The travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs are one of the most unique and beautiful of Yellowstone’s hydrothermal created landscapes. The terracing is a result of underlying limestone. Hot water dissolves the limestone and deposits it on the surface. The bright colors, are created by thermophiles, tiny microorganisms that thrive in the hot springs. Different types of thermophiles have different tolerance for the heat and come in different colors based upon their exposure to sunlight. Those that can tolerate the most heat live deep in the pools and tend toward blue and green. The ones living on the cooler outer edges are more in the brown and yellow range.

The town is noted for its striking position atop a plateau of friable volcanic tuff overlooking the Tiber river valley. It is in constant danger of destruction as the edges of the plateau collapse due to erosion, leaving the buildings to crumble as their underlying support falls away. As of 2004, there were plans to reinforce the plateau with steel rods to prevent further geological damage.

The city is also much admired for its architecture spanning several hundred years. Civita di Bagnoregio owes much of its unaltered condition to its relative isolation; the town was able to withstand most intrusions of modernity as well as the destruction brought by two world wars. The population today varies from about 12 people in winter to more than 100 in summer.

The town was placed on the World Monuments Fund's 2006 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites, because of threats it faces from erosion and unregulated tourism.

Civita became known in Italian as il paese che muore ("the town that is dying"). Civita has only recently been experiencing a tourist revival.

@ Wikipedia

Esta formación de paredones de contornos desgastados y escarpados es la última en la serie del Período Triásico y comenzó hace 180 millones de años. Representa el comienzo del dominio de los dinosaurios.. El color de los sedimentos se debe a la oxidación de pequeñas partículas de hierro cuando son mojados y expuestos a la atmósfera.

La dureza de la arenisca y la diferencia con los sedimentos blandos del subyacente Ischigualasto es lo que dió origen a estas barrancas imponentes que forman el borde oriental encima de la Formación Ischigualasto.

This formation by walls of contours worn and steep is the latest in the series of the Triassic Period and began 180 million years ago. Represents the beginning of the domain of the dinosaurs. The color of the sediments is due to the oxidation of small particles of iron when they are wet and exposed to the atmosphere.

The hardness of the sandstone and the difference with the soft sediments of the underlying Ischigualasto is what gave origin to these gullies imposing that form the eastern edge above the Ischigualasto Formation.

Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra (f)

The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.

The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.

The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.

It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.

Population:

UK breeding:

40,000 pairs

The park is permanent pasture in 1997 and little of it appears to have been ploughed since the early C18. Extensive areas of relatively narrow ridge and furrow of C18 or early C19 date survive underlying the parkland features, especially in the northern part of the park and in the area south-west of the kitchen gardens. The park was probably created c 1700, at the time the house was rebuilt and the formal gardens laid out. Its easternmost section, between Beck's Farm and St Mary's Church, was added to it 1830 - 1884. Deer were last kept in the park in the 1920s.

Texture's & Effect's by William Walton & Topaz.

Information from Park's & Garden's.

Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra (m)

The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.

The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.

The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.

It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.

Population:

UK breeding:

40,000 pairs

* We made a trip to Filey the other day I have not visited this little town for some time . It sits between Bridlington and Scarborough it's also at the end of the Wolds Way trail. This is a shot of the Brigg or as it is known locally Carr Naze. It was used in many of East Yorkshire cowboy films .

When you stand on the beach at Filey you can really see how the way the landscape changes on the East Coast of Yorkshire . If you look south you are able to see the sheer vertical Cliffs at Bempton these are chalk cliffs , in fact the northernmost chalk cliff in Britain. I have posted many shots of these cliffs as it is the site of the RSPB bird reserve .

If however you look to the North, Filey Brigg’s crumbling red cliffs look like badlands from the Wild West. The cliffs of Carr Naze, especially on the side facing the bay, are mostly composed of glacial deposits which are soft and easily eroded. Underlying these, and showing more clearly on the seaward side, are a succession of limestone and sandstone strata. At low tide these rocks can be seen to form an extensive platform on the bay side and towards Brigg End

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT TO MY STREAM.

I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD NOT FAVE A PHOTO WITHOUT ALSO LEAVING A COMMENT .

Campari is famous for its bittersweet taste, marked by underlying flavors of cherry, cascarilla, clove, rhubarb, cinnamon and orange peel, at 48 proof. It is the signature ingredient in classic cocktails, such as the Negroni, Boulevardier, Americano, Bitter Spritz and Jungle Bird. [Tasting Table]

Link to my website - But Is It Art?

Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra (m)

BIRDGUIDES NOTEABLE PHOTO 12-18th Dec 2018

The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.

The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.

The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.

It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.

Population:

UK breeding:

40,000 pairs

I used my iPhone6 for the underlying wall photo, and processed with Prisma, distressedfx, matter app.

The Bare-nosed wombat is a marsupial. They grow to an average of 98 cm (39 in) long and a weight of 26 kg (57 lb).

Bare-nosed wombats have been described as ecological engineers as their burrow building results in soil turnover and aeration, which assists plant growth, and provides habitat for a range of invertebrate and vertebrate species. They are a solitary, territorial species, with each wombat having an established range in which it lives and feeds. In this area, they dig a tunnel system, with tunnels ranging from 2 to 20 m in length, along with many side tunnels.

Bare-nosed wombats are herbivorous, subsisting on grass, snow tussocks, and other plant materials. Foraging is usually done during the night. They are the only marsupial in the world whose teeth constantly grow. Due to the underlying enamel structure of the teeth, the continuously growing teeth maintain a self-sharpening ridge which allows easier grazing of the diet consisting of mainly native grasses. (Wikipedia)

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Why did the wombat cross the road? It is likely because his burrow was flooded due to the heavy rain in the area. On the other side of the road was a nice, dry culvert into which he wedged himself. I was surprised by how big they are.

Glen Alice, Capertee Valley, New South Wales, Australia. October 2022.

Eagle-Eye Tours - Eastern Australia.

Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra (m)

The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.

The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.

The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.

It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.

Population:

UK breeding:

40,000 pairs

Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is one of England’s very few remaining pieces of original fenland. It is a protected wetland site of international standing. The wind pump here, a smock mill, was originally at nearby Adventurer’s Fen and is the last survivor of the many thousands that once dotted the fenlands.

A fen is a waterlogged place with reeds and other plants growing in standing water, beneath which are peats and, nearer the sea, marine silts. These flat wetlands were interspersed by islands (like Ely) carrying villages and small towns. Transport was by boat.

That was the original Fenland. Much of what is now called the Fens in eastern England is a modern landscape. The original fenland was drained from 1629 onwards by Dutch engineers to give very rich farmland.

An unexpected long-term result was that the underlying peat beds dried out and shrank. Fields sank by 2m or so and became lower than the drainage channels and rivers! Continuous pumping was then needed - first by wind pumps like this survivor at Wicken. Eventually the picturesque windpumps were replaced by steam power, then by diesel or electrically driven pumps.

www.flickr.com/photos/lesc/albums/72177720300900318

LAKE ROVINA. It is a natural lake adapted as a storage basin for the underlying Piastra Lake in order to produce hydroelectric energy. Rovina Valley, Gesso Valley, Piedmont, ITALY.

Here is the solution of the color-puzzle from yesterday: the one and only 'Electra 60', made from 60 pieces of paper;-))

The underlying structure of 'Electra 60' is that of a rhombicosidodecahedron: each five-sided ring and every three-sided ring are surrounded by four-sided rings.The five-sided and the there-sided rings touch at the corners. I hope you can see it.

Made from the same module as 'Electra 30', better known as 'Electra'.

Model: origami Electra 60

Design: David Mitchell

Diagrams on his website

Paper: 60 pieces of kamipaper, 7,5x7,5cm

Final size: diameter 15cm

The Bare-nosed wombat is a marsupial. They grow to an average of 98 cm (39 in) long and a weight of 26 kg (57 lb).

Bare-nosed wombats have been described as ecological engineers as their burrow building results in soil turnover and aeration, which assists plant growth, and provides habitat for a range of invertebrate and vertebrate species. They are a solitary, territorial species, with each wombat having an established range in which it lives and feeds. In this area, they dig a tunnel system, with tunnels ranging from 2 to 20 m in length, along with many side tunnels.

Bare-nosed wombats are herbivorous, subsisting on grass, snow tussocks, and other plant materials. Foraging is usually done during the night. They are the only marsupial in the world whose teeth constantly grow. Due to the underlying enamel structure of the teeth, the continuously growing teeth maintain a self-sharpening ridge which allows easier grazing of the diet consisting of mainly native grasses.(Wikipedia)

---------------

His face is so sweet that I couldn't resist adding a portrait of this little wombat.

Alice Glen, New South Wales, Australia. October 2022.

Eagle-Eye Tours - Eastern Australia.

Wildflowers and Trees create a day to remember… Table Mountain, California.

Re-edit of an earlier post. I'm a work in progress; but the progress is oh so slow :)

Created by ancient lava (basalt) flows, the approximately 3,300 acre North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve is an elevated basalt mesa with beautiful vistas of spring wildflowers, waterfalls, lava outcrops, and a rare type of vernal pool, called Northern Basalt Flow Vernal Pools. Typically fissures in the basalt soak up winter rains, forming seasonal streams and waterfalls. In a few places, however, the underlying basalt is impermeable to water forming a temporary pool. Soon to dry up after rains end, only specialized plants and animals adapted to this habitat can survive over time.

(Nikon D850, 24-70/2.8, 1/125@f/22, ISO 200)

Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra (m)

The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.

The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.

The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.

It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.

Population:

UK breeding:

40,000 pairs

During our trip, we tried to chase the light and capture as many golden hour photos as possible. It's no easy task for often the scenic route was miles and miles long and dotted with scenic lookout points. My goal was to stop on each one and snap a photo or two, there was no time to consider which composition worked better, I just had to rely on my basic instinct. Fortunately, with the beautiful scenery, I was able to get a few decent point-n-shoot photos!

This photo was taken from a scenic lookout stop on Scenic Rim Rock Drive of Colorado National Monument.

Here's a brief description on this Water Carved Landscape:

"Although flowing water is the force that carved these canyons, the shape and direction of the canyons were influenced by the rocks themselves.

Summer rainstorms can cause massive flooding. As floodwaters move boulders and cobbles downstream, the tumbling rocks wear away underlying bedrock, helping to carve the canyons. Thunderstorms are violent, but usually short-lived. On most days this wash is dry."

I wish you a pleasant day!

Death Valley, California, USA

Death Valley National Park is one of many units within the National Park service established because of its underlying geologic theme. Death Valley NP is renowned world-wide for its exposed, complex, unique tectonics and diverse geologic resources. Contained within its boundaries is a diverse rock record stretching throughout most of geologic time. From 1.8 billion-year-old metamorphic rocks exposed in the Black mountains, to recent playa sediments deposited in the valley basins, Death Valley possesses a superb geologic record. Paramount to understanding Death Valley’s geology is realizing that it is an ongoing dynamic process. Wind, water, and plate tectonics are still hard at work shaping the park on a day-to-day basis.

Death Valley is currently building a rock collection of the park’s stratigraphy. The following list of geologic formations and corresponding ages represents what has been collected in the park and are available for viewing at our curatorial facility. 41 formations are listed with a number correlating them to the original reference used to describe and locate them. Based on research, 61 formations are known to exist in the park. Those missing 20 formations have not yet been added to our Stratigraphy Collection. It should be noted that 3 formations have been given unofficial names: Warm Spring Granite, Skidoo Granite, and Strozzi’s Ranch Rhyolite.

Winter reveals the underlying beauty of branches at sunset in the Royal Botanical Gardens

Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra (m)

The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.

The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.

The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.

It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.

Population:

UK breeding:

40,000 pairs

Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is one of England’s very few remaining pieces of original fenland. It is a protected wetland site of international standing. The wind pump here, a smock mill, was originally at nearby Adventurer’s Fen and is the last survivor of the many thousands that once dotted the fenlands.

A fen is a waterlogged place with reeds and other plants growing in standing water, beneath which are peats and, nearer the sea, marine silts. These flat wetlands were interspersed by islands (like Ely) carrying villages and small towns. Transport was by boat.

That was the original Fenland. Much of what is now called the Fens in eastern England is a modern landscape. The original fenland was drained from 1629 onwards by Dutch engineers to give very rich farmland.

An unexpected long-term result was that the underlying peat beds dried out and shrank. Fields sank by 2m or so and became lower than the drainage channels and rivers! Continuous pumping was then needed - first by wind pumps like this survivor at Wicken. Eventually the picturesque windpumps were replaced by steam power, then by diesel or electrically driven pumps.

www.flickr.com/photos/lesc/albums/72177720300900318

The completed assembly of 'Yin or Yang' makes a friendly smiling origami modular called "Electra 30" or 'Electra".

It has the structure of an 'origami Icosidodecahedron', that is the underlying structure of 'Electra': every five-sided ring is surrounded by three-sided rings and every three-sided ring by five-sided rings.

This 30-piece version of 'Electra' is probably the best known and most folded modular, designed by David Mitchell.

On his website you will find the diagrams for the improved module to hold them together more firmly, especially during the assembly phase.

The original module is now only used for the 24-piece design.

Model: origami Electra 30, better known as Electra

Design: David Mitchell

Diagrams on his website

Paper: 30 pieces of floral harmony paper, 5x5cm

Final size: diameter 7,5cm

Welcome to Kitch-iti-kipi, aka "The Big Spring", Michigan's largest natural freshwater spring. It is two hundred feet across and forty feet deep. Over 10,000 gallons a minute gush from many fissures in the underlying limestone throughout the year, the crystal clear emerald green water remains at a constant of 45F (7C) temperature.

Kitch-iti-kipi is inside Palms Book State Park. A self-operated observation raft (as seen in the photo) guides visitors to various vantage points overlooking fascinating underwater features and fantasies. This raft is on a cable that is pulled across the pool by the visitors, when the raft is filled with many people, it would take two strong men to turn the pulley.

I will be sharing more photos of this fascinating spring in the coming days.

Thank you for your visit/fave/comment, please stay safe and healthy, and have a very nice new week!

Civita di Bagnoregio is a town in the Province of Viterbo in central Italy, a suburb of the comune of Bagnoregio.

The town is noted for its striking position atop a plateau of friable volcanic tuff overlooking the Tiber river valley. It is in constant danger of destruction as the edges of the plateau collapse due to erosion, leaving the buildings to crumble as their underlying support falls away. As of 2004, there were plans to reinforce the plateau with steel rods to prevent further geological damage.

The city is also much admired for its architecture spanning several hundred years. Civita di Bagnoregio owes much of its unaltered condition to its relative isolation; the town was able to withstand most intrusions of modernity as well as the destruction brought by two world wars. The population today varies from about 7 people in winter to more than 100 in summer.

The town was placed on the World Monuments Fund's 2006 Watch List of the 100 Most Endangered Sites, because of threats it faces from erosion and unregulated tourism.

Walltown Quarry. Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland.

Walltown is a former quarry cutting dramatically through the Wall and the underlying Whin Sill dolerite bedrock. It has been landscaped and developed as a recreational site with extensive network of paths and ponds. From here you can walk up to the well preserved section of the Wall at Walltown Crags overlooking the site

The next 4 pictures show a Monarch caterpillar forming into a chrysalis.

This Monarch is preparing to shed its skin to reveal the underlying chrysalis.

08/17/2019 10:23 a.m.

Dress : lassitude & ennui Blossom dress - blue. At WLRP

Boots : God Mod - Fly Solo Boot Blue. At WLRP.

Hair : Tram - K0815 hair. At Uber. With Underlying hair color hud, in Uber store hunt.

Hairflowers and bouquet : *NAMINOKE*FlannelFlower. At WLRP.

Wings : riNk *elf wings. At WLRP

Eyes and nose make up with spots : Sunniva . Mushi. At WLRP.

Eyes : +Blue Blood+ Sweet Doll Eyes. At WLRP.

Collar Bone Tattoo : +Blue Blood+ Collarbones Tattoo - Aged - Tintable Flowers. At WLRP

Tattoo : Rekt Royalty - Marked White (tinted blue) At WLRP.

Decor :

Simply Shelby : Vintage Garden Bench - Lt Blue

Simply Shelby : Autumn Fairy Tree, TreeLand, Circle of Stones, Fairy Condo. At WLRP.

Simple Shelby : Wildflower grasses.

[BB] Black Bantam - The Smiling Shepard

**Chalk hill sides are perfect for creating figures on the landscape, the Long Man is the best one I have seen.

In the comments is a shot I posted of the Cerne Abbas giant in Dorset back in 2020

The Long Man of Wilmington is a hill figure on the steep slopes of Windover Hill near Wilmington in East Sussex.. Locally, the figure was once often called the "Green Man". The Long Man is 235 feet tall, holds two "staves", and is designed to look in proportion when viewed from below.

Formerly thought to originate in the Iron Age or even the neolithic period, a 2003 archaeological investigation has shown that the figure may have been cut in the Early Modern era – the 16th or 17th century AD. From afar the figure appears to have been carved from the underlying chalk.

The Long Man is one of two major extant human hill figures in England; the other is the Cerne Abbas Giant, north of Dorchester. Both are Scheduled Ancient Monuments

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT TO MY STREAM.

I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD NOT FAVE A PHOTO

WITHOUT ALSO LEAVING A COMMENT .

Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra

The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.

The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.

The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.

It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.

Population:

UK breeding:

40,000 pairs

A canyon or gorge is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosive activity of a river over geologic timescales.

Rivers have a natural tendency to cut through underlying surfaces, eventually wearing away rock layers as sediments are removed downstream. A river bed will gradually reach a baseline elevation, which is the same elevation as the body of water into which the river drains.

The processes of weathering and erosion will form canyons when the river's headwaters and estuary are at significantly different elevations, particularly through regions where softer rock layers are intermingled with harder layers more resistant to weathering.

I created this portrait around one of the lowest points of my life. It has a deep and personal underlying meaning but I'm leaving it open to artistic interpretation.

Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra (m)

The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.

The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.

The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.

It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.

Population:

UK breeding:

40,000 pairs

THE "PONTE VISCONTEO" on Mincio river,

also called long bridge (ponte longo in local dialect), the Visconti bridge of Borghetto sul Mincio was built in 1393 and completed in 1395 by Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan, in order to ensure the impenetrabilità of the eastern borders of the duchy. It was a time connected to the overlying Castello Scaligero by two tall embattled curtains and integrated into the fortified complex said Serraglio, that stretched for about 16 km in the Veronese plain up to the marshes of Grezzano. The central cone is situated almost astride on the Mincio, into the underlying zone were present the mouths of sliding of the River (built by diverting the flow of the water course) made skip in 1701 by the French, now are visible the lateral parts of the arches and the bases for resting on the bottom of the River Mincio.

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♫ Rush - Limelight ♫

Living in the limelight

The universal dream

For those who wish to seem

Those who wish to be

Must put aside the alienation

Get on with the fascination

The real relation

The underlying theme

♫ Rush - Limelight ♫

Living on a lighted stage

Approaches the unreal

For those who think and feel

In touch with some reality

Beyond the gilded cage

Cast in this unlikely role

Ill-equipped to act

With insufficient tact

One must put up barriers

To keep oneself intact

Living in the limelight

The universal dream

For those who wish to seem

Those who wish to be

Must put aside the alienation

Get on with the fascination

The real relation

The underlying theme

Living in a fish eye lens

Caught in the camera eye

I have no heart to lie

I can't pretend a stranger

Is a long-awaited friend

All the world's indeed a stage

And we are merely players

Performers and portrayers

Each another's audience

Outside the gilded cage

Living in the limelight

The universal dream

For those who wish to seem

Those who wish to be

Must put aside the alienation

Get on with the fascination

The real relation

The underlying theme

The real relation

The underlying theme

Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra

The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.

The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.

The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.

It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.

Population:

UK breeding:

40,000 pairs

Taken @Central Park, Manhattan aka "The City"

"The bedrock underlying much of Manhattan is a mica schist known as Manhattan schist[135] of the Manhattan Prong physiographic region. It is a strong, competent metamorphic rock that was created when Pangaea formed. It is well suited for the foundations of tall buildings. In Central Park, outcrops of Manhattan schist occur and Rat Rock is one rather large example."

Note: You see, that's why they could build so many skyscrapers.

I'm pleased with this photo, the star from yesterday's walk. You are looking down from the sketchy, unmaintained blufftop trail. Those tidepools are just great! The green is likely Mermaid's Hair seaweed, one of our most slippery ones. Not that you are likely to be walking on it here! The pink-tinged pools adjacent are coralline algae. You can see the bedding of the steeply-dipping underlying rocks -- but as usual for the Calif coast, nothing connects! You cannot project these rocks onto the bluffs beyond. The early American geologists tried hard to map the coasts, since those are the only good exposures for much of the state. Result: total frustration! This is the notorious Franciscan melange, which is French for "Total Mess"!

GPS map will get you there, or PM me for a bit more help. The blufftop trail here is ± the extension of the mapped (but sketchy) Pt Sierra Nevada trail. Maps of that are online. I parked at the mapped north trailhead. All of this is State Park land, gloriously unsigned and undeveloped. My kind of place!

Underneath the 1960s style panelling lie two buildings combined to appear as one. One is the Nasby Building constructed in 1891 and the other is the Wayne Building built in 1925.

The Nasby Building was Toledo's first skyscraper. Designed by architect Edward O Fallis, the eight story building was erected in 1891. A five story tower was added in 1895. The building was a mixture of the Romanesque style incorporating arches and elaborate terra cotta decoration and Spanish elements. The 161 foot high tower resembled the Girald Tower in Seville Spain and was topped by a cupola. 205

~~~My name is CLO, nice to meet you in regular daylight too!!

I'm a kind of paper 'shapeshifter' with three faces. ;-))

You have seen me in different shapes the previous days: totally disconnected and almost finished. (Marjan was so kind to put those photos in the first comment box).~~~

I folded this origami CLO kusudama from 30 pieces double colored dotted paper 7,5x7,5cm.

Final size: diameter 9cm.

""The Japanese kusudama is a origami model, that is created by multiple identical units, using underlying geometric principles of polyhedra to form a spherical shape.""

I had some internet connection problems, they seem gone now…. Have a nice Tuesday ;-))

Model: CLO kusudama

Design: Isa Klein

Diagrams in Bolivia Origami Convention Book 2012

I folded a few versions of the origami modular 'Electra', design David Mitchell. (1989)

This is 'Electra 24'. It has 3 'faces', so I made a kind of triptych ;-))

As the name implies this model is folded from 24 squares of shiny paper 7,5x7,5cm. Final size: diameter 7,5cm.

""The underlying structure is a rhombicuboctahedron: every four-sided ring is surrounded by three-sided rings and every three-sided ring by four-sided rings.

'The name 'Electra' is of course, drawn from the Greek mythology, but also references the similarity of the design to one of those, now somewhat outdated, pictures of electrons surroundings a nucleus in their shells."' info - David Mitchell

Model: origami 'Electra 24'

Design: David Mitchell

Diagrams on his website

This photo is of the cliffs, underlying the Ceide Fields

The Céide Fields are the oldest known field systems in the world, over 5,500 years old. It is a unique Neolithic landscape of world importance, which has changed our perception of our Stone Age ancestors. The remains of stone field walls, houses and megalithic tombs are preserved beneath a blanket of peat over several square miles. They tell a story of the everyday lives of a farming people, their organized society, their highly developed spiritual beliefs, and their struggle against a changing environment beyond their control.

"Here is something that interests me; something I want to show and share with you."

Catherine Jo Morgan

HFF! Justice Matters! Indict Trump!

strawflower, 'Granvia Gold', j c raulston arboretum, ncsu, raleigh, north carolina

Wicken Fen in Cambridgeshire is one of England’s very few remaining pieces of original fenland. It is a protected wetland site of international standing. The wind pump here, a smock mill, was originally at nearby Adventurer’s Fen and is the last survivor of the many thousands that once dotted the fenlands.

A fen is a waterlogged place with reeds and other plants growing in standing water, beneath which are peats and, nearer the sea, marine silts. These flat wetlands were interspersed by islands (like Ely) carrying villages and small towns. Transport was by boat.

That was the original Fenland. Much of what is now called the Fens in eastern England is a modern landscape. The original fenland was drained from 1629 onwards by Dutch engineers to give very rich farmland.

An unexpected long-term result was that the underlying peat beds dried out and shrank. Fields sank by 2m or so and became lower than the drainage channels and rivers! Continuous pumping was then needed - first by wind pumps like this survivor at Wicken. Eventually the picturesque windpumps were replaced by steam power, then by diesel or electrically driven pumps.

www.flickr.com/photos/lesc/albums/72177720300900318

""Near the teahouse you find a famous and unique stone water basin, with water continually flowing for ritual purification. This is the Ryōan-ji Tsukubai, which translates as "crouch"; because of the low height of the basin, the user must bend over to use it, in a sign of reverence and humility.

The shape mimics an ancient Chinese coin, the sentiment is the opposite of materialism.

Tsukubai are usually of stone, and are often provided with a small ladle, ready for use. A supply of water may be provided via a bamboo pipe, called a kakei.

The famous tsukubai shown here stands in the grounds of the Ryoanji Temple (龍安寺 or 竜安寺, Ryōanji), Kyoto, Japan in Kyoto, and was donated by the feudal lord Tokugawa Mitsukuni.

The kanji written on the surface of the stone are without significance when read alone. If each is read in combination with 口 (kuchi) - the shape of the central bowl - then the characters become 吾, 唯, 足, 知 which translates literally as "I only know plenty" (吾 = ware = I, 唯 = tada = only, 足 = taru = plenty, 知 = shiru = know).

The underlying meaning, variously translated as "what one has is all one needs", or "learn only to be content" reflects the basic anti-materialistic teachings of Buddhism."""

Information - WiKi

""Tsukubai has an unique inscription; if it is not raining, you see four Chinese characters on each side of it and it means: "I only learn to be content" or “I am content with what I am”.

He who learns only to be contented is spiritually rich, while the one who doesn't learn to be contented is spiritually poor even if he is materially wealthy. This concept is important in the Zen spirit.""

Information - from the brochure

The temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, and as an UNESCO World Heritage.

Red/Common Crossbill - Loxia Curvirostra (m)

The crossbill is a genus, Loxia, of birds in the finch family (Fringillidae), with six species. These birds are characterised by the mandibles with crossed tips, which gives the group its English name. Adult males tend to be red or orange in colour, and females green or yellow, but there is much variation.

Crossbills are specialist feeders on conifer cones, and the unusual bill shape is an adaptation which enables them to extract seeds from cones. These birds are typically found in higher northern hemisphere latitudes, where their food sources grow. They erupt out of the breeding range when the cone crop fails. Crossbills breed very early in the year, often in winter months, to take advantage of maximum cone supplies.

The different species specialise in feeding on different conifer species, with the bill shape optimised for opening that species of conifer. This is achieved by inserting the bill between the conifer cone scales and twisting the lower mandible towards the side to which it crosses, enabling the bird to extract the seed at the bottom of the scale with its tongue.

The mechanism by which the bill-crossing (which usually, but not always, occurs in a 1:1 frequency of left-crossing or right-crossing morphs) is developed, and what determines the direction, has hitherto withstood all attempts to resolve it.

It is very probable that there is a genetic basis underlying the phenomenon (young birds whose bills are still straight will give a cone-opening behavior if their bills are gently pressed, and the crossing develops before the birds are fledged and feeding independently), but at least in the red crossbill (the only species which has been somewhat thoroughly researched regarding this question) there is no straightforward mechanism of heritability.

Population:

UK breeding:

40,000 pairs

Fishermans Beach is located between Collaroy point and the northern base of Long Reef Point. The 500 m long beach begins amongst the rocks on the south side of Collaroy rock pool, and curves round to face north against the rocks and wide rock platform of Long Reef. The beach has been used by fishermen since the 18th century when it was also used as a small port for loading cattle for the Sydney market. The fishers both store the boats at the eastern end of the beach and use the boat ramp to launch their small tinnies off the sand. Beachfront houses back the western side of the beach, with a road, boat ramp and car park running behind the southern side, together with Long Reef golf club and headland reserve. The Warringah Surf Rescue Radio room is located at the eastern end of the beach. It maintains year round communication with all surf clubs and emergency services. Fishermans is a quieter but not popular swimming spot owing to the often brown colour of the water; a result of clay eroded from the underlying clays and shales, in addition to the seaweed that often covers the beach, and the coming and going of fishing boats. Out on the tip of Long Reef Point is a ribbon of sand running at the foot of the cliffs, for the most part fronted by the wide rock platforms. In two places the platform retreats and the waves reach the sand producing steep, narrow reflective beaches. On the north side of the point there is a small 50 m long beach sometimes called Little Makaha, while on the southern side there is a smaller gap, which lead to the reef break called Butterbox. These beaches are little used and while waves are usually low at the shore they are unsuitable for safe swimming.

The reefs around Long Reef provide a few breaks during big east and southeast swell. Just south of the Collaroy pool is a short peaky left reef break called Brownwater, after the colour of the water that usually accompanied heavy rain and big seas. On the northern side of the rock platform a right, called Fishermans, runs along the side of the rocks and a little further out a right hander runs towards the rock, called White Rock. Little Makaha, a big wave break is located off the northern tip of the point, while Butterbox on the south side of the cliffs is a popular summer site. S20N_53