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Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choi_Uk_Tsuen:
Choi Uk Tsuen or Tsoi Uk Tsuen (Chinese: 蔡屋村) is a village in Yuen Long Kau Hui, New Territories, Hong Kong.
Choi Uk Tsuen is a recognized village under the New Territories Small House Policy. For electoral purposes, Choi Uk Tsuen is located in the Shap Pat Heung North constituency of the Yuen Long District Council.
The village has an ancestral hall which houses photos of the living and deceased people of the village. The village also has a community centre.
The community living in Choi Uk Tsuen consists of people who have the surname Choi, specifically descendants of three independent family lines who share the same name and have joined the village at various times.
The traditional Poon Choi (Big Bowl Feast) still continues when there is a major event taking place (e.g. wedding celebration and various Chinese Festivals according to the Chinese New year).
Choi Uk Tsuen is part of the Tung Tau alliance (東頭約) or "Joint Meeting Group of Seven Villages", together with Nam Pin Wai, Tung Tau Tsuen, Ying Lung Wai, Shan Pui Tsuen, Wong Uk Tsuen and Tai Wai Tsuen. The Yi Shing Temple in Wong Uk Tsuen is an alliance temple of the Tung Tau Alliance.
el.kingdomsalvation.org/gospel.html
Δευτέρα Παρουσία
Ο Θεός λέει:«Καθώς η θάλασσα δεν ήταν πλέον σιωπηλή, η ζωή άρχισε να γεμίζει και τους ουρανούς. Ένα-ένα τα πουλιά, μικρά και μεγάλα, πετούσαν στον ουρανό από το έδαφος. Αντίθετα από τα πλάσματα της θάλασσας, εκείνα είχαν φτερά και πούπουλα που σκέπαζαν τις λεπτές και χαριτωμένες φιγούρες τους. Χτυπούσαν τα φτερά τους με περηφάνια και επεδείκνυαν αγέρωχα το υπέροχο φτέρωμά τους και τις ειδικές λειτουργίες και ικανότητες που τους χάρισε ο Δημιουργός. Πετούσαν ψηλά με ευκολία και δεξιότητα, ανάμεσα στον ουρανό και στη γη και μέσα από αγρούς και δάση… Ήταν τα αγαπημένα πλάσματα του αέρα και τα αγαπημένα πλάσματα όλων. Σύντομα θα αποτελούσαν τον σύνδεσμο μεταξύ ουρανού και γης και θα μετέφεραν τα μηνύματα σε όλα τα πράγματα… Κελαηδούσαν, εφορμούσαν χαρωπά, σκόρπιζαν κέφι, γέλιο και παλμό σ’ αυτόν τον μέχρι τότε άδειο κόσμο… Χρησιμοποιούσαν το καθάριο τους μελωδικό κελάηδισμα και τα λόγια που είχαν στην καρδιά τους για να υμνούν τον Δημιουργό για τη ζωή που Εκείνος τους χάρισε. Χόρευαν χαρωπά για να δείξουν την τελειότητα και το θαύμα της δημιουργίας του Δημιουργού και θα αφιέρωναν ολόκληρη τη ζωή τους στο να γίνουν μάρτυρες της εξουσίας του Δημιουργού μέσα από την ιδιαίτερη ζωή που Εκείνος τους χάρισε…... »
από το βιβλίο «Ο Λόγος Ενσαρκώνεται»
Υιός του Ανθρώπου
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%8Dan-ji:
Ryōan-ji (Shinjitai: 竜安寺, Kyūjitai: 龍安寺, The Temple of the Dragon at Peace) is a Zen temple located in northwest Kyoto, Japan. It belongs to the Myōshin-ji school of the Rinzai branch of Zen Buddhism. The Ryōan-ji garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of kare-sansui ("dry landscape"), a refined type of Japanese Zen temple garden design generally featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles (small, carefully selected polished river rocks) raked into linear patterns that facilitate meditation. The temple and its gardens are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto, and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The temple's name is synonymous with the temple's famous Zen garden, the karesansui (dry landscape) rock garden, thought to have been built in the late 15th century.
The garden is a rectangle of 248 square meters (2,670 square feet), twenty-five meters by ten meters. Placed within it are fifteen stones of different sizes, carefully composed in five groups; one group of five stones, two groups of three, and two groups of two stones. The stones are surrounded by white gravel, which is carefully raked each day by the monks. The only vegetation in the garden is some moss around the stones.
The garden is meant to be viewed from a seated position on the veranda of the hōjō, the residence of the abbot of the monastery. The stones are placed so that the entire composition cannot be seen at once from the veranda.
The wall behind the garden is an important element of the garden. It is made of clay, which has been stained by age with subtle brown and orange tones. In 1977, the tile roof of the wall was restored with tree bark to its original appearance. When the garden was rebuilt in 1799, it came up higher than before and a view over the wall to the mountain scenery behind came about. At present this view is blocked by trees.
The garden had particular significance for the composer John Cage, who composed a series of works and made visual art works based on it.
Like any work of art, the artistic garden of Ryōan-ji is also open to interpretation or research into possible meanings. Many different theories have been put forward inside and outside Japan about what the garden is supposed to represent, from islands in a stream, a tiger family crossing a river, mountain peaks, to theories about secrets of geometry or the rules of equilibrium of odd numbers. Garden historian Gunter Nitschke wrote: "The garden at Ryōan-ji does not symbolize anything, or more precisely, to avoid any misunderstanding, the garden of Ryōan-ji does not symbolize, nor does it have the value of reproducing a natural beauty that one can find in the real or mythical world. I consider it to be an abstract composition of 'natural' objects in space, a composition whose function is to incite meditation."
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinkaku-ji:
Kinkaku-ji (金閣寺, 'Temple of the Golden Pavilion'), officially named Rokuon-ji (鹿苑寺, lit. 'Deer Garden Temple'), is a Zen Buddhist temple in Kyoto, Japan. It is one of the most popular buildings in Kyoto, attracting many visitors annually. It is designated as a National Special Historic Site, a National Special Landscape and is one of 17 locations making up the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto which are World Heritage Sites.
The Golden Pavilion (金閣, Kinkaku) is a three-story building on the grounds of the Rokuon-ji temple complex. The top two stories of the pavilion are covered with pure gold leaf. The pavilion functions as a shariden (舎利殿), housing relics of the Buddha (Buddha's Ashes). The building was an important model for Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion Temple) and Shōkoku-ji, which are also located in Kyoto. When these buildings were constructed, Ashikaga Yoshimasa employed the styles used at Kinkaku-ji and even borrowed the names of its second and third floors.
The pavilion successfully incorporates three distinct styles of architecture, which are shinden, samurai and zen, specifically on each floor. Each floor of the Kinkaku uses a different architectural style.
The first floor, called The Chamber of Dharma Waters (法水院, Hō-sui-in), is rendered in shinden-zukuri style, reminiscent of the residential style of the 11th century Heian imperial aristocracy. It is evocative of the Shinden palace style. It is designed as an open space with adjacent verandas and uses natural, unpainted wood and white plaster. This helps to emphasize the surrounding landscape. The walls and fenestration also affect the views from inside the pavilion. Most of the walls are made of shutters that can vary the amount of light and air into the pavilion and change the view by controlling the shutters' heights. The second floor, called The Tower of Sound Waves (潮音洞, Chō-on-dō ), is built in the style of warrior aristocrats, or buke-zukuri. On this floor, sliding wood doors and latticed windows create a feeling of impermanence. The second floor also contains a Buddha Hall and a shrine dedicated to the goddess of mercy, Kannon. The third floor is built in traditional Chinese chán (Jpn. zen) style, also known as zenshū-butsuden-zukuri. It is called the Cupola of the Ultimate (究竟頂, Kukkyō-chō). The zen typology depicts a more religious ambiance in the pavilion, as was popular during the Muromachi period.
The roof is in a thatched pyramid with shingles. The building is topped with a bronze hōō (phoenix) ornament. From the outside, viewers can see gold plating added to the upper stories of the pavilion. The gold leaf covering the upper stories hints at what is housed inside: the shrines. The outside is a reflection of the inside. The elements of nature, death, religion, are formed together to create this connection between the pavilion and outside intrusions.
The Golden Pavilion is set in a Japanese strolling garden (回遊式庭園, kaiyū-shiki-teien, lit. a landscape garden in the go-round style). The location implements the idea of borrowing of scenery ("shakkei") that integrates the outside and the inside, creating an extension of the views surrounding the pavilion and connecting it with the outside world. The pavilion extends over a pond, called Kyōko-chi (鏡湖池, Mirror Pond), that reflects the building. The pond contains 10 smaller islands. The zen typology is seen through the rock composition; the bridges and plants are arranged in a specific way to represent famous places in Chinese and Japanese literature. Vantage points and focal points were established because of the strategic placement of the pavilion to view the gardens surrounding the pavilion. A small fishing hall (釣殿, tsuri-dono) or roofed deck is attached to the rear of the pavilion building, allowing a small boat to be moored under it. The pavilion grounds were built according to descriptions of the Western Paradise of the Buddha Amida, intending to illustrate a harmony between heaven and earth. The largest islet in the pond represents the Japanese islands. The four stones forming a straight line in the pond near the pavilion are intended to represent sailboats anchored at night, bound for the Isle of Eternal Life in Chinese mythology.
The garden complex is an excellent example of Muromachi period garden design. The Muromachi period is considered to be a classical age of Japanese garden design. The correlation between buildings and its settings were greatly emphasized during this period. It was an artistic way to integrate the structure within the landscape. The garden designs were characterized by a reduction in scale, a more central purpose, and a distinct setting. A minimalistic approach was brought to the garden design by recreating larger landscapes in a smaller scale around a structure.
The Helix Bridge, previously known as the Double Helix Bridge, is a pedestrian bridge linking Marina Centre with Marina South in the Marina Bay area in Singapore. It was officially opened on April 24, 2010. It is located beside the Benjamin Sheares Bridge and is accompanied by a vehicular bridge, known as the Bayfront Bridge.
The bridge complements other major development projects planned in the area, including the highly-anticipated Integrated Resort Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer, Gardens by the Bay and the 438,000 m² business and financial centre which will be ready by 2012.
The design consortium is an international team comprising Australian architects the Cox Group and engineers Arup, and Singapore based Architects 61. The bridge is expected to be a focal point for the community, linking cultural, recreational and entertainment facilities in the area and complements the overall pedestrian scheme of Marina Bay. The bridge also functions as a gallery where childrens' paintings and drawings are exhibited for public viewing.
Canopies (made of fritted-glass and perforated steel mesh) are incorporated along parts of the inner spiral to provide shade for pedestrians. The bridge has five viewing platforms sited at strategic locations which provide stunning views of the Singapore skyline and events taking place within Marina Bay. At night, the bridge will be illuminated by a series of lights that highlight the double-helix structure, thereby creating a special visual experience for the visitors.
The Land Transport Authority claims it is a world's first in architectural & engineering bridge design.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Please take your time... to View it large on black
A classic view of the lighthouse beyond the cliffs. This is one of the best places imaginable for watching the sunset. A short walk visiting Neist Point, most western point on Skye. This spectacular headland is a good place for bird, dolphins and whale-watchers. The made-up path ends just before the lighthouse and cottages, where are on fenced private land. The complex was built in 1909 at a cost of £4,350 - the engineer being David A Stevenson of the famous Stevenson family of lighthouse builders. A place to look out for breaching fins and blows in the sea. Have a look at the walking route.
Photo taken on a boggy path northwest from the car park for about half a kilometre. The stormy wind up here almost blew my camera from my neck!!!
Een bekend en prachtig uitzicht op de vuurtoren achter de rotsen. Dit is een van de mooiste plekken van Skye om de zonsondergang te bekijken. Een wandeling van een uur brengt je naar het meest westelijk punt van Skye: Neist point. Een goeie plek om uit te kijken naar vogels, dolfijnen en walvissen. Een klein wandelpad brengt je naar het vuurtoren complex. Het vuurtoren complex was destijds in 1909 gebouwd voor maar £4,350 door David A Stevenson. Een bekende familienaam die meer vuurtorens bouwden. Zie hier de wandelkaart.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customs_House_(Bangkok):
The old Customs House is a historic building in Bangkok, located on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bang Rak District. It was built in 1888 as one of the many Western-style buildings commissioned by King Chulalongkorn, and was designed by Joachim Grassi in the neo-Palladian style. The building fell into disrepair during the mid-20th century. Beginning in 2019, it is undergoing restoration and re-development as a luxury hotel.
The Customs House was built in 1888 to designs by Joachim Grassi. Built in the Palladian style, it is a fine example of the prevalent use of Western architecture in public buildings during Siam (Thailand)'s modernisation under the reign of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V). The building sits on the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bang Rak District, on Soi Charoen Krung 36, and was symbolically considered the gateway to the country.
In 1949, the customs office moved to Khlong Toei Port. The building later came to serve as headquarters of the Marine Police Division, and then residences for staff of the Bang Rak Fire Station. The building has much deteriorated since, and while multiple plans for its restoration were proposed, none came to fruition.
In 2005, real estate consortium Natural Park won a 30-year concession from the Treasury Department (which administers the building as state property) to renovate the site as an Aman Resorts hotel. However, in the ten years since, no development had taken place, due to difficulties in relocating the previous tenants. The residents finally moved out in early 2016, and the Treasury Department confirmed in 2017 that the project would go ahead under the U City company, as Natural Park was now known following restructuring.
U City, in a joint venture with Aman Resorts and Silverlink Resorts, signed the development contract on 29 May 2019, giving it a thirty-year lease of the property. U City plans to spend 3 billion baht (US$94 million) restoring and developing the property as a luxury hotel, slated to be completed by 2025. Work will begin with archaeological excavation and cataloguing in association with the Fine Arts Department.
Excerpt from www.lecinqueterre.org/eng/arte/vernaantiochia.php:
Legend has it that in ancient times, a small wooden box was found along the coast of Vernazza, containing the bones of a finger of Santa Margherita's hand. After shouting the miracle, the inhabitants decided to build a church in honor of the Saint in the district called Isolotto. A strong storm, however, dispersed the relic and it appeared only some time later, exactly where it was first found. The Vernazzesi then built the church there, overlooking the sea, where it is today.
More prosaically, the church of Santa Margherita d'Antiochia was built in the 13th century in the Gothic-Ligurian style by the Antelami Masters on a pre-existing Romanesque building. Mentioned for the first time in 1318, it stands on a rock overlooking the sea. The octagonal tower, 40 meters high, is crowned by small arches and ends with an ogival dome. Between 1500 and 1600 the church was enlarged, extending the hall by two bells per nave, to the detriment of the original medieval façade which was destroyed. In 1750, new works on the church led to the covering of the Romanesque interior with Baroque style coverings, also replacing the wooden roof with vaults and raising the bell tower. In more recent times, in the years 1964-1970, the church was partially restored with the original internal structure and recovering the exposed wooden roof.
The church has two entrances: the main one is more hidden and less easy to reach, and a more comfortable one, in one of the apses overlooking the tree-lined square in front of the marina, opened during the 19th century. The interior with three naves is raised above the level of the square. It houses two 17th century canvases, the Baroque high altar from 1750, an 18th century processional chest and a wooden crucifix attributed to Anton Maria Maragliano.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derwentwater
Derwentwater (or Derwent Water) is one of the principal bodies of water in the Lake District National Park in north west England. It lies wholly within the Borough of Allerdale, in the county of Cumbria.
The lake occupies part of Borrowdale and lies immediately south of the town of Keswick. It is both fed and drained by the River Derwent. It measures approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) long by 1 mile (1.6 km) wide and is some 72 feet (22 m) deep. There are several islands within the lake, one of which is inhabited. Derwent Island House, an 18th-century residence, is a tenanted National Trust property open to the public on five days each year.
Derwentwater is a place of considerable scenic value. It is surrounded by hills (known locally as fells), and many of the slopes facing Derwentwater are extensively wooded. A regular passenger launch operates on the lake, taking passengers between various landing stages. There are seven lakeside marinas, the most popular stops being: Keswick, Portinscale and the Lodore Falls, from which boats may be hired. Recreational walking is a major tourist activity in the area and an extensive network of footpaths exists within the hills and woods surrounding the lake.
The Keswick—Borrowdale road runs along the eastern shore of the lake and carries a regular bus service. There is a lesser, or unclassified, road along the western shore connecting the villages of Grange and Portinscale.
Derwentwater gave its name to the Earldom of Derwentwater.
The lake is believed to be the last remaining native habitat of the vendace (Coregonus vandesius) fish from the 4 originally known sites: Bassenthwaite Lake and Derwent Water in the Lake District and the Castle Loch & Mill Loch in Lochmaben.[2]
Etymology
'Derwent' is " '(River) with oak trees', traditionally explained from Brit." (i.e.: Brythonic Celtic) " 'derwā' 'oak' plus suffixes, hence of the same origin as other English rivers named Derwent, Darwen, Darent and Dart...The river gave its name to Derwent Water (which was also known as the 'Lake of Derwent', 'Keswick Lake', or 'Keswick Water' in the 18th-19th centuries)...".[3] Plus "OE 'wæter', with the meaning probably influenced by its ON relative 'vatn'
Derwentwater's islands
There are numerous islands in Derwentwater, the largest being: Derwent Island, Lord's Island, St Herbert's Island, Rampsholme Island, Park Neb, Otter Island, and Otterbield Island. St. Herbert's Island is named after a C. 7th priest hermit, St. Herbert of Derwentwater.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8D-ji:
Tō-ji Temple (東寺, Tō-ji, "East Temple"), also known as Kyō-ō-gokoku-ji (教王護国寺, The Temple for the Defense of the Nation by Means of the King of Doctrines) is a Shingon Buddhist temple in the Minami-ku ward of Kyoto, Japan.
Founded in 796, it was one of the only three Buddhist temples allowed in the city at the time it became the capital of Japan. As such it has a long history, housing treasures and documents from the early Heian period and the Tang dynasty, and with buildings in its complex covering the Kamakura, Muromachi, Momoyama, and Edo periods. Five of these buildings have been designated National Treasures in two different categories: the Lotus Flower Gate (rengemon), the Miei Hall (mieidō), the Golden Hall (kondō) and the five-storied Pagoda (gojūnotō) (temple buildings) and the Kanchiin Guest Hall (kanchiin kyakuden) (residences).
Tō-ji was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto.
The five-storied Pagoda (五重塔, gojūnotō) of Tō-ji dates from 1643 (Edo period), when it was rebuilt by order of the third Tokugawa Shōgun, Iemitsu. The original pagoda was built in the 9th century, but it was destroyed and rebuilt four times before reaching its current state. It was designated a National Treasure in 1952.
The pagoda stands 54.8 meters (180 feet) high, and is the tallest wooden tower in Japan. Entrance into the pagoda itself is permitted only on special occasions, but it is usually open and the interior can be seen from the outside. It houses relics, sculptures, and paintings. At ground level, there are statues of four Buddhas facing different directions.
The Kondo or Golden Hall is the main hall of the temple and contains a statue of Yakushi from 1603.
The Miedo is dedicated to Kobo Daishi, also called Kukai, the temple's founder. It stands on the location of his original residence. The hall is opened on the 21st of each month when a memorial service is held for Kukai.
The grounds feature a garden and pond, in which turtles and koi swim. The grounds also house an academically rigorous private school, Rakunan, from which many students are sent to elite universities.
More playing with Fractalius again, hope you like it!
One of my favorite songs: Knocking on Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan right click and open in new window/tab
INVITES ARE GREAT, BUT PLEASE IN MODERATION
All my public photos are free for personal use
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters).
The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. The surrounding area is contained within the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of the preservation of the Grand Canyon area and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.
Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While some aspects about the history of incision of the canyon are debated by geologists, several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon.
For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native Americans, who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon a holy site, and made pilgrimages to it. The first European known to have viewed the Grand Canyon was García López de Cárdenas from Spain, who arrived in 1540.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon_National_Park
Grand Canyon National Park is a national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Wonders of the World. The park, which covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties, received more than 4.7 million recreational visitors in 2023. The Grand Canyon was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. The park celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 26, 2019.
Source: www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
Entirely within the state of Arizona, the park encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homelands of 11 present day Tribal Communities, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—a mile deep canyon unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors from both north and south rims.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "米国" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis" "ארצות הברית" "संयुक्त राज्य" "США"
(Arizona) "أريزونا" "亚利桑那州" "אריזונה" "एरिजोना" "アリゾナ州" "애리조나" "Аризона"
(Grand Canyon) "جراند كانيون" "大峡谷" "גרנד קניון" "ग्रांड कैन्यन" "グランドキャニオン" "그랜드 캐니언" "Гранд-Каньон" "Gran Cañón"
The Zlatorog is a superb Slovenia folk beast/hero, who when shot by a hunter goes wild in rage and gores out a valley from rock.
A chamois or mountain goat, I kind of saw his determined, wild eyes and horns in the flow of the water. It's shot just downstream from this light painting at the Mala Savica stone bridge which I took last year.
If you get there early and work as the night falls, you forget how horrifically scary it is when it's dark. And by then you have to leave anyway. It's easy to understand how these folk tales, and grimmer ones, came to life in Central Europe. Walking along with a military spec LED and second torch to light my way is a thing of terror, even though there's nothing in the woods. Try that with whale oil in a sputtering lantern and bears, wolves, bandits, etc. lurking in the shadows.
Still - this was an experiment. The left is lit with feathered continuous light from an LED. The right is lit from below with a single 1/8 power zap from a Canon 600EX-RT. Without adding light the scene would have been black.
I started shooting long exposure in urban surrounds, looking for scenes with movement that could be blurred over ten minutes. As I started to shoot long exposure in the country, things looked flat. Movement being blurred, it turned out, isn't what appealed to me in the urban environments - rather it was the way that light sources were limited, and how that changed the mood.
The more I shoot rural long exposure, the more I find that means adding light to sculpt the scene to your vision - or you are left, to my mind, a little flat.
Hope everyone is having an incredible start to the weekend!
Excerpt from www.centralunitedchurch.org/our-history/:
In February 1861, a committee of Methodist initiated steps to build their first church in Welland.
A little white church on East Main St. opened in 1862. The congregation flourished and moved to King and Young St. on land donated by the Morwood family.
Unfortunately, not one, but two fires in 1907 completely destroyed the building except for the masonry walls and Bell Tower. A rededication of the rebuilt church was held on May 8th 1908. Luckily the manse was not damaged in the fire.
In 1925, Central became a United Church with the amalgamation of the Methodist, Congregationalist and some Presbyterian congregations forming the new United Church denomination.
A cornerstone was laid in June of 1952 for the large two-story addition attached to the original building. This included meeting rooms, classrooms, sanctuary, and washrooms and was called the Christian Education Building. Also added were washroom and the Hearth Room, now called the Saunders Room. The manse was also connected to the church at this time.
The major Sanctuary addition, which was completed in 1956, moved the organ pipes from the back of the choir loft to their current location and created a center aisle. Early in the 1960’s a manse was purchased on Church Street and the former manse was then referred to as the Church House. The Church House was used as a nursery and for Sunday School classes until the 2000’s. Today it is used by the Youth Group, known as MICE, for art classes and summer art camp.
About 1996 the fellowship hall was radically changed converting the rotting wooden floor to tile on concrete and relocating the Dorcas room. Six years later in 2002 all of the washrooms were replaced, an addition to the kitchen with a room above was added and the Chapel on the main floor which was no longer used was renamed The Northern Lights Room and converted to a Children’s Play room. The Ontario Early Years Center, a tenant at the time, provided the majority of the funding for this project.
As our 150th Anniversary project in 2012 the Sanctuary was again transformed to create a larger flat chancel area to help facilitate the flexibility required by today’s society. All furnishings are movable and the organ council was moved to the main floor to optimize sight lines for the congregation. Jean Saunders also gifted a grand piano to Central to further enhance the music program.
In 2014 two screens replaced the solitary centre screen, which blocked view of the cross, to supplement services. A new sound system has been added along with equipment to enable video of our services and zoom the sermons.
Central United continues to adapt to change and is an active, essential part of Welland. Our work continues within the church and the community at large.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sens%C5%8D-ji:
Sensō-ji (浅草寺, officially Kinryū-zan Sensō-ji (金龍山浅草寺), also known as Asakusa Kannon (浅草観音)), is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest-established temple, and one of its most significant. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Structures in the temple complex include the main hall, a five-story pagoda and large gates. It is the most widely visited religious site in the world with over 30 million visitors annually.
The temple was destroyed during a 10 March 1945 firebombing air raid on Tokyo during World War II. The main hall was rebuilt in the 1950s. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect of Buddhism, the temple became independent after the war. Leading to it is Nakamise-dōri street, containing many shops with traditional goods. Adjacent to the east of Sensō-ji is the Asakusa Shrine of the Shinto religion.
The Kaminarimon (雷門, "Thunder Gate") is the outer of two large entrance gates that ultimately lead to the Sensō-ji (the inner being the Hōzōmon) in Asakusa. The gate, with its lantern and statues, is popular with tourists. It stands 11.7 metres (38 ft) tall, 11.4 metres (37 ft) wide and covers an area of 69.3 square metres (746 sq ft). The first gate was built in 941, but the current gate dates back to 1960, after the previous gate was destroyed in a fire in 1865.
Four statues are housed in the Kaminarimon, two in the front alcoves and two on the other side. On the front of the gate, the statues of the Shinto gods Fūjin and Raijin are displayed. Fūjin, the god of wind, is located on the east side of the gate, while Raijin, the god of thunder, is located on the west side. The original sculptures were severely damaged in the fire of 1865, with only the heads being saved, and the statues restored for the gate's 1960 reconstruction.
Two additional statues stand on the reverse of the gate: the Buddhist god Tenryū on the east, and the goddess Kinryū on the west side. These were donated in 1978 to commemorate the 1350th anniversary of the first appearance of the bodhisattva Kannon (Avalokiteśvara) at Asakusa, which led to the founding of Sensō-ji. The statues were carved by then-106-year-old master sculptor Hirakushi Denchū.
A giant red lantern (chōchin) hangs under the center of the gate. It is 3.9 metres (13 ft) tall, 3.3 metres (11 ft) wide and weighs approximately 700 kilograms (1,500 lb). The current lantern, the fifth iteration, was built by Takahashi Chōchin K.K in 2013 and has the same metallic base on the bottom as the previous lantern. The base has a name plate that says "Matsushita Denki", an abbreviated form of Panasonic's old Japanese name, Matsushita Denki Sangyo Kabushiki Gaisha.[16] The front of the lantern displays the gate's name, Kaminarimon (雷門). Painted on the back is the gate's official name, Fūraijinmon (風雷神門). During festivals such as Sanja Matsuri, the lantern is collapsed to let tall objects pass through the gate.
The characters 金龍山 (Kinryū-zan) on the tablet above the lantern read from right to left and reference the Sensō-ji.
Song thrush - Wikipedia
The song thrush (Turdus philomelos) is a thrush that breeds across the West Palearctic. It has brown upper-parts and black-spotted cream or buff underparts and has three recognised subspecies. Its distinctive song, which has repeated musical phrases, has frequently been referred to in poetry.
The song thrush breeds in forests, gardens and parks, and is partially migratory with many birds wintering in southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East; it has also been introduced into New Zealand and Australia. Although it is not threatened globally, there have been serious population declines in parts of Europe, possibly due to changes in farming practices.
The song thrush builds a neat mud-lined cup nest in a bush or tree and lays four to five dark-spotted blue eggs. It is omnivorous and has the habit of using a favourite stone as an "anvil" on which to break open the shells of snails. Like other perching birds (passerines), it is affected by external and internal parasites and is vulnerable to predation by cats and birds of prey.
Singdrossel - Wikipedia
Die Singdrossel (Turdus philomelos) ist eine Vogelart, die zur Familie der Drosseln (Turdidae) und zur Ordnung der Sperlingsvögel (Passeriformes) gehört. Sie ist in der gemäßigten und der borealen Zone der westlichen und zentralen Paläarktis beheimatet und zählt dort zu den häufigen waldbewohnenden Arten. Europäische Vögel überwintern im Mittelmeerraum. Im Südosten Australiens und in Neuseeland wurde sie Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts als Neubürger (Neozoon) eingeführt.
Devocional cristiano de hoy | Al recibir al Señor, hay que evitar caminar por la senda de los fariseos
Hace 2000 años, los israelitas esperaban desesperadamente la venida del Mesías, pero cuando llegó Él, los fariseos lo clavaron en la cruz, al final Israel fue castigado por Dios, y esto llevó a la destrucción de Israel. Ahora ya estamos en los últimos días, y las profecías del regreso del Señor se han cumplido básicamente. El Señor se ha encarnado y se ha convertido en el Hijo del hombre para aparecer y obrar, Él es Cristo de los últimos días, Dios Todopoderoso. Dios Todopoderoso ha expresado millones de palabras y ha llevado a cabo una nueva obra. Pero, al oír la noticia del retorno del Señor, algunas personas se niegan a buscar e investigar, porque creen que todas las palabras y obra de Dios están en la Biblia, y no hay más Sus palabras y obra fuera de la Biblia. ¿Hemos pensado alguna vez si este punto de vista se conforma al hecho de la obra de Dios?
Juan 21:25 dice: “Y hay también muchas otras cosas que Jesús hizo, que si se escribieran en detalle, pienso que ni aun el mundo mismo podría contener los libros que se escribirían”.
El Señor Jesús profetizó: “Aún tengo muchas cosas que deciros, pero ahora no las podéis soportar. Pero cuando Él, el Espíritu de verdad, venga, os guiará a toda la verdad, porque no hablará por su propia cuenta, sino que hablará todo lo que oiga, y os hará saber lo que habrá de venir” (Juan 16:12-13).
El Apocalipsis profetiza: “El que tiene oído, oiga lo que el Espíritu dice a las iglesias” (Apocalipsis 2:7).
De esto podemos ver que cuando el Señor venga en los últimos días, expresará nuevas palabras, así pues, ¿cómo podrían estas palabras ser registradas en la Biblia de antemano? Si pensamos que no hay palabras de Dios fuera de la Biblia, ¿cómo se pueden cumplir las profecías anteriores?
Dios Todopoderoso dice: “¿Quién es más grande: Dios o la Biblia? ¿Por qué debe obrar Dios de acuerdo con la Biblia? ¿Podría ser que Dios mismo no tuviera derecho de sobrepasar la Biblia? ¿No puede salirse Dios de la Biblia y hacer otra obra? ¿Por qué no guardaban el día de reposo Jesús y Sus discípulos? Si debía guardar el día de reposo y practicar según los mandamientos del Antiguo Testamento, ¿por qué no lo hizo Jesús después de venir, sino que en su lugar lavó pies, cubrió cabezas, partió pan y bebió vino? ¿No está todo esto ausente de los mandamientos del Antiguo Testamento? Si Jesús honraba el Antiguo Testamento, ¿por qué terminó con estas doctrinas? Deberías saber qué vino primero, ¡Dios o la Biblia! Si era el Señor del día de reposo, ¿no podría ser también el de la Biblia?”.
“El hecho que estoy explicando aquí es este: lo que Dios es y tiene es inagotable e ilimitado por siempre. Dios es la fuente de la vida y de todas las cosas. Dios no puede ser dimensionado por ningún ser creado. Por último, debo todavía recordar a todos: no delimitéis otra vez a Dios en libros, palabras o en Sus declaraciones pasadas. Hay una sola palabra para la característica de la obra de Dios: nueva. A Él no le gusta tomar caminos antiguos o repetir Su obra, y mucho menos quiere que la gente lo adore mientras que lo delimita a un cierto ámbito. Este es el carácter de Dios”.
Extracto de “La Palabra manifestada en carne”
Las palabras de Dios nos dicen con claridad que Él es la fuente del agua viva, que el contenido registrado en la Biblia es limitado y que Él no obra de acuerdo con la Biblia. Si pensamos que todas las palabras de Dios están en la Biblia y nos negamos a aceptar las declaraciones del Señor regresado, entonces ¿no nos convertiremos en personas que esperan el regreso del Señor Jesús pero se resisten a Su venida? En el momento crítico en que damos la bienvenida al Señor, ¿cómo debemos evitar repetir el camino de los fariseos y recibir al Señor cuanto antes? Haga clic en el enlace para encontrar la manera correcta de recibir al Señor.
👉 www.messenger.com/t/kingdomsalvationes/
Recomendación: ¿Qué es un anticristo?
Unas citas bíblicas son tomadas de LA BIBLIA DE LAS AMERICAS® (LBLA) Copyright © 1986, 1995, 1997 por The Lockman Foundation usado con permiso. www.LBLA.com.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Kwun:
Tai Kwun, or the Former Central Police Station Compound (CPS Compound) includes three declared monuments in Central, Hong Kong: the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Surrounded by Hollywood Road, Arbuthnot Road, Chancery Lane, and Old Bailey Street, the compound underwent a heritage revitalisation and reopened to the public on 29 May 2018[1] as Tai Kwun (Chinese: 大館), a centre for heritage and arts.
The Former Central Police Station Compound (FCPSC), built between 1841 and 1925, comprises 16 historic buildings grouped under the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Most of the city's historic colonial architecture had been bulldozed for development before the British government handed it back to China in 1997.
The first building in the FCPSC is the Magistrate's House, with jail blocks, which were built in 1841. In 1899, the former Central Prison was renamed to Victoria Prison (or Victoria Gaol). The site underwent numerous expansions and reconstruction over the next century. In 1862, the number of prisoners increased to 650, and the government decided to develop the land nearby. The series of compounds hence formed Tai Kwun. Victoria Prison was decommissioned in 2006.
In 2008, the government of Hong Kong partnered with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to conserve and revitalise the complex, which turned into one of the most significant and expensive revitalisation projects in the territory, costing HK$1.8 billion; work began in 2011.
The conversion was completed in phases. Work faced a setback when a wall and roof collapsed in 2016. The Buildings Department prosecuted a subcontractor it deemed responsible for the accident, which was reportedly triggered by the failure of a brick pier that had been structurally undermined. Tai Kwun partially reopened to the public in May 2018.
A Former Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project was established to conserve and revitalise the heritage site for reuse. The project was operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and took eight years and HK$3.8 billion or about US$480M in 2018.
Tai Kwun, named after the historical colloquial name of the compound, is a mix of heritage and contemporary architecture. 16 heritage buildings have been restored for reuse. An additional two new buildings have been constructed, featuring designs inspired by the site's historic brickwork.
As early as the 1880s, the name Tai Kwun has been recorded in news articles in reference to the Former Central Police Station.
In 2018, Time listed Tai Kwun in its "World's Greatest Places 2018" list.
In 2019, Tai Kwun was awarded "Award of Excellence" from the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nieuwe_Kerk_(The_Hague):
The Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) is a Dutch Baroque Protestant church in The Hague, located across from the modern city hall on the Spui. It was built in 1649 after the Great Church had become too small. Construction was completed in 1656.
The church was designed by the architect Peter Noorwits, who was assisted by the painter and architect Bartholomeus van Bassen. The church is considered a highlight of the early Protestant church architecture in the Netherlands. Like many churches of that time was the New Church, a central building. Unlike other central building, the church is no simple circular or multifaceted plan but there is a space of two octagonal sections which are connected by a slightly smaller proportion in which the pulpit was prepared. The Dutch Baroque architecture of the church shows elements of both Renaissance and Classicism. Two church bells by Coenraat Wegewaert in 1656 hang in their original bell-chairs, 100,2 cm and 81,5 cm in diameter. He also designed the clock.
The church has an organ built by the Dutch organ builder Johannes Duyschot (1645-1725) in 1702. The construction has left most of the pipework and the case. The organ was rebuilt in 1867 by one of the best organ builders of that time, the business of Christian Gottlieb Friedrich Witte. They adjusted the design of the organ to make it suitable for modern Romantic music.
Up until these canals in The Hague were filled in at the end of the 19th century, the church was accessed by boat or from the Wagenstraat on a square island between the Spui river, the St. Anthonisburgwal or Rotterdam Veerkade (the old trekschuit route to Rotterdam), the Stille Veerkade or Amsterdam Veerkade (the old trekschuit route to Amsterdam), and the Paviljoensgracht.
In the 20th century, acoustical adjustments were made to the interior in a modern face. In the thirties the church was notable as the most impressive building on the Spui, which was one of the streets in the Dutch game of Monopoly. The church was closed in 1969 after a long restoration and reopened as a concert hall.
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Seals, both Common and Grey can be seen around the coastline of the Highlands and Islands – on a wet walk they are guaranteed to raise spirits. We took a 2 hour walk onto the little visited Fiadhairt peninsula, the south shores of which are the best place in Skye for seeing seals close up. These shores are much favoured by the Loch Dunvegan common seal colony, which is the largest on Skye. A walk in the rain across the soaking wet grassy moorland with faint sheep tracks. See this map for details. The seals can often be seen basking on the rocks where seaweed filled inlets either on shore or just out in the sea. Approach very quietly, taking care not to disturb the seals too much. There are usually many of them swimming in the water; when in the water, the seals are much more confident and often swim quite close, seemingly as inquisitive as their human visitors.
Photo of common Seals taken on the Isle of Skye in Loch Dunvegan - Scotland.
De gewone Zeehonden en de grijze zeehonden kunnen rond de Schotse kustlijn en eilanden van de Hooglanden gezien worden. Het is zeker na een natte wandeling een fantastisch ervaring. We deden een wandeling van 2 uur op het weinig bezochte Fiadhairt schiereiland. De beste plaats van het eiland Skye zijn deze zuid oevers van het meer van Dunvegan. Een wandeling in de regen over het natte en drassige heidelandschap. Zie kaart voor details. De zeehonden kunnen dikwijls worden gezien op de rotsen of tussen het zeewier in de vele inhammen. Benader ze heel rustig en zorg er voor om de zeehonden niet te veel te storen. Zeehonden vinden het veiliger wanneer ze in het water zijn dan op de oevers. In het water zwemmen ze dikwijls redelijk dichtbij, schijnbaar even nieuwsgierig als hun menselijke bezoekers.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrance_Barrens:
The Torrance Barrens (officially Torrance Barrens Conservation Reserve) is a conservation area and dark-sky preserve in the District Municipality of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada. The reserve consists of Crown Lands in the municipalities of Gravenhurst and Muskoka Lakes. It is notable as the first dark-sky preserve in Canada and for its geological and environmental features.
In 1870, the Musquash Colonization Road was built, connecting Gravenhurst to Musquash Falls (now Bala). This road was the first in the area and some segments are still in use. However, the portion that bisects through the reserve is no longer in use and is a separate nature reserve, the 195 acres (79 ha) Musquash Road Nature Reserve.
In 1992, its significant natural values were identified, and additional studies described the aesthetic and recreational importance. In 1995, the Ministry of Natural Resources proposed to protect the area and public consultations began.
The reserve was established in June 1997 under Ontario Regulation 259/97, and as a result of its favourable conditions for astronomy viewing, it was recognized as a permanent dark-sky preserve in 1999, the first in Canada.
The reserve straddles the edges of the Moon River Domain (Parry Sound Terrane) and the Go Home Domain (Algonquin Terrane), structural subdivisions of the Grenville province of the Grenville orogeny. It is characterized by low elongated ridges of Precambrian bedrock with little topsoil and scattered boulders. The ridges are granitic gneisses and migmatites of varied origins, separated by wetland, ponds, and peat-filled hollows.
The geology represents the Grenville Province continental accretion theme and is therefore locally significant.
While the Torrance Barrens are part of an intermittent band of granite barrens stretching from Eastern Ontario to Georgian Bay, it is rare this far south in Ontario, and therefore the environment and flora of the reserve are unique and distinct in its location.
The location and topography make the Torrance Barrens a suitable location for night-time sky viewing opportunities. There is no light pollution of nearby cities, and the reserve is mostly surrounded by undeveloped private lands and other parks, allowing it to retain the natural darkness of the night. Because of its barren bedrock, telescopes and cameras can be stationed on a solid base, immune to vibrations. Furthermore, the natural open spaces and lack of surrounding high hills provide an unobstructed panorama of the sky and horizon.
Owing to these favourable conditions, the Andromeda Galaxy is visible with the naked eye from the Torrance Barrens, and with a simple telescope, the cloud bands of Jupiter and the rings of Saturn can be seen.
Palabra de Dios | Bajo la autoridad del Creador, todas las cosas son perfectas
Todas las cosas creadas por Dios, las que podían moverse y las que no, las aves y los peces, los árboles y las flores, el ganado, los insectos y los animales salvajes creados el sexto día, todas estaban bien para Dios; además, a Sus ojos y según Su plan, todas estas cosas habían alcanzado el apogeo de la perfección y los estándares que Él deseaba lograr. Paso a paso, el Creador hizo la obra que pretendía hacer de acuerdo con Su plan. Una tras otra aparecieron las cosas que Él pretendía crear, y la aparición de cada una de ellas fue un reflejo de la autoridad del Creador, y la cristalización de Su autoridad. Debido a estas materializaciones, ninguna de las criaturas podía evitar estar agradecida por la gracia y la provisión del Creador. Cuando los hechos milagrosos de Dios se manifestaron, este mundo creció poco a poco, con todas las cosas que Él creó, y pasó del caos y de las tinieblas a la claridad y la luminosidad, de la quietud sepulcral a la vivacidad y la vitalidad sin límites. Entre todas las cosas de la creación, desde las grandes a las pequeñas, y desde estas a las microscópicas, no había ni siquiera una que no hubiese sido creada por la autoridad y el poder del Creador, y existía una necesidad y un valor únicos e inherentes a la existencia de cada criatura. Independientemente de las diferencias de forma y estructura, sólo tenía que hacerlas el Creador para que existieran bajo Su autoridad. […]
Así, bajo la autoridad del Creador, todas las cosas interpretarán una nueva sinfonía por Su soberanía; iniciarán un brillante preludio por Su obra del nuevo día, ¡y en ese momento, Él también abrirá una nueva página en la obra de Su gestión! Según la ley de los brotes de primavera, la maduración del verano, la cosecha del otoño, y el almacenamiento del invierno asignados por el Creador, todas las cosas harán eco de Su plan de gestión, y darán la bienvenida a su propio nuevo día, nuevo comienzo, y nueva trayectoria vital; y pronto se reproducirán en una sucesión infinita a fin de recibir cada nuevo día bajo la soberanía de la autoridad del Creador…
Fuente: Evangelio de la Fuente de la Vida
Recomendación: En el sexto día, el Creador habla, y cada especie de criatura viviente en Su mente hace su aparición, una tras otra
copyright: 2016 © R. Peter 1764.org All rights reserved. Please do not use this image, or any images from my flickr photostream, fb account or g+, without my permission.
www.tourduvalat.org/en/newsletter/la_reserve_naturelle_re...
A remarkable site for temporary ponds
The Tour du Valat Foundation is the owner of a 2560 ha estate made up of natural and agricultural lands, grazed by some 450 Camargue cattle and 80 Camargue horses. The natural zones form a mosaic of the emblematic and now rare habitats of the fluviolacustrine Camargue, the area at the interface between riverine and maritime influences.
These relatively non-saline habitats were largely destroyed in the past for the development of agriculture. The result is a natural heritage of exceptional value, adapted to the particular conditions of the area. Since July 2008, 1845 ha of the Estate (i.e., 72% of its total surface area) have been granted the protection status Réserve naturelle régionale or Regional Natural Reserve (RNR).
Of the many natural habitats that make up the site, the temporary ponds are among the most remarkable. Some of them (the least saline) are examples of a habitat of priority community interest under the European Habitats Directive, which are in sharp decline around the Mediterranean basin, Mediterranean Temporary Ponds (MTP)1. Such ponds cover a total surface area of 18.3 ha on the Tour du Valat Estate, i.e. 65% of all the MTPs in the Camargue.
In all, there are 65 ponds of various kinds on the Estate covering a total surface area of about 60 ha (their size is highly variable in function of water level). They vary considerably in size, shape, depth, level of isolation, and salinity, with consequent influences on the plant and animal communities that live in and around them.
In particular, there is a wide diversity of plant species, certain of which are highly threatened. Among the eleven protected species (four at national level, and seven at regional level) found in the Tour du Valat RNR, two are of major importance for conservation:
The Starfruit or Water star (Damasonium polyspermum) is an attractive little white-flowered annual plant, a member of the Alismataceae family. This Western Mediterranean endemic is typical of Mediterranean temporary ponds. Its world conservation status is listed as Vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and it is protected by ministerial decree in France, where it is present at some ten sites, including the Tour du Valat. In the RNR, it is found, sometimes in populations of several thousands, in six oligosaline (very slightly salty) ponds with a sunny exposition and scattered emergent vegetation; it emerges only when flooding conditions are favourable, i.e. when there is enough water in early spring.
Riella helicophylla is a small aquatic liverwort just a few centimetres in height. Endemic to the Mediterranean basin, it is listed in Annex II of the Habitats Directive, and is currently being added to the list of French protected species. It is fond of distinctly saline, shallow, clear, temporary flood water, with limited plant cover. It was only recently discovered at the Tour du Valat (March 2012) in saline borrow pits and some low depressions in the flooded sansouïres bordering the Baisse Salée and the Saline ponds, covering at least 1.2 ha. Until then, it had only been found at one (former) site in the Hérault Department, and at Salin du Caban, east of
In terms of animals, the temporary ponds are also of primordial interest, for branchiopod crustaceans, odonates (dragonflies and damselflies), and amphibians. In wet springs, they literally teem with animals of kinds: from Triops cancriformis, a real living fossil, to the impressive tadpoles of the Common parsley frog or the Mediterranean/stripeless tree frog, and larvae of Zygoptera (damselflies, close relatives of the dragonflies). In this category, one of the commonest species in the Tour du Valat ponds, although highly threatened in France, is the Dark emerald damselfly or Dark spreadwing (Lestes macrostigma). This attractive damselfly, listed as Vulnerable in Europe by the IUCN, is only found in a few sites in France, along the Atlantic coast, in Corsica, and in the Camargue.
To conserve this natural heritage, it is necessary to maintain the natural hydrological regime of these ponds, characterised by their isolation and long completely parched periods in the summer. Their appearance thus varies immensely in function of precipitation level, ranging from bare cracked soil in late summer to vast flooded areas in wet springs, verdant and teeming with life.
*Habitat type 3170 in the Habitats Directive n° 3170.
Find out more:
Bigot L. 1999 Sur la réponse de Damasonium polyspermum Cosson (Alismataceae) aux variations des conditions édaphoclimatiques, d'après un suivi de 43 ans (1954-1996) dans une mare temporaire de la Tour-du- Valat (Camargue, Bouches-du-Rhône, France). Bull Soc Linn Provence 50 : 83-88 (in French)
www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a...
Key information
Noisy and gregarious, these cheerful exploiters of man's rubbish and wastefulness have managed to colonise most of the world. The ultimate avian opportunist perhaps. Monitoring suggests a severe decline in the UK house sparrow population, recently estimated as dropping by 71 per cent between 1977 and 2008 with substantial declines in both rural and urban populations. While the decline in England continues, Breeding Bird Survey data indicate recent population increases in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What they eat:
Seeds and scraps.
Measurements:
Length:14-15cm
Wingspan:21-25.5cm
Weight:24-38g
Population:
UK breeding:5,300,000 pairs
Where and when to see them
House sparrows can be found from the centre of cities to the farmland of the countryside, they feed and breed near to people. It is a species vanishing from the centre of many cities, but is not uncommon in most towns and villages. It is absent from parts of the Scottish Highlands and is thinly distributed in most upland areas.
Breeding
House sparrows usually nest in loose colonies and since they don't defend a proper territory, nests can be as little as 20-30 cm apart.
How house sparrows nest
Nests are often placed in holes and crevices within buildings and they will readily use nestboxes. Free-standing nests are also frequently built, in creepers against walls and in thick hedges or conifers.
Pairs often remain faithful to their nest site and to each other for life, although a lost mate of either sex is normally replaced within days. A hole is filled with dry grass or straw with a nesting chamber lined with feathers, hairs, string and paper. Feathers may be plucked from a live pigeon!
The main nesting season is from April to August, although nesting has been recorded in all months. Most birds lay two or three clutches, but in a good year fourth attempts are not uncommon.
About house sparrow chicks
The female lays two to five eggs at daily intervals and often starts to incubate part way through egg-laying. Both sexes incubate, and the chicks hatch after 11-14 days. The parents share nesting duties equally. Chicks are brooded for 6-8 days, but can control their own body temperature only when 10 or 11 days old.
The youngsters are fed on a variety of invertebrates, including aphids, caterpillars, beetles and grasshoppers. Seeds and vegetable matter are also given, particularly during periods when invertebrates are scarce (e.g. cold weather) and become more important after the chicks leave the nest.
The young fledge 14-16 days after hatching. They are unable to feed themselves for about a week after leaving the nest and are cared for by their parents for around a fortnight. Post-fledging care is frequently left to the male as the hen prepares for the next brood. She can begin laying her next clutch of eggs within days of the previous brood leaving the nest.
Newly independent young often gather in large flocks, anywhere there is an abundance of seed, invertebrates and other suitable foods. These may be areas of wasteland or around garden feeding sites. Later, rural flocks may move on to grainfields to feed on the ripening grain, often joined by adult birds, once they have finished nesting. Flocks tend to break up through the autumn and birds return to their nesting colony sites.
Population trends
The house sparrow is common through most of its world range, and can tolerate a wide variety of climates.
The recent decline of house sparrows
UK house sparrow populations have fluctuated greatly over the centuries, with a gradual decline during the last 100 years.
Causes for the rapid recent declines, particularly in urban and suburban environments, remain largely undetermined, although research is underway that aims to establish the cause(s), and develop conservation solutions.
Declines in rural house sparrow populations are thought to be linked to changes in agricultural practices, particularly the loss of winter stubbles and improved hygiene measures around grain stores.
House sparrow numbers were not monitored adequately before the mid-1970s. Since then, numbers in rural England have nearly halved while numbers in towns and cities have declined by 60 per cent. Because of these large population declines, the house sparrow is now red-listed as a species of high conservation concern.
Relations with humans and other animals
People have a love-hate relationship with the house sparrow. However, control attempts have failed to limit the sparrows numbers and range.
Their relationship with humans
People have a love-hate relationship with the house sparrow. For many they are the most familiar of wild animals, bringing life to city centres and other man-made places, bereft of wildlife.
The house sparrows partiality to grain crops and the damage and destruction this caused resulted in attempts to control their numbers. From the mid-18th century most parishes had sparrow clubs with the sole objective to destroy as many sparrows as possible. Bounties were paid for sparrows until the late 19th century, when it was accepted that the control measures did not work. Similar failures were recorded in a number of other European countries.
Ironically, as people in Europe were paid to kill sparrows as pests, others deliberately introduced them to places as far apart as Australia and New York. Initially they were welcomed, although later appreciation turned to serious concern for the impact on crops. By then sparrows had become well established and control attempts have failed to limit the sparrows numbers and range.
How sparrows behave with other animals
Sparrows are aggressive tend to dominate feeders in gardens and prevent other birds from getting to the food. They harass other birds and steal their food and take over their nests, particularly house martins. The eviction and interference often results in a reduction in breeding success and can cause desertion of even large martin colonies.
Sparrows frequently tear to pieces the nests of martins and swallows and eject any eggs or chicks therein. The owners are unable to stop them.
Sparrows are very resilient and for their size have remarkably few serious predators. Main predators are domestic cats, owls (especially tawny) and sparrowhawks, but none are capable of affecting the size of the sparrow population, with the possible exception of localised effects by cats.
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vereinigte_Staaten
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States
die groesste EXPO-GRUPPE bei flickr
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the biggest EXPO GROUP on flickr
www.flickr.com/groups/1253656@N25/
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我爱中国 / Ich liebe China / I love China
加油中国 /China gebe niemals auf , geh voran /Go go China
EXPO 2010年 Weltausstellung 上海世界博览会 Shànghǎi shìjiè bólǎnhuì
information to logo---information zum logo
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the three symbolised a family-----die 3 menschen sollen eine familie darstellen
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die weltausstellung findet im jahre 2010 in der aufstrebenen metropole shanghai statt .
shanghai hat mittlerweile ueber 18 millionen registrierte einwohner.
Die bedeutung der grossen veranstaltung ist sehr wichtig und alles laeuft auf vollen touren.
Das motto der weltausstellung heisst “bessere stadt, besseres leben” . ein schoeneres leben fuer die in shanghai in einer sauberen umwelt.
Die umgebung von ca. 5,28 quadratkilometern, werden die veranstaltung abdecken
Dauer
01.mai bis zum 31.oktober 2010
erwartete besucherzahl
70.000.000 aus dem aus-und inland
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the world fair takes place in the year 2010 in the ongoing metropolis shanghai. shanghai meanwhile registered inhabitants have over 18 million. The meaning of the large meeting is very important and everything runs on full routes. The slogan of the world fair is called “better city, better lives”. a more beautiful live for in shanghai in a clean environment. The environment of approx. 5.28 square kilometers, the meeting will cover Duration 01. May up to the 31.oktober 2010 expected number of visitors 70.000.000 from foreign coutries and domestics
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Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Sea_flood_of_1953:
From midday on 31 January 1953, water was driven from the northern reaches of the North Sea between Norway and Scotland by a strong north-west gale. A surge developed along the coast of the Netherlands, which coincided with a high spring tide, leading to many water levels on the Dutch coast on the morning of 1 February 1953 being higher than any previous recorded figures, particularly in the south-western areas of the country.
At 10:30 p.m. on Saturday evening 31 January, it was low tide. But this time the water remained high. The strength of the hurricane had broken the tidal movement.
On the night of 1 February 1953 around 3 a.m., many dykes in the province of Zeeland, the southern parts of the province of South Holland and the northwestern parts of the province of North Brabant proved unable to resist the combination of spring tide and a northwesterly storm. On both the islands and the mainland, large areas of the country were flooded.
At 4 p.m. on 1 February, the flood reached a second high. The water rose even higher than during the first flood, and more dikes broke. Many people who had survived the first flood died, as the houses on which they sheltered on the rooftops collapsed due to the persistent water pressure. At that time, the government did not yet know that Schouwen-Duiveland, Goeree-Overflakkee and Tholen were almost completely under water, and no large-scale rescue operations had yet taken place.
Only on Monday 2 February were fishermen the first to sail deep into the disaster area to save hundreds of people. Rescue operations from the air were hardly possible: the Netherlands had only 1 helicopter and had to wait until other countries offered help.
On Tuesday February 3, a large flow of people and relief supplies started. Planes dropped sandbags, dinghies, boots, food and water over the disaster area. At the same time, thousands of Dutch soldiers, administrators, aid workers and volunteers arrived to carry out coordinated actions in the disaster area. Tens of thousands of residents were being evacuated from the area to shelters elsewhere in the country.
Foreign helicopters and amphibious vehicles also came into action on Tuesday, but the vast majority of rescue operations had already been completed by then.
Donations and relief supplies were pouring in at the National Disaster Fund in The Hague. Other countries, including England, Sweden and Canada sent more than 61 million guilders in relief supplies.
Many people still commemorate the dead during the Herdenking Watersnoodramp on 1 February.