View allAll Photos Tagged optimistic
This design was my entry to Spoonflower Optimism Challenge with limited colour palette. Hope you like it :) x
Portrait of an african girl looking with curiosity at the camera, and wearing a colourful scarf on her head
I saw this dead duck (a scaup, I think) floating in the bay (I don't think it was hunter kill, as I saw no blood) and after a while this Western Gull came over hoping to make a meal of the scaup's misfortune. But the gull never could figure out how to get started so after about 5-10 minutes it gave up and flew away.
On a cold and frosty morning these two rogues didn't waste the chance to see if there were any tasty treats in store The short answer to that was, no! The locals tend to bring their children to see the wildlife here and bring all sorts to feed them, and maybe not what is good for them.
It is quite something to see them fly in to chance their luck for handouts. They certainly leave their mark just about everywhere.
Looking at the water area behind them, it is covered in ice.
This optimistic young woman will get her sun about a half hour after I took this photo. She has her iPhone, sun glasses, book and beach towel and plans to spend some time on the rock.
(I could see all that from another angle.)
Dawson.
Although Peterborough was beyond Goyder’s Line of 1864 indicating the limit of viable farming lands the government, grasping for land sales revenue and wanting to acquiesce to the demand for wheat farming land, allowed the Hundred of Coglin about 40 kilometres north of Peterborough to be proclaimed in 1878. Farmers and speculators moved in straight away with land sales doing very well. The town of Dawson was gazetted a few years later in June of 1881. The government town was planned on a grid pattern with 360 town blocks offered for sale. But had they waited a few months longer as the big drought of 1881 settled in the government might have been more cautions and less optimistic. But the potential farmers and business people for the town were not pessimistic. They established a thriving little town. Droughts come and go in Australia and they assumed this drought of 1881 would also pass. But this was not to be as the average rainfall of the Hundred of Coglin was too low to be a reliable area for grain growing. The so called drought persisted as the rainfall returned to its usual low average after the good years of the late 1870s ended. It was those few good seasons that had encouraged people to argue that “rain followed the plough”. This was just wishful thinking. In 1888, after ten years trying to grow wheat, some farmers around Dawson were reaping for three days to produce one bag of wheat! Then in January 1889 a thunderstorm produced floods and lakes sweeping away fences, cattle and trees. Nine inches of rain (225 mms) fell in one day. Further deluges occurred in February and in March. Hope was restored but great droughts returned in the early 1890s. Today the town is a ghost town with a handful of residents and the land is used for pastoralism, not grain growing. But it is picturesque and the dry weather has preserved its old buildings well.
Dawson soon had numerous buildings, although few now remain, and a population of over 100 residents within a few years. Among the first buildings, as in all SA towns in the 19th century, were the Dawson Hotel in 1883, a Primitive Methodist Chapel in 1882, an Anglican Church in 1883 and a Catholic Church in 1885. The government public school was built and opened in 1885 and this followed the opening of the Catholic school in 1884. By 1898 the state school had 55 pupils and early in the 20th century the average enrolment had risen to around 75 children but it declined from 1902 onwards until the final closure of the school in 1962. Along with a Post Office, a general store and a blacksmith the town was nicely established by 1887. By the 1890s it had two general stores, a butcher and a saddler and many residences. Few of these buildings now remain. Although the hotel served as a social centre for events and public meetings the town and community soon wanted an Institute or hall. This was completed in 1890. Nearby the first horse race meetings were held and the cricket ground was established. Crops were sown and yields were obtained but yields varied greatly and never reached the yields expected by the farmers and in some years nothing was reaped at all. The discovery of gold at the Mount Grainger fields in 1894 boosted optimism but not for long as nearer towns like Penn (Oodla Wirra) could provide services for the goldfield needs. By the time Australian Federation occurred in 1901 the town began to die but it clung to life until the 1970s. The town is surrounded by excellent pastoral country and farms were amalgamated into larger pastoral properties causing a drop in the total district population. Then once motor transport became common widespread in the 1950s the town died more quickly as larger service centres like Peterborough became much closer time wise.
Dawson today has few buildings. The old state school built in 1885 is now a comfortable looking residence with solar panels on its roof. The original Primitive Methodist Church of 1882 was a tin and timber building and it has gone. It was replaced with a new stone Methodist Church in 1890 that opened without plastering or a ceiling. They were added later. A solid stone water closet was built by the Methodists in 1893. It is still standing! The Methodist manse has been demolished and is gone. The outstanding Catholic Church of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel is still standing on the hill but the buildings around it are all gone. The church was restored inside and out in 1925. The Catholic School founded in 1884 is believed to have only operated for a couple of years. The large and impressive Dawson Hotel from 1883 with a substantial cellar is standing in a ruined state. Although Dawson established an Institute in 1890 it was replaced with a new galvanised iron and timber structure in 1926. That is still in good condition and is still sometimes used. The sports ground is unused and dilapidated with no functioning toilets or facilities.
But how does a town become a ghost town? The example of Dawson shows the resilience and determination again the odds to maintain a township. From 1902 the school enrolment began to decline. The butcher shop closed in 1903 as did the blacksmith. By 1907 families were leaving the district and the hoped for returns from wheat farming had not eventuated. But in 1908 it is amazing to think that this town and district was blanketed in snow! Nevertheless the town continued to decline. In 1915 the local branch of the Agricultural Bureau ceased. In 1954 the government began to resume town blocks if they had never been purchased or if the owners were not traceable. In 1960 the town was officially abolished as a town. The Dawson Hotel closed in 1961 and the state school closed in 1962 followed by the general store in 1963.The tennis club abolished itself in 1963 with the football club following suit in 1965. The Methodist Church held its last service in 1964 and the last Catholic Mass was held in 1969 although the last Catholic priest to live in the town had departed as early as 1942. What a sad period this must have been for the farmers still living in the district. The only town activity which continued was the Dawson Hall Committee. In an attempt to keep something of Dawson for future generations they raised money and purchased the Methodist and Catholic churches and the ruins of the Dawson Hotel in 1981 to preserve them. Today it is doubtful that even the Dawson Hall Committee exists.
In the early 1880s the town needed a cemetery and one was established just outside of the town. The Thyer graves depicted in this photograph tell a tragic and sad tale. On 16th October 1896 a struggling farmer named Joseph Thyer on a property between Dawson and Cavenagh returned home and murdered his wife Elizabeth and five children with an axe and then hanged himself. One can only guess and the circumstances which led to the mental health problems of Joseph Thyer living on marginal lands, way beyond Goyder’s Line, and with a family of five youngsters and a wife to support at a time of probably little income. The grave for Joseph, which does not record the year of death, was placed there by his parents and surrounded with a neat low cast iron grave fence. His wife and children were buried in an adjoining cemetery plot again with no details or dates. C. Elizabeth Thyer (née Collins of Burra) was 36 years of age, and the murdered children were Florence 12 years old, Edward 9 years old, Alexander 7 years old, Charles 6 years old, and baby Roy 4 months old. Now over 120 years later their graves are still there in excellent condition. Local newspapers of the day have all the sad and gruesome details of their deaths. The two eldest children were not at home at the time of the murders and one of the boys aged 17 years found the grisly scene and alerted authorities. The funeral was held at Dawson in the Methodist Church on Wednesday 21st October 1896. The graves of Elizabeth and the children is marked “In Sad Remembrance”.
Why is it too optimistic to hope for happiness? Too extreme an imagination to think everyone will smile today?
Every day 17 out of 100 women become victims of violence at home or in the workplace.25% of them die. Although the government has signed different international conventions and introduced special laws to protect women and children, it has ultimately failed to provide adequate security for them. As a result, women are constantly becoming victims of violence at home or in the workplace everyday. We have reached to a point where Acid victims are no surprise.It's very unfortunate but Bangladesh still has a long way to go in its treatment of women, from the ordinary to the very top leaders.
Is it unimaginable to make acid victims , violated women and eve-teasers only fairy tales?
It's not if we care , share and inspire enough.
STOP violence against women.
Trip to AL-Balad Photo #3
Jeddah
© Naif abdullah
جميع الحقوق محفوظة لـ نايف بن عبدالله
يرجى عدم نسخ أو نقل أو طباعة اي صورة قبل الحصول على موافقة من المصور نفسه
يرجى مراسلة المصور من خلال الوسائل التالية في حالة الرغبة باستخدام اي من الصور
All rights reserved for Naif abdullah
please do not copy, print or take any of the images displayed in this photostream without the photographer permission.
iNaif@live.com
All photos in the gallery are for sale, I have a bigger copy and best quality. If you are interested in any .. contact me on this e-mail:
inaif@live.com
ملاحظة لا أقبل اي اضافات من الجنسين والتواصل يكون عبر الرسائل
The Lost Chosen One
I just recently finished watching George Lucas’s Skywalker Saga. As I watched the last movie Return of the Jedi, you cannot help but notice who the story is about. The easy answer of course is Luke Skywalker… but it is not. The Skywalker Saga is not about Luke being The Chosen One, because Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader IS the Chosen One. It just does not seem like it at the end of Revenge of the Sith and the transition from the prequels to originals. If you notice in Episode VI Return of the Jedi that it is more about Luke knowing there is “still good” in Darth Vader or Anakin Skywalker. You see Luke is just a catalyst to bring Vader back to the light side of the force. Because all in all it is not Luke who ultimately kills the Emperor it is Vader… Because he cannot stand the sight of seeing his son die. You see in the previous movies or the prequels he not only lost his mother, but also Padme the love of his life. Watching his son die at the hand of someone who had in tricked him into joining the dark side by using his weakness of his fear of his wife’s death… Was the exact reason why he turned back to the light.
Ok and your point?
STAR WARS
EPISODE X
THE COMEBACK OF ZACH/Anakin/Vader…
Now I know you are asking ok… Great analysis on Star Wars and how does this relate to the Gospel? Let me assure you they connect perfectly. You see Star Wars is a spiritual movie. George Lucas is Buddhist, and the force is obviously New Age. While that has nothing to do with Christianity and the Gospel his Star Wars does…
The reason I made such a point of Vader being the real main character is this… He is me. As a matter of fact, the reason the Star Wars Story is so popular is because people can relate to the character of Anakin/Vader. There is that verse in the Bible that goes we all like sheep have gone astray. Is Anakin any different? Is Vader?
I know recently I shared my story of the prodigal son which is also my testimony. Let us just say that was the short and sweet version. I recently have turned my story into a song which has made me reflect on my favorite series and my life.
We all like Anakin have gone astray…
Like Anakin I was the good guy. I was optimistic, loved life, and like Anakin had dreams (just not to be a Jedi or pilot). When he was a kid, I am sure like my life, like lots of people lives that at a young age you have little to no worries. Unfortunately, when you get older is when things can get ugly.
For Anakin, his mom died. Something I can never and hopefully will never understand. However, a similar tragedy struck me and my family when my 24-year-old cousin died of a drug overdose. You see like Anakin’s life my life hit HARD. Pain, death, tragedy is yes, a part of life, but that does not mean it is natural. That does not mean you do not grieve and never get over it.
Unrealistically realistic…
In Episode II Attack of the Clones, Anakin says something like he was not “strong enough” to save his mother. Thinking we can control the outcome of a situation that is a matter of life or death that is outside our control is probably the worst part of this painful planet we live on. Jedi or not force or not everyone deals with pain. I think often we think like the young boy Anakin on Tatooine when he said to Qui-Gon-Jinn, “No one can kill a Jedi!” Ironically enough is in that very movie Qui-Gon lost his life at the hands of evil Darth Maul. I think often because people are a certain age or have a certain title like a Jedi, they believe they are invincible and beyond death itself.
Having lost Qui-Gon who was at that time the only Jedi who believed in Anakin (The Jedi Council chose that they would not train him). Qui-Gon made Obi-Wan-Kenobi promise that he would train him. Obi-Wan agreed to his master’s dying wish and became Anakin’s Master. Throughout Episode II we see Anakin deteriorate from losing his mother to falling into forbidden love with Senator Padme Amidala.
We all fall at some point in life…
Isn’t this how we as people often fall? It is a compromise here or there it is a tragedy that shakes our very core. Until one day we wake up and not only is our former self dead, but another person entirely has taken the place of what our former self was.
This I believe happens, has happened and continues to happen to many people in our day and age. When we give into the temptation and enticement of what not only sin has to offer but also following a dark path created by the devil himself. That path will ultimately destroy our lives if not in this life, then the next.
In the third movie Revenge of the Sith is where we see the fall of Anakin but also the fall of a way of life in a galaxy far far away. In the opening scene Anakin and Obi-Wan lead a space battle over the city planet of Coruscant to save Chancellor Palpatine. Before they can free him, they must fight and defeat Count Dooku who is a Sith Lord. During the fight Obi-Wan is knocked unconscious as Anakin takes on Dooku himself.
Dooku’s deception can unfortunately be reality…
Dooku tells him how senses fear and hate in Skywalker and that he does not use them. Doesn’t Satan often do this? He entices us to use our negative emotions towards others. Hate, anger and fear are all powerful and destructive feelings that if not kept in check will in fact lead us down the “dark side.”
In the same scene Anakin is told by the Chancellor to kill Dooku. Anakin counters that it is not the Jedi way. The Chancellor urges him to do so and Anakin listens killing Dooku. It is interesting how like the Chancellor or Darth Sidious we tend to listen to the lies of the enemy while hopefully not murder there are many things that Satan tempts us with and we as sinners often give in.
Sex before marriage, acting out of anger, racism, cursing and the list goes on and on. Without a strong connection to the “light side” or the Holy Spirit it is difficult even impossible to resist the “dark side” or Satan himself.
It’s always one step than another that becomes an avalanche…
In life there is always that first step taken to go down the path of destruction or the “dark side.” Like Anakin many of us including Christians always take most the time what is a small step that leads to big consequences.
Taking an example out of the Bible, King David “a man after God’s own heart” probably was not thinking that looking at a woman lustfully as she was bathing would lead to adultery and subsequently the murder of the husband’s wife who was the woman, he had committed adultery with.
While David did not pay with his life for his sin his children did. The first child he had with Bathsheba died as an infant. Later his beloved son Abimelech who was trying to kill him died tragically and David mourned his loss as well.
Pass losses lead to future fear…
During the movie Anakin has dreams of his wife Padme dying during childbirth. Having had visions like this soon before his mother had died at the hands of sand people on Tatooine (a dessert planet). The fear of losing his wife after already losing his mother drove Anakin crazy.
Darth Sidious knew of Anakin’s weakness and not so unlike Satan exploited it by tempting him with the dark side much like Satan can entice us with sin. While bringing back people from the dead or in this case keeping them from dying aside from Jesus’ and Lazarus’ resurrection has never happened and is not possible you get the point. Sidious saw a little crack to get inside Anakin’s mind and seduced him because of his love for Padme and his fear of losing her to death.
How Sidious/Satan uses our weaknesses to exploit us to sin…
This is a tactic Satan often will use when tempting us and twisting our minds with his lies. One sin that is very exploitable for men is lust. In a day and age where pornography is nearly a click away it is no wonder there is such a high percentage of men Christian and Non-Christian alike struggle with this sin consistently.
Anakin to Padme was me to porn. Since around middle school, but in high school and college it was a HUGE struggle for me. The way Sidious twisted Anakin’s mind with Padme was how Satan twisted mine with porn.
You see just as Sidious slowly but surely got inside Anakin’s head over Padme, Satan got inside mine with porn. Not to compare or confuse love with porn, but like love, porn is immensely powerful and like love can cause you to do things you would not do if you were thinking rationally.
Satan and Sin will Slowly but Surely destroy us…
As sexual sin and Satan corrupted me so did Sidious and the thought of losing his sexual partner did Anakin. Once Sidious knew he had a hold on Anakin he revealed himself as Sidious, and not the Chancellor that the Jedi and Republic thought he was. Satan often will disguise himself through sin and only when he knows he has got you in his grasp will he reveal himself because at that point it is too late.
Because whether you are so dependent on that sin or it ultimately destroys who you are, Satan knows when he has at that point won. Even as Anakin was leaving to tell Mace Windu about The Chancellor, Sidious reminded him the power that he had in order to save Padme.
Even wen Windu had defeated Sidious Anakin CHOSE to listen to the ridiculous claims of Sidious to the reason of Windu. As Windu went to kill what would have SAVED Anakin. Anakin spelled his fate by killing Windu… Who would have set him FREE.
After Windu is killed with the help of Anakin, Darth Sidious renames Anakin to Darth Vader. The biggest difference in living a life in sin and living a life in service for God is this… When serving God, God will often bless you and shower you in his love, the opposite being a slave to sin/Satan is that your sin OWNS you and CONTROLS you. While you can choose right or wrong as a slave to sin you will often go with whatever fulfills your sinful desires rather than serve others and experience God’s presence and Joy.
Long story short Anakin goes to the Jedi Temple and kills everyone including the children training there. He goes to a lava planet named Mustafar and takes out the Separatist leaders there. Padme comes searching for him and tells him what Obi-Wan told her of the awful things he had done. Using deception, Vader tells her he is turning you against me.
Sin in its entirety will cause you to hurt or even kill everything you once loved…
He sees Obi-Wan and thinking Padme brought him to kill him uses his force choke on her. You see evil and sin in the end corrupt. The very woman he sought to protect, love and join the dark side for had not only turned against him, but he attempted to kill her.
Satan/Sidious do not care what you lose or if you are destroyed by your sin or desire for evil. The only thing they care about is OWNING YOU. If you think for a second, they are looking after your well-being I am here to tell you are not only dead wrong, but SADLY MISTAKEN.
Not anywhere in the Bible does its Satan and sin are going to help you in life. However, there are countless warnings against both such as, how Satan goes about like a lion seeking who he will devour, or when sin gives birth, it gives birth to death. I do not know the exact references, but I am sure if you type them in a search engine they will come up or I would be more than happy to find them for you.
I am Anakin and Vader as well…
Just like Anakin/Vader, I became a slave to sin. While pleasurable, porn DOES NOT satisfy EVER. If anything, you just want more and more and more until your life is completely and totally controlled by the sin that seemed so satisfying was nothing but an empty tomb or bottomless pit as sin/Satan owned your soul. Like Vader I was owned by evil.
For 10 long years I was a slave to sin/Satan’s clutches. Fast forward to 2016 just like in Episode VI Return of the Jedi I would return not as Luke had but as Vader had. Remember the beginning when I talked about Luke not being the Chosen One, but it was Vader?
The reason I said that was because Vader was me, and my best friend, Kevin who I met at Boca Community was Luke Skywalker. You see that is why I say the story is not about Luke. It is the rise, fall and redemption of Anakin Skywalker and his escape from Darth Sidious and being free of Darth Vader.
How my best friend Kevin/Luke Skywalker saved me from the clutches of AJ/Sidious/Satan…
The reason Kevin is Luke is because he saw the good in me. He told me how I shouldn’t hangout with this guy named AJ. Who now as I think of it played a significant role and was like Darth Sidious/Satan. While Satan is the ultimate enemy, he has pawns like Sidious, or his demons to entice and takes us from Christ.
I hung out with a guy named AJ and he like Sidious had a hold on me. It was as if he was the devil incarnate and I am not over exaggerating. He not only verbally abused me, but if anything, also encouraged cursing, anger, hate, porn etc. The guy was a walking nightmare/horrible person. You see like Vader I was a slave to sin and because of that I could not see that AJ was evil and I NEVER should have been associated with him.
How the AJ/Sidious/Satan’s of the World disguise themselves…
Like Palpatine he disguised his true self by saying he was a “Christian” around Christians, but when it was just us, he was more like Darth Sidious. Whispering wickedness, enticing me with evil, and keeping me as a slave to sin. I think we can be so stuck in sin that we do not want to get out. Even when we can see the evil that we are surrounding ourselves with the pleasure that sin brings is so strong and when it has it has such a foot hold on our lives we hang out with people like AJ/Sidious/Satan and say it is ok because we are fine living in sin even when it is drowning us.
Thank God for people like Kevin. Even though Kevin was not my son, he was like a brother to me. He was even the one who ultimately got me to go on that mission’s trip to Costa Rica in 2016. While my name did not change from Anakin Skywalker to Darth Vader like in Star Wars. My spiritual name changed from owned by my Satan and my sin to owned by my Savior. Kevin/Luke Skywalker saved Darth Vader (me) and changed my name back to Zach. Because for me I was not the same after 2016. I did not “Go back to Anakin” because Anakin was me before I fell. So, if you want the “chronological/fictional order” It is Anakin Skywalker, Darth Vader, force ghost Anakin/2016 Zach Evans.
Like Anakin becoming a force ghost (going to Heaven) the Force or for the sake of comparison (do not take this literally into context) God, saved me from my sin and renamed me as his own.
And that is my Skywalker Saga Story and how not the force, but GOD saved me from Sidious/Satan and my sin…
I'm being optimistic about this project , i think because i'm passionate about life i'm gonna enjoy photographing and documenting everything that makes me cheerful and delight me . I'm pretty confident ^^
Cats, the beach, and peaceful quiet moments that allows me to hear my thoughts ❤
The Hairdresser
Hank – today my hairdresser – is a true wake up call.
He often takes me by surprise.
Being surprised opens the door to a higher level of awareness.
HKD
I told you some time ago that a raven landed on my head.
It was Hank :-)))))
This time Alice took the picture.
Thanks Alice!
Hank is playing with my hair – well, with the few that is left… Only the background is montage.
HKD
Alle Vögel sind schon da…
Hank, Botschafter der Götter :-))
Hank überrascht mich immer wieder und bringt mich in den Augenblick. Und so ist er sich meiner Präsenz ganz sicher. Aufmerksamkeit ist ein Zustand der Sammlung des Geistes auf das Hier und Jetzt.
Analytisches, logisches Denken wechselt zu Gunsten einer direkten Wahrnehmung des Seins. Einem Kind gleich, das ohne Worte eine laufende Situation emotional erfährt, bildet sich instinktive Erkenntnis.
Ahnung, Intuition, alle transpersonalen Wahrnehmungsfenster sind geöffnet. Der gefühlte Scan liefert präzise Informationen über freundliche oder feindliche Vorgänge, auch über den Wahrheitsgehalt bestimmter Dinge.
Mit der zunehmenden Persona entwickelt sich der Intellekt, und zahlreiche Konzepte wechseln sich im Verlauf erweiterten Verstehens nacheinander ab. Dieser Vorgang läuft so lange, bis der Logos befriedigt ist und das letzte der Konzepte versteht, das Konzept der Auflösung aller Konzepte.
Das Leben hat sich so eingerichtet, dass es mit starken gegensätzlichen Gefühlen und Unbewusstheit beginnt. Ich fühlte mich in meiner Kindheit wie in eine Fremde geworfen, und von heftigen Gefühlen geschüttelt. Eine auf Disziplin ausgerichtete Umgebung gab mir den Halt und die Erziehung in ein rebellisches aber zurückhaltendes Ego.
Die Energie, die in der Gefühlswelt gebunden war wandelte sich, und der Logos erstrahlte immer heller. Ich begann, ein Konzept nach dem anderen zu verstehen… Das emotionale Erleben verlor immer stärker an Bedeutung.
Doch es nahte die Erkenntnis der letzten Konzepte in denen die Welt aus der Sicht des Bewusstseins erfahren und erläutert wird – nicht aus der Sicht des Verstandes.
Bewusstsein ist die Quelle aller Träume, heißt es hier in der Advaita Philosophie und meine psychischen Erfahrungen bestätigen diese. Ich fühlte und verstand die Wahrheit, denn mein Geist war in der Lage, die Essenz wahrzunehmen.
Die anfängliche Schwerstarbeit meines Intellekts ist beendet und mein Geist kann wieder die gefühlten Aspekte des Lebens wahrnehmen.
Der wache Geist, das Bewusstsein erfährt beide Seiten: logisches Denken und die Gefühle.
Hank repräsentiert für mich die Gefühlsseite in mir. Raben und Tauben sind meine Lieblingsvögel. Sie bereiten mir große Freude. Tag für Tag. Und Überraschungen bringen sie auch – zurzeit piepsende Junge. Auf meinem Kopf wird es wohl eng werden, aber die meisten Vögel schwirren als Ideen und Gedanken ohnehin nur in meinem Kopf.
Offensichtlich habe ich einen Vogel… heute einmal auf dem Kopf… ;-)))
HKD
Psychologische Symbolik: Der Vogel ist außen. Die Schattenbearbeitung ist erfolgreich vollzogen.
HKD
Digital art based on own photography and textures
HKD
Define how you live by your perspective...
Is it positive? or negative?
Do you see gloom stepping in or out?
That's what being optimistic or pessimistic is all about!
© T.A
-------
Another one of those shot taken way back with my old camera that I feel like sharing since.... it was taken on one of those rare days that Dubai get's gloomy!
"You're out of the woods, You're out of the dark, You're out of the night.
Step into the sun, Step into the light."
- Optimistic Voices chorus
Mojo, a six-year-old German Pointer. Her owners say she is 'permanently optimistic'. She was so much fun to photograph!
Is that the winter solstice I see on the horizon? Winter may be just beginning, but at least the length of daylight will be increasing :)
I had read about the new RSPB reserve opening and decided to take a look. It opened on the 25th of May. When we arrived there were only 2-3 cars. The visitor centre overlooked a lake, stunningly bleak view but with no birds to be seen. No birds and no people yet the RSPB staff and volunteers appeared were so cheery and optimistic. Once out onto the reserve and onto the hilltop you get a beautiful view of the reserve and hear the sound of Skylarks, Meadow Pipits, Blackcaps and Whitethroats. When you descend you see the birds and also hear them. I would recommend it as a place to visit. I was very impressed! The weather was on our side too....blue skies, sun and a few white whispy clouds!
As for the photo, my first hot ever taken in black and white and I am impresed! I have never played around with photos but a friend recommended this to me. Thanks a lot!
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/staidans/
St Aidan's is a perfect place to get close to nature and relax, unwind or exercise in a stress-free environment. Just outside Leeds on the banks of the River Aire, it's a big new space to walk, run, cycle, or ride your horse and enjoy the wildlife that surrounds you.
It has a wide range of wild plants and animals, and is home to thousands of birds, brown hares, roe deer, wild flowers and insects - all living in a stunning landscape of vast reedbeds, grassland, woodland, lakes, ponds and islands.
With a variety of circular paths of varying lengths and large areas of open grassland, St Aidan’s is a great place for families to enjoy the outdoors, share a picnic and play together.
Over 7.5 miles (12 km) of footpaths, bridleways and cycle routes connect the surrounding communities, with links to national footpath and cycle networks. St Aidan's is a fantastic place for locals wishing to explore the wider countryside or as a destination for people who love nature.
Opening times
St Aidan's is an open access site. Opening times apply to the visitor centre and car park. From March-October they're open from 9.30 am to 5 pm. From September-February it's 9.30 am to 4 pm. They're closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Entrance charges
Entry to the site is free but donations to help us continue our work are welcome. There is a car park charge of £2.50 per car for RSPB non-members. RSPB members and disabled badge holders park for free.
Information for dog owners
Dogs are allowed on the reserve as long as they are kept on a lead in the appropriate designated zones. There are some less sensitive areas within St Aidan's where dogs are allowed off the lead. Please check with staff before letting dogs off the lead.
Star species
Our star species are some of the most interesting birds you may see on your visit to the reserve.
Bittern
Bitterns are brown, secretive herons, camouflaged to hide amongst reeds. Visit in spring to hear male bitterns 'booming' or summer to watch the parents making feeding flights.
Great crested grebe
Watch the amazing courtship ritual of great crested grebes on the open water in spring. You may see pairs performing their 'weed dance' when they present one another with weed and patter across the surface of the water together.
Little owl
You may be lucky enough to find one of these compact owls perched in a tree or on a fencepost. They become very active at dusk and you may hear their shrill calls.
Marsh harrier
Look for marsh harriers gliding over the reedbed with their wings held upwards in a shallow 'v'. In spring, pairs perform their breathtaking 'skydancing' displays high in the sky.
Skylark
Spring visits will be enriched by the beautiful song of skylarks. They rise up into the air from the grassland until they are barely visible and only their song can be heard
www.rspb.org.uk/reserves/guide/s/staidans/seasonal_highli...
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
Look out for marsh harriers displaying over the reedbeds, great crested grebes performing their elaborate courtship dances and returning swallows skimming low over the water and grasslands as they collect insects. Listen out for skylarks filling the air with their song, the deep booming of male bitterns, male snipe 'drumming' as they vibrate their tail feathers to attract females and lapwings calling as they perform their aerobatic displays. Enjoy the fusion of colour as wildflowers burst into bloom and a host of brightly-coloured butterflies and dragonflies take to the wing. Spring is also a great time to see kestrels. You can often see several hovering around the site at the same time as they hunt for voles in the grassland. Kestrels have also been seen nesting in the huge dragline.
Summer
Watch overhead for herons and little egrets dropping into the reeds to feed, female bitterns flying low over the reedbeds as they seek out food for their chicks or marsh harriers passing food to each other in flight. Keep an eye on the open water for lines of young ducklings paddling along behind their parents or young great crested grebes riding around on their parents' backs and admire the abundant lilypads on the lakes. Stoats, weasels and water voles are often seen at this time of year as are basking butterflies and dragonflies hawking the waters edge. Thousands of black-headed gulls set up a colony at this time of the year filling the air with their calls. Summer is the best time to spot the elusive black necked grebe as it will have its fluffy youngsters in tow. Avocets also nest at this time of year. St Aidan’s is a good place to spot this iconic bird that is the logo of the RSPB.
Autumn
Autumn sees the arrival of migrant birds, such as black-tailed godwits, ruffs and green sandpipers. Local birdwatchers will also spot a few rarities such as spoonbills and pectoral sandpipers. Huge flocks of lapwings arrive to spend winter with us and can be seen around pool edges and on grassland. Short-eared owls hunt over the reedbeds and our winter wildfowl begin to arrive. Look out for flashes of blue as kingfishers flit up and down the river.
Winter
Waders and wildfowl such as lapwings, curlews, wigeons, teals, shovelers and goldeneyes gather in big numbers, roosting and feeding across the grasslands and pools. Water rails can be spotted feeding on frozen pools, or you can listen out for their strange, pig-like squealing! The elusive bittern is also drawn out into the open at times. One of the most awesome spectacles in winter is seeing massive flocks of roosting birds panic and fly into the air as peregrines hunt over the site. Look and listen out for overwintering stonechats. Their calls sound like two pebbles being knocked together!
Facilities
Facilities
•Visitor centre
•Car park : There's a car park charge of £2.50 per car for RSPB non-members. RSPB members and disabled badge holders park for free. We have cycle parking and a height restriction of 2.7 m (8' 10'') for vehicles.
•Toilets
•Disabled toilets
•Baby-changing facilities
•Picnic area
•Group bookings accepted
•Guided walks available
•Good for walking
•Pushchair friendly
Nature trails
Bowers Bimble: Starting from the car park, this 0.9-mile (1.5 km) flat trail takes you on a short walk around Bowers Lake then through grassland and wild flower meadows. Great for a relaxing stroll (20-30 minutes).
Lowther Loop: For a walk through shady woodland glades and along the banks of the River Aire, venture onto this 1.3 mile (2 km) flat trail. In wet winter months, it’s a welly boot walk (60 minutes).
Hillside Hike: For stunning landscapes and panoramic views of the nature park and surrounding areas, t ake a hike onto the hillside. This trail is 1.3 miles (2 km) with some steep hills and inclines, which wind through the trees and grassland (40-60 minutes).
Reedbed Ramble: To explore the magic of the whispering reedbeds, take a walk on this 1.7-mile (2.8 km) flat route that runs around the edges of the reedbeds and loops back to the main entrance (40-45 minutes).
As the new custodians of St Aidan's, we are aiming to improve the accessibility of our paths as soon as we can. Please contact us for updates on footpath and bridleway conditions.
Refreshments available
•Hot drinks
•Cold drinks
•Snacks
•Confectionery
By train
The nearest train stations are Woodlesford (3.2 miles), Castleford (3.2 miles) and Garforth (4.3 miles). If you're going to be walking or cycling from the station to St Aidan's, choose Woodlesford station. Turn left out of the station then left onto the main road. When you get to the bridge over the Aire and Calder navigation, cross it, then turn right and walk along the riverbank until you reach St Aidan's. If you're going to take a taxi from the station to St Aidan's, head towards Castleford station as it's easier to get a taxi there.
By bus
The nearest bus stop is just outside the entrance to St Aidan’s, on Astley Lane. The Number 167 Leeds to Castleford bus stops here and is run by Arriva Yorkshire.
By road
Reach us from junction 46 of the M1. Follow the A63, signposted Selby and Garforth. At the roundabout, take the fourth left for Wakefield A642, Swillington and Oulton. Follow the A642 for 1.5 miles then turn left on to Astley Lane. St Aidan's is 1.8 miles on the right.
From Castleford, follow the A656 (Barnsdale Road) north out of the town centre for 1.4 miles. Turn left onto Station Road towards Allerton Bywater and travel 1.2 miles. Turn left onto the Leeds Road (next to the yellow corner shop). St Aidan’s is 0.5 miles along the road on the left.
Other ways to get to the reserve
It's easy to get to St Aidan's by bike. The site is bordered on its south-east edge by the Trans-Pennine Trail central section (Route 67). This runs north all the way to Leeds city centre, and south to join the main east-west route near our Old Moor nature reserve at Barnsley. There is also a local cycle route called the Linesway Greenway (Route 697) that runs between Garforth and Allerton Bywater with a spur at the Allerton Bywater end that links into the site. St Aidan's is also bordered by the Leeds Country Way. Maps of this route can be found on the Leeds City Council website. There are also many other local footpaths and bridleways that link into the site from the surrounding towns and villages.
this is some abandoned trailer.
i know i've uploaded so many photos from this day, but they are all so different, and, I think, deserve to be uploaded..
plus i'm not doing a 365, so it doesn't matter :P
"When you have vision it affects your attitude, Your attitude is optimistic, rather than pessimistic.." Charles R. Swindoll
My computer broke down, (as usual) and basically it sucks.
Manna Hill. Despite the low rainfall and semi-arid climate in the mid-1870s South Australians were so optimistic that they could grow wheat almost anywhere that the government set up an experimental 1,280 acre wheat farm on the Manna Hill sheep station leasehold in 1877. This followed a series of above average rainfalls in the region. This was the same time that the Willochra Plains near Hawker were being surveyed into farms. The Manna Hill sheep run was established in the early 1860s. At Manna Hill in 1877 three inches of rain fell in May, one inch in June which lulled the farm manager into believing a wheat crop would grow well and it did yielding 12 bushels per acre. In 1878 the farm manager suggested a plantation to be grown at Manna Hill farm. Another good crop was obtained in 1878 but in November 1879 the farm equipment and stock was sold and the farm closed down. The town was established at the government well at Manna Hill on the Barrier Ranges railway which reached the area in 1887. The discovery of gold near Manna Hill in 1886 reinforced the need for a town in this spot. The fine stone railway station dates from around 1887. The first government school opened in 1899 and closed in 1967 when the narrow gauge line was being replaced with a new standard gauge line and railway workers left the town. It is now a residence with a school roof ventilator. The Manna Hill Hotel was built in 1889 and a galvanised iron public hall was erected at some stage. It now has a blue painted besser block facade. Manna Hill has a stone police station built around 1890 which still operates. Joseph Kenworthy owned Oulnina station and built a race course next to the Manna Hill railway station on his land for public race meetings. He died in 1943. His memorial gates to the race course are impressive. Erected in the 1940s after his death.
Madrid
LOS QUE SOBREVIVEN NUNCA SON LOS MISMOS, mi libro de relatos...my short-story book...you can find it in...podéis encontrarlo en...
itunes.apple.com/es/book/los-que-sobreviven-nunca-son/id8...
www.amazon.es/Los-que-sobreviven-nunca-mismos-ebook/dp/B0...
bertadelgadomelgosa.wordpress.com/
www.facebook.com/pages/BERTA-DELGADO-MELGOSA/255830687785188?
The photo of daffodil buds was taken at Darts Hill Garden Park on Feb. 4th 2015 in South Surrey BC.
Spring time is early on the West coast and the warm southern exposure of Darts Hill is a full two weeks ahead of my home in North Surrey, 30 km (19 miles) away. When walking through the garden, looking for signs of spring, these three optimistic daffodil buds, arranged in a row, made me smile. They seemed so stalwart and optimistic. I knew that people viewing this photo would likely smile and feel the same way as I did.
Some background information about Darts Hill:
“Darts Hill Garden Park is a plantsman’s garden, created by Francisca Darts and gifted to the City of Surrey. The garden contains countless species and varieties of plants from all over the world. Mrs. Darts developed a particular affection for rhododendrons and magnolias and her collection of these species is outstanding.”
I am a garden and fine art photographer. I take pictures of Darts Hill Garden in all seasons in an effort to promote and celebrate the beauty of this unique garden.
My Darts Hill Garden photography blog can be viewed at: dartshillgarden.wordpress.com/