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Treehoppers (more precisely typical treehoppers to distinguish them from the Aetalionidae) and thorn bugs are members of the family Membracidae, a group of insects related to the cicadas and the leafhoppers. There are about 3,200 known species of treehoppers in over 600 genera. They are found on all continents except Antarctica, although there are only three species in Europe.
They are best known for their enlarged and ornate pronotum, which most often resembles thorns, apparently to aid camouflage. But in some species, the pronotum grows to a horn-like extension, and even more bizarre and hard-to-describe shapes are also found.
Filippo Lippi (Fra Filippo di Tommaso Lippi - Florence, 23 June 1406 - Spoleto, 9 October 1469) Annunciation - Cycle of frescoes Scenes from the Life of the Virgin Mary (1466-69) - Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta in Spoleto
Gli affreschi vennero commissionati nel 1466, quando Lippi aveva appena terminato le Storie di santo Stefano e san Giovanni Battista nel Duomo di Prato e vennero bruscamente interrotti dalla morte dell'artista nel 1469, per venire poi conclusi, in circa tre mesi, dalla bottega del maestro. Secondo il Vasari la morte dell'artista, a 57 anni, fu causata dalla somministrazione di veleno per la sua abitudine di infastidire le fanciulle, che già era stata motivo di grande scandalo a Prato.
Lippi venne sepolto nella cattedrale spoletina e lì rimase, nonostante le richieste di Lorenzo il Magnifico di riaverlo a Firenze, poiché i cittadini umbri si lamentarono di non avere, a differenza delle basiliche fiorentine, ancora uomini illustri sepolti nella loro grande, nuova cattedrale.
Il ciclo rappresenta, da sinistra a destra, le vicende della Vergine, ovvero:
l'Annunciazione,
la Morte della Vergine (Dormitio Virginis), al centro
la Natività,
l'Incoronazione della Vergine, dipinta in alto sulla semicupola absidale.
La centralità della morte della Vergine, che rompe la progressione logica delle scene, è da attribuire a una specifica richiesta della committenza, proprio per enfatizzare il culto della Assunta nella sua Cattedrale.
The frescoes were commissioned in 1466, when Lippi had just finished the Stories of Saint Stephen and Saint John the Baptist in the Cathedral of Prato and were abruptly interrupted by the artist's death in 1469, only to be completed, in about three months, by the workshop of the master. According to Vasari, the artist's death, at the age of 57, was caused by the administration of poison due to his habit of annoying girls, which had already been a cause of great scandal in Prato.
Lippi was buried in the Spoleto cathedral and remained there, despite the requests of Lorenzo the Magnificent to have him back in Florence, since the Umbrian citizens complained that they did not have, unlike the Florentine basilicas, still illustrious men buried in their large, new cathedral.
The cycle represents, from left to right, the events of the Virgin, namely:
the Annunciation,
the Death of the Virgin (Dormitio Virginis), in the center
the Nativity,
the Coronation of the Virgin, painted on the top of the apse half-dome.
The centrality of the death of the Virgin, which breaks the logical progression of the scenes, is to be attributed to a specific request of the client, precisely to emphasize the cult of the Assumption in its Cathedral.
Abiqua Falls is an aesthetically pleasing cascade situated in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, more precisely inside Marion County, Oregon. The mentioned watercourse is a constituent segment of the Abiqua Creek, which serves as a tributary to the Pudding River. The waterfalls are located in a secluded wooded region, surrounded by verdant vegetation and basaltic geological structures, resulting in a visually appealing and tranquil ecological environment.
The attainment of Abiqua Falls necessitates a trek, with the pathway presenting difficulties due to its inclination and uneven topography. It is imperative that tourists come well equipped and don suitable footwear for the hiking activity. Abiqua Falls, owing to its comparably remote geographical position and the arduous nature of its trek, often exhibits lower levels of visitor congestion in comparison to other waterfalls in the vicinity. Consequently, those who undertake the expedition to Abiqua Falls are afforded a tranquil and immersing encounter.
Prior to embarking on a visit, it is advisable to thoroughly examine the local legislation and prevailing circumstances, in addition to any pertinent updates pertaining to the accessibility of the falls. It is essential to acknowledge the importance of treating the natural environment with reverence, and it is incumbent upon visitors to adhere to the principles of Leave No Trace in order to safeguard the aesthetic appeal of the region for future generations.
or more precisely the adjacent quarry
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hope_Cement_Works
The cement works has permission to continue to operate until February 2042 but the quarry doesn't have enough limestone left to last that long at current rates of extraction without extension
Viewed from the hillside.
"Piesport is a local community in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district in Rhineland-Palatinate and the largest wine-growing town in the Mosel wine-growing region. She has been a member of the Bernkastel-Kues municipality since January 1, 2012.
The local community is located, surrounded by vineyards, meadows and forests, on a loop of the Moselle that bulges out to the north in the Moselle valley between Bernkastel-Kues and Trier, more precisely between Minheim and Neumagen. The district of Piesport is located on the left bank of the river on the Eifel side. On the opposite, gently rising side of the river on the Hunsrück side is the Müstert district and a little further downstream, at the exit of the loop, is the Reinsport district. The higher district around the church of St. Martin is Emmel. Ferres is located slightly upstream on the left bank of the river. Müstert used to consist of just a few houses that gather around the All Saints Chapel at the bridgehead of the lower of the two Moselle bridges. This district grew together with Emmel and Reinsport over the centuries and formed the independent municipality of Niederemmel until the administrative reform in 1969. The B 53, the Moseluferstrasse, runs through the district of Niederemmel. From here, at a roundabout at the entrance to the town from the direction of Neumagen, the L 50 branches off to the north over the Moselle bridge to Klausen and the L 156 branches off to the south towards Neumagen-Dhron.
It can be assumed that in Roman times there was a ford through the Moselle at the site of today's town, through which wagons could drive when the water level was low. This ford was dedicated to Mercurius Bigentius, a local deity, from which the name Porto Pingontio was derived, which gradually became Piesport.
A sanctuary was also dedicated to Bigentius, which stood on the northern, left-hand bank on the mountain slope and which is now only remembered by the chapel house, which is also popularly known as Michelskirch ( Lage→ ). In Christian times it was replaced by a church dedicated to the Archangel Michael, which was attested in 1350 as the matrix ecclesia (“mother church”). Because of the long and arduous journey to the parish of Piesport on the banks of the Moselle, a new church was finally built, today's parish church of St. Michael.
The Romans already settled in the region around Piesport. The vineyards framed the place “like the tiers of an amphitheater,” wrote the poet Ausonius. The largest Roman wine press north of the Alps was discovered and partially reconstructed in 1985 between the districts of Alt-Piesport and Ferres. It is the center of the Roman Press Festival, which takes place annually on the second weekend in October. In 1950, a Roman diatret jar was found in a sarcophagus in a burial ground near Niederemmel, which is now in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier. Witnesses to the Roman era are also the Roman road (L 157) on the height between Niederemmel and Morbach, where a Roman grave was found near the Tonnkopf hunting lodge, as well as the Römerhof on the southern outskirts of Niederemmel. There was also a Roman milestone at the Tonnkopf.
The first documented mention of Piesport was in 776. Between 1506 and 1508, Piesport lost 82 of its 95 citizens (households) to the plague. In the Middle Ages and early modern times, Piesport was part of Kurtrier. From 1794 the area was under French rule, and in 1815 it was assigned to the Kingdom of Prussia at the Congress of Vienna. Since 1946 it has been part of the then newly formed state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Today's community was re-formed on June 7, 1969 from the dissolved communities of Piesport (then 503 residents) and Niederemmel (1,633 residents).
Mosel (German: [ˈmoːzl̩]) is one of 13 German wine regions (Weinbaugebiete) for quality wines (Qualitätswein, formerly QbA and Prädikatswein), and takes its name from the Mosel River (French: Moselle; Luxembourgish: Musel). Before 1 August 2007 the region was called Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, but changed to a name that was considered more consumer-friendly. The wine region is Germany's third largest in terms of production but some consider it the leading region in terms of international prestige.
The region covers the valleys of the rivers Mosel, Saar, and Ruwer from near the mouth of the Mosel at Koblenz and upstream to the vicinity of Trier in the federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate. The area is known for the steep slopes of the region's vineyards overlooking the river. At 65° degrees incline, the steepest recorded vineyard in the world is the Calmont vineyard located on the Mosel and belonging to the village of Bremm, and therefore referred to as Bremmer Calmont. The Mosel is mainly famous for its wines made from the Riesling grape, but Elbling and Müller-Thurgau also contribute to the production, among others.
In the past two decades red wine production, especially from the Spätburgunder (Pinot noir), has increased in the Mosel and throughout the German vignoble and has become of increasing interest to the international wine community. Because of the northerly location of the Mosel, the Riesling wines are often light, tending to lower alcohol, crisp and high in acidity, and often exhibit "flowery" rather than or in addition to "fruity" aromas. Its most common vineyard soil is derived in the main from various kinds of slate deposits, which tend to give the wines a transparent, mineralic aspect, that often exhibit great depth of flavor. In the current era of climate change much work has been done to improve and gain acceptance for completely dry ("Trocken") Rieslings in this region, so that most of the more famous makers have found acceptance for such wines, particularly in Europe." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
Paysage d'Auvergne plus précisément du Cantal dans les environs de Salers
landscape d'Auvergne Cantal more precisely in the vicinity Salers
»..above and beyond our personal experience, we have collectively witnessed a fundamental unexpected event, fundamental precisely because unexpected, not foreseen by anyone. It happened, therefore it can happen again: this is the core of what we have to say. It can happen, and it can happen everywhere.«
primo levi
.
no big glittery icons or invitations , please !
to be looked at for precisely 15 minutes, on repeat, indecisively.
Sad, bored, young man with Rembrandt Ironing-board, goose-hesitating.
Honk, honk.
Precisely a year before this image was taken on the eve of the Fall equinox, I had climbed up Fremont peak at Mt Rainier during a cloudy afternoon. The lookout at the summit had been socked in dense fog, reducing visibility to mere yards. And when all hope seemed lost, the inversion layer dipped below, and I was witness to one glorious sunset above the clouds.
I was hoping to repeat that this year, and with the dense smoke having finally receded, I was eagerly looking forward to a return visit. However, fire damage had temporarily closed the main access road to the area, and I turned to the next best fire lookout in the Mt Rainier area.
I started the hike in high spirits despite the foggy weather, hoping that the clouds would lift up just like last year. But as sunset approached, the snowy summit of Mt Rainier barely managed to peek through the thick fog rolling over the lookout. The glimpses of the inversion layer kept teasing me, prolonging the agony in the freezing cold. And just as I was about to turn around barely 30min before sunset, the clouds lowered.
I was now dropped into an ethereal landscape with the mist still clinging onto the nearby ridges and peaks, while the summit of Mt Rainier, towering over an alpine lake, managed to catch the last bit of alpenglow.
Mt Rainier National Park
WA USA
Leopard 2, the never ending story... I'd like to think I'm getting to a point where I can finally call them done - but I think that after every redesign.
Well anyway, here is the latest iteration - or two thirds of it to be precise, haven't gotten around to fully redo the winter-camoed "Amdusias" yet.
The colourful nature and long crest, red bills and also white-eye stripes of the male Mandarin Duck did mean that they were prized precisely more than his female pair a much duller bird often a grey or brown colour, so the male ducks are bagged the crown as the most ornate of duck species or also arguably the most symbolic of all the waterfowl species on earth.
I will from today upload a selection of photographs taken during a September 2017 trip in Aubrac, central France. I will caption more precisely if and when necessary.
The adorable forgotten chapel of Aurelle (the name itself is very old and denotes the presence of gold ore nearby, probably in a river). Aurelle is a lost and deserted village that can only be reached by foot.
Aside from a few decaying or ruined homes, there is this very cute Romanesque chapel, originally from the 12th century, which was destroyed and then rebuilt in the 1300s. It has been listed as a Historic Landmark since 1938.
Taken at precisely 7 minutes past midnight, at Tromso in Northern Norway, 200 miles above the arctic circle, where the sun never sets and is constantly above the horizon 24 hours a day from May 20th till July 22nd.
March 2017; Micro SL601 review.
Just making shure SL is good at focusing of fast optics as claimed by many. It delivers in spades as I never before managed to focus so precisely and so quickly M 90mm f2 lens at maximum f stop. Ergonomics with either M or R lens is superb.
The Importance of Small Awarenesses by Daniel Arrhakis (2026)
The Importance of Small Awarenesses
There's an old saying that "the devil is in the details." It suggests that the biggest problems, failures, or temptations don't necessarily arise from major events, but rather from small, gradual, almost imperceptible slips that accumulate in daily life. It is, therefore, a metaphor for the importance of meticulous attention.
Character is revealed in micro-attitudes. Small, invisible choices—like helping someone, fulfilling a duty even when tired, or acting carefully when no one is watching—often show who we really are.
But there's also an inverse perspective: that the beauty and essence of life reside precisely in these same small details. What seems minimal can reveal both danger and harmony, both failure and the profound meaning of things.
It is in this balance between light and shadow that the equilibrium of all things is found. In Rovingian animism, unlike the moral dualism present in Abrahamic traditions, light and shadow are not enemy forces, but inseparable dimensions of existence. This worldview understands duality not as destructive opposition, but as vital complementarity.
The Dynamics of Rovingian Animism
- Complementary duality: light and shadow do not compete with each other.
- Inseparability: the existence of one defines and makes possible the other.
- Rejection of the absolute: this view opposes the rigid moral dualism of Abrahamic faiths, based on the opposition between Good and Evil.
- Perpetual motion: balance requires continuous cyclical oscillation.
In this cyclical dynamic, balance depends on the constant movement between light and shadow.
However, when forces of stagnation arise in a particular place, it is precisely the small beings—or small living consciousnesses—that first give the warning. The absence of butterflies and bees, the disappearance of birdsong, the lack of a simple breeze, the growing silence, the appearance of diseases in the leaves, or the interruption of tree growth become signs of imbalance.
The Meaning of Warning Signs
- Vital bioindicators: small beings and symbiotic associations, such as mycorrhizae and lichens, react quickly to subtle environmental changes.
- Breakdown of flow: stagnation interrupts the cyclical movement between light and shadow.
- Clinical silence: the lack of songs, buzzing, plant growth, and vitality signals the energetic death of a place.
- Symptom of rupture: the disappearance of these beings indicates that vital complementarity has failed.
Practical Signs of Stagnation
- Absence of insects: failures in pollination by bees and butterflies or predominance of pests associated with putrid and decomposing systems.
- Avian muteness: disappearance of sound frequencies that keep the space active.
- Still air: loss of the elemental circulation that sustains local renewal.
- Plant decay: appearance of pathologies in leaves and interruption of tree growth.
This perspective of Rovingian animism, in several aspects, aligns with the ecological principles of our own world.
When natural dynamics cease, the absence of small consciousnesses functions as a warning that is both biological and spiritual—a sign to which nomadic Rovingian monks must always remain attentive.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
A Importância das Pequenas Consciências
Há uma expressão antiga que diz que “o diabo mora nos detalhes”. Ela sugere que os maiores problemas, falhas ou tentações não surgem necessariamente de grandes acontecimentos, mas antes de pequenos deslizes graduais, quase impercetíveis, que se acumulam no quotidiano. É, por isso, uma metáfora sobre a importância da atenção minuciosa.
O carácter revela-se nas microatitudes. Pequenas escolhas invisíveis — como ajudar alguém, cumprir um dever mesmo no cansaço ou agir com cuidado quando ninguém observa — mostram, muitas vezes, quem realmente somos.
Mas existe também uma perspetiva inversa: a de que a beleza e a essência da vida residem precisamente nesses mesmos pequenos detalhes. Aquilo que parece mínimo pode revelar tanto o perigo como a harmonia, tanto a falha como o sentido profundo das coisas.
É nesse balanço entre luz e sombra que se encontra o equilíbrio de todas as coisas. No animismo rovingiano, ao contrário do dualismo moral presente nas tradições abraâmicas, luz e sombra não são forças inimigas, mas dimensões indissociáveis da existência. Esta visão do mundo entende a dualidade não como oposição destrutiva, mas como complementaridade vital.
A Dinâmica do Animismo Rovingiano
- Dualidade complementar: luz e sombra não competem entre si.
- Indissociabilidade: a existência de uma define e torna possível a da outra.
- Rejeição do absoluto: esta visão contrapõe-se ao dualismo moral rígido das fés abraâmicas, baseado na oposição entre Bem e Mal.
- Movimento perpétuo: o equilíbrio exige uma oscilação cíclica contínua.
Nesta dinâmica cíclica, o equilíbrio depende do movimento constante entre luz e sombra.
Quando, porém, surgem forças de estagnação num determinado lugar, são precisamente os pequenos seres — ou pequenas consciências vivas — que primeiro dão o alerta. A ausência de borboletas e abelhas, o desaparecimento do canto dos pássaros, a falta de uma simples aragem, o silêncio crescente, o aparecimento de doenças nas folhas ou a interrupção do crescimento das árvores tornam-se sinais de desequilíbrio.
O Significado dos Alertas
- Bioindicadores vitais: pequenos seres e associações simbióticas, como micorrizas e líquenes, reagem rapidamente a alterações ambientais subtis.
- Quebra de fluxo: a estagnação interrompe o movimento cíclico entre luz e sombra.
- Silêncio clínico: a falta de cantos, zumbidos, crescimento vegetal e vitalidade sinaliza a morte energética de um lugar.
- Sintoma de rutura: o desaparecimento destes seres indica que a complementaridade vital falhou.
Sinais Práticos de Estagnação
Ausência de insetos: falhas na polinização por abelhas e borboletas ou predomínio de pragas associadas a sistemas pútridos e de decomposição.
Mutismo aviário: desaparecimento de frequências sonoras que mantêm o espaço ativo.
Ar parado: perda da circulação elementar que sustenta a renovação local.
Decaimento vegetal: surgimento de patologias nas folhas e interrupção do crescimento das árvores.
Esta perspetiva do animismo rovingiano aproxima-se, em vários aspetos, dos princípios ecológicos do nosso próprio mundo.
Quando as dinâmicas naturais param, a ausência de pequenas consciências funciona como um aviso simultaneamente biológico e espiritual — um sinal a que os monges nómadas rovingianos devem sempre permanecer atentos.
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.
Daily firing of the old 1812 British imperialist bronze cannon at precisely 9 O'clock PM at Hallelujah Point in Vancouver's famous Stanley Park. The cannon was brought to Vancouver from England in 1898 and was hand fired at 9 PM daily towards the original Vancouver settlement to mark the time, in the days before personal clocks and watches were common. The incandescent color of the burning gunpowder gases corresponds to a temperature of about 900C.. www.anthonymaw.com
Südafrika - Kleine Karoo
Red Stone Hills
Sunset - Sonnenuntergang
The Karoo (/kəˈruː/ kə-ROO; from a Khoikhoi word, possibly garo "desert") is a semi-desert natural region of South Africa. There is no exact definition of what constitutes the Karoo, and therefore its extent is also not precisely defined. The Karoo is partly defined by its topography, geology and climate — above all, its low rainfall, arid air, cloudless skies, and extremes of heat and cold. The Karoo also hosted a well-preserved ecosystem hundreds of million years ago which is now represented by many fossils.
The Karoo is sharply divided into the Great Karoo and the Little Karoo by the Swartberg Mountain Range, which runs east-west, parallel to the southern coastline, but is separated from the sea by another east-west range called the Outeniqua –Langeberg Mountains. The Great Karoo lies to the north of the Swartberg range; the Little Karoo is to the south of it.
The Little Karoo is separated from the Great Karoo by the Swartberg Mountain range. Geographically, it is a 290 km long valley, only 40–60 km wide, formed by two parallel Cape Fold Mountain ranges, the Swartberg to the north, and the continuous Langeberg-Outeniqua range to the south. The northern strip of the valley, within 10–20 km from the foot of the Swartberg mountains is most un-karoo-like, in that it is a well watered area both from the rain, and the many streams that cascade down the mountain, or through narrow defiles in the Swartberg from the Great Karoo. The main towns of the region are situated along this northern strip of the Little Karoo: Montagu, Barrydale, Ladismith, Calitzdorp, Oudtshoorn and De Rust, as well as such well-known mission stations such as Zoar, Amalienstein, and Dysselsdorp.
The southern 30–50 km wide strip, north of the Langeberg range is as arid as the western Lower Karoo, except in the east, where the Langeberg range (arbitrarily) starts to be called the Outeniqua Mountains.
The Little Karoo can only be accessed by road through the narrow defiles cut through the surrounding Cape Fold Mountains by ancient, but still flowing rivers. A few roads traverse the mountains over passes, the most famous and impressive of which is the Swartberg Pass between Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo and Prince Albert on the other side of the Swartberg mountains in the Great Karoo. There is also the main road between Oudtshoorn and George, on the coastal plain, that crosses the mountains to the south via the Outeniqua Pass. The only exit from the Little Karoo that does not involve crossing a mountain range is through the 150 km long, narrow Langkloof valley between Uniondale and Humansdorp, near Plettenberg Bay.
(Wikipedia)
Die Karoo (auch Karroo, früher Karru; Khoisan für Halbwüste) ist eine Halbwüstenlandschaft in den Hochebenen des Landes Südafrika, nördlich der Großen Randstufe und im südlichen Namibia. Unterschieden werden Kleine Karoo, Große Karoo und Obere Karoo sowie Sukkulentenkaroo und Nama-Karoo. Mit einer Ausdehnung von 500.000 km² umfasst die Karoo fast ein Drittel des Territoriums Südafrikas. Die Sukkulentenkaroo gehört zu den Biodiversitäts-Hotspots der Erde und wird u. a. im Rahmen von BIOTA AFRICA systematisch kartiert.
Der Name Karoo kommt von kurú (trocken) aus der Sprache der San, die einst hier lebten und jagten. In Hinsicht auf die geographische Ausdehnung des Karoo-Begriffs sind die folgenden Teilaspekte zu beachten und voneinander zu unterscheiden.
Die Karoo als Landschaft im traditionellen Verständnis ist eine südafrikanische Trockenregion innerhalb der Provinzen Westkap, Ostkap und Nordkap sowie im Süden Namibias. Ihre spezifische kapländische Strauchvegetation weist sie als Halbwüste aus. Ursprünglich wird in zwei Regionen unterschieden: Große Karoo und Kleine Karoo.
Die Große Karoo besitzt eine West-Ost-Ausdehnung von über 750 Kilometern und eine Nord-Süd-Ausdehnung von etwa 110 Kilometern. Sie wird im Westen vom Massiv der Zederberge und im Osten durch die Winterberge begrenzt. Im Norden bilden die Bergketten vom Roggeveld-, Koms-, Nuweveldberge und Sneeuberg und im Süden die Höhenzüge der Witteberge, Groot Swartberge und die Groot Winterhoek die natürliche Begrenzung.
Südlich dieser Region schließt sich die Kleine Karoo an. Diese wird wiederum an ihrer südlichen Flanke von den küstennahen Langebergen und Outeniqua-Bergen begrenzt.
Anders als in dieser traditionellen Gliederung, wird die Karoo heute nach ökologischen Gesichtspunkten in einen östlichen Teil, die Nama-Karoo, und einen westlichen Teil, die Sukkulenten-Karoo, gegliedert, wobei auch die Gesamtausdehnung der Karoo nach diesem Konzept von jener der traditionellen Betrachtungsweise abweicht.
(Wikipedia)
Die Little Karoo (englisch, auf Afrikaans Klein Karoo) ist eine Region in der Western Cape Provinz in Südafrika.
Durch die Little Karoo zieht sich die Route 62.
Die Klein Karoo ist ein halbwüstenartiger Landstrich, der zwischen den Swartbergen im Norden und den Outeniqua-Bergen im Süden liegt. Die Gegend ist fruchtbar und nicht ganz so trocken wie die nördlich anschließende Große Karoo. Die Kleine Karoo ist bekannt für die Straußenzucht, allein in der Umgebung von Oudtshoorn gibt es angeblich über 400 Betriebe, landwirtschaftliche Nutztiere der Region sind auch Schafe und Angoraziegen.
Die Kleine Karoo ist das östlichste Weinbaugebiet Südafrikas. Muskatweine, Portweine und Desertweine gedeihen in dem recht trockenen Klima, ein Teil des Weines wird zu Brandy verarbeitet. Auch das hier angebaute Obst wird teilweise zu Schnaps verarbeitet, man bekommt aber auch überall recht preisgünstig getrocknete Früchte.
(wikivoyage.org)
“Absence is to love what wind is to fire; it extinguishes the small, it inflames the great.”
― Roger de Bussy-Rabutin
Each flower is carefully chosen by me, precisely for what it conveys to me. Here I saw a longing, a wanting to be close, not to be separated?
Talk to me? I'm listening!
Have a wonderful day, filled with love and thanx for your visit, M, (*_*)
For more of my other work visit here: www.indigo2photography.co.uk
Please do not use any of my images on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
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THE REALITY OF EVIL AND THE NEED FOR GUIDANCE
With all the debate now raging in America between the Christian view of original sin and fallen humanity and the goodness of human nature according to what some call a modern version of Gnosticism, it is imperative, in discussing the truth according to Sufism, to deal with the question of evil and the necessity for Divine Guidance.
It must be emphasized that Sufi treatises are not simply "self-realization kits" to be handed out to those who wish to realize the Supreme Self within on the basis of their own efforts and without Divine Succor. Islam does not believe in original sin, but it does emphasize our fall from our primordial state, that primordial nature we still bear deep within ourselves.
We are separated from this nature by layers of forgetfulness and imperfection, by veils that can be removed only with God's Help. And it is precisely these veils, or ontological separation from our Source, that result in what theologically is called evil.
It is to these veils with which we usually associate ourselves and our existence that the Sufi saint of Basra, Rabi'ah, was referring when she said, "Alas my son, thine existence is a sin wherewith no other sin can be compared.”
Metaphysically one can explain the reality of evil as separation from the absolute Good. Let us remember the saying of that supreme Christian poet, Dante, who said that hell is separation from God: As mentioned above, the Divine is at once the Absolute, the Infinite, and the All-Good. And let us not forget that infinite means containing all possibilities, including that of self-negation; as mentioned already, it is in the nature of the good to give of itself as it is in the nature of light to irradiate. This emanation, which constitutes all the levels of existence below the Absolute Being, also implies distancing and separation, gradual dimming of the light and appearance of shadows. Positively, the reality of the world issues from the One Reality, but to use the very term world implies already separation from God. As the Kabbalists have said, the Divine had to "withdraw" from Its full Plenitude to create a "space" for creation.
What we call evil is the result of this withdrawal and separation. That is why evil does not have the same ontological status as the good in the same way that darkness does not have the same ontological status as light.
The so-called problem of theodicy (that is, how could a good God create a world in which there is evil?) is the result of ignorance of the nature of God and the world and lack of knowledge of the doctrine of veil or maya. This so-called problem, which has driven many a modern Westerner away from Christianity and in some cases from Judaism, has been discussed in depth by many non-Western philosophers, theologians, and mystics belonging to other religions. Countless souls in traditional societies have observed evil and misery surrounding them, but such experiences have hardly ever drawn Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists, to name just a few examples, away from religion and the world of faith. Observing evil in a world created by God who is good has not had the same religious consequences for them as it has had for many in the modern West and of course did not have the same consequences for those in the traditional West, whose reactions to this problem were similar in many ways to those of people today in most non-Western cultures.
From the point of view of the Divine Reality, there is no evil because there is nothing to be separated from the Source of the Good, but for human beings living in the domain of relativity, evil is as real as that domain, although creation in its ontological reality is good since it comes from God. This is demonstrated by the overwhelming beauty of the natural order. That is why both the Bible and the Quran assert the goodness of His creation and the fact that goodness always predominates ultimately over evil. Furthermore, the infernal, purgatorial, and paradisal states are real although located in the domain of relativity but each with very different characteristics.
The problem of evil becomes intractable when we absolutize the relative and fail to distinguish between the existential reality of a thing, which comes from the Act of Being, and its "apparent" separative existence. To speak of a world without evil is to fail to understand what the world is and to confuse the Absolute and the relative, the Essence and its veils, or to use the language of Hinduism, Atman and maya.
Some Sufis have said that there is no evil but only goodness and beauty. Such statements must be understood in the context of the state of consciousness from which they were speaking, the state that allowed them to see the Face of God everywhere. Everything has a face turned inward to God beyond all blemish and evil and a face turned outward. The Sufis who have denied evil have gazed upon that face of inwardness and have seen the outward face of things in light of that inner reality.
Otherwise, if Sufism had denied evil, there would be no need for Sufism itself because the role of Sufism is to overcome the imperfections and evil tendencies of the soul, called "nafs inciting to evil" in the Quran and subsequently by the Sufis. On the existential level of the ordinary soul, they are as real as the soul itself.
To transcend evil and to behold only the good and the beautiful, one must transcend one's own ego or this nafs. The overwhelming beauty of God's creation and the ultimate triumph of the good, whatever transient phenomena of an evil nature may hold sway in the short run, is itself proof of the existential inequality between good and evil, the beautiful and the ugly.
Sufis seek to cling to the good and the beautiful even amid what appears sometimes in life as predominance of the evil and the ugly. They hold fast to the Truth even when surrounded by error and falsehood, being anchored in the certainty that the Truth, which is always good and beautiful in the metaphysical sense, shall finally prevail. The Sufis would be the first to agree with the medieval Latin adage vincit omnia veritas, the Truth shall always triumph.
To overcome the imperfections of the soul and the abode of evil cannot be accomplished by fallen humanity without help. If there are exceptions, they only prove the rule, and one must never forget that "The Spirit bloweth where it listeth." Putting such exceptions aside, the rule and principle is that human beings are in need of Divine Guidance to remember who they are, to be able to slay the dragon within. Through His Mercy God has therefore sent prophets throughout history to guide human beings to the One.
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The Garden of Truth by Seyyed Hossein Nasr
Seen carrying off this catch to precisely not sure where.
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Bedok Jetty, Singapore
Away from the dreadful crowd, spending the last few minutes of 2015 with a couple of friends, this was precisely my kind of New Year's Eve.
As the clock struck 12 midnight, Marina Bay erupted with spectacular fireworks, so massive that it could be felt half an island away.
Here we are into 2016 and may the new year brings about more positive and enriching experiences!
Happy New Year everyone!
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Photo from the Albert Kuhbandner collection, scan kindly provided by him for inclusion on this page.
München-Riem
Spring 1987
SE-IEY "Ada of Gothenburg"
Convair 580
372
ScanBee
Parked out in the "Westpilz" parking area. Almost precisely ten years before this shot, ScanBee's Convair 340 SE-GTE had visited Riem in practically the same colour scheme. A JAT DC-9 is seen in the distance close to the Lufthansa maintenance hangar.
Information from flickr - thanks to Kerry Taylor:
Built in 1957 as a Convair 440-90 and registered to Convair as N8466H. Delivered to General Dynamics Corp as N440J on 20Mar57. To the Gulf Oil Co as N108G in Jan62. Converted to a Convair 580 on 28Mar62. Reregistered to N108GL in Mar71. To N114M in Apr71. To N114ML in Feb77. To Sweden and ScanBee as SE-IEY in Dec80. Next to Canada with Kelowna Flightcraft on 20Jan87. On to New Zealand as ZK-KFL with Air Freight NZ in Feb90. Transferred to Air Chathams on 29Nov16 and still current in 2021.
Registration details for this airframe:
www.planelogger.com/Aircraft/Registration/SE-IEY/764509
This airframe as N114ML ca. late 1970s:
www.flickr.com/photos/191692050@N04/52117521898
This airframe as ZK-KFL with Air Freight NZ at AKL in September 1992:
www.airhistory.net/photo/234034/ZK-KFL
ZK-KFL with Air Freight NZ at CHC in December 2002 (later colours):
www.flickr.com/photos/146301829@N08/29341592765
ZK-KFL with Air Freight NZ at AKL in October 2011 (later colours):
www.flickr.com/photos/vj_bhana/7112039753
ZK-KFL with Air Chathams at WLG in October 2017 (all white):
www.flickr.com/photos/154880822@N02/39570367711
ZK-KFL with Air Chathams at AKL in September 2018
(wearing a depiction of the Chatham Island mollyhawk bird head and feathers on the tail):
www.flickr.com/photos/ryanhothersall/31347670258
ZK-KFL with Air Chathams in May 2020 (detail of mollyhawk bird head):
www.flickr.com/photos/zk-ngj/50797835313
ZK-KFL with Air Chathams at AKL in October 2021 (wings and engines removed):
imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/1/7/5/6602571.jpg
Scan from Kodachrome slide.
Precisely on this day 10 years ago the Hungarian national carrier, Malév ceased operations.
The airline shut down after 66 years of continuous operation, marking February 3 as a mourning day in Hungarian aviation history.
Film was expensive, so as a kid I always tried to get the most out of each roll even if that meant attempting just one more shot after the numbers stopped showing in the little red window in back of the camera. Sometimes it worked and other times, not so well.
Camera: Zenza Bronica EC-TL
Lens: 75mm Nikkor f2.8
Film: Lomography 100 Color
Developer: Unicolor C-41
Scanner: Epson V600
Photoshop: Curves, Healing Brush (spotting)
Cropping: None
Hello darkness my old friend…
What you are (not) seeing, highlighted in blue, is dark matter. Webb was used to precisely map out the dark matter that is part of the makeup of two colliding galaxy clusters, with help from @NASAChandraXray. Webb captured more extremely faint galaxies in the Bullet Cluster than ever seen before (as well as foreground stars), allowing scientists to accurately determine the mass of the cluster.
Chandra data shows the hot, X-ray-emitting gas present between the two galaxy clusters (highlighted in pink). As these two galaxy clusters collided, this gas was dragged out and left behind. Webb observations show that the dark matter (in blue) still lines up with the galaxies and was not dragged away.
Normally galaxies consist of gas, dust, stars, and dark matter, all combined, even when the galaxies are part of a cluster. Observing this separation between the gas and dark matter is unusual.
While we cannot see dark matter because it does not emit light, it has mass and gravitational influence on light we can see. It can act like a lens, magnifying and warping objects behind it. Imagine dark matter as water so clear you can’t see it unless the wind ripples it. The ripples will distort the shapes of any pebbles below its surface. Likewise, dark matter distorts the shapes of distant background galaxies. We can’t see it, but we see its effects.
Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, CXC
Science credit: James Jee (Yonsei University, UC Davis), Sangjun Cha (Yonsei University), Kyle Finner (Caltech/IPAC)
#NASAMarshall #NASA #NASAWebb #JWST #NASAGoddard #astrophysics #NASAChandra #Space #Chandra #Telescope #Universe
I had it on good authority a train would be passing through this tunnel at precisely 11am. So we arrived, i parked, took my camera around to figure out best settings and angles - then went back to the car and had a nap while the wife waited patiently for the sound of an approaching train. It was supposed to be a west bound train so i assumed the engineer just had a bad sense of direction.
The tracks run through three tunnels and i have been after this shot for 4 years. the only two issues i had: train moving in the wrong direction and wind on the lake obscures the reflections. So this is 1 out of 3 shots.
I though i was going to witness a derailment when the top container came in contact with the tunnel's roof - but apparently someone took measurements before hand.
When bees land on a flower to collect pollen, they will vibrate at precisely 256 Hz. Want to know why? This is because resonance produced at 256 Hz, also middle "C," will cause the pollen to vibrate from its source. This pollinates the flower and provides the Bee with quite a hefty load of pollen. Hachoo!
You can download or view Macroscopic Solutions’ images in more detail by selecting any image and clicking the downward facing arrow in the lower-right corner of the image display screen.
Three individuals of Macroscopic Solutions, LLC captured the images in this database collaboratively.
Contact information:
Mark Smith M.S. Geoscientist
mark@macroscopicsolutions.com
Daniel Saftner B.S. Geoscientist and Returned Peace Corps Volunteer
daniel@macroscopicsolutions.com
Annette Evans Ph.D. Student at the University of Connecticut
annette@macroscopicsolutions.com
The Omo Valley, often more precisely called the Lower Omo Valley, is a place like no other. Home to a number of tribal communities, the variety and diversity of life, truly a melting pot of humanity.
The Lower Omo Valley region has been as UNESCO World Heritage Site since the discovery of human remains dating back nearly 2.5 million years.
More precisely, these are known as "frittole" and find their origin in Veneto (Italy).......and, now, you can help yourselves.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Sometimes a long walk ends precisely where it started, after crossing meadows and rocks, uphills and downhills, sunlight and rain. We call it "anello" and I have just closed mine.
(happy to be back here dear friends)
I arrived somewhat shattered in Spain on Saturday afternoon having got up at 3am to catch a flight from the uk. The airport was horrible and the flight delayed due to long security queues.
It was my birthday on Sunday and I was delighted to find the housekeeper had gone to the trouble of picking some flowers and arranging them artfully to brighten the house up. I took a shot with my iPhone and went straight to bed.
The next day I looked at the shot and realised that the late afternoon sun streamed through the window at precisely the right angle for this shot - vase on the floor and twenty shots later, I came up with this. A birthday well spent!
More precisely: 'Olstind plus fish heads'.
Olstind is, in many ways, *the* mountain in the lower half of the Lofoten archipelago / chain of islands. Its triangular bulk presides over the fjord at Reine and offers a great, imposing backdrop from many different vantage points on the chain of roads and bridges.
The foreground here (there's a surprisingly large tract of water, mostly hidden between the foreground and the mountain) is a rack of drying fish heads - nice.... if you like that sort of thing ;-) Fortunately, some societies value dried fish heads as a delicacy, which is good news for the Lofoten fishing community. Lofoten, to me, was predominantly characterised by triangular mountains and drying fish.... hence this composition.
For a bit more detail about the area, see my two Lofoten blog posts, linked below.
Locations for photography: Lofoten (preface)
AND
The caption in the family scrapbook says "First snow in Roswell in 50 years". I don't know if that's precisely true, but I do recall that it was a HUGE deal to see snow that far south in New Mexico...
I'm pretty sure that I'm the one in the middle, but I have no idea who the other two kids are (or were).
This was taken in front of the house in Roswell, NM — on South Pennsylvania Avenue, between Reed and McGaffey — where I lived with my parents and two of my five sisters in 1953-4. The photo was taken nearly 40 years after we first moved into the house, as part of some research that I was doing for a novel called Do-Overs, the beginning of which can be found here on my website
www.yourdon.com/personal/fiction/doovers/index.html
and the relevant chapter (concerning Roswell) can be found here:
www.yourdon.com/personal/fiction/doovers/chapters/ch7.html
Before I get into the details, let me make a strong request — if you’re looking at these photos, and if you are getting any enjoyment at all of this brief look at some mundane Americana from 60+ years ago: find a similar episode in your own life, and write it down. Gather the pictures, clean them up, and upload them somewhere on the Internet where they can be found. Trust me: there will come a day when the only person on the planet who actually experienced those events is you. Your own memories may be fuzzy and incomplete; but they will be invaluable to your friends and family members, and to many generations of your descendants.
So, what do I remember about the year that I spent in Roswell? Not much at the moment, though I’m sure more details will occur to me in the days to come — and I’ll add them to these notes, along with additional photos that I’m tweaking and editing now (including some of the drive from Roswell to Riverside, CA where our family moved next), as well as some “real” contemporaneous photos I’ve found in family scrapbooks.
For now, here is a random list of things I remember:
I discovered roller skates while I lived here — perhaps aided by the presence of nice, smooth, wide sidewalks throughout this whole area of town. Sometimes my mother sent me on a small shopping expedition to the local grocery store, about two blocks away, to buy a quart of milk or a couple of other minor things. The shorts that I wore had no pockets (I have no idea why), so I put the coins that my mother gave me into my mouth, for safekeeping. That way, I had both hands free in case I tripped and fell … but if I had done so, I probably would have swallowed the coins.
For Christmas that year (i.e., Christmas of 1953), I was given a .22-caliber rifle. Even today, it would cause only a shrug in many rural parts of the U.S.; and it was certainly unremarkable in the 1950s. My dad felt that every boy should have a rifle, and should learn how to shoot it, clean it, and take care of it in a responsible fashion. I think his intention was to take me out into the open area outside of Roswell, to shoot at rabbits or gophers; but we ended up shooting at cans and bottles in the local dump.
In 1953, Roswell had not acquired any fame or attention for its proximity to the alleged alien landing in 1947. Trust me: if there had been even a hint of a rumor, the young kids in that town would have heard about it. Whatever may (or may not) have happened there . If you have no idea what this is all about, take a look at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roswell_UFO_incident
For young boys, it was great sport to shoot at moving creatures. Dogs and cats were considered off-limits; and as implied above, we were not allowed to wander the streets with a .22 rifle. But we all had slingshots, and there were an infinite number of lizards in the area. Unfortunately, lizard were far too quick to hit with a relatively inaccurate slingshot (especially if shot with an unevenly-shaped rock; and it was only a year later, in California, that I began shooting marbles). Our greatest success was actually with slower creatures: horned toads, usually referred to as “horny toads,” or just “horns.” Indeed, they were slow enough that you could capture them with bare hands. You probably have no idea what I’m talking about, so take a look at this National Geographic article: animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reptiles/horned-toad/
Actually, I can't precisely date this photo. This a February or March photo. Mom is Lillian Laura Frenkel. Her family name was Hersh. This photo was shot in front of our house on Appoline Avenue in Detroit.
© all rights reserved
Please take your time... and enjoy it large on black
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. 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 taken at the Oostvaardersdijk. 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. Snow was fallen last night on the frozen water of the IJmeer. The temperature was -1 degrees below zero. Photo taken just before sunset. On the background you can see the city of Amsterdam - IJburg.
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.
“And what do ye mean with ‘were takin over yer convoy’?” the elderly dwarf yelled. “Precisely that, miss Stonearm.” Sergeant Haelga Ulrissen replied. “Well, tell that capt’n of yers he can put that request of his RIGHT HERE!” the dwarf pointed at her arse. The folkir sighed, she wasn’t paid enough to enter in a discussion with a dwarf. Then she silently chuckled, the captain would have to deal with this now.
Martin could already tell what was going on from the loud shouts from the distance, hell, he would be surprised if anyone hadn’t. “Let me guess,” he said when the folkir made her approach “the commander has some reservations about our cooperation?” the large, blue skinned woman nodded “Not quite her precise wording sir, but close enough.” Martin silently cursed “Let me guess.” Roger said, “You were hoping that the sight of a seven-foot-tall overgrown blueberry – no offense sergeant – would be enough persuasion?” the human male nodded “Aye, it usually is anyway.” Martin returned to sergeant Haelga “Who is leading them anyway? A minotaur or something?” the folkir chuckled “You’re going to love this sir: it’s an old dwarven lady.” Martin uttered a loud groan and looked at the heavens for a moment “Cemea, why do you hate me?” Unsurprisingly, the goddess of luck remained silent. “alright then chaps, let talk to the lady in question.” Roger said, “We’ll figure something out, we’ll always do.” and began casually walking towards the blockade formed by Martins’ men. The others shrugged and followed.
“Nay can’t do bonny lad.” The dwarf responded to Martins’ request, this time in person, clearly having not a lot of respect for the man to request her to quit her assigned job, something dwarves take great offense to. “I couldn’t care less who ye are. By Murdins’ beard, I’ve got me pride!” The human cursed under his breath. Why couldn’t this caravan have been led by a friendly halfling? He wondered. He had carefully taken over ninety men and women through the dim light of the early morning and through small forest paths that the rangers and mountaineers had found in the previous weeks. He had then carefully hidden them along a rarely used piece of road. It was almost never used, save for experienced cart drivers, who knew it to be a significant shortcut. It was there they intercepted the wagons heading southward. All this trouble and effort, executed without flaw, now stopped by one of the toughest obstacles known by any race or species: a dwarf. Martin looked desperately over his shoulder to what the men had jokingly begun calling “the royal council”. The dwarf Thirn was just shrugging. The sylvaeri druid Elahna Galariel had conveniently shape-shifted into a weasel, hopped onto the shoulders of the other wood elf Celdric and now lay relaxed around her partners neck. The gnomish wizard and other long-time companion, Roger had tried something similar. Unfortunately, he was not a druid, but a mage. So, shape-shifting came far less natural and could only manage one form: that of a massive owl, which had parked its big fat behind on Thirn’s hat. Strangely enough, the dwarf didn’t seem overly pleased by this. The other gnome, Sarah Brightspark was busy loading a small crossbow with what Martin could only hope were stun-darts. When he gave her a disapproving look, she just shrugged “Just wyvern tranquilizer sir.” It was then that Ely Emberchest, a cleric of Ishala, decided she couldn’t stand this sight any longer. The voslar mumbled a quick prayer, quickly followed by a flash of golden light. “Miss Stonearm, if I could have a moment of your time.” She spoke with a voice laden with magic “I understand your reservations, but think about it. The captain is here on request from a member of the Edorian royal family, so if you think about it, nobody is asking to cancel your given assignment. It’s merely been… redirected, so to say.” The dwarf’s eyes filled with a golden light for a single moment. “Aye” she said “Of course, yer right miss.” Ely winked to Martin “So that’s how you do that, a little persuasion can get you a long way.” The human chuckled “Sure, magic can get you a long way you mean.” “I don’t know what you’re talking about sir.”
Disclaimer: Precisely zero walking humans encountered during this brief 20 minute dose of walking exercise and the coincided photo stop.
With the ongoing global situation and a discouragement on using public transport except for key and essential personnel, much of the transportation system in the UK has been reduced to a skeletal-style service to cater for the heavily reduced demand.
Despite the many reduced service offerings in the locality, Route 7/7A operated by Trustybus continues to maintain a full timetable as per pre-lockdown, albeit not carrying a lot of passengers.
With Trustybus themselves having done well in recent Essex and Herts local tenders in winning and regaining a small number of routes (and losing only 1), a need for extra vehicles appears to have emerged.
2 of those to appear are in the form of Optare Solo M880s from the South West operation of First Group, being YJ05XNV and YJ55YGN.
As the shadows from the countryside nature start to pass over, Optare Solo M880 YJ55YGN passes along Stansted Road on the fringe of Stansted Mountfitchet working the final southbound Route 7 of the day to Bishops Stortford.
The livery of the former operator is still evident, undoubtedly soon to be treated to a turn into the new Central Connect base colours 11/05/20