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I was on a hike in the Alps with our dog Giorgio. The weather forecast predicted it would be a sunny day! But the God of the weather had other plans. His humor is more complex. It’s much funnier to have fog, followed by a pinch of strong wind and a few hours of snowstorm. I think it was an experiment to test how long it will take until I’m going crazy (lol), because suddenly all the three components were there! We were still high up on the mountain and had to hurry to reach our home. From a distance I saw a house like the one on my photo! Such houses are only used in summer for the cows. In winter they are empty!
Do you know those movies where a small group of teenagers find a small little house in a place in the wilderness only to die one after the other? Well, it was too late for us to descent the mountain, so we went to this little house to seek shelter from the storm.
And then we stood in front of the door. The house was made of wood and was very very old. The wind was getting stronger and stronger and the wooden beams rattled! Should we really enter this house? I heard the wind whispering to me: „Get in there my little boy, please go inside the house!“. The trees behind me began to bend over because the wind was getting stronger and the sky changed to a mystical dark. Oh boy, if a witch is in the house there, I will die :-)
I stood closer to the door and listened. What was in there? I heard something! I tried to open the door. Very good, it was open he he he! But honestly, I did not wanted to enter this place! And again I heard the wind that whispered to me with a raspy voice: „Come in my boy, here it is warm and beautiful, come in!“. I slowly opened the door and Giorgio began to growl. The door squeaked and in front of me I saw only darkness. And again that scary whisper: „Come in and bring me luck“ … for a felt eternity it was very quiet except for Giorgio who was still growling … and suddenly a raven flew over our heads into the open! Ahhhhhh … I swore vilely in six different languages! What a fright!!!! My heart has fallen down into my shoes, and since then I try to get it back again (lol). I think I am aged about 20 years ha ha ha!
Well, we were about 30 minutes in this cottage. And then after this time the sun came out! This day was one of the sunniest days of my vacation :-)
I want to thank all very much for your "views", "Comments" and "Favourites" :-) The only thing that matters is that you have joy in this photo. Again, thank you :-)
Rain is predicted for the next few days, and after a few sprinkles, you might have thought the clouds would wimp out, but they engaged in a remarkable display of a game of "hide the Sun".
Cloud cover over the Sun is not new to the Pacific Ocean, but the layers of clouds made the scene rather melodramatic!
Oscar shakes the Magic 8 ball while she thinks of her question. >.<
Q: Will I be going to BCNY?
A: Cannot predict now
She didn't like that answer.
Brisbane River in flood, Hawthorne, 2022.
I have borrowed the title of the great Elton John album of 1973 for this shot after reading the story below from the ABC. It is very poignant and tells a sad story of a man who played a final tune on his beloved childhood piano before it succumbed to the waters for a last time.
"Brisbane classical piano player and teacher Gian Luca was forced to abandon his childhood piano when his St Lucia home flooded over the weekend, but not before playing one final tune.
"I woke up in the morning and our roommate was explaining there was floodwater. I looked out the window and I could see that the whole street was flooded," he said.
"I quickly went downstairs to our garage area, and it was already past my shins. One of the first things I looked at was my piano, which was my childhood piano so it means a lot to me.
"I knew that it was already probably too late, and that piano was going to be gone, so I thought it was one of the last chances I'd get to play it."
Knee-deep in muddy floodwaters, surrounded by gym equipment and his watching housemates, Mr Luca sat down on a floating fridge and improvised a farewell tune to his piano.
"I just wanted to play something really happy and a bit silly," he said.
"I could have played some kind of depressing classical tune, but I just wanted to play some really short, happy improvisation."
He eventually managed to evacuate that afternoon, with the help of an SES crew; but sadly when he returned home, the piano was too damaged to save.
Reporting by Lucy Stone and Rebecca Levingston"
I wonder what he played? This might fit!
Terrible thunderstorms have returned to SE Queensland overnight and this morning and are predicted to continue for a week, just adding to the misery and difficulty with the clean up.
On Friday I dropped by a local park after work and spotted an immature Red-tailed Hawk sitting on a nest box on a pole and scanning the ground below for a potential prey. I took my position slightly below on a slope, away from it and waited. Then the bird dove down and I started tracking it. Soon it disappeared from view and I took my finger off the shutter.
Later when I looked at the photos on my computer I realized that I took seven extra frames after the bird disappeared from view. To illustrate the point I created this short video after stitching the frames together and introducing slight delay between frames. At 20 frames per second on Z9 that 7 frames amount to close to 300 ms - it took me that long to stop taking photos after the bird disappeared behind the slope. Some may call it reaction time. After the light hit the retina, it took about 30 ms to reach my brain which then took another 120ms to process before the command was sent to my finger to stop taking photos. But this also means we are always living in the past, I only 'saw' the bird disappearing 150 ms after it actually happened. Interesting dilemma.
So, how does a catcher catch a ball that is moving fast? By the time the catcher 'sees' the ball it has already gone past him in reality. A successful catch is still possible because brain extrapolates and predicts where the ball will be before eyes see it. Take a close look at the frames after the bird disappeared. One could see that I was still tracking downward (ground moved upward) because the brain predicted where the bird would be and my hands simply followed it. Fascinating, isn't it?
I also wondered if 300 ms reaction time in the field is good. So I took a test on my computer with color changing circle and my average reaction time came out to be 261 ms., a very respectable number compared to the average of 248 ms found in a group of 18-20 year old medical students. It's raining outside and I am stuck indoor, so I decided to write this up and created this benchmark to measure against as I grow old. And now go measure yours, see where you stand.
By the way, I could've set an alternate title as 'We are always living in the past'. I took the ideas from an article that I just read (theconversation.com/what-youre-seeing-right-now-is-the-pa...)
Saturday, September 1st kicked off 2018 Labor Day weekend. With most of Northern Illinois starting to show signs of extreme drought from nearly two months of little-to-no rain and high temps, the promise of rain and cooler temps in the forecast was a welcome relief. Labor Day weekend usually features the first of the very rare night operations at Illinois Railway Museum, one of only two such opportunities throughout the year. The rain was predicted to begin at approximately 930pm, just as night ops were to finish for the night. So, a full day at IRM ensued, and everything went as predicted. Almost.
The storms began to develop about 7pm, and initially were hit or miss. But once the system got going, it ended up being STRONGER than predicted. They fed off the hot, humid, stagnant air, producing prodigious amounts of embedded cloud-to-cloud lightning. The front that had just days before plagued Central Wisconsin and caused extreme flooding in La Crosse and Madison also moved south and fed the storms. By morning, IRM and vicinity had received over 8" of rain, which caused flooding on the tracks and the temporary closure of the museum the next day.
But this was just the beginning. On September 2nd, IRM saw an additional 5" of rain, and by Labor Day September 3rd, an additional 3" of rain fell. This time, the museum had to close for the next couple of days because the trackage was entirely flooded. But it kept raining! By the end of the week, the area saw close to 21" of rain. Needless to say, by Showcase Weekend two weeks later, it was a mosquito haven.
With the first round of storms nearly upon the museum, IRM's iconic 100-year-old steam star, Frisco 1630, fires up for her final trip of the night. Not even a minute after 1630 left, the heavens opened up with a total deluge, forcing those of us hanging around until the bitter end to seek shelter in the nearest barns. Those who did not jump from barn to barn remained trapped for the next 20-30 minutes until the rain let up enough that we could all make our ways to the parking lot.
The weather forecast predicted rain, rain and more rain for the weekend, so when I noticed a brief break in the clouds early this morning, I grabbed my camera and drove off in search of a composition or two... I didn't find much...
I processed this in B&W just to be different... :)
Nikon D300, Sigma 18-200mm at 80mm, aperture of f11, with a 1/250 second exposure.
Click here to view this one large.
Click here to check out my Vertorama tutorial.
Sunset predicting a sunny but very hot day. This is the setting sun from last night as seen through the train trestle in Perryville.
(the quote is Longfellow) ☺
They were predicting 2 feet, I think we got 4 inches. Either way, we decided it would be way more fun to venture out and shoot photos instead of sitting around on our asses looking at the snow out the window.
Lighting- Phottix Mitros+ form behind, probably 1/32nd power. The umbrella she's holding is a wescot reflective, so, the single flash is acting as the backlight and the key light. Fired with a Phottix odin on a Canon 6D with a sigma 35 Art
It's been a strange but nice Saturday. The weather forecast had predicted a cloudy day, with possible rainstorms in the afternoon. Nothing strange, it was the trend of the entire week. My summer vacation were going to end, and It was my last chance for a serious hike. I left the house at 6 AM and I started to hike on the trail that leads into Otro valley. Cloudy sky, but the clouds were high and it was windy. I did not know where I wanted to go. In the end, following a tradition of the last five years, I thought I had to reach Zube pass, despite the elevation gain, almost 1.800m (5,900ft), and the lack of a serious training. I had been at Zube at the end of every summer since my child was born. On the top of the pass there is a small chapel of the Virgin, dedicated to the protection of families all over the world. I am not a religious person, but that small chapel, in that place, always had a sort of mystic call for me. If the weather was bad, moreover, I had already taken so many shots up there, in the previous years, that I would not have cried for the missed photographic opportunity.
Thick clouds started to roll in at 8.30 AM, but they created an effect that was similar to thermal inversion, that is much more common during fall and winter. At an elevation of 2.400m (7,870ft ) the clouds were below my feet, and the summits of the high mountain were all there, clearly visible.
I reached Zube pass, 2.876m (9,436ft), at 9.30AM. Three hours and an half, not that bad at all. I was there, and I was alone, with a breath taking view. Despite the fact that you can use two cable lifts to shorten the trail (but starting from other valleys), and in the good season many people hike to the pass, I was the first one to reach the summit.
I have many shots with the most spectacular summits of Valsesia (and I will post many of them in a time to come), but I choose this one because it reminds me of how long the trail is.
I stood up there for an hour, with the Virgin, without caring of the temperature, that was close to Zero Celsius, and the fact that I had just a light jacket, shorts and a bottle of water. Probably the major discomfort was for Mary the Virgin, alone up there with a sinner and an unbeliever... but the Maker has a lot of pity.
E' stato un sabato strano, ma simpatico. Le previsioni del tempo avevano previsto una giornata nuvolosa, con possibili temporali nel pomeriggio. Niente di strano, è stato il trend di tutta la settimana. Le mie vacanze estive stavano per finire ed era la mia ultima possibilità per una camminata seria. Sono uscito di casa alle 6 del mattino e ho iniziato a fare un'escursione sul sentiero che porta nella valle di Otro. Cielo nuvoloso, ma le nuvole erano alte ed era ventoso. Non sapevo dove volevo andare. Alla fine, seguendo una tradizione degli ultimi cinque anni, ho pensato di raggiungere il passo Zube, nonostante il dislivello, quasi 1.800 m, e, molto peggio, la mancanza di allenamento. Sono salito a quel passo alla fine di ogni estate da quando è nato mio figlio. Sulla cima del passo c'è una piccola cappella della Vergine Maria, dedicata alla protezione delle famiglie in tutto il mondo. Non sono una persona religiosa, ma quella piccola cappella, in quel luogo, ha sempre avuto una sorta di mistico richiamo per me. Se il tempo fosse stato brutto, per di più, ho già fatto così tanti scatti da lassù in altre occasioni che non avrei pianto per l'occasione fotografica mancata.
Le nuvole spesse hanno iniziato a farsi vive alle 8.30, ma hanno creato un effetto simile all'inversione termica, che è molto più comune in autunno e in inverno. Ad un'altitudine di 2.400m erano sotto i tuoi piedi e le vette più alte erano tutte lì, chiaramente visibili.
Ho raggiunto il passo Zube, a 2.870m, alle 9.30. Tre ore e mezza, non così male alla fine. Ero lì ed ero solo, con una vista mozzafiato. Nonostante sia possibile utilizzare due funivie per accorciare il sentiero (salendo però da altre valli), e nella buona stagione molte persone camminano fino al passo, sono stato il primo a raggiungere la vetta.
Ho molti scatti con le vette più spettacolari della Valsesia (e ne posterò molte in un momento a venire), ma scelgo questo perché mi ricorda la strada fatta.
Sono rimasto lassu' per un'ora, con la Vergine Immaccolata. Senza preoccuparmi troppo della temperatura, che era vicino a Zero, e del fatto che avevo solo una giacca leggera, pantaloncini e una bottiglia d'acqua. Probabilmente il disagio maggiore e' stato per Maria, sola lassù con un peccatore e un miscredente ... ma il Creatore è misericordioso.
On February 9, 2011
According to legend, if Pelican Pete does not see his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does see his shadow, there will be an early spring.
P.S. I just started this legend ;-)
Have a nice weekend!
Sky Guide predicted this flare at 21:39:09 at my location. So I setup my Canon 1100D using Backyard EOS for a 45 second exposure and ISO400. I collected RAW and JPEG data. I only used RAW as the JPEG seems very much inferior. I kicked off the exposure 20 seconds earlier. EXACTLY on time the flare appeared which I find astounding.
To avoid trailing stars I decided to use my guide camera using PHD2. Was difficult to obtain accurate focus on my main camera but 10-12 test exposures seemed to do the trick. Future focus attainment should be easier as I have now marked the point on my lens which is a 18-55mm. Using 18mm. And in case you wondered, No, you can't use infinity. I have used a LP filter but I was a bit up against it as a distant street light was directly casting light onto the Lens.
You can also see Andromeda Galaxy in the bottom centre part of the image. There is also another object in the picture that I think is some sort of space debris but I am unable to confirm. The mottled effect to the left of the flare is part of the Milky Way, our own Galaxy.
Processing was done in Pixinsight (DBE and NR) and Photoshop.
Skyfire predicted a beautiful sunrise. Clear sky and Intellicast predicted heavy clouds. Well, there was a sliver of pretty pinkish sunlight... that ended about 30 seconds before I got my camera set up for this shot. Oops!
A sunny early afternoon swim in a crystal-clear turquoise body of water.
Staring at my original photograph has triggered memories from the Minority Report film, with Tom Cruise. I think this is one of the best creations of Steven Spielberg and one of those movies I would definitely watch more than once.
The three young women holding hands in the water, making a star formation, resemble the Precogs (Precognitives) in the movie. Their powerful psychic abilities are key in predicting and projecting premeditated murders... but I'll let you watch the movie, if you haven't already.
I changed the water look, altered the daylight, added the rays, and gave the image more pop.
...Canoe Boy will be posting some Greenies and Tri-Colored Heron shots from Horsepen Bayou in the future.
The weather forecast predicted clear skies to the West at sunset… which coincided perfectly with our planned visit to Neist Point… the most Westerly point on the Isle of Skye.
The sky was indeed (fairly) clear when we arrived at the point about half an hour before sunset… but the wind was blowing like crazy… and cold… my fingers were numb even before I’d managed to set up my tripod. Finding a unique and strong composition in these conditions would be quite a challenge… actually… in those conditions… standing up straight was quite a challenge!
I liked this composition as soon as I saw it. I liked how the two large rocks on the extreme left grabbed my eyes and drew them into the frame in the direction of the large cliff and lighthouse. I also liked how the rocks and cliff were roughly the same size in the frame… and I really liked that the cliff was approximately half-way (in the frame) between the rocks and the lighthouse.
The only problem with my composition… was that it felt a bit too heavy on the left. I might have been wishing for clear skies earlier in the day… but now I needed a big dark, heavy cloud on the right to balance out the composition. When I looked out to sea to my right… I noticed a low, light-grey cloud approaching fast. It took me a few seconds to realise that the low clouds was in fact rain… and it took less than a five minutes before I felt the first drop. That was when I took this photo.
Seconds later the rain was pelting down… I packed my camera away… huddled up behind a rock to escape the wind… and sat there with a huge grin on my face for a full five minutes. The approaching rain had created the perfect balance that I was looking for in my (completely unique) composition… magic moments… yeah this felt good!! This is what landscape photography is all about!
I do apologize for not having had much time for Flickr this week… I haven’t even had time to process more than a couple of images from Skye… but I promise to catch up with all your latest images sometime over the weekend.
Nikon D800, Nikkor 14-24 at 20mm, aperture of f11, with a 1/20th second exposure.
You can now also find me on Facebook | 500px | OutdoorPhoto
2.5 Seconds series
We're surrounded by plastic. It wraps our food and cosmetics, it’s in the packaging we discard, bottles that fill our shelves, and in our clothing, which sheds microplastic fibers in the wash. But, disposable consumer goods end up – often after a single, fleeting use – in land-fills, littering our landscapes, and polluting our Ocean.
Plastics are inexpensive and durable, and as a result, levels of plastic production by humans are enormous. An estimated 8 million tonnes of this plastic waste enters the Ocean every year. Global plastics consumption is predicted to grow dramatically, reaching close to 400 million tonnes a year by 2025. If the rate at which plastic debris enters the Ocean goes unchecked, it is possible that the Ocean could contain more plastic than fish by 2050. Not one square mile of surface ocean anywhere on earth is free of plastic pollution. Plastic debris has formed giant garbage patches. The largest is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch includes an estimated 1.8 trillion pieces of trash and covers an area twice the size of Texas.
Plastic is made from petroleum. Unfortunately, it is so durable that the EPA reports “every bit of plastic ever made still exists.” It is very slow to degrade. It takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to decompose! Over time, plastic does not biodegrade but breaks down into tiny particles known as microplastics leading to chemical contamination of the water and fish we eat. Microplastics are eaten by small marine animals and so enter the food chain ending up in human bodies! A 2017 study found that 83% of tap water samples taken around the world contained plastic pollutants. BPA plastic can disrupt hormones in humans.
Plastics pollution has a direct and deadly effect on wildlife, particularly marine animals. Thousands of seabirds and sea turtles, seals and other marine mammals are killed each year after ingesting plastic waste, poisoning through exposure to chemicals within plastics or getting entangled in it. Fish in the North Pacific ingest up to 24,000 tons of plastic each year. Sea turtles can mistake floating plastic garbage for food. They can choke or starve by thinking they’re full from eating plastic.
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"None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free." - Goethe
It is a huge belief of mine that none of us are free. Its also something that I wish I didn't believe. Its like the snooker-ball example - if you position the cue at a certain angle and input a certain amount of power, the white ball will move a certain distance, in a certain direction, and depending on the circumstances will cause a certain effect, that can be predicted, given that you knew all the circumstances (the positions of the other balls, for example). It's possible to predict with 100% accuracy the outcome of the shot.
The same thing can be applied to life, just in a really really really complex way. Because of every single circumstance in the world, everything that is going to happen is mapped out and ready to happen, right down to the millisecond. And we can't change it or argue with it because thats down to circumstance, too. You might want to leave a comment with an opposing argument - but BAM, you don't have a choice in that because thats the kind of person you are because of a whole other load of circumstances. You weren't free to choose. We are not free. Some like to call it fate. We are all fishies in the tank, not free to be able to choose to get out or not. And if we do get out, thats not our choice either, because thats just the kind of fish we were destined to be.
Mind vomit!
Sunsetwx.com predicted a decent sunrise for this morning, so my 10 year-old and I planned last night to get up and out to familiar territory, the arboretum, for today's picture. Right back smack-dab in my comfort zone, winter sunrises at The Tree with the sun coming up in the gap. Felt good, man.
We saw this guy and his dogs at another part of the arboretum while scouting potential shooting locations, and I was delighted when we got to my usual spot and I saw him and his pooches ambling down the road toward us.
He noticed us taking pictures and started to walk out of the frame, but I asked him to please not go out of his way, and so he kept walking toward us and we got to pet the dogs and chatted with him for a few minutes. He said he hoped he hadn't messed up our photos, and I said of course not, because honestly, though the best colors of the sunrise hadn't happened yet when he happened by, this is far and away my favorite picture I got today.
I checked the aurora predictor site I used and it called for activity this evening. Peeking outside, I could see faint moving light to the north, even with maladjusted eyesight. So I quickly bundled up (it was -26 C) and hopped in the car to zip down to my usual north-facing lakeshore view.
I set up very close to the shore because despite a few weeks of cold, there was still slush on the ice and I felt and heard frequent booms of the ice cracking.
This image is a panorama comprising 8 vertical shots using my manual 24mm Bower lens which handles night shots beautifully. The lights were dancing somewhat., and pretty brihgt, so I could use nice short shutter speeds.
Hugin didn't know how to stitch this image automatically, so I had to manually select individual stars in each image to use as control points. I'm pretty pleased with this, although I will try again with another set of shots which were darker but had more distinct aurora lines.
I wasn't sure this shoot would work because of the waxing moon, but it lit the snow nicely.
Well well well, here's 667 again.
I correctly predicted that the Tiger European buses were doing something related to the university, and found them just a short walk from where I'd taken the previous photos. As a result, I was able to phot the Olympian and the Trident again, and in the sunshine this time! Y667 DRA departs Lincoln uni, with a load of unimpressed looking passengers, adjacent to Ropewalk on 29.6.23
Despite the fact that NCT's old Lolynes have ventured far and wide (and not so far in some cases), this is the first time I've ever photographed one with a different operator. I've just been unlucky enough never to see one at Marshalls, Paul S Winson or any other company besides NCT. Even with NCT I barely managed to get any Lolyne photos, as 668 at one of the Ruddington bus events was the only time I got to see one properly, and even then it was squashed between an E400 and an Omnidekka.
Like the Excels, the ELC Lolyne Tridents at NCT were mostly before my time as an enthusiast, but absolutely ingrained into my memories as a child. They were the sights and sounds of the city with their bright Go2 and network colours, howling engine idle, "ELC" on the rear and made far more of an impression on me than the Omnidekkas did - at least until the 36 got its Omnidekkas. The final 3 Lolynes were on their way out just as I got into bus photography, but I did at least get my photos of 668 plus one, terrible, grainy image of a green blob that's just about discernible as 666.
I never saw (or at least photographed) 667 while it was at NCT, so with today's photos I guess I could say I completed that batch... sort of!
Macro Mondays theme: Red & Green
Very quick shot of a Christmas decoration on our tree for this weeks theme as I've had the flu and desperatly trying to catch up with preperations for entertaining 11 people for 2 days over Christmas. Not completely happy with it but it will have to do!
For the 2nd time this month I have predicted the new theme with a shot the week before!! Think I prefer last weeks shot but never mind.
Really appreciate your comments and favourites as always.
Merry Christmas and HMM everyone!
A stormy day in Dallas ends with a turbulent but stellar sunset. You can often predict them here by watching the western sky begin to clear at the right time. Then a quick visit to the levees near downtown provides a nice vantage point.
As has become common at the holidays the Alaska Railroad will run a train between Anchorage and Indian. Usually two in a day that is geared towards the children. In this case Easter. Parents and children board the train in Anchorage and en route to Indian the crew provide fun crafts and activities to keep the children entertained. On this day the weatherman predicted partly sunny skies turning to clouds by early afternoon. I figured I would try my had at the 10 AM departure, seen here about MP 93 about 5 miles from Indian. Good thing too as my the time the 3 PM departure left the depot is was plenty gray.
This body of water has been almost killed by factory farms and their run off. The bubbles and color is the result of methane. The nutrients produced such fecundity that the bio mass grew so fast that Oxygen was depleted and plants and fish died. It was abetted by too many herbcides later in the season. Deer and dogs and other animals won't drink the water. This is why Americans have cheap milk and meat. This is the kinda stuff that David Foster Wallace predicted.
C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan was the comet of 2024, even if it wasn't quite as bright as predicted.
On October 15, I got in the car with my friend to drive towards the NE. The sky was supposed to be fairly clear there after sunset. On the eastern shore of Lake Ratzeburg, other photographers could be seen already waiting at the side of the road.
Before the clouds rolled in, we had 20 minutes to photograph the comet. Dusk was not yet over and the almost full moon was already 15° high in the sky.
The Britain's WWII aircraft positional predictor with two operators. They always sold this model with one operator but in reality this needed about six people to operate it.
I was given one of these as a small child and it was always with my military models but, at that time, I did not know what it did.
See here for a Youtube video:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG6Rr5Kg6Qk
There was no Youtube when I was small !!!!!!!
TE1742 (SN09CFX) blinded for Route 207 to White City, which could happen if this batch transfers to HZ
Tinderbox
Elton John
Nostradamus said "I predict
That the world will end at half past six"
What he didn't say, was exactly when
Was he listening to the radio?
Was he listening to the government?
Well he got us spooked anyway
We'd been running hot up until today
But a wind of change blew across our sails
We were coasting on a winning streak
We were kings until the power failed
We've been living in a tinderbox
And two sparks can set the whole thing off
Rubbing up together around the clock
Lately we've been getting more roll than rock
You and me together in a tinderbox
We've been shooting this great old barn for a few years now, and during the week, we got the sad news that it had succumbed to a grassfire.
My mate Paul did some investigation, and to our relief, and I'm sure the owners, it somehow escaped the fire relatively unharmed.
I've had a look back at some of my past images of it, and it looks like it held up pretty well.
In the unpredictable land and climate that we live in, this is one of the reasons I spend so much time looking for and photographing these beautiful character filled buildings. You just never know when they will be razed to the ground and gone forever.
This is why I love photography so much.
Capturing moments in time, and preserving memories.
Hope you like "Tinderbox"
Cheers, Mike
I have photographed this pine for 20 odd years and many of the creatures that lived in, on and around it. In recent times it has formed a texture layer in my multiple exposure adventures in-camera.
I know that our youngest granddaughter will be really upset when she learns that her old tree friend is no more.
A sad day.
...and best viewed large.
Good morning everyone. Just a single posting on Hug a Bug Day due to stormy weather here and the need stay off the computer as a result. We've had two thunderstorms overnight with more predicted for today, so my response to comments will be limited.
As for this damsel, I need some help from any of you experts out there as to a possible ID. As hard as I tried to find a match I was unsuccessful...at least to any degree of certainty. Appears to be a female, and a young one at that, but as to a specific species...I'm at a loss.
Thanks to flickr friend Eric, best guess so far is a blue form female Orange Bluet (Enallagma signatum).
Thank you for stopping by...and I hope you have a truly nice day. Storm free too.
Lacey
ISO400, aperture f/11, exposure .006 seconds (1/180) focal length 300mm
The forecast for Thursday evening was looking promising, there was a predicted KP4 due to a CME and a cloud free sky, we thought this would be our big chance, finally a break in the weather so we could get to see the Northern Lights! We drove all the way to Kirkjufell (as the conditions were looking most favourable there) with the plan to camp in the car over night to give us the best chance of capturing a good image and then we could do sunrise in the morning and drive back to the hotel. This certainly was not the case!
Kirkjufell looks to most people to be a giant mountain with it's impressive silhouette, however at a tiny 463m, it is actually smaller than Mam Tor (for all you locals).
When we arrived, we couldn't even see Kirkjufell due to the low cloud, fog and snow storms. We kept our fingers crossed that it would clear up.... We got absolutely battered for most of the night by strong winds and heavy snow storms!!! Sunrise didn't exist, although I was able to capture some big stopper images from the water, making the most of the shore and snow lines. Who needs good weather eh?
To top it all off, we were warned by the locals to head back to Reykjavik as quickly as possible as a huge storm was going to hit Iceland within the next few hours, little did we know at that point, we'd be receiving a phone call from our hotel to our room informing us that whilst our car was parked 'safely' outside the hotel, a flag pole had blown over in the storms and landed on our car! I swear we can't go away without some kind of drama occurring! Suppose it wouldn't be an adventure otherwise!
Copyright ©2015 Sarah Louise Pickering
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i kinda like it : )
i can safely predict a busy week : (
and will be out of town again in the weekend!
thank you all for visiting me, return visits soon!
Previously in Chapter 6 The Two Societies
This piece gave me the title to this chapter and was what I listened to much of the time when writing. It perfectly sets the tone for these scenes and the events that take place in our story.
⚜️The voyage had been long, just as Tabitha Kinkade had predicted. And while not terribly eventful overall, there was one mystery that troubled them throughout their journey. Quite often they were watched by an ominous, dark figure. A man in a dark, hooded cloak. He always kept his distance, holding to the shadows. And while he never approached, he loomed over them the entire trip. At one point, Prince Jelani grew tired of the enigma and decided to confront the man. However, Tabitha advised caution, as situations such as these would usually reveal themselves in time. Tabitha had learned long ago in her training, that without provocation most things or people that lingered around her, would eventually proclaim their identity. And if provoked they might flee or be lost, which could result in a costly delay. Besides, he'd done nothing thus far that would warrant a confrontation. And so, they would allow circumstances to run their course.
⚜️Once safely landed at the port in Calcutta both Tabitha and Lexington needed a warm bath and some much-needed rest away from the constant bumping ride of the ship's cabins. One of their porters was from Algeria and spoke Tamazight, a native tongue of the Berber people. It was obvious that Lexington was delighted to talk to someone from his native lands, which made Tabitha smile watching her friend speak in a language she had not heard for so long.
⚜️When the two travelers finally arrived at their hotel, both Tabitha's and Lexington's multilingual skills came into play when dealing with her pets and the porter's fears. Tabitha had taken just two of her wolves on the journey, Rolf and Kiva, as they were natural mates. Neither offered any hostility toward the porters or anyone else for that matter without Tabitha's command. However, aside from their daily walks on board the ship, they'd spent a great deal of time in their cages and were quite restless. Fortunately, with some gentle persuading, they were able to calm the porters and settle into their rooms.
⚜️The next morning was Easter. It was Sunday and their contact from the Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary had sent a carriage to pick them up for services.
"We're to attend the Christian services, my lady?" Lexington inquired as he held his hand to help her into the carriage.
Tabitha grinned politely before answering him with a lofty and nonchalant demeanor, as was her custom when jesting with her friend,
"But of course, Dear Lexington. It's Easter! You didn't believe we were going to escape services today of all days, did you?"
At which point, she patted the seat next to her in the carriage.
"Now, come along."
Lexington's grumbling, as the rickety carriage made its way along the bustling streets of Calcutta, nearly made her laugh aloud as they rode toward the church. Not having the heart to tease him farther, she looked over at the handsome Berber while placing her gloved hands around his arm.
"Dear Lex, I've gone too far this time."
At which time she did laugh.
"The look on your face.... oh, dear Lexington, I adore you so!"
Lexington began to smile a little himself watching Tabitha giggle then asked. "What has brought this on my lady?"
Tabitha finally composed herself and assured him that she didn't expect him to attend the Easter services at the church as it was not his faith. While Catholic herself, she nor her parents had ever forced Lexington into their religious beliefs. They believed the workings of the soul were God's work.
Lexington breathed a sigh of relief at the news but in the end decided to attend anyway, out of respect for Tabitha and for their host.
⚜️Father Thomas Haskell was a lean man in his sixties. His bald head looked slick and shiny in the bright sun and his white hair gleamed. When he shook Tabitha's hand, she felt how rough and callused they were, and his skin was leathery tan. It was obvious Father Haskell spent much of his time in the gardens around the church. He wore the traditional robes of a parish priest and as with most Catholic holy men of that day, he appeared humble and somewhat trite. After introductions were made, he did not hesitate to reveal to the duo that he not only believed in the evil beings that scoured the earth but were unfeigned in his support of the Shadowhunters.
"You and your kind my dear are destined to rid the world of these heinous creatures. I am at your disposal of course."
As the bells of the church rang and the church doors began to open the priest looked at the church and then smiled when he turned back toward his guest.
"It is a delight to have you both visit us this morning and if you'll forgive me Lady Kindake I must attend to my flock. Services are about to begin, and I am expected inside. I've reserved seats for you both, won't you follow me."
Tabitha nodded and smiled as did Lexington
"Of course, Father Haskell," she responded.
And with that, they both followed the priest toward the grand doors that opened to the church's foyer.
As they approached, both Tabitha and Lexington noticed a striking man standing near a fountain. His hair was dark as a raven's wing and his equally dark beard was neatly trimmed. He wore a very smart-looking cutaway coat and silk vest that gave away his social status and as the man began to walk in their direction Tabitha could see that he was of average height and appeared to be in his peak years. She also noted how mysterious and mesmerizing his eyes were, and it was at that moment a commotion could be heard at the entrance to the church which caught all their attention.
Father Haskell began to walk faster and broke into a run with Tabitha and Lexington close behind him. When they reached the onlookers, the priest was determined, but not overly aggressive as he made his way through the congregation that had gathered there. Once through the crowd, Tabitha was surprised to see that the mysterious man she'd noticed outside was already just inside the large doorway. Lexington reached to touch her arm quietly, his way of letting her know he'd noticed as well. Turning quickly to rejoin the priest, they were greeted with the most morbid sight. At the top of the staircase, hanging from her neck, and high into the massive, vaulted ceiling was a young woman. Her face, though discolored and contorted was still beautiful as her lifeless body swung several feet above the top of the staircase.
Wanting desperately to help, Lexington started to climb the staircase but quickly came back to his senses realizing the poor woman's body was well out of reach. Looking over at Father Haskell, Tabitha watched as he moved his hand over his chest making the sign of the cross. His eyes were filled with dread and tears as he gazed up at the woman's corpse. She thought he might be in shock as she walked over to him.
"Father! Father Haskell!"
Shaking his head, he looked at Tabitha and then back at the woman's corpse.
"Dear God, whatever shall we do?!"
Tabitha motioned for Lex to join her and as he approached, she responded.
"This is your church Father and your congregation. They're depending on you. I'd suggest you postpone services this morning or at least move them to another location as quickly as possible."
Father Haskell nodded, still bewildered when he gazed back up at the woman's body hanging there, but when he looked back at them both again, he appeared to be himself.
"Quite right Lady Kinkade. We can set up chairs and move services to the garden."
Lexington looked back up at the girl's body and then back to Tabitha.
"My lady, the local authorities will be here soon. I'd suggest, well, if Father Haskell would allow us to represent the church in this matter, we could begin an investigation."
Tabitha looked at the girl again then back at Father Haskell.
"Father, do you know this woman?"
He nodded as he answered.
"Yes, she came to me about a week ago, she told me she was having nightmares, very vivid nightmares that were very real to her."
Tabitha and Lex looked at each other then back at the priest.
"She said she'd been sleepwalking as well. I.. well, I just can't think. I must get this situation under control!"
Tabitha nodded, reaching to hold the priest’s hands. "That's quite alright Father. From what you've told us this young woman may hold clues to the mystery that's brought us to Calcutta and you. Will you allow us to represent the church and aid you?"
Father Haskell nodded as he knew the Kinkade name very well and Tabitha's father had been a friend. He also trusted Cardinal Antonio implicitly.
"Yes, yes of course. Cardinal Antonio has sent you to us after all. And as I said before, if there's anything you need, anything at all. Please let me know. For now, however, I have much to do and must leave you."
⚜️Her name was Malini Gadhavi. She had been a mother and wife and her father and mother owned a bakery in town. She helped her parents with the business as did her children. Her husband, Harshad worked on the docks. They had all been notified of her death. Malini's body was taken to a crypt beneath the church where so many people in the community had been taken for decades. Out of respect, Tabitha and Lex had not examined the body yet. When the family arrived, they both bowed their heads, watching as they were escorted to the undercroft. Neither Tabitha nor Lexington were looking forward to questioning them.
⚜️The afternoon wore on and with their interrogations near completion, they'd learned very little. That was until the woman's mother told them about one of Malini's dreams. Sitting with them in Father Haskell's office the poor woman stared blankly at a candle's flame as Tabitha held her trembling hands, listening. She said that on one occasion her daughter had been able to remember one of her dreams completely. Melini had said it was so clear in her mind, and unlike most dreams, it felt as though it had happened. In this nightmare, she had emerged from a cave not far from her home. She also told her mother there was a man there with her in a cloak and a hood over his head. This dark, ominous being followed her to the mouth of the cave. Malini said the man never came close but watched her from the shadows. Her daughter told her that in the dream she roared like an animal and when she peered into the trees, she could feel the forest come alive with the heartbeats and movements of every living creature. And then she told her mother that even at that distance she could not only hear but smell the people in town. It was then her mother began to cry. Tabitha comforted her, giving a nod to Lexington and Father Haskell. The interrogations were now over.
⚜️It had been a long day. Nighttime was upon them, and they all needed rest. Standing there in the small tomb, the air was cool, and the smell of old dirt filled their nostrils as they began to examine Malini Gadhavi's body. Her fingernails and toenails showed no signs of dirt, blood, or flesh. Her body, as well as her hair, was clean as though it had just been washed. There were also no injuries, not even a scar, and when they turned her on her side to look at her back there was no tattoo, no brand of any kind. Holding a candle over the young woman's corpse, Lexington glanced over at Tabitha.
"This is peculiar my lady. She should have some sort of brand on her even if she wasn't a member with the pack we seek."
Tabitha nodded but didn't look up as she continued to scan the woman's body for any evidence and clues.
"Agreed Lex, this is odd. Melini's dream was not an uncommon one for a werewolf, other than the presence of the dark man of course. And yet, I do not see a brand anywhere on her. Or any physical evidence she was Lycan for that matter. We must be missing something."
Lexington pulled his candle away to poor some of the melted wax onto the dirt floor and as he did, Father Haskell brought his lantern closer to help Tabitha see. Then just as Lex brought the candle back Tabitha gasped and cried out.
"Wait! I saw something. When you brought your candle back Lex. It was yellow like, like... It was something on her skin!"
Lexington and the priest looked at each other then back at Tabitha as she continued.
"The lights... somehow. Father, bring your lantern back to where you had it, and Lex you take the candle away, and then bring it back just as you did before."
Both did as instructed but Tabitha only sighed with disappointment asking them both to try again. Shaking her head, she was both exhausted and frustrated when she pounded her fist on the stone slab. After which time she folded her arms to lay her head down for a moment. Lexington watched her and then offered some sound advice.
"My lady let us retire for the evening and come back in the morning with rested eyes."
Tabitha looked up at him but didn't raise when she answered.
"No Lex, not yet. I know I saw something. We must find it!
With her head still laying on her arms, she looked at them both.
"Now let's do this again. And Lexington when you bring the candle back, do it very slowly please."
Lexington nodded unenthusiastically, then began to move the candle away from the woman's body when Tabitha screamed out.
"Stop! Don't move! Do you see it?! It's there on her shoulder. You must not move, either of you. It's the lights!"
Both men looked at each other, each wondering if the trials of this day had finally gotten the best of the hunter, then listened as she explained.
"It's the lights! Look see, the glass of Father Haskell's lamp is red, and so the flame gives off a deep red hue, while the candle's light of course is much brighter. Obvious of course but, if you carefully peer into the candle's blue flame and with the help of the red glow from Father Haskell's lantern you can see it!"
Taking a candle in hand she invited Lexington to take her place.
"Now as I hold the candle look through the blue of its flame Lex. Can you see it?"
Lex nodded and gasped, then excitedly scrambled for his journal. As he did, Tabitha looked at the priest's bewildered face and offered further explanation.
"My guess is it's phosphorous under the skin Father. The lights set off some sort of chemical reaction allowing it to be seen. Once Lex has studied the tattoo and made a drawing, we'll hold the lantern and candle so you can observe for yourself."
Having to peer through the flame made the study of the tattoo quite difficult, however, Lexington was able to examine it thoroughly.
"How very interesting Ms. Tabitha. The ink leaves no protrusions on the skin, and it's entirely undetectable under normal light conditions."
Tabitha smiled as she listened and nodded.
"Is it our pack Lex?"
"Yes, my lady. She was a member of the pack we're tracking.
Tabitha nodded once more and raised an eyebrow as she spoke.
"I think it's obvious that Malini Gadhavi was not a willing participant. The poor woman. Such torment."
Gathering herself she redirected her attention toward Father Haskell.
"Father, do you know of any caves in the area?"
The priest nodded as he spoke, the radiant red hue of his lantern causing his face to look very macabre under the low ceiling of the underground chamber.
"Why yes of course. There are several smaller caves, but Mawsmai Cave is the largest in the area. It's not far but it will easily be a day’s journey there and back."
Tabitha and Lexington listened intently,
"Could you show us on a map Father?"
"Of course. If you'll follow me to my office, I can set you on the right path."
Gathering their things, they followed Father Haskell from the dank black corridor where Malini Gadhavi's broken body lay. As they wearily made their way up the stone stairwell Tabitha muttered to herself.
"We will avenge you and your children Melini. Whoever did this to you will pay. I promise you."
A soft beam of light showed across the young woman’s corpse from the top of the stairs. From deep in the vault their faint voices could be heard and then the door closed, and all was dark, and all as silent, forever.
🐺🐺🐺🐺
⭐This capture and this chapter of this story could not have been possible without the help of some truly wonderful people who I'm honored to know as friends
.
⭐First of all I'd like to thank my dear friend and mentor Morgan Talbot who not only opened up his beautiful sim to me to I could take this shot but provided the build itself and many of the characters. He also took the time to model for this shot. Morgan's advice and support are always so very special to me. But perhaps calling him my friend is the most remarkable treasure of all. Thank you babes.💓
⭐Next, I would like to thank my dear friend Harper Blackwood for her help and for enduring my rough drafts for this chapter. Thanks for being the lab rat this time babes. Not a rat but like...in a lab. She gets it. lol But mostely I'd like to thank Harper for her support, her encouragement, and her precious friendship. You're the best girl.💓
⭐Lastly and as the say, certainly not least, I want to thank my very dear friend and mentor Marcus Strong. His unwaivering support and encouragement is precious to me. He's has always there to help in any way he can, whether thats advice, modeling, or just to tell me I'm doing a good job. I can never repay this man for all he's done for me. I'm honored to call him my friend. Thank you babes.💓