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Arby's of Temecula was nearby, I took a photo of the facade but it wasn't to my standard so I deleted it, this is the interior, its so 90's it hurts... I love it!
A look at the Arby's counter, the food was good although I usually don't eat here, specially with an In-N-Out Burger next door...
I offer commercial and editorial pet photography on a commissioned basis. And with a pet picture database of more than 200 images, I might already have what you are looking for. All pictures here can be licensed.
For licensing and commission requests: info@elkevogelsang.com
________________________
Elke Vogelsang
Commercial and editorial pet photographer
info@elkevogelsang.com
________________________
All pictures: © Elke Vogelsang
20201115_Ioli_IoliAndHisSloth
Solitude offers a joy in dance, too. No audience needed, you know the moves by heart.
☆NEZA Featured Item☆
✦Get the Yaken mod on NEZA's marketplace → here!
I am once again blown away by the quality of Neza's mods! In this picture, I'm wearing the white version of the Yaken mod, but it comes in a total of four gorgeous shades-- natural, black, black/white, and white! You simply can't go wrong, no matter what version you choose! This mod is made for the Martian Mutt head from MARZ, a delightfully expressive and dynamic head. Go grab both if you haven't already!
The Temple of Leah is a Roman-inspired edifice located in Barangay Busay, Cebu City, Philippines. It was built as a symbol of undying love and never-ending devotion of Teodorico Adarna to his wife Leah Villa Albino-Adarna. The temple offers a breathtaking view of Cebu City and houses around 24 different chambers that contain an art gallery, museum, library, and bar, among others.
I offer commercial and editorial pet photography on a commissioned basis. And with a pet picture database of more than 200 images, I might already have what you are looking for. All pictures here can be licensed.
For licensing and commission requests: info@elkevogelsang.com
________________________
Elke Vogelsang
Commercial and editorial pet photographer
info@elkevogelsang.com
________________________
All pictures: © Elke Vogelsang
20191122_Bounty_MisterSquintingEye
Lakeside Forest
Forests and Lake Biwa
In Shiga Prefecture, forests cover 200,000 hectares, i.e. roughly half the total area of the prefecture, accounting for about 60% of the land area. Most rainwater falling in forests surrounding Lake Biwa flows into the lake, which nurtures rich ecosystems and thereby sustains our lives.
In addition to playing these roles as a water source, forests offer a variety of values such as disaster prevention and timber production.
Currently, an increasing number of forests are ill-managed and devastated due to various changes in socioeconomic conditions and people’s lifestyles. If we allow these forests to continue to deteriorate, the subsequent decline in the multifunctionality of forests will have significant impact on our everyday lives. - Shiga prefecture
Lake Biwa, the largest lake of Japan, is located in central Honshu and fills the bottom of an oblong tectonic basin. The lake was formed some five million years ago and is therefore one of the oldest lakes in the world geologically, though it was originally located some distance south and moved gradually to its present site about 700,000 years ago. The long history of isolation from ther water bodies is suggested by the lake's biota, which is fairly rich for an island lake, containing about 50 species of fish, 40 species of mollusca and a number of indigenous species.
Lake Biwa measures 63.5 km from north to south and is strongly constricted at about 16 km from its southern end reaching a minimum width of only 1.35 km. The deep main basin (average depth 44 m) north of the constriction is called the Northern Lake, while the shallow sub-basin (average depth 3.5 m) to the south is called the Southern Lake. The two basins differ considerably in water quality, physical conditions, flora and fauna.
The lake's catchment area is 4.7 times as wide as the lake itself, and corresponds closely to the administrative limits of Shiga Prefecture. Forest-covered hills and mountains accounts for nearly 60% of the land area of the Prefecture, and farmlands (mostly wet paddy fields) makes up additional 25%. The forest vegetation consists mostly of secondary forests of pine on low hills and of mixed deciduous hardwoods on marginal mountains, and plantations of conifers. There are several cities of moderate size, the largest being Otsu with a population of 240,000.
Lake Biwa is also the biggest water resource in Japan that supplies city and industrial water for some 13 million residents in Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe megalopolis. The quality of lake water was profoundly influenced by economic development since the 1960's through rapid eutrophication. The legal control of waste water discharge from industries implemented by the National Government in 1970 slowed down the rate of eutrophication to a certain extent, but the steady increase of population, ever-rising standard of living, increased fertilizer application, etc. in the catchment area combined to result in a slow but steady march of lake water quality degradation.
The Shiga Prefectural Government enacted in 1980 the Ordinance for the Prevention of Eutrophication of Lake Biwa, which, for the first time in this country, prohibited the use of phosphate-containing synthetic detergents. The phosphorus content of lake water was thereby reduced considerably, but the effect of reduced phosphorus loading on biological processes in the lake is not yet apparent. - World Lake Database (The International Lake Environment Committee Foundation (ILEC))
Mengening Beach, Bali - Indonesia
Offer Bali Photography Tour to discover the beauty of Bali with sharing our photography secret tips and post-processing technique to improve your photography skills.
For more information regarding Bali photography tour please contact me at pandu.adnyana@yahoo.com | whatsapp: +6281338511929
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All images are copyrighted by PANDU ADNYANA. Do NOT use my images on personal or professional websites, blogs or any other digital or printing media without my explicit permission.
Meva Weekend Offer
Meva Miley Pullover in cool Black or red xmas Style for Happy Weekend
and matching Macy Pants in cool Black or Xmas Red for The Saturday Sale now available in the Meva Mainstore maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Manifesto/167/76/1525
All images available for licensing via me. I offer commercial and editorial pet photography on a commissioned basis. And with a pet picture database with thousands of hand-picked images of dogs, cats, as well as horses, I might already have what you are looking for. All pictures here can be licensed.
For licensing and commission requests: info{at}elkevogelsang.com -
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© Elke Vogelsang
20220621_Bruno_TheLabbiInRed
We accepted an offer on our house tonight. Tuesday we're going to the Cape for the home inspection at our new place. This is really happening. We're happy.
Listen and sing along with us:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfIeGbGuAvU
If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air
Quaint little villages here and there
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
If you like the taste of a lobster stew
Served by a window with an ocean view
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
Winding roads that seem to beckon you
Miles of green beneath a sky of blue
Church bells chimin’ on a Sunday morn
Remind you of the town where you were born
If you spend an evening you’ll want to stay
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
If you spend an evening you’ll want to stay
Watching the moonlight on Cape Cod Bay
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod
You’re sure to fall in love
You’re sure to fall in love with old Cape Cod.
Hey guys!
It’s small, it’s cute, and it’s very hungry… for fools. 🐊 So, if anyone tries to pull a prank on you today—watch out! Your new croc is on the lookout for lunch. 🍴
Don’t worry, he won’t bite... unless you're a fool. In that case, he’s got a serious appetite. Better watch your back today!
Happy April Fools'! Enjoy the chaos until 4th April!! 🎉
Taxi @ SEmotion !
Batur Lake, Bali - Indonesia
Offer Bali Photography Tour to discover the beauty of Bali with sharing our photography secret tips and post-processing technique to improve your photography skills.
For more information regarding Bali photography tour please contact me at pandu.adnyana@yahoo.com | whatsapp: +6281338511929
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All images are copyrighted by PANDU ADNYANA. Do NOT use my images on personal or professional websites, blogs or any other digital or printing media without my explicit permission.
"Miss Davenport, perhaps I have not made clear the limits of employment here...I mean...oh dear..."
Sponsored by Abstract Crown (Main Store - maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Smart/116/159/3458)
Decor and Pose: Daddy's Chair by Abstract Crown
Additional Decor by DICTATORSHOP and Zerkalo.
Background by Tropix
His Garb by L. and Co Clothiers
Her Garb by QE Designs
Again some old posting, reprocessed and reloaded after the Flickr system corrupted (no longer viewable) the originals!
To see more views, of Tolverne, please click "here"!
Many thousands of troops, tanks and equipment were shipped from specially constructed embarkation points in Cornwall to the beaches of Normandy as part of the Allied invasion of mainland Europe. In Cornwall, embarkation points for the D-Day Normandy landings were sited in and around Falmouth at locations such as Turnaware Point and Tolverne; at Trebah in the Helford estuary and Barn Pool, Mount Edgcumbe, near Plymouth. During June 1944 thousands of American troops, armour, equipment and supplies were ferried from these locations to the battlefields of northern France. The embarkation points were generally inconspicuous features, consisting of a concrete apron, known as a ‘hard’, which sloped down towards the water. Hards were constructed in two parts; in solid concrete above the high water mark, and in flexible concrete matting (concrete slabs hinged with steel hooks) to the lowest limit of the tide. Beyond the hard lay a series of steel-framed moorings known as dolphins. Tolverne Cottage, also known as Smugglers, is a small 500 year old cottage in south Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated within the civil parish of Philleigh, on the Roseland Peninsula on the River Fal, between Truro and St Mawes, north of King Harry Ferry. Smugglers has always been a part of the historic Tregothnan estate, and was tenanted by the Newman family from 1934 until 2010 when Mr and Mrs Newman retired. Now a prosperous water based business has been re-established at the historic site. The Pugh family set up Kernow Charters in Mylor in 2008 as a skippered yacht charter company specialising in family days out and the company has now expanded to a small fleet offering motorboat charters and bareboat charters at Smugglers in Tolverne. A hub for maritime activities for centuries including a critical role in the build-up to the D-Day landings of 1944, Smugglers has been part of the communications focal point of the Fal area many centuries. The cottage was originally built as a ferryman’s home in the 15th century and will now return to its roots with the Pugh family overseeing boating activities. The yachtsman’s haven will offer managed and serviced moorings, shore side access boatyard customers, car parking, storage, and new facilities to the boating community.
I offer commercial and editorial pet photography on a commissioned basis. And with a pet picture database of more than 200 images, I might already have what you are looking for. All pictures here can be licensed.
For licensing and commission requests: info@elkevogelsang.com
________________________
Elke Vogelsang
Commercial and editorial pet photographer
info@elkevogelsang.com
________________________
All pictures: © Elke Vogelsang
20191127_Kitten_WhosNext
Space Science Image of the week:
It may look like a star, it may be called a star, but it does not yet generate energy like a normal star. This is because this star is still being formed.
It offers a fascinating glimpse into our own past because our Sun began its life as such a ‘T Tauri’ star some 4.6 billion years ago.
Located 1800 light-years away in the constellation Cygnus, V1331 Cyg was originally nothing but a diffuse cloud of gas in space. Slowly over time, gravity has pulled it together, but the process is not yet over. V1331 is not yet fully formed and so is still larger than it will eventually be once gravity has done its job. It is shining because of the energy being released as it shrinks.
Eventually, it will be compact enough that the temperature in its centre will ignite nuclear fusion. Hydrogen will then be transformed into helium and this will release the torrents of energy that will make V1331 Cyg shine for billions of years as a bona fide star.
The swathes of dust that surround the star are the remnants of the cloud from which it condensed. Often, this circumstellar disc obscures our view of the young stellar object but, by chance, we happen be looking down on the rotational pole of the star, so it appears as a dazzling ‘searchlight’ beam.
This circumstellar disc is the site where planets may be forming, and in the case of V1331 Cyg time is running out. A T Tauri star produces a strong ‘wind’ of atomic particles that dissipates the disc, bringing planet formation to an end.
The image was taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and is a combination of three exposures taken at different wavelengths. These almost correspond to human eyesight: blue, green and, instead of red light that our eyes would see, Hubble used near-infrared.
Credit: ESA/Hubble, NASA, K. Stapelfeldt (GSFC), B. Stecklum & A. Choudhary (Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, Germany)
Leica M4
Voigtlander 35mm f2 Ultron
Foma Pan 100 B&W film
HC-110 dilution B
Epson Perfection V800
Silverfast AI Studio
I offer commercial and editorial pet photography on a commissioned basis. And with a pet picture database of more than 1400 images, I might already have what you are looking for. All pictures here can be licensed.
For licensing and commission requests: info@elkevogelsang.com
________________________
Elke Vogelsang
Commercial and editorial pet photographer
info@elkevogelsang.com
________________________
All pictures: © Elke Vogelsang
20160528_Noodles_TheDaysAreJustPacked
Italien / Belluno - Marmolata
seen from Viel del Pan Path
gesehen vom Bindelweg
Hike on the Viel del Pan Path to Lake Fedaia
At the feet of the mighty Marmolada: the walking tour across the Viel del Pan near Canazei in the Val di Fassa offers spectacular views on the Dolomites.
Goal of our walking tour is the Lago di Fedaia on the same-named saddle across the Viel del Pan. This name is Ladin, it means “bread path” and is also marked in the Ladin version. It follows the 2,400 m high ridge between the Sella and Marmolada. We start at Canazei where we take the Belvedere-funicular which brings us up to Pecol. There it is possible to take another funicular up to the Col dei Rossi but this time we decide to walk up these last 400 meters. Here the landscape is characterized by Alpine meadows. The sweet marmots are not that shy, we can approach before they disappear in their holes.
Parallel the Downhill-Bike-Slope the path leads up quite steeply, across flower meadows and with the view on the Sella and Saslonch mountain groups. Arrived at the Col dei Rossi the panoramic view is awesome! Here the real Viel del Pan starts, it proceeds to the Viel del Pan mountain hut and further towards the Passo Fedaia. It is worth walking up to the Sass Capel for a short part, from the ridge you have a gorgeous view on the Sella and the peaks of the Fanes mountain group in Alta Badia.
Opposite we have the mighty glacier of the Marmolada with the blue lake of Fedaia below. There the Viel del Pan ends. The descent to the Passo Fedaia requires step security, the path is narrow and steep. Finally arrived at the bottom we take the local bus to come back to Canazei.
(trentino.com)
Marmolada (Ladin: Marmolèda; German: Marmolata, pronounced [maʁmoˈlaːta]) is a mountain in northeastern Italy and the highest mountain of the Dolomites (a section of the Alps). It lies between the borders of Trentino and Veneto. The Marmolada is an ultra-prominent peak (Ultra), known as the "Queen of the Dolomites".
Geography
The mountain is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) north-northwest of Venice, from which it can be seen on a clear day. It consists of a ridge running west to east. Towards the south it breaks suddenly into sheer cliffs, forming a rock face several kilometres long. On the north side there is a comparatively flat glacier, the only large glacier in the Dolomites (the Marmolada Glacier, Ghiacciaio della Marmolada).
The ridge is composed of several summits, decreasing in altitude from west to east: Punta Penia 3,343 metres (10,968 ft), Punta Rocca 3,309 metres (10,856 ft), Punta Ombretta 3,230 metres (10,600 ft), Monte Serauta 3,069 metres (10,069 ft), and Pizzo Serauta 3,035 metres (9,957 ft). An aerial tramway goes to the top of Punta Rocca. During the ski season the Marmolada's main ski run is opened for skiers and snowboarders alike, making it possible to ski down into the valley.
History
Paul Grohmann made the first ascent in 1864, along the north route. The south face was climbed for the first time in 1901 by Beatrice Tomasson, Michele Bettega and Bartolo Zagonel.
Until the end of World War I the border between Austria-Hungary and Italy ran over Marmolada, so it formed part of the front line during that conflict. Austro-Hungarian soldiers were quartered in deep tunnels bored into the northern face's glacier, and Italian soldiers were quartered on the south face's rocky precipices. It was also the site of fierce mine warfare on the Italian Front. As glaciers retreat, soldiers' remains and belongings are occasionally discovered.
On July 3, 2022, a serac collapsed which led to the sliding downstream of over 200 000 m3 of ice and debris, killing eleven people and wounding eight more.
(Wikipedia)
Wanderung über den Bindelweg zum Fedaia See
Zu Füßen der mächtigen Marmolada: Die Wanderung über den Bindelweg bei Canazei im Fassatal ist Synonym für spektakuläre Ausblicke auf die Dolomiten.
Der Fedaia-See am gleichnamigen Passübergang ist das Ziel unserer Wanderung über den Bindelweg. Ladinisch auch unter dem Namen "Viel del Pan" (Brotweg) bekannt und so markiert, folgt er dem etwa 2.400 m hohen "kleinen" Kamm zwischen Sella und Marmolada. Wir starten in Canazei und nutzen die Belvedere-Kabinenbahn, die uns bis nach Pecol bringt. Von dort aus würde eine Seilbahn bis hoch zum Col dei Rossi fahren, aber diese letzten 400 m Steigung möchten wir lieber erwandern. Die Landschaft hier unter dem Pordoi-Joch ist von Almwiesen geprägt. Die süßen Murmeltiere, die hier ihre Gänge graben, scheinen Wanderer gewöhnt zu sein und lassen uns recht nahe heran kommen, bevor sie in ihrem Bau verschwinden.
Parallel zu Downhill-Bike-Piste geht es recht steil hoch, über Blumenwiesen und mit Sicht auf Sella und Langkofelgruppe. Dass die Wolken die Sonne immer wieder verdecken, ist ein Segen, der den Aufstieg weniger schweißtreibend macht. Am Col dei Rossi angekommen, ist die Aussicht wirklich der Hammer. Rosengarten, Platt- und Langkofel, Sella und natürlich die Marmolada mit dem Gran Vernel. Hier beginnt der eigentliche Bindelweg, der als Fahrweg zuerst bis zur Viel del Pan-Hütte führt. Von dort aus geht es dann über einen Wanderpfad weiter in Richtung Fedaiapass. Es lohnt sich, den Weg ein Stück zum Sass Capel hoch zu gehen, von der Kammhöhe aus kann man herrlich auf die Sellagruppe und die Gipfel von Alta Badia (Fanesgruppe) blicken.
Auf der anderen Seite steht der mächtige Marmolata-Gletscher und darunter der blaue Fedaia-See. Dort endet auch der Bindelweg. Der Abstieg zum Passo Fedaia verlangt doch ein wenig Trittsicherheit, um auf den engen Serpentinen durch die steilen Wiesenhänge nicht auszurutschen. Unten angekommen, nutzen wir den Linienbus, um nach Canazei zurück zu gelangen.
(trentino.com)
Die Marmolata (italienisch Marmolada, ladinisch Marmoleda, der Name soll von der Ähnlichkeit des Felsens mit Marmor herrühren) ist der höchste Berg der Dolomiten und Teil der Marmolatagruppe. Die Marmolata ist ein westöstlich verlaufender Gratrücken, der von der Punta Penia (3343 m s.l.m.) über die Punta Rocca (3309 m s.l.m.) und die Punta Ombretta (3230 m s.l.m.) zum Pizzo Serauta (3035 m s.l.m.) und der Punta Serauta (3069 m s.l.m.) führt. Dieser Gratrücken bricht nach Süden in einer geschlossenen, zwei Kilometer breiten und bis zu 800 Meter hohen Steilwand ins Ombrettatal ab. Die auf der Nordseite zum Passo Fedaia vergleichsweise sanft abfallende Flanke trägt den einzigen größeren Gletscher der Dolomiten (Ghiacciaio della Marmolada).
Zur Geschichte der Marmolata
Die Sage vom Marmolatagletscher
Eine Südtiroler Sage erklärt (ätiologisch) den Ursprung des Marmolatagletschers so: Ursprünglich gab es auf der Marmolata kein Eis und Schnee, sondern fruchtbare Almen und Wiesen. Vor einem Marienfeiertag im August unterbrachen die Bauern wie üblich die Heuernte und gingen ins Tal, um in die Kirche zu gehen. Doch zweien war die gebotene Feiertagsruhe gleichgültig, sie arbeiteten den ganzen Feiertag durch, um ihr Heu noch trocken in die Heuschober zu bringen. Tatsächlich fing es auch gleich an zu schneien. Doch es schneite immer weiter und hörte gar nicht mehr auf, bis schließlich die ganze Marmolata von einem Gletscher bedeckt war. Eine andere Version berichtet von einer gottlosen Gräfin, welche die Bauern zur Heuarbeit gezwungen hatte. Während sich die Bauern retten konnten, wurde die Gräfin samt Gesinde von den Schneemassen begraben.
Die Besteigungsgeschichte bis 1914
Am 3. August 1802 erreichen drei Priester (Don Giovanni Costadedòi, Don Giuseppe Terza, Don Tommaso Pezzei), ein Chirurg (Hauser) und ein bischöflicher Richter (Peristi) vom Passo Fedaia aus den Höhenkamm bei der Punta Rocca. Beim Abstieg verliert die Gruppe Don Giuseppe Terza vermutlich durch Spaltensturz. Es ist ein Unfall, der dem Aberglauben neue Nahrung gab, was dazu beigetragen haben mag, dass erst 50 Jahre später ein neuer Besteigungsversuch unternommen wurde. Diesmal waren es drei Priester aus dem Bereich Agordo (Don Pietro Munga, Don Alessio Marmolada, Don Lorenzo Nikolai) und der 17-jährige Adelsspross Gian Antonio De Manzoni. Als Führer der Gruppe wird der bergerfahrene „Führer“ Pellegrino Pellegrini engagiert, der den Gämsjäger Gasparo de Pian mitnimmt. Diese Sechsergruppe steigt am 25. August 1856 vom Passo Fedaia, mit einfachen Steigeisen ausgerüstet, über den Gletscher zum Grat an und bezeichnet sich als Erstbesteiger, obwohl ihr Bericht keinen Nachweis enthält, dass man die Punta Rocca tatsächlich bestiegen hat.
1860 bezeichnet sich John Ball (mit dem Führer Victor Tairraz und John Birkbeck) ebenfalls als Erstersteiger der Marmolata, was jedoch widerlegt wurde.
Tatsächlich wurde die Punta Rocca erst im Juli 1862 vom Wiener Bergsteiger und Gründungsmitglied des Österreichischen Alpenvereins Paul Grohmann auf der Nordroute bestiegen. Er fand weder auf dem kurzen, schwierigen Gipfelgrat, noch auf dem Gipfel Besteigungsspuren. Die um 35 Meter höhere Punta Penia wird am 28. September 1864 ebenfalls von Paul Grohmann gemeinsam mit den beiden Bergführern Angelo und Fulgenzio Dimai bestiegen. In den 1880er Jahren nimmt das Dolomitenbergsteigen einen gewaltigen Aufschwung, was zur Errichtung von Schutzhütten am Fedaiasattel (Alpenvereinssektion Bamberg) und beim Ombrettapass (Contrinhaus der Alpenvereinssektion Nürnberg) führt. Die Sektion Nürnberg bemühte sich auch um einen relativ einfach zu begehenden Weg auf die Punta Penia und finanziert die Versicherung des Westgrates, der von Hans Seyffert, Eugen Dittmann mit Führer Luigi Rizzi am 21. Juli 1898 erstbestiegen wurde. Der sehr beliebte, exponierte Klettersteig wurde am 5. August 1903 eröffnet.
Den ersten Weg durch die Südwand (Schwierigkeitsgrad II) fanden die Bergführer Cesare Tomè, Santo De Toni und ihr Begleiter Luigi Farenza am 21. August 1897 mit Hilfe einer Schlucht. Den Grat erreichten sie allerdings zwei Kilometer östlich des Hauptgipfels. Die erste Südwandroute auf die Punta Penia, die heute als „Via Classica“ (IV) bekannt ist, wurde am 1. Juni 1901 von den Bergführern Michele Bettega, Bortolo Zagonel und der Britin Beatrice Tomasson eröffnet.
Die Marmolata und der Erste Weltkrieg
Die Marmolata war im Ersten Weltkrieg als Grenzberg zwischen Österreich-Ungarn und Italien Frontgebiet. Die österreichischen Stellungen verliefen vom Passo Fedaia über den Sasso Undici zur Forcella Serauta und weiter entlang des Kammes nach Westen. Die italienischen Stellungen befanden sich ostwärts bzw. südlich davon. Die Italiener bemühten sich vor allem entlang des Grates Richtung Punta Rocca vorzudringen, was jedoch auch unter Einsatz von Sprengstollen nicht gelang. Um den Nachschub zu den Stellungen am Kamm sicherzustellen, gruben bzw. sprengten die Österreicher Stollen in den Gletscher, die neben der Versorgung auch Unterkunftszwecken dienten, was zur Errichtung einer regelrechten „Eisstadt“ führte. In Zusammenhang mit diesen Kampfhandlungen steht auch das größte Lawinenunglück der Alpingeschichte. Am 13. Dezember 1916 verschüttete eine Nassschneelawine das westlich des Fedaiapasses gelegene österreichische Reservelager Gran Poz, wobei an die 300 Soldaten ums Leben kamen (→ Lawinenkatastrophe vom 13. Dezember 1916).
Die Erschließung ab 1918
Nach dem Krieg schreiben vom 8. bis 9. September 1929 Luigi Micheluzzi, Roberto Perathoner und Demetrio Christomannos mit der Ersteigung des Südpfeilers der Punta Penia (VI) Alpingeschichte. Sie hatten lediglich ein Hanfseil mit und schlugen ganze sieben Haken. Bezüglich der korrekten Besteigung tauchten allerdings Zweifel auf. Jedenfalls bezeichneten einige Nachbegeher (Fritz Kasparek, Hans Steger) diesen Weg als den schwierigsten ihrer Kletterlaufbahn, vor dem Zweiten Weltkrieg wird er lediglich sieben Mal begangen. Mit der Südwestwand der Punta Penia (VI+) durch Gino Soldà und Umberto Conforto und vor allem mit der ebenfalls 1936 durch die von Batista Vinatzer und Ettore Castiglioni erstiegenen Südwand der Punta di Rocca (VI+) kamen noch vor dem Zweiten Weltkrieg hervorragende Routen dazu. Die Vinatzerführe trug lange Zeit den Ruf der schwierigsten Dolomitenführe. Nach dem Krieg trugen sich mit Armando Aste, Toni Egger, Claudio Barbier, Walter Philipp und Georges Livanos Spitzen des Nachkriegsbergsteigens in die Liste der Erstbegeher ein. In den 1980er Jahren sollte sich zeigen, dass die schon beendet erschienene Erschließung durch die Freikletterbewegung neue Impulse erhielt. Eine neue Generation eroberte die Silberplatten, wobei vor allem Heinz Mariacher Pionierarbeit leistete. Bekannt wurde auch der Weg durch den Fisch (IX-), den tschechische Bergsteiger erstbegingen.
Tourismus heute
Über die Westseite des Gletschers verläuft der anspruchsvollste Teil des sogenannten Dolomiten-Höhenweges Nr. 2. Auf die Punta Penia führt ein Klettersteig mit der Schwierigkeits-Bewertung B vom Contrinhaus auf der Südseite via Marmolatascharte und Westgrat (daher der Name Westgrat-Klettersteig). Der Klettersteig trägt auch den Namen Hans-Seyffert-Weg. Eine sehr eindrucksvolle Bergtour führt am Fuß der Marmolata-Südwand von Malga Ciapela über den Passo Ombretta und das Contrinhaus nach Alba bei Canazei.
Auf die Marmolata führt auch eine Seilbahn; die in den Jahren 2004 und 2005 erneuerte Anlage führt in drei Abschnitten von Malga Ciapela (1467 m s.l.m.) über die Stationen Banc/Coston d'Antermoia (2350 m) und Serauta (2950 m) auf die Punta Rocca genannte Bergstation (3265 m), von der man den Marmolata-Nebengipfel Punta Rocca (3309 m) in einer halben Stunde erreichen kann. Das in die Seilbahnstation Serauta integrierte Gebirgskriegsmuseum in 2950 m Seehöhe ist das wohl höchstgelegene Museum Europas. Von der Bergstation Punta Rocca lässt sich durch einen Stollen unschwer das kleine Felsheiligtum Madonna della Neve erreichen, das Papst Johannes Paul II. bei einem Besuch persönlich konsekriert hat.
Eine der längsten Skiabfahrten der Alpen, die Bellunese, ist ca. 12 km lang. Sie führt von der Punta Rocca 1900 Höhenmeter bergab über den Passo Fedaia nach Malga Ciapela.
Bis etwa 2000 fand auf dem Marmolata-Gletscher Sommerskifahren mit einigen Schleppliften statt. Dieses Angebot wurde danach seltener und 2005 – auch auf Druck von Umweltschutzverbänden – komplett gestrichen. Bis zum Jahr 2008 gab es eine weitere Liftkette von der Passhöhe des Fedaiapasses zur Punta Serauta. 2008 wurde der Schlepplift stillgelegt; 2012 brannte die Talstation der Sesselbahn auf der Passhöhe nieder und wurde seitdem nicht wieder aufgebaut. Die hierdurch stark verminderte Kapazität und der große Andrang führen oft zu langen Wartezeiten (eine Stunde und mehr) bei der Talstation der nun einzigen Seilbahn auf die Marmolata in Malga Ciapela.
Gletschersturz 2022
Am 3. Juli 2022 kam es zu einem Gletschersturz am Gipfelgletscher der Punta Rocca. Wohl aufgrund außergewöhnlich hoher Temperaturen und eindringenden Wassers riss ein Eisblock auf etwa 200 Meter Breite ab, die Eis- und Gesteinsmassen stürzten auf die darunterliegende Normalroute zur Punta Penia, auf der zu diesem Zeitpunkt mehrere Seilschaften unterwegs waren. Zahlreiche Tote und Vermisste waren die Folge. Als Auslöser wurde der Klimawandel gesehen: Nach einem warmen und niederschlagsarmen Winter habe sich im folgenden Sommer Schmelzwasser unter dem Gletschereis gesammelt und dessen Haftung reduziert.
Schutzhütten im Marmolata-Gebiet
Rifugio Contrin (2016 m, A.N.A., traditionsreiches Haus südwestlich der Marmolata-Südwand)
Rifugio Falier (2074 m, CAI, am Fuß der Marmolata-Südwand im Val Ombretta)
Bivacco Marco Dal Bianco (2727 m, Biwakschachtel am Passo Ombretta)
Capanna Punta Penia (3340 m, privat, kleine Schutzhütte in Gipfelnähe)
(Wikipedia)
Lisboa, or Lisbon offered many wonderful sites to see. Here are a few shots from around town. The Belem Tower was a great quick visit. It is amazing to me how much the remnants and signs of the Knights Templar are present around Portugal - the tower is no different. Captured about an hour prior to sundown, this side of the structure is greatly illuminated. The half moon makes an appearance in the sea of blue sky.
The Ralston Company's automotive roots stretch right back to the 1910's, but it wasn't until the late 1920's that the low-volume products offered really shone.
Like all luxury automotive companies, however, the Wall Street Crash and ensuing Great Depression upset the grand plans that they had put into place. Prior to WWII the Ralston Group was still based in Finland, where the assembly of it's cars took place. Many of the systems, however, were sourced from other makers or suppliers.
The Ralston Type 6 was launched in 1919, featuring a six-cylinder inline engine produced by engine specialist firm Continental Motors.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continental_Motors_Company
The Continental engine was used, at the time, by a large number of small, independent vehicle manufacturers who were not in a position to be able to design, tool and produce their own engines independently.
The Type 6 covered a variety of frame lengths and body styles which evolved through the 1920, all models built in modest numbers. Economic volatility through this period led to the dissolution of many competitors in the luxury field, but Ralston, through modest ambition, was able to ride out the storms, if not able to capitalise fully during the fair weather periods. It must be remembered that Ralston was still manufacturing vehicle frames and finishing most bodies in the native Finland, and this compounded the difficulty in being able to react to rapidly changing market conditions.
Nonetheless, 1927 had been deemed the breakout year. The Type 8 was to be launched in mid 1928, using an engine from luxury competitor Auburn, who were readying their own straight 8, under new ownership by E.L. Cord. The Type 8 chassis was planned to support the 'senior' Ralstons - those Imperials, Limousines and Phaetons demanded by the most exclusive of customers, while the new Type-6 for 1927 would be renamed 'Lynx' and act as the 'junior' Ralston, in support of Roadsters, Speedsters and Coupes, in other words, all the smaller body styles, and in particular those that could be made in series production to help lower the cost.
In the end, things didn't go quite to plan. Both the Type 6 'Lynx' and the grand new Type 8 were launched just in time for the Wall Street Crash and financial crisis. The crisis ultimately killed off even more of the facing competition, but the actions to use type-production bodies on the established Type 6 chassis, along with a 'generic' engine, provided about the safest pathway through this period of automotive history. The image of the marque was upheld by the (barely, if at all profitable) Type 8, this series receiving some of the grandest body designs of any vehicle at this time. All variants of both the senior and junior cars were trimmed and detailed to the highest standards, the additional standardisation and volume of the junior Type 6 Lynx helping to reduce the bespoke items (and cost) on all but the most exclusive of fittings.
The car shown here is the Type 6 Lynx MkI-B of 1929 in Boat-tail Speedster (a bodystyle popular at the time). This model, along with all other revise 'B' models can be identified primarily by the reclined radiator grille and flowing fender design. The Boat-tail speedster was not one of the series production body styles, so production numbers for this variant were quite low. All the chassis and powertrain were shared with volume types, and from the cowl forward, this model is near identical to the much more common 'series' Coupe, Coupe-Cabriolet (both with rumble seats), and the Coupe-Sport.
The Type-6 Lynx was subsequently updated every two to three years up until the outbreak of WWII. At that point, the factory was given over briefly to the production of military vehicles, though a final series 'F', a non-luxury trimmed version of the preceding 1938-'E', and built in Sedan, Cabriolet-Sedan and a limited number of Coupe-Sport vehicles.
After the war production of passenger vehicles was largely transferred to the US (the main customer market), via a head quarter transition to Costa Rica, with the Type-8 (renamed to Tigre in 1938) powered by Cadillac V8 engines, initially at very low volumes. Ralston's first new post-war car was the Tigre MkII of 1954, using a modified 1948-53 Cadillac 'C' Body, frame, engine and underbody (some special versions used the long-wheelbase 'D' Body systems). There was no 'junior' Ralston at this time, and even in the vibrant US-market, total sales remained modest, requiring the continued adoption of major systems from a donor manufacturer.
This Ralston Typ-6 Lynx MkI B Boat-tail Speedster (1929) has be built on Lego miniland scale for Flickr LUGNuts 95th Build Challenge, - 'Designing the Ralston Legacy' - a challenge to design the fictitious Dragon 'Motorcycle' model for the fictitious Ralston company, though any of the previous Ralston challenge vehicles, the Tiger or the Rhino are also eligible to be submitted. The chief stipulation is that the model must feature a 'X' in the styling.
On offer as a concert, “a blues group” I was told. The venue turned out to be La Rosalía De Castro close to the capitol Building. After climbing three floors in a grand old city mansion. We came out on a balcony overlong four sides of a central atrium
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/m/minsmere/about.aspx
Minsmere offers families and keen birdwatchers a great day out. Nature trails take you through a variety of habitats to excellent birdwatching hides. In spring, you can watch avocets and marsh harriers, or hear booming bitterns. On the beach, a special area is cordoned off to protect nesting little terns. In autumn and winter, many wading birds and swans, ducks and geese visit the reserve. There is a visitor centre where you can find out more about the wildlife, browse in the shop or enjoy a meal in the tearoom. There are events all year and family explorer backpacks and trail booklets are available.
Opening times
The reserve is open daily during daylight hours. Visitor centre open daily: 9 am - 5 pm (closes 4 pm from 1 November - 31 January). Shop open: 10 am - 5 pm (closes 4 pm from 1 November to 31 January). Tearoom open: 10 am - 4.30 pm (closes 4 pm from 1 November to 31 January); last orders 15 minutes before closing. Hot food served 11.30 am - 2.30 pm. Reserve and visitor centre closed 25 and 26 December.
Entrance charges
RSPB members free. Non members: adults £5, children £1.50, concessions £3, family £10.
If you are new to birdwatching...
There is an extensive programme of guided walks, many of them aimed at beginners. Our guides may be on hand at other times to help visitors in the hides. The birdwatching hides provide excellent opportunities to see birds at close range throughout the year.
Information for families
There are Wildlife Explorer back packs that can be borrowed, free of charge (deposit required). These include an activity booklet, binoculars, bug box, identification charts and books, colouring pencils and much more. There are also free seasonal Discovery Trail guides for families. During the school holidays there are several family activites on the events programme.
Information for dog owners
We are sorry, but no dogs are allowed on the nature trails or in hides, except assistance dogs. There are a limited number of shaded car parking places available for dog owners on a first come, first served basis - please ask at reception on arrival. Dogs are allowed around the visitor centre and car park only. Dogs cannot be taken on guided walks. Dogs are, however, welcome on public rights of way that cross the reserve, including a five mile circuit around the reserve perimeter, but these are not accessible from the main car park. Dogs are also welcome on Open Access land on Westleton Heath, if kept on a lead. A leaflet of walks at Westleton Heath is available from reception.
Star species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
Avocet
The famous scrape hosts a large colony of avocets and these can be seen at close quarters from the hides overlooking this impressive man-made wetland from early spring to autumn.
Bearded tit
Bearded tits can be seen flitting over the reeds as you walk along the North Wall, the path along the west side of the scrape and from Island Mere and Bittern Hides all year-round.
Bittern
Minsmere holds a sizeable proportion of the UK population of bitterns. Visit in spring to hear them 'booming' or summer to watch the parents making feeding flights. Bittern Hide and Island Mere Hide offer a great chance of a sighting.
Marsh harrier
The extensive reedbeds play host to several breeding marsh harriers. The elevated Island Mere and Bittern Hides will reward you with excellent views. They can now be seen here throughout the year.
Nightingale
Nightingales can be heard singing in the deciduous woodland in spring. Their performance is best early in the morning or in the evenings - but they do of course sing through the night!
Seasonal highlights
Each season brings a different experience at our nature reserves. In spring, the air is filled with birdsong as they compete to establish territories and attract a mate. In summer, look out for young birds making their first venture into the outside world. Autumn brings large movements of migrating birds - some heading south to a warmer climate, others seeking refuge in the UK from the cold Arctic winter. In winter, look out for large flocks of birds gathering to feed, or flying at dusk to form large roosts to keep warm.
Spring
Avocets return to breed on the Scrape - about 100 pairs nest annually. From mid-April see returning common terns, while wildfowl start to leave in March, and migrant wading birds pass through. Look for marsh harriers displaying over the reedbeds. Minsmere is the best place in Britain to hear booming bitterns. Listen for nightingales singing in the scrub from mid-April, and listen for various other warblers around the reserve. Look for Dartford warblers on the heath, and listen for great spotted woodpeckers drumming. Sand martins return to nest outside the tearoom. Bluebells are in flower in May. Adders emerge from hibernation.
Summer
Look for young avocets, common terns and gulls on the Scrape. The first spotted redshanks, ruffs and other wading birds return from late June. Little terns nest in a specially fenced area on the beach. Young marsh harriers will be flying from late June. Bitterns are easier to see on feeding flights. Look for family parties of bearded tits in the reedbeds. Listen for nightjars and look for glow-worms on the heath at dusk in June and July. Dragonflies and butterflies are easy to see, and the former may attract hunting hobbies. Rare flowers include yellow-horned poppy and sea kale on the beach and marsh mallow around the Scrape. Heather is in full flower on the heath. This is the best time of year to see water voles.
Autumn
Migrant wading birds continue to pass through, including curlew sandpipers, little stints and ruffs. Winter wildfowl return, with teal numbers increasing rapidly. Brent geese move south from late September. The first Bewick's swans arrive in late October. Large starling flocks gather to roost in the reedbeds. Swallows and house martins flock together before departing. Look for bearded tits on calm mornings. The red deer will be rutting on the heath in October. Redwings and fieldfares return and will be feeding on hawthorn berries. Look out for rarities.
Winter
Several hundred wigeons, teals and lapwings will be joined by other wildfowl and wading birds on the Scrape. Look for Bewick's swans and goldeneyes on Island Mere, and white-fronted geese on the Levels. Look for hunting hen and marsh harriers, barn and short-eared owls and peregrines. There's a chance seeing of otters on Island Mere. Look for tit and finch flocks in the woods. Great spotted woodpeckers start drumming on mild days. Red-throated divers and great crested grebes gather offshore. The former can sometimes be well out to sea.
Facilities
Facilities
•Visitor centre
•Information centre
•Car park : Large car park on site. No overnight parking. Parking for two coaches by advance booking only. Bicycle racks outside visitor centre.
•Toilets
•Disabled toilets
•Baby-changing facilities
•Picnic area
•Binocular hire
•Group bookings accepted
•Guided walks available
•Good for walking
•Pushchair friendly
Viewing points
Seven birdwatching hides and a public viewing platform. Four hides and the viewing platform overlook the Scrape. Three of these hides are wheelchair accessible. Two hides overlook the reedbed. One of these is on stilts and accessed via steps. The final hide is in the woodland, and accessed via steps.
Nature trails
Two circular trails, each about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long, from the visitor centre. Allow about two hours for each trail. The circuit of the Scrape takes you through scrub, reedbeds, and along the beach. North, West and South Hides and the North Wall viewing platform are fully accessible to pushchairs and wheelchairs, but East Hide and the public viewing platform are accessed via the beach. The Island Mere circuit takes you through woodland and reedbeds. This route is not wheelchair accessible, although access to Island Mere Hide is possible by parking in a small layby (blue badge holders only) and walking about 300 m to the hide. This path is accessible for wheelchairs with difficulty, except after wet weather.
Tearoom
The tearoom also sells light meals.
Refreshments available
•Hot drinks
•Cold drinks
•Hot meals
•Cold meals
•Snacks
•Confectionery
Shop
Large selection of books, optics, outdoor clothing, bird food and gifts.
The shop stocks:
•Binoculars and telescopes
•Books
•Bird food
•Bird feeders
•Nestboxes
•Outdoor clothing
•Gifts
Educational facilities
Minsmere is an exciting place for young people to learn. We offer a varied programme of educational visits led by experienced field teachers. All activities are linked to the National Curriculum and are fully risk-assessed. Activities for Key Stages 1 and 2 include bird adaptations, food chains, birdwatching, minibeast safari, pond dipping and seaside habitat. Programmes can be tailored to suit particular requirements. Educational visits cost £3 per pupil for a half-day visit (10 am-12.30 pm) or £4 per pupil for a full day (10 am-2.30 pm), and accompanying adults are free. Special programmes can be arranged for secondary schools, including behind the scenes tours with an RSPB warden to look at how the reserve is managed. For further details and booking arrangements, please contact the visitor centre.
Accessibility
Car parking
The car park is accessed via an entrance from Westleton (brown tourist signs from A12). The entrance road is 2 km (1.5 miles) and has several 'sleeping policemen'. The car park is surfaced with rolled limestone and is rough in places. There are six allocated parking spaces on the right. An 80 m sloping path on rolled gravel leads from the allocated parking bays to the visitor centre. Wheelchair users can be dropped off and collected from outside the visitor centre, although caution is needed as delivery vehicles and pedestrians use this area.
Access to visitor centre
An 80 m sloping path on rolled gravel leads from the allocated parking bays to the visitor centre. Alternatively, there are steps from the nearest parking bays, which are 30 m from the visitor centre.
The visitor centre is accessed via double doors into a reception area, which has information and displays about the reserve and is staffed by friendly RSPB volunteers. Chairs are available in the reception area.
Access to the shop is via double doors from reception. Space is limited in places within the shop, light levels are poor in some areas, and some goods are on high shelves. Please ask the staff for assistance if required.
The tearoom is accessed via double doors from the shop. Space is limited within the tearoom, making it difficult to manoeuvre a wheelchair. Staff are available to help if required. Additional seating is available outside, including two tables that are fully accessible to wheelchair users. There is a bird feeding station outside the tearoom.
Access from the tearoom to the nature trails is via a short series of steps, or back through the shop and down a gentle ramp.
Toilets
There are unisex adapted toilets and baby changing facilities within the main toilet block and in the shop. The main toilet block is open at all times.
Access to the hides and nature trails
Some nature trails and hides are accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and work is continuing to upgrade many of the surfaces. Recent flooding has caused deterioration in the surface of some paths, making wheelchair access more difficult. We are working to improve these routes. There are regular benches on many parts of the trails.
The path from the visitor centre to North Hide is 320 m with a mixture of surfaces including tarmac, boardwalk, rolled gravel and 'natural' surface. This route is level apart from one gentle ramp.There are two benches. North Hide is wheelchair accessible.
North Hide to the beach viewpoint is 660 m of rolled gravel and is fully wheelchair accessible. There are two benches, plus two at the viewpoint.The path from this viewpoint to the sluice, via East Hide and the Public Viewpoint is 965 m along sand and shingle through the dunes so is inaccessible to wheelchair users. There are steps into both East Hide and the Public Viewpoint.
The path from the Visitor Centre to West Hide is 405 m of tarmac and rolled gravel on a level surface. This route is fully wheelchair accessible, although can be muddy after heavy rain. There is one bench on route. South Hide is a further 415 m along this path, with one bench on this section. West and South Hides are both wheelchair accessible via a dog-leg concrete ramp. The path continues to the Sluice (490 m), where there is a bench. This section is a gravel surface, which is accessible with difficulty.
The Visitor Centre to Bittern Hide is 485 m, with a mixture of rolled gravel and a natural surface. There are two benches. There is a slope down to Bittern Hide, which is accessible only via steps.
The path from Bittern Hide to Island Mere is 675 m on a natural surface, including a steep incline, making access for wheelchair users inadvisable. There are two benches.
Island Mere is accessible for wheelchair users from a lay-by opposite Scotts Hall Holiday Cottage. This path is 325 m on rolled gravel, with a gentle incline on boardwalk to the hide. The hide has wheelchair accessible viewing slots, but restricted visibility at times.
Scotts Hall Cottage to the Visitor Centre is 975 m on tarmac, along the reserve entrance road. This includes a steep slope. Canopy Hide, which is 600 m from the Visitor Centre, is accessible only via wooden steps.
Wheelchair loan
A Batricar is available to borrow, free of charge. This is popular, so advance booking is highly recommended, by telephoning 01728 648281. A Remploy wheelchair is also available for loan. These can be used during the visitor centre opening hours. Visitors are welcome to use their own wheelchair and mobility vehicles.
Guided walks for wheelchair users
We regret that many guided walks are unsuitable for wheelchair users as they take in sections of the beach or hides that are accessible only via steps. However, we will try to cater for requests for guided walks, if booked in advance, through our Hire-a-guide programme. Please phone 01728 648281 for details.
Goblin Spider Riders offer a formidable cavalry option for a Greenskin army. Whereas Wolf Riders are quicker and Orc War Boars are stronger, Goblin Spider Riders can traverse any terrain and their mount's webbing can hold any troop in place with a mass of sticky strands. Underestimate them on the battlefield at your peril.
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I offer commercial and editorial pet photography on a commissioned basis. And with a pet picture database of more than 1400 images, I might already have what you are looking for. All pictures here can be licensed.
For licensing and commission requests: info@elkevogelsang.com
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Commercial and editorial pet photographer
info@elkevogelsang.com
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20200321_Scout_RoseOfSharon
Under normal circumstances, Quay Sta’nn would have never thought of going back to his home planet Coruscant. Not after he got into quite some serious trouble with some crime gangs fairly soon after Order 66 got executed. But the job he was offered now was too big of an opportunity to miss. The Empire has initiated an assault on the mining world of Vanquo, and if this battle is lost the Empire will be vulnerable. Imperial forces have been called towards the center of Coruscant in case the Separatists attack the planet. This has left one of the biggest data vaults on Coruscant under low protection; a perfect opportunity to initiate a raid on the vault. The Red Hand, a crime syndicate Quay dealt with a few months ago, has hired all kinds of bounty hunters and smugglers to cause a distraction in the lower levels, and to raid the vault of its important information. Quay had taken the job to cause a distraction to draw Imperial troops away from the vault itself in exchange for a hefty sum of credits. The question floating around in his mind was, just how will he accomplish that?
After he had arrived at the planet on one of the spaceports, it immediately became clear to Quay how much the planet had changed in the few years he wasn't on Coruscant. As soon as Quay stepped out of the transport with the other passengers, a couple of heavily armed troopers walked towards them to see their IDs. Luckily, Quay brought a fake ID right before he left, otherwise he most likely would have gotten in trouble. The troopers took a look at his ID, gave it back to him, and nodded as a sign that he was free to walk through the gates. Quay walked through the gates and enjoyed the view of the skyline of this part of the planet. He took a taxi to the parts of the planet where he used to live, to see if his favorite places to go to were still there. After a bit of searching, Quay found one of the cantinas he’d frequented previously, down in level 4597.
On the outside, Gratt’s Tavern could just be described as one of the many, many bars down in the lower levels of this planet. But once you stepped inside, you could feel the warmth this place has. At every given point of the day, there was always some random smuggler or criminal enjoying a drink or playing a game of sabacc. The cantina had a variety of musicians who would play live music during the busy hours, and a reprogrammed protocol droid served as a waiter. And on top of that, the cantina was run by a kind old man named Terras Gratt, who could always provide a bit of advice and positive thinking when someone had some problems.
As Quay entered the tavern, memories of all the time he had spent in this place came flooding back. Here, he got his first mission, spent too many hours late in the night drinking all kinds of liquor, sharing stories with friends, and most of all, the apartment where Quay used to live was located right above the cantina. As soon as Gratt recognized who he was he walked towards Quay with a big smile on his face.
"Quay? You’re still alive? I thought those Imperials killed you years ago when you left here!” Terras said.
“I'm more surprised that you are still alive, you old barrel! With all the fights that break out in this part of the planet, it's a wonder that you haven't been killed yet,” Quay replied.
“The secret is just avoiding conflict at all costs. You can't be killed in a fight if you never are in a fight, to begin with!”
“Can’t argue with that logic,” Quay said. “So, how have you been holding up over these years? I could imagine the Empire changed a lot of stuff around here.”
“If you want, I have some time to catch up with each other. Apart from the occasional smuggler who stops by to get a drink, around this time of the day, it’s always quite calm here. And while we're at it, take a drink—on the house!”
After the two talked together for a while, they came on the subject of the apartment above the bar that Quay had lived in for quite some time before his departure from Coruscant. Terras owns the apartment and rents it out to people, but when Quay asked if someone came to live thereafter he left the planet, Gratt replied that the apartment had been vacant ever since he left.
“Would you mind it if I would stay there for a few days? Gotta finish this one mission I have, then I will probably leave again. And once I get paid for it, I will make sure to give you a share to cover the apartment.”
“Sure! It's quite a mess at the moment though. Since I couldn't get anyone to rent that place, I started using it to store left-over drinks and stuff I never use anymore. So unless you have a problem with sleeping in the mess, you are free to stay there.”
Because Quay would be gone in a few days anyway, he accepted the offer to stay in the mess for a couple of days. He packed the small amount of stuff he brought with him and headed to the apartment upstairs. As soon as he entered the room, Quay saw how much stuff was in there. Broken glasses, tables filled with blaster holes presumably from shootouts that happened there, tanks filled with fluids, and more junk was scattered all around the fairly big place. At least there was still a bed present in the room, and some other small furniture that Quay could still use. He dropped his luggage on the bed and opened the blinds to enjoy the view he used to see almost every day. Because it was almost night, Quay prepared to go to sleep. Just as he was about to go to sleep, the room was suddenly illuminated by a purple glow coming from the corner of the room.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you on the spot.” a female voice said. A figure emerged from the shadows, and Quay saw where the purple light came from. The woman was holding a lightsaber, meaning that this person was most likely a Jedi.
¨Look, there’s no need for a fight here, I can get you whatever you want if you help me on a mission. Food, credits, a ride to get off this planet, you name it.¨
The Jedi thought about the offer for a moment, before accepting it.
“If you can get me a stock of credits and a fake ID, I will aid you on your mission. I'm planning on leaving this planet since it’s filled with Imperialists, but that’s hard to do when those troops closely monitor everyone who enters and leaves this planet. So, what is that job of yours?”
Quay explained what was happening on Vanquo, and the job the Red Hand offered him.
“So that is why the city center was so filled with Imperial troops.” the Jedi said.
“Indeed. The Red Hand tasked me with causing a distraction somewhere in these levels, but I have no idea how I am going to do that. In about 3 hours, the raids are supposed to start, but without a solid plan, I am not sure if I will even finish this job.”
“Don't worry about it. While you get me that ID and credits, I will stay here to make us a plan. But if this is all a trick, and you’re planning to give me over to the Empire, the pain of this blade slicing through your body will be the last thing you feel.”
“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind. I am not planning to give you to the Empire. By the way, I never properly introduced myself to you. My name is Quay Sta’nn. If you don't want to tell me your name, I can understand that.” Quay said before walking out the door.
“Shaella. My name is Shaella Xalrich.” The Jedi said.
Quay went out on the streets, still worried about how he would ever be able to accomplish this job, but he did know where to get a false ID, so that’s where he would start; he went to an old friend who was able to make him a couple of fake IDs for the Jedi without divulging any info. When he returned to his apartment a few hours later with some food he grabbed from a food stand a few blocks away, Shaella was still busy making the plan for the raid.
¨This has been a lot harder than i expected. I made a few plans, but they are very risky.¨ Shaella said.
¨Ah, forget it. The raid will be starting in about an hour. I doubt we will be able to participate in them without a solid plan. I got us some food, so if you want some feel free to take it. Also got those credits and that false ID for you, but I first want a solid plan before you will get those.¨ Quay replied.
Shaella nodded that she understood it, and started eating a bowl with food. She and Quay started talking about some stuff while they were eating, and Quay told her all kinds of stories from his past on this planet. The two enjoyed sharing some of their experiences to each other. After a while, they got to the topic of Order 66.
¨I have a bit of a weird question, but...how did you survive the Purge? I thought Order 66 wiped out the entire Jedi Order.¨ Quay asked.
Shaella went silent for a moment, before telling him how she survived the Purge.
¨Me, my master, and our pack of Clone Troopers were stationed on Colla IV near the end of the Clone Wars. Here, they manufactured droidekas and more droids for the Separatists. We were waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike at one of the factories, when suddenly the commander got a call from Chancellor Palpatine himself. Although I wasn't paying attention to what was said to them, I did hear a few words: ¨Execute Order 66.¨ Before I knew it, the Clones had their weapons pointed at me and my master. We managed to get to the gunship to escape the planet, but my master got wounded to the point where no surgeon could save him anymore. I managed to take control of the gunship and eventually crashed on this planet, but my master died a slow and painful death on the way there. He left me his Lightsaber, but since using one Lightsaber is risky enough on its own, I usually carry it with me at all times. To this day, I can still feel the emotional and physical effects of that event. Everyone that i knew and could trust, have been killed or is now held in a prison somewhere by the Empire. And while that all is happening, i am stuck here, without being able to do anything to it.¨
Quay went silent after hearing this story. He himself went through some heavy stuff growing up, but he could imagine the kinds of consequences an event like this could leave to a person.
The silence was quickly ended by someone banging on the door. Shaella hid behind the trash in the room, while Quay walked towards the door to open it. An Stormtrooper was standing in the doorway, with several more troopers standing behind him.
¨We have reports of a Force-sensitive hiding around somewhere in this sector. Would you mind if we take a look around this apartment?¨ The trooper asked.
¨Of course not.¨ Quay replied. Although he was worried that the troopers would find Shaella, he knew that if that were to happen she would be able to take them all on. 5 troopers stepped through the doorway, and started searching the apartment. It didn't take long before one of the troopers shouted: ¨Hey, what is this woman doing behind all of this junk?¨ Shaella quickly ignited her lightsaber and fighted the Stormtroopers. While the troopers did their absolute best to try to take her down, Shaella doged and blocked all of their attacks, and took them down one by one. Just before she was about to take down the last trooper in the room, he shouted in his comms:
¨The Force-sensitive has been found! Requesting immediate backup on level 4597!¨
Shaella´s blade sliced through the trooper, but it was too late. All of the Empire was now alerted of their presence, and would be at this location in a matter of minutes.
¨Well, what should we do now?¨ Quay asked Shaella. She thought about it for a second, until coming up with an answer.
¨I'm done with hiding from the Empire. I would rather fight them for the greater cause and go down in glory, than to spend my remaining days rotting away here.¨
The two stepped outside the door, and immediately saw dozens of troopers running towards them. Quay and Shaella quickly stepped into Gratt´s tavern. The cantina was filled with people, but if they didn´t get out as soon as possible, they would get caught in the heat of the battle. Shaella ignited her lightsaber, and yelled: ¨Everyone, get out of here, now!¨ Nobody hesitated for a second, and in a matter of seconds the cantina was empty, with the exception of Terras who stood behind the bar, terrified.
¨What is this, Quay? Care to explain why you are with a Jedi, who just scared away all of my customers?¨ Gratt said, noticeably angry and scared.
¨No time to explain right now. Listen, the Empire is about to arrive here in seconds, and without any good intentions. It's better if you get out of here, right now.¨
¨There is no way i am leaving my own cantina behind! I´ll stay here. I have a blaster here, so I can protect myself if needed. I will just hide behind the counter, together with my protocol droid.¨ Gratt replied.
¨Well, prepare yourself for a heavy fight if you stay here. And Quay; I hope you can handle this. You´ll need it if you want to survive this battle.¨ Shaella said.
Shaella threw something towards Quay. He caught it, and looked at what he held in his hands; it was a Lightsaber. He ignited it, and a green blade emitted from the saber.
¨This saber used to belong to my master. I held onto it for years, but I never used it.¨
¨Wow, I don't know how to thank you. I am sure this will be helpful in the fight.¨
¨Thank me later. First, we have some Bucketheads to take down.¨
Right as she said that, the first Stormtroopers walked into the cantina. While Quay had some trouble getting used to using a Lightsaber at first, he was able to quickly take down the first troops. Shaella used the Force intensively, and used it to hold one of the troops in the air right before piercing him with her Lightsaber. Just as that happened, a couple of troopers equipped with heavy-repeating blasters entered the cantina. Although Quay was able to dodge most of the blaster fire, a few of the blaster bolts hit the Lightsaber, damaging it enough to make the blade retract.. In the corner of his eye, he could also see one of the blaster bolts hit the Protocol droid Gratt owns, probably damaging it beyond repair. The fight seemed to last forever, until Quay and Shaella delivered the final blow towards the Empire. 4 Reconnaissance Troop Transports arrived, each carrying about a dozen troopers. Gratt quickly tried to get Quays attention, and he revealed some explosives he took as a payment from some arms dealers who stopped by to get a drink there earlier that day. Quay took some of them, activated them, and threw them at the troop transports. The devices rolled under the transports and detonated, causing the transports to explode. The few Stormtroopers who survived the blast, quickly received orders to retreat; the fight was won. Quay received a message from the Red Hand; The vault was successfully raided, and mostly thanks to Quay and Shaella. Although the Red Hand didn't know how he pulled it off exactly, a big part of the troops were sent to their location while other smugglers and bounty hunters raided the vault.
¨Well, I guess we didn't really need a plan to get this job done.¨ Quay said. ¨Thank you Shaella, I couldn't have done it without you. Since you have aided me in my mission, I will stick to my promise; here are the fake ID and credits needed to get off this planet. And Gratt, for you, I can get you some of the best repairers to fix your droid, plus some more credits to cover the damage we made here.¨
¨Quay, I want you to take this. I am ready to let go of my past, and start a new life somewhere. Since that Lightsaber of yours got pretty damaged, you can use parts of mine to repair it. With it, I have instructions on how to safely repair it. Goodbye, Quay Sta'nn. It was a delight to work with you.¨ Shaella said, before she walked off to get off the planet.
A few days later, Quay was working to repair the Lightsaber using Shaella´s instructions. The damage in Gratt´s Tavern was now mostly repaired, and his protocol droid was as good as new. Quay emitted the saber, and a purple blade emitted. It used to belong to a skilled Jedi, but now he owned it. He took his time to make it truly his own, and it showed off. He took a moment to process the power of the weapon he had in his hands right now. Anyone could use a blaster, but to handle a weapon like this it required more skill to handle. It will take a lot of time to learn how to properly use it, but one thing was for sure; This weapon would change Quay's life.
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Well, this took me a bit too long to finsh. My last moc for 2020, enjoy! (deleted the last version of the pic, since that one kinda sucked)
The Mark V was offered for model years 1977-1979. I believe it was a bit longer than 19 feet.
Seen on Lampson Avenue near the California Fish & Game and other California state offices. Technically it is in Los Alamitos but access to the site is from Lampson Avenue in Seal Beach! Similarly and perhaps even odder is that the development known as College Park West is in Seal Beach but access to that Orange County neighborhood is from neighboring Long Beach which is in a different county altogether, Los Angeles County!
I dislike taking photos of bright white cars in sunny daylight because it tends to wash out.
Goblin Spider Riders offer a formidable cavalry option for a Greenskin army. Whereas Wolf Riders are quicker and Orc War Boars are stronger, Goblin Spider Riders can traverse any terrain and their mount's webbing can hold any troop in place with a mass of sticky strands. Underestimate them on the battlefield at your peril.
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ideas.lego.com/projects/134888
Please help inspire TLG and the Lego community to release more castle / medieval / fantasy themed sets! Thank you :D
317722, the 317 test bed unit trialing AC traction motors amongst other things, is seen passing the Romford ROC on the Witham trials path, working 5F96 10+40 Ilford Depot - Witham. The unit was being tested after suffering one of its many 'sit down' moments, prior to going back into passenger service.
Getting the unit on the Witham trials path was necessary so it could have a proper 100mph run- something the West Anglia route does not offer. Ilford based drivers did not 'sign' 317722, despite being competent on 317 units, 722 was different due to the different equipment fitted to the train. The figure in the secondmans side window is an Ilford based driver, route conducting a Bishops Stortford based driver who signed the unit but not the route.
317722 was withdrawn during June 2016, and was moved to Ely Papworth Sidings during 2019 for storage.
Niagara USA offers a breathtaking view of one of nature’s marvels and an experience that will last a life time.
The Niagara Falls are the most powerful waterfalls in North America. These voluminous waterfalls are situated on the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario and forms the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York and forms the southern end of the Niagara Gorge.
Four of the five Great Lakes drain into the Niagara River, (Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie) before emptying into Lake Ontario. These five Great Lakes make up almost one-fifth of the world's fresh water supply.
From here one can see all the three falls namely,American Falls,Bridal Veil Falls and Horseshoe Falls .
View entire set on Niagara Falls : www.flickr.com/photos/29848963@N03/sets/72157627677785296/
Phoebe ~Piercings & more~
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Vallory/173/159/22
Mesh Dresses for
- Belleza Freya + Isis
- Kupra
- Legacy + Legacy Perky
- Maitreya + Maitreya Petite
- Slink Hourglass + Slink Petite
- Standar Avatars
Try Demo first
Florence offers an enchanting array of cozy spots where visitors can relax and take in the breathtaking views of the sea. Each location provides a unique vantage point to witness the waves crashing against the shore, creating a serene atmosphere perfect for contemplation or leisure. It is essential to be mindful of rental options available in the area, ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable stay while exploring these picturesque settings.
maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Florence/216/47/24
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