Eventing (curated)
View allAll Photos Tagged aptitude
This was such a friendly fearsome fellow with a great aptitude when hungry. I was having a coffee and a few biscuits at one of my local nature reserve when this chap landed on the table scoffing down any biscuit crumbs he could find to eat. One minute he was the table then the seat next to me, my shoulder, and to top it all he'd constantly kept landing on my woolly hat on my head being very vocal and flapping his wings until he got another crumb. Christmas came a bit early for me this year as Mr Robin left a few presents on my beloved favourite woolly green hat, he pooped all over it, lol. In the 1400's when the Robin was named the colour orange had not been classified and this is why we say that the Robin has a red breast and not orange. Its about time that the Robin became the national bird of the UK just like America that has an eagle as their national bird.
La Sittelle torchepot ( Sitta europaea ) est un oiseau dit cavernicole en ce sens qu'il niche dans un trou d'arbre, plus rarement dans une cavité de mur ou de rocher. Il occupe souvent un nid vacant de pic. Il ne creuse que très rarement sa propre cavité. C'est en squattant les logis abandonnés d'oiseaux plus grands que la Sittelle torchepot fait preuve d'une autre originalité. En effet le trou de vol étant trop grand pour ses besoins, elle s'emploie à le rétrécir afin qu'il n'atteigne que 29-3l mm, ce qui en interdit l'entrée à d'autres candidats, comme l'étourneau par exemple.
C'est le travail de la femelle. Au moyen de boulettes de terre ou d'argile imprégnées de salive, elle maçonne soigneusement un chambranle aux dimensions voulues. C'est cette aptitude qui lui a valu le qualificatif de torchepot (torchis).
****************************************************************
The Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a so-called cavernicolous bird in that it nests in a tree hole, more rarely in a wall or rock cavity. It often occupies a vacant peak nest. It rarely digs its own cavity. It is by squatting abandoned houses of larger birds that the Nuthatch torchepot is showing another originality. Indeed the flight hole being too big for its needs, it works to shrink it so that it reaches only 29-3l mm, which prohibits entry to other candidates, such as the starling for example.
It's the work of the female. By means of saliva-impregnated clay or clay balls, she carefully masonates a jamb to the desired dimensions. It is this ability that earned him the name of torchpot (mud).
La Sittelle torchepot ( Sitta europaea ) est un oiseau dit cavernicole en ce sens qu'il niche dans un trou d'arbre, plus rarement dans une cavité de mur ou de rocher. Il occupe souvent un nid vacant de pic. Il ne creuse que très rarement sa propre cavité. C'est en squattant les logis abandonnés d'oiseaux plus grands que la Sittelle torchepot fait preuve d'une autre originalité. En effet le trou de vol étant trop grand pour ses besoins, elle s'emploie à le rétrécir afin qu'il n'atteigne que 29-3l mm, ce qui en interdit l'entrée à d'autres candidats, comme l'étourneau par exemple.
C'est le travail de la femelle. Au moyen de boulettes de terre ou d'argile imprégnées de salive, elle maçonne soigneusement un chambranle aux dimensions voulues. C'est cette aptitude qui lui a valu le qualificatif de torchepot (torchis).
****************************************************************
The Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a so-called cavernicolous bird in that it nests in a tree hole, more rarely in a wall or rock cavity. It often occupies a vacant peak nest. It rarely digs its own cavity. It is by squatting abandoned houses of larger birds that the Nuthatch torchepot is showing another originality. Indeed the flight hole being too big for its needs, it works to shrink it so that it reaches only 29-3l mm, which prohibits entry to other candidates, such as the starling for example.
It's the work of the female. By means of saliva-impregnated clay or clay balls, she carefully masonates a jamb to the desired dimensions. It is this ability that earned him the name of torchpot (mud).
La Sittelle torchepot ( Sitta europaea ) est un oiseau dit cavernicole en ce sens qu'il niche dans un trou d'arbre, plus rarement dans une cavité de mur ou de rocher. Il occupe souvent un nid vacant de pic. Il ne creuse que très rarement sa propre cavité. C'est en squattant les logis abandonnés d'oiseaux plus grands que la Sittelle torchepot fait preuve d'une autre originalité. En effet le trou de vol étant trop grand pour ses besoins, elle s'emploie à le rétrécir afin qu'il n'atteigne que 29-3l mm, ce qui en interdit l'entrée à d'autres candidats, comme l'étourneau par exemple.
C'est le travail de la femelle. Au moyen de boulettes de terre ou d'argile imprégnées de salive, elle maçonne soigneusement un chambranle aux dimensions voulues. C'est cette aptitude qui lui a valu le qualificatif de torchepot (torchis).
****************************************************************
The Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a so-called cavernicolous bird in that it nests in a tree hole, more rarely in a wall or rock cavity. It often occupies a vacant peak nest. It rarely digs its own cavity. It is by squatting abandoned houses of larger birds that the Nuthatch torchepot is showing another originality. Indeed the flight hole being too big for its needs, it works to shrink it so that it reaches only 29-3l mm, which prohibits entry to other candidates, such as the starling for example.
It's the work of the female. By means of saliva-impregnated clay or clay balls, she carefully masonates a jamb to the desired dimensions. It is this ability that earned him the name of torchpot (mud).
Rain speeds through the streets of Ascension 7, on Leigh's hoverbike, on an adrenaline induced high.
(Photo taken at Sleepy Bay Photo studio)
La Sittelle torchepot ( Sitta europaea ) est un oiseau dit cavernicole en ce sens qu'il niche dans un trou d'arbre, plus rarement dans une cavité de mur ou de rocher. Il occupe souvent un nid vacant de pic. Il ne creuse que très rarement sa propre cavité. C'est en squattant les logis abandonnés d'oiseaux plus grands que la Sittelle torchepot fait preuve d'une autre originalité. En effet le trou de vol étant trop grand pour ses besoins, elle s'emploie à le rétrécir afin qu'il n'atteigne que 29-3l mm, ce qui en interdit l'entrée à d'autres candidats, comme l'étourneau par exemple.
C'est le travail de la femelle. Au moyen de boulettes de terre ou d'argile imprégnées de salive, elle maçonne soigneusement un chambranle aux dimensions voulues. C'est cette aptitude qui lui a valu le qualificatif de torchepot (torchis).
****************************************************************
The Eurasian Nuthatch (Sitta europaea) is a so-called cavernicolous bird in that it nests in a tree hole, more rarely in a wall or rock cavity. It often occupies a vacant peak nest. It rarely digs its own cavity. It is by squatting abandoned houses of larger birds that the Nuthatch torchepot is showing another originality. Indeed the flight hole being too big for its needs, it works to shrink it so that it reaches only 29-3l mm, which prohibits entry to other candidates, such as the starling for example.
It's the work of the female. By means of saliva-impregnated clay or clay balls, she carefully masonates a jamb to the desired dimensions. It is this ability that earned him the name of torchpot (mud).
Atelier peinture sur porcelaine avec les petits-enfants (des points plus ou moins gros semés suivant le goût et l'aptitude de chacun, un atelier qui a beaucoup plu...) .
Porcelain painting workshop with the grandchildren (more or less large points sown according to the taste and the aptitude of each one, a workshop which was very popular ...).
My cocoon tightens, colors tease,
I'm feeling for the air;
A dim capacity for wings
Degrades the dress I wear.
A power of butterfly must be
The aptitude to fly,
Meadows of majesty concedes
And easy sweeps of sky.
So I must baffle at the hint
And cipher at the sign,
And make much blunder, if at last
I take the clew divine.
~ Emily Dickinson ~
I used to tell HR, which for most of my career consisted of my wife...hire attitude, train aptitude :-)
lotus blossom, denver botanical garden, colorado
My baby lives in shades of blue
Blue eyes and jazz and attitude
He lives in California too
He drives a Chevy Malibu
And when he calls
He calls for me, and not for you
He lives for love, he loves his drugs
He loves his baby too
But I can't fix him
Can't make him better
And I can't do nothing about
His strange weather
But you
Are unfixable
I can't break through your world
'Cause you
Live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
My baby lives in shades of cool
Cool heart and hands and aptitude
He lives for love, for women too
I'm one of many; one is blue
And when he calls
He calls for me, and not for you
He prays for love, he prays for peace
And maybe someone new
But I can't help him
Can't make him better
And I can't do nothing about
His strange weather
'Cause you
Are unfixable
I can't break through your world
'Cause you
Live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
Your hot, hot weather in the summer
Hot, hot, neglectful lover
Hot, hot weather in the summer
Hot, neglectful lover
You're crumbling, sadly
You're sadly crumbling
'Cause you
Are unfixable
I can't break through your world
'Cause you
Live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJABBmAMXnY
Location: Salmson Isle.
Le Grand Cormoran est un bel oiseau, largement répandu dans le monde.
Son aptitude à la pêche est soit appréciée et tournée à l’avantage des hommes en Extrême Orient, soit désapprouvée dans plusieurs pays où il est considéré comme un concurrent redoutable et persécuté.
**********************************************************
The Great Cormorant is a beautiful bird, widespread in the world.
His aptitude for fishing is either appreciated and turned to the advantage of men in the Far East, or disapproved in several countries where he is considered a formidable competitor and persecuted.
"You know, if you have the aptitude, you should join the Mage's College in Winterhold."
―Farengar Secret-Fire
The College of Winterhold is a guild of mages. The College is located in the northern section of the city of Winterhold. Instructors of each magical discipline reside within, offering training and various magical wares to members.
Before entering the College, the gatekeeper, Faralda, will wish to see a demonstration of the Dragonborn's magical powers. She requests to see a spell appropriate for the Dragonborn's level before gaining passage.
Tags: #Secondlife #Fantasy #Roleplay #Mage #College #Magic #Dragonborn #Elven
EEP! WL: Anan Adore Light Explosion II
A power of Butterfly must be -
The Aptitude to fly
Meadows of Majesty concedes
And easy Sweeps of Sky -”
― Emily Dickinson
Please take a minute to press L and view in large!
"Well Dad" ? "Did i pass the (cr)aptitude test" ?.......
"Yes son, with flying colours".
"I didn't think any of us could poop on three thousand horses all at once."
A fairly big crop, (part of a birds digestive system) to hi-light the Pigeons.
Square dancing tractors combine the art of dance with agricultural machinery. This unique tradition involves vintage tractors performing choreographed movements, resembling a traditional square dance.
History
Origins
The concept began in 1953 as part of a marketing campaign by International Harvester.
The Farmall Super-C tractors showcased their agility through choreographed performances.
Performance
Four couples operate tractors, moving in sync to mimic square dance steps.
A caller guides the drivers, similar to traditional square dancing.
Skills Required
Tractor Operation
Participants must have knowledge of operating vintage tractors.
Skills include mechanical aptitude and patience.
Dance Coordination
Dancers need impeccable timing and teamwork.
The performance requires both agricultural skills and dance grace.
PHOTO: this tractor appeared to be dancing, so I did some research and found tractors really do dance, square dance that is!
but a great aptitude for patience :-)
George-Louis de Buffon
HFF!!
chrysanthemum, 'Allyson Peace', sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina
Having run out of new material to edit due to my firm belief we should stay the hell home during this pandemic unless there is a very good reason to be out and about so I have reached back into my shot vaults to find some interesting things to work on and edit with a softer hand for a while.
Here there be dragons in this case a horse dragon named Long-Ma part of a show that was brought to Ottawa for a street performance of a story developed in Nantes France by La Machine stage/film creatives with an amazing mechanical aptitude.
Long-Ma pictured here weighs about 40 tons stands 13m high and stretches almost 20m in length at times and it takes a dozen operators to maneuver through the city streets clanking, snorting huge gusts of steam vapor while roaring loud enough to rattle windows all the while huge crowds following his path making the kid in you believe this is somehow real.
I took this on Oct 25, 2020 with my D750 and Nikon 70-300mm 3.5-5.6 Lens at 300mm 1/50 sec f/5.6 ISO3200 processed in LR, PS +Lumenzia, Topaz , and DXO
Disclaimer: My style is a study of romantic realism as well as a work in progress
O Sole Mio, Carlo Bergonzi
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nNxw7c55Mk
Bunin: Debussy - Arabesque No. 1 in E major
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GStfo_f4L0g
An American living in China talking about the nCoV
www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5rhyBKJXb4
On the Death of Dr. Li in Wuhan
www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-Fy80yHYQo&t=9s
Toscha Seidel - Grieg Violin Sonata #3, Mvt 3
www.youtube.com/watch?v=anTp1BExGes
Raoul Koczalski : Chopin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcV3P6zS30Q
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhfmiuVSnDw
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dFSPMrxTgdk
www.youtube.com/watch?v=au33_fvyJng
www.youtube.com/watch?v=elTSwjBY8nQ
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOHg33Shwl8
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fprBFVoMeU
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmRMyRYYGtQ
Tschaiovsky
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ugn1MPF-T84&list=RDV_22HZ7T_F...
Scriabin
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHPFrCJP6c4&list=RDsOHg33Shwl...
Schubert-Liszt
www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_22HZ7T_FQ&list=RDV_22HZ7T_F...
*
In Conversation With: Toscha Seidel
"Studying with Professor Auer was a revelation. I had private lessons from him, and at the same time attended the classes at the Petrograd Conservatory. I should say that his great specialty, if one can use the word specialty in the case of so universal a master of teaching as the Professor, was bowing. In all violin playing the left hand, the finger hand, might be compared to a perfectly adjusted technical machine, one that needs to be kept well oiled to function properly. The right hand, the bow hand, is the direct opposite—it is the painter hand, the artist hand, its phrasing outlines the pictures of music; its nuances fill them with beauty of color. And while the Professor insisted as a matter of course on the absolute development of finger mechanics, he was an inspiration as regards the right manipulation of the bow, and its use as a medium of interpretation. And he made his pupils think. Often, when I played a passage in a concerto or sonata and it lacked clearness, he would ask me: 'Why is this passage not clear?' Sometimes I knew and sometimes I did not. But not until he was satisfied that I could not myself answer the question, would he show me how to answer it. He could make every least detail clear, illustrating it on his own violin; but if the pupil could 'work out his own salvation' he always encouraged him to do so.
"Most teachers make bowing a very complicated affair, adding to its difficulties. But Professor Auer develops a natural bowing, with an absolutely free wrist, in all his pupils; for he teaches each student along the line of his individual aptitudes. Hence the length of the fingers and the size of the hand make no difference, because in the case of each pupil they are treated as separate problems, capable of an individual solution. I have known of pupils who came to him with an absolutely stiff wrist; and yet he taught them to overcome it.
HOW TO STUDY
"Scale study—all Auer pupils had to practice scales every day, scales in all the intervals—is a most important thing. And following his idea of stimulating the pupil's self-development, the Professor encouraged us to find what we needed ourselves. I remember that once—we were standing in a corridor of the Conservatory—when I asked him, 'What should I practice in the way of studies?' he answered: 'Take the difficult passages from the great concertos. You cannot improve on them, for they are as good, if not better, as any studies written.' As regards technical work we were also encouraged to think out our own exercises. And this I still do. When I feel that my thirds and sixths need attention I practice scales and original figurations in these intervals. But genuine, resultful practice is something that should never be counted by 'hours.' Sometimes I do not touch my violin all day long; and one hour with head work is worth any number of days without it. At the most I never practice more than three hours a day. And when my thoughts are fixed on other things it would be time lost to try to practice seriously. Without technical control a violinist could not be a great artist; for he could not express himself. Yet a great artist can give even a technical study, say a Rode étude, a quality all its own in playing it. That technic, however, is a means, not an end, Professor Auer never allowed his pupils to forget. He is a wonderful master of interpretation. I studied the great concertos with him—Beethoven, Bruch, Mendelssohn, Tschaikovsky, Dvoøák, the Brahms concerto (which I prefer to any other); the Vieuxtemps Fifth and Lalo (both of which I have heard Ysaye, that supreme artist who possesses all that an artist should have, play in Berlin); the Elgar concerto (a fine work which I once heard Kreisler, an artist as great as he is modest, play wonderfully in Petrograd), as well as other concertos of the standard repertory. And Professor Auer always sought to have us play as individuals; and while he never allowed us to overstep the boundaries of the musically esthetic, he gave our individuality free play within its limits. He never insisted on a pupil accepting his own nuances of interpretation because they were his. I know that when playing for him, if I came to a passage which demanded an especially beautiful legato rendering, he would say: 'Now show how you can sing!' The exquisite legato he taught was all a matter of perfect bowing, and as he often said: 'There must be no such thing as strings or hair in the pupil's consciousness. One must not play violin, one must sing violin!'
My baby lives in shades of blue
Blue eyes and jazz and attitude
He lives in California too
He drives a Chevy Malibu
And when he calls
He calls for me, not for you
He lives for love, he loves his drugs
He loves his baby too
But I can't fix him, can't make him better
And I can't do nothing about his strange weather
But you are invincible
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
My baby lives in shades of cool
Blue heart and hands and aptitude
He lives for love, for women, too
I'm one of many, one is blue
And when he calls
He calls for me, not for you
He prays for love, he prays for peace
And maybe someone new
But I can't help him, can't make him better
And I can't do nothing about his strange weather
'Cause you are invincible
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
You are invincible
I can't break through your world
'Cause you live in shades of cool
Your heart is unbreakable
"My baby lives in shades of cool
Blue heart and hands and aptitude
He lives for love, for women, too
I'm one of many, one is blue"
Styling:
Head Nova by Lelutka
Skin Teresa by Mila
Hair Artemis by Doux
Grace Sweater [Granite] M-Lara by Giz Seorn
Grace High Waist Pants [Brown] M-Lara by Giz Seorn
Clutch Bag Upper Right by -MONCADA PARIS-
Auria Stiletto Suede by NX-Nardcotix
Blog Post:
meshedgal.wordpress.com/2020/05/25/one-is-blue
“Naviguer dans les airs entretient les fantasmes de notre enfance ; cela stimule notre aptitude à rêver.”
Joyce Carol Oates
Thank you very much for your comments and for your faves.
(Please do not use without my written permission.)
Taken on the road to the Nighthawk border crossing near Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada.
Perhaps the plainest in appearance as far as sparrows are concerned, however this little fella atones for it with a considerable aptitude for song. Below is a link where you may hear him perform in a video I posted earlier this year.
www.flickr.com/photos/ebirdman/47960598561/in/photostream/
Brewer's Sparrow
Caption literal translation is 'having no fingers to play the piano', a common saying around here to someone who has no aptitude or skill to do a particular thing.
I can punch the keys but definitely can't play the piano, so pun intended :-)
(plain sooc, the jpeg over raw experiment still going on - has survived 2 months by now - dim natural light with custom white balance from a styrofoam homemade card).
Santiago, Chile.
savute plains, a leopard is trying to approach a kudu .
those big cats have a slow approach technique during which a minimal error makes the hunting fail.
a leopard must approach about 10/15 meters from the prey to have a good chance..it then makes a brief and an explosive charge(uo to 60kmh) ,pounching on its prey and dispatching it with bite to the neck.leopards do not have the aptitude to chase their quarry over any kind of distance.many of their preys are faster and can be caught only with an ambush.despite what we think,researchers believe that each individual leopard accounts for 20/40 kills a year.
of course if preys are small or stolen from hyenas and lions they have to hunt much more.
the leopard intraspecific natural enemies are baboons (one of the leopard favorite meal too) ,hyenas and wild dogs can steal them the preys.
but only the male lions can catch and kill easily an adult leopard.
the lion females are used to attack leopards but usually with the purpose to intimidate them.lion females are more tolerant towards other animals not considered as food.
the lion males instead have an instinct that brings them to kill all the possible competitors and they do it.
in savute there are notorius lion prides and leopards must stay always on alert.
anyway the leopard remain maybe the most beautiful african predator ,a deadly form of perfection.
"attack mode"
savute plains,botswana
original file here:
Excerpt from www-seminaire--sherbrooke-qc-ca.translate.goog/seminaire/...:
Founded in 1875 by Msgr. Antoine Racine, first bishop of Sherbrooke, the Séminaire de Sherbrooke is an educational establishment constituted as a corporation by chapter 189 of the Quebec statutes (1959, SQ).
The Seminary was declared of public interest (DIP) by the Quebec Ministry of Education in August 1969 for the collegiate order; in October 1969 for the secondary order.
The Séminaire de Sherbrooke's purpose is education, understood as a process aimed at ensuring the growth of the person. The achievement of this purpose assumes that everyone subscribes to its overall project, designed as a response to the needs, aptitudes and aspirations of the student, and which tends to the balanced development of all the components of his personality: physical, intellectual, emotional. , ethical, religious and social.
The Alaskan husky (distinct from the Siberian husky) is a breed of medium-sized working sled dog, developed specifically for its pulling ability. Alaskan huskies are the most commonly used type of dog for competitive sled dog racing, both in short-distance sprint racing as well as long-distance expedition races.
The Alaskan husky is not an officially recognized breed by any kennel club, nor does it have a formal breed standard.[6] Unlike breeds developed for the show ring, the Alaskan husky is instead a product of careful selection for desirable sled dog traits from various other breeds, such as aptitude for pulling, endurance, speed, intelligence, appetite, and tolerance of extreme weather.
This meet and greet was as near as we got to the sled trails as the conditions were too icy on our trip. Having seen the speed that these dogs pull I think we probably dodged a bullet!
For TMI’s October 2020 contest Nature in Black & White
and
Kreative People’s October 2020 Contest One Good Word
Own image processed with Topaz Studio 2
~~~ Thank you all for viewing, kind comments, favs and awards - much appreciated! ~~~
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantin_Br%C3%A2ncu%C8%99i
Constantin Brâncuși (Romanian: [konstanˈtin brɨŋˈkuʃʲ] (About this soundlisten); February 19, 1876 – March 16, 1957) was a Romanian sculptor, painter and photographer who made his career in France. Considered a pioneer of modernism, one of the most influential sculptors of the 20th-century, Brâncuși is called the patriarch of modern sculpture. As a child he displayed an aptitude for carving wooden farm tools. Formal studies took him first to Bucharest, then to Munich, then to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris from 1905 to 1907. His art emphasizes clean geometrical lines that balance forms inherent in his materials with the symbolic allusions of representational art. Brâncuși sought inspiration in non-European cultures as a source of primitive exoticism, as did Paul Gauguin, Pablo Picasso, André Derain and others. However, other influences emerge from Romanian folk art traceable through Byzantine and Dionysian traditions.[1]
ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casa_memorial%C4%83_Constantin_Br%C...
I’ve been working to show that Levitation is not confined to birds only, for a while now. Yes, we have documented evidence that Levitation has made the jump to mammals down in Calgary where a hare displays this aptitude but I have not been able to show that up here. Well, finally I talked the squirrel into showing his technique. That took a bit of doing because the last shot of him, levitating a peanut, took him by surprise and he was cross with me for a long time. We finally straightened out these differences although it took a huge amount of peanuts to seal the deal. I would like to point out several things here. This squirrel is not a novice at this and I suggest you don’t try this at home without at least some sort of safety netting to cushion the inevitable impact on first tries. He casually leans into the maneuver and is completely relaxed. No intense concentration is visible in his expression. He is completely parallel to the ground and although his back feet still touch the peanut stand, there is no way that they would be responsible for supporting this position.
Relaxation, of course, can be accomplished in many different ways and does not need to be involved with Levitation. In my case, a good bottle of wine (or actually, any bottle of wine since I don’t pretend to be a connoisseur) and maybe some easy to listen piece of music (yes, foot stomping and hand clapping are requirements) such as ...
This liberty, currently remains quiescent as the present location does not allow for this volition to rise at it's fullest aptitude.
Todos los derechos reservados - All rights reserved - copyright © Pilar Azaña Talán
Después de tantas fotos de maravillosa nieve, me apetece poner este lago en plena explosión de colores otoñales, con su calidez, luminosidad y calma total. Me gusta observar como el agua puede reproducir en este espejo inigualable toda la belleza que lo rodea. La madre naturaleza no deja de asombrarme por la impresionante capacidad para mantener su equilibrio, y es que en ella siempre se encuentra la solución y la clave para casi todo... pero el ser humano destruye...
---------------------------------
After so many photos of wonderful snow, I like to put this lake in full explosion of autumnal colors, with his warmth, luminosity and total calmness. I like to observe as the water it can reproduce in this incomparable mirror the whole beauty that surrounds it. The mother nature does not stop amazing me for the impressive aptitude to support his balance, and is that in her always one finds the solution and the key for almost quite... but the human being always destroys...
Benton Lake, Caddo Lake, Texas, USA
Another couple of shots taken whilst floating around in a kayak. Benton Lake was one of the limited areas that had a significant variation in colours within the cypress tree canopy. As I said in a previous posting, one of the locals said about 6-8 weeks before my visit some ‘bug’ had decimated the leaves on a lot of the trees. Whilst not meeting the level of a biblical plague of locusts I’d say it wasn’t too far off from a number of the areas I saw.
Shooting from a kayak is an interesting experience in that for someone of my aptitude I had a little control of my shooting position (certainly more than when on the motor boat but nothing like the degree I’m used to having. Note to self, should I manage to return to Caddo Lake take a full sized tripod as I gather over a fair bit of the lake the water is only about 3-4ft deep although 8-10ft is more the average. No guarantees though. I certainly have seen and saw some Togs using a tripod in the water when canoeing - I suspect it’s not as straight forward as it might seem!
As you can readily see, these two shots were taken from very similar positions with one pointing slightly to the right of the other. It’s another case where I have found it impossible to decide which I prefer, so decided to post both. No obligation to say which you prefer but equally I’d be very happy to know and the reason why.
Should anyone be interested my ‘mancave (aka my garden photography editing room) is now mostly kitted out and I’ve finally taken pity on my old PC that has soldiered on using a sub-spec graphics card and other aged internals (that only those under 30 or working in IT would know the names of!) and replaced it with something I trust will last me an equally long time. I’m not one of those that automatically thinks new = better but have to say having a PC that loads images without needing to step away to make a cuppa nor fear the desktop case is about to take off (due to the fans working so fast) is much more relaxing. I don’t know about others but why people want a PC that glows like a late 70s/early 80s disco ball is beyond me so needless to say I deleted that from the spec the salesman showed me.
© All rights reserved to Steve Pellatt. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
Most of Europe considers the black cat a symbol of bad luck, particularly if one walks across the path in front of a person, which is believed to be an omen of misfortune, Black Cat, however, shows you new ways of looking at the world and may even encourage Clairvoyant or other psychic aptitudes that boost intuition.
Soundtrack // Bande-son : SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES ("Dear Prudence"): www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6rrTROoZIw&list=RDM6rrTROoZI...
"Dear Prudence, open up your eyes... Dear Prudence, see the sunny skies... The wind is low, the birds will sing... That you are part of everything... Dear Prudence, won't you open up your eyes ? LOOK AROUND ROUND AROUND ROUND ROUND..."
"C"est beau comme une peinture de Seurat... presque du pointillisme !!!" // "It's as beautiful as a painting from Seurat. Sort of pointillism !!!" (Georges LISSILOUR / www.flickr.com/photos/geolis06/)
"Your skills at 'softening and romanticizing' the world are both inspirational and fascinating! - j'applaudis tes merveilleuses oeuvres." // "Tes aptitudes pour adoucir et romancer le monde sont aussi inspirantes que fascinantes !" (Robby MacGILLIVRAY / www.flickr.com/photos/137060962@N08/ )
"Nos caps si familiers mais toujours captivants, le traitement semble gommer les distances, la tonalité du ciel nous emmène ailleurs, reste l'espace, la beauté ineffable..." // "Our so familiar but still captivating capes... The treatment seems to erase the distances and the tone of the sly leads us somewhere else... Still remains the space, the ineffable beauty." (VINCENT / www.flickr.com/photos/58769600@N07/)
"Superbes couleurs harmonieuses pour mettre en valeur nos caps." // "Great harmonious colours to promote our capes." (FLORENCE.V / www.flickr.com/photos/flo59/)
"Terrific image - compliments !!" (PAROWAN496 / www.flickr.com/photos/parowan496/)
own texture.
Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.
Zig Ziglar
Eleven on the River is a 550 ft (170 m) tall skyscraper in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, located at 1111 W River Pkwy. Completed in 2022, Eleven has 42 floors and 120 units It is the 7th-tallest building in Minneapolis, and the tallest residential building in Minnesota.
It was designed by New York City architecture firm Robert A.M. Stern Architects alongside Ryan A+E, Inc. as the architect of record. Ryan Companies US, Inc. served as co-developer and builder.
A power of Butterfly must be –
The Aptitude to fly
Meadows of Majesty concedes
And easy Sweeps of Sky –
Emily Dickinson
A group of lions taking rest in Masai Mara, Kenya
"No domestic animal can be as still as a wild animal.
The civilized people have lost the aptitude of stillness,
and must take lessons in silence from the wild
before they are accepted by it.“
(Karen Blixen)
Probably the last one from Crown Mines, Botallack, Cornwall, UK - certainly for a while.
I gather George Harrison came up with the seed of 'Here Comes the Sun' when he bunked off a meeting with Apple and went instead to see his mate Eric Clapton. Sitting in the garden he reflected that Apple was a bit like school with 'sign this, sign that' and he felt liberated in not having to go and see a load of "dopey accountants".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmBTYK7XZQk
Now despite me not having any musical aptitude (beyond knowing what I like to listen to) the general sentiment strikes a real cord with me. When you have had 20+ years of 'experts' telling you how they could repair roads a hell of a lot better than we do and how they are now driving on third world roads and why can't the road gullies cope with a monsoon ....well lets just say the idea of bunking off has a great attraction. So George, it may be 54 years later but I (and probably a vast number of people out there) can totally understand where you were coming from!
Slightly different composition taken nearer the 'Ledge of Doom' . I'd have liked to get separation between that rock the other side of the ledge and the bit where the coast joins the sea near the mines but there was a family settled in for the sunset just out of frame and I did not feel confident I could clone them out and too many of them to act as a 'scale'. I decided to just shoot what I could as by this time I could see the colours/light would be very nice and wasn't going to be too fussy.
This one is obviously taken a just before sunset when there was the light on the Crown Mines and the water. it's a set of 2 lots of 3 brackets - one for the foreground and one for the mines.
Some of you will know I've a workshop in Iceland coming up in October which is coming up quickly now. I need to get on and do some research and fine tuning as I feel obligated to try to shoot enough 'good' shots in my 5 days there to make Dom Haughton jealous. Between that prep. and my work I have to apologise again for being sporadic with comments on your photos and my postings/replies. I will try to do batches of comments but if I miss commenting on some of your photos please excuse me.
© All rights reserved Steve Pellatt. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
Benton Lake, Caddo Lake, Texas, USA
Another couple of shots taken whilst floating around in a kayak. Benton Lake was one of the limited areas that had a significant variation in colours within the cypress tree canopy. As I said in a previous posting, one of the locals said about 6-8 weeks before my visit some ‘bug’ had decimated the leaves on a lot of the trees. Whilst not meeting the level of a biblical plague of locusts I’d say it wasn’t too far off from a number of the areas I saw.
Shooting from a kayak is an interesting experience in that for someone of my aptitude I had a little control of my shooting position (certainly more than when on the motor boat but nothing like the degree I’m used to having. Note to self, should I manage to return to Caddo Lake take a full sized tripod as I gather over a fair bit of the lake the water is only about 3-4ft deep although 8-10ft is more the average. No guarantees though. I certainly have seen and saw some Togs using a tripod in the water when canoeing - I suspect it’s not as straight forward as it might seem!
As you can readily see, these two shots were taken from very similar positions with one pointing slightly to the right of the other. It’s another case where I have found it impossible to decide which I prefer, so decided to post both. No obligation to say which you prefer but equally I’d be very happy to know and the reason why.
Should anyone be interested my ‘mancave (aka my garden photography editing room) is now mostly kitted out and I’ve finally taken pity on my old PC that has soldiered on using a sub-spec graphics card and other aged internals (that only those under 30 or working in IT would know the names of!) and replaced it with something I trust will last me an equally long time. I’m not one of those that automatically thinks new = better but have to say having a PC that loads images without needing to step away to make a cuppa nor fear the desktop case is about to take off (due to the fans working so fast) is much more relaxing. I don’t know about others but why people want a PC that glows like a late 70s/early 80s disco ball is beyond me so needless to say I deleted that from the spec the salesman showed me.
© All rights reserved to Steve Pellatt. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.
The Aptitude to fly
Meadows of Majesty concedes
And easy Sweeps of Sky -”
― Emily Dickinson
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeUPNmbKwQ4
Blog Post
Taken on the road to the Nighthawk border crossing near Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada.
Perhaps the plainest in appearance as far as sparrows are concerned, however this little fella atones for it with a considerable aptitude for song.
Brewer's Sparrow
IMGP4455_1
Bueno, esta fue la primera vez que me atreví a fotografiar el cielo de noche. Al final, dadas las condiciones lumínicas y mis pobres aptitudes, no ha quedado un mal resultado. Prometo mejorar.
Well, this was the first time I ventured to take a photograph of the sky at night. And finally, given the light conditions and my poor skills, it has not been a bad result. I promise to improve.
Baruch de Spinoza lived here.
Baruch de Spinoza (Hebrew: ברוך שפינוזה, Portuguese: Bento de Espinosa, Basque: Benedict de Spinoza, Latin: Benedictus de Spinoza) (November 24, 1632 – February 21, 1677) was a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese Jewish origin. Revealing considerable scientific aptitude, the breadth and importance of Spinoza's work was not fully realized until years after his death. Today, he is considered one of the great rationalists of 17th century philosophy, laying the groundwork for the 18th century Enlightenment and modern biblical criticism. By virtue of his magnum opus, the posthumous Ethics, Spinoza is also considered one of Western philosophy's definitive ethicists.
Spinoza lived quietly as a lens grinder, turning down rewards and honours throughout his life, including prestigious teaching positions, and gave his family inheritance to his sister. Spinoza's moral character and philosophical accomplishments prompted twentieth-century philosopher Gilles Deleuze to name him "The absolute philosopher" (Deleuze, 1990). Spinoza died in February 1677 of a lung illness, perhaps tuberculosis or silicosis caused by fine glass dust inhaled while tending to his trade.
“The woman who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. The woman who walks alone is likely to find herself in places no-one has ever been before.” - Albert Einstein
The theme for “Looking Close… on Friday” on the 23rd of April is “arrow or dart”. I thought about arrows (as I have no aptitude or interest in darts, except the ones used in making clothes) and I liked the clean lines of the one-way signs. However, I wanted something for a colour contrast. As someone who marches to the beat of my own drum, I envisioned pairs of shoes all following the rules, except for one pair: the pair that is the rulebreaker and marches to the beat of their own drum. I hope you approve and like my creation for the theme.
After using a pair of beautiful 1:12 size miniature red slippers from my miniatures collection for the group’s previous themes of “sprinkles” and “red and white”, I thought I might use them again, along with several other pairs I have subsequently acquired for this week’s theme. All the pairs of shoes are a centimetre in height and length, except the boots which are two centimetres in height.
This grand stair has seen the elevation and diminishment of strong climbers on the direct ascent that may become less steady and not so sure footed on their somewhat dizzying descent depending on their sociable reception of reverence, revelry and their aptitude for rambunctiousness. All that is sheer supposition of the progression of historical heights achieved and also of the downward floundering disarray of degradation in regression. All of this was swimming around my unsure head as my hips, knees and ankles offered to give way. The four broken toes were not to be considered as I tried to do this stair and the well within and without some justice in my pictures.
This stair is in Auchinleck House in East Ayrshire, Scotland. It will have seen and supported Dr. Samuel Johnson and James Boswell whilst about their ways to publishing, “A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland,” also, “The Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides.” Dr. Samuel Johnson having risen to fame as The Man Of Letters of his age with critical acclaim and his outstanding lexicography work that would assure him a place in the Black Adder Pantheon of historical characters of true merit in the absolute finest of humours, “A Dictionary of the English Language. 1755, 1773.”
Blackadder, Ink and Incapability, Dr. Johnson being played perplexed over Sausage by Robbie Coltrane, Episode aired Sep 24, 1987, written by Richard Curtis, Ben Elton.
I happen to believe that I have failed in both pictures here produced together,
A staircase, no a challenge accepted and an achievement attempted
A stairwell staring back and questioning, “How you can picture it?”
I need to return and with crushed toes try much harder to achieve a result worthy of the Stair and of the Well both Inner and Outer.
© PHH Sykes 2025
phhsykes@gmail.com