This beautiful tree has had some setbacks in the last decade, but is still standing strong.

the sunset sort of made up for an otherwise mostly dull day. The wind has picked up to extreme gusts now- it will be a noisy two or three days.

The temp dropped in the afternoon and I saw a bit of snow on Mont Caro. This is supposed to be a temporary setback- we'll see, LOL

The consolation prize to make up for the windstorm:

the pic was on Frontpage:

clipyourphotos.com/FP/screenshot/18358

The Long Road to My Photo at the Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Now comes a long story about how this photo came to be.

One and a half years ago, the idea was born. When I once again happened to see this extraordinary landscape – the Tre Cime di Lavaredo – in a documentary about the Dolomites, I was spellbound. Since my passion has always been night photography, it quickly became clear: this was the place where I wanted to capture the Milky Way. Although I had been doing deep-sky photography for more than ten years, I had never photographed the Milky Way itself. This would mark the beginning of a new passion.

At such a breathtaking location, I didn’t want to simply “take a picture” – my goal was far more ambitious: to create one of the finest Milky Way photographs to be found anywhere in the world. Admittedly, not a modest ambition… but once you stand before this scenery, you instantly understand why someone suddenly feels the urge to reach for the stars.

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Planning and Technology

So the planning began. I needed a highly precise yet mobile and lightweight star tracker. It quickly became clear: with stacking and only 8-second exposures – meaning without tracking – combined with extremely high ISO values, I would never reach the image quality I was aiming for.

So I practiced again and again with the tracker under the light-polluted skies of my hometown: how does it react to wind? What happens with high humidity, thin clouds, or turbulence in the upper atmosphere? Every small disturbance worsens the “seeing,” and it takes a lot of experience to master these pitfalls.

Even calibrating the tracker has to be extremely precise. I measure my tripod digitally in steps of 0.1 degrees to ensure it is perfectly level – the more exact, the longer you can track. Of course, there are superb mounts available, but they are anything but portable. You don’t carry a 20-kilogram block in your backpack up to 2,600 meters on a night hike, together with all the other gear.

And then, of course, you need the brightest and sharpest lenses available. At night, every fraction of a stop counts – daylight photography is far more forgiving.

In general: the less artificial light, the clearer and more majestic the Milky Way appears. For deep-sky astrophotography, there are special filters that block man-made light pollution (for example, from cities). But the Milky Way is something entirely different: it shines across the full spectrum – from deep red to violet-blue. No filter trick works here. Any filter would also block starlight. In other words: the only “trick” is no trick at all – you simply need the darkest, most pristine skies possible.

In Europe, you can only find such conditions in a handful of places: the Dolomites, Großglockner, or La Palma (Canary Islands) – the best you can get by European standards. There are a few more, but the weather there is so unpredictable that your chances of success are even lower. The ideal is high altitude with dry, crystal-clear air.

If you want to go even further, travel to Namibia. There you’ll experience one of the most spectacular night skies anywhere: no weather problems, almost every night is perfect. The catch? Malaria. Which means daily prophylaxis with all its side effects. There’s always something, isn’t there?

If you want to get a sense yourself: on lightpollutionmap.info you can view worldwide light pollution interactively. Just one glance shows how rare truly dark places on our planet have become.

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Milky Way Time Window

In Europe, the Milky Way can only be photographed between April and the end of August during new moon. But especially in June and July, the nights are too short and too bright – it never gets completely dark at our latitude. Effectively, there are only about three months, with a small time window of just a few days around each new moon. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, you wait until the next month.

In summer, you can look towards the center of our galaxy and see the striking dust and nebula bands. In winter, however, you’re looking “outward” into the universe – without those spectacular structures. The season is extremely short, and the chance of a cloudless sky in the Dolomites is less than 30%. The weather often remains stable for only 3–4 hours before changing – a true lottery.

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Tre Cime: A Dream Location with Obstacles

Even during the day, at around 2,500 meters, it is breathtakingly beautiful – wherever you look, a picture-book landscape opens up. And then, right before you, the Tre Cime rise: massive rock walls soaring almost 500 meters straight up, touching the 3,000-meter mark.

But getting there is no longer so simple: you need a reservation and a ticket. Your license plate is checked already down in the valley.

The tickets are strictly limited. For our campervan, 12 hours cost €60. But the probability of stable, cloud-free weather up there is less than 30% – with just one ticket, my project would have been impossible. So I booked 6 time slots of 12 hours each, back-to-back.

Not so easy: the tickets have to connect seamlessly, with only a handful of vehicles allowed per hour. If one slot ends at, say, 4 p.m. and the next one is fully booked, you’re simply out of luck. Getting even one slot is difficult – arranging six in a row is almost impossible. And at the barrier in the valley, there is zero tolerance: even a second late at exit, and the fine is guaranteed.

For the booking itself, you get just five minutes – starting the moment you open the system, not with your final click. From finding matching slots to entering credit card details, personal data, and vehicle info, the countdown runs relentlessly. Everything that could be complicated, is complicated – as if the Dolomites didn’t already present enough natural challenges.

And as if that weren’t enough, you can only buy six tickets per month – now reduced to five.

Going up spontaneously? Forget it. Even if a slot were free, you must book digitally at least 24 hours in advance. On site or the same day? Impossible, not allowed. If you think you can just go with the weather – no chance. Here, bureaucracy rules over nature.

________________________________________

Arrival and First Setbacks

One and a half years later, the time finally came. Before the drive up, we prepared our campervan: fridge filled, toilet emptied, all batteries charged – for camera, smartphone, star tracker, heating bands against dew, and countless lamps. We were ready to last three days and nights up there.

But even if you arrive early at the barrier full of anticipation, you won’t be let in – the gates only open at the exact booked time. Then it was up in second gear, carefully winding through the serpentines. Now and then the front wheels slipped on the wet asphalt – a clear sign of just how steep it was. A motorhome weighing over four tons and 7.5 meters long is no off-roader. But at the top, on one of the highest campsites in Europe, everything was set.

Only problem: the fridge decided that at 2,500 meters it was no longer its job – even though we had filled it to the brim beforehand. Absorption fridges in RVs simply don’t work reliably on gas at this altitude. Another hard-learned lesson. Result: half of our food ended up in the trash.

The first two days: rain, wind, dense fog, temperatures around 4°C. Thanks to the heater in the camper, at least the cold was bearable – but photographically, a frustration. On the last day, though, everything changed: sunshine, clear views, amazing mood. Could it finally work out?

________________________________________

The Night of the Shoot

The hike with a backpack weighing over 12 kilos was tougher than expected – the thin air made itself felt.

That night, countless shots were taken. Many tracked 6-minute exposures of the Milky Way, which I later stacked to further improve the signal-to-noise ratio – a trick to achieve more quality than the sensor alone could deliver. I also captured the landscape separately – since with tracked stars, the foreground would blur.

And here came the next challenge: Milky Way photos require new moon and absolute darkness. Landscapes, however, look flat and monochromatic under such conditions, whereas full moon would provide plastic light. The solution: capture the landscape during blue hour or light it deliberately.

For that, I had a special lamp built – custom-made down to the last detail. I even chose the exact LED type myself, tailored precisely to my requirements for color temperature and light quality. 99% of ordinary flashlights are useless for high-quality photography: the light is usually far too cold, or the CRI index (color rendering) is too poor.

My lamp also has a zoom: the beam can be focused extremely tightly – up to 1.5 kilometers – or spread wide and soft, depending on what’s needed for light painting.

And the surprising part: from manufacturers like Convoy Flashlight in China, you can get such customized lamps for under €30. In Germany, such a service would hardly exist – and if it did, the price would make you swallow hard.

So I created exposures of up to 15 minutes while painting the rocks with light. Sometimes the right side turned out better, sometimes the left. A single perfect shot is impossible.

And then there are the famous headlamp trails – little light streaks from hikers that often give an image that extra something. The problem: at night, hardly anyone is up there. And if they are, it’s guaranteed not at the exact moment you’d need them in frame. Paradoxical, isn’t it? You want them desperately – but almost never get them when you need them. So the only option is to collect separate exposures whenever someone happens to pass.

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The Puzzle

By the end of the night, I had about 30 shots in the bag – and darkness gave way to morning. Among them: long exposures with light painting, shots with headlamp trails, many tracked Milky Way frames, and landscapes from blue hour to deep night.

That was my raw material, my toolkit. Later I selected the best elements and merged them into a single image – like a painter who first collects sketches and then fuses them into a finished work of art.

This is the supreme discipline of photography: absolutely no fake, but impossible to achieve in a single exposure. Each frame had to be carefully developed – matching white balance and color temperatures, adjusting brightness and contrast, reducing noise, enhancing details. Sometimes the foreground stone looked better illuminated on the left, sometimes on the right. Everything had to be precisely assembled, layer by layer.

In the end, the Photoshop file grew to over a hundred layers and more than 60 gigabytes. Every little adjustment had to be carefully considered, since each change affected the entire image. The greatest challenge: blending all these different exposures into a seamless whole, without visible transitions, without an artificial impression.

To outsiders, the finished photo may look obvious – as if you had simply stood there and captured that exact moment. In reality, it meant days of work, hours of meticulous corrections, and an enormous amount of patience and technical precision.

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Conclusion

Moments like these stay with you for a lifetime. Not just the photo itself, but the entire journey: the long preparation, the struggles, the setbacks, and finally, the success.

It’s also important to me to show with such texts that photography is not just a click. It’s an adventure – a battle with nature, technology, and yourself. Again and again, I try to surpass my previous limits. Each step makes it harder – but when it works, the moments of joy are unforgettable.

And for those who know me – of course, the next ideas are already in preparation.

Enjoy the view!

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Making of – did you know?

With night photography something curious happens: when viewed in daylight or against a bright background, the deepest shadows often “stick together,” making the landscape look darker than it really is.

The trick is not to leave black at absolute zero, but to raise it ever so slightly – the sweet spot is around 2–3 out of 255 brightness levels. This way, fine structures remain visible even in bright surroundings.

It’s the same little secret used by film and streaming studios to keep images stable across every kind of screen.

As you can see – nothing here is left to chance.

Scientific Sweet Spot for Night Photos

To balance depth and readability across all devices, researchers and industry standards recommend placing the darkest tones in a narrow “sweet spot.” My photo was fine-tuned exactly to these values:

Percentile (how many pixels are darker)Recommended rangeScientific midpointMy photo

5% darkest pixels2–3 / 255~2.5 / 2553

25% darkest pixels6–10 / 255~8 / 2558

Median (50% of all pixels)12–20 / 255~16 / 25515–16

How to read this:

The percentile tells you what fraction of pixels are darker than a certain brightness.

Example: “5% darkest pixels = 3” means the very darkest areas are not pitch black, but lifted just enough to remain visible.

The goal: sit right at the scientific midpoint, so the photo works equally well on OLED at night and on laptops or phones in bright daylight.

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🔧 Technical Information

📷 Camera: Sony Alpha 7R V

🔭 Lens: Sony FE 14 mm f/1.8 GM

🗻 Mount: Benro Cyanbird Carbon Tripod + Benro Polaris Astro Tracker

🌌 Sky: stack of 10 tracked exposures

️ Foreground: composite of 20 exposures (blue hour, light painting, headlamp trails, deep night phases)

⏱️ Exposure time per frame:

– Sky: ISO 320, f/1.8, 6 minutes each

– Foreground: ISO 100, f/2.8, from a few minutes (blue hour) up to 20 minutes

🕒 Total exposure time: approx. 6 hours combined

📍 Location: Tre Cime di Lavaredo (Drei Zinnen, 2,999 m), Dolomites, Italy

Maryland Home Remodeling Elegant Family Room in Bethesda Maryland

Remodeling Your Kitchen

Your kitchen is the center of your house-not only the place where you prepare food, but also where the family gathers and guests gravitate to be entertained.

Making it the most pleasant and convenient place you can is not only a lifestyle issue, but it also can be a financial boon. When you sell your home, a modern, attractive kitchen is one of the biggest factors in determining its value to buyers in Maryland.

According to a study done by Remodeling magazine, a cosmetic kitchen remodeling job pays back more than any other home remodeling project. The average homeowner who sells a house within one year of updating the kitchen can expect to recoup 80 percent of the investment in the job.

If you’re considering putting on an addition to your home, be sure to consult city hall before you get to work. Building permits are required in most cities, and plans must be reviewed before they the respective permits can be obtained. A survey or scale drawing or blueprint usually must be submitted by the owner or applicant. If you’re working with a contractor, be sure to discuss your project in order to gather the necessary information to ensure your addition will conform to your local building laws and codes.

When submitting your blueprint, be sure to include the following: lot size including map of adjacent streets, two sets of plans, and dimensions of all existing and proposed structures. Rules and regulations governing the construction and inclusion of setbacks, footings, smoke detectors, will vary from town to town. Separate plumbing, heating, mechanical and electrical permits for your addition may be required as well.

Excerpt from uwaterloo.ca:

Description of the District

St. Clair Boulevard Heritage Conservation District runs along St. Clair Boulevard between Delaware Avenue and Cumberland Avenue. The district consists of 38 residential properties.

Cultural Heritage Value of the District

The Heritage Conservation District Planning Background Study and Plan discuss the value of the district:

“The St. Clair Park survey, registered in 1911, was one of a number of residential surveys laid out in Hamilton’s east end just after the turn of the century, a boom period for residential construction throughout the City. The St. Clair Park Survey formed part of a middle to upper class residential area comprising a number of surveys, which extended from King Street East to the foot of the escarpment and from Wentworth Street South to Gage Park.

As was common practice in Hamilton at the time, the St. Clair Park Survey has building restrictions in the form of restrictive covenants registered on deed to the lots. Restrictions on the cost, construction and setback of the house account to a large extent for the cohesive character of St. Clair Boulevard’s urban streetscape.

While the restrictive covenants associated with the St. Clair Park Survey has building restrictions on its social make-up, the social composition of St. Clair Boulevard was nevertheless very homogenous, comprising middle to upper-middle income families of Anglo-Saxon origins. In the course of its history the boulevard has attracted some of Hamilton’s most prominent citizens; notably, he well-known and highly-respected judge, William F Schwenger and the successful construction company manager, Ralph W. Cooper. The Boulevard is also noteworthy for its social stability, owning to the long-term residence of most of the homeowners and

continuous use of the houses as single-family dwellings”.

Designation of the District

The designation of St. Clair Boulevard was initiated by local residents following the designation of the adjacent St. Clair Avenue district. According to the Background Study and Plan, “a petition requesting designation of the area...signed by all 37 homeowners, was presented to LACAC at its December meeting

and was supported by this committee”.

The St. Clair Boulevard Heritage Conservation District is protected by By-law 92-140, passed in 1992.

Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldred_Building:

The Aldred Building (French: Édifice Aldred; also known as Édifice La Prévoyance) is an Art deco building on the historic Place d'Armes square in the Old Montreal quarter of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Completed in 1930, the building was designed by Ernest Isbell Barott, of the firm Barott and Blackader, with a height of 96 metres (316 ft) or 23 storeys. Built at a cost of $2,851,076.00 (equivalent to $54,622,444 in 2023), Barott endeavored to design a modern building which would, at the same time, fit with the square's historic surroundings. The building's setbacks at the 8th, 13th, and 16th floors allow more light on the square and create a cathedral-like massing, reflecting the adjacent Notre-Dame Basilica. The building uses limestone, common to other buildings in the area. The Aldred Building also attempts to address both Place d'Armes and Notre-Dame Street which do not meet at right angles, aligning with both streets until the third floor, where it then steps back and becomes square to Notre-Dame. The odd angle is small and not immediately noticeable from street-level.

The building resembles New York's Empire State Building, completed the same year, and was built for John E. Aldred of New York.

Barott began work on the Aldred Building around 1927, with original design for the building only 12 storeys tall, as building heights were limited to 130 feet (40 m) in Montreal until the passing of a bylaw allowing taller buildings provided they made use of setbacks to reduce their overall mass, similar to one in New York City.

Barott was able to take advantage of a 1929 clause in the bylaw that allowed buildings on public squares to exceed the then maximum height by up to 200 feet (61 m), if certain restrictions were adhered to. The building's total floor area is 238,946 square feet (22,198.8 m2).

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© Rui Almeida 2014 | All rights reserved.

All photos they may not be used or reproduced without my permission. If you would like to use one of my images for commercial purposes or other reason, please contact me. Depending on the situation may have to assign the work as specified by the author.

◘ No images in comments please, or you or you can be blocked, but group invites are welcome

April 4th, 2016

HTO Park.

The snow was cold, the sun was bright, the trees were barren.

I was still fighting to come back from my relapse, but I was doing okay. I guess. I've been lonely for a while, so this was just a setback. The cold didn't help though.

South Side National Bank (1928) is a ten-story Art Deco style building located on the southwest corner of the intersection of Gravois Avenue and Grand Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri. Due to its height and prominent location, it is the dominant feature on the skyline in the immediate neighborhood. This building is an excellent local example of the Art Deco style characterized by setback forms, stylized relief ornament and vertical window strips, all of which are still present. Other features of South Side National Bank which are typical for Art Deco buildings include its limestone veneer, the use of bands of relief sculpture instead of cornices, and Beaux-Arts inspired massing. This building was also identified in a 1987 survey and in the City of St. Louis' preservation plan as a significant example of its style or type.

South Side National Bank was the result of a merger between two existing trust companies. Since 1916, the South Side Trust Company had been located at the intersection of Broadway and Pestalozzi in the City of St. Louis, about two miles to the northeast of this property. In1928, the company's directors entered into negotiations to merge with the Farmers and Merchants Trust Company, which had been located at the intersection of Grand and Gravois since its founding in 1907. By the late 1920's, the South Side Trust's depositors were moving west, "particularly within the district of which Grand and Gravois is considered the center." In November 1927, the board of directors purchased a parcel at the southwest corner of Grand and Gravois for the erection of a new bank building. In 1928, the shareholders of both institutions voted to merge and become a national bank.

Although the building permit issued in January 1928 lists Leonhard Haeger as architect, all subsequent materials published by the bank (including some of the drawings) indicate that it was designed by the St. Louis Bank Building and Equipment Company. Founded in 1913, the company became known for providing the most modern bank equipment, and eventually branching out into the design field. The contracting firm, Fruin-Colnon, was founded in 1872. By the time of the South Side National Bank job, the company was building some of St. Louis' most prestigious buildings, including the Civil Courts.

Given the magnificent history and beautiful styling, the South Side National Bank building was deemed significant by the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) under criterion C in the area of Architecture and added to the register on January 3, 2003. All the information above and much more was found on the original documents submitted for listing consideration. They can be viewed here: catalog.archives.gov/id/63820473

Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6 including the final conversion to Black & White.

"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11

The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/

Powis Castle (Welsh: Castell Powys) is a medieval castle, fortress and grand country house near Welshpool, in Powys, Wales. The seat of the Herbert family, earls of Powis, the castle is known for its formal gardens and for its interiors, the former having been described as "the most important", and the latter "the most magnificent", in the country. The castle and gardens are under the care of the National Trust. Powis Castle is a Grade I listed building, while its gardens have their own Grade I listing on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales.

The present castle was built in the 13th century. Unusually for a castle on the Marches, it was constructed by a Welsh prince, Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn, rather than by a Norman baron. Gruffydd was prince of the ancient Kingdom of Powys and maintained an alliance with the English king Edward I during the struggles of the later 13th century. He was able to secure the position of his son, Owain, although the kingdom itself was abolished by the Parliament of Shrewsbury in 1283. After his father's death, Owain was raised to the peerage as Owen de la Pole, 1st Lord of Powis. Following his own death c. 1293, and the death of his only son, he was succeeded by his daughter, Hawys Gadarn, "the Lady of Powis". Hawys married Sir John Charlton in 1309.

In the late 16th century the castle was purchased by Sir Edward Herbert, a younger son of William Herbert, 1st earl of Pembroke, beginning a connection between the family and the castle that continues today. The Herberts remained Roman Catholic until the 18th century and, although rising in the peerage to earls, marquesses and Jacobite dukes of Powis, suffered periods of imprisonment and exile. Despite these setbacks, they were able in the late 17th and early 18th centuries to transform Powis from a border fortress into an aristocratic country house, and surround it with one of the very few extant examples of a British Baroque garden.

In 1784 Henrietta Herbert married Edward Clive, eldest son of Clive of India, a match which replenished the much-depleted Herbert family fortune. In the early 20th century, George Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis, redeveloped the castle with the assistance of the architect George Frederick Bodley. Herbert’s wife, Violet, undertook work of equal importance in the garden, seeking to turn it into "one of the most beautiful, if not the most beautiful, in England and Wales". On the 4th Earl's death in 1952, his wife and his sons having predeceased him, the castle passed into the care of the National Trust.

History

First castles at Welshpool: 1111–1286

Unlike the castles at Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and nearby Montgomery, which were built by the English to subdue the Welsh, the castles at Welshpool were built by the Welsh princes of Powys Wenwynwyn as their dynastic seat.[1] In addition to the current site, two motte-and-bailey castles and a set of earthworks are located nearby.[2] The names Trallwg/Tallwm and Pola are used interchangeably in early primary sources, and it is unclear which of these sites is being referred to.[3]

The earliest reference dates from 1111, when Cadwgan ap Bleddyn is mentioned as having planned to construct a castle at Trallwng Llywelyn,[3] the oldest record of a native Welsh castle.[4] Domen Castell, a motte-and-bailey near the modern railway station, is considered the most likely site of Cadwgan's castle, although it is uncertain whether it was completed as he was assassinated the same year.[5] The first documentary account of an extant castle at Welshpool is a description of the successful 1196 siege by an English army, although the castle was retaken by the Welsh within the year.[5][6]

The earliest castle at the current site may have been a timber building constructed by Owain Cyfeiliog or his son, Gwenwynwyn (r. 1197–1216).[7] The present masonry structure contains 13th-century fabric,[8] most likely the work of Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn (r. 1241–1287) – although historians are uncertain when this took place.[a][10] In 1274, Gruffydd's "first castle" at Welshpool was destroyed by Llywelyn ap Gruffudd as punishment for his involvement in a scheme to assassinate Llywelyn.[b] The castle was documented again in 1286, when it was listed amongst Gruffydd's possessions as "la Pole Castr".[12] A detailed examination of Powis Castle's extant masonry carried out between 1987 and 1989 revealed early stonework incorporated into the later structure, putatively the remains of an early stone shell keep.[13] At the end of Edward I's conquest of Wales in 1282–83, the king permitted Gruffydd to rebuild his castle at Welshpool as a reward for his loyalty.[14]

Early history: 1286–1644

Edward Herbert, 1st Baron Herbert of Cherbury[c]

In 1286, four years after the conquest of Wales, Gruffydd's son, Owain ap Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn became the last hereditary prince of Powys when he renounced his royal title, and was granted the barony of de la Pole, (i.e. "of the Pool", a reference to Welshpool, formerly called just "Pool").[d][16][17] The ancient Kingdom of Powys had once included the counties of Montgomeryshire, much of Denbighshire, parts of Radnorshire and large areas of Shropshire, but by the 13th century had been reduced to two independent principalities – Powys Wenwynwyn and Powys Fadog – roughly equivalent to Montgomeryshire and South Denbighshire (plus Maelor Saesneg), respectively; Welshpool had become the capital of Powys Wenwynwyn, of which Owain had been heir. On the death of Owain, the castle passed to his daughter Hawys, who married Sir John Charlton.[17] The Charltons continued to live at Powis until the fifteenth century when two daughters, Joyce Tiptoft and Joan Grey inherited the castle and estates. Both were equally divided, each daughter and her husband living in a portion of the castle.[18]

In 1578 an illegitimate son of the last Baron Grey of Powis, began leasing the lordship and castle to a distant relative – Sir Edward Herbert (d. 1595), second son of Sir William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke. Edward eventually bought the castle outright in 1587, beginning the connection between the Herberts and Powis Castle which continues today.[19] Sir Edward's wife was a Roman Catholic and the family's allegiance to Rome and to the Stuart kings was to shape its destiny for over a century.[16] Sir Edward began the transformation of Powis from a border fortress into an Elizabethan country house. The major remaining element of his work is the Long Gallery.[19]

Herbert's descendent William Herbert, 1st Baron Powis (c. 1573–1655), was a supporter of Charles I, and was granted the barony of Powis in 1629.[19] His loyalty during the English Civil War cost him his castle and his estates.[20] On 22 October 1644 Powis Castle was captured by Parliamentary troops and was not returned to the family until the restoration of Charles II in 1660.[21]

The Herberts: 1660–1800

The Hercules statue which stood originally in the Water Garden

On the restoration, the Herberts returned to Powis, and in 1674 William Herbert (c. 1626–1696) was created Earl of Powis (of the first creation). The state bedroom was installed in about 1665 and further improvements, including the construction of the Great Staircase followed in the 1670s. These developments were most probably carried out under the direction of William Winde, who may also have designed the terraced gardens. His employer, although restored to his estates, and raised in the peerage, was barred by his Catholic faith from high office under Charles II. On the accession of the King's brother, James in 1685, Herbert became one of the new king's chief ministers, and was again advanced in the peerage becoming Marquess of Powis in 1687, but fell at the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and followed James into exile in France.[e] William III granted the castle to his nephew, William Nassau de Zuylestein, 1st Earl of Rochford. Herbert died, still in exile, in 1696.[24]

Despite their 30-year exile, the Herberts were able to continue with developments at the castle and even to live there on an irregular basis, the Baroque water garden below the castle being completed at this time.[25] Their fortunes were also materially improved by the discovery of a lucrative lead mine on their Welsh estates.[24] The second Marquess, also William, was reinstated in 1722. On the death of his son, the third Marquess in 1748, the marquessate became extinct, while the castle and estates passed to a relative, Henry Herbert (c. 1703–1772), of Oakly Park in Shropshire, who was made 1st Earl of Powis (of the second creation) by George II.[26] Herbert married Barbara, the fifteen-year-old granddaughter of the 2nd Marquess, in 1751. Their eldest son, George Herbert, 2nd Earl of Powis (1755–1801), died unmarried and the earldom of the second creation became extinct.[f][27] Powis was much neglected during his tenure. John Byng, 5th Viscount Torrington, a diarist and traveller who chronicled his journeys into Wales in the 1780s and 1790s, described the castle in 1784, "In the gardens not even the fruit is attended to; the balustrades and terraces are falling down, and the horses graze on the parterres!!!"[28] The castle itself was in no better condition, a visitor in 1774 describing it as "in Neglect and Ruin".[27] Nonetheless, the potential of the site was recognised. George Lyttelton, the politician, poet and essayist, recorded his impressions in 1756, "About £3,000 laid out upon Powis Castle would make it the most august place in the Kingdom."[29]

The Clives and Herberts: 1801–1952

The Outer Courtyard with the Fame statue in the foreground

In 1784, Henry Herbert's daughter, Henrietta, married Edward Clive (1754–1839), the eldest son of Clive of India.[30] Clive had followed his father to India, and served as Governor of Madras. Henrietta's brother died in 1801, whereupon the title lapsed; in 1804, her husband was created first Earl of Powis (of the third creation). The Clive fortune paid for long overdue repairs to the castle, which were carried out by Sir Robert Smirke.[31][32] Their son, Edward (1785–1848), inherited his late uncle's Powis estates on his 21st birthday, taking the surname Herbert in compliance with his uncle's will.[30] Edward Herbert served in a range of administrations as an Anti-Catholic Tory, his speeches in the House of Commons being "cautious and pertinent, although marred by dull delivery". He died in 1848, following a shooting accident at Powis in which he was fatally injured by his second son.[33] No further major changes were made to the Powis estate during his time, or in the long tenure of his eldest son Edward Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis (1818–1891), although the castle was well maintained. In honour of his great-grandfather, the earl was offered the viceroyalty of India by Benjamin Disraeli but declined, writing "Not worth considering. Powis" on the envelope containing the invitation.[34]

The final alterations to Powis Castle were undertaken at the beginning of the 20th century by George Frederick Bodley for George Charles Herbert, 4th Earl of Powis (1862–1952). The rooms designed by Bodley remain his only extant decorative scheme; the longevity of the 4th Earl, the deaths of his heirs, and his bequest of the castle to the National Trust saw the early 20th-century remodelling remain largely unaltered.[g][36] The 4th earl's wife, Violet (nee Lane-Fox), undertook the final transformation of the gardens of Powis Castle, which she felt had the potential to be "the most beautiful in England and Wales".[37] The Countess died following a car accident in 1929, and Lord Powis outlived both his sons, who died on active service, Percy from wounds received at the Battle of the Somme in 1916,[38] and Mervyn in a plane crash in 1943.[39] On his own death in 1952, he bequeathed the castle and gardens to the National Trust.[h][42]

The National Trust: 1952–present

The 4th earl was succeeded by his cousin, Edward Herbert, 5th Earl of Powis (1889–1974). Edward's heir was Christian Herbert, 6th Earl of Powis (1904–1988). He was succeeded by his cousin, George Herbert, 7th Earl of Powis (1925–1993),[42] who was in turn succeeded by his son, John, the 8th and current Earl.[43] The Herbert family continue to live in part of the castle, under an arrangement with the National Trust.[44] The Trust has undertaken a number of major works of restoration during its ownership, including the Marquess Gate,[45] the Grand Staircase,[46] and the sculpture of Fame in the Outer Courtyard.[i][47] The castle and its gardens receive around 200,000 visitors annually. Wikipedia

När du försöker att bygga det högsta tornet med Jenga tillsammans med dina vänner, och Tigger kommer studsande och förstör allt. Mitt bidrag till fotosöndag - bakslag.

When you're trying to build the tallest tower in Jenga with the help of your friends and Tigger comes bouncing along ruining it for all. My weekly contribution to fotosöndag's challenge - Set-back.

Excerpt from uwaterloo.ca:

Description of the District

St. Clair Boulevard Heritage Conservation District runs along St. Clair Boulevard between Delaware Avenue and Cumberland Avenue. The district consists of 38 residential properties.

Cultural Heritage Value of the District

The Heritage Conservation District Planning Background Study and Plan discuss the value of the district:

“The St. Clair Park survey, registered in 1911, was one of a number of residential surveys laid out in Hamilton’s east end just after the turn of the century, a boom period for residential construction throughout the City. The St. Clair Park Survey formed part of a middle to upper class residential area comprising a number of surveys, which extended from King Street East to the foot of the escarpment and from Wentworth Street South to Gage Park.

As was common practice in Hamilton at the time, the St. Clair Park Survey has building restrictions in the form of restrictive covenants registered on deed to the lots. Restrictions on the cost, construction and setback of the house account to a large extent for the cohesive character of St. Clair Boulevard’s urban streetscape.

While the restrictive covenants associated with the St. Clair Park Survey has building restrictions on its social make-up, the social composition of St. Clair Boulevard was nevertheless very homogenous, comprising middle to upper-middle income families of Anglo-Saxon origins. In the course of its history the boulevard has attracted some of Hamilton’s most prominent citizens; notably, he well-known and highly-respected judge, William F Schwenger and the successful construction company manager, Ralph W. Cooper. The Boulevard is also noteworthy for its social stability, owning to the long-term residence of most of the homeowners and

continuous use of the houses as single-family dwellings”.

Designation of the District

The designation of St. Clair Boulevard was initiated by local residents following the designation of the adjacent St. Clair Avenue district. According to the Background Study and Plan, “a petition requesting designation of the area...signed by all 37 homeowners, was presented to LACAC at its December meeting

and was supported by this committee”.

The St. Clair Boulevard Heritage Conservation District is protected by By-law 92-140, passed in 1992.

10449 King George Highway., Surrey, BC

Statement of Significance:

Description of Historic Place:

The Goodmanson Building, which houses the Round Up Cafe, is a one-storey commercial building located at the north end of a commercial strip development on the King George Highway, in the Whalley neighbourhood of Surrey. A prominent neon sign, reading 'Round Up Cafe', overhangs the sidewalk above the main entrance.

Heritage Value:

Built in 1949, the Goodmanson Building is valued as a testament to Whalley's origins as an automobile-oriented service center and as a representation of the type of single-storey commercial strip development that defined the area's character for decades. After the Pacific Highway was paved in 1923, Whalley became a favoured location for auto-based businesses. Local growth accelerated with the opening of the Pattullo Bridge in 1937 and the completion of the King George Highway in 1940. After the tolls were removed from the Pattullo Bridge in 1952, Whalley experienced a major commercial and residential building boom.

The Goodmanson Building is also significant as the location of the Round Up Cafe, which has served the Whalley neighbourhood for over fifty-five years. Len Goodmanson built the original structure on the property in 1949, housing the Round Up Cafe, which Goodmanson owned until 1961. Since 1973, the restaurant has been owned and operated by the Springenatic family, who have maintained the essential roadside diner character, appearance and menu. Typical of the era in which it was established, the large neon sign was a response to the width of the street and the speed of passing cars, enticing customers with its bold shape and colours. Such signs have seldom survived in connection with their original businesses; the Round Up Cafe and its neon sign are therefore a rare combination. The name of the restaurant recalls the postwar popularity of Western stories, both in Hollywood movies and in the emerging medium of television.

Source: City of Surrey Planning Department

Character-Defining Elements:

Key elements that define the heritage character of the Goodmanson Building include its:

- location adjacent to King George Highway with no setback from front and side property lines

- commercial form, scale and massing as exemplified by its one-storey height, rectangular plan, central recessed entry and flat roof

- wood frame construction with stone masonry on storefront under later stucco and aluminum

- prominent projecting 'Round Up Cafe' sign with metal sign can and neon tubing overhanging sidewalk above main entrance

- plate glass storefront windows

- interior features, such as original seating configuration and kitchen cupboards

- continuous use as a diner

Canada's Historic Places

Sint-Lievensmonstertoren, wordt ook wel ''De Dikke Toren'' genoemd. De toren beheerst het stadssilhouet van Zierikzee. In 1454 begon de bouw van de toren die vrijstaand gebouwd werd naast de bijbehorende gotische kerk, die helaas in 1832 is afgebrand. De toren had ongeveer 130 meter hoog moeten worden, maar de bouw werd gestaakt nadat de stad tegenslag op tegenslag had doorgemaakt.

Sint-Lievensmonster Tower, is also called “The Thick Tower". The tower dominates the city skyline of Zierikzee. In 1454, construction began on the tower, which was built as a freestanding tower next to the associated Gothic church, which unfortunately burned down in 1832. The tower was supposed to be about 130 meters high, but construction was stopped after the city had suffered setback after setback.

Derde foto in de serie "Zierikzee vierkant zwart/wit".

Third photo in the series "Zierikzee square B&W".

Be thankful that you don’t already have everything you desire.

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don’t know something,

for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times.

During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,

because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,

because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes.

They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you’re tired and weary,

because it means you’ve made a difference.

It’s easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who

are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,

and they can become your blessings.

~Author Unknown~

Luhrs Tower is an Art Deco skyscraper in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. It is located at the southeast corner of First Avenue and Jefferson Street, on the south side of Patriots Square Park. Built in 1929 by George Luhrs, a prominent local businessman, the tower reaches a height of 185 ft (56 m). Luhrs Tower has 14 stories, with symmetrical setbacks at the 8th and 11th floors. It was designed by the El Paso architectural firm of Trost & Trost and bears a considerable resemblance to another design by the same firm, the O. T. Bassett Tower in El Paso.

The Luhrs Tower appeared in the background of a scene from the 1960 film Psycho in which the character Marion Crane (played by Janet Leigh) crossed the street with the deposit she was supposed to make for her boss.

Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Kwun:

Tai Kwun, or the Former Central Police Station Compound (CPS Compound) includes three declared monuments in Central, Hong Kong: the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Surrounded by Hollywood Road, Arbuthnot Road, Chancery Lane, and Old Bailey Street, the compound underwent a heritage revitalisation and reopened to the public on 29 May 2018[1] as Tai Kwun (Chinese: 大館), a centre for heritage and arts.

The Former Central Police Station Compound (FCPSC), built between 1841 and 1925, comprises 16 historic buildings grouped under the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Most of the city's historic colonial architecture had been bulldozed for development before the British government handed it back to China in 1997.

The first building in the FCPSC is the Magistrate's House, with jail blocks, which were built in 1841. In 1899, the former Central Prison was renamed to Victoria Prison (or Victoria Gaol). The site underwent numerous expansions and reconstruction over the next century. In 1862, the number of prisoners increased to 650, and the government decided to develop the land nearby. The series of compounds hence formed Tai Kwun. Victoria Prison was decommissioned in 2006.

In 2008, the government of Hong Kong partnered with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to conserve and revitalise the complex, which turned into one of the most significant and expensive revitalisation projects in the territory, costing HK$1.8 billion; work began in 2011.

The conversion was completed in phases. Work faced a setback when a wall and roof collapsed in 2016. The Buildings Department prosecuted a subcontractor it deemed responsible for the accident, which was reportedly triggered by the failure of a brick pier that had been structurally undermined. Tai Kwun partially reopened to the public in May 2018.

A Former Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project was established to conserve and revitalise the heritage site for reuse. The project was operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and took eight years and HK$3.8 billion or about US$480M in 2018.

Tai Kwun, named after the historical colloquial name of the compound, is a mix of heritage and contemporary architecture. 16 heritage buildings have been restored for reuse. An additional two new buildings have been constructed, featuring designs inspired by the site's historic brickwork.

As early as the 1880s, the name Tai Kwun has been recorded in news articles in reference to the Former Central Police Station.

In 2018, Time listed Tai Kwun in its "World's Greatest Places 2018" list.

In 2019, Tai Kwun was awarded "Award of Excellence" from the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation.

FINALLY

I recently finished rebuilding my 1996 Chevy Beretta Z26 with only 60,000 miles that was found in a barn where it sat since 2004. I got it in a state where it was halfway to being like new and just decided to hunker down and complete the job myself. After a million setbacks ranging from part stores dicking me around to my own ineptitude, I'm finally out enjoying it and my local railroads once again. Here, the morning Falls Road job passes through the window of my purple pocket rocket in Middleport.

I really live to reject the modern world, eh?

Acrylic/mixed media on linen 3D canvas 80 x 80 cm / 32 x 32 inch.

Japanese which means: everything will turn out fine in the end.

One of the most beautiful words in Japanese: nankurunaisa. This term from motivational psychology indicates that despite all setbacks, everything will turn out fine in the end. You trust that and you stay positive.

Soon to be seen in SL.

A sudden spring setback today.

After a failed Congo DRC entrance and 11 days stuck on noman's land inbetween the borders without any water or food, sick and drained. It was then time to collect yourself together really hard and the right time to plot a way more creative way around DRC to Congo Republic via Cabinda that no Congolese border official could think of stopping us since we now simply bypassed them. Despite the massive setbacks on health and hassles, we really needed to continue our Trans-Africa overland route with my wife. It was the only option at this moment, desperate and stupidly dangerous undertaking though, almost drowned our bike and took our very last drops of energy to be on the safe grounds again.

Read more about it here.

Press "L".

6x7, 35mm f4.5 fisheye, Kodak T-Max 400, wet-mounted drumscan.

...::: 4nalog :::...

Excerpt from uwaterloo.ca:

Description of the District

St. Clair Boulevard Heritage Conservation District runs along St. Clair Boulevard between Delaware Avenue and Cumberland Avenue. The district consists of 38 residential properties.

Cultural Heritage Value of the District

The Heritage Conservation District Planning Background Study and Plan discuss the value of the district:

“The St. Clair Park survey, registered in 1911, was one of a number of residential surveys laid out in Hamilton’s east end just after the turn of the century, a boom period for residential construction throughout the City. The St. Clair Park Survey formed part of a middle to upper class residential area comprising a number of surveys, which extended from King Street East to the foot of the escarpment and from Wentworth Street South to Gage Park.

As was common practice in Hamilton at the time, the St. Clair Park Survey has building restrictions in the form of restrictive covenants registered on deed to the lots. Restrictions on the cost, construction and setback of the house account to a large extent for the cohesive character of St. Clair Boulevard’s urban streetscape.

While the restrictive covenants associated with the St. Clair Park Survey has building restrictions on its social make-up, the social composition of St. Clair Boulevard was nevertheless very homogenous, comprising middle to upper-middle income families of Anglo-Saxon origins. In the course of its history the boulevard has attracted some of Hamilton’s most prominent citizens; notably, he well-known and highly-respected judge, William F Schwenger and the successful construction company manager, Ralph W. Cooper. The Boulevard is also noteworthy for its social stability, owning to the long-term residence of most of the homeowners and

continuous use of the houses as single-family dwellings”.

Designation of the District

The designation of St. Clair Boulevard was initiated by local residents following the designation of the adjacent St. Clair Avenue district. According to the Background Study and Plan, “a petition requesting designation of the area...signed by all 37 homeowners, was presented to LACAC at its December meeting

and was supported by this committee”.

The St. Clair Boulevard Heritage Conservation District is protected by By-law 92-140, passed in 1992.

Certainly here I lost many times, although I had my co-driver next to me who is very excellent with maps in hand, we were together for many years and still great with its excellent orientation. I lost in the streets many times, but I made myself understood by the Italians who are very good people and more when they learned that I was not only American but also Cuban, the fact is that I could be my time of service without any setback, Thanks to the Italians.

Spring is very slow this year. We are experiencing many setbacks with cold temperatures, and even snow and hail. Hope there is enough food for the bird that have returned from warmer places.

My photos are NOT to be used without my written permission.

www.instagram.com/joroka74/

www.facebook.com/kauppinenjohan

Prayers In The Bamboo Forest by Daniel Arrhakis (2024)

The Gayatri Mantra is dedicated to Goddess Gayatri, considered the mother of the Vedas.

Mostly, Goddess Gayatri is depicted sitting on a red lotus flower, which signifies power and wealth. Furthermore, she can be portrayed with five heads, ten eyes (looking in eight directions), ten arms and holding the weapons of Vishnu, as it symbolizes the number of his reincarnations.

Goddess Gayatri can also be seen accompanied by a swan and holding a book in one hand and healing in the other, as the Goddess of Education.

Sânscrito Gayatri Mantra

“OM BHŪR BHUVA SVAR

TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM

BHARGO DEVASYA DHĪMAHI

DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYĀT”

"OH GOD OF LIFE WHO BRINGS HAPPINESS

GIVE US YOUR LIGHT THAT DESTROYS SINS

MAY YOUR DIVINITY PENETRATE US

AND IT CAN INSPIRE OUR MIND" (*)

(*) It is one of several interpretations

______________________________________________________

The Bank of America Tower, also known as 1 Bryant Park, is a 55-story skyscraper in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It is located at 1111 Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue) between 42nd and 43rd Streets, diagonally opposite Bryant Park. The building was designed by Cookfox and Adamson Associates, and it was developed by the Durst Organization for Bank of America. With a height of 1,200 feet (370 m), the Bank of America Tower is the eighth tallest building in New York City and the tenth tallest building in the United States as of 2021.

The Chanin Building, also known as 122 East 42nd Street, is a 56-story office skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is located on the southwest corner of 42nd Street and Lexington Avenue, near Grand Central Terminal to the north and adjacent to 110 East 42nd Street to the west. The building is named for Irwin S. Chanin, its developer.

The structure was designed in the Art Deco style by John Sloan and T. Markoe Robertson of the firm Sloan & Robertson, with the assistance of Chanin's architect Jacques Delamarre. It incorporates architectural sculpture by Rene Paul Chambellan, as well as a facade of brick and terracotta. The skyscraper reaches 680 feet (210 m), with a 649-foot-tall (198 m) roof topped by a 31-foot (9.4 m) spire. The Chanin Building includes numerous setbacks to conform with the 1916 Zoning Resolution.

Another sunset, this time from my drone even though it was kind of windy. Not only that, when I fired up the Phantom 4 tonight it cried loudly that I needed to do a firmware upgrade first so I wasted time doing that, thus being a minute or two late for the actual sunset. Whatever! I'm learning to deal with these kinds of setbacks. :)

En poco tiempo he recibido la visita de personas que querían visitar la ciudad de Zamora y que además nos une la afición fotográfica, aunque esté más que acostumbrado a ver la arquitectura de la ciudad, cada día es diferente y siempre tenemos una mirada o un encuadre distinto. Ya publiqué hace poco una de la catedral desde el castillo, en esta ocasión conseguí otra de la catedral, que la guardaré para otro momento para no repetirme, así que ahora el protagonista es el castillo.

Información sobre el castillo:

"El origen del propio edificio plantea el primer problema. Según las crónicas fue mandado construir por Alfonso II de Asturias, aunque los estudios realizados por diferentes historiadores afirman que probablemente estaría realizado por Fernando I de León. Por tanto, el edificio dataría de mediados del siglo XI. En cualquier caso, de esta época quedan muy pocos restos. La ciudad de Zamora constituía un pilar básico para los reinos cristianos en el proceso de reconquista. De hecho, la toma de esta ciudad a los árabes es descrita en sus crónicas como un terrible varapalo. Es por ello que históricamente ha tenido importancia desde su edificación hasta siglos posteriores. Bajo el reinado de Felipe V se le hicieron reformas destinadas a adaptarlo a las nuevas técnicas de guerra, como la potente artillería.

Actualmente se conserva el perímetro del castillo, rodeado de un foso que se halla casi íntegro. Los muros de mayor importancia, el patio de armas y la torre del homenaje también han llegado hasta nuestros días. El Decreto de 22/04/1949 lo declara bajo su protección, mientras que en la ley 16/1985 se le señala protegido por el Patrimonio Histórico Español. Hoy en día es propiedad del Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deportes, que se encarga de su conservación. La ciudad de Zamora lo utilizó para albergar la Escuela de Arte y Superior de Diseño de Zamora, y hasta el 2007 albergó la Escuela Oficial de Idiomas.

Después de cuatro años de obras, el pasado 2009 concluyeron los trabajos de recuperación y consolidación de las estructuras defensivas y El Castillo de Zamora pudo abrirse al público para su visita, con una imagen totalmente renovada tanto de la fortaleza como de los jardines colindantes. Integrado en el recinto defensivo, y formando parte de su conjunto y de su estructura, se ha instalado el espacio expositivo Baltasar Lobo, Castillo Centro de Arte, dedicado a la obra del escultor zamorano." Fuente: Wikipedia.

In a short time I have received the visit of people who wanted to visit the city of Zamora and who also join us as a hobby of photography, although I am more than used to seeing the architecture of the city, every day is different and we always have a look or a frame distinct. I recently published one of the cathedral from the castle, this time I got another one of the cathedral, which I will save for another time so as not to repeat myself, so now the protagonist is the castle.

Information about the castle:

"The origin of the building itself poses the first problem. According to the chronicles, it was ordered to be built by Alfonso II of Asturias, although the studies carried out by different historians affirm that it was probably carried out by Fernando I de León. Therefore, the building would date from the middle of the 11th century. In any case, very few remains remain from this period. The city of Zamora was a basic pillar for the Christian kingdoms in the process of reconquest. In fact, the capture of this city from the Arabs is described in their chronicles as a terrible setback.That is why it has historically been important from its construction until later centuries.Under the reign of Felipe V, reforms were made to adapt it to new war techniques, such as powerful artillery.

Currently, the perimeter of the castle is preserved, surrounded by a moat that is almost complete. The most important walls, the parade ground and the keep have also reached our days. The Decree of 04/22/1949 declares it under its protection, while in Law 16/1985 it is designated as protected by the Spanish Historical Heritage. Today it is owned by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports, which is in charge of its conservation. The city of Zamora used it to house the Zamora School of Art and Superior Design, and until 2007 it housed the Official School of Languages.

After four years of works, in 2009 the recovery and consolidation works of the defensive structures were completed and El Castillo de Zamora was able to open to the public for visits, with a completely renewed image of both the fortress and the surrounding gardens. Integrated into the defensive enclosure, and forming part of its complex and its structure, the exhibition space Baltasar Lobo, Castillo Centro de Arte, dedicated to the work of the sculptor from Zamora, has been installed." Source: Wikipedia.

Saturday the sun was shining and I saw the first rhodo of the season in full bloom. This morning I woke up to an inch of snow on the ground. Strange but true!

Explored, thanks Joss for telling me!

March 09, 09.

The origins of the cathedral's early years remain largely shrouded in mystery. Presumably constructed in the 10th century, the cathedral boasted stone foundations but retained an overall wooden structure, a characteristic that persisted until the mid-19th century, distinguishing it from most other churches in the city. Around 1460, the remains of Serbian king Stefan Uroš II Milutin were brought to Bulgaria and temporarily housed in various churches and monasteries until finding a permanent residence in St Nedelya after it became a bishop's seat in the 18th century. The church gained an alternate name, Holy King ("Свети Крал," "Sveti Kral"), in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

On April 25, 1856, the original structure was demolished to make way for a more extensive and grandiose cathedral. Construction of the 35.5 m-long and 19 m-wide church commenced in the summer of the same year. However, the building faced setbacks when an earthquake struck in 1858, delaying completion until 1863. The official inauguration took place on May 11, 1867, in the presence of 20,000 attendees. In 1879, a new belfry was erected to house eight bells gifted to the church by Russian Knyaz (Prince) Alexander Mikhailovich Dondukov-Korsakov.

A renovation in 1898 saw the addition of new domes. Exarch Joseph I of Bulgaria was laid to rest just outside the walls of St Nedelya in 1915. Tragically, the church fell victim to a bomb attack in 1925, claiming over 150 lives. Following this incident, reconstruction efforts took place between the summer of 1927 and the spring of 1933, culminating in the church's reinauguration on April 7, 1933. Almost entirely rebuilt, the new temple measured 30 m in length and 15.50 m in width, featuring a central dome that soared to a height of 31 m. The gilt iconostasis that had survived the bombing was returned to its rightful place within the church.

Barrow / Villa Rodriguez

El paraje Barrow que comenzó en la estación de ferrocarril, sufrió un revés una vez que las locomotoras dejaron de circular, dejando recuerdos, viviendas y muchos sueños que quedaron truncos, como el de crecer a la vera de los rieles.

1886, cuando los caminos de hierro se extendían en la provincia como un elemento indispensable de subsistencia del país, las líneas férreas ya cruzaban la zona de la localidad de Barrow, que por ese entonces se denominaba Empalme. En 1907, se crea la estación, como consecuencia del tendido de la línea férrea a Lobería. Su nombre fue un homenaje a M.W. Barrow, gerente de la empresa Ferrocarril del Sud (actual Ferrocarril General Roca), entre 1890-1892 y que sin proponérselo se había convertido en el artífice de tantos pueblos de la provincia. La distinción le llegó en la época en que los ingleses habían decidido reconocer los servicios prestados por los miembros de esa colectividad relacionados con el desarrollo de los rieles en la República Argentina. Así, bregaron para que el gobierno nacional decretara en la fecha del 50º del primer ferrocarril argentino, el 30 de agosto de 1907, el cambio de nombre de algunas estaciones, como la de Barrow, reconociendo al hombre que alcanzó un poder ilimitado como gerente del Ferrocarril, ocupando infinidad de funciones y cargos, siguiendo un espíritu visionario que llevó al crecimiento del país. Durante su gerencia, M.W. Barrow había estudiado la idea de instalar nuevos y modernos talleres para las operaciones del Ferrocarril del Sud que tomaban cada día mayor incremento. En las frecuentes visitas que realizaba a los talleres notaba que las operaciones se realizaban en un estrecho círculo y en instalaciones completamente inadecuadas que imposibilitaban la libre tarea de los mil operarios. Y desde entonces dedicó toda su energía a procurar la formación de instalaciones modernas que se ajustaran a la realidad.

Postulaba Alberdi, unieron los FF.CC. al país más que la Constitución Nacional y permitió la aparición de núcleos urbanos integrados, que fueron punto de reunión, de encuentro social y de vida.

TRASLATOR

Barrow / Villa Rodriguez

The Barrow spot that started at the railway station suffered a setback once the locomotives stopped circulating, leaving memories, homes and many dreams that were truncated, such as growing alongside the rails.

1886, when the iron roads extended in the province like an indispensable element of subsistence of the country, the railway lines already crossed the zone of the locality of Barrow, that by that then was denominated Empalme. In 1907, the station was created, as a consequence of the laying of the railway line to Lobería. His name was a tribute to M.W. Barrow, manager of the company Ferrocarril del Sud (current General Roca Railroad), between 1890-1892 and who had unwittingly become the architect of so many towns in the province. The distinction came at the time when the English had decided to recognize the services provided by the members of that group related to the development of the rails in the Argentine Republic. Thus, they struggled for the national government to decree on the date of the 50th of the first Argentine railway, on August 30, 1907, the change of name of some stations, such as Barrow, recognizing the man who achieved unlimited power as manager of the Railroad, occupying countless functions and positions, following a visionary spirit that led to the growth of the country. During his management, M.W. Barrow had studied the idea of ​​installing new and modern workshops for the operations of the Southern Railway, which were increasing every day. In the frequent visits he made to the workshops he noticed that the operations were carried out in a narrow circle and in completely inadequate facilities that made impossible the free task of the thousand workers. And since then he devoted all his energy to procuring the formation of modern facilities that fit the reality.

Postulated Alberdi, joined the FF.CC. the country more than the National Constitution and allowed the emergence of integrated urban centers, which were a meeting point, social meeting and life.

Following the Normandy landings of June 1944, the Allied advance through northern Europe was extraordinarily rapid and on 11 September 1944, the Second Army entered the Netherlands just south of Eindhoven, the first Allied troops to set foot in the country since its fall in May 1940.

Their next aim was to cross the Rhine before the Germans had time to reorganise after their recent setbacks, securing crossings over the rivers and canals that stood in their path at Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem. 'Operation Market Garden' would involve the United States 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, the Commonwealth 1st Airborne Division and the Polish Parachute Brigade.

On 17 September 1944, the 1st Airborne Division began landing west of Arnhem, but German resistance, bad weather and problems with supplies and reinforcements led to heavy losses, and their objectives were not taken. They were forced to form a perimeter at Oosterbeek which they held stubbornly until 25 September, when it was decided to withdraw the remnants of the division across the lower Rhine.

Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery contains the graves of most of those killed during the September landings, and many of those killed in later fighting in the area.

There are now 1,684 Commonwealth servicemen of the Second World War buried or commemorated in the cemetery. 243 of the burials are unidentified and two casualties are commemorated by special memorials. There are also 79 Polish, three Dutch and four non-war (including three former Commission employees) graves in the cemetery.

The cemetery was designed by P.D. Hepworth.

My passion is not photography, it is storytelling. I have never been focused on gear or technique near as much as I have been about how to communicate with the viewer while satisfying my own soul. I won't apologize for that, though many would have me believe I should. I'm always telling people that they don't have to call me a photographer, though I do take pictures with a camera to create. I don't mind being labeled whatever anyone wants, since I still do my own thing either way.

www.promotingpassion.com/white-wall-wednesday-episo…/ <-- To see this week's White Wall Wednesday video about the making of this image!

Taking pictures on my blank white wall is inspiring to me. To be able to create from nothing, to make art with the most minimal tools and a big imagination. What is better than realizing, despite setbacks like not having enough money for gear, time to go out on location, or technical know-how, that with some determination and a fierce dismissal of any labeling, we can create with what we have around us? To me that is priceless. We are growing into our creative freedom.

Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_Kwun:

Tai Kwun, or the Former Central Police Station Compound (CPS Compound) includes three declared monuments in Central, Hong Kong: the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Surrounded by Hollywood Road, Arbuthnot Road, Chancery Lane, and Old Bailey Street, the compound underwent a heritage revitalisation and reopened to the public on 29 May 2018[1] as Tai Kwun (Chinese: 大館), a centre for heritage and arts.

The Former Central Police Station Compound (FCPSC), built between 1841 and 1925, comprises 16 historic buildings grouped under the former Central Police Station, the Former Central Magistracy, and the Victoria Prison. Most of the city's historic colonial architecture had been bulldozed for development before the British government handed it back to China in 1997.

The first building in the FCPSC is the Magistrate's House, with jail blocks, which were built in 1841. In 1899, the former Central Prison was renamed to Victoria Prison (or Victoria Gaol). The site underwent numerous expansions and reconstruction over the next century. In 1862, the number of prisoners increased to 650, and the government decided to develop the land nearby. The series of compounds hence formed Tai Kwun. Victoria Prison was decommissioned in 2006.

In 2008, the government of Hong Kong partnered with the Hong Kong Jockey Club to conserve and revitalise the complex, which turned into one of the most significant and expensive revitalisation projects in the territory, costing HK$1.8 billion; work began in 2011.

The conversion was completed in phases. Work faced a setback when a wall and roof collapsed in 2016. The Buildings Department prosecuted a subcontractor it deemed responsible for the accident, which was reportedly triggered by the failure of a brick pier that had been structurally undermined. Tai Kwun partially reopened to the public in May 2018.

A Former Central Police Station (CPS) Revitalisation Project was established to conserve and revitalise the heritage site for reuse. The project was operated by the Hong Kong Jockey Club and took eight years and HK$3.8 billion or about US$480M in 2018.

Tai Kwun, named after the historical colloquial name of the compound, is a mix of heritage and contemporary architecture. 16 heritage buildings have been restored for reuse. An additional two new buildings have been constructed, featuring designs inspired by the site's historic brickwork.

As early as the 1880s, the name Tai Kwun has been recorded in news articles in reference to the Former Central Police Station.

In 2018, Time listed Tai Kwun in its "World's Greatest Places 2018" list.

In 2019, Tai Kwun was awarded

.

With the never ending support of my beautiful friends and my ever patient and wonderful moss&mink lovelies, RL setbacks have been battled and I am so happy to finally be able to release these much delayed pretties in my mainstore.

The Emma bed comes in both PG and Adult versions.

The PG version has 22 single and 25 cuddle animations, and the Adult version adds an extra 29 adult animations to the PG ones.

The Belle and Millie canopies are optional addons that can be combined with both the Emma bed as well as the previously released Chloe crib.

Please note, the canopies are addons, they do not come with the beds.

The baked on shading matches only with the Emma bed and Chloe crib.

All items come with a 20 color and 10 pattern HUD for mixing and matching and are materials enabled for extra prettiness.

Check them out in store:

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Solara/209/218/24

The adult version of the bed is demoable in the Adult skybox.

A recent windstorm has caused further damage to St. Matthew’s Anglican Church in Goulds, Newfoundland.

Built in 1913 and abandoned in the early 1960's, the church has fallen into disrepair on a number of occasions over the following years. Attempts are being made to restore and maintain the church, although this certainly appears to be a setback. Let's hope this great little church can be saved.

First it was Gimbels, then Joseph Horne, Kaufmann's and Candy-Rama. Now another iconic Pittsburgh retailer is preparing to fade from the scene.

After 93 years Downtown, Honus Wagner Co. sporting goods store plans to close its doors permanently within the next six weeks after a going-out-of-business sale.

Harriet Shapiro, who co-owns the store with her husband,

The Royal and three other Downtown PIttsburgh facades are slated to be deconstructed for a low-rise, setback amateur college theater that will take the properties off the tax rolls in the midst of a downtown office, residential, and restaurant boom. Supposedly, the delicate facades will be removed and hung on the walls of an underutilized and inaccessible courtyard.206

On my way to Chiricahua National Monument, I passed through the dying town of Bowie and this abandoned gas station caught my eye.

Alas, my photographic exploits have encountered a considerable setback. Someone stole my Nikon D810 last night in Tucson. Major bummer. Though I've had way too many unfortunate encounters with low-life thieves to count, I still believe that most people are much better than that. Though I wonder how it is that I run into so many of these scumbags. Oh well. Come Monday (why did it have to happen on a weekend?), I plan on ordering a new camera, sent overnight, to replace the 810. I really liked that camera, and it still only had about 18,000 shutter activations. Not sure if I'll purchase another 810, or go for the 850. In the past, every time someone stole my camera (or in one case, it simply gave up the ghost), I've always upgraded. It's tempting to do that here, but on the other hand, adjusting to a new camera while on vacation would be a bit of a pain. We'll see. One thing's for sure, I'm not letting that asshole ruin my vacation, or the pursuit of better photos.

3-frame panorama

"Amalfi is a town and commune in the province of Salerno, in the region of Campania, Italy, on the Gulf of Salerno. It lies at the mouth of a deep ravine, at the foot of Monte Cerreto (1,315 metres, 4,314 feet), surrounded by dramatic cliffs and coastal scenery. The town of Amalfi was the capital of the maritime republic known as the Duchy of Amalfi, an important trading power in the Mediterranean between 839 and around 1200.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Amalfi was a popular holiday destination for the British upper class and aristocracy.

Amalfi is the main town of the coast on which it is located, named Costiera Amalfitana (Amalfi Coast), and is today an important tourist destination together with other towns on the same coast, such as Positano, Ravello and others. Amalfi is included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

A patron saint of Amalfi is Saint Andrew, the Apostle, whose relics are kept here at Amalfi Cathedral (Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea/Duomo di Amalfi).

Amalfi held importance as a maritime power, trading grain from its neighbors, salt from Sardinia and slaves from the interior, and even timber, in exchange for the gold dinars minted in Egypt and Syria, in order to buy the Byzantine silks that it resold in the West. Grain-bearing Amalfi traders enjoyed privileged positions in the Islamic ports, Fernand Braudel notes. The Amalfi tables (Tavole Amalfitane) provided a maritime code that was widely used by the Christian port cities. Merchants of Amalfi were using gold coins to purchase land in the 9th century, while most of Italy worked in a barter economy. During the late 9th century, long-distance trade revived between Amalfi and Gaeta with Byzantine, the latter which benefited from a flourishing trade network with the Arabs.

An independent republic from the 7th century until 1073, Amalfi extracted itself from Byzantine vassalage in 839 and first elected a duke in 958; it rivaled Pisa and Genoa in its domestic prosperity and maritime importance before the rise of the Republic of Venice. In spite of some devastating setbacks it had a population of some 70,000 to 80,000 reaching a peak about the turn of the millennium, during the reign of Duke Manso (966–1004). Under his line of dukes, Amalfi remained independent, except for a brief period of Salernitan dependency under Guaimar IV.

In 1073, the republic fell to the Norman countship of Apulia, but was granted many rights. A prey to the Normans who encamped in the south of Italy, it became one of their principal posts. However, in 1131, it was reduced by Roger II of Sicily, who had been refused the keys to its citadel. The Holy Roman Emperor Lothair, fighting in favor of Pope Innocent II against Roger, who sided with the Antipope Anacletus, took him prisoner in 1133, assisted by forty-six Pisan ships. The Pisans, commercial rivals of the Amalfitani, sacked the city; Lothair claimed as part of the booty a copy of the Pandects of Justinian which was found there.

In 1135 and 1137, it was taken by the Pisans and rapidly declined in importance, though its maritime code, known as the Amalfian Laws, was recognized in the Mediterranean until 1570. A tsunami in 1343 destroyed the port and lower town, and Amalfi never recovered to anything more than local importance" (Wikipedia).

PLEASE, NO GRAPHICS, BADGES, OR AWARDS IN COMMENTS. They will be deleted.

Home to the Trump crime family

Four years can be spent doing many productive things. For example, I earned a DCS. That stands for Dominance Class Starfighter. The Reclamation has been reborn!

Tenitrious Sark stole the original Glave from Byron Lotton's family owned shipyard. It was a huge setback for Lotton Shipyards and Byron became obsessed with developing a new fighter just as good as the Glave. The first Reclamation was built and Byron wasted no time to start personally hunting Sark through the cosmos.

After many failed attempts, a well laid Turtle Mine sneak attack destroyed the Glave. At some point in the chaos of the attack, Sark was able to escape in his bubble cockpit run-about.

Byron thought he had won but Sark silently built a second Glave. The Glave II was on a totally new level of power and performance and with it, Sark attacked the Lotton Shipyards in a devastating display of dominance.

The Reclamation was destroyed and Byron was badly burned in the engulfing flames. His existence changed to one of bandages, pain and crazed hatred of Tenitrious Sark. He spent years in rehabilitation all the while hearing news about Sarks exploits with the Glave II which had somehow been upgraded even further since the attack on the shipyard. The time finally came to begin work on a new Reclamation but it would be a long four years before Byron could seek revenge on Tenitrious Sark.

HWW! Window reflection. Early morning in Mississauga, Ontario.

This is Links VTR, an orphaned joey. He was rescued near Link Road and then carried home on a Honda VTR, safely tucked into the hospital supervisor's bike jacket.

This photo was taken while Linksie was being lovingly cared for at home by his human foster Mum, Barb, before continuing his R&R at the hospital. Last year he also endured another mishap when he fell from a tree and dented his nose. These days though Linksie is a plump, happy and healthy little juvenile koala whose earlier setbacks are now far behind him!

Links is a favourite among we Koala Hospital paparazzi as you can see by all the Flickr photos tagged Links VTR. You can 'adopt' Linksie from the Koala Hospital website. Adoptions are a primary source of funding for the hospital to continue their critical work. They receive no government funding.

I didn't take this photo -- it's a scan of a printed snapshot, so it was originally very flat and dark. I cleaned it up in Picasa and then "ortonized" it by following these instructions.

Built in 1927, this Gothic Revival-style building was designed by George R. Mann, Eugene Stern, John Almand, George Wittenberg, and Lawson Delony to serve as the Central High School for the city of Little Rock, Arkansas. The building features a buff brick exterior with stone trim, double-hung windows, a massing that tapers with setbacks towards the roofline of the central tower, which features decorative Gothic tracery and Romanesque elements, a projected front entrance bay above a large front terrace flanked by stairways, which features stucco cladding, decorative statues, and decorative reliefs, a loggia at the front face of the terrace with five arched openings that rest on decorative columns, a large auditorium/gymnaisum wing to the rear of the main entrance, classroom wings that project to the southeast and northeast of the main wing, enclosing a garden in front of the building with a reflecting pool, trees, a grassy lawn, concrete walkways, and ornamental plantings, a modern gymnasium addition to the north of the original gymnasium wing, and a stadium to the west of the building. The building is significant for being the site of the 1957-1958 Little Rock Desegregation Crisis, where the National Guard had to enforce court-mandated desegregation of the high school, with nine Black students from Dunbar High School being selected to attend the school for the 1957-1958 school year, leading to riots and demonstrations outside the school that got violent, as well as other racially-motivated violence and activism in the area. The school was successfully integrated with the assistance federally-deployed National Guard Troops, whom defended the Black students, despite the opposition of the white community in Little Rock, as well as the then-governor of Arkansas. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977, was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1982, and was made a National Historic Site in 1998. The building is also a contributing structure in the Central High School Neighborhood Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. Today, the building remains in use as a public high school, with a museum located in the nearby visitor center that is dedicated to the interpretation of the events of the 1957-1958 Little Rock Desegregation Crisis.

Irlanda - Cong - Castillo de Ashford

www.ashfordcastle.com

ENGLISH:

Ashford Castle is a medieval castle that has been expanded over the centuries and turned into a five star luxury hotel near Cong on the Mayo-Galway border, on the shore of Lough Corrib in Ireland. It is a member of the Leading Hotels of the World organisation and was previously owned by the Guinness family.

A castle was built on the perimeter of a Monastic site in 1228 by the Anglo-Norman House of Burke. After more than three-and-a-half centuries under the de Burgos, whose surname became Burke or Bourke, Ashford passed into the hands of a new master, following a fierce battle between the forces of the de Burgos and those of the English official Sir Richard Bingham, Lord President of Connaught, when a truce was agreed. In 1589, the castle fell to Bingham, who added a fortified enclave within its precincts. Dominick Browne, of the Browne Family (Baron Oranmore) received the estate in a Royal Grant in either 1670 or 1678. In 1715, the estate of Ashford was established by the Browne family and a hunting lodge in the style of a 17th-century French chateau was constructed. The double-headed eagles still visible on the roof represent the coat of arms of the Brownes. In the late 18th-century a branch of the family inhabited the castle. In the early 19th-century, one Thomas Elwood was agent for the Brownes at Ashford and was recorded as living there in 1814.

The estate was purchased in 1852 by Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness from the Encumbered Estates' Court. He added two large Victorian style extensions. He also extended the estate to 26,000 acres (110 km2), built new roads and planted thousands of trees. The castle was drawn for Sir William Wilde's book about County Galway. On Benjamin's death in 1868, the estate passed to his son Lord Ardilaun, who expanded the building further in the neogothic style. Lord Ardilaun was an avid gardener who oversaw the development of massive woodlands and rebuilt the entire west wing of the castle, designed by architects James Franklin Fuller and George Ashlin. The new construction connected the early 18th-century part in the east with two de-Burgo-time towers in the west. Battlements were added to the whole castle. He also subsidised the operation of several steamboats, the most notable of which was the Lady Eglinton, which plied between the villages of the Upper Lough Corrib region and Galway City, thus opening the area to increased commerce. In a time of agitation by tenant farmers in the Land Wars of the late 19th century, epitomised by the action of tenants at nearby Lough Mask House (home of Captain Charles Boycott), he was considered by many to be an 'improving' landlord. Some of his efforts were unsuccessful, particularly the Cong Canal, also known as 'the Dry Canal', which was built to link Lough Mask and Lough Corrib but was a failure, due to its inability to hold water. Despite such setbacks, the love borne by him and his wife Olive, daughter of the 3rd Earl of Bantry, for the castle and the estate was deep and best epitomised by the fact that when he was ennobled in 1880 he derived his title from the island of Ardilaun, which formed part of the estate on Lough Corrib.

The Castle passed to Ardilaun's nephew Ernest Guinness. It was gifted to the Irish government in 1939. Noel Huggard opened the estate as a hotel, which became renowned for the provision of its country pursuits, such as angling and shooting. Noel Huggard's parents had been in the hotel business in Waterville, County Kerry, since 1910 and his grand daughters, Louise and Paula, run The Butler Arms Hotel there to this day

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ESPAÑOL:

El Castillo de Ashford (Ashford Castle en inglés) es un castillo medieval situado cerca de Cong, Condado de Mayo, Irlanda. El castillo se encuentra a orillas del lago Corrib. Fue construido en el siglo XIII por la familia anglonormanda De Burgos tras derrotar a los O'Connors de Connaught.

En 1852 fue reconstruido y ampliado por Benjamin Guinness, y su hijo Arthur tomó su título de una isla del lago. La familia Guinness vendió el castillo en 1945.

El castillo es actualmente un hotel de cinco estrellas. Una embarcación que sale del castillo ofrece paseos por el lago Corrib. La película de 1952, The Quiet Man, fue rodada en Ashford, apareciendo en ella muchas partes del castillo y de la vecina localidad de Cong.

Cualquier excusa es buena para volver a Sarracín, localidad en cuya desaparecida estación se encuentra unos de mis puntos favoritos del Ferrocarril Directo Madrid-Burgos. En esta ocasión, el pretexto era fotografiar este tren a cargo de una Bitrac con los colores de Captrain, un objetivo personal que, por diferentes razones, parecía condenado al fracaso. Este día, no solo conseguí lo que buscaba sino que el tren hizo su aparición apenas cinco minutos después de mi llegada a Sarracín, algo excepcional porque en esta línea ya estoy acostumbrado a las largas esperas que rara vez bajan de los sesenta o setenta minutos. El tren estaba circulando a tan buena velocidad que la siguiente foto también la hice tras una breve espera de unos pocos minutos, una circunstancia que te produce una enorme alegría pero también cierta preocupación porque sabes que con algún contratiempo en la carretera habrías llegado al punto más tarde que el tren.

Any excuse is a good one to return to Sarracín, a town whose now defunct station is home to one of my favorite points on the Madrid-Burgos Direct Railway. On this occasion, the pretext was to photograph this train driven by a Bitrac with the colors of Captrain, a personal goal that, for various reasons, seemed doomed to failure. This day, not only did I get what I was looking for, but the train made its appearance just five minutes after my arrival in Sarracín, something exceptional because on this line I am already used to long waits that are rarely less than sixty or seventy minutes. The train was traveling at such a good speed that the following photo was also taken after a brief wait of a few minutes, a circumstance that gives you great joy but also some concern because you know that with some setback on the road you would have reached the point late than the train.

C'mon guys, there's enough for all of us!

Thank you for all your visits my friends! I appreciate you all for stopping by and viewing my photos and commenting on them once in a while. I know I love admiring all of your great captures. It brings me great pleasure to see the marvelous work you all do. Unfortunately, I will not be doing much birding or zoom photography anytime soon as I had a major setback. I had an unfortunate incident with my tripod and broke my big glass lens. Ouch! That hurts. Many blessings to all of you. Keep up the great and amazing captures as I will be here to root you on. Cheers... Juan Carlos

(Gene observes): Phineas had soaked & brushed his hair for the occasion. This gave his head a sleek look, which was contradicted by the surprised, honest expression (that) he wore on his face. His ears, I had never noticed before, were fairly small & set close to his head, & combined with his plastered hair they now gave his bold nose & cheekbones the sharp look of a prow.

~ John Knowles, "A Separate Peace," p. 26.

Click on "All Sizes" to take in Phineas's countenance, as he stands by his dear friend, Gene. Setbacks, impairments--vision or otherwise, cannot detract from his inherent value & essential goodness. Please visit HorseNet Horse rescue:

www.horsenethorserescue.org/

The red of the Tricolore (fraternite) frames this capture--& underlies the theme running through the brief series on Gene, Phineas, & "A Separate Peace." Kieslowski's extraordinary meditation (Trilogie: Bleu, Blanc, Rouge) throws into broad relief the vast interconnectedness of all life--& the sometimes tragic circumstances of shared experience (A Separate Peace). Fraternite: All sentient life has inherent value & is interconnected.