👮‍♂️Spoiler Alert👮‍♂️😜

A drama series which has gripped the nation took a major twist as new clues came to light on Sunday evening during the penultimate episode of ‘Line Of Duty’ in which avid followers of this drama concluded Det Chf Supt Patricia Carmichael👿 is in fact ‘H’, this is surely too obvious, have they put the horse before the cart.

As speculation increases of who is the fourth man, previously known as ‘H’ on Line of Duty? let’s consider reportage of the actions viewers did not see, and of course the new evidence.😱😇

Following Superintendent Ted Hastings iconic quote Sunday evening ‘Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee* donkey, why did Hoof and Horace fly out of their room without even finishing their drinks. This is always a clue if! they have done something wrong.🍺🍺🐎🐷💨🚀

This pair of rascals have not been seen since, might their actions suggest Hoof is ‘H’ as he could be a little Donkey, based on evidence there are no actual photos confirming he is a horse?😉

Another vital clue revealed during LOD was “tap, tap, tap, tap,” this is the sound Hoof’s new carbon fibre horse shoes make.🤔

Now sadly we must consider very strong evidence which links Horace as ‘H’.🐷😱

It is a well known fact Horace has a Police record, “Walking On The Moon”. 🎸🎹🎸

Next, after Horace was placed in our care, it was evident he had suffered an accident/injury, as he did not have a tail, (image, ‘Game On’) was his ‘bent’ tail removed by the OCG, so Horace would not squeal on them. 👹🐖💩

‘Bent’ is word often used by Superintendent Hastings during the series which he would like to stamp out.

No, you don’t think Ted Hastings cut Horace’s bent tail off, what a twist this would be, I should know as I made Horace’s replacement tail, not tale, all true as one Flickr detective noticed the super glue, (this evidence will stick Lindsey)👮‍♀️

Next piece of evidence, a link has been identified in the way communication between the people Ted would like kicked out and the OCG, namely the spelling misscakes.

Horace was forced to wear wellies supplied by gangster Tommy Hunter. Look carefully at the wellies Horace is wearing, (image)

www.flickr.com/photos/137633664@N05/50746778326/in/datepo...

Horace cannot believe that Detective Inspector Steve Arnott missed this vital piece of evidence, the letter ’T’ is upside down on all four wellies.🐷😂😂😂

Is another reason Horace left the room without finishing his drink the thought of the fact the OCG might suspect Horace squealed and his next cosmetic treatment could be a trip through the bacon slicer.🙈🐖💨

So there you have it, the plot thickens, could Hoof and Horace both be ‘H’, suggesting total confusion, (easily done) or could this possibly keep the nation in suspense and only one H is exposed (not a pretty sight) during the finale this Sunday suggesting another series of LOD.🐎🙈🐷💨

*Wee could also speculate that Hoof and Horace may never been seen again.😢😭😢😉

If anyone has been affected by the above and require support, call Jock Strap, an inside support agency.

Thank you for viewing my photos, the comments and banter you leave are much appreciated.

Have a good weekend🍺🍺🍺🍷🍷🍷💃🐎🐷😎

R&S afternoon switcher BL-1 pulls a lone covered hopper from Lapp Insulators in Leroy, NY on the former B&O/BR&P Fourth Sub now serving as the R&S mainline to Silver Springs.

Below you'll find another novel of a story. At this point I'm doing it more for myself than the consumption of others. In 50 years times if I can still remember this story without having to reference it here on Flickr, that'll be a testament to my own memory capacity. If not, at least it's catalogued here now. Continuing where things left off on the NY Bean story, this was two days after that shot. Initially I had thought I'd get a chance at this one the same day, but the crew of BL-1 simply decided not to go pull this car. That, or it wasn't actually ready. More on that later. Lapp Insulators is in my opinion the actual least served customer on the R&S system. Calling back to the NY Bean story again, I had read online speculation from Rochester railfans who thought that NY Bean only got a couple cars a year. My efforts to shoot them being worked certainly dispelled those notions, but in the process I discovered a new client worthy of the title "least served." Lapp is a German company, specializing in high voltage insulators as their name suggests. At one time when you clicked on the website link for them on Google Maps, it took you to the actual German site, written entirely in the native language. Going back to check that now, it appears they've updated it to be in English. Drawing one final similarity back to the NY Bean story, they too were a customer I had written off as appearing to be inactive by rail. This was solely based on the satellite view of the spur; it looked so worn out, covered in dirt, and was hard to follow, I thought to myself these rails haven't been graced by a railcar in eons. But sure enough one day early on in my BL-1 scouting, I watched the train disappear briefly in Leroy and then return one car shorter.

Covered hoppers can end up at numerous locations along the R&S or G&W mainlines, with various agricultural companies littered throughout this region of New York. Carolina Eastern Crocker has a trandload site in Leroy and a physical location south of here in Pavilion. CRC/Purina in Caledonia takes quite a large quantity of hoppers in their small yard. Along the G&W main south of P&L Junction sit Growmark and King Cole Bean. On the particular day I first found out about Lapp, I observed BL-1 work Caledonia, swapping strings of covered hoppers, but one specific car stayed with the train the entire time. I postulated it would be going to the Crocker's tranload in Leroy. Instead the crew continued just south of their run around siding in town and dropped the car on the little spur I had chalked up as out of service. You might say, well why didn't you get a shot of them dropping the car? You were vigilant enough to see them going towards the customer but not to get a shot? And to that I offer that the car they spotted was on the rear of their train, with the head end sticking pretty far out. Not very photogenic. I still wasn't entirely sure if they had dropped a car or picked one up in that moment, and was only able to confirm what happened by driving around back of their building, finding the hopper stationed alongside the plant. A slightly ballsy move with zero repercussions thankfully. Funny enough they conductor had left the red flag on the car marking the rear of the train. Maybe on purpose, or maybe he forgot. Alas, I made sure to get a photo of the car number. However, the font the lettering was printed in ended up fooling me, as I mistook the first letter for another and punched that into TouchTrace. When it came back with no results, I presumed the car simply had a bad AEI tag and didn't show in the system. Turns out I'd just been using the wrong letter the whole time. With no TouchTrace to guide me, I was feeling a bit in the dark and didn't really know what the telltale sign of them going to pick up the car would be. I asked the conductor Dave about them a little later that day while they were switching Crocker. He said they usually handled them about once a month, which didn't give me a whole lot to go off of, but it was a start.

At home that night I observed another tip which would help me out, utilizing Broadcastify's archive log to revisit the crew getting their track warrant that day. When BL-1 would go out to work, they would get their warrants either as proceeds or a work between depending on how much time they had before the daily road train would be ready to depart behind them. Of course with any track warrant comes limits. The most common thing to hear on the "Leroy days" so to speak was work between Brooks and milepost 26 on R&S main track, as 26 is just past the siding switch on the south end of Leroy, granting enough headroom for a runaround move. However it turns out that Lapp required them to get track as far as milepost 27. So that meant all I had to do was listen for warrants of them working out to 27, right? Yes and no. The southernmost customer BL-1 worked was the other Carolina Eastern Crocker in Pavilion, or in railroad terms, MP 34. Unfortunate for me as it was growing season, so of course they were going down that way more often. Not that I minded shooting them in Pavilion working there, I had redo shots of that customer on my list as well, but not to the point of lunacy. Regardless, this meant that any day they got track to 27 or beyond held the possibility they'd be picking up the car. Which also meant I'd be making plentiful trips out should they have Pavilion work. Of course as you now know I was already making the trip anyways painstakingly waiting for the NY Bean pull, and this was simply another layer added to the stress of it all.

The day I finally got my chance at Lapp, I screwed up. Only two days removed from a conductor who wanted to call me in, I was pretty sure it was still the same conductor on the job all week based on their outward appearance, so I was somewhat hesitant to show my face again especially in a spot where I'd be exposed. Stealth is key at times when it comes to industry shots which involve some walking to somewhere the public would otherwise not be. The cool thing about this location was the fact that there was a grassy path from the roadside which led straight back to where the switch is. It's a little bumpy and out of shape in spots, but you get where you need to go. Where I'm standing in the shot is a big open patch in the shrubbery, which turns into a green wall to either side. Wanting to stay out of sight of the conductor, I made my way south along the green wall while they shoved in and popped out on the far end for a telephoto shot. The angle just wasn't cutting it for me though. All you could see was the engine in the spur, which doesn't live up to my standards. My check boxes for industry shots primarily constitute two things: scenery of the customer, and make sure the serving rail car(s) is/are visible. Whether it's a single engine or three, I require some part of what the customer gets to be in the frame. Dissatisfied with what I was seeing, I quickly changed my mind and hustled back towards the opening in the brush while swapping from tele to wide. In that same moment, the conductor had aired the car up and knocked the brake off and was ready to start pulling. Now I could omit this next part to preserve what might be your initial opinion of the photo, or I can keep the integrity of the story together, which is what I'm about to do. With a moving target now in front of me, I got my camera turned back on with the wide lens equipped and frantically began firing away. In the midst of my worries, I had neglected to touch my focus ring as I've pretty much shot manual focus since 2021. Too many close calls with auto focus, and the amount of low light night shooting I do calls for manual focus indefinitely. In the moment I was relieved to have finally nabbed this shot. The engineer spotted me in the way out and gave a friendly wave, and the conductor, well he may not have been the same guy from my NY Bean encounter afterall, which would mean all that worry I had was for nothing. I probably should have just stuck with the simple option of going wide at the opening in the first place. Instead I complicated matters by trying a shot I wasn't happy with before having to rush the much better option. I walked back to my car parked on the shoulder and sat down to review the frames. Of the 15 or so I managed to fire off with the wide angle, the majority were out of focus and blurry. Relief turned to dismay while I sifted through each one, looking for some sign of usability. If you were there in the car with me, you would have lost count of the expletives being dropped. Narrowing it down to three frames which were halfway decent, I tossed one in Lightroom and hoped for the best. It took quite a bit of editing, but in the end I at least had a shot I could use. It wasn't the best by any means, but to my knowledge it stands as possibly the only shot of R&S working here which is an honor I'll gladly accept considering the circumstances. It wasn't until I posted this shot in the Rochester railfan group on Facebook that I learned of the lore behind this place. A couple former employees and even railroad workers attending the comment section pointed out how much busier this place used to be for rail service, with a second track once in place, and even multiple switches a day in the early Conrail years and before that. Granted at one time insulator production had to have been huge around the country, for all the telegraph and electrical infrastructure going up in growing communities far and near. To think that Lapp had been a once a month switch its entire life would be more than foolish, but nevertheless it's always rewarding to hear the stories from people who remember fonder things about what I'm just discovering now. The element of history and preserving it is what keeps me going out for shots like this.

While this was not the last time I ever tried for Lapp Insulators, it was the best opportunity I was ever presented. Naturally any shot deemed imperfect should warrant the effort for a future redo. On susbsequent trips out, things did not go my way, from somehow missing them at Lapp altogether one day by a minute, to the head end of the train never getting close or even into the spur again. For whatever reason any cars they drop here always seem to be in the middle or on the rear of the train, and when they pick the cars up, they'll pull their entire train with them instead of doing what I would think is logical: leave the whole train behind near the siding switch. This only applies to the days when they have their warrant specifically to MP 27 just for Lapp. Why? It must make sense to the crew I guess. Personally I'd rather shove one car over a dozen, but it's not up to me. They're just gonna end up cutting away at the siding switch to run around anyways, why not leave the balance of the train there to begin with? In the case of the only shot I was successful with, there was another underlying factor helping that day. BL-1 had track all the way to Pavilion to work the southernmost Crocker location. Leroy is the last place on the mainline to run around before the end of trackage in Silver Springs, another 20-ish miles away. With nowhere to run around in Pavilion, the crew has to plan accordingly for the work. If they're just placing down there, they can drop most of their train in Leroy and take only the Crocker cars south (unlike how they choose to switch Lapp), as they have to shove north into the spur like Lapp. That leaves them returning light power. However, if there are cars to pull, they must split the power at the switch and run back north push-pull until they can use the north end of the run-around in Leroy to get the power back together. I suppose on this day the crew could have really messed things up for me and pulled all the way south of Lapp, grabbed the car, then shoved back north to make their power split, but thankfully they chose the more photogenic route. They had three engines with them that afternoon, so I was already dreading what the shot would look like if they put all three into the spur. Much to my surprise, they had already split their power and were bracketing the Pavilion cars when pulling up to Lapp's switch. As is evident in the shot, they cut away with the lone south facing engine and grabbed the car, setting it back against the Pavilion cars which are in view of the first telephoto angle I tried. Although I mentioned earlier that the Pavilion days would set me on edge for the possibility of missing the pull here, it turns out that the Pavilion work was my saving grace, as otherwise I might have still been waiting for a better opportunity at this shot. Not everything is always as it seems, and our apprehensions or cold feet often hold us back from what otherwise might be the golden ticket. I continue to learn that time and time again, and probably will learn it another hundred times in the coming years.

yesterday i posted a polaroid and when Sol commented that the whole polaroid biting the dust thing was "hard" i figured she was just lamenting in a general way the dwindling availability of films and papers and the over all shrinking of the "pre digital" world as it relates to photography. later that night i read the formal announcement from Polaroid that they were going out of business and then i spent an hour or more on different forums reading comments and opinions and speculations as to the future of the polaroid medium.

polaroid has been the single most influential aspect of my work as a photographer - even more than "film" and certainly more than digital with which i'm still in the process of getting acquainted. i could go on and on about how much i love polaroid - it's various "looks" - the specially modified cameras i love and use with it - how much i've learned about my vision from working with it - how it's effected and informed my process of seeing and making photographs - and perhaps most significantly how it's connected me with people through the years.

but this is not why i'm writing this. this is not a grave side testimonial.

after i read the announcement i mada a cup of coffee and went outside and sat on the porch, and within a short time i was overwhelmed with this sense of . . . . . ???

i'm not sure how to say it. i guess simply put it's common wisdom that everything we know "shall pass" - our shoes will wear out our loved ones will move away and eventually die - we will grow old and we will die . . . . . everything is changing - everything shall pass.

but what i was overwhelmed with was not some sort of doom and gloom thing - it was different than that. it wasn't about trying to hold on to or stockpile what can be stockpiled, it wasn't about coming up with some sort of strategy for slowing down or avoiding or de-sensitizing or managing in the face of eventual "loss" - it was something different, something about my feeling called to more deeply step into my experience of living - to be more present - more in the moment and more in touch with my appreciation and respect and love for all that i have while i have it - appreciative of all the gifts of life, my friends my loved ones my health a nice day . . . . .

i can't stop things from changing and it seems life is at least a lot about moving with and embracing certain kinds of change - but perhaps i can become more aware of my tendency to take things for granted, to act as if they'll always be the way i've known them to be.

maybe i can't effect the big unavoidable changes of life but maybe i

can effect change in my self - maybe i can be more in touch with my sense of appreciation and be more thankful and expressive of my appreciation for all that i have

i guess that's what i wanted to say and in keeping with that i wanted to say it here, to you. that in the remarkable and mysterious way that you and i are connected that i deeply appreciate your presence in my life.

thank you a lot

gary . . .

The Garlandstone is a gaff-rigged sailing Tamar Ketch, built in Calstock in Cornwall, England, and launched on 27 January 1909. It was built by James Goss on speculation at the foot of Calstock Viaduct. She was designed for transporting goods between Great Britain and Ireland.

A 180 m high + more than 70 m wide ground drawing in the fossilized sandy soil in the form of a candelabra cactus.

It can be seen 20 km away.

Probably created around 200 BC.

However, the exact function of the giant geoglyph is still a mystery today. There are speculations about its creation by extraterrestrial intelligence...

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Eine 180 m hohe + mehr als 70 m breite Bodenzeichnung im versteinerten Sandboden in Form eines Kandelaberkaktus.

Er ist in 20 km Entfernung zu sehen.

Wahrscheinlich ungefähr 200 v. Chr. entstanden.

Die genaue Funktion der riesige Geoglyphe, des Scharrbilds ist jedoch bis heute ein Rätsel. Es gibt Spekulationen wie die Schöpfung durch extraterrestrische Intelligenz...

The Vik church (Víkurkirkja) was built between the years of 1932 and 1934 and it is made of concrete. The church can seat roughly 200 church-goers. The most significant relic the church holds is an altar containing paintings by a famous Icelandic painter Brynjólfur Þórðarson. The church is situated above the village of Vik and it offers some very nice views of Vik together with its most interesting sights, the ocean and the mountains all around. Further details from Wikipedia:

Vík lies directly south of the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, which itself is on top of the Katla volcano. Katla has not erupted since 1918, and this longer than typical dormant period has led to speculation that an eruption may occur soon. An eruption of Katla could melt enough ice to trigger an enormous flash flood, potentially large enough to obliterate the entire town. The town's church, located high on a hill, is believed to be the only building that would survive such a flood. Thus, the people of Vík practice periodic drills and are trained to rush to the church at the first sign of an eruption.

www.geocaching.com

This hairstreak is only found at this location. Its host is Tecate Cypress which is only found in and around Otay Mountain. Thorne's closely resembles Loki Hairstreak (seen below) which flys more than 65 miles away in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. I've posted a picture of Loki below for a comparison. I have heard that DNA test performed in Japan show these two species have less than a 1% difference. Current thought is that Loki is a full species and Thorne's a sub-species of Loki. This is still speculation and not proven without a thought, is my understanding. To see a more colorful Thorne's see Bob Gorman's picture at this link - www.flickr.com/photos/19116620@N07/35211353226/in/datepos... San Diego County, CA.

Female 12-Spotted Skimmer

The Art of Banksy Exhibition in London.

Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation.

Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine dark humour with graffiti executed in a distinctive stencilling technique. His works of political and social commentary have appeared on streets, walls and bridges throughout the world.

Banksy's work grew out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. Banksy says that he was inspired by 3D, a graffiti artist and founding member of the musical group Massive Attack.

Banksy displays his art on publicly visible surfaces such as walls and self-built physical prop pieces. Banksy no longer sells photographs or reproductions of his street graffiti, but his public "installations" are regularly resold, often even by removing the wall they were painted on.

A small number of Banksy's works are officially, non-publicly, sold through an agency created by Banksy named Pest Control.

Information Source:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banksy

A 180 m high + more than 70 m wide ground drawing in the fossilized sandy soil in the form of a candelabra cactus.

It can be seen 20 km away.

Probably created around 200 BC.

However, the exact function of the giant geoglyph is still a mystery today. There are speculations about its creation by extraterrestrial intelligence...

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Eine 180 m hohe + mehr als 70 m breite Bodenzeichnung im versteinerten Sandboden in Form eines Kandelaberkaktus.

Er ist noch in 20 km Entfernung zu sehen.

Wahrscheinlich ungefähr 200 v. Chr. entstanden.

Die genaue Funktion der riesige Geoglyphe, des Scharrbilds ist jedoch bis heute ein Rätsel. Es gibt Spekulationen wie die Schöpfung durch extraterrestrische Intelligenz...

Photography is characterized by speculation, contemplation. And of course an interpretation of life. I want to to observe the relationship between photography and reality, to rouse the viewer to project her/his own meaning, so it becomes an integral part of the creative process.

Also I try to pay a lot of attention to emotion and association. I want to communicate how I felt when I looked at a subject/scene, with the viewers. This is sheer joy. It is my way of photography. I have a long way to go, though.

Shot from, Nikon D300. Focal Length: 26 mm. Aperture F/7.1. ISO 320. Exposure 1/100sec.

Exposure: Manual. Metering: Pattern. Auto Focus. White Balance: Auto, EV -0.3 Color Mode used: www.flickr.com/muha

Processing: Adobe Photoshop CS3. New Layer Canvas size increased by 3mm.

As we were having supper (at a tasty fish restaurant) on the first night a large flock of birds passed over the Casino. Our speculation was that they were going to greet the returning fishermen.

After dinner we headed over to the Casino to spend our evening watching (we thought) other people lose money. On recovering from the shock that it was, in fact, a very beautiful movie theatre, we made a snap decision to see a film. Which was? "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". Which proved, thankfully, to be rather funny.

Had we been visiting Catalina in the 30s and 40s our choice might have been a bit less prosaic. During its glorious heyday, when Catalina was the destination of the rich and famous (Marilyn Monroe lived and babysat in the town) everyone, including Glen Miller, Benny Goodman, Jimmy Dorsey and Woody Herman, played at the Casino.

In a historical period that is anything but magical, characterized by ancestral fears, hypocrisy, squalid windows of speculation, corruption, ruthless power games on the shoulders of honest people and total disrespect towards the human being; it is beautiful and healthy to notice the regenerating power that nature has on our souls, at times with almost whispered glimpses that seem to want to remind us about the impermanence of all things, even the forces of evil!

This is the therapeutic aspect of health through nature - the care of the soul and psyche in synergy with the organism - something totally forgotten in this period, indeed paradoxically even forbidden... within this increasingly inhuman design, which does not take care of the actual health of people in the least, indeed, quite the opposite it seems to be doing everything to irreparably damage it.

YouTube channel “Organo Santuario della Consolata”

YouTube channel “ALPS pictures & tales”

Instagram @roberto.bertero

Personal Website

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©Roberto Bertero, All Rights Reserved. This image is not available for use on websites, blogs or other media without the explicit written permission of the photographer.

Threshold

www.victormicoud.com

A few days ago, the above art work appeared overnight on an outside wall of Reading Prison which has stood empty since it closed at the end of 2013. There was immediate speculation it was the work of the street artist Banksy whose identity has never been confirmed despite the fact his numerous works have appeared at various locations over a long period of years.

The paintings often form a social message and can be controversial. Reading Prison is very much a controversial place – it is owned by the Ministry of Justice who have been trying to dispose of it for the last 7 years. For them one of the problems is the property is designated a grade II listed building which means it cannot be demolished or substantially altered without prior consent from the Local Authority – Reading Borough Council. There have been calls for it to be used as a public amenity such as a theatre or arts facility and a deal to redevelop it has fallen through so in effect there has been little or no progress for 7 years.

Yesterday Banksy confirmed it was his art work although he did not shed any light on who the figure was supposed to be. Much of the local view is that it is a representation of Oscar Wilde, the Victorian actor, writer and poet who was incarcerated there from 1895 to 1897 – probably the prisons main claim to fame.

It is questionable as to whether the painting helps or hinders the current deadlock although it has provided some amusement for local residents in what is otherwise a depressing time!

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Grateful thanks to everyone who has looked at my photostream and commented and/or faved this photograph. Your interest is very much appreciated.

Most important of all, continue to keep safe during these uncertain times!

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Admire the beauty but fear the beast. The beauty is the aurora overhead, here taking the form of great green spiral, seen between picturesque clouds with the bright Moon to the side and stars in the background. The beast is the wave of charged particles that creates the aurora but might, one day, impair civilization. Exactly this week in 1859, following notable auroras seen all across the globe, a pulse of charged particles from a coronal mass ejection (CME) associated with a solar flare impacted Earth's magnetosphere so forcefully that they created the Carrington Event. A relatively direct path between the Sun and the Earth might have been cleared by a preceding CME. What is sure is that the Carrington Event compressed the Earth's magnetic field so violently that currents were created in telegraph wires so great that many wires sparked and gave telegraph operators shocks. Were a Carrington-class event to impact the Earth today, speculation holds that damage might occur to global power grids and electronics on a scale never yet experienced. The featured aurora was imaged last week over Thingvallavatn Lake in Iceland, a lake that partly fills a fault that divides Earth's large Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. via NASA ift.tt/2byz7QQ

The thin air clawed at her lungs, turning every step into the effort of a sprint. Ahead, a faint glow lit the horizon. Adrienne thought it was unnaturally bright for day—soft, steady, unmistakably artificial. A city, maybe. And the soldiers’ tracks pointed straight toward it.

Adrienne hesitated. There would be no help. Running into Horocyclians or hybrid soldiers would be suicide. And yet she knew exactly what the hybrids were after: the Aeternum Core.

Everything she’d learned about the Core had been speculation—Arcturian theories stitched together from fragments of a recovered ancient codex. No firsthand accounts. No certainty. Just warnings and myth. But if even half of it was true—if the Core really governed the flow of all time and space—she couldn’t let the hybrids gain access to it.

She set her jaw and followed the glow. As long as the boot prints stayed ahead of her, she might avoid crossing paths with them.

Two more explosions rolled across the plains, low and distant. Fighting. Definitely fighting.

She pushed on, scanning the barren landscape for movement. The sun beat down through the thin atmosphere, and the sky’s frantic swirl of stars and planets above made her stomach lurch. She had to focus on the ground.

A shadow swept over her—vast, angular, alive. Adrienne dove behind a cluster of boulders, pressing herself into a narrow gap. She held her breath.

She peered up from her hiding place looking up into the faceted eyes of a creature the size of a bus as it soared overhead. The creature’s wings roared, shimmering like stained glass caught in a storm. Its mandibles clicked in a pattern that felt disturbingly intentional, like a language she wasn’t meant to understand.

Dozens more followed, a whole swarm, all arrowing toward the distant glow.

They didn’t see her.

She stayed still until the last of them vanished into the horizon, then let her breath out slowly, hands trembling. She needed a moment—just a moment—to steady herself before moving again.

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You can view Quantum Fold episodes in order from the beginning in the album titled, "Quantum Fold":

www.flickr.com/photos/199076397@N02/albums/72177720326169...

You can view Quantum Fold II episodes in order from the beginning in the album titled, "Quantum Fold II":

www.flickr.com/photos/199076397@N02/albums/72177720331313...

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This is an A.I. image generated using my SL avi.

I hope my pictures make you smile ♥

If you like what you see, please toss me a fav and follow me. I love seeing your comments. They make my day and keep me motivated!

I love my followers. You guys totally ROCK! ♥♥

And if you're taking time to read this you are SO awesome!!! Thank you!!!! ♥♥♥

There is some speculation that the Speckled and the Spotted (occurs south from southern Columbia) Tanagers may be allopatric. One thing for sure is that they are both stunning...

The Ring of Brodgar is a Neolithic stone circle on the Mainland of the Orkney Isles, Scotland. There is still speculation about the actual age of the Ring but It is generally thought to have been erected between 2500 BC and 2000 BC.

The Ring of stones stands on a small strip of land between two lochs, the Loch of Harray (which is freshwater) and Sternness (which is saltwater) and is some 104 metres in diameter.

This stone ring is not alone in Orkney. Within a 2 miles radius from Brodgar there are two circle-henges, four chambered tombs, groups of standing stones, single stones, barrows, cairns, and mounds.

The exact purpose of the Ring is not known, but its proximity to the Standing Stones of Stenness and the Maeshowe tomb make the Ring of Brodgar a site of major importance.

[EN]Connection - speculation about connections on Earth (Transmitter), in the near universe (Venus) and distant stars (Pleiades)

[CZ]Vysílač + Venuše + Pleyady

After years of speculation and rumors, the roadrailers are finally slated to meet their end in under week. After some delays to the container conversion process, they managed to stick around for the end of the summer and I got one last chance to keep seeing them to kick off my senior year at Purdue. NS 255 hits the curves in downtown Lafayette, Indiana with a Dash 9 hauling a set of trailers at full track speed west (8/21/24).

Landform Ueda, The National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh, Scotland.

digital art

Exploring a Forgotten Office Complex

With this tower in the background and the information in the text below, the real detectives should already be able to find the building :D Feel free to send me feedback and wild speculation, but please no spoilers in the comments...

About the Series:

All photos of the series were shot at an abandoned office complex. It seems that the complex was about to be demolished, but I guess they stopped the work on it. It’s located somewhere in Bavaria and with a little investigation and a careful look at this series, everybody should find it. The selected sequence of photos should give the viewer the impression of a walk through the complex and it corresponds mostly to the actually gone way. Of course I wasn't inside myself and I only got the Photos by accident :D

About the post-processing:

For editing I've used the Lightromm plug-in "Silver Efex Pro". More precisely: Preset Nr. 28 (in German: "kühle töne"), but partly with adjustments: sometimes I omitted the blue color filter and I often reduced the very strong contrast of the preset to bring out the details more clearly. For the frame I used the free lightroom plug-in “mogrify”.

View of the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Wow, I just realized that this is my first post of 2023! I have been quite busy and haven't been out much for photos. I am hoping to participate a little more again. Spring is coming soon and hopefully there will be lots of cherry blossoms to photograph.

About this photo: Yesterday was a gorgeous day here on the West Coast of Canada with lots of sunshine and about +12C (24F). I took advantage of it and went to Stanley Park to enjoy the beautiful views and take some photos. I took this photo from the Stanley Park overpass with a view of the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

This is a long exposure photo which makes it look like there is no traffic on the bridge, but if you look close enough you can see the light trails of the cars.

And here is a little history on the Lions Gate Bridge:

Here is a little history:

1937: Construction began on March 31, after years of speculation and planning. The bridge was an impetus to real estate development on the North Shore, uniting both sides of the inlet. The First Narrows Bridge Company employed numerous workers in an otherwise bleak depression period. It was funded by private foreign investment through the efforts of A.J.T. Taylor.

1938: The bridge opened to pedestrian traffic on November 12, 1938, and to cars two days later, on November 14.

1939: On May 29 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth crossed the bridge during the first Royal Visit to Canada.

1952: A third lane was added to allow for passing.

1955: The British Columbia Toll Highways and Bridges Authority acquired the bridge for $5,595,060.

1963: Tolls were removed on April 1.

1965: Lane controls were installed.

1970’s: Several renovations were completed to significantly improve bridge safety and upgrade the structure.

1986: On February 19, a string of white lights was added to the bridge which was a gift of the Guinness family to Vancouver.

2002: The bridge underwent a major upgrade that included roadway expansion, deck replacement, and the construction of more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly sidewalks. This type of replacement was the first in the world.

2004: The bridge was declared a national Historic Site of Canada.

Info found on westvancouver.ca/

~Camera Settings:

*Camera Model: Sony RX10 IV

*Focal Length: 22mm

*F-Number: F/16

*Exposure Time: 5 sec.

*ISO Speed: ISO-100

*Exposure Program: Manual Mode (M)

Thank you for dropping by and I hope you like this photo!

Ann :-)

Some information about Vancouver: Vancouver is known as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Vancouver is Canada's third largest city and is located by the Pacific Ocean on a peninsula surrounded by water and in the distance there are the mountains. Vancouver is considered a pretty clean and safe city with a great variety of shops, museums, theatre, outdoor activities (hiking, walking, kayaking, sailing, skiing on the local mountains in the winter) and more. Walking around Stanley Park is a favourite thing to do for tourist and locals alike. This beautiful park extends from the city centre of Vancouver almost to the North Shore. With wonderful views of the mountains and the ocean around every corner, downtown Vancouver is one of the most picturesque cities in the world. Walk along Robson Street, the most popular shopping street. Experience Chinatown with the different kinds of building and stores, walk on the beaches of English Bay and the seawall of Stanley Park, enjoy a walk in Gastown with the old steam clock and the many gift shops.

Look out for some Hollywood film sets as Vancouver is used for many big Hollywood movies and shows. That's why you might hear that Vancouver is called "Hollywood North". Here are some examples of shows and movies that were/are filmed here: "Deadpool 1 & 2", "The X-Files", "The Good Doctor", "Colony", "Arrow", "The Flash", "Supernatural", "Stargate-SG1", "The 6th Day", "Kiss of the Dragon", "Small Ville" and many many more. Then there is also the Canada Place, the stadiums, the Harbour Lookout, the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Science World, the Vancouver Art Gallery and much more! All of these attractions are located within minutes from the city centre.

Vancouver is also popular in the winter for winter activities. There are 3 local mountains where you can do any type of winter sport. There is Grouse Mountain, most famous for it's stunning views over the city and fresh powder snow. Grouse Mountain is accessible by skyride...this is a big gondola that will take you up to the top of the mountain. Mount Seymour and Cypress Mountain are famous too and you also get wonderful views from the top of these mountains. As you can see...Vancouver has lots to offer. The Winter Olympics were held here in 2010 as well.

This was very much a speculation shot without my tripod and even more pleased that it came out ok with such a low shutter speed after forgetting to change my ISO.

It was the light on the city that I was after, it`s not perfect I admit but lets go for it anyway .

34:52 Choose your favourite poem and try to represent a line of it visually.

I do not have a favourite poem but song lyrics are poetic and this one resonates with me. I am sure you have all heard it...if not here it is: www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7rQvJgTQ9U

There is a town in north Ontario,

With dream comfort memory to spare,

And in my mind

I still need a place to go,

All my changes were there.

Blue, blue windows behind the stars,

Yellow moon on the rise,

Big birds flying across the sky,

Throwing shadows on our eyes.

Leave us

Helpless, helpless, helpless

Baby can you hear me now?

The chains are locked

and tied across the door,

Baby, sing with me somehow.

Blue, blue windows behind the stars,

Yellow moon on the rise,

Big birds flying across the sky,

Throwing shadows on our eyes.

Leave us

Helpless, helpless, helpless.

NB: There was always a lot of speculation about the town referred to in the opening line being Omemee Neil’s childhood town. Neil set the record straight in a 1995 Mojo interview with Nick Kent:

"Well, it's not literally a specific town so much as a feeling. Actually, it's a couple of towns. Omemee, Ontario, is one of them. It's where I first went to school and spent my 'formative' years. Actually I was born in Toronto..."

I love the reference to more of a feeling as opposed to a specific town. Many sights leave us feeling helpless…This was shot just outside of Omemee.

Protected with PIXSY

Just another frame of this side by side in a wider version that captures the pretty marshland scene.

For years the generally accepted speculation was that whenever Pan Am went away it would be Norfolk Southern that would swoop in. They did buy 49% of half the railroad after all in the joint venture Pan Am Southern. And for many years NS black has been dominant on the western half of the railroad. So everyone was quite surprised when CSXT showed an interest in and then ultimately prevailed in acquiring the nation's largest regional railroad.

Reflecting that change is CSXT Selkirk to Rigby manifest M426 (formerly Pan Am Railways AYPO) on their newly acquired PAR territory with three old school AC4400CWs in the lead approaching Wagon Wheel crossing at PAR milepost 312.5 (measured from Mattawamkeag, ME). They are eastbound on Main 1 passing a string of NS power tied down on Main 2 with a cut of auto racks destined to or from the San Vel facility just behind them.

Ayer, Massachusetts

Friday June 10, 2022

There is much speculation on what this pool was used for; a well to supply drinking water or a source of water for cooking, a place to hold fish or even for the Lords and Ladies of the castle to bathe in.

Bodiam Castle is an archetypal 14th century moated castle with ruined interior - a glimpse of medieval splendour.

The battle took place south of the ancient town Issus, which is close to present-day Turkish town of Iskenderun (the Turkish equivalent of "Alexandria", founded by Alexander to commemorate his victory), on either side of a small river called Pinarus. At that location, the distance from the Gulf of Issus to the surrounding mountains is only 2.6 km (2 mi), a place where Darius could not take advantage of his superiority in numbers. Speculation on the location of the Pinarus has taken place for over 80 years. Older historians believed it to be the Deli Tchai river, but historians N.G.L. Hammond and A.M. Devine have made convincing claims that the Pinarus is actually the Payas River, the latter using eye-witness examination of the river, which may not have drastically changed since antiquity. Their evidence is based on Callisthenes' accounts of the measurements of the battlefield and distances marched by both side's armies in the prelude to the battle and distance given by Diodorus after the battle.

With all of the volcanos erupting around the world I thought a trip under one into the magma chamber might make an interesting speculation. For the Sliders Sunday group. Base image created using a Canon PowerShot camera and processed using Photoshop, Quad Pencil and Fractalius.

Happy Slicers Sunday!

The basilica was consecrated in 1896 and incorporates extravagent Byzantine and Romanesque design elements. First conceived in the 1870s, construction was very rapid compared to medieval time lines, possibly due to having sufficient funding (my speculation).

This was taken with my new iPhone 14 Pro Max. Amazing detail!

Although classified as poisonous, reports of human deaths resulting from its ingestion are extremely rare. After parboiling—which weakens its toxicity and breaks down the mushroom's psychoactive substances—it is eaten in parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. Amanita muscaria is noted for its hallucinogenic properties, with its main psychoactive constituent being the compound muscimol. The mushroom was used as an intoxicant and entheogen by the peoples of Siberia, and has a religious significance in these cultures. There has been much speculation on possible traditional use of this mushroom as an intoxicant in other places such as the Middle East, Eurasia, North America, and Scandinavia.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amanita_muscaria

There are speculations on why Jodhpur is painted in blue. One story is that colour blue is associated with Lord Shiva and his followers painted their houses blue. Another story says that the highest caste of Brahmin priests painted their houses blue to distinguish themselves from other castes. Some believe that blue colour keeps houses cooler or that copper sulphate in blue paint deters termites.

With a lockdown in place it is against the rules for me to go to places I like to shoot, so I though I would try to create a series called Isolated creativity. The series is not intended to be a diary but a way of documenting thoughts and emotions via photography.

With the easing of some of the lockdown restrictions in sight there has been lots of speculation, particularly from the press, about how and when the easing will take place. Much of the speculation does not appear to have been based on any facts and has only served to give people incorrect expectations of a rapid return to normal.

The tea leaf reading and crystal ball gazing is not helpful and we sould really just wait and see.

Lockheed F-35B Lightning II 168726 (BF-28) OF VMFAT-501 VM-18 made the hop across the pond after much speculation if they would succeed in bringing them to England. Aircraft departing RIAT 16 at RAF Fairford.

Created for Photoshop Contest week 969

www.flickr.com/groups/photoshopcontest/discuss/7215772191...

Thanks to Virginia Seguí for starter image

www.flickr.com/photos/seguicollar/21762758123/in/album-72...

Sant Pere de Rodes, Girona (Spain).

Wiki Loves Monuments Code: RI-51-0000348

ENGLISH

Sant Pere de Rodes is a former Benedictine monastery in the comarca of Alt Empordà, in the North East of Catalonia, Spain.

It is in the municipal area of El Port de la Selva in the province of Girona, Spain. It has been constructed in the side of the Verdera mountain below the ruins of the castle of Sant de Verdera that had provided protection for the monastery. It offers exceptional views over the bay of Llançà, to the north of Cap de Creus. Near the monastery Santa Creu de Rodes is the ruins of a medieval town, of which its pre-Romanesque style church is the only remains dedicated to Saint Helena.

The true origin of the monastery is not known, which has given rise to speculation and legend; such as its foundation by monks who disembarked in the area with the remains of Saint Peter and other saints, to save them from the Barbarian hordes that invaded the Western Roman Empire. Once the danger had passed the Pope Boniface IV commanded them to construct a monastery.

The first documentation of the existence of the monastery dates 878, when it was mentioned as a simple monastery cell consecrated to Saint Peter, but it is not until 945 when an independent Benedictine monastery was founded, led by an abbot. Connected with the County of Empúries, it reached its maximum splendor between the 11th and 12th centuries until its final decay in 17th century. Its increasing importance is reflected in its status as a point of pilgrimage.

In the 17th century it was sacked in several occasions and in 1793 was deserted by the benedictine community, which was transferred to Vila-sacred and finally settled in Figueres in 1809, until it was dissolved.

The monastery was declared a national monument in 1930. In 1935 the first restoration work was initiated.

More info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sant_Pere_de_Rodes

--------------------------------------------

CASTELLANO

El monasterio benedictino de Sant Pere de Rodes se halla en el término municipal del Port de la Selva en la provincia de Gerona de Cataluña (España). Construido en la falda de la montaña de Verdera por debajo de las ruinas del castillo de Sant Salvador de Verdera que le había dado protección, con una vista excepcional sobre la bahía de Llansá y del Port de la Selva, al norte del Cabo de Creus. Cerca del monasterio están las ruinas del poblado medieval de la Santa Cruz de Rodes, del que sólo queda en pie su iglesia de estilo prerrománico dedicada a Santa Helena.

Fue restaurado a raíz de la publicación del libro que presentó el hallazgo y análisis de un reducido maletín conteniendo reliquias identificables como de san Pedro Apóstol, las cuales en el año 610 fueron alejadas por mar de la ciudad de Roma donde habían sido veneradas en la subterránea cripta ("la Confesión" bajo el altar) de San Pedro del Vaticano. Allí nunca regresaron.

Dentro de un "maletín" decorado con láminas de hueso, y envuelto con un delantal a la medida del pontífice Gregorio I "El Magno" había diminutos relicarios. Además incluyó en su interior una ara portátil (con inscripciones) destinada a celebrar misa los religiosos custodios durante su travesía marítima, cuando Roma estuvo seriamente amenazada por una invasión oriental.

El lote de relicarios (sin tapa) fue accidentalmente recuperado justo doce siglos después de su ocultación en el muro de la cripta subterránea bajo el altar mayor de Sant Pere de Rodes. Las excavaciones arqueológicas posteriores a 1990 dieron muy buenos resultados, promoviendo incluso la restauración de todo el complejo abacial, y en especial la iglesia.

Hasta descubrirse las dichas reliquias, era imposible justificar las vastas dimensiones de la iglesia y del monasterio, al ser un sector muy aislado en la costa del Golfo de Rosas, pero posteriormente se hallaron allí varios tesoros: Monedas de oro y plata, antiguas baldosas de cerámica, e incluso pinturas románicas en los muros de un claustro inferior, desconocido hasta mediados del siglo XX.

Se desconoce el verdadero origen del monasterio, lo que dio lugar en el pasado a especulaciones y leyendas, como la de la fundación por monjes que desembarcaron en la zona con los restos de San Pedro y otros santos, que debían custodiar para no ser profanados por las hordas bárbaras que caían sobre Roma. Pasado el peligro, el papa Bonifacio IV habría mandado construir el templo. Sin embargo, la primera documentación de la existencia del establecimiento data del año 878 siendo mencionado como una simple celda monástica consagrada a San Pedro, pero no es hasta el año 945 cuando se considera un monasterio benedictino independiente, regido por un abad. Ligado al Condado de Ampurias, llega a su máximo esplendor entre los siglos XI y XII. En él se celebran jubileos hasta su decadencia en el siglo XVII. Su importancia creciente lleva a convertirlo en un punto de peregrinaje de la época. A partir del siglo XVII es saqueado en varias ocasiones y en 1793 fue abandonado por la comunidad benedictina que se trasladó a Vila-sacra y, finalmente, se instaló en Figueras en 1809 hasta que fue disuelta. En 1930 fue declarado monumento nacional, y en 1935 la Generalidad de Cataluña inicia las primeras restauraciones.

Más info: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monasterio_de_Sant_Pere_de_Rodes

(By Cartier Bresson)

La iglesia de San Juan de Otero, ahora dedicada a San Bartolomé, se ubica en el interior del Parque Natural del Cañón del Río Lobos, realmente en el término no municipal denominado: Comunero de San Bartolomé, regentado por los municipios sorianos de: Herrera de Soria, Nafría de Ucero y Ucero en Castilla y León (España); fue construida en el primer cuarto del siglo XIII, cuando el estilo románico daba paso al gótico, transición que quedó plasmada en la obra arquitectónica. Formaba parte de un cenobio templario del que sólo se conserva la capilla.

De su vinculación a la Orden de los Caballeros del Temple no cabe duda. La especulación se genera únicamente en torno a sus antecedentes. En una bula papal de 1170, el papa Alejandro III hace referencia al Monasterio de San Juan de Otero, perteneciente a la diócesis de Osma. Puede que estuviera localizado en el mismo lugar que San Bartolomé y fuese reemplazado por la construcción protogótica que ha perdurado, pero también hay quien apunta la posibilidad de que estuviera situado en el otero donde se asienta el castillo, y que se edificara a la par que éste a mediados del siglo XII. Las ruinas de la pequeña iglesia que subsisten podrían ser, en tal caso, las del primitivo santuario templario.

La iglesia tiene planta de cruz latina, disposición que se acusa ostensiblemente al exterior. Llama la atención la escasa altura del transepto en relación con la de la nave. La cumbre de la bóveda de aquél queda por debajo de la línea de imposta de la bóveda de cañón apuntado de la nave, de tal manera que ambas bóvedas no se intersecan y no dan lugar al establecimiento de una cúpula o un cimborrio sobre el crucero.

Las pilastras de sección rectangular adosadas a los muros exteriores del ábside, así como las que flanquean la portada, y la misma puerta que luce seis arquivoltas muy apuntadas, ponen de manifiesto el momento de transición del románico al gótico en que se edificó esta iglesia.

Merecen ser resaltados los dos rosetones, uno en cada astial del transepto, cuyas celosías evocan influencias musulmanas en la forma del entrelazado que compone una estrella lobulada de cinco puntas. Poseen tres arquivoltas de las que sólo la externa está decorada.

The church of San Juan de Otero, now dedicated to Saint Barthelemy, is located inside the Natural Park River Canyon Lobos, really in no municipality called: Comunero of St. Bartholomew, run by the sorianos municipalities of Herrera Soria Ucero Ucero and Nafría of Castile and Leon (Spain); was built in the first quarter of the thirteenth century, when the Romanesque style gave way to Gothic transition was reflected in the architectural work. It was part of a Templar monastery of which only the chapel remains.

Its link to the Order of the Knights Templar no doubt. Speculation is generated solely around their background. In a papal bull of 1170, Pope Alexander III refers to the Monastery of San Juan de Otero, belonging to the diocese of Osma. Maybe he was located in the same place as San Bartolomé and was replaced by protogótica construction that has endured, but also who points out the possibility that was located on the hill where the castle is located, and which will be built at the same time this mid-twelfth century. The ruins of the small church that could subsist be in such a case, the primitive Templar sanctuary.

The church has a Latin cross, provision is ostensibly accused abroad. Particularly striking is the low height of the transept in relation to the ship. The summit dome that is below the impost of the pointed barrel vault of the nave, so that both vaults do not intersect and do not lead to the establishment of a dome or a dome over the transept.

The pilasters of rectangular section attached to the outer walls of the apse, as well as flanking the doorway, and the door which boasts six archivolts very targeted, reveal the moment of transition from Romanesque to Gothic that this church was built.

They deserve to be highlighted the two rosettes, one in each astial the transept, whose lattices evoke Muslim influences in the form of interlaced comprises a lobed five-pointed star. They have three archivolts of which only the outer is decorated.

For some reason 66424 just arrived in the bay of platforms 7 and 8 at Crewe. The driver jumped out and got in the other cab, waited for a few minutes before getting the road to leave.

Its these little workings that keep us meere uninformed mortals fascinated and intrigued with the railway network. I can imagine several conversations around Crewe's enthusiast community that spent a pleasant hour or so speculating the purpose of that move.

My speculation however, was brief and i quickly focused camera and mind on capturing the moment. The unplanned event had my creative juices flowing and having several conventional pictures in the bag i was on the hunt for that special opportunity.

The Crewe station anti suicide squad had recently set me free having convinced themselves that i was not a danger to myself nor society and had no intention of putting one toe beyond the yellow line thus endangering the lives of hundreds of other passengers.

I was behaving impeccably until they disappeared and then behaving like a crazy man i dropped to one knee to get a different angle my knee grazing the yellow line. Phew ! i got away with it.

The approaching Pendo had me fiddling with my camera settings to induce some intentional in camera movement whilst still keeping the Class 66 as sharp as i could. Referring to the manual step 1 said place camera on tripod......Bollocks ! tripod was in the car. Manual discarded i decided to wing it as carriage after carriage glided by.

Bingpot...this is pretty much what i had hoped for and no railway enthusiasts were harmed during the recording of this picture.

Oh sure, there was speculation, rumours, even some open gossip at the local coffee shop but, in the end, the mystery went to the grave. However, the undeniable fact was, someone... somebody with a reason to annually mark an unknown occasion, or perhaps just a date that meant something to the two of them, anonymously left a token... a symbol... an acknowledgment.

Semper Desiderari

Thy soul shall find itself alone

’Mid dark thoughts of the gray tombstone—

Not one, of all the crowd, to pry

Into thine hour of secrecy.

-Edgar Allen Poe

The central idea in the mysticism of Catherine of Siena is not speculation about various forms of union, not inquisitive examination of how union takes place, or how to ascend to higher degrees of love and fruition: it is total self-sacrifice for the Church, concern for the purity and perfection of the Church rather than her own, a love for sinners and desire for their redemption. The fact that she was a laywoman is not secondary but absolutely primary: it stresses the relative unimportance of belonging to this or that order and the supreme importance of union with Christ Crucified for the redemption of sinners.

--A course in Christian mysticism : thirteen sessions with the famous Trappist monk Thomas Merton / edited by Jon M. Sweeney.