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What's art about if it isn't about learning something? Well I learnt something. Several things actually. Will I use what I've learnt to grow and become wiser? That seems unlikely. So what did I learn?
1) Ice is very cold.
2) Icy water feels even colder.
3) Even kneeling on ice might not spread your weight enough to prevent it cracking.
4) Don't ever admit to doing something stupid. Especially not on the internet. You'll never know who might read it.
I've resigned myself to the fact that I won't ever feel confident enough in my creativity to know what it is I will make ahead of time, and I won't know how, whatever it is, will turn out. It was never an issue when noone ever saw what I make but now, a little self doubt lurks in the back of my mind, that I must make something interesting otherwise I shouldn't have bothered. Often, as I wander around some wild place somewhere (no not a bar in Blackpool on a Saturday night), I am thinking about future land art projects and the potential of different places. But always lurking there is the thought that it better be good when I get round to doing it.
On the face of it, this voice at the back of the room would seem to be a help, always encouraging me to try harder. But the weird thing is, this voice actually seems to be a hindrance. There is a subtle but important difference between "it better be good" and "I wonder if it'll be any good?"
When I listen to those words it seems to be an extra burden, a burden that makes it harder to tap into any creativity. I have no idea what creativity actually is, where it lives or how it operates. But what I do know is that you can plug into it directly if you would just relax and go with the flow. A sense of expectation of how something should be, how it ought to be, if only you tried hard enough is not where it's at. I think this is what I love about land art. As I start, the distractions, the so called "encouraging" voices just fade away and all that matters is the moment. And when enough moments join together, I often end up exactly where I wanted to be had I been thinking about it in the first place. I've said it before but it seems it is a hard lesson to learn. It's about the doing. The thinking, the planning, the expectations. None of this really helps.
So I set off, the frost crunching under my feet and doubting/encouraging voices in my head struggling to help me think of what I could do. I went to a small pool of dark water and tried to chop out some ice. Fun though that was, it didn't inspire me, so I continued to trudge up the hill. On the slopes either side of me, camo jacketed plonkers with shotguns and dogs attempted to shoot, stupid and inbred pheasants. A fitting challenge for the Saturday shotgun warriors. We haven't quite gone to the lengths of fencing in animals for rich (and fat) obnoxious clients to shoot but it isn't far off.
Now don't get me wrong, I am not hypocritical enough to suggest that shooting is completely wrong. I could only occupy the moral highground if I didn't eat industrially farmed animals and didn't ignore the fact that I couldn't kill, what I eat, myself. But I do wonder at the mentality of people who shoot animals for a hobby, as a way to relax, to let off steam on a Saturday morning. Does it make you feel manly to outwit a pheasant with a bunch of beaters, dogs and high powered weaponry? Is it simply target practice and honing a skill?
I always wonder whether they have something missing in their lives and their neuroses drive them to show off, inaudibly shouting "look at me, look at me, LOOK AT ME! I'm really, really important! I demand your attention!" Because what seems to be common amongst this activities is noise. Lots of it and the seemingly willfull need to pee off as many people as possible. Especially people who like peace and quiet!
How many examples can you think of? Here's a few for starters: riding big, powerful motorbikes around country lanes in the summer, riding jet skis across lakes and off shore, off roading on green lanes and shooting things for fun. Why oh why do all these things have to be so loud? And why do you have to do them in beautiful and quiet places and spoil the peace and quiet for so many others? Are you so lacking in empathy that you have no idea how you are spoiling it for everyone else? Or do you have a pathological need to take over places and claim them as yours to make up for your inadaquecies? I think this is one of the biggest splits in our species. The sensitive and the not sensitive. The noisy and the quiet. The considerate and inconsiderate.
So the soundtrack to my sculpturing went like this "hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" As the beaters flushed the doomed birds from the undergrowth and "KABOOM! KABOOM!" as another pheasant bit the dust. I expect that if I ever go mad that that will be the soundtrack to my insanity too. I wanted to stand on a rock and shout out "shut the hell up you noisy idiots!" to try and get rid of my frustrated feeling. But I don't think they were going to see the error of their ways so I went back to what I was doing with the frustrated feeling still present.
So what was a I doing I hear you ask?
A bank of fog was sliding in from the south, leaving the tips of the mountains poking through the sea of moisture. Unusually for an inversion, a layer of cloud lay above us too (me and the mountains) and gradually the temperature began to warm.
On another small dark pool I begun to lay out sections of frosted bracken, to make a pattern on the ice. When I leant back I noticed I had left hand prints where my body heat had melted the surface and I liked them and decided to do something along those lines instead. On all fours, I kneeled on the ice, positioning my hands to make prints in the surface, when suddenly cracks spread across the surface like fractured glass and I was about to become more acquainted with this medium than I originally planned. I had one of those Wiley Coyote moments like when he runs over the cliff's edge, only to be found pedalling in mid-air. Just for a split second gravity didn't grab me and then all at once the icey water and me, became intimate. I managed to extricate myself after immersing only one leg and fortunately I was wearing two pairs of trousers for warmth and had some spare socks, so pretty quickly I was dry again. I smirked to myself at being such a fool but soon found that the broken ice was fantastically clear and square edged so my foolishness had served a purpose and revealed to me the beauty of this ice.
I took a section and rounded the edges before trying to melt my hand print into it. I could only manage a little at a time before I had to rewarm my hand, so I challenged myself to count to fifty before I would put on a glove to warm up, only to try and melt some more for another count to fifty.
As the handprint begun to form I started to think about how I would be able to photograph it. The imprint was like a ghost, difficult to pin down, like a fleeting image in the corner of your eye. I put the ice back in the water but the image disappeared so I went searching for another way.
I found a slab with thick frost on it, so I melted another handprint onto it and placed the ice on top, in an effort to put a black background behind the imprint. This didn't work either. I then picked some holly berries thinking that I would squish them up and fill in the mould but that was also a failure. And then it dawned on me, bubbles underwater are very bright, especially against the dark, peaty water!
I went back to the little pool and to its twin with the unbroken ice. I put my handprint on top of it, face down so that air would be trapped and then started to ladle (I didn't actually use a ladle - who carries around a ladle?!) water from the broken pool onto the ice of the intact one. Soon the effect was working and I had learnt something new about contrast and ice.
After taking some more pictures of it set against the sky, I collected my gear and headed off downhill. The cretins were still shooting at anything that moved and the irritation at the noisy buggers still dwelled in the pit of my stomach.
At the bottom of the hill I sat and watched two Buzzards sitting in adjacent trees, one of which kept calling and flying to the other one, perhaps with spring on her mind. For a few minutes I watched transfixed and thought what magnificent creatures they are. As I set off again towards home I noticed that the feeling in my stomach had gone and a few quiet moments observing the wonder of nature had calmed and comforted me. That is all that is required for peace. An open mind and a moment to fill it. Perhaps the Saturday shotgunners should try it one day. They might actually like it and discover that there is another way.
Mussenden Tempe which stands on the edge of the cliffs at Downhill, Castlerock. Extensive work has been carried out to prevent further erosion of the cliffs.
This is my final upload to my flickr pages for 2008. Thank you everyone for your overwhelming support and enthusiasm for my photographs during the past year. I promise this will be the last photo from my Christmas Day shoot that you will see, but already I am planning many more coastal and water based trips for 2009.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!
This is another photo from a photoshoot on Christmas Day. Having had murky skies for days on end, it was a real treat on Christmas Day to see a blue sky appear early afternoon, a quick message to flickr friend Wiffsmiff and before we knew it we had arranged to meet at Dunraven Bay. Unfortunately I arrived just after the sun had disappeared behind that huge bank of cloud and despite waiting for it to reappear in the lighter strip on the horizon, nothing much more happened!
For once I went home reasonably dry, my wellington boots were wet on the outside only, but the camera received a soaking from a rogue splash which prevented me from taking too many photos as my filters were all salted up.
EXPLORE: Highest position: 15 on Friday, January 2, 2009
Over the years the Mahy family had collected a huge and also unique collection of classical and special cars. Grandfather Ghislain Mahy (1907-1999) started in the early 1950s to buy old cars just to prevent them from being scrapped. Initially he was intended to restore them, but soon his collection had grown beyond limits. In the 1980s he possessed over 1000 classical cars. So most cars were kept and put aside in the state as found. Only a small amount could be restored: a few of them can be admired in Autoworld, Brussels. See: www.autoworld.be/onthaal
After the death of patron Ghislain his son Ivan (84) and grandson Michel (56) became his successors in charge of the family treasures.
In the 1990s the Mahy collection had to leave the old Ghent winter circus building. Between 1996 and 1999 a huge operation was executed to move the whole collection to a new home in an old deserted textile factory in in Leuze-en-Hainaut (B). In this new museum some 1000 classic cars can be seen.
See also: www.mahymobiles.be
Some fifty original and unrestored cars were to be seen here at this temporary exposition at the Ghent Vynckier Site. All selected jewels are of the most extraordinary cars automobile history can offer.
During the 1930s several German car brands were experimenting with cars with rear mounted engines. It were mostly microcars. The 130 H was Mercedes' first rear-engined civilian car which went into production. Besides Mercedes was the first company with series built middle class cars of this type in Germany.
The rear engine project started with the 1931 120 H prototype from which only 12 pieces were built.
The 130 H series was developed in cooperation with Joseph Ganz. But it was engineer Hans Nibel (1880-1934) who was responsible for this new rear-engine concept at Mercedes. In 1933 the 130 H was ready for launch.
The 130 H was available as Cabriolet-Limousine or as Limousine body style.
At first this new car was a big hit at the 1934 Berlin IAMA motor show.
Daimler-Benz AG had great expectations about this revolutionary car (new type platform, streamlined body) but unfortunately the car proved to be unsafe in practice. Then the 130 H was slowly drawn back from the market.
The 130 H was replaced by the 1936-1939 170 H W28 but also this model wasn't a succes. The 170 H was the rear-engined version of the 170 V W136 (V stands for Vornmotor/front engine).
The first 1934 130 H series were always mono-tone black. In the next two years only two-tone cars appeared but the wings stayed always black.
The H in the Mercedes-Benz model name refers to the rear mounted engine, Heckmotor in German.
1308 cc.
980 kg.
Production M-B all rear engined models: 1931-1939.
Production M-B Typ 130/130 H: Spring 1934-Autumn 1936.
Exposition Mahy, a Family of Cars, Vynckier Site Gent.
Gent, Nieuwevaart, Oct. 30, 2021.
© 2021 Sander Toonen, Halfweg | All Rights Reserved
Surf's up! Nikon D810 Photos Pro Women Surfers Surfing! Surf Girl Goddesses! Sports Photography With New Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens for Nikon!
Nikon D810 Photos Pro Women's Surfing Trestles Sports Photography With New Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD Lens for Nikon D810!
Join my new instagram! instagram.com/45surf
The new Nikon D810 rocks for sports photography! New Instagram!
Nikon D810 Photos Pro Women's Surfing Sports Photography Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD !
I shot in DX mode which crops away the extra pixels and takes me 1.5X closer while allowing for up to 7 FPS with the Nikon D810's Nikon MB-D12 Battery Grip using the 8 AA battery option! 8 Duracells took me through around 3,000 shots no problem--maybe more! I was shooting at the equivalent of 900mm with the 1.5x crop factor! Pretty close! Had I gone with the Nikon D4s, I would have gotten 12 fps, but no DX crop factor, as the sensor has only around 24mp, compared to the d810's 36 megapixels! Sure the larger pixel size on the Nikon D4s full frame sensor comes in handy indoors or at night, but in the bright sun, there's more than enough light for the smaller pixels in crop mode! Sure we lose some pixels from the outer edges when shooting in DX crop mode, but most of those pixels would be cropped away in Lightroom anyway. And the smaller files make the memory cards last longer, while also upping the FPS to 7 shots per second! Not quite 12 FPS, but still awesome and enough I felt!
What a beautiful way to test the Nikon D810 and Tamron 150-600mm zoom lens for sports photography!
Athletic graceful girl goddesses! Tall, thin, fit and in shape! Pro women's surfers form the van's us open wearing both long wetsuits and bikini bottoms with shorty wetsuit tops/summer wetsuits. Sexy, beautiful beach babes and water goddesses all! Many are professional swimsuit bikini / surf lifestyle models too!
45surf photography! :)
View your artistic mission into photography as an epic odyssey of heroic poetry! Take it from Homer in Homer's Odyssey: "Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them. " --Samuel Butler Translation of Homer's Odyssey
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Old Town
Old Town is a district in the city proper of Paprihaven so named for the age of the structures. No one knows how old the structures are as the Firm Stasis phenomena prevents testing, but it is known that the buildings of Old Town predate the rest of Paprihaven. The only other known structure in Paprihaven as a whole with the same characteristics is the Queen's Castle. The city proper of Paprihaven grew and developed around Old Town as the Firm Stasis phenomenon was discovered and named by Clark Savage, Jr.
The Firm Stasis
It did not take long to discover that there was something different about the city-structure of Old Town. The buildings, streets, pipes and other stationary parts of the district are quite stationary. It began with new residents attempting to make changes, such as adding a latch to a door or removing a sink. Nothing could be moved. In fact the structures could not be moved or damaged at all. Clark Savage, Jr., or 'Doc Savage', investigated the phenomena and found that there was no subatomic activity registering in the stone, wood, metal, and other materials that comprised the structures. It was as if the buildings were absolutely frozen in their current state of existence. Doc Savage coined the term "Firm Stasis" and subsequent researchers accepted it.
Doc Savage purchased one of the buildings to use as his home and headquarters. Lamont Cranston, another wealthy adventurer followed suit, purchasing one of the homes. Many of the buildings are noted to be characteristic of a Victorian era style.
In the first Rift War, Unger unleashed two gigantic androids known as Vistal and Nieraphon. Towering at 200'/60m in height, these beings possessed incredible destructive power and leveled much of Paprihaven with their energy beams. When they reached Old Town, however, their attacks were unsuccessful. No matter how much power they released, the buildings of Old Town remained unscathed.
After the Rift War, Bruce Wayne joined Savage and Cranston in Old Town, purchasing a manor of his own. More research was done as, now after the destruction of the war, the contrast was stark with much of the Paprihaven city leveled while no damage at all could be found in Old Town. Superman agreed to assist and tested his own legendary strength. His most powerful blows did not dislodge a fleck from the buildings. What was even more interesting was that there was no feedback from the impact. Equipment designed by Savage and Wayne was able to record and measure the kinetic energy being dispersed along quantum fields beyond the Paprihaven plane of existence.
While the Firm Stasis phenomenon is amazing, its very nature limited the methods of testing available and so actual research ended quickly, with only theoretical research from that point. Wayne, Cranston and Savage have never ceased in their desire to understand, and have exerted their considerable influence since the Rift War, becoming known as the 'Elders of Old Town'.
GB Railfreight Class 92, 92038, effortlessly leads the Caledonian Sleeper Up Highlander (1M16) south through Acton Bridge.
This was a last minute change of location after I discovered the local friendly farmer at Chapel Lane had put large boulders in the off-road parking spots.
A revised timetable was in operation due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with only the Inverness and Glasgow portions running and splitting/joining at Edinburgh to form one train in each direction on the WCML.
The expression comes from the third biblical verse of the book of Genesis.
If you've heard news from Spain and Portugal today, Monday, April 28, 2025, you'll have learned that on the Iberian Peninsula, which includes part of Spain, part of Portugal, and the Principality of Andorra, and a bit of Southern France, but not much, we've had a serious emergency due to a general power outage, that started a 10:30 GMT
The "experts" (there's always an "expert" to consult on the news networks) have given various reasons, and everyone can choose their own, although it may be too soon to know the real causes, if they ever are known.
The chaos has been significant: hospitals, train stations, airports, subway lines, internet signals, cell phone signals...
Traffic chaos: No traffic lights... Volunteers have put on yellow vests and started directing traffic...
Purely electric cars couldn't recharge their batteries...
People on electric ventilators who needed care at home...
People caught in the elevator by the blackout...
Little by little, we're getting our power back, area by area.
France (in the north) and Morocco (in the south) have collaborated by providing energy to restore stability, which is very much appreciated.
Night has arrived, and an important recommendation: everyone stay home. There's a risk of violence, theft, and looting.
There are reportedly more than 15,000 members of the state security forces deployed to prevent trouble.
So, everyone stay home.
I went out to take this photo, which shows that my neighborhood finally has electricity and that there are no people on the streets.
Good night!
SEA LA LUZ, 2025
La expresión proviene del tercer versículo bíblico del libro del Génesis.
Si hoy lunes 28 de abril de 2025 os han llegado noticias de España y Portugal, os habréis enterado que en la península Ibérica, que componen parte de España, parte de Portugal y el principado de Andorra, y un poco el sue dr Francia, pero poco, hemos tenido una grave emergencia por un apagón eléctrico general, que comenzó a las 10:30 GMT.
Los "expertos" (siempre hay un "experto" a quien consultar en las cadenas de noticias), han dado varias razones y cada uno puede elegir la que prefiera, aunque quizá sea demasiado pronto para saber las causas reales, si es que alguna vez se llegan a saber.
El caos ha sido importante: hospitales, estaciones de tren, aeropuertos, líneas de metro, señal de Internet, señal para los móviles...
Caos de tráfico: No hay semáforos. Ha habido voluntarios que se han colocado un chaleco amarillo y se han puesto a dirigir el tráfico...
Los coches puramente eléctricos no podían recargar sus baterías...
Personas con respiradores eléctricos que necesitaban ser atendidas en su casa...
Personas a quienes el apagón los ha pillado en el ascensor...
Poco a poco vamos recuperando la energía eléctrica, zona a zona.
Francia (por el Norte) y Marruecos (por el Sur) han colaborado aportando energía para recuperar la estabilidad, lo cual es muy de agradecer.
Ha llegado la noche y una importante recomendación: que todo el mundo se quede en su casa. Hay riesgo de violencia, robos y saqueos.
Al parecer hay más de 15.000 miembros de las fuerzas de seguridad del estado, desplegados para prevenir problemas.
Así que todos en casa.
Salí a hacer esta foto en la que se puede comprobar que en mi barrio por fin hay luz y que no hay gente por la calle.
¡Buenas noches!
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- February 5th: during the feast of Saint Agatha, on Via Etnea, you encounter people and situations of a unique sweetness and charm; the nice lady thus protects her little friend, preventing him from getting hurt, in the midst of the large crowd of people attending the feast;
- giorno 05 febbraio: durante la festa di Sant’Agata, in via Etnea, si incontrano persone e situazioni, di una dolcezza e simpatia uniche; la simpatica signora in tal modo protegge il suo piccolo amico, impedendo di farsi male, in mezzo alla grande folla di persone, che partecipa alla festa;
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Religious devotion, at times, in Sicily seems to take on the face of women, like that of the two Sicilian saints Agata and Lucia along the Ionian coast of Sicily, or the face of Rosalia, on the opposite side, in Palermo. The lives of Saint Agatha and Saint Lucia are closely linked, even though they never met. Agatha was martyred in 251, Lucia was not yet born, she was born 32 years later. On February 5, 301, she went to Catania to pray at Agatha's tomb to invoke her intercession, hoping to obtain the healing of her mother, who was seriously ill. Agatha appeared to her in a dream, confirmed her mother's healing (her mother was healed), but also confided in her that she would be martyred because of her faith in Christ: Lucia was martyred on December 13, 304, during the persecutions of Diocletian. What has been said as an incipit of the photographic story that I present here, created on the occasion of the celebration that Catania dedicates to its Patron Saint Agatha, described as the most important religious celebration in Catania, also considered the third Catholic religious celebration in the world (first are the “Semana Santa” in Seville, and the “Corpus Domini” in Cuzco in Peru), a ranking that takes into account the huge number of people who participate every year. The celebration of Saint Agatha takes place on several dates, from 3 to 6 February, on 12 February and on 17 August: the February celebration is linked to her martyrdom, the August celebration commemorates the return to Catania of her mortal remains, initially taken to Constantinople as spoils of war by the Byzantine general Maniaces, and remained there for 86 years. The young Agatha lived in the 3rd century, she belonged to a rich patrician family of Catania, since she was young she had embraced the cult of the Christian religion, the governor Quinziano (or Quintiliano) fell in love with her, Agatha to escape him hid in his house in Palermo, Quinziano managed to find out where she was hiding, so he had her taken to Catania, here his attempts to bend Agatha's will and make her give in to his flattery were in vain, after her umpteenth refusal he changed his intentions, accused her of being of the Christian religion, condemned her to death, not without first having led her to martyrdom, he amputated her by tearing off both her breasts, in this way in addition to the torment of physical pain, the psychological one was added, humiliating the girl in her femininity, then he gave her death by dragging her on burning coals, Agata was 20 years old. After her death, the cult of her began to spread, even the pagans began to venerate her figure, there is news about her origins starting from 252, the year after her death: the inhabitants of Catania were proud of this young woman who rebelled against the will of the dictator. The feast of Saint Agatha begins on February 3, there is the procession "for the offering of wax", the two eighteenth-century carriages of the senate pulled by horses come out along the streets of the city, "the candlestick" make their appearance; on February 4th the celebration begins with the “Mass of Dawn” which is celebrated in the cathedral, after the reliquary bust of the Saint and the silver casket, they are placed on the “float” (or “fercolo”), to be carried in procession in its “external tour”, the procession begins by crossing the “Porta Uzeda” and thus reaching the arches of the marina, the procession then circumscribes the historic center of the city, going to the places where Agatha’s martyrdom took place; : On February 5th the “Pontifical Mass” is celebrated, on this occasion by lining up in the cathedral, you can go and see the reliquary bust of the Saint, as evening comes, the bust and the casket are placed back on the heavy float for the last procession, which goes along the “internal tour” (or “noble tour”), which crosses the historic center of Catania, a procession preceded by the passage of lit candles carried on the shoulders of devotees (of various weights and sizes, some reach exceptional dimensions and weight, historically these candles illuminated, when electricity did not exist, the passage of the Saint), then the “candlestick” pass, they are gigantic and heavy wooden “candlestick”, in baroque style, painted in gold, each one represents an ancient corporation (butchers, fishmongers, bakers, pork butchers, greengrocers, etc.), finally the float with Saint Agatha passes, the long-awaited moment, with the reliquary bust that it contains inside some parts of her body, the other parts of her body are inside the casket, so, with both on the float, Agatha's entire body can travel the streets of the city of Catania. The float is pulled by hand, by the many devotees who wish to participate spontaneously in this very particular rite, using two large cords more than 200 meters long, to the end of which are connected four handles. The photographs were taken on February 4 and 5, of this year 2026, they are not organized in series taking into account either the year or the days; I made portraits of the devotees, the "citizens" (synonym of "devotees") of Catania towards this young martyr, who has become a symbol of those who oppose violence against women, and protector of women suffering from breast cancer. I captured in some images, the custom of some devotees, to carry with them images of loved ones who passed away too soon (photos placed on candles or printed on the characteristic white habit, called "sacco (bag) ", which is part of the characteristic way of dressing of the devotees). Finally, I conclude with some brief observations on this traditional religious and popular feast, year 2026:
a- This year, during the "outer tour" or "plebeian tour," it rained. I don't recall photographing the Saint Agatha procession in the rain in past years, but the presence of umbrellas was a pleasant surprise for me.
b- Devotees carry candles on their shoulders, sometimes very heavy, weighing 50 kilos or even more than 100-120 kilos. These enormous candles are padded with foam rubber, placed by the devotees themselves, to prevent excessive pain when touching the shoulder carrying them.
c- Devotees carrying very heavy candles, flameless or with a burning candle, rely on the presence of another devotee, who, anticipating the procession, warns those present of the arrival of "a heavy load." This is to avoid accidents along the way, both for those on the road and for the bearer himself. Sometimes, the assistant devotee supports part of the weight of the candle itself.
d- Aware of the risk of people slipping in the streets after the devotees pass by with burning candles, releasing a considerable amount of melted wax onto the ground, on the afternoon of February 5th, before the ritual of lighting the large candles begins, the municipality of Catania sprinkles Catania's main street, Via Etnea, first with water from tankers and then immediately after with sawdust, which, mixing with the water, prevents it from being lifted into the air by the wind (risking irritation to the airways and eyes);
e- As the float of Saint Agatha passes by, countless smartphones are now raised in the air, to take with them, almost every present, a memento of "this beautiful magic." I couldn't resist the temptation to "seize upon" this modern-day custom, also because I'm fascinated by the well-groomed female hands;
f- although I have not respected the temporal presentation of the photographs, I will insert a small comment in the caption, with the day during which it was taken, whether the 4th (during the “plebeian tour” or “external tour”), or if during the 5th (“day of the “internal tour” or “noble tour”).
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La devozione religiosa, a volte, in Sicilia sembra assumere il volto delle donne, come quello delle due sante siciliane Agata e Lucia lungo la fascia Ionica della costa sicula, od il volto di Rosalia, sul versante opposto, in quel di Palermo. Le vite di Agata e Lucia sono tra loro legate in maniera strettamente indissolubile, pur non essendosi mai conosciute, Agata morì martirizzata nel 251, Lucia non era ancora nata, nascerà 32 anni dopo, il 5 febbraio del 301 si recherà a Catania a pregare sul sepolcro di Agata per invocare la sua intercessione sperando così di ottenere la guarigione di sua madre, gravemente malata, Agata le appare in sogno, le conferma la guarigione di sua madre (sua madre ebbe la guarigione), ma anche, le confida, che per lei ci sarà il martirio a causa della sua fede in Cristo: Lucia fu martirizzata il 13 dicembre del 304, durante le persecuzioni di Diocleziano. Quanto detto come incipit del racconto fotografico che qui presento, realizzato in occasione della festa che Catania dedica alla sua Santa Patrona Agata, descritta come la più importante festa religiosa di Catania, considerata anche la terza festa religiosa cattolica al mondo (prime la “Semana Santa” di Siviglia, ed il “Corpus Domini” di Cuzco in Perù), graduatoria che tiene conto del grandissimo numero di persone ogni anno vi partecipano. La festa di Santa’Agata si svolge in più date, dal 3 al 6 febbraio, il 12 febbraio ed il 17 agosto: la ricorrenza di febbraio è legata al suo martirio, quella di Agosto rievoca il ritorno a Catania delle sue spoglie mortali, portate inizialmente a Costantinopoli come bottino di guerra dal generale bizantino Maniace, e li rimaste per 86 anni. La giovane Agata visse nel 3° secolo, apparteneva ad una ricca famiglia patrizia di Catania, sin dalla giovane età aveva abbracciato il culto per la religione cristiana, di lei si invaghì il governatore Quinziano (o Quintiliano), Agata per sfuggirgli si nascose in una sua casa a Palermo, Quinziano riuscì a sapere dove si nascondeva, quindi la fece condurre a Catania, qui i suoi tentativi di piegare la volontà di Agata e farla cedere alle sue lusinghe furono vani, all’ennesimo suo rifiuto egli mutò i suoi propositi, la accusò di essere di religione cristiana, la condannò a morte, non senza averla prima condotta al martirio, le amputò strappandole entrambi i seni, in tal modo oltre allo strazio del dolore fisico, si aggiungeva quello psicologico, umiliando la ragazza nella sua femminilità, poi le diede la morte trascinandola sui carboni ardenti, Agata aveva 20 anni. Dopo la sua morte si iniziò a diffondere il culto verso di lei, anche i pagani iniziarono a venerare la sua figura, si hanno notizie sulle sue origini già a partire dal 252, anno successivo alla sua morte: gli abitanti di Catania erano orgogliosi di questa giovane donna che si ribellò al volere del dittatore. La festa per Sant’Agata inizia il 3 febbraio, si ha la processione “per l’offerta della cera”, escono lungo le vie della città le due settecentesche carrozze del senato trainate da cavalli, fanno la loro comparsa “le candelore”; il 4 febbraio la festa inizia con la “Messa dell’Aurora” che si celebra nella cattedrale, dopo il busto reliquiario della Santa e lo scrigno d’argento, vengono messi sulla “vara” (o “fercolo”), per essere portati in processione nel suo “giro esterno” (o “giro plebeo”), la processione inizia attraversando la "Porta Uzeda" e giungendo così agli archi della marina, la processione quindi circoscrive il centro storico della città, recandosi nei luoghi ove avvenne il martirio di Agata; il 5 febbraio si celebra la “Messa Pontificale”, in questa occasione mettendosi in fila nella cattedrale, si può andare a vedere il busto reliquiario della Santa, col sopraggiungere della sera, busto e scrigno, vengono nuovamente messi sulla pesante vara per l’ultima processione, che percorre il “giro interno” (o “giro nobile”), che attraversa il centro storico di Catania, processione preceduta dal passaggio dei ceri accesi portati in spalla dai devoti (di vario peso e dimensioni, alcuni raggiungono dimensioni e peso eccezionali, storicamente questi ceri illuminavano, quando non esisteva l’energia elettrica, il passaggio della Santa), poi passano le “candelore”, sono dei giganteschi e pesanti "candelabri" in legno, in stile barocco, dipinti in oro, portati in spalla, ognuna rappresenta una antica corporazione (macellai, pescivendoli, panettieri, pizzicagnoli, fruttivendoli, ecc.), infine passa la vara con Sant’Agata, il momento tanto atteso, col busto reliquiario che racchiude al suo interno alcune parti del suo corpo, le altre parti del corpo si trovano all’interno dello scrigno, in tal modo, con entrambi sulla vara, tutto il corpo di Agata può percorrere le strade della città di Catania. La vara è trainata a mano con due grosse funi, dai tantissimi devoti che desiderano partecipare spontaneamente a questo rito così particolare, le due grosse funi sono lunghe più di 200 metri (una posta alla destra della vara, l’altra posta alla sua sinistra), al cui capo sono collegate quattro maniglie. Le fotografie sono state realizzate il 4 ed il 5 febbraio di quest’anno 2026, esse non sono organizzate in serie tenendo conto né dell’anno, nè delle giornate; ho realizzato ritratti dei devoti, dei “cittadini” (sinonimo di “devoti”) catanesi (e non) tutti legati “ed innamorati” di questa giovane martire, diventata simbolo di chi si oppone alla violenza sulle donne, e protettrice delle donne ammalate di cancro al seno. Ho colto in alcune immagini, l’usanza di alcuni devoti, di recare con se immagini di persone care scomparse troppo presto (foto messe sui ceri o stampate sul caratteristico saio bianco, chiamato “sacco”, che fa parte del modo caratteristico di vestire dei devoti). Infine, termino, con alcune osservazioni “in pillole” di questa festa tradizionale religiosa e popolare, anno 2026:
a- quest’ anno durante il “giro esterno” o “giro plebeo” è arrivata la pioggia, non ricordo di aver fotografato negli anni passati la processione di Sant’Agata sotto la pioggia, per me la presenza degli ombrelli è stata una piacevole novità;
b- i devoti portano in spalla ceri a volte molto pesanti, di 50 chili ma anche più di 100 – 120 chili, questi enormi ceri presentano delle imbottiture con gomma spugna, posizionate dagli stessi devoti, per evitare che il contatto con la spalla che li regge, diventi eccessivamente doloroso;
c- i devoti (o le devote) che portano in spalla ceri molto pesanti, senza fiamma, o con il cero che arde, si avvalgono della presenza di un altro devoto o devota, che anticipandone il passaggio, avvisa i presenti dell’arrivo “di un carico importante”, questo per evitare incidenti durante il percorso, sia per gli astanti, sia per il portatore stesso; a volte l’aiuto devoto regge parte del peso del cero stesso;
d- consapevole del rischio di scivoloni nelle strade, da parte delle persone, dopo che sono passati i devoti coi ceri che ardono, liberando un notevole quantitativo di cera sciolta per terra, il pomeriggio del 5 febbraio, prima che inizi il rito dell’accensione dei grossi ceri, il comune di Catania cosparge la via principale di Catania, via Etnea, prima con l’acqua delle autobotti, subito dopo con della segatura, che amalgamandosi con l’acqua impedisce alla stessa di venire sollevata in aria col vento (rischiando di irritare le vie aeree e gli occhi);
e- al passaggio della vara di Sant’Agata, oramai innumerevoli sono gli smartphone sollevati in aria, per portare con se, quasi ogni presente, un ricordo di “questa bellissima magia”, non ho saputo sottrarmi alla tentazione di “cogliere al volo” questa consuetudine dei nostri tempi, anche perché affascinato dalle mani femminili, così ben curate;
f- pur non avendo rispettato temporalmente la presentazione delle fotografie, inserirò in didascalia un piccolo commento, col giorno durante il quale è stata colta, se il 4 (durante il “giro plebeo” o “giro esterno”), o se durante il 5 (giorno del “giro interno” o “giro nobile”).
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A Tribute and Prayer
Protection from Terrorism
Father, I pray You prevent the destructive forces of terrorism directed against our nation. Provide protection from evil attacks and stop the aggressors that attempt to bring destruction to our nation and its people. May Your Hand of protection keep us safe.
I stand against the spirit of fear that accompanies the cowardice acts of terrorism. Allow our fear to turn to trust in You. May knowledge of terrorist planned attacks be revealed to those who provide our national and international security. Help those in power to act swiftly to avert all danger, protecting American lives and property.
Lord, provide strength, courage, and wisdom to our protectors. Give wisdom and insight to our government and everyone involved in the elimination of terrorism. Provide instruction in the development of effective and efficient anti-terrorist strategies that will give us an advantage against our aggressors, allowing this country to remain safe and secure.
I also pray that You enter the hearts of the instigators of terrorism, so they recognize the evil of their ways, and repent and denounce their cowardice acts of destruction against humanity. Without repentance, may they reap the consequences of their actions through Your Divine Justice. May the fear of our retaliation be greater than their hatred of democracy. Guide us in efforts to seek out and erradicate these merchants of death. Reveal to us the names of those responsible and in allegiance with terrorist organizations. Enable our military to become swift, powerful, and accurate in any action of retaliation. Help them keep the innocent safe as they stop these evil people.
Lord, help us to understand lifestyle changes that might be necessary to ensure our protection. Grant patience and tolerance to us in adapting to the safety precautions and measure that we might experience. Enable us to realize that the cost of inconvenience is a small price to pay for the safety of our families. Amen.
Dressed in a cleanroom suit to prevent contamination, Optics Technician Jeff Gum aligns a replacement Focal Plane Assembly (FPA) with a powerful three-dimensional microscope at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. This FPA will be installed on the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument, which has unique components that are individually tailored to see in a particular infrared wavelength range. By using the microscope, Gum ensures the FPA detectors are characterized and ready for installation onto NIRCam, the James Webb Space Telescope's primary imager that will see the light from the earliest stars and galaxies that formed in the universe.
Credit: NASA/Goddard/Chris Gunn
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center enables NASA’s mission through four scientific endeavors: Earth Science, Heliophysics, Solar System Exploration, and Astrophysics. Goddard plays a leading role in NASA’s accomplishments by contributing compelling scientific knowledge to advance the Agency’s mission.
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This little jewel has prevented me from getting good images of it over the many years I have been birding. Although not a scarce bird, it is wary of humans and quickly disappears into the thick vegetation it prefers as habitat when approached; some birding seasons may pass without me spotting a single one! So, when I ran into a small flock of these shy birds in good light, I decided to sit for a while with the hope that their sound byte may lure them closer for a few good photographs. At first they kept their distance, but eventually a female bird came to investigate, soon followed by the brightly coloured male.
GOTCHA!
End of the ride. About to head home. A padlock on the fork would prevent the casual thieves from stealing the bicycle.
Kenwood Park. Nice temperatures but it was very windy! I did almost the entire ride on the path in the woods.
The open track was too windy!
This Blue Dasher was living up to his name sake, dashing about, until posing briefly in front of these contrasting colors at the Lotus Pond. Of course he kept his distance doing all he could to prevent me from getting a close up.
Seen at Dauset Trails.
Victory Liner 2217
Model: SR Jetliner Daewoo BV115
Coachbuilder: Santarosa Motor Works Inc.
Chassis: Daewoo BV115
Engine: Doosan DE12TIS
Seating Configuration: 2X2
Seating Capacity: 49 Passenger Seats
Route: Sampaloc - Roxas
*The Vehicle registration plate(s), conduction sticker(s), and/or person(s) (if applicable) featured in this photo were pixelated and/or painted out as to prevent any conflict with the photographer and the bus company or car owner and for security or privacy purposes. This photo should not to be used as an evidence by any concerned authorities (e.g. PNP, LTO, LTFRB, MMDA, etc.) once this bus is involved in an accident or any traffic apprehensions.
Sorry for the delay in posting. I've been crazy busy with work which is preventing me from putting in much processing time. Hopefully this push will relax in the not too distant future and I'll be back to a more normal schedule.
Brad McGinley and I spent a long day/night of travel to get to/from the Crystal Mill which has been on my bucket list since I first saw a photograph of it many years ago. We picked the night of the full moon because I thought the light might provide some interesting light and shadow. In many ways I was right, but capturing the shot I envisioned proved a formidable competitor.
This shot is made up of about 30 - 13 second shots. In each one I light painted a different portion of the scene. The moon is to my right lighting up the rocks on the left and a portion of the tree right of the cabin. The gaps you see in the star trails are due to delays in my shooting caused by our dogs. I'm not sure why I didn't automate this with my intervelometer, but at the time it didn't seem an issue.
I'm not completely happy with this shot, but I do like it enough to post it. I guess to me, the pieces and parts that make up the scene aren't playing well together. If you have any thoughts or recommendations to share I would love to hear them. As always, if you like it that would be a great comment too.
Tussock in the vicinity of Mount Ngauruhoe.
Exclusion plot on Island Saddle in the South Island of New Zealand. The enclosure prevents herbivory by introduced mammals resulting in a higher recruitment of tussocks within the plot.
Tussock grasslands form expansive and distinctive landscapes in the South Island and to a lesser extent in the central plateau region of the North Island of New Zealand. Most of the plants referred to as tussocks are in the genera Carex, Chionochloa, Festuca, and Poa.
Many species have long roots that may reach 2 meters (6.6 ft) or more into the soil, which can aid slope stabilization, erosion control, and soil porosity for precipitation absorption. Also, their roots can reach moisture more deeply than other grasses and annual plants during seasonal or climatic droughts. The plants provide habitat and food for insects (including Lepidoptera), birds, small animals and larger herbivores, and support beneficial soil mycorrhiza. The leaves supply material, such as for basket weaving, for indigenous peoples and contemporary artists.
(Source: Wikipedia)
Chesil Beach is 18 miles (28 kilometres) long and, on average, 160 metres wide and rises to 12 metres in height. It is a pebble and shingle tombolo connecting Portland to Abbotsbury and then continuing north-westwards to West Bay near Bridport. It is the largest tombolo in the UK.
The pebbles are graded in size from fist-sized near Portland to pea-sized at Bridport. The pebbles are mainly a mix of flint and chert, with some quartzite pebbles from Buddleigh Salterton.
The origin of the beach continues to be argued over with some proposing it is actually two beaches. The stretch from West Bay to Abbotsbury appears to have different characteristics to the stretch from Abbotsbury to Portland.
Chesil Beach shelters Weymouth from the prevailing wind and waves and prevents the area being eroded by wave action. Evidence suggests that the beach is no longer being replenished by natural means.
The beach forms part of the Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site, known as the Jurassic Coast.
Chesil Bank
It is above all an elemental place, made of sea, shingle and sky, its dominant sound always that of waves on moving stone: from the great surf and pounding “grounds of seas” of sou’westers, to the delicate laps and back-gurgling of the rare dead calm….
John Fowles
www.chesilbeach.org/Chesil/description.html
Chesil Beach is a linear shingle storm beach stretching from Portland in the south to West Bay in the north-west. At its widest it is up to 200 metres in width. The height of the beach is typically 11 metres above mean sea level.
The seaward face of the beach is steeply shelving and this continues below the sea level until it gradually levels off at around 18 metres below sea level some 300 metres offshore in the southern part of the beach. Further north the offshore depth is around 11 metres.
There is a clear southern limit to the beach where it meets the limestone of Portland, but the northern limit is less distinct and depends on the definition used. Various limits have been proposed from Abbotsbury to West Bay. Geologically there is some merit in these arguments, but for practical purposes the limit is taken as the pier at West Bay. The pier is an effective barrier to longshore drift into or away from Chesil Beach.
The beach stabilised close to its present position some 5000 years ago. Since then it has been advancing slowly towards the mainland. Current estimates suggest that at the southern end this rate of advance is around 15 cms per year, with a slower rate further north. This advance occurs under storm conditions and is caused either by over-topping waves or by cann action where the water comes through the beach pushing quantities of pebbles out into the Fleet. This advancement is slowly causing increasing isolation of the various segments of the beach between Abbotsbury and West Bay.
Under storm conditions large quantities of pebbles can be removed from the beach onto the seabed. For severe storms the quantities can exceed 3 Million tonnes. Subsequent wave action then replaces these pebbles on the front of the beach.
There appears to be two types of storm conditions that affect Chesil Beach. The majority of storms are deep depressions approaching from the south-west where the combination of strong winds and low barometric pressure can produce storm surges in the English Channel combined with high local waves. A rarer type, but potentially more dramatic in impact, occurs when large storms out in the Atlantic generate huge, long-period swell waves that travel up the Channel and impact the Beach. Such waves can have a period of up to 20 seconds, compared with the 5-10 second period of local storm waves. Two such events are known to have occurred in 1904 and 1979.
www.chesilbeach.org/Chesil/formation.html
The formation of Chesil Beach has been much discussed over the years and is still the subject of continuing debate. Continuing research yields further insights into the origin of the material that forms the beach and how it was transported to its current location. This page presents a summary of one current view suggested by Malcolm Bray of Portsmouth University, a member of the Fleet Study Group. A more detailed document can be downloded here.
Chesil Beach initially formed from predominantly sandy deposits in Lyme Bay as water levels rose rapidly at the end of the last ice age 20,000-14,000 years ago. These deposits were eroded and the sand and gravel driven onshore as a barrier beach. As the barrier beach was driven further east by rising sea levels it overrode existing sediments and the Fleet was formed starting about 7000 years ago. The formation of the Fleet was virtually complete by 5000 years ago.
Sea levels stabilised 4000-5000 years ago and at that time Chesil Beach stood close to its present position. It was predominantly sandy with layers of shell and coarser material indicating over-washing by the sea.
At this time relict cliffs in East Devon, left stranded by falling sea levels during the ice age, were re-activated and the combination of re-working of extensive debris aprons and erosion of existing cliffs yielded large quantities of gravel. Estimates suggest that as much as 60 million cubic metres of gravel could have been supplied. This material was transported to Chesil Beach by longshore drift via a series of pocket beaches.
Coastal recession and human intervention have now depleted the beaches to the west of West Bay, resulting in increased prominence of the headlands. This has cut off the supply of material to Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach must now be regarded as a closed shingle system with no replenishment from outside sources. It is therefore sensitive to environmental changes such as rising sea levels. Ian West has suggested that Chesil Beach at Portland is moving eastward at around 15cm per year, with a much slower rate further north towards Abbotsbury.
www.chesilbeach.org/Chesil/pebbles.html
Chesil Beach is made up almost entirely of pebbles of various rock types. The only exception is in the north-west section of the beach from West Bexington to West Bay where there is some fine gravel and coarse sand overlaying the lower levels of the beach near the tide line. The pebbles are graded in size from fist-sized near Portland to pea-sized at West Bay.
The types of pebble that can be found are:
Flint
Flint originates from the chalk beds. They include the slightly brownish pebbles, most of the medium grey pebbles and also the less well- rounded pebbles. They are extremely hard, harder than most steels.
Chert
The chert pebbles are also extremely hard and originate from the upper greensand beds. They are often fairly clear and translucent with a pink or bluish tinge.
Quartzite
Quartzite pebbles originate from around Buddleigh Salterton and are discoidal pebbles coloured red, purple "liver-coloured", or white.
Granite
Granite is occasionally found on Chesil Beach. It can be identified by the coarse grain size, the pink or white feldspar, the quartz of glassy grey appearance, and the black mafic minerals, normally mica and/or hornblende. These pebbles probably originated from further west on the south-west peninsula or may have come from the ballast of ships wrecked on the beach..
Porphyry
These pebbles most probably come from the Permian breccia in Dawlish, Devon. They are similar to granite in appearance, but the crystal structure is rather different. They are comparatively rare on Chesil Beach.
Tourmalised rock
Pebbles of hard black, finely granular material are common. Somewhat irregular pebble of vein quartz, stained yellowish, and tourmalinised slate, all sheared and partially brecciated. The pebbles are usually irregular in shape as the tourmaline is quite brittle.
Breccia
A breccia is a rock of angular fragments. Only breccias that have been cemented strongly in hard silica can survive on Chesil Beach.
Portland stone
At Chiswell there are some limestone pebbles originating from the local Portland and Purbeck stone formations.
Kimmeridge oil shale
There is evidence that there was once an outcrop of oil shale on the back of Chesil Beach near Victoria Square on Portland. Pieces of shale can still be found on the beach and probably come from an outcrop under the sea off Chiswell.
Fossils
These are mostly found around Burton Bradstock and originate from the local cliffs.
Magnetite
This is believed to originate from the cargos of ships wrecked on Chesil Beach. The major concentration is near Abbotsbury and is believed to come from the SS Dorothea.
Peat
Pieces of peat can be found on Chesil Beach, particularly after storms. It comes from outcrops below the low tide level. It is mostly found at Chiswell and in an area around the tank defences at Abbotsbury
Pumice stone
Pieces of pumice stone are sometimes found washed up on the beach. Pumice is lava foam from volcanoes and contains sufficient air pockets to float. The stones on Chesil almost certainly came from volcanoes in the Caribbean Sea or central America. The colour varies from dark grey to almost white. They can be recognised by the large number of air pockets and that they are very light.
Others
Also found on Chesil Beach are Jasper, Agate, and Madrepores, but these are all very rare.
Further information
For a more detailed discussion of the pebbles that make up Chesil Beach visit Ian West's excellent website at Southampton University.
www.chesilbeach.org/Chesil/speclst.html
Chesil Beach is a major shingle beach and provides a maritime shingle environment. The seaward side of the beach is highly mobile under storm conditions and cannot support any plant communities. The eastern side of the beach is much more stable enabling plant communities to get established. In some areas the beach is sufficiently stable for a turf to form, particularly at Ferrybridge.
Apart from plants, the beach supports a rich variety of lichens and a few mosses. There are very few shrubs and no trees growing on the beach.
There is sufficient food from the plants and other sources to support a few mammals and the beach is used by a number of bird species for nesting.
The lists below show species that actually live, hunt, and/or nest on the beach. Transient species such as migrant birds are not included. Click on the groups below to see the species lists.
www.chesilbeach.org/chesil/specbirds.html
Skylark, Meadow Pipit, Ringed Plover, Linnet, Oystercatcher, Reed Bunting, Pied Wagtail, Common Tern, Little Tern,
www.chesilbeach.org/Chesil/specmamms.html
Fox, Hare, Roe Deer, Hare, Hedgehog, Long-tailed Field Mouse, Short-tailed Vole, Grey Squirrel,
www.chesilbeach.org/chesil/specplants.html
Common nameSpeciesW
Sea couchAgropyron pungens
Silvery hair grassAira caryophylla
Early hair grassAira praecox
Scarlet pimpernelAnagallis arvensis
Kidney vetchAnthyllis vulneraria
ThriftAmeria maritima
Thyme-leaved sandwortArenaria serpyllifolia
Tall oat-grassArrhenatherum elatius
Sea beetBeta vulgaris
Darnel's grassCatapodium marinum
Common centauryCentaurium erythraea
Red valerianCentranthus ruber
Common mouse-earCerastium fontanum
Sea mouse-earCerastium diffusum
Creeping thistleCirsium arvense
Danish scurvygrassCochlearia danica
Sea kaleCrambe maritima
SamphireCrithmum maritimum
CocksfootDactylus glomerata
Sea spurgeEuphorbia paralias
Portland spurgeEuphorbia portlandica
Red fescueFestuca ruba
Lady's bedstrawGalium verum
Herb robertgeranium robertianum
Yellow horned poppyGlaucium flavum
Sea-purslaneHalimione portulacoides
Common velvet grassHolcus lanatus
Tree mallowLavatera arborea
Sea peaLathyrus japonicus
Bird's foot trefoilLotus corniculatus
Common mallowMalva sylvestris
RestharrowOnonis repens
Lesser broomrapeOrobanche minor var minor
Buck's-horn plantainPlantago coronopus
Ribwort plantainPlantago lanceolata
BlackthornPrunus spinosa
BlackberryRubus fruticosa agg.
Curled dockRumex crispus
Procumbent pearlwortSagina procumbens
Biting stonecropSedum acre
Sea campionSilene maritima
Woody nightshadeSolanum dulcamera
Black nightshadeSolanum nigrum
Perennial sow-thistleSonchus arvensis
Shrubby sea blightSuaeda fruticosa
Annual sea blightSuaeda maritima
DandelionTaraxacum officinale
Breckland thymeThymus serpyllum
Haresfoot cloverTrifolium arvense
Lesser trefoilTrifolium dubium
Rough cloverTrifolium scabrum
Sea mayweedTripleurospermum maritimum
The information presented here has been derived from the following sources:
Colombe,S.V., Diaz,A. Plant communities of Chesil Beach. Lyme Bay Environmental Study Vol12. Kerr-McGee Oil(UK) plc, 1995.
Fitzpatrick,J.M. Terrestial plant communities of the Chesil Beach and the shores of the Fleet. In: The Fleet and Chesil Beach Ladle, M. (Ed). Fleet Study Group, 1981.
Eden,S.M. Flowering plants of the shores of the Fleet. In: The Fleet Lagoon and Chesil Beach. Carr,A.P., Seaward,D.R., and Sterling,P.H. (Eds).2000.
and personal observation by Fleet volunteers.
Following the derailment of 6C00 - GBRf’s 1715 Clitheroe – Carlisle Yard cement train - in Carlisle on 19 October 2022 recovery of the final three wagons was completed on 12 November.
This one was patched up, filled with helium gas and simply floated out of the way, but there was plenty of anchor chains to prevent it from escaping ;-)
Just outside of Baghdad, Iraq...
Patriot team arrives at an encampment of U.S. forces set up to prevent Scimitar from seizing the city like they did in Ramadi and Falluja. As they pull up to meet Talon team who are already standing waiting to meet them. Knight and Bryson talk as their Humvee pulls up.
Bryson: And here we are...
Knight: So the J-Bad boys are here to meet us? Great...
Prophet: Play nice you two. It's too bad we had to drop Stone off at the command building, he probably could have smoothed things over. Even Leroy could have, too bad they needed him in Korea. I'm just sending a transmission to the Lunar Outpost to launch a satelite for our next op.
Knight: Next op?
Prophet: Talon team will tell you all about it.
Knight and Bryson depart the vehicle and walk up to meet Talon team. As Saber-tooth exclaims:
Saber-tooth: Well if it isn't the Savior of Aleppo Who saved every puppy and old lady from the evil regime while letting their weapons fall into Scimitar's hands.
Knight: Well I guess it must just be the meeting of legends since I'm greeting the genius of Mosul who tore apart a bus depot and three city blocks to find some supposed weapons.
Saber-tooth: For the record, the entire city was being occupied by Scimitar.
Knight: Well by all means lets drive the population to accept Scimitar as their protectors.
Saber-tooth: No we should ride in on horseback and inspire hearts and minds.
Bryson: Not surprised that's the logic coming out of the machine built for war. What crawled up your exo-skeleton's exhaust vent and died?
Owen: Are you seriously pointing out enhancements like they're bad.
Prophet approaches the group with a data screen open and says:
Prophet: I hope not. Interesting to look at the info from your team other than what Stone had told me. It says here that one of your members joined RIM while another died in the line of duty...
Ace: Watch it.
Bryson looks over his shoulder to see troops arming up and hurrying to meet at a rally point.
Bryson: Where is that team rushing in such a hurry?
Ace: We're probably being assigned.
Knight: Ah right, so Saber-tooth, what's our objective?
Saber-tooth: We have a mission?
Knight: Well yeah! Prophet said...
Prophet: I figured you guys should get to know each other. I had the objective all along.
Bryson: You can't be serious...
Prophet: We're preparing for a possible conflict with Iran. We believe that the Ayatollah is endorsing Scimitar and that the revolutionary guard and his followers may begin an attack. Our politicians and RIM are still in talks about it. Should we be called in our teams will be together in the assault.
Saber-Tooth: Great.
Knight: Charmed.
A dot pops up on the data screen that prophet is holding and he alerts the group:
Prophet: The Ayatollah is delivering a speech now. I hacked into their feed so we can view it.
So guys, here is the next installment of the storyline, it will follow the conflict in Iran. Current fellow Epic Conflict members be tagged, let me know what you guys think.
España - Córdoba - Villanueva del Duque - Dehesa en la carretera A-430
ENGLISH:
Dehesa is a multifunctional agro-sylvo-pastoral system (a type of agroforestry) and cultural landscape of southern and central Spain (and southern Portugal, where it is known as montado). Dehesas may be private or communal property (usually belonging to the municipality). Used primarily for grazing, they produce a variety of products including non-timber forest products such as wild game, mushrooms, honey, cork, and firewood. It is also used as natural habitat for the Spanish fighting bull and the Iberian pig. The tree component is oaks, usually holm (Quercus ilex) and cork (Quercus suber). Other oaks, including melojo (Quercus pyrenaica) and quejigo (Quercus faginea), may be used to form dehesa, the species depending on geographical location and elevation. Dehesa is an anthropogenic system that provides not only a variety of foods, but also wildlife habitat for endangered species such as the Iberian lynx and the Spanish imperial eagle.
The dehesa is derived from the Mediterranean forest ecosystem, consisting of pastureland featuring herbaceous species for grazing and tree species belonging to the genus Quercus (oak), such as the holm oak (Quercus ilex sp. ballota), although other tree species such as beech and pine trees may also be present. Oaks are protected and pruned to produce acorns, which the famous black Iberian pigs feed on in the fall during the montanera. Ham produced from Iberian pigs fattened with acorns and air-dried at high elevations is known as Jamón ibérico, and sells for premium prices, especially if only acorns have been used for fattening.
There is debate about the origins and maintenance of the dehesa, and whether or not the oaks can reproduce adequately under the grazing densities now forced upon the dehesa or montado. Goats, cattle, and sheep also graze in dehesa. In a typical dehesa, oaks are managed to persist for about 250 years. If cork oaks are present, the cork is harvested about every 9 to 12 years, depending on the productivity of the site. The understory is usually cleared every 7 to 10 years, to prevent the takeover of the woodland by shrubs of the rock rose family (Cistaceae), often referred to as "jara", or by oak sprouts. Oaks are spaced to maximize light for the grasses in the understory, water use in the soils, and acorn production for pigs and game. Periodic hunts in the dehesa are known as the monteria. Groups attend a hunt at a private estate, and wait at hunting spots for game to be driven to them with dogs. They usually pay well for the privilege, and hunt wild boar, red deer and other species.
The dehesa system has great economic and social importance on the Iberian peninsula because of both the large amount of land involved and its importance in maintaining rural population levels. The major source of income for dehesa owners is usually cork, a sustainable product that supports this ancient production system and old growth oaks. High end ibérico pigs and sale of hunting rights also represent significant income sources.
The area of dehesa usually coincides with areas that could be termed "marginal" because of both their limited agricultural potential (due to the poor quality of the soil) and a lack of local industry, which results in isolated agro-industries and very low capitalization.
Dehesa covers nearly 20,000 square kilometers on the Iberian peninsula, mainly in:
Portugal (33% of total dehesa world's area)
Alentejo
The Algarve
Spain (23% of total dehesa world's area)
Córdoba
Extremadura
Salamanca
Sierra Morena
Sierra Norte de Sevilla
Sierra de Aracena
*******************************************************************************
ESPAÑOL:
Dehesa es un bosque formado por encinas, alcornoques u otras especies, con estrato inferior de pastizales o matorrales, donde la actividad del ser humano ha sido intensa, y generalmente están destinados al mantenimiento del ganado, a la actividad cinegética y al aprovechamiento de otros productos forestales (leñas, corcho, setas etc.). Es un ejemplo típico de sistema agrosilvopastoral y típico de la zona occidental de la península ibérica.
El término dehesa viene del latín "defesa", pues los primeros pobladores en la reconquista hacían vallados para proteger los rebaños alojados en ellas.
Resulta así un ecosistema derivado del bosque mediterráneo, constituido por especies arbóreas del género Quercus (encina, alcornoque) u otras especies como hayas o pinos y el estrato herbáceo para pacer.
Se trata de un ecosistema derivado de la actividad humana a partir del bosque de encinas, alcornoques, etc. Es la consecuencia de conquistar al bosque terrenos para destinarlos a pastizales. Pasa por una fase inicial en la que se aclara el bosque denso para pasar a una segunda fase de control de la vegetación leñosa y la estabilización de los pastizales.
El sistema adehesado tiene una gran importancia económica y social en la península ibérica, tanto por su extensión superficial como por la función de fijación de población rural en sus núcleos. Reduciendo el flujo emigratorio y sus consecuencias (envejecimiento, incremento de tasas de mortalidad, reducción de tasas de actividad, abandono de explotaciones, etc).
La explotación de la dehesa suele coincidir con zonas que podríamos denominar “marginales”, tanto por su limitada vocación agraria (derivado de la pobreza de los suelos), como por la inexistencia de un tejido industrial, que se reduce a industrias agroalimentarias aisladas y de muy reducida capitalización.
Su extensión varía mucho según qué autores, pero está entre los dos y los cuatro millones de hectáreas (entre 20 000 y 40 000 km2; para hacerse una idea, 40 000 km2 es la extensión de Extremadura), principalmente en el suroeste y oeste: provincia de Córdoba, Salamanca, Extremadura, Huelva, Sierra Norte de Sevilla, piedemonte del sistema Central en España (especialmente en la zona de Talavera de la Reina) y el Alentejo y Algarve en Portugal.
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Voie lactée au-dessus du port de l'Ile Blanche (Locquirec ; Finistère).
Vent fort (70km/h prévu) et grande marée (coefficient 90) au programme. Les drapeaux flottent au vent; le fort clapot empêche le reflet des étoiles et de la voie lactée dans le Douron. Difficile de demander aux bateaux de demeurer immobiles le temps de la pose (8s). Et un grand merci à l'automobiliste venant de Plestin-les-grèves qui, par ses phares, a contribué à l'éclairage des bateaux et des eaux du Douron. Photo prise le 7 Avril 2024 à 5h50. Réglage: focale 20mm; f/1.4; 8s; 1600iso.
Milky Way above the Ile Blanche harbour (Locquirec ; Britanny ; France).
Strong wind (70km/h expected) and high tide (coefficient 90) on the program. Flags flutter in the wind; the strong chop prevents the reflection of the stars and the Milky Way in the Douron. Difficult to ask the boats to remain still for the duration of the pose (8s). And a big thank you to the motorist coming from Plestin-les-grèves who, with his headlights, contributed to lighting the boats and the waters of the Douron. Captured on 7th April 2024 (focal length: 20mm; f/1.4; 8s; 1600iso)
With lockdown preventing a blossom shot this year I post an archive image of Metrobus 141 LT02 ZDP on the R1 in Chipperfield Road, St Paul's Cray. Saturday 26th April 2008. DSCN3563.
TransBus Dart-Marshall Capital 8.9m. New to First London, 141 was withdrawn and disposed of to Ensign Bus in March 2013, and in July 2013 was sold on to Galleon Travel (Trustybus) of Nazeing, Essex.
To the Zion Narrows! Nikon D810 Fine Art Zion National Park Autumn Hike! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography!
facebook.com/mcgucken (new fine art landscapes facebook page!)
And follow me on instagram! @45surf
Facebook!
www.facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken
Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!
I love shooting fine art landscapes and fine art nature photography! :) I live for it!
Feel free to ask me any questions! Always love sharing tech talk and insights! :)
And all the best on Your Epic Hero's Odyssey!
The new Lightroom rocks!
Beautiful magnificent clouds!
View your artistic mission into photography as an epic odyssey of heroic poetry! Take it from Homer in Homer's Odyssey: "Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them. " --Samuel Butler Translation of Homer's Odyssey
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Working on a book! 45EPIC Landscape and Nature Photography!
Majestic autumn leaves in Zion! Long exposures in the Narrows!
Epic natural beauty! Pretty blue eyes and blonde hair!
To the Zion Narrows! Nikon D810 Fine Art Zion National Park Autumn Hike! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape Photography!
facebook.com/mcgucken (new fine art landscapes facebook page!)
And follow me on instagram! @45surf
Facebook!
www.facebook.com/elliot.mcgucken
Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Photography!
I love shooting fine art landscapes and fine art nature photography! :) I live for it!
Feel free to ask me any questions! Always love sharing tech talk and insights! :)
And all the best on Your Epic Hero's Odyssey!
The new Lightroom rocks!
Beautiful magnificent clouds!
View your artistic mission into photography as an epic odyssey of heroic poetry! Take it from Homer in Homer's Odyssey: "Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them. " --Samuel Butler Translation of Homer's Odyssey
All the best on your Epic Hero's Odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Working on a book! 45EPIC Landscape and Nature Photography!
Majestic autumn leaves in Zion! Long exposures in the Narrows!
Autumn maples and cottonwoods in Zion NP!
We were taken up into the CSXT Control Tower in Groups to prevent overcrowding and to prevent any interruption of the Tower Operator Duties.
In November 2005, I took an AMTRAK Train from Tampa Union Station in Florida to Hamlet, North, Carolina to attend a Summer Convention of the ACL/SAL Historical Society in and around the Hamlet Area Hamlet Metro Area, One of the sites we visited was CSX Hump Classification Yard Hamlet.
Tower Mailing Address: 127 CSX Drive, Marks Creek, NC 28345
This Yard is relies on Gravity, a Ladder of Switches and Speed Retarders to assemble trains destined for all parts of the US and Canada on an assortment of tracks, one track for each destination. or Intermediate Yard.In addition to the Posters & Signs, a no longer used caboose, now serves as a place for Safety Classes and Safety Signs.
This particular photograph shows the Tower Operator working the CSXT Hump Yard in Hamlet (aka: Marks Creek Township) North Carolina.
Owls and hawks eat a lot of voles and control numbers of these destructive rodents. When populations explode Great Grey owls are known to irrupt from the northern boreal forest and gorge on the pests. In winter, voles often feed on the bark of young saplings and fruit trees, frequently girding them and thus preventing forest regeneration after fire or logging operations. They can also wreak havoc on gardens and lawns in the summer. They can give birth to multiple litters of about 5 pups a year under ideal conditions.
...the sun from setting and keep this golden hour a little bit more
Paros, Cyclades. Greece
Canon EOS 6D, Sigma lens
DESCRIPTION
The main role of the Starwolf Tactical Fighter is 'First Attack Wave Suppression (FAWS)'. An attacking force will typically launch multiple fighters to engage the capital ships offensive and defensive weapon systems. Starwolves are launched to prevent this 'first wave' of attacking fighters to reach the capital ships by greatly reducing their numbers before coming into in range. The remaining enemy fighters are more easily handled by the capital ships defense network.
As a secondary, attack role, the Starwolf can use it's Hedgehog system to overwhelm the shields of enemy capital class ships with a single burst of 16 missiles with a synchronized impact on a specific point. Only when friendly capital ships have trouble engaging enemy capital ships will Starwolves be deployed for this role. The problem with this tactic is that Starwolves will need to be heavily supported by fighters when attacking enemy ships head on.
Starwolves have atmospheric flight capabilities, however this uses considerably more fuel than spaceflight. A Starwolf is incapable of landing on a planet surface.
STANDARD OFFENSIVE WEAPON SYSTEMS LOADOUT
Two 'Muger MK7' 20 mm caliber chain guns
The guns fire a mix of armor piercing incendiary tracers and high explosive rounds at a rate of 2400 rounds per minute with a spool-up time of 0.5 seconds.
Two 'Kurstroski-S30' 30 mm caliber cannons
The cannons fire High Explosive Dual Purpose rounds at a rate of 350 rounds per minute.
Four 'Spagin HE5' High Explosive Missiles
Standard multi purpose fire-and-forget missiles with proximity detection systems.
HAAM16 'Hedgehog' Multimissile System
Multiple 'SPIKE' missiles fired simultaneously at up to 16 targets. The missiles are guided by the Hedgehog radar system. The high maneuverability of the missiles makes them capable of evading most countermeasures while guided by the Hedgehog. The system can also be used to overwhelm the shields of capital-class vessels.
DEFENSIVE SYSTEMS
Electronic warfare pod
The pod integrated in the lower wing is outfitted with many types of electronic warfare capabilities that include field jamming (producing a stealth bubble around the ship), ghosting (projecting false data) and tactical hacking (taking control of enemy ship systems, as well as some reconnaissance abilities.
Starburst
The starburst system ejects multiple decoys in different directions to confuse enemy guided weapon systems.
--
NOTES
This was originally planned as a more standard shaped fighter. But once I started work on the engines the ship grew more in width than it did in length. Also, the placeholder dual wings looked kind of cool, so I build on that. The problem was getting it to be stable enough to be handled, and sturdy enough to hold up the cockpit section. I had a blast building it because it turned out so different than I had initially planned. Please check out the other views in the Starwolf set as they explain more than I can tell you (especially the front view).
Track barriers prevent trains (wagons, locomotives, etc.) from driving or rolling out onto tracks towards other trains. In this picture, the barriers are opened for train movement.
Social distancing, or physical distancing, is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures taken to prevent the spread of a contagious disease by maintaining a physical distance between people and reducing the number of times people come into close contact with each other. It involves keeping a distance of six feet or two meters from others and avoiding gathering together in large groups. By reducing the probability that a given uninfected person will come into physical contact with an infected person, the disease transmission can be suppressed, resulting in fewer deaths. The measures are combined with good respiratory hygiene and hand washing. During the 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) suggested the reference to "physical" as an alternative to "social", in keeping with the notion that it is a physical distance which prevents transmission; people can remain socially connected via technology. To slow down the spread of infectious diseases and avoid overburdening healthcare systems, particularly during a pandemic, several social distancing measures are used, including the closing of schools and workplaces, isolation, quarantine, restricting movement of people and the cancellation of mass gatherings. Social distancing measures date back to at least the fifth century BCE. The biblical book of Leviticus contains one of the earliest known references to the practice, likely as response to leprosy. During the Plague of Justinian, emperor Justinian enforced an ineffective quarantine on the Byzantine Empire, including dumping bodies into the sea, blaming the widespread outbreak predominately on "Jews, Samaritans, pagans, heretics, Arians, Montanists, and homosexuals".[11] In modern times, social distancing measures have been successfully implemented in several previous epidemics. In St. Louis, shortly after the first cases of influenza were detected in the city during the 1918 flu pandemic, authorities implemented school closures, bans on public gatherings and other social distancing interventions. The case fatality rates in St. Louis were much less than in Philadelphia, which despite having cases of influenza, allowed a mass parade to continue and did not introduce social distancing until more than two weeks after its first cases. Social distancing has also been used during the 2019-20 coronavirus epidemic. Social distancing measures are more effective when the infectious disease spreads via droplet contact (coughing or sneezing); direct physical contact, including sexual contact; indirect physical contact (e.g., by touching a contaminated surface); or airborne transmission (if the microorganism can survive in the air for long periods). The measures are less effective when an infection is transmitted primarily via contaminated water or food or by vectors such as mosquitoes or other insects.Drawbacks of social distancing can include loneliness, reduced productivity and the loss of other benefits associated with human interaction. Since January, Taiwan, India and Thailand, all of which also make face masks, have banned their export, although, to help China, India later temporarily revoked its restriction. South Korea also banned the export of masks, as will Indonesia soon. Outside Asia, Russia, Germany and the Czech Republic also stopped exports in early March. So did Kenya, where the first case of coronavirus was confirmed on March 13.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released straightforward guidance in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic: Everyone in the US should wear a cloth mask or face covering while in certain public settings. The recommendation marks a shift from the federal government. Less than six weeks ago, Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeted that members of the general public should “STOP BUYING MASKS!” He added that masks “are NOT effective in preventing general public from catching #Coronavirus, but if healthcare providers can’t get them to care for sick patients, it puts them and our communities at risk!” The CDC is still advising against the general public wearing traditional medical masks, such as surgical variants and N95 respirators, to preserve them for health care workers. The shift in messaging on cloth masks, the agency said, came in light of evidence that people with few or no symptoms of Covid-19 can still transmit the virus. The CDC now recommends everyone use cloth masks in public. The upshot: Masks can help stop the spread of coronavirus not just by protecting the wearer, but by preventing the wearer — who could be an asymptomatic spreader — from breathing and spitting their germs everywhere. Some studies in households and colleges “show a benefit of masks,” The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have described social distancing as a set of "methods for reducing frequency and closeness of contact between people in order to decrease the risk of transmission of disease".[10] During the 2019–2020 coronavirus pandemic, the CDC revised the definition of social distancing as "remaining out of congregrate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately six feet or two meters) from others when possible". Previously, in 2009, the WHO described social distancing as "keeping at least an arm's length distance from others, [and] minimizing gatherings".[7] It is combined with good respiratory hygiene and hand washing, and is considered the most feasible way to reduce or delay a pandemic.Raina MacIntyre, head of the Biosecurity Research Program at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, told me, “so it would be plausible that they would also protect in lower-intensity transmission settings such as in the general community.” But masks do not make you invincible. They can’t replace good hygiene — Wash your hands! Don’t touch your face! — and social distancing, both of which have been key to stemming the coronavirus even in Asian countries where widespread mask use was already common. Epidemiological models also suggest coronavirus cases will rise if social distancing measures are relaxed, potentially causing hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of deaths in the US alone. That’s true whether people are gathering wearing masks or not. People wear masks in midtown New York City on April 6. Kena Betancur/Getty Images. Still, the CDC’s about-face has left many people with plenty of questions: What does it mean to use a mask correctly? When should they be used and washed? Do you need them for all public situations? Can they really keep you safe? If you can’t find a mask, how can you make one? Knowing that a disease is circulating may trigger a change in behaviour by people choosing to stay away from public places and other people. When implemented to control epidemics, such social distancing can result in benefits but with an economic cost. Research indicates that measures must be applied rigorously and immediately in order to be effective. Several social distancing measures are used to control the spread of contagious illnesses. And why aren’t there more medical masks to begin with? Here’s a guide to some of the most common questions. Avoiding physical contact: Social distancing includes eliminating the physical contact that occurs with the typical handshake, hug, or hongi; this illustration offers eight alternatives. Keeping at least two-metre (six-foot) distance from each other and avoiding hugs and gestures that involve direct physical contact, reduce the risk of becoming infected during flu pandemics and the coronavirus pandemic of 2020. These distances of separation, in addition to personal hygiene measures, are also recommended at places of work.Where possible it may be recommended to work from home. Various alternatives have been proposed for the tradition of handshaking. The gesture of namaste, placing one's palms together, fingers pointing upwards, drawing the hands to the heart, is one non-touch alternative. During the 2020 coronavirus pandemic in the United Kingdom, this gesture was used by Prince Charles upon greeting reception guests, and has been recommended by the Director-General of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Other alternatives include the wave, the shaka (or "hang loose") sign, and placing a palm on your heart, as practiced in parts of Iran.
1) When should I wear a mask?
According to the CDC, you should wear a mask in public, particularly while in “settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies)” and “especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.” Think of circumstances where it’s going to be harder to keep at least 6 feet away from other people, especially in closed, poorly ventilated places. It’s in those kinds of situations that coronavirus-containing droplets are more likely to spread by air or surfaces. There are some exceptions to the mask guidance, the CDC stated: “Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.” The evidence for everyone wearing masks, explained. And be warned: If you use a mask incorrectly, or start acting recklessly because you’re wearing a mask, it could actually hurt you more than it helps.
If you fidget with your mask, and especially if you touch your face in the process, you can infect yourself with virus-containing droplets your mask caught. If you reuse a mask without cleaning it, you can breathe in or otherwise expose yourself to droplets the mask captured last time. If you generally ease up on good hygiene or social distancing because you’re wearing a mask, you’re putting yourself — and your community — at greater risk.
The CDC offers some tips for how to properly use a mask. Above all, don’t touch the mask and then touch other parts of your face, especially your eyes, mouth, and nose. The entire point of this fabric is to shield you from outside germs. So you don’t want to touch the part of the mask doing the shielding and then the parts of your face that are vulnerable to infection. You should also wash your hands before and after taking off a mask — before to avoid getting anything on your face and mask, and after to get rid of anything that was on your mask. Remove the mask with the loops, not by touching the front. If possible, throw away disposable masks after using them. And if you can’t throw a mask away, make sure to thoroughly disinfect it with ultraviolet light sterilizers — not something most people have around — or, if using a cloth product, throw it in the wash or clean it with soap and water. For some people, it might make sense to have multiple masks around if you have to go out multiple times on a particular day. The important thing, though, is to throw a recently used mask in the laundry or in the wash as soon as possible and avoid touching it at all until it’s clean. Do not keep dirty masks around your house, where people can easily touch them and potentially infect themselves.
2) What kind of mask should I use? The CDC recommends a cloth mask or face covering, whether a professionally made mask or a homemade variant. The CDC explicitly advises against the general public using a surgical mask, which is the standard mask you’ve probably seen doctors and nurses wear. It also advises against the public using N95 respirators, which are more complex, expensive masks meant to fit more tightly on the face.
Surgical masks and N95 respirators, the agency noted, “are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.” New York City nurses and health workers gather to demand safer working conditions, more personal protective equipment (PPE), and free virus testing during the Covid-19 outbreak on April 6. Giles Clarke/Getty Images As it stands, there is a serious shortage of PPE, including masks, for health care workers. There are reports of doctors, nurses, and other health care workers using bandanas and scarves for masks and trash bags for gowns. Hospitals are considering do-not-resuscitate orders for dying Covid-19 patients out of fear that such intensive, close-up procedures could get doctors and nurses without PPE infected with the virus. The CDC, acknowledging the shortage, previously recommended homemade masks for health care workers when no other options are available. “I am worried that telling people to wear masks will strain already weak supplies that are needed by doctors and nurses,” Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, told me. “If we are able to fix that supply chain, I’d feel less worried about this. But some of the shortages initially were due to members of public and medical staff raiding medical offices’ and hospitals’ supplies for home use.” Private companies and public officials are racing to fix the PPE shortage. But until it’s fixed, it’s critical that the existing supplies of surgical masks and N95 respirators are left for health care workers who are literally saving people from this pandemic.
3) Will a mask protect me from getting Covid-19? The CDC’s guidance — and the best argument for wearing a mask, according to the experts I spoke with — is primarily to stop the wearer from infecting other people. That’s especially important for Covid-19, since at least some spread happens when people are asymptomatic, when they have few symptoms, or before they develop symptoms. Universal mask use could stop these asymptomatic carriers, many of whom might not even know they’re sick, from inadvertently infecting other people. Masks also can offer some protection from others by putting a physical barrier between them and your mouth and nose. But we don’t know how much, because it’s unclear how much the virus spreads through airborne droplets or aerosols. Masks can’t replace all the other approaches needed to fight the coronavirus, like washing your hands, not touching your face, and social distancing. Still, when paired with all these other tactics — and when used correctly — masks offer an extra layer of protection.
The quality of the research on this topic is weak, with a lot of small, underpowered studies. But the studies that do exist generally favor more people wearing masks. A 2008 systematic review, published in BMJ, found medical masks halted the spread of respiratory viruses from likely infected patients. In particular, studies on the 2003 outbreak of SARS — a cousin to the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 — found that masks alone were 68 percent effective at preventing the virus. By comparison, washing hands more than 10 times a day was 55 percent effective. A combination of measures such as hand-washing, masks, gloves, and gowns was 91 percent effective.
A 2015 review, also published in BMJ, looked at mask use among people in community settings, specifically households and colleges. Some studies produced unclear results, but the findings overall indicated that wearing a mask protected people from infections compared to not wearing a mask, especially when paired with hand-washing. A big issue was adherence; people were often bad at actually wearing masks, which, unsurprisingly, diminished their effectiveness. But if masks were used early and consistently, the authors concluded, they seemed to work. MASKS CAN’T REPLACE ALL THE OTHER APPROACHES NEEDED TO FIGHT THE CORONAVIRUS, LIKE WASHING YOUR HANDS, NOT TOUCHING YOUR FACE, AND SOCIAL DISTANCING A more recent study published in Nature Medicine found that surgical masks appear to block droplets and aerosols containing some viruses, including the flu and coronavirus. Other studies have produced similar results, typically finding at least some protective value from masks as long as they’re used consistently and properly. The results vary depending on the mask. N95 respirators are, in theory, the best possible masks. But they require a bit of skill and fitting to use — to the point that a 2016 review in CMAJ couldn’t find a difference among health care workers using N95 respirators versus surgical masks for respiratory infection, likely due to poor fitting. That’s another reason these masks should be reserved for the professionals. Cloth masks, meanwhile, are much less effective than surgical masks or N95 respirators, as a 2015 study in BMJ found. And they can be extra risky, since they can trap and hold virus-containing droplets that wearers can then breathe in. But they still, in general, offer more protection than no mask at all, several studies concluded. There’s no good research on how wearing a mask could affect people’s behaviors, but the experience of some Asian countries suggests it’s possible to adopt social distancing, good hygiene, and masks in the midst of an outbreak. Taiwan and South Korea, for example, have done a better job containing Covid-19 than the US while embracing masks and all the other evidence-based measures. To emphasize: Yes, masks can help. But they’re not an excuse to ease up on social distancing, good hygiene, and all the other things public health officials are recommending right now. Do all of those things too.
4) Do I need a mask if I’m walking or running in the open air?
Probably not — but if used properly, wearing a mask probably can’t hurt, and might help encourage others to wear one too.
The CDC specifies that it’s recommending cloth face coverings where social distancing isn’t possible. A solitary walk or run outside is typically not going to fall into one of those categories.
In general, masks become more helpful as the risk of infection increases. If you’re having closer, more prolonged contact with potentially sick people, using a mask is more likely to protect you. And if you’re potentially sick and having closer, more prolonged contact with others, a mask is more likely to protect them from your germs as well. “Are people having those prolonged, close-contact interactions with people?” Saskia Popescu, an epidemiologist focused on hospital preparedness, told me. “Because that’s what’s more considered high-risk. … It’s that face-to-face for a significant chunk of time.” That’s why the CDC had already recommended masks for people who know they’re sick or interacting with someone who’s sick. People who frequently interact with others as part of their jobs, like a first responder or a grocery store clerk, are more likely to get good use out of masks too. That especially includes health care workers, who spend more time with sick people than anyone else — which is why they need masks and other PPE more.
Certain populations also may want to especially consider masks in less risky environments, such as people who are older or have underlying health issues, like a compromised immune system, that put them at greater risk if they’re infected. Besides the health benefits, there’s also a potential social value to wearing a mask everywhere: It could push more people to do so as well. If more people are out in public wearing face coverings, that could help remove the stigma that only sick people wear masks. So if you go out with a mask in more situations, it could not only help you and those around you, but it might help instill a healthier norm for the rest of society too.
5) How do I make a mask? There are a lot of options! But keep in mind guidance, from the CDC, about a proper mask: It should fit snugly but comfortably around the face, be secured around the ears with ties or loops, include multiple layers of fabric, allow for breathing without restriction, and be readily washable without damage. If you have the time and can sew, the CDC recommends a face covering that can be made with two 10-inch by 6-inch rectangles of cotton fabric, two 6-inch pieces of elastic or rubber bands, string, cloth strips, or hair ties, a needle and thread or bobby pin, scissors, and a sewing machine. Here’s the agency’s four-step tutorial: If you’re like me and the idea of sewing anything sounds like a total nightmare, the CDC offers a non-sewing option. It just requires a T-shirt and a pair of scissors. Here’s the three-step tutorial: A three-step tutorial for a mask made from a T-shirt. If you’re even more like me and that mask is still too much, the surgeon general posted a 45-second video guide on Twitter for an even easier mask that can be made solely with a T-shirt or just about any other cloth fabric and two rubber bands: Chances are the less skill-intensive, less time-consuming masks will be, at the very least, less comfortable, and maybe harder to wear for long. But if you’re in a pinch, or if you’re unable to do more complicated tailoring, the easier alternatives offer more protection than nothing.
6) Why aren’t more medical masks available? The simple answer is that supply hasn’t kept up with demand. Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, China made half the world’s face masks. When the outbreak took off there, China started to use its supply and hoard what remained. This problem has only spread since, as more and more countries hoard whatever medical supplies they can get — with some, like Germany, even banning most PPE exports. So as demand increased due to Covid-19 — not just from health care workers but from a general public increasingly scared of infection — there was less supply to go around. On a deeper level, though, the shortage in masks and other PPE reflects America’s — and, really, the rest of the world’s — poor preparedness for a pandemic. The mask and broader PPE shortage, in fact, was well-known to the US government before the Covid-19 outbreak, yet the US did not prepare. “When we have done exercises in the past for pandemic preparedness, supply chain issues were a well-documented challenge,” Popescu said. “This is something we’ve known about — maybe not to this extent, but this isn’t a shocker. It’s more surprising that we let it get this bad.” One of those simulations held by the federal government, as the New York Times reported, covered a pandemic that looked a lot like the one we’re facing now: a respiratory virus that started in China and made its way to the US and the rest of the world. Among the many problems, the Times found, were “deficiencies ‘in personal protective equipment use.’” The exercise found that the US didn’t have the means to quickly produce more PPE. When states turned to the federal government for help in the exercise, there was “confusion” and “bureaucratic chaos” as requests and submissions hit multiple agencies at once. This was far from the only simulation to produce these results, experts told me. Jeremy Konyndyk, senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, argued a previous outbreak should have acted as a warning for the world: the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak. While working in President Barack Obama’s administration at the time, Konyndyk quickly realized that the US — and much of the world — was simply not ready for a major disease outbreak. “I came away from that experience just completely horrified at how unready we would be for something more dangerous than Ebola,” he said, noting Ebola was, thankfully, relatively hard to transmit. Indeed, experts and advocates argue that the US generally underfunds disease outbreak preparedness and public health programs more broadly. It’s these concerns that led the Obama administration, after the Ebola outbreak, to attempt to scale up preparedness by establishing a White House office dedicated solely to the issue and producing a 69-page playbook in case of an outbreak. But President Donald Trump’s administration neglected and rolled back these efforts, eventually disbanding the White House office.
We’ve seen the results in the botched rollout of coronavirus testing, but PPE offers another example. America could have shored up its supplies of PPE in its strategic stockpile. It could have ensured that there would be surge capacity to boost production in case of emergency. And it should have been doing this all before the coronavirus pandemic. But it didn’t, even after it became clearer, around January and February, that the coronavirus was a looming threat. By early March, federal officials acknowledged the Strategic National Stockpile had just 1 percent of the medical masks the country needed in a full-blown pandemic. “The US … was not prepared,” Jen Kates, director of global health and HIV policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, told me. “A good preparedness plan would have helped address this and had things in place to allow for that increased need to be met.” So the US is playing catch-up with different public and private interventions to boost PPE production. Until that’s fixed, we simply don’t have enough medical masks to go around.
7) If medical masks are better, why shouldn’t I get some for myself? Because health care workers need them more, since they’re constantly in contact with those who are sick — in a way not many other people, if any, in the general public are. And even if you take a totally selfish perspective on this, there are good reasons to want health care workers to get these medical masks first. As coronavirus has spread, experts have talked up “flattening the curve.” The idea is to spread out the number of coronavirus cases — through social distancing, testing, contact tracing, and other protective measures — to avoid overwhelming the health care system. Here’s what that looks like in chart form:
An infographic that shows the goals of mitigation during an outbreak with two curves. The X-axis represents the number of daily cases and they Y-axis represents the amount of time since the first case. The first curve represents the number of cases when no protective measures during an outbreak are implemented and displays a large peak. The second curve is much lower, representing a much smaller rise in the number of cases if protective measures are implemented. Christina Animashaun/Vox
The PPE shortage could make it harder to flatten the curve of new cases if doctors and nurses get sick. But the line representing health care system capacity also isn’t a constant. If we develop more capacity, it can handle more cases at once. If capacity falls — if doctors and nurses get sick because of a lack of protective equipment, or refuse to work without conditions that can ensure their safety — even a flatter curve will be hard for the system to handle. That’s why experts, even those who acknowledge that the public would benefit from using masks, say that doctors and nurses should get priority: This isn’t just about keeping people on the front lines safe; it’s about keeping all of us safe. To put it in selfish terms: If you do get sick with the coronavirus or anything else during this pandemic, and you want to make sure that there are doctors and nurses available to treat you, you should let them get the masks they need first.
It’s true that we might all be better off wearing surgical masks in an ideal world. But that’s not the world we live in right now. For all our sakes, we should act accordingly.
8) If masks are so great, why is the CDC just telling us this now?
Officially, the CDC has said it changed its stance with the changing evidence. As it became clearer that asymptomatic transmission was happening with the coronavirus, the CDC argued, the benefits of everyone wearing a mask increased, since they could help stop transmission from people who don’t even know they’re sick. Unofficially, the answer is a little more complicated. In my discussions with public health officials and experts before the CDC changed its guidance, it seemed many people were afraid of saying anything that could exacerbate the PPE shortage for health care workers or get members of the general public to think — incorrectly — that they could ease social distancing measures if they just wear a mask. “I fear that if we tell everyone they should go out and buy masks, it will not only contribute to the PPE shortage,” Jaimie Meyer, an infectious disease expert at Yale University, told me, “but it will give a false sense of a ‘quick fix’ for protection, whereas people still need to be practicing social distancing strategies that are much more effective, though perhaps socially, psychologically, [and] logistically challenging.” Trump ordered more N95 masks. 3M says his tactics could make the shortage worse. Part of the issue is the CDC also operates on a different evidence level than a lot of the public. The agency tends to follow the best reviews of the scientific evidence with very rigorous standards for what’s a good study and what’s not. So what may sound like good enough evidence and reasoning to you and me may not be good enough for the CDC. Since the scientific evidence for public mask use isn’t great — even if it’s generally positive — the CDC, as an agency filled with scientists, was just more skeptical of taking a leap than many laypeople were. Regardless of the reasoning, the CDC’s messaging backfired. As health care workers clamored for masks, it became increasingly harder to tell the public that masks wouldn’t benefit everyone else. By obfuscating and failing to fully explain the issue, officials likely sowed distrust toward their guidance. And the public rushed to buy masks anyway.
9) How can I donate masks to health care workers?
The dire shortage of masks and other PPE has led to several options for donations: If you want to make and donate cloth masks, WeNeedMasks.org provides options for most states and Puerto Rico. If you have surgical masks, N95 respirators, and other PPE around, #GetUsPPE is another option. (Although note that many places will only take unopened supplies.)
If you’re a manufacturer or supplier, the N95 Project is trying to connect companies that make or have masks with the hospitals and clinics that need them. At this point in the pandemic, health care workers and facilities all over the country will gladly accept the help they can take. Some places, like New York and Louisiana, are dealing with much worse coronavirus outbreaks right now and really need the supplies today. But it’s also worth being realistic about just how far donations can go. Given the research, cloth masks are simply not suitable replacements for actual medical masks. With medical masks, N95 respirators are widely regarded as more effective than conventional surgical masks when properly fitted. So even with donations, it’s on the federal government to set up more production and coordination of supply lines to make sure places in need get PPE. It’s on private producers to step up and do what they can. (Some car, clothing, and pillow companies, among others, have already done so.) And it’s on us — to make sure that the existing supplies of masks and other PPE are made available to health care workers. Americans can accomplish that, in part, with donations, but we can also do that by not buying surgical masks or N95 respirators until the shortage is fixed, and instead relying on cloth and homemade coverings. So, yes, health experts recommend wearing a mask in public. Just don’t take one from health care workers. And keep doing all the other things public health officials recommend, like social distancing and washing your hands, as we deal with this pandemic. Support Vox’s explanatory journalism Every day at Vox, we aim to answer your most important questions and provide you, and our audience around the world, with information that has the power to save lives. Our mission has never been more vital than it is in this moment: to empower you through understanding. Vox’s work is reaching more people than ever, but our distinctive brand of explanatory journalism takes resources — particularly during a pandemic and an economic downturn. Your financial contribution will not constitute a donation, but it will enable our staff to continue to offer free articles, videos, and podcasts at the quality and volume that this moment requires. Please consider making a contribution to Vox today. Since the beginning of March and the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in Europe, Chinese companies have sold nearly 4 billion face masks overseas, according to authorities. For Beijing, this is a perfect way to change the narrative: China is now offering its assistance to virus-hit countries while trying to leave the mistakes of the early outbreak in the past. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, face masks have become a hot commodity and international competition is fierce. Last week, a number of French politicians accused the US of buying up Chinese face masks ordered by France. In one case, the Americans allegedly outbid the French on the airport tarmac in China. China is the biggest producer of masks on the planet and is getting orders from around the world. With the Covid-19 pandemic now under control in the country, factories have been mobilised to boost production. Since early April, China has been able to produce 200 million masks a day. In the case of a second wave of infections, will China continue to send masks to the entire planet? With a population of 1.5 billion inhabitants, the country would need to protect itself too. Mathematical modeling has shown that transmission of an outbreak may be delayed by closing schools. However, effectiveness depends on the contacts children maintain outside of school. Often, one parent has to take time off work, and prolonged closures may be required. These factors could result in social and economic disruption. Modeling and simulation studies based on U.S. data suggest that if 10% of affected workplaces are closed, the overall infection transmission rate is around 11.9% and the epidemic peak time is slightly delayed. In contrast, if 33% of affected workplaces are closed, the attack rate decreases to 4.9%, and the peak time is delayed by one week. Workplace closures include closure of "non-essential" businesses and social services ("non-essential" means those facilities that do not maintain primary functions in the community, as opposed to essential services). Cancellation of mass gatherings includes sports events, films or musical shows. Evidence suggesting that mass gatherings increase the potential for infectious disease transmission is inconclusive.[30] Anecdotal evidence suggests certain types of mass gatherings may be associated with increased risk of influenza transmission, and may also "seed" new strains into an area, instigating community transmission in a pandemic. During the 1918 influenza pandemic, military parades in Philadelphia and Bostonmay have been responsible for spreading the disease by mixing infected sailors with crowds of civilians. Restricting mass gatherings, in combination with other social distancing interventions, may help reduce transmission.Border restrictions or internal travel restrictions are unlikely to delay an epidemic by more than two to three weeks unless implemented with over 99% coverage.Airport screening was found to be ineffective in preventing viral transmission during the 2003 SARS outbreak in Canada[35] and the U.S.[36] Strict border controls between Austria and the Ottoman Empire, imposed from 1770 until 1871 to prevent persons infected with the bubonic plague from entering Austria, were reportedly effective, as there were no major outbreaks of plague in Austrian territory after they were established, whereas the Ottoman Empire continued to suffer frequent epidemics of plague until the mid-nineteenth century. A Northeastern University study published in March 2020 found that "travel restrictions to and from China only slow down the international spread of COVID-19 [when] combined with efforts to reduce transmission on a community and an individual level. [...] Travel restrictions aren't enough unless we couple it with social distancing."[39] The study found that the travel ban in Wuhan delayed the spread of the disease to other parts of mainland China only by three to five days, although it did reduce the spread of international cases by as much as 80 percent. A primary reason travel restrictions were less effective is that many people with COVID-19 do not show symptoms during the early stages of infection.
Today the Cow Tower stands in the north-east corner of Norwich like a lost red brick Roman 'Pharos' or lighthouse, yet it has two possible claims to fame. Firstly it may be Britain's oldest 'pillbox' or defensive bunker for the firing guns, secondly it represents one of the first extensive uses of structural brick in Britain. Externally it resembles a Martello Tower or a Pictish broch; it even has the same tapering sides as both types of buildings. Yet other features, such as the cross-shaped gun loops, place it firmly in the Medieval period.
www.flickr.com/photos/barryslemmings/albums/7215766430910... to see the full set.
The Cow Tower was built between 1398 and 1399. Norwich was a prosperous city in the late 14th century, with a population of around 5,000 involved in key medieval industries and forming a centre for international trade. Between 1297 and 1350 the city had erected a semi-circle of defensive stone walls and ditches which assisted with collecting taxes, advertised the status of Norwich as a great city and also defended it against invasion or civil disorder. Remember that the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 was within living memory when Cow Tower was built and Norwich had suffered during that.
Gunpowder weapons had begun to be introduced into England in the early 14th century, initially being used as battlefield or siege weapons but rapidly being adapted for defensive purposes from the 1360s. Although they were expensive, by the 1380s their potential value in defending castles and city walls was well understood and specialised features had begun to be built. By 1385 Norwich had fifty artillery pieces for use along its walls. In Kent, at Bodiam, Cooling and the West Gate at Canterbury, gun loops had been added to new buildings between 1380 to 1385. Firearms were here to stay. Cow Tower is a logical development. A free-standing tower just for gunpowder weapons.
The stone walls of Norwich describe a rough letter 'C' with a bend in the River Wensum covering the north-east gap in the 'C'. The tower stands in the middle of this gap. When first built Cow Tower was called the Dungeon (from Donjon) but was then called the "tower in the Hospital meadows", as the surrounding land was then part of St Giles' Hospital. It was intended to function as a specialised artillery and handgun tower, housing gunpowder weaponry capable of suppressing attackers on the far side of the river and disrupting any assault river crossing.
There are fragmentary references to an earlier tower in the area, responsible for collecting tolls and acting as a prison. This prison function could be the origin of the 'Dungeon' name but it is unclear if this was on the same site as the Cow Tower or merely refers to a different tower in the general area. Although the Cow Tower was not directly attached to the city walls, a protective timber palisade did link the tower with the city wall to the north-west, and ran south to meet Bishop Bridge. With the eye of faith today it is still just possible to see an raised bank fringing the river to the south of Cow Tower which was either the earth revetment to this palisade or else a simple earth bank to prevent flooding. It may even have functioned as both. The present footpath runs along the top of it and is about seven feet above the adjacent former meadow, now a sports field.
The city's accounts show details of payments for the construction of the tower between 1398 and 1399, including charges for 36,850 bricks, stone, sand, lime, a hoist and various equipment. One reason for the tower's height is that it stands on low-lying meadow facing a steep rise about 300 metres away on the other side of the Wensum. The city fathers may have feared that an attacker would set up camp on this rise and use artillery to bombard the city. In 1549 Robert Kett exploited this very weakness when he led an uprising in Norfolk. His army camped on the north-east side of the river, overlooking Cow Tower. Two rebel attacks were then made across the river into the hospital meadows, in an attempt to take nearby Bishop Bridge. Kett had brought artillery, which he turned on the Cow Tower, damaging the latter's parapets. The rebellion failed and the tower does not seem to have required extensive repairs. The hill opposite is now called Kett's Hill.
Cow Tower is a three-storey circular building with a protruding stair turret at the rear, the main building being 11.2 metres across and 14.6 metres tall, tapering towards the top. The walls, 1.8 metres thick at the base, are made of a core of flint rubble stone, faced on the inside and outside with brick. Various putlog holes can still be seen in the walls.
The brickwork, particularly on the stairwell, is well executed. Archaeologist T. P. Smith considers the tower to feature some "of the finest medieval brickwork" in England. It is the earliest known use of brick in an external load-bearing capacity in Norwich. The use of brick in this sort of fortification was both prestigious and practical, as brick absorbed the impact of artillery fire better than stone.
The quatrefoil gunports in the lower levels could have been used for both handgonnes and crossbows with some overlapping fields of fire. The roof was reinforced with large timber joists and could have supported heavier bombards; the tower's considerable height would allowed these bombards to reach across the river to the higher ground (Kett's Hill) which overlooks the city.
The parapet was crenellated with nine wide splayed embrasures and those embrasures facing out across the river were constructed flush with the floor of the roof, giving the bombards plenty of room to fire and the ability to depress to hit the river in front of the tower itself. Cow Tower has a simple ground floor entrance next to the stairwell turret and – while this is relatively poorly defended – objects could have been dropped from the roof on to anyone trying to force these doors. This is not a castle, it was a local defence 'hard point' capable of proving a severe nuisance to an attacker… and thus my analogy to a modern pillbox in the opening paragraph.
The interior has fireplaces and toilets. The ground floor may have formed a dining area with the floors above being used for military purposes and sleeping. The walls of the ground floor have curious diagonal chasing and sockets cut into them. These may have contained timbers to support brickwork that in turn supported the first floor or they are the remains of a magazine retrofitted in the tower in the 16th century.
Cow Tower is managed by English Heritage and Norwich City Council. The tower is now only a shell as the floors and the roof have been lost. The interior is visible through an iron gate. The riverside walk goes past and around it.
Penola.
Penola is centrally situated - being roughly 50km from Mt Gambier, Naracoorte, Millicent and Casterton and it is a district of pastoralists and swamps. The great pastoralists of the district prevented the growth of small-scale agriculture in the 19th century and the town population grew very slowly. The district known as Penola was first squatted on before 1840 by Solomon, Josiah and Thomas Austin at Yallum Park. The site was probably selected by their agent John Bowden. The first settlers, as opposed to squatters, were Scottish born Alexander Cameron and his wife Margaret, nee MacKillop, who in 1845 obtained an occupation licence to lease the land. The pastoralists had licenses and from 1851 formal leaseholds. At that time the proforma lease documents noted the natives had prerogatives to “full and free ingress to the springs and surface water thereon…and they may….use, occupy, dwell on and obtain food and water thereon….” These rights however were extinguished in the 1860s when land was surveyed and sold with freehold title. (Penola and Coonawarra from Foundation to Federation by Peter Rymill 2017, page 65/66.) But as a pioneer with a land license Alexander Cameron built the first house in Penola - Cameron Cottage in 1845 which is now behind the Catholic Church. Margaret’s niece Mary MacKillop lived with them in the cottage for some time as a governess to their children from 1860 to 1862. By the 1860s Cameron had an estate of around 50,000 freehold acres. Other settlers like the Gladstone’s and Duncan Cameron lived in the district in the 1840s.
In April 1850 Alexander Cameron obtained eighty acres of freehold land and established the private town of Panoola, later known as Penola. He set aside several blocks for the use of the community, including a market square and blocks for churches to be built on at a later stage. The plan for the town was drawn in 1858. Alexander Cameron was born in 1810 in Scotland and overlanded his first sheep to South Australia from NSW. In 1848 Duncan Cameron (no relation to Alexander Cameron) became the original licensee of the Royal Oak Hotel. He did a roaring trade during the early 1850s when thousands of men from Adelaide travelled to the Victorian goldfields via Penola. Adam Lindsay Gordon the writer became the police trooper in Penola from 1854-56. The Royal Oak Hotel was rebuilt in 1872. Apart from the two Cameron men the first residents included Christopher Sharam, a boot maker and his wife Ellen who had fifteen children. A post office was constructed in 1857 and in the early days religious services were held in the local courtroom with the Presbyterians being the first to make use of this facility. The Reverend Mark Dixon was the first Presbyterian clergyman from 1856 until 1864. The Catholics started with a wooden church in 1858. Their first resident priest was Father Powell who also had established a school in 1855 in Penola. Michael O'Grady had charge of 40 students in his private school. The best-known school opened in 1866 by the red haired Gaelic speaking Mary MacKillop, the co-founder of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Scottish born Mary lived 1842-1909. She was greatly assisted by Father Tenison Woods of Mt Gambier who encouraged her and had her take her vows to be a nun in 1867. Mary established her second school in Adelaide before setting up the order around Australia. By the time of her death in 1909 in Sydney she presided over 223 school and charitable institutions. She became the first Australian to be made a Catholic Saint in 2010. A new stone school room and residence was built in Penola in 1867 for Mary MacKillop and it still stands. Saint Mary MacKillop started teaching in this school room. A new stone Catholic Church, called St Joseph’s was completed in 1865 at a cost of £1,000. Most of this money had come from the wealthy Catholic Highland Scots of the district. The other buildings on this site include the later Catholic Church built in 1924 with its modern curved glass shrine to Saint Mary MacKillop. Behind the church is the old Convent built in 1872. Next to the old buildings is the modern 1998 Mary MacKillop Interpretive Centre with the lake in front of it. It includes considerable information on Father Tension Woods too. The site also includes a replica of Alexander Cameron’s first wooden cottage.
The Church of England's Saint Mary's church was completed in 1873 and consecrated in 1887. George Dickson the son of the pioneer of Maaoupe station commission the stained glass window above the altar in memory of his parents after their deaths in the 1880s. Across the road from the Church is the Anglican Parish hall was built in simple Gothic style in 1899. Near the little park which was part of Alexander Cameron’s original town plan is the old Mechanics Institute building which is now the Information Centre. It was built in 1869 with classical Greek architectural features. Opposite it is the former Foresters Hall built in 1873. It is a small building with two rounded windows and a small pediment a cross the roof line. Next to the Riddoch Centre is the grand Presbyterian Church built in 1870. It has Gothic arches, buttresses and a fine bell tower which was added in 1906. The first government school was completed in 1879 but located a fair distance from the Main Street. Petticoat Lane, the oldest street of Penola, retains much historical charm. Red gum kerbing as well as rose and lavender plantings enhance the lane’s character. It is a State Heritage area. Back in the Main Street at an historic crossroad is the original Georgian style Post Office built in 1876 and across the road from it is the former single storey Italianate style Bank of South Australia constructed in 1884. On the other corner is the rebuilt Royal oak Hotel of 1873 and on the last corner is the gracious two storey former National Australian bank built in a Georgian style in 1868. Behind the Post Office towards the Catholic Church is the first telegraph station, a single storey structure erected in 1859. Further along this street is the former Methodist church erected in 1908 and it is now Piper’s Restaurant and next to it is the former offices of Cobb and Co coaches. This ticket booking office was built in 1857. Much later of course the railway replaced the need for the coaches. The railway line from Mt Gambier to Naracoorte and Bordertown was started in 1885 with John Riddoch turning the first sod of soil and it was completed in 1887 giving Penola a comfortable railway link to Adelaide. In the 1870s John Riddoch tried to convince parliament to build a railway from Beachport to Penola but that never occurred. The old railway station in the western side of town was built in 1887. This was probably a weatherboard station which was replaced with an Art Deco style railway station in 1909 with large arched windows. This SA Railways design was copied in Wallaroo, Moonta, Bordertown, Tailem Bend etc. At the northern exit of the town is the historic Bushman’s’ Inn. This fine two storey hotel was built in 1870 as a single storey hotel with the upper floor added later in the 1870s or 1880s. Mrs. Spillett opened it as excellent accommodation for travelers with good stables and plenty of chaff. Just north of the town is the Katnook Winery. The buildings there include the old shearing shed of John Riddoch’s which was built in 1867. The population of Penola in the 1891 census was 1,200 people. Today it has risen slightly to 1,600.
From the roof of our hotel, very close to the central station. Can't beat a cheeky rooftop!
Milan was more enjoyable than Florence, for a variety of reasons, which is why we're glad we stayed there the longest. However, there were festivals setup in the squares that I wanted to shoot, preventing me from getting certain shots. So while I have fewer photographs from Milan to remember, it was definitely a highlight of the trip.
5DSR + TSE 24L II
Epic north rim Grand Canyon sunset with a summer thunderstorm breaking!
New Instagram!
Celebrating Dr. E's LAw of Moving Dimensions ^& Dynamic Dimensions Theory dx4/dt=ic which derives from Homer's Odyssey! "Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners and customs he was acquainted; moreover he suffered much by sea while trying to save his own life and bring his men safely home; but do what he might he could not save his men, for they perished through their own sheer folly in eating the cattle of the Sun-god Hyperion; so the god prevented them from ever reaching home. Tell me, too, about all these things, O daughter of Jove, from whatsoever source you may know them." --Homer's Odyssey! herosodysseyphysics.wordpress.com
Drove 60 miles down a rocky dirt road for these shots and camped overnight to shoot this Torweap / Tuweep sunrise! Toroweap, a Paiute terms,"dry or barren valley." And it was! I slept five feet from the edge all night, as I was shooting night shots of a dead tree on the edge, with the canyon and silvered river down below.
New blog celebrating my philosophy of photography with tips, insights, and tutorials!
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Nikon D810 & Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens Photos of Tuweep Toroweap Overlook Grand Canyon Arizona! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape & Nature Photography for Los Angeles Gallery Show !
Will be busy printing and framing in nice large, matted formats and frames and museum glass! Five of these photos will be printed on 40" x 60" floating wall mounted metal sheets! I think I know which--will share photos of the photos hanging on the walls!
And I am mounting some on plexiglass/acryllic--front mounting them! Some I am printing on lossy fuji-crystal archival paper too, and then front mounting 40"x60" versions to plexiglass--will send photos!
The secret to HDR photography is that you want people to say, "Woe dude--that's unreal!" And not, "Dude--that's not real!" "Unreal" is the word they use when they're trying to figure out the photo--what makes it cool--is it a photo? Is it painted? How'd it come to be--how'd you bend the light that way? "That's not real," is what they say if you have the saturation/HDR/ etc. turned up too high. :)
Some (almost) final edits for my Los Angeles Gallery Show! Printing them on metallic paper at 13" x 19" and mounting and framing them on a 4mm 18x24 white mat and 2" dark wood frame. Also printing some 40" x 70" whihc is over three feet by five feet! Wish you all could come (and hang out with the goddesses)!
Let me know your favs.!
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I booked a major photography show at a major LA gallery in December! Will also be giving some lectures on the story--the Hero's Odyssey Mythology--behind the photography!
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Preparing for some gallery shows this fall to celebrate 300,000,000 views! Printing a few dozen photographs in ~ 30"x40" formats and mounting/framing. Here are some close-to-final edits. HDR photography 7 exposures shot at 1EV and combined in photomatix: 36 megapixel Nikon D800E with the awesome Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens. 45SURF Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography!
Epic Scenic HDR Landscapes Shot with Nikon D800E: Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography!
Shot with the Nikon Nikkor wide-angle 14-24 mm 2.8 lens!
Seven exposures @ 1EV finished in photomatix.
Enjoy the Hero's Odyssey Mythology Photography, and all the best on a hero's odyssey of your own making!
These were shot with Nikon's best D810 with the 14-24mm wide-angle Nikkor lens. 7 exposures were taken at 1 EV intervals, and combined in photomatix to bring out the shadows and highlights.
Rather large HDR (high dynamic range) photo--you can see great detail both near and far! View the detail at full size!
The Nikon 14-24mm f/2.8G ED AF-S Nikkor Wide Angle Zoom Lens rocks!
High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos rock in capturing the full dynamic range of the scene!
All the best on your epic hero's odyssey from Johnny Ranger McCoy!
Toroweap / Tuweep in the Grand Canyon, Arizona is Beautiful!
New blog celebrating my philosophy of photography with tips, insights, and tutorials!
Nikon D810 Sunrise Photos of Toroweap (Tuweep) Overlook Grand Canyon Arizona! Dr. Elliot McGucken Fine Art Landscape & Nature Photography for Los Angeles Gallery Show !
All the best on your epic hero's odyssey!
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