This is a Japanese coffee pot, quite similar to traditional tea pots. The ptotery style is known as "Banko-Yaki". The interior is not glazed and has an uneven surface, so as to allow absorption of the bitterness, for a more mellow taste.

You just put ground coffee into the pot and pour hot water on it. A stainless steel filter prevents the grounds from getting into your coffee.

It's cute and tastes very nice! 😊

oots, shoots, flowers, and young seeds are edible.

Native to the American Tropics, Canna indica (Achira) was a main root crop grown by South American Natives, reported by Spanish explorers.

The leaves, rhizomes, shoots, flowers, and seeds are edible and cultivated for food, tamale wrappers, biodegradable plants, starch, and alcohol throughout the tropics.

Starch Properties

Achira starch contains 31% amylose.

Granules are spheric, oval, or elliptical, ranging in size from 26 to 67 µm, affecting their swelling power and water absorption capacity.

Cultivation and History

Canna indica has been cultivated for over 4000 years as a food crop in Central and South America.

The plant can grow up to 8 feet tall and 3 feet wide, making it a member of the Cannaceae family.

10. Blue Ice – Valle Bedretto

June 2022

90 × 60 cm, Alu-Dibond

Italiano

Questo piccolo laghetto si trova appena sotto la Gönerlilücke, al confine tra Ticino e Vallese. È ciò che resta di un ghiacciaio ormai quasi scomparso, il Gönerligletscher. Solo alcuni residui di ghiaccio e questo lago ne testimoniano ancora l’esistenza.

Il colore blu deriva dall’assorbimento della luce nel ghiaccio compatto. Le macchie rossastre sulla superficie potrebbero indicare la presenza di polvere del Sahara o fioriture algali, fenomeni sempre più comuni sui campi di neve e ghiaccio in scioglimento.

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Deutsch

Dieses kleine Bergseelein liegt direkt unterhalb der Gönerlilücke, an der Grenze zwischen dem Tessin und dem Wallis. Es ist eines der letzten Überbleibsel des Gönerligletschers, der heute fast vollständig verschwunden ist. Nur einige Eisreste und dieser See erinnern noch an den ehemaligen Gletscher.

Die blaue Farbe entsteht durch Lichtabsorption im kompakten Eis. Die rötlich braunen Verfärbungen an der Oberfläche könnten auf Saharastaub oder Algenblüten hindeuten, Erscheinungen, die zunehmend auf schmelzenden Schnee- und Eisflächen beobachtet werden.

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English

This small lake lies just below the Gönerlilücke, on the border between Ticino and Valais. It is the last remaining remnant of a glacier, formed from the remains of the Gönerli Glacier, which has now almost entirely vanished. Only a few ice fragments and this lake still recall its former presence.

The blue color results from light absorption in compact ice. The reddish brown discolorations on the surface may indicate Saharan dust or algal blooms, phenomena increasingly observed on melting snow and ice fields.

SN/NC: Tithonia Diversifolia, Asteraceae Family

Commonly known as the tree marigold, is a herbaceous flowering plant in the Asteraceae family. Native to Mexico and Central America, it has been introduced and is now naturalized in tropical parts of Asia and Africa. It is also naturalized in some Pacific islands, where it is found along roadsides and in disturbed areas. T. diversifolia tolerates heat and drought and can rapidly form large herbaceous shrubs. Rapid vegetative reproduction and significant production of lightweight seeds, which can be dormant in the soil for up to four months, allow T. diversifolia to quickly invade disturbed habitats. By forming dense stands it prevents the growth of young native plants. Depending on the area, T. diversifolia may be either annual or perennial. Being able to produce flowers and seeds throughout the year, coupled with the ability of seeds to be dispersed by wind, water and animals, makes it particularly easy for T. diversifolia to quickly colonize new areas. Shoot and root growth and nutrient uptake of several plants may be adversely affected by T. diversifolia.

* English: Bolivian sunflower; Mexican sunflower; Nitobe chrysanthemum; shrub sunflower; tree marigold

* Spanish: guasmara; jalacate

* Cuba: árnica de la tierra; girasolillo; margarita gigante; margarita isleña; margaritona

* Germany: Verschiedenblaettrige Fackelblume

* Indonesia: harsaga; kembang mbulan

* Indonesia/Java: kembang mbulan

* Japan: Japanese sunflower

* Kenya: wild sunflower

* South Africa: Mexikaanse sonneblom

* Thailand: daoruang-yipun; denchamat-nam; thantawan-nu

* Uganda: wild sunflower

* Brasil: Mão-de-deus, margarida, titônia, girassol-mexicano

Algemeen bekend als de goudsbloem, is een kruidachtige bloeiende plant in de Asteraceae-familie. Inheems in Mexico en Midden-Amerika, is geïntroduceerd en is nu genaturaliseerd in tropische delen van Azië en Afrika. Het wordt ook genaturaliseerd op sommige eilanden in de Stille Oceaan, waar het wordt aangetroffen langs bermen en in verstoorde gebieden. T. diversifolia verdraagt hitte en droogte en kan snel grote kruidachtige struiken vormen. Snelle vegetatieve reproductie en aanzienlijke productie van lichtgewicht zaden, die tot vier maanden in de grond kunnen blijven, stellen T. diversifolia in staat om snel verstoorde habitats binnen te dringen. Door dichte stands te vormen, wordt de groei van jonge inheemse planten voorkomen. Afhankelijk van het gebied kan T. diversifolia zowel eenjarig als meerjarig zijn. Door het hele jaar door bloemen en zaden te produceren, in combinatie met het vermogen van zaden om te worden verspreid door wind, water en dieren, is het voor T. diversifolia bijzonder gemakkelijk om snel nieuwe gebieden te koloniseren. Schiet- en wortelgroei en opname van voedingsstoffen van verschillende planten kunnen nadelig worden beïnvloed door T. diversifolia.

Mão-de-deus, Titônia, Margaridão-amarelo, Girassol-mexicano, Flor-do-Amazonas, Margaridão

Introduzida no Brasil, pode ser encontrada ao longo de rodovias e em terrenos baldios, sendo considerada planta invasora.

O margaridão tem sido utilizado como planta medicinal em alguns países, incluindo o Brasil, evidenciando-se suas ações anti-inflamatória, antimalárica e para o tratamento do diabetes, algumas delas comprovadas em estudos in vitro ou in vivo utilizando-se animais de laboratório.

Embora esta planta possa ser promissora para um possível uso como fitoterápico, recentemente estudos toxicológicos em ratos revelaram que o uso oral e prolongado das folhas provocam lesões nos rins e no fígado.

Dentre os mais de 150 metabólitos secundários isolados de T. diversifolia destacam-se os flavonóides e as lactonas sesquiterpênicas.

Estas últimas, em especial as tagitininas A, C e F, da classe dos heliangolidos, apresentam ações biológicas, incluindo anti-inflamatória, e propriedade fagoinibidora frente a larvas do lepidóptero Chlosyne lacinia, dentre outras.

O Girasol-mexicano pode ser usado para atenuar a síndrome de abstinência a drogas psicotrópicas em dependentes químicos, como álcool e tabaco e outras.

Recomenda-se secar as folhas e triturá-las até se obter um pó, que deve ser peneirado e guardado em vidros ao abrigo da luz; colocar uma pequena pitada deste pó na ponta da língua nos momentos de maior vontade de usar as drogas das quais querem se livrar, até seis vezes ao dia.

Sinonímia

- Helianthus quinquelobus Sessé & Moc.,

- Mirasolia diversifolia Hemsl.,

- Tithonia diversifolia var. Glabriuscula S.F. Blake,

- Tithonia triloba Sch. Bip. Ex Klatt,

- Urbanisol tagetifolius fo. Grandiflorus Kuntze,

- Urbanisol tagetifolius subfo. Flavus Kuntze,

- Urbanisol tagetifolius var. Diversifolius Kuntze

Communément appelé souci, c'est une plante herbacée à fleurs de la famille des astéracées. Originaire du Mexique et d'Amérique centrale, il a été introduit et est maintenant naturalisé dans les régions tropicales d'Asie et d'Afrique. Il est également naturalisé dans certaines îles du Pacifique, où il se trouve le long des routes et dans les zones perturbées. T. diversifolia tolère la chaleur et la sécheresse et peut rapidement former de grands arbustes herbacés. Une reproduction végétative rapide et une production importante de graines légères, qui peuvent rester dans le sol jusqu'à quatre mois, permettent à T. diversifolia d'envahir rapidement les habitats perturbés. La formation de peuplements denses empêche la croissance de jeunes plantes indigènes. Selon la zone, T. diversifolia peut être annuel ou pérenne. La production de fleurs et de graines toute l'année, associée à la capacité des graines à être dispersées par le vent, l'eau et les animaux, rend particulièrement facile pour T. diversifolia de coloniser rapidement de nouvelles zones. La croissance des pousses et des racines et l'absorption des nutriments de diverses plantes peuvent être affectées par T. diversifolia.

Tithonia diversifolia es una especie de plantas con flores de la familia de Asteraceae que comúnmente es conocida como árbol maravilla, falso girasol, quil amargo, tornasol mexicano, girasol mexicano, margaritona, árnica de la tierra, girasol japonés o crisantemo de Nitobe o también llamado Botón de Oro. Wikipedia

Comunemente chiamata calendula, è una pianta erbacea da fiore della famiglia delle Asteraceae. Originario del Messico e dell'America centrale, è stato introdotto ed è ora naturalizzato ai tropici dell'Asia e dell'Africa. È anche naturalizzato in alcune isole del Pacifico, dove si trova lungo i bordi delle strade e in aree disturbate. T. diversifolia tollera il caldo e la siccità e può formare rapidamente grandi arbusti erbacei. La rapida riproduzione vegetativa e l'elevata produzione di semi leggeri, che possono rimanere nel terreno fino a quattro mesi, consentono alla T. diversifolia di invadere rapidamente gli habitat disturbati. La formazione di popolamenti densi impedisce la crescita di giovani piante autoctone. A seconda della zona, la T. diversifolia può essere annuale o perenne. La produzione di fiori e semi durante tutto l'anno, unita alla capacità dei semi di essere dispersi dal vento, dall'acqua e dagli animali, rendono particolarmente facile per T. diversifolia colonizzare rapidamente nuove aree. La crescita di germogli e radici e l'assorbimento di nutrienti da varie piante possono essere influenzati da T. diversifolia.

Im Volksmund Ringelblume genannt, ist es eine blühende krautige Pflanze der Familie der Asteraceae. In Mexiko und Mittelamerika beheimatet, wurde es eingeführt und ist jetzt in den Tropen Asiens und Afrikas eingebürgert. Es ist auch auf einigen pazifischen Inseln eingebürgert, wo es an Straßenrändern und in gestörten Gebieten vorkommt. T. diversifolia ist hitze- und dürretolerant und kann schnell große krautige Sträucher bilden. Durch die schnelle vegetative Vermehrung und die hohe Produktion von leichten Samen, die bis zu vier Monate im Boden verbleiben können, kann T. diversifolia schnell in gestörte Lebensräume eindringen. Die Bildung dichter Bestände verhindert das Wachstum junger einheimischer Pflanzen. Je nach Region kann T. diversifolia einjährig oder mehrjährig sein. Die ganzjährige Blüten- und Samenproduktion sowie die Fähigkeit der Samen, sich durch Wind, Wasser und Tiere zu verteilen, machen es T. diversifolia besonders leicht, neue Gebiete schnell zu besiedeln. Das Wachstum von Sprossen und Wurzeln sowie die Aufnahme von Nährstoffen aus verschiedenen Pflanzen kann durch T. diversifolia beeinflusst werden.

يطلق عليه شعبيا القطيفة ، وهو نبات عشبي مزهر في عائلة Asteraceae. موطنه المكسيك وأمريكا الوسطى ، تم تقديمه وأصبح الآن متجنسًا في المناطق الاستوائية في آسيا وأفريقيا. يتم تجنيسه أيضًا في بعض جزر المحيط الهادئ حيث يحدث على جوانب الطرق وفي المناطق المضطربة. ت. تنوع نباتات تتحمل الحرارة والجفاف ويمكن أن تشكل بسرعة شجيرات عشبية كبيرة. بسبب التكاثر الخضري السريع والإنتاج المرتفع للبذور الخفيفة ، والتي يمكن أن تبقى في التربة لمدة تصل إلى أربعة أشهر ، يمكن أن تتغلغل T. variifolia بسرعة في الموائل المضطربة. يمنع تكوين المدرجات الكثيفة نمو النباتات المحلية الصغيرة. اعتمادًا على المنطقة ، يمكن أن يكون T. variifolia سنويًا أو معمرًا. إن إنتاج الأزهار والبذور على مدار العام بالإضافة إلى قدرة البذور على الانتشار من خلال الرياح والمياه والحيوانات يجعل من السهل بشكل خاص على T. يمكن أن يتأثر نمو البراعم والجذور وكذلك امتصاص العناصر الغذائية من النباتات المختلفة بتنوع T.

“Amphibians are highly vulnerable to climate change. Their permeable skin, essential for respiration and water absorption, makes them susceptible to changes in temperature and humidity, often leading to dehydration during droughts and heat waves. Their aquatic life stages, especially for frogs, are sensitive to changes in water conditions and precipitation patterns.

Many amphibians have specialized habitats with specific temperature or seasonal requirements that can be disrupted by climate change. Furthermore, they face increased disease risks, such as from the deadly chytrid fungus (Bsal) disease, which thrives in altered climates.” -Mongabay. I found a new healthy respect for the frogs and toads we saw within the park we camped at. Frogs help control the insect population and they are food for other animals further up the chain. Sometimes we forget just how interconnected we all are as animals. Apparently, frog populations are on the decline. This guy had beautiful colouring.

Chicory flowers on the lawn in my housing estate. Here are many of them now :)

Smile on Saturday - theme: "Flora in June" :)

Common chicory (Cichorium intybus), is a bushy perennial herbaceous plant with blue, lavender, or occasionally white flowers. It lives as a wild plant on roadsides in its native Europe, and in North America and Australia, where it has become naturalized. It is also grown as a forage crop for livestock. Various varieties are cultivated for salad leaves, chicons (blanched buds), or for roots (var. sativum), which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and additive. Chicory (especially the flower) was used as a treatment in Germany, and is recorded in many books as an ancient German treatment for everyday ailments. It is variously used as a tonic and as a treatment for gallstones, gastro-enteritis, sinus problems and cuts and bruises. (Howard M. 1987). Chicory contains inulin, which may help humans with weight loss, constipation, improving bowel function, and general health. In rats, it may increase calcium absorption and bone mineral density.

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Kwiaty cykorii na osiedlowym trawniku. Całkiem sporo ich tu teraz kwitnie :)

Cykoria podróżnik (Cichorium intybus) – gatunek rośliny należący do rodziny astrowatych. Znany też jako podróżnik błękitny. Rodzimy obszar jego występowania to znaczna część Europy, Azji oraz Algieria i Tunezja w Afryce Północnej, ale rozprzestrzenił się szeroko i obecnie występuje na wszystkich kontynentach z wyjątkiem Antarktydy. Jest także uprawiany w Azji, Europie, Australazji, Afryce i Ameryce Północnej. W polskiej florze jest rośliną pospolicie występującą na całym obszarze. Cykoria podróżnik to roślina lecznicza, korzeń łagodnie pobudza wytwarzanie soku żołądkowego, żółci oraz ma działanie moczopędne. Jest stosowany w wielu mieszankach ziołowych do leczenia zaburzeń trawienia i przy ogólnym osłabieniu. Młode listki cykorii można wiosną dodawać do sałatek, ze względu na zawartość witamin C, B i mikroelementów.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grindleton

Grindleton is a village and civil parish in the Ribble Valley, in the English county of Lancashire, formerly the West Riding of Yorkshire. Its 3,700 acres sit within the Forest of Bowland. The population of the civil ward taken at the 2011 census was 772.

History

Craven in the Domesday Book shows that up till 1066 Earl Tostig was lord of Grindleton and the surrounding areas of West Bradford, Waddington, Bashall Eaves, Great Mitton, Hammerton, Slaidburn, Dunnow, Newton, Bogeuurde, Easington, Radholme Laund and Lees. This amounted to 36 carucates (ca5580 acres/1800ha) of ploughland. The Norman conquest of England added it to the extensive lands of Roger de Poitou.[2]

A caput manor in Domesday, Grindleton was subsumed into the Liberty of Slaidburn in the second half of the fourteenth century. Bowland underwent wholesale manorial reorganisation at that time, perhaps in response to the fall in population caused by the Black Death (1348–50) and the absorption of Bowland into the Duchy of Lancaster.[3]

Both Grindleton and Slaidburn fell under the ancient Lordship of Bowland which comprised a Royal Forest and a Liberty of ten manors spanning eight townships and four parishes and covered an area of almost 300 square miles (780 km2) on the historic borders of Lancashire and Yorkshire.[4] The manors within the Liberty were Slaidburn (Newton-in-Bowland, West Bradford, Grindleton), Knowlmere, Waddington, Easington, Bashall Eaves, Mitton, Withgill (Crook), Leagram, Hammerton and Dunnow (Battersby) .[5] Until 1938, Harrop was an enclave of the Forest before it was subsumed into Grindleton civil parish.

Grindletonians

The Grindletonians were a small nonconformist Christian dissenting sect founded at Grindleton in the early part of the 17th century. The group's leader was Roger Brearley (or Brierley, Brereley) (1586–1637), a curate who worked at Grindleton, Kildwick and Burnley. The beliefs of the sect are unclear, but seem to have included Antinomianism, anti-clericalism and the concept of an earthly Paradise.

Governance

The civil parish of Grindleton was created from the township (in the ancient parish of Mitton) with the same name in 1866. In 1938, a geographically non-contiguous area of Bowland Forest Low was transferred to Grindleton.[6]

Along with Waddington, West Bradford and Sawley the parish forms the Waddington and West Bradford ward of Ribble Valley Borough Council.

Hippity hop! The desert cottontail eats grasses, cacti, bark and twigs and mesquite. They live, well, in deserts of California and US Southwest. They are close cousins of Eastern Cottontails but are lighter colored to minimize absorption of sun's heat and have larger ears to help radiate body heat into the air. I came across so many of them early in the morning, yet none later in the day when it gets warmer.

Fun fact: When they are alarmed, cottontails can run up to 20 miles per hour! Keep up with that coyotes and birds of prey!

WR 134 est une étoile Wolf-Rayet variable située à environ 6 000 années-lumière de la Terre dans la constellation du Cygne, entourée d'une faible nébuleuse à bulles soufflée par le rayonnement intense et le vent rapide de l'étoile. Wikipédia

WR 134 is a variable Wolf-Rayet star located around 6,000 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Cygnus, surrounded by a faint bubble nebula blown by the intense radiation and fast wind from the star. It is five times the radius of the sun, but due to a temperature over 63,000 K it is 400,000 times as luminous as the Sun.

WR 134 was one of three stars in Cygnus observed in 1867 to have unusual spectra consisting of intense emission lines rather than the more normal continuum and absorption lines. These were the first members of the class of stars that came to be called Wolf-Rayet stars (WR stars) after Charles Wolf and Georges Rayet who discovered their unusual appearance.[7] It is a member of the nitrogen sequence of WR stars, while the other two (WR 135 and WR 137) are both members of the carbon sequence that also have OB companions. WR 134 has a spectrum with NIII and NIV emission between two and five times stronger than NV, leading to the assignment of a WN6 spectral type. The spectrum also shows strong HeII emission and weaker lines of HeI and CIV.

Détails techniques d'acquisition:

CFF 200/1300 APO

Camera QHY600 M-PH

144x300s SHO

Total intégration 12H

Mougins, Backyard

Blue hour at Banff's Two Jack Lake. It often pays to beat the sun.

"The blue hour occurs when the Sun is far enough below the horizon so that the sunlight's blue wavelengths dominate due to the Chappuis absorption caused by ozone. Since the term is colloquial, it lacks an official definition similar to dawn, dusk, and the three stages of twilight. Rather, it refers to a state of natural lighting that usually occurs around the nautical stage of the twilight period (at dawn or dusk)." Wikipedia

The lake is named after Jack Stanley, who operated a boat concession on lake Minnewanka at one time, and Jack Watters, who worked for the mines in Bankhead, a town which flourished at the base of Cascade Mountain just after the turn of the century.

Thanks for taking a look.

Enjoy a wonderful Sunday and week ahead!

The bridge was replaced by the current pedestrian bridge in 1970. You can still see some of the wooden supports for the original bridge as you cross.

A drive led from the ferry to Coed Helen house, thought to date from the early 17th century. The house belonged to a succession of influential families and is now part of a caravan park.

On the hill between the river and house stands a summerhouse, built in the 18th century. At various times, the military used the area for training and keeping watch on the Menai Strait. A battery of guns at Coed Helen was fired on important occasions, including in 1847 to salute Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their children.

This bridge swings to one side to allow boats to enter or leave the harbour. It replaced a Victorian bridge which itself had replaced a ferry across the river Seiont. It leads from Caernarfon town to the parkland at Coed Helen.

Photo of original swing bridge at Caernarfon

The original swing bridge, courtesy of the RCAHMW and its Coflein website

The small building with castellated top, west of the bridge, was built in 1822 for the operator of the Coed Helen ferry. The Pritchard family of boat owners and builders ran the ferry from c.1859. In 1878 David Pritchard was praised for his prompt action to save a militiaman (volunteer soldier) who fell between the quay and boat while boarding. David died, aged 76, in 1884.

The first swing bridge, known as Pont yr Aber, was completed in 1899, amid arguing over compensation for loss of the ferry trade. A gas engine powered the swing mechanism. The bridge was too small to justify hydraulic power, which would have been ideal.

The metalwork was painted “stone colour” (off-white) to minimise heat absorption from sunshine. Excess heat would have distorted the ends of the swing span. White paint was rejected as it would soon have looked dirty. Tolls were levied on pedestrians and carriages.

Casa Cavassa, a refined Renaissance residence in the historic heart of Saluzzo, was transformed in the late 15th century by Marquis Michele Antonio di Saluzzo into an elegant urban palace blending medieval structure with Renaissance elegance. Today home to the Civic Museum Casa Cavassa, it preserves original frescoes, stuccoes, and period furnishings, offering a rare glimpse into the domestic life and artistic tastes of the noble elite in the Marquisate of Saluzzo. Its harmonious courtyard and richly decorated interiors reflect the cultural flourishing of this independent Piedmontese state before its absorption into the Duchy of Savoy.

Pepper

Health benefits of black pepper

Peppercorns contain an impressive list of plant derived chemical compounds that are known to have disease preventing and health promoting properties. Black peppers have been in use since centuries for their anti-inflammatory, carminative, anti-flatulent properties.

Peppercorns composed of health benefiting essential oils such as piperine, an amine alkaloid, which gives strong spicy pungent character. They also carry numerous monoterpenes hydrocarbons such as sabinene, pinene, terpenene, limonene, mercene, etc., which altogether gives aromatic property to the pepper.

The above-mentioned active principles in the peppercorns may increase gut motility as well as the digestion power through augmenting gastro-intestinal enzyme secretions. It has also been found that piperine can increase absorption of selenium, B-complex vitamins, beta-carotene, as well as other nutrients from the food.

Black peppercorns contain a good amount of minerals like potassium, calcium, zinc, manganese, iron, and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese is used by the body as a co-factor for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is essential for cellular respiration and blood cell production.

They are also an excellent source of many vital B-complex groups of vitamins such as Pyridoxine, riboflavin, thiamin and niacin.

Peppercorns are a good source of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-C and vitamin-A. They are also rich in flavonoid polyphenolic anti-oxidants like carotenes, cryptoxanthin, zea-xanthin and lycopene. These compounds help the body remove harmful free radicals and help protect from cancers and diseases.

Island Of Madagascar

Off The East Coast of Africa

Berenty Reserve

Sanzinia madagascariensis (also known as the Malagasy tree boa, or Madagascar tree boa is a non-venomous boa species endemic to the island of Madagascar. Two subspecies are currently recognized: S. m. madagascariensis and S. m. volontany.

Adults average 4–5 feet (122–152 cm) in length, although 6–7 foot (183–213 cm) specimens are not uncommon. Thermoreceptive pits are located between the labial scales. Females are larger than males. Endemic to Madagascar. Favors trees and shrubs near streams, rivers, ponds and swamps.

This species was classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2006.

Arboreal and generally nocturnal, S. madagascariensis feeds on mammals and birds. Its thermoreceptive pits help it to locate its prey. It will also leave the trees to actively hunt for small mammals on the ground.

When females become gravid, their skin color darkens. This adaptation provides increased heat absorption for the developing young. After giving birth, the color returns to normal as soon as it next sheds its skin. Neonates are a bright red that may warn predators to "stay away", while simultaneously providing camouflage among brightly colored treetop flowers. – Wikipedia

Modern life braids connection and disconnection, even in the midst of communal spaces we slip into small, private worlds.

In meiner weihnachtlichen Kapsel. Pendele ich hin und her und warte auf eine Veränderung, die kommen wird.

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Ok, I'm sitting on a chair, very comfortable. And the change is sure to come. But before I keep rocking back and forth with the idea of diving out of my absorption – chosen voluntarily and much longer than expected – I now take a little cautious step forward ;-) I haven't been on Flickr for such a long time and have neither posted a photo nor have I looked at any of yours – I have a lot to catch up I guess ... I hope you will be patient with me. The last year of the pandemic has changed a lot for everyone and I still have a lot to do – at least that's how it feels. But I really missed it here I must notice ... I hope your Christmas was vibrant and beautiful, we see each other – and take care of you :-)

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Ok, ich sitze auf einem Stuhl, ganz gemütlich. Und die Veränderung kommt bestimmt. Aber ehe ich immer weiter hin und her schaukele mit der Überlegung aus der Versenkung – freiwillig gewählt und viel länger als gedacht – hervorzutauchen, mache ich jetzt doch einmal einen kleinen vorsichtigen Schritt vorwärts ;-) Ich war jetzt so fast unendlich lange nicht mehr auf Flickr unterwegs und habe weder ein Foto gepostet noch habe ich welche von Euch betrachtet – da habe ich wohl sehr sehr viel nachzuholen ... Ich hoffe, Ihr habt Verständnis dafür. Durch das letzte Jahr der Pandemie hat sich für alle viel verändert und ich habe auch weiterhin einiges zu tun – jedenfalls fühlt es sich so an. Aber vermisst habe ich es hier doch ziemlich, merke ich ... Hoffentlich war Euer Weihnachten schwingend und schön, wir sehen voneinander – und passt auf Euch auf :-)

One of the gems in the renovated castle is the large council room on the first floor. This festive hall is available for council meetings as well as for cultural events. As a clear contrast to the late Gothic form of the windows, with partial reuse of recovered from the moat original Gewändesteinen, here a modern exposed concrete ceiling was pulled. In the elongated cavities of the coffered ceiling, the lighting panels, sound absorption material, the sound system and electrical installation were usefully integrated.

The second floor and attic floor in the west wing was expanded as a multifunctional office and used as such for many years. A suitable furnishing, the installation of room dividers and appropriate greening provided here for a pleasant atmosphere. The enormous room height on the second floor was usefully used as a shelf by a suspended gallery.

After the completion of the Technical Town Hall in 2003, numerous rooms of the castle were reused. Thus, on the second floor of the west wing, the gallery was rebuilt, so that here a large, multi-functional event space was created - the "Motte".

Recently calved portion (middle of glacier) appears powder-blue. The overall blue appearance of glacier ice results from the absorption of red, orange, yellow, and green light wavelengths.

Margerie Glacier is a much cleaner glacier with less debris compared to the Grand Pacific Glacier located adjacent to Margerie's northeastern flank. It is also one of the most active glaciers for ice calving along with the Johns Hopkins Glacier in Glacier Bay National Park.

The colours of ice, from pure white to blue to black, depend on the levels of air bubbles and other inclusions in the ice. The newest ice when it first freezes has the most air bubbles and the whitest colour. As ice gets older and is subject to compression by overlying snow and ice, the air bubbles are forced out and/or compressed with more absorption of the red and orange wavelengths and more reflections of the blue wavelengths. The oldest blue and black ice can be over a million year old. This image shows a mixture of old and newer ice near a cliff at the terminus of the Jorge Montt Glacier, Patagonia.

25/04/2021 www.allenfotowild.com

Excerpt from youractionsmatter.ca/bee-thankful/:

Bee Thankful

• Bees are vital to the preservation of ecological balance and biodiversity in nature. They provide one of the most recognizable ecosystem services, pollination, which is what makes most food production possible.

• One third of all the food we eat depends on bees, and of the 100 crop varieties that provide 90% of the world’s food, 71 are pollinated by bees.

• Honeybees alone pollinate 80% of all flowering plants, including more than 130 types of fruits and vegetables.

• The journey of bees begins with manure and fertilizer. It is used to enrich the soil, providing essential nutrients that help seeds germinate and plants grow.

• Water, a fundamental element for life, aids in the absorption of these nutrients from the soil, allowing the plant to grow strong and healthy.

• As the plant matures on the fertile land, it develops vibrant flowers rich in nectar and pollen.

• Bees are attracted to these flowers for their nectar, which they use to create honey, and in the process, they pollinate the plant, contributing to its reproductive cycle and the growth of new plants.

• This illustrates a symbiotic relationship, where bees and plants rely on each other for survival and growth.

• Despite their profound importance for the food we eat, bee populations are declining at an alarming rate.

• Last winter, Canada had its largest honeybee colony loss in the past 20 years, with 46% of colonies perishing nationally.

• Global warming, pesticide use, habitat destruction, and air pollution all contribute to bee mortality.

• By understanding the vital role bees play in our ecosystem and food production, and making conscious choices to help, we can contribute to the conservation of bees and the vital services they provide.

El yin y el yang (en chino, 阴阳; pinyin, yīnyáng; literalmente, ‘oscuro-brillante’) son dos conceptos del taoísmo, que son usados para representar o referirse a las dos fuerzas fundamentales opuestas y complementarias, pero interconectadas, que se encuentran en todas las cosas; y que esta filosofía atribuye a todo lo existente en el universo. El yin es el principio femenino, la tierra, la oscuridad, la pasividad y la absorción. El yang es el principio masculino, el cielo, la luz, la actividad y la penetración.

Yin and yang (Chinese: 阴阳; ​​pinyin: yīnyáng; literally: ‘dark-bright’) are two concepts from Taoism, which are used to represent or refer to the two fundamental opposing and complementary, but interconnected, forces that are found in all things; and which this philosophy attributes to everything existing in the universe. Yin is the feminine principle, the earth, darkness, passivity and absorption. Yang is the masculine principle, the sky, light, activity and penetration.

stumbling through the mist and rain, fighting self-absorption; searching for inspiration and uniquity

The blue hour is the period of twilight when the Sun is at a significant depth below the horizon and residual, indirect sunlight takes on a predominantly blue shade, which differs from the one visible during most of a clear day, which is caused by Rayleigh scattering.

The blue hour occurs when the Sun is far enough below the horizon so that the sunlight's blue wavelengths dominate due to the Chappuis absorption caused by ozone. Since the term is colloquial, it lacks an official definition similar to dawn, dusk, and the three stages of twilight. Rather, it refers to a state of natural lighting that usually occurs around the nautical stage of the twilight period (at dawn or dusk).

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La hora azul es el período del crepúsculo en el que el Sol se encuentra a una profundidad significativa por debajo del horizonte y la luz solar indirecta residual adquiere un tono predominantemente azul, que difiere del que se ve durante la mayor parte de un día despejado, que es causado por la dispersión de Rayleigh.

La hora azul ocurre cuando el Sol está lo suficientemente por debajo del horizonte para que dominen las longitudes de onda azules de la luz solar debido a la absorción de Chappuis causada por el ozono. Dado que el término es coloquial, carece de una definición oficial similar a amanecer, anochecer y las tres etapas del crepúsculo. Más bien, se refiere a un estado de iluminación natural que generalmente ocurre alrededor de la etapa náutica del período crepuscular (al amanecer o al atardecer).

Monument Valley, Utah, United States

September 2016

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The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. William Arthur Ward.

William Arthur Ward (December 17, 1921–March 30, 1994) was an American motivational writer.

Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. On the surface of the Earth, wind consists of the bulk movement of air. Winds are commonly classified by their spatial scale, their speed, the types of forces that cause them, the regions in which they occur, and their effect. The strongest observed winds on a planet in the Solar System occur on Neptune and Saturn. Winds have various aspects: velocity (wind speed); the density of the gas involved; energy content or wind energy. The wind is also a critical means of transportation for seeds, insects, and birds, which can travel on wind currents for thousands of miles.

In human civilization, the concept of wind has been explored in mythology, influenced the events of history, expanded the range of transport and warfare, and provided a power source for mechanical work, electricity, and recreation. Wind powers the voyages of sailing ships across Earth's oceans. Hot air balloons use the wind to take short trips, and powered flight uses it to increase lift and reduce fuel consumption. Areas of wind shear caused by various weather phenomena can lead to dangerous situations for aircraft. When winds become strong, trees and human-made structures are damaged or destroyed.

Winds can shape landforms, via a variety of aeolian processes such as the formation of fertile soils, such as loess, and by erosion. Dust from large deserts can be moved great distances from its source region by the prevailing winds; winds that are accelerated by rough topography and associated with dust outbreaks have been assigned regional names in various parts of the world because of their significant effects on those regions. Wind also affects the spread of wildfires. Winds can disperse seeds from various plants, enabling the survival and dispersal of those plant species, as well as flying insect populations. When combined with cold temperatures, the wind has a negative impact on livestock. Wind affects animals' food stores, as well as their hunting and defensive strategies.

The wind is caused by differences in atmospheric pressure which is mainly caused by temperature difference. When a difference in atmospheric pressure exists, air moves from the higher to the lower pressure area, resulting in winds of various speeds. On a rotating planet, air will also be deflected by the Coriolis effect, except exactly on the equator. Globally, the two major driving factors of large-scale wind patterns (the atmospheric circulation) are the differential heating between the equator and the poles (difference in absorption of solar energy leading to buoyancy forces) and the rotation of the planet. Outside the tropics and aloft from frictional effects of the surface, the large-scale winds tend to approach geostrophic balance. Near the Earth's surface, friction causes the wind to be slower than it would be otherwise. Surface friction also causes winds to blow more inward into low-pressure areas. Source Wikipedia.

TD : 1/20 f/8 ISO 100 @28 mm

I want to thank everyone who commented or faved this picture! I would have never thought it would be this well liked :)

THANKS SO MUCH ALL !!!

The Croak Constant encapsulates the interaction between incident spectral light, biological absorption by the amphibian and the optical scattering introduced by vintage lens bokeh. This expression highlights the convergence of physical optics and biological processes in a single conceptual framework:

K_c = (L_λ × σ_a × S_b) / Φ_c

Where:

K_c = Croak constant (arbitrary units)

L_λ = Spectral luminance at wavelength λ (light intensity)

σ_a = amphibian absorption spectrum (skin light absorption)

S_b = Bokeh scattering coefficient (vintage lens optical effect)

Φ_c = Biological photon efficiency (rate of conversion to croak energy)

Note: Amphibian = Green frog (Lithobates clamitans), West Quebec, Canada

P8074811

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Polypores are a group of fungi that form large fruiting bodies with pores or tubes on the underside (see Delimitation for exceptions). They are a morphological group of basidiomycetes-like gilled mushrooms and hydnoid fungi, and not all polypores are closely related to each other. Polypores are also called bracket fungi or shelf fungi, and they characteristically produce woody, shelf- or bracket-shaped or occasionally circular fruiting bodies that are called conks.[1]

Most polypores inhabit tree trunks or branches consuming the wood, but some soil-inhabiting species form mycorrhiza with trees. Polypores and the related corticioid fungi are the most important agents of wood decay, playing a very significant role in nutrient cycling and aiding carbon dioxide absorption by forest ecosystems.

Over one thousand polypore species have been described to science, but a large part of the diversity is still unknown even in relatively well-studied temperate areas. Polypores are much more diverse in old natural forests with abundant dead wood than in younger managed forests or plantations. Consequently, a number of species have declined drastically and are under threat of extinction due to logging and deforestation.

Polypores are used in traditional medicine, and they are actively studied for their medicinal value and various industrial applications. Several polypore species are serious pathogens of plantation trees and are major causes of timber spoilage.

7. Rhône Glacier – A Landscape in Transition

September 2023

90 × 60 cm, Alu-Dibond

Italiano

Ai piedi del ghiacciaio del Rodano, nel canton Vallese, nasce il fiume Rodano. Un tempo, la lingua glaciale si estendeva ben oltre nella valle, fino al Grand Hotel di Gletsch. Oggi il ghiaccio si è ritirato di centinaia di metri e, dove un tempo si trovava una spessa lingua di ghiaccio, è apparso un lago turchese di acqua di fusione, dal quale l’acqua si riversa nella valle attraverso una cascata.

Il lago si sta ingrandendo rapidamente. Il ghiacciaio del Rodano è tra quelli che scompaiono più velocemente nelle Alpi. La sua lingua glaciale è coperta di detriti scuri e polvere, che aumentano l’assorbimento della luce solare e accelerano la fusione. Sulla superficie dell’acqua galleggiano blocchi di ghiaccio, resti della fronte glaciale in disgregazione.

L’acqua di fusione alimenta il giovane Rodano, che da questa fragile origine cresce fino a diventare uno dei più grandi fiumi d’Europa. Quello che rimane è un paesaggio in trasformazione visibile: dal ghiaccio permanente all’acqua effimera, da ghiacciaio a ricordo.

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Deutsch

Am Fuss des Rhonegletschers im Wallis entspringt der Fluss Rhone. Einst reichte die Gletscherzunge weit ins Tal hinab, bis zum Grand Hotel in Gletsch. Heute hat sich das Eis um mehrere hundert Meter zurückgezogen und an der Stelle, wo früher eine dicke Eiszunge lag, ist ein türkisfarbener Schmelzwassersee entstanden, aus dem das Wasser über einen Wasserfall ins Tal stürzt.

Der See wächst rasant. Der Rhonegletscher zählt zu den am schnellsten schrumpfenden Gletschern der Alpen. Die Gletscherzunge ist mit dunklem Geröll und Staub bedeckt, was die Sonnenlichtaufnahme erhöht und die Eisschmelze beschleunigt. Auf der Wasseroberfläche treiben Eisschollen, Überreste des kalbenden Gletscherrands.

Das Schmelzwasser speist die junge Rhone, die aus dieser fragilen Quelle zu einem der mächtigsten Flüsse Europas heranwächst. Zurück bleibt eine Landschaft im sichtbaren Wandel, von dauerhaftem Eis zu temporärem Wasser, vom Gletscher zur Erinnerung.

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English

At the foot of the Rhône Glacier in the Swiss canton of Valais, the Rhône River is born. Once, the glacier’s ice extended far into the valley, reaching as far as the Grand Hotel in Gletsch. Today, the ice has retreated by hundreds of meters, and where a thick tongue of ice once lay, a turquoise meltwater lake has formed. From there, the water cascades down into the valley via a waterfall.

The lake is growing rapidly. The Rhône Glacier is among the fastest disappearing glaciers in the Alps. Its ice tongue is covered in dark debris and dust, which increase the absorption of sunlight and accelerate melting. On the surface of the lake, chunks of ice float, remnants of the calving glacier front.

Meltwater from the glacier feeds the young Rhône, which grows from this fragile source into one of Europe’s great rivers. What remains is a visibly changing landscape, from permanent ice to temporary water, from glacier to memory.

For Macro Mondays "Spiral" Theme. The hairs are called Trichomes and help in respiration, water absorption and defense.

A 10 shot focus bracket taken between wind gusts on a cloudy day with all natural light. The background is mostly a live oak tree about 20' away. Stacked in Photoshop.

The spiral group is about 1" (25mm) in it's longest dimension.

HMM

Modern solitude is shaped not by isolation, but by the quiet spaces we carve out between ourselves and the world, one message at a time.

A magnetic silence

made a ripple

in a muscle of presence.

The Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad had a sole route into Houston from the west, by way of Smithville, Sealy, and the namesake Katy. After absorption by the Union Pacific in 1988, the route out of Houston was deemed excessive and was severed in Katy, with the trackage to the west remaining. Since then, UP has kept traffic on this former mainline at a slow and steady pace. Once a week, a local based in Smithville makes an eastbound run towards the city. Some weeks it makes it as far as Katy, some weeks it doesn't. Today's train is a measly one car for Builders FirstSource on the west side of Katy.

Also of note, the leader of today's train. UP 1371 was built for the MKT in 1968 as GP40 207, sold off the roster with the UP acquisition, and made its way into SP hands after a rebuild program by Morrison-Knudsen. It's safe to say this locomotive has seen plenty of Texas soil in its previous lives.

Brookshire, Texas

December 15, 2025

Late evening sun's heat absorption for a Swallowtail butterfly, Messinia, Greece

1340 ‘Trojan’ was built by the Avonside Engine Company of Bristol in 1897 (Works No. 1386) for Messrs Dunn & Shute of Newport Town Dock. She was purchased by the Alexandra Docks Railway in 1903, remaining unnumbered. This company owned around 100 miles of dock sidings in the Newport (South Wales) area and a 'main' passenger-carrying line of 10 miles or so.

On absorption of the Alexandra Docks Railway into the Great Western in 1923, ‘Trojan’ received the number 1340. She moved freely around GWR territory, and although based mainly at Cardiff Cathays and Radyr depots also worked for a time in Oswestry and Greenford, London. Withdrawn from Cardiff by the GWR in July 1932, it was sold to the Netherseal colliery at Burton-on-Trent, who passed it on to Alders (Tamworth) Ltd in 1947.

After several years of negotiations she was finally released to one of the Didcot regular workforce, arriving at the depot in April 1968. Source: didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/article.php/59/1340-trojan

DEVON is a large county in southwestern England

The name "Devon" derives from the ancient Dumnonia, which was home to the independent kingdom of Brythonic Celtic speaking people who inhabited this area of the southwestern peninsula of Britain continuously from through the Roman era until partial absorption into the English-speaking Kingdom of Wessex some time in the eighth or ninth century.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)

New Jersey

As this Osprey heads for impact with the water below, I think of the impact we have had on them. This species will forever be tied to the conservation movement that started in the 1950's. Think or even better read about Rachel Carson and her role in wildlife conservation, if your unfamiliar with it.

For instance did you know she was only 57 when she passed and is considered by many to be the mother of our modern day conservation efforts? "Silent Spring" Rachels 1962 book was an awakening to the world of wildlife conservation and an amazing gift to all of us who love it....

Once an Osprey learns how to fish, pretty much all they need is a healthy habitat and fish. In the northern parts of the US this species is migratory, arriving as early as late March with most birds usually heading south again by October, although we often still see a few staying into November in warmer years.

By the 1950's and 60's the Osprey's numbers and breeding success (along with many other species) was being severely impacted by synthetic pesticides and it was discovered that one called DDT was the main culprit. It built up in their systems and inhibited the absorption of calcium, which caused the thinning of the it's eggs.

For younger viewers and birders who may be unfamiliar with this, there is some wonderful information available at this link for further reading.

rachelcarsoncouncil.org/osprey-miracle-20th-century/

An image of the planet Uranus and 5 of its satellites. Uranus is presently in the constellation of Aries.

This image of the distant ice giant was captured on the 17th January 2022. The planet was over 18.5AU from earth - or over 18.5 times the mean distance of between the earth and sun!

I was happy to pick up the five major satellites of Uranus including, for the first time, faint Miranda. This satellite has a radius of only 235-240km and orbits closest to Uranus. Titania is the largest satellite and Oberon, the second most massive, orbits furthest out.

Also nice to resolve (north) polar brightening on the planet. This lightening is believed to be due the absorption of UV light from the sun causing changes in atmospheric methane gas. Northern summer solstice will occur in 2028 with that pole facing directly towards us.

The planet's axial rotation is approximately parallel with the plane of the solar system so the planet appears "over on its side" with the satellites rotating around it.

The planet takes 84 years to complete one orbit...

Imaged with a Celestron C11 and a ZWO 290MM camera fitted with a Baader 685nm IR pass filter. The image is a composite of two exposures. A correct stacked exposure for the planet and a second overexposed stacked image to capture the satellites.

Uranus is false coloured.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grindleton

Grindleton is a village and civil parish in the Ribble Valley, in the English county of Lancashire, formerly the West Riding of Yorkshire. Its 3,700 acres sit within the Forest of Bowland. The population of the civil ward taken at the 2011 census was 772.

History

Craven in the Domesday Book shows that up till 1066 Earl Tostig was lord of Grindleton and the surrounding areas of West Bradford, Waddington, Bashall Eaves, Great Mitton, Hammerton, Slaidburn, Dunnow, Newton, Bogeuurde, Easington, Radholme Laund and Lees. This amounted to 36 carucates (ca5580 acres/1800ha) of ploughland. The Norman conquest of England added it to the extensive lands of Roger de Poitou.[2]

A caput manor in Domesday, Grindleton was subsumed into the Liberty of Slaidburn in the second half of the fourteenth century. Bowland underwent wholesale manorial reorganisation at that time, perhaps in response to the fall in population caused by the Black Death (1348–50) and the absorption of Bowland into the Duchy of Lancaster.[3]

Both Grindleton and Slaidburn fell under the ancient Lordship of Bowland which comprised a Royal Forest and a Liberty of ten manors spanning eight townships and four parishes and covered an area of almost 300 square miles (780 km2) on the historic borders of Lancashire and Yorkshire.[4] The manors within the Liberty were Slaidburn (Newton-in-Bowland, West Bradford, Grindleton), Knowlmere, Waddington, Easington, Bashall Eaves, Mitton, Withgill (Crook), Leagram, Hammerton and Dunnow (Battersby) .[5] Until 1938, Harrop was an enclave of the Forest before it was subsumed into Grindleton civil parish.

Grindletonians

The Grindletonians were a small nonconformist Christian dissenting sect founded at Grindleton in the early part of the 17th century. The group's leader was Roger Brearley (or Brierley, Brereley) (1586–1637), a curate who worked at Grindleton, Kildwick and Burnley. The beliefs of the sect are unclear, but seem to have included Antinomianism, anti-clericalism and the concept of an earthly Paradise.

Governance

The civil parish of Grindleton was created from the township (in the ancient parish of Mitton) with the same name in 1866. In 1938, a geographically non-contiguous area of Bowland Forest Low was transferred to Grindleton.[6]

Along with Waddington, West Bradford and Sawley the parish forms the Waddington and West Bradford ward of Ribble Valley Borough Council.

Erik Witsoe | BLOG | Facebook | Medium | 500px | Twitter | Instagram | Flickr

Warsaw, Poland

Winter

The Aber Swing Bridge, also known as the Pont yr Aber and Caernarfon swing bridge, is a pedestrian swing bridge in Gwynedd, Wales. This footbridge crosses over the Afon Seiont from the foreshore to the Watergate entrance in the centre of Caernarfon near Caernarfon Castle.

This bridge swings to one side to allow boats to enter or leave the harbour. It replaced a Victorian bridge which itself had replaced a ferry across the river Seiont. It leads from Caernarfon town to the parkland at Coed Helen.

Photo of original swing bridge at Caernarfon

The original swing bridge, courtesy of the RCAHMW and its Coflein website

The small building with castellated top, west of the bridge, was built in 1822 for the operator of the Coed Helen ferry. The Pritchard family of boat owners and builders ran the ferry from c.1859. In 1878 David Pritchard was praised for his prompt action to save a militiaman (volunteer soldier) who fell between the quay and boat while boarding. David died, aged 76, in 1884.

The first swing bridge, known as Pont yr Aber, was completed in 1899, amid arguing over compensation for loss of the ferry trade. A gas engine powered the swing mechanism. The bridge was too small to justify hydraulic power, which would have been ideal.

The metalwork was painted “stone colour” (off-white) to minimise heat absorption from sunshine. Excess heat would have distorted the ends of the swing span. White paint was rejected as it would soon have looked dirty. Tolls were levied on pedestrians and carriages.

The bridge was replaced by the current pedestrian bridge in 1970. You can still see some of the wooden supports for the original bridge as you cross.

A drive led from the ferry to Coed Helen house, thought to date from the early 17th century. The house belonged to a succession of influential families and is now part of a caravan park.

On the hill between the river and house stands a summerhouse, built in the 18th century. At various times, the military used the area for training and keeping watch on the Menai Strait. A battery of guns at Coed Helen was fired on important occasions, including in 1847 to salute Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and their children.

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Antioplelle (Antiopella cristata) – La Lauve –Cap d’Antibes - France

Delicate and elegant, Antiopella cristata glides among algae and hydroids like a colorful veil. Its translucent body reveals the intriate harmony of its internal organs, while its cerata — long, iridescent filaments — sway gently with the current.

Both ornamental and vital, each cerata contains a digestive diverticulum, an extension of the intestine where digestion and absorption take place. But this fragile structure also hides a clever defense strategy: nematocysts harvested from its tinging prey, mainly hydroids, are stored there, ready to deter

potential predators.

Under the light, the cerata glow with a crystalline radiance, highlighting the functional beauty shaped by evolution.

This image was captured off the coast of Cap d’Antibes, at the dive site La Lauve.

Using a Nikon D800E in an Aquatica housing, paired with a 105 mm macro lens, an SMC - 1 (2.3x) wet lens, and a snoot mounted on a Backscatter Mini Flash 2, I isolated texture, form, and light at F/22 to reveal the graphic details of this elegant biological ingenuity.

The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park is the largest hot spring in the United States, and the third largest in the world. It is located in the Midway Geyser Basin.

The vivid colors in the spring are the result of pigmented bacteria in the microbial mats that grow around the edges of the mineral-rich water. The bacteria produce colors ranging from green to red; the amount of color in the microbial mats depends on the ratio of chlorophyll to carotenoids and on the temperature of the water that favors one bacterium over another. The center of the pool is sterile due to extreme heat.

The deep blue color of the water in the center of the pool results from the intrinsic blue colour of water, itself the result of water's selective absorption of red wavelengths of visible light. Though this effect is responsible for making all large bodies of water blue, it is particularly intense in Grand Prismatic Spring because of the high purity and depth of the water in the middle of the spring. The spring is approximately 250 by 300 feet (80 by 90 m) in size and is 160 feet (50 m) deep. The spring discharges an estimated 560 US gallons (2,100 L) of 160 °F (70 °C) water per minute.

My first pass at this object. It appears this is one of those objects that needs more than narrow band filters. I am hoping to collect a lot more data in the future particularly in regular rgb to get color in the dust and reflection areas.

"The Cocoon Nebula, also known as IC 5146, is a relatively well-known nebula located in the constellation Cygnus, about 3,000 light-years from Earth. It is a combination of both an emission and reflection nebula, surrounded by a dark molecular cloud. Here’s an overview of its main characteristics:

Structure and Composition:

The Cocoon Nebula is a star-forming region that contains ionization, dust absorption and reflection. It appears as a small, bright core (the "cocoon") surrounded by the dark lanes of dust.

In the central region, new stars are forming, and their intense radiation ionizes the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow with the characteristic red color of an emission nebula.

At the same time, the dust around the young stars reflects their light, making parts of the nebula visible as a reflection nebula.

Star Formation:

The Cocoon Nebula contains a young star cluster known as Collinder 470, which is embedded in the nebula.

The star at the center of the nebula is particularly young and massive. Its energy drives the emission that we see from the surrounding gas. This star, along with others in the nebula, is in the early stages of stellar evolution.

Dark Nebula (Barnard 168):

A key feature of the Cocoon Nebula is its association with a long, dark cloud known as Barnard 168, which forms a "trail" leading away from the nebula.

This dark nebula absorbs background light and obscures stars behind it, creating a stark contrast with the glowing core of the Cocoon Nebula.

Size and Distance:

The Cocoon Nebula spans about 12 light-years across, with the surrounding dark nebula stretching even further.

It is located about 3,000 light-years away from Earth, making it a relatively close target for amateur astronomers with telescopes.

Visibility:

Although the Cocoon Nebula is relatively faint, it can be observed with medium to large telescopes, particularly under dark skies. It is located near the star Pi Cygni in the constellation Cygnus."

Askar 120APO: 840mm f/7

ZWO ASI533MC Color Camera at -10C

43xuvir@3m

ZWO ASI533MM Mono Camera at -10C

6xHa, 6xSii, 6xOiii@10m

Guided on ZWO AM5

Processed with PixInsight, Ps

I wish a happy Easter and I hope that after Easter I will emerge from nowhere again :-)

My first reaction to this abundance of foam floating down the river was to think there had been some sort of toxic spill. Turns out there was a more benign explanation. At this point in the season tons of organic materials are being washed into the river. As they decay they produce surfactants which reduce the water's natural surface tension, and this allows for an easy absorption of large quantities of air into the water. Just above the site of this shot is a small set of falls which are roiling at quite a pace thanks to all the rain. End result: foam.