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A seemingly quiet cityscape is anything but. Long exposure near Fayetteville St. in downtown Raleigh as Saturday night traffic flows.
visit www.sharkshock.net for prints and more
This seemingly innocent little Gray Jay made life miserable for a Great Gray Owl in a nearby tree. Enough so that I couldn't help but pull my attention away for a quick shot of this little bully puffing up its chest to a raptor 5 times bigger than it. I've seen Chickadees, Crows, American Robins, and Blue Jays react this way towards raptors, and now I have another heckler to add to the list.
Seemingly Sincere - Neal Morse
www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXDMMsIkEBo
I saw Stephen
Walking man alive among the dead
His eyes were like blue sky
But we found out his blood was just as red
And everyone knew me
And their eyes were filled with fear
No one sees what I see
Only the seemingly sincere
Walking barefoot
He told us how we killed the ones before
He spoke out against us
Said he knew the one we're waiting for
And as he lay dying,
I did not shed a tear
Hi eyes flashed like lightning
He was seemingly sincere
And I - I don't understand it
How they cannot see what is so clear
'Cause I - I caught him red-handed
But something that he said's still in my ears
I might believe a lie and yet appear
Seemingly sincere
They stoned young Stephen
Yes, they kept the holy word
How can those who are unclean
Live among the pure?
And my conscience struck me
As it spoke from deep inside
So I kicked back against it
And I held my head up high
'Cause I - I don't understand it
How they cannot see what is so clear
Yes I - I caught him red-handed
But something that he said's still in my ears
I might believe a lie and yet appear
Seemingly sincere
I don't understand
How they cannot see what is so clear
Yeah I - I've got to demand it
Bus as he faced his death he had no fear
And somehow it's still ringing in my ears
People can be dead wrong
And yet appear
Seemingly sincere
I love to photograph landscapes before sunrise. It's always a unique experience when the world awakens and you are seemingly the only person on earth to watch it. Sunsets tend to get a little more crowded with people but during sunrise in summer only few people get out of bed that early. I'm one of those :-) Even when on vacation the alarm rings every morning and I at least take a look out of the window to check the conditions.
Last weekend I have been to the german alps again and I wanted to get a more intense experience. For this a hike of rougly 6 miles (one way) was needed with an elevation change of more than 4000ft, all with 20kg of equipment, provision, and what else you need on a mountain. I slept in a guest house at 1600m which is believe it or not quite normal in the alps. There are many of those around and it brings a little comfort. Camping isn't allowed by the way but I think if I could fit a small tent in my backback this would make the next trip even more interesting.
On Sunday morning I got up 3:45am and was greeted by heavy fog on the mountain. The hike through it and then through the pine forest with a full moon casting creepy shadows made me halt, listen and turn around quite few times ;-) And even with a full moon and a flash light it wasn't so easy to find the right way up the mountain. Some of you might laugh about this but hiking through the dark on a mountain without knowing exactly where to go is a bit frightening.
After reaching the top I was rewarded with a magnificent view and perfect conditions for photography. A colorful sky, fog over the Königsee, germanys deepest lake and soft warm light on the Watzmann, germanys second highest mountain. What made all this even better was that for sure I was the only one up on that mountain and there was no sound to be heard besides the wind and some sheep in the valley behind. Up in the mountains I feel very close to nature, it's nothing compared to those sunrise shoots where I drive to a parking lot and walk a few minutes to get the shot. Even if I might also be the only one out there beeing at a place I can only reach by foot through a sternous hike makes the experience much more intense and the photo even more special for me. When I have the time I will try to do such tours a little more in the future.
I hope you also like the result here even if you didn't have to hike up that mountain ;-)
For the first time in seemingly weeks Friday was predicted to be perfect bluebird weather. Coupled with the news just released the day prior that the Pan Am Railways acquisition by CSXT had been approved I figured I should skip my beloved ex Boston and Albany for once and go to the old Boston and Maine before the changes come. While it won't happen overnight, it will be quicker than we expect before blue dip or ugly patched GEs are rare and intermodal trains on District 3 are but a memory.
With that in mind a look at the turnover revealed that a 22K was tied down at Fitchburg scheduled for an early recrew to bring into Ayer and that an EDPO was out of East Deerfield headed east and counterpart POED was moving with work at Graniteville before going west. Throw in regular AYPO building in Ayer and it was an unusual busy morning to the point that you actually had to make a choice what you wanted to focus on!
Anyway, first up I headed here to find 22K (47th Street Chicago to PAS Ayer) tied down on Main 2 just west of CPF FG as outbound Keolis/MBTA train 403 trails away for Fitchburg and Wachusett on Main 1. The standard NS SD60E has a colorful BNSF and UP GE duo trailing making for some nice variety here in the morning sun just west of Bemis Road at MP 48.3 (from North Station via the Fitchburg Route main) and 328.3 (from Mattawamkeag, ME via Pan Am's Freight Main).
Fitchburg, Massachusetts
Friday April 15, 2022
Seemingly endless path with concrete strips in a rural setting. The photo was taken in the Biesbosch, a nature reserve in the Dutch province of North Brabant. It is a cloudy in the spring season.
The Profitis Ilias Chapel, Milos, Greece. This old chapel was seemingly built from pieces of rock quarried during Roman times--in this frame, you can see a piece of a Roman column lying against the wall. Unseen are several other columns, toppled onto their sides, that form the base of the chapel.
As near as I can tell, the chapel is open day and night, and candles inside burn round the clock, which provided the lighting in this shot.
Additionally, the exterior of the chapel is lit by a solar-powered LED panel, making it a kind of beacon for anyone living on this side of the island. It's a beautiful sight, to be sure, but the LED panel greatly affected my ability to photograph the structure at night. To combat this I removed my t-shirt and covered the LED panel for about 10 minutes while I shot a few panoramas. I was a little worried that the absence of light on the building would signal some sort of problem to the people below and I would no longer have the chapel to myself. And my Greek is limited to "please," "thank you," and "hello," so I'm not sure I would've been capable of explaining what I was doing up there. But, luckily, that moment never arrived. The island is, after all, pretty laid back.
This is a 2-row panorama taken with my Fuji Xpro-1 and the Rokinon 12mm f/2.
CNW seemingly always had a unit parked near the pickle plant in Oconto. This unit no doubt worked the Oconto Falls job, something I foolishly never shot or chased as I was always on my way to or from Green Bay when I'd pass through Oconto. Often I'd just take a quick shot of the Geep or prior to that FM(only garbage 110 prints)sitting here. 4362 seemed to be a regular on this job in 1979 as my notes show it here more than a couple different times. If I could turn back time I'd give up one of my numerous Green Bay trips to chase this branch just once.
129MB...seemingly miraculously, one of the most spectacular sunsets that I've ever had the privelege of observing , slowly enveloped and impregnated the lone cloud with dazzling reds and pinks and as I snapped dozens of images..almost foaming at the mouth in my excited frenzy..it slowly tore the lone cloud to bits as I, and the darkened waters of Kamloops Lake far below.. looked on and on in absolute awe.!!... Amen!!
For a long time besides buying new power CNW seemingly was the used car buyer of the locomotive world. CNW just couldn't seem to pass on a "deal". A group of ex Frisco GP7's came over via PNC in July 1976. The 4374 along with most of 20 were renumbered and put into service at Green Bay and for a few weeks the place looked somewhat like CNW had either merged with or been bought by SLSF. No idea on the photographer but I traded for/ bought it somewhere along the way. September 2, 1976
I have seemingly lost the "go out and take photos" mojo recently, so here's another pieces of digital art created in Photoshop from the same base starting point as the two I posted yesterday.
All Photoshop, no AI.
Title from the legendary song by Bowie, one of many listened to during the construction of these three pieces.
This tree seemingly bending towards the sun to catch some of its last rays of the day.
I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast.
A tree that looks at God all day,
And lifts her leafy arms to pray.
- - - TREES by Joyce Kilmer
Seemingly out of nowhere, strong gusts of wind started blowing in this cirque in the French Alps. It was (late) autumn and as a result, leafs were flying around everywhere - the same went for the spray of the waterfall some hundred meters or two on the hillside. Just one of the many beautiful moments I experienced hiking around this area last year.
after a seemingly very long day of driving on a road trip to the Palouse region of Eastern Washington these grain silos sparkling in the evening light caught my eye. At this point I did not know yet that grain silos would become a major theme of my trip ;-)
After the Sun has set and the source of direct light has seemingly fallen below the horizon colours still dance and vibrant light strengthens before it fails.
© PHH Sykes 2022
phhsykes@gmail.com
A seemingly abandoned horse near the Glassamucky Brakes in the Dublin Mountains. Shot close to dusk this is another shot that I am not too sure about but thought why not post it.
‘Schplendid’ decline, a natural going away with the waveforms of sunlight, winds and rain slowly eroding everything seemingly diligently taking all of what is til nothing will remain. All the while the guardian stands watch making memories of even older dread ghost of man's tormented slaves free expressions of intricate passions delivered for sensation rather than for continued ‘rememberation’ all woven in light and in shadow, woven into so many songs on the winds and embroidered in fine worked detail with the rain til only the rocks and their hollows remain.
Too many reflections loaded and here I am loading more. These are the end to the reflections as the personal intrusion was the end my friend. No worries about being personally intruded, it is just the way it is, was and hopefully will be. Please step in, out and walk all around my pictures, your pathways are more important than my pictures. When everything else is in balance I try to take an image and create a picture hopefully in harmony.
There are some good links below. My reflected images don’t get many views, here they are though. Some pictures I take I see the reflection opening up the scene. Here the dark cross caught my eye and the potential to extend the original image from a landscape orientation and then from a portrait orientation fired my mind and then, and then someone rose from their lower perspective photography and stood in my scene. Suddenly I was woken from my image making dream. They were a great photography companion and the only reason that I was there and out and about with a camera. No shade on them for elevate themselves from a close-up photography Yoga pose focused on a flower I believe. They can puncture my composed dream frames anytime, also in any place and in all space and none, even if their puncture power means the dream scene has gone.*
The Sun will shine and cast shadows and in inspecting them we can tell the time. We can see line and with a care we can watch the minutes and hours pass as the line moves. If we wish we can look at light as the generative creator of life and we can see shadow as an opposition a place that will not respond to the clarion call of the Sun. Shadow and shade bring about their own distinct wonders and Shadow is created and directed in constant movement by light of varying intensity. We humans have considered good and bad omens from the force of the Sun and from the reaction of shade, shadow and subterranean sunless places as well as the phase of the Moon displaying reflected radiance of the Sun and at times the Moon shrouds the Sun in eclipse of amazing exactness gifting sight of the edge the immediate crown of the star that illuminates us and leaves us to the further distant view of the other stars and planets by night. All this to say Sun and Shadow, direct light and reflection and refraction all the time in world seemingly making and recreating signs and symbols that we divine as the language of light and the symphony of dark. Light is light and lack of light is either less, or even total darkness with no need to try to read the light and to listen to the dark. After this mention of omen and even prediction everything below this is information about the absolutely stunning location.
Hawthornden Castle stands atop several layers of caves that have been extended into amazing chambers visited by many famous people on their Scottish tours. The castle is one of three close together all taking advantage of the steep escarpment that offers natural rock protection above the North Esk river flowing swiftly below. Roslin Glen is home to Rosslyn Castle and many believe the Holy Grail resides here too, there are wonderful legends and fantastic natural formations throughout the glen, plenty enough to enjoy even beyond the quest for the Holy Grail.
Linked below are Hawthornden Castle, near Edinburgh by Alexander Nasmyth from the Google Art Project and both Roslin Glen cared for by Rosslyn Chapel Trust, as well as Roslin Glen Country Park and also Wallace’s Cave, the other cave and prehistoric rock carvings.
The Hawthornden Foundation is linked below they are a part of bigger project with events and hosting writers to stay in places such as Hawthornden Castle for a month of focused literary working days.
*The Dream Scene Puncture Repair Kit is currently available from the Akashic Records at wherever you usually Yoga access them. They can help you achieve stone solid results and icon Sphinx like waking scenes and also avoid all frame puncture at every photographic juncture. Higher State close lens search for Dream Scene Puncture Repair in Khemtastic Pack IV Pharaoh Awakes near potential pyramid lakes. If you have not found The Dream Scene Puncture Repair Kit then join the rest of us that either have to recompose and take another dream scene, or move on literally figuratively and even spiritually if your dream close to fulfilment was such a wondrous scene.
© PHH Sykes 2024
phhsykes@gmail.com
Hawthornden Castle
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthornden_Castle
Alexander Nasmyth - Hawthornden Castle, near Edinburgh - Google Art Project
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander_Nasmyth_-_Hawthornde...
Hawthornden Foundation Hawthornden Castle
www.hawthornden.org/hawthornden-castle
Hawthornden Foundation
Wallace's Cave, cave and rock carvings SM6825
portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM6825
ROSLIN GLEN AND HAWTHORNDEN CASTLE GDL00327
portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/GDL00327
Roslin Glen
Rosslyn Chapel Trust is responsible for the conservation and care of part of the picturesque landscape known as Roslin Glen, which is adjacent to Rosslyn Castle and Rosslyn Chapel.
www.rosslynchapel.com/about/roslin-glen/
Roslin Glen Country Park
www.midlothian.gov.uk/directory_record/171/roslin_glen_co...
Roslin Glen Country Park
'Wallace's Cave'
canmore.org.uk/site/51808/wallaces-cave
Archaeology Notes
Roslin Glen And Hawthornden Castle
Date of Inclusion: 31/03/2001
1:20,000Map Scale:
Council: Midlothian
Designation Reference: GDL00327
portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600000778
The monument known as Wallace's Cave, cave and rock carvings
While a setting seemingly like any other, I wanted to capture that view I had. All around me were the greens and yellows of a forest caught in the light of the afternoon sun. Other areas had a shadow cast across them, bringing out a contrast of lights and colors. I decided to angle my Nikon SLR camera slightly downward as I felt it better brought out that view to allow the eyes to slowly move across this forested landscape and be drawn into the image.
7107 islands and a playground of seemingly endless stretch of sand, sea and the ocean is almost and entirely free to enjoy that if you are not too choosy. But it seems odd for a country which imports more seafarers than any nation in the world cannot produce even a single Olympic medal in swimming.
There are many ifs and buts about this strange phenomenon but to get your facts straight, you can just as the common TAO and he’ll probably don’t give a damn about it, lost in his own world of abject poverty, pity and disgust to corrupt officials who doesn’t give a damn of his own existence, much more to winning an Olympic medal.
Nevertheless most strange of all is that we’re still a happy people. Something in me don’t want to call it strange but perfectly normal.
Seemingly mostly unaware of the Greek Air Force McDonnell-Douglas Phantom blasting away behind them - this motley crew are about to get a wake-up call from F-4E '01504' from 117 Combat Wing at Andravida making a spirited departure from RAF Fairford after RIAT 2016
IMG_3022_Full
Driving to find a mother and two cubs seen earlier in the day, we found the kill she made left untouched, seemingly abandoned, but with no other animal moving in - she was watching in a bush somewhere. Confused why she had taken to hiding, we heard the reason - a mighty roar and fight between lionesses a km away. After a brief search, we found a pride of 20 lions 'sharing' a single impala - a group that would have worried a mother and her cubs. The pride of lions basked in the remainder of the sun, with the backdrop of the clouds making patterns. A awe inspiring sight, count the lions in the picture, I can see 12 ;)
Changping Valley seemingly coming to an end.. Sichuan,China
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Due to seemingly hitting every traffic light between Camden and Rockford, I barely made it to the bridge over the Crow River. For having roughly 10 seconds to set up, I'd say this photo turned out alright.
Seemingly just a couple of circuits were diagrammed for class 315 on London Overground on 9 October 2020. 315802 (coupled to 315807) are seen here arriving at Bethnal Green with the 11.48 London Liverpool Street to Chingford as a class 321 unit heads towards Braintree on the main line..
Seemingly wanting to tour all of G&W's Ontario shortlines, QGRY 6908 is now on the SOR working the morning switch job at the south end of Garnet yard. This is a bit of an interesting turn of events given the uncertain future of G&W's SOR and GEXR operations. A friendly employee expressed doubt about the operation of the line by G&W beyond September but indicated that nothing was set in stone yet. Having spent a few months on nearby GEXR late last year, it will be interesting to see how long 6908 stays on SOR, and what becomes of the operation in the fall. Paradoxically, the SOR's own RLHH 3403 has been loaned to GEXR for the time being.
Old, seemingly disused railroad tracks running along the coast within Coastal Dairies State Park north of Santa Cruz, California. This very near sunset, looking south. Highway 1 can be seen to the left.
‘Schplendid’ decline, a natural going away with the waveforms of sunlight, winds and rain slowly eroding everything seemingly diligently taking all of what is til nothing will remain. All the while the guardian stands watch making memories of even older dread ghost of man's tormented slaves free expressions of intricate passions delivered for sensation rather than for continued ‘rememberation’ all woven in light and in shadow, woven into so many songs on the winds and embroidered in fine worked detail with the rain til only the rocks and their hollows remain.
Too many reflections loaded and here I am loading more. These are the end to the reflections as the personal intrusion was the end my friend. No worries about being personally intruded, it is just the way it is, was and hopefully will be. Please step in, out and walk all around my pictures, your pathways are more important than my pictures. When everything else is in balance I try to take an image and create a picture hopefully in harmony.
There are some good links below. My reflected images don’t get many views, here they are though. Some pictures I take I see the reflection opening up the scene. Here the dark cross caught my eye and the potential to extend the original image from a landscape orientation and then from a portrait orientation fired my mind and then, and then someone rose from their lower perspective photography and stood in my scene. Suddenly I was woken from my image making dream. They were a great photography companion and the only reason that I was there and out and about with a camera. No shade on them for elevate themselves from a close-up photography Yoga pose focused on a flower I believe. They can puncture my composed dream frames anytime, also in any place and in all space and none, even if their puncture power means the dream scene has gone.*
The Sun will shine and cast shadows and in inspecting them we can tell the time. We can see line and with a care we can watch the minutes and hours pass as the line moves. If we wish we can look at light as the generative creator of life and we can see shadow as an opposition a place that will not respond to the clarion call of the Sun. Shadow and shade bring about their own distinct wonders and Shadow is created and directed in constant movement by light of varying intensity. We humans have considered good and bad omens from the force of the Sun and from the reaction of shade, shadow and subterranean sunless places as well as the phase of the Moon displaying reflected radiance of the Sun and at times the Moon shrouds the Sun in eclipse of amazing exactness gifting sight of the edge the immediate crown of the star that illuminates us and leaves us to the further distant view of the other stars and planets by night. All this to say Sun and Shadow, direct light and reflection and refraction all the time in world seemingly making and recreating signs and symbols that we divine as the language of light and the symphony of dark. Light is light and lack of light is either less, or even total darkness with no need to try to read the light and to listen to the dark. After this mention of omen and even prediction everything below this is information about the absolutely stunning location.
Hawthornden Castle stands atop several layers of caves that have been extended into amazing chambers visited by many famous people on their Scottish tours. The castle is one of three close together all taking advantage of the steep escarpment that offers natural rock protection above the North Esk river flowing swiftly below. Roslin Glen is home to Rosslyn Castle and many believe the Holy Grail resides here too, there are wonderful legends and fantastic natural formations throughout the glen, plenty enough to enjoy even beyond the quest for the Holy Grail.
Linked below are Hawthornden Castle, near Edinburgh by Alexander Nasmyth from the Google Art Project and both Roslin Glen cared for by Rosslyn Chapel Trust, as well as Roslin Glen Country Park and also Wallace’s Cave, the other cave and prehistoric rock carvings.
The Hawthornden Foundation is linked below they are a part of bigger project with events and hosting writers to stay in places such as Hawthornden Castle for a month of focused literary working days.
*The Dream Scene Puncture Repair Kit is currently available from the Akashic Records at wherever you usually Yoga access them. They can help you achieve stone solid results and icon Sphinx like waking scenes and also avoid all frame puncture at every photographic juncture. Higher State close lens search for Dream Scene Puncture Repair in Khemtastic Pack IV Pharaoh Awakes near potential pyramid lakes. If you have not found The Dream Scene Puncture Repair Kit then join the rest of us that either have to recompose and take another dream scene, or move on literally figuratively and even spiritually if your dream close to fulfilment was such a wondrous scene.
© PHH Sykes 2024
phhsykes@gmail.com
Hawthornden Castle
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawthornden_Castle
Alexander Nasmyth - Hawthornden Castle, near Edinburgh - Google Art Project
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alexander_Nasmyth_-_Hawthornde...
Hawthornden Foundation Hawthornden Castle
www.hawthornden.org/hawthornden-castle
Hawthornden Foundation
Wallace's Cave, cave and rock carvings SM6825
portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/SM6825
ROSLIN GLEN AND HAWTHORNDEN CASTLE GDL00327
portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/GDL00327
Roslin Glen
Rosslyn Chapel Trust is responsible for the conservation and care of part of the picturesque landscape known as Roslin Glen, which is adjacent to Rosslyn Castle and Rosslyn Chapel.
www.rosslynchapel.com/about/roslin-glen/
Roslin Glen Country Park
www.midlothian.gov.uk/directory_record/171/roslin_glen_co...
Roslin Glen Country Park
'Wallace's Cave'
canmore.org.uk/site/51808/wallaces-cave
Archaeology Notes
Roslin Glen And Hawthornden Castle
Date of Inclusion: 31/03/2001
1:20,000Map Scale:
Council: Midlothian
Designation Reference: GDL00327
portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600000778
The monument known as Wallace's Cave, cave and rock carvings
portal.historicenvironment.scot/document/600012599
Tags
Guardian of Scotland, Hawthornden, Castle, Wallace Cave, Gorton House, Roslin, Rosslyn, Glen, rock, carving,
A hummingbird seemingly takes interest in my new Canon RF100-500 lens. This photo is literally one of the first photos I took with the RF100-500. After I got the lens, I went into my backyard to take some test shots.
The adult female, seemingly more furtive (at least this individual was).
Had a wonderful trip to see Bearded reedlings, and made pictures of a male, female and juvenile, though sadly not together in one frame. A bittern also flew right over my head, as I was sat down out of sight on a bank.
Seemingly suspended in the night sky over the Southern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia, the puff-like Magellanic Clouds dominate this scene I photographed in mid-June of 2023. These unimaginatively named galaxies—the “Small” and “Large” Magellanic Clouds—never set below the horizon in many areas of Australia and were at their lowest point in the sky when I snapped them.
A lucky strike was the meteor that flashed for less than a second to provide the bright streak to the left of the Large cloud. The ambient temperature at ground level (about 800 metres / 2624 feet above sea level) was below zero degrees C as I stood beside my tripod. Several degrees colder high above my position, the moist night air shows a thin but noticeable fog in my photo that caused the background sky to look whiter here than I could see with my eyes.
This photo was created by shooting ten frames of the same part of the sky and stacking them in the Macintosh app “Starry Landscape Stacker” to reduce digital noise and enhance the final image. I captured each of those ten shots using a Canon EOS 6D camera and a Sigma 35mm f/1.4 Art lens @ f/1.6, using an exposure time of 13 seconds @ ISO 6400.
Seemingly as part cooling off, part bathing (and part fun!), on hot summer days, black skimmers often transition from typical skimming to a full dunk of their heads in the water while in flight. This immersive blast is usually followed by rest and preening on the beach at the surf's edge. I've observed black skimmers engage in this behavior only in summer.
AF sensors grabbed contrast in the waves (as is often the case in such situations, for me at least) instead of the skimmer as AF point, but I felt focus was close enough to make this photo presentable. I managed a few bird-in-focus photos, too, but this photo best depicted the behavior described above.
Like seemingly everyone else, we got trackside to see Canadian Pacific's beautiful business train. Here it is rolling through Elm Grove on a typical Wisconsin November day.
The winter has seen a seemingly endless parade of storms! From Arwen in late November and early December, to the latest Franklin and Gladys. Going through the alphabet that makes 7 named storms so far! And the high winds, rain and snow didn't really give us much of pause between each one! We have missed the worst of some of them here in Aberdeenshire, but there are fallen trees scattered across the entire landscape, with so much damage still to be addressed. So weather-wise we are hoping for a quiet March!
On the political and economic front the storms continue to rage. From war in Ukraine to unchecked inflation at home, things seem out of control! And with the Westminster government declaring that the pandemic is over, and all attempts to track and trace for new variants, all testing and mask wearing to be dropped ... it seems that our societal health and wellbeing is out of control too. As with coping with soaring prices, we are told that we are individually responsible for handling our response to Covid. There seems to be a complete "washing of hands" of all responsibility. Aren't governments suppose to govern?
So ... being 'vulnerable' members of society we have to act ever more cautiously, and shield ourselves as much as we can. At least we can turn to the creative inner life, with a website to maintain and expand, books and poetry to read, watercolour painting to continue studying, and my cameras and the Flickr community to keep my horizons expanding. There is much to be grateful for 😊
So stay safe and warm as March begins 😊
Once again, thanks to everyone who has visited my photostream and for the comments and faves. I hope the collage gives an enjoyable look back through February ;o)
All my collages are collected here: At a Glance
A seemingly innocuous band of high cloud had dogged our photography all afternoon, and it was touch and go whether the sun would appear as 6021/6003 climbed the grade at Wirrappa with Aurizon's Perth bound 3MP1 intermodal service on 4 February 2015.
Two or three seconds after this shot and the scene was in full sun.
350D_8919_1600
Seemingly adapted to tough conditions is this stout, short-legged Purple Sandpiper. It winters farther north on the Atlantic Coast than any other shorebird, and its chosen habitat is on coastal rocks pounded by the surf. When an especially large wave hits the rocks, the lowest birds in a flock may simply hop or flutter up far enough to evade the incoming water. Few birders ever see this species on its remote breeding grounds in the Canadian high arctic.
Ok, seemingly perpetual trash piles, 100% of everything 50% broken, dog shit land mines, millions of milling tourists...but then suddenly the street is empty, the light just so, and the geometry of everything lines up like Vasari's Corridor. Be ready.
Spotted in the compound that Nottingham Coaches seemingly share was this 21 year old Wright Eclipse!
As the interior would suggest, this vehicle was new to Lothian, interestingly as part of the first batch of Wrightbus vehicles ordered. In this fleet she was numbered 115.
Just in front of the wheel arches on this bus are some cut out diagonal sections in the paneling. This was intentional as 115 was branded up for Lothian's route 22 during the mid 2000s, which at the time, used the "Edinburgh Fastlink" guided busway. As a result, guide wheels were fitted to 115 though these were later removed when the busway was converted to tramway.
By 2018, 115 was withdrawn from the main fleet and was sat looking rather sorry for herself in Marine garage. Surprisingly in late 2019 however, 115 was resurrected and returned to service, albeit in a base white livery and unusually for Lothian, was fitted with orange LED destination blinds. This suggested that 115 would soon be up for sale and by September 2020, 115 had been sold to Nottingham Coaches, where she's been operating since.
I'm quite glad that I've managed to snap this bus as Nottingham Coaches vehicles are somewhat elusive. The fact it's a Euro 3 with a Voith gearbox as opposed to the usual ZF Ecomat makes it all the more interesting!
The seemingly endless rainstorms have ended in Northern California. People are out and about again. Today, I visited several new-to-me Pacific Coast beaches not far from home. Here, at Pomponio State Beach, I met a nice park ranger named Elizabeth. In this photo, she's looking out at her office for the day. It’s a little different than the offices that most of us are used to.
Seemingly always on the move, a Red-breasted Nuthatch momentarily pauses at the top of a branch before carrying on with its busy lifestyle.
Seemingly every group of society had something different to say today. After manoeuvring my bicycle across a Corona conspiracy theory crowd, I was surprised to run into a FDJ (=Freie Deutsche Jugend, "Free German Youth") protest. A millenial actually asked me whether I knew what FDJ stands for. It was the pro-communist youth organization of East Germany that was banned in West Germany.
Today, they protested against imperialism and for workers' rights.
One does not see the hammer and sickle in the public space very often in Germany these days.
This seemingly thin book is heavy on wisdom. If you think of the chain that goes
data -> information -> knowledge -> wisdom,
a lot of books don't spend much time on the wisdom, and if you want wisdom you'll do well here. He has basically 20 short essays on aspects of dealing and resisting; a typical essay will start with an expression of the principle involved, follow with historical examples of how is was handled in the past, and conclude with concrete actions you can take which follow the principle.
It's good and I think you'd do well with it. After you've read it, leave it on the bathroom window sill for your guests.
A pair of pedestrians cross Mold Road overbridge, apparently in step but seemingly unaware that one of just two freight trains to pass through Wrexham General that day is slowly approaching.
As a relative "newy" to this part of the world it's hard not to be fascinated by the signs of a colourful railway history here. In GWR days Wrexham was an important centre for both passenger and freight and counted a roundhouse shed with GWR style combined water and coaling stages amongst its facilities. The two bay platforms on the left talk to former glories and, while still connected to the running lines, are now sadly off-limits to passengers.
Out of sight on my right is another platform served by the hourly interval service between Wrexham Central (a small halt in the centre of town) and Bidston (on The Wirral), from where commuters can take connections into Liverpool. In fact the line to Central station dips down and passes under the main line somewhere in the middle of the train - if you look carefully you can see the bridge abutments on the left.
In the background is Croes Newydd North Fork Signal Box, the only one now surviving in the Wrexham area and which also controls the barrier gate crossing on the busy Watery Road.
The approaching train is the 10.29 Margam - Dee Marsh steel (6M86) in the hands of DBS Shed 66117. And for anyone curious enough, the other freight to pass through is the 6J37 Carlisle - Chirk logs which, despite being a Tug, for once wasn't on this snapper's agenda.
14th June 2016
Seemingly proceeding to take off, you're high enough to require oxygen if you were piloting an unpressurized plane. The sky gets darker the higher you get, or you're just getting ready to pass out. :)
Making approach to the ridge leading to Forester Pass, looking North. That is University Peak right frame and you can follow it down to the Kearsarge Pinnacles. It had snowed the night before, the remaining snow was melting fast.