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I employed all my best hunting techniques and finally shot* one of these birds.
(*Shot with camera at McLaughlin Canyon, Okanogan County)
Bird # 155 in my "LBY" project:
The Esterházy Palace at Fertőd is the greatest Baroque-Rococo monument complex in Hungary. On the site of the Palace, Duke Joseph Esterházy initiated the construction of a hunting lodge with twenty-two rooms in 1720, based on the plans of the Viennese architect, Erhard Martinelli. However, the golden age of the Palace began when Nicholas Esterházy (also known as Miklós ‘the Magnificent’) succeeded to the ducal title.
Utilising the grandeur of 18th century Baroque-Rococo architecture, Duke Nicholas enlarged the palace, and with the help of Nicolaus Jakoby; he created a large garden with several alleys. At the French Garden with an Opera House and a Marionette theatre and employed German theatre companies as well as Italian and French ballet dancers. The orchestra of the Palace led by Joseph Haydn the great musician and composer, the chamber composer and conductor at Eszterháza, was well-known all over Europe.
The second golden period of Eszterháza came about at the turn of the 19th and 20th century. The suites of the Palace and the French Garden were restored for Duke Nicholas Esterházy IV. and his wife, Countess Margaret Cziráky. Enchanted by Eszterháza the Countess spent her dowry on the restoration of the palace and the gardens. The modernisation of the park started in 1902. Among the designers of the gardens was Anton Umlauft, one of the best-known gardeners in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.
Brass is an alloy composed of copper and zinc, usually for sheet metal, and casting in the proportion of seven parts of the former to three of the latter. Such a combination secures a good, brilliant colour. There are, however, varieties of tone ranging from a pale lemon colour to a deep golden brown, which depends upon a smaller or greater amount of zinc. In early times this metal seems to have been sparingly employed, but from the Middle Ages onward the industry in brass was a very important one, carried out on a vast scale and applied in widely different directions. Source Wikipedia.
The Egyptian Knowledge of Metallurgy and Metalworking
The Egyptians learned how to work metals from an early period, and all agree that 5,000 years ago, the Ancient Egyptians had already developed the techniques of mining, refining, and metalworking.
Ancient Egypt did not have several kinds of mineral ores, such as silver, copper, tin, lead, etc., even though they produced large quantities of electrum (an alloy of gold and silver), copper, and bronze alloys. The Ancient Egyptians used their expertise to explore for mineral ores in Egypt and in other countries. Ancient Egypt had the means and knowledge to explore for needed mineral ores, establish mining processes, and transport heavy loads for long distances by land and sea.
Because it being was largest and richest population in the ancient world, Egypt imported huge quantities of raw materials; and in return exported large quantities of finished goods. The Ancient Egyptians’ finished metallic and non-metallic products are found in tombs throughout the Mediterranean Basin, European, Asiatic and African countries.
The Egyptians possessed considerable knowledge of chemistry and the use of metallic oxides, as manifested in their ability to produce glass and porcelain in a variety of natural colours. The Ancient Egyptians also produced beautiful colours from copper, which reflects their knowledge of the composition of various metals, and the knowledge of the effects produced on different substances by the Earth’s salts. This concurs with our “modern” definition of the subjects of chemistry and metallurgy.
egypt-tehuti.org/vibrant-ancient-egyptian-economy/egyptia...
TD : Agfapan 100 Professional 35mm film, developed in D-76 1+1 for 7 minutes. Exposure ISO 100 @35mm lens, natural daylight. Scanned with Alpha 6000 edited in ACR, inverted in CS6.
Les Premiers de Corvée, vous vous en souvenez ?
Dans un pays entièrement déconfiné administrativement, les employés au service du grand public demeurent les premiers de corvée, les plus exposés aux virus...
Et en plus, les corvées du quotidien demeurent...!
A l'opposé des fresques monumentales, Jaune réalise des oeuvres et des collages discrets qui ne se dévoilent qu'au passant attentif.
Jonathan Pauwels, artiste pochoiriste bruxellois appelé Jaune met en scène des employés communaux de la ville de Bruxelles, vêtus du gilet de chantier fluo.
Ces travailleurs miniatures évoluent dans des scénarii absurdes et amusants sur les murs et le mobilier urbain. Les gardiens discrets du monde ordonné deviennent les générateurs de chaos et se révèlent aux yeux du public.
In contrast to monumental frescoes, Jaune produces works and discreet collages that are only revealed to the attentive passerby.
Jonathan Pauwels, a Brussels-based stencil artist named Jaune, is putting on stage communal employees from the city of Brussels dressed in neon work vest.
These miniature workers live in absurd and amusing scenarios on walls and street furniture. The discreet guardians of the ordained world become the generators of chaos and reveal themselves to the public eye.
Students from the Artesamos Don Bosco are selected from the neediest families in nearby communities. Their education, room, board, classes, and materials are all free.
Artesanos Don Bosco (ADB) is a non-profit organization that supports self-employed, skilled artisans in Peru. It gives the opportunity to young people to remain in their villages while earning an income and improve their lives.
Built in 1882 this building and a large adjoining processing plant now demolished once employed 4500 men. However by the mid twentieth century most of the office operations moved to Manhattan and as the century ended the operations were downscaled and sourced to other parts of the country. The plant was closed down at the beginning of this century there were several years of political haggling of what to do with the site. Finally the City Planning Commission with private developers tore down the actual refinery, built a waterfront park and gave the building landmark status. The inside of the building was gutted out and now has office space and luxury housing and luxury high rise apartments has and is being constructed around the area plus a stop for the East River Ferry was added so the wealthy residents paying $7000 a month for a one bedroom don't have to deal the surly common folk on the subway to and from their high paid corporate jobs in Manhattan.
This magnificent top floor of "Craiglea" in Paterson Street, Launceston, shows the kind of ornate architecture employed in the Victorian era.
N. Caoxi Rd., Shanghai
This man in what looks like a police uniform is not a policeman, but an 'auxiliary policeman', a temporary worker employed by the police department. In China, the pay and benefits of auxiliary police officers are much lower than those of regular police officers, but the work is very heavy and boring. The goal of most auxiliary police officers is to become regular police officers.
The Basilica of Saint-Denis (French: Basilique royale de Saint-Denis, now formally known as the Basilique-cathédrale de Saint-Denis) is a large former medieval abbey church and present cathedral in the commune of Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. The building is of singular importance historically and architecturally as its choir, completed in 1144, is widely considered the first structure to employ all of the elements of Gothic architecture.
The basilica became a place of pilgrimage and a necropolis containing the tombs of the kings of France, including nearly every king from the 10th century to Louis XVIII in the 19th century. Henry IV of France came to Saint-Denis formally to renounce his Protestant faith and become a Catholic. The queens of France were crowned at Saint-Denis, and the royal regalia, including the sword used for crowning the kings and the royal sceptre, were kept at Saint-Denis between coronations.
The site originated as a Gallo-Roman cemetery in late Roman times. The archaeological remains still lie beneath the cathedral; the graves indicate a mixture of Christian and pre-Christian burial practices. Around the year 475 AD, St. Genevieve purchased some land and built Saint-Denys de la Chapelle. In 636, on the orders of Dagobert I, the relics of Saint Denis, a patron saint of France, were reinterred in the basilica. The relics of St-Denis, which had been transferred to the parish church of the town in 1795, were brought back again to the abbey in 1819.
In the 12th century, the Abbot Suger rebuilt portions of the abbey church using innovative structural and decorative features. In doing so, he is said to have created the first truly Gothic building. In the following century the master-builder Pierre de Montreuil rebuilt the nave and the transepts in the new Rayonnant Gothic style.
The abbey church became a cathedral on the formation of the Diocese of Saint-Denis by Pope Paul VI in 1966 and is the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Denis, currently (since 2009) Pascal Delannoy. Although known as the "Basilica of St Denis", the cathedral has not been granted the title of Minor Basilica by the Vatican.
The 86-metre (282-foot) tall spire, dismantled in the 19th century, is to be rebuilt. The project, initiated more than 30 years ago, was to have begun in May 2020, and is expected to take about 11 years at a cost of about €28 million.
History
Early churches
The cathedral is on the site where Saint Denis, the first bishop of Paris, is believed to have been buried. According to the "Life of Saint Genevieve", written in about 520, he was sent by Pope Clement I to evangelise the Parisii. He was arrested and condemned by the Roman authorities. Along with two of his followers, the priest Eleutherus and deacon Rusticus, he was decapitated on the hill of Montmartre in about 250 AD. According to the legend, he is said to have carried his head four leagues to the Roman settlement of Catulliacus, the site of the current church, and indicated that it was where he wanted to be buried. A martyrium or shrine-mausoleum was erected on the site of his grave in about 313 AD, and was enlarged into a basilica with the addition of tombs and monuments under Saint Genevieve. These including a royal tomb, that of Aregonde, the wife of King Clothar I.
employed and gave work to so many people and you can calculate how many more nowadays.
Él dio trabajo a tanta gente y puedes calcular a cuánta más hoy en día.
Palau Güell - Gaudí
Barcelona
I liked the colors and shapes of the ice formations created by the flow of ground water.
A Saturday outing at Banning State Park started out overcast. Fortunately, late in the afternoon, the sun came out and provided some good light and shadows.
The park stretches along a length of the Kettle River where a sandstone quarry was once in operation. The sheer walls of rock, either created by river erosion or by quarry workers, have many locations where ground water is flowing out and creating interesting ice formations.
Information on the MN DNR website states in the late 1890s the area of Banning State Park was once a busy sandstone quarry that employed 500 workers who chiseled the rock into massive blocks. The strength and pink color of this sandstone made it very popular for building construction.
The Riley H. Andes House in Sevierville is representative of the building style widely employed for larger houses in rural Tennessee. It is distinctive, however, for the expertly crafted, hand sawn wood ornamentation which decorates the porches, central gable and the eaves. Thus, the house is an excellent example of a vernacular Victorian farmhouse. And, it is also one of the few houses in Sevierville to predate 1870. This situation is due to a widespread fire in the late 1850's and the lack of development during the Civil War.
The ornamental wood trim seen on the Andes House was hand crafted by Louis Buckner, a talented black carpenter who worked on a number of houses in Sevierville. In addition to designing and producing exterior wood, Buckner also made mantel pieces and furniture. His work is characterized by the use of both geometric and floral motifs. Several pieces of furniture believed to have been made by Buckner for the Andes are still in the house today. The Andes House displays some of the best examples of Buckner's work still in existence.
The house was built in 1867 by Riley H. Andes after his marriage in 1866 to Rebecca Rimel. Riley's grandfather, Peter, was one of the first settlers in Sevier County, arriving from Virginia in 1803. Both Riley and his brother John served in the Union Army during the Civil War. They both returned to farming and became prominent in Sevier County. In his biographical sketches of Sevier Countians, Goodspeed notes that R.H. Andes has a farm of 230 acres and a "good residence".
On July 8, 1980, the Riley H. Andes House was added to the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). All of the information above was found on the original documents submitted for listing consideration and can be viewed here:
npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/AssetDetail/f49d61d7-c422-49d6-9a5...
Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
Green Jays do a fair amount of ground foraging by turning leaves. In trees they are known to use sticks to pry up loose bark to expose insects, making them one of the few North American birds to employ tools.
Standing and waiting is the most common hunting strategy employed by green herons, they will often sit perched near the water, waiting for prey. They prey on a wide range of invertebrates.
Excerpt from www.timeout.com/hong-kong/art/best-street-art-and-graffit...:
Rich View Terrace, Square Street, Tai Ping Shan
Having started graffiti painting in the late 90s, California-based artist Jurne and his creations have been featured in exhibitions and festivals around the world, including New York, London, Berlin, New Zealand – and now, Hong Kong! Working in collaboration with Antoine, a fellow graffiti artist from France, this massive mural on Square Street showcases Jurne’s signature style with large letters that spell out his name. The background of the wall is a deep, saturated blue, against which Jurne sketched out his name and used spray paint to bring it to life. Meanwhile, a primary colour palette of yellow, blue, and red is employed for the lettering.
Fog was lifting but it was getting dark. I had a panel light to the left and the flash turned down. From my early days with a flash, Gary Fong always said to have the ISO at 400 when using a diffuser. I had to change camera and lens as the focus assist light doesn't hit the macro subject with the 105mm lens (lens is too long and working distance is too short).
I employed Gus to snap a few shots out his window as we passed BNSF's Belknap Street facility this morning. The four green SD40-2s and GP38-2 set I'm guessing was the power for the Rapids Local with the two trailing Dash-2s being set out at Brookston for the Kelly Lake Local and the geep at Rapids for the local power there.
986
"Basel Minster .
The Basel Minster (German: Basler Münster) is one of the main landmarks and tourist attractions of the Swiss city of Basel. It adds definition to the cityscape with its red sandstone architecture and coloured roof tiles, its two slim towers and the cross-shaped intersection of the main roof. The Münster is listed as a heritage site of national significance.
Originally a Catholic cathedral and today a reformed Protestant church, it was built between 1019 and 1500 in Romanesque and Gothic styles. The late Romanesque building was destroyed by the 1356 Basel earthquake and rebuilt by Johannes Gmünd, who was at the same time employed for building the Freiburg Münster. This building was extended from 1421 by Ulrich von Ensingen, architect of the cathedral towers at Ulm and Strasbourg. The southern tower was completed in 1500 by Hans von Nußdorf."
Wikipedia.
This is a silver gelatin print with elements of chemigram and lumen printing from my project "Traces".
”Traces” is a series that explores the transformation of identity over time. It delves into the fluid nature of "the self," questioning how much of who we are is shaped by our past versus the influence of fate. Through this work, I sought to deconstruct the familiar image we recognize as ourselves and rebuild it through a variety of alternative techniques. I employed methods such as manipulating the negative, experimenting with alternative chemical processes in the darkroom, and incorporating mixed media on the final prints. The portraits, captured on film first and finally printed on paper, reflect a layered process that blends traditional analog techniques with experimental approaches to reimagine the subject’s identity.
Matsue City, Shimane Pref., Japan
Ninja (忍者) were a type of warrior who specialized in unconventional warfare such as infiltration, sabotage and assassination during the age of the samurai. Another way of calling them is "shinobi", meaning "those who act in stealth". Ninja employed deception and forgery tactics to take opponents out by surprise.
SOURCE: www.japan-guide.com/e/e2295.html
Völklingen Hütte is a steel complex located in the German town of Völklingen in the Saarland. Construction began in 1873, and the centre quickly became a unique industrial complex in Europe, providing all stages of cast iron and steel production. At the peak of production during the post-war period, the factory employed up to 17,000 workers. Closed in 1986, the complex was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994: it was the first industrial
monument to appear on this list.
My father was employed in the war (1939-1944) as a german dispatch rider. Later, my father became ill at the joints and was taken to a hospital. This pocket watch was the gift of a French soldier to my father. He had kept it always carefully. After his death I took over the pocket watch. An invaluable memory of my father and the knowledge of a real friendship at a difficult time.
Dream art is any form of art directly based on material from dreams, or which employs dream-like imagery.
Sunrise at Digha Sea beach, West Bengal, India.Digha is West Bengal's most popular sea resort.
For details: www.westbengaltourism.gov.in/web/guest/digha
I've added this close-up because a conversation between a photographer friend and a fish biologist reported that the dipper has a habit of clipping off a fry's tail while in pursuit so that the fish would not be able to escape.
Obviously, in this case the bird didn't have to employ the technique because the fry's tail is intact.
Goats employed to chew up weeds in a vacant lot have done their job well. They'll soon be moved to their next job.
Atlanta (Edgewood), Georgia, USA.
3 January 2021.
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▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).
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▶ Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10 II.
— Monochrome rendering via Nik Collection.
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Alice Chess is a chess variant invented in 1953 by V. R. Parton which employs two chessboards. The game is named after the main character "Alice" in Lewis Carroll's work "Through the Looking-Glass", where transport through the mirror into an alternate world is portrayed on the chessboards by the after-move transfer of chess pieces between boards.
This simple transfer rule is well known for causing disorientation, often leading to surprises and amusing mistakes as pieces "disappear" and "reappear" between boards.
Shibden Valley, Halifax, West Yorkshire
Don't employ that Shakin' Stevens bloke to come and fix your house.
Tea production is one of the main sources of foreign exchange for Sri Lanka. It employs, directly or indirectly, over 1 million people. The photo was taken at Dambatenna Tea Estate where Scotsman Thomas Lipton had a tea factory built in 1890.
Mulet employé par les barlatays (Terme en patois qui signifie convoyeur de fromages) pour le transport les fromages de montagne sur les sentier qui descendent de la ferme d'alpage à la vallée, alt. 1401m.
Commune de Chateau d'Oex, secteur Gros-Mont.
District de la Rivièra Pays d'en Haut,
Canton de Vaud - Waadt,
Suisse Schweiz Switzerland Svizzera.
Delano, Jack,, photographer.
Women workers employed as wipers in the roundhouse having lunch in their rest room, C. & N.W. R.R., Clinton, Iowa
1943 April
1 transparency : color.
Notes:
Title from FSA or OWI agency caption.
Photograph shows Marcella Hart at left, Mrs. Elibia Siematter at right.
Transfer from U.S. Office of War Information, 1944.
Subjects:
Chicago and North Western Railway Company
World War, 1939-1945
Eating & drinking
Women--Employment
Railroad employees
United States--Iowa--Clinton
Format: Transparencies--Color
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA, hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.print
Part Of: Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information Collection 12002-13 (DLC) 93845501
General information about the FSA/OWI Color Photographs is available at hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/pp.fsac
Higher resolution image is available (Persistent URL): hdl.loc.gov/loc.pnp/fsac.1a34808
Call Number: LC-USW36-644
Copyright by Mankind theme for Smile On Saturday!:-)
The invention of the piano is credited to Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655–1731) of Padua, Italy, who was employed by Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany, as the Keeper of the Instruments. Cristofori was an expert harpsichord maker, and was well acquainted with the body of knowledge on stringed keyboard instruments. He used his knowledge of harpsichord keyboard mechanisms and actions to help him to develop the first pianos. It is not known exactly when Cristofori first built a piano. An inventory made by his employers, the Medici family, indicates the existence of a piano by the year 1700; another document of doubtful authenticity indicates a date of 1698. The three Cristofori pianos that survive today date from the 1720s. Cristofori named the instrument un cimbalo di cipresso di piano e forte ("a keyboard of cypress with soft and loud"), abbreviated over time as pianoforte, fortepiano, and later, simply, piano.
While the clavichord allows expressive control of volume and sustain, it is too quiet for large performances in big halls. The harpsichord produces a sufficiently loud sound, especially when a coupler joins each key to both manuals of a two-manual harpsichord, but it offers no dynamic or accent-based expressive control over each note. A harpsichord cannot produce a variety of dynamic levels from the same keyboard during a musical passage (though a player can use a harpsichord with two manuals to alternate between two different stops [settings on the harpsichord that determine which set of strings sound], which could include a louder stop and a quieter stop). The piano offers the best of both instruments, combining the ability to play loudly and perform sharp accents. The piano can project more during piano concertos and play in larger venues, with dynamic control that permits a range of dynamics, including soft, quiet playing.
Cristofori's great success was solving, with no known prior example, the fundamental mechanical problem of designing a stringed keyboard instrument in which the notes are struck by a hammer. The hammer must strike the string, but not remain in contact with it, because this would damp the sound and stop the string from vibrating and making sound. This means that after striking the string, the hammer must be lifted or raised off the strings. Moreover, the hammer must return to its rest position without bouncing violently, and it must return to a position in which it is ready to play almost immediately after its key is depressed so the player can repeat the same note rapidly. Cristofori's piano action was a model for the many approaches to piano actions that followed in the next century. Cristofori's early instruments were made with thin strings, and were much quieter than the modern piano, but they were much louder and with more sustain in comparison to the clavichord—the only previous keyboard instrument capable of dynamic nuance via the weight or force with which the keyboard is played.
source Wikipedia
Using the Nikon Nikkor AF-P 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 G VR DX (kit) lens.
Photo taken at Randfontein in South Africa.
I Shoot Raw.
I edit in GIMP.
Feel free to criticize or just comment.
Happy Smile on Satruday and a great weekend to everyone!
Arctic Terns on the Farne Islands have been in the news this week as they have not nested on Inner Farne, one of their main nesting sites. Numbers have gradually declined on the Farnes over the past decade from about 2000 pairs to about 1500 pairs. Wardens are employed by National Trust to manage the habitat and manage visitors. But the pandemic has meant no visitors and no management and the tern nesting areas appear to be overgrown. They should have been nesting when I visited in early June but the ones I did see were just loafing about on rocks. But the colony in Beadnell Bay supports about 1500 pairs and they were nesting when I visited. This Arctic Tern was photographed flying to the Beadnell Bay colony from the beach nearby.
There are about 53000 pairs of Arctic Terns nesting in Britain, mostly in the Northern Isles and the Hebrides. And many more breed even further north, right up to Svalbard way above the Arctic Circle. They then migrate south to Antarctica, a journey of c10,000 miles, so they see more daylight than any other creature on the planet. I once found a large flock in our winter deep in the sea ice in Antarctica www.flickr.com/photos/timmelling/25408258373/in/photolist and if you look closely you can see they are in non-breeding plumage with white foreheads and black bills. The oldest ringed Arctic Tern was 31 years old and is likely to have flown more than half a million miles migrating between its breeding grounds and wintering grounds. Not to mention all the flying around it does while feeding and nesting.
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Explore #1 on Monday, April 14, 2008
Proudly featured on the Dark Roasted Blend blog
What do you do with a cloudless sky?....shot!
There are about another 8 Tripods on either side of me. Light-painted with a 2 million candle power torch by David and James
Also at the party was Johnno and Michael and Chris and ???
HMQS Gayundah was a gunboat operated by the Queensland Maritime Defence Force and the Royal Australian Navy. She entered service in 1884 and in 1921 she was sold to Brisbane Gravel Pty Ltd, who employed her as a sand and gravel barge on the Brisbane River.
Gayundah was eventually scrapped sometime in the 1950s, before being run aground in 1958 at Woody Point at Redcliffe, to serve as a breakwater.
Pienza "Val d'Orcia" Siena Toscana Italia©2015 All rights reserved
FotoSketcher oil paintig effect and lively
Nikon coolpix p 7100
Pienza
Pienza è un comune italiano di 2.120 abitanti della provincia di Siena in Toscana. È probabilmente il centro più rinomato e di maggiore importanza artistica di tutta la Val d'Orcia. È non molto distante dalla strada statale Cassia e dagli altri due importanti centri della valle, San Quirico d'Orcia e Castiglione d'Orcia. La città fino al 1462 altro non era che un piccolo borgo di nome Corsignano. L'evento che ne cambiò le sorti fu la nascita nel 1405 di Enea Silvio Piccolomini che 53 anni dopo divenne Papa Pio II. Proprio un viaggio del pontefice verso Mantova lo portò ad attraversare il luogo di nascita e il degrado che trovò lo portò a decidere la costruzione sopra l'antico borgo, affidandone il progetto all'architetto Bernardo Rossellino: costruzione che durò circa quattro anni e portò alla luce una cittadina armoniosa e con forme tipicamente quattrocentesche. La morte prematura di papa Pio II chiuse anche la storia della nuova città che da allora ha subito limitate modifiche. Per la bellezza del suo centro storico rinascimentale nel 1996 Pienza è entrata a far parte dei Patrimoni naturali, artistici, culturali dell'UNESCO, seguita poi nel 2004 dalla stessa zona valliva in cui sorge: la Val d'Orcia.
Pienza
Pienza, a town and comune in the province of Siena, in the Val d'Orcia in Tuscany (central Italy), between the towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino, is the "touchstone of Renaissance urbanism. In 1996, UNESCO declared the town a World Heritage Site, and in 2004 the entire valley, the Val d'Orcia, was included on the list of UNESCO's World Cultural Landscapes. Pienza was rebuilt from a village called Corsignano, which was the birthplace (1405) of Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini (Italian: Enea Silvio Piccolomini), a Renaissance humanist born into an exiled Sienese family, who later became Pope Pius II. Once he became Pope, Piccolomini had the entire village rebuilt as an ideal Renaissance town. Intended as a retreat from Rome, it represents the first application of humanist urban planning concepts, creating an impetus for planning that was adopted in other Italian towns and cities and eventually spread to other European centers.The rebuilding was done by Florentine architect Bernardo Gambarelli (known as Bernardo Rossellino) who may have worked with the humanist and architect Leon Battista Alberti, though there are no documents to prove it for sure. Alberti was in the employ of the Papal Curia at the time and served as an advisor to Pius. Construction started about 1459. Pope Pius II consecrated the Duomo on August 29, 1462, during his long summer visit. He included a detailed description of the structures in his Commentaries, written during the last two years of his life.
Quand le guide est aussi herueux que le touriste qui l'emploie, par le fait de pouvoir partager des moments aussi fous que de trouver une Pescatoria coelestis in situ avec 11 fleurs ouvertes durant un tour de 6 jours d'observation d'orchidées et de nature que je viens de guider dans le département du Valle del Cauca, Colombie.
When the guide is as happy as the tourist who employs him, for being able to share crazy moments such as finding a Pescatoria coelestis with 11 opened flowers during a 6 days orchids and nature observation tour I just guided in Valle del Cauca department, Colombia.
Cuando el guía es tan feliz como el turista que lo contrata, por poder compartir momentos tan locos como hallar una Pescatoria coelestis con 11 flores abiertas durante un tour de 6 días de observación de orquídeas y naturaleza que acabo de guiar en el departamento del Valle del Cauca, Colombia.
37401 Mary Queen of Scots paired with 37425 Concrete Bob roll gently towards Bescot Junction heading 6G94 Crewe Basford Hall to Bescot Up Engineers Siding. Great to see the 37's back on G94 with the pair having been employed on K05 Carlisle to Crewe the previous day.
In the mid to late 1970s I was employed as a Residential Social Worker at a long-stay children and young person home in a south London borough. During my stay there I took many hundreds of photos of the youngsters in my care and of the activities in which we were involved.
Two of the younger lads sitting on a wall at the back of the house in which we lived. We were just about to go to Wimbledon Common, hence the ubiquitous black wellingtons, it was always extremely muddy there, the boys knew how to find mud even in the middle of summer! The older boy is wearing one of those hideous brown quilted anoraks that were so popular in the late 60s and early 70s.
You can read some of my experiences whilst working at the home on my Wordpress blog:
opobs.wordpress.com/category/the-london-years/
This image is the copyright of © Michael John Stokes; Any users, found to replicate, reproduce, circulate, distribute, download, manipulate or otherwise use my images without my written consent will be in breach of copyright laws. Please contact me at mjs@opobs.co.uk for permission to use any of my photographs.
PLEASE NOTE: Before adding any of my photographs to your 'Favorites", please check out my policy on this issue on my profile.
Mil Mi-2 "Hoplit" Mk3 Scout Helicopter (Hoplit = Hoplite, Russian)
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A total redesign of the Mil Mi-2.
The Mi-2 Mk3 began replacing the Mi-2 Mk2. It employs a traditional rotor system with 3 blades.
Designed mainly for transport and - as the name suggests - scouting. More equipped for scouting than almost any other NSC chopper, it employs the most advanced cameras and imaging equipment out there. It is extremely fast, reaching speeds of Mach 0.4 with a full load, employing two large turboshaft TX engines very similar to the Mi-8 engines, and twin side mounted DDF-1 series engines.
It has very minimal stealth capability, equipped with infrared trace reducers and stealth engine exhaust to prevent missile lock ons. Unfortunately, it is not radar resistant, but it is fast and maneuverable enough to outrun most threats.
Equipped with a twin side mounted TLS system, two gunner directed machineguns, two unguided missile pods and a single ShBM imported from the Turkish.
On it's sides are two missiles countermeasures suites, which fire a laser to destroy incoming hostile missiles. It is similar to the one used on NSC tanks.
It's new sensors and equipment allow it to mesh into the intel network, which is a system that creates a virtual map with feed from the frontlines, recon units, etc. It allows HUD-equipped units to view a minimap of the area with identified enemies on it. Each unit with a camera, including infantry equipped with the Enforcer suit, contributes to this intel network. This way, every unit in the military is essentially a recon unit. The helo is a powerful one, surveying a large area and identifying any visible enemies..
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GC Cost: 6,400 Credits (Tier 4, Stealth) 4,000 (Stealth)
North American T-28 Trojan NX289RD 140576
The military trainer aircraft used by the United States Air Force and United States Navy beginning in the 1950s. Besides its use as a trainer, the T-28 was successfully employed as a counter-insurgency aircraft, primarily during the Vietnam War
Photo taken at EAA Airventure Wittman Regional Airport Oshkosh Wisconsin USA July 2019
2AA_0601
‘’ Le Ciel Nous Tombe Sur La Tête ’’
Parmi les amis – ou du moins les relations – se trouvait un employé de la Banque de Montréal qui m’avait avait fourni des plans des fondations du vénérable siège social de l’institution financière. À la Ville de Montréal, je connaissais aussi une obligeante personne qui s’était arrangée pour me laisser voir un plan des égouts de la métropole. De 7 heures du matin à 4 heures de l’après-midi, durant plus de quatre mois à respirer les miasmes de l’endroit confiné, nous creusions vers le butin. Ce fut un combat constant contre l’humidité, la maladie et l’affaiblissement, on aurait dit que toutes les saloperies qui avaient suinté des bas-fonds de la métropole depuis un siècle s’étaient ramassées là. La rue est droite comme une autoroute, nous avons pu y érigé trois petites digues de retenue pour pouvoir utiliser nos deux Zodiac. Il fallait boiser le tunnel à tous les mètres au moyen de panneaux de contreplaqué de trois quarts de pouce, maintenus par des pièces de 2x4 et par des étais télescopiques en métal. Un système d’éclairage et de ventilation sommaire avait aussi été installé. Nous nous retrouvions le matin vers 5h30 dans un restaurant pour camionneurs à Laprairie, où des filles très peu vêtues et aux charmes fanés nous servaient des petits-déjeuners prétendument érotiques. Vers sept heures, nous installions notre camion au-dessus d’un regard d’égout qui se trouvait près d’un stationnement réservé au corps diplomatique et nous descendions dans notre enfer. Nous savions par notre taupe de Sécur que la money room contenait parfois jusqu’à un demi-milliard en argent. Il nous a fallu 17 heures pour traverser le mur avec une perceuse manuelle. Nous avons su que notre but était atteint lorsqu’un rai de lumière est apparu. Tout semblait aller selon nos plans, Nous avions décidé le coup après les fêtes de 1992 et étions arrivés à Mars 1993. Un beau matin, nous avons constaté que la voûte de notre tunnel s’était effondrée et que l’air frais s’insinuait dans notre excavation. Le bonhomme printemps venait de nous faire regretter pour toujours notre coup qui venait de tomber à l’eau. Vers 7h30, le 5 Avril, une employée de la banque signalait une situation dangereuse sur le trottoir. Un arbre s’était enfoncé d’un bon mètre avec la fonte des neiges. Les curieux confirmèrent la présence d’une odeur pestilentielle qui montait des entrailles de la terre. Si l’arbre avait été convenablement planté, si le sol n’avait pas dégelé, si la chenillette n’avait pas passé, si les cols bleus avait bien planté l’arbre, les choses auraient pris une autre tournure, mais avec des si, on va à Paris. ‘’The agony of defeat…’’
Tiré du livre: Et que ça saute! : Le dernier tunnel tel que raconté à Jean-Louis Morgan
Ten miles in the rain, and I never really got wet. I’m employing waterproof socks and these Hikenture gloves. Hands and feet were the last problem to solve for wet winter riding, and think I’ve arrived.
Each day during the year, Flickr employs a 'secret' algorithm to select five hundred images for a daily-posted Explore page —all exemplifying some sort of 'interestingness.'
▶ During 2024, Flickr selected seventeen of my images for Explore:
☞ Percussionist in the green was my most viewed, at 10,310 views.
☞ Lanceleaf coreopsis (sepals & petals) was my most 'faved', with 282 'faves.'
☞ Tree falls into winter received the highest position (no. 78 out of 500), selected on 12 December 2024.
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THE FULL LIST
● ROW 1
☞ Tree falls into winter (12 December 2024)
8,534 views; 266 'faves'; 78th/500.
---> This image achieved the highest Explore position of any of my seventeen images selected.
☞ Woodland at Glenn Creek (22 November 2024)
8,766 views; 217 'faves'; 102nd/500.
☞ Purple aster (13 October 2024)
8,992 views; 232 'faves'; 150th/500.
☞ Bird of paradise, against blue wall (13 September 2024)
6,177 views; 188 'faves; 313th/500.
☞ Paddleboard morningtide (28 August 2024)
6,632 views; 128 'faves'; 479th/500.
☞ Strasburg pitches (04) (28 August 2024)
6453; 73 'faves'; 186th/500.
☞ Umbrella in the foliage (12 August 2024)
9,728 views; 171 'faves'; 92nd/500.
☞ Moving Keys (24 July 2024)
7,379 views; 103 'faves'; 351st/500.
*****
● ROW 2
☞ Gnomes' back beat on parade (26 June 2024)
8,358 views; 120 'faves'; 216th/500.
☞ Dancing to the tunes (02) (26 June 2024)
8,514 views; 118 'faves'; 157th/500.
☞ Geese, too? (19 June 2024)
6,882 views; 162 'faves'; 269th/500.
☞ Percussionist in the green (3 June 2024)
10,310 views; 119 'faves'; 85th/500.
---> The most viewed of my 2024 images, 'Explored' or not.
☞ Lanceleaf coreopsis (sepals & petals) (10 May 2024)
9,497 views; 282 'faves'; 98th/500.
---> The most 'faved' of my 2024 images, 'Explored' or not.
☞ Arabia Lake (in early spring) (24 April 2024)
7,658 views; 215 'faves'; 230/500.
☞ Arabia Mountain spring landscape (03) (5 April 2024)
8,822 views; 217 'faves'; 104th/500.
☞ Holy hellebore (5 February 2024)
6,921 views; 207 'faves'; 474th/500.
*****
● ROW 3
☞ Winter beech woodland (12 January 2024)
7,873 views; 210 'faves'; 474th/500.
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▶ WHAT IS EXPLORE?
"Explore is a Flickr feature with the intent of showing you 'some of the most awesome photos on Flickr.' Photos are automatically selected by computer according to a secret algorithm called Interestingness. The top 500 photos ranked by Interestingness are shown in Explore.
Flickr has stated that many factors go into calculating Interestingness: a photo's tags, how many groups the photo is in, views, favorites, where click-throughs are coming from, who comments on a photo and when, and more. The velocity of any of those components is a key factor. For example, getting 20 comments in an hour counts much higher than getting 20 comments in a week.
Is Explore a showcase for the top Flickr photographers? No. It's for photo viewers, not the photographers. It exists so that, at any moment, anyone who wants to view interesting photos can go to Explore and have a reasonable chance of seeing something interesting.
Does that imply that photographs not in Explore are uninteresting? Of course not. Many wonderful photos are uploaded to Flickr each day not selected for Explore. But, to serve its purpose, Explore only includes a small sampling of all of the photos on Flickr, showing photos from many different people to create a diverse selection."
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▶ Collage created by Big Huge Labs
▶ Uploaded by: YFGF.
▶ For a larger image, type 'L' (without the quotation marks).
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