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The Washington Square Arch — or more properly Washington Arch — is a marble triumphal arch built in 1892 in Washington Square Park in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It celebrates the centennial of George Washington's inauguration as President of the United States in 1789 and forms the grand southern terminus of Fifth Avenue.~ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Square_Arch
Canon EOS 30D
Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical
ƒ/2.8 45.0 mm 1/25 400
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This image might seem strange, and indeed it is. To see it properly, dig out your pair of red/cyan anaglyph glasses! It’s a stereoscopic 3D image – and if you bought a copy of my book Macro Photography, you likely have a pair of the required glasses. :)
Alternatively, you can see the image by other means:
SBS (for VR headsets and stereoscopes): donkom.ca/stereo/mantis-sunflower-sbs.jpg
Cross-view for crossing your eyes (my preferred method): donkom.ca/stereo/mantis-sunflower-crossview.jpg
MPO file if you’re still somehow still using a 3DTV: donkom.ca/stereo/mantis-sunflower-3DTV.mpo
I have always loved 3D imagery, and I encourage more photographers to experiment with it. Mantis oothecas (egg casings) I found in the winter have provided us with countless mantis nymphs, and these little guys are a wonderful subject to photograph in 3D. The image is staged with two sunflower petals and a water droplet where they intersect, with a sunflower refracting in the droplet and a mantis staring into the “crystal ball”.
I share this fun image as a small celebration, of sorts. Ukraine (and Moldova!) has been granted “candidate” status by the European Commission. This is a critical first step in joining the European Union, and creates a roadmap for the reforms and changes required to join. Judicial reform, anti-corruption and money laundering reforms, etc. all need to be implemented. Some reforms have already been passed recently, including the Istanbul Convention which aims to prevent violence against women. It signifies a path forward for Ukraine.
Is the symbolism a bit of a stretch to say that a mantis peering “through the looking glass” to the bright sunflower on the other side matches this moment? Probably. Still, it’s a moment I wanted to revel in. The war rages on, and the sadness and despair only grows deeper – but moments of hope are critical, and while this isn’t a victory on the battlefield, it’s still a wonderful step forward.
The image was shot with a long-discontinued deWijs stereo macro lens, essentially two sets of optics in the same barrel, with one half of the camera sensor collecting the image for each eye. StereoPhoto Maker is free software that allows for the combining of the images in various ways and properly setting the “stereo window”, ensuring that there is proper overlap of the image data for each eye. You don’t need a special lens to shoot 3D, however! You can easily mount your camera on a focusing rail sideways, so that the camera moves left and right rather than forward/backward. This technique is more applicable to static subjects and maybe not a living insect, and I’ll aim to shoot an image using this technique soon as well to illustrate the difference. As human beings we see the world with depth, it’s something we can embrace more as visual artists.
Our fight for Ukraine continues. I’m inquiring about potential discounts on solar generators to ship to the front lines, as well as much-needed medical supplies. It’s painful to know that all-out war has been continuing for four months. Crimea was annexed eight years, four months and four days ago. This will not be over until Ukraine is whole again.
As with other images in the Support for Ukraine series, I dedicate this image to the Public Domain.
(and for those wondering why the image is very green: That’s a feature, not a bug. The sunflower in the background doesn't need depth information which would create dazzling distractions. It was forced to be green. It’s still better than a monochrome anaglyph in this case, because a vibrant flower needs to have SOME colour!)
WEEK 42 – HLT Fall Photoset, Part II
Here's a much better view of the red neon working properly, just down the way in seasonal (with the other left-side stockroom doors in view as well). I wonder how Target manages to fix the neon when it goes out... not to say it goes out frequently, but it does happen – most recently it was a stretch of green neon between health and electronics (which has indeed since been fixed).
(c) 2015 Retail Retell
These places are public so these photos are too, but just as I tell where they came from, I'd appreciate if you'd say who :)
I can sometimes act like a lady! ...Even when I am showing off my curves while doing it!
My ensemble is built around this clingy black & silver lycra spandex minidress from greatglam.com that I've matched up with Leg Avenue black Fishnet hose over black 15 denier Platino Cleancut pantyhose from shapings.com and my platform pumps with the 5½" heels from fredericks.com.
To see more pix of me in other tight, sexy and revealing outfits click this link:www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157623668202157/
To see more pix of me in other outfits from Great Glam click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157621973539909/
To see more pix of me in little black dresses click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157615355440906
To see more pix of me showing off my legs click this link: www.flickr.com/photos/kaceycdpix/sets/72157623668202157/
DSC_1139-16
Quite surprised when I saw Elandra had a bigger head mold. Specially considering that Merina's head is quite big for her body, so I though it would work properly in a bigger body. The jaw part is the same though.
More properly known as Zabriskie Memorial Church of St. John the Evangelist, the church was originally founded in 1875 by Peter and Harriet Quire. In 1893, facing an uncertain financial future, the congregation recieved a generous gift from Sarah Titus Zabriskie, a friend of U.S. Navy captain (and later admiral) Alfred Thayer Mahan. This enabled the construction of the current church, the interior of which is pictured here.
The nestlings opened their eyes fully on day 7-8 and left the nest on day 10-11 before they were able fly properly. The nestlings made a begging call with their neck stretched out to try to reach the parent’s bill and their gape opened so that their yellow palate was visible. A successful breeding cycle lasted 24-30 days including 2-4 days of egg-laying, 12-15 days of incubation and 10-11 days of parental care of nestlings in the nest. Fledgling success was 44.4%.
Approximate Focus Distance : 11.6m
Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS USM Lens + Canon Extender EF 1.4X III
ISO Speed 2500
Aperture : f/7.1
Exposure : 1/100 secs
Focal Length : 840mm
Central, Park, New York City
A very tough image to expose properly. Not sure how happy I am with the results.
Well, you've gotta have one of these to properly address shiny, speedy riddles. I've called it "The Rat" because I think it actually looks like a rat sniffing the trail... which kinda fits the whole idea.
–
The Bionicle windscreen provides a generous cockpit which is quickly and easily accessible and fits Batman in normal driving position (I didn't try it, but I think he can even wear the cape without trashing it). I've built most of this one a while back, even before the rat rods I've posted lately, and the "nose" solution (please note, I'm not the first to use it) also provided me with the idea for the prongs of my Falke.
I absolutely love how the canopy turned out - combined with the armored wheels, I think it gives an almost aircraft feel to the whole. Having this developed and work on the Falke makes me think now of a classic shaped Batwing :)
–
As always, the awesome copper and silver chromed parts come from Auri's store.
Sarah favourite all time record
River
Emeli Sande
Leas Gardens Chalkwell Essex.
All Sarah wanted was the authorities to do their jobs properly. She believed in the democratic process and justice. When Sarah and her family moved into their new flat in East London after a long wait, she was really happy. Unfortunately, they weren't there a year. Her flat was by the London docks an area devasted by German bombers during The Blitz. The indominable spirit of the people of the East End and the surrounding areas who were bombed night after night but never gave in. This gave the people of Britain the foundations to respond to the evil ideology's of the Nazis.
Sarah family have lived in East London for generations and she has had to call on her own courage in the face of adversity. When one of her children complained about a neighbour who had abused them, she just fell into a dark confused abyss. She felt suffocated by the pain. The guilt she felt literally swallowed her up. She had to support her boys and she needed justice and she went down every avenue to ensure it was done.
The man was a neighbour and worked locally. He was known to everyone on the estate and he volunteered for local events. Sarah would sometimes cook him dinners and she would invite him in for tea and have a chat. Basically, he worked his evil in plain sight. Unbeknown to the local community he had twenty four previous convictions and had been in prison on three separate occasions for child sex offences, he had also changed his name. And there he was living within a community overlooking a school and it's playground. The police who were very supportive. After his arrest they said he wouldn't get bail, she remembers 'two big coppers' standing over her boys telling them there was no way he would be bailed. But incredibly to Sarah and the police he was bailed, a man on bail for child abuse is arrested for child abuse and is bailed. He was back in the community and his flat looked right into Sarah's. Sarah wanted him moved but the Council's response was to ask her to move. After making it her home with the generosity of her grandad who had just paid out for new carpets the Council wanted her to move.
She sat in the McDonald's opposite Forest Gate police station and through tears she signed the paperwork back over to the Council. She then went into the police station for another meeting. She moved into her mums flat with all her children. Later on, her mum would have to move into a bigger property. Everything Sarah believed in was being torn down and it was happening in quick time. And all through this she is trying to support her boys and keep them going.
The man was going to plead not guilty which would have meant her boys having to give evidence in court. She couldn't handle that. Sarah couldn't see her boys being dragged through court. The police couldn't detain him the courts had seen to that and the Council had basically made her homeless. She went to confront him, she was exhausted and frightened. The institutions she believed in had let her and her boys down. The people on the estate were now vulnerable.
She knocked on the door and she went in. Sarah just stood in his flat and froze she said nothing. He was talking and then he smirked then walked towards her. It was the last thing he did, and as he advanced, she stabbed him eight times. She remembers fleeing his flat with him still standing. He was later found dead in the hallway of the flats.
Sarah gave herself into the police along with the weapon.
She didn't want legal help she understood what had happened and was now thinking she was looking at life in prison and a life without her boys this was of course the complete opposite of what she wanted. Years later she was interviews by a national newspaper reported Sarah had said 'This is what anyone mother would have done'. She never said that or believed it but it made a good headline. The result of her actions just made things worse and separated her from her boys. Sarah contemplated killing herself, she wasn't thinking properly. Her life was in a dark turmoil and she could see no way out.
Sarah went to the Old Bailey got sentenced to three and a half years for manslaughter.
But due to complaints her sentence had to be reviewed and after it was looked into it was doubled to seven years. If only they had looked into the man, a convicted paedophile, he was a danger to society and put him back in prison to await his trial. You have to wonder if the people responsible for releasing him would have allowed him back on the streets if those streets were where they lived and if they shopped in the shop that he worked in?
Sarah now wants to help others not make the same mistake she did. She wants authority's to be better equipped to understand the issues people face in these situations. And for the judicial system to be better equipped to support the victims. The evil predators who know how to work the system the system has to know how to deal with them.
Sarah loves her children and she knows things will never be the same again for them. She has to keep going and she knows it is a lifetime of struggle for her and her family. She doesn't want to be writing about her experiences and trying to educate the very system that let her down. She wants to be living a normal life, but she is now obsessed in giving people a better understanding of what she went through. She wants to see children kept safe, no matter where they are from or where they live.
www.flickr.com/groups/100strangers/
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-63636409
© All rights reserved please do not use on any other websites or blogs without my explicit permission.
A one-day-old female Masai giraffe at the San Diego Zoo had her first medical exam earlier today. Veterinarians and animal care staff covered the newborn’s eyes with a soft towel to keep her calm while they confirmed her sex, checked her eyes, ears, tongue and throat, drew blood to ensure she is nursing properly, and checked her umbilicus for proper healing. Initial results determined the calf is healthy and strong, even though she is still getting used to her long, wobbly legs. The lanky youngster weighed in at 136 pounds and stands 6 feet tall; she may weigh as much as 500 pounds and stand 7 to 7 ½ feet tall by the time she is 6 months old.
After the exam, the youngster ventured around the maternity yard with her doting mother, Bahati. The curious calf interacted with her father, Silver, and other members of the Zoo’s giraffe herd from the protective fencing set up by keepers to separate the newborn and her mother from the herd until the calf is strong enough to venture into the larger habitat and interact with the others.
Bahati gave birth to the calf in the afternoon of May 19 after a three-hour labor under the watchful eyes of her keepers and to the amazement of Zoo guests. The experienced mother immediately began bonding with her calf, and Bahati helped the calf stand just minutes after her introduction to the world.
Masai giraffes, also known as Kilimanjaro giraffes, are the world’s tallest land animals and are native to Kenya and Tanzania. Masai giraffes are the most populous of the giraffe subspecies, but all giraffe populations have decreased from approximately 140,000 in the late 1990s to less than 80,000 today because of habitat loss and competition with livestock for resources. As a result, the future of giraffes is dependent on the quality of habitat that remains. San Diego Zoo Global supports community conservation efforts in Kenya and Uganda that are finding ways for people and wildlife to live together.
This is the 11th calf born to Bahati. Visitors to the San Diego Zoo can see the giraffe calf, yet to be named, on exhibit in the Urban Jungle.
A properly weathered Southern Pacific SD40T-2 leads a gaggle of EMDs out of Mojave in 1989. The lead motor is equipped with the full lighting package as delivered, making for a well-proportioned locomotive.
Properly home, and just getting to grips with the SG and noticed someone else appreciating the win when I turned around to pop it back in it's case ;-)
From this angle, the F12 looks absolutely perfect. With the rear lights on, it looks really amazing ! So much want.
Ferrari F12berlinetta, Monaco, July 2013.
"Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the three high gables of the famous West Front. Although it was founded in the Anglo-Saxon period, its architecture is mainly Norman, following a rebuilding in the 12th century. With Durham and Ely cathedrals, it is one of the most important 12th-century buildings in England to have remained largely intact, despite extensions and restoration.
Peterborough Cathedral is known for its imposing Early English Gothic West Front (façade) which, with its three enormous arches, is without architectural precedent and with no direct successor. The appearance is slightly asymmetrical, as one of the two towers that rise from behind the façade was never completed (the tower on the right as one faces the building), but this is only visible from a distance.
Peterborough is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 202,110 in 2017. Historically part of Northamptonshire, it is 76 miles (122 km) north of London, on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east. The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh. The city is also 70 miles (110 km) east of Birmingham, 38 miles (61 km) east of Leicester, 81 miles (130 km) south of Kingston upon Hull and 65 miles (105 km) west of Norwich.
The local topography is flat, and in some places the land lies below sea level, for example in parts of the Fens to the east of Peterborough. Human settlement in the area began before the Bronze Age, as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre, also with evidence of Roman occupation. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the establishment of a monastery, Medeshamstede, which later became Peterborough Cathedral.
The population grew rapidly after the railways arrived in the 19th century, and Peterborough became an industrial centre, particularly known for its brick manufacture. After the Second World War, growth was limited until designation as a New Town in the 1960s. Housing and population are expanding and a £1 billion regeneration of the city centre and immediately surrounding area is under way. Industrial employment has fallen since then, a significant proportion of new jobs being in financial services and distribution." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
The FOLSOM STREET FAIR 2013 in SAN FRANCISCO !
THANK YOU to all the hot WOMEN who let ADDA take their photos! (Everyone was properly asked & everyone consented.)
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"Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the three high gables of the famous West Front. Although it was founded in the Anglo-Saxon period, its architecture is mainly Norman, following a rebuilding in the 12th century. With Durham and Ely cathedrals, it is one of the most important 12th-century buildings in England to have remained largely intact, despite extensions and restoration.
Peterborough Cathedral is known for its imposing Early English Gothic West Front (façade) which, with its three enormous arches, is without architectural precedent and with no direct successor. The appearance is slightly asymmetrical, as one of the two towers that rise from behind the façade was never completed (the tower on the right as one faces the building), but this is only visible from a distance.
Peterborough is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 202,110 in 2017. Historically part of Northamptonshire, it is 76 miles (122 km) north of London, on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east. The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh. The city is also 70 miles (110 km) east of Birmingham, 38 miles (61 km) east of Leicester, 81 miles (130 km) south of Kingston upon Hull and 65 miles (105 km) west of Norwich.
The local topography is flat, and in some places the land lies below sea level, for example in parts of the Fens to the east of Peterborough. Human settlement in the area began before the Bronze Age, as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre, also with evidence of Roman occupation. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the establishment of a monastery, Medeshamstede, which later became Peterborough Cathedral.
The population grew rapidly after the railways arrived in the 19th century, and Peterborough became an industrial centre, particularly known for its brick manufacture. After the Second World War, growth was limited until designation as a New Town in the 1960s. Housing and population are expanding and a £1 billion regeneration of the city centre and immediately surrounding area is under way. Industrial employment has fallen since then, a significant proportion of new jobs being in financial services and distribution." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
The photos taken on this drive resulted in my hard drive reaching the point at which it no longer would work properly. So, today, I had to do a bit more checking and deleting old images.
FINALLY, I was able to take my daughter out for the day on 17 June 2021, after a year and a half of keeping separate because of COVID-19. Only once during that time, have we met up for an afternoon of being out in the country. Both of us have done all we could to avoid the risk of catching COVID and, worst of all, passing it on to others. My daughter has been fully vaccinated for a few months (Health Care worker) and I had my second shot two months ago. My opinion is simply that if one really cares about people, one doesn't take risks.
Anyway, we had such an amazing day! Heading south of the city and eventually turning eastwards, we covered quite a large area, some of which I had driven before, but other places were new to both of us. Twelve hours of driving and 490 km were hot and tiring, made more challenging by the fairly strong wind. Two or three minutes before I arrived home after dropping my daughter back home, the orange Low Gas light came on, on the dashboard of my car. I hadn't expected the drive to consume almost the whole of a full tank of gas, but I am just so thankful that I didn't run out when we were in the middle of nowhere.
My daughter deserves credit for most of the bird finds! She has 'eagle eyes' and I appreciate that so much. One of the highlights for us was a pair of Long-billed Curlews that were mainly hidden in tall grass. They were wandering about, keeping an eye on a tiny, adventurous chick.
Another totally unexpected thing happened when we were looking at a cluster of small trees. My daughter had noticed that there were two deer walking around the base of the trees, so we pulled over. Everything suddenly 'exploded', and a pair of Great Horned Owls and one owlet burst out of the leaves and perched on different branches. We took a few quick shots and then left them, not wanting to cause them any extra stress. I can't remember what the birds were that were harassing the owls, too.
We had quite a few sightings of Hawks throughout the day. Some stayed, others flew. Both species of Kingbird were seen, Eastern and Western. A Mourning Dove standing on a picnic table was good to see, plus an American Robin, a Great Blue Heron, and various 'usual' species were seen along the back roads. Two Swainson's Hawks were nesting, with one nest having three little ones that we could see from a huge distance.
Another special sighting was a Shrike that was originally perched high up in a distant tree. My daughter pointed out the small bird, but didn't know what it was. When I zoomed in, I was happy to see that it was a Shrike, sometimes known as the Butcher bird. A bit later, when I pulled over to wait for my daughter, the Shrike suddenly flew down and was eating some prey that it had skewered on the barbed-wire fence. Such a treat to see for the first time, and I was able to take a bit of video.
"The Loggerhead Shrike is a songbird with a raptor’s habits. A denizen of grasslands and other open habitats throughout much of North America, this masked black, white, and gray predator hunts from utility poles, fence posts and other conspicuous perches, preying on insects, birds, lizards, and small mammals. Lacking a raptor’s talons, Loggerhead Shrikes skewer their kills on thorns or barbed wire or wedge them into tight places for easy eating. Their numbers have dropped sharply in the last half-century.
A Loggerhead Shrike can kill and carry an animal as massive as itself. It transports large prey in its feet and smaller victims in its beak." From AllAboutBirds.
The final treat of the day was when my daughter found a Common Nighthawk. We had checked a spot where I had seen them before, but we were out of luck. So happy to see one lone bird, after thinking that we were not going to see any.
A ghost town and various old barns that I had seen before, but wanted to show my daughter, added to a great day. Even yellow and pink Cacti flowers, that came as a surprise. So lucky to have such a great day.
Yes, I have received my Sigma 10-20 lens at last. Thrilled with it, just have to learn to use it properly now.
One of the iconic features of Merthyr, recently refurbished and re-sited close to St Tydfil's church(in the background).
The fountain was commissioned to celebrate Robert Thomas (1770-1829) and Lucy Thomas (1781-1847) of Waunwyllt. They successfully mined the deep-seam coal around Merthyr and marketed it in the expanding steam-powered industries in Wales and England. One of the donor’s of the fountain, Sir W.T. Lewis, married Thomas’s granddaughter.
Eight fluted columns carry eight semi-circular arches. Pierced foliage spandrels, dragon finials and a hemispherical dome of pierced foliage panels, crowned with a statuette of Samson, emblematic of strength. Decorative shields in the spandrel arches depict figures of miners and other symbols of the coal industry. The fountain is painted black and gold.”
Commissioned by Sir W.T. Lewis and William Thomas Rees
Grade II Listed status.
Copyright © 2011 Clive Rees All rights reserved
If you would like to use one of my images for any purpose please get in contact first, to get my written permission. Manipulation of a copyright image or use only a portion of the image still infringes my copyright
When the Type 97 entered service, properly equipped and supported mechanized infantry units were realized. The Type 97 ShinHoTo Chi-Ha first saw action at Corregidor Island of the Philippines in 1942. The skill with which Japanese commanders maneuvered their mechanized infantry divisions was then best seen in Malaya, where the lighter weight of Japanese medium tanks allowed for a rapid ground advance so heavily supported by armor that British defenders never had a chance to establish effective defense lines. The Type 97 ShinHoTo Chi-Ha served against allied forces throughout the Pacific and East Asia as well as the Soviets during the July-August 1945 conflict in Manchuria. While vulnerable to most opposing Allied tanks (the US M2/M3 Light, M4 Sherman, and Soviet T-34), the 47mm high-velocity gun did give the ShinHoTo Type 97 a fighting chance against them. -Wikipedia
Hey guys, have been working on this for awhile, and I like how it turned out! C&C appreciated!
This was taken in an Nicaraguan ice cream shop, Eskimo, during my Orphanage Outreach service trip. We were allowed to explore the city during our free time, so my mom and I went to get a little sugary treat in order to stay awake to properly ring in the New Year.
The photos taken on this drive resulted in my hard drive reaching the point at which it no longer would work properly. So, today, I had to do a bit more checking and deleting old images.
FINALLY, I was able to take my daughter out for the day on 17 June 2021, after a year and a half of keeping separate because of COVID-19. Only once during that time, have we met up for an afternoon of being out in the country. Both of us have done all we could to avoid the risk of catching COVID and, worst of all, passing it on to others. My daughter has been fully vaccinated for a few months (Health Care worker) and I had my second shot two months ago. My opinion is simply that if one really cares about people, one doesn't take risks.
Anyway, we had such an amazing day! Heading south of the city and eventually turning eastwards, we covered quite a large area, some of which I had driven before, but other places were new to both of us. Twelve hours of driving and 490 km were hot and tiring, made more challenging by the fairly strong wind. Two or three minutes before I arrived home after dropping my daughter back home, the orange Low Gas light came on, on the dashboard of my car. I hadn't expected the drive to consume almost the whole of a full tank of gas, but I am just so thankful that I didn't run out when we were in the middle of nowhere.
My daughter deserves credit for most of the bird finds! She has 'eagle eyes' and I appreciate that so much. One of the highlights for us was a pair of Long-billed Curlews that were mainly hidden in tall grass. They were wandering about, keeping an eye on a tiny, adventurous chick.
Another totally unexpected thing happened when we were looking at a cluster of small trees. My daughter had noticed that there were two deer walking around the base of the trees, so we pulled over. Everything suddenly 'exploded', and a pair of Great Horned Owls and one owlet burst out of the leaves and perched on different branches. We took a few quick shots and then left them, not wanting to cause them any extra stress. I can't remember what the birds were that were harassing the owls, too.
We had quite a few sightings of Hawks throughout the day. Some stayed, others flew. Both species of Kingbird were seen, Eastern and Western. A Mourning Dove standing on a picnic table was good to see, plus an American Robin, a Great Blue Heron, and various 'usual' species were seen along the back roads. Two Swainson's Hawks were nesting, with one nest having three little ones that we could see from a huge distance.
Another special sighting was a Shrike that was originally perched high up in a distant tree. My daughter pointed out the small bird, but didn't know what it was. When I zoomed in, I was happy to see that it was a Shrike, sometimes known as the Butcher bird. A bit later, when I pulled over to wait for my daughter, the Shrike suddenly flew down and was eating some prey that it had skewered on the barbed-wire fence. Such a treat to see for the first time, and I was able to take a bit of video.
"The Loggerhead Shrike is a songbird with a raptor’s habits. A denizen of grasslands and other open habitats throughout much of North America, this masked black, white, and gray predator hunts from utility poles, fence posts and other conspicuous perches, preying on insects, birds, lizards, and small mammals. Lacking a raptor’s talons, Loggerhead Shrikes skewer their kills on thorns or barbed wire or wedge them into tight places for easy eating. Their numbers have dropped sharply in the last half-century.
A Loggerhead Shrike can kill and carry an animal as massive as itself. It transports large prey in its feet and smaller victims in its beak." From AllAboutBirds.
The final treat of the day was when my daughter found a Common Nighthawk. We had checked a spot where I had seen them before, but we were out of luck. So happy to see one lone bird, after thinking that we were not going to see any.
A ghost town and various old barns that I had seen before, but wanted to show my daughter, added to a great day. Even yellow and pink Cacti flowers, that came as a surprise. So lucky to have such a great day.
It takes me just under five minutes to ‘stitch’ up both wounds properly enough so that I won’t have to worry about them. Obviously I could have done a better job but we’re already pressed for time as it is. The last thing we need is for one of us to be benched thanks to two lucky swipes with a sword. Barbara’s not going to be happy that it only took me five minutes to sew my wounds up. Hell, I doubt she’d be happy if it took me an hour and I sewed them up properly but that doesn’t matter right now.
She should be dealing with the controls right now and has no-one watching her back. Whilst she’s more than capable of looking after herself, with how things have already gone I don’t want to take more unnecessary risks. Next time we might not be lucky enough to only walk away with a few minor cuts. Holstering my medical kit, I remove a small canister of disinfectant and spray both wounds briefly.
FFffuu…does it sting.
But it also helps to make me more alert. Probably the adrenaline kicking in.
I can’t really tell. Not that it matters anyways, I need to get to Barbara. For all we know the controls could be guarded by twice as many guards as what we just had to deal with, and two on two was difficult enough. Climbing up onto my feet, I holster both of my sticks before locking on to the tracking signal in Barbara’s suit.
Floor 13.
Not suspicious at all.
For those who don’t believe in bad luck….
———————
Batgirl> Batgirl to bunker.
Alfred: Bunker here, go ahead Batgirl.
Batgirl: Tower secured. I need to know what floor the controls are located on so I can shut down the dispersal system.
Alfred: I’ll check the schematics now. Is everything alright there? We haven’t heard from you two in a while.
Batgirl: We had some complications with the people guarding our tower. They’re dealt with now.
Alfred: And Master Grayson?
Batgirl: He’s fine. He took two small injuries but nothing too serious.
Alfred: Are you in need of some medical assistance?
Batgirl: No Alfred, the wounds are just a pair of small cuts and a bit of his pride. Nothing to worry about.
Alfred: ……He’s not mending them himself is he?
I can’t help but hesitate. Part of me doesn’t want to worry Alfred, but I also don’t want to lie to him.
Batgirl: Umm…how are those schematics looking?
Alfred: Christ, I’d better load some medical supplies into your drop pod as well.
He handled that better than I expected.
Batgirl: What floor do I need, Al?
Alfred: Floor 13. Make your way up there and I’ll have the Batwing deliver the equipment that you’ll need.
Batgirl: Thanks Al, I’ll radio in when I’m there.
Dick’s not going to be happy that Alfred knows I let him loose with the sewing kit again, but that doesn’t matter right now. The longer this tower stays online, the closer the gas gets to GCPD and the more dangerous it gets for Dad and his men. Come on Barb, you need to hurry.
I race out to the staircase and fire my grapple up to the top floor before I start quickly climbing up towards floor 13. If there was any sense to the architecture of this building the top floor would be floor 13, but it isn’t. Floor 13 is barely over half way up the tower. What a weird design choice.
Who designs a building to not have the main controls on either the ground or top floor? Only in Gotham.
——————
Following the signal from Barbara’s suit takes me out into the main stairway of the tower. Old, rusty and poorly maintained. An oddly perfect representation of most of Gotham. Then again, I doubt anyone’s taken much interest in these towers after the Second World War prior to today so it’s no wonder the whole tower is in this state. I’m rather amazed that the dispersal system even works honestly.
Firing my grapple up to the top floor, I begin to climb up towards Barbara’s signal. To my surprise though, I don’t detect her transponder on the top floor as you’d expect but just over half way up the tower. Is this right? What’s she doing there? Surely the controls are up on the top floor, right?
I check the tracker again and it insists that he’s on this floor, so that must be where the controls for the tower are as well. That’s the only rational explanation for what she’s doing there as there’s no chance that she’d have managed to get herself lost.
Oh who am I kidding. Of course they’d build the controls on a random floor for no clear reason, of course they would. This is Gotham after all. Sensible and logical just aren’t words that can be used to describe the thought process behind most of this city. In some ways it’s oddly reassuring to see that it’s no different for this tower either.
Consistency on a night like tonight is unusually comforting.
Landing on the 13th floor I retract my grapple and slowly make my way towards Barbara’s signal. So far, it’s all quiet. That’s a good sign. It suggests that the two guards we faced on the ground floor were the only ones guarding the tower. One less thing to worry about. Suddenly, I jump as I hear a loud crashing noise coming from the room where Barbara’s signal is coming from.
Crap, is it the League?
Batgirl: Alright Alfred, I’ve got the device. What do I do now?
Oh…..
Maybe it’s not the League….
False alarm.
Clearly this Lucius’ solution to the gas being delivered to us. Barbara must have radioed in to the bunker when she left me to deal with my wounds. No sense interrupting her, I’ll just enter quietly so as to not disturb her…
—————-
Batgirl: I really hope the next person tasked with building something in Gotham is a fan of logical construction.
Alfred: I’m afraid that will be unlikely. Mayor West has put all building projects on hold until he can appoint his full cabinet. I doubt you’d approve of his housing pick.
Batgirl: He’s a fan of this erratic style?
Alfred: That would be an understatement.
Batgirl: Well as long as he doesn’t decide to move to Bludhaven any time soon…
Cautiously, I slowly open the control room door with a pair of batarangs at the ready in my right hand. All clear.
Batgirl: Alfred, I’ve got eyes on the controls.
Alfred: Excellent, the Batwing should be with you in just under two minutes. How are the controls looking?
Batgirl: Rusty. But they look useable.
Alfred: Then we’re having more luck than Master Timothy.
Batgirl: What’s happened with him?
Alfred: His controls were sabotaged. Lucius is talking him through a manual way to shut down the tower with out them.
Batgirl: Nice to know Dick and I aren’t the only ones having bad luck tonight. So how do I go about shutting this thing down?
Alfred: You should be able to shutdown your tower’s dispersal system from there, that will stop it from pumping out more of the gas into Gotham. The Batwing is en-route to deliver what you’ll need to neutralise the gas that has yet to be dispersed.
Batgirl: Roger, commencing shutdown sequence now.
From what I can make out, the system itself is fairly simple just as you’d expect really. This stuff would have been state of the art when it was installed in this tower. By today’s standards it’s old and dated but since it was put in place in the early 40’s there should be no failsafes. In this case, its simplicity is a product of its time
Though it takes me a minute or so to properly figure out the controls, once I realise how the system works it takes me only a couple of seconds to begin the shutdown sequence. Easy enough.
Alfred: Drop pod inbound.
I step back from the controls as the familiar sound of the Batwing’s engines echo faintly in the distance before they’re drowned out by the loud crash of the drop pod landing next to me. After a quick identity check, the pod opens to reveal a device similar to what I remember seeing in Bruce’s archive back in the Batcave.
What’s Lucius doing using old Scarecrow equipment?
Batgirl: Alright Alfred, I’ve got the device. What do I do now?
Alfred: The device is loaded with a concentrated sample of the counteragent for the toxin. According to Lucius, all you need to do is to empty the contents into the loading chamber and it should neutralise the gas for you.
Batgirl: That sounds far too easy.
Alfred: Trust me, take easy whenever you can. I doubt we’re going to be so lucky as the night continues.
Batgirl: Lucius really does out do himself at times. I hope Bruce pays him well.
Alfred: He pays him more than he pays me.
Batgirl: You should ask for a raise.
Alfred: Maybe I will.
Batgirl: I don’t think anyone can say that you haven’t earned it.
Alfred: You’d be amazed how resourceful he can be at getting out of things when he wants to.
Batgirl: Or getting rid of things when he wants to.
Alfred: I have to go, Master Bruce is radioing in. If you need me…
Batgirl: It’s alright Alfred, I’ve got it from here. Batgirl out.
Neutralising the gas is relatively simple really, all it takes is five seconds and I manage to empty the contents of the device into the loading chamber and seal it shut again. Mission accomplished. Suddenly I hear faint footsteps behind me.
Ambush!?
I draw a batarang from my belt and jump up in the air, quickly spinning to face the entrance as I do so only to find Dick stood behind.
Nightwing: Woah! Woah! Same team!
God damn it, Dick.
"Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the three high gables of the famous West Front. Although it was founded in the Anglo-Saxon period, its architecture is mainly Norman, following a rebuilding in the 12th century. With Durham and Ely cathedrals, it is one of the most important 12th-century buildings in England to have remained largely intact, despite extensions and restoration.
Peterborough Cathedral is known for its imposing Early English Gothic West Front (façade) which, with its three enormous arches, is without architectural precedent and with no direct successor. The appearance is slightly asymmetrical, as one of the two towers that rise from behind the façade was never completed (the tower on the right as one faces the building), but this is only visible from a distance.
Peterborough is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 202,110 in 2017. Historically part of Northamptonshire, it is 76 miles (122 km) north of London, on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east. The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh. The city is also 70 miles (110 km) east of Birmingham, 38 miles (61 km) east of Leicester, 81 miles (130 km) south of Kingston upon Hull and 65 miles (105 km) west of Norwich.
The local topography is flat, and in some places the land lies below sea level, for example in parts of the Fens to the east of Peterborough. Human settlement in the area began before the Bronze Age, as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre, also with evidence of Roman occupation. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the establishment of a monastery, Medeshamstede, which later became Peterborough Cathedral.
The population grew rapidly after the railways arrived in the 19th century, and Peterborough became an industrial centre, particularly known for its brick manufacture. After the Second World War, growth was limited until designation as a New Town in the 1960s. Housing and population are expanding and a £1 billion regeneration of the city centre and immediately surrounding area is under way. Industrial employment has fallen since then, a significant proportion of new jobs being in financial services and distribution." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
"Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the three high gables of the famous West Front. Although it was founded in the Anglo-Saxon period, its architecture is mainly Norman, following a rebuilding in the 12th century. With Durham and Ely cathedrals, it is one of the most important 12th-century buildings in England to have remained largely intact, despite extensions and restoration.
Peterborough Cathedral is known for its imposing Early English Gothic West Front (façade) which, with its three enormous arches, is without architectural precedent and with no direct successor. The appearance is slightly asymmetrical, as one of the two towers that rise from behind the façade was never completed (the tower on the right as one faces the building), but this is only visible from a distance.
Peterborough is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 202,110 in 2017. Historically part of Northamptonshire, it is 76 miles (122 km) north of London, on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east. The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh. The city is also 70 miles (110 km) east of Birmingham, 38 miles (61 km) east of Leicester, 81 miles (130 km) south of Kingston upon Hull and 65 miles (105 km) west of Norwich.
The local topography is flat, and in some places the land lies below sea level, for example in parts of the Fens to the east of Peterborough. Human settlement in the area began before the Bronze Age, as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre, also with evidence of Roman occupation. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the establishment of a monastery, Medeshamstede, which later became Peterborough Cathedral.
The population grew rapidly after the railways arrived in the 19th century, and Peterborough became an industrial centre, particularly known for its brick manufacture. After the Second World War, growth was limited until designation as a New Town in the 1960s. Housing and population are expanding and a £1 billion regeneration of the city centre and immediately surrounding area is under way. Industrial employment has fallen since then, a significant proportion of new jobs being in financial services and distribution." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
covering myself in grass was a great camouflage for getting up close, but wasn't thought thru properly....
I'm thinking of pitching the title to a tv network.
Alternate Title: Heffers Gone Wild
St Giles' Cathedral, more properly termed the High Kirk of Edinburgh, is the principal place of worship of the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh. Its distinctive crown steeple is a prominent feature of the city skyline, at about a third of the way down the Royal Mile which runs from the Castle to Holyrood Palace. The church has been one of Edinburgh's religious focal points for approximately 900 years. The present church dates from the late 14th century, though it was extensively restored in the 19th century, and is protected as a category A listed building.
In 2014 Sir Chris Hoy married his wife Sarra Kemp in St Giles Cathedral.
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, located in Lothian on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. It is the second most populous city in Scotland and the seventh most populous in the United Kingdom. Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is home to the Scottish Parliament and the seat of the monarchy in Scotland. The city is also the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and home to national institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. It is the largest financial centre in the UK after London.[
Properly suited up and paddling like a pro (and also tethered to Mom's boat in a calm bay) this young kayaker was fully in the moment while exploring the world.
Exeter cathedral, Devon, UK
Exeter Cathedral, properly known as the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter in Exeter, is an Anglican cathedral, and the seat of the Bishop of Exeter, in the city of Exeter, Devon, in South West England. The present building was complete by about 1400, and has several notable features, including an early set of misericords, an astronomical clock and the longest uninterrupted vaulted ceiling in England. The founding of the cathedral at Exeter, dedicated to Saint Peter, dates from 1050, when the seat of the bishop of Devon and Cornwall was transferred from Crediton because of a fear of sea-raids. A Saxon minster already existing within the town (and dedicated to Saint Mary and Saint Peter) was used by Leofric as his seat, but services were often held out of doors, close to the site of the present cathedral building. Notable features of the interior include the misericords, the minstrels' gallery, the astronomical clock and the organ. Notable architectural features of the interior include the multiribbed ceiling and the compound piers in the nave arcade. The 18-metre-high bishop's throne in the choir was made from Devon oak between 1312 and 1316; the nearby choir stalls were made by George Gilbert Scott in the 1870s. The Great East Window contains much 14th-century glass, and there are over 400 ceiling bosses, one of which depicts the murder of Thomas Becket. The bosses can be seen at the peak of the vaulted ceiling, joining the ribs together. Because there is no centre tower, Exeter Cathedral has the longest uninterrupted medieval vaulted ceiling in the world, at about 96 m
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Amid the coronavirus outbreak 2020...
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Russell Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
With a scan of the kidnapper’s transmat safely within the sonic, Samuel, Vale and myself make our way back to the Tardis. Given the vast complexities of isolating a transmat beam and successfully reversing it without some fault arising due to the transmat not being properly calibrated, it’s far more sensible to track the signal rather than reverse it. Not to mention the fact that the only logical conclusion that can be made for a transmat being used in this era means time travel is also at play. Especially now given that the Daleks are gone and Cybermen are in such a sad state that it'll take them millennia to master teleportation again.
I do hope this transmit was constructed after the 41st century. Almost all transmats after that period have a unique microcode embedded in the signal it uses to transport goods or people. How else are you supposed to stop the potential of transmats interfering with one another? Gosh that would be terrible. Then again, it’s not like that hasn’t happened before. Infact, I’m pretty sure some cargo pirates made a living off of that fault in older transmats. Hopefully, whoever these time travelling abductors are, they’re from a point in time after the 41st century. If not this goes from simply tracking back a signal to trying to find a needle in haystack.
Probably best not to mention that possibility to either Vale or Samuel. At least, not until I’m certain. Given how I’ve only just finished regenerating it’s possible my mind is still in a bit of a puddle…….cuddle……muddle!
Clearly more so than I thought. Once I’ve helped get the boy safely home I’ll need to spend some time in the zero room to properly recover from the regeneration, and more importantly to get my head in order. As we all turn the corner and lay eyes upon the familiar shape of that old police telephone box, I suddenly realise something.
The Doctor: Do either of you have my key?
Vale: Your key? For what?
The Doctor: For my antimatter disrupter.
Vale: You need an antimatter disrupter? Why?
The Doctor: I was being sarcastic, nobody needs a key for an antimatter disruptor, I’m asking if either of you have my key for the Tardis.
Samuel: Your time machine needs a key to start it?
The Doctor: No! But I need the key to unlock the door! It’s a time machine after all, you can’t be too cautious. Do either of you have it?
Samuel: I don’t think so…
Vale: I didn’t see any key when we were inside it last. Speaking of which, if you need a key to open the doors how come we were able to get into it last time with a key?
The Doctor: It’ll have been the help the pilot protocol. Since I’d only just regenerated the Tardis will have taken me to the nearest thing in range with a medical bay, thus why it also disabled the locks to let you both in.
Samuel: Then how come it doesn’t want to let us in now? It’s not exactly like we did anything to help you recover.
The Doctor: No you didn’t, but the Tardis will have detected that my regeneration is all but complete thus it reinstated the security protocols.
Samuel: So what? We’re locked outside of your ship? Then how are we going to get back Jerro!?
The Doctor: Oh that's simple. Like this.
I click my fingers together and the sound faintly echoes through the corridor as both Vale and Samuel wait for something to happen. For a good few seconds, nothing does. Clearly the old girl is starting to feel her age. But then, before I have a chance to consider clicking my fingers again, the door unlocks and opens to reveal the console room. They appear caught off guard to learn that I can unlock the Tardis with a snap of my fingers and to an extent, I was when I first learned I could do it as well. Thank you, River.
Vale: Did you just….?
Samuel: I think he did…..
As I place my hand on the Tardis door I can feel her humming as the engines begin to come alive once again. We may have aged, old girl, but moments like these never get old. Even after nearly five thousand years travelling with her. Before I have a chance to enjoy the moment, she swings open both doors and to my shock she’s changed the console room……again.
The Doctor: Oh look at you, old girl. You’ve redecorated. Aren’t you beautiful?
Given my vague post-regenerative state when both Vale and Samuel found me in the Tardis, I can’t help but wonder if this change in desktop theme is by accident or by her design. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time for either. Part of me also can’t help but wonder if I was still connected to the telepathic circuits whilst unconscious. Maybe she realised the struggle that was going on within me. Maybe she changed the console room to try and help me forget what my previous incarnation did.
A kind gesture.
But we can never truly escape our past.
Samuel: It’s…..different….
Vale: How? How has it done that?
The Doctor: It’s nothing, trust me. All that’s happened is a small change of the desktop theme. Ah! There it is!
They both seem baffled by what I could possibly mean as I point in their general direction as they both step into the Tardis.
The Doctor: I was worried she might have removed of it when I wasn’t looking.
Samuel: You were worried she’d get rid……of a coat rack? Wait, she?
The Doctor: Trust me, we’ve been having this back and forth for centuries. She think it’s stupid to have a coat rack in the main console room when I haven’t worn a long coat, hat or scarf for quite a few bodies in a row.
Vale: What are you talking about? She? Bodies?
The Doctor: ‘She’ is called the Tardis. You’re standing inside her and she’s going to help me get your friend back.
Samuel: And the bodies part?
The Doctor: Well when you say like that, you make me sound like I’m some sort of murderous freak.
Vale:…..Are you?
The Doctor: Not to my knowledge.
Samuel: That’s…..not exactly reassuring.
The Doctor: Fine, long story short I’m an alien with the ability to regenerate where my body completely transforms and I in effect become an entirely different man, or sometimes woman. Had a few of those in the past, boy were they exciting. But yeah, any questions?
Neither of them say a thing, instead choosing to look at me as if I were some sort of bizarre mythical creature to them. Maybe I am, perhaps that’s the legacy of the Time Lords. Little more than mythical beings that become the stories told to children. The only difference is that unlike most of those stories, the Time Lords were real. Well…I suppose the Lochness monster is also real even though it was actually a Skarasen being used by the Zygons, but who am I to judge how history chooses to romanticise historical events?
Well….I should probably be the one to judge it actually….last of the Time Lords and all…..it really is my responsibility to uphold the doctrine. Then again, I’ve flouted it almost from the moment I left Gallifrey. Not to mention the Time Lords themselves abandoned that principle long ago when they decided to fight the Time War, though it’s not like they had any choice in the matter really.
Samuel: Ummmm…..ok……….
The Doctor: Now, let’s see if we can find the people who abducted your friend.
I’m momentarily caught off guard by the absence of the sonic screwdriver port. Clearly she's decide to reorganise the console again.I do wish she'd let me know before she did it. Fortunately, the Tardis realises my momentary pause and quickly directs me to the port’s new position. Directly under the monitor, good choice old girl. As I plug the screwdriver into the console, and the Tardis begins to track the signal and lock onto the abductor’s timeline I turn back to look at both Samuel and Vale. They both seem rather overwhelmed by the new console room. Come to think of it, is it bigger than the last one?
The Doctor: So what do you think?
Vale. Is it bigger than last time?
Looks like I'm not the only one who thinks so.
Samuel: It’s certainly more well lit.
Vale: Cleaner too.
The Doctor: I aim to please.
Even if most of the improvements have absolutely nothing to do with me.
The Doctor: So the……oh…..
The Tardis lets out a faint ding to indicate that it has locked onto the transmat's signal. After a brief moment it manages to identify the ship which took young Jerro and pinpoints a suitable time point along the abductor's timeline for us to intercept them. I briefly check the co-ordinates to see just where they're going. Given how these kidnappers have access to time travel it's also possible they have technology to interfere with other species' time machines.
Valorem.
Curious, I wasn’t aware they had ever developed time travel. No matter, that’s where the people who abducted Jerro went, so that’s where we going.
Samuel: Doctor?
The Doctor: Found him. Locking on to his signal!
I quickly type in the co-ordinates for Valorem and the time date their ship jumped to before racing over to engine release lever.
The Doctor: You may want to hang on to something. The first ride is always the bumpiest.
Before either of them can ask just what I mean, I pull the lever down triggering the dematerialisation circuit as the engines roar to life as they begin to draw power from the Eye of Harmony. The console room jerks sharply as we depart the human colony ship and pass into the time vortex.
Next stop: Valorem.
+++ DISCLAIMER +++
Nothing you see here is real, even though the conversion or the presented background story might be based historical facts. BEWARE!
Some background:
The Sondergerät SG104 "Münchhausen" was a German airborne recoillless 355.6 mm (14-inch) caliber gun, intended to engage even the roughest enemy battleships, primarily those of the Royal Navy. The design of this unusual and massive weapon began in 1939. The rationale behind it was that a battleship’s most vulnerable part was the deck – a flat surface, with relatively thin armor (as typical hits were expected on the flanks) and ideally with vital targets underneath, so that a single, good hit would cripple of even destroy a ship. The purpose of such a high angle of attack was likely to allow the projectile to penetrate the target ship's deck, where the ship's armor, if there was any, would have been much thinner than the armor on its sidesHowever, hitting the deck properly with another ship’s main gun was not easy, since it could only be affected through indirect hits and the typical angle of the attack from aballistic shot would not necessarily be ideal for deep penetration, esp. at long range.
The solution to this problem: ensure that the heavy projectile would hit its target directly from above, ideally at a very steep angle. To achieve this, the gun with battleship caliber was “relocated” from a carrier ship or a coastal battery onto an aircraft – specifically to a type that was capable of dive-bombing, a feature that almost any German bomber model of the time offered.
Firing such a heavy weapon caused a lot fo problems, which were severe even if the gun was mounted on a ship or on land. To compensate for such a large-caliber gun’s recoil and to make firing a 14 in shell (which alone weighed around almost 700 kg/1.550 lb, plus the charge) from a relatively light airframe feasible, the respective gun had to be as light as possible and avoid any recoil, which would easily tear an aircraft – even a bomber – apart upon firing. Therefore, the Gerät 104 was designed as a recoilless cannon. Its firing system involved venting the same amount of the weapon's propellant gas for its round to the rear of the launch tube (which was open at both ends), in the same fashion as a rocket launcher. This created a forward directed momentum which was nearly equal to the rearward momentum (recoil) imparted to the system by accelerating the projectile itself. The balance thus created did not leave much net momentum to be imparted to the weapon's mounting or the carrying airframe in the form of felt recoil. A further share of the recoil induced by the moving round itself could be compensated by a muzzle brake which re-directed a part of the firing gases backwards. Since recoil had been mostly negated, a heavy and complex recoil damping mechanism was not necessary – even though the weapon itself was huge and heavy.
Work on the "Münchhausen" device (a secret project handle after a fictional German nobleman created by the German writer Rudolf Erich Raspe in the late 18th century who reputedly had ridden on a cannonball between enemy frontlines), was done by Rheinmetall-Borsig and lasted until 1941. The first test of a prototype weapon was conducted on 9th of September 1940 in Unterlüss with a satisfactory result, even though the weapon was only mounted onto an open rack and not integrated into an airframe yet. At that time, potential carriers were the Ju 88, the Dornier Do 217 and the new Junkers Ju 288. Even though the system’s efficacy was doubted, the prospect of delivering a single, fatal blow to an important , armored arget superseded any doubts at the RLM, and the project was greenlit in early 1942 for the next stage: the integration of the Sondergerät 104 into an existing airframe. The Ju 88 and its successor, the Ju 188, turned out to be too light and lacked carrying capacity for the complete, loaded weapon, and the favored Ju 288 was never produced, so that only the Dornier Do 217 or the bigger He 177 remained as a suitable carriers. The Do 217 was eventually chosen because it had the biggest payload and the airframe was proven and readily available.
After calculations had verified that the designed 14 in rifle would have effectively no recoil, preliminary tests with dumm airframes were carried out. After ground trials with a Do 217 E day bomber to check recoil and blast effects on the airframe, the development and production of a limited Nullserie (pre-production series) of the dedicated Do 217 F variant for field tests and eventual operational use against British sea and land targets was ordered in April 1942.
The resulting Do 217 F-0 was based on the late “E” bomber variant and powered by a pair of BMW 801 radial engines. It was, however, heavily modified for its unique weapon and the highly specialized mission profile: upon arriving at the zone of operation at high altitude, the aircraft would initiate a dive with an angle of attack between 50° and 80° from the horizontal, firing the SG 104 at an altitude between 6,000 and 2,000 meters. The flight time of the projectile could range from 16.0 seconds for a shot from an altitude of 6,000 meters at a 50° angle to just 4.4 seconds for a shot from 2.000 meters at an almost vertical 80° angle. Muzzle velocity of the SG 104 was only 300 m/s, but, prior to impact, the effective velocity of the projectile was projected to range between 449 and 468 m/s (1,616 to 1,674 km/h). Together with the round's weight of roughly 700 kg (1.550 lb) and a hardened tip, this would still ensure a high penetration potential.
The operational Sondergerät 104 had an empty mass of 2.780 kg (6,123 lb) and its complete 14 inch double cartridge weighed around 1.600 kg (3,525 lb). The loaded mass of the weapon was 4,237 kg, stretching the limits of the Do 217’s load capacity to the maximum, so that some armor and less vital pieces of equipment were deleted. Crew and defensive armament were reduced to a minimum.
Even though there had been plans to integrate the wepaon into the airframe (on the Ju 288), the Gerät 104 was on the Do 217 F-0 mounted externally and occupied the whole space under the aircraft, precluding any use of the bomb bay. The latter was occupied by the Gerät 104’s complex mount, which extended to the outside under a streamlined fairing and held the weapon at a distance from the airframe. Between the mount’s struts inside of the fuselage, an additional fuel tank for balance reasons was added, too.
The gun’s center, where the heavy round was carried, was positioned under the aircraft’s center of gravity, so that the gun barrel markedly protruded from under the aircraft’s nose. To make enough space, the Do 217 Es bomb aimer’s ventral gondola and his rearward-facing defensive position under the cockpit were omitted and faired over. The nose section was also totally different: the original extensive glazing (the so-called “Kampfkopf”) was replaced by a smaller, conventional canopy, similar to the later Do 217 J and N night fighter versions, together with a solid nose - the original glass panels would have easily shattered upon firing the gun, esp. in a steep high-speed dive. A "Lotfernrohr" bomb aiming device was still installed in a streamlined and protected fairing, though, so that the navigator could guide the pilot during the approach to the target and during the attack run.
To stabilize the heavy aircraft during its attack and to time- and safely pull out of the dive, a massive mechanical dive brake was mounted at the extended tail tip, which unfolded with four "petals". A charecteristic stabilizing dorsal strake was added between the twin fins, too.
The ventral area behind the gun’s rear-facing muzzle received additional metal plating and blast guiding vanes, after trials in late 1940 had revealed that firing the SG 104 could easily damage the Do 217’s tail structure, esp. all of the tail surfaces’ rudders and the fins’ lower ends in particular. Due to all this extra weight, the Do 217 F-0’s defensive armament consisted only of a single 13 mm MG 131 machine gun in a manually operated dorsal position behind the cockpit cabin, which offered space for a crew of three. A fixed 15 mm MG 151 autocannon was mounted in the nose, too, a weapon with a long barrel for extended range and accuracy. It was not an offensive weapon, though, rather intended as an aiming aid for the SG 104 because it was loaded with tracer bullets: during the final phase of the attack dive, the pilot kept firing the MG 151, and the bullet trail showed if he was on target to fire the SG 104 when the right altitude/range had been reached.
The first Do 217 F-0 was flown and tested in late 1943, and after some detail changes the type was cleared for a limited production run of ten aircraft in January 1944. The first operational machine was delivered to a dedicated testing commando, the Erprobungskommando 104 “Münchhausen”, also known as “Sonderkommando Münchhausen” or simply “E-Staffel 104”. The unit was based at Bordeaux/Merignac and directly attached to the KG 40's as a staff flight. At that time, KG 40 operated Do 217 and He 177 bombers and frequently flew reconnaissance and anti-shipping missions over the Atlantic west of France, up to the British west and southern coast, equipped with experimental Henschel Hs 293 glide bombs.
Initial flights confirmed that the Do 217 airframe was burdened with the SG 104 to its limits, the already rather sluggish aircraft (the Do 217 had generally a high wing loading and was not easy to fly) lost anything that was left of what could be called agility. It needed an experienced pilot to handle it safely, esp. during start and landing. It is no wonder that two Do 217 F-0s suffered ground accidents during the first two weeks of operations, but the machines could be repaired, resume the test program and carry out attack missions.
However, during one of the first test shots with the weapon, one Do 217 F-0 lost its complete tail section though the gun blast, and the aircraft crashed into the Bay of Biscay, killing the complete crew.
On 4th or April 1944 the first "hot" attack against an enemy ship was executed in the Celtic Sea off of Brest, against a convoy of 20 ships homeward bound from Gibraltar. The attack was not successful, though, the shot missing its target, and the German bomber was attacked and heavily damaged by British Bristol Beaufighters that had been deployed to protect the ships. The Do 217F-0 eventually crashed and sank into the Atlantic before it could reach land again.
A couple of days later, on 10th of April, the first attempt to attack and destroy a land target was undertaken: two Do 217 F-0s took off to attack Bouldnor Battery, an armored British artillery position located on the Isle of Wight. One machine had to abort the attack due to oil leakages, the second Do 217 F-0 eventually reached its target and made a shallow attack run, but heavy fog obscured the location and the otherwise successful shot missed the fortification. Upon return to its home base the aircraft was intercepted by RAF fighters over the Channel and heavily damaged, even though German fighters deployed from France came to the rescue, fought the British attackers off and escorted the limping Do 217 F-0 back to its home base.
These events revealed that the overall SG 104 concept was generally feasible, but also showed that the Do 217 F-0 was very vulnerable without air superiority or a suitable escort, so that new tactics had to be developed. One consequence was that further Do 217 F-0 deployments were now supported by V/KG 40, the Luftwaffe's only long range maritime fighter unit. These escorts consisted of Junkers Ju 88C-6s, which were capable of keeping up with the Do 217 F-0 and fend of intercepting RAF Coastal Command’s Beaufighters and later also Mosquitos.
In the meantime, tests with the SG 104 progressed and several modifications were tested on different EKdo 104's Do 217 F-0s. One major upgrade was a further strengthening of the tail section, which added another 200 kg (440 lb) to the aircraft's dry weight. Furthermore, at least three aircraft were outfitted with additional dive brakes under the outer wings, so that the dive could be better controlled and intercepted. these aircraft, however, lost their plumbed underwing hardpoints, but these were only ever used for drop tanks during transfer flights - a loaded SG 104 precluded any other ordnance. On two other aircraft the SG 104 was modified to test different muzzle brakes and deflectors for the rear-facing opening, so that the gun blast was more effectively guided away from the airframe to prevent instability and structural damage. For instance, one machine was equipped with a bifurcated blast deflector that directed the rearward gasses partly sideways, away from the fuselage.
These tests did not last long, though. During the Allied Normandy landings in June 1944 E-Staffel 104 was hastily thrown into action and made several poorly-prepared attack runs against Allied support ships. The biggest success was a full hit and the resulting sinking of the Norwegian destroyer HNoMS Svenner (G03) by "1A+BA" at dawn on 6th of June, off Sword, one of the Allied landing zones. Other targets were engaged, too, but only with little effect. This involvement, however, led to the loss of three Do 217 F-0s within just two days and four more heavily damaged aircraft – leaving only two of EKdo 104's Do 217 F-0s operational.
With the Allied invasion of France and a worsening war condition, the SG 104 program was stopped in August 1944 and the idea of an airborne anti-ship gun axed in favor of more flexible guided weapons like the Hs 293 missile and the Fritz-X glide bomb. Plans for a further developed weapon with a three-round drum magazine were immediately stopped, also because there was no carrier aircraft in sight that could carry and deploy this complex 6.5 tons weapon. However, work on the SG 104 and the experience gained from EKdo 104's field tests were not in vain. The knowledge gathered from the Münchhausen program was directly used for the design of a wide range of other, smaller recoilless aircraft weapons, including the magnetically-triggered SG 113 "Förstersonde" anti-tank weapon or the lightweight SG 118 "Rohrblock" unguided air-to-air missile battery for the Heinkel He 162 "Volksjäger".
General characteristics:
Crew: 3 (pilot, navigator, radio operator/gunner)
Length: 20,73 m (67 ft 11 in) overall
18,93 m (62 ft 3/4 in) hull only
Wingspan: 19 m (62 ft 4 in)
Height: 4.97 m (16 ft 4 in)
Wing area: 57 m² (610 sq ft)
Empty weight: 9,065 kg (19,985 lb)
Empty equipped weight:10,950 kg (24,140 lb)
Max takeoff weight: 16,700 kg (36,817 lb)
Fuel capacity: 2,960 l (780 US gal; 650 imp gal) in fuselage tank and four wing tanks
Powerplant:
2× BMW 801D-2 14-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engines, delivering
1,300 kW (1,700 hp) each for take-off and 1,070 kW (1,440 hp) at 5,700 m (18,700 ft),
driving 3-bladed VDM constant-speed propellers
Performance:
Maximum speed: 475 km/h (295 mph, 256 kn) at sea level
560 km/h (350 mph; 300 kn) at 5,700 m (18,700 ft)
Cruise speed: 400 km/h (250 mph, 220 kn) with loaded Gerät 104 at optimum altitude
Range: 2,180 km (1,350 mi, 1,180 nmi) with maximum internal fuel
Ferry range: 2,500 km (1,600 mi, 1,300 nmi); unarmed, with auxiliary fuel tanks
Service ceiling: 7,370 m (24,180 ft) with loaded Gerät 104,
9,500 m (31,200 ft) after firing
Rate of climb: 3.5 m/s (690 ft/min)
Time to altitude: 1,000 m (3,300 ft) in 4 minutes 10 seconds
2,000 m (6,600 ft) in 8 minutes 20 seconds
6,100 m (20,000 ft) in 24 minutes 40 seconds
Armament:
1x 355.6 mm (14-inch) Sondergerät 104 recoilless gun with a single round in ventral position
1x 15 mm (0.787 in) MG 151 machine cannon with 200 rounds, fixed in the nose
1x 13 mm (0.512 in) MG 131 machine gun with 500 rounds, movable in dorsal position
Two underwing hardpoints for a 900 l drop tank each, but only used during unarmed ferry flights
The kit and its assembly:
This was another submission to the "Gunships" group build at whatifmodellers.com in late 2021, and inspiration struck when I realized that I had two Italeri Do 217 in The Stash - a bomber and a night fighter - that could be combined into a suitable (fictional) carrier for a Sondergerät 104. This mighty weapon actually existed and even reached the hardware/test stage - but it was never integrated into an airframe and tested in flight. But that's what this model is supposed to depict.
On the Do 217, the Sg 104 would have been carried externally under the fuselage, even though there had been plans to integrate this recoilless rifle into airframes, esp. into the Ju 288. Since the latter never made it into production, the Do 217 would have been the most logical alternative, also because it had the highest payload of all German bombers during WWII and probably the only aircraft capable of carrying and deploying the Münchhausen device, as the SG 104 was also known.
The fictional Do 217 F-0 is a kitbashing, using a Do 217 N fuselage, combined with the wings from a Do 217 K bomber, plus some modifications. What initially sounded like a simple plan soon turned into a improvisation mess: it took some time to realize that I had already donated the Do 217 K's BMW 801 engines to another project, an upgraded He 115... I did not want to use the nightfighter's more powerful DB 603s, and I was lucky to have an Italeri Ju 188 kit at hand which comes with optional BMW 801s and Jumo 211s. Transplanting these engines onto the Do 217's wings took some tailoring of the adapter plates, but was feasible. However, the BMW 801s from the Ju 188 kit have a flaw: they lack the engine's characteristic cooling fans... Another lucky find: I found two such parts in the scrap box, even though from different kits - one left over from another Italeri Do 217 K, the other one from what I assume is/was an Italeri 1:72 Fw 190 A/F. To make matters worse, one propeller from the Ju 188 kit was missing, so that I had to find a(nother) replacement. :-/
I eventually used something that looked like an 1:72 F6F Hellcat propeller, but I an not certain about this because I have never built this model...? With some trimming on the blades' trailing edges and other mods, the donor's overall look could be adapted to the Ju 188 benchmark. Both propellers were mounted on metal axis' so that they could also carry the cooling fans. Lots of work, but the result looks quite good.
The Do 217 N's hull lost the lower rear gunner position and its ventral gondola, which was faired over with a piece of styrene sheet. The pilot was taken OOB, the gunner in the rear position was replaced by a more blob-like crew member from the scrap box. The plan to add a navigator in the seat to the lower right of the pilot did not work out due to space shortage, but this figure would probably have been invisble, anyway.
All gun openings in the nose were filled and PSRed away, and a fairing for a bomb aiming device and a single gun (the barrel is a hollow steel needle) were added.
The SG 104 was scratched. Starting point was a white metal replacement barrel for an 1:35 ISU-152 SPG with a brass muzzle brake. However, after dry-fitting the barrel under the hull the barrel turned out to be much too wide, so that only the muzzal brake survived and the rest of the weapon was created from a buddy refueling pod (from an Italeri 1:72 Luftwaffe Tornado, because of its two conical ends) and protective plastic caps from medical canulas. To attach this creation to the hull I abused a conformal belly tank from a Matchbox Gloster Meteor night fighter and tailored it into a streamlined fairing. While this quite a Frankenstein creation, the overall dimensions match the real SG 104 prototype and its look well.
Other cosmetic modifications include a pair of underwing dive brakes, translanted from an Italeri 1:72 Ju 88 A-4 kit, an extended (scratched) tail "stinger" which resembles the real dive brake arrangement that was installed on some Do 217 E bombers, and I added blast deflector vanes and a dorsal stabilizer fin.
In order to provide the aircraft with enough ground clearance, the tail wheel was slightly extended. Thanks to the long tail stinger, this is not blatantly obvious.
Painting and markings:
This was not an easy choice, but as a kind of prototype I decided that the paint scheme should be rather conservative. However, German aircraft operating over the Atlantic tended to carry rather pale schemes, so that the standard pattern of RLM 70/71/65 (Dunkelgrün, Schwarzgrün and Hellblau) with a low waterline - typical for experimental types - would hardly be appropriate.
I eventually found a compromise on a He 177 bomber (coded 6N+BN) from 1944 that was operated by KG 100: this particular aircraft had a lightened upper camouflage - still a standard splinter scheme but consisting of RLM 71 and 02 (Dunkelgrün and Grau; I used Modelmaster 2081 and Humbrol 240), a combination that had been used on German fighters during the Battle of Britain when the standard colors turned out to be too dark for operations over the Channel. The aircraft also carried standard RLM 65 (or maybe the new RLM76) underneath (Humbrol 65) and on the fin, but with a very high and slightly wavy waterline. As a rather unusual feature, no typical camouflage mottles were carried on the flanks or the fin, giving the aircraft a very bleak and simple look.
Despite my fears that this might look rather boring I adapted this scheme for the Do 217 F-0, and once basic painting was completed I was rather pleased by the aircraft's look! As an aircraft operated at the Western front, no additional markings like fuselage bands were carried.
To set the SG 104 apart from the airframe, I painted the weapon's visible parts in RLM 66 (Schwarzgrau, Humbrol 67), because this tone was frequently used for machinery (including the interior surfaces of aircraft towards 1945).
RLM 02 was also used for the interior surfaces and the landing gear, even though I used a slightly different, lighter shade in form of Revell 45 (Helloliv).
A light black ink washing was applied and post-shading to emphasize panel lines. Most markings/decals came from a Begemot 1:72 He 11 sheet, including the unusual green tactical code - it belongs to a staff unit, a suitable marking for such an experimental aircraft. The green (Humbrol 2) was carried over to the tips of the propeller spinners. The unit's code "1A" is fictional, AFAIK this combination had never been used by the Luftwaffe.
The small unit badge was alucky find: it actually depicts the fictional Baron von Münchhausen riding on a cannonball, and it comes from an Academy 1:72 Me 163 kit and its respective sheet. The mission markings underneath, depicting two anti-ship missions plus a successful sinking, came from a TL Modellbau 1:72 scale sheet with generic German WWII victory markings.
After some soot stains around the engine exhaust and weapon muzzles had been added with graphite, the model was sealed with matt acrylic varnish and final details like position lights and wire antennae (from heated black plastic sprue material) were added.
Well, what started as a combination of two kits of the same kind with a simple huge pipe underneath turned out to be more demanding than expected. The (incomplete) replacement engines were quite a challenge, and body work on the hull (tail stinger, fairing for the SG 104 as well as the weapon itself) turned out to be more complex and extensive than initially thought of. The result looks quite convincing, also supported by the rather simple paint scheme which IMHO just "looks right" and very convincing. And the whole thing is probably the most direct representation of the inspiring "Gunship" theme!
Properly light on my way to work now.
Song a day - Plains - Line of Sight www.youtube.com/watch?v=72dtO5O_EBA
If you make the wise choice and you wear a mask in public, be sure to cover your mouth and your nose. Otherwise, why bother at all?
Stay home, stay safe and wash your hands often. It's up to us to turn things around.
You can save lives with your actions.
More message images here: www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=14813074%40N00&view_al...
Wearing a mask is better than trying to breath, with a tube down your throat, in our overcrowded Hospitals.
Some Covid-19 patients take months to recover.
Do you want that to be you?
Mask up properly!
My hobby is photography.
CTV Regional Contact gave me 3 minutes on the local CTV News here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=3C2U_01ajdw
Mikey G Ottawa's 100 most interesting images as per Flickriver HERE: www.flickriver.com/photos/mikeygottawa/popular-interesting/
See Mikey G Ottawa's most popular Flickr Photo Albums HERE:
www.flickr.com/photos/mikeygottawa/albums
CBC Radio 1 gave me almost eight minutes. Listen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=253iqLH82oA
Rogers Cable TV gave me 10 minutes on Camera Talk HERE:
First time I ever got to properly drive and experience the Goddes on roads to my own choosing... I can't describe how great that feels. There is no other car, not even another Hydropneumatic Citroën that drives like a DS/ID.
This was no news to me... But to experience it from behind the wheel on the endless B-roads of North-Holland is quite a different story!
Such a shame they are way out of my budget...
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B+W Cir-Pol
Tonemapped
Did this little pano this morning on my way to work. Handheld and noticed that the image I took of Canada Place could not align properly so it sort of broke the image more than I thought haha
A Nathan P5 rests on top of the Morristown & Erie's "Polar Express" train at Whippany Station.
ME "Polar Express" @ Whippany Station, Whippany, NJ
ME GP7u 23
Negative properly set in carrier this time as you can see my other posts of the same building. Also eliminated blue tinge to the photos by being in the stop bath longer. Finally, I have a print to frame.
1/3
"Peterborough Cathedral, properly the Cathedral Church of St Peter, St Paul and St Andrew – also known as Saint Peter's Cathedral in the United Kingdom – is the seat of the Anglican Bishop of Peterborough, dedicated to Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Andrew, whose statues look down from the three high gables of the famous West Front. Although it was founded in the Anglo-Saxon period, its architecture is mainly Norman, following a rebuilding in the 12th century. With Durham and Ely cathedrals, it is one of the most important 12th-century buildings in England to have remained largely intact, despite extensions and restoration.
Peterborough Cathedral is known for its imposing Early English Gothic West Front (façade) which, with its three enormous arches, is without architectural precedent and with no direct successor. The appearance is slightly asymmetrical, as one of the two towers that rise from behind the façade was never completed (the tower on the right as one faces the building), but this is only visible from a distance.
Peterborough is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England, with a population of 202,110 in 2017. Historically part of Northamptonshire, it is 76 miles (122 km) north of London, on the River Nene which flows into the North Sea 30 miles (48 km) to the north-east. The railway station is an important stop on the East Coast Main Line between London and Edinburgh. The city is also 70 miles (110 km) east of Birmingham, 38 miles (61 km) east of Leicester, 81 miles (130 km) south of Kingston upon Hull and 65 miles (105 km) west of Norwich.
The local topography is flat, and in some places the land lies below sea level, for example in parts of the Fens to the east of Peterborough. Human settlement in the area began before the Bronze Age, as can be seen at the Flag Fen archaeological site to the east of the current city centre, also with evidence of Roman occupation. The Anglo-Saxon period saw the establishment of a monastery, Medeshamstede, which later became Peterborough Cathedral.
The population grew rapidly after the railways arrived in the 19th century, and Peterborough became an industrial centre, particularly known for its brick manufacture. After the Second World War, growth was limited until designation as a New Town in the 1960s. Housing and population are expanding and a £1 billion regeneration of the city centre and immediately surrounding area is under way. Industrial employment has fallen since then, a significant proportion of new jobs being in financial services and distribution." - info from Wikipedia.
Summer 2019 I did a solo cycling tour across Europe through 12 countries over the course of 3 months. I began my adventure in Edinburgh, Scotland and finished in Florence, Italy cycling 8,816 km. During my trip I took 47,000 photos.
Now on Instagram.
There seems to be so little activity on Flickr this morning. Hardly surprising with the website still in such a mess. Bad Pandas and almost every single thing not working properly or at all. Makes me wonder if Flickr is about to make yet another huge change. Also, I guess lots of people are out doing their Christmas shopping : )
Last night, when I checked the weather forecast for today, 16 December 2017, I was so happy to see that it had changed and that the snowflake icons for last night and today had been removed. Well, how wrong can a forecast be?! Hello, again, winter! Woke up to glorious blue sky and sunshine - and a winter wonderland. Not what I wanted though, as I had just washed off all the gravel road dust and dried mud from my car, ready for spending a few hours out with my daughter for our Christmas get-together. The roads are not going to be good.
A friend invited me to go with him to search for White-tailed Ptarmigan on 27 November 2017, with plans to meet four other mutual friends out there. What a great day we had, with amazing scenery, beautiful weather until we got into the mountains and closer to our destination, and a wonderful sighting of 11 of these fascinating birds.
I know for sure that I would never have found them on my own, especially as I don't own a pair of snowshoes, just my warm, winter boots. Out there, one absolutely has to have snowshoes, as the snow is knee- or thigh-deep, and walking is impossible without them. Mind you, last year, I did do the walk without snowshoes, but it was brutal and I was dragged uphill by a very kind friend, with help from others along the way! I was so grateful to everyone, as last year was my very first sighting of these Ptarmigan, that I had longed to see for quite a few years. What a thrill it was! I had seen photos of them against the snow, and I longed to have the chance to try and take photos like that.
So, my friends had snowshoes and went off searching in all directions, while I searched close to where we were parked, and also enjoyed myself taking photos of the winter wonderland that surrounded us and that I so rarely see, especially in winter. From 1 December each year, the winter gates in Kananaskis close for months, partly for safety reasons, but also to allow the wildlife some peaceful time, especially when their young are born. Towards the end of our time out there, guess what my friends found. If these birds had a sense of humour, I can just picture them laughing at all the effort that everyone was putting into looking for them. At first, they flew just a short distance - actually in my direction! - but only one of them landed within my sight, and far, far away. It took me a while to see it, as especially from a distance, a white bird on white snow just isn't seen, except for the black beak and the little, shiny, black eyes.
Friend, Lyn, called out to me and was waving her arms, telling me that there were four birds near where she was standing. When I reached the more easily accessible spot, one had taken off, but three remained. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw one against a darker background of bushes, along with two others near it, but completely against a snowy background. Sun would have been most welcome, but unfortunately, we had to make the best of the low light. Unlike last year, my photos of these newest birds have practically no detail in their feathers - but I will very gladly take whatever I can get. Just as big a thrill to see them again as it was to see them for the very first time a year ago.
Thanks, everyone, for walking so far in difficult surroundings. The gusts of fine, blowing snow didn't exactly make it more pleasant, but actually were quite refreshing in a strange way. Lovely to spend time with you all, and you did such a great job of finding our target birds and making sure that each one of us was able to see them. Thanks so much, Tony, for inviting me and for the ride, including that extra stretch of magnificent scenery that we unexpectedly drove through after we missed a turn : ) Also, it was nice to see a Shrike perched on a fence post along the back way home. My photos were pretty bad, very blurry, but I tried to rescue the 'best' one with a touch of filter in post-processing, just so that I could add it to the album for this trip. Such a great day!
"The smallest grouse in North America, the White-tailed Ptarmigan inhabits alpine regions from Alaska to New Mexico. It has numerous adaptations to its severe habitat, including feathered toes, highly cryptic plumage, and an energy-conserving daily regime." From AllAboutBirds.
www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-tailed_Ptarmigan/id
"The white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), also known as the snow quail, is the smallest bird in the grouse family. It is a permanent resident of high altitudes on or above the tree line and is native to Alaska and the mountainous parts of Canada and the western United States. It has also been introduced into the Sierra Nevada in California, the Wallowa Mountains in Oregon and the Uinta Mountains in Utah. Its plumage is cryptic and varies at different times of the year. In the summer it is speckled in gray, brown and white whereas in winter it is wholly white. At all times of year the wings, belly and tail are white. The white-tailed ptarmigan has a diet of buds, leaves, flowers and seeds. The nest is a simple depression in the ground in which up to eight eggs are laid. After hatching, the chicks soon leave the nest. At first they eat insects but later move on to an adult diet, their mother using vocalisations to help them find suitable plant food. The population seems to be stable and the IUCN lists this species as being of "Least Concern". From Wikipedia.