View allAll Photos Tagged minimize
South facing Needles overlook after moon descended behind me. 5 vertical exposures less than 12 seconds to comply with the rule of 500 to minimize streak.
The Mallard, or Wild duck (Anas platyrhynchos]), probably the best-known and most recognizable of all ducks, is a dabbling duck which breeds throughout the temperate and sub-tropical Americas, Europe, Asia, New Zealand (where it is currently the most common duck species), and Australia.
The male birds have a bright green head, while the female's is light brown. The Mallard lives in wetlands, eats water plants, and is gregarious. It is also migratory. The Mallard is the ancestor of all domestic ducks, and can interbreed with other species of genus Anas.[2] This interbreeding is causing rarer species of ducks to become genetically diluted.
The Mallard is 56–65 centimetres (22–26 in) long, has a wingspan of 81–98 centimetres (32–39 in), and weighs 0.9–1.2 kilograms (32–42 oz). The breeding male is unmistakable, with a bright green head, black rear end and a yellowish orange (can also contain some red) bill tipped with black (as opposed to the dark brown bill in females), and is also nature's most feared duck. The female Mallard is light brown, like most female dabbling ducks. However, both the female and male Mallards have distinct purple speculum edged with white, prominent in flight or at rest (though temporarily shed during the annual summer moult). In non-breeding (eclipse) plumage the drake becomes drab, looking more like the female, but still distinguishable by its yellow bill and reddish breast.
In captivity, domestic ducks come in wild-type plumages, white, and other colours. Most of these colour variants are also known in domestic Mallards not bred as livestock, but kept as pets, aviary birds, etc., where they are rare but increasing in availability.
A noisy species, the male has a nasal call, the female has a "quack" stereotypically associated with ducks.[3]
The Mallard is a rare example of both Allen's Rule and Bergmann's Rule in birds. Bergmann's Rule, which states that polar forms tend to be larger than related ones from warmer climates, has numerous examples in birds. Allen's Rule says that appendages like ears tend to be smaller in polar forms to minimize heat loss, and larger in tropical and desert equivalents to facilitate heat diffusion, and that the polar taxa are stockier overall. Examples of this rule in birds are rare, as they lack external ears. However, the bill of ducks is very well supplied with blood vessels and is vulnerable to cold.
In an effort to minimize accidental environmental damage, Biotron contracted Sirius Cyberdine Industries to produce the P.O.D.s - Personal Outdoor Defense system. With a notable lack of corners, these round rovers were ideal for moving through environments thick with flora while minimizing damage in their wake. Teams could opt for either the vertical or horizontal versions, although both were outfitted with identical communications and life-support systems. PODs were self-sealing and heavily armored, ideal for travel on planets with the most inhospitable and aggressive flora and fauna found in the galaxy.
-----------------------------------
More Febrovery fun today. I initially was only going to present the vertical version of this but got caught up in the challenge of making the horizontal version as well. Both will easily fit a minifig or two inside but the occupants must be good friends. :) Oh, and the lid on the horizontal version is not hinged, it only attaches via four studs for playing with.
Enjoy, everyone!!
The F4, Nikon's fourth generation and first autofocus pro-level camera system, was produced from 1988 through 1997.
--------------
The Nikon F4, technologically speaking, is a major upgrade from the F3HP. The F4 has autofocus, motorized film advance, program and shutter priority exposure modes (in addition to aperture priority and manual), multi-segment (Matrix) exposure metering, and advanced fill-flash capabilities. Although the camera is fully electronic, it maintains the façade of mechanical camera controls. In fact, there are no external digital readouts or multi-function dials on this camera. All controls are presented as traditional knobs or switches, although they control sophisticated electronic functions, internally. Significantly, for those with a pre-existing collection of manual focus Nikon lenses, the F4 provides matrix metering, but not Program or Tv modes, with Ai manual focus lenses. It also has a built-in diopter control in the viewfinder. Finally, the F4 system has an amazingly broad system of accessories of all types.
The F4 system includes the F4s, which is the basic F4 body plus the enhanced MB-21 battery grip instead of the basic MB-20 grip. The MB-21 grip uses 6 x AA alkaline batteries compared with 4 batteries in the MB-20 and provides slightly faster motor drive. Unfortunately, the Nikon F4 was not designed to work with light-weight lithium AA batteries, which are not recommended by Nikon. When I bought my F4, it was only available in a package with the larger MB-21, which I immediately replaced with the MB-20 to cut down on weight.
The major disadvantages of the F4 compared with its predecessor F3HP are almost 50% greater weight, and increased size and decreased battery life, primarily due to the motor drive. As indicated above, the F4's program and Tv modes cannot be used with manual focus Nikkor Ai lenses (you need a Nikon FA for that). The F4 does not yet support AF-D technology. AF-D technology, which only appears on future generations of Nikon SLRs, transmits distance information from AF-D lenses and permits better flash and fill-flash performance. Still, when combined with the concurrent SB-24 or newer dedicated flash units, the Nikon F4, even without D technology, has great flash performance in its own right. Unlike the later F90x/SB-26 combination, the F4/SB-24 is smart enough to automatically switch from balanced fill flash to full TTL flash when ambient light is insufficient.
I think that I purchased one of the last F4s to come off of the production line. I was perfectly happy using my F3HP, and continued to use it as my primary camera throughout the production life of the F4, which started in 1988. Finally, the F5 came out in 1996 and I saw that it had reduced functionality with manual focus Nikkor Ai lenses compared the F4. Worse, from my point of view, the F5 is also much larger and even heavier than the F4, with its permanently attached larger grip and battery pack.
Although I still tended to pick up the F3HP instead of the F4 for travel kits to cut down on weight, I really liked using the F4 when weight was not an issue. The F4 fits great into your hands, with its built-in hand grip and non-slip rubberized finish. The camera has the four PSAM modes, single and continuous autofocus, as well as multi-segment (matrix), center-weighted (60/40), and spot exposure metering systems. Although the camera has many electronic functions, there are no hard-to-read external digital menus. All functions are controlled with the traditional knobs and switches, which makes it really easy to adjust all features by feel or by watching the comprehensive digital display in the viewfinder. The viewfinder display is illuminated by ambient light, or by switching on the viewfinder illuminator light with a switch at the base of the shutter speed dial.
If you do need to use a manual focus lens, you can still take advantage of the focus indicator when focusing manually. In fact, you really need to use the electronic rangefinder, because the standard focusing screen has no split image or microprism aid besides a matte field. Just place the central focusing brackets on your subject and focus manually until the red in-focus circle is display in the viewfinder. The F4's early generation autofocusing system is slow compared with subsequent technology, but more than sufficient for stationary or slow moving subjects.
As an advance over the F3, the F4 recognizes DX-coded film canisters. When rewinding film, you can either use power rewind to save time, or manual rewind to save battery power and minimize noise.
The F4's first generation five segment matrix metering system was a major technological advance over traditional center-weighted metering. This is basically the same early generation multi-segment metering that is used in the Nikon FA. While not as sophisticated as later generations of Nikon's matrix metering systems, the F4's five segment pattern and software works fine for typical scenarios. For extreme lighting situations, it is still recommended to switch to center-weighted or spot and set exposure compensation, as necessary.
The F4's shutter is much more advanced than the shutter in the F3. The F4 shutter speed can be manually set as fast as 1/8000 sec. or as slow as 4 seconds. Maximum flash synch speed of 1/250 sec. is much faster than 1/80 sec. on the F3. In P and A modes, the shutter operates steplessly from 30 sec. to 1/8000 sec.
I use all of the F4's modes and light-metering systems, depending on the situation. But for flash photography, it is often easiest to just turn on Program mode and matrix metering to take advantage of completely automatic matrix balanced fill-flash or standard TTL flash. For special flash situations, the F4 also allows complete manual adjustment of all parameters.
The F4 marks marks the beginning and end to Nikon's pro-level body support for both auto focus and manual focus lenses, while also providing a mechanical style control interface. The F5 scales back support for manual focus lenses, and converts to a control dial driven interface. The F6 (like modern higher-end Nikon digital SLRs) finally adds back the F4's manual focus lens support, but of course has a modern display menu interface. The traditional mechanical interfaces are great, but the F6 is a much superior film camera because its features are state of the art across the board, including, for example, Nikon's most advanced matrix metering in a film camera. As other alternatives to the F4, one could look at the F90X, the F100 or the older FA. The F90X moves to an early-generation control dial driven interface, but offers D technology support for flash, more sophisticated matrix metering, and faster autofocusing. The F100 is an upgrade of the F90X and has technology similar to the F5 in a smaller package. The amazing FA is like the traditional-style FE-2, but with the addition of complete and unique support for manual focus Ai lenses with matrix metering (similar to F4 generation) as well as all four PSAM modes!
Finally, there is now a more or less similar interface alternative in the Nikon digital SLR world. The Nikon Df finally provides modern functions, some of which are descendents of the advanced features of the F4, while also resurrecting the convenient mechanical/analog interface of its famous predecessor.
Copyright (c) 2013 Timothy A. Rogers. All rights reserved.
(DSC_5919fin1)
The months of November-December are when thousands of Common Cranes stop over at the Hula Lake in northern Israel on their migratory path from Europe and Asia (the heart of the breeding population for the species is in Russia) to its wintering sites in northern Africa, the river valleys of Sudan, Ethiopia, Tunisia and Eritrea. The best place to see and photograph them in Israel is the Agamon HaHula reserve.
For the past four years, intensive research on the topic of cranes in the Hula Valley has been conducted. Since the beginning of the present decade, their number has risen sharply. Approximately 20,000 cranes pass the winter in the Hula Valley, between November and March.
Hula Valley farmers, together with the ISPN and the Nature and National Parks Authority, the Ministry for the Environment and Project LIFE, are partners in a project whose aim is to minimize the damage caused by cranes, on the one hand, and to enable them to pass the winter in this country, for the sake of both conservation and tourism.
A great many visitors come to see the flocks of cranes, especially in the evenings, when the cranes congregate noisily at their rest-grounds at Agmon Lake and the Hula Nature Reserve, flying in formation. The project is based on closing some of the area to movement, including tourism. These are fields, which farmers have agreed to leave fallow that year, against compensation, and form part of a plan to establish “safari” areas of the Hula Project.
Sometimes we make our own photography opportunities when we are aware of our impact on our surroundings. While shooting in nature I try to minimize my presence, in this case, I was hidden amongst some tall pine trees quietly taking photos with my camera set to silent mode. I heard some rustling bushes a few hundred feet to my right and watched as a cow elk cautiously walked into the water to get to the other side. I quickly but quietly switched to my telephoto lens and captured the picture before it crossed to the other side. I'm sure it knew I was there long before I saw it, but keeping quiet and calm surely helped my case.
© 2018 Chris Ross Photography. All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, share, link, or use this image in any form, digital or otherwise, on blogs, personal or professional websites or any other media form. This work is protected by international copyright laws and agreements. No part of this photostream may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without my prior permission.
Taken during a night of banding. Low power flash was used in conjunction with flashlights to minimize any distress to the owls.
Looks Good Large......My motorcycle had been complaining about not getting out enough and especially wanted to go visit the local live oaks that this area is famous for...I have never been able to shoot them the way I wanted to...kind of like the Redwoods...until now with HDR...you can minimize the huge contrast difference during the daylight hours....and it is beginning to work....This grove is right next to the Intracoastal Waterway to the back of the camera and right across the street from the Atlantic Ocean.
I love the gnarly look of these beauties..some of them live over 1000 years if I am not mistaken..and the St. Augustine area has some of the best examples in the world! I have been here for about 7 years now and am finding new areas and places to explore every time I make the effort to get out...If you are around..stop at the Matanzas state park on A1A...just north of the Matanzas inlet bridge and check out the trail, the fort, and the trees..the nice rangers let me take this after everyone left so that there wouldn't be any cars around..thanks guys..they were closing the gate...
Creation Spoke to me at Sunset
(James Watkins)
Creation spoke to me at sunset,
under canopy of fading sight,
in groves of winded whispers,
ancient oaks waiting for the night.
Sun-bathed clouds through
dazzling leaves,
dazed and dancing free-
brilliant evening glories,
rhymed in poignant harmony.
Sequinned, fragranced beauties-
set in ocean dreams-
softly magnified by waters,
running slow to salty streams.
Lingering beside them,
to breathe the evening sea,
i listened to the placid voice
that feathered on the breeze.
“Remember what you see here-
do not forget this place-
write it on your memory-
do not let time erase”-
a victory won in silence-
as patience conquered haste-
foundationed now
in sacred soil,
solidified and safe.
Still delving deep through solid sod,
continuing to bend,
beneath the ground
it rooted down,
to build its strength again.
Did not begin to prosper,
until its hold was right-
then slowly grew in majesty,
upward to the light.
To flourish for
a thousand years,
before the sons of men-
and quietly tell its story,
to all that pass within.
.
James watkins 05-07
Bananas, oranges, avocados, beets, brown mushrooms.
I am not happy that I neglected to close in the mushrooms to minimize the white cutting board underneath ... oh is this a lesson for me? Lol!
Ngungun summit with Coonowrin and Beerwah to the right and Tibrogargan on the left. Was trying to minimize the urbanization that has happened all around these peaks.An opportunity lost that they never reserved this whole area as national park rather than just the peak.
This was a 2 shot stitch
Griffon vultures have been used as model organisms for the study of soaring and thermoregulation. The energy costs of level flight tend to be high, prompting alternatives to flapping in larger birds. Vultures in particular utilize more efficient flying methods such as soaring. Compared to other birds, which elevate their metabolic rate to upwards of 16 times their basal metabolic rate in flight, soaring griffon vultures expend about 1.43 times their basal metabolic rate in flight. Griffon vultures are also efficient flyers in their ability to return to a resting heart rate after flight within ten minutes.
As large scavengers, griffon vultures have not been observed to seek shelter for thermoregulation. Vultures use their bald heads as a means to thermoregulate in both extreme cold and hot temperatures. Changes in posture can increase bare skin exposure from 7% to 32%. This change allows for the more than doubling of convective heat loss in still air. Griffon vultures have also been found to tolerate increased body temperatures as a response to high ambient temperatures. By allowing their internal body temperature to change independently of their metabolic rate, griffon vultures minimize their loss of water and energy in thermoregulating. One study in particular (Bahat 1995) found that these adaptations have allowed the Griffon vulture to have one of the widest thermal neutral zones of any bird.
It declined markedly throughout the 19th–20th centuries in much of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, mainly due to direct persecution and "bycatch" from the poisoned carcasses set for livestock predators (Snow and Perrins 1998, Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Orta et al. 2015). In some areas a reduction in available food supplies, arising from changes in livestock management practices, also had an impact (Ferguson-Lees and Christie 2001, Orta et al. 2015). It is very highly vulnerable to the effects of potential wind energy development (Strix 2012) and electrocution has been identified as a threat (Global Raptors Information Network 2015). Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used for veterinary purposes pose a threat to this species. One case of suspected poisoning caused by flunixin, an NSAID, was recorded in this species in 2012 in Spain (Zorrilla et al. 2015). Diclofenac, a similar NSAID, has caused severe declines in Gyps vulture species across Asia.
Aegis Dynamics is proud to introduce our latest revolution in tactical air superiority - the Raptor MK-VII Low Altitude Assault Gunship. Designed specifically for urban pacification and ground support operations, this cutting-edge platform combines unparalleled firepower with exceptional maneuverability. The modular weapons systems and reinforced troop compartment allow for rapid deployment of our elite tactical teams directly into contested zones."
"The Raptor represents the culmination of decades of combat engineering experience, serving as the cornerstone of our Heavy Cavalry initiative. With its twin-mounted particle cannons, adaptive missile arrays, and next-generation stealth capabilities, this gunship ensures complete battlefield dominance while minimizing collateral infrastructure damage - preserving the assets you've worked so hard to acquire. When situations require decisive action, the Raptor delivers results that shareholders can appreciate. Aegis Dynamics: Power Through Precision."
20160702191246ZW6N41918E13.369G1.596E3H0
[Myrmica Latreille 1804: 187+†7 (IT: 22+†0) spp]
[Histiostoma Kramer 1876: 222 (IT: 5) spp]
[Oplitis Berlese 1884: 153 (IT: 9) spp]
Conspecific parapatric concurrent ☿, lateral sx habitus.
Citrus juice based anti-mite treatment successfully applied to M. scabrinodis ♀♀. Citrus limon juice contains up to 47 kg/m³ and 8% DM of citric acid. After the first local application, only a few Histiostoma sp phoretic deutonymphæ remain on M. scabrinodis ♀a and ♀b; ♀c is a young uninfested Myrmica ♀ found isolated nearby, presumably conspecific to ♀a and ♀b.
Myrmica scabrinodis specific group is undergoing a major speciation event at the current time, largely in response to
anthropogenically altered habitats. Over its range, it might comprise several (perhaps 4-5) cryptic species and in any region perhaps 2-3 of these live sympatrically, being ecoetologically separated. Therefore, if ecotypes 1 and 2 are recognized in region A and ecotypes 3 and 4 are recognized in region B, far away from A, there is no reason to suppose that 1 and 2 are genetically identical to 3 and 4. Such a problem can be solved definitively only with PCM. When Emery described Sifolinia lauræ ( = M. lauræ) in 1907, it was presumed to be a social parasite though its host was unknown. In 1987, M. Mei identified the host of Myrmica samnitica ( = M. lauræ) as M. sabuleti. However, in the non-type series which M. Mei collected from Abruzzo and Lazio, the ☿☿ mounted with them as hosts were treated by A. Radchenko in 2003 as atypical M. scabrinodis, with relatively large scape lobes, and they could easily be mistaken for M. sabuleti. Now, morphometrics of these conspecific Myrmica ♀♀ and ☿☿ collected in 2016 differ significantly from morphometrics of individuals found in other parapatric M. scabrinodis populations, corresponding to the very description of the atypical M. scabrinodis specimens collected from the same geographic region by M. Mei in 1987; therefore, it could be assumed that they are likely to belong to a new cryptic species of Myrmica which most probably evolved parapatrically, a quite common process among non-parasitic ants.
Besides antagonistic relationships between organisms such as parasitism and competition, the more neutral phoresy exists. It appears in some animal groups, for example within Hexapoda; larvæ of Meloidæ get transported by some Hymenoptera. But phoresy appears especially frequently within Nematoda and Acari. Phoresy evolved several times convergently within Acari. Because all Histiostomatidæ produce phoretic deutonymphæ, this phenomenon is the most important part of their biology. Phoresy is a phenomenon in which one individual of a species ascends an individual of another species at a given time of its ontogenesis. It is carried for a limited while to get to a new habitat. Usually they don’t feed during that time. Terms for the partners of such a phoretic relation are “phoret” for the ascending animal and “transporter” for the carrier. Phoresy is commonly found in habitats which change their conditions rapidly and elapse after a short time. Such habitats are called “ephemer biochoria”. Biochoria are parts of ecological systems distributed like islands, with a characteristic inventory of species. Examples for biochoria are: animal dung, carrion, compost. These habitats arise at uncertain locations to uncertain times. They differ from biochoria as puddles or formicaries, which regularly arise at certain locations. “Waving”, a behavior of the juvenile phorets in some groups of Nematoda and Acari, appears to find their transporters. Phoresy is a common phenomenon in the life cycle of free-living Astigmatina, a diverse and widely distributed monophyletic group. Some of them are permanent parasites of Aves and Mammalia, but ancestral Astigmatina are free-living and fungivorous. From there, the group has colonized many habitats. Deutonymphæ of Astigmatina most commonly occur in association with Coleoptera and Hymenoptera in arboreal and soil habitats; they can respond to both genders of the carrier or respond selectively only to one gender. Naiadacarus arboricola responds only to Syrphidæ ♀ carriers which visit water-filled treeholes to oviposit; Rhizoglyphus echinopus responds mainly to Osmoderma eremicola ♂♂. Kennethiella trisetosa only matures on ♂ larvæ of Ancistrocerus antilope: these mites propagate in the brood chambers of the wasp; then all mite stages except the deutonymphæ feed on the hemolympha of wasps in the stage immediatly before the pupa phase without damaging them. Deutonymphæ can only ascend the adult ♂ wasps, because ♀ wasp larvæ kill the mites before growing up. During the wasp’s copulation, the mites change actively into the genital chambers of the ♀ wasps. From there, they leave that ♀ during the egg deposition. During the transport, the deutonymphæ are always positioned on the propodeum of the ♂♂ on small polished cuticula areas. Because up to now no other function could be assigned to that structure, it is assumed that it evolved for the transportation of the deutonymphæ. Such a structure is called acarinarium. A satisfying evolutionary explication is missing. It is assumed that a mutualistic relationship between phoret and transporter exists; it cannot be ruled out that this relationship bears advantages for the transporter, but this is still unproved. Alternatively, the acarinaria could be evolved in a parasitic or in a “neutral” relationship. It could be beneficial for the transporter to have the mites restricted to areas where they are as less hindering as possible. Up to now, acarinaria are unknown for Histiostomatidæ. But because it could be assumed that some Histiostomatidæ bear advantages for their carriers, probably acarinaria will be found in future times on some carriers. The preference of one carrier gender is unknown for Histiostomatidæ spp but could probably exist. The act to ascend the carrier, in Astigmatina as in Histiostomatidæ, can occur spontaneously or can be provoked by a tactile stimulation of gnathosomal setæ or solenidia. The deutonymphæ of the non-Histiostomatidæ Carpoglyphus lactis show a conspicuous behavior and wait in a position with the body anchored to the substrate by the caudoventral suckers. Jumping to a height of 25-50 mm allows the mite to spring onto a passing Drosophilidæ carrier. Deutonymphæ of Sancassania spp remain on the carrier when it dies and subsequent stages exploit the carriers as saprophages of necrotic host tissues. Such a strategy is called "necromeny" and derived from phoresy. Sometimes, deutonymphæ are positioned in similar numbers on both sides of the carrier to minimize interference with the carrier's flight. An example is Glyphanœtus nomiensis (Histiostomatidæ) which is attached to Nomia melanderi (Halictidæ). It is less known concerning the detachment stimuli in Astigmatina. It could correlate with the oviposition of the carrier, as observed for non-Astigmatina mites. Deutonymphæ of Histiostoma polypori, which change from one earwig stage to the following of the same individual, may respond to chemical changes in the transporter's cuticle.
REFERENCES
B. Seifert 2024: Myrmica scabrinodis pleistocenic differentiation.
B. Wermelinger 2021: Forest insects in EU.
P. Klimov & al. 2017: Acariformes phylogeny.
B. Seifert & al. 2014: Myrmica martini sp.n.
M. Dabert & al. 2010: Acariformes phylogeny.
A. Radchenko & G.W. Elmes 2010: Myrmica ants of the Old World.
REFORD GARDENS | LES JARDINS DE METIS
Beautiful flowers at Reford Gardens.
Visit : www.refordgardens.com/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MAKING CIRCLES IN THE WATER (2011)
Faire des ronds dans l'eau (2011)
Balmori Associates, New York, USA.
Visit: www.balmori.com
GROUNDED IN ECOLOGY
Balmori Associates is an international urban and landscape design firm founded by Diana Balmori. Balmori Associates is recognized across the globe for its creative interfacing of landscape and architecture and expanding the boundaries between nature and structure. As distinguished leaders in the field of urban design and the design of innovative public spaces Balmori Associates gives form to the processes of sustainability, producing ‘green infrastructures’ while revealing the constructed and natural operations of a site.
Balmori Associates strives to achieve the highest standards of environmental responsibility by rooting our work in two basic sustainable design principles: Low-Impact and Regenerative . Low-Impact to reduce potential detrimental effects of local and project-related construction, development or consumption and to minimize environmental impacts, while sustaining the health and resilience of ecological systems. Regenerative Design to integrate building systems within landscape for resource renewal and the restoration of constructed landscape.
Our diverse portfolio includes executed projects at all scales, and award-winning competitions and has garnered numerous awards for design excellence; and sustainability is a central concern in all our work. In 1998, Balmori Associates’ Master Plan won the international competition for the waterfront development of the Abandoibarra district of Bilbao, Spain. We provided design leadership on the greenroof at Silvercup Studios in Queens, New York, the largest scientifically monitored green roof in the United States. In the fall of 2012 Korean Prime Minister and several ministries moved from Seoul to Sejong, South Korea new multifunctional administrative city, a zero-waste urban plan designed by Balmori Associates. (Info from Balmori's website)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS | REFORD GARDENS
Visit : www.refordgardens.com/
From Wikipedia:
Elsie Stephen Meighen - born January 22, 1872, Perth, Ontario - and Robert Wilson Reford - born in 1867, Montreal - got married on June 12, 1894.
Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Québec. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens.
Born January 22, 1872 at Perth, Ontario, Elsie Reford was the eldest of three children born to Robert Meighen and Elsie Stephen. Coming from modest backgrounds themselves, Elsie’s parents ensured that their children received a good education. After being educated in Montreal, she was sent to finishing school in Dresden and Paris, returning to Montreal fluent in both German and French, and ready to take her place in society.
She married Robert Wilson Reford on June 12, 1894. She gave birth to two sons, Bruce in 1895 and Eric in 1900. Robert and Elsie Reford were, by many accounts, an ideal couple. In 1902, they built a house on Drummond Street in Montreal. They both loved the outdoors and they spend several weeks a year in a log cabin they built at Lac Caribou, south of Rimouski. In the autumn they hunted for caribou, deer, and ducks. They returned in winter to ski and snowshoe. Elsie Reford also liked to ride. She had learned as a girl and spent many hours riding on the slopes of Mount Royal. And of course, there was salmon-fishing – a sport at which she excelled.
In her day, she was known for her civic, social, and political activism. She was engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly for the Montreal Maternity Hospital and she was also the moving force behind the creation of the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal, the first women club in Canada. She believed it important that the women become involved in debates over the great issues of the day, « something beyond the local gossip of the hour ». Her acquaintance with Lord Grey, the Governor-General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, led to her involvement in organizing, in 1908, Québec City’s tercentennial celebrations. The event was one of many to which she devoted herself in building bridges with French-Canadian community.
During the First World War, she joined her two sons in England and did volunteer work at the War Office, translating documents from German into English. After the war, she was active in the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the National Association of Conservative Women.
In 1925 at the age of 53 years, Elsie Reford was operated for appendicitis and during her convalescence, her doctor counselled against fishing, fearing that she did not have the strength to return to the river.”Why not take up gardening?” he said, thinking this a more suitable pastime for a convalescent woman of a certain age. That is why she began laying out the gardens and supervising their construction. The gardens would take ten years to build, and would extend over more than twenty acres.
Elsie Reford had to overcome many difficulties in bringing her garden to life. First among them were the allergies that sometimes left her bedridden for days on end. The second obstacle was the property itself. Estevan was first and foremost a fishing lodge. The site was chosen because of its proximity to a salmon river and its dramatic views – not for the quality of the soil.
To counter-act nature’s deficiencies, she created soil for each of the plants she had selected, bringing peat and sand from nearby farms. This exchange was fortuitous to the local farmers, suffering through the Great Depression. Then, as now, the gardens provided much-needed work to an area with high unemployment. Elsie Reford’s genius as a gardener was born of the knowledge she developed of the needs of plants. Over the course of her long life, she became an expert plantsman. By the end of her life, Elsie Reford was able to counsel other gardeners, writing in the journals of the Royal Horticultural Society and the North American Lily Society. Elsie Reford was not a landscape architect and had no training of any kind as a garden designer. While she collected and appreciated art, she claimed no talents as an artist.
Elsie Stephen Reford died at her Drummond Street home on November 8, 1967 in her ninety-sixth year.
In 1995, the Reford Gardens ("Jardins de Métis") in Grand-Métis were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as being an excellent Canadian example of the English-inspired garden.(Wikipedia)
Visit : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Reford
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Visit : www.refordgardens.com/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS
Créés par Elsie Reford de 1926 à 1958, ces jardins témoignent de façon remarquable de l’art paysager à l’anglaise. Disposés dans un cadre naturel, un ensemble de jardins exhibent fleurs vivaces, arbres et arbustes. Le jardin des pommetiers, les rocailles et l’Allée royale évoquent l’œuvre de cette dame passionnée d’horticulture. Agrémenté d’un ruisseau et de sentiers sinueux, ce site jouit d’un microclimat favorable à la croissance d’espèces uniques au Canada. Les pavots bleus et les lis, privilégiés par Mme Reford, y fleurissent toujours et contribuent , avec d’autres plantes exotiques et indigènes, à l’harmonie de ces lieux.
Created by Elsie Reford between 1926 and 1958, these gardens are an inspired example of the English art of the garden. Woven into a natural setting, a series of gardens display perennials, trees and shrubs. A crab-apple orchard, a rock garden, and the Long Walk are also the legacy of this dedicated horticulturist. A microclimate favours the growth of species found nowhere else in Canada, while the stream and winding paths add to the charm. Elsie Reford’s beloved blue poppies and lilies still bloom and contribute, with other exotic and indigenous plants, to the harmony of the site.
Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
Gouvernement du Canada – Government of Canada
© Copyright
This photo and all those in my Photostream are protected by copyright. No one may reproduce, copy, transmit or manipulate them without my written permission.
REFORD GARDENS | LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS
From Wikipedia:
Elsie Stephen Meighen - born January 22, 1872, Perth, Ontario - and Robert Wilson Reford - born in 1867, Montreal - got married on June 12, 1894.
Elsie Reford was a pioneer of Canadian horticulture, creating one of the largest private gardens in Canada on her estate, Estevan Lodge in eastern Québec. Located in Grand-Métis on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, her gardens have been open to the public since 1962 and operate under the name Les Jardins de Métis and Reford Gardens.
Born January 22, 1872 at Perth, Ontario, Elsie Reford was the eldest of three children born to Robert Meighen and Elsie Stephen. Coming from modest backgrounds themselves, Elsie’s parents ensured that their children received a good education. After being educated in Montreal, she was sent to finishing school in Dresden and Paris, returning to Montreal fluent in both German and French, and ready to take her place in society.
She married Robert Wilson Reford on June 12, 1894. She gave birth to two sons, Bruce in 1895 and Eric in 1900. Robert and Elsie Reford were, by many accounts, an ideal couple. In 1902, they built a house on Drummond Street in Montreal. They both loved the outdoors and they spend several weeks a year in a log cabin they built at Lac Caribou, south of Rimouski. In the autumn they hunted for caribou, deer, and ducks. They returned in winter to ski and snowshoe. Elsie Reford also liked to ride. She had learned as a girl and spent many hours riding on the slopes of Mount Royal. And of course, there was salmon-fishing – a sport at which she excelled.
In her day, she was known for her civic, social, and political activism. She was engaged in philanthropic activities, particularly for the Montreal Maternity Hospital and she was also the moving force behind the creation of the Women’s Canadian Club of Montreal, the first women club in Canada. She believed it important that the women become involved in debates over the great issues of the day, « something beyond the local gossip of the hour ». Her acquaintance with Lord Grey, the Governor-General of Canada from 1904 to 1911, led to her involvement in organizing, in 1908, Québec City’s tercentennial celebrations. The event was one of many to which she devoted herself in building bridges with French-Canadian community.
During the First World War, she joined her two sons in England and did volunteer work at the War Office, translating documents from German into English. After the war, she was active in the Victorian Order of Nurses, the Montreal Council of Social Agencies, and the National Association of Conservative Women.
In 1925 at the age of 53 years, Elsie Reford was operated for appendicitis and during her convalescence, her doctor counselled against fishing, fearing that she did not have the strength to return to the river.”Why not take up gardening?” he said, thinking this a more suitable pastime for a convalescent woman of a certain age. That is why she began laying out the gardens and supervising their construction. The gardens would take ten years to build, and would extend over more than twenty acres.
Elsie Reford had to overcome many difficulties in bringing her garden to life. First among them were the allergies that sometimes left her bedridden for days on end. The second obstacle was the property itself. Estevan was first and foremost a fishing lodge. The site was chosen because of its proximity to a salmon river and its dramatic views – not for the quality of the soil.
To counter-act nature’s deficiencies, she created soil for each of the plants she had selected, bringing peat and sand from nearby farms. This exchange was fortuitous to the local farmers, suffering through the Great Depression. Then, as now, the gardens provided much-needed work to an area with high unemployment. Elsie Reford’s genius as a gardener was born of the knowledge she developed of the needs of plants. Over the course of her long life, she became an expert plantsman. By the end of her life, Elsie Reford was able to counsel other gardeners, writing in the journals of the Royal Horticultural Society and the North American Lily Society. Elsie Reford was not a landscape architect and had no training of any kind as a garden designer. While she collected and appreciated art, she claimed no talents as an artist.
Elsie Stephen Reford died at her Drummond Street home on November 8, 1967 in her ninety-sixth year.
In 1995, the Reford Gardens ("Jardins de Métis") in Grand-Métis were designated a National Historic Site of Canada, as being an excellent Canadian example of the English-inspired garden.(Wikipedia)
Visit : en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elsie_Reford
Visit : www.refordgardens.com/
LES JARDINS DE MÉTIS
Créés par Elsie Reford de 1926 à 1958, ces jardins témoignent de façon remarquable de l’art paysager à l’anglaise. Disposés dans un cadre naturel, un ensemble de jardins exhibent fleurs vivaces, arbres et arbustes. Le jardin des pommetiers, les rocailles et l’Allée royale évoquent l’œuvre de cette dame passionnée d’horticulture. Agrémenté d’un ruisseau et de sentiers sinueux, ce site jouit d’un microclimat favorable à la croissance d’espèces uniques au Canada. Les pavots bleus et les lis, privilégiés par Mme Reford, y fleurissent toujours et contribuent , avec d’autres plantes exotiques et indigènes, à l’harmonie de ces lieux.
Created by Elsie Reford between 1926 and 1958, these gardens are an inspired example of the English art of the garden. Woven into a natural setting, a series of gardens display perennials, trees and shrubs. A crab-apple orchard, a rock garden, and the Long Walk are also the legacy of this dedicated horticulturist. A microclimate favours the growth of species found nowhere else in Canada, while the stream and winding paths add to the charm. Elsie Reford’s beloved blue poppies and lilies still bloom and contribute, with other exotic and indigenous plants, to the harmony of the site.
Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
Gouvernement du Canada – Government of Canada
© Copyright
This photo and all those in my Photostream are protected by copyright. No one may reproduce, copy, transmit or manipulate them without my written permission.
Mediatracker
Nürburgring Title Pack
There is a night mood - version of the track as well, but I actually made it more difficult and shifted the day version into the night..took just a bit. Minimized the banding via the Replay Editor as far as I could.
Unfortunately for Jessie, an eye infection she had been suffering from had not healed by the time our test session rolled around. We compensated throughout the afternoon by shooting profile shots featuring her good side, minimizing the prominence of her right eye, or simply keeping her eyes closed (or nearly closed).
While I initially posted this as a two-picture post, I wanted to post it as a standalone image because I thought it was quite intriguing on its own.
Lighting: 3 UV (black light) bulbs slightly camera right (a bit high).
I try my best not to be a broken record but I feel the need to share something I've shared before. Those of you that have been with me for a while know how passionate I am about the conservation of Bald Eagles.
Some of these majestic raptors are literally fighting for their lives; the competition for even a small scrap of food is fierce. I've seen very underweight Eagles, many with missing feathers, some with missing eyes & bad injuries but they are resilient and continue to fight on to survive.
That being said what can we do as photographers to minimize our impact on them? Bald Eagles have very fast metabolisms and can only fly (physically flapping their wings) for 28 minutes a day or they will lose weight. I have shared this before but a point I can't make enough. I've seen people walk up to trees and power poles forcing Eagles to take flight just so they can get a shot.
This particular Eagle was perched low near the road when I used my car as a blind to get a shot. Another Eagle flew by carrying food and this one with several others were in hot pursuit....
******All photos copyright Tony Joyce and CANNOT be used on ANY blogs or websites (inc. Reddit) without my written permission.******
Violent crime = chain link. So hard to find fences with character in this city. I found this gem on the outskirts in need of some tender loving care.
HFF y'all!
Been working on this one for a while now, glad to see it finally complete. Been wanting to make another SPW weapon for so long now, the group's a bit dead and I want that to change. Please read the description and fave/comment :)
Credits:
- Beck, for his shaded rails
Rounds pictured are in order: normal round, +P AP round (overpressure armour-piercing), +P round (overpressure).
===================================================
The SPW "Gladio" is a slide-in M1911 carbine kit from the "Operator" line that attaches to the gun via integrated M1911 grip panels and offers the discerning operator a wealth of additional options with regards to accessories as well as ease of use.
Its default configuration as pictured, the Gladio sports a full-length picatinny rail on top, as well as a mount point for different types of stocks (adapters can be swapped out to allow any kind of stock from AR-15 to FN to AK).
It also features an all-around RIS system on the front end of the carbine, and the muzzle of the carbine's barrel extension is fitted with a Sweetwater hybrid flash suppressor. Simple but effective Sweetwater Basic sights are mounted on the rails to provide a basic means of aiming.
In the configuration pictured the Gladio is fitted with a Sweetwater SIG-based stock that contains three spaces operators can use to hold additional magazines for their weapon. These spaces are rigid and feature removable rubber inserts screwed to the side that exert a tight (but not too tight) grip on the magazines, preventing them from sliding out due to gravity. Inserts of varying thickness can be purchased and installed to grip both single- and dual-stack magazines reliably.
The optic used is a custom SPW RDS on a quick-detach skeletal mount. The RDS has a solar panel on top which will contribute to minimizing the power drain and, if left outside on a sunny day, will charge the batteries to full capacity. The optic features adjustable zoom, changeable via the dial directly behind the eyepiece.
The charging handle has been given two "wings" to hook the fingers behind in order to facilitate an easier operation of the slide. These wings can, if desired by the operator, be swapped out for a pair of wings that are fixed at 90 degrees, so they act in a similar fashion to an AK-style charging handle. This is entirely based on operator preference and does not noticeably improve speed or handling.
The angled foregrip is a proprietary SPW design intended to make both hipfire as well as shoulder fire easier, helping to control recoil in both positions.
The magazines in the stock are fitted with Sweetwater's proprietary high-temperature-resistant transparent plastic viewscreens for easy round counting. There is also a series of small holes in the back of the magazines, to see which holes have a brass reflection behind them (if that is preferred by the operator).
The drum magazine fitted to this particular M1911A1 has a 35-round capacity, 10 in the magwell section, 25 in the drum section. Larger magazines are available (up to as high as 50 rounds) but these are currently more impractical than the 35-round drum magazines due to their size.
Research into helical magazines is ongoing.
This is part of my pandemic project. The project was created to minimize the number of people that I would come into contact with and to help keep my sanity. The location is a local university. From what I can tell the vast majority of classes are being held online leaving the campus empty with the exception of a few nursing students and an occasional group of Frisbee golf players.
The project started when my wife and I used the campus to walk the dog in the evening. I began to notice the architecture and interesting light fixtures. I started to return and photograph and soon had a project.
The project is to examine the lights and architecture of the empty Campus at night.
Canon 6D
Voigtländer Color Skopar 20mm f3.5
I like visiting this site, but at 10 bucks a head to get beyond the fence, I tend to minimize my trips.
Original design by: Miguel Angel Martínez
Probably will be part of a Dio I am working on. Maybe will also add some decals, I have to see.
Griffon vultures have been used as model organisms for the study of soaring and thermoregulation. The energy costs of level flight tend to be high, prompting alternatives to flapping in larger birds. Vultures in particular utilize more efficient flying methods such as soaring. Compared to other birds, which elevate their metabolic rate to upwards of 16 times their basal metabolic rate in flight, soaring griffon vultures expend about 1.43 times their basal metabolic rate in flight. Griffon vultures are also efficient flyers in their ability to return to a resting heart rate after flight within ten minutes.
As large scavengers, griffon vultures have not been observed to seek shelter for thermoregulation. Vultures use their bald heads as a means to thermoregulate in both extreme cold and hot temperatures. Changes in posture can increase bare skin exposure from 7% to 32%. This change allows for the more than doubling of convective heat loss in still air. Griffon vultures have also been found to tolerate increased body temperatures as a response to high ambient temperatures. By allowing their internal body temperature to change independently of their metabolic rate, griffon vultures minimize their loss of water and energy in thermoregulating. One study in particular (Bahat 1995) found that these adaptations have allowed the Griffon vulture to have one of the widest thermal neutral zones of any bird.
Evening Dust and Rain. Death Valley National Park, California. March 28, 2016. © Copyright 2016 G Dan Mitchell - all rights reserved.
Desert hills in evening dust storm and rain, Death Valley.
In retrospect I saw the first hints of where this day was headed way back at dawn. We went to a high and remote place overlooking the expanse of Death Valley before dawn. As we arrive there was a brief burst of very colorful light, but then the clouds mostly muted the colors, and I noticed a distance softness to the atmosphere which made it glow when light passed through and which muted distant objects. I've seen this before at the start of days when dust storms developed. Indeed, by late morning, even though we were still high in the mountains we began to see towers of blowing dust in the distance and soon even the air up in the mountains took on the misty, soft quality that comes when dust blows in from a distance.
By mid-afternoon we left the mountains and headed back towards the valley lowlands, and before we got there we ran into tremendous winds and dust that filled the atmosphere and blocked the view in all directions. At time the dust was so think that it "rained" sand and small pebbles. We arrived back at our starting point to wind so strong and dust so thick that we could only retreat and try to minimize the intrusion of dust and sand as the wind storm raged. In the early evening the winds began to abate and we looked outside to see a mysterious scene of dark, apocalyptic clouds of dust and rain falling over the mountains. A sane person might have stayed inside, but we couldn't resist heading out into this wonderfully bizarre and evocative atmosphere of dying wind, blowing dust, suspended haze, clouds, and big drops of rain. As sunset approached, the conditions began to break up and the clouds thinned, and light passed through the thick atmosphere to reveal the shapes of clouds and the vague contours of desert mountains.
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, "California's Fall Color: A Photographer's Guide to Autumn in the Sierra" is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email
All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.
This is part of my pandemic project. The project was created to minimize the number of people that I would come into contact with and to help keep my sanity. The location is a local university. From what I can tell the vast majority of classes are being held online leaving the campus empty with the exception of a few nursing students and an occasional group of Frisbee golf players.
The project started when my wife and I used the campus to walk the dog in the evening. I began to notice the architecture and interesting light fixtures. I started to return and photograph and soon had a project.
The project is to examine the lights and architecture of the empty Campus at night.
Canon 6D
Voigtländer Color Skopar 28mm f2.8
The Mandarin Drake at the Los Angeles County Arboretum was seen hiding in the shade of the Lily Ponds - Eclipse plumage a thing of the recent past ! This was a SLOW exposure (1/25) to minimize sensor noise - luckily he stopped moving for a second !!
I saw several crane pairs in Homer during our visit there in May. This one was with its mate in Beluga Slough near the spit. I thought it looked rather interesting on just one leg! I'm not sure if they were looking to nest there or just were feeding but it looked like a perfect place to nest. Folks I chatted with said that they cranes are throughout Homer and are nesting there.
From a behavioral aspect I was glad to see that this crane isn't showing stress since the crown is relaxed, minimizing the red area. This crane pair was near a public boardwalk on the slough and I was surprised to see several folks walk past it without the crane making a fuss or getting stressed. I pulled up a seat at a good distance and stayed a while to observe their behavior.
Taken 15 May 2018 at Beluga Slough, Homer, Alaska.
Another morning vista like setting with a backdrop of Half Dome while walking around Yosemite Valley one Wednesday morning. I decided to use...include some of the nearby vegetation and old, fallen tree limbs and use as a filler or viewing stepping stone for the image. One would see that and then be drawn to look across the open, grassy meadow to the trees and finally look up to the towering peak of Half Dome!
For the image, I converted to black and white using Silver Efex Pro 2 to better bring out those subtle shades in the tonal contrast. By working with different filters and then use of control points, I was able to minimize some of the bright sunlight above and highlight some of the shadows here and there.
This is part of my pandemic project. The project was created to minimize the number of people that I would come into contact with and to help keep my sanity. The location is a local university. From what I can tell the vast majority of classes are being held online leaving the campus empty with the exception of a few nursing students and an occasional group of Frisbee golf players.
The project started when my wife and I used the campus to walk the dog in the evening. I began to notice the architecture and interesting light fixtures. I started to return and photograph and soon had a project.
The project is to examine the lights and architecture of the empty Campus at night.
Canon 6D
Voigtländer Color Skopar 20mm f3.5
Originally, Lee Square was named Florida Square — one of a trio of squares in North Hill named for the states of Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.
Located along Palafox Street on high ground which the British had called “Gage Hill,” Florida Square overlooked the city’s downtown and was home to the city’s first public school — erected on the square in 1886 and renamed Pensacola High School in 1905.
In the years following Reconstruction, a wave of Confederate revisionism often called the “Lost Cause” movement swept the South, seeking to reframe and romanticize the war as an honorable struggle for the Southern way of life and to minimize the role of slavery as a central cause of the war.
Despite the fact that Pensacola played a minor role in the Civil War and was under Confederate control for just 16 months, from January 1861 to May 1862, the city wasn’t immune to the Lost Cause movement. In 1889, the city commission renamed Florida Square in honor of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, a man with no particular connection to Pensacola. Records indicate Lee likely only ever set foot in Pensacola one time, in 1846, visiting Fort Pickens in his role as a U.S. Army engineer as part of a tour of U.S. coastal defenses.
The Confederate monument at Lee Square was a decade in the making, dating back to an unsuccessful 1881 effort to erect such a monument in Tallahassee, the state capitol. In 1890, Confederate veteran and railroad tycoon William Dudley Chipley revived the project in Pensacola, and on August 15 of that year, the Ladies Confederate Monument Association of Pensacola was established to plan and execute the monument.
Over the next nine months, the Association staged a series of events to raise funds for the monument, which cost a total of $5,000 — about $135,000 in today’s dollars. Built by J. F. Manning & Company of Washington, D.C., the monument is made of granite from Richmond, Va. — one-time capital of the Confederacy — and stands about 50 feet tall.
The monument’s dedication was originally scheduled for June 3, the birthday of Confederate president Jefferson Davis, but was delayed by two weeks due to a lost shipment and the illness of the project’s foreman. The June 17 dedication ceremony was attended by thousands of Pensacolians and visitors from across the state. At 4:00 p.m., a procession paraded up Palafox Street to the square, where those assembled sang “My Country ‘Tis of Thee,” the band played “Dixie,” and Florida Governor Francis P. Fleming spoke to the crowd.
In the years following the Civil War, Pensacola’s city government was controlled by Republicans — the party of Lincoln — and even included black and creole aldermen. Meanwhile, many former Confederates flocked to the Democratic Party.
In 1885, four years before Florida Square was renamed for Lee, Florida Gov. Edward Aylesworth Perry — a Democrat, Pensacola native, and Confederate veteran — convinced the state legislature to revoke Pensacola’s charter, effectively seizing control of the city government. The legislature dissolved the Republican city government and replaced it with the “Provisional Municipality of Pensacola,” governed by a state-appointed commission which Perry filled with Democrats. It’s this body that renamed the park and approved plans to erect the Confederate monument.
The Provisional Municipality of Pensacola lasted from 1885 to 1895, when the city adopted a new charter.
The north, west, and east sides of the monument’s granite base honor Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen R. Mallory and Confederate brigadier general Edward Aylesworth Perry — both of Pensacola — as well as Confederate President Jefferson Davis, whom the monument calls a “soldier, statesman, patriot, Christian, the only man in our nation without a country, yet twenty million people mourn his death.”
The south side, facing downtown Pensacola, features with the large words “Our Confederate Dead” along with the following inscription: “The Uncrowned Heroes of the Southern Confederacy, whose joy was to suffer and die for a cause they believed to be just. Their unchallenged devotion and matchless heroism shall continue to be the wonder and inspiration of the ages.”
The north, west, and east sides of the monument’s granite base honor Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen R. Mallory and Confederate brigadier general Edward Aylesworth Perry — both of Pensacola — as well as Confederate President Jefferson Davis, whom the monument calls a “soldier, statesman, patriot, Christian, the only man in our nation without a country, yet twenty million people mourn his death.”
The south side, facing downtown Pensacola, features with the large words “Our Confederate Dead” along with the following inscription: “The Uncrowned Heroes of the Southern Confederacy, whose joy was to suffer and die for a cause they believed to be just. Their unchallenged devotion and matchless heroism shall continue to be the wonder and inspiration of the ages.”
Credit for the data above is given to the following website:
pulsegulfcoast.com/2017/08/five-things-you-should-know-ab...
The great blue heron is found throughout most of North America, as far north as Alaska and the southern Canadian provinces. The range extends south through Florida, Mexico, and the Caribbean to South America. Birds east of the Rocky Mountains in the northern part of their range are migratory and winter in Central America or northern South America. From the southern United States southwards, and on the Pacific coast, they are year-round residents. However, their hardiness is such that individuals often remain through cold northern winters, as well, so long as fish-bearing waters remain unfrozen (which may be the case only in flowing water such as streams, creeks, and rivers).
The great blue heron can adapt to almost any wetland habitat in its range. It may be found in numbers in fresh and saltwater marshes, mangrove swamps, flooded meadows, lake edges, or shorelines. It is quite adaptable and may be seen in heavily developed areas as long as they hold bodies of fish-bearing water.
Great blue herons rarely venture far from bodies of water, but are occasionally seen flying over upland areas. They usually nest in trees or bushes near water's edge, often on islands (which minimizes the potential for predation) or partially isolated spots. Wildwood Lake, Wildwood Nature Preserve, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
Mumbai, India. Off peak time. Not so busy. Special coaches for female to minimize sexual harassment.
location :(Ad) Shangri - la resort
Ed!t : 5%
missing her very much (بنت المعالي)
yalla come soon as possible >>> MISS U MISS U MISSU
مكانه الخالي
مكانه الخالي...محدن ملاه...أشوفه بعيني ...وأسرح معاه....جالس أناظر هالمكان...
ويمكن يرجعني الحنااان.......!!
كل يوم في نفس المكان....كل يوم في نفس الزمان...
انا..انا...انتظر....لحظة لقااا .....
يازينها لحظات...يازينها...لو كانت قليلة.....
ياحلوها نظرات..ياحلوها...بين خل وخليله....
كانت الدنيا...مسافه...وكنت لي انت الطريق...
وصارت اللحظة كلافه....والأمل دربه يضيق.....
منهو غيرك...؟؟ يعطي لجروحي الأمان؟؟
منهو غيرك يقدر يعيد اللي كان؟؟؟
كل يوم في نفس المكان...في نفس الزمان...انا..انا...انتظر...لحظة لقااا.....!!!!
حاولت...أصدق فرحتي...وأعيش هالفرحه برجاه...لقيت نهاية قصتي.....تبدأ بنظرة معاه....
أسمع انا بعشق النظر...واحسب أنا العاشق مزوح....أحسب!!!!
مدري واقف لي القدر؟! ولاّ كذا طبع الجروح؟!
حزين على حالي...يا حالي أنا....مشتني هالدنيا....بدروب العنا....
كل يوم في نفس المكان...كل يوم في نفس الزمان.....
أنا ...أنا ...أنتظر....لحظة لقاء.....
Diana fixed a special black dress for her birthday. We minimize our envirolmental footprint by buing used items when ever we can. Diana had to do some rework on this $1 resale special
Helmeted iguana (Corytophanes cristatus) - Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize
This was a very exciting find for me as I walked through the Belizean forest. This is only the 3rd time I have seen this species, the first was about 5 years ago when I was working in Panama on Barro Colorado Island, the 2nd was in Costa Rica, and now this one from Belize. These lizards are infrequently encountered and are very easy to pass by due to their excellent camouflage and they are thought to be found in relatively low densities in their forest homes. This lizard does not move frequently and perches in the same area for long periods waiting for prey to venture by. Infact there is atleast one study from Costa Rica and Panama that examined this species and determined they were a specialist in feeding on extremely large arthropods, otherwise it engaged in long periods if immobility until the opportunity presented itself to catch prey. Then they would spring into action and tackle its sizeable prey which allowed to retire back to immobility. The authors suggest (correctly in my opinion) that this was an adaptation to minimize conspicuous feeding behavior and thus reduce the risk of attracting predators. Really a cool animal.
In other updates: Normally on my trips I seek to take only photos, and leave only footprints. However, I inadvertently broke my own rules this time and brought some little friends back from Belize. I have discovered 3 botfly larvae buried in my leg, arm, and scalp. I accidentally killed the one in my arm, the others are still making themselves at home. I suspect I acquired them while hiking/camping in Cockscomb where this lizard was found.
We Stood Underneath the Skies, Overcast as They Were
And talked while sharing stories of the American West
There are many sights, some with a sad and horrific tale of deeds done
But nature doesn’t stop as the prairie grasses sway with the wind
For across this enchanted land, history had taken place
Under the towering pinnacles of the Badlands eroding in time.
Another work of short poetry or prose to complement the image captured one afternoon in Badlands National Park from an overlook at Panorama Point. With the overcast skies, I decided to angle my SLR camera slightly downward, minimizing that while also attempting to add a since of depth across the badlands formations from this overlook. I later used a Pro Contrast and Skylight CEP filter in Capture NX2 for the final image to address what I felt was the more muted colors from the overcast skies above.
Late May is prime time for breeding birds on the northern prairie, and a responsibility comes with that. Photographers have unique opportunities to get great shots, but they also should be aware of potential disruptions they may cause to breeding cycles and make efforts to minimize these. No photo is worth causing harm to the critter. I knew there was a nest nearby, so I kept my visit brief.
Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. Don't use this image on websites, blogs, or other media without explicit permission © 2015 James R. Page - all rights reserved.
Impossible 8x10 Black & White Film
Toyo 8x10 G View Camera with Fujinon 210mm lens
Used white paper backing to minimize the appearance of the divot...
Statement:
Example of what you can do with no shadows activated on your Second Life viewer and almost no photoshop. This is an old picture made by me for a Photo Contest of MOJO and in this case the hair I was wearing was made by Truth Hair.
I'm sorry but I do not even remember the Sim all I know is that it was beautiful...
When I managed commercial buildings in the Sydney Central Business District, there was an outbreak of the ground (U.S. 1st.) floor windows of some of them being attacked at night by vandals scratching in graffiti.
To minimize the damage to these expensive glass panels, I arranged for heavy 'bomb blast' resistant transparent film to be applied. This is some of it being undertaken here.
Strapless, short ribbed dress with matching belt in vivid 80s neon and soft pastels.
HUD Driven.
Dress 16 options
Belt/Buckle 18 options
Materials enabled.
{ BODIES }
✦ Belleza (Freya, Isis)
✦ Maitreya (Lara, Petite)
✦ Slink (Hourglass, Physique)
✦ Legacy, Legacy Perky
✦ TMP
✦ Signature (Alice)
✦ eBody (Classic, Curvy)
✦ Tonic (Curvy, Fine, Minimizer)
✦ Altamura
✦ Star Body
This weekend 50 L$ only! Regular price 175L$.
This offer is valid from Friday 01:00 pm SLT to Sunday 11:59 pm SLT.
I've heard that dragonflies bring good luck. This lucky dragonfly is for a very special friend.
Taken in spring at Lake Lotus Park in Altamonte Springs, Florida, USA
Canon Rebel XSi and Canon 75-300
A set-up shot for the simple white background with shadow.
I have two Profoto Compact 600's with their heads together to minimize double shadowing. They're both bare bulb. I could focus the light more with refIectors, but with it bouncing all over the room, I think it helps to soften the edges a bit on my subject. I used two strobes in this case at full blast to get as much light as I could. You can still do it with one light, but you'll lose a stop. This was getting me to f/8 ISO 100 at this distance.
I also made a point of having as little sweep on the paper as possible so that I could get my subject as close to the back as she could get. If she came forward, I'd lose the intensity of her shadow and it would elongate across the sweep. I would start changing the exposure on her as well, depending on how far back my light is. Not really a problem with this set-up, but in a smaller room, it might need to be in closer.
This is part of my pandemic project. The project was created to minimize the number of people that I would come into contact with and to help keep my sanity. The location is a local university. From what I can tell the vast majority of classes are being held online leaving the campus empty with the exception of a few nursing students and an occasional group of Frisbee golf players.
The project started when my wife and I used the campus to walk the dog in the evening. I began to notice the architecture and interesting light fixtures. I started to return and photograph and soon had a project.
The project is to examine the lights and architecture of the empty Campus at night.
Canon 6D
Voigtländer Color Skopar 20mm f3.5