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Continuing my 'screen divas' series... so, having featured Agnes as Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind yesterday, today's screen diva is Anja as Liz Taylor in Butterfield 8. Well, it started there but became my own re-imagining. By the way, if you like this idea, please feel free to join me in recreating some iconic moments from cinema history...
Good morning everyone. Up next in the "wild blue yonder" series is a F-86 Sabre, of which a brief description can be found at the end of the caption.
As seen in the above photo, and with others I'll be posting, you might get the impression I was in another plane above it. I wish it was the case, but it's total illusion.
As for the clouds, it was mostly cloudy in the morning which gave way to partly cloudy conditions in the afternoon. In some cases the clouds made for a nice background, but in others with the sun shining brightly on them made things problematic. Plus it being bright sunshine one second and overcast the next played havoc with exposure settings, of which I do all the camera settings manually.
Enough said for now...back to nature pics tomorrow for a day or two. But please keep on reading...
The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called simply Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept wing fighter that could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high-speed dogfights in the skies of the Korean War (1950–1953), fighting some of the earliest jet-to-jet battles in history. Considered one of the best and most important fighter aircraft in that war, the F-86 is also rated highly in comparison with fighters of other eras. Although it was developed in the late 1940s and was outdated by the end of the 1950s, the Sabre proved versatile and adaptable and continued as a front-line fighter in numerous air forces until the last active operational examples were retired by the Bolivian Air Force in 1994.
As for this particular aircraft, F-86F-25-NH, SERNO 51-13361. It was originally assigned to the 435th Fighter Bomber Squadron, 479th Fighter Bomber Wing (9th Air Force), George AFB, CA.
Thank you for stopping by...and I hope you're having a truly nice week.
Lacey
ISO400, aperture f/8, exposure .001 seconds (1/1000) focal length 70mm
It seems the 5 Tuckers found in the warehouse is only part of an ongoing intrigue. Along with a number of other photos and documents found on the premises, these two transparencies came to light and caused a sensation in Elgin Park.
The entrepreneur, who back in 1950 clearly invested time, money and creative talent trying to produce a Tucker related vehicle, still remains unknown.
Aside from the What, Where, How and Why of it all is the burning question:
Do these two prototypes still exist?
Oh, the possibilities!
On a different note, the creation of these two front end designs were achieved by digging through my parts box plus a little bit of modeling.
The "prow front" was cobbled together by forming an arch out of thin styrene, fitted with a rounded vertical strip of plastic in the front, then placed over the center headlight.
The "bullet nose" style was created with a brass grommet and a hemisphere of styrene.
As for the egg crate grille, it was taken from a broken Cadillac diecast and trimmed to the appropriate shape.
The fender skirt is a piece of styrene fitted into the wheel opening and painted the body color.
A few other changes include;
- Removing the rectangular turn signals and substituting round, milk glass fixtures close to the headlights.
-Adding a short chrome bumper-ette above the grille on the Prow Nose prototype
and a long chrome bumper-ette that connects the two round turn signals on the Bullet Nose prototype.
-On both of the models, half bumpers were installed onto the main bumper unit for a more massive look.
-A chrome trim spear along the front fender and a chrome trim piece below the doors to create a longer, lower appearance.
-The air intake vent, on the rear fender of the bullet nose, was painted the body color to create a smoother appearance.
It was a very interesting project for me because the Tucker is such an iconic vehicle.
I wanted the alterations to be sensitive to the original Tucker/ Tremulis design, yet address the changing style that was starting to emerge in the industry at the time.
Continuing with my photoshoot with Ebere on Friday...
Strobist info: Main light: Menik SW-400 fired into 48" Octabox (high camera left); Fill: reflector camera right; Accent light: Yongnuo 560ii fired through gridded 16" softbox behind and above model; Background light: Yongnuo 560ii fired into grid onto gray muslin backdrop.
Edited with Lightroom 4 and Topaz B&W Effects 2.
More Strobist Portraits
Continuing my Titanfall 2 builds, I can present to you the ridiculously hard-hitting Titan Legion.
Legion is the first Titan I build, which is based on the heavy Ogre chassis from the first game. This allowed me to use some sturdier joints and hinges, which comes in handy to hold the big gatling gun.
I also did some minor changes to Ion, updated his pictures and added one of his back.
Since this is my last build for this year, I just want to use this opportunity to say: THANK YOU! :)
2016 marks my first really active year on flickr and I was absolutely blown away by the amazing feedback!
I want to thank all the people who visited my Photostream, who commented, who added my pictures to their favourites and especially my followers and the people who take their time to read all of the nonsense I write :D
I truly appreciate being part of such a great and active community!
I wish you all happy holidays and a wonderful start into the new year!
UPDATE: I added pictures of him without the baseplate.
Continuing my Astro Projection vision...
On a dramatically beautiful sunset last week, I had my out-of-body and lens experience on cityscapes of Toronto... It's always exciting to capture the flow of light particles in whimcical sunset dimensions.
...all brought to you by my manual zoom and ICM magic :-)
oh, thinking about all younger years
there was only you and me
we were young and wild and free
now nothing can take you away from me
we've been down that road before
but that's over now
you keep me coming back for more*
Baby you're all that I want
When you're lying here in my arms
I'm finding it's hard to believe
We're in heaven
And love is all that I need
And I found it there in your heart
It isn't to hard to see
we're in heaven
Oh, once in your life you find someone
Who will turn your world around
Bring you up when you're feeling down
nothing could chang what you mean to me
there's lost that i could say but just hold me now
Cause our love will light the way
I've been waiting for so long
For something to arrive
For love to come along
Now our dreams are coming true
Through the good times and the bad
I'll be standing there by you...
_________________ heaven________
Continue my 'Little Planets' series...
A bit of planetary magic is in order for this cute place in Withrow Park of our Greektown, Toronto :-)
Continuing east, this is the approach signal for the west end of Colfax siding. I've always like this section of track, which is a flat section before dropping down into Colfax and beyond.
Continuing rarity. This striking male has delighted birders for over a month at Markham Park, Sunrise, FL. Found it interesting that this small tanager has a crossed bill.
Continuing my Astro Projection series on maximum WARP!!
Zoom-long exposure travelling in my out-of-body & lens experience on downtown-scapes during Canada Day festivities this summer! It was an exciting 2-stop manual zoom-journey during the long 30 sec exposure, experiencing all these festive city colours, lights and CN Tower's magical projection too...
...all brought to you by my manual zoom / long exposure magic! : )
*It's a SOOC image, manual zooming during long exposure - no processing involved!
Continuing on with this black and white spree I've been going on. This is a re-edit of a black and white I decided to add a bit of color to.
Cardamine hirsuta, commonly called hairy bittercress, is an annual or biennial member of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), and is edible as a bitter herb. It is common in moist areas around the world. It's native to Europe as far east as the Caucasus, and to North Africa. Plants of this species are usually erect and grow to no more than about 30 centimetres from a stem which is either unbranched or branched near the base. The small white flowers are borne in a raceme without any bracts, soon followed by the seeds and often continuing to flower as the first seeds ripen. 2896
Continuing my week of tights & stockings ...
These are some more tights I bought from Harrods with a lovely pattern. I have worn them with an outfit reminiscent of a school uniform ... mmm, it's been a few years since I was in school!
Continuing with photos from my older archives and more recent archives. I desperately need to make more room on my computer, so I am very, very slowly going through some old photo folders before deleting them. As I do so, I grab a few old photos to post.
November 21, 2024: our winter weather continues, with more snow and fairly cold days. Before too long, I am going to have to make myself go out! I keep putting it off, day after day. Can't complain, though, as mild, fall weather lasted well into November, which was wonderful.
I will add the description that I wrote under a different, previously posted image taken on the same date.
"After two dreary days of rain, the sun finally broke through the clouds yesterday afternoon, so I decided to take a short drive SW of the city and see if I could see Mountain Bluebirds and Wilson's Snipe. These are two of my favourite birds to photograph and I was lucky to see both. However, one of my usual pair of Bluebirds was nowhere to be seen and instead, a Tree Swallow was looking out of the Bluebirds' nesting box. I did get a distant glimpse of a Bluebird and managed one quick shot, but when I looked at the photo when I got home, I saw that this male had a metal band on its leg. So, unless it had just been banded in the last couple of days, it was a different bird from the one in many of my photos. I didn't see much else during this drive, and just the usual. Felt so good to be out in sunshine, though. Pam, nice to bump into you, too!"
Snipe are one of my absolute favourite birds to see and photograph.
"These plump, long-billed birds are among the most widespread shorebirds in North America. They can be tough to see thanks to their cryptic brown and buff coloration and secretive nature. But in summer they often stand on fence posts or take to the sky with a fast, zigzagging flight and an unusual “winnowing” sound made with the tail." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/wilsons_snipe/id
"Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata) is a small, stocky shorebird. This species was considered to be a subspecies of the Common Snipe (G. gallinago) until 2003 when it was given its own species status. Wilson's Snipe differs from the latter species in having a narrower white trailing edge to the wings, and eight pairs of tail feathers instead of the typical seven of the Common Snipe. Its common name commemorates the American ornithologist Alexander Wilson." From Wikipedia.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilson's_snipe
According to Fisher and Acorn's book, "Birds of Alberta", "the common Snipe is both secretive and well camouflaged, so few people notice it until it flushes suddenly from a nearby grassy tussock. As soon as the Snipe takes to the air, it performs a series of quick zigzags - an evasive maneuver designed to confuse predators. Because of this habit, Snipes were among the most difficult birds to shoot (in the days when shorebirds were hunted for sport), and skilled sportsmen were known as "snipers" - a term later adopted by the military."
Hey, Hey! Thanks everyone for your continued support, faves, and comments! And welcome new Followers! I hope I can continue to build funny and interesting things for your enjoyment! (and mine, of course!)
The seemingly inseparable pairing of 90041 and 90049 continue to do just what they were built to do.... move containers from one end of the country to the other with ease! The pair are seen flying through Acton Bridge in the early morning light.
Indeed last week, the pair were in charge of 4S50 on no less than 4 occasions (Wed-Sat inclusive) with the only exception being on Tuesday with 90046 and 90042 performing the honours. It was also the case with the southbound workings with the pair being bolted to 4L81 Tue-Fr (inclusive) with the only exception being the first 4M11 of the week on Monday.
If interested, the pairs full week escapades were as below;
Monday 03/08 -
4M11 18:14 Coatbridge FLT - Crewe BH
Tuesday 04/08 -
4S83 17:35 London Gateway - Coatbridge FLT (from Crewe BH)
4L81 19:36 Coatbridge FLT - London Gateway (as far as Crewe BH)
Wednesday 05/08 -
4S50 06:03 Crewe BH - Coatbridge FLT
4L81 19:36 Coatbridge FLT - London Gateway (as far as Crewe BH)
Thursday 06/08 -
4S50 06:03 Crewe BH - Coatbridge FLT
4L81 19:36 Coatbridge FLT - London Gateway (as far as Crewe BH)
Friday 07/08 -
4S50 06:03 Crewe BH - Coatbridge FLT
4L81 19:36 Coatbridge FLT - London Gateway (as far as Crewe BH)
Saturday 08/08 -
4S50 06:03 Crewe BH - Coatbridge FLT
The Velvet
Est. in 2006, The Velvet is the place to be to hear an eclectic mix of music. It's inviting and warm and continues to be a staple of Second Life's History.
Continued wanders around Lincoln....
Taken with Hasselblad 501cm and 80mm Planar *t CB lens, on Ilford HP5 Plus at 400asa and developed in Ilford ID-11 (1+1) for 13 minutes. Digitised with Epson v550 and SilverFast®8 (SE) software at 3200ppi.
Continuing a series of experimental photos with a Kodak No. 1A Autographic Jr. (circa 1917). All settings are mentioned as they appear on the camera. If you are lost, I suggest starting with the first photo in the corresponding album.
I had the chance to visit the old Heinz factory, which has since been turned into lofts. One of the more "abstract" photos I took were of the chimneys next to one of the ornate brick corners of the main factory building. If it weren't for the light leak, it would've made a fine photo.
Shutter:
Focus: 100ft
Aperture:
Ilford 124
Schweiz / Tessin - Höhenweg Monte Tamaro - Monte Lema
Lake Lugano
Luganer See
A spectacular hike suspended between civilization and uncivilized valleys
The Monte Tamaro – Monte Lema mountain trail is one of the most beautiful hikes of Switzerland. The spectacular view during the whole hike extends itself over Ticino, Valais and Italy.
Alpe Foppa is the starting point of this trail which sees its first conquest when reaching the summit of Monte Tamaro at 1,962 m a.s.l after about an hour of hiking. It is absolutely worth the effort as you are rewarded with a magnificent view and it is the beginning of a not too demanding up and down hike along the crest of the mountain. The hike passes through peaks, slopes, and alpine pastures to reach Monte Lema, in Malcantone (1,620 m a.s.l). During the entire route, the view widens to the north over Lake Maggiore, Centovalli, Verzasca, Vallemaggia, Locarno and Bellinzona, while you can see Lugano, with its valleys and lake to the south. The most majestic peaks of the Alps, such as Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn, also stand out.
Departing from Alpe Foppa, we recommend you continue until the summit of Monte Tamaro. There is also a path which undergoes the summit and accordingly shortens the route by about half an hour, hereby losing the unique view offered by walking over the summit. It is also possible to avoid the passage to the summit of Monte Gradiccioli, opting for a flat but less scenic variant.
(montetamaro.ch)
Monte Tamaro is a mountain of the Lugano Prealps, overlooking Lake Maggiore in the Swiss canton of Ticino. Reaching a height of 1,962 metres above sea level, it is the highest summit of the chain located between Lake Maggiore and Lake Lugano, which also includes Monte Lema. It is also the most prominent summit of the canton.
(Wikipedia)
Lake Lugano (Italian: Lago di Lugano or Ceresio, from Latin: Ceresius lacus; Lombard: Lagh de Lugan) is a glacial lake which is situated on the border between southern Switzerland and northern Italy. The lake, named after the city of Lugano, is situated between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore. It was cited for the first time by Gregory of Tours in 590 with the name Ceresio, a name which is said to have derived from the Latin word cerasus, meaning cherry, and refers to the abundance of cherry trees which at one time adorned the shores of the lake. The lake appears in documents in 804 under the name Laco Luanasco.
There are various mountains and tourist destinations on the shores of the lake including Monte Brè to the east, Monte San Salvatore west of Lugano, and Monte Generoso on the south-eastern shore. The World Heritage Site Monte San Giorgio is situated south of the lake. Also located to the south is the Cinque Vette Park.
The lake is drained by the Tresa, which empties into Lake Maggiore, the latter being drained by the Ticino and the Po.
History
The first certain testimony of a political body governing the shores of the lake is from 818. Occupying an area of strategic importance, the lake was then part of the feudal dominion of the County of Sperio. Circa 1000, it came under the control of the Bishop of Como. The region was the site of the war between Como and Milan over control of Alpine traffic from 1218 to 1227. As the lake and its shores became progressively incorporated into the Duchy of Milan they became the subject of political and territorial contention during the 15th century, and Lugano became the lake's main town.
The lake definitively ceased to belong to a single sovereign political entity following the establishment of the transalpine bailiwicks of the Swiss cantons at the beginning of the 16th century. The Italian-Swiss border was fixed in 1752 by the Treaty of Varese, and has since remained virtually unchanged.
In 1848, the Melide causeway was built on a moraine between Melide and Bissone, in order to carry a road across the lake and provide a direct connection between Lugano and Chiasso. Today the causeway also carries the Gotthard railway and the A2 motorway.
Geography
The lake is 48.7 km2 (18.8 sq mi) in size, 63% of which is in Switzerland and 37% in Italy. It has an average width of roughly 1 km (0.62 mi) and a maximum width of about 3 km (1.9 mi) at the bay of Lugano. A maximum depth of 288 m (945 ft) is found in the northern basin. The culminating point of the lake's drainage basin is the Pizzo di Gino summit in the Lugano Prealps (2,245 m; 7,365 ft).[3] Bathing in the lake is allowed at any of the 50 or so bathing establishments located along the Swiss shores.
The Italian exclave of Campione d'Italia and parts of the waters of the lake are considered by European Customs Law as non-territorial for fiscal purposes and as such enjoy a special tax status as a duty-free area, exemption from EU VAT and offer residents other advantageous tax privileges.
The Melide causeway separates the northern (27.5 km2; 10.6 sq mi) and southern (21.4 km2; 8.3 sq mi) basins, although a bridge in the causeway permits water flow and navigation. The lake retention time is an average of 8.2 years; that of the northern basin (11.9 years) is considerably higher than the southern one (2.3 years).
Navigation
The lake is navigable, and used by a considerable number of private vessels. Passenger boats of the Società Navigazione del Lago di Lugano (SNL) provide services on the lake, principally for tourist purposes, but also connecting Lugano with other lakeside communities, some of which have no road access.
Fishery in the lake (and Lake Maggiore) is regulated by a 1986 agreement between Switzerland and Italy. The current agreement on navigation dates from 1992.
Pollution
Pollution has long been a problem in Lake Lugano. In the 1960s and 1970s it was officially forbidden to bathe in the lake.[6] Despite the continued introduction of sewage treatment plants, such as in Gandria, factors, such as lake retention time and lack of oxygen and increasing phosphorus concentrations, means it is unclear if the lake will recover.
The Federal Office for the Environment's last published report on Lake Lugano dates from 1995. To summarise that report:
at that time measurements indicated some improvement, but this was unlikely to continue at the same pace
there were almost permanent polluted layers at the bottom of the very deep lake
oxygen was scarce and could not be found below 100 m (330 ft) depth
as a result phosphorus levels were increasing at this depth
phosphorus levels in the northern basin were six times too high and in the southern basin twice too high
will take many decades to clean
the lake could be said to be "chronically sick"
in the Italian part of the lake only 20% of the population were connected to sewage treatment plants with phosphorus filters (not that all Swiss areas were connected either).
The Swiss-Italian organisation CIPAIS in its most recent published report says:
Considering the results obtained in 2009 it can be affirmed that, notwithstanding the observed improvement, Lake Lugano is still in a state of high eutrophication, the highest among Swiss lakes.
The Italian environmental group Legambiente, in its 2007 study of all northern Italian lakes, found Lake Lugano to be the most polluted of all.
All water samples were well beyond the legal limits. The polluted sites should not be bathed in for health reasons. Bacteria can cause in the worst case, skin infections, diarrhoea and vomiting.
According to Legambiente, the only reason swimming was not banned on the Italian Lakes was because the state of Lombardy changed the law. They state that pollution levels in the lakes do not conform to European rulings and the lack of sewage treatment is illegal.
Their 2010 measurements found samples taken at Ponte Tresa, Osteno and Porto Ceresio to be "heavily polluted" (more than 1,000 UFC/100 ml intestinal enterococci and/or greater than 2000 UFC/100 ml E. coli).
Fauna
The lake is full of fish. Apart from a few protected areas, such as the mouth of the River Cuccio in Porlezza, fishing is allowed anywhere, although according to various regulations. Protected species are the bleak and the white clawed crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes). The bleak is almost extinct here, unlike in Lago Maggiore, and planning is under way for the controlled repopulation of the lake, particularly around Ponte Tresa.
In 1895 the brook trout was introduced from Lake Zug, while between 1894 and 1897 the common whitefish was introduced. Since 1950 attempts have been made to introduce the whitefish Coregonus macrophthalmus from Lake Neuchâtel, but it has not established itself effectively.
The Common Roach is present in large numbers and took around ten years to colonise the entire lake, thereby replacing the bleak. Still present are the European chub, tench, carp and a few examples of European perch, largemouth bass, zander and burbot. Recently the wels catfish and pigo have been spotted.
Fossils
The whole area behind the southern shores of Lake Lugano is rich in fossils. The focal point of these fossil deposits is Monte San Giorgio, where since the 19th century many fossils have been found dating from the mid-Triassic (around 220 million years ago). The deposits on Monte San Giorgio stretch towards the west into Italian territory and the deposits of Besano. Fossils dating from the early Jurassic (around 180 million years ago) have also been found along the southern shores but more towards the east and Osteno.
(Wikipedia)
Eine spektakuläre Wanderung zwischen Zivilisation und wilden Tälern
Der Höhenweg Monte Tamaro – Monte Lema ist eine der schönsten Wanderungen der Schweiz. Das spektakuläre Panorama reicht vom Tessin über das Wallis bis nach Italien.
Die Wanderung beginnt bei der Alpe Foppa mit dem ca. eineinhalb-stündigen Aufstieg zum Gipfel des Monte Tamaros auf 1 962 m ü. M., wo man mit einer herrlichen Aussicht auf den Lago Maggiore und Umgebung belohnt wird. Der Weg führt anschliessend entlang des Grats in einem lieblichen Auf und Ab durch Gipfel, Hänge und Almen, um schliesslich den Monte Lema im Malcantone (1 620 m ü.M.) zu erreichen. Während der gesamten Route weitet sich im Norden der Blick über den Lago Maggiore, das Centovalli, das Verzascatal, das Vallemaggia, Locarno und Bellinzona, während im Süden Lugano, seine Täler und der See zu sehen sind. Auch die majestätischsten Gipfel der Alpen, wie der Monte Rosa und das Matterhorn, stechen hervor.
Ausgehend von der Alpe Foppa empfehlen wir die Wanderung bis zum Gipfel des Monte Tamaro. Eine Variante unterhalb des Gipfels kürzt den Weg um etwa eine halbe Stunde, allerdings verpasst man so auch die 360° Aussicht, die der Gipfel bietet. Während der Wanderung ist es möglich, die Variante zum Gipfel des Monte Gradiccioli zu vermeiden und eine flachere, jedoch landschaftlich weniger reizvolle Variante unterhalb des Gipfels zu wählen.
(montetamaro.ch)
Der Luganersee (Schreibweise in Deutschland und Österreich Luganer See), italienisch Lago di Lugano oder Ceresio (eine Italianisierung des lateinischen Namens Ceresius), deutsch veraltet Lauisersee (nach der früheren deutschen Bezeichnung Lauis für Lugano), ist einer der oberitalienischen Seen.
Lage
Der See befindet sich zu 63 % im Schweizer Kanton Tessin. Zu 37 % liegt die Seefläche in italienischem Gebiet. Er ist nach der Schweizer Stadt Lugano benannt. Seine Oberfläche liegt 271 m über dem Meeresspiegel und misst 48,8 km², von denen 30,7 km² zur Schweiz und 18,1 km² zu Italien gehören. Seine tiefste Stelle liegt bei 288 m, und sein Volumen beträgt 5,9 km³. Der wichtigste Zufluss ist der Vedeggio mit 4 m³/s.
Seine Form erklärt sich durch seine Entstehung nach der Eiszeit in einem Gebiet, in dem zwei Gletscher zusammentrafen. Durch den künstlichen Seedamm von Melide wird der See in ein Nord- und ein Südbecken geteilt. Das Nordbecken hat eine Fläche von 27,5 km², das Südbecken 20,3 km², dazu kommt das kleine Becken, genannt Laghetto (deutsch ‹kleiner See›), von Ponte Tresa mit 1,0 km².
Einige Ausläufer des Sees reichen nach Italien, dazu befindet sich die durch ihr Spielkasino bekannte italienische Exklave Campione d’Italia an seinem Ufer, was zu einem komplizierten Grenzverlauf führt. Südlich von Lugano überqueren die Autobahn A2 und die Gotthardbahn den See auf dem Seedamm von Melide.
Tourismus
Bekannte Aussichtsberge am Ufer sind der Monte Brè (925 m ü. M.) im Osten, der Monte San Salvatore (912 m ü. M.) im Süden von Lugano und der Monte Generoso (1701 m ü. M.) am südöstlichen Ufer. Zwischen den beiden südlichen Armen liegt das UNESCO-Weltnaturerbe Monte San Giorgio (1097 m ü. M.).
Da der See durch seine Lage an der Südspitze der Schweiz in einem mediterranen Klima liegt, ist er ein beliebtes Touristenziel.
Rund um den See haben sich verschiedene deutsche Komponisten zurückgezogen, wie Michael Jary, Martin Böttcher oder auch Peter Thomas. Der Schriftsteller Hermann Hesse lebte ab seinem 42. Lebensjahr bis zu seinem Tod in Montagnola bei Lugano. Zu seinen Ehren gibt es dort seit 1997 ein ihm gewidmetes Museum im alten Torre Camuzzi.
Limnologie
Der See ist aufgrund seiner Schichtung ein meromiktisches Gewässer.
(Wikipedia)
Continuing to explore B&W again. This is the second of three waterfall shots from Iceland that I especially like in B&W.
Dettifoss is a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland and is reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe. The power of this waterfall is amazing - the water sounds like a thundering herd rushing over the edge. Was a bit eerie getting this close to the abyss. You can see a clip which provides a better perspective of its size and power here:
It is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier and collects water from a large area in Northeast Iceland. The falls are 100 metres (330 ft) wide and have a drop of 45 metres (150 ft) down to the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. It is the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume discharge, having an average water flow of 193 m3/s.
Continuing my little series of churches in the area near to where my parents' place is south west of Reading.
This is another church called St. Mary's - there seem to be an awful lot of them in this neck of the woods!
Completed in 1867 to a design by William Butterfield, it's Grade II listed ...
Mottled Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus leprus) - Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize
I had been nighthiking for several hours when I came across this little frog on the forest floor. At first I had no idea what it was besides the fact that I was sure I hadn't seen another one like it. It wasn't until I consulted a field guide back in the states that I figured out what species this is. Turns out its E. leprus, a species I had not heard of before but was an exciting find as it is a rare and uncommon frog whose distribution in Belize is poorly known. According to the IUCN page there is a single disjunct population in Belize. It has a small range as is (less than 20,000 sq.km) and most of its range has been rendered uninhabitable by habitat loss to development and agriculture. Infact when its distribution map is consulted it looks like a handful of small isolated pockets scattered across southern Mexico and Guatemala with one in Belize. Little is known about this species but due to decreases in populations and rapid & continuing habitat loss IUCN has classified this species as "Vulnerable" which is the category immediately preceding "Endangered". Hopefully this diminutive little frog fares better in the future and gets no further into the red.
Even before I knew what this species was this was one of my favorite finds from Belize. I have a soft spot for frogs and seeing a new species I don't recognize is always an exciting moment for me.
According to legend, when Lama Drukpa Kunley (called "the divine madman") visited Bhutan in the 15th century, the people urged the lama to perform a miracle. The saint demanded that he first be served a whole cow and a goat for lunch. He devoured these with relish and left only bones. After letting out a large and satisfied burp, he took the goat's head and stuck it onto the bones of the cow. And then with a snap of his fingers, he commanded the strange beast to rise up and graze on the mountainside. To the astonishment of the people the animal arose and ran up to the meadows to graze. This animal came to be known as the dong gyem tsey (takin) and to this day, these animals can be seen grazing on the mountainsides of Bhutan.
The Takin continues to befuddle taxonomists. Unable to relate it to any other animal, they have put it in a category by itself: budorcas taxicolor.
Continuing my Toy-ronto Life series...
Happy Miniature Sunday, Origami Edition :-)
Toying with origami and presenting the fabulous Old City Hall of our Toy-ronto :-) which I have photographed from the rooftop of New City Hall last spring on Doors Open event, but kept for the special occasion.
And the special occasion is that Yuri and I were invited to participate in Toronto Doors Open 2013, on May 25 - 26, and we are going to show an Origami version of Toy-ronto in the City Hall!
See City Hall's announcement! www.toronto.ca/doorsopen/2013/cityhall.htm or see Doors Open Toronto facebook page here and here .
So we are now preparing the display with origami toy-versions of some prominent sights of Toronto, including this Old City Hall.
If you are in Toronto last weekend of May, you are welcome to our exhibition in City Hall. The Doors Open is a free event!
So all this gave an idea for this image, using one of the elements of origami added to the miniaturized tilt-shift scene :-)
More of toy-some tilt-shift fun is coming - stay tuned / bientot a l'ecran ;-)
Oh, yes, we will be teaching some special origami on Doors Open event too, so drop by and learn some cool origami and see what origami can be!
I'm continuing with the recording of my new vista in different light, weathers and at different times. These show the different effects of lenses, the first picture is taken with a 75mm lens and the second with the 18mm setting on my 16-18-21mm Wide Tri-Elmar. Different viewpoints but it's the same clump of trees.
“So what is your story?” Nahla asked while idly and in bored fashion flipped through a random book sitting upon one of the desks.
“I’m just an Elf.” Solarawen replied, eyes shifted slightly over her left shoulder to the tiefling. “Don’t touch that.”
“Well, to look at you one would guess that but there is something a bit more about you. I see the scars along your shoulders and hands, what caused those?” Of course not listening to being told to stop touching things, she continued to flip through the pages while plopped into one of the not so comfortable wooden chairs. A soft protest of a squeak came from her shoulder where a small primate did it’s best to hide from the large white owl upon the elf's shoulder. Though Thalk’s golden eyes never left the small morsel’s position. Solarawen closed the book she had in her hands, a hesitant glance at the scars spoken of before she placed the book back and pulled another. “I mean, if I am going to be doing work for you the least you could do is give me a little information.”
“Information you would then turn and sell to someone else? After I am paying you gold to give me information on others?” Her tone did not sound accusatory, in fact it was rather even and blase throughout most of the conversations Nahla had with her.
“Gold is easy for me to come by,” A slight wave of the tiefling’s hand to dismiss the idea. “I’m curious and want a story instead. Your story. I mean, it isn’t like anyone is going to ask about you. No one even knows you yet nor do they probably care to. You’re just some random student so far. And even if they did, What would I tell them? A pretty elf had some curiosity but lacked the social skills to get to know them? I’d probably die and your story would die with me in the process of asking around. So why not? It is all the payment I am asking for. I’d say that is fair.” There was a sigh, that caused a smirk to curl on Nahla’s lips. She knew that sigh well enough to know she was about to get what was asked for.
A clap of the book and Solarawen turned around walking over to the table with an expression that Nahla couldn’t quite read. It wasn’t exactly annoyance nor was it amusement. In fact, something about it seemed almost sinister or devious in a way. That couldn’t be right, elves weren’t like that. So she thought.
“So what do you want to know?” The question posed as she settled down in a chair across the table. “About the scars? Or about where I am from? You have my name and my general information already. What is it you so desire that you would refuse gold in turn?” The tiefling licked her lips and leaned forward. The book in front of her was already forgotten and shoved to the wayside.
“Tell me about the scars. I’ve not seen scars like those before. How did you get them?”
“By meddling in magic before I was ready.” Nahla’s eyes squinted at the answer.
“Come on… More details, please.” Another sigh and the tiefling’s smile would grow to show her pointed teeth.
“When I was young I fell in love with a male who, in turn, fell in lust with me. All he wanted to do was have relations. Meanwhile I was trying to think of a future we both could have. Perhaps the naive nature of a younger self. While he was feeling me up, I was planning children and a home. I was daydreaming about how the introduction of him to my family would go. While that introduction got postponed time and time again. His choice of course. Until it could no longer be postponed because I was with a child.” Nahla raised a brow but was now intently listening.
“Everyone in Silverymoon knows my family are purists. Only elven blood in the family. As it turned out, my… choice in a male partner was not full elven blooded. He knew this of course, but chose to have his fun and when it came to the consequences… Well, he did not want to face the wrath of my mother for a child that would be… impure.” By this point of the story Nahla’s features changed slightly. Brows furrowed and head tilted with a hint of confusion in the expression on her face. She’d never heard of such a thing. The elves she had met throughout her life, at least the ones above ground, seemed to be tolerant if not loving of all life.
“So, this… partial elf decided that instead of facing down life as an outcast with me… because I would be exiled due to my child of course and lose everything. He decided to attempt to erase his mistake. To defend myself and my child I attempted to protect myself with magic I had not yet mastered. My mother caught us in the midst of battle and threw a chain lightning spell. She couldn’t have known what it would have done. At least I tell myself that. She was just trying to separate us. It killed him.” Solarawen nodded slightly. “And the baby. It went through one of my hands and out the other, which is where these scars came from. Instead of having me healed she insisted that the marks be left as a lesson. To what, I am not sure of. She claimed to not attempt magic without properly studying it first. Of which is true, had I studied it things might have gone differently. I might have chosen different spells or just misty stepped away and escaped with my and my baby’s life.” There was an awkward silence that followed before Solarawen stood back up and returned to the shelves she had been looking through already.
“I’m so sorry, Solarawen…”
“Don’t be. You now know I am not a simple naive elven maiden. Now, to business. I want to know of all the deity priests and priestesses within waterdeep. Just general information. I am not one for detailed stories.”
“As you wish.” Nahla stood up and brushed herself off. Though she agreed to it, she most likely would not seek out Solarawen again. Something about her didn’t seem right, and that instinct was what kept the orange haired tiefling intact for most of her life thus far. “You’ve a pleasant evening.” A polite bow of her horned head as she started to make her way out of the tower library. Thalk’s golden eyes stayed upon her and her little friend until they rounded the corner of a bookshelf.
“You too.” Solarawen muttered into yet another book. She was not a fool. She knew she’d never see the tiefling again. She’d have to find another way to gather information.