Despite the fact that there are around 20,000 species of this large family of Longhorn beetles there a few to be found living in the UK. Just proves that you don't have to always take a trip to a tropical rainforest to find some amazing looking bugs. Fond of damp grassland areas and chalky soils where the larvae of this beetle develop in the stem tissues of herbaceous plants such as hogweed. Can be seen from May to June and found widespread in the UK but local in eastern England.

Amsterdam - Buitenveldertselaan - De Cuserstraat

Copyright - All images are copyright © protected. All Rights Reserved. Copying, altering, displaying or redistribution of any of these images without written permission from the artist is strictly prohibited.

Close up of the right wings of this dragonfly taken in my daughter's garden.

Some fun facts on dragonfly that might surprise you

Dragonflies spent most of their lives underwater.

Adult dragonflies only live up to 6 months, they end up spending more time of their lives in water than the air.

Dragonflies lay their eggs in water. Upon hatching, the larva will remain aquatic for 2 to 5 years depending on the species.

During this stage, they would breathe using their gills.

Dragonfly nymphs eat any underwater creature smaller than them.

Some bigger species of dragonfly can even hunt and eat small fish as larvae.

After the larva stage, they would crawl out of the water with the dragonfly’s exoskeleton cracking open to release its abdomen.

During this period, its four wings will start to emerge, drying and solidifying within the next several days.

The wings of the dragonfly provide superior stability with high load-bearing capacity as it flies, glides, and hovers.

Their wings are made of membranes and veins with a complex design that provides excellent versatility, agility as well as performing maneuverable fliers.

Just a single dragonfly can eat up to 100 mosquitoes per day.

Having two or more dragonflies in the garden or near the house would certainly slow down the mosquito’s population.

Adult dragonflies only eat when they are flying.

Hence if they are injured and cannot fly, they will starve to death.

Many thanks for your visit, comments, invites and faves...it is always appreciated..

Peaceful Saturday

Macaws in open feeder

In fact, they are too beautiful. This place I visited is wonderful, with many macaws flying free everywhere. I was delighted!

Thank you for appreciating and commenting.

May’s Explore takeover is celebrating patterns!

www.flickr.com/groups/2684497@N24/discuss/72157721922771256/

Foto 12 p. 28

Ara ararauna

(Linnaeus, 1758)

Psittacidae (Família)

Psittaciformes (Ordem)

FREE BIRD

DSCN4682

Bioma Cerrado

Chapada dos Veadeiros

Alto Paraíso de Goiás

Goiás, Brasil

Art Week Gallery Theme

05 Feb. to 11 Feb our theme is:

~~~Vivid Faces ~~~

For those who are interested, an extract from this afternoon's Journal entry.

"At 5 o'clock we were back on the road to Sousousvlei for the afternoon drive, along the way we saw Oryx and Ostriches. We stopped at dune number 45, I gave Ruby my Panasonic camera and she went off to take photos of wild flowers. I took close up shots of the sand dune and its environment.

Next we drove to dune number 47; this was a stunning landscape, especially in the afternoon light. We watched the sun set at dune 47, Ruby took photos of the sunset with one of my cameras, while I used another. Neither of us was interested in sharing drinks and nibbles, we were civil but an impossible gulf had opened between us.

I asked about taking a hot air balloon or a sightseeing flight the next morning. Ruby said I'd never get into the balloon basket and besides the next morning would be windy and unsuitable for ballooning. She was no longer interested in anything I wanted if I wasn’t interested in what she wanted me to do. She had also lost sight of the fact I was the client and she the guide. Her message was loud and clear.

Back at the camp we had Orix kebabs for dinner, tough as old leather and not at all tasty."

Three rivers – the Beneden-Merwede, the Oude Maas and the Noord – converge at a point in South Holland, aptly named Drierivierenpunt, or the Three River Junction. In fact, it’s the busiest river junction in Europe. Three municipalities are located at this junction: Dordrecht, Papendrecht and Zwijndrecht. The individual city maps of these cities stop where the water begins: in other words, the maps don’t show what’s on the other side of the water. Thus each municipality literally doesn’t look beyond its own border, making the water more of a restrictive feature than a connecting one. ‘The Drierivierenpunt is a unique place, and there is now a joint plan to further develop the area and connect locations with each other,’ says Nicole op de Laak, head of Spatial Development Department of the municipality of Papendrecht and chair of the ‘netwerk fysiek’ management team for the Drechtsteden region. ‘Now that we’ve reached that point, the trick is to take the next important steps.’

‘The location on the junction of three rivers makes the Drechtsteden truly unique,’ Nicole says. ‘The area has many qualities: the presence of the water; the near proximity of cultural-historic heritage such as Kinderdijk and the historic centre of Dordrecht; the fact that it is situated next to the Biesbosch national park; the other centres with their own quality of life and housing; the maritime industry; and a good public transport system on the water. There are many options for enhancing the banks of the Drierivierenpunt for the purposes of living, working and recreation. This potential, however, is still untapped. There are several reasons for this. In many areas there is soil contamination, heavy industry and agreements with parties that have development rights. That often complicates the development of projects on the banks. But there are also excellent examples of something special arising. One example is the construction of a hotel-restaurant in a former water tower in Dordrecht. Named ‘Villa Augustus’, it is now a unique gem in the Drierivierenpunt. The Energiehuis, a cultural centre housed in a former power plant, and the movie theatre were added at a later stage. The development of these amenities has substantially enhanced the quality of time people spend on the banks.’

reading fingers have left almost invisible traces on the letters. the story is very old.

what is readable, what can we know...just some shades and hints of the forgotten lives.

Music:

"Sports Hazardeux" by ALBERT MARCOEUR, in 'Sports et Percussions' (1994)

open.spotify.com/track/27pWS2up3iNu37QVv3Zic9

Odd fact: The Baltimore Oriole received its name from the fact that the male's colors resembled those on the coat of arms of Lord Baltimore.

If you like this and some of my other images, I invite you to take a look at my wildlife/birding blog, which I try to update every few days. ... grenfell.weebly.com and my web page at www.tekfx.ca

I appreciate your feedback and comments! so feel free to contact me for any reason. I can be reached at billm@tekfx.ca or on Flickrmail

All images are copyright. Please don't use this, or any other of my, images, on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission © All rights reserved

This chilly little black-capped chickadee was bummed out by the fact that it snowed for most of the day. Old Man Winter still has a lot of fight left in him since it's still only February.

“Things need not have happened to be true. Tales and dreams are the shadow-truths that will endure when mere facts are dust and ashes, and forgot.”

― Neil Gaiman, Dream Country

Taken @ .EMBW. mainstore

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/BEAUTY%20DREAMS/121/57/23

“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.”

William Blake

A combination of moments,

light and shadows.

Lines and dots.

All inconspicuous and at the same time quite clear.

🎧Ghost of Johnny Cash

ursus arctos

length: 1 to 2.8 m

weight: 139 kg (male), 95 kg (female)

lifespan: 20 to 30 years

predators: humans

habitat: boreal forest, mountain alpine, arctic tundra

yukon population estimate: 6,000-7,000

they breed for the first time around their 8th year and reproduce every 3 to 4 years

bears routinely distinguish between threatening and non-threatening human behaviour

bears are not mean or malicious; they are very gentle, curious, and tolerant animals

shih shòh (gwich’in)

shär cho (hän)

dlēze (kaska)

srà cho (northern tutchone)

akłaq (inuvialuit)

atsìá sho (big grandpa) (southern tutchone)

shash chō (tagish)

shüh choh (upper tanana)

xóots or xûts (tlingit)

Sundance turned 11 a couple of weeks ago. He still gets the zoomies just as he did with his brother Sid when they were young. As a natter if fact he took a few laps around the house just this morning. (Smokey, our other cat, does not know what to make of Sundance's sudden outburst of kittenhood and remains on his paws blanket out of harm's way).

For 4/6/2024 Happy Caturday Group

Once a genius, always a genius

Check out these cool cardinal facts:

Cardinals are early nesters.

Both male and female cardinal birds sing.

Some people put birdseed outside to keep cardinals as “pets.”

In many cultures, bird lovers have a special place in their hearts for cardinals.

Many people associate cardinals with pleasant memories or the idea that a deceased loved one is present.

Perhaps the cardinal’s comforting, beautiful, and cheerful song invokes pleasant memories from the past.

Or maybe the bold red color speaks to us; red is the color of blood, which gives us life.

For many, cardinals symbolically represent joy and hope.

When single people encounter cardinals, they believe the bird’s presence represents an omen that new romantic relationships are on the verge of manifesting.

In the United States, when people see cardinals in winter, they feel encouraged to look forward to springtime.

samsung s22

Despite the fact that it is over three hours to get there, I've become quite smitten by the location. Not ideal conditions on this occasion, but that's just another good reason to return.....

Please note for those who are unable to separate fact from fiction......this is purely fictional dialogue whilst the image is real

credits ♡

Look through

Material world

Into the realm of ideas

OlympusOmZuiko 55mmF1.2

Thanks to Mary for the great idea!!!!!!

Lovington, New Mexico

#FlickrFriday #Knowledge

Autumn mirror reflection in the lake - panorama, camera Nikon Coolpix L330 "Snow " mode-in fact my favorite mode!

I love wax cherry trees, in fact, I love all trees, but these ones, in particular, I don't know, maybe because they are the first to bloom in Spring, and theirs' flowers fragrance is so sweet and fresh, or maybe because they're sort of taken for granted by everyone, no one wants them in the yard these days, 'cause "are not special".

...or because they remind me of my childhood.

In fact it's a veloceraptor, but I liked the double meaning of the title 😉😀

© 2024 photos4dreams - all rights reserved

This was the first of two days spent on the Conway Scenic Raileoad as part of a four day mini railfan vacation in Northern New England that would feature GP38s in glorious conditions...simply the kind of trip dreams are made of!

Instead of running all the way to Fabyans as in prior fall seasons, this year the Conway Scenic is running two daily round trips between North Conway and Crawfords with the addition of a third 'bus train' for passengers arriving by motor coach from Portland off a cruise ship as a day shore excursion. That means that now there are six trains running through the Notch every day with a scheduled meet at Bartlett and Sawyers River...it truly is astonishing and a joy to see this line so busy!

The returning 9 AM eastbound Mountaineer is passing the old granite milepost 62 as they climb Intervale Hill on the two mile tangent up from the truss bridge over the East Branch at the bottom of the hill. This spot was one of the most famous photo locations along the old Maine Central's Mountain Sub mainline because you could capture the entirety of a 100 car freight strung out as they climbed the grade. This is one of only two places where you can include Mount Washington with the train and on those rare clear days like this it is a sight to behold rising dramatically 16 miles away.

Located in the Presidential Range Mount Washington is the highest peak in the Northeastern United States at 6,288.2 ft and the most topographically prominent mountain east of the Mississippi River. The summit is probably most famous for having the highest wind speed ever recorded on earth (not associated with a tornado or tropical cyclone) of 231 mph recorded on April 12, 1934 by the observatory located there!

Leading the train are GP38s 255 and 252 which are right at home here having been built in November 1966 for the Maine Central Railroad as part of an order of 13 of the model which were the first batch of second generation diesel locomotives purchased by the road. They both regularly operated here for the first 17 years of their lives until the last thru freight ran in 1983 after Guilford purchased the MEC and shuttered the Mountain Sub. In fact 252 had the ignominious duty of leading the final YR-1 from Saint Johnsbury on September 2, 1983.

255 came to Conway Scenic in 2022 and wore her Vermont Rail System red paint until just this past June when she received this new 'old' dress. The VTR red was from her nearly two decade second career as Clarendon & Pittsford 203 after having being sold by MEC successor Guilford Transportation in the early 1990s. 252 meanwhile was the last of her class in service on Guilford, lasting more than three decades, and having seen her other dozen siblings retired and scrapped or sold. She came to Conway Scenic in March 2010 along with GP35 216 in a trade with Pan Am Railways for FP9s 6505 and 6516 that would become Pan Am's OCS power.

Near unincorporated Intervale

Bartlett, New Hampshire

Thursday October 9, 2025

Leitz Wetzlar Germany Colorplan 90mm f2.5

Capture from Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland, Oregon.

I somehow managed to delete this photo from flickr (thx very much Adobe!) so forgive me for posting it twice. It is a result of spontaneous Sunday experiment which turned out rather well. Even the fact that my car got broken into could not have dampened my mood. :)

At first glance this scene could be mistaken for a fantasy book illustration by Arthur Rackham. But it is in fact the "Eros" fountain in Sefton Park, Liverpool pictured on a misty autumn morning, with drama added by the bare branches of trees which have started to shed their leaves.

COPYRIGHT © Towner Images

So, I have taken quite a few portraits in my life but this one of a Masai girl wearing her gorgeous red blanket under the Tanzanian sun is going to stay in my heart for a while. Yes: regardless of the fact that the focus is a little soft on the face.

just got dissed.

Ricoh R1

Expired 400asa unknown film taken from a disposable camera and shot at 100asa

Homemade C41 and Bleach

Epson V700

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bassenthwaite_Lake

Bassenthwaite Lake is one of the largest water bodies in the English Lake District. It is long and narrow, approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) long and 3⁄4-mile (1.2 km) wide, but is also extremely shallow, with a maximum depth of about 70 ft (21 m).

It is the only body of water in the Lake District to use the word "lake" in its name, all the others being "waters" (for example, Derwentwater), "meres" (for example, Windermere) or "tarns" (for example, Dock Tarn). It is fed by, and drains into, the River Derwent. The lake lies at the foot of Skiddaw, near the town of Keswick. Some maps dating from the 18th century do in fact mark this lake with the name Bassenwater,[citation needed] and the use of the name Broadwater for this lake is also attested.[citation needed]

The A66 dual carriageway runs roughly north/south along the western side of the lake. The lay-bys are popular spots for photographers and bird watchers looking for osprey. The section running south towards Keswick was built along the course of the former Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith railway line.

Origin

Like the other Lake District lakes, Bassenthwaite Lake lies in a glacially eroded valley, left after the last glaciation. Bassenthwaite Lake is linked to Derwent Water by the River Derwent, which crosses the 3-mile (4.8 km) alluvial plain between the two lakes. There has been speculation that Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake were once one larger lake with the alluvial flats now separating them formed from partial infill of the original basin.[citation needed]

Etymology

'Bassenthwaite' is "'Bastun's clearing', pers.[onal] n.[ame] plus 'þveit' 'clearing', also 'common', 'lake'. The 1st el[ement] is usually taken to be the Anglo-French nickname or surname 'Bastun', originally meaning 'stick', while the 2nd is ON 'þveit' 'clearing'. The lake, in early times known as 'Bastun's water', takes its name from the village." [2] (ON=Old Norse).

Biodiversity

The lake's catchment is the largest of any lake in the Lake District. This, along with a large percentage of cultivable land within this drainage area, makes Bassenthwaite Lake a fertile habitat.

The lake contains salmon, trout, pike, perch, minnow, dace, ruffe and eel, though the predominant species is roach, which is believed to have been introduced in the form of discarded live-baits by visiting pike anglers. Also present was the vendace, until it was declared extinct within the lake in 2001.

Birdlife

Cormorants have been known to fish the lake and herons can also be seen; at the turn of the 19th century there was a report of 60 nests in a heronry in nearby Wythop Woods.

Lake District Osprey Project

In 2001, ospreys returned to nest in the Lake District after more than a hundred years. They nested by the lake, and have done so regularly since. The osprey family can be watched from viewpoints at Dodd Wood and by CTV from Whinlatter Forest Visitor Centre.

Threats

Water quality is adversely affected by high sediment deposition, and there are other problems such as phosphate pollution. These issues are being addressed via the Bassenthwaite Lake Restoration Programme.[4][5] To reduce the sediment entering the lake more trees have been planted alongside watercourses, and clear felling of existing tree cover has been discouraged with the cooperation of the Forestry Commission.

Phosphates encourage algae formation.[4] The Environment Agency attributed unacceptable levels of phosphate in the catchment to Keswick wastewater treatment works, Greta Grove pumping station and the associated overflow.[6] Water company United Utilities was fined £27,000 in 2011 for allowing raw sewage to pollute nearby Pow Beck watercourse.[7] The company's £20 million sewer improvement scheme, begun in 2011, aims to improve water quality in the River Greta[8] and the lake itself.[9] The project will facilitate removal of greater quantities of phosphates.[10] Works to upgrade the wastewater treatment works and pumping station were begun in May 2010.[6]

Neolithic man

It has been reported that the wide gravel spreads between Derwent Water and Bassenthwaite Lake provided the best centre within Lakeland for Neolithic farming communities. Stone axes have been found in the area and particularly at Mossgarth, Portinscale.

Inscription above the entrance to "Kirkaldy's Testing and Experimenting Works" of 1874 (now a museum) at 99 Southwark Street, London. This institution was the first of its kind, that is, an independent organisation testing the quality and strength of commercial materials. I wonder whether Mr Kirkaldy had read Charles Dickens' novel "Hard Times" of 1854. Its first three sentences are:

"Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else."

Leica M8, Elmar (collapsible) 50/2.8.

Despite the fact that we have a criminal in The White House who has stolen an election, committed treason, is basically a Russian mobster, and has had affairs and coverups with several prostitutes, we still have to tolerate the onslaught of his daily horrifying policies, decisions, and world views. Just recently, Secretary of Education and destroyer of young souls, Betsy DeVos announced she wants to make federal funds available to arm teachers with guns, As most parents are sending their children back to school this week and next (or did so in the previous couple of weeks), this is the exact opposite of what they want. As an educator, this is also something I can say has really been an anathema to teachers. We went to school to teach children, not to use firearms. Despicable!

**All photos are copyrighted**

Here you can see the backs of the two of them.

Tetsuo-san and Yoko-san.

In fact, since I met them 40 years ago,

they introduced me to many contemporary artists, interior designers, and businesses.

After that, due to various circumstances, there was a gap of about 20 years,

but recently we have begun to enjoy museums, movies, and music together.

Their kind consideration will last forever. Thank you.

I am usually not a procrastinator, but the SP project got away from me this week. I lacked inspiration and time. Excuses, excuses.

This one provided challenges for me. I actually had a completely different fact then when those pictures came out poorly I switched gears. This one fits anyway with the superbowl tomorrow.

Thanks to my friend Jon for the jersey loan. I do not have one in the house because I stuck to my vow! We will however watch the game tomorrow (I go for the food... I will be making doughnuts!)

Texture borrowed from ninianlif.

Photo taken by Theo Kastner and kindly provided by him for inclusion on this page.

München-Riem

1976-02-29 (29 February 1976)

F-BTDL

Sud SE-210 Caravelle VI-R

136

Euralair

F-BTDL was occasionally seen at Riem in the early 1970s and also operated several flights into Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base used as a relief airport for Riem during the 1972 Summer Olympics. This time, it had arrived on 27 February 1976 and left on 29 February 1976 - the day British Airways B747 G-AWNP was also noted at the airport.

Information from airliners.net (thanks to Richard Vandervord):

Originally intended for TWA, the first airline operator of this Caravelle was in fact Austrian who registered her as OE-LCU. To Euralair 1.72 and became F-BTDL, then sold to Air Martinique in 3.80 as F-OGJD. Bought by TAC Colombia 3.81 and airline renamed Aerocesar; to LAS 8.89 and last recorded as stored at Panama City in 12.93, presumed scrapped there.

Registration details for this airframe:

www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/F-BTDL/908302

This airframe as OE-LCU with Austrian Airlines at SZG in August 1971:

www.planepictures.net/a/120/52/1362613979.jpg

Note Nomads Travel Club's Electra N836E in the background - it also visited Riem in August 1971:

www.flickr.com/photos/161645265@N08/46663364485

This airframe as F-OGJD with Air Martinique:

www.flickr.com/photos/154191970@N03/36448335510

This airframe as HK-2597X with Lineas Aereas Suramericanas in March 1992:

imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/5/4/3/1505345.jpg

Scan from Kodachrome slide.

Fact.