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Punikaiki, New Zealand. The Pancake Rocks were formed 30 million years ago from minute fragments of dead marine creatures and plants landed on the seabed about 2 km below the surface. Immense water pressure caused the fragments to solidify in hard and soft layers. Gradually seismic action lifted the limestone above the seabed. Mildly acidic rain, wind and seawater sculpted the bizarre shapes.
© all rights reserved by B℮n
It will be k-k-cold this weekend. The temperature can drop to -8 degrees and that means of course only one thing: skating! After a few nights of good frost we could skate on February 13, 2021 at the Loosdrechtse Plassen. Every effort was made to ensure that we could skate. Plassenschap Loosdrecht has issued a sailing ban for the Loosdrechtse Plassen. After an extra night of frost, the ice is perfect. Beautiful black smooth ice without weak spots. Finally perfect ice to tie up the irons for skating enthusiasts. There can be wonderful kilometers of skating between the peat area and vast frozen lakes. You experience nature in places where you normally can not come. The northwestern part of the Loenderveense Plas is also referred to as Terra Nova. In this part of the Loenderveense Plas, experiments have been carried out in recent years to improve water quality by removing the bream fish. This fish accumulates the sludge layer that is formed at the bottom of the ponds by over-fertilization. Only a few plants and animals can live in this muddy water. Although already impressive results can be seen from the bream removal - the whole lake has turned from muddy to clear water, which also means that the water is freezing faster than other puddles. The peatland is a paradise for skaters from the west of the Netherlands, because it is usually the first large-scale area where you can skate on natural ice. Dutch also love Kite ice skating. This is the sport of sailing is popular in the Netherlands.
Today 13th of February 2021 we got the opportunity to go ice skating on real ice instead of going to an ice rink. A good freeze only comes from a win in the climatic lottery. Thus the chance for our Dutch to be wild adventurers on their own land comes only every few years. We glide across solidified, frosted lakes with fish frozen into the ice. Besides skating on the Loosdrechtse Plassen there is also Ice surfing, ice sailing and kite skating. The Loosdrechtseplassen in the winter are a real skater’s paradise. Kite ice skating is very popular in the Netherlands. Photo of father pulling son on sled and an ice sailor on the Loenderveensche plassen.
Het wordt k-k-koud dit weekend. De temperatuur kan dalen tot wel -8 graden en dat betekent natuurlijk maar één ding: schaatsennn! Na een paar nachten goede vorst konden we op 13 februari 2021 schaatsen op de Loosdrechtseplassen. Er werd alles aan gedaan om te zorgen dat we konden schaatsen. Plassenschap Loosdrecht heeft een vaarverbod afgegeven voor de Loosdrechtse Plassen. Na een extra nacht van vorst ligt het ijs er perfect bij. Prachtig zwart glad ijs en nergens wakken. Eindelijk weer heerlijk ijs om voor schaatsliefhebbers de ijzers onder te binden. Er kan heerlijk kilometers geschaats worden tussen het veengebied. Je beleeft de natuur op plekken waar je normaal niet kan komen.
De Loosdrechtseplassen zijn afgegraven veengebieden, gelegen in het Gooi. Het noordwestelijke deel van de Loenderveense Plas wordt ook wel aangeduid als Terra Nova. Terra Nova is een aan de Vecht gelegen landgoed en natuurgebied met veenplassen. In dit deel van de Loenderveense Plas is de afgelopen jaren geëxperimenteerd met het verbeteren van de waterkwaliteit door het wegvangen van brasem. Deze vis woelt de sliblaag op die op de bodem van de plassen is ontstaan door overbemesting. In dit troebele water kunnen slechts weinig planten en dieren leven waardoor de soortenrijkdom van de plassen sterk is teruggelopen. Hoewel nu al aansprekende resultaten te zien zijn van het wegvangen van de brasem – het hele meer is omgeklapt van troebel naar helder water wat ook weer betekend dat het water eerder bevriest dan andere plassen. Het veengebied is een paradijs voor schaatsers uit het westen van Nederland, omdat het meestal het eerste grootschalige gebied is waar men goed kan schaatsen op natuurijs. Naast het schaatsen op de Loosdrechtse Plassen is er ook Kite schaatsen, ijssurfen, ijszeilen en kite schaatsen. Ook zijn er weer ijszeilers te zien.
Hraunreipi við Skógarkot í Þingvallahrauni og Hrafnabjörg ber við himin.
Hike in Þingvellir national park. The lava in foreground is helluhraun (pahoehoe) with hraunreipi. They typically form during effusive eruptions of fluid lava with little or no fountaining activity. As the lava flows, its surface cools and solidifies into a relatively thin, viscous crust that continues to move over the still-molten material beneath. During this motion, the crust becomes wrinkled and folded due to cooling from the atmosphere and the movement of the lava below. These wrinkles and folds give the surface a rope-like appearance and are collectively known as lava ropes (pahoehoe ropes).
The sun is about to dip behind the mountain peaks for our last few minutes on the beach for the day. A brown bear and her cub are making their way to the inlet in hopes of capturing the low tide and a few wayward salmon. She stops momentarily to look at us but then resumes her trek northward, uninterrupted. I love the little glimpses into the daily lives of the animals that live along these northern shores. Photography helps me solidify these experiences and bring them home as lasting memories.
A volcanic plug on the Canary island of La Gomera. This was part of the volcano's internal plumbing which brought lava to the surface. When the volcano died down and erosion started, the tougher solidified lava in this massive tube resisted and so now stands proud of the surrounding rocks.
This vintage postcard features an illustration of red poinsettias and a quote attributed to Jeremy Bentham. The main message is a festive greeting for the holiday season.
The quote on the postcard is "Look out for the bright, for the brightest side of things, and keep thy face constantly turned to it", attributed to Jeremy Bentham. It is a popular motivational quote often featured on vintage Christmas and New Year postcards.
Postcard Details
Attribution: Jeremy Bentham, an English philosopher and the founder of modern utilitarianism.
Sentiment: The quote encourages optimism and finding joy in life, aligning with the "Merry Christmas" greeting.
Publisher: This specific design is part of the "The Poinsettia" series (Number 506) by Raphael Tuck & Sons, a well-known publisher of postcards. These cards were often printed in Saxony (Germany).
Era: Similar postcards from this series were postmarked and circulated in the early 1900s, around 1909 to 1912.
Variations: The same postcard design was used with different accompanying text or quotes, and in some cases, the quote about turning one's face to the light is attributed to other individuals like M.B. Whitman or T. Fuller.
Greeting: "A Merry Christmas".
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The poinsettia was first related to Christmas in 17th-century Mexico, due to its natural blooming season and the symbolism attributed to it by Franciscan monks. Its modern-day popularity in the United States, however, is a result of a 20th-century marketing campaign.
Origin and Symbolism - When: The association began in the 17th century when Spanish Franciscan friars in the Taxco area of Mexico started using the plant to decorate Nativity scenes during their Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) processions.
Why (Mexican Legend): The custom is rooted in a local legend about a poor young girl named Pepita (or Maria). Having no gift to offer the baby Jesus at Christmas Eve service, an angel inspired her to gather humble roadside weeds. When she placed the weeds at the altar, they miraculously burst into brilliant red and green blooms, which became known as "Flores de Noche Buena" (Flowers of the Holy Night).
Why (Christian Symbolism): The plant's star-shaped leaf pattern is said to symbolize the Star of Bethlehem, which led the Wise Men to Jesus. The vibrant red color represents the blood of Christ, and the white leaves (in other varieties) represent purity.
Introduction to the United States - The plant was introduced to the United States in the 1820s by Joel Roberts Poinsett, the first U.S. Ambassador to Mexico and an amateur botanist. He sent cuttings to his home in South Carolina, where he began cultivating the plant and sharing it with friends. By the mid-1830s, the plant was widely known as the "poinsettia" in his honor.
Commercial Popularity - The poinsettia's rise to an American holiday staple was largely due to the entrepreneurial efforts of the Ecke family, particularly Paul Ecke Sr. and Jr., in the 1900s. The family developed techniques to create bushier, longer-lasting potted plants and launched extensive marketing campaigns, including sending free plants to television stations for use on holiday specials, solidifying its place in modern Christmas traditions.
LINK to video - The History of the Poinsettia and Christmas - Christmas Flower - www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LQQqfO2e0c
Alter Ego: Black Gold
Name: Desmond Moon
Allegiance: Villain
Powers:
* Can blast jets of a gold liquid substance from his palms which solidifies upon impact with any other material.
* Once his gold substance melts it becomes a black poisonous gas.
Weapons:
* A Kevlar suit fused with a thin lining of real gold which repels his powers.
Key Weakness: His powers are repelled by real gold, the reason is unknown.
Origin:
Desmond grew up with unique abilities which he uses for self gain. His signature move is swindling someone for equipment or weaponry with bars of what appears to be gold (he created) only for the bars to melt and evaporate into a black poisonous gas killing the buyer after the exchange within an hour. Desmond is very manipulative and cold with his powers which developed very early on before his teenagers years. He goes by the name Black Gold and is currently one of the most wanted criminals in Avalon City for his crimes.
Smith Rock State Park is an American state park located in central Oregon's High Desert near the communities of Redmond and Terrebonne. Its sheer cliffs of tuff and basalt are ideal for rock climbing of all difficulty levels. Smith Rock is generally considered the birthplace of modern American sport climbing, and is host to cutting-edge climbing routes. It is popular for sport climbing. The geology of Smith Rocks is volcanic. It is made up of layers of recent basalt flows overlaying older Clarno ash and tuff formations. Approximately 30 million years ago, a large caldera was formed when overlying rock collapsed into an underground lava chamber. This created a huge amount of rock and ash debris that filled the caldera. That material solidified into rock, becoming Smith Rock tuff. A half million years ago, basalt lava flows from nearby volcanoes covered the older tuff. More recently, the Crooked River cut its way through the layers of rock to create today's geographic features. Smith Rock itself is a 3,200-foot (980 m)-high ridge (above sea level) with a sheer cliff-face overlooking a bend in the Crooked River (elev. 2600 ft), making the cliffs about 600 feet high.
Tipping slag from the furnaces of the Ferro-manganese plant at Nikopol. In charge of the shunting operation are TGM6A-1265 and TGM6A-701. Once tipped the crane behind will swing a large ball at the bottom of the tipped ladle to dislodge any solidified contents stuck at the bottom. September the 19th 2018.
Started off with a pic of a pretty woman in a red dress at a charity event I shot long ago.
But what really caught my eye and brought about the shot was her red-framed glasses. I loved her glasses.
Then, I thought to myself, "I gotta go with selective coloring." Cool.
But then I thought a little more, "I gotta play a bit." First, I solidified the colors. Then I went with a white background. Cool. Then I tried a black background. Yeah.
End of thinking.
Excerpt from www.mississauga.ca/city-of-mississauga-news/news/whats-al...:
Today (May 16, 2019) at General Committee, Council approved a staff recommendation that the City of Mississauga become a Bee City to help improve pollinator health and bee habitats within the community.
“By joining Bee City Canada, we can set an example to our neighbouring municipalities to support pollinators and their habitats,” said Jodi Robillos Director, Parks, Forestry & Environment. “Through this program, the City will have the opportunity to help solidify its commitment to being responsible stewards of the environment and promote activities that will improve the health of residents and the environment city-wide.”
For the City to be become a Bee City, Mississauga must commit to the following Bee City Canada requirements:
1) Creating Healthy Pollinator Habitats
The City will expand pollinator initiatives by planting pollinator-friendly plants in pollinator gardens and existing flower beds, planting native trees and shrubs through the One Million Trees program and work with residents to install solitary bee houses to support native pollinators.
2) Educate about Pollinators
Through the educational component of the One Million Trees program, pollinator-centred material will be enhanced to educate residents about the importance of pollinators and what they can do to enhance pollinator habitats in their own backyards.
3) Celebrate Pollinators
The City will use International Pollinator Week, third week of June, as a platform to celebrate pollinators and share the work that is being done to protect them in Mississauga.
“We have a lot of pollinator projects, and projects that support pollinator habitats, happening within the community. These include our One Million Trees program, our 13 pollinator and community gardens as well as the honeybee hive on the roof of City Hall. All of these help support pollinator health and habitat restoration,” said Jessica Wiley, Manager, Forestry. “It’s important that we continue to create healthy pollinator habitats in Mississauga. Pollinators provide an essential service to plants as they must be pollinated to provide seeds and fruit. We encourage residents to create their own pollinator-friendly gardens at their homes.”
Bee City Canada is a program created to engage Canadian municipalities, First Nations, schools, businesses and other organizations to take action to protect pollinators. There are currently 23 official Bee-City municipalities across Canada including Toronto, Guelph and Newmarket.
One Kashmiri morning in the early spring of 1915, my grandfather Aadam Aziz hit his nose against a frost-hardened tussock of earth while attempting to pray. Three drops of blood plopped out of his left nostril, hardened instantly in the brittle air and lay before his eyes on the prayer-mat; transformed into rubies. Lurching back until he knelt with his head once more upright, he found that the tears which had sprung to his eyes had solidified, too; and at that moment, as he brushed diamonds contemptuously from his lashes...
... Midnight's Children - Salman Rushdie
‘…the solidification of ignorance…’
Charcoal - 290mm x 136.5mm
See a different presentation layout on Flickrock :-
flickrock.com/59464034@N08/date#/59464034@N08/sets/721577...
Der Tod ist kein plötzliches Ereignis
sondern ein Prozess.
Der Tod tritt ein,
wenn das Herz aufhört zu schlagen.
Dadurch wird die Sauerstoff- und Nährstoffzufuhr
zu den Körperregionen unterbrochen.
Die Körperzellen sterben nach und nach ab,
und die Organfunktionen kommen zum Erliegen.
Zuerst ist das Gehirn betroffen.
Die verringerte Hirnaktivität schränkt zunächst
das Bewusstsein und die Wahrnehmung ein,
die Atmung wird flacher,
Hör- und Sehvermögen nehmen ab,
und schließlich fällt die Steuerung
der elementaren Lebensfunktionen für immer aus.
Das Ende der elektrischen Aktivität des Gehirns,
der Hirntod, gilt juristisch als Todeszeitpunkt.
Zehn bis zwanzig Minuten nach dem Hirntod
sterben viele Zellen des Herzgewebes ab.
Dann folgt der Tod der Leber- und der Lungenzellen.
Erst ein bis zwei Stunden später stellen die
Zellen der Nieren ihre Funktion endgültig ein.
Etwa eine halbe Stunde nach Eintritt des Todes
beginnt Blut aus den Kapillaren auszutreten.
Dadurch erscheint die Haut des Leichnams blass,
und in den Partien, in die das Blut absackt,
entstehen Blutergüsse, sogenannte Totenflecke.
Im weiteren Verlauf erstarren die Muskeln
aufgrund des fehlenden Sauerstoffs.
Schließlich zersetzen körpereigene Enzyme
wie auch eindringende Keime den Körper zunehmend
und die Muskelstarre löst sich wieder.
_____________________
Death is not a sudden event
but a process.
Death occurs
when the heart stops beating.
This will increase the oxygen and nutrient supply
interrupted to the body regions.
The body cells gradually die off,
and the organ functions come to a standstill.
The brain is affected first.
The reduced brain activity initially restricts
the consciousness and the perception,
breathing becomes shallower
Hearing and eyesight decrease,
and finally control falls
of the elementary functions of life forever.
The end of the electrical activity of the brain,
brain death, is legally considered to be the time of death.
Ten to twenty minutes after brain death
many cells of the heart tissue die.
Then comes the death of the liver and lung cells.
Only one or two hours later do the
Cells of the kidneys finally cease to function.
About half an hour after death occurred
blood begins to leak out of the capillaries.
This makes the corpse's skin appear pale,
and in the areas where the blood sags,
bruises develop, so-called death spots.
As the process progresses, the muscles solidify
due to the lack of oxygen.
Eventually, the body's own enzymes break down
as well as invading germs the body increasingly
and the muscular rigidity dissolves again.
🇫🇷 Utiliser le zoom pour voir les mineurs de soufre.
🇬🇧 Using the zoom to see the sulphur miners
🇪🇸 Usando el zoom para ver los mineros de azufre
🇩🇪 Verwenden Sie den Zoom, um die Schwefelminenarbeiter zu sehen
🇮🇹 Usare lo zoom per vedere i minatori di zolfo
🇬🇧 The lush vegetation has given way to a lunar landscape, striking in its absence of animal and plant life. Thick white smoke rises from the crater, dissipating in the wind. These are solfataras, fumaroles laden with sulphur dioxide and hydrochloric acid, which are highly irritatingWear a gas mask or, failing that, a wet scarf to protect yourself from the sulphur fumes.
Descending into the soufrière is no longer strictly forbidden (as it was when we were there).
Men, like real slave labourers, have to extract blocks of sulphur weighing several kilos, in the middle of unbreathable fumaroles. Metal pipes trap and cool some of the sulphur vapour, which gradually crystallises before finally solidifying at the end of the long pipes and being extracted. Wearing mostly simple rubber boots and with a cloth or rag in their mouths as a mask, these extreme miners fill baskets with these blocks, bring them to the surface of the crater and then descend into the valley to finally have them weighed and earn a wage.
If you get there before sunrise, you can see strange blue lava flows that seem to trickle down the sides of the crater. The lava is actually sulphur in a gaseous state, which ignites on contact with the air, creating a totally surreal spectacle, guaranteed without any trickery!
🇫🇷 La végétation luxuriante a laisse place à un paysage lunaire, qui frappe par l’absence de vie animale et végétale. Une épaisse fumée blanche sort du cratère et se dissipe au gré du vent. Ce sont les solfatares, ces fumerolles chargées de dioxyde de soufre et d’acide chlorhydrique fortement irritantes Se munir du masque à gaz ou, à défaut, un foulard humide pour se prémunir des émanations de soufre
La descente dans la soufrière n’est plus formellement interdite(comme lors de notre passage ,)
Des hommes, tels de véritables forçats, s’astreignent à extraire des blocs de soufre de plusieurs kilos, au milieu des fumerolles irrespirables. Des canalisations en métal emprisonnent et refroidissent une partie de ces vapeurs de soufre qui se cristallisent progressivement pour se solidifier définitivement à la sortie de ces longs tuyaux et ainsi être extraites. Chaussés pour la plupart de simples bottes en caoutchouc et avec une étoffe ou un chiffon dans la bouche en guise de masque, ces mineurs de l’extrême remplissent des paniers avec ces blocs, les remontent à la surface du cratère puis redescendent dans la vallée pour finalement les faire peser et en tirer un salaire
.Si on y arrive avant le lever du soleil, on peut observer d’étranges coulées de lave bleue qui semblent ruisseler sur les flancs du cratère. Il s’agit en fait de soufre à l’état gazeux, qui s’enflamme au contact de l’air, offrant ainsi un spectacle totalement surréaliste, Garanti sans trucage !
🇪🇸 en el sureste de Java (Indonesia), tiene un volumen de unos 50 millones de metros cúbicos de una solución con un pH muy cercano a 0. En estas condiciones de acidez muy alta, composición química particular y temperatura elevada, la vida está prácticamente ausente de estos entornos.
Todas estas condiciones provocan un cambio en el color del agua, que suele ir del verde claro al turquesa. Así, mientras que el ácido sulfúrico es responsable del color verde, las cianobacterias son responsables del color turquesa. Sus colores, a veces distintos, cambian regular y rápidamente,
Los lagos ácidos más famosos son el Poás (el más ácido del mundo) y el Irazú en Costa Rica, el Kawah Ijen (el más grande, el más cargado de azufre y el segundo más ácido), el Inielika y el Kelimutu en Indonesia, el Ambae en Vanuatu1, el Furna do Enxofre en las Azores
🇩🇪 Die üppige Vegetation hat einer Mondlandschaft Platz gemacht, die durch das Fehlen von tierischem und pflanzlichem Leben auffällt. Aus dem Krater steigt dichter weißer Rauch auf, der sich mit dem Wind verflüchtigt. Das sind die Solfataren, Fumarolen, die mit stark reizendem Schwefeldioxid und Salzsäure beladen sindSie sollten eine Gasmaske oder alternativ ein feuchtes Tuch tragen, um sich vor den Schwefelausdünstungen zu schützen.
Der Abstieg in die Soufrière ist nicht mehr streng verboten (wie bei unserem Besuch ,).
Die Männer müssen wie Sträflinge kiloschwere Schwefelblöcke inmitten von Fumarolen abbauen, die den Atem rauben. Metallrohre fangen einen Teil der Schwefeldämpfe ein und kühlen sie ab, sodass sie nach und nach kristallisieren und sich am Ausgang der langen Rohre endgültig verfestigen und so herausgezogen werden können. Die meisten tragen einfache Gummistiefel und haben ein Tuch oder einen Lappen als Maske im Mund. Diese Extrembergleute füllen Körbe mit diesen Blöcken, heben sie an die Oberfläche des Kraters und steigen dann wieder ins Tal hinab, wo sie schließlich gewogen werden, um einen Lohn zu erhalten.
Wenn man vor Sonnenaufgang dort ankommt, kann man seltsame blaue Lavaströme sehen, die an den Kraterflanken herunterzulaufen scheinen. Es handelt sich dabei um gasförmigen Schwefel, der sich an der Luft entzündet und so ein surreales Schauspiel bietet.
🇮🇹
La vegetazione lussureggiante ha lasciato il posto a un paesaggio lunare, che colpisce per l'assenza di vita animale e vegetale. Dal cratere si leva un denso fumo bianco che si disperde nel vento. Si tratta di solfatare, fumarole cariche di anidride solforosa e acido cloridrico, altamente irritantiIndossate una maschera antigas o, in mancanza, una sciarpa umida per proteggervi dalle esalazioni di zolfo.
Scendere nella soufrière non è più severamente vietato (come lo era quando ci siamo stati noi).
Gli uomini, come veri e propri schiavi, devono estrarre blocchi di zolfo del peso di diversi chili, in mezzo a fumarole irrespirabili. Tubi metallici intrappolano e raffreddano parte del vapore di zolfo, che gradualmente si cristallizza prima di solidificarsi alla fine dei lunghi tubi ed essere estratto. Indossando per lo più semplici stivali di gomma e con un panno o uno straccio in bocca come maschera, questi minatori estremi riempiono ceste con questi blocchi, li portano alla superficie del cratere e poi scendono a valle per farli finalmente pesare e guadagnare un salario.
Se si arriva prima dell'alba, si possono vedere strane colate di lava blu che sembrano scendere dai lati del cratere. La lava è in realtà zolfo allo stato gassoso, che si incendia a contatto con l'aria, creando uno spettacolo del tutto surreale, garantito senza alcun trucco!
This Park is a tribute to the mighty volcanic forces that created and sculpted this archipelago in the middle of the Pacific. Featuring ancient lava tubes snaking through verdant tropical jungles as well as rough undulating black masses of freshly solidified lava with still-smouldering vents, this Park contains enough features to satiate the appetite of budding and mature vulcanologists alike. But perhaps what captivated me most was staring at the orange glow from the gaping maw of the active volcano: it was a chilling reminder of the geological forces that was responsible for these and many other volcanic islands, and of how quickly it can change the landscape around.
I returned back to the park that evening to see the scintillating night sky framing the rising smoke from the volcano, a memory I will never forget of the first volcano I had ever visited.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
HI USA
A snowman will always be on every Gingerbread house that I make,
I love making these little figures, I hope you like my planters filled with Poinsettias,
the dirt is made with coffee grinds and brown sugar, that gives it wonderful texture and the brown sugar solidifies it.
All is sweet and edible, after the squirrels have all that sweet they need that coffee:-)
* Clue for the house, it has something to do with a Queen.
Have a great weekend everyone!
The song.......in July 1945. It was written in Hollywood, California during one of the hottest days on record.
Travel-North says: "You hold your breath when you see him!
This raw and great monument looking at Skagen in Vardø.
You see vardo-drakkar-025the remains of a Viking ship, a dinosaur and a whale in the pose of the sky.
He guards Bussesundet and show the way so that people at sea can continue to find their way to Vardø.
In your imagination do you see he comes roaring up from the raging sea. Skim runs while he climbs up the mountain on Skagen then solidify in its awesome splendor.
The population of Vardø he presses to his breast, has made him a landmark. The name is «Drakkar».
Designed and built by young wood craftsmen from Arkhangelsk."
photo rights reserved by B℮n
It will be k-k-cold this weekend. The temperature can drop to -15 degrees celcius and that means of course only one thing: skating! After a few nights of good frost we could skate on February 11, 2021 in Waterland. In Broek in Waterland, Zuiderwoude and at the Gouwsea. Waterland in the winter is a real skater’s paradise. As temperatures plunge across Europe, many are cursing the cold. But not in the Netherlands. Many are hoping for further frigid conditions. Photo taken of two skaters skating in direction of Amsterdam till sunset on the vast frozen Kerk Ae. A historical moment since skating in Waterland is such a rare occurrence. Today I skate in Zuiderwoude and from Uitdam to Marken and back, such a beautiful sea of ice to enjoy. An infinitely beautiful sight on this icy sea in 2021. It was a pleasure. The meadows here are white, the Gouwzee completely frozen and the breath comes out of my mouth in small gray puffs. Put your hands behind your back. Breathe calmly. I enjoy the sound of the irons over the ice and the beautiful view of the snowy landscape . The ice surface is great here. I stop for a moment to take a photo. Many skaters enjoy the beautiful ice until sunset. It provides a beautiful picture.
Today 11th of February 2021 we got the opportunity to go ice skating on real ice instead of going to an ice rink. A good freeze only comes from a win in the climatic lottery. Thus the chance for our Dutch to be wild adventurers on their own land comes only every few years. We glide across solidified, frosted lakes with fish frozen into the ice. Waterland near Amsterdam in the winter is a real skater’s paradise. Photo taken in Zuiderwoude at the Kerk Ae. Two Dutch speed skaters enjoying the natural ice. It was getting late and the sun was almost down. It was also getting colder. Photo taken while I was skating too.
Het wordt k-k-koud dit weekend. De temperatuur kan dalen tot wel -15 graden en dat betekent natuurlijk maar één ding: schaatsennn! Na een paar nachten goede vorst konden we op 11 februari 2021 schaatsen in Waterland. Na een extra nacht van vorst ligt het ijs er redelijk goed bij. Eindelijk weer heerlijk ijs om voor schaatsliefhebbers de ijzers onder te binden. Er kan heerlijk kilometers geschaatst worden in Broek en Waterland, Zuiderwoude en tussen Uitdam en Marken. Je beleeft de natuur op plekken waar je normaal niet kan komen. De Gouwzee is een paradijs voor schaatsers uit het westen van Nederland, omdat het meestal het eerste grootschalige gebied is waar men goed kan schaatsen op natuurijs. Maar het blijft een historische gebeurtenis. Vele schaatsenrijders zoeken vandaag de bevroren oppervlakte van de Gouwzee op en elders in Waterland. Op de Gouwzee voor een schaatsrit langs de dijk van Uitdam naar Marken. Een oneindig mooi gezicht op deze ijszee anno 2021. Het was genieten. De weilanden zijn hier wit, de Gouwzee totaal bevroren en de adem komt in kleine grijze pufjes uit mijn mond. Handen op de rug. Rustig ademen. Ik geniet van het geluid van de ijzers over het ijs en het prachtige uitzicht over de besneeuwde landschap. Het ijs is geweldig hier. Ik stop nog even voor het maken van foto. Vele schaatsers genieten tot zonsondergang hier van het mooie ijs. Het levert een prachtig plaatje op.
North Clear Creek is a tributary of the Rio Grande. The waterfall flows over a deck of Nelson Mountain tuff, solidified ash from a volcano in the San Juan volcanic field that erupted about 27 million years ago. Reference en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Clear_Creek_Falls
Image - Copyright 2020 Alan Vernon
Excerpt from www.teamlab.art/ew/resonating_microcosms_mossgarden_plane...:
Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms - Solidified Light Color, Dusk to Dawn
Ovoids that change appearance with the sunrise and sunset are laid out in the moss garden.
With sunrise, the ovoids begin to reflect the world around them. When pushed down by a person or blown by the wind, the ovoid falls back and then rises, releasing a resonating tone. The ovoids around it also respond one after another, continuing to resonate with the same tone.
As the sun sets, the ovoids shine by themselves. When an ovoid is pushed by a person or blown by the wind, it shines brightly and emits a sound tone, as it rights itself. The ovoids around it also respond one after another, emitting the same light color and sound tone that continues to resonate out.
The space of the work is interactively transformed under the influence of the wind, rain, and the behavior of the people in the space, making the environment and the people a part of the work. When the wind is quiet and people are still, the ovoids begin to flicker slowly.
teamLab is experimenting with the concept of color. The ovoids can change into a total of 61 newly-defined Solidified Light Colors.
It is said that mosses were the first terrestrial organisms to appear in a world of rocks and sand, where there was no life on land yet. As mosses and ferns appeared and forests were created, a variety of animals became able to live on land.
Since water inside cells is essential for living things, if the body lacks water, it will die. Mosses, on the other hand, are poikilohydric, meaning the water content in the cells change according to surrounding humidity levels. So moss will not die during long dry periods, and they come back to life when given water. Because mosses are poikilohydric, their color and shape change dramatically when the air is dry versus when it is wet, such as when there is rain or fog.
Tardigrades, which live in moss, also go into a non-metabolic state of dormancy when the surrounding environment becomes dry, but they revive and become active when there is water. The state that tardigrades enter, when they are neither living nor dead, is called cryptobiosis. This may cause us to consider what it means to be alive.
Kodachrome Basin State Park, Utah.
A geologist friend is inspecting one of the geological pipes common to this park. The pipe is a remnant of numerous channels where fluidized material pushed upward through overlaying strata in this region and solidified. As the surrounding strata eroded away, the pipes, being harder, remained.
The Valles Caldera (or Jemez Caldera) is a 13.7-mile-wide (22.0 km) volcanic caldera in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico. Hot springs, streams, fumaroles, natural gas seeps, and volcanic domes dot the caldera landscape. The highest point in the caldera is Redondo Peak, an 11,254-foot (3,430 m) resurgent lava dome located entirely within the caldera and surrounded by moat-like flows of rhyolitic solidified lavas.
Wikipedia
For my video; youtu.be/87EZyDuDpIY?si=AfqVQbhrPeG6I7Zk,
Four images stitched.
Beerburrum, Queensland, Australia
The Glass House Mountains are a cluster of thirteen hills that rise abruptly from the coastal plain on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. The highest hill is Mount Beerwah at 556 metres above sea level, but the most identifiable of all the hills is Mount Tibrogargan which from certain angles bears a resemblance to a gorilla facing east towards the ocean. The Glass House Mountains are located near Beerburrum State Forest and Steve Irwin Way. From Brisbane, the mountains can be reached by following the Bruce Highway north and taking the Glass House Mountains tourist drive turn-off onto Steve Irwin Way. The trip is about one hour from Brisbane. The Volcanic peaks of the Glass House Mountains rise dramatically from the surrounding Sunshine Coast landscape. They were formed by intrusive plugs, remnants of volcanic activity that occurred 26–27 million years ago. Molten rock filled small vents or intruded as bodies beneath the surface and solidified into land rocks. Millions of years of erosion have removed the surrounding exteriors of volcanic cores and softer sandstone rock.
The Valles Caldera (or Jemez Caldera) is a 13.7-mile-wide (22.0 km) volcanic caldera in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico. Hot springs, streams, fumaroles, natural gas seeps, and volcanic domes dot the caldera landscape. The highest point in the caldera is Redondo Peak, an 11,254-foot (3,430 m) resurgent lava dome located entirely within the caldera and surrounded by moat-like flows of rhyolitic solidified lavas.
Wikipedia
The Giant's Causeway (Irish: Clochán an Aifir) is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (4.8 km) northeast of the town of Bushmills.
It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 and a national nature reserve by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland in 1987. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named the fourth-greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.
The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although some have four, five, seven, or eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (39 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres (92 ft) thick in places.
Much of the Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast World Heritage Site is owned and managed by the National Trust. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland, receiving over 998,000 visitors in 2019. Access to the Giant's Causeway is free of charge: it is not necessary to go via the visitor centre, which charges a fee. The remainder of the site is owned by the Crown Estate and several private landowners. Wikipedia
Normally my ramblings never make it here. But today is one of those days where I get to sit back and think, go through my RL stockpiles, only to realize...it's been a while.
I sketch as a hobby iRL, and have done so since I was old enough to hold a pencil without stabbing myself - or indeed, anybody else - in any vital organs. Sometime last year, I realized my sketching preferences apparently translate into my amateur attempts at SL photography, as my 'aesthetic' solidified into...well, whatever it is now. But I also realized it's been a while since I last picked up a pencil and sketched or drew something from scratch, because SL did give me a good alternative for a visual creative outlet. It might not have the same feedback loop - there's a satisfaction to the scrape of pencils against paper. But it compensates for it by exposing me to the artistic eyes of others - their processes, niches, aesthetics, and everything else. The visual is no longer limited to a growing number of sketchbooks on a shelf crealtively-dubbed "Artsy Stuff."
It's been a while, but it's fine. Because while above is a photo of one of my favorite (and last) drawings from a year and a half ago, it's been and continues to be an exciting journey with an exciting creative mind. Who, by the way, draws WAY better than I do, and with a lot more humor (Looking at you here, Linc). And one that scratches every itch I have anyway by violently painting with words even on the days when nothing visual is involved, and it does all the right things to my brain.
Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. The unsubscribe button is somewhere, should you need to find it.
Germany Wedel, the River Elbe marshland,
“A storm is only when the sheep have run out of woolly curls”,
is a widespread joke by coastal residents about their favourite “lawnmowers”, they are simply a part of the dykes on the marshland, just like the laughing seagulls.
Sheep have characteristics that make them useful, even vital companions for the country & its people. In sustainable agriculture, the dikes grazed by sheep have so far largely withstood storm surges. The reason; because the animals keep the grass very short, the stalks grow thick & firm, which makes the pasture very dense, the strong roots stabilize the soil & the grass becomes a protective layer for the dike.
In addition, the step of the animals solidifies the holes in the dike that were created by moles or voles & pose a risk to dike safety during storm surges. The shepherds call this practical side effect of keeping dykes the “golden step”, a skill that hardly any machine can replace.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
Squamish, BC Canada
The Stawamus Chief, officially Stawamus Chief Mountain (often referred to as simply The Chief, or less commonly Squamish Chief), is a granitic dome located adjacent to the town of Squamish, British Columbia, Canada. It towers over 2,297 ft above the waters of nearby Howe Sound. It is one of the largest granite monoliths in the world. The Squamish, indigenous people from this area, consider the Chief to be a place of spiritual significance…
The Chief is part of a medium-sized pluton of a granitic rock (granodiorite) that was initially formed in the early Cretaceous (approximately 100 million years ago) by the slow cooling and solidification of molten magma deep below the surface of the Earth.
Mamquam Blind Channel
The dictionary states that a blind channel occurs when a body of water is closed at one end. This occurred in 1921 when the Mamquam River changed course to the west and into the Squamish River at the present site. There is no flow down the original course; hence a blind channel.
The property is on the shared floodplain of the Squamish and Mamquam rivers and is surrounded by a tidal slough and drainage channels. These water sources are key rearing and overwintering habitat for young salmon, and areas for adult salmon to migrate and spawn. Besides the waterways, the upland area of the property includes a marsh meadow but is mostly forested with Sitka Spruce, Red Alder, Western Red Cedar and Black Cottonwood.
The variety of habitats on the site provides refuge for many species, including various species-at-risk and nesting songbirds. The species-at-risk include the endangered Pacific Water Shrew and the threatened Red-Legged Frog.
This image is best viewed in Large screen.
Thank-you for your visit, and any faves or comments are always sincerely appreciated.
Sonja
Red Crater is one of the youngest vents of New Zealand’s Tongariro Volcano. It lies within a scoria cone which rests on top of older Tongariro lava flows. It began erupting approximately 3000 years ago. The most recent confirmed volcanic activity from Red Crater was reported between 1855 and 1890.
A prominent feature of Red Crater is the lava dike on the wall of the cone, in the center of the image above.
This feature was formed as molten magma moved to the surface through a vertical channel in the crater wall. Having solidified at its outer surface, the dike was later left partially hollow when the magma drained from below as the eruption ceased. Being more resistant than the surrounding scoria, this structure was left exposed while the surroundings were eroded by wind and rain.
The red colour of the cone is from high temperature oxidation of iron in the rock
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Feeling down, alone, and empty inside,
Decisions to make, but can't decide,
Hurt from pain of a broken heart,
Days go on as if they are dark,
Looking for happiness, the light to return,
My soul feels empty, deceptive, a burn.
~ Vince Milford
Making this photo I had many different meanings in mind. Then I found this poem and it really solidified the connection I saw in both.
I went into the woods one day to location scout and found this tree had fallen. It was large and it took me by surprise. How did I not hear it fall as it tumbled to the ground? What was its cause of death? Something so grand which towered over me now lies broken upon the ground I walk; its limbs which once reached towards Heaven now dig into the earth
It's ironic how this correlates with people - keeping to themselves, not speaking a word, until it is too late.
Germany Wedel, the River Elbe marshland,
…why does the grass always look greener on the other side?
“A storm is only when the sheep have run out of woolly curls,” is a widespread joke by coastal residents about their favourite “lawnmowers”, they are simply a part of the dykes on the marshland, just like the laughing seagulls.
Sheep have characteristics that make them useful, even vital companions for the country & its people. In sustainable agriculture, the dikes grazed by sheep have so far largely withstood storm surges. The reason; because the animals keep the grass very short, the stalks grow thick & firm, which makes the pasture very dense, the strong roots stabilize the soil & the grass becomes a protective layer for the dike.
In addition, the step of the animals solidifies the holes in the dike that were created by moles or voles & pose a risk to dike safety during storm surges. The shepherds call this practical side effect of keeping dykes the “golden step”, a skill that hardly any machine can replace.
👉 One World one Dream,
🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over
16 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments
332/2008
On Explore 15 November '08 # 43
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns resulting from a volcanic eruption. It is located on the North East coast of Northern Ireland, about 3 kilometres (2 miles) north of the town of Bushmills. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986, and a National Nature Reserve in 1987 (by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland). In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named as the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.
The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, however there are some with four, five, seven and eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (36 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres thick in places.
(Wikipedia)
195,564 items / 1,596,234 views
This picture was shot two years back outside my old workplace at Bandra , and if you see Marziya you see the passion of a street photographer even without a camera and I never even now ever considered the camera an instrument that takes pictures , Marziya shot the Awakener without the camera..
The Awakeners are Muslim beggars but during Ramzan they do this additional service of waking people for the Holy Fast..a superlative service for those poor needy living in the slums tenements in narrow dingy lanes and pigeon holed cubicles.
I must also add that it is not necessary all those who do this sublime job are beggars there are those who do it voluntarily as service to Muslim society, they get paid on Thursdays or on the eve of Ramzan Eid .. people give them generously I also give them as their contribution is immense and they are the beauty of Ramzan..
Their greatest enemy are the stray dogs that hate strangers waking them up from their sleep so they charge at these Awakeners , but the stick in their hands keeps evil canine intentions at bay.
Most of the hafiz kazi lower level Koran teachers of kids , are totally occupied during Ramzan , housing societies invite them to lead the namaz and take care of the roza proceedings.
As I am barefeet and not heavily decked I go to town and break fast with the beggar community , it is a moment snatched from a moment in eternity and I am crying as I write this their frugality hits me hard and not to belittle them , I hand them quietly some money after I have broken my fast.. for me this is the poetic life lasting moment in Islam and as Ramzan.
And I have in all humility captured Ramzan through a poets eyes , human eyes shown you places where angels dare to tread and I might if possible go to Lucky Compund at Byculla to break fast with the hijras..
Of late because of the advent of Ramzan and other personal reasons of pain I kept the hijra profile of my blogs on low key, but here I must add my dear friend Khushi the prettiest most beautiful transgender in the world , sends me her Ramzan message , and keeps all the fast she is a Namazi , she does charity and for me she is a devout Muslim..
I am not God to judge anyone for their life's chosen path, I know of hijra prostitutes in the red light area that stop their business for a month to be one with God.. and this is what I try to show with or without pictures as the humanity of a blog.
And those dear Hindu friends who fast along with us..their support solidifies my own faith , and the messages I received from all of them I bow my head and thank them.
And today is my first fast , and it is the first fast of all us Mumbaikars and it is a great start a great dawn of hope harmony brotherhood..
And I add words of my dear friend Hassan Shirazi he just sent them in my inbox at Facebook
Hassan S Shirazi
Firoze bhai - i tell my sons and even posted here - Pehle Insaan ban phir ban jaa Muslamaan - kya pata neik amal tuje Ek Momin banaa de ... we need to be human first - no hindu no muslim - only humanity then later muslim and who know how sinful we are as to become a MOMIN - sirf shia bolne se shia nahi banta hai - aur Imam Ali (AS) is not ameer ul Shia - but Ameer Ul Momineen .... Prophet (PBUH) came as rehmat ul Aleemeem not for sunni nor shia nor for wahabbis - Islam came for sake of Humanity then those who followed it are Muslim - height to reach the peak is MOMIN
Jazakallah.
Россия. Карелия. Гирвас.
Лавовые потоки палеовулкана Гирвас.
Вулкан Гирвас — древний потухший вулкан в Карелии, находящийся в русле реки Суна. Вулкан Гирвас в настоящее время почти полностью разрушен природой и временем. Сохранились лишь около 20 застывших лавовых потоков и следы кратера, который считается одним из древнейших на планете. Возникновение вулканических областей на территории Карелии происходило 2-3 миллиарда лет назад.
Вулканическая активность сменялась периодами затишья более десяти раз.
Высота вулкана составляла около 6000 метров. Активный в далеком прошлом на протяжении миллиарда лет, этот природный источник магмы сегодня является важным геологическим памятником.
Russia. Karelia. Girvas.
Lava flows of the Girvas paleovolcano.
Girvas Volcano is an ancient extinct volcano in Karelia, located in the channel of the Suna River. The Girvas volcano is now almost completely destroyed by nature and time. Only about 20 solidified lava flows and traces of a crater, which is considered one of the oldest on the planet, have survived. The emergence of volcanic regions in the territory of Karelia occurred 2-3 billion years ago.
Volcanic activity was replaced by periods of calm more than ten times.
The height of the volcano was about 6000 meters. Active in the distant past for a billion years, this natural source of magma is today an important geological monument.
Maybe the most famous snorkeling beach in the US. The Hanauma Crater was created about 32,000 years ago during the Honolulu volcanic series, the latest (and perhaps final) round of volcanic activity to occur on Oʻahu.[9] Tens of thousands of years ago, a series of volcanic vents opened along the southeast shoreline of Oʻahu. Unlike the gentle lava flows currently building the island of Hawaiʻi, the late-stage eruptions on Oʻahu were most often short-lived violent explosions. The volcanic vents that formed Hanauma Crater opened on the sea floor. Upwelling magma vaporized the ocean water and steam explosions blew the magma into fine ash. The explosions built cones or rings of ash, which solidified into tuff. The eruptions shattered the sea floor—coral reef and basalt—and scattered pieces that are now embedded in the tuff. Wave erosion eventually cut through the low, southeast wall of the crater, forming the current bay. Due to its popularity, officials in Hawai'i have taken several steps to limit visitors and educate those that do come about conserving the reef and marine life.
Urabandai, Mt.Bandai
裏磐梯・磐梯山
The sharp rock peak is called Tenguiwa, and is said to have been formed when solidified magma emerged to the surface during the Meiji eruption.
鋭い岩峰は天狗岩と呼ばれ、明治の噴火の際、マグマの固まったものが地表に現れて出来たそうです。
Kitashiobara-mura, Fukushima pref, Japan
Dimmuborgir rocks (Kálfastrandavogar)
According to www.edgeofthearctic.is/places-to-see/dimmuborgir/,
"it is believed that during an eruption ~2300 years ago, something blocked the flow of lava causing the formation of a lake of lava. As the lava in the lake had started to solidify the blockage gave way and the molten lava flowed out leaving behind the parts which had solidified. These unique conditions created geological formations which have not been found above water anywhere else in the world."
See my other Iceland images at flic.kr/s/aHsjGvArkL .
This image was shown in Explore on 6-23-15
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El volcán Llaima ocupa gran parte del Parque Nacional Conguillío y en su flanco occidental se ubican dos centros de esquí. Es uno de los volcanes históricamente más activos de Sudamérica y uno de los más voluminosos de los Andes del Sur. La altitud de la montaña se alza hasta los 3.195 msnm, el volcan ha aumentado su altura entre 30 y 50 mts tras las ultimas erupciones desde 1956 a la fecha, siendo la ultima registrada el 2009. Su flanco occidental, suroccidental y oriental presentan más de 29 km2 de glaciares. El más extenso es el occidental y sudoccidental, que alcanza una superficie de 19 km². En el flanco oriental, en tanto, 4 lenguas glaciales cubren un área de 10 km².
El volcán presenta una forma cónica casi perfecta aunque consta de dos cimas y unos 40 conos de escoria, siendo la sima del sector norte más prominente y quedando separada por un portezuelo de aproximadamente 1 km de longitud del Pichillaima, la cumbre sur que alcanza los 2.920 msnm. La cumbre norte exhibe un cráter abierto de 350 m de diámetro y más de 300 m de profundidad que en abril de 2009 fue obstruido con un cono de piroclastos cuya altura supera el borde de su cima más elevada. Este cráter presenta una fumarola activa desde 1994 con emisión de gases y vapor de agua. Una gruesa capa de material piroclástico ha cubierto al hielo, especialmente hacia el sector oriental, lo que ha detenido en parte la ablación de los glaciares.
Los deshielos son drenados por algunos ríos menores y esteros en forma radial a través de las hoyas de los ríos Captrén y Quepe (afluentes del río Cautín) y del Allipén en forma parcial. De estos desagües, destaca el río Trufultruful, el cual forma una serie de lagos represados por lava solidificada como el lago Verde, el Arcoíris y el Conguillío.
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The Llaima volcano occupies a large part of the Conguillío National Park and on its western flank there are two ski centers. It is one of the most active volcanoes in South America and one of the most volcanoes in the Southern Andes. The altitude of the mountain rises to 3,195 meters above sea level, the volcano has increased its height between 30 and 50 meters after the last eruptions since 1956 to date, the last recorded in 2009. Its western, southwestern and eastern flank present more than 29 km2 of glaciers. The most extensive is the western and southwestern, which reaches an area of 19 km². On the eastern flank, meanwhile, 4 glacial languages cover an area of 10 km².
The volcano presents an almost perfect conical shape although it consists of two summits and about 40 slag cones, being the most prominent north sector chasm and being separated by a portezuelo of approximately 1 km length of the Pichillaima, the southern summit that reaches 2,920 msnm. The northern summit features an open crater 350 m in diameter and more than 300 m deep, which in April 2009 was obstructed with a pyroclastic cone whose height exceeds the edge of its highest peak. This crater has an active fumarole since 1994 with emission of gases and water vapor. A thick layer of pyroclastic material has covered the ice, especially towards the eastern sector, which has partly stopped glacial ablation.
The thaws are drained by some minor rivers and streams radially through the holes of the Captrén and Quepe rivers (tributaries of the Cautín River) and the Allipén in partial form. Of these drainages, the Trufultruful River stands out, which forms a series of lakes repressed by solidified lava such as Lake Verde, Arcoíris and Conguillío.
This week's theme is "about you," and a funny thing about me is that I won't wear dress shoes (anymore) or Oxfords or Loafers or however you want to call them.
Yes, I'll still wear a suit and tie as needed, but I'll not match them up with dress shoes. I knew I solidified my stance (see what I did there), when I appeared at a speaking engagement in Washington, DC in a full suit with a pair of leather Adidas.
photo rights reserved by B℮n
It will be k-k-cold this weekend. The temperature can drop to -15 degrees celcius and that means of course only one thing: skating! After a few nights of good frost we could skate on February 12, 2021 at the Gouwsea. Waterland in the winter is a real skater’s paradise. As temperatures plunge across Europe, many are cursing the cold. But not in the Netherlands. Many are hoping for further frigid conditions. Today my daughter Samantha and friend Casper are joying me skating. A historical moment since crossing the Gouwsea by skates is such a rare occurrence. Today we skate 12km from Uitdam, de Nes to Marken and back, such a beautiful sea of ice to enjoy. An infinitely beautiful sight on this icy sea in 2021. It was a pleasure. The meadows here are white, the Gouwzee completely frozen and the breath comes out of my mouth in small gray puffs. Put your hands behind your back. Breathe calmly. I enjoy the sound of the irons over the ice and the beautiful view of the snowy landscape . The ice surface is great here. I stop for a moment to take a photo. Many skaters enjoy the beautiful ice until sunset. It provides a beautiful picture.
Today 12th of February 2021 we got the opportunity to go ice skating on real ice instead of going to an ice rink. A good freeze only comes from a win in the climatic lottery. Thus the chance for our Dutch to be wild adventurers on their own land comes only every few years. We glide across solidified, frosted lakes with fish frozen into the ice. The Gouwsea in the winter are a real skater’s paradise. Portrait of my daughter Samantha and friend Casper on the vast frozen Gouwsea.
Het wordt k-k-koud dit weekend. De temperatuur kan dalen tot wel -15 graden en dat betekent natuurlijk maar één ding: schaatsennn! Na een paar nachten goede vorst konden we op 12 februari 2021 schaatsen op de Gouwzee. Na een extra nacht van vorst ligt het ijs er redelijk goed bij. Eindelijk weer heerlijk ijs om voor schaatsliefhebbers de ijzers onder te binden. Er kan heerlijk kilometers geschaatst worden tussen Uitdam, De Nes en Marken. Vandaag gaat mijn dochter Samantha mij met vriend Casper. Je beleeft de natuur op plekken waar je normaal niet kan komen. De Gouwzee is een paradijs voor schaatsers uit het westen van Nederland, omdat het meestal het eerste grootschalige gebied is waar men goed kan schaatsen op natuurijs. Maar het blijft een historische gebeurtenis. Vele schaatsenrijders zoeken vandaag de bevroren oppervlakte van de Gouwzee op voor een schaatsrit langs de dijk van Uitdam, De Nes naar Marken. Een mooie rit van zo'n 12km. Een oneindig mooi gezicht op deze ijszee anno 2021. Het was genieten. De weilanden zijn hier wit, de Gouwzee totaal bevroren en de adem komt in kleine grijze pufjes uit mijn mond. Handen op de rug. Rustig ademen. Ik geniet van het geluid van de ijzers over het ijs en het prachtige uitzicht over de besneeuwde landschap. Het ijs is geweldig hier. Ik stop nog even voor het maken van foto. Een leuk portret van mijn dochter Samantha met vriend Casper. Vele schaatsers genieten tot zonsondergang hier van het mooie ijs. Het levert een prachtig plaatje op.
‘…the illusion of solidification when possessing ever dynamic ignorance and spacious wisdom…’
5800mm x 1365mm
charcoal on paper
Los Baños de Doña María de Padilla
Los Baños de Doña María de Padilla
The "Baths of Lady María de Padilla" are rainwater tanks beneath the Patio del Crucero. The tanks are named after María de Padilla, the mistress of Peter the Cruel.
As the whole patio was greatly affected by the Lisbon earthquake, the architect also chose to solidify the garden area up to the upper floors and convert the old Almohad cistern into a basement under the Gothic palace, an area still preserved, which is known as "Baños de Doña María" in honor of Doña María de Padilla, noble lover of Peter of Castile who, according to legend, bathed in it. The king obtained authorisation from the Castilian Cortes to proclaim proclaim her queen after death; the archbishop of Toledo considered this marriage valid and annulled the other two that the monarch had contracted, thus legitimizing her children as his successors. Hence her remains rest in the Royal Chapel of the Cathedral of Seville. But the fratricidal struggles during the reign of Peter of Castile ultimately resulted in a change of dynasty in the House of Trastámara in the person of his stepbrother Henry II of Castile, son of King Alfonso XI of Castile and Eleanor de Guzmán.
The baths have a central swimming pool covered with a nave of ten sections of ribbed vault flanked by two side aisles. In the reign of Philip III a Mannerist fountain was added at the end of the central pool of which some remains are conserved and also a cannon vault opened from the Garden of the Dance, but they are closed to the public because they preserve Renaissance wall paintings between 1565 and 1579 by Juan Díaz, Juan de Saucedo, Juan Chacón and Gonzalo Pérez. Although they are restored after their rediscovery in 1997, they are very delicate to preserve and are now being restored again.
photo rights reserved by B℮n
It will be k-k-cold this weekend. The temperature can drop to -15 degrees celcius and that means of course only one thing: skating! After a few nights of good frost we could skate on February 11, 2021 at the Gouwsea. Waterland in the winter is a real skater’s paradise. As temperatures plunge across Europe, many are cursing the cold. But not in the Netherlands. Many are hoping for further frigid conditions. Photo taken of little kid skating till sunset on the vast frozen Gouwsea. A historical moment since crossing the Gouwsea by skates is such a rare occurrence. Today I skate from Uitdam to Marken and back, such a beautiful sea of ice to enjoy. An infinitely beautiful sight on this icy sea in 2021. It was a pleasure. The meadows here are white, the Gouwzee completely frozen and the breath comes out of my mouth in small gray puffs. Put your hands behind your back. Breathe calmly. I enjoy the sound of the irons over the ice and the beautiful view of the snowy landscape . The ice surface is great here. Besides ice skating Dutch also love Ice yachting. This is the sport of sailing and racing iceboats and is very popular in the Netherlands. Ice boats are racing at a speed of 100 km an hour over the ice of the Gouwsea. The centre of ice yachting is in Monnickendam. Many skaters enjoy the beautiful ice until sunset. It provides a beautiful picture.
From the 11th to the 14th of February 2021 we got the opportunity to go ice skating on real ice instead of going to an ice rink. A good freeze only comes from a win in the climatic lottery. Thus the chance for our Dutch to be wild adventurers on their own land comes only every few years. We glide across solidified, frosted lakes with fish frozen into the ice. The Gouwsea in the winter are a real skater’s paradise and for Ice yachting too. People skating here till sunset. This photo was taken after sunset, the last skaters and ice yachting are on the vast frozen Gouwsea.
Het wordt k-k-koud dit weekend. De temperatuur kan dalen tot wel -15 graden en dat betekent natuurlijk maar één ding: schaatsennn! Na een paar nachten goede vorst konden we op 11 februari 2021 schaatsen op de Gouwzee. Na een extra nacht van vorst ligt het ijs er redelijk goed bij. Eindelijk weer heerlijk ijs om voor schaatsliefhebbers de ijzers onder te binden. Er kan heerlijk kilometers geschaatst worden tussen Uitdam en Marken. Je beleeft de natuur op plekken waar je normaal niet kan komen. De Gouwzee is een paradijs voor schaatsers uit het westen van Nederland, omdat het meestal het eerste grootschalige gebied is waar men goed kan schaatsen op natuurijs. Maar het blijft een historische gebeurtenis. Vele schaatsenrijders zoeken vandaag de bevroren oppervlakte van de Gouwzee op voor een schaatsrit langs de dijk van Uitdam naar Marken. Een oneindig mooi gezicht op deze ijszee anno 2021. Het was genieten. De weilanden zijn hier wit, de Gouwzee totaal bevroren en de adem komt in kleine grijze pufjes uit mijn mond. Handen op de rug. Rustig ademen. Ik geniet van het geluid van de ijzers over het ijs en het prachtige uitzicht over de besneeuwde landschap. Het ijs is geweldig hier.
De ijszeilers hebben hun plek in Monnickendam. Vanaf hier steken ze de Gouwzee over naar Marken. Een oneindig mooi gezicht op deze ijszee anno 2021. Het was genieten. Jong en oud staan op het ijs. Met spectaculaire snelheden van wel 80 tot 100 kilometer per uur razen de ijszeilers over bevroren meren en plassen: ijszeilers hebben deze dagen de tijd van hun leven. Vele schaatsers genieten tot zonsondergang hier van het mooie ijs. Het levert een prachtig plaatje op.
Chup (Cambodge) - A une vingtaine de kilomètres de Kampong Cham, sur la commune rurale de Chup, se trouve la «Chup Rubber Plantation». Une manufacture de caoutchouc créée par les Français en 1922. Dans le début des années 1960, cette usine de transformation du latex accueillait encore sur son emprise foncière, la plus grande plantation d’hévéas du monde. Aujourd’hui la forêt artificielle compte encore 20.000 hévéas en âge d’être exploités. La récolte se fait essentiellement la nuit par la scarification manuelle des troncs, afin que la sève s’écoule plus facilement. Dans la journée, il fait trop chaud et le latex se solidifie. La qualité s’en ressent.
La récolte de la sève se fait toujours manuellement et nécessite une abondante main d’œuvre. En revanche, la transformation du caoutchouc se fait dans une usine automatisée à 90 %. Mais le matériel est vieillissant. Sur cette photo, une technicien tente de faire redémarrer une machine. Il y parviendra, mais au prix d’un ingénieux bricolage électrique et en contournant les règles de sécurité.
Latex processing factory
Chup (Cambodia) - About twenty kilometers from Kampong Cham, in the rural commune of Chup, is the “Chup Rubber Plantation”. A rubber factory created by the French in 1922. In the early 1960s, this latex processing factory still hosted the largest rubber plantation in the world on its land. Today the artificial forest still has 20,000 rubber trees old enough to be exploited. Harvesting is mainly done at night by manually scarifying the trunks, so that the sap flows more easily. During the day, it gets too hot and the latex solidifies. The quality suffers.
Sap harvesting is always done manually and requires a large amount of labor. On the other hand, the processing of rubber takes place in a 90% automated factory. But the equipment is aging. In this photo, a technician is trying to restart a machine. He will succeed, but at the cost of ingenious electrical DIY and by circumventing safety rules.
Two PhD students of the Geotechnical & Environmental Group, Claudiane Ouellet-Plamondon and Reginald Kogbara were among seven recipients of the Outstanding Student Paper Awards at the 5th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, organised by the American Academy of Sciences, and held in Houston, Texas, USA.
Claudiane and Reginald's PhD studies are part of an extensive research programme led by Dr Abir Al-Tabbaa into cost-effective, efficient and sustainable remediation of contaminated land. The team has been investigating a range of novel materials, processes and technologies, some as part of two large TSB funded projects: Soil Mix Remediation Technology (SMiRT) and Process Envelopes for Cement-Based Stabilisation/Solidification (ProCeSS). Field trials of those developments, the largest associated with any research project in the UK to date, will take place in the new year on a former chemical site in West Yorkshire.