There's no specific blog post for this photograph: it's just something I had a great time making.

Thanks so much to Geryn Sloane for giving me a tour of her shop, and for a great conversation.

Credits:

Body: Maitreya

Head: Catwa, Lona

Feet: SLink Pointe

Eyes: Mesange, Sanford Eyes

Ears: Lumae, Leevi Long Ears

Skin: Lumae, Ella (Catwa Applier)

Hair: Analog Dog (natch!), Onus (Available NOW at The Epiphany!) -- this is the exclusive you can buy with points after you've turned in your un-needed gachas!

Wings: Fable Workshop

Bracelets: The Plastik, The Aeliora Cuffs (Available NOW at The Season’s Story!)

Dress & Leg Ribbons: G Sloane / The Seamstress, Enchanted

Shoes: ChicChica, Fairy Pointes

Photo Backdrop: Inspire Pose, Studio Street RARE

Mark Wright has been full of mojo lately building huge fleets of Futuron style craft from age-specific parts. One of them, the CS Utility Shuttle reallyMark Wright has been full of mojo lately building huge fleets of Futuron style craft from age-specific parts. One of them, the CS Utility Shuttle really caught my eye with its combo of cool engines and ATV body.

I couldn't resist having a go at a redux build with more modern parts (and a custom screen) and with his permission here's the result.

Thanks Mark!

One of Union Pacific's memorable slogans adorns a 40 ft. box car in Provo, Utah on March 30, 1977.

A lockdown is a restriction policy for people or community to stay where they are, usually due to specific risks to themselves or to others if they can move and interact freely. The term "stay-at-home" or "shelter-in-place" is often used for lockdowns that affect an area, rather than specific locations.

The term is used for a prison protocol that usually prevents people, information or objects from leaving an area. The protocol can usually only be initiated by someone in a position of authority.

A lockdown can also be used to protect people inside a facility or, for example, a computing system, from a threat or other external event. In buildings doors leading outside are usually locked so that no person may enter or exit. A full lockdown usually means that people must stay where they are and may not enter or exit a building or rooms within it, needing to go to the nearest place designated safe if not already in such a place.

The first lockdown implemented during COVID-19 as a preventive measure was in Wuhan in January 2020.

A preventive lockdown is a preemptive action plan implemented to address an unusual scenario or a weakness in system to preempt any danger to ensure the safety and security of people, organisation and system. The focus for preventive actions is to avoid dangers and risks arising from the nonconformances to the normal circumstances, but also commonly includes improvements in efficiency.

Preventive lockdowns are preemptive lockdowns to mitigate risk. Most organisations plan for the emergency lockdowns but fail to plan for other situations that might quickly degrade to dangerous levels. These protocols must be based on the type of threat, and should be kept simple and short for quick learning and implementation, and flexible enough to handle several scenarios. This allows administrators more options to choose from which are easier to use in various scenarios. For example, in case of a loud scene by a parent or an unarmed petty thief being chased by the police through the school playground, this flexible procedure allows school administrators the flexibility to implement a more limited lockdown while teaching in school continues, thus eliminating need for complete emergency lockdown, disruption and delays in resumption of teaching, etc. The consequences of not having procedures to implement such lockdowns is that the situation might quickly escalate where there could be loss of human lives.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the term lockdown was used for actions related to mass quarantines or stay-at-home orders. The first lockdown during the pandemic was implemented in Wuhan on January 23, 2020. By early April 2020, 3.9 billion people worldwide were under some form of lockdown—more than half the world's population. By late April, around 300 million people were under lockdown in nations of Europe, while around 200 million people were under lockdown in Latin America. Nearly 300 million people, or about 90 per cent of the population, were under some form of lockdown in the United States, and 1.3 billion people have been under lockdown in India.

The lockdown in the Philippines started on 14 March 2020 and is one of the longest and strictest lockdowns with varying levels of community quarantine being imposed on all major islands and cities. Similarly the lockdown in South Africa started on 27 March 2020 and progressed through various levels. It is also one of the strictest lockdowns in the world with cigarettes and alcohol banned throughout.

so - i'm not the kind of person who stops and asks a total stranger if i can take their photo, but i passed this boy bridling up his horse and it haunted me for the next 1/2 mile as i drove. i turned around and went back and tried not to freak him out by asking to take his picture with his horse. a total stranger. wanting him to do specific things with his horse (like rest his head on her neck). he wrote after and was just the coolest kid. SO glad i stopped. you'll probably see more of him.

This stunning image by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope features the spiral galaxy NGC 5643 in the constellation of Lupus (The Wolf). Looking this good isn’t easy; thirty different exposures, for a total of 9 hours observation time, together with the high resolution and clarity of Hubble, were needed to produce an image of such high level of detail and of beauty.

NGC 5643 is about 60 million light-years away from Earth and has been the host of a recent supernova event (not visible in this latest image). This supernova (2017cbv) was a specific type in which a white dwarf steals so much mass from a companion star that it becomes unstable and explodes. The explosion releases significant amounts of energy and lights up that part of the galaxy.

The observation was proposed by Adam Riess, who was awarded a Nobel Laureate in physics 2011 for his contributions to the discovery of the accelerating expansion of the Universe, alongside Saul Perlmutter and Brian Schmidt.

Credits: ESA/Hubble & NASA, A. Riess et al.; CC BY 4.0; Acknowledgement: Mahdi Zamani

Becoming Marni is a site-specific installation conceived as the concluding act of the whole Marni Prisma program. It consists of one hundred wooden sculptures created by Brazilian self-taught artist Véio, distributed around the cloister and inside the rooms of the Abbey, drawing an ideal landscape of organic forms. The sculptures are installed in different groups, indoors and outdoors, their presence marked by a tactile path, the color of Venice’s water, drawn on the floor: an irregular surface with translucent spots, creating continuity between the outside and the inside. A small cabinet in the cloister housed Véio’s workshop, enabling him to create artworks on site. Furthermore, as the San Gregorio Abbey is usually closed to the public, this exhibition presented an opportunity to enjoy a unique space.

Consuelo and Carolina Castiglioni discovered Véio at a collective exhibition in Paris. Through Galeria Estação, which exclusively represents him, they entered in contact with him and Carolina tracked him down to Nossa Senhora da Gloria, the small village in the north East of Brazil where he lives and works. Here Véio creates his enigmatic sculptures by giving new life to pieces of wood, clogs and branches he finds along the river. He immediately identifies a being in each piece – an animal, a resting human, a fantastic bird. By a process of artistic transformation – clipping, shaving, adding a final layer of color – he makes the same beings visible to the public, removing them from the raw material and thereby restoring to the wood a meaning that exceeds pure physicality.

This is the complete album of the photos of my visit. --- --- --- www.flickr.com/photos/136891509@N07/albums/72157661202999340

Flawless is a site-specific installation based on the brightness of nature. The installation encourages visitors to capture the movement of shedding leaves and its reflection, inviting the contemplation of a natural environment that connects water and wind. The natural process of photosynthesis is essential for life in every city. Flawless interprets this phenomenon with a magical chemistry concept called photoluminescence; during the day, the pigments of the leaves absorb energy from the sunlight, giving them a bright green glowing colour at night. In this way, the installation is self-sufficient and self-illuminated.

© Leslie Hui. All rights reserved.

The specific origin of the Generals of the Ulla cannot be assured with certainty, but, due to the common characteristics of these masquerades, it is necessary to look for it in the different armed confrontations that occurred in the region throughout the 19th century: first the fight against the French invasion and, later, the revolution of 1846, which ended with the battle of Cacheiras, with the troops of each of the sides crossing the spaces in which this carnival is kept alive today. The different Carlist wars that took place in Spain during the nineteenth century would undoubtedly help create a collective astonishment that led to their ridicule.

Joé Juneau: Team Canada's 1992 Olympic Star

This image captures Canadian ice hockey player Joé Juneau in his iconic Team Canada uniform, wearing jersey number 9. This specific jersey style, featuring the large maple leaf crest, was worn by the Canadian National Men's Hockey Team during the early 1990s, most notably at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. This specific photograph is an autographed piece of memorabilia, commemorating his time as an Olympic hero.

Juneau postponed his professional NHL career to represent his country, a decision that proved historic. At the 1992 Games, he was the standout player, leading the entire tournament in points with six goals and nine assists in just eight games. His exceptional play was a key factor in Canada winning a silver medal, the nation's first Olympic hockey medal in 24 years.

Player Profile

Full Name: Joseph "Joé" Juneau

Position: Centre

Nationality: Canadian

Olympic Achievement: Silver Medal (1992 Winter Olympics)

Notable Career Fact: In his rookie NHL season immediately following the Olympics, Juneau set an NHL record for assists by a left winger and amassed an incredible 102 points with the Boston Bruins. He earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, known for balancing high academics with elite athletics.

LINK to video - 1992 Gold Medal Hockey Game - Canada vs Unified Team Albertville winter Olympics - www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjDV8fGWQ5c

LINK to video - Great Canadians: Joé Juneau - www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_x9tBqL1eQ

Joé Juneau played a total of 78 games for Team Canada (including exhibition and Olympic tournament play) across the years 1989 to 1992. He famously led Canada to a silver medal at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, where he was the tournament's leading scorer.

1989/90 - 3 games

1990/91 - 7 games

1991/92 - 60 games

1992 - Winter Olympics - 8 games

The uniform he is wearing is not from the 1992 Winter Olympics Games - Does anybody know where and when this photo was taken? And what the advertisement on the boards says - BE / ANT / BRA ?

Joé Juneau was an ice hockey star. In 1991, the native of Pont-Rouge, Quebec postponed a confirmed trip to the National Hockey League so he could play on Canada’s national team. Clutching a new degree in aeronautical engineering, Juneau suited up for Team Canada and his impact was immediate. In 60 exhibition games, Juneau scored 69 points – but only a prelude to the Olympic tournament in 1992. At the Olympic Winter Games that year in Albertville, France, Juneau led a team composed of amateur players. Canada won a silver medal and not only did Juneau lead the team in points, he led the entire tournament. In eight games, the centre had six goals and nine assists for 15 points. LINK - develop.olympic.ca/2009/09/10/all-about-joe-juneau/

In the NHL, Juneau carved a memorable career. In his rookie season of 1992-1993, Juneau scored 102 points as a member of the Boston Bruins. His professional hockey career took him through Washington, Buffalo, Ottawa, Phoenix and Montreal. Juneau played in the Stanley Cup final twice, in 1998 with Washington and in 1999 with Buffalo. Upon retiring in 2004, Juneau had amassed 156 goals and 572 points in 828 career games.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

At the 1992 Olympic Winter Games in Albertville, France, Juneau led a team composed of amateur players.Canada won a silver medal and not only did Juneau lead the team in points, he led the entire tournament – in eight games, the centre had six goals and nine assists for 15 points.

In his NHL rookie season of 1992-1993, Juneau scored 102 points as a member of the Boston Bruins.

His professional hockey career took him through Washington, Buffalo, Ottawa, Phoenix and Montreal. Juneau played in the Stanley Cup final twice, in 1998 with Washington and in 1999 with Buffalo.

Upon retiring in 2004, Juneau had amassed 156 goals and 572 points in 828 career games.

This was a strange morning last winter when it was quite a dull snowy day but the sky seem to come alive with colour.

You do not have the right to copy, reproduce or download my images without my specific permission, doing so is a direct breach of my copyright.

Specific instruction

I am posting this for my friend Emily in Indiana, PA who is the Project Manager & Conservation Planner for Working Lands for Wildlife. Her specific tasks are to work with the landowners in PA to create wildlife habitat conducive for the breeding of Golden-winged Warblers.

These birds are very close to Endangered status and need all of our help...same goes for the Cerulean Warbler as well.

Both birds are species of special concern to the American Bird Conservancy who has been supporting Emily's work and the work of Dr. Jeffrey Larkin of the University of Indiana Pennsylvania for the past 4 or 5 years .

Dr. Larkin and his students and graduate students have been woking in the field for years studying the GWWA regarding habit preferences for nesting, nesting materials, preferred altitude above sea level, types of trees and shrubs in areas they prefer, what they like to eat, etc.

Their research and findings have been most valuable to the scientific community.

I encourage everyone to join and support the American Bird Conservancy----

www.abcbirds.org/

This photo may also appear in future ABC publications.

A really awesome Architecture to be seen in Rothenburg, Germany.

Becoming Marni is a site-specific installation conceived as the concluding act of the whole Marni Prisma program. It consists of one hundred wooden sculptures created by Brazilian self-taught artist Véio, distributed around the cloister and inside the rooms of the Abbey, drawing an ideal landscape of organic forms. The sculptures are installed in different groups, indoors and outdoors, their presence marked by a tactile path, the color of Venice’s water, drawn on the floor: an irregular surface with translucent spots, creating continuity between the outside and the inside. A small cabinet in the cloister housed Véio’s workshop, enabling him to create artworks on site. Furthermore, as the San Gregorio Abbey is usually closed to the public, this exhibition presented an opportunity to enjoy a unique space.

Consuelo and Carolina Castiglioni discovered Véio at a collective exhibition in Paris. Through Galeria Estação, which exclusively represents him, they entered in contact with him and Carolina tracked him down to Nossa Senhora da Gloria, the small village in the north East of Brazil where he lives and works. Here Véio creates his enigmatic sculptures by giving new life to pieces of wood, clogs and branches he finds along the river. He immediately identifies a being in each piece – an animal, a resting human, a fantastic bird. By a process of artistic transformation – clipping, shaving, adding a final layer of color – he makes the same beings visible to the public, removing them from the raw material and thereby restoring to the wood a meaning that exceeds pure physicality.

This is the complete album of the photos of my visit. --- --- --- www.flickr.com/photos/136891509@N07/albums/72157661202999340

The red-eyed tree frog, Agalychnis callididryas is an arboreal hyoid native to neotropical rain forests where it ranges from Mexico through Central America to Colombia. It is sometimes kept in captivity - as this little chap is. The specific name of the the red-eyed tree frog A.callidryas comes from Greek words kalos (beautiful) and dryas (a tree or wood nymph)

Wikipedia.

Specific intensity is the radiance of a surface per unit frequency or wavelength.

The conservation of specific intensity has two important consequences:

1. Brightness is independent of distance. Thus the camera setting for a good exposure of the Sun would be the same, regardless of whether the photograph was taken close to the Sun (from near Venus, for example) or far away from the Sun (from near Mars, for example), so long as the Sun is resolved in the photograph.

2. Brightness is the same at the source and at the detector. Thus you can think of brightness in terms of energy flowing out of the source or as energy flowing into the detector

Captured on the Most Legii Bridge.

A summer memory from Prague. This was taken on my trusted Praktica LTL3 during a walk along the Vltava. There’s a specific timelessness that Ilford XP2 brings to a portrait, especially when paired with the vintage character of the Pentacon 50mm. She is my constant muse in a city that never gets old.

Camera: Praktica LTL3

Lens: Pentacon auto 1.8/50

Film: Ilford XP2

I have a brand new camera! the D3100 to be specific

Hopefully I'm able to get out of the house and play around with it soon.

An airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) system is an airborne radar early warning system designed to detect aircraft, ships, vehicles, missiles and other incoming projectiles at long ranges, as well as performing command and control of the battlespace in aerial engagements by informing and directing friendly fighter and attack aircraft. AEW&C units are also used to carry out aerial surveillance over ground and maritime targets, and frequently perform battle management command and control (BMC2). When used at altitude, the radar system on AEW&C aircraft allows the operators to detect, track and prioritize targets and identify friendly aircraft from hostile ones in real-time and from much farther away than ground-based radars.[1] Like ground-based radars, AEW&C systems can be detected and targeted by opposing forces, but due to aircraft mobility and extended sensor range, they are much less vulnerable to counter-attacks than ground systems.[2]

AEW&C aircraft are used for both defensive and offensive air operations, and serve air forces in the same role as what the combat information center is to naval warships, in addition to being a highly mobile and powerful radar platform. So useful and advantageous is it to have such aircraft operating at a high altitude, that some navies also operate AEW&C aircraft for their warships at sea, either coastal- or carrier-based and on both fixed-wing and rotary-wing platforms. In the case of the United States Navy, the Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye AEW&C aircraft is assigned to its supercarriers to protect them and augment their onboard command information centers (CICs). The designation "airborne early warning" (AEW) was used for earlier similar aircraft used in the less-demanding radar picket role,[3] such as the Fairey Gannet AEW.3 and Lockheed EC-121 Warning Star, and continues to be used by the RAF for its Sentry AEW1, while AEW&C (airborne early warning and control) emphasizes the command and control capabilities that may not be present on smaller or simpler radar picket aircraft. AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) is the name of the specific system installed in the American Boeing E-3 Sentry and Japanese Boeing E-767 AEW&C airframes, but is often used as a general synonym for AEW&C.[4][5]

General characteristics

Wellington Ic "Air Controlled Interception" showing rotating radar antenna

Modern AEW&C systems can detect aircraft from up to 400 km (220 nmi) away, well out of range of most surface-to-air missiles (SAM). One AEW&C aircraft flying at 9,000 m (30,000 ft) can cover an area of 312,000 km2 (120,000 sq mi). Three such aircraft in overlapping orbits can cover the whole of Central Europe.[6] AEW&C system indicates close and far proximity range on threats and targets, help extend the range of their sensors, and make offensive aircraft harder to track by avoiding the need for them to keep their own radar active, which the enemy can detect. Systems also communicate with friendly aircraft, vectoring fighters towards hostile aircraft or any unidentified flying object (UFO).

In the 19th century, specific buildings for entertainment appeared in many cities, including stone circuses. Ghent also joined this international trend. In 1894, the so-called "Nieuw Cirkus" was built, designed by architect Emile De Weerdt .and was eventually inaugurated as a stone circus, where numerous companies gave performances, also during the winter.

Shortly after World War II, the Winter Circus was transformed into Ghislain Mahy's garage. In this transformation, the entire circus interior was lost. In its place came a completely new concrete structure with an elaborate system of ramps that allowed cars to drive all the way to the top. In 1978, the garage closed its doors and the building continued to serve as a depot for vintage cars for two more decades. After that, the building stood virtually empty.

n order of the City, sogent purchased the historically valuable building in 2005 with the intention of renovating and repurposing it with respect for its rich heritage value.

I rarely go out with the specific goal of shooting the hind end of a train. While locomotives have always been the primary focus of railroad photographers since the earliest days of the genre at least a couple generations ago the rear ends were nearly as interesting. Until the mid 1980s every freight train was punctuated by a caboose each dressed in the unique colors and style of the owning road, of which there were far more in the pre mega-merger era. Go back a generation or two further than that to the pre Amtrak era and the rear end of passenger trains were just as interesting often brought up by observation cars of varied styles and colors and frequently adorned with neon logos or stylish nameplates befitting the status of the train.

Alas those days have been relegated to the history books and if you want to photograph a caboose rolling you have to visit a heritage railroad or participate in a photo freight reenactment. Similarly you won't find an observation car on any modern Amtrak trains so unless you want to travel north to see VIA's classic Canadian, you have to visit a museum or be lucky enough to catch a private car or executive train out on the line.

However in recent years the New Jersey based United Railroad Historical Society has begun running regular excursions along the Hudson River (and even a few as far as Chicago!) with their trio of original New York Central Railroad cars that they add to regularly scheduled Amtrak trains.

Bringing up the rear of Amtrak train 233 (Empire Service from New York Penn Station to Albany-Rensselaer) are NYC tavern-lounge number 43 (Budd built 1947), Pullman bedroom lounge 'Swift Stream' (Budd 1949), and observation lounge car 'Hickory Creek' built by Pullman-Standard for the 1948 refit of the flagship 20th Century Limited.

All three cars would have regularly traveled these rails on their original trains, though originating at Penn Station instead of Grand Central would seem blasphemous to those old Central men! The Hickory Creek resplendent in her Henry Dreyfuss designed two toned grey livery splits the Central era small target GRS type SA signals as she sails north up Main1 at MP 99 on modern day Amtrak's Hudson Line which opened between New York and Albany in 1851 as the Hudson River Railroad.

In 1864 the road was purchased by Cornelius Vanderbilt along with the New York and Harlem. Meanwhile in 1853 Erastus Corning had assembled a plethora of small local lines as the New York Central Railroad running from Albany to Buffalo and in 1867 Vanderbilt merged it with his road to create the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad and the rest as they say is history. The line passed from the NYC, to Penn Central, Conrail, and ultimately CSXT until December 2012 when Amtrak took over control and dispatching of the line from Poughkeepsie to Hoffmans (where it joins the busy Mohawk Subdivision) under a long term lease agreement with CSXT.

As for these trips check out this website to learn more about what the URHS offers:

www.hudsonriverrail.com/experiences

And for an in depth history of each of these three cars check out these links:

www.urhs.org/hickorycreek

www.urhs.org/swiftstream

www.urhs.org/rolling-stock#/nyc43

Tivoli, New York

Saturday October 26, 2024

Projetos Escalares

PASSAGEM - Site Specific - SESC de Presidente Prudente - 2016

Galhos secos, cimento, terra e grama, 3 x 5 x 18 metros.

Márcio Diegues

Foto de Thiago Ferri.

Eyelash Viper

Bothriechis schlegelii, known commonly as the Eyelash Viper, is a species of venomous pit viper in the family Viperidae. The species is native to Central and South America. Small and arboreal, this species is characterized by a wide array of color variations, as well as the superciliary scales above the eyes. It is the most common of the green palm-pit vipers (genus Bothriechis) and is often present in zoological exhibits. The specific name schlegelii honors Hermann Schlegel, who was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.

The Eyelash Viper is a relatively small species of pit viper, with adults ranging from 22–32 inches long, and females being longer and more variable in size than males, which can grow to 27 inches long. It has a wide, triangular-shaped head, and eyes with vertical pupils. Like all pit vipers, it is solenoglyphous, having large, hypodermic needle-like fangs in the front of the upper jaw that fold back when not in use, and has heat sensitive organs, or pits, located on either side of the head between the eye and nostril.

For more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bothriechis_schlegelii

Another shot of one of the cute & small Lasioglossum species bees that I found on ragwort recently. (For a shot showing more detail of the whole bee, see

www.flickr.com/photos/pogspix/20895158664.

I'd love more specific species information if anyone can help.) I'm amazed at how big and complicated-looking bees' mouthparts are. I'm not sure if this one was feeding, drinking, or cleaning its mouthparts (you can see the mouthparts all extended out, and a large drop of water under its `chin').

Another shot taken on the waste ground opposite the Millhouse in Stewarton.

more views of the non-specific East-Asian coastal city

Because this project required a very specific type of light, I had to shoot over two evenings with similar conditions. It was also imperative to work quickly in the fading light and to alter my settings for outcome rather than the conditions.

A snowflake that doesn’t know what it wants to be! This intriguing snowflake has a shape that is battling between branches and a solid plate shape, and you can clearly see where the lines of battle have been drawn. View large!

As you’ve seen so far in this series, the tiniest snowflakes always have a way of being enigmatic and interesting. Maybe it’s the lack of complexity that allows us to focus on specific features, or maybe it’s that smaller snowflakes contain smaller details that we can more easily see and be curious about. In this case, there’s a mystery to solve!

The upper-right-most branch holds the story of the branching while the lower-left tells us how the crystal stays as a plate. In the former, we can identify a crystal split. The snowflake divides itself into two new planes when a cavity forms in the ice, a very common occurrence. What’s odd here is that the bottom plate grows the branch at the tip, but the rest of the bottom plate falls behind the top plate in growth. This might be a case where the knife-edge instability comes into play.

I don’t fully understand the physics (I’m a geeky photographer, not a physicist), but when a snowflake is incredibly thin, the growth can accelerate. If the bubble/cavity that cut the snowflake in half changed its thickness just at the tip, it could propel the tip into a branch-like growth without causing the same rapid growth to the rest of the crystal facets. It’s unusual, but not the first time I’ve seen it – something must behave slightly differently at the corner to evoke this behaviour.

On the other side of the snowflake, we see a very solid hexagonal shape, but the ghosts of branches are hidden closer to the center. How does this happen? Again, I’m not entirely sure. I love these mysteries! I believe the best explanation would be this: As the branches began to form, the growth of the top plate was keeping pace, likely due to the direction that the snowflake was falling. The same physics that made the branch grow faster than the edges of the underside are at play, but with more water vapour building up the top plate, it kept pace with the branching, and eventually overpowered it. As soon as any one plane of growth as the advantage of growing farther out, it chokes out the growth of the competition.

Again, my ideas are just the theories of a man who has studied snowflake growth for the fun of it, and has witnessed many thousands of these crystals to see how they grow. It’s open to interpretation – and I welcome yours!

For more musings on snowflakes and the most detailed photographic tutorial on the subject you’ll ever see, consider a copy of Sky Crystals: www.skycrystals.ca/book/ - it’s a great winter companion for any photographer or naturalist. Winter can be more tolerable when you ponder the mysteries in a single snowflake.

I did a couple sketches, and the guy wanted a wildstyle graffiti piece, I was like you sure, dude was like yeah, do your thang, So, I did a color scheme and wanted midnight dark blue for the background, the idea was going for a blue print background, dude came back after I already made the paint order with, yeah a couple people arent feeling the wall color being that dark....pause...I was like okay go with what you want i guess...so, there goes the concept and the color scheme, commission jobs...yuuup!

.Tape.

Landon Everhart (WW): Mrs. Braithwaite, thank you for joining us today. To begin, what prompted your decision to run for a position on the Hogwarts Board of Governors?

Cecily Braithwaite (CB): It's a pleasure to speak with Witch Weekly. My decision to pursue a seat on the Board of Governors at Hogwarts stems from my lifelong commitment to magical scholarship and education. Hogwarts holds a special place in my heart—it's where my own magical journey began. I believe I have a wealth of experience and insights that could contribute significantly to shaping the future of this esteemed institution.

Landon Everhart: Your accomplishments in the field of magical scholarship are indeed extensive. How do you envision Hogwarts evolving under your guidance?

Cecily Braithwaite: Hogwarts is a beacon of magical learning, and I envision it continuing to uphold its tradition of excellence while embracing innovation. I believe in fostering an environment that encourages not just rote learning, but also critical thinking, exploration, and the study of ancient magical practices. My vision is to enrich the curriculum with a broader spectrum of magical studies, ensuring that Hogwarts prepares students for the complexities of the modern wizarding world.

Landon Everhart: Could you elaborate on the specific changes or additions you hope to implement within Hogwarts' curriculum?

Cecily Braithwaite: Certainly. I aim to advocate for the integration of more in-depth studies into ancient magical civilizations, arcane magical theory, and esoteric magical practices. These areas hold immense potential to broaden students' perspectives and deepen their understanding of magic's origins and complexities. Additionally, I believe in promoting interdisciplinary studies that bridge traditional magical subjects with real-world applications.

Landon Everhart: What sets you apart from the other candidates vying for a position on the Board of Governors?

Cecily Braithwaite: My lifelong dedication to magical scholarship, my extensive experience in advising magical institutions, and my commitment to nurturing the next generation of witches and wizards distinguish me. I bring not only a depth of knowledge but also a passion for fostering an inclusive and forward-thinking educational environment.

Landon Everhart: As an influential figure in the magical community, how do you plan to balance your scholarly pursuits with your role on the Board of Governors, if elected?

Cecily Braithwaite: My scholarly pursuits have always been intertwined with my dedication to education. If elected, I intend to continue my research endeavors while ensuring that my insights and experiences benefit Hogwarts. I believe my scholarly work will further enrich the educational landscape at Hogwarts, contributing to a more dynamic and comprehensive curriculum.

Landon Everhart: Thank you, Mrs. Braithwaite, for sharing your vision and insights. We wish you the best in the upcoming election for the Board of Governors.

Cecily Braithwaite: Thank you for the opportunity to discuss my aspirations for Hogwarts. I am truly honored, and I hope to serve Hogwarts and the magical community with dedication and wisdom.

I recently purchased John Wick part 2 and as a fan of this franchise i wanted to make a small series based on scenes from both movies. Some will not be in a specific order of events...

When the alarm went off at 4:30 AM a couple of weeks ago, I gritted my teeth and told myself, yet again, that a 95% burn forecast on Skyfire doesn't come along every day. I had also checked the satellite the night before and I knew there was a decent chance of some color down in Laguna, but I had been shut out PLENTY of times down there before. I can't begin to count the number of times over the past couple of years where I made the drive based on a Skyfire forecast only to show up and have the sun duck behind some clouds right at game time, or worse...have the clouds disappear altogether.

So when I groggily pulled up at Heisler Park at 5 AM, I wasn't sure what to expect. I was further unnerved by the fact that I was here on a Sunday morning and it looked like I was the only photographer who showed up. I started to set up my tripod, but one of the legs locked up and I had to improvise by hanging the stupid thing over a railing. Muttering to myself like a deranged homeless guy, I fought with the tripod and shivered as the wind had picked up substantially. "Bah!", I thought to myself. "I came all the way down here for what, exactly?"

And then I looked up. And smiled. The sky definitely began to glow early, and I really thought it was going to blow up in a big way. But just as the clouds really began to glow, the sun went behind another cloud beyond the horizon, and it looked like the show was over. Grimacing a bit, I folded up my broken tripod and headed back to the car, bummed that the sunrise fizzled out, but glad to be going home with at least a couple of shots. Just out of curiosity, I thought I should head up North a bit to Shaw's Cove to see what it looked like during high tide. Fisherman's Cove was out because most of it would be under water, but Shaw's should still work to get some scouting shots in, if nothing else.

I pulled my car around and muttered some more salty words at a scuba diver who stole my spot right in front of me, made a u turn....and my jaw hit the floor. While I had been finding a parking space, the sky had indeed blown up…in a huge way. I flew down the stairs to the Cove, ditching the broken tripod and began shooting like crazy. This was easily the most color I had ever seen in Laguna and the crimson red and fiery orange spilled out over the wet sand in all directions. And it just kept going! The reds eventually gave way to a brilliant golden glow giving me plenty of time to run up and down the beach and out onto the rocks. I think I clocked in around 600 shots by the time the sun went behind another cloud and I headed off, exhausted, to to Jack In The Box.

Kudos to Skyfire which knocked this one out of the park, This was a sunrise that I probably would have missed as I thought the cloud cover was going to be too deep. It was also a good reminder that every so often, those 4:30 AM wake up times actually pay off.

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Doors of England

This is a follow up to of a number of postings done previously where I’ve recorded doors from all over the country. These posting are literally that – from all over the place. Today’s posting are, as you can see, very specific to Colchester, Essex. More to follow ..............………

I had a specific photo in mind a year ago, but getting there committed me to drive around a bit, mostly on dirt roads. Along the way I kept seeing good photos, so I'd stop and take one or two shots every few minutes with my Nikon 1. The entire set's quite good; some days I get lucky.

Here's my favorite. This old house is one of my regular photo subjects. I'm pretty sure it was still occupied when I moved to Mulliken--at least its yard was still being maintained--but it's long been abandoned. I've many photos that document its decay. It's a sad story, but an interesting set of photographs.

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The planned photo? It was a play on words. I'd tried before to capture a set of gates that opened to what had once been a meadow on Gates Road. The gates were (are) easily visible from the road, but not really in a good location for photography.

I thought I'd try again last December 27. I managed a photo, and shared it that day. Today I'd probably call it the weakest photo of the outing.

Nonetheless: Gates on Gates. Got it.

So it goes.

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This photograph is an outtake from my 2024 photo-a-day project, 366 in 2024.

Number of project photos taken: 39

Title of folder: Roxand Dirt Roads

Other photos taken on 12/27/2024: We went out to dinner at the Log Jam in Grand Ledge, where my iPhone captured three photos of the Christmas tree beside our table and two of my supper, a Reuben sandwich.

SN/NC: Rudbeckia hirta, Asteraceae Family

This flower commonly called black-eyed Susan, is a North American flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to Eastern and Central North America and naturalized in the Western part of the continent as well as in China. It has now been found in all 10 Canadian Provinces and all 48 states in the contiguous United States. Rudbeckia hirta is the state flower of Maryland. The specific epithet "hirta" is Latin for “hairy”, and refers to the trichomes occurring on leaves and stems. Other common names for this plant include: brown-eyed Susan, brown betty, gloriosa daisy, golden Jerusalem, English bull's eye, poor-land daisy, yellow daisy, and yellow ox-eye daisy.

Deze bloem, gewoonlijk Black-eyed Susan genoemd, is een Noord-Amerikaanse bloeiende plant in de familie Asteraceae, inheems in Oost- en Midden-Noord-Amerika en genaturaliseerd in het westelijke deel van het continent en in China. Het is nu gevonden in alle 10 Canadese provincies en alle 48 staten in de aangrenzende Verenigde Staten. Rudbeckia hirta is de staatsbloem van Maryland. Het specifieke epitheton "hirta" is Latijn voor "harig" en verwijst naar de trichomen die op bladeren en stengels voorkomen.

Esta flor comumente chamada de Margarida amarela, é uma planta norte-americana da família Asteraceae, nativa da América do Norte Oriental e Central e naturalizada na parte ocidental do continente, bem como na China. Já foi encontrado em todas as 10 províncias canadenses e todos os 48 estados nos Estados Unidos contíguos. Rudbeckia hirta é a flor do estado de Maryland. O epíteto específico "hirta" é latim para "peludo", e refere-se aos tricomas que ocorrem em folhas e caules.

Esta flor comúnmente llamada Margarida amarilla, es una planta con flores de América del Norte en la familia Asteraceae, nativa del este y centro de América del Norte y naturalizada en la parte occidental del continente, así como en China. Ahora se ha encontrado en las 10 provincias canadienses y en los 48 estados de los Estados Unidos contiguos. Rudbeckia hirta es la flor del estado de Maryland. El epíteto específico "hirta" en latín significa "peludo" y se refiere a los tricomas que se encuentran en las hojas y los tallos.

Questo fiore comunemente chiamato Susan dagli occhi neri, è una pianta da fiore nordamericana della famiglia delle Asteraceae, originaria del Nord America orientale e centrale e naturalizzata nella parte occidentale del continente oltre che in Cina. Ora è stato trovato in tutte le 10 province canadesi e in tutti i 48 stati degli Stati Uniti contigui. Rudbeckia hirta è il fiore di stato del Maryland. L'epiteto specifico "hirta" è latino per "peloso", e si riferisce ai tricomi presenti su foglie e steli.

Cette fleur communément appelée Susan aux yeux noirs, est une plante à fleurs nord-américaine de la famille des Astéracées, originaire de l'est et du centre de l'Amérique du Nord et naturalisée dans la partie occidentale du continent ainsi qu'en Chine. Il a maintenant été trouvé dans les 10 provinces canadiennes et dans les 48 États des États-Unis contigus. Rudbeckia hirta est la fleur d'état du Maryland. L'épithète spécifique "hirta" est le latin pour "poilu", et fait référence aux trichomes présents sur les feuilles et les tiges.

Diese Blume, die gemeinhin als Schwarzäugige Susanne bezeichnet wird, ist eine nordamerikanische Blütenpflanze aus der Familie der Korbblütler, die im östlichen und mittleren Nordamerika beheimatet und im westlichen Teil des Kontinents sowie in China eingebürgert ist. Es wurde jetzt in allen 10 kanadischen Provinzen und allen 48 Bundesstaaten der angrenzenden Vereinigten Staaten gefunden. Rudbeckia hirta ist die Staatsblume von Maryland. Der spezifische Beiname „hirta“ ist lateinisch für „haarig“ und bezieht sich auf die Trichome, die auf Blättern und Stängeln vorkommen.

Más información sobre este texto de origen

一般に黒い瞳のスーザンと呼ばれるこの花は、キク科の北米の顕花植物であり、北アメリカ東部と中央部に自生し、大陸の西部と中国で帰化しています。 現在、カナダの10州すべてと、米国本土の48州すべてで発見されています。 Rudbeckia hirtaは、メリーランド州の花です。 特定の形容詞「hirta」はラテン語で「毛深い」を意味し、葉や茎に発生する毛状突起を指します。

هذه الزهرة المعروفة باسم سوزان ذات العيون السوداء ، هي نبات مزهر في أمريكا الشمالية في عائلة Asteraceae ، موطنها شرق ووسط أمريكا الشمالية ومتجنس في الجزء الغربي من القارة وكذلك في الصين. تم العثور عليها الآن في جميع المقاطعات الكندية العشر وجميع الولايات الـ 48 في الولايات المتحدة المتجاورة. Rudbeckia hirta هي زهرة ولاية ماريلاند. الصفة المحددة "hirta" هي الكلمة اللاتينية لكلمة "hairy" ، وتشير إلى trichomes التي تحدث على الأوراق والسيقان.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanderling

The sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English sand-yrðling, "sand-ploughman".[2] The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific alba is Latin for "white".[3]

It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia. It is highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches.

It is somewhat unlike other sandpipers in appearance, which has led to the suggestion that it should be placed into a monotypic genus Crocethia. A more recent review (Thomas et al., 2004) indicates, however, that the sanderling is a fairly typical "stint" or small sandpiper and should be separated from the large knots with its closest relatives in a distinct genus.

This bird is similar in size to a dunlin, but stouter, with a thick bill. It shows a strong white wingbar in flight, and runs along the sandy beaches it prefers with a characteristic "bicycling" action of its legs, stopping frequently to pick small food items. It eats small crabs and other small invertebrates. In spring, birds migrating north from South America consume large numbers of horseshoe crab eggs in the Delaware Bay area.

In spring, the birds arrive on the High Arctic breeding grounds (see map), where they lay 3–4 eggs in a ground scrape. On the nesting grounds, these birds mainly eat insects and some plant material.

The sanderling is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.

Description

The sanderling is a small plump sandpiper, 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in) in length. Its weight ranges from 40–100 g (1.4–3.5 oz). The winter bird is very pale, almost white apart from a dark shoulder patch. This is the source of the specific name, alba, which is the Latin for "white". Later in the summer, the face and throat become brick-red. The juvenile bird is spangled black and white, and shows much more contrast than the adult.

Standard Measurements[4][5]

length180–220 mm (7.1–8.7 in)

weight60 g (2.1 oz)

wingspan430 mm (17 in)

wing114.5–121.6 mm (4.51–4.79 in)

tail47.3–53 mm (1.86–2.09 in)

culmen22.5–26.6 mm (0.89–1.05 in)

tarsus23.5–25.8 mm (0.93–1.02 in)

If its size is misjudged, a sanderling in breeding plumage can be mistaken for some varieties of stint, or a sanderling in winter plumage can be mistaken for a dunlin or red knot. It can be told from other small wading birds, given good views, by its lack of a hind toe. Its behavior is also distinctive.

Distribution, habitat and migration

The sanderling breeds in the High Arctic areas of North America, Europe and Asia. In North America, it breeds in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Nunavut, Greenland (and to a lesser extent Alaska). In Eurasia, it breeds in Spitsbergen and areas of northern Russia from the Taymyr Peninsula to the New Siberian Islands. In the northern winter, it has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution across the world's marine coasts. It is a complete migrant, travelling between 3,000 to 10,000 km (1,900 to 6,200 mi) from its breeding grounds to its wintering sites. Birds that travel further also arrive later and leave sooner. Most adults leave the breeding grounds in July and early August, whereas juvenile birds leave in late August and early September. The northward migration begins in March at the southern end of their winter distribution.[6]

The breeding habitat of the sanderling is coastal tundra north of 5 °C (41 °F) July isotherm. The species typically chooses nesting sites on dry stony areas near wet areas, from 60 m (200 ft) above sea level to 800 m (2,600 ft). During the winter and its migration, it is most commonly found on coastal sandy beaches, but also occurs on tidal sand flats, mud flats and the shores of lakes and rivers. More infrequently, it may occur on rocky shores.[6]

Subspecies

The sanderling consists of two subspecies:

C. a. alba, (Pallas, 1764), breeds on Ellesmere Island, north & east Greenland, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and the Taymyr Peninsula

C. a. rubida, (Gmelin, 1789), breeds in northeast Siberia, Alaska and northern Canada

Behaviour

Feeding behaviour

Sanderlings feed on invertebrate prey buried in the sand in the upper intertidal zone. In North America, this diet largely consists of the isopods Excirolana linguifrons, Excirolana kincaidii, and the mole crab, Emerita analoga. When the tide is out, these crustaceans live in burrows some way beneath the surface. When the tide comes in, they move into the upper layers of sand and feed on the plankton and detritus that washes over them with each wave. They then burrow rapidly down again as the water retreats. They leave no marks on the surface, so the sanderlings hunt for them by plunging their beaks into the sand at random, consuming whatever they find. Their bills can penetrate only 2 or 3 cm (0.79 or 1.18 in) and as the water swirls around and retreats, the sand is softer; this makes it easier for the birds' beaks to penetrate further. In the spring, when much breeding activity is taking place in the benthic community, there may be as many as 4000 invertebrates per square metre, but their average size is smaller than later in the year. The birds appear to rush madly around at the edge of the surf, but in reality they are maximising their chances of catching as many prey animals as possible when they are at their most vulnerable near the surface.[7]

Breeding behaviour

At breeding time sanderlings are territorial, with the male aggressively defending its territory. They may either form monogamous pairs or polyandrous (one female and two male) pairings.

The plant does not have chlorophyll and cannot photosynthesize its own nutrients. The orchid depends on a specific soil fungus that obtains nutrients from decaying litter in the forest soil and transfer some of those nutrients into the root mass of the orchid.

5907

A young couple on the street of Hanoi. It's weekend and this specific street is open only for pedestrians. This city is the best destination in Vietnam for wanderers like me.

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Gears I use:

[I put them all here to increase my search visibility - sorry for long post]

Camera 1: Sony a9

Camera 2: Sony A7III

Actioncam: Gopro Hero 8 Black

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Lens: Wide angle Sony 24mm f1.4 G-Master

Lens: Walk around Sony FE 35mm f1.8

Lens: Long tele Sony 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 G-Master

Lens: Versatile - portrait Sony FE 55mm f1.8 Zeiss

Lens: Wide angle zoom Sony 16-35mm GM

Lens: Ultra wide angle MF zoomLaowa 10-18mm f4.5-5.6 C-Dreamer FE

Lens: Macro - portrait - product Sony FE 90mm G macro OSS

Lens: Do-it-all Sigma 24-70mm DG DN Art

Lens: Dreamy bokeh Samyang 85mm F1.4 AF E-mount

Q326 cruises through Kirk behind a pair of GEs, the leader being a recent "YN3C" repaint.

Interested in purchasing a high-quality digital download of this photo, suitable for printing and framing? Let me know and I will add it to my Etsy Shop, MittenRailandMarine! Follow this link to see what images are currently listed for sale: www.etsy.com/shop/MittenRailandMarine

If you are interested in specific locomotives, trains, or freighters, please contact me. I have been photographing trains and ships for over 15 years and have accumulated an extensive library!

This mantis lives to mimic ants, fire ants to be specific. The nymphs are incredibly fun to raise as they look exactly like ants, all the way down to the mandibles. As they get older, they gradually lose their bright red coloring and begin to sport green and brown markings. The mature adults are green in color and look nothing like ants. Females have small black and orange markings at the end of the wings and males have dark coloring along the entire wing.

Casa da música from architect Rem Koolhaas. Porto - Portugal

Olympus XA2 + Kodak Ektachrome Extra 100 (Expired)

The specific name is a thirteen letter word with only two vowels!

Location: Tokyo, Japan

Specific Location: Akihabara

This is the best ramen that I've ever had. The ramen shop was just in an alley in Akihabara, nothing fancy.

The 2021 Winter edition of Seasons Change by Love to Decorate is now open.

Participants are offering winter themed events at their mainstores.

Follow our FB page for a look at specific releases! tinyurl.com/y8heflz7

Released can be found near the Love to Decorate Kiosks the designers have set up.

Participating designers and their taxis are:

Bee Designs: tinyurl.com/yb6pfkda

Duvet Day: tinyurl.com/y6u8bwb2

Galland Homes: tinyurl.com/jt4nmlv

Hayabusa Designs: tinyurl.com/y8pptlj5

Little Branch: tinyurl.com/y9783ynx

Serenity Style: tinyurl.com/yb6pdq7c

Shutterfield: tinyurl.com/yb5689aj

.:TM Creation:. : tinyurl.com/y4mgsune

Tropix: tinyurl.com/ycazh2ds

{Your Dreams) : tinyurl.com/yd8ga9yb

Another sunrise shot from a remarkable morning last January when Eric Gail and I headed out at 5 AM with hopes of catching a sunrise at Leo Carrillo Beach. This was only our second time visiting this beach, and we wouldn't have known about it at all if not for a tip from one of the natives on our previous shoot down at the Malibu Pier. Leo Carrillo is another rare East facing beach where you can shoot the sunrise over the ocean in spite of the fact that you are on the West Coast. Between the cave, the archway, and the jagged coastline, this location bounced way up on our shooting list and both of us agreed that there seems to be more potential here than at the more popular El Matador which is just South of this beach. I was hoping to head back there, but now that we are approaching May, we might be out of luck as the low clouds will soon be moving in for the Summer and the sun will probably be out of position as it will have moved much further to the North.

If I have to wait another 6 months to head back, it will definitely be worth the wait.

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Thank you so much for your views and comments! If you have specific questions please be sure to send me a message via flickr mail, or feel free to contact me via one of the following:

Blog | Website | Facebook | Instagram | 500px | Twitter | Google +