View allAll Photos Tagged precisely
All of life is a dispute over taste and tasting.
- Friedrich Nietzsche
Precisely the least, the softest, lightest, a lizard's
rustling, a breath, a flash, a moment - a little makes
the way of the best happiness.
-Friedrich Nietzsche
PHOTO:
Home decor by Hermès. Boutique "Votre Maison Paris",
Kikar Hamedina.Tel-Aviv. Taken 24 October, 2006.
(For more details, please, see my note on the photo above!)
Regno Unito, Galles, Cardiff, Primavera 2015
Il castello di Cardiff è un castello medievale situato nel centro di Cardiff, nel Galles. L'originale castello fu costruito alla fine dell'XI secolo dagli invasori normanni sulla base di un forte romano del 3° secolo. Il castello fu commissionato da Guglielmo il Conquistatore e costituì il cuore della città medievale di Cardiff. Nel XII secolo il castello iniziò a essere ricostruito in pietra, probabilmente da Robert di Gloucester, con un mastio fortificato e la costruzione di mura difensive. Il castello di Cardiff fu ripetutamente coinvolto nei conflitti tra anglo-normanni e gallesi, attaccato più volte nel XII secolo e preso d'assalto nel 1404 durante la rivolta di Owain Glyndŵr. La leggenda narra che il castello di Cardiff presenti una notevole attività paranormale. Le storie di fantasmi includono oggetti in magazzino che si muovono da soli. C'è anche una donna senza volto che vaga per il castello, ed è stato visto anche una carrozza fantasma che viaggia verso le porte del castello. Alle 3.45 del mattino, ogni mattina nella sala da pranzo principale, le porte si aprono e si chiudono da sole, anche se queste pesanti porte sono chiuse a chiave.
Cardiff Castle is a medieval castle located in the city centre of Cardiff, Wales. The original motte and bailey castle was built in the late 11th century by Norman invaders on top of a 3rd-century Roman fort. The castle was commissioned by William the Conqueror and formed the heart of the medieval town of Cardiff. In the 12th century the castle began to be rebuilt in stone, probably by Robert of Gloucester, with a shell keep and substantial defensive walls being erected. Cardiff Castle was repeatedly involved in the conflicts between the Anglo-Normans and the Welsh, being attacked several times in the 12th century, and stormed in 1404 during the revolt of Owain Glyndŵr. Legend has it that Cardiff Castle has a significant amount of paranormal activity. Ghost stories include items in the stock room moving around by themselves. There is also a faceless woman who roams the castle, and a phantom coach has also been seen travelling towards the castle gates. At 3.45am precisely each morning in the main dining room, the doors open and close by themselves, even if these heavy doors are locked.
The Monostor Fortress - the largest modern fortress in Central Europe - was built between 1850 and 1871. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the neoclassical military monument is a fascinating sight with its huge walls of precisely hewn stone, the 3-4 metre thick earthen ramparts covering the defences and its network of underground passages (kazamata) several kilometres long.
Its monumental dimensions are evidenced by the following figures: The fortress covers 25 hectares, the total area including the firing ranges is 70 hectares, the floor area of the buildings is 25 680 m2 and the number of rooms is 640.
After the fortress was built, it served generations of soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces. Its tasks included the defence of the central fortress (North - Komárom) and the control of shipping on the Danube. It was never used in combat and served mainly as a training centre and weapons depot. During the First World War it was used as a conscription and training centre. During the Second World War, the 22nd Infantry Regiment had its headquarters at Fort Monostor, and the soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Regiments were stationed there. After the Second World War.
Between 1945 and 1990, the Red Army's Army Group South set up the largest ammunition depot in Central Europe in the fort. With their withdrawal, the military function of the fortress ended forever.
Today the fort is a popular destination with a military history exhibition, Cold War vehicles, a bread museum, a boat exhibition and numerous events.
Railways, stations and trains. The ornate eastern end of St Pancras station, or more precisely the former Midland Grand Hotel (now St Pancras Renaissance Hotel) in London, showing the substantial clock face.
Sir Gilbert Scott won the competition to design the hotel that the Midland Railway decided was required and created the ornate red brick Gothic building. Opened fully in April 1876, the hotel had many then innovative features, such as fireproof floors and hydraulic lifts, but the lack of bathrooms amongst other factors ended its hotel days in 1935.
From 1935 to 1980 it served as railway offices, this part of its life then coming to a close as it failed the then fire safety standards, perhaps ironic since fire safety features had made the hotel stand out in its early days.
Earlier than that, in the mid 1960s, closure of the station was being considered, as was demolition of the whole site, but Grade 1 Listing in 1967 concentrated minds on how it would be maintained for a long term future.
The hotel reopened as the St Pancras Renaissance Hotel in 2011. By then the station was St Pancras International, Eurostar services having transferred here from London Waterloo in November 2007.
Another new island to me, Coll, or more precisely Acairseid Mhor which is a low lying area and one of the myriad of little islands that make up the Cairns of Coll that lie to the north west of the main island.
Your intrepid wildlife photographer has spent most of the last thirty years of his life in California. He is presently having trouble operating his camera wearing gloves. Or more precisely, gloves suitable to the weather are just too darned thick, and the thinner ones just don't work for more than a few minutes at a time.
The daily high when these shots were taken (Friday) was 12°F and the low was 5.5.
Late in the day, he was able to catch a few shots of his favorite subject as the light was fading. She was perched in her favorite spot overlooking the Cantys lake in Silas (which is filling in nicely with the new dam, but completely frozen over).
As the light faded and his fingers went numb, Michael was able to capture these images, one of which he's stopped down far enough that both the moon and the raptor are mostly in focus. "This is all I got," he says sadly, with apologies for the lack of decent winter shots in his feed.
As for the hawk, the poor thing, she sat there with grim resolve, her feathers fluffed out more than usual. "She regarded me briefly as usual," said Michael after noticing her stare right at the camera for the first several shots of the sequence. He continued, "Yeah, she looked at me as if to say, 'yeah buddy, you think it's cold now? I'm here all night I'll have you know. I can't store food or hibernate, and I don't spend my winters at some resort down south like most of what I usually eat.' "
"She is fierce. Hunting for every meal is hard work and in winter each failed attempt depletes her energy level and brings her closer to starvation. A sick hawk is a dead hawk. A lame hawk is a dead hawk," said Michael as he put another log on the fire. "Surviving winter is hard work for her kind. She has my respect."
-Editor
The general term ice age or, more precisely, "glacial age" denotes a geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in an expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. There have been at least four major ice ages in the Earth's past. Outside these periods, the Earth seems to have been ice-free even in high latitudes. There is evidence that greenhouse gas levels fell at the start of ice ages and rose during the retreat of the ice sheets, but it is difficult to establish cause and effect (see the notes above on the role of weathering). Greenhouse gas levels may also have been affected by other factors which have been proposed as causes of ice ages, such as the movement of continents and vulcanism. Although the last glacial period ended more than 8,000 years ago, its effects can still be felt today. For example, the moving ice carved out landscape in Canada, Greenland, northern Eurasia and Antarctica. The erratic boulders, till, drumlins, eskers, fjords, kettle lakes, moraines, cirques, horns, etc., are typical features left behind by the glaciers.
Photo of hummocks taken at the IJsselmeer (IJmeer) near Amsterdam. A hummock is a boss or rounded knoll of ice rising above the general level of an ice-field, Hummocky ice is caused by slow and unequal pressure in the main body of the packed ice, and by unequal structure and temperature at a later period.
Een ijstijd of glaciatie is een geologisch tijdvak waarin ijskappen voorkomen. In het Engels wordt dit een periode van ice-house genoemd, als tegenhanger van een ijskaploze periode, de greenhouse ("broeikas"). Aangezien er gletsjers liggen op bijvoorbeeld Groenland of Antarctica, leven we tegenwoordig in een ijstijd. Men neemt aan dat dit in de gehele geologische geschiedenis van de Aarde minstens vijfmaal het geval is geweest, waarvan eenmaal zelfs zo sterk dat de ijskappen van de polen vrijwel tot aan de evenaar waren opgerukt. Ook zijn er periodes dat er aanzienlijke opwarming optrad waarbij die ijskappen grotendeels waren weggesmolten. Het klimaat op Aarde wordt beïnvloed door vele factoren, zoals de intensiteit van de zonnestraling, de ligging van de continenten, de continentverplaatsingen, vulkanisme, de zeestromen, de bedekking van het land door vegetatie, het weerkaatsingsvermogen van het aardoppervlak en vele kleine andere factoren. Met behulp van klimaatmodellen wordt door wetenschappers een reconstructie van het klimaat en de klimaatveranderingen in het verleden gemaakt. Alhoewel er een zekere consensus bestaat onder wetenschappers, zijn er nog vele onzekerheden en tegenstrijdigheden in dit onderzoek.
Hierboven een foto van kruiend ijs. Zoetwatermeren kunnen spectaculair bevriezen. Grotere meren zoals het IJsselmeer (IJmeer) hierboven hebben bijna altijd wel golven, en dit werkt directe bevriezing van het wateroppervlak tegen. Eerst vormen zich kleine ijsschotsen, die naar de kust drijven onder invloed van de wind. Deze schotsen vormen zo een ijsveld op het water dat de golven dempt, en uiteindelijk vriezen alle schotsen aan elkaar vast tot een massa. Voordat dit gebeurt schuren de schotsen voortdurend langs elkaar heen en schrapen zo stukjes ijs van elkaar af; elke schots krijgt zo een witte rand. Zulk ijs is dus totaal niet geschikt om op te schaatsen. Wanneer grotere delen van het meer bevriezen beginnen de platen, die soms een paar vierkante kilometer groot zijn, langzaam tegen elkaar te bewegen onder invloed van de wind en stroming. Dit heeft kruiend ijs tot gevolg: de ijsschotsen worden met kracht gebroken en op elkaar gestapeld langs de dijken langs het meer. Dit hoeft niet alleen bij dun ijs te gebeuren; soms kruit het ijs bij een dikte van meer dan 20 cm. De stapels ijs worden dan hoog, en het geluid is oorverdovend.
[Eng. ~~ Esp.]
Xevi Casas' gallery (see also in 500px) is a no brainer. Good composition, extremely careful edition and a gift for portraits, just get in and enjoy. But Xevi's photography is, above all, future and permanent evolution. Can you imagine a really artistic street photography? You got it, he's getting into it, and he won't let you down. But things have never been easy for him, and this is precisely at the heart of his unbreakable hope and his will to dream, to explore and to evolve, nuances I've tried to capture in this portrait. You might also want to visit Namina's website. Namina is a promising voice, a warm style, nicely captured in Xevi's portraits. I warmly and honestly wish a great great future to both of them.
BTW here is Xevi's interpretation of myself! (Terrific Xevi... Thank you so much!)
~~~
La galería de Xevi Casas (ver también en 500px) es una apuesta segura. Buena composición, una edición extremadamente cuidada, y un don para el retrato, simplemente entra y disfrútala. Pero la fotografía de Xevi es, sobre todo, futuro y evolución permanente. ¿Puedes imaginar una fotografía de calle realmente artística? Acertaste, está en ello, y no te va a defraudar. Pero las cosas nunca han sido fáciles para él, y esto está precisamente en el centro de su esperanza inquebrantable y de su voluntad de soñar, explorar y evolucionar, matices que he tratado de captar en su retrato. También puede que quieras visitar la web de Namina. Namina es una voz prometedora, un estilo cálido, bellamente captado en los retratos de Xevi. Sincera y afectuosamente, les deseo a ambos un fantástico futuro!
Por cierto, aquí está la interpretación que Xevi hace de mí mismo (tremendo Xevi, gracias)
The city of Petra, capital of the Nabataean Arabs, is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, it is Located 240 km south of the capital Amman and 120 km north of the red sea town of Aqapa (see the Map), Petra the world wonder is undoubtedly Jordan's most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction, and it is visited by tourists from all over the world.
It is not known precisely when Petra was built, but the city began to prosper as the capital of the Nabataean Empire from the 1st century BC, which grew rich through trade in frankincense, myrrh, and spices.
Petra was later annexed to the Roman Empire and continued to thrive until a large earthquake in 363 AD destroyed much of the city in the 4th century AD.
The earthquake combined with changes in trade routes, eventually led to the downfall of the city which was ultimately abandoned.
By the middle of the 7th century Petra appears to have been largely deserted and it was then lost to all except local Bedouin from the area.
In 1812 a Swiss explorer named Johannes Burckhardt set out to ‘rediscover’ Petra; he dressed up as an Arab and convinced his Bedouin guide to take him to the lost city, After this, Petra became increasingly known in the West as a fascinating and beautiful ancient city, and it began attracting visitors and continues to do so today.
Petra is also known as the rose-red city, a name it gets from the wonderful colour of the rock from which many of the city’s structures were carved.
The Nabataeans buried their dead in intricate tombs that were cut out of the mountain sides and the city also had temples, a theater, and following the Roman annexation and later the Byzantine influence, a colonnaded street and churches.
In addition to the magnificent remains of the Nabataean city, human settlement and land use for over 10,000 years can be traced in Petra, where great natural, cultural, archaeological and geological features merge.
On December 6, 1985, Petra was designated a World Heritage Site,, also Petra was chosen by the Smithsonian Magazine as one of the 28 places you should visit them before you die.
Today I didn't spend that much time yardbirding, but I saw precisely the same birds as yesterday. These siskins have been in the yard pretty much continuously since late March, yet I've posted no photos of them. Pine siskin, backyard Olympia.
In splendid Galicia and more precisely on the paths traveled by many pilgrims, near Camarines, the Cabo Vilan lighthouse is located.The Cabo Vilán lighthouse signals one of the most dangerous stretches of the Costa da Morte: it is located at 125 m above sea level on a rocky promontory with vertiginous cliffs ending in a point facing an islet called Vilán di Fóra.
I flew to Hokkaido, the north end island in Japan last weekend. Weather forecast was various, but I trusted the best one. It was cloudy there, when I reached. It got clear once, and I could put my equipment precisely and completed alignment with some objects. Clouds and snow came, and the ground got covered with fresh snow soon. It was beautiful, but stars or moon got invisible. I could cover the equipment and slept in rental Toyota Prius for hours.
I woke up around 3:30am. Some stars were visible toward northwest, though snow was still falling. Sky changed clear soon, and I could begin imaging of the object in the northeast. There came snow flakes blown by strong wind over the equipment. Some longer frames were influenced. The sky was far darker than what we see around Mt.Fuji. Ion tail was visible clearly on frames. I was lucky.
The comet was drifting slowly toward northeast in Serpens near the border between Corona Borealis. Dust coma was small and round. Dust tail was widely spread toward northeast bending toward east. Bluish green ion halo was also round and beautifl. Ion tail was long and straight toward north northwest beyond the edge of the frame. North is up, and east is to the left.
Sun Distance: 1.285AU
Earth Distance: 1.704AU
The comet taken in Asagiri near Mt.Fuji on November 26, 2022 with the same equipment and presented in the same scale:
www.flickr.com/photos/hiroc/52529366969
The comet taken in Tumagoi Gunma on October 20, 2022 with the same equipment and presented in the same scale:
www.flickr.com/photos/hiroc/52442756492
equipment: AstroPhysics 130GTX "Granturismo," Field Flattener at f/6.7 focal length 873mm, 22.1mm Spacer, EOS Adapter, Kipon EOS-EOS R adapter, and Canon EOS R-SP4II, modified by Seo-san on ZWO AM5 Equatorial Mount, auto guided at a star nearby with Fujinon 1:2.8/75mm C-Mount Lens, Pentax x2 Extender, ZWO ASI 120MM-mini, GPUSB, and PHD2 Guiding with comet tracking on
We can separate the OTA into two parts and carry them easily as carry-on baggage in TUMI alpha 3 four wheeled garment carry-on, which I have purchased to carry Takahashi FSQ-130ED as carry-on baggage. Total weight was around 18kg in both OTAs.
ASTRO-PHYSICS StarFire 130mm f6.3 GTX "Gran Turismo"
Toyota Prius worked as electric power source. It was enough.
exposure: 2 times x 1,020 seconds, 3 x 480 sec, 3 x 240sec, and 5 x 60 seconds at ISO 3,200 and f/6.7 focal length 873mm
The first exposure started at 19:06:04UTC December 3, 2022. The object was yet low at the beginning of imaging, 13.6 degrees above horizon in the northeast in the morning sky.
site: 471m above sea level at lat. 43 41 16 North and long. 144 22 46 East in Mt. Mokoto Outlook Parking near Lake Kussyaro in Hokkaido 北海道 屈斜路湖畔 藻琴山展望公園. Ambient temperature was around -3 degrees Celsius or 26 degrees Fahrenheit. Wind was mild. SQML reached 21.45. Seeing was bad, and guide error RMS was around 2" at the low elevation in the sky as you see the bloated stars on the frame.
Here is a frame of the site taken during the imaging:
www.flickr.com/photos/hiroc/52548474310
and after the imaging:
The entrance to the Victor Vasarely museum in Pécs..
"Cézanne was Vasarely’s favorite painter. The father of Op-Art was born on the year the Master of Impressionism’s death, and a little over half a century later, Victor Vasarely would build his Foundation precisely at the Jas de Bouffan in Aix-en-Provence where Cézanne had lived and painted, a strange coincidence between two of the greatest creators of the twentieth century.".
Gordes is a commune with 2001 inhabitants in the Vaucluse department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.Die community lies at a maximum height of 635 m in the historic region of Provence, in the Luberon precisely who has the status of a regional nature park ,
Moose of the Canadian Rockies
Moose (Alces alces) are the largest members of the deer family, and their size is precisely why they are one of nature’s most resilient cold-climate species. Their adaptive mechanism to conserve body heat is best described by a zoological principle known as, ‘Bergmann’s Rule.’ The rule applies to the ratio of body surface to weight in warm-blooded animals. Moose have a relatively small surface area compared to their volume. Regardless of external temperatures, Moose maintain a relatively constant internal temperature—meaning they require only minor metabolic and environmental adjustments to live comfortably in North America’s lowest-temperature regions. Moose range from the Arctic coasts of North America, Europe, and Asia, down to the southern limits of the boreal forest. In North America, they reach their southern extent in New York State to the east and Utah to the west.
The Moose is a browser, or ‘eater of twigs’ as the Algonquian Native name translates. In a single day, an adult can consume about 44 pounds of vegetation. They graze on aquatic plants such as water lilies and duckweed and make use of their impressive stature to tear off twigs high in the willow trees. Summer waterways are important feeding areas and also provide escape routes from wolves, bears, and mesopredators like the red fox and coyote.
For more Info: www.nathab.com/know-before-you-go/alaska-northern-adventu...
I saw my first Corncrake on South Uist in May 1985 and I have seen precisely thirteen birds in Britain in total (plus a couple abroad), though I have heard many more. By the way, six of the thirteen sightings were on Iona this spring, which is where I photographed this bird trying to hide in short grass. They used to be a familiar sound throughout Britain and were even heard regularly on the London Commons in the nineteenth century. You might think that in the days when they were much commoner they would be seen more frequently, but they always seem to have been elusive. John Clare (1793-1864), the Northamptonshire poet, was a patient and careful observer of wildlife. He wrote I believe the habits of the land rail are little known. I know but little of them myself. Where is the school boy that has not heard that mysterious noise which comes with the spring in the grass and green corn? I have followed it for hours and all to no purpose. It seemed like a spirit that mocked my folly in running after it.
It is still well-known among birdwatchers that you should never pursue a Corncrake in its field as it just sends it deeper into cover, which seems to be what John Clare discovered for himself two hundred years ago. The Corncrake in this photograph just sat motionless, watching me, trying to hide in short grass on Iona.
I was rushing to use another lens and this was a too hurried picture at ISO 800, I have been trying to edit out the telegraph poles. Then the bins looked ready pictorially to be taken out. I have used new tools and I am precisely one cup of tea happy with the results. The tea was to this Britain person rather splendid. I would trust the telegraph pole-less and bins out version to further edit such as painted styles, pastel panels, graphic pen etched and pencil drawing treatments. This whole process did after the edits save from getting into the art supplies to create the painting style edit.
1. Set into a painting style edit
2. Bins out Telegraph Poles gone
3. Telegraph Poles gone bins present
4. Cove Harbour towards Torness Scotland
This is a Sony A7C with a 20mm lens f/8 for 30 seconds at ISO 800.
© PHH Sykes 2026
phhsykes@gmail.com
Cove, Scottish Borders
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cove,_Scottish_Borders
Cove Harbour
was bought by Benjamin Tindall in 1990 to save it from development. Cove is managed for the fishing, conserving its character and for the public.
Torness nuclear power station
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torness_nuclear_power_station
Torness power station
Torness is a nuclear power station on the east coast of Scotland, 33 miles east of Edinburgh. It is capable of supplying electricity to over 2 million UK homes.
The Minor Seminary of Pabré was founded in 2025, precisely 100 years ago. To the north of the current site, some of the original buildings' ruins remain. These have now almost completely disappeared due to erosion, as the buildings were constructed of earth.
Le Petit Séminaire de Pabré a été fondé en 2025, il y a tout juste 100 ans. Au nord du site actuel, il subsiste quelques ruines des premiers établissements. Celles-ci ont actuellement quasiment disparu sous l'effet de l'érosion, étant donné que les bâtiments avaient été construits en terre.
To the point or more precisely, to Brother's Point (Rubha nam Brathairean). View of Dun Hasan, the elevated portion in the center, and Brother's Point.
Câlinez un mouton, ou plus précisément, câlinez Ciboulette
Hug a sheep, or more precisely, hug Ciboulette
This is a pretty colourful and wild-looking part of sky. I believe that the area is best described as a very faint nebula complex located in Monoceros, about 2700 light-years away. The field is filled with dusty streamers throughout, and black ribbons of dark nebula radiating outwards. It also contains areas of glowing red emission and several beautiful blue reflection nebulae.
NGC 2170 is the bluish nebula on the extreme left side. Just to the right and slightly down, an area that resembles glowing embers surrounded by three nebulae with reds and blues. Near the centre of the image, there is another blue reflection nebula, NGC 2182. At the lower right-hand side, NGC 2183 is just entering the frame. Unfortunately, my instrument’s narrow field of view does not allow this nebula to be presented in its entirety. I just couldn’t bring myself to crop it out as it’s such an incredible looking nebula, and I believe that it adds a bit of mystery to just what lies outside the frame. I must come back to this area and image that intriguing object.
The areas that I find most attractive and striking are the blue reflection nebula. Their properties, precisely the particle size that makes up the dust preferentially, reflect blue light from the nearby hot stars. This combination produces that beautiful blue glow seen in many astrophotographs.
There are glowing red areas throughout the frame. They are emission nebula. The ultraviolet light from nearby stars interacts and excites the nearby hydrogen gas, causing these areas to emit light. Other types of gas also emit light of their own in colours determined by the composition of the gas. Perhaps the most striking features are the dark or absorption nebula. The absorption nebula is seen in silhouette, blocking the light from behind. From our vantage point, we see black. Near-Infrared imaging reveals telltale signs of ongoing star formation and massive young stars that are hidden by dust, and not seen in traditional RGB optical images like this.
Instruments:
10 Inch RCOS fl 9.1
Astro Physics AP-900 Mount
SBIG STL 11000m
FLI Filter Wheel
Astrodon Lum, Red, Green, Blue Filters
Exposure Details:
Lum 40 X 900
Red 18 X 450 Binned 2
Green 18 X 450 Binned 2
Blue 18 X 450 Binned 2
Ha 20 X 1800
Total Time 26.75 hours
Location
Australia, Central Victoria
aka birch leaf roller weevil!
Love to watch these females cutting the leaves so precisely in preparation of laying an egg and rolling it all up into a neat little 'package'!
Shawbury Heath - Shropshire
Type 'l' to see large and repeat to return.
Photo taken 00:57:27 on 7 May.
So it's not precisely a full moon, but as near as damn it. Certainly no way of taking a shot of the moon at 1145 am 7 May when the moon will officially be completely full this month.
There's also a chance of getting a late-evening Thursday night but the weather conditions were very good for me with no cloud cover here in Sheffield, UK. The image was cropped square to bring it up large in the frame. This is reduced size image to post onto the web. The original is too large for that but will make a decent print. Taken with an 80- 400 mm lens at 400 mm , on my Nikon D850.
Ref: 20200507-D85_4810-Small-for-web
Service dog? Nah, you've got me confused. I'm a DISservice dog. Tug on that chain all you like, I'm not budging.
☆Kottr Featured Items☆
Sure, yes, we all know about emotional support animals. But what if I told you that you could also have, alternatively, an emotional distress animal? This boy is precisely what you're looking for then! All jokes aside, Kottr has supplied us with an alternative version of their Service Vest, now with fits for Anatomy, Legacy M Athletic, eBody Reborn V-Tech AND the Monday Morning Pebbles chest mod! Much like the original Service Vest, the Tobias Vest comes with an optional panel for labels like "Do Not Pet" "Good Boy In Training", and other fun phrases perfect for your new animal companion (or yourself, if you happen to be the good boy/girl type)! As always, Kottr has left us wanting for nothing with their generous color options, AND modify perms, so you can fully maximize your customization prowess! Run, don't walk, over to the Kottr store to find your next best article of service animal certified wear!
You can find the Tobias Vest at Kottr's mainstore, ☆HERE☆!
☆Special Showcase Items☆
A bit different from my usual blogging, I wanted to give a shout-out to a friend of mine who made a wonderful head for the most recent Abnormality round. Presenting the Woofer Head from BARK!
This bad boy is so expressive and chock-full of customization options, from togggle-able parts like eyelashes, fluff, blush and other similar features, to individually tweakable settings such as eye states, mouth states, and tongue positions!
If you're looking to give a new canine head a try and expand your furry parts wardrobe, then you should definitely take a peek at BARK's new head, among their many other great creations; you can find them all ☆HERE☆!
Also featured in this picture are:
The Wyld Woofer Piercings from [SMG], found ☆HERE☆
The Simuran mod for the Woofer head, by [FMC], will soon be up in their marketplace ☆HERE☆. Until it's put up for sale, please do consider browsing their other goods!
Photo prise à l'été 2017 dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques et plus précisément dans la vallée d'Ossau.
Photo taken in the summer of 2017 in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques and more precisely in the Ossau Valley.
A patient in Leprosy hospital in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.
36 acres Leprosy hospital a picture of neglect
The agony of Gregor Samsa in Franz Kafka’s The Metamorphosis of being rejected by his loved ones for no fault of his own, but due to a deformity that suddenly emerged out of nowhere, touched the hearts of many. The misery of being an outcast is traumatic in itself and is precisely what many lepers, admitted to the only city government-run leprosy hospital in Manghopir, feel. But their despair has multiplied owing to the dilapidated condition of the hospital building and inefficient management.
Leprosy is a contagious disease. According to the annual report of the Marie Adelaide Leprosy Centre, there are 700 new cases of the disease found annually in Pakistan. “Furthermore, those infected with the bacteria called Mycobacterium leprae, develop signs and symptoms of the disease in 3 to 40 years. It is transmitted from an infected and untreated patient through droplets (mucus), from the nose and mouth,” says a World Health Organisation (WHO) report.
Located in a far-flung area of the city, the leprosy hospital was built in 1896 by a philanthropist, Dr B.L. Roy. However, after being run by various NGOs it was handed over to the now defunct Karachi Municipal Corporation in 1960. There is no prize for guessing what happened to the facility afterwards.
According to the Medical Superintendent (MS), Dr Mohammad Abbasi, 180 patients are under treatment in this healthcare unit. However, this scribe could see not more than 80 to 100 patients at the time of the visit. Currently there are six doctors working at the hospital, out of which two work in the OPD till 1.30pm. The other doctors visit the hospital occasionally but are basically called when there is an emergency. The same is the case with the nurses and ward boys, (there are only two of each) and although they live on the premises, they too leave at 1.30pm.
The statements of the MS about the state of the hospital are quite quizzical. He says that most of the in-house patients have been cured and are staying there as they have no other place to go. He also claims that the majority of the lepers came when MDT was not introduced (before 1985) by the WHO, as earlier the disease was considered incurable. Nonetheless, when this reporter mentioned that a patient had been living there for not more than six years, he had no answer.
Thirty-six acres of the hospice’s land have been encroached upon and the administration says that they cannot do much about it. The hospital, which appears quite presentable whenever high-ups of the government have to visit it, in reality has a suffocating environment.
Walls in the ward have cracks running through them and paint flakes off due to dampness. When there is an electricity breakdown patients are seen lying on the floor to beat the heat. Bed sheets and pillows are stained and it seems that they haven’t been changed in ages. In addition to this, the patients have to wash their clothes themselves, while they have no access to recreation facilities.
Proper medicines are not visible on the bedside table. Instead, one can see cooking utensils as the patients have to cook their own food, as there are no cooks in the hospital. It is simply horrific to even imagine what will happen if any of the patients injures or burns themselves while cooking.
But the management seems to be in no particular hurry to appoint cooks. The MS maintains two reasons for this. “The old cooks have retired and the city government has to allow (us) to appoint new ones,” he says, adding that the other reason is that “no one wishes to work among lepers.”
The city government has sanctioned 100 employees, but the administration says they only have 80 people working for them. Forty patients are also employed as gardeners, gatekeepers, watchman etc. Though 30 of them draw their salary from the city government, the remainder are paid by some NGOs.
It is worth pondering whether these men and women, who have lost parts of their hands and feet to leprosy, can perform the job, for example, of a watchman satisfactorily? A recent incident quite clearly illustrates the pathetic situation.
A few men from the nearby colony entered the hospital, as there is no significant boundary wall to stop anyone, and proceeded to beat and rob one of the patients. The watchman tried, to the best of his ability, to stop the intruders but couldn’t do much. Dr Abbasi himself admits that he was helpless to prevent the incident.
On one hand the authorities claim they have no money to improve the conditions of the hospital. However, the administration has spent millions on the construction of a molecular laboratory, tuberculosis centre and dental healthcare unit. Then why are funds not being allocated for the uplift of this facility?
It is not difficult to understand why these patients are forced to live there. Abandoned by their families, they have no other place to go. Some of the women even have their children with them in the hospital. Male patients voice their concerns about food. It seems that they want to complain about other things as well, but the presence of the MS prevents them from doing so. However, the female patients are more careful in this respect and say that they do not have any complaints.
Talking to these patients, one senses an air of melancholy about them. Not being accepted by society they are confined to the hospital, while the attitude of their relatives has shattered them. Thirty-eight-year-old Najibur Rehman has been living in the hospital since he was a young boy. His family found out about him being infected with the disease when he was 9. They tried to have him treated by various hakims and doctors, but it was all in vain. His mother, brother and family visit him once in a while.
On the other hand Anwer Hussain says that he hates his family. When asked why, he says that “when I was diagnosed with leprosy, my mother did not come close to me.” He adds that “not even my dad or brothers bothered to come and see me.” He also criticises the hospital administration for not taking care of the patients. All the patients agree when he says that the hospital gives one piece of bread per meal, which is not enough for them.
Hailing from Chitral, Mirsawat, 70, sits on the floor of the hospital. He lost half of his foot and both of his eyes due to this bacterium. He doesn’t know what has happened to his family as he has not been in touch with them for ages. In fact, he has also lost track of the time when he first came here. He used to work as a street vendor in a nearby area and when he was diagnosed with leprosy, he moved to the hospital.
The situation in the female ward is no different. Bibi Khatoon, 70, sitting on the edge of her bed complains about the poor provision of electricity to the hospital. She reveals that she had to come here as most of her family lives in India. “After my husband died some years ago, I was left with no option,” she says. As she has no children of her own, her brother-in-law’s kids, living in Karachi, visit her. She very innocently says that her nieces and nephews do love her, “but they never take me home and therefore, I no longer insist.”
Sara, 30, had to leave her infant girl in Afghanistan seven years ago. She still remembers how her daughter looked like then. She says that the clothes she and the others wear are donated by charities. She thinks it is best for her to stay in the hospital so as to not infect any others with the disease.
It seems extremely unfair for these patients to suffer further due to the incompetence and neglect of the hospital staff. The city government should try to improve the living standard of these people. If they are cured, they should be shifted to a place where they can settle down and rejoin the fabric of society.
photo rights reserved by Ben
The David Gareja Monastery complex lies deeply tucked away in the rugged, semi-desert landscape of eastern Georgia, near the border with Azerbaijan. The surroundings are marked by dry hillsides, weathered rock faces, and vast, desolate plains — a landscape that breathes silence. It is precisely this remoteness that made the site a sanctuary for monks seeking to withdraw from worldly life for centuries. In this photo, you see one of the many stone-carved stairways leading to a modest cave cell with a wooden door marked by a cross. These entrances, partially hidden in the sandstone, gave access to hermit dwellings and prayer chambers where monks lived in seclusion — devoted to silence, prayer, and contemplation. The rock structure is rough yet purposeful; the steps shaped by centuries of use and exposure to the elements. Though parts of the complex have fallen into ruin, places like this are still in use. Behind this door, Georgian Orthodox monks may still reside today, faithfully continuing the austere lifestyle of their spiritual predecessors. The atmosphere here is timeless: silence prevails, the stone steps crunch softly beneath your feet, and the boundary between earth and spirit feels thinner with every step. During our visit, we were the only visitors, allowing us to explore the entire site in absolute tranquility. From the monastery, a breathtaking view opens out over the stillness of the endless semi-desert plains — a place of peace, reflection, and quiet mysticism.
Nestled in Georgia’s remote eastern hills, the David Gareja Monastery blends into a silent, semi-desert landscape. This photo shows a weathered stone staircase leading to a secluded cave cell — once a refuge for monks seeking solitude and prayer. Though centuries old, the site remains active, with Georgian Orthodox monks still living in quiet devotion amid these carved sandstone cliffs. The stillness here is as powerful as the view: vast, untouched, and deeply spiritual.
Het David Gareja-kloostercomplex ligt diep verscholen in het ruige, halfwoestijnachtige landschap van Oost-Georgië, vlak bij de grens met Azerbeidzjan. De omgeving bestaat uit droge hellingen, verweerde rotswanden en verlaten vlaktes — een landschap dat stilte ademt. Juist deze afgelegen ligging maakte de plek eeuwenlang tot een toevluchtsoord voor monniken die zich wilden terugtrekken uit het wereldse leven. Op deze foto zie je één van de vele trappen uitgehouwen in de rots, die leidt naar een eenvoudige grotcel met een houten deur voorzien van een kruis. Deze ingangen, deels verborgen in de zandsteen, gaven toegang tot kluizenaarsverblijven en gebedsruimten waar monniken in afzondering leefden — toegewijd aan stilte, gebed en contemplatie. De rotsstructuur is ruw maar functioneel; de treden zijn gevormd door eeuwenlang gebruik en weersinvloeden. Hoewel het complex deels vervallen is, zijn plekken als deze nog steeds in gebruik. Achter deze deur kunnen nog altijd Georgisch-Orthodoxe monniken verblijven, die trouw het sobere leven van hun voorgangers voortzetten. De sfeer is er tijdloos: stilte overheerst, de stenen trappen knarsen zacht onder je voeten, en je voelt hoe de grens tussen het aardse en het spirituele hier vervaagt. Tijdens ons bezoek waren we de enige bezoekers, wat het mogelijk maakte het hele terrein in volledige rust te verkennen. Vanaf het klooster strekt zich een adembenemend uitzicht uit over de stille, eindeloze semi-woestijnvlakten — een plek van verstilling, bezinning en mystiek.
Fishes are a symbol of prosperity, but dead fish means precisely the opposite. It results in environmental disasters. It is alarming that these events have become unusually frequent. Although many reasons contribute to this catastrophe, most of them are Man-made. The most common reasons are reduced oxygen in the water, which may be due to drought, high algae growth due to water vessel's fuel, overpopulation, or a sustained increase in water temperature, which is due to the Greenhouse effect. We must save our environment before it is too late. It is high time that we took action.
“What I liked about photography was precisely this: that I could walk away and I could be silent.” — Robert Frank
Tonight's full moon breaks behind the Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, San Jose, CA. I used The Photographer's Ephemeris to precisely plan this lineup, and when the moon popped up, my tripod was perfectly positioned with no need to make a last second running lateral correction, as is typical for me. The K3II's built in GPS embedded my precise location into the EXIF. This is a single frame, single exposure and there has been no manipulation of the size nor placement of the moon in any way. Here is my sequence of shots as proof: www.mikeoria.com/p241193605/eb54ad679
Lens is the DFA 150-450 plus a 1.4x teleconverter on the K3II. The equivalent focal length is 945mm before cropping.
Thanks for visiting!
In 1768, more precisely on July 23rd, the monastery building complex including the church fell victim to a major fire.
Prince Abbot Martin II Gerbert decides to rebuild immediately. The prince abbot recruited the French architect Pierre Michel d'Ixnard for the new planning.
Ludovico Bossi, choir, and Johann Caspar Gigl, dome rotunda, stucco the church. The dome fresco is painted by Johann Christian Wentzinger. Johann Andreas Silbermann, organ builder from Strasbourg, built the large organ, his main work, between 1772 and 1775.
The church was inaugurated in 1783.
The prince abbot had a crypt built in the new building for the ancestors of the Habsburgs. He had various Habsburg bones transferred from various crypts to St. Blasien.
In 1806, after secularization, the monastery came to the Baden house. The monks have to leave St. Blasien.
In 1809, a Zurich entrepreneur bought the monastery buildings and set up a spinning mill and machine factory in the eastern part.
The domed rotunda is empty and is to be demolished. The Silbermann organ was sold to Karlsruhe as early as 1806 and fell victim to a hail of bombs there in 1944. Today's organ comes from the master organ builder Friedrich Wilhelm Schwarz, who installed it in the church in 1912. The brochure comes from Gebr. Metzger from Überlingen.
Friedrich Weinbrenner, Baden building director and architect, saved the domed rotunda from demolition in 1810. The copper on the roof has already been sold off.
In 1874 a fire broke out in the factory, destroying almost all parts of the building and the domed rotunda.
It remains a burnt ruin. 1911 – 1913 the church was reconstructed by Friedrich Ostendorf.
In 1977, the west wing of the abbey burned down and was renovated in an exemplary manner along with the church by 1983.
masks reveal what they conceal. by donning some masks but not others, people disclose precisely what they would most shield. indeed, a person does not hide behind the mask so much as struggle beneath the weight of it.
/No Awards, please./
he Nith rises in the Carsphairn hills of East Ayrshire, more precisely between Prickeny Hill and Enoch Hill, 7 km east of Dalmellington.[4] For the majority of its course it flows in a generally southern direction through Dumfries and Galloway, before spilling into the Solway Firth at Ards point
Another peaceful end of the day on the Baltic Coast more precisely Klein Zicker which is located in the south-east of Rügen.The colors that day were amazing that day.
My award is your presence. Please don't leave badges, group images or invitations on my stream!!
The Monostor Fortress - the largest modern fortress in Central Europe - was built between 1850 and 1871. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the neoclassical military monument is a fascinating sight with its huge walls of precisely hewn stone, the 3-4 metre thick earthen ramparts covering the defences and its network of underground passages (kazamata) several kilometres long.
Its monumental dimensions are evidenced by the following figures: The fortress covers 25 hectares, the total area including the firing ranges is 70 hectares, the floor area of the buildings is 25 680 m2 and the number of rooms is 640.
After the fortress was built, it served generations of soldiers of the Hungarian Defence Forces. Its tasks included the defence of the central fortress (North - Komárom) and the control of shipping on the Danube. It was never used in combat and served mainly as a training centre and weapons depot. During the First World War it was used as a conscription and training centre. During the Second World War, the 22nd Infantry Regiment had its headquarters at Fort Monostor, and the soldiers of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Regiments were stationed there. After the Second World War.
Between 1945 and 1990, the Red Army's Army Group South set up the largest ammunition depot in Central Europe in the fort. With their withdrawal, the military function of the fortress ended forever.
Today the fort is a popular destination with a military history exhibition, Cold War vehicles, a bread museum, a boat exhibition and numerous events.
Now and then you come across a landscape scene that just feels meant to be a photograph. It's almost as though everything is precisely placed creating flow and interest from foreground through to the background. It all just seems to work together.
Thanks for viewing and commenting!
Join me on:
Instagram: @pidalaphoto
500px: pidalaphoto
Viewbug: bpidala
Bicycle chain macro. People tend to think of bicycle chains as quite simple but they are in fact very precisely engineered to give many hundreds of miles of reliable service if well maintained.
~ Here we are, precisely in the middle of the year! Today is 15th June. The summer solstice approaches on 24th June; time to take stock. Some amazing things have already happened this year, and there are some truly amazing things yet to happen, Insh'Allah.
We are looking forward to good days to come: the most important Islamic month, Ramadhan, which starts towards the end of August, to the two Eid celebrations, and the wedding season in the UK, which blooms during the summer months (during the winters in Pakistan, even though I got married in the scorching Lahori May heat!).
Shaukat, a family friend, is holding his mehndi party this weekend in London, plans his nikah for the following weekend, then his walima on 5th July! Phew!
Summer is truly here!
And yes, I had to post this photo, the London Eye... I am a Londoner, and this is the quintessential London shot. There, I did it.
"It is precisely the possibility of realizing a dream that makes life interesting."- Paulo Coelho
NEW BLOG: unconventionalpaintings.com/blog
The advantage of a window seat. It was fascinating to see the mountain landscape and effects of glaciation. The two large dams can be clearly seen.
Unfortunately, I don't know where precisely the lakes are
La localidad de Tafí del Valle se encuentra ubicada en el departamento homónimo, del cual es cabecera, en el oeste de la provincia Argentina de Tucumán, a 126 km de la capital provincial, San Miguel de Tucumán.
Debido a la altitud, el clima predominante es el templado y algo húmedo -con nevadas invernales-, el sector oriental del valle, precisamente en donde se encuentra la ciudad de Tafí del Valle, es húmedo con un bioma de pradera en la que predominan los céspedes, gramíneas y se dan bosquecillos de coníferas, caducifolias y molles. Hacia el oeste la humedad va disminuyendo lo que da lugar a la presencia esporádica de cactáceas como los cardones. El contraste es netamente espectacular en el punto llamado Abra del Infiernillo, allí se observan inmediatamente al oeste los semidesiertos y desiertos y al este las semperverentes praderas, bosques, selvas cubiertas por abundantes nubes.
En la ciudad de Tafí del Valle las temperaturas máximas promedio de verano (en enero) son de 26 °C, las temperaturas máximas promedio invernales (en julio) son de 16 °C, siendo frecuentes durante el invierno las temperaturas de hasta -17 °C.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The town of Tafi del Valle is located in the homonymous department, which is head, in the west of Argentina's Tucuman province, 126 km from the provincial capital, San Miguel de Tucuman.
Because of the altitude, the climate is predominantly mild and wet, with snowfalls something invernales-, the eastern part of the valley, precisely where the town of Tafi del Valle, is a wet grassland biome in which predominate lawns, grasses and groves of conifers and deciduous molles occur. Westward moisture decreases leading to the sporadic presence of cactuses like thistles. The contrast is purely spectacular point called Abra del Infiernillo, there is observed immediately west and deserts and semi-deserts east of semperverentes meadows, forests, jungles covered by heavy clouds.
In the town of Tafi del Valle average summer maximum temperatures (in January) are 26 ° C, the average winter maximum temperatures (in July) are 16 ° C, with frequent during the winter temperatures to -17 ° C.
DBC 66003 glides through Metheringham Station with the Bow - Heck Plasmor PS at 16:43 and 24 seconds precisely, the Camera doesn't lie 20th March 2020.
Lynn the Wildlife Rehabilitator returned Mama Cherry to her family today at precisely 8:56AM EST. Lynn had picked Cherry up at 4AM from the Sanctuary (Save Our Seabirds). She was so kind to call me when she arrived, and she stayed a short distance from our property until we had confirmed the location of the family. She and I hung up, and 10 seconds later Classic, Fanta and Fresca were outside my office window.
When Lynn arrived with Cherry, the rest of the family had circled around another building. Lynn carried Cherry out; Cherry saw Fanta and started to wriggle. Lynn let Cherry go, and she went straight to Fanta. Fanta has been falling behind since Cherry has been gone. Classic and Fresca had already moved up the sidewalk, but they definitely saw Cherry and started making their way back. The family reunited against the mundane backdrop of office windows, but for me, it was one of the most beautiful scenes I have witnessed.
Lynn was surprised there wasn’t any trumpeting between Classic and Cherry, but I was closer to them and I could hear them purring and cooing and the chicks were peeping. They walked off together and then Cherry moved off to the pond when they got to the corner of the building. Classic, ever the good father, continued the daily foraging round without her as she got a drink and started to get used to her blessed freedom again. I told Lynn, she probably wanted to blow the stink off of her, the smell of humans and other birds at the sanctuary. Not that those stink…it’s an expression, you know. She wanted to freshen up! =o)
Later in the day, Classic and the chicks joined her at the pond for more foraging. I sat on the hill, and I just watched them. Of course I took some shots, but I also just enjoyed the splendor of seeing my family, our family, together again. I felt myself exhale, and while I will keep a close eye on Cherry and the family in the coming weeks, I feel better knowing they are together.
Thank you God for the blessing of Lynn and the good people at Save Our Searbirds who removed the paperclip from Cherry’s beak, gave her antibiotics, and cared for her. Lynn is some sweet lady, and she is incredibly dedicated and passionate. She often gets 6 rescue calls a day, most of them Sandhill Crane related. She showed me a lot of pictures. All of them made my heart ache, and some of them were incredible success stories. Lynn’s eye lit up, sharing the joy of those who were successfully released back into the wild, and I could see her heart ache when she spoke of those she euthanized and held as they passed away. “I wouldn’t want to be alone when I die; so I don’t let them be alone.”
I am going to go to the Sanctuary in a week and a half. I know a lot of what I may see there will be heart wrenching, but if I can help and raise awareness, that would be a great gift. Thank you my Flickr Friends for all of your prayers and good wishes. I met so many awesome and simpatico contacts because of this story. In case I haven’t mentioned lately, I HAVE THE BEST CONTACTS ON FLICKR. I hope you will check them out! You will find many nature lovers, bird nerds, macro-tastic bug lovers, tree-huggers, funny, talented, engaged and artistic people!
These are not necessarily shots of epic quality. Sometimes it is what it is with wildlife, and I was definitely respecting their space even more than usual, but the feelings were epic for me. For more information on these and other cranes visit www.savingcranes.org Hugs and thanks for viewing and oh my goodness, for reading this epic description if you were inclined to do so!!! XXOO
***All rights to my images are STRICTLY reserved. Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing my images or if you are an educator or non-profit interested in use. copyright KathleenJacksonPhotography 2009***
© all rights reserved by B℮n
The general term ice age or, more precisely, "glacial age" denotes a geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in an expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. There have been at least four major ice ages in the Earth's past. Outside these periods, the Earth seems to have been ice-free even in high latitudes. There is evidence that greenhouse gas levels fell at the start of ice ages and rose during the retreat of the ice sheets, but it is difficult to establish cause and effect (see the notes above on the role of weathering). Greenhouse gas levels may also have been affected by other factors which have been proposed as causes of ice ages, such as the movement of continents and vulcanism. Although the last glacial period ended more than 8,000 years ago, its effects can still be felt today. For example, the moving ice carved out landscape in Canada, Greenland, northern Eurasia and Antarctica. The erratic boulders, till, drumlins, eskers, fjords, kettle lakes, moraines, cirques, horns, etc., are typical features left behind by the glaciers. This is the Marken lighthouse, given its name due to its shape ('paard' means 'horse' in dutch). The original was built in 1700, then reconstructed on top of the early foundations in 1839. It's still in use today.
Photo of hummocks taken at the lighthouse of Marken. A hummock is a boss or rounded knoll of ice rising above the general level of an ice-field, Hummocky ice is caused by slow and unequal pressure in the main body of the packed ice, and by unequal structure and temperature at a later period.
Een ijstijd of glaciatie is een geologisch tijdvak waarin ijskappen voorkomen. In het Engels wordt dit een periode van ice-house genoemd, als tegenhanger van een ijskaploze periode, de greenhouse ("broeikas"). Aangezien er gletsjers liggen op bijvoorbeeld Groenland of Antarctica, leven we tegenwoordig in een ijstijd. Men neemt aan dat dit in de gehele geologische geschiedenis van de Aarde minstens vijfmaal het geval is geweest, waarvan eenmaal zelfs zo sterk dat de ijskappen van de polen vrijwel tot aan de evenaar waren opgerukt. Ook zijn er periodes dat er aanzienlijke opwarming optrad waarbij die ijskappen grotendeels waren weggesmolten. Het klimaat op Aarde wordt beïnvloed door vele factoren, zoals de intensiteit van de zonnestraling, de ligging van de continenten, de continentverplaatsingen, vulkanisme, de zeestromen, de bedekking van het land door vegetatie, het weerkaatsingsvermogen van het aardoppervlak en vele kleine andere factoren. Met behulp van klimaatmodellen wordt door wetenschappers een reconstructie van het klimaat en de klimaatveranderingen in het verleden gemaakt. Alhoewel er een zekere consensus bestaat onder wetenschappers, zijn er nog vele onzekerheden en tegenstrijdigheden in dit onderzoek.
Hierboven een foto van kruiend ijs. Zoetwatermeren kunnen spectaculair bevriezen. Grotere meren zoals het IJsselmeer (IJmeer) hierboven hebben bijna altijd wel golven, en dit werkt directe bevriezing van het wateroppervlak tegen. Eerst vormen zich kleine ijsschotsen, die naar de kust drijven onder invloed van de wind. Deze schotsen vormen zo een ijsveld op het water dat de golven dempt, en uiteindelijk vriezen alle schotsen aan elkaar vast tot een massa. Voordat dit gebeurt schuren de schotsen voortdurend langs elkaar heen en schrapen zo stukjes ijs van elkaar af; elke schots krijgt zo een witte rand. Zulk ijs is dus totaal niet geschikt om op te schaatsen. Wanneer grotere delen van het meer bevriezen beginnen de platen, die soms een paar vierkante kilometer groot zijn, langzaam tegen elkaar te bewegen onder invloed van de wind en stroming. Dit heeft kruiend ijs tot gevolg: de ijsschotsen worden met kracht gebroken en op elkaar gestapeld langs de dijken langs het meer. Dit hoeft niet alleen bij dun ijs te gebeuren; soms kruit het ijs bij een dikte van meer dan 20 cm. De stapels ijs worden dan hoog, en het geluid is oorverdovend. Het Paard van Marken is een vuurtoren van Marken. De vuurtoren is gebouwd in 1839 en staat op de oostelijke punt van het eiland. De toren heeft een hoogte van 16 meter en een lichtbereik van 16,7 km.