also bonus offset steps. Stepping by 1/8th plate. (1 LDU)

I didn't believe Tim's Claim that the neck bracket has a thickness of 3/8th of a plate. The part on the left shows that to be true.

As you enter the park from the west, you get glimpses of Yosemite Valley, perhaps the Three Sentinels, Half-Dome, and four or five waterfalls, the most prominent of them, Bridal Veil. But once you're in the valley, you're met wit the most spectacular valley I think I've ever seen and, if you look to your left (from where you entered the park), there is Yosemite Falls, in essence one waterfalls split by two ledges into the Upper and Lower Falls, dropping a total of 2,425 feet (739 m) from the top of the upper fall to the base of the Lower fall. Together, they comprise one of the 20 highest waterfalls in the world, and the highest waterfall in North America. (It is said that you cannot count all the waterfalls in Yosemite, something that I can now attribute to Tom and my collection of 25 phenomenal books on Yosemite (one with a magnificent view of the Valley from space!)

It is spectacular and unlike most of the other falls in Yosemite. The image that I posted two days ago was of Bridal Veil Falls. It is one of the most exciting to see because you can get closer to (and wetter from it) it than any other falls.

There are several trails to get from the Valley Floor to the to of Upper Yosemite Falls. The lower trail can get you a good soaking as you hug the walls, but still nothing like Bridal Veil. However, if you want exercise, the Yosemite Falls Trail will give it to you: It is three miles and a 900 foot "vertical climb."

Bring binoculars to see the valley floor, black-tailed Mule Deer, and a manner of wildlife depending on the season. It has been my experience that you won't see many birds unless you get to the Valley's Rim which you can do most of the year but some parts are close because of snow or tremendous amounts of water. Stellar's Jays, all species of woodpeckers, and other species that inhabit most of California. The first two trips that we made to Yosemite, I came back with three pictures of birds. The simple reason is that there is a grandeur here that well ... blots out other scenes and wildlife. When you get to Glacier Point, you can see six or seven falls and will have chipmunks and Golden-mantled Ground Squirrels asking for a handout, but you'll be engrossed by scenes of the Sierra Nevadas and most of the landmarks pointed out in every book and brochure about Yosemite. Just as you can countg waterfalls, I don't think you can count the individual vista points. Anyway, I think I'll present a few of the smaller falls, those that drop into the Merced River and those that, in less populated days, even with less water (we've had droughts for hundreds of years!), provided water from the Western Divide to the Pacific.

Imagine what John Muir must have seen 118 years ago, Teddy Roosevelt 108 years ago when invited by Muir in his attempts to for the Sierra Club, and then in 1928 (or thereabouts) when Ansel Adams came from the San Francisco Bay Area to spend the rest of his life photographing this absolute marvel of the west.

I don't think I can pick a favorite of our western national parks. Sequoia is A favorite with massive trees, 4000 years old; Redwood National Park with trees even taller and older than the Sequoias. We're not talking about rocks that are billions of years old, but living, breathing things that predate Christ, predate much of European societies! Yellowstone, which sits on a caldera that can destroy much of the world if it collapses and which has thermal pools of unbelievable colors. But to each his own. If I were to "specialize in landscapes," Yosemite would be it and take the rest of my life as it did with Muir and Adams. After 26 trips to Yosemite, I can remember specific things from each trip. It's not the largest park, but it may be the most difficult to take it all in. My first trip was in 1973. I wish it was in 1955. But I wish there were digital cameras. I wish I has the stamina to truly hike the back country though I did. I wish I could have seen Tioga Pass at 8-10,000 feet covered in snow AND wildflowers.

And if you're going to Yosemite, make arrangements to visit Sequoia, 150 miles south ... and Kings Canyon, 130 miles south. Well, I'm neither salesman nor guide. I can only relate what I saw and how it affected me. If I had been born in Jackson, California, oh how different my life would have been. But at least I was born to parents who wanted me to see the west and every NP we had in 1947 and from that point on. At this point, I would have five pair of Levis, six shirts, five pair of boots, one suit to go to court and fight the politicians who were willing to give away nature's bounties. And, if I had been born then and hiked it all, I'd either have a heart that could carry me all over the western continent or I would have had a heart attack in the back county and they'd still be looking for me. What a great way to live and die (or is that too dramatic for you)? But rather than cry over what might have been (not likely), I can always thank my lucky stars to be three hours to Yosemite. On April 8, 2018, we made out 27th trip, and just to make things even more memorable, I finally got my very first Wood Duck drake! That was just after I had tripped on a hidden log and gotten a small fracture of my funny bone. I told you: every trip will leave you with memories! Or, as with the time I fell into the Merced River rapids, maybe nightmare would be more like it. (I never go near a river in the Sierras - even if I'm staying om the banks) without wearing a life preserver. A phone in a waterproof bad is a great idea as well for the Merced and Kings and Modesto and all other rivers are fed by glaciers and snow melt. "911" in memory could allow for one more trip. (You MUST tell the Park Administrators and get a license to climb any of the higher peaks such as El Cap where we lose three hikers last year - even with all the precautions. Carry fire blankets in your cars especially during the summer, always carry water. The Camp Fire last summer should be prepared for as much as possible: the entire town of Paradise was wiped out. My old dictum should be followed as well: Know how old you are, not how old you feel. Twelve miles of 900 foot climbs when you're 80 is foolhardy no matter how hardy the fool.

Ok, perhaps not THE Face Rock at Bandon, but certain seemed like one of them, especially at midnight on a dark beach. Or perhaps I just have too active an imagination.

Anyhow, I just returned from a large, looping road trip through Oregon with Aaron that ran from Sparks Lake in Bend, to Bandon and then north to Neskowin. I shot lots of film, lots of digital and therefore have my work cut out for me over the next few days.

Until I get more editing done I figured I would leave this image of lighted clouds crashing over the rocks along Bandon beach.

Oh and just for fun, an excerpt regarding the legend of THE Face Rock, just because I am always fascinated to learn a bit about the places I travel to:

Legend has it (from the Nah-So-Mah tribe) that Ewanua, a beautiful Indian princess was visiting tribes along the coastline with her father, Chief Siskiyou. While the local tribes lived in constant fear of Seatka, the evil spirit of the ocean, Ewanua and the other members of her mountain-born tribe held no fear of the evil one. Following a great feast set in celebration of their visit, Euwana carried her pets (one dog and a mother cat and her kittens) out to the edge of the sea with her before swimming far out from shore.

All of a sudden, a fearsome creature grabbed her, and Komax, her dog, fearing for Ewanua's life swam out into the dark water and bit Seatka. Hurt and furious with the animal, Seatka kicked off the dog and threw it, along with the cat and her kittens, out into the sea. Filled with rage over losing her beloved pets and knowing the power that lay in Seatka's eyes, Ewanua from then on, refused to look directly at him. Today, she lies in the ocean, looking skyward, continuing her refusal to look into Seatka's eyes, who sits nearby. Her beloved Komax, her cat and the kittens lie to the west of her, waiting in vain for their mistress to arise from the cold ocean.

Pulled from this site.

created this one from two abstract images....thought it might make a nice table lamp design....thanks for looking

I would like to thank all of you lovely people on this way for your constant support and love for my work. It means so much to me. A big big thank you to each and everyone of you!

My apologize for being slow at the moment here on flickr with commenting, but my RL and SL keep me real busy.

Perhaps this year, now that the Claremont Hotel is part of the Fairmont chain, the Claremont will host some extravagant creation. It did not in 2016. So we'll just have to go and see!

perhaps one of the oldest and best photo n my collection!

“Curious” – A Morning Encounter in the Olive Grove - Some mornings begin not with words, but with eyes meeting in silence. This was one of them. “Curious – Eyes of the Wild”

Wildlife and nature have always captivated humankind. Perhaps it’s my background in journalism, but nature has gradually drawn me in with a similar pull — that of curiosity, patience, and quiet pursuit.

This morning, I decided to revisit a remarkable encounter I had in the olive groves near my home. It was around 07:00 when I set out — just a ten-minute drive, followed by a walk across freshly tilled earth, soft and uneven beneath my feet. The goal: to find “Curious,” the wild Anatolian squirrel I had met for the first time just days before.

Not far into the grove, I spotted a pale, slender wild rabbit who darted off the moment it sensed me — despite my silent steps. I wondered if I would be lucky enough to cross paths with Curious again. With that thought, I pressed on, determined yet calm.

As I neared the gnarled trunk of an ancient olive tree, nature fell silent. Only the faint calls of birds filled the air. Then suddenly, there he was — Curious. Tucked under a lower branch, his tail wrapped tightly, he stared at me intently, our eyes locking. I hadn't brought nuts this time. I wanted to see how he'd react to just my presence — without any incentives.

I stood still, watching from about two meters away. Curious vanished into his hollow, but I gently stepped closer. Moments later, he peeked out like someone watching from a window, eyes fixed on mine. Then, to my amazement, he climbed out and onto the olive bark, stretching in the morning light as if to put on a show.

I remained silent, steady. In a single leap, he landed on a trimmed branch stump and posed. With no monopod, I began to photograph him with my Nikon Z8, using the Teleconverter TC-14E II for the first time. Curious allowed me within just under 1 meters — a sign of growing trust. It felt like we had momentarily erased the boundary between wild and human.

Later, I followed him to a mulberry tree where, like a silkworm, he nibbled delicately on the fresh young leaves. I also witnessed him gnawing on the bark and twigs of the olive tree — behavior I had never documented before.

This morning was a gift — not only for the images captured, but for the silent conversation we shared. I’ve published six portraits of Curious on my Flickr page, each telling its own quiet story. I hope they resonate with others as deeply as the experience touched me.

Wishing you a beautiful day,

Anatolian Squirrel (Sciurus anomalus) – Distribution and Details in Turkey

The Anatolian squirrel (Sciurus anomalus), also known as the Caucasian squirrel or Persian squirrel, is a tree squirrel species native to parts of the Middle East. It is the only native squirrel species in Turkey and plays an important ecological role in forested habitats.

Distribution in Turkey

The Anatolian squirrel is widely distributed throughout much of western, central, and southern Turkey, particularly in the following regions:

Aegean Region: Olive groves, oak woodlands, and fig orchards (like those in Pelitköy) provide suitable habitat.

Marmara Region: Thrace and surrounding mixed forests.

Central Anatolia: Especially in forested and steppe transition zones.

Mediterranean Region: Taurus Mountains and surrounding coastal forests.

Eastern Black Sea foothills: Patchy populations, typically in deciduous and mixed forests.

They prefer forests with oak, pine, walnut, almond, fig, and mulberry trees — and are commonly spotted in traditional olive groves, especially where some natural tree cover is retained.

Habitat & Behavior

Arboreal (tree-dwelling), diurnal (active by day).

Solitary and territorial, though tolerant of other squirrels in rich feeding areas.

Nests in tree hollows or builds leaf nests high in the canopy.

Feeds on a variety of nuts, seeds, fruits, and tree buds, including figs, almonds, acorns, and mulberries.

In cultivated landscapes like olive groves, they adapt well if large trees are present. The presence of fig and mulberry trees near human settlements helps maintain stable populations.

Conservation Status & Threats

Currently classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.

However, local population declines have been observed due to:

Habitat fragmentation (especially loss of old trees and tree hollows),

Agricultural expansion, and

Climate change impacts, particularly in southern and drier regions.

Monitoring efforts in Turkey are still limited, and there's a growing call among researchers and nature photographers for increased ecological surveys and community awareness programs.

Curiosity

The Anatolian squirrel has adapted well to traditional Turkish agroforestry landscapes. In mythology and folklore, squirrels are sometimes seen as guardians of trees, and this species continues to serve that symbolic role in Anatolia.

I've captured some unforgettable moments with my camera, and I hope you feel the same joy viewing these images as I did while shooting them.

Thank you so much for visiting my gallery, whether you leave a comment, add it to your favorites, or simply take a moment to look around. Your support means a lot to me, and I wish you good luck and beautiful light in all your endeavors.

© All rights belong to R.Ertuğ. Please refrain from using these images without my express written permission. If you are interested in purchasing or using them, feel free to contact me via Flickr mail.

Lens - hand held or Monopod and definitely SPORT VR on. Aperture is f5.6 full length.. All my images have been converted from RAW to JPEG.

I started using Nikon Cross-Body Strap or Monopod on long walks. Here is my Carbon Monopod details : Gitzo GM2542 Series 2 4S Carbon Monopod - Really Right Stuff MH-01 Monopod Head with Standard Lever - Really Right Stuff LCF-11 Replacement Foot for Nikon AF-S 500mm /5.6E PF Lense -

Your comments and criticism are very valuable.

Thanks for taking the time to stop by and explore :)

There are so many ruin sites in Turkey that it's difficult to decide which to post.

As some of you have noticed, a good friend of mine Daniel was in town for few days. Like always, it was only fitting to go up to Kuala Lumpur's vantage points - with the help of local friends off course!

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Like to have this as a print? Head over to my Imagekind Gallery

::View It Large::Most Interesting according to Flickr:: View my HDR/DRI Collections::

Perhaps the first cat named from a blog entry. [Link]

Perhaps these look a bit more illustrative than realistic (if I knew what realistic looked like in this context, which is quite unlikely to be the way I've portrayed it here). Still, nobody has seen this up close, so it might be spot on.

It is top fun (for me).

Jökulsárlón, deemed as one of the natural wonders of Iceland is the most popular tourist stop. It is a glacier lagoon which recedes from the Atlantic Ocean The lake although not very long is quite deep (about 660 feet). It is an amazing experience to sail in a unique boat which takes one fairly close to the icebergs. The colours and shapes of the iceberg are very fascinating. Hollywood movies such as 'Die Another Day' and 'Tomb Raider' have been shot here.

Schooner Alliance

York River

Yorktown, Virginia

Wednesday of this week was a nearly perfect spring day, which Ruth Ann and I took advantage of by driving back roads (VA Route 5 and Colonial Parkway) to Yorktown and Williamsburg, enjoying the beauty of dogwood and redbud trees in bloom, new leaves in the greens of early spring, and a blue sky with light, white clouds. In Yorktown, we had a great lunch at Riverwalk Restaurant, where our table had essentially this view. After walking a bit along the river, we drove the Parkway to Williamsburg to check the progress of spring in some of our favorite gardens (see recent posts). We found much change had occurred since our mid-March visit, but also found spring color had not yet reached its peak; perhaps we can return soon and find even better color.

We would also like to return to Yorktown to sail on the York River aboard Alliance; we hope it will be possible to find a time when grandchildren (and their parents) can accompany us. Alliance is a 105-foot, three-masted schooner operated by Yorktown Sailing Charters, which also has the 65-foot two-masted schooner Serenity.

Press "L" for larger image, on black

another shot from Thanksgiving in Havasu....late in the afternoon as everything was being highlighted in gold tones this jet ski made an appearance as if on queue. As soon as I saw the scene I knew I had a keeper.

Thanks jet ski guy, whoever you are.

Perhaps one to return for in the winter, when the bush has vanished.

One of those moments where there are still enough clouds to reflect the golden light of an evening sun.

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::View It Large::Most Interesting according to Flickr:: View my HDR/DRI Collections::

I am a dreamer. I know so little of real life that I just can't help re-living such moments as these in my dreams, for such moments are something I have very rarely experienced. I am going to dream about you the whole night, the whole week, the whole year. I feel I know you so well that I couldn't have known you better if we'd been friends for twenty years. You won't fail me, will you? Only two minutes, and you've made me happy forever. Yes, happy. Who knows, perhaps you've reconciled me with myself, resolved all my doubts.

When I woke up it seemed to me that some snatch of a tune I had known for a long time, I had heard somewhere before but had forgotten, a melody of great sweetness, was coming back to me now. It seemed to me that it had been trying to emerge from my soul all my life, and only now-

If and when you fall in love, may you be happy with her. I don't need to wish her anything, for she'll be happy with you. May your sky always be clear, may your dear smile always be bright and happy, and may you be for ever blessed for that moment of bliss and happiness which you gave to another lonely and grateful heart. Isn't such a moment sufficient for the whole of one's life?

Fyodor Dostoevsky, White Nights

Perhaps Urban Wolf would be the better title, but "Coyote" is the trick she is performing in front of Los Angeles' skyline. Shot on iPhone 6, edited in iColorama.

Perhaps a little too old and certainly a little too big, this youngster nearly knocked his ever patient Mum off her feet in its haste to have a drink.

Perhaps less deadly than its cousin the wolfsbane, but still a poor choice for your salad.

Perhaps it is a slime mold. ~ See Edit.

Found in the woods on the ground and growing on a rotten log.

After looking at this on full screen, I am sad that I didn't notice that tiny bug and get it in focus.

However see below, this moldy stuff was pretty small.

Having fun creeping about the woods looking for little things!

I should actually make a separate album for this but for now it will go with the Fungi Album until I change things up.

Edit and ID'd!

Not slime mold but a fungi called:

Abortiporus biennis

S&D 2-8-0 at Eardington.

perhaps it's a model that Ford should have built?

Perhaps you've had some training after all

Perhaps as a taxpayer I should be pleased.

Perhaps they've spent too much time hanging around with the daffodils.

Scarborough

Perhaps not the most attractive loco, but 'Big Jim' always puts on a good show, climbing Keighley bank at the 1940's weekend, 16.5.15.

Perhaps the most visible diagnostic characteristic of the northern shoveler is its large spoon-shaped bill, which widens towards the tip and creates a shape unique among North American waterfowl. Male northern shovelers have an iridescent green head and neck, white chest and breast and chestnut belly and sides. They have a white stripe extending from the breast along the margin of the gray-brown back, and white flank spots. The wings have a gray-blue shoulder patch, which is separated from a brilliant green speculum by a tapered white stripe. The bill is black in breeding plumage and the legs and feet are orange. Female northern shovelers have a light brownish head with a blackish crown and a brownish speckled body. The upper wing coverts are grayish-blue, the greater secondary coverts are tipped with white and the secondaries are brown with a slight greenish sheen. The bill is olive green with fleshy orange in the gape area and speckled with black dots.

Perhaps she had come from the train or perhaps one of the hotels at the end of the hallway, but she was heading back to the direction of the airport.

Perhaps a play on words?

Perhaps one of the most unusual vehicles to gain the new fg livery yet is 90489 which is a learning & development vehicle run by fg in collaboration with one of the unions. Its history is equally interesting new to St Helens College as a computer bus and then later in use with a local council in West Yorkshire. It has spent time at both Huddersfield & Hunslet Park depots but is quite elusive to the camera. Special thanks to those involved in making this shot possible.

07/23 Warwickshire

Sardonyx cameo that perhaps represents the empress Julia Domna, wife of the emperor Septimius Severus, as the goddess Luna or Dea Syria, driving a chariot drawn by two bulls with noticeably crescent-moon style horns.

The goddess "Dea Syria" is a term for the Syrian goddess Atargatis, a major deity of ancient Syria, primarily known as a goddess of fertility and a protector of her people. Her worship was prominent in northern Syria, with a major sanctuary at Hierapolis (modern Manbij), and her cult spread throughout the Roman Empire. The name "Dea Syria" is a Latin translation for "Syrian Goddess," and a famous ancient text titled De Dea Syria by Lucian of Samosata describes the practices associated with her cult. Julia Domna was portrayed as the goddess Dea Syria, also identified with Luna, in art, highlighting her Syrian origins and her deified status after death (this cameo may have been made during her lifetime, but certainly before her suicide in 217 - or perhaps it was made by her nephew, Elagabalus). Her connection to the Dea Syria (or the goddess Astarte) was reinforced by her family's priestly role in Syria and her name, which referenced the cult of the sun god Elagabalus.

Cameos made of precious or semiprecious materials were reserved for the imperial family and their loyal inner circle. Interestingly, the former owner of this cameo was the painter Peter Paul Rubens.

Roman, ca. 193-217 CE. The dating covers the period when Septimius Severus and subsequently his son, Caracalla, reigned. However, it's possible that it was made during the reign of her nephew, Elagabalus, who had her deified, so it could be as late as 222 CE (just my two cents - the BM doesn't account for that).

Height: 10.16 cm (4.0 in.)

Width: 13.97 cm (5.5 in.)

British Museum, London (1956,0517.1)

Perhaps a stained glass window in The Church of the Big Bang. Perhaps not.

Perhaps the most photographed Class 114 pairing was E53045 + E54004, after they uniquely received this brown and cream South Yorkshire Transport livery, seen here at Sheffield in the mid-1980s.

perhaps the real banshee no ?

few years ago I've designed one of my first owl, it was a barn owl (tito ablba). but really I was not proud of this design, after I've designed a flying barn owl but the face ... so only a few weeks ago I've wanted to make a new atempt of one of my favourite owl ... and now I like the face and the pose ... on a bird base with a graft in one diagonal for create the face and the toes. one uncut 45cm square of unryu and kraft paper with mc. my first owl for 2014 !!!!!

Proof, if any were needed, Elephants have really poor eyesight (105mm un-cropped) Sniffing the air to see who/what is there. Either that or I should wash more often!

Elephant (Loxodonta africana)

Perhaps a "Hygrocybe coccinea", sometimes called the scarlet hood, scarlet waxcap as pointed out by www.flickr.com/photos/36611483@N03

Perhaps.

Perhaps better On Fluidr (disable autosizing to remove squish)

Amazing birdlife

Perhaps some of you have wondered why i changed the yellow heads for flesh ones. The reason is i wanted the Nexo Knights to look a bit more realistic especially the royal knights because their original headpieces look to robotic. My take on these Nexo knights differ from the tv series version so for example my Axl is a smart strong and brave knight who likes bodybuilding, movies, poetry and likes food like everybody else...