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I'm spending the final hours of 2018 much the way I spent the rest of the year. Processing photos, reflecting, and trying to impart meaning where none exists. One aspect of the New Year's is how the entire holiday boils down to a single moment; the tick of the clock's second hand as it sweeps past midnight and heralds the arrival of the new year. The party really is over right there and then. Oh sure the festivities will carry on for a while, for some anyway. Frankly a lot of the hoopla seems to drain out of this celebration as the years stack up. Having witnessed countless ball drops over the years, there isn't much merriment left in it for me. I don't mean this to sound pessimistic; it's just that the my expectations for the new year have diminished, at least externally. I don't expect much if anything to change in the world. However I'm always far more optimistic about the prospects for my little corner of that world. I'm always going to strive to improve, do better, be better, etc. To stop trying is to stop living. But I don't think that necessarily has to be timed with the arrival off a new year. It's more of a mindset to be adopted and acted upon all year. Resolutions are good, but they are doomed to fail unless you really want to achieve the desired outcome. If you haven't done any prep work and are relying entirely on the stroke of midnight to institute whatever life reform that has eluded you, disappointment likely awaits you sometime later in January. Better to start now on modifying whatever behavior you seek to alter; make it a twelve month goal rather than a one second Hail Mary pass into the end zone.
Spending a few days back in Ottumwa, and with the fog out this morning, I took a run around town to see what I could find. I hadn’t gotten the bird out in a while and ended up missing Amtrak because of login issues, but I fixed that before this northbound grain train made a run for the hill. I figured I could get a neat overhead with the signals at Rutledge and wasn’t disappointed.
Take some time to enjoy the waning days of summer. Did just that while relaxing on the banks of this gorgeous lake at Grand Mesa. As Annie Dillard said, “Spend the afternoon. You can’t take it with you.”
After spending the Christmas and New Year period in storage, the pioneer Class 507, 507001 left Merseyside for the last time on January 23 2025, after just over 46 years. Together with classmate 507029 they were the last 507s to leave the network they worked on since new. Both units were hauled to Simms Metals at Newport - whilst 507029 will be scrapped, 001 is more fortunate and will be taken to Derby Litchurch Lane where it is planned to have it on display during the 'Rail 200' celebrations later this year.
Back on June 1 2012, the unit calls at Bank Hall as the rear set of a six-car Southport to Hunts Cross service. This was long before it gained celebrity status and was just another anonymous member of an otherwise mundane, overlooked fleet.
Despite spending Friday afternoon on the Cape I found myself back the very next morning for the last weekend of the CapeFLYER for this season in hopes of some sunlit morning shots of 1129. The small trestle over the Wareham River at MP 49.44 on the MassDOT owned and Mass Coastal Railroad operated Cape Main is perfectly lit of the sun is out so that's where I waited. The Flyer was a bit tardy but while I waited this entirely unexpected surprise showed up. An extra Mass Coastal job cruised past light engine with MC 2008 (GP9RM blt. Apr. 1956 as CN 2020) about 25 min before the Hyannis bound passenger train. It turned out that thess guys were headed to Buttermilk siding to pick up the prior day's energy train which had been left there after the locomotive on it suffered a failure.
A nice little surprise indeed....but alas the sun just didn't cooperate.
Wareham, Massachusetts
Saturday August 31, 2024
I just finished up spending 18 days on the Calf Canyon fire west of Las Vegas, NM, and an opportunity to catch the Chief splitting some blades had to be acted upon. With information provided by "8nsand" I navigated to ESS Ojita to capture #4. After waiting about an hour, the WB blade dropped to an approach. Ten minutes later it went to stop along with the EB siding blade. Within another five minutes a crossing sequence was heard in town followed by the Southwest Chief rolling around the corner and passing the three classic ATSF semaphores located here. After reviewing my previous images of the dropped blade before the train showed up, it appears that the bulb for the signal is weakly illuminated.
After spending just one day last year capturing some of the amazing views around Chester at autumn time (see last year’s set here: www.flickr.com/photos/markcarline/albums/72157646717011404), I thought this year I would have a mini ongoing photo project to make the most of the autumn colours in Chester. These images where captured in a variety of locations around Chester such as: The Groves, The Grosvenor Park, Westminster Park, Overleigh Cemetery, the wooded area near Dingle Bank in Curzon Park, along the River Dee near Handbridge etc.
#AutumnInChester
Spending the majority of its time underground in burrows, the Borneo Narrowmouth Toad (Gastrophrynoides borneensis) is a rarely seen species and little is known of its life history. Despite its common name and unusual appearance, this frog is a member of the Microhylidae and not a true toad. Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo).
Spending a beautiful day in California where the most beautiful people live.. Living the life .
Hearing some AC DC and sipping on a cold glass of water
AC/DC - Who Made Who
Spending this evening editing some of the 800 or so from my past weekend in France, will hopefully have them all up on www.f3historic.com/ and www.1000ccf3historicracingassociation.org.uk/ soon
Taken at Sunny's Studio
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunny%20Photo%20Studio/102...
Pose : Spring Fever
I spend a lot of time walking outdoors in summer and winter, and more and more I end up thinking about the living ecosystems I am a part of. It is very common, for example, to complain about insects when trying to photograph birds in the spring and summer - but without them, there are no birds. Insects breed and thrive in and around still water, and so the big pond/tiny lake that attracts and sustains them turns out to be at certain times of the year a migrant bird sanctuary.
There are other ways in which the creatures we come to photograph are involved in a deeper, less obvious kind of life. It is common for photographers to complain ‘there is nothing around’ during winters in Ottawa, and yet the woods are alive in a bunch of ways. And that life is varied - a tree is not simply alive or dead, but can host various forms of other lives, from birds to insects to fungi.
As Ottawa experiences more and more severe weather, trees are downed, healthy and unhealthy alike. The ecosystems in which those trees live and die are constantly processing those living and dead, and in my searches for Owls and other species, I have come to develop a greater appreciation for the less obvious lives that are often hidden in trees, acting to create new opportunities for nutrition and reproduction.
The Milk-white Toothed Polypore is fairly common around the world in temperate areas. It is resupinate, meaning basically it is upside down: its cap is attached to its substrate like a root would normally be. But it hangs its white (or ochre x they darken over time) teeth down, an amazing adaptation that maximizes spore production, using very little energy on its cap, as other mushrooms do.
It is saprobic, which means it feeds on dead trees. And as you can see from this image, it maximizes its spread on its food. And like most bracket fungi, it shows specific preference for its host: this species is mostly found on dead hardwood, while other bracket or polypore mushrooms prefer conifers.
Marine de Vachon was kind enough to spend a couple of hours shooting with me at a local park for me to work on my lighting skills.
Shot with a single Flashpoint Streaklight 360 camera right using the supplied diffuser.
After spending about 40 minutes photographing a very small selection of the thousand or so White-Fronted Terns gathered at Plimmerton earlier in the week, and risking sunburn into the bargain, Flickr Friend Paul and I wondered back past the local fire station, seeking a bit of cool shade.
We hadn't seen the much-sought-after Black Tern - a first-time visitor to New Zealand - but hey: I'd only managed to photograph the White-Fronted Tern once or twice before now, so I wasn't too disappointed - especially since we'd had such a huge choice of birds sitting right in front of us!!!
So when we stumbled across this White-Faced Heron sitting down near the water's edge, well: it seemed a pretty good consolation prize!
Continue to keep well everyone, and thanks for taking the time and the trouble to leave a Comment...! It's always nice to hear from you, and your comments are always greatly appreciated...!
Background - my photo from one of my morning walks
Model - extracted from liam-stock.deviantart.com/art/Aylen-12-96796990
Larger clock - grannysatticstock.deviantart.com/art/Clock-Tower-psd-9513...
Textures, feather, clocks, hair strands, sign - my collection
Spending the first Monday of the year in Alviso. Unfortunately the clouds rolled in.
Alviso, 2022-01-03
Excuse the title, I didn't spend a whole lot of time thinking about it, but I've often wondered what it must have been like to be gold prospector John Hillman "discovering" Crater Lake at this spot (Discovery Point).
According to legend (and wikipedia), Hillman first saw this amazing landscape from the back of a mule, which is a little like viewing the Eiffel Tower while on a Segway tour: I'm sure he tried hard to omit that fact when asked about the experience.
Hillman's relatives: "So, Grandpa, then you saw Crater Lake for the first time, huh?"
Hillman: "Yes, it was possibly one of the most amazing moments of my life."
Hillman's relatives: "And did you just walk up to the rim? Weren't you tired of walking?"
Hillman: "Well, I hadn't walked the WHOLE way. I had some help."
Hillman's relatives: "What do you mean? Were you on a horse?"
Hillman: "It was a mule, okay!? Jeez. I had bad blisters and was riding my pack mule! Now go get me another beer."
While spending a day in south-eastern Slovakia I had about an hour to spend on the line between Košice and Michal’any. I decided on getting off at Kalša. Then I got word a train would be approaching about 20 minutes after my train would arrive. However, I got over 10 minutes delay! When I arrived 2 other guys with camera’s were also at the station. Although I was planning on standing just south of the station, a giant heap of rubble changed my mind. The 2 other photographers, Germans, were trying to get on it. So did I. I wouldn’t get much train length, but the scenery looked quite nice. Just a mere few seconds before I reached the top I could hear the train approaching. I hurried quickly and was ready just when the train came into sight. As expected I didn’t get much length, but it sure was a nice few of the station of Kalša as train 49712 from Čierna nad Tisou to Ostrava passed.
After working on RJY14 and RJY30 for the past few weeks, IC 3107 is back on President’s Island with sister GP40R 3108. The two (with IC 3120 behind 3107) idle away in the yard on a quiet Christmas Eve.
After spending a solid work week tailing the SFG, waking up right around when the crew did and going home when they finished and all, I didn't have many shots left to check off on my list. I had a day to scout the line, and got lucky with them going on duty every day that week for a change. Along the way I had made friends with a conductor, had plenty of nice drinks at the end of each day, and found myself feeling at home around the region, even if it was just temporary. With the 5th day on SFG and my 7th day of my trip coming to a close with them nearing Matapedia mid afternoon on Friday, I set up for one last mesmerizer.
Standing on a guardrail, which I spent half of my time this week doing, I waited for the sound of a train to fill the ever-narrowing valley below. Like clockwork, the speedy shortline rounded the corner in back and darted into the frame before the slowdown for yard limits. With a trio of ex-CP RS18's at the helm stealing the show, the train itself consists of some rather interesting stock too. Old Southern Pacific chip cars take up the front half, fully loaded from the mill in Nouvelle-Ouest.
Below the train, the Matapedia River is seen in its awkward stage between an ocean inlet and a quick flowing river. Above, one can make out the town of Atholville, NB to the middle and right of the background, and off to the left stands the dominant feature of the local landscape. Sugarloaf Mountain is visible all around Campbellton, NB and it's surrounding areas and became a beacon of home for me over the week as my hotel was directly below it. In the shadows below the mountain you can make out the AV Group paper mill as well.
All in all, this shot perfectly exemplifies all that I came here for. MLWs, Mountains, Rivers, and Snow.
Mid March will always be my favorite time to take a train trip.
Spend a little time on this one zooming in on the large size. It took me awhile to photograph this one because I wanted to be able to zoom in on all the tiny details in a single shot.
Spending hours in the great outdoors doing what we love is part of being a nature photographer. The more often we are out there the happier we are, right?
I am writing to you today due to a recent event that I would like to share, please I am NOT looking for sympathy, I'm here to help educate. Are you covering up with a large brimmed hat, sunscreen, long sleeve/pants and lightweight gloves? I have been conscientiously covering up since I was diagnosed with reoccurring skin cancer. Red hair, light skin is one of the worst skin type combinations, but not the only skin type that will have Melanoma or Carcinoma. Yesterday I had a small operation on my nose, 3 stitches, this is now my 4th operation due to basal cell carcinoma, one previously for melanoma. Fortunately, the others incidents were on my legs which were less traumatic.
Malignancies of the skin are the most commonly diagnosed cancer type worldwide. The foremost cause of skin cancer remains UV radiation from sunlight. Take the sun seriously, once your skin is damaged there is no return or magic fix. Best possible help is daily Vit B3 and D supplements, email me if you would like more information.
The incidents of skin cancer are so high Cancer agencies no longer track the incidents of Carcinoma type cancers, too much data, now a reality that every 2nd person will have Basal Cell, Squamous Cell, fortunately, fewer cases of Melanoma. Cover up, use sunsceen, have fun
Spending this weekend up in the hills of N.C. mountains. This shot is a pier on Lake James on a cool and misty afternoon.
With the prospect of spending a few days working at the family home I packed the camera gear on the off chance I might get to graze on pastures last visited with serious intent almost four decades ago.
A sunny Thursday evening was too good to ignore and after snapping the tea-time oils a couple of hours earlier, I figured it might be worth putting the sundown light and a forgiving digital camera to use. Whether it was good use or not is open to debate but in this shot DBS Tug 60015 is seen applying the power as it leaves the loop at Boots Bridge and approaches Beeston station with the 17.13 Lindsey Refinery - Kingsbury (6M24) loaded oils. Although tree-lined for most of the way helpfully there are still a few spots where the sun wins through and, perhaps fittingly, catches the driver.
Nottingham city skyline is visible through the heat-haze and some of the smart properties on view lie in the upmarket area called The Park. Much nearer in, and at lower left, the gable-end just about visible is that of the old goods shed - surprisingly still standing but now almost invisible from this angle due to the growth in vegetation.
8.16pm - 6th August 2015
After spending an entire day doing the final bits of a studio reno project (cleanup tomorrow!), I sat down to work on today’s snowflake… which puts me well after midnight. It was totally worth it, and I know you’ll agree when you view this image large!
This snowflake has a lot going for it. Symmetry is paramount to beauty in many snowflakes, and the well-balanced branches give us that. The strong geometry makes crystals like this a favourite, as they can be admired at any size. Diving into the details you’ll see that none of the six branches are actually identical, they each have their own special features, making the resulting snowflake even more unique.
Symmetry isn’t that common – it’s far less common that my images would make it appear. Because symmetry is associated with beauty, and I try to photograph the most beautiful snowflakes I can find, many “ugly” crystals simply get ignored. The majority of snowflakes are nowhere near this symmetrical or beautiful, but as a photographer I want to showcase the best of the best! Symmetry always gets my attention. :)
This snowflake has some interesting details and deviations in its surface structure that create much of the intricate patterns in the branches, but you might be surprised to learn that they are all on the opposite side of the crystal. Defined by physics that eludes me at the moment, one side of a snowflake will have ridges and ribs that extrude from the surface only on one side of any branch. The opposite side (in this case, the side facing the camera) has none of these features, but something unique to itself: curved lines.
If you look on any of the branches you’ll see curved lines that roughly echo the outer shape of the branch, inset into the structure with a ripple effect. This is caused by the snowflake growing backwards. Say what? I describe the phenomenon as “circles in the snow”, caused by inward crystal growth, and you can read all about it here: skycrystals.ca/img/circles-in-the-snow.jpg (sample pages from my book Sky Crystals). Basically, a thick outer edge of a snowflake can grow inwards as the edge can gather water vapour on all outstanding edges. Outward growth remains hexagon, but inward growth becomes continually more rounded.
Blemishes near the center of the crystal are caused by super-cooled water droplets coming in contact with the snowflake and freezing on impact. These are very common, and in higher volume are called “rime” when they cover the snowflake entirely. If you look around the snowflake, you’ll see that some of these droplets act as the nucleus for a new crystal, and baby snowflakes begin to grow off of the main crystal. Science can be beautiful!
If you enjoy these musings and would like to know exactly (in exhaustive detail) how to create images like this yourself, you should definitely pick up a copy of my book Sky Crystals while you still can – the print run will be gone soon! www.skycrystals.ca/book/ - the book is listed in Canadian Dollars which converts to less than $34 USD! Now’s the time to buy! :)