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◈ Siem Reap, Cambodia 🇰🇭 ◈
Bayon temple is covered with extensive bas reliefs. Earlier carvings mostly contain scenes from everyday life at Angkor Thom as well as the battles with Champa armies on the great lake whereas later carvings contain scenes from Hindu mythology, signifying the conversion of the religion during the reign of Jayavarman VIII.
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All rights reserved - Copyright © Gasper Zalar
Reminds me a bit of a scene from Tolkien -- the characters reach a final stage of their quest, confronted by a tower of immeasuable hight and even more incomprehensible might. Skies of turmoil roll above them and a distant cloud of dust signifies an approaching army. All I am missing here are the Eagles...Come on, even the name of the tower -- the Shard -- might have been taken from a fantasy novel!
I am beyond excited to share with you all that I have just photographed my first Formica rufa ant of the year! This little red forest ant not only signifies the beginning of spring but also marks the start of my photographic season. As I embark on another journey capturing the beauty of nature, let me share some fascinating trivia about Formica rufa with you all!
🐜 Formica rufa, also known as the red wood ant or European red ant, is a species of ant that can be found in coniferous and deciduous forests across Europe and parts of Asia. They are known for their reddish-brown color and large, distinctive anthills.
🌱 These ants play a vital role in their ecosystems by preying on various insects, which helps maintain a balanced population of pests. In fact, one colony can consume up to 100,000 insects a day!
🏰 The anthills constructed by Formica rufa can be quite impressive, reaching up to 6.5 feet (2 meters) in height and housing around 100,000 to 400,000 ants! These mound-like structures are made up of twigs, leaves, and pine needles, which helps insulate the colony from extreme temperatures.
🌞 Formica rufa ants are known to be sun-worshippers! They often bask in the sun to regulate their body temperature, and the anthills are designed in a way to capture and retain solar heat.
These ants are also known for their cooperative behavior. They form "living bridges" by linking their bodies together to help their fellow ants cross gaps or reach higher places.
So, the next time you spot a Formica rufa ant, remember that you're witnessing one of nature's most fascinating and important creatures. Stay tuned for more updates on my photographic journey as I explore the beauty of spring and the wonders of the natural world! 🌼🍃
Diamond Beach is also known as Breiðamerkursandur in Icelandic. This iconic attraction takes its name from the glittering icebergs scattered across its shore like a field of diamonds. These stunning icebergs were once part of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier. After breaking away, the blocks of ice floated lazily around Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon before ending up on Diamond Beach. The striking chunks of ice on Diamond Beach take on many different shapes, colours, and even sizes. Here you can admire larger-than-life blocks of ice in unique shades of azure blue or small, black chunks of ice. Many factors influence the colours the ice will take. Blue ice can signify age (older ice) and lack of air pockets. The black colouring can be volcanic dust or the sunlight reflecting the black sand from the beach.
Unley Road, Unley, South Australia
Citroën unveiled the Citroën 2CV or Deux Chevaux signifying two tax horsepower and initially only 9 hp (6.6 kW), at the Paris Salon in 1948. The car became a bestseller, achieving the designer's aim of providing rural French people with a motorized alternative to the horse. It was unusually inexpensive to purchase and, with its small two cylinder engine, inexpensive to run as well. The 2CV pioneered a very soft, interconnected suspension, but did not have the more complex self-levelling feature. This car remained in production, with only minor changes, until 1990 and was a common sight on French roads until recently; 9 million 2CV variants were produced in the period 1948–1990.
Source: Wikipedia
...signifies that this is a Juvenile Brown Pelican. He was flying very close, so the crop is very small.
California Brown Pelican
Pelecanus occidentalis
Member of the Nature’s Spirit
Good Stewards of Nature
© 2013 Patricia Ware - All Rights Reserved
Quel présage inquiétant peut bien signifier cette marque ? (OK, il s'agit en réalité d'un balisage de course peint sur un morceau de bois)
What troubling omen could this mark mean ? (OK, it's just a running beacon painted on a piece of wood)
Signifying that the engine on the tractor (not pictured) is a Diesel engine. I love my signs :)
I think all those dots are either engine filth or mosquitos.
"What signifies, says some one, giving halfpence to beggars? they only lay it out in gin or tobacco." "And why should they be denied such sweeteners of their existence (says SAMUEL JOHNSON )? it is surely very savage to refuse them every possible avenue to pleasure, reckoned too coarse for our own acceptance. Life is a pill which none of us can bear to swallow without gilding; yet for the poor we delight in stripping it still barer, and are not ashamed to shew even visible displeasure, if ever the bitter taste is taken from their mouths."
First snow fall in Toronto, signifying the passing of Autumn. Thank you for this most colorful Autumn I ever had!
As its name signifies, Bantry Bay lies perched on the rocks overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in one of the most exclusive bays on the Atlantic Seaboard. Crashing waves, magnificent sunsets and protection from the wind make Bantry Bay much sought after and, because of its position, an ideal base from which to explore Cape Town. Bantry Bay lies just outside the vibey suburb of Sea Point.
Every time I go out with my camera, I want sunshine. Unless it's the middle of the night; that would be strange, and probably signify the end of the world. But most days, like most people, I want to see the sun.
In reality, however, sunshine doesn't always produce the best light for photography. Sometimes cloudy bright days work very well for macro shots of insects, wildflowers, and colourful birds. Midday glare on a bright sunny day is the death of many a good landscape composition. Still, sunshine makes us feel better, regardless of how well it translates visually.
When I taught photography the hardest thing to get across was how to use light effectively. Time and again I'd see my students pointing their cameras up at a featureless white sky, trying for the landscape shot without good landscape light. If photography is painting with light - and that is literally what the word means - not paying attention to light is like using paint at random. You can get lucky, but you won't get lucky very often.
On this early morning outing along the southern Vancouver Island shoreline, I was hoping for sunshine, LOL. Didn't happen. With the tide way out, I walked over the slippery rocks as far as I could, looking across Juan de Fuca Strait toward the Olympic Mountains of Washington. They were shrouded in low cloud. The really interesting stuff was directly in front of me, in the rock shapes and textures, and the silvery highlights on their surfaces. Therefore I cropped the horizon very high in the frame, and let the foreground be my focal point. The light is always good for something - we just have to pay attention!
Photographed at Jordan River, on southern Vancouver Island, BC. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2013 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
The olympic stadium. The stones crossing the bottom of the stadium competition are signify the finish line.
(Ancient Proverb)
It was so beautiful yesterday around the foggy lake we passed on our hike. Too bad it was hard getting good shots of it..
We didn't know if we would get fog or sunshine on our hike, but luckily the sun came through when we got higher - and lasted until we came down to the lake again.
It was so interesting watching the fog moving around the islands and towns around us from the mountain peak, while we had sunshine the whole time ツ
How we had it on the top:
Female bees are nearly always larger than the males, but the European wool carder bee (Anthidium manicatum) is an exception.
Since the males keep a territory around plants with hairs which the females use for the nests, him having his genes passed on is dependant on how well he manages to ward off other males - as well as any other insects interested in the flowers. This has led to the males being significally larger.
Here I was trying to photograph a female who landed on the flowering house leeks (Sempervivum tectorum) when a male spotted her as well and zoomed in and landed on top for a very brief - and not very romantic - encounter.
The entire mating process is over within like five seconds before he takes off again, leaving the female sitting there looking like she wondered what the hell happened.
My album with these guys are growing - at around 40 shots at the moment and can be found here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/albums/72157667862870066
These favorite flowers of mine always signify springtime's arrival, or at least near-arrival. That's probably a big reason why they're my favorite. All those layers of petals get me too though.
Also, hello flickr friends! Here's to 15 days of flickr. I do miss this place, and sharing a photo 15 days in a row sounds like a nice little challenge right now. Plus, I miss this space, even if it is quite different.
(my day 1 of 15- I'm a bit behind!)
Dusshera is celebrated in Autumn (Sept-Oct) every year in different parts of India.It signifies the victory of good over evil.
In the eastern Indian state of West Bengal we celebrate Durga Puja during this time.As per Bengali tradition,every year in Autumn(September-October) Goddess Durga comes to her parental home for 5 days accompanied by her four children - Saraswati(Goddess of Learning & Arts),Laxmi(Goddess of weath),Ganesha (the Elephant God)and Kartikeya( the Bachelor God).For 5 days her idol is placed in beautiful pavilions(pandals) and she is worshipped and treated with all the tender love and care that a married daughter receives in her parental nest.The beautiful pandals are made of bamboo,cloth,papier mache,wood,and other materials.On the last day of Vijaya Dashami the images are taken out in a procession and immersed in rivers or other water bodies.
Nowhere is this festival celebrated with as much fanfare as in Kolkata(Calcutta).All Calcuttans irrespective of their religion come together to celebrate this festival in a spirit of love and brotherhood.It is a time for new clothes,good food,meeting up with friends and relatives,romancing and of course pandal hopping to see the best idols.:-)
I thought my friends would like to see a close-up of one of these lovely idols in full splendour.Here Goddess Durga is shown slaying the evil demon Mahishashura.To the left of the shot is Lakshmi(the Goddess of Wealth) and Ganesha the Elephant God and to the right is Saraswati (the Goddess of Learning & Arts) and Kartikeya the Bachelor God.
MIGHT BE WORTH A LOOK IN LARGE
Canon EOS 300D - f/9 - 1/125sec - 100mm - ISO 100
When you look at this photo in the photostream the horizontal light grey lines don't seem to be parallel, but they are !
But the more you enlarge the photo the more is showing that these lines are perfectly parallel.
Take some distance to your screen and see the lines become more and more oblique.
parallel lines - optical illusion - café wall illusion
- The café wall illusion is an optical illusion, first described by Doctor Richard Gregory. He observed this curious effect in the tiles of the wall of a café at the bottom of St Michael’s Hill, Bristol. This optical illusion makes the parallel straight horizontal lines appear to be bent. To construct the illusion, alternating light and dark “bricks” are laid in staggered rows. It is essential for the illusion that each “brick” is surrounded by a layer of “mortar” (the grey in the image). This should ideally be of a color in between the dark and light color of the “bricks”.
Most of our visual input is processed unconsciously by the brain, because we simply don’t have time to look at everything. This unconscious, or more correctly pre-conscious, activity is amazingly efficient, but once in a while an optical illusion can set off a conscious alarm, a whoa-did-you-see-that moment.
The horizontal lines are perfectly parallel, but it is impossible to see them that way. Our visual system is very good at making quick scans, and detecting sudden changes in contrast that might signify danger, but in this case it is unable to fully resolve the input information, resulting in the shifting illusion that we see.
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- De cafémuur-illusie is een optische illusie die voor het eerst werd beschreven door Richard Gregory in 1973. Gregory geeft aan dat hij zijn verhaal heeft ontleend aan Steve Simpson, een collega van zijn laboratorium, die het effect had opgemerkt op de muren van een plaatselijk café in Bristol.
De parallelle, horizontale lijnen op de foto lijken schuin weg te lopen. Afwisselend lichte en donkere bakstenen (of tegels) zijn op elkaar gestapeld, maar telkens iets verschoven ten opzichte van de onderliggende laag. Voor de illusie is het essentieel dat tussen de stenen een (getekende) specielaag aanwezig is in een tussenkleur die het midden houdt tussen de twee kleuren van de stenen. Hier dus een grijze specielaag tussen witte en zwarte stenen.
The end is the beginning
Part 1
I was going to ignore the small dot on my forehead, but I had a dream 3 nights in a row where I died – usually I take dreams metaphorically – so dying in a dream would signify a new beginning – not actual death – but when a dream persists, it can mean you are not addressing the situation. So I went to the doctor.
Dream (1 of 3 different ones).
I was in an office, large, open plan, plenty of light and activity – it was a lovely space, we all knew each other and there was a great atmosphere. Then the sky outside began to change, a deep beautiful grey turned dark, then green - outside became black with sparking lights.
An apocalyptic storm was approaching.
I thought I saw lights in the sky, inside the storm. As I watched, fascinated, the world around me turned into chaos. People running for the exits, others brandishing small curly tubes in their hands. The tubes glowed softly with points of soft blue light. They held them up and were lifted out of the building and began to fly off, over the storm, into the distance. Going somewhere a little more sunny and calm I thought.
I noticed that I too had one in my hand, it glowed beautifully.
A family friend emerged from the corner of the office. I’d not quite noticed before, but I think he’d always been there, watching me go through life, waiting for now. I felt detached and calm amid the panic around me.
He held out his hand, “come”, he said, “you are safe with me”.
Then we were flying up out of the building, the people scrambling in the office below seemed from another world. The city was in panic and I looked up and saw, he had a large tube of light, I sensed there was love and power. And I understood, I was leaving this world, I was going home.
Dream Ends.
Each time I awoke from a dream I was left with a strong sense of love, peace and acceptance– It felt like a guardian angel had come to take me home. So the dream cycle has made me experience the feeling of going home, not dying, and that in a way, is a great comfort.
Part 2
When I went to my doctor, my doctor didn’t know what to make of the small blue dot, so she called another doctor, who knew what to make of it. He suggested my doctor enlist the help of another doctor to help her remove it.
However, my doctor went away on holiday. When I tried to see another doctor instead of my doctor, I was told there was no other doctor other than my doctor who could see me. So two weeks later, I saw my doctor with another doctor, who took one look at it and said “oh, that’s not good. I can’t touch that, you’ll need to see yet another doctor, or should I say, surgeon for a biopsy”.
I made a few calls and got myself put on the urgent list for the biopsy. When I saw the surgeon he asked me why I was so worried about a perfectly concentric blue dot, as it’s the wrong shape and colour to be dangerous. All blue dots are benign, well, except in the rarest of cases.
I said “It’s a little inconvenient to die at the moment”, but I felt reassured by his certainty that all was well.
Dream 4
That night - I had a dream that I was backstage, in a dressing room – the make-up person was removing parts of my face and patching it back together again with paste – I got a little worried, but he told me not to worry – once he was finished I received the curtain call and went back on stage and saw myself performing under the lights. It was fun out there and I loved it.
End of Dream 4
Now I don’t base my entire life around dreams, but sometimes we are given a little help to set our minds mentally for the task ahead. My reading of this is that I will have some more time, but it’s going to be a long rough road.
Ah, alas, the reassuring surgeon was wrong, I am stage 3-B as it has metastasized into the lymph system. Survival odds, about 60% to make the next five years. I will make the best of it, and win, because I know if I don’t, my wife will kill me :-).
Advice, thoughts and your
own experiences are most welcome.
© G P F for All images and text, please do not use without my express permission.
Tao is Chinese concept signifying 'way' or 'path' and Tao Paradise (www.revistadeguste.com/noticia/1152) means the way to the paradise. This extremely remote location is found in a hidden village next to Touros (Brazil). The place has been opened to the public for the last few years and only 6 to 12 people are allowed to get in every day. It's definitely an amazing location worth the visit. It's a little bit tricky to get access to it but once you ask the right people then everything is easy peasy.
© 2014 Jordi Corbilla - All Rights Reserved.
Do not use any of my images
without permission.
Yesterday was National Farmers Day, signifying the harvest taking place across the country this time of year.
The symbol on the left represents extinction. The circle signifies the planet, while the hourglass inside serves as a warning that time is rapidly running out for many species. The world is currently undergoing a mass extinction event, and this symbol is intended to help raise awareness of the urgent need for change in order to address this crisis. Estimates are that somewhere between 30,000 and 140,000 species are becoming extinct every year in what scientists have named the Holocene, or Sixth Mass Extinction. This ongoing process of destruction is being caused by the impact of human activity. Within the next few decades approximately 50% of all species that now exist will have become extinct. Such a catastrophic loss of biodiversity is highly likely to cause widespread ecosystem collapse and consequently render the planet uninhabitable for humans.
This is an auspicious ritual that is done in Indian festivals. This is happening in the Bengali festival of Durga Puja. This signifies purity and signifies the Good of fire.
This was supposed to be a collab to signify the end of The Survivors RPG. However after a few months everyone has slowly dropped out due to personal reasons. Im still extremely happy to finally be able to show this to you all. I built for about two weeks nonstop when I wasn't working. I tried to pack as much detail as I could into this and didnt want to leave anything feeling empty. I think I'm riding the line on having too much in the end but... its fine for what I like. I hope its what you like too!! The story behind the build is that my sig-fig (Cray) and The Survivors push into this command center to extract coordinates for the high ranking Imperial Officer in charge for enslaving the Wookiees. Thank you for taking to time to check out this build. Always extremely appreciated.
...thanks to wikipedia again for this stunning title :D haha
hope you like the photo, it's brand new, taken 15 minutes ago !!! :D
Previously known as the Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, this pristine site is known to harbour 417 flora and 143 fauna species. Pantai Acheh Forest Reserve, located at the northwestern tip of Penang Island, was declared the Penang National Park in April 2003.
Penang National Park is the first protected area legally gazetted under Malaysia's National Park Act of 1980, signifying the State and Federal governments' environmental protection efforts.
Penang National Park was established to preserve and protect flora and fauna as well as objects with geological, archaeological, historical, ethnological, scientific, and scenic interests.
The Wai-O-Tapu Wonderland in New Zealand is home to a number of roiling, bubbling geothermal sights, but possibly the most intriguing is one of its most calm. Known as the Devil’s Bath, this neon green pool of stagnant stink water is a natural wonder.
Between geysers and colorfully steaming mud bogs, the Wai-O-Tapu volcanic era offers no shortage of wondrous attractions. The Devil’s Bath may not have as many active reactions as other features in the vicinity, but it is still the most eye-catching (and the most intriguingly named). The pool sits in a slight depression likely created from a massive eruption from underground. It is well out of reach of visiting gawkers but can be seen clearly from above. The bright green water gets its color from deposits of sulphur that rise to the surface and float on top. The green identifies that active mineral while other hues found across the park such as blues, reds, and otherwise signify other volcanic elements.
The origin of the demonic monicker is unknown, but given how unnatural the pool looks, it would almost come as no surprise to see Satan himself rise from the still lake. Despite the name and almost frightening display of geothermal chemistry, the Devil’s Bath and all of the volcanic craziness in the area are a favorite attraction for traveling families looking to show their kids how bizarre and unnatural nature can look.
Tao is Chinese concept signifying 'way' or 'path' and Tao Paradise (www.revistadeguste.com/noticia/1152) means the way to the paradise. This extremely remote location is found in a hidden village next to Touros (Brazil). The place has been opened to the public for the last few years and only 6 to 12 people are allowed to get in every day. It's definitely an amazing location worth the visit. It's a little bit tricky to get access to it but once you ask the right people then everything is easy peasy.
The portrait was done using a SB-700 flash and Yongnuo YN-622N triggers for High Sync speed and a diffuser to smooth the light, hence the 1/800.
© 2014 Jordi Corbilla - All Rights Reserved.
Do not use any of my images
without permission.
Holi is spring festival, celebrated in India and Nepal. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships, and is also celebrated as a thanksgiving for a good harvest...participants play, chase and colour each other with dry powder and coloured water, with some carrying water guns and coloured water-filled balloons for their water fight. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders. The frolic and fight with colours occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Groups carry drums and other musical instruments, go from place to place, sing and dance. People visit family, friends and foes to throw coloured powders on each other, laugh
The blooming of bird cherry trees signifies the start of summer for many people here.
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July 8, 2019
Wasps have a naturally recognized way of warning their enemies to stay away. Their black and yellow markings are a sign of danger for any unfriendly or curious creatures to "stay away!"
This is a new wasp in our garden. It is very tiny - only about a half inch long. I'm still trying to figure out what it is!
(a "Macro Mondays" submission, theme "Danger" HMM!)
Brewster, Massachusetts
Cape Cod - USA
Photo by brucetopher
© Bruce Christopher 2019
All Rights Reserved
...always learning - critiques welcome.
Tools: Canon 7D & iPhone 6s.
No use without permission.
Please email for usage info.
mandara 曼荼羅
Also written 曼陀羅 or 曼拏羅. Mandala. A diagram that depicts Buddhist deities according to certain geometric formats and illustrates the Buddhist world view. The term mandara is a transliteration of Sanskrit mandala, signifying a 'circle' or 'altar'. In Japan the transliteration 曼荼羅 is sometimes used to refer specifically to the mandara of Esoteric Buddhism mikkyou 密教, while 曼陀羅 is used to denote the mandara like painting of Pure Land Buddhism, but the original Sanskrit term is the same. The practice of arranging images in certain patterns may be observed already in the triads found at Gandhara and Mathura, and with the development of Esoteric Buddhism or Tantrism in India around the 6c. this triadic format evolved into a primitive form of the mandara. As Tantric thought developed, various doctrinal concepts came to be associated with specific deities, and this then led to the development of systematically arranged mandara on a large scale. In the early and middle periods of Tantric history, the usual method of arranging the deities was based on the Buddha, Lotus and Vajra families, with deities belonging to the Lotus and Vajra families being arrayed symmetrically to the right and left of the central deity. But after the emergence of the *Kongoukai mandara 金剛界曼荼羅 (ca. 8c) this three-family format came to be replaced by a five-family format, with deities belonging to the Tathagata, Vajra, Gem, Lotus and Action families being disposed uniformly in the center and in the east, south, west and north quarters . Depending upon their composition, mandara may be classified into three types: a comprehensive mandara depicting deities from all 'divisions' or 'families' (bu 部) is called a toe mandara 都会曼荼羅 or tobu mandara 都部曼荼羅, a mandara depicting deities belonging to a single family is called a bue mandara 部会曼荼羅 or betsubu mandara 別部曼荼羅, and a mandara centered on a single deity and relatively small in scale is called a *besson mandara 別尊曼荼羅. Representative of the toe mandara are the Kongoukai mandara described in the KONGOUCHOUKYOU 金剛頂経 (Sk: Sarvatathagatatattvasamgraha) and the *Taizoukai mandara 胎蔵界曼荼羅 described in the DAINICHIKYOU 大日経 (Sk:Vairocanabhisambodhi-sutra), and this pair of mandara is known in Japan as the *Ryoukai mandara 両界曼荼羅 or Ryoubu mandara 両部曼荼羅. Other forms of toe mandara are also described in Tantric texts, but virtually no examples exist in Japan, and although the bue mandara also exists on a theoretical level, it too is rare. The besson mandara, being centred on a single deity were produced in great numbers in Japan because of the popularity of esoteric rites dedicated to specific deities bessonhou 別尊法 and they are classified according to the type of deity into the 'Buddha family' butsubu 仏部, 'Buddha-crown family' butchoubu 仏頂部, 'sutra-rite division' kyouboubu 経法部, 'Kannon family ' kannonbu 観音部, 'bodhisattva family' bosatsubu 菩薩部, 'Myouou family 'myououbu 明王部, 'family of gods, tentoubu 天等部, and others. In India, mandara were originally drawn with powdered pigment on a raised platform formed of earth mixed with cow dung. This type of mandara required considerable time and labour to construct, and was destroyed after the completion of the rite for which it had been made, so in China and Japan graphic representations in scroll form that could be hung on a wall came to be used instead. The *shiki mandara 敷曼荼羅, which can be spread out like a carpet and is used during rites of initiation, preserves elements of the original earthen mandara. Depending upon the manner in which the deities are depicted, mandara may also be classified into the following four types *shishu manadara 四種曼荼羅: daimandara 大曼荼羅, in which the deities are shown in their physical forms; *sanmaya mandara 三昧耶曼荼羅, in which they are represented by means of symbolic objects sanmaya-gyou 三昧耶形; *shuji mandara 種字曼荼羅 or houmandara 法曼荼羅, in which they are indicated by means of Sanskrit syllables; and *katsuma mandara 羯磨曼荼羅, in which they are represented by means of three-dimensional images. The mandara was first introduced to Japan by Saichou 最澄 (766-822), the founder of the Tendai 天台 sect, who in 805 brought back from China the sanjuushichisonyou 三十七尊様, depicting the deities of the Kongoukai mandara, and the Daibutchou tsuuyou mandara 大仏頂通用曼荼羅, a variety of besson mandara. But for the full-scale introduction of the mandara Japan had to wait until the following year (806), when *Kuukai 空海 (774-835), the founder of the Shingon 真言 sect, brought back copies of the Ryoukai mandara. Even since, the mandara has been the main form of iconography in Japanese Esoteric Buddhism. Not only has it served as the basis for a large proportion of Buddhist iconography, but through the medium of Kuukai's writings it has also exerted considerable influence on the history of Japanese thought. The mandara has thus occupied an important position in the history of Japanese culture. This is reflected in the use of the term mandara to also refer to graphic representations of non-Tantric deities, as in the joudo mandara 浄土曼荼羅 of Pure Land Buddhism, the suijaku mandara 垂迹曼荼羅 associated with Shinto (see * Shintou bijutsu 神道美術), the *sankei mandara 参詣曼荼羅 depicting a specific shrine or temple, and the Kanjou jikkai mandara 勧請十界曼荼羅 devised by *Nichiren 日蓮 (1222-82). This is a development peculiar to Japan . The mandara in Japan have the same origins as the mandara still found in Nepal and Tibet, but have major differences in format. Firstly, whereas in the case of Nepalese and Tibetan mandara a protective circle of flames and vajras is drawn around the pavilion within which the deities are depicted, the Japanese mandara shows only a quadrangular schematized pavilion or a pavilion in concrete form, but with no peripheral structure. Square mandara without any peripheral structure, thought to date from the 8c-9c, have been discovered at Dunhuang 敦煌(Jp:Tonkou) and so the Japanese style may be closer to the original format of the mandara. Secondly, in the Nepalese and Tibetan mandara all the attendant deities are depicted in a radial manner facing the central deity, but in the Japanese mandara they all face the same direction as the central deity. This is thought to be because if the attendant deities were depicted facing the center in the hanging mandara that came into general use in Japan, those positioned in front of the central deity would appear upside down, thereby creating a sense of imbalance. But even in Japan the deities are drawn facing the centre in the case of the shiki mandara, which is spread over an altar.
The arrival of Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) to my local waters is something I look forward to every year. Not only does it mean I get to photograph these stunning and charismatic birds, but it also signifies that spring is right around the corner! Here's to a great spring and to seeing new and wondrous things!
PA, USA
A single Crane is responding to the calling flock settled in below. It will join them in this nighttime roost group. Its lowered legs signify this intent. The settled Cranes continually call to the overhead birds, likely to increase their flock size... safety in numbers. Sunset often brings in a large influx of cranes that select this pond for their night-time roost. While the selection of a night-roost area for these birds in not predictable, this pond is often used. This is the magic half hour for any photographer. It's worth taking a chance to await their arrival here. I usually go to the east shore of the lake to get the birds silhouetted against the western sky. The reflections and silhouette shots can be phenomenal! With such marginal lighting, you never know what has been captured until the editing session... just keep shooting and cull heavily! (I find that the low expense per shot is the primary advantage of digital photography... it took several years for me to change my frugal shooting habits!)
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Four Filled at Each End 9 others at the dormers and flat roof (13) Signified the phase of the Moon.
The Henry B. Plant Museum is located in the south wing of Plant Hall on the University of Tampa’s campus, at 401 West Kennedy Boulevard. Plant Hall was formerly known as the Tampa Bay Hotel, which was a 500+ room resort hotel opened in 1891 by Henry B. Plant near the terminus of his rail line. The museum's exhibits focus onGilded Age tourism, the elite lifestyle of the hotel's guests,and the building's use during the Spanish–American War. It was designed by architect J.A. Wood who also created the old Hillsborough County Courthouse and the Oglethorpe Hotel.
The Tampa Bay Hotel was built by railroad magnate Henry B. Plant in 1888. The construction cost over 3 million dollars.[5] It was considered the premier hotel of the eight that Mr. Plant built to anchor his rail line. The hotel itself covers 6 acres (24,000 m2) and is a quarter-mile long. It was equipped with the first elevator ever installed in Florida. The elevator is still working today, making it one of the oldest continually operational elevators in the nation. The 511 rooms and suites were the first in Florida to have electric lights and telephones. Most rooms also included private bathrooms, complete with a full-size tub. The price for a room ranged from $5.00 to $15.00 a night at a time when the average hotel in Tampa charged $1.25 to $2.00. The poured-concrete, steel-reinforced structure of the building was advertised as fireproof.
Sky tower lit for Matariki, signifying the start of the Māori New Year.
Twinkling in the winter sky just before dawn, Matariki (the Pleiades) signals the Māori New Year. For Māori, the appearance of Matariki heralds a time of remembrance, joy and peace. It is a time for communities to come together and celebrate.
The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus), our national bird,is the only eagle unique to North America. The bald eagle's scientific name signifies a sea (halo) eagle (aeetos) with a white (leukos) head. At one time, the word "bald" meant "white," not hairless. Bald eagles are found throughout most of North America, from Alaska and Canada to northern Mexico. About half of the world's 70,000 bald eagles live in Alaska. Combined with British Columbia's population of about 20,000, the northwest coast of North America is by far their greatest stronghold for bald eagles. They flourish here in part because of the salmon. Dead or dying fish are an important food source for all bald eagles.
Eagles are a member of the Accipitridae family; which also includes hawks, kites, and old-world vultures. Scientists loosely divide eagles into four groups based on their physical characteristics and behavior. The bald eagle is a sea or fish eagle.
Color - Both male and female adult bald eagles have a blackish-brown back and breast; a white head, neck, and tail; yellow feet, legs and beak; and pale yellow eyes.Immature bald eagles have a mixture of brown and white feathers, with a black beak and brown eyes in younger birds; some immature bald eagles have more mottling than others. Adult plumage develops when a bald eagle become sexually mature; it takes five years for a bald eagle to attain solid white head and tail feathers. For the first five years they gradually change; the beak turns from black to yellow, the eyes from brown to pale yellow, body feathers from mottled to dark brown, and head and tail feathers from mottled to solid white.
Prior to the arrival of the Endeavour in the Sydney region, the area that is now known as the Sutherland Shire was populated by clans of the Dharawal language group. These First Nations people tribal areas stretched from the southern shore of Kamay Botany Bay and along the Georges River, to as far south as the Shoalhaven River and west from Menai down to about Moss Vale.
The most prominent of the clans in the Sutherland region were the Gweagal of the southern shore of Kamay Botany Bay.
On the 29th of April 1770 Lieutenant (later Captain) James Cook, on his first voyage of scientific exploration, anchored His Majesty's (HM) Bark Endeavour in Kamay Botany Bay. At the time of the Endeavour’s arrival, the Gweagal were hunting and fishing at Kurnell. To the Gweagal, the Endeavour appeared to be a big white bird, no doubt an astonishing and fearful sight. Unknowingly to Lieutenant Cook and the Gweagal, Kurnell was destined to become the site of the first meeting of the Aboriginal people of the east coast of Australia and Europeans.
The artist Sydney Parkinson, one of the Endeavour's crew members, wrote in his journal that the indigenous people threatened them shouting words he transcribed as warra warra wai, which he glossed to signify 'Go away'. According to spokesmen for the contemporary Dharawal community, the meaning was rather 'You are all dead', since warra is a root in the Dharawal language meaning 'wither', 'white' or 'dead'. As Cook's ship hove to near the foreshore, it appeared to the Dharwal to be a white low-lying cloud, and its crew 'dead' people whom they warned off from returning to the country.
Hundreds of aboriginal sites have been recorded in the Sutherland district but those within the Royal National Park's boundaries are the easiest to find and access. Middens are visible at Curracurrang Cove and Era and Garie beaches.
It is believed that over 6,000 drawings, most of which are carved into sandstone rock faces, once existed throughout what is now the Sydney metropolitan area, but many have been destroyed, bulldozed or blasted out of existence to make way for farms, bridges and later, suburbs. In most cases, those clearing the land or responsible for it did not know about the art's existence, nor did they have any inkling as to its value as either the last remaining evidence of a new vanished culture, its spiritual and religious importance to the survivors of that culture or as a part of Sydney's heritage. As there has been no one to maintain them for over 2 centuries, many of the examples of rock art which have managed to escape the onslaught of the bulldozer and pick axe have suffered the onslaught of wind, sand and sea erosion, being walked on, driven on and vandalised.
Dharawal means cabbage palm.
Source: Sutherland Shire Council, PocketOz Pocket Guide to Sydney, ABC News, and University of Wollongong Press.