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St Peters a view from the other side.......
Saint Peter’s Church in one of the River Severn’s secrets, hidden at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac leading to Upper Framilode and more easily seen from the river than the nearest main road.
The church is always open in daylight hours for a visit, whether to have a quite time of reflection, or as a cool tranquil haven for passing visitor’s on a hot day, where you could also pick up a good book to read, or coffee and cake on Saturday mornings.
In 1846 the inhabitants of Framilode were described as “watermen and their families in a most demoralised and unenlightened state”. It is tempting to link this statement to the building of the church, designed by Francis Niblett, which was consecrated in 1854.
St Peter’s is a fine example of early Victorian design, simple and economic with a hint of the exotic in its Italianate bell tower. As befits a riverside church the decoration incorporates nautical motifs, such as anchors and also representations of the tinplate workings that took place in the village. Indeed the apse which is richly decorated is mainly painted on time as is the cross above the arch.
The painted ceilings are largely original, but the inscriptions on the wall were added at a later date.
The churchyard nautical links are also noted in the churchyard where more than one headstone records a drowning and not always locally.
The church has more recently been the subject of Heritage and Community Project, which has created a building fit for the present which is used not only for worship but by the local community for a variety of events and classes.
This bull was seen along the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming.
The map location given is only approximate, in order to protect the wildlife. As befits a moose, it is in the general vicinity of Moose, Wyoming ;-)
How many Pheasants do you think are released into the UK every single year? The answer is about 35 million (and that figure comes from the shooting industry itself). And how does this compare with a very common British bird such as Woodpigeon? Well there are about 5.4 million pairs of Woodpigeons breeding in Britain so considerably fewer than Pheasants. But the actual Pheasant breeding population (assisted by artificial feeding and predator removal) is only thought to be about 2.3 million breeding females. About 15 million Pheasants are shot each year which means that about 20 million are sloshing about in the ecosystem; getting run over on roads and bolstering the fox and crow populations that gamekeepers are so keen to get rid of. Pheasant is not native to the UK (or Europe) but it has been here for a long time as it was reported being eaten at a monastery in Essex in 1058.
I usually prefer more natural surroundings for my bird photographs but for Pheasant I think the artificial surroundings befits its artificial status. The urban setting also provided splendid isolation. But speaking of isolation, it is really difficult to get the whole bird in focus, with a blurry background as they are getting on for a metre long.
Starting off as an idea, unfed for days
seeking the Sun's visual solacement
bringing with it the image of all that's past
and glimpses of surrounding hues to be
that come and go with only days to last
every leaf of every branch of every life
charts a deeper root from every socio-desire
nature was our beginning, will be our end
but also is the redeemer of escapism sought
for this long-forgotten environment we must defend
atmospheric byways instead of aggressive highways
glades made for equality in light of understanding
weapons avail themselves of the right to peace
and the only decline felt is one of united guilt -
that it took us thus far to vie for inner release
united in victualling our needs, we must stand as one
for tastes vary only slightly over time itself
though edible was the pride that previously swallowed the summer;
that of the gutless politician disguised by overgrown brambles
simmering a view in turning to the gracious glance of the sunlit newcomer
such may be our fate, that we witness four seasons in one day
that of luck befits summer in efference from winter's decay
there may be no human edict to pull the curtain from our natural inkling,
for here we stand in summer, whether overcast politics touches us or not!
and this notion is of a purity that may last but a twinkling...
by anglia24
14h35: 17/06/2008
©2008anglia24
The Springvale Community Hub stairwell welcoming people in many languages as befits the most multi-cultural local government area in Australia.
Milan Cathedral, is the cathedral church of Milan, Lombardy, Italy. Dedicated to the Nativity of St Mary (Santa Maria Nascente), it is the seat of the Archbishop of Milan, currently Archbishop Mario Delpini.
The cathedral took nearly six centuries to complete: construction began in 1386, and the final details were completed in 1965. It is the largest church in the Italian Republic—the larger St. Peter's Basilica is in the State of Vatican City, a sovereign state—and possibly the second largest in Europe and the third largest in the world (its size and position remains a matter of debate).
Milan's layout, with streets either radiating from the Duomo or circling it, reveals that the Duomo occupies what was the most central site in Roman Mediolanum, that of the public basilica facing the forum. The first cathedral, the "new basilica" (basilica nova) dedicated to St Thecla, was completed by 355. It seems to share, on a slightly smaller scale, the plan of the contemporaneous church recently rediscovered beneath Tower Hill in London. An adjoining basilica was erected in 836. The old octagonal baptistery, the Battistero Paleocristiano, dates to 335 and still can be visited under the Cathedral. When a fire damaged the cathedral and basilica in 1075, they were rebuilt as the Duomo.
In 1386, Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo began construction of the cathedral. Start of the construction coincided with the ascension to power in Milan of the archbishop's cousin Gian Galeazzo Visconti, and was meant as a reward to the noble and working classes, who had suffered under his tyrannical Visconti predecessor Barnabò. Before actual work began, three main buildings were demolished: the palace of the Archbishop, the Ordinari Palace and the Baptistry of St. Stephen at the Spring, while the old church of Sta. Maria Maggiore was exploited as a stone quarry. Enthusiasm for the immense new building soon spread among the population, and the shrewd Gian Galeazzo, together with his cousin the archbishop, collected large donations for the work-in-progress. The construction program was strictly regulated under the "Fabbrica del Duomo", which had 300 employees led by first chief engineer Simone da Orsenigo. Orsenigo initially planned to build the cathedral from brick in Lombard Gothic style.
Visconti had ambitions to follow the newest trends in European architecture. In 1389, a French chief engineer, Nicolas de Bonaventure, was appointed, adding to the church its Rayonnant Gothic. Galeazzo gave the Fabbrica del Duomo exclusive use of the marble from the Candoglia quarry and exempted it from taxes. Ten years later another French architect, Jean Mignot, was called from Paris to judge and improve upon the work done, as the masons needed new technical aid to lift stones to an unprecedented height.[8] Mignot declared all the work done up till then as in pericolo di ruina ("peril of ruin"), as it had been done sine scienzia ("without science"). In the following years Mignot's forecasts proved untrue, but they spurred Galeazzo's engineers to improve their instruments and techniques. Work proceeded quickly, and at the death of Gian Galeazzo in 1402, almost half the cathedral was complete. Construction, however, stalled almost totally until 1480, for lack of money and ideas: the most notable works of this period were the tombs of Marco Carelli and Pope Martin V (1424) and the windows of the apse (1470s), of which those extant portray St. John the Evangelist, by Cristoforo de' Mottis, and Saint Eligius and San John of Damascus, both by Niccolò da Varallo. In 1452, under Francesco Sforza, the nave and the aisles were completed up to the sixth bay.
In 1488, both Leonardo da Vinci and Donato Bramante created models in a competition to design the central cupola; Leonardo later withdrew his submission. In 1500 to 1510, under Ludovico Sforza, the octagonal cupola was completed, and decorated in the interior with four series of 15 statues each, portraying saints, prophets, sibyls and other Figures from the Bible. The exterior long remained without any decoration, except for the Guglietto dell'Amadeo ("Amadeo's Little Spire"), constructed 1507–1510. This is a Renaissance masterwork which nevertheless harmonized well with the general Gothic appearance of the church.
During the subsequent Spanish domination, the new church proved usable, even though the interior remained largely unfinished, and some bays of the nave and the transepts were still missing. In 1552 Giacomo Antegnati was commissioned to build a large organ for the north side of the choir, and Giuseppe Meda provided four of the sixteen reliefs which were to decorate the altar area (the program was completed by Federico Borromeo). In 1562, Marco d' Agrate's St. Bartholomew and the famous Trivulzio candelabrum (12th century) were added.
After the accession of Carlo Borromeo to the archbishop's throne, all lay monuments were removed from the Duomo. These included the tombs of Giovanni, and Filippo Maria Visconti, Francesco I and his wife Bianca, Galeazzo Maria, which were brought to unknown destinations. However, Borromeo's main intervention was the appointment, in 1571, of Pellegrino Pellegrini as chief engineer— a contentious move, since to appoint Pellegrino, who was not a lay brother of the duomo, required a revision of the Fabbrica's statutes.
Borromeo and Pellegrini strove for a new, Renaissance appearance for the cathedral, that would emphasise its Roman / Italian nature, and subdue the Gothic style, which was now seen as foreign. As the façade still was largely incomplete, Pellegrini designed a "Roman" style one, with columns, obelisks and a large tympanum. When Pellegrini's design was revealed, a competition for the design of the façade was announced, and this elicited nearly a dozen entries, including one by Antonio Barca
This design was never carried out, but the interior decoration continued: in 1575-1585 the presbytery was rebuilt, while new altars and the baptistry were added. The wooden choir stalls were constructed by 1614 for the main altar by Francesco Brambilla. In 1577 Borromeo finally consecrated the whole edifice as a new church, distinct from the old Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Tecla (which had been unified in 1549 after heavy disputes).
At the beginning of the 17th century Federico Borromeo had the foundations of the new façade laid by Francesco Maria Richini and Fabio Mangone. Work continued until 1638 with the construction of five portals and two middle windows. In 1649, however, the new chief architect Carlo Buzzi introduced a striking revolution: the façade was to revert to original Gothic style, including the already finished details within big Gothic pilasters and two giant belfries. Other designs were provided by, among others, Filippo Juvarra (1733) and Luigi Vanvitelli (1745), but all remained unapplied. In 1682 the façade of Santa Maria Maggiore was demolished and the cathedral's roof covering completed.
In 1762 one of the main features of the cathedral, the Madonnina's spire, was erected at the dizzying height of 108.5 m. The spire was designed by Carlo Pellicani and sports at the top a famous polychrome Madonnina statue, designed by Giuseppe Perego that befits the stature of the cathedral. Given Milan's notoriously damp and foggy climate, the Milanese consider it a fair-weather day when the Madonnina is visible from a distance, as it is so often covered by mist.
On 20 May 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte, about to be crowned King of Italy, ordered the façade to be finished by Pellicani. In his enthusiasm, he assured that all expenses would fall to the French treasurer, who would reimburse the Fabbrica for the real estate it had to sell. Even though this reimbursement was never paid, it still meant that finally, within only seven years, the Cathedral's façade was completed. Pellicani largely followed Buzzi's project, adding some neo-Gothic details to the upper windows. As a form of thanksgiving, a statue of Napoleon was placed at the top of one of the spires. Napoleon was crowned King of Italy at the Duomo.
In the following years, most of the missing arches and spires were constructed. The statues on the southern wall were also finished, while in 1829–1858, new stained glass windows replaced the old ones, though with less aesthetically significant results. The last details of the cathedral were finished only in the 20th century: the last portal was inaugurated on 6 January 1965. This date is considered the very end of a process which had proceeded for generations, although even now, some uncarved blocks remain to be completed as statues. The Allied bombing of Milan in World War II further delayed construction. Like many other cathedrals in cities bombed by the Allied forces, the Duomo suffered some damage, although to a lesser degree compared to other major buildings in the vicinity such as the La Scala Theatre. It was quickly repaired and became a place of solace and gathering for displaced local residents.
The Duomo's main façade went under renovation from 2003 to early 2009: as of February 2009, it has been completely uncovered, showing again the colours of the Candoglia marble.
In November 2012 officials announced a campaign to raise funds for the cathedral's preservation by asking patrons to adopt the building's spires. The effects of pollution on the 14th-century building entail regular maintenance, and recent austerity cuts to Italy's culture budget has left less money for upkeep of cultural institutions, including the cathedral. To help make up funds, Duomo management launched a campaign offering its 135 spires up for "adoption." Donors who contribute €100,000 (about $110,505) or more will have a plaque with their name engraved on it placed on the spire.
My wife has been growing Epiphyllum flowers for many years now. For most of the year these plants are uninteresting looking pieces of cactus, but in May and June they put out these beautiful flowers. The Clown flowers are her favorite and this one is hanging out by the front door as befits its exalted status.
Lighting stuff: I lit it with a hand held Yongnuo manual flash in an 8.6 inch Lastolite soft box at camera left and just out of the frame. The flash and my tripod mounted camera were triggered with a Yongnuo RF-603N.
Over the years, I've taken quite a few "Epi" pictures, and they're in my Epiphyllum Flowers album, if you like that sort of thing.
www.flickr.com/photos/9422878@N08/albums/72157680754580643
Other plants, flowers, fruit or thingys that I've photographed using strobes can be seen in my Strobe Lit Plant set. For each image in the set, and there are over 1300 of them, I describe how I set up the lighting for that particular shot. www.flickr.com/photos/9422878@N08/sets/72157628079460544/
Note - I should have looked further in Bridge last night as I feel this is a better image than the one I originally posted.
Berlin, captured in a brilliant light shown display in a blacked out warehouse called "Dark Matter". this was shot in really low red light and converted to (almost) monochrome as befits this sort of candid photography.
The spiral arms of the galaxy NGC 3318 are lazily draped across this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This spiral galaxy lies in the constellation Vela and is roughly 115 million light-years away from Earth. Vela was originally part of a far larger constellation, known as Argo Navis after the fabled ship Argo from Greek mythology, but this unwieldy constellation proved to be impractically large. Argo Navis was split into three separate parts called Carina, Puppis, and Vela – each named after part of the Argo. As befits a galaxy in a nautically inspired constellation, the outer edges of NGC 3318 almost resemble a ship’s sails billowing in a gentle breeze.
Image Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA, European Southern Observatory (ESO), R. J. Foley; Acknowledgment: R. Colombari
#NASA #NASAMarshall #Hubble #galaxy #galaxy
The end of the flower left the final dry back of the petals and the further tightening of the pods to ready the seed distribution. The Sun was opening up the next year in the fulfilment of this one. Still the power of the rich yellow flowering was almost out of this world which well befits the Iris of the rainbow paths between the worlds.
This last yellow for this year from the Iris was promising a vibrant return near Kildonan Castle and Kildonan Standing Stone not far from the sea.
© PHH Sykes 2026
phhsykes@gmail.com
Kildonan (Arran) - Standing Stone (Menhir) in Scotland in Isle of Arran
www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=1011
Kildonan Standing Stone Menhir
www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/9077/kildonan
Arran, Kildonan
Kildonan Castle
Kildonan Castle
The majestic Tree of Life stands proudly as the icon of the Animal Kingdom Park.
From a distance, this imposing structure appears to be the real thing. As you draw closer, the amazing details come to life. An international team of artisans were brought together to design and implement the carving of nearly 400 animals in it's intricate framework.
The first challenge was designing a 145 foot tall "tree" that could stand up to hurricane force winds, but still look realistic. A unique system of fabricating and assembling the branches was designed that brought the flexibility that was needed to bring this idea to life. There are 45 secondary branches that lead to 756 tertiary branches. With 7891 end branches, the entire structure is covered with 102,583 manmade leaves, each of which is more than a foot long.
While this would be an amazing accomplishment on it's own, it takes second stage to the carvings. Working within the delicate balance between sound structure and artistry, images began to emerge. A branch becomes an elephant's trunk, a root a snake, each figure seamlessly flowing into another. Style took precedence over accuracy. The goal was not to depict the animals true to size, but to have one form lead to another, all the while appearing to have naturally developed during the growth of this amazing "tree."
A major part of the illusion is the painting. With varying shades of browns and green used, you'll be tempted to reach out and touch it to make certain that it's not actually tree bark. Even when you're viewing it close up, the realism is striking.
As if this wasn't enough, housed inside the base of the "Tree of Life" is the theatre for "It's Tough To Be A Bug." This presented a new set of challenges. With the same skillful attention to detail, the infrastructure was camouflaged creating a cave like atmosphere that befits this unique show.
The "Tree of Life" is one of the most photographed structures in Disney World. For the best camera shots, look for the Kodak picture spots that can be found on your guidemap.
Fun Fact: This tree is one of the few artificial trees among over 4 million living plants at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Animal Kingdom in Orlando Florida 3-20-09
As befits, there's a cottage garden over at the cottage! Too humble, it hasn't got a name. We might call it Bwthyn Celyn — Holly Cottage — to mark its notable tree and honour a past resident. That poor old holly looks very tatty these days. A leaking water pipe drowned its roots, and nearly drowned it!
The gardener would know more of what's in the cottage plantings. But I know there are aquilegias, forget-me-nots and foxgloves here in the frame. It's a wild thing, the cottage garden, and none the worse for that. I'm told that most of these things put themselves here, descendants of original plantings made who knows when.
The cottage is like that — mysterious in its age, its provenance — it suits the garden as the garden suits it.
On 13 May 1961 pristine GW King 6001 King Edward VII is stabled alongside a grubby Standard Mogul 78xxx outside "A Shop" at Swindon Works. The King, as befits the Great Western flagship express class, displays class and speed, while the standard has a practical and rugged appearance. The King had been allocated to Wolverhampton Stafford Road (84A) since moving from Old Oak Common (81A) in October 1954. Few at the Works would have imagined that 6001 would be withdrawn some 16 months later and the whole class by December 1962. The end came for the loco at Cox and Danks Scrapyard Oldbury. The Standard Mogul would have lasted a few more years, but all had gone by the end of December 1967.
Photo by David Nicholas
Cody, a Jack Russell (my son's dog) who likes to live dangerously by repeatedly attempting to make friends with Auntie Elk ... who as we all know does not like making friends and usually shows her appreciation of the efforts by using her teeth ... however, Cody, as befits his breed is quite stoical about it and just tries again ... hmmm
When taking this image, I decided to give this dominant Red deer stag, centre stage, as befits his standing on set.
He was one of two dominant stags, with sizeable harems at Bushy park this year, with many sub-ordinates vying for position, but, not quite having the maturity, or size, to have any success.
This was my first season of watching, and photographing this amazing event, it's been a steep learning curve, and hopefully I've learned a lot about their behavioural inter-action, how to approach safely, when to photograph, and, more importantly, when not to. It will definitely, not be my last season, and will be looking forward to next seasons performance with these amazing animals.....improving my images, whilst watching the dramas unfold.
P.s......I took to the high ground (not too much of that at Bushy) to photograph this stag, as I wanted to look down 'the barrel of the gun' If you get my drift....
Cheers to everyone who bothers to look at my images, sometimes fave, and comment....always appreciated.
P.p.s......Happy New Year ......!!!!!!
This spectacular image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope shows the trailing arms of NGC 2276, a spiral galaxy 120 million light-years away in the constellation of Cepheus. At first glance, the delicate tracery of bright spiral arms and dark dust lanes resembles countless other spiral galaxies. A closer look reveals a strangely lopsided galaxy shaped by gravitational interaction and intense star formation.
This striking image showcases the unusually contorted appearance of NGC 2276, an appearance caused by two different astrophysical interactions — one with the superheated gas pervading galaxy clusters, and one with a nearby galactic neighbour.
The interaction of NGC 2276 with the intracluster medium — the superheated gas lying between the galaxies in galaxy clusters — has ignited a burst of star formation along one edge of the galaxy. This wave of star formation is visible as the bright, blue-tinged glow of newly formed massive stars towards the left side of this image, and gives the galaxy a strangely lopsided appearance. NGC 2276’s recent burst of star formation is also related to the appearance of more exotic inhabitants — black holes and neutron stars in binary systems.
On the other side of the galaxy from this burst of new stars, the gravitational attraction of a smaller companion is pulling the outer edges of NGC 2276 out of shape. This interaction with the small lens-shaped galaxy NGC 2300 has distorted the outermost spiral arms of NGC 2276, giving the false impression that the larger galaxy is orientated face-on to Earth. NGC 2276 and its disruptive companion NGC 2300 can both be seen in the accompanying image, which shows a wider view of the interacting galaxies.
NGC 2276 is by no means the only galaxy with a strange appearance. The Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies — a catalogue of unusual galaxies published in 1966 — contains a menagerie of weird and wonderful galaxies, including spectacular galaxy mergers, ring-shaped galaxies, and other galactic oddities. As befits an unusually contorted galaxy, NGC 2276 has the distinction of being listed in the Atlas of Peculiar Galaxies twice — once for its lopsided spiral arms and once for its interaction with its smaller neighbour NGC 2300.
Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, P. Sell; CC BY 4.0
Acknowledgement: L. Shatz
Saint Laurence’s Church in Ludlow is the largest parish church in Shropshire. It was described as the "cathedral of the Marches" and is rated by Simon Jenkins as being one of the finest hundred churches in England.
During the late Middle Ages Ludlow became a wealthy wool town, to befit this growing prosperity St Laurence's underwent several further additions. The major works occurred between 1433 and 1471 with a virtual re-building of the nave, tower and chancel. It is therefore effectively a "wool church".
The large east window of the chancel underwent restoration in the year 1832; this window depicts the martyrdom of St Laurence. Other than the large east window, there are other notable windows within the chancel; the most remarkable one depicts the Ten Commandments, illustrating six of the commandments being broken.
A rare excursion into monochrome territory for me as befits this dire January weather,....and another for the "my back yard" album, as this is literally at the end of our street metaphorically speaking.
©johnbleakleyph otography #JohnBleakleyPhotography
Copyright: © 2026 john bleakley photography. All rights reserved. All images protected by Pixy. No unauthorised use.
The spiral arms of the galaxy NGC 3318 are lazily draped across this image from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This spiral galaxy lies in the constellation Vela and is roughly 115 light-years away from Earth. Vela was originally part of a far larger constellation, known as Argo Navis after the fabled ship Argo from Greek mythology, but this unwieldy constellation proved to be impractically large. Argo Navis was split into three separate parts called Carnina, Puppis, and Vela — each named after part of the Argo. As befits a galaxy in a nautically inspired constellation, the outer edges of NGC 3318 almost resemble a ship’s sails billowing in a gentle breeze.
Despite its placid appearance, NGC 3318 has played host to a spectacularly violent astronomical phenomenon, a titanic supernova first detected by an amateur astronomer in 2000. Thanks to NGC 3318’s distance from Earth, the original supernova must have taken place in or around 1885. Coincidentally, this was the year in which the only supernova ever to be detected in our neighbouring galaxy Andromeda was witnessed by 19th-century astronomers.
Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, ESO, R. J. Foley; CC BY 4.0
Acknowledgement: R. Colombari
Amsterdam | The Netherlands | Europe
Shot from the corner of Keizersgracht and Leidsegracht, this is one of the most popular photo spots in Amsterdam.
Location
Amsterdam has over 100 KM of canals, around 90 islands and 1,500 bridges. The three main canals, Herengracht, Prinsengracht, and Keizersgracht were dug in the 17th century during the Dutch Golden Age. Between them, they form concentric belts around the city, known as the Grachtengordel. Alongside the main canals are 1550 monumental buildings. The 17th-century canal ring area, including the Prinsengracht, Keizersgracht, Herengracht and Jordaan, were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2010, contributing to Amsterdam's fame as the "Venice of the North".
The Dutch Golden Age roughly spanned the 17th century. Due to the thriving economy, cities expanded greatly. New town halls and storehouses were built, and many new canals were dug out in and around various cities such as Delft, Leiden and Amsterdam for defence and transport purposes. Many wealthy merchants had a new houses built along these canals. These houses were generally very narrow and had ornamented façades that befitted their new status. Source: Wikipedia
Taking The Shot
I arrived at Keizersgracht just after sunset. I bumped into 2 other photographers on the other side of the bridge and got chatting to them as they finished off capturing the last of the sunset (which was behind me in this shot). I courteously asked if they minded me setting up opposite them as I wanted to get this 'classic' composition.
I took a couple of test shots, panned out as wide as I could go (24mm) and liked this vantage point which gave me a nice leading line along the canal as well as the other bridge arches as my main focal points. Being honest, I would have liked to pan out wider, but I didn't pack my 16-35mm on this trip.
Then I had to wait for the lights to come on and also to time my shot in between the canal boats doing their circuits. I didn't want the light trails of the boats on the water in my shot.
Just took a snap shot after the work day and the lights on the work shop off. Obviously my love affair with Jusi, Tulle and hand pleating hasn't ended yet. :P
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St George’s Anglican Church was built in 1876 on Hedge Road at Sibbald Point, just outside Sutton. This majestic building stands high on the bluff at Sibbald Point, overlooking Lake Simcoe. From a stone bench outside the church, you can gaze towards the northwest and feel the vastness of Lake Simcoe. It is no wonder that Susan Sibbald chose this location for a church.
Constructed as a tribute to Susan Sibbald by her three devoted sons, Capt. Thomas, Hugh, and Dr. Frank Sibbald, this stunningly beautiful church was built to stand the test of time. Every granite stone was hand-picked and checked for iron deposits by Capt. Sibbald. So keen was his eye for perfection that of the whole church, only one stone was missed; located on the west wall, it now weeps brown with rust. A navy man to the core, he modelled his style of leadership after life at sea. Capt. Thomas demanded his workers salute when greeting him, and respond to his requests with “Aye, aye, sir.” Each morning as the eighth bell tolled, Capt. Thomas would administer to his work crew a traditional daily ration of rum, followed by a toast to Queen Victoria — pure navy style!
The strength that Susan Sibbald possessed is echoed in the design and beauty of St. Georges Church. A truly remarkable woman, she was born to upper-class society and lived in a stately manor with her husband in Scotland. She was a forward-thinking woman for her time being well educated and travelled. Although quite liberated in many of her views, she was still privy to the social protocols that befit her stature in society. In 1835, at age 52, she came to Orillia to check up on her two sons, whom she had heard through gossip were living in a tavern. Susan’s sons were in Orillia studying horticultural methods for Upper Canada. After satisfying her worries that her sons weren’t becoming victims of alcohol, she took a boat ride around the lake in hopes of purchasing property. It was then that she came upon Penn Rains, located at the current site of Sibbald Point Provincial Park. This small, one-storey building surrounded by wilderness overwhelmed her with its beauty. With visions of transforming it into a gentile working farm, she purchased the property. By the time she returned to Scotland, her husband had passed away, so she sold her estate and brought her children and possessions to start a new life in Upper Canada.
For more info:
www.lakesimcoeliving.com/blog/great-days-out/lake-simcoes...
Autumn already puttered out in the St. Vrain Valleys. This is one at one of my old haunts and above. I even missed most of this fall's shooting. I decided to edit this old original that's not really far into the Rockies but rather a view across the quarries just north of and above Lyons, below, at the Frosty ponderosa spot. A guy could fall off here though frankly, this shot is from the windpw. That was a place where I bivwhacked for a period in history. Where are all the snaps from there? This befits all my Lyons, Apple Valley autumn series, location-wise. Snow already coated the valley in the season. The Rockies start standing up at Lyons, especially to the right of the scene. What a Christmas lights celebration although it was from a few days later!
Autumn gave up around here when we got a big dump af maybe a foot of snow in the valley, more in the Rockies. Everyone panicked over some sow but dare I tell them of the Rockies record - Snowmass, CO, 24 hrs, 96 inches - find shelter immediately as fast as you can move if this hits again.
I posted views of scenes up Apple Valley from Lyons, a particularly picturesque spot, some time ago and added recent shots looking up over the Olde South St. Vrain Road and abandoned quarry wreck dumped onto the county. That got me off on this tangent for a spell. The sun's working hard to sneak it's way onto this scene. Was Ceran St. Vrain, himself, ever here?
Pictures are everywhere at this spot. I threw this series in just as an example. I returned and found more of my favorite autumn shots at the vertical end to the Colorado plains. It's clear that random life can always manage a foothold on these cliffs. These are the finger prints of Colorado-tough, rough and tumble plant life. Here, I am once again adding to my massive stash of captures to edit. At least this is a smattering of green and I snapped away. Next?
Setting off back into town, for the relatively short journey up to Morningside, Volvo BZL number 777e purrs around this corner, completely silent as befits the electric transmission. It really is true, these buses can pass by without you hearing a murmur!
I adore the shape of these vehicles and also the livery, which reminds me of the Leyland Atlanteans of the late 1960s and early ‘70s.
Povero Sonny ...
Povero giovane orsetto dal grande testone...era poco più di un cucciolo, si affacciava alla vita solitaria, nei suoi primi tempi da individuo indipendente, senza la mamma .
Inesperto e fiducioso, muoveva i suoi passi nel bosco e nelle valli.
Lui non dormiva al sicuro in qualche tana, ma girovagava in cerca di cibo.
Il bel sonno del letargo non ha protetto Sonny.
Peccato si sarebbe salvato.
Le invernate miti, infatti, hanno ormai confuso e influenzato il ciclo naturale degli orsi.
Il loro ritmo sonno/veglia, legato alle stagioni, si è alterato.
L'incontro da lontano con due persone gli è costato la vita... per aver solo incrociato lo sguardo del bipede tiranno .
Non ha mai fatto male a nessuno Sonny. Condannato, braccato e freddato a fucilate per non aver fatto niente.
Tutto in modalità rapida come conviene ai vili che agiscono a tradimento.
Un esecuzione contestuale all'emissione del decreto di uccisione, senza lasciare spazio alla società civile di impostare un' azione volta a salvarlo, ricorrendo al Tar.
Ucciso perché confidente, perché si serviva dei cassonetti sempre disponibili e mai modificati, ucciso perché anche i sentieri in Trentino non sono mai stati ben disciplinati e tutti possono spingersi ovunque, per poi creare allarmismi collettivi.
Mentre gli orsi non hanno più una zona sicura e devono solo scomparire.
Presi i denari del progetto di reintroduzione Life Ursus, ora i plantigradi sono di troppo in quelle valli e forse di intralcio per qualche altro disegno che porta soldi .
Il suo giudice e carnefice è il Presidente della tristissima Provincia autonoma di Trento, Fugatti, determinato a farli fuori tutti.
Questo soggetto ostile e sprezzante della vita dei selvatici, ricorderà bene questi giorni. Segneranno la sua esistenza perché tutto il Paese ha conosciuto bene il suo cinismo, la sua ossessione fuori controllo per queste creature e verrà ricordato come l'odiatore degli orsi, aguzzino dalle doppiette e dagli ergastoli facili ...
Re indiscusso del Casteller.
Ruth Lemma
Poor Sonny...
Poor young bear with the big head... he was little more than a puppy, he was facing a solitary life, in his early days as an independent individual, without his mother.
Inexperienced and confident, he took his steps in the woods and valleys.
He did not sleep safely in some den, but wandered around looking for food.
The beautiful sleep of hibernation did not protect Sonny.
Too bad he would have been saved.
The mild winters, in fact, have now confused and influenced the natural cycle of bears.
Their sleep/wake rhythm, linked to the seasons, has altered.
The encounter with two people from afar cost him his life... for just having met the gaze of the bipedal tyrant.
He never hurt anyone Sonny. Condemned, hunted down and shot dead for doing nothing.
All in rapid mode as befits cowards who act treacherously.
An execution at the same time as the issuing of the killing decree, leaving no room for civil society to take action aimed at saving him, resorting to the TAR.
Killed because he was confident, because he used the bins that were always available and never modified, killed because even the paths in Trentino have never been well regulated and anyone can go anywhere, and then create collective alarmism.
While bears no longer have a safe area and just have to disappear.
Having taken the money from the Life Ursus reintroduction project, now the plantigrades are too many in those valleys and perhaps an obstacle to some other project that brings money.
His judge and executioner is the President of the very sad autonomous province of Trento, Fugatti, determined to kill them all.
This hostile and contemptuous subject of the life of wild animals will remember these days well. They will mark his existence because the whole country knew well his cynicism, his out of control obsession with these creatures and he will be remembered as the hater of bears, a tormentor with doubles and easy life sentences...
Undisputed king of Casteller.
Ruth Lemma
As befits a 'gateway town' to the world heritage site, the coastal cliffs either side of Seaton have long been of interest to geologists. The Seaton Fault, which is visible at Seaton Hole at the western end of the beach, is responsible for the presence of significant chalk cliffs extending to Beer Head. In common with much of this coast the cliffs in this area are prone to landslip and collapse, such movement restricting coastal development and presenting a hazard to those walking the coast.
Seaton is a seaside town, fishing harbour and civil parish in East Devon on the south coast of England, between Axmouth (to the east) and Beer (to the west). It faces onto Lyme Bay and is on the Dorset and East Devon Coast Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. A sea wall provides access to the mostly shingle beach stretching for about a mile, and a small harbour, located mainly in the Axmouth area.
Seaton's recorded population at the 2011 census, was 8,413, whilst the Seaton and Beer Urban Area that includes Colyton had an estimated population of 12,815 in 2012. The Seaton electoral ward, which includes Beer, Axmouth and Colyton, had a population of 7,096 at the above census.
Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, shallow or deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, characterized by either steep or gentle slope gradients, from mountain ranges to coastal cliffs or even underwater, in which case they are called submarine landslides.
Gravity is the primary driving force for a landslide to occur, but there are other factors affecting slope stability that produce specific conditions that make a slope prone to failure. In many cases, the landslide is triggered by a specific event (such as a heavy rainfall, an earthquake, a slope cut to build a road, and many others), although this is not always identifiable.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seaton,_Devon
Zur Zeit befindet sich das monumentale Beethoven-Denkmal, Ausdruck der heroisienden Beethoven-Verehrung seiner Zeit, in einer der beiden großen Eingangshallen des Museums. Dadurch ist es möglich, das Werk von allen Seiten zu betrachten und auf sich wirken zu lassen. Auch Detailaufnahmen aus größerer Entfernung sind leichter möglich, weil viel Raum um die Skulptur herum frei bleibt. Sie ist hier das einzige Ausstellungstück, eine herausgehobene Position, die ihrem Rang als einem der wichtigsten Werke des Museums entspricht.
The monumental Beethoven monument, an expression of the heroic veneration of Beethoven in Klinger's time, is currently located in one of the museum's two large entrance halls. This makes it possible to view the work from all sides and let it sink in. It is also easier to take detailed photographs from a greater distance because there is plenty of space around the sculpture. It is the only exhibit here, occupying a prominent position that befits its status as one of the museum's most important works.
The Waag (Waegh) is a former Weigh house in Haarlem that today serves as a café catering to tourists. The building was designed by Lieven de Key around 1597 and is built with Namense steen from Namur, Belgium. It is the only building in Haarlem that was built this way, and was designed in its day as a landmark that befits an authority. The weigh house masters needed to be able to judge the correct measure of a shipload of grain that was delivered in Haarlem. Inside the large cast iron balance can still be seen. The location of the weigh house was strategically located where the Spaarne river joins the beek, a small canal that according to tradition was used to carry fresh water from the dunes to serve the brewers of Haarlem. Haarlem was known for its beer brewing in the 15th-17th centuries. A large wooden crane operated by wheels driven by manpower was used to hoist the grain on ships into the Waag building and back into other ships or carts for further transport. The wooden crane can be seen on most historic pictures of the Spaarne up until 1872.
The Milan Cathedral sits at the center of old Milan. It took nearly 6 centuries to complete with work finishing up in 1965. It is actually the largest cathedral in Italy as St. Peter's Basilica is in Vatican City.
In 1386, Archbishop Antonio da Saluzzo began construction of the cathedral. Work proceeded quickly, and at the death of Gian Galeazzo in 1402, almost half the cathedral was complete. Construction, however, stalled almost totally until 1480, for lack of money and ideas: the most notable works of this period were the tombs of Marco Carelli and Pope Martin V (1424) and the windows of the apse (1470s). At the beginning of the 17th century Federico Borromeo had the foundations of the new façade laid by Francesco Maria Richini and Fabio Mangone. Work continued until 1638 with the construction of five portals and two middle windows. In 1649, however, the new chief architect Carlo Buzzi introduced a striking revolution: the façade was to revert to original Gothic style, including the already finished details within big Gothic pilasters and two giant belfries.
In 1762 one of the main features of the cathedral, the Madonnina's spire, was erected at the dizzying height of 108.5 m. The spire was designed by Carlo Pellicani and sports at the top a famous polychrome Madonnina statue, designed by Giuseppe Perego that befits the stature of the cathedral. On 20 May 1805, Napoleon Bonaparte, about to be crowned King of Italy, ordered the façade to be finished by Pellicani.
Napoleon was crowned King of Italy at the Duomo.
The Allied bombing of Milan in World War II further delayed construction. Like many other cathedrals in cities bombed by the Allied forces, the Duomo suffered some damage, although to a lesser degree compared to other major buildings in the vicinity such as the La Scala Theatre.
Thanks for taking a look. To see photos from the rest of the trip Click Here to see my Alps and More album.
"Mine... mine... a humble abode... suitable since I was... hmm... unceremoniously removed from my last residence."
Forge Fitzwilliam stands outside the Rainbow High mansion. It rises quite high. And it's still unboxed.
"This would befit me... A man of my stature. A high rise."
With decidely vertical aspirations, Forge stands outside a lot of nice places until one of two things happen.
"I wonder if anyone's home..."
Forge will either determine that the dwelling is not currently occupied, in which case he will be 'proactive' in assuming a position inside. Or, if there are people at home, he will knock and attempt to ingratiate them with one of his famous 'tales' and be invited in.
"Funny... I don't see a door..."
That's the problem with unboxed homes.
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A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
Golden Archive
Forge
2023, Hasbro
Commentary.
Childish excitement travelling from east to west in late winter.
You know soon, very soon, the West Coast “Munros” will gleam like incisor teeth above the forested landscape.
Faochag, left, and The Saddle, right, are such peaks that advertise the thousand metre micro-climate of semi-Alpine splendour.
Spin-drift sweeps off the upper slopes to accumulate in layers like royal icing.
The snowy back-cloth forms a pleasing contrast to the pastel tans and greens of the bracken and forest of the lower slopes of this historic Glen.
The West Coast beckons.
Such a grand mountain corridor befits the momentous land and seascapes that lie in prospect.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGhVpj6srMI
the next few challenges will determine our winner...so bring your A game Mizz universe modelz..this may be your last chance to impress the fabulous pannel of judges..comments, views, favez, and judges votes will all count..as well as a look back at your past work..best of luck...
how to play..a closeup beauty shot of your model wearing jewelz to befit a queen
Carol Parvati-Pearlz
AlexBabs-Rhinestonez
Jolitootea-Colored plastic Beadz
I rule Wonderland, child. Your interference will not be tolerated. This realm is for grown-ups: Raw, well-ordered, ruthless, careening on the jagged edge of reality. Self-pitying dreamers are not wanted here; they cannot survive here.
Here comes the third iteration of my most beloved tyrant, the Queen of Hearts. Unlike her 2021 version, which essentially was a refinement of her 2018’s foundational moc, this 2026 version is a full revamp, using as seed Jack of Heart’s frame.
The result is a more robust, better proportioned incarnation. A most magnificent presence, befit of Wonderland’s Ruler!
♥♥♥
[Remember: If she asks you for an opinion, be sure to praise her new looks. Fail to do that and your head may forcefully lose contact with your body.]
Pallanza, Italy. As befits its situation, rising from the lake-front to the Renaissance bell tower and church of San Leonardo, this Verbania street hasn't been overlooked at all. In fact it's arguably received almost too much attention what with rather jazzy re-vamping of ancient buildings, but the effect, with its classsical references and stagey opéra bouffe jauntiness, is striking and attractive enough.
(One of my painting 'heroes', Miles Birket Foster, did this delicious watercolour in the 1869's of the Borromeo palace on a rock in the lake between Pallanza and Strezza on the opposite shore; apart from the boats with their awnings being replaced by motor launches, very little has changed)
This is the 17th century Diana Fountain in Bushy Park, Teddington. The bronze figure stands on a pedestal of Portland stone and is surrounded by a pond, five feet (1.5 metres) deep, which was installed in 1699.
The statue has variously been known as Venus and Arethusa and, latterly, Diana. It was commissioned by King Charles l and originally stood in his Privy Garden at nearby Hampton Court before being moved to the Park in 1699, half a century after his execution.
It was fully restored in 2009 and looks magnificent – as befits any goddess. There's a closer view of the gilded lady here.
Poem.
Childish excitement travelling from east to west in late winter.
You know soon, very soon, the West Coast “Munros” will gleam like incisor teeth above the forested landscape.
Forcan, left, and The Saddle, right, are such peaks that advertise the thousand metre micro-climate of semi-Alpine splendour.
Spin-drift sweeps off the upper slopes to accumulate in layers like royal icing.
The snowy back-cloth forms a pleasing contrast to the pastel tans and greens of the bracken and forest of the lower slopes of this historic Glen.
The West Coast beckons.
Such a grand mountain corridor befits the momentous land and seascapes that lie in prospect.
Ok not the greatest perch, or backdrop, but I always consider these magical small raptors as somewhat 'thug like' so the setting befits the moment. Juvenile ruffian here, The Causeway, Suffolk.
Leipzig: Beethoven Monument (1902) by Max Klinger (1857-1920), one of the two claws with which the life-size eagle at Beethoven's feet clings to the rock.
www.hgb-leipzig.de/kunstorte/ap_klinger_beschreibung.html
Zur Zeit befindet sich das monumentale Beethoven-Denkmal, Ausdruck der heroisienden Beethoven-Verehrung seiner Zeit, in einer der beiden großen Eingangshallen des Museums. Dadurch ist es möglich, das Werk von allen Seiten zu betrachten und auf sich wirken zu lassen. Auch Detailaufnahmen aus größerer Entfernung sind leichter möglich, weil viel Raum um die Skulptur herum frei bleibt. Sie ist hier das einzige Aussgellungstück, eine herausgehobene Position, die ihrem Rang als einem der wichtigsten Werke des Museums entspricht.
The monumental Beethoven monument, an expression of the heroic veneration of Beethoven in Klinger's time, is currently located in one of the museum's two large entrance halls. This makes it possible to view the work from all sides and let it sink in. It is also easier to take detailed photographs from a greater distance because there is plenty of space around the sculpture. It is the only exhibit here, occupying a prominent position that befits its status as one of the museum's most important works.
A view to distant peaks from a spot 5 kilometres west of Nottingham Road in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, much of it brown and barren as befits the dry but often very pleasant local midwinter. This shot is taken from the car park of the Blueberry Café, a handy refreshment spot just 4 minutes from the N3 Durban to Jo'burg motorway.
Cattle are, of course, not only an economic mainstay in this agricultural region for people of all backgrounds, but of tremendous importance to Zulu culture.
Rosa, Princess Alexandra of Kent'.
As October rolled in yesterday I attended a garden tea party with royalty - of the floral kind, naturally ... 😊 This gorgeous rose has bright pink flowers, fully-petalled and deeply cupped. She oozes poise and elegance, as befits a Princess. Her scent is a strong and delicious fresh Tea fragrance, which changes to lemon, eventually taking on hints of blackcurrants. Named for Princess Alexandra - a keen gardener and great lover of roses ... 😊
Saint Laurence’s Church in Ludlow is the largest parish church in Shropshire. It was described as the "cathedral of the Marches" and is rated by Simon Jenkins as being one of the finest hundred churches in England.
During the late Middle Ages Ludlow became a wealthy wool town, to befit this growing prosperity St Laurence's underwent several further additions. The major works occurred between 1433 and 1471 with a virtual re-building of the nave, tower and chancel.
The large east window of the chancel underwent restoration in the year 1832; this window depicts the martyrdom of St Laurence. Other than the large east window, there are other notable windows within the chancel; the most remarkable one depicts the Ten Commandments, illustrating six of the commandments being broken.
Gallarus oratory which is believed to be over 1000 years old is the best preserved ancient church in Ireland. It's one of the few remaining churches of this type to survive intact today. Not only is it the most distinctive single monument on the Dingle peninsula, the oratory is one of the most beautiful ancient buildings in the whole country.
It's magnificent location overlooking Smerwick harbour and the wild Atlantic ocean to the West and Mount Brandon to the East make it one of the most magical sites in Ireland to visit.
Masonry
The oratory is built of large cut stones from the Dingle Beds of the Upper Silurian Old Red Sandstone. Charles Smith, who discovered the edifice in 1756, described the stone as "a brown free-stone, brought from the cliffs of the sea shore, which cuts readily and is very durable."
The stones are cut on every side and end so as to fit perfectly together. They exhibit smoothly finished outside facings that follow the slant of the wall.
The edifice is usually thought to have been built without mortar, but there is evidence that even if mortar "was never visible in the wall facings it was used as a structural medium for the interior of the wall at least."A thin layer of lime mortar is used to bond the stones together and to fill in small hollows in the inner faces.
Morphology
The oratory’s shape has been compared to that of an upturned boat because of its sloping side walls. The edifice uses corbel vaulting. The stones are positioned on each course with their edges projecting inward by a small increment as the walls rise. Besides, they are laid at a slight angle, lower on the outside than on the inside, thus allowing rainwater to run off. Both techniques can still be seen in the modern agricultural clocháns of the Dingle peninsula.
The edifice has two side walls and two end walls, sloping and converging at the top, each of one piece, playing a dual role as load-bearing wall and corbelled half-vault. Some slight sagging has occurred across the length of the northern roof slope.
The interior room is approximately 4.8 metres (16 ft) by 3 metres (10 ft), a size that befits more an oratory or a small chapel than a church.
It is dimly lit, with only a tiny round-headed window in the east wall, opposite the entrance door. The window splays more widely towards the inside of the wall.
The doorway is 1.67 m (5.5 ft) high. It has a flat lintel. On the inside over the lintel, two holed stones project out from the wall, possibly for the attachment of a wooden door.
Photographed in South Africa, Africa - Safari vehicle, no cover
=>Please click twice on the image to view at the largest size<=
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From Wikipedia: The common slender mongoose (Herpestes sanguineus), also known as the black-tipped mongoose or the black-tailed mongoose, is a very common mongoose species native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Feeding:
The common slender mongoose is primarily carnivorous, though it is an opportunistic omnivore. Insects make up the bulk of its diet, but lizards, rodents, snakes, birds, amphibians, and the occasional fruit are eaten when available. It will also eat carrion and eggs. As befits the popular image of mongooses, the slender mongoose is capable of killing and subsequently eating venomous snakes, but such snakes do not constitute a significant portion of its diet.
Common slender mongooses are more adept at climbing trees than other mongooses, often hunting birds there. White browed-sparrow weavers, crimson breasted shrikes, and glossy starlings are considered common prey.
Diet often changes during seasons where certain sources of food become less available. Insects are more likely to be consumed in during wet-months whereas larger prey is consumed during dry-months. This adaptability aids the slender common mongoose's ability to survive when changes in habitat occur.
Afr-0I7A8485fFlkrD
Doré’s incomparable imagination befits Coleridge’s poem about a cursed sailor and his journey on a haunted ship to Antarctica, a voyage that he alone survives. The first depicts the Ancient Mariner amid the eerie aftermath of his encounter with a ghost ship crewed by Death. The second captures the moment when the curse is lifted and the ship lurches forward with unexpected force., knocking the sailor over and causing him to fall into a trance.
As Flickr seems pretty determined to turn itself into a cheap knockoff of Instagram with every update I thought I'd go with the flow with this shot and it's title.
So although it was shot with about 3k's worth of DSLR and lens, it's been reduced to a level that befits the new site.
It's a pure co-incidence that the theme for this week made me consider the fact that most tourist shots these days are shot on cameraphones and therefore the processing was perfect for that as well.
Week 22 - A tourist in your own town\country
This was a three HDR merged in Photomatix, clubbed repeatedly over the head with a large mallet in LR CC and then then stripped naked and had it's wallet and phone stolen in an alley by Photoeffects 8.
HSS