Galisteo to reduce the effect of its violent and damaging seasonal flash floods, and this short spur was kept in place (yet also apparently realigned) to serve what was at the time gypsum mines near the dam site. Now that sole customer is Nustar Rosario Asphalt, and sees sporadic (mostly once a week) service.
NGA CAMPUS EAST
NOTE: This image is an HDR, or High Dynamic Range image, and is a combination of three photos.
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- An early morning interior view of the atrium in the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East project here, Nov. 9, 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District, part of the North Atlantic Division, is managing design and construction of the $1.7 billion project. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo illustration by Marc Barnes)
Finishing up for the day, the Elecrail/Steamrail Victoria Tait Set crosses the Yarra River, on its way back to Newport after 8 "Lunar New Year" shuttles, running for the festival in Glen Waverley.
Here's a photo of the Tait crossing the river here in the 60s taken by Keith Atkinson. The river since then was realigned to accomodate whats now the M1 Citylink Tollroad. And a new bridge I'm pretty sure.
This 725 feet-high hill (Law in Old English means hill) is some four miles east of Haddington in East Lothian, and is a major landmark that can be seen from many miles around. It is volcanic in origin and is the site of an oppidum - an ancient Celtic fortified town or hill fort - which covered at its maximum extent about 16 ha (40 acres). There is evidence of occupation and signs of ramparts from around 1000 BC. The ramparts were rebuilt and realigned many times in the following centuries. Excavations have shown it was occupied in the Late Iron Age from about AD 40 until the last quarter of the 2nd century (about the time that the Antonine Wall was manned by the Romans). Following the Roman withdrawal to Hadrian's Wall, it was predominantly occupied from about 220 until about 400 when the rampart was replaced by one that was more impressive.
It is the site of the Traprain Law Treasure, the largest Roman silver hoard from anywhere outside the Roman Empire and which included exquisite silver artefacts. These are now in the care of the Royal Museum of Scotland.
Source: Wikipedia
The entrance to the village when approached on the A422 Stratford road from nearby Banbury, The road makes a severe dog-leg, sweeping to the left here, and then making an abrupt right-handed turn just at the end of the visible cottages and so by-passing the main bulk of the village. It does so due to the road being realigned when it was turn-piked in the 18th century, a happy turn of events that leaves the present day village in peace.
Southbound train 125 is the symbol for the Canadian barge train. However this train although carrying the symbol for the Canadian is also carrying containers for the ARMs barge. As happens a number of times throughout the year both barges have arrived in Whittier nearly simultaneously. In this particular case the CN was first hence the train carries the Canadian symbol although of the 7500' of train only 5 cars will actually be loaded on the CN Barge.
Folkestone Harbour Station.
The original station here was built in 1850. The pier was extended in 1883 to accommodate passenger steamers, so in 1893 the station was substantially rebuilt and the tracks realigned to the pier, creating these curves.
The Lackawanna makes an appearance in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley leading 37Q south towards Roanoke and beyond seen here high above the realigned US 340 at Compton.
It's the time of year when I need to realign. A post a day is what I strive for.... some will be quick edits, some will be pieces I've put time in on already and just needed some polishing. I'll allow myself some slack here and there. I write this only for myself really. Ready, set, go!
It was a damp scene for Perseids last night—growing dew on lenses with inbound clouds while capturing this view. Set up with friends down at one of the Lake Mary parking lots, looking for reflection shots. Lots of spotlights flicking around the lake & cars peeling out nearby. Finally moved up to Anderson Mesa to escape all that and got some more shots up there before an incredibly dense fog swamped us.
Thirteen Perseids show up in this stack (0500–0630Z). Trails have been aligned to the star field they fell against. Brightest fireballs of course streaked out of frame all night:)
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Canon 6D Mark II + EF 16-35mm f/2.8 III USM at 16mm, ISO 6400, 6 seconds x 19.
Seven frames stacked in Starry Landscape Stacker to reduce noise for star field & foreground. Twelve frames of Perseids realigned to the star field they crossed, revealing the anti-radiant.
One hell of a racket must have been had in the early hours of December 2nd. Shortly after 330am a NS westbound loaded coal train popped off the tracks here in Hanover, WV. The pileup ended up smashing into a handful of vehicles parked nearby on an auto repair facility’s property. US 52 ended up closed for a day or two from what I read as well.
I never got to follow up with any news about the cause of the derailment, but you can see a slide fence around the curve in my photo. One could only guess what might have happened. N&W’s reconstruction of this railroad in the early 70’s unfortunately plopped the railroad into the town of Hanover. The distance between the original route and the realignment is at its greatest here in Hanover. A strange twist of fate…
Somewhere on the drive between McConnico and Oatman, AZ. Cor (1ladybug) and I had the BEST time EVER! We found this sweet little family and the baby LOVED Cor and ran right up to her. Mom had different ideas and made sure her youngster stayed at a safe distance. All was well until the 'tourists' with cell phones came along.
"Go west on Shinarump Dr about 1/8 of a mile, then turn left on Oatman Highway. As you follow this road up into the mountains, be aware that there are few if any guardrails along the road. Be careful to pay attention to driving. The road is legally accessible by any vehicle under 40 feet in length. This is not a road for large motorhomes.
Travelers are advised that the portion of the highway passing through the mountains is a very narrow two-lane road with no shoulders, extremely tight switchbacks and many steep drop-offs. This section through the Black Mountains is a series of narrow, hairpin turns. This section was bypassed in 1951 in one of the many realignments of Route 66."
I laughed reading the above paragraphs online. Yes, it's an old road, and yes I was a little "clutchy" (is that a word?) with the steering wheel while driving over those passes and around those curves, but even I didn't think the drive was that bad ... LOL
And, thank you all for the warm welcome back. Hugs ♥
NGA CAMPUS EAST
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- An aerial view of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East project under construction here, Sept. 8, 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District is leading design and construction of the NGA complex. The facility includes an eight-story main office building, technology center, visitor control center, parking garage, central utilities plant and remote inspection facility -- 2.4 million square feet in all. NGA Campus East is being constructed as part of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure programs here. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Marc Barnes)
MARC commuter train 879 from Washington DC to Martinsburg, WV meets the setting sun as it exits the Harpers Ferry tunnel under the Maryland Heights and crosses the Potomac River. The Baltimore and Ohio built the current 11 span deck plate girder bridge and realigned both the east and west approach in 1930-31 as part of a modernization to reduce curvature and increase capacity.
Constructed in 1907, Singer station took its name from the huge Singer sewing machine factory that it was built to serve. The station is located on a section of track that was realigned to make space for the factory. In addition to this station (still in use today), the original station, which was titled Singer Works, and previously called Kilbowie Road (Old), once boasted six bay platforms for the many workers' trains that ran there. Regular works trains ended in 1963 and the bay platforms, and indeed the factory, have long since gone. Quoted from Wikipedia
NGA CAMPUS EAST
FORT BELVOIR NORTH AREA, Va. -- An aerial view of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East project under construction here, Sept. 8, 2010. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Baltimore District is leading design and construction of the NGA complex. The facility includes an eight-story main office building, technology center, visitor control center, parking garage, central utilities plant and remote inspection facility -- 2.4 million square feet in all. NGA Campus East is being constructed as part of 2005 Base Realignment and Closure programs here. (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo by Marc Barnes)
Deutschland - Baden-Württemberg - Kaiserstuhl
Schelinger Matten
The Kaiserstuhl (German: [ˈkaɪzɐʃtuːl], lit. "Emperor’s Chair") is a range of hills in the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany with a maximum height of 556.6 metres (1,826 ft). It is of volcanic origin and located in the southwest of the state in the counties of Emmendingen and Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald. In terms of natural regions it is considered to be a part of the Upper Rhine Plain.
Name
The name "Kaiserstuhl" is believed to refer to King Otto III, who held court near Sasbach on 22 December 994. From then on, the whole hill range was called the Königsstuhl – the King’s Chair. In May 996, Otto III was crowned Emperor and the King’s Chair eventually became the Emperor’s Chair – "Kaiserstuhl". Reliable sources mention the name Kaiserstuhl only as early as 1304 and historians thus suppose that the term Kaiserstuhl was not coined until the 13th century.
Geography
Location
The Kaiserstuhl is situated in South Baden, mainly in Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald county or district. However, the smaller northern part belongs to Emmendingen. Within the Upper Rhine Plain it is situated about 16 km northwest of the city of Freiburg, right next to the eastern bank of the Rhine and a short distance west of the Dreisam. It reaches up to 377 metres above the level of the Rhine downstream (179.5 m a.s.l.) from the weir close to Burkheim.
At its greatest extent, from the Michaelsberg near Riegel in the northeast, to the Fohrenberg, by Ihringen in the southwest, the Kaiserstuhl is about 15 km long. Its maximum width is about 12.5 km.
Hills
The hills of the Kaiserstuhl include the following (sorted by height in metres above sea level):
Totenkopf (556.6 m), 1.9 km east of Bickensohl; with the Vogtsburg 1 telecommunication tower and Neunlinden observation tower
Eichelspitze (521.3 m), 2.8 km northwest of Bötzingen
Katharinenberg (492.4 m), 1.3 km southeast of Amoltern
Bisamberg (469.0 m), 1.2 km south of Amoltern
Staffelberg (446.0 m), 1.5 km northwest of Schelingen
Badberg (432.7 m) (protected area), 1.5 km east of Oberbergen
Holzeck (431.9 m), 1.7 km northeast of Ihringen; with tower
Hochbuck (374.8 m), 900 m south of Achkarren
Schlossberg (352.1 m), 500 m northwest of Achkarren; with Höhingen Castle ruins
Böselsberg (340.1 m), 500 m northwest of Wasenweiler
Büchsenberg (283.7 m), 1.3 km west of Achkarren
Geology
The formation of the Kaiserstuhl volcano during the Tertiary was the climax and at the same time the end of volcanic activity in the Upper Rhine Valley Rift. Volcanism started as early as the Cretaceous Period. Volcanic landforms include heavily eroded volcanic vents. The Kaiserstuhl is the only larger volcano from this period in the rift valley. Geologically the Kaiserstuhl can be divided into two parts: the sedimentary and volcanic part. Due to these peculiarities the Kaiserstuhl has been labeled one of the most important national geotopes.
Sedimentary base
The horizontal sedimentary layers forming the eastern third of the Kaiserstuhl date back to the Jurassic and the Tertiary long before the volcanic activity. Important stratigraphic outcrops include the Hauptrogenstein (local oolite) which is found mainly near the village of Riegel and the Pechelbronner Schichten (local Tertiary layers in the South German Scarplands) near Bötzingen. During the formation of the Upper Rhine Plain this part of the Kaiserstuhl sloped less in respect to its surrounding area – and thus appears as a so-called horst. In terms of its geological structure and the sequence of its escarpments, the Kaiserstuhl is comparable to the nearby Tuniberg, Nimberg and also to the Schönberg, which is situated south of the city of Freiburg.
Volcanic activity
Petrologically the volcanic Kaiserstuhl is an alkali-carbonate rock formation. The volcanic rocks making up a large part of the central and western Kaiserstuhl were the result of numerous volcanic eruptions during the Miocene, about 19 to 16 million years ago. They cover parts of the sedimentary base of the eastern Kaiserstuhl, which is why in some places changes in the base’s mineralogical composition occurred. The driving force behind this process of contact metamorphism was an increase in temperature. Due to the alternate eruption of tephra and lava flows from several vents a complex stratovolcano came into existence. Some of the rising magma solidified as volcanic intrusions below the surface – and today forms the central part of the Kaiserstuhl. Laterally rising phonolite magma also intruded into the sedimentary base of the Eastern Kaiserstuhl. Several hundred metres of the original volcano have been eroded.
Volcanic rocks
The entire volcanic Kaiserstuhl consists of rock types that contain feldspathoid minerals and olivine and are undersaturated with SiO2. Most igneous rocks at the surface are leucite-tephrites, with subordinate phonolites, limburgites, and olivine-nephelinites (at the Limberg Mountain near Sasbach), the last of which is rich in xenoliths from the Earth’s mantle. Carbonatite ignimbrite and lapilli are local peculiarities; they can be found in places in the western part of the Kaiserstuhl (Henkenberg near Burkheim, Kirchberg near Oberrotweil).
The subvolcanic and intrusive rocks of the central Kaiserstuhl are plutonic equivalents of the erupted material (essexite, carbonatite and coarse-granular phonolite). Several local terms which do not carry official status with the International Union of Geological Sciences have been used for different varieties of the intrusive rocks. Of major scientific interest is the consolidated carbonatite near Altvogtsburg und Schelingen. It is a quite rare volcanic rock, which crystallized from a carbonate magmatic melt rather than a silicate one. Given its unusual composition for an igneous rock, the magmatic nature of the carbonatite was not proposed for a long time and remained doubtful subsequently. An alternative interpretation was that it was a metamorphically altered sedimentary rock, examples of which can be found nearby. Only in the 1950s and 1960s did research prove that it was a carbonatite; one of the clues was identification of the eruptive carbonatites found in the western part of the Kaiserstuhl. The carbonatite contains the niobium rich pyrochlore; attempts to mine the carbonatite rock for niobium were carried out in the middle of the 20th century, but the amount turned out to be too small to be economical.
Minerals
For a long time the Kaiserstuhl has been known for rare minerals. Examples include the quarries at the Limberg (zeolites), Badberg (carbonatites), Orberg and Fohberg. Well-crystallized minerals can be found predominantly in clefts or cavities in the volcanic rock.
Loess
The Kaiserstuhl is today largely covered by a Quaternary loess layer, a loosely cemented sediment. It is derived from other rocks through erosion and is then transported by the wind. The loess at the Kaiserstuhl – as in all the peripheral areas of the Upper Rhine Valley – was formed during the last Ice Age. Large parts were bare of vegetation and so loess was winnowed out from the Rhine sediments. It was then deposited in the periglacial area (i.e. ice-free, but surrounded by glaciers) at the Kaiserstuhl. The major process active here was frost weathering resulting in crushed rocks. The wind blew strongly, as there was no vegetation that could have moderated it – entraining the lightest material and depositing it at obstacles like the Kaiserstuhl. Deposition took place northeast of the Kaiserstuhl, as the winds blew from the southwest.
The higher the place of sedimentation, the thinner the layer of the sedimented material is. At the Kaiserstuhl the thickness of the loess layer varies between 10 and 40 metres. There are, however, also areas in the southwest where no loess has been deposited. The Northern Limestone Alps are considered the main source of the Kaiserstuhl loess. A rust-coloured band occurs at irregular intervals. It developed as a new material and did not arrive regularly but in phases of different intensities. In a phase of weak sedimentation the material on top weathered – and the calcium carbonate was washed out. It then precipitated further down and formed a particular type of soil horizon, which contains concretions of calcium carbonate.
The Kaiserstuhl loess soils are used for intensive farming, as they offer good aeration, high water storage capacities and good mechanical qualities. Besides, as a result of farming deep narrow ravine-like paths developed.
As the loess developed over time it is, furthermore, significant for flood control. Sponge-like, it absorbs and then gently releases rainfall. This quality is however lost when bulldozers, employed to construct large terraces for viticulture, compress the loess.
Climate
General
The Kaiserstuhl is one of the warmest regions in Germany. The winters are relatively mild for the area, and the summers are warm or even hot, with possible average temperatures of over 20 °C (68 °F) in July and August. Because of its loess covered volcanic soils it is a very good wine-producing region. The climatic situation of the Kaiserstuhl is outstanding in the area. It is rain-shadowed by the Vosges Mountains, under the climatic influence of the Belfort Gap and is characterized by a drier and hotter climate, which one would rather expect not to be typical of the area. Despite this, winters remain cold and dry, and summers wet, in comparison with Mediterranean climate (which instead has a rainfall peak during winter, which can see few frost days, and a dry season in summer).
Meteorological data
The average annual temperature is 9.9 °C (49.8 °F), with 50–60 days with a maximum temperature above 25 °C (77 °F) as well as 60–70 days with a minimum temperature below 0 °C (32 °F). This illustrates a special feature of the Kaiserstuhl: it is characterized by its relatively extreme climate. The average difference between the lowest and the highest average temperatures within one year is 18.5 °C (65.3 °F). The mean precipitation at the Kaiserstuhl is approximately 600–700 millimetres (24–28 in), with about 1,720 hours of sunshine per year.
Flora and fauna
The climate of the Kaiserstuhl also explains the vast richness of thermophile flora and fauna. The Kaiserstuhl is for example one of the places with the largest variety of orchids in Europe – more than 30 species have been recorded. Among the vines wild grape hyacinths sprawl and along acclivities iris plants blossom. Furthermore, sand lizards (lacerta bilineata) and praying mantis (Mantis religiosa) live here – species which mainly occur in the Mediterranean area. (However, according to the latest research results the sand lizard presumably belongs to the allochthonous species of the European green lizard (Lacerta viridis)). The pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens) is a Xerophyte and normally only occurs in Southern Europe, but is also able to survive at the Kaiserstuhl. This species has a disjunct distribution, which means away from its normal habitat. It is a relict of a postglacial warm period where there had been a much warmer climate around the Kaiserstuhl. After the end of the warm period only the named species were able to survive. Besides there is a larger population of the May beetle (Melolontha melolontha). In spite of protests from conservationists the May Beetle is controlled by the use of insecticides.
Changes in landscape
The terrain of the Kaiserstuhl has been altered by the people living there since it was settled. The loam there is strongly susceptible to erosion as a result of soil cultivation, thus terraces had to be added, which were then mostly used as vineyards, as well as fruit growing or for other agricultural uses. As a result, the typical small "patio" hillsides and the streaked loess sunken roads typical of the region came into being.
To start with, it was for this reason that smaller terraces were merged in around 1950, this resulted in large scale reallocation, which turned parts of the original landscape completely upside down.
The phases of this reallocation were:-
Small-scale realignment between 1950 and 1960. At the same time the terrain was generally modified by manual labour with the help of in-house machines. During this time approximately 950 hectares were enclosed by the farmland consolidation authority.
Between 1960 and 1970 the loess slopes were more comprehensively modified, whereby large rectangular terraced areas with corresponding high embankments were made. The terraces were arranged with mountain like slopes so that now only the multiple slope edges are visible from the valley. About 650 hectares of the surface were styled in this way.
The plans to create large-scale terraces made between 1970 and 1976 were executed with the help of heavy machinery, changing the landscape radically. Before the original, naturally formed, depressions had still been visible in the gentle hillsides with only small terraces. Natural and man-made structures existed side by side. However, these small-scale structures were then obliterated completely. Monstrous areas resembling fortresses and entirely incongruous to the region were created. The total wine-growing area of the terraces was 630 ha. As the embankments and other areas exceeded the size of the wine-growing areas, the changes affected more than twice the newly created arable area. The land reforms of Oberrotweil-Oberberg, Ihringen-Abtsweingarten, Eichstetten-Hättlinsberg and Endingen am Kaiserstuhl-Schambach are examples of this phase.
The last phase of wine-growing land reforms was realized between 1976 and 1982. Due, in part, to protests against plans for further large scale terraces the changes were not as radical as the previous phase: the maximum height for embankments was "limited" to 10 m and their shapes were "made smooth and adjusted to the landscape" (Mayer 1986, citation translated). This procedure was, for example, applied to about 330 ha of wine-growing area in Oberbergen-Baßgeige or in Bickensohl-Herrenstück.
From 1977 on, several longer periods of enhanced precipitation caused damage to the embankments. During one week in May 1983 for example, the amount of precipitation was so large that in some areas it was equivalent to one third of the annual average, causing great damage in the modified areas.
The surfaces of the acclivities often slid off together with the vegetation. Former valleys, which had been blocked due to re-allocation, were flushed out. In some terraces dramatic shear failures developed. In addition extensive, devastating frost damage occurred; due to the incline of the mountainside at the surfaces of the acclivities, cold air pockets were formed in which the vines in bloom were frostbitten. Additionally substantial frost damage occurred in the woody part of the vines, especially in the vineyards which were situated in lower regions. In earlier times fruit had mostly been grown here but later this was changed to vineyards.
The activity of the farmland consolidation authority was narrowed to repairing and partly to rescheduling which at least was meant to correct the most severe consequences of the transformations from 1982 on.
Hiking
There are many opportunities for hiking in the Kaiserstuhl. The best known trail is the North-South Trail (check mark: blue rhomb on yellow background) from Endingen across the Katharinenberg and the Totenkopf and the Neunlinden viewing point to Ihringen. From the trail there are panoramic views over the Black Forest, the Upper Rhine Valley and the Vosges.
(Wikipedia)
Der Kaiserstuhl ist ein bis 556,8 m ü. NHN hohes, kleines Mittelgebirge vulkanischen Ursprungs in der Oberrheinischen Tiefebene. Es erhebt sich im Südwesten von Baden-Württemberg (Deutschland), in den Landkreisen Emmendingen und Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald.
Namensdeutung
Seinen Namen hat der Kaiserstuhl vermutlich von König Otto III., der bei Sasbach am 22. Dezember 994 einen Gerichtstag abhielt. Nach diesem Gerichtstag wurde das ganze Gebirge als „Königsstuhl“ bezeichnet. Nachdem Otto III. im Mai 996 zum Kaiser gekrönt worden war, wurde aus dem „Königsstuhl“ der „Kaiserstuhl“. Nachweislich belegt ist die Bezeichnung „Kaiserstuhl“ erst seit 1304. Historiker vermuten, dass der Begriff „Kaiserstuhl“ nicht vor dem 13. Jahrhundert entstand.
Geographie
Lage
Naturräumlich wird der Kaiserstuhl zum Oberrheinischen Tiefland gezählt und stellt dort die Haupteinheit 203 dar. Er befindet sich in Südbaden zum Großteil im Landkreis Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald, der kleine Nordteil gehört zum Landkreis Emmendingen. Innerhalb der Oberrheinischen Tiefebene liegt er etwa 16 km nordwestlich der Großstadt Freiburg, direkt östlich des Rheins und etwas westlich der Dreisam. Er erhebt sich maximal 377,1 m über den Rhein unterhalb (179,5 m) des Stauwehrs bei Burkheim.
In seiner weitesten Ausdehnung vom Michaelsberg bei Riegel im Nordosten bis zum Fohrenberg bei Ihringen im Südwesten ist der Kaiserstuhl rund 15 km lang, seine größte Breite beträgt etwa 12,5 km.
Berge
Zu den Bergen, Erhebungen und deren Ausläufern des Kaiserstuhls gehören – sortiert nach Höhe in Meter (m) über Normalhöhennull[1]:
Totenkopf (556,8 m), 1,9 km östlich von Bickensohl; mit Fernmeldeturm Vogtsburg-Totenkopf und Aussichtsturm Neunlinden
Eichelspitze (521,3 m), 2,8 km nordwestlich von Bötzingen mit dem Eichelspitzturm
Katharinenberg (491,9 m), 1,3 km südsüdöstlich von Amoltern
Bisamberg (469,6 m), 1,2 km südlich von Amoltern
Staffelberg (447,6 m), 1,5 km nordnordwestlich von Schelingen
Badberg (432,7 m) (Naturschutzgebiet), 1,5 km östlich von Oberbergen
Holzeck (431,9 m), 1,7 km nordnordöstlich von Ihringen; mit Sendeturm
Hochbuck (375,2 m), 900 m südlich von Achkarren
Schlossberg (351,9 m), 500 m nordwestlich von Achkarren; mit Burgruine Höhingen
Böselsberg (340,1 m), 500 m nordwestlich von Wasenweiler
Hochberg, (288,7 m), 900 m nordöstlich von Jechtingen
Büchsenberg (283,7 m), 1,3 km westlich von Achkarren
Geologie
Die Entstehung des Kaiserstuhlvulkans im Tertiär stellt sowohl den Höhepunkt als auch den Schlusspunkt der vulkanischen Aktivität im Oberrheingraben dar. Diese begann schon in der Kreidezeit und zeigt sich in zahlreichen, heute tief erodierten Vulkanschloten. Der Kaiserstuhl ist der einzige größere Vulkan aus dieser Zeit im Bereich des Oberrheingrabens. Dieser trifft hier auf den Bonndorfer Graben, der über den Hegau zum Bodensee führt. Gegen Ende des Oligozäns drang Magma empor, erstarrte jedoch noch unter der Erdoberfläche. Erst im Miozän kam es zu einem Durchbruch und zu großflächigen Lavaströmen. Geologisch gesehen lässt sich der Kaiserstuhl in einen sedimentären und einen vulkanischen Teil gliedern. Aufgrund dieser Besonderheiten wurde der Kaiserstuhl als eines der bedeutendsten nationalen Geotope Deutschlands ausgezeichnet.
Sedimentärer Sockel
Die das östliche Drittel bildenden, nahezu horizontal lagernden Sedimentgesteine wurden lange vor der vulkanischen Aktivität zu Zeiten des Juras und Tertiärs gebildet. Wichtige aufgeschlossene stratigraphische Einheiten sind der Hauptrogenstein (hauptsächlich in Riegel) und die Pechelbronner Schichten (in der Gegend von Bötzingen). Dieser Teil des Kaiserstuhls wurde während der Entstehung des Oberrheingrabens weniger stark als seine Umgebung abgesenkt und stellt einen sogenannten Horst dar. Er entspricht im Aufbau und der Schichtenfolge äquivalenten Strukturen im näheren Umkreis, wie dem Tuniberg und Nimberg westlich sowie dem Schönberg südlich von Freiburg im Breisgau.
Vulkanismus
Petrologisch handelt es sich beim vulkanischen Kaiserstuhl um einen Alkaligesteins-Karbonatit-Komplex. Die den Großteil des zentralen und westlichen Kaiserstuhls aufbauenden vulkanischen Gesteine wurden vor rund 19 bis 16 Millionen Jahren im Miozän durch zahlreiche Vulkanausbrüche gebildet. Sie überlagern teilweise den sedimentären Sockel des östlichen Kaiserstuhls, wodurch dieser stellenweise kontaktmetamorph, das heißt durch Einwirkung hoher Temperatur, verändert wurde. Durch abwechselnde Eruption von Tephra und Lavaströmen aus mehreren Schloten bildete sich ein komplexer Schicht- oder Stratovulkan. Emporquellendes Magma erstarrte teilweise als subvulkanische Intrusion im Vulkangebäude und baut heute den Zentralkaiserstuhl auf. Lateral aufsteigende phonolithische Schmelzen drangen auch in den sedimentären Sockel des östlichen Kaiserstuhls. Bis heute wurden durch Erosion mehrere 100 m des ursprünglichen Vulkans abgetragen.
Vulkanische Gesteine
Der gesamte vulkanische Kaiserstuhl besteht aus Foid- und/oder Olivin-führenden, SiO2-untersättigten Gesteinen. Bei den Eruptivgesteinen handelt es sich zum größten Teil um Leucit-Tephrit, untergeordnet auch Phonolith, Limburgit und Olivin-Nephelinit (am Limberg bei Sasbach). Letzterer ist sehr reich an Xenolithen aus dem Erdmantel. Als Besonderheit bei den Eruptivgesteinen sind karbonatitische Ignimbrite und Lapilli zu nennen, die im Westkaiserstuhl an einigen Stellen (Henkenberg bei Burkheim, Kirchberg bei Oberrotweil) aufgeschlossen sind.
Bei den subvulkanischen Intrusionen und Ganggesteinen des zentralen Kaiserstuhls handelt es sich um die Tiefengesteinsäquivalente der Ausbruchsprodukte (Essexit, Karbonatit und grobkörnigerer Phonolith). Für verschiedene Varietäten der Ganggesteine existieren in der Literatur eine Fülle weiterer Bezeichnungen (Alvikit, Hauynophyr, Mondhaldeit, Tinguait, Monchiquit und viele andere), die aber teilweise keine allgemein anerkannten Gesteinsnamen sind. Von großem wissenschaftlichen Interesse ist der bei Altvogtsburg und Schelingen anstehende Karbonatit. Dabei handelt es sich um ein recht seltenes vulkanisches Gestein, das nicht aus einer silikatischen, sondern aus einer karbonatischen Schmelze auskristallisierte. Aufgrund dieses ungewöhnlichen Umstandes wurde die magmatische Natur des Karbonatits lange Zeit nicht erkannt oder in Zweifel gezogen. Alternative Interpretationen gingen von kontaktmetamorph veränderten Sedimentgesteinen aus, die bekanntermaßen in unmittelbarer Nähe zu finden sind. Erst in den 1950er- und 1960er-Jahren gelang es, das Gestein gesichert als Karbonatit zu identifizieren, unter anderem durch das Auffinden der eruptiven Karbonatite im westlichen Kaiserstuhl. Wegen des in ihm auftretenden Niob-Minerals Koppit wurde der Karbonatit in der Mitte des 20. Jahrhunderts versuchsweise bergmännisch abgebaut. Allerdings erwiesen sich die Gehalte als zu gering für eine Nutzung in größerem Umfang.
Minerale
Seit langer Zeit ist der Kaiserstuhl als Fundstelle für zum Teil seltene Minerale bekannt. Besondere Fundstellen sind die Steinbrüche im Limburgit des Limbergs (verschiedene Zeolithe), im Karbonatit am Badberg und Orberg (Koppit) und im Phonolith des Fohbergs und des Kirchbergs (Zeolithe, Wollastonit, Melanit). Überwiegend treten diese als Kluftminerale oder Blasenfüllungen (Mandelstein) auf.
Lössbedeckung
Der Kaiserstuhl ist heute weitgehend von einer quartären Lössschicht bedeckt. Löss ist ein Lockersediment, welches durch Erosion anderer Gesteine entsteht und durch äolischen Transport an seinen Ablagerungsort befördert wird. Der Löss entstand – wie im gesamten Randbereich der Oberrheinebene – während der letzten weitgehend vegetationsfreien Eiszeit durch Auswehung aus dem Rheinschlamm. Die Ablagerung fand im periglazialen (eisfreien, jedoch von Gletschereis umgebenen) Gebiet um den Kaiserstuhl statt. Der Hauptprozess, der in dieser Region stattfindet, ist Frostsprengung von Gestein. Da keine Vegetation vorhanden ist, die den Wind bremsen könnte, weht dieser beständig stark. Er nimmt das leichteste Material mit und lagert es an Hindernissen, beispielsweise dem Kaiserstuhl, wieder ab. Hierbei ist zu beachten, dass die Ablagerung im Lee stattfindet, im Falle des Kaiserstuhls – wo der Wind aus Südwesten wehte – also im Nordosten. Je höher der Sedimentationsort liegt, desto dünner ist die Schicht tatsächlich abgelagerten Materials. Am Kaiserstuhl liegt die Mächtigkeit der Lössschicht zwischen 10 und 40 Metern, es gibt jedoch auch Orte im Südwesten, an denen kein Löss sedimentiert wurde. Der Herkunftsort des Lösses am Kaiserstuhl lag hauptsächlich in den nördlichen Kalkalpen. Auffällig im anstehenden Löss ist ein sich in unregelmäßigen Abständen wiederholender, rostfarbener Streifen. Dieser entsteht durch die phasenweise Anlieferung neuen Materials. Während einer schwachen Sedimentationsphase verwittert das obenauf liegende Material, wobei der Kalk ausgewaschen wird. Hierbei bildet sich Lösslehm. Der ausgewaschene Kalkanteil fällt weiter unten im Bodenprofil wieder aus und bildet den sogenannten Lösskindelhorizont. Zu jedem Ausfällungshorizont gehört deshalb ein Anreicherungshorizont.
Die Lössböden des Kaiserstuhls werden agrarisch intensiv genutzt, da sie eine gute Belüftung bieten und eine hohe Wasserspeicherfähigkeit sowie mechanisch gute Eigenschaften besitzen. Außerdem sind im Zuge der landwirtschaftlichen Nutzung die sogenannten Lösshohlwege entstanden.
Der gewachsene Löss ist zudem für den Hochwasserschutz von Bedeutung, da er starke Niederschläge wie ein Schwamm aufnimmt und dann gleichmäßig wieder abgibt. Durch die Anlage von Großterrassen für den Weinbau am Kaiserstuhl wird der Löss jedoch mit Planierraupen verdichtet und verliert diese Eigenschaft.
Klima
Allgemeines
Klimatisch zählt der Kaiserstuhl zur temperaten (gemäßigten) Klimazone. Durch die in der Oberrheinebene vorherrschende Wärmebegünstigung gehört er jedoch zu den wärmsten Orten Deutschlands mit für Mitteleuropa vergleichsweise milden Wintern und warmen Sommern, die teilweise sogar Durchschnittstemperaturen von über 20 Grad in den Monaten Juli und August aufweisen können. Durch seine mit Löss bedeckten vulkanischen Böden ist er ein sehr gutes Weinanbaugebiet. Die klimatischen Voraussetzungen des Kaiserstuhls heben sich von seiner Umgebung deutlich ab. Er liegt im Regenschatten der Vogesen, im Einfluss der Burgundischen Pforte, und hat somit ein eher trockenes Klima.
Meteorologische Daten
Die Jahresmitteltemperatur beträgt 9,9 °C, wobei sowohl 50 bis 60 Sommertage als auch 60 bis 70 Frosttage zu verzeichnen sind. Dies spiegelt schon ein besonderes Merkmal des Kaiserstuhls wider, denn er zeichnet sich durch recht extreme Klimaverhältnisse aus, was sich besonders in der durchschnittlichen jährlichen Temperaturschwankung von 18,5 °C ausdrückt. Der mittlere Niederschlag auf dem Kaiserstuhl beträgt etwa 600 bis 700 mm, bei jährlich rund 1.720 Stunden Sonnenschein.
Flora und Fauna
Das Klima des Kaiserstuhls erklärt auch die große Fülle an wärmeliebender Flora und Fauna. Beispielsweise ist der Kaiserstuhl einer der Orte mit der größten Orchideenvielfalt in Europa – mehr als 30 Arten wurden registriert. Zwischen den Rebstöcken wuchern wilde Traubenhyazinthen, und an Böschungen blühen Schwertlilien. Außerdem leben hier Bienenfresser, Smaragdeidechsen und Gottesanbeterinnen (Mantis religiosa) – Arten, die ihren Verbreitungsschwerpunkt im mediterranen Bereich haben (nach neuen genetischen Studien handelt es sich bei der Smaragdeidechse allerdings um eine wahrscheinlich allochthone Population der Östlichen Smaragdeidechse). Die Flaumeiche ist ein Xerophyt und kommt sonst vor allem in Südeuropa vor, am Kaiserstuhl kann sie sich jedoch vor allem im Flaumeichenwald am Büchsenberg als Niederwald halten. Diese Arten leben in einem disjunkten Areal, also von ihrem normalen Verbreitungsgebiet abgetrennt. Dies ist ein Relikt einer postglazialen Warmzeit, zu der auch im Gebiet um den Kaiserstuhl ein deutlich wärmeres Klima herrschte. Nach Ende der Warmzeit konnten die genannten Arten nur noch am Kaiserstuhl überleben. Außerdem gibt es am Kaiserstuhl größere Populationen des Maikäfers. Die Art wurde in der Vergangenheit trotz Kritik von Umweltschützern mit Insektiziden bekämpft, so etwa im Jahr 2009. Die Aktion wurde damit begründet, dass der Maikäfer ansonsten existenzbedrohende Schäden in der umliegenden Landwirtschaft auslösen könnte.
Landschaftsveränderung
Die Oberfläche des Kaiserstuhls wurde vom wirtschaftenden Menschen seit dessen Besiedlung verändert. Da Löss infolge der Bodenbearbeitung stark erosionsanfällig ist, mussten Terrassen geschaffen werden, die meist als Rebflächen, teilweise auch für Obst- oder zum Ackerbau genutzt wurden. Dadurch entstanden schon früh die typischen kleinterrassierten Hänge, die zudem von den ebenfalls durch die „Nutzung“ entstandenen Lösshohlwegen durchzogen wurden.
Im Sinne der Flurbereinigung wurde um 1950 damit begonnen, zunächst kleinere Terrassen zusammenzulegen; dies endete in Großumlegungen, welche die ursprüngliche Landschaft in Teilbereichen völlig umgestalteten. Diese Umgestaltung begann zwischen 1950 und 1960 mit kleinräumigen Neuordnungen. Dabei wurde das Gelände meist in Handarbeit bzw. mit Hilfe betriebseigener Maschinen umgestaltet. In dieser Zeit wurden rund 950 ha von den Flurbereinigungsbehörden flurbereinigt.
Zwischen 1960 und 1970 wurden die Lösshänge umfassender umgestaltet, wobei große, tiefe und möglichst rechteckige Terrassenflächen mit entsprechend hohen Böschungen entstanden. Die Terrassen wurden mit bergseitiger Neigung angelegt, so dass jetzt vom Tal aus vielfach nur noch die Kanten sichtbar sind. Auf diese Art entstanden rund 650 ha Rebfläche.
Mit umfassendem Maschineneinsatz wurden die Großterrassenplanungen der Jahre 1970 bis 1976 umgesetzt, die das Landschaftsbild deutlich veränderten. Vor diesen Maßnahmen zeichneten sich in den sanften Hängen, deren Oberflächen von den kleinen Terrassen überprägt waren, noch die ursprünglich natürlich entstandenen Senken ab. Statt diesem Nebeneinander von natürlichen und vom Menschen geschaffenen Strukturen nehmen die Kritiker nun festungsartige und landschaftsfremde Oberflächen wahr, die eine Gesamtgröße von ca. 630 ha Rebfläche bieten. Da die Böschungen und sonstigen Flächen größer waren als die Rebflächen, erstreckte sich die Landschaftsveränderung jeweils auf mehr als das Doppelte der neu geschaffenen nutzbaren Fläche. Beispiele für diese Phase sind die Flurbereinigungen Oberrotweil-Oberberg, Ihringen-Abtsweingarten, Eichstetten-Hättlinsberg und Endingen am Kaiserstuhl-Schambach. Inzwischen war der Großteil der Lösshohlwege durch die Flurbereinigung verschwunden, die zuvor ökologische Nischen speziell für Wildbienen und Vögel gewesen waren.
Die letzte Phase der Rebflurbereinigung erstreckte sich auf die Zeit zwischen 1976 und 1982, in der unter anderem wegen der Proteste gegen die Großterrassenplanungen gemäßigt vorgegangen wurde: Die Böschungshöhen wurden auf maximal 10 m „beschränkt“, der Böschungsverlauf wurde „geschwungen angelegt und der Landschaft angepasst“. Mit diesen Verfahren wurden zum Beispiel in Oberbergen-Baßgeige oder in Bickensohl-Herrenstück rund 330 ha Rebfläche bearbeitet.
Nachdem ab 1977 durch länger anhaltende niederschlagsreiche Perioden Böschungsschäden entstanden waren, fielen in der Pfingstwoche des Jahres 1983 Niederschlagsmengen, die teilweise ein Drittel des Jahresmittels ausmachten. Diese führten in den umgelegten Gebieten zu Schäden: Die Böschungsoberflächen rutschten vielfach mitsamt der Vegetation ab, ehemalige, durch die Umlegungen verschüttete Talzüge wurden ausgeschwemmt, in einzelnen Terrassen entstanden tiefgreifende Grundbrüche. Überdies kam es in den Folgejahren zu Frostschäden. Durch die bergseitige Neigung der Terrassenoberflächen konnten sich Kaltluftseen bilden, in denen die Reben vor allem in der Blüte erfroren.[6] Außerdem entstanden, vor allem in den niedriger gelegenen Rebflächen, in denen zuvor meist Obst angebaut worden war, erhebliche Frostschäden am Holz der Rebbestände.
Die Tätigkeit der Flurbereinigungsbehörden beschränkte sich in der Zeit nach 1982 auf Reparaturarbeiten und partielle Umplanungen, die zumindest die schwersten Folgen der Umgestaltungen korrigieren sollten. Inzwischen hatte man auch begonnen, die verbliebenen Lösshohlwege als Naturdenkmale auszuweisen und sie zu schützen.
Seit 2021 wird auf einer Fläche von etwa einem Hektar Echter Lavendel und Lavandin angebaut. Dank der Wärme und der kalkreichen Böden gedeiht er gut. Zwei der vier Felder liegen in Bischoffingen, wo es auch einen Hofladen gibt und je eines in Königschaffhausen und Burkheim. Auf letzterem wachsen neun verschiedene Sorten.
Wandern
Der bekannteste und „klassische“ Wanderweg ist der Neunlindenpfad (Nord-Süd-Weg); er ist einer von acht Themenpfaden und führt von Endingen über den Katharinenberg und den Totenkopf mit Aussichtsturm Neunlinden nach Ihringen. Von den Wegen bieten sich vielerorts Ausblicke auf den Schwarzwald, die Rheinebene und die Vogesen. Auch der Querweg Schwarzwald–Kaiserstuhl–Rhein führt über den Kaiserstuhl.
Als Wissenschaftlicher Lehrpfad wurde 1977 der Limberg-Weg angelegt. Er umfasst 90 Stationen zu den Themen Geologie und Mineralogie, Geschichte, Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege, Forstwirtschaft, Wein- und Obstbau, Rheinbau und Wasserwirtschaft, sowie Landeskunde.
Die acht Themenpfade wurden 2007 mit einer Gesamtlänge von 140 km eröffnet und in das bestehende Wanderwegenetz des Schwarzwaldvereins (Markierung: gelber Rhombus auf weißem Hintergrund) integriert. Dabei wurde das Wanderwegenetz mit 430 neuen Wegweisern ausgeschildert. Große Tafeln mit einer Übersichtskarte und mit Standortinformationen sind an zentralen Punkten wie zum Beispiel an Bahnhöfen in den von den Themenpfaden verbundenen oder durchlaufenden Ortschaften aufgestellt. Jeder Themenpfad ist durch eine eigene Farbe und ein dem Namen entsprechendes Symbol auf den Eingangsportalen und den Wegweisern optisch gekennzeichnet. Weitere 120 kleinere Thementafeln erläutern entlang der Wanderwege lokale Besonderheiten. Örtliche Pfade, wie zum Beispiel der Brunnenpfad (7 km) in Bötzingen, wurden in das neue Netz der Themenpfade integriert.
Die acht Themenpfade wurden 2010 durch den Kaiserstuhlpfad ergänzt, der als Prädikatswanderweg das Gütesiegel „Qualitätsweg Wanderbares Deutschland“ erhielt. Der 21,7 km lange Kaiserstuhlpfad orientiert sich mit einigen Erweiterungen am Neunlindenpfad (Nord-Süd-Weg) und führt von Endingen durch das Erletal hoch zur Katharinenkapelle, entlang der Naturschutzgebiete Badberg und Haselschacher Buck zum Eichelspitzturm, weiter über den Vogelsang-Pass zum Neunlindenturm, durch den Lößhohlweg Eichgasse nach Bickensohl und über den Kreuzenbuck durch die Lenzengasse nach Ihringen.
(Wikipedia)
UP Northwest #715 rolls past CY Tower behind a repainted F40PH-3 running non-stop all the way to Arlington Heights. On 5 Lead, an extra YPR60 relieves the previous day's local and will depart for the northwest side after the next round of North Line trains.
To the right of CY Tower in the distance is the sole remaining belfry of St. Stanislaus Kostka, a cathedral built in 1881 and one of the oldest Polish parishes in the U.S. Before the construction of the expressway starting in the 1950s, the C&NW mainline ran directly behind the parish. The local significance of the parish cannot be downplayed; the church is to the Polish-American population what Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris is to the French, so when the original plans to built the Northwest Expressway through the parish were revealed, the local reaction was substantial.
Through the efforts of alderman Bernard Prusinski and major local Polish-American opposition, the C&NW right-of-way was shifted east to facilitate the expressway being built around the church. As part of the railroad realignment, the old North Avenue Yard was removed and replaced with a newer yard on the east side of the right-of-way. Had it not been for the efforts to save St. Stan's, this area would look much different today.
The curve on the Kennedy that goes around the church is sometimes known as "Rostentowski Curve", erroneously named for the powerful Chicago politician Dan Rostenkowski who was born and raised mere blocks from the church and whose father was involved in the efforts to preserve the parish.
Some birds adopt characteristic poses in which they extend and often slightly droop their wings. This behavior is commonly described as "sunbathing" or "wing-drying." Cormorants and Anhingas frequently assume these postures, which are also seen in both Brown and White Pelicans, as well as in some storks, herons, vultures, and hawks.
The structure of cormorant and Anhinga feathers decreases buoyancy and thus facilitates underwater pursuit of fishes. Hence their plumage is not water-repellent, but "wettable." It has been suggested that the function of the spread-wing postures in these birds is to dry the wings after wetting. Biologists once thought that deficient production of oils from the preen gland necessitate wing-drying behaviors. We now know, however, that the degree of waterproofing of feathers is primarily due to their microscopic structure, not to their being oiled. In addition to helping wing feathers to dry, other suggested functions for these postures include regulating body temperature ("thermoregulation"), realigning of feathers, forcing parasites into motion to ease their removal, and helping the perched bird to balance.
Spread-wing postures may serve different purposes in different species. Anhingas, for example, have unusually low metabolic rates and unusually high rates of heat loss from their bodies. Whether wet or dry, they exhibit spread-wing postures mostly under conditions of bright sunlight and cool ambient temperatures, and characteristically orient themselves with their backs to the sun. Thus, it appears that Anhingas adopt a spread-wing posture primarily for thermoregulation -- to absorb solar energy to supplement their low metabolic heat production and to offset partly their inordinately high rate of heat loss due to convection and (when wet) evaporation from their plumage.
The World's Oldest Subway Tunnel And Its Advocate. Bob Diamond, a local Brooklyn resident, for years talked about finding the "lost" former Brooklyn and Jamaica/Long Island Rail Road (current day MTA LIRR) "Cobble Hill" or "Atlantic Avenue" Tunnel (not the current alignment). The whole story would take up books, but the tunnel carried trains from 1845-1861, itself a realignment from street running, and is considered the World's Oldest Subway Tunnel. From then until Bob rediscovered it in 1980 and crawled through the 2 foot wide passage, is was mostly sealed up and closed. Bob spent untold hours excavating all of the dirt by hand, eventually running his own walking tours. One of those things that we thought would be around forever, I hadn't prioritized it but finally went down for the tour with Bob on December 6, 2009. We entered through a manhole in the middle of the street and as advertised it was old, dark, dirty and gigantic. About a year later, the city pulled the permit for him to run tours and it has not been restored since. Bob died in 2021, and the future of this tunnel is unknown.
Full album and full resolution pics and prints: www.riverrailphoto.com/lirratlanticavenuetunnel
As part of a construction project to widen the road that passes beneath the middle of the junction, new bridges and new alignments have been built at Eureka in west Houston.
Here, soon after this new alignment's opening, the eastbound Sunset Limited rolls across new bridge and new track as it takes the big turn at Eureka on its way to an early arrival at the Houston Amtrak station. The old bridge is to the left of the train, partially behind the ballast pile.
AMT2 03 (EB Sunset Limited)
AMTK P42DC #151
AMTK P42DC #78
Houston, TX
April 5th, 2024