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I managed to find a lone female, the abdomen is distended due to the female being gravid, in her life cycle she can lay about 1,200 eggs. They are also known as Green Dock Beetles and if you look on Dock or Green Sorrel you can easily spot these :)
Not managing to get out and do what I like most at the moment due to doing some packshots for an (What I think is) exciting new product (details to follow at launch) and I'm also waiting for the rest of my filters before I start adventuring further afield.
Anyway I know this has had its day for this year but its been sitting in my "to be uploaded" file for a while and I guess now is as good a time as any!
EXPLORED; 2nd June 2011# 71 (My highest yet, thanks all).
The Bonneville Salt Flats are a densely packed salt pan in Tooele County in northwestern Utah. A remnant of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville, it is the largest of many salt flats west of the Great Salt Lake. It is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is known for land speed records at the Bonneville Speedway. Access to the Flats is open to the public.
The Flats are about 12 miles (19 km) long and 5 miles (8 km) wide, with a crust almost 5 ft (1.5m) thick at the center and less than one inch (2.5 cm) towards the edges. It is estimated to hold 147 million tons of salt, approximately 90% of which is common table salt.
Geologist Grove Karl Gilbert named the area after Benjamin Bonneville, a U.S. Army officer who explored the Intermountain West in the 1830s. In 1907, Bill Rishel and two local businessmen tested the suitability of the salt for driving by taking a Pierce-Arrow onto its surface.
A railway line across the Flats was completed in 1910, marking the first permanent crossing. The first land speed record was set there in 1914 by Teddy Tetzlaff.
Entertainment filmed at the Flats include portions of Walking with Dinosaurs Special - The Ballad of Big Al, Knight Rider, Warlock, Independence Day (1996) and its sequel, SLC Punk, Cremaster 2 from Cremaster Cycle, The Brown Bunny, The World's Fastest Indian, Gerry, The Tree of Life, Top Gear and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Furthermore, the Pontiac Bonneville (former flagship sedan of the Pontiac motor division), the Triumph Bonneville motorcycle, and the Bonneville International media company are all named for the Flats.
The Bonneville Salt Flats hosts the annual US Flight Archery Championships. The goal of flight archery is to shoot arrows from bows at the greatest distance possible without regard to hitting a target, and so the vast flat plane of the flats serves as an ideal location to measure the linear distance traveled by arrows without geographic interference. Both the 1977 (archer Don Brown) and 1982 (archer Alan Webster) world records were set there; while the current world record, achieved in 1987 (archer Don Brown), was set at the salt flats near Smith Creek, Nevada.
The thickness of salt crust is a critical factor in racing use of the salt flats. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has undertaken multiple studies on the topic; while a 2007 study determined that there was little change in the crust's thickness from 1988 to 2003, more recent studies have shown a reduction in thickness, especially in the northwest area where racing occurs. The flats' overall area has contracted significantly over the past several decades. The cause or causes of this remain unclear, but many believe adjacent evaporative potash mining is the primary factor.
Collaboration between racing organizations, the potash mine, and the BLM led to a pilot program begun in 1998 to release excess brine onto the salt flats during winter. Plans to increase the volume of brine returned to the salt flats are hoped to halt loss of crust thickness, or possibly restore it where it has become too thin to sustain human use.
Motorcar racing has taken place at the salt flats since 1914. Racing takes place at part of the Bonneville Salt Flats known as the Bonneville Speedway. There are five major land speed events that take place at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Bonneville "Speed Week" takes place mid-August followed by "World of Speed" in September and the "World Finals" take place early October.
These three events welcome cars, trucks, and motorcycles. The "Bub Motorcycle Speed Trials" are for motorcycles only. World records are contested at the Mike Cook ShootOut in September. The Southern California Timing Association and the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association organizes and plans the multi-vehicle events, but all event promoters contribute to prepping and maintaining the salt. "Speed Week" events in August were canceled in 2015 and 2022, due to the poor condition of the salt in certain parts of the flats. The salt flats had been swamped by heavy rains earlier in the year, as usual, but this year the rains also triggered mudslides from surrounding mountains onto a section of the flats used for the land-speed racing courses.
Bonneville Speedway (also known as the Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track) is an area of the Bonneville Salt Flats northeast of Wendover, Utah, that is marked out for motor sports. It is particularly noted as the venue for numerous land speed records. The Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The salt flats were first used for motor sports in 1912, but did not become truly popular until the 1930s when Ab Jenkins and Sir Malcolm Campbell competed to set land speed records.
A reduction of available racing surface and salt thickness has led to the cancellation of events at Bonneville, such as Speed Week in 2014 and 2015. Available racing surface is much reduced with just 2.5 miles (4.0 km) available instead of the 9-mile (14 km) courses traditionally used for Speed Week.
Historically, the speedway was marked out by the Utah Department of Transportation at the start of each summer. Originally, two tracks were prepared; a 10-mile (16 km) long straightaway for speed trials and an oval or circular track for distance runs, which was typically between 10 and 12 miles (16 and 19 km) long depending on the condition of the salt surface.
Since at least the 1990s, track preparations have been the responsibility of the event organizers. Days or weeks in advance, the track preparers identify an area best suited for their track layouts and begin grading the tracks. Surveyors are brought in to survey the timing trap distances. A day before racing begins, the track markers are added.
Originally, the straightaway was marked with a broad black line down its center. This was eventually changed to lines down either side, as the center line wore out too quickly. As the costs for painting the lines has gone up, organizations have switched to flags and cones as track markers. The last event to use black lines was Speed Week, August 2009.
The number of tracks and the timed sections for each track are set according to what is most beneficial for each event. Large public meets such as Speed Week run as many as four tracks with several timed miles, usually starting with the second mile and running to the fifth mile. Smaller meets that typically only run world record attempts will utilize a single track, with one timed mile and one timed kilometer in the middle of the track. Additional marks and cones indicate the end of the track and the position of timing equipment.
The annual Speed Week was cancelled in both 2014 and 2015, as were many land-speed racing events, due to deteriorating track conditions. Heavy rains caused a layer of mud from surrounding mountains to flow onto the flats, covering approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) of the track. Although another section of the flats would normally be used, nearby salt mining operations had reduced the size of the alternative track.
The depth of the salt crust at Bonneville has also been decreasing, possibly leaching into a saltwater aquifer. Measured at as much at 3 ft (0.91 m) in the 1940s and 50s, it has been reduced to just 2 in (0.051 m) in 2015.
Though recent studies have been made (since 1960), the causes of this deterioration are not clear, although the evidence points toward both local climatic changes and salt mining. Some strategies were devised to revert the decreasing salt surface, such as pumping back salt, though this had no effect.
In August, the Southern California Timing Association and Bonneville Nationals Inc. organize Speed Week, the largest meet of the year, which attracts several hundred drivers who compete to set highest speed in a range of categories. Bonneville Speed Week has been taking place since 1949.
In late August, the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials are held.
In September each year is the World of Speed, (similar to Speed Week) organized by the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association. The USFRA also meet on the first Wednesday of each month throughout the summer.
In October, the Southern California Timing Association puts on World Finals, a scaled-down version of Speed Week. This event tends to have cooler weather and often drier salt that Speed Week the prior month. There are less spectators and it tends to draw serious racers, as this event is the last chance to break a land speed record and be in the SCTA record book for that year.
Each year, there are usually a few private meets that are not publicized scattered among the larger public meets.
Several motor-paced racing speed records have been attempted at Bonneville.
In 1985, American cyclist John Howard set a then world record of 244 km/h (152 mph).
On 15 October 1995, Dutch cyclist Fred Rompelberg achieved 268.831 km/h (167.044 mph), using a special bicycle behind a dragster with a large shield.
In 2016, Denise Mueller-Korenek claimed a women's bicycle land speed record at 147 mph (237 km/h). She was coached by Howard. It is not clear which authority was supervising the record attempt.
In 2018, Mueller-Korenek broke her own women's record and the men's record at a speed of 183.9 miles per hour (296.0 km/h).
In popular culture
In the 2003 film The Brown Bunny, Bud Clay races his motorcycle at the speedway.
In the 2005 film The World's Fastest Indian, Burt Munro and his highly modified Indian Scout motorcycle sets a world record.
In the 2015 series finale episode of Mad Men, Donald Draper drives a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS muscle car in the races at Bonneville Speedway.
Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It borders Colorado to its east, Wyoming to its northeast, Idaho to its north, Arizona to its south, and Nevada to its west. Utah also touches a corner of New Mexico in the southeast. Of the fifty U.S. states, Utah is the 13th-largest by area; with a population over three million, it is the 30th-most-populous and 11th-least-densely populated. Urban development is mostly concentrated in two areas: the Wasatch Front in the north-central part of the state, which is home to roughly two-thirds of the population and includes the capital city, Salt Lake City; and Washington County in the southwest, with more than 180,000 residents. Most of the western half of Utah lies in the Great Basin.
Utah has been inhabited for thousands of years by various indigenous groups such as the ancient Puebloans, Navajo, and Ute. The Spanish were the first Europeans to arrive in the mid-16th century, though the region's difficult geography and harsh climate made it a peripheral part of New Spain and later Mexico. Even while it was Mexican territory, many of Utah's earliest settlers were American, particularly Mormons fleeing marginalization and persecution from the United States via the Mormon Trail. Following the Mexican–American War in 1848, the region was annexed by the U.S., becoming part of the Utah Territory, which included what is now Colorado and Nevada. Disputes between the dominant Mormon community and the federal government delayed Utah's admission as a state; only after the outlawing of polygamy was it admitted in 1896 as the 45th.
People from Utah are known as Utahns. Slightly over half of all Utahns are Mormons, the vast majority of whom are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City; Utah is the only state where a majority of the population belongs to a single church. A 2023 paper challenged this perception (claiming only 42% of Utahns are Mormons) however most statistics still show a majority of Utah residents belong to the LDS church; estimates from the LDS church suggests 60.68% of Utah's population belongs to the church whilst some sources put the number as high as 68%. The paper replied that membership count done by the LDS Church is too high for several reasons. The LDS Church greatly influences Utahn culture, politics, and daily life, though since the 1990s the state has become more religiously diverse as well as secular.
Utah has a highly diversified economy, with major sectors including transportation, education, information technology and research, government services, mining, multi-level marketing, and tourism. Utah has been one of the fastest growing states since 2000, with the 2020 U.S. census confirming the fastest population growth in the nation since 2010. St. George was the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the United States from 2000 to 2005. Utah ranks among the overall best states in metrics such as healthcare, governance, education, and infrastructure. It has the 12th-highest median average income and the least income inequality of any U.S. state. Over time and influenced by climate change, droughts in Utah have been increasing in frequency and severity, putting a further strain on Utah's water security and impacting the state's economy.
The History of Utah is an examination of the human history and social activity within the state of Utah located in the western United States.
Archaeological evidence dates the earliest habitation of humans in Utah to about 10,000 to 12,000 years ago. Paleolithic people lived near the Great Basin's swamps and marshes, which had an abundance of fish, birds, and small game animals. Big game, including bison, mammoths and ground sloths, also were attracted to these water sources. Over the centuries, the mega-fauna died, this population was replaced by the Desert Archaic people, who sheltered in caves near the Great Salt Lake. Relying more on gathering than the previous Utah residents, their diet was mainly composed of cattails and other salt tolerant plants such as pickleweed, burro weed and sedge. Red meat appears to have been more of a luxury, although these people used nets and the atlatl to hunt water fowl, ducks, small animals and antelope. Artifacts include nets woven with plant fibers and rabbit skin, woven sandals, gaming sticks, and animal figures made from split-twigs. About 3,500 years ago, lake levels rose and the population of Desert Archaic people appears to have dramatically decreased. The Great Basin may have been almost unoccupied for 1,000 years.
The Fremont culture, named from sites near the Fremont River in Utah, lived in what is now north and western Utah and parts of Nevada, Idaho and Colorado from approximately 600 to 1300 AD. These people lived in areas close to water sources that had been previously occupied by the Desert Archaic people, and may have had some relationship with them. However, their use of new technologies define them as a distinct people. Fremont technologies include:
use of the bow and arrow while hunting,
building pithouse shelters,
growing maize and probably beans and squash,
building above ground granaries of adobe or stone,
creating and decorating low-fired pottery ware,
producing art, including jewelry and rock art such as petroglyphs and pictographs.
The ancient Puebloan culture, also known as the Anasazi, occupied territory adjacent to the Fremont. The ancestral Puebloan culture centered on the present-day Four Corners area of the Southwest United States, including the San Juan River region of Utah. Archaeologists debate when this distinct culture emerged, but cultural development seems to date from about the common era, about 500 years before the Fremont appeared. It is generally accepted that the cultural peak of these people was around the 1200 CE. Ancient Puebloan culture is known for well constructed pithouses and more elaborate adobe and masonry dwellings. They were excellent craftsmen, producing turquoise jewelry and fine pottery. The Puebloan culture was based on agriculture, and the people created and cultivated fields of maize, beans, and squash and domesticated turkeys. They designed and produced elaborate field terracing and irrigation systems. They also built structures, some known as kivas, apparently designed solely for cultural and religious rituals.
These two later cultures were roughly contemporaneous, and appear to have established trading relationships. They also shared enough cultural traits that archaeologists believe the cultures may have common roots in the early American Southwest. However, each remained culturally distinct throughout most of their existence. These two well established cultures appear to have been severely impacted by climatic change and perhaps by the incursion of new people in about 1200 CE. Over the next two centuries, the Fremont and ancient Pueblo people may have moved into the American southwest, finding new homes and farmlands in the river drainages of Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico.
In about 1200, Shoshonean speaking peoples entered Utah territory from the west. They may have originated in southern California and moved into the desert environment due to population pressure along the coast. They were an upland people with a hunting and gathering lifestyle utilizing roots and seeds, including the pinyon nut. They were also skillful fishermen, created pottery and raised some crops. When they first arrived in Utah, they lived as small family groups with little tribal organization. Four main Shoshonean peoples inhabited Utah country. The Shoshone in the north and northeast, the Gosiutes in the northwest, the Utes in the central and eastern parts of the region and the Southern Paiutes in the southwest. Initially, there seems to have been very little conflict between these groups.
In the early 16th century, the San Juan River basin in Utah's southeast also saw a new people, the Díne or Navajo, part of a greater group of plains Athabaskan speakers moved into the Southwest from the Great Plains. In addition to the Navajo, this language group contained people that were later known as Apaches, including the Lipan, Jicarilla, and Mescalero Apaches.
Athabaskans were a hunting people who initially followed the bison, and were identified in 16th-century Spanish accounts as "dog nomads". The Athabaskans expanded their range throughout the 17th century, occupying areas the Pueblo peoples had abandoned during prior centuries. The Spanish first specifically mention the "Apachu de Nabajo" (Navaho) in the 1620s, referring to the people in the Chama valley region east of the San Juan River, and north west of Santa Fe. By the 1640s, the term Navaho was applied to these same people. Although the Navajo newcomers established a generally peaceful trading and cultural exchange with the some modern Pueblo peoples to the south, they experienced intermittent warfare with the Shoshonean peoples, particularly the Utes in eastern Utah and western Colorado.
At the time of European expansion, beginning with Spanish explorers traveling from Mexico, five distinct native peoples occupied territory within the Utah area: the Northern Shoshone, the Goshute, the Ute, the Paiute and the Navajo.
The Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado may have crossed into what is now southern Utah in 1540, when he was seeking the legendary Cíbola.
A group led by two Spanish Catholic priests—sometimes called the Domínguez–Escalante expedition—left Santa Fe in 1776, hoping to find a route to the California coast. The expedition traveled as far north as Utah Lake and encountered the native residents. All of what is now Utah was claimed by the Spanish Empire from the 1500s to 1821 as part of New Spain (later as the province Alta California); and subsequently claimed by Mexico from 1821 to 1848. However, Spain and Mexico had little permanent presence in, or control of, the region.
Fur trappers (also known as mountain men) including Jim Bridger, explored some regions of Utah in the early 19th century. The city of Provo was named for one such man, Étienne Provost, who visited the area in 1825. The city of Ogden, Utah is named for a brigade leader of the Hudson's Bay Company, Peter Skene Ogden who trapped in the Weber Valley. In 1846, a year before the arrival of members from the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day Saints, the ill-fated Donner Party crossed through the Salt Lake valley late in the season, deciding not to stay the winter there but to continue forward to California, and beyond.
Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as Mormon pioneers, first came to the Salt Lake Valley on July 24, 1847. At the time, the U.S. had already captured the Mexican territories of Alta California and New Mexico in the Mexican–American War and planned to keep them, but those territories, including the future state of Utah, officially became United States territory upon the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, February 2, 1848. The treaty was ratified by the United States Senate on March 10, 1848.
Upon arrival in the Salt Lake Valley, the Mormon pioneers found no permanent settlement of Indians. Other areas along the Wasatch Range were occupied at the time of settlement by the Northwestern Shoshone and adjacent areas by other bands of Shoshone such as the Gosiute. The Northwestern Shoshone lived in the valleys on the eastern shore of Great Salt Lake and in adjacent mountain valleys. Some years after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley Mormons, who went on to colonize many other areas of what is now Utah, were petitioned by Indians for recompense for land taken. The response of Heber C. Kimball, first counselor to Brigham Young, was that the land belonged to "our Father in Heaven and we expect to plow and plant it." A 1945 Supreme Court decision found that the land had been treated by the United States as public domain; no aboriginal title by the Northwestern Shoshone had been recognized by the United States or extinguished by treaty with the United States.
Upon arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, the Mormons had to make a place to live. They created irrigation systems, laid out farms, built houses, churches, and schools. Access to water was crucially important. Almost immediately, Brigham Young set out to identify and claim additional community sites. While it was difficult to find large areas in the Great Basin where water sources were dependable and growing seasons long enough to raise vitally important subsistence crops, satellite communities began to be formed.
Shortly after the first company arrived in the Salt Lake Valley in 1847, the community of Bountiful was settled to the north. In 1848, settlers moved into lands purchased from trapper Miles Goodyear in present-day Ogden. In 1849, Tooele and Provo were founded. Also that year, at the invitation of Ute chief Wakara, settlers moved into the Sanpete Valley in central Utah to establish the community of Manti. Fillmore, Utah, intended to be the capital of the new territory, was established in 1851. In 1855, missionary efforts aimed at western native cultures led to outposts in Fort Lemhi, Idaho, Las Vegas, Nevada and Elk Mountain in east-central Utah.
The experiences of returning members of the Mormon Battalion were also important in establishing new communities. On their journey west, the Mormon soldiers had identified dependable rivers and fertile river valleys in Colorado, Arizona and southern California. In addition, as the men traveled to rejoin their families in the Salt Lake Valley, they moved through southern Nevada and the eastern segments of southern Utah. Jefferson Hunt, a senior Mormon officer of the Battalion, actively searched for settlement sites, minerals, and other resources. His report encouraged 1851 settlement efforts in Iron County, near present-day Cedar City. These southern explorations eventually led to Mormon settlements in St. George, Utah, Las Vegas and San Bernardino, California, as well as communities in southern Arizona.
Prior to establishment of the Oregon and California trails and Mormon settlement, Indians native to the Salt Lake Valley and adjacent areas lived by hunting buffalo and other game, but also gathered grass seed from the bountiful grass of the area as well as roots such as those of the Indian Camas. By the time of settlement, indeed before 1840, the buffalo were gone from the valley, but hunting by settlers and grazing of cattle severely impacted the Indians in the area, and as settlement expanded into nearby river valleys and oases, indigenous tribes experienced increasing difficulty in gathering sufficient food. Brigham Young's counsel was to feed the hungry tribes, and that was done, but it was often not enough. These tensions formed the background to the Bear River massacre committed by California Militia stationed in Salt Lake City during the Civil War. The site of the massacre is just inside Preston, Idaho, but was generally thought to be within Utah at the time.
Statehood was petitioned for in 1849-50 using the name Deseret. The proposed State of Deseret would have been quite large, encompassing all of what is now Utah, and portions of Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona, Oregon, New Mexico and California. The name of Deseret was favored by the LDS leader Brigham Young as a symbol of industry and was derived from a reference in the Book of Mormon. The petition was rejected by Congress and Utah did not become a state until 1896, following the Utah Constitutional Convention of 1895.
In 1850, the Utah Territory was created with the Compromise of 1850, and Fillmore (named after President Fillmore) was designated the capital. In 1856, Salt Lake City replaced Fillmore as the territorial capital.
The first group of pioneers brought African slaves with them, making Utah the only place in the western United States to have African slavery. Three slaves, Green Flake, Hark Lay, and Oscar Crosby, came west with this first group in 1847. The settlers also began to purchase Indian slaves in the well-established Indian slave trade, as well as enslaving Indian prisoners of war. In 1850, 26 slaves were counted in Salt Lake County. Slavery didn't become officially recognized until 1852, when the Act in Relation to Service and the Act for the relief of Indian Slaves and Prisoners were passed. Slavery was repealed on June 19, 1862, when Congress prohibited slavery in all US territories.
Disputes between the Mormon inhabitants and the federal government intensified after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' practice of polygamy became known. The polygamous practices of the Mormons, which were made public in 1854, would be one of the major reasons Utah was denied statehood until almost 50 years after the Mormons had entered the area.
After news of their polygamous practices spread, the members of the LDS Church were quickly viewed by some as un-American and rebellious. In 1857, after news of a possible rebellion spread, President James Buchanan sent troops on the Utah expedition to quell the growing unrest and to replace Brigham Young as territorial governor with Alfred Cumming. The expedition was also known as the Utah War.
As fear of invasion grew, Mormon settlers had convinced some Paiute Indians to aid in a Mormon-led attack on 120 immigrants from Arkansas under the guise of Indian aggression. The murder of these settlers became known as the Mountain Meadows massacre. The Mormon leadership had adopted a defensive posture that led to a ban on the selling of grain to outsiders in preparation for an impending war. This chafed pioneers traveling through the region, who were unable to purchase badly needed supplies. A disagreement between some of the Arkansas pioneers and the Mormons in Cedar City led to the secret planning of the massacre by a few Mormon leaders in the area. Some scholars debate the involvement of Brigham Young. Only one man, John D. Lee, was ever convicted of the murders, and he was executed at the massacre site.
Express riders had brought the news 1,000 miles from the Missouri River settlements to Salt Lake City within about two weeks of the army's beginning to march west. Fearing the worst as 2,500 troops (roughly 1/3rd of the army then) led by General Albert Sidney Johnston started west, Brigham Young ordered all residents of Salt Lake City and neighboring communities to prepare their homes for burning and evacuate southward to Utah Valley and southern Utah. Young also sent out a few units of the Nauvoo Legion (numbering roughly 8,000–10,000), to delay the army's advance. The majority he sent into the mountains to prepare defenses or south to prepare for a scorched earth retreat. Although some army wagon supply trains were captured and burned and herds of army horses and cattle run off no serious fighting occurred. Starting late and short on supplies, the United States Army camped during the bitter winter of 1857–58 near a burned out Fort Bridger in Wyoming. Through the negotiations between emissary Thomas L. Kane, Young, Cumming and Johnston, control of Utah territory was peacefully transferred to Cumming, who entered an eerily vacant Salt Lake City in the spring of 1858. By agreement with Young, Johnston established the army at Fort Floyd 40 miles away from Salt Lake City, to the southwest.
Salt Lake City was the last link of the First Transcontinental Telegraph, between Carson City, Nevada and Omaha, Nebraska completed in October 1861. Brigham Young, who had helped expedite construction, was among the first to send a message, along with Abraham Lincoln and other officials. Soon after the telegraph line was completed, the Deseret Telegraph Company built the Deseret line connecting the settlements in the territory with Salt Lake City and, by extension, the rest of the United States.
Because of the American Civil War, federal troops were pulled out of Utah Territory (and their fort auctioned off), leaving the territorial government in federal hands without army backing until General Patrick E. Connor arrived with the 3rd Regiment of California Volunteers in 1862. While in Utah, Connor and his troops soon became discontent with this assignment wanting to head to Virginia where the "real" fighting and glory was occurring. Connor established Fort Douglas just three miles (5 km) east of Salt Lake City and encouraged his bored and often idle soldiers to go out and explore for mineral deposits to bring more non-Mormons into the state. Minerals were discovered in Tooele County, and some miners began to come to the territory. Conner also solved the Shoshone Indian problem in Cache Valley Utah by luring the Shoshone into a midwinter confrontation on January 29, 1863. The armed conflict quickly turned into a rout, discipline among the soldiers broke down, and the Battle of Bear River is today usually referred to by historians as the Bear River Massacre. Between 200 and 400 Shoshone men, women and children were killed, as were 27 soldiers, with over 50 more soldiers wounded or suffering from frostbite.
Beginning in 1865, Utah's Black Hawk War developed into the deadliest conflict in the territory's history. Chief Antonga Black Hawk died in 1870, but fights continued to break out until additional federal troops were sent in to suppress the Ghost Dance of 1872. The war is unique among Indian Wars because it was a three-way conflict, with mounted Timpanogos Utes led by Antonga Black Hawk fighting federal and Utah local militia.
On May 10, 1869, the First transcontinental railroad was completed at Promontory Summit, north of the Great Salt Lake. The railroad brought increasing numbers of people into the state, and several influential businessmen made fortunes in the territory.
Main article: Latter Day Saint polygamy in the late-19th century
During the 1870s and 1880s, federal laws were passed and federal marshals assigned to enforce the laws against polygamy. In the 1890 Manifesto, the LDS Church leadership dropped its approval of polygamy citing divine revelation. When Utah applied for statehood again in 1895, it was accepted. Statehood was officially granted on January 4, 1896.
The Mormon issue made the situation for women the topic of nationwide controversy. In 1870 the Utah Territory, controlled by Mormons, gave women the right to vote. However, in 1887, Congress disenfranchised Utah women with the Edmunds–Tucker Act. In 1867–96, eastern activists promoted women's suffrage in Utah as an experiment, and as a way to eliminate polygamy. They were Presbyterians and other Protestants convinced that Mormonism was a non-Christian cult that grossly mistreated women. The Mormons promoted woman suffrage to counter the negative image of downtrodden Mormon women. With the 1890 Manifesto clearing the way for statehood, in 1895 Utah adopted a constitution restoring the right of women's suffrage. Congress admitted Utah as a state with that constitution in 1896.
Though less numerous than other intermountain states at the time, several lynching murders for alleged misdeeds occurred in Utah territory at the hand of vigilantes. Those documented include the following, with their ethnicity or national origin noted in parentheses if it was provided in the source:
William Torrington in Carson City (then a part of Utah territory), 1859
Thomas Coleman (Black man) in Salt Lake City, 1866
3 unidentified men at Wahsatch, winter of 1868
A Black man in Uintah, 1869
Charles A. Benson in Logan, 1873
Ah Sing (Chinese man) in Corinne, 1874
Thomas Forrest in St. George, 1880
William Harvey (Black man) in Salt Lake City, 1883
John Murphy in Park City, 1883
George Segal (Japanese man) in Ogden, 1884
Joseph Fisher in Eureka, 1886
Robert Marshall (Black man) in Castle Gate, 1925
Other lynchings in Utah territory include multiple instances of mass murder of Native American children, women, and men by White settlers including the Battle Creek massacre (1849), Provo River Massacre (1850), Nephi massacre (1853), and Circleville Massacre (1866).
Beginning in the early 20th century, with the establishment of such national parks as Bryce Canyon National Park and Zion National Park, Utah began to become known for its natural beauty. Southern Utah became a popular filming spot for arid, rugged scenes, and such natural landmarks as Delicate Arch and "the Mittens" of Monument Valley are instantly recognizable to most national residents. During the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, with the construction of the Interstate highway system, accessibility to the southern scenic areas was made easier.
Beginning in 1939, with the establishment of Alta Ski Area, Utah has become world-renowned for its skiing. The dry, powdery snow of the Wasatch Range is considered some of the best skiing in the world. Salt Lake City won the bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics in 1995, and this has served as a great boost to the economy. The ski resorts have increased in popularity, and many of the Olympic venues scattered across the Wasatch Front continue to be used for sporting events. This also spurred the development of the light-rail system in the Salt Lake Valley, known as TRAX, and the re-construction of the freeway system around the city.
During the late 20th century, the state grew quickly. In the 1970s, growth was phenomenal in the suburbs. Sandy was one of the fastest-growing cities in the country at that time, and West Valley City is the state's 2nd most populous city. Today, many areas of Utah are seeing phenomenal growth. Northern Davis, southern and western Salt Lake, Summit, eastern Tooele, Utah, Wasatch, and Washington counties are all growing very quickly. Transportation and urbanization are major issues in politics as development consumes agricultural land and wilderness areas.
In 2012, the State of Utah passed the Utah Transfer of Public Lands Act in an attempt to gain control over a substantial portion of federal land in the state from the federal government, based on language in the Utah Enabling Act of 1894. The State does not intend to use force or assert control by limiting access in an attempt to control the disputed lands, but does intend to use a multi-step process of education, negotiation, legislation, and if necessary, litigation as part of its multi-year effort to gain state or private control over the lands after 2014.
Utah families, like most Americans everywhere, did their utmost to assist in the war effort. Tires, meat, butter, sugar, fats, oils, coffee, shoes, boots, gasoline, canned fruits, vegetables, and soups were rationed on a national basis. The school day was shortened and bus routes were reduced to limit the number of resources used stateside and increase what could be sent to soldiers.
Geneva Steel was built to increase the steel production for America during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt had proposed opening a steel mill in Utah in 1936, but the idea was shelved after a couple of months. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States entered the war and the steel plant was put into progress. In April 1944, Geneva shipped its first order, which consisted of over 600 tons of steel plate. Geneva Steel also brought thousands of job opportunities to Utah. The positions were hard to fill as many of Utah's men were overseas fighting. Women began working, filling 25 percent of the jobs.
As a result of Utah's and Geneva Steels contribution during the war, several Liberty Ships were named in honor of Utah including the USS Joseph Smith, USS Brigham Young, USS Provo, and the USS Peter Skene Ogden.
One of the sectors of the beachhead of Normandy Landings was codenamed Utah Beach, and the amphibious landings at the beach were undertaken by United States Army troops.
It is estimated that 1,450 soldiers from Utah were killed in the war.
Managed to get over to the Northern Quarter today, which is always a good spot when you want a shot or two. So many little bits of detail, there is always something that catches my eye...
Managed to find this recently on Amazon for the bargain price of £4.25. Possibly one of my best finds yet.
Managed to capture a spectacular thunderstorm on the horison from the observatory site near Sutherland. This composite photo is an effective 30-minute exposure.
Managed to catch this shot yesterday of the moment the Kingfisher impacts the water catching a fish. — in Bishopstoke, Hampshire.
Managed to get out for a few hours tonight, just 20 miles or so from home. The light was fickle but not too brief. the greens were difficult to render though. I hope they are somewhere near.
5 stops of hard grad was used to get the raw files with no highlight blow-out
My calves were still tight from a swim last night, so I felt the climb up here no end! Another swim later tomorrow too
Managed to kill most weeds on the patio with a vinegar solution, but this stubborn one here stood strong
So managed to get a few little pics in the Upfest book, this is the biggest and best image I have from way back in 2008, 8 x 8ft wall, my first large scale robot in fact!
Managed to acquire a Leica X2 at an unbelievable deal and put it through its paces on a vacation through Singapore as a test run!
This was a shot from the Marina Bay Light Show and was taken SOOC.
Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva participates in the UN Climate Action Race to Zero | Resilience Forum Event at the Plaza Hotel hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies
IMF Photo/Kim Haughton
21 September 2022
New York, New York, United States
Photo ref: KH220921035.jpg
Managed to get my other half down to Cornwall for a few days, staying in Talland Bay. Unusually for me taking photo's wasn't really important, I just enjoyed some nice walks and paddles. Didn't venture very far, just Polperro and Looe along the coastal path.
Managed to get some crazy perspective blurring going on when I rested my LC-A on the moving handrail so the vanishing point, well, just vanishes?!
Jason Greenberg
Managing Director, Head of Global Tech Advisory, Jefferies
Leon Kalvaria
Chairman, Institutional Clients Group, Citigroup
Steve Krouskos
Global Vice Chair, Transaction Advisory Services, EY
Michał Krupiński
CEO, Bank Pekao SA
Managed to escape from the house today and nipped down to Tesco to do a shop. No in store restrictions up hear yet, so you can still buy a pair off knickers if needs must.
"Surgeons' Hall in Edinburgh, Scotland, is the headquarters of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSED). It houses the Surgeons' Hall Museum, and the library and archive of the RCSED. The present Surgeons' Hall was designed by William Henry Playfair and completed in 1832, and is a category A listed building.
Surgeons' Hall Museum is the major medical museum in Scotland, and one of Edinburgh's many tourist attractions. The museum is recognised as a collection of national significance by the Scottish Government.
The museum reopened in September 2015, after being closed for an eighteen-month period of redevelopment.
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh was incorporated in 1505, when it received its Seal of Cause or charter and became styled as 'The Incorporation of Surgeons and Barbers of Edinburgh'. The Museum at Surgeons Hall, Edinburgh dates from 1699 when the Incorporation announced that they were making a collection of ‘natural and artificial curiosities’. and advertised for these in the first edition of a local paper, the Edinburgh Gazette. Daniel Defoe, an early visitor in 1726, wrote in his Tour thro' the whole Island of Great Britain that the 'chamber of rarities' contained many curious things too numerous for him to describe. Much of this early collection was given to the University of Edinburgh in the 1760s.
By the early years of the 19th Century, the Incorporation had received a Royal Charter to become the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. The College saw its primary role as the teaching of anatomy and surgery, the training of surgeons, and examination of their acquired knowledge. Anatomy and pathology specimens were crucial to that function. The museum expanded dramatically with the acquisition of two large collections. John Barclay, a successful anatomy demonstrator in the extramural school of medicine donated his collection, while Sir Charles Bell, Professor of Surgery in the University of London and latterly in the University of Edinburgh sold his collection to the museum. These collections were much too large to be housed in the original 1697 Surgeons' Hall, and so the surgeons commissioned the leading Edinburgh architect William Playfair to build the present day Surgeons Hall, which opened in 1832. At first the entire upper floor of the building was devoted to the museum collections, which were open to the public and attracted large visitor numbers. Throughout the 19th and early 20th century the collection expanded as it became customary for surgeons and pathologists to donate not only specimens which they regarded as interesting or instructive, but surgical instruments and equipment. With the great scientific and technical advances of the time, the museum began to acquire anaesthetic equipment, histology slides, X-rays and photographs.
Edinburgh (/ˈɛdɪnbərə/; Scots: Edinburgh; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [ˈt̪uːn ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the Firth of Forth's southern shore.
Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the supreme courts of Scotland. The city's Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scots law, literature, philosophy, the sciences and engineering. It is the second largest financial centre in the United Kingdom (after London) and the city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the United Kingdom's second most visited tourist destination attracting 4.9 million visits including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.
Edinburgh is Scotland's second most populous city and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. The official population estimates are 488,050 (2016) for the Locality of Edinburgh (Edinburgh pre 1975 regionalisation plus Currie and Balerno), 518,500 (2018) for the City of Edinburgh, and 1,339,380 (2014) for the city region. Edinburgh lies at the heart of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city region comprising East Lothian, Edinburgh, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian.
The city is the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It is home to national institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of four in the city, is placed 20th in the QS World University Rankings for 2020. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
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Managed to get a few shots of Watson this morning. He is quite shy so I was really pleased with this :)
North Shields is a seaside town in the North Tyneside borough, in Tyne and Wear, North-East England. Located on the northern bank of the River Tyne and bordering both the nearby town of Tynemouth and city of Newcastle upon Tyne. North Shields is 8 miles (13 km) north-east of Newcastle upon Tyne and directly north of South Shields.
The name derives from Middle English schele meaning "temporary sheds or huts used by fishermen", also found in South Shields on the opposite bank.
Its historic administration was as part of the Castle ward in county of Northumberland, since 1974 it has been in the county of Tyne and Wear. It was part of the Tynemouth County Borough, when abolished in 1974 the borough became an unparished area.
North Shields is first recorded in 1225, when the Prior of Tynemouth, Germanus, decided to create a fishing port to provide fish for the Priory which was situated on the headland at the mouth of the River Tyne. He also supplied ships anchored near the priory. A number of rudimentary houses or 'shiels' were erected at the mouth of the Pow Burn where the stream enters the Tyne, as well as wooden quays which were used to unload the fishing boats. The quays were also used to ship coal from local collieries owned by the Priory. Soon the population of the new township numbered 1,000. The burgesses of Newcastle upon Tyne were determined to preserve the custom rights that they had enjoyed up till then, which covered the whole length of the river. They successfully petitioned the king in 1290 and managed to suspend trade from the new settlement. It was forbidden to victual ships or to load and unload cargoes at North Shields. The opposition of the Newcastle burgesses remained for a considerable time but despite this, North Shields continued to develop as a centre for fishing and exporting salt, produced at local saltpans. For a considerable period the Newcastle burgesses, known as the Hostmen, who controlled the export of coal from the Tyne, resisted the export of this commodity from North Shields.
The town was originated on a narrow strip of land alongside the river (around the present-day Clive Street) because of the steep bank which hemmed it in. Eventually becoming overcrowded, in the 18th century buildings began to be erected on the plateau 60 feet (20 m) above the old insanitary dwellings alongside the river. Prosperous businessmen and shipowners occupied the new town whereas working people remained in the lower part of town. The low, riverside part of the town was linked to the newer, higher part of the town by a series of stairs. These stairs were initially surrounded by slum dwellings, and although the houses have since been cleared the stairs remain.
One of the first developments of the new town was Dockwray Square, built in 1763, a set of elegant town houses that was populated by wealthy families. Due to the poor provision of water and drainage facilities, however, the wealthy families soon moved to the more central part of the new town, and particularly the new Northumberland Square. Dockwray Square eventually deteriorated into slums. In the early twentieth century Stan Laurel lived at a house in Dockwray Square for a few years, before he became famous. The square has since been re-developed, initially in the 1960s, and again in the 1990s. A statue of Laurel stands in the middle to commemorate his stay there.
The land on which the new town was built was largely owned by the Earl of Carlisle. In 1796, John Wright produced plans that included a grand processional way, now Howard Street, leading to the Georgian Northumberland Square. A railway tunnel, built in the 1840s, left the west and south sides of the square largely unfinished, until a 1960s library building was constructed, somewhat out of keeping with the rest of the architecture. In 1844–45, John Dobson built the town hall, on the corner of Howard and Saville Streets.
Managed to get a couple of hours at the Weald of Kent Steam Rally before the rain got heavier and I decided I had got wet enough.
1927 Burrell
Managed a walk as far as the deer this morning, so quite pleased with myself. Paying the price a little now but worth it (I think). Viewed large shows off his lovely eyes.
Video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNcxsaQgpUE&feature=youtu.be
*Make lists....
-Keeping track of your goals can help you budget your time wisely. But it can also aid you in seeing what you have already accomplished. By seeing progress with your goals, you will be more motivated to continue working towards them.
-Decide what kind of "to do" list works for you. What fits your lifestyle and schedule? Monthly, weekly, daily goals, etc? You don't want to over plan and feel bad about yourself when you don't have time/energy to get around to doing things on your list. So it's important to be realistic with yourself and your expectations. I personally find monthly goals work best for me since my schedule fluctuates, but I can still stay on track with getting things done.
-Keep other lists for more detailed tasks. For instance, say you want to wash a bunch of your dolls. Write "wash dolls" on your master "to do" list. But then have a separate checklist for each doll. This way you can keep track of who has or hasn't been cleaned. I do this with projects that can't all be done in one session, and need more time/attention.
-Write down any extra stuff you manage to accomplish in your set time frame. Sometimes we don't get around to everything on our lists because we get side tracked. By writing down the other things you did, you can still feel like you were productive.
-Break your lists down into categories. This will depend on what you want to accomplish with your doll collection. For me, I break my "to do" lists into four categories: Youtube, Flickr, "Dolly Maintenance," and "Extras." This enables me to make sure I'm dividing my time evenly between social media projects and things I need to do just for my dolls. It can also be a good way to see how certain tasks overlap. For instance, when my doll displays need dusting, it might be an ample time to film a collection video of all of them while they are off their shelves. This one task can actually turn into two different ones! Everyone's categories will be different. Perhaps you need to keep track of things you are selling, things you need to buy, dolls you need to clean, etc. It's also a good way to separate out your priorities--maybe some tasks are more important than others.
-Whiteboards can be a very handy way to write down very small, insignificant tasks that don't need real estate on your master "to do" list, but still need to get done. Sometimes I realize I need to re-shoot a photograph, or that a doll just got a new piece to her outfit. I will jot these notes down on my whiteboard as a quick reminder so I can take care of the task sooner. It also can be a placeholder for where I left off with editing, replacing photos, etc.
*Set small goals...
-Far too often we are over ambitious about what we want to get done. For instance, having a huge goal like wanting to reorganize ALL your doll stuff can be overwhelming. That's why having smaller goals that build up to the bigger one are more reasonable. For instance, if you want to reorganize all your doll stuff in the long run, start with one container, one type of accessory, etc.
-As you accomplish each smaller goal, you will see the progress towards completing the larger one. If you don't set realistic steps in place, then you will be too burdened and overwhelmed to do anything. It's better to do something small than nothing at all.
-Small goals will help you feel like you've achieved something, and will motivate you to keep taking the steps to accomplish your main, larger goal.
*Make it visually appealing...
-Let's be honest, we all like to look at pretty things. When a room, work space, or "to do" list is visually appealing, we are more likely to want to spend time with it. I like to surround my space with dolls and items that make me happy. As for my "to do" lists, I like to decorate the notebook they are in. Using different colors and fonts makes me enjoy writing and using my lists more.
-Don't over complicate things though! While I enjoy having an aesthetically pleasing "to do" list, I don't want to spend a ridiculous amount of time planning things...I'd rather spend that time working towards the actual goals. If you aren't a particularly creative person, or if you are like me and would rather actually do stuff than plan it, keep it simple. Using a notebook that is already visually appealing and not over decorating is a good middle ground.
-Be practical about what you need. Not all of us require a huge, fancy agenda/planner for our "to do" lists. If you need to carry it around with you or you don't have much space, keep your lists in a small book. I personally like to use sketchbooks, because I prefer to work without lines, and they are thin, but durable. They also are all blank, giving me the ability to create whatever I need out of the pages. But if you prefer to work in a book that already has pre-planned pages, than go for it! Tailor this to your specific needs.
*Stay organized...
-Set up things in advance! Since my "to do" lists are monthly, I will designate a page in my notebook for each month, and write my main four categories down in advance. This way I don't have to spend the time doing so each month. Rather, I can simply plan my goals quickly and get on doing them! So you can pre-plan sections for your day, week, month, etc...whatever works for you.
-Keep your lists in an accessible place. Nobody wants to dig under a pile of books and debris to get a notebook out. If you have the notebook or lists somewhere you can access them quickly on a daily basis, you are more likely to use the lists. There is no point in making lists or keeping track of your achievements if you aren't utilizing them regularly. I keep mine in a little slot on my desk, right by my computer. This is where I do most of my dolly computer work, and also it is in my doll room, where I complete many of my doll related tasks.
-Set aside time for cleaning and small tasks. Usually once a week I will go in my dolly room and pick up any debris leftover from projects. Even five minutes of this a few times a week can keep clutter under control. Sometimes it is as simple as putting books back in place, moving dolls off your work surface, sweeping the floor where some hair collected when you brushed your dolls, etc. The more often you do little tasks, the less deep cleaning you will have to do. Plus you can tackle very small tasks like dressing a doll, redoing someone's hair, putting away new stuff, etc.
-A clear space equals a clear mind. Nobody feels motivated when they have to climb over piles of junk or smell something icky. Have a special space that is clean and clear of debris to work on.
-Designate spots for projects. It's easy to make your desk or the floor a place to shove all the stuff you are working on, but haven't completed. I find that having a basket for dolls that need things done, a bin for mending, and a small case for clothes/accessories that were being worn by dolls that are currently being cleaned (or who just haven't been dressed up yet) is very handy. This prevents things from getting lost. Sometimes leaving a pile of doll clothes or a broken piece of their jewelry out can result in these things going missing. Just ask my Ocean Friends Kira where her fanny pack went after I left it out on the dining room table! Having designated spots can also prevent clutter on your main workspace. Somethings take longer to get around to doing, for instance mending clothes can be time consuming. Plus you don't have to worry about moving piles of dolls off your bed if you didn't have time to put them all back on display after dusting! Having a place just for these things ensures that you know where they are at all times, but these items aren't cluttering up your work area/mind.
managed to capture this wee bird . very happy as up until now they have managed to give me the run a round. could've been clearer but it's a start
After I left this goose nest in the Cornwall marsh viewing the newborn gosling, mother goose returns to manage the 4 other goslings getting out of these eggs.
Gabriel taking advantage of the sunshine streaming on to the bed. I finally managed to use an Olympus 45mm 1:1.8 lens to photograph him. It is a stunningly sharp lens.
Managed to get up early and take my coffee to the deck that overlooks the Nueces River from our property. A peaceful view guaranteed to improve your outlook on things.
I managed to rent a cottage and become Nicky full time from Monday afternoon to Friday morning. I did wonder whether I would get tired of her before the Friday - how wrong I was! i absolutely loved it - to the point that I wonder, had things been different, would I actually have wanted to live full time as Nicky. I'll never know that for sure as I am happily married with wonderful kids who I would not swap for the world.
But I still wonder, if I had been growing up in todays world, with the internet and more awareness/acceptance, I think I just might have taken the female route.
I work hard at trying to look as convincingly female as possible and that is a very important aspect for Nicky. When I am her I feel and act female, part of being Nicky is me being a woman.
It's hard to explain the feeling of contentment and female sexuality I feel when Nicky and it's frustrating that I can't be her more. Sigh!!
The 350-ft Garryvale was completed in 1907 for Vale
Steamship Co Ltd, managed by Crawford, Barr & Co of
Glasgow, who named their ships after Scottish river valleys
beginning with the letter G. By the time this photograph was taken she had been sold to Finnish owners who were happy to keep a British name. Garryvale went aground off the mouth of the River Tees in January 1939 and was so badly damaged that when she was re-floated she sailed directly for the breakers at Inverkeithing.
This design was known as a turret ship - the vast majority were built by Wm Doxford & Sons, Sunderland between 1892 and 1911. They were dry cargo ships and not tankers. In part their popularity was due to the fact that they had a low nett tonnage in relation to their dead-weight (the tonnage they could carry). This lower tonnage reduced the costs of transiting the Suez Canal, which helped popularize this design. When the Suez Canal regulations were amended, this financial advantage was lost and no further vessels were built.
Managed to keep the colour this time.
4000 images extracted from a 2.30 Video
shot with the Celestron Nexstar 4se & unmodded Canon 550D
Shot in Movie Crop Mode
Bad light pollution. No Filters, No Barlows
extracted with zoombrowser
stacked in Registax
pimped up in photoshop
Managed to grab this shot as we were leaving port in San Juan, this city really was a highlight for me, beautiful colours, buildings, cats and cafe culture. What's not to like!
Managed to catch him on full zoom, not too sharp, but I was thrilled to see a thrush, so rare these days.
I've managed to find a small collection of Heather's own photos of her 2010 Doll House. I did not build these, nor did I take the photos. I saved these photos for future reference in my own building, as every single room she built had things to teach me about how to get the most out of every single brick. Now I'm very glad that I did.
I've uploaded them here so that these incredible images won't be lost to the AFOL community. I want Heather's friends and family to be able to see them and remember what an amazing builder she was, and for those new AFOLs that might otherwise never have known her work.
Managed to catch some rays last night, despite the poor visibility and moonlight, although I missed the early action due to cloud cover during the evening. This geomagnetic storm was the result of a coronal hole high speed stream, reaching G2 levels for a time during the early hours. Coronal holes will likely become stronger and more numerous during the declining phase of the solar cycle.
Managed to get out onto Surprise View today...amazing how invigorating a swift walk & few clicks of the camera bring me back to life again.
Managed to dodge rain showers today, and even saw the sun for a while, this lovely Darter was sitting pretty for a while!
Finally managed to take photos at Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul with my tripod. I'm really happy with this photo. #CathedralPhila #CathedralBasilicaofSaintsPeterandPaul
12:30 The Streets of London
Red and Sicknote continued down the street ducking between makeshift military blockades and vehicle wreckages. Every so often, random objects shot over head and came crashing down behind them. So far they had managed to dodge a black taxi, red post box and a merchandise stand loaded with “I ❤️ London” memorabilia.
As they got closer, Sicknote started running his fingers down his bio grenades, it almost looked like he was playing the piano. He stopped a few canisters down and removed it from his rig. As he loaded it into the barrel of his grenade launcher, Red could see the word ‘cinnamon’ written on it in thick black marker.
“Cinnamon?” Asked Red. “Yep” came Sicknotes reply.
“Cinnamon? Seriously?” Asked Red in disbelief. “Yep” repeated Sicknote.
“What else is in there? I mean, your the Falcons bio weapons specialist. Your plan to stop a giant rampaging bear can’t be cinnamon.” The concern in Reds voice was obvious.
“Of course it isn’t! The cinnamon is for use until we get cleared to engage. It’s non-lethal.” Sicknote seemed deadly serious.
“You’re being serious!? Cinnamon!!?” Red was not impressed.
“I got the idea from those idiot videos on the internet. It tested well back at base.” Sicknote was not backing down.
“I should of sent you with Scorch and brought Ampere with me....” grumbled Red.
They got to the end of the street to find Daddy bear just mindlessly destroying whatever was in front of him. Red and Sicknote ducked behind a burnt out bus. “Ok, What’s the plan?” Asked Sicknote. “Black Falcon protocol is to try to communicate in the first instance, but I don’t think he wants to listen.” A ticket booth from the London Zoo came crashing down a few feet over from them smashing into several pieces, tickets flew everywhere. There was a corner shop a across the street from where it landed and Red could make out three civilians trapped inside. “We got three civvies trapped over there. I’ll get the big beasties attention while you get them out of here.” Sicknote nodded in acknowledgment as he made his way to the corner shop.
Red darted toward the bear. As she ran, she crouched and scooped up several clumps of rock debris. As she approached an overturned car she dropped onto her knee pads and slid into it. She tapped her earpiece. “Mainframe, where’s our clearance?” Mainframes voice came back. “General Mayhem is... ahem.... working on it.” Red sighed. “Give me something to work with here!” Mainframes voice sounded feeble. “Sorry Red.”
Red took several deep breaths, rolled out from under the car, leapt to her feet and threw one of the rocks she’d picked up at Daddy bear. It smacked him on the shoulder. He dropped the lamp post he’d been swinging about like a cricket bat and stared at Red. His eyes narrowed and he let a roar.
Red stared back. She had grossly underestimated how big Daddy Bear truly was, now she was this close she was regretting her decision distract him. “You’d make a lovely rug, it would add a touch of elegance to the break room at HQ!” Daddy Bear roared again, Red did not back down. She threw another rock and it smacked Daddy Bear right on the nose. He roared, picked up a pizza delivery scooter and threw it straight at Red. Red dived out the way and rolled back to her feet. She’d barely had time to steady herself when a car came barrelling toward her. She dived forward and narrowly avoided being crushed by the wreck. The barrage of random street objects continued. Each time Red was barely getting out of the way, and she was getting tired.
Something came flying from behind her and smacked Daddy Bear on top of his head. It exploded on impact and Daddy Bear was enveloped in a cloud of brown mist.
Red crouched and took a second to breath, as Sicknote walked up behind her. “Cinnamon?” She asked. “Cinnamon.” Replied Sicknote. Red couldn’t believe her eyes. Daddy Bear was staggering about, clutching at his throat and mouth as he coughed uncontrollably. “The people are clear. I found a few more and cleared them out too. You good?” Asked Sicknote. Red nodded and got to her feet. There was a crackle as Mainframes voice filled the Falcons earpieces. “You are cleared to engage Falcons, I repeat, you are cleared to engage.”
Without a word, Red pulled her twin MP5s round on there bandoliers and opened fire. Sicknote grabbed another canister from his rig, the word ‘Inferno’ scribbled on it, loaded it and fired.
Daddy Bear, still coughing from the cinnabomb, was caught in a hail of bullets. The Nutcracker rounds were clearly hurting him, but they ultimately bounced off. Mini explosions from the Mini Boomers left scorched hair and bald patches all over him, but still he stood. The inferno round landed at his feet and detonated. A cloud of black mist surrounded him and then ignited. Daddy Bear was engulfed in flames.
Sicknote and Reds MP5s clicked as their mags were finally empty. With a single flawless motion, both Falcons loaded new mags, Red loading two guns in the time Sicknote loaded one. There was no sign of movement from Daddy Bear. They edged toward the flaming street corner where he’d been.
There was a mighty roar. Daddy Bear shot out of the flames in a mighty leap, smoking, ember touched fur and bald patches adorned his once furry body. His arms raised above his head and his fists locked together as one. He swung his arms down in an arc as he landed and smacked the ground with unimaginable force. The shockwave ripples out, tearing concrete, blowing out concrete pillars, and shattering windows. Glass littered the skies as it fell from the surrounding buildings.
The shockwave rippled under the pavement where Sicknote and Red stood. It hit them with such force it sent them flying high into the air.
Sicknote hit the ground first landing on his shoulder sending a wave of pain down the rest of his body. Red landed across a car wreck, an audible ‘crack’ giving away she’d broken one or more ribs. She slid off the car and landed in a heap next to it. She hurt all over.
The surrounding area had been reduced to nothing but rubble and dust, Daddy Bear stood staring at her. There was a faint thud on the ground, then another, and another. Something big was walking toward her, but Daddy Bear wasn’t moving. She looked in the direction the thuds were coming from. Through the smoke and dust, she could make out the silhouettes of two extremely large creatures. Painfully she raised her hand to her earpiece and clicked it. “We have three bears, I repeat, we have three bears. Send reinforcements. Mainframe, we need reinforcements!”
Managed to get a reasonable HA shot of the Mercury transit despite the veil of thin high cloud at the Rollright Stones.
Just north of Riley Park, Calgary, AB
It wasn't a great sunset but I managed to coax some color out of the sky.
The foolish and useless attempt to defeat a virus has only managed the destruction of freedom, happiness and sociability. I've tried to find some joy even in this absurd situation, but for now I can't stand anymore to go around in this world populated by faceless asocial zombies, so at moment I'm closed in my voluntary lockdown.
I'll be back when something normal will be allowed.
Lo stupido e inutile tentativo di sconfiggere un virus ha solo portato alla distruzione della libertà, della felicità e della socialità. Ho cercato di trovare un po' di gioia anche in questa situazione assurda, ma per ora non sopporto più di andare in giro in questo mondo popolato da zombie asociali e senza volto, quindi al momento sono chiusa nel mio lockdown volontario.
Ci vediamo quando potrò fare qualcosa normalmente.
La tentative insensée et inutile de vaincre un virus n'a réussi qu'à détruire la liberté, le bonheur et la sociabilité. J'ai essayé de trouver de la joie même dans cette situation absurde, mais pour l'instant je ne peux plus supporter de me promener dans ce monde peuplé de zombies asociaux sans visage, alors pour le moment je suis enfermée dans mon confinement volontaire.
Je reviendrai quand quelque chose de normal sera autorisé.