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Jan. 13, 2020
SONY SLT-A57 (α57)
Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T*
16-80mm (24-120mm equiv.) F3.5-4.5
津軽フリーパスでおさんぽ
A long train trip with Tsugaru Pass
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
Except from e.e. cumming's poem, "i carry your heart with me", which is one of my favorite poems. Image taken at the tulip fields in Woodburn at some point last week, using my Nikon FM with a reversed lens, handheld. Color courtesy of Fuji Velvia.
tested out my new camara at dawn off the deck in my backyard with an overview of the lake.
is there anything more beautiful to lift your spirits than a sunrise with a glimpse of the moon at the same time????
on the wall of a bar on the Markt, Bruges. Enjoyed much beer and jenever here after a day traipsing around Bruges.
March 7, 2011
Brugge/Bruges
Belgium/Belgique/Belgie
Bruges (Brugge in Dutch) is a gem of a museum piece- almost miraculously so. It rose early enough to create its own prosperity and identity before most other cities in Northern Europe, and it faded soon enough to escape the cataclysms of the Reformation and Industrial eras.
Bruges built its fortune upon the trade and processing of wool products from England and Scotland, and upon goods from the continental interior. By the late 1100's, ships began arriving in the city's Zwin River from as far as the Hanseatic League and Venice with goods from as far as the Middle East and Russia. Trade was conducted along the canals, and Bruges quickly became arguably the most important port in Europe. This complex trade led to the development of more sophisticated financial systems, and in 1309, Bruges opened what was possibly the world's first stock exchange.
Such was the city's prosperity that when the queen of France visited in 1301 she is quoted as saying: "I thought I alone was queen, but I see that I have 600 rivals here". Bruges' richness also helped develop the earliest artists of the Northern Renaissance, most notably Jan van Eyck.
Only a year later, the French garrisoned an army in the city to settle a dispute among the ruling and merchant classes, and on the night of May 18 a revolt against French rule began with the "Bruges Matins", in which a mob filled the streets killing anyone who could not properly pronounce the Dutch phrase: "schild en vriend" (supposedly difficult to pronounce for a French speaker). Almost the entire French population (estimated at 2,000) was massacred. Over the next few years, local militias throughout Flanders drove the French out, thus permanently cementing the city in Dutch/Flemish culture.
At its peak, Bruges had a population of 200,000, and by many accounts was the second largest city in Europe after Paris. The miraculousness of Brugge as a "museum piece", however, comes from its precipitous decline. Around 1500, by one of the many whims of the North Sea, the Zwin River began to silt up. Lacking its lifeblood, the city fell into obscurity as business moved to Brussels, Ghent, and Antwerp.
It became a forgotten city, "Die tote Stadt" of Korngold's 20th century opera. Its dormancy, however, was its preservation. Hardly, if any, Baroque, Classical, or 19th century developments ever touched this town. In the past century, however, Bruges has picked up speed again, this time due to tourism.
The result- a pretty much intact medieval city, not terribly different from its original state. As such, it draws its requisite tourists, and can be seen at times a sort of historical theme park (but thankfully without the commercialization).
To walk its streets is surreal. A fever dream of sorts. The real magic is at night, when the daytrippers disappear, and the few tourists that are left hole up with locals at the bar or sit in the Grote Markt listening to the ethereal and ornate rings from the bell tower. The ancient streets then are dead quiet, the canals still, and one can feel the ghosts rising.
The general Industries fire scene. The debris is still here because of a fight over cleaning up the hazerdous materials left at the scene.
Here is our usual winter dragonfly, a Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum), on an old flowers of native Canyon Lupine aka Broadleaf Lupine (Lupinus latifolius, Fabaceae) in the woods today -- with raindrops. See my next photo for a different dragonfly on the same old plant. These dragonflies stay active in the canyon all winter long, though they sit out stormy days like we've had this week by finding an out-of-the-way perch like this. (San Marcos Pass, 7 February 2025)
Here we are. Tau Game Lodge. Madikwe Game Reserve. South Africa. Jun/2021
Tau Game Lodge
Tau is a South African luxury safari lodge situated on the far northern border of South Africa, in malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve, the 4th largest game reserve in the country.27 major species of game roam this South African nature reserve, making Tau Game Lodge the ideal place for a safari holiday, offering Big 5 game safaris and bird-watching safaris. Enjoy an authentic South African safari vacation in the midst of natural wildlife, complete with great game viewing and luxury private facilities, at our South Africa luxury safari lodge
Source: Tau Game Lodge website
Tau Game Lodge
Tau é um luxuoso chalé para safári situado na fronteira norte da África do Sul, na Reserva Madikwe, livre de malária, a quarta maior reserva do país. 27 espécies importantes percorrem essa reserva natural sul-africana, tornando Tau Game Lodge no local ideal para um safári de férias, oferecendo safáris para observar os Big 5 e pássaros. Desfrute de um autêntico safári de férias na África do Sul em meio à vida selvagem, completo com excelente visualização de animais selvagens e luxuosas instalações privadas, em nosso luxuoso hotel de safári na África do Sul
Fonte: Tau Game Lodge website (tradução livre)
Madikwe Game Reserve
The Madikwe Game Reserve is a protected area in South Africa, part of the latest park developments in the country. Named after the Madikwe or Marico River, on whose basin it is located, it was opened in 1991 and comprises 750 km2 of bushland north of the small town Groot-Marico up to the Botswana border.
Madikwe Game Reserve lies 90 km north of Zeerust on what used to be farm land, but owing to the poor soil type, farming was not that successful. After extensive research, the South African Government found that this land would best be utilised as a provincial park, to economically uplift this otherwise rather poor area.
The process reintroducing wildlife to the area began in 1992 under the codename Operation Phoenix which relocated entire breeding herds of elephants, Cape buffaloes, south-central black rhinos and southern white rhinos along with various species of antelopes. Following Operation Phoenix, Madikwe has also successfully reintroduce rarer predatory species such as lions, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and Cape wild dogs bringing the total large mammal population of the reserve to over 10 000. There are currently more than 60 species of mammal in the park.
Source: Wikipedia
Reserva do Madikwe
A Madikwe Game Reserve é uma área protegida na África do Sul, parte dos mais recentes desenvolvimentos de parques no país. Batizado em homenagem ao rio Madikwe ou Marico, em cuja bacia está localizado, foi inaugurado em 1991 e compreende 750 km2 de mata nativa ao norte da pequena cidade de Groot-Marico até a fronteira com o Botswana.
A Madikwe Game Reserve fica 90 km ao norte de Zeerust, no que costumava ser terras agrícolas, mas devido ao tipo de solo pobre, a agricultura não teve tanto sucesso. Após uma extensa pesquisa, o governo sul-africano descobriu que esta terra seria melhor utilizada como um parque provincial, para elevar economicamente esta área bastante pobre.
O processo de reintrodução da vida selvagem na área começou em 1992 sob o codinome Operação Fênix, que realocou rebanhos inteiros de elefantes, búfalos do Cabo, rinocerontes-negros do centro-sul e rinocerontes brancos do sul junto com várias espécies de antílopes. Após a Operação Phoenix, Madikwe também reintroduziu com sucesso espécies predatórias mais raras, como leões, chitas, hienas-pintadas e cahorros do mato, elevando a população total de grandes mamíferos da reserva para mais de 10.000. Atualmente, existem mais de 60 espécies de mamíferos no parque
Fonte: Wikipedia (traduçao livre)
I haven't fallen off the face of the earth or anything drastic like that - but my MacBook is in bad shape. It's currently in the ER hopefully undergoing some life saving operation.
I feel cold, empty and naked without it. I've still been taking a shot a day for my 365 but I don't know when I'll be able to post them. We have a bajillion photos from Hawaii that I need to share too but not sure when I'll get to those either.
Please stay tuned...XOXO
Sometimes I wonder if we taught her how to feed herself or if she accepted our help to further her goals.
Thought I'd add this flyer in case any local Flickr friends would like to participate in this great event - or really series of events. This is the third Pop-Up Night and the first two were fun nights with great art, great food and great people. Contact info is on the flyer if you have questions or want to participate. It's fun, it's casual, and it's great exposure. People came out the first night in a snowstorm!
Amherst College Men’s & Women’s Swimming on Sunday, January 29, 2023. @Mike Orazzi
A few related videos here: youtu.be/CGmNf-zOrWY?si=Yi2vv2eLzvijv2Sw
Here are pictures from Gavin's trip to Thomas town.
Here are pictures from Gavin's trip to Thomas town.
Delhi's famous Red Fort is known by that name because of the red stone with which it is built and it is one of the most magnificent palaces in the world. India's history is also closely linked with this fort. It was from here that the British deposed the last Mughal ruler, Bhadur Shah Zafar, marking the end of the three century long Mughal rule. It was also from its ramparts that the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawharlal Nehru, announced to the nation that India was free form colonial rule.
The Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, after ruling from Agra for eleven years, decided to shift to Delhi and laid the foundation stone of the Red Fort in 1618. For its inauguration in 1647, the main halls of the palace were draped in rich tapestry and covered with silk from china and velvet from Turkey. With a circumference of almost one and a half miles, the fort is an irregular octagon and has two entrances, the Lahore and Delhi Gates.
Form the Lahore Gate, a visitor has access to the Chatta Chowk (vaulted arcade ) which as once a royal market and housed court jewelers, miniature painters carpet manufacturers, workers in enamel, silk weavers and families of specialized craftsmen. The road from the royal market leads to the Nawabarkhana (band house) where the royal band played five times a day. The band house also marks the entry into the main palace and all visitors, except royalty had to dismount here.
The Diwan-e-Aam is the Red Fort's hall of public audience. Built of sandstone covered with shell plaster polished to look like ivory, the 80 x 40 feet hall is sub-divided by columns. The Mughal emperors would hold court here and meet dignitaries and foreign emissaries. The most imposing feature of the Diwan-e-Aam is the alcove in the back wall where the emperor sat in state on a richly carved and inlaid marble platform. In the recess behind the platform are fine examples of Italian pietra-dura work.
The piece de resistance of the fort, the Diwan-e-Khas was the hall of private audience. The most highly ornamented of all Shah Jahan's buildings, the 90 x 67 feet Diwan-e-Khas is a pavilion of white marble supported by intricately carved pillars. So enamoured was the emperor by the beauty of this pavilion that he engraved on it the following words: If there is paradise on the face of this earth, it is this, it is this."
Richly decorated with flowers of inlaid mosaic work of cornelian and other stones, the Diwan-e-Khas once housed the famous Peacock Throne, which when it was plundered by Nadir Shah in 1739, was valued at six million sterling.
Here are my images from this year's NAS Oceana air show. It was great having the show return. I wasn't the only one to think this, they had a record crowd of over a quarter million people attend this year's show.
Here's a different take on the NYC skyline. This is across the bay in New Jersey on an old abandoned military bunker.
Here's an update on one of the seedlings in my Astrophytum hybrid batch! These were sown Feb 17th, 12015, making them 4 years old!
....what better metaphor for the end of the year than a sunset!
Wishing all Flickr friends a Happy New Year :-)