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You can click here for a much better view (sharper, better color, and no nadir and zenith pinching) or enjoy what Flickr™ provides. But do click on the external link (to fieldofview.com) and you'll be happy forever--if you derive your happiness from watching carefully made 360 panoramas on the best viewing platform online.
Contractor Norman Hudson's crew is nearly finished with the stucco work on the left house. The workers are visible on the left of the building. The trim is in ArcusStone made to resemble real stone, and the field is finished in acrylic stucco. The house on the right has not received the final coat yet.
Contractor Norman Hudson called me on February 18, 2021 to tell me he was in line to get the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine. He died two days later, at 77 years of age. He thus fulfilled his often-expressed desire never to retire.
The Pond Apple, or Swamp Apple is an evergreen tree of Florida and tropical America, and has yellow flowers with red markings. The ovoid yellow fruit resembles and apple which is edible but distateful, although it is sometimes used to make jelly or custard. It provides food for wildlife and is often eaten by alligators, thus the tree is also referred to as Alligator apple.
The wind was a tad bit cool yesterday thus Mr. Chickadee's feathers may have been ruffled up a bit more than usual.
I may not always have time to thank you all for your visits and comments but rest assured, that I do read them and am very appreciative that you took the time to pop by and see what I see here "North of 7" in Rural Eastern Ontario (North Frontenac Township) or, where ever else I might be with my camera now that I am retired and loving it.
……Loe Bar is a shingle beach/bar believed to have formed in the 13th century thus cutting off Helston port from the sea & forming Cornwalls largest freshwater lake. The house overlooking the sea is a N/Trust holiday let, one of two on the Penrose Estate. Alan:-)…….
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/penrose/features/looking-after-l...
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/penrose/lists/stay-at-penrose
For the interested I’m growing my Shutterstock catalogue regularly here, now sold 88 images :- www.shutterstock.com/g/Alan+Foster?rid=223484589&utm_...
©Alan Foster.
©Alan Foster. All rights reserved. Do not use without permission.……
“Thus the LORD my God will come, and all the saints with You. It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; The lights will diminish. It shall be one day which is known to the LORD—Neither day nor night. But at evening time it shall happen that it will be light.”
∘ One month ago I was lucky enough to fly to FL to spend a week with you. Little did I know it'd be the best week of my life thus far and cannot wait to see you again. ILY xo
Thus Spake Zara's Sister. After a weary, tempestuous climb, a surprise cloud break reveals a mid-winter Loch Lomond far below the summit of Ben Arthur. All day the angry wind would twirl and blast the hoary scots smir, allowing the sun just a moment to detonate the wet rock and moss into a spectacular Wagnerian lightshow.
JARDIN MAJORELLE
Jacques Majorelle,son of celebrated furniture maker LOUIS MAJORELLE,was born in Nancy,France in 1886.It was in 1919 that he first come to Marrakech to continue his career as a painter.
He acquired land in 1924 and began the landscape which is today known as the Majorelle Garden.In 1947 he opened the garden to the public,a tradition that continues to this day.Following a car accident in 1962,Jacques Majorelle reteurned to France and shortly thereafter passed away.
The Majorelle Garden is one of the twentieth cantury`s most mysterious gardens.It is a place of rare individual expression and mystical force.The garden is an abundance of vegtal shapes and forms representing five continents and reflects Jacques Majorelle`s significance as one of the most important plant collectors of his time.
A great capture of the colored and enchanting garden !
And the story goes on in 1980 when Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé bought the Majorelle garden and thus saved it from a hotel project. The new owners decide to live in the villa of the artist, renamed Villa Oasis and undertake important restoration work. The flora of the garden is largely increased today. Died on June 1, 2008 in Paris, Yves Saint Laurent’s ashes were scattered in the rose garden of the villa.
A "must-see" .
Although this was taken at the end of the foliage season when the leaves were dropping and the color was winding down, I kept seeing this as a painting metaphor. The natural brush in the foreground was a paint brush which would be dipped into the remaining colors on the mountain to paint the color back into the scene thus completing it rather than ending it.
Excerpt from visitdragor.com:
The Bailiff's Square (Fogdens Plads) has its name after the penultimate bailiff in Dragør - Isbrandt P. Schmidt - who worked 1870-1901 and lived in the house on Fogden's place 7.
The square was once a humid area that could be flooded when storms pushed the water from the Baltic Sea into the Belt. Thus, it was not an attractive area and it was especially poor people, sailors who settled here, especially along the east side of the square.
Isbrandt had a share in several of the city's ships - the town bailiff was always chosen among the city's skippers in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Originally, Dragør was subject to the special administration of Store Magleby, where a scout was the supreme authority, but eventually the port city was allowed to elect its own bailiff.
One of the tasks of the city bailiff was to organize the corps of night watchmen, who in Isbrandt Schmidt's time met in his home on the square before going round in town. The watchmen made clear with the words 'We are all here', but if one of them was absent, it might sound: 'We are all here but Pitter is missing!'.
A ring in the wall for number 7 was here where you could tether your horse when you had an errand with the bailiff.
"Thus shall ye think of all this fleeting world:
A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,
A flash of lightning in a summer cloud,
A flickering lamp, a phantom, and a dream." (Lama Anagarika Govinda ~ The Way of The White Clouds)
I have been a terrible flickr contact recently, and apologize to all my flickr friends...hopefully I will be able to juggle life better, and visit all your streams soon.
Thank you all for the continued support and contact....it is so appreciated.
Hope you all have a great weekend.
I managed to finish work a little early . So I drove out onto Romney Marsh Looking for Little Owls they were not showing . Thus started my Red Letter two hours ! 1/ Barn owl very close 2/ a Marsh harrier in flight 3/ this Buzzard asking for a photo 4/ a Woodpecker as I sat under a tree looking for the little owls that I never got to see today . I have often spent a day getting a shot of one of these birds on the above list let alone all four in two hours
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*Thus Magic* ~ Five (5) Urban, Sci-fi, Steampunk Trees
Five unique MESH, urban fantasy trees -
for steampunk environment,
underground club,
sci fi role-play area,
biker store or club,
dark street,
urban sim,
dirty alley,
garage,
city.
Starting from the second half of the 17 th century Sedniv was the place where large landowners the Lyzogubs arranged their main manor. The members of this glorious Ukrainian Cossack family played a significant role in the history and culture of Ukraine.
In 1687 Hetman Ivan Mazepa, designated Jacob Lyzogub the Chernigov colonel. In 1689 Mazepa endowed him richly with lands near Chernigov, including Sednev for his participation in the Crimean campaign. Son of Jacob Lyzogub, Efim was the Chernihiv colonel as well. In 1690 he began the construction of ancestral estate in Sedniv. On the right high bank of the Snov river he managed to lay a large park, build wooden residential buildings, stone building and the Resurrection church as the family burial vault.
The following generations of the Lyzogubs were all the militaries. In the first half of the 19th century one of five brothers Lyzogubs Andrei Ivanovich (1804-1864) retired and settled for good in Sedniv at the age of twenty-five years. He was joined by his brother, Ilya Ivanovich (1787-1867) – a retired colonel, a participant of the war with Napoleon and Alexander Ivanovich (1790-1839) – major general. The old building proved to be rather small. The estate was expanded along the mountain over again. The brothers turned the family homestead in the picturesque architectural ensemble. They attached a tower in a pseudogothic style to the old Cossack stone building and on the flank of the hill above the Snov river there was placed a gazebo.
To unite old and new territories of the estate the old rampart of the ancient settlement of Snov was cut through and a small bridge was spanned over the moat.
Park of the new estate acquired the romantic features according to the fashion trends of that time. Scenic views and the rampart proved very handy. In the end of the rampart that is on a steep slope at the river, a typical for romantic parks mysterious grotto with an entrance was embedded right in the ground. It was once decorated with local river mussels like the “sea bed” . Circular hole was in the ceiling, and a small window that overlooked the Snov river. By efforts of Ilya Ivanovich there were installed fountains in the park. One of them, called “Getman”, spurted higher than the famous “Samson” in Peterhof.
In the mid of th 19th century in the middle of the park there was built an U-shaped the Lyzogubs’ large house in the style of late classicism in place of the old wooden one.
The manor house is a one-storey building that bears typical features of eclectic architecture. It has two projection in the facade on both sides and a semicircular oriel in the center of the fasade that is turned to the river and fine detail decoration. House is placed parallelly to the slope.
All the buildings in the estate seemed to stress the attractiveness of the landscapes that was greatly admired by the owners: the tower over the entrance to Cossack stone building, the grotto, the oriel and white-column rotunda are oriented to the east overlooking the river.
Unfortunately, the park is now neglected. The slopes are so overgrown that one can hardly see the scenery across the river. There are age-old chestnuts, oaks, maples, which remember many guests of the Lyzogubs.
And among them were artists L. Zhemchuzhnikov and A. Slastion, writers L. Glebov and B. Grinchenko. There is still a lime tree in the park in the shade of which Taras Shevchenko liked to have a rest during his visits to Sedniv.
The Lizogubs themselves were rather talented human beings. Thus Alexander Lyzogub is known as the Ukrainian composer, one of the founders of Ukrainian piano music. He was the author of nocturnes, mazurkas, ballads, and variations on the theme of Ukrainian folk songs.
Ilya Ivanovich was keen on music as well. Mykola Markevych characterized him as: “A wonderful musician, a pianist, cellist, singer and composer, a good painter, a person keen on hydraulics. He decorates Sedniv with parks and fountains and lives quietly, modestly, but as an aristocrat.” The younger brother of Andrei Ivanovich was fond of painting and painted a few icons for the iconostasis of the Resurrection church.
In November 2009 President of Ukraine issued the decree to establish State Historical and National Preserve “The Lyzogubs’ Estate” in Sedniv.
In the Intro to this cave mini-series, "dusk bat hunters" were mentioned [see "Deer Cave Entry ~ Kick-off Cave Series, Sarawak, Borneo"]
As such, on fine-weather dusks, some 2M+ bats fly out of Deer Cave, searching for insects to eat. The free-tailed bats are hard to see while inside the caves, as they mostly hang from the cave ceilings, sleeping, and are quite small.
The Left Hand Picture in the collage above shows a large stream of bats exiting at late dusk when ii is almost dark, at the end of our first day at the caves. Thus the photo is dark.
The Right Hand Picture shows the exit route for the main bat stream, as taken during the day: i.e. Deer Cave's Main Chamber ceiling hole, with the chamber 122m or 400 feet high from the cave floor. The hole, in also letting in a shaft of light, allows the rich green vegetation to thrive, and is thus referred to as the 'Garden of Eden' by the cave operators.
Other bats exit via a few other smaller ceiling holes depending on where they sleep.
From the only viewing platform outside, which is on flat ground, we saw the main bat stream featured above. Further away, other bat streams flew out of other openings not visible, with the bats very hard to see as they flew out and away.
The picture featured was then the best achievable one given the hilly and dense jungle terrain surrounding the caves.
The scene was amazing to see, and everyone at the viewing platform was excited and loved this unusual nature adventure :-)
This concludes the Cave Series, Hope you enjoyed it. :-)
Samsung S23 Ultra 5G Camera
An unusual, pandemic-shortened Southwest Chief is framed by the MP 717 semaphores as it scoots westward on the Raton Subdivision between Colmor and Levy, NM. A couple days later, signal cabinets and concrete bases were dropped at several locations on this portion of the line, including here. Thus, this may in fact be the last shot from this spot "as-is" without a giant shiny silver box directly behind the westbound signal.
Pilze, und in diesem Fall meine ich in erster Linie die Großpilze, lassen sich auf unterschiedliche Weise in Szene setzen. Man kann sie mit einer längeren Brennweite vom Hintergrund loslösen und so die Aufmerksamkeit ausschließlich auf den Pilz und seine Strukturen und Farben legen. Man kann aber auch mit einer kürzeren Brennweite den Pilz in seinem Waldumfeld abbilden. Nun spielt er zwar immer noch die Hauptrolle, ist aber Teil einer Gesamtkomposition geworden. Letzteres habe ich mit dieser Aufnahme versucht. Zum Einsatz kam eine 22mm Festbrennweite, die am Canon APS-C Sensor 35mm KB entspricht.
Mushrooms, and in this case I primarily mean large mushrooms, can be presented in different ways. You can separate them from the background with a longer focal length and thus focus exclusively on the mushroom and its structures and colors. But you can also use a shorter focal length to image the mushroom in its forest environment. Now he still plays the main role, but has become part of an overall composition. I tried the latter with this recording. A 22mm fixed focal length was used, which corresponds to 35mm KB on the Canon APS-C sensor.
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Surprise!
The predicted snow actually happened!
There hasn't been significant accumulation thus far, nor is there likely to be.
The street was too warm to even get a dusting.
Of course northern New Mexico and the higher elevations are another story. By the time the snow stops tomorrow morning some places up north or at higher elevation could have up to a foot.
The main portion of this storm is heading into the mid-west and is described as a possible mega-storm.
It’s my apartments staircase shot at an obscure perspective from the ground outside, in the viewfinder it looked to me like a subway station. Thus this.
This sentinel refused to review my references from a local Richardson's Squirrel colony, and thus limited my access to its confreres during my brief recent visit.
He was convinced I was trying to steal his soul. I had to convince him I was only borrowing it for a fraction of a second (1/800th of a second to be exact) to preserve it for posterity, thus giving him a type of immortality. He finally agreed, albeit with some trepidation.
San José Renaissance Fair.
From the Ante-Chapter-House a curved passage leads to one of the most admirable areas of Spanish Renaissance architecture: the Chapter-House of the Cathedral. It was begun in 1558 under the direction of the architec Hernán Ruiz II and was finished by Asensio de Maeda in 1592.
The layout of this area is elliptical so that all the members of the cathedral chapter were perfectly visible at their meetings where the problems of the spiritual and material government of the church were brought up and discussed. The oval vaulting in one simple unit helps the voice to carry and has exceptional acoustics. The need for hearing and seeing required in the meetings of the numerous clergy was thus satisfactorily solved, but at the same time the wall decoration of the Chapter-House consists of a complex series of pictures and figures to emphasize the virtues expected of those who came to meet there so that their exchange of ideas and opinions would take place in an atmosphere of harmony and concerd. The walls therefore show a moral code for the canons to observe in their chapter meetings. The composition of pictures and figures designed by the canon Francisco Pacheco includes a seies of sculptures ans paintings with Latin inscriptions referring to the meanings of the images. All this decoration appears in the second section of the Hall, and the first to be seen between the pedestals of the columns are painted versions of the Virtues, among which Justice, Charity, Faith, Compassion and Hope can be identified. These virtues are female figures, some of which represent Saints at the same time, such as St Barbara, St Katherine, St Lucy and St Agnes. These paintings were carried out by Pablo de Céspedes in 1592.
The authors of the large vertical reliefs between the columns are Juan Bautista Vázquez el Viejo and Diego de Velasco who made them approximately between 1582 and 1582. They show The Assumption of the Virgin, Two Miracles of St John the Evangelists, The cleasing of the Temple, The Heavenly Father with the Vintagers, The seven Angels calling the Damned, The Ectasy of St John Evangelist and The Allegory of the Mystic Lamb. The rectangular reliefs were carried out by Marcos Cabrera around 1590 and show The last Sermon of Jesus Christ, Daniel in the Lions´Den, Christ´s Baptism, The Storm in the Sea of Tiberias, The Parable of the Sower, Christ,s Agony in the Garden, St Peter contemplating the unclean Animals and Christ washing the Feet of the Apostles.
In the vault there is a magnificent series of paintings by Murillo who was commissioned by the Chapter in 1667. In a splendid carved frame everything centres on La Inmaculada, which may be considered among the most beautiful the artist made of the subject. Painted on circular canvases around the vault there is a series of eight Seville Saints who can be identified by the name on the signs. They are San Hermenegildo, San Fernando, San Leandro, San Isidoro, San Laureano, Santa Justa, Santa Rufina and San Pio. The Chapter-House centres on a magnificent mahogany armchair which was carved by the sculptor Diego de Velasco in 1592. Before it there is the secretary´s bench, also of excellent design by the same artist.
hispalis.net/turismo_y_cultura/monumentos/catedral/capitu...
This year's Christmas lights in and around Wallingford's Market Place are entirely white, which I must say is rather disappointing. Thus, a black & white photograph seemed most appropriate especially as the colour version was almost identical.
Moving forward with another Nordic Re-Finance (T)ME locomotive that has recently been given a new identity. A former blue-loco, ME 1526 is now known as "The Wild Swans" (De vilde svaner) which is yet another fairytale of H. C. Andersen. What's curious about the design is that its base is a gradient between lighter and darker shades of marine blue, resulting in two different cab ends.
The locomotive was spotted running light (and late) through Nordhavn in Copenhagen. The empty steel train is missing behind it as the factory will be soon closing for summer vacations and the workload is thus decreasing. Later in the night, the ME came back with several loaded Samms cars.
There is the third special ME loco that NRFAB stylized for DB Cargo. But we'll get to it once it's caught in front of the camera...
Brouwersdam, between the islands of Goeree Overflakkee and Schouwen-Duiveland, on the border of the provinces of Zuid-Holland and Zeeland, The Netherlands.
website | maasvlakte book | portfolio book | getty images
The Brouwersdam, located between the isles of between Goeree-Overflakkee and Schouwen-Duiveland, is the seventh of the Dutch Delta Works. Started in 1965 and finished in 1971, it has closed off the connection between the North Sea and the Brouwershavense Gat, thus protecting the islands of the Dutch provinces of Zuid-Holland and Zeeland against major floods, like the North Sea flood of 1953, killing 1,836 in the Netherlands, 307 in England, 28 in Belgium and 19 in Scotland. Further damages: 9% of total Dutch farmland flooded, 30,000 animals drowned, 47,300 buildings damaged of which 10,000 destroyed.
EN: In the golden autumn light, Re 420 502 crosses the viaduct in Garstatt and will reach its destination in Zweisimmen in a few minutes. From here, passengers can transfer to the panorama trains of the MOB to Montreux. From the middle of 2021, gauge-changeable trains will be used here, which will pass through a gauge-change facility in Zweisimmen and thus run continuously from Interlaken East to Zweisimmen. This also means the end of the Type III standard coaches on this line.
*****
DE: Im goldenen Herbstlicht überquert Re 420 502 das Viadukt in Garstatt und wird in wenigen Minuten ihre Zieldestination in Zweisimmen erreichen. Von hier besteht für die Passagiere eine Umsteigemöglichkeit auf die Panoramazüge der MOB nach Montreux. Ab Mitte 2021 werden hier umspurbare Züge eingesetzt, welche in Zweisimmen eine Spurwechselanlage durchfahren und somit durchgängig von Interlaken Ost bis nach Zweisimmen verkehren. Dies bedeutet gleichzeitig das Ende der Einheitswagen Typ III auf dieser Linie.
The road from Hayle to Portreath ( B3301 ) runs at sea level until Gwithian and Godrevy Lighthouse and then at a cliff top level before dropping down into Portreath . Along the road as it goes along the cliff top has a number of pull-ins ( some big enough for a coach or two ) and for some reason we call them the Frying Pans , probably as from a narrow entrance they open out into the unsurfaced parking places . Thus here is a view from one of these pull-ins looking back west in the direction of Hayle . The views are magnificent on a day like this and in the other direction one can see the golf ball installation on the old Nancekuke airfield - that is another story including whatever has been buried deep in the old mine shafts under the airfield !!
My only regret with this shot is how the horizon on the sea matches up with the cliff tops on the left , would have liked a step in the levels there !!
Thus photo of a tiny red pitcher that I use as a vase has been cropped to fit the Macro Mondays guidelines. The vase is standing on a mirror which is cropped out in this version. The full size photo was much more satisfying and was one of my favorites.
On a frosty, clear evening the first full moon of 2017 floated over the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies, a giant orb, brilliant orange against the lingering purples of the sky. I spotted this from my kitchen window, so lucky that the moonrise was exactly in a clear space between the trees on the edge of our meadow. No time or room for a tripod, so I balanced my big lens on a towel laid over the sink faucet to keep it steady.
"All of the year's full moons have names, which were given to them by Native American tribes living in the eastern and northern United States. January's full moon is known primarily as the "Wolf Moon," according to the Farmers' Almanac: 'Amid the cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Indian villages. Thus, the name for January’s full moon.' " (SPACE.com)
Thailand, Second Kingdom, influenced by Ayutthaya, early Bangkok period, 18th century
Gilded bronze (lost wax method)
Ger Eenens Collection The Netherlands / Wereldmuseum Rotterdam
The Buddha rests his head on his right arm. There is a legend related to this reclining posture. The Buddha appeared before the giant Asurindarahu, who had wanted to see the Buddha but because of his superior height refused to bow down to him. The Buddha made himself very tall and gave the giant a glimpse of celestial figures that were even larger. The giant was thus humbled.
Buddha's Life, Path to the Present - De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam
www.nieuwekerk.nl/en/exhibitions/buddhas-life-path-to-the...
Samsung NX1 & Samsung 18-55mm f/3.5-f/5.6 OIS
Available Light | Handheld
All Rights Reserved. © Nick Cowling 2018.
DADDY: "Goodness Malachi!"
MALACHI: "Oh! Hullo Daddy! Merry Christmas!"
DADDY: "Err… Merry Christmas, Malachi. What are you doing sitting on my strawberry macaron? I was just taking a break from Christmas wrapping to have a well-deserved macaron!"
MALACHI: "What does it look like, Daddy? I'm having an elevenses of macarons course."
DADDY: "Oh! Do you think this is the best place to have your elevenses of macarons Malachi?"
MALACHI: "Oh yes Daddy! It's a capital place to take my elevenses of macarons. It's lovely and comfortable to sit on, and I just love the colour! Don't you, Daddy?"
DADDY: "Well yes I do Malachi, but…" *Sighs.* "Oh well, I suppose I’ll have the Biscoff one instead."
MALACHI: "I’m afraid you can’t have it, Daddy. "
DADDY: "Why not, Malachi?"
MALACHI: "Well, I should have thought that was obvious, Daddy! I’m using it as a tea table for my teapot! "
DADDY: "Oh… well, I’ll just…"
MALACHI: "No you won’t, Daddy!"
DADDY: "But you don’t even know what I was going to say, Malachi."
MALACHI: "Yes I do, Daddy. You were going to have the chocolate macaron, weren’t you?"
DADDY: "Well," *Blushes.* "Yes, I was, Malachi."
MALACHI: "You are so predicable, Daddy." *Tuts and shakes head.* "Well, you can’t have the chocolate one either, as it is currently being used by my milk jug and sugar bowl. "
DADDY: "Oh…" *Disappointed.* "Then how am I meant to have my elevenses of a macarons if you are sitting on it or using it, Malachi?"
MALACHI: "Well, I'm not entirely sure Daddy, but I'm sure you will think of something."
Oh dear! Malachi is at it again! The theme for "Looking Close… on Friday" for the 6th of December is "food with layers". When I saw the theme, I immediately thought of the small selection of brightly coloured macarons that I recently bought from "Le Petit Gâteau" a few months ago. I bought them for photography purposes, and lo and behold, they came in handy for this week’s theme. As it is December, I give my photostream a festive flavour, and thus Malachi is photographed on one of my wrapped Christmas boxes in front of my small Christmas tree decorated with my hand made baubles. I hope you like my choice of subject for this week’s theme, and that it makes you smile.
Malachi I acquired in mid-March 2020 (and mid Coronavirus) from a wonderful Melbourne stalwart toy shop: Dafel Dolls and Bears, when I went looking for a present for one of my goddaughters. Malachi is designed by Mary and hand-made by Wendy Joy in Australia. He has articulated arms and legs, and an extremely sweet face. Malachi was the name he came with, written by hand on his little tag. Both his floral tea set, and his miniature selection of macarons come from Beautifully Handmade Miniatures in Kettering in England.
“but only in their dreams can men be truly free. 'twas always thus and always thus will be.”
N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead Poets Society (the book)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi0Lbjs5ECI
"Carpe diem. Seize the day." - Dead Poets Society (the movie)
Le vautour fauve est charognard : il nettoie les montagnes des carcasses d’animaux sauvages mais aussi domestiques et évite ainsi la propagation des maladies. Il vit donc très souvent dans des zones où se pratique l’élevage extensif du bétail.
Ses pattes ne sont pas adaptées à la préhension mais à la marche. Il n’a pas de véritables serres et ne peut donc ni capturer de proies ni transporter les charognes. La consommation de la carcasse se fait donc sur place, réunissant tous les vautours : c’est la curée.
The griffon vulture is a scavenger: it cleans the mountains of carcasses of both wild and domestic animals, thus preventing the spread of disease. It therefore often lives in areas where extensive livestock farming is practiced.
Its feet are not adapted for grasping but for walking. It lacks true talons and therefore cannot capture prey or transport carrion. The carcass is consumed on the spot, bringing all the vultures together: this is known as the feeding frenzy.
'Angelic Waves of Light' kicks off a second mini-series on the 'Great Ocean Road', due to more recent work trips in Autumn 2023 to Melbourne (the capital of the State of Victoria, Australia). The first mini-series was in late 2019, while on holidays.
The Great Ocean Road is 240-kilometres (150 miles) long. Starting just west of Melbourne, it runs along the south-western coast of Australia. Thus, highly accessible to Melbourne and easy to undertake weekend trips.
Now a prime Aussie tourist attraction, it has extensive Pacific and Southern Ocean views; also of beaches, limestone and sandstone cliffs, and rainforests. Its landmarks include the renamed 'Twelve Apostles' stack formations, and many more (see this gallery on the end of p.3 & p.4 re earlier trip).
The road also passes the 'Surf Coast' (really good surfing) and, later, the 'Shipwreck Coast'; with approx. 638 known shipwrecks due to gales, human error and, in some cases, foul play (Wikipedia), mainly during the sailing ship era.
It was built through tough terrains by returned WW1 soldiers, from 1919-1932 and dedicated to Aussie soldiers killed in the fighting. It's the world's largest war memorial. Perhaps this was why some stacks were renamed the 'Twelve Apostles', with my photo inadvertently called 'Angelic Waves of Light' perhaps also relevant; and of course to the festive season!
All the best and good luck for 2025, have a great one! :-) 🎉
Explore, December 30, 2024 #5
Samsung S23 Ultra 5G Camera
[Also pls note, this mini-series, like others, is bound to be interspersed with other unrelated shots, as determined by the photographic gaze and processes].
Noch gibt es eine direkte Verbindung von Sighetu Marmației im Norden Rumäniens zur Hauptstadt Bukarest in Form des R 4116 nach Beclean pe Someş, der zwei Kurswagen mitführt, die von dort im IRN 1642 weiter nach Bukarest fahren. Die Zukunft der schönen Gebirgsstrecke und damit auch der durchgehenden Nachtzugverbindung ist allerdings leider sehr ungewiss aufgrund des schlechten Zustands einiger Brücken.
Am 23.06.2025 wurde 64 1000 mit ihren vier Wagen bei Bistra abgelichtet.
There is still a direct connection from Sighetu Marmației in northern Romania to the capital Bucharest, with the R 4116 to Beclean pe Someş, which carries two through carriages that continue from there to Bucharest on the IRN 1642. Unfortunately, the future of this beautiful mountain route and thus also of the continuous night train service is very uncertain due to the poor condition of some bridges.
On June 23, 2025, the 64 1000 with its four carriages was photographed near Bistra.
Abstraction demands more from me than realism. Instead of reproducing something outside of me, now I go inward and use everything I've learned thus far in my life. (Susan Avishai)
Oriental Garden Lizard, (Calotes versicolor) or Changeable Lizzard is an agamid lizard found widely distributed in Asia. It is an insectivore and the male gets a bright red throat in the breeding season.
The Changeable Lizard is relatively common and found in a wide range of habitats. They appear to adapt well to humans and are thus not endangered. They are commonly found among the undergrowth in open habitats including highly urban areas.
Changeable Lizards eat mainly insects and small vertebrates, including rodents and other lizards. Although they have teeth, these are designed for gripping prey and not tearing it up. So prey is swallowed whole, after it is stunned by shaking it about.
Captured at Te
he Other Corner, Habarana, Sri Lanka
Handsome, cute and noisy - their unmistakable calls remind me of old sci-fi cartoons - Bearded reedlings were initially classfied as Tits, but don't seem to be related to any other species and thus form now a monotypic family (Panuridae).
Bearded reedling or Bearded tit / Baardman (Panurus biarmicus).
© 2021 Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved
Thus far, our winter has been really mild for these parts. I am definitely not complaining.
odc wilted
Also known as Prizer Fac or Pritzker Fac this abandoned university campus features wainscoted rooms, an auditorium and an impressive staircase. Some of the buildings are still in use, most parts however are abandoned, some of the roofs already collapsed. Thus, it's just a matter of time before this place will be gone.
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