There is no ideal Christmas; only the one Christmas you decide to make as a reflection of your values, desires, affections, traditions.

Bill McKibben

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey45_Mt8_Iw

 

For Smile on Saturday - Baubles

 

Still Life

"To get the full value of joy you must have someone to share it with." ... Mark Twain

 

I have found this statement to be SO TRUE. Thanks for sharing the joy of watching this front come in with me!

 

Just hit the letter L on your keyboard to see it large.

 

Grand Canyon, USA

 

Credits

Another sad entry from my late aunt Edie's autograph book. The poppy would suggest that he didn't come back.

 

A treasure with great sentimental value, especially so, as we approach armistice day once again.

Bujaruelo, Sobrarbe, Aragón, España.

 

El valle de Bujaruelo es un valle del Pirineo aragonés, en la provincia de Huesca (España) lindante con el Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido, justo al noroeste del valle de Ordesa, y donde nace el río Ara, del que forma parte como zona periférica de protección. A pesar de su extraordinario valor natural y de los varios intentos llevados a cabo, intereses urbanísticos, turísticos y ganaderos han evitado su incorporación al mencionado Parque aún a pesar de ser limítrofe con él. Sin embargo sí que forma parte del lugar de importancia comunitaria Bujaruelo - Garganta de Los Navarros.

 

The Bujaruelo Valley is a valley in the Aragonese Pyrenees, in the province of Huesca (Spain) bordering the Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park, just to the northwest of the Ordesa Valley, and where the Ara river is born, of which it forms part as peripheral protection zone. Despite its extraordinary natural value and the various attempts carried out, urban, tourist and livestock interests have avoided its incorporation into the aforementioned Park even despite being bordering it. However, it is part of the place of community importance Bujaruelo - Garganta de Los Navarros.

~ Bonum Lux Bulwer ~

 

🎵 Frosty ᛁᛞᚨ - Sagan Endar 🎵

 

Please know, dear Bo, that you are valued and cherished as you should be.

Barberton daisy and Gerbera jamesonii

 

Barberton daisy can purify air and remove formaldehyde and benzene. Barberton daisy are valued most in gardens for the striking colors of their large blooms. Often used in flower beds, cut flower gardens, and container plantings, they can make a striking addition to any kind of flower garden.

 

The gerbera daisy on the other hand symbolizes purity, innocence, and beauty. The most significant characteristic of this flower is its bright, radiant colors, which represent energy and rejuvenation to many. Its colors encourage youthfulness and joy that radiate into the daily lives of individuals.

  

Texture SkeletalMess

Photographed in the tranquil cloud forests surrounding La Minga Ecolodge, Valle del Cauca, Colombia, this female Long-tailed Sylph (Aglaiocercus kingii) offered a fleeting pause on a textured branch. The morning light filtered through the canopy, creating a natural diffuser that softened shadows and enhanced the emerald tones of her head and the warm copper of her breast. I composed with a shallow depth of field to isolate the subject, allowing the background to dissolve into a smooth green gradient, emphasizing her delicate form and plumage detail.

 

For me, this image reflects the value of patience and precise timing in wildlife photography. The subject’s brief stillness, combined with accurate focus and stability, allowed me to capture fine feather structure without overexposing the iridescence—a challenge when working with hummingbirds. The interplay of color, light, and bokeh aims to create a sense of intimacy with this elusive species while maintaining a clean, uncluttered composition.

 

©2025 Adam Rainoff Photographer

For my friend matiz ° o.

See her art here: www.flickr.com/photos/m2matiz/

 

As always, a big thanks to my loyal visitors especially now when I'm extremely busy and hardly on Flickr at all. Someday I'll be back........

Vischering-10-02-2024-0546

In this photo I tried to make use of a yellow filter to enhance the sky values in a black and white image. So I added a Cokin filter holder and Cokin light yellow filter. The effect is not as pronounced as I would have expected. Maybe I will have to go red next time.

Nikon Zf, FTZII adaptor, Samyang T-S 3.5/24, yellow filter, Adjusted in Lightroom.

The first increases the second.

Streets of Philadelphia.

Blogged at - Value.

Jvari Monastery is one of the most iconic in Georgia. This ancient temple dates back to the 6th century AD. It was built at the dawn of the adoption and spread of Christianity in Georgia. The name of the church is translated from Georgian as “the cross” and has its own history. According to the legend, the cross of St. Nino, one of the most revered saints who converted Georgia to Christianity, is kept here. After some time, a temple was built on the site of the holy cross, which later became the basis of the present Jvari.

 

The Jvari temple is located nearby the ancient capital of Georgia, Mtskheta, on the top of a high mountain, from where picturesque views of the neighborhood open, at the intersection of stormy waters of the Aragvi and Kura rivers. The temple attracts thousands of tourists because of its architecture, location and historical value. Exterior and interior decorations of the temple are made in simple, and we can say quite austere forms. Unlike most Orthodox churches, Jvari is beautiful with its simplicity, rigor and clarity of lines. According to the structure, the temple is classified as serial, or tetraconch. Inside the temple right in the center under the dome on a stone pedestal, stands the impressive wooden cross, decorated with inscriptions and carvings. The exterior facades of the temple are decorated with simple, and at the same time expressive bas-reliefs.

 

To the top of the mountain where the temple stands, lead two ways: a new asphalt road for cars, and a path through which people used to climb up to the sanctuary from time immemorial. The trail begins at the highway. Climbing up along it until about the middle, you can come across a spring with holy water which is believed to appear thanks to the prayers of St. Nino. This water is considered to be curative and miraculous. The temple of Jvari went through a long and difficult journey of one and a half thousand year’s length along with the Georgian people, experienced hardships and difficulties, becoming a symbol of faith for Georgia.

In the Japanese Garden on the Clingendael estate you will even find a tea pavilion.

This is the most eye-catching and is a popular place to admire the garden from there. In the tea pavilion you will find an indication of the age of the garden. The date "9-7-1913" is applied in the ridge of the pavilion. The Japanese Garden is the oldest of its kind in the Netherlands and has a high historical value.

 

This beautiful dirt road lined with poplars, still partially bare in the early Spring, leads to the farmstead called Mugnaga (which in the Milanese dialect is the word for "apricot"), a large farmstead producing milk, cheese, honey, corn, wheat, and other agricultural products (and hosting a nursery). It was still lockdown time, and I allowed myself a brief sunrise session while going to work. I was lucky enough to find a man and his dog strolling along the dirt road towards the farmstead, in the distance, bathed in the golden light.

 

In this area there are several traditional Padan farmsteads, which are still inhabited and active - in the Padan plain there are so many dead relics of our rural history... - some of them are fairly ancient, dating back from the 19. or even the 17. century and they are often protected as they have historical and/or artistic value. Italy is quite rich in cultural heritage but well, protection often means, say, that a building of interest cannot be demolished, but can be abandoned to its own (sad) fate. The people who are still living and working in these farmsteads are preserving the memory of generations upon generations of peasants who were the workforce of what had long been the most advanced agricultural region in Europe. They lived in the landowners' farmsteads and worked in the attached fields - families upon families who were payed-in-kind (milk, butter, corn, flour...) and were so poor that when they transferred from one farmstead to another the whole (and quite often numerous) family plus their scant belongings could easily fit in a cart.

 

I have obtained this picture by blending an exposure bracketing [-2.0/-1.0/0/+1.0/+2.0 EV] by luminosity masks with the Gimp (EXIF data, as usual, refer to the "normal" exposure shot), then I added some final touches with Nik Color Efex Pro 4. Raw files processed with Darktable.

My good old Hanhel tripod caused much trouble on that morning - I had to painstakingly offset against slight horizontal deviations between the five shots of the exposure bracketing, ranging from 3 up to 7 pixels. Luckily it was just a simple horizontal deviation, and I was able to compensate for it. I have just grabbed my new tripod (Rollei C6i carbon), can't wait for trying it! (Incidentally, I have just confirmed the rule that we talk about our poor tripods only when they cause trouble ;-))

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) has been valued since ancient times for its great healing properties. It is a symbol of the true perseverance of nature. Dandelions are full of antioxidants and boosts immune system. Other benefits include weight loos, kills cancer cells, supports bile secretion, healthy digestion and fights constipation.

OOC Jpeg

28 mm equiv.

Exp. Corr. Value: +0.0 EV

Exp. Program: Normal

Metering mode: Pattern

WB Settings: Manual

Another rock (with little orange colour) in the reserve "Piekło" ("Hell") in Poland :)

 

The Rocks "Piekło" (Hell Rocks) near Niekłań is the inanimate nature reserve, located in the Stęporków commune. The reserve was established in 1959 to protect interesting sandstone formations caused by wind erosion. It covers an area of over 6 ha of mixed forest with a predominance of 200-year-old pines and oaks, but the greatest value of the reserve are picturesque rocks carved by erosive processes in Triassic and Lower Jurassic sandstones. On a length of several hundred meters, there is a series of monadnocks, taking unusual shapes, such as rock mushrooms, chimneys or pulpits. Their height reaches in height from 2 to 8 m. Fantastic forms and their dark color were probably the reason for many legends and names. The reserve is also a concentration of rich flora and fauna.

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

 

Kolejna skałka (z lekko pomarańczowym odcieniem) w rezerwacie "Piekło" pod Niekłaniem :)

 

Rezerwat "Piekło" położony jest na wschód od Niekłania Wielkiego, w gminie Stąporków. Został utworzony w 1959 r. w celu zachowania osobliwych form skalnych. Obejmuje powierzchnię ponad 6 ha lasu mieszanego z przewagą 200-letnich sosen i dębów, jednak największą wartość rezerwatu stanowią malownicze skałki wyrzeźbione przez procesy erozyjne w triasowych i dolnojurajskich piaskowcach. Skałki tworzą dwa oddzielne skupiska: wschodnie i zachodnie. Na długości kilkuset metrów znajduje się ciąg ostańców, przybierających nietypowe kształty, takie jak grzyby skalne, kominy czy kazalnice, osiągające wysokość od 2 do 8 m. Fantastyczne formy i ich ciemne zabarwienie były prawdopodobnie powodem powstania wielu legend oraz nazwy. Rezerwat jest skupiskiem bogatej flory i fauny. W skalnych szczelinach prawdopodobnie przetrwało stanowisko bardzo rzadkiej paproci zanokcicy północnej (Asplenium septentrionale) - reliktu klimatu polodowcowego. "Skałki Piekło pod Niekłaniem" uznane są za najpiękniejszy rezerwat przyrody nieożywionej w województwie świętokrzyskim.

 

David Piper competed in the Formula One World Championship in 1959, and then went on to race sports cars when he lost interest in single seaters. From 1962 until 1970, he often competed in his own cars at sports car events, incluidng 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Sebring.

 

Perhaps most famous for racing a multitude of Ferrari's, including the 250 GTO, 250 LM and the 512S, he also competed using his own Porsche 917K, and was involved in the filming of the Steve McQueen film Le Mans, where he crashed the 917K and lost part of his leg.

 

He also competed using the Lola T70 seen here with the Sandeman sponsorship livery and its original British Petroleum Green colour (the colour is impregnated into the bodywork itself). This Lola is chassis number SL76/150, delivered new to the David Piper Autoracing Modena team on the 7th March 1969, and was fitted with a 5ltr Bartz Chevrolet engine.

 

David Piper described the Lola as "such good value for a long distance sports racing coupe at that time. It was a big step forward in all areas over the Ford GT40 against which it was measured. The car was comfortable and east to drive with no vices at all."

 

________________________________

Dave Adams Automotive Images

October sunset

"The secret of a good life is to have the right loyalties and hold them in the right scale of values."

-Norman Thomas-

 

__________________________

 

[TURN]

Anson Seabra - Trying My Best

 

youtu.be/S1i7Ws3rhEo

_______________________

 

I know you think I got it all figured out

내가 당신의 모든 걸 이해할 수 있을 거라 생각했다는 것을 알아요

 

'Cause I walk around like my head's in the clouds

나는 공상에 빠진 듯 걸어가니까

 

But I'm just a boy with his heart pouring out of his head

하지만 저는 그저 머릿속 생각들을 풀어놓는 소년인 걸요

 

I wish that you could see the pain that I've seen

내가 겪은 이 고통을 알아줬으면 해요

 

And all of the times I spent being not me

내가 아닌 모습으로 살았던 모든 시간들을

 

I hope you know that it's not always happy in my head

나의 머릿속에서 난 항상 행복하지 않다는 것을 알아줬으면 해요

 

'Cause I don't know

모르겠으니까

 

The perfect road to go down

완벽한 길이 어딘지 모르겠으니까

 

​

 

But I know

하지만 난 알아요

 

​

I'm trying my best

난 최선을 다했다는 걸

 

​

I'm trying my best to be okay

쓰러지지 않기 위해 최선을 다했다는 걸

  

I'm trying my best but every day it's so hard

난 최선을 다하고 있어요, 하지만 하루하루가 너무 힘드네요

 

​

And I'm holding my breath

난 숨을 죽일 거예요

 

​

I'm holding my breath 'til I can say

내가 말할 수 있을 때까지 숨을 죽일 거예요

 

​

 

All of the words I wanna say from my heart

내가 진심으로 하고 싶은 모든 말들

 

​

 

If you really wanted I could ley you inside

당신이 진심으로 원한다면 난 당신을 받아들일 거예요

  

It's been so long and I've got nothing left to hide

한참이 지났고 난 이제 숨길 것이 없어요

 

​

 

Would you believe me if I told you that I've got flaws

내게 결점이 있다면 믿어줄래요?

 

​

 

Now it's time to let the curtains unfold

이제 커튼을 걷어 젖히고

 

And tell all the stories that I didn't want told

내가 하기 싫었던 말들을 해야 할 때가 됐군요

  

I let it out so I unburden my soul I won't stop

난 내 속마음을 털어놓을 거예요, 멈추지 않을 거예요

 

​

 

'Cause I don't know

모르겠으니까

  

The perfect road to go down

완벽한 길이 어딘지 모르겠으니까

 

​

 

But I know

하지만 난 알아요

 

​

 

I'm trying my best

난 최선을 다했다는 걸

 

​

 

I'm trying my best to be okay

쓰러지지 않기 위해 최선을 다했다는 걸

 

​

 

I'm trying my best but every day it's so hard

난 최선을 다하고 있어요, 하지만 하루하루가 너무 힘드네요

 

​

And I'm holding my breath

난 숨을 죽이고 있어요

 

​

I'm holding my breath 'til I can say

내가 말할 수 있을 때까지 숨을 죽일 거예요

 

​

 

All of the words I wanna say from my heart

내가 진심으로 하고 싶은 모든 말들

 

​

 

I'm trying my best

난 최선을 다하고 있어요

 

​

 

I'm trying my best to be okay

쓰러지지 않기 위해 최선을 다하고 있어요

 

​

 

I'm trying my best but every day it's so hard

난 최선을 다하고 있지만 하루하루가 너무 힘드네요

 

​

 

And I'm holding my breath

난 숨을 죽이고 있어요

 

​

I'm holding my breath 'til I can say

내가 말할 수 있을 때까지 숨을 죽일 거예요

 

​

All of the words I wanna say from my heart

내가 진심으로 하고 싶은 모든 말들

.

.

.

.

.

.

 

100: I reckon you are a number.

103: I count you as a number

142: I value you higher than the former two

*** : I think you are superfluous.

 

(temporary assemblage)

"The value of a life does not depend on the place we occupy;

it depends on the way we occupy that place." ~ Therese of Lisieux

 

This is Lost Lake (yes, I found it) up atop Kebler Pass.

  

Thank you for viewing,

Bev

 

Kebler Pass

Colorado

USA

    

© All Rights Reserved

 

Moon and Back Photography & Graphics

  

Moon and Back Photography

                  

Shot with DxO ONE

Embrace your inner fashionista with this stunning [Ahlure] Corinne Shirt & Pants Set. If you value having versatile, one-of-a-kind, and high-quality pieces in your SL closet, this outfit will certainly become one of your go-to favorites!

 

This set comes with Shirt, Pants, and Heels (not shown). I absolutely love the Color/Texture HUD which allows you to make color and texture changes to the shirt's arms, collar, back, front, and edge (piping) details. There is also a separate HUD for the pants which lets you make color and texture changes to the upper and lower portions of the pants, belt, garter, bow, and metals.

 

The [Ahlure] Corinne Shirt & Pants Set fits Lara X, Legacy (+Bombshell), and Reborn (+ Waifu) mesh bodies.

 

You will find this gorgeous [Ahlure] Corinne Shirt & Pants Set at the Swank Around the World August Sales Event:

 

Taxi to SWANK Around the World August Sales Event:

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Swank%20Events/130/124/39

 

(Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France)

x-default

Estoy retomando fotos antiguas para probar nuevos procesados y texturas

I have been weeks away from this man. I met him when Sheree and I were in Rhode Island. He was standing at the top of an escalator, pointing a camera at us.

 

I grew to love him in the period of four days. I grew to love him like a true friend.

 

Let me tell you a little about Brian. I tread carefully, because I don't want to betray any confidences. But Brian is utterly devoted to his wife Gina...which speaks volumes to me. It simply means that we understand each other...and the core values that rule our hearts.

 

Brian has undergone a (an?) horrific disease. It has cost him all senses of taste. But he can still smell and when he smells he remembers the way it used to taste and he is content with that. When he packed a lunch for Sheree and me on the train, he included a note. I never even got notes in my lunchbox from my mother.

 

I loved talking to him and I loved hearing what he thought about everything from the burial of Ted Kennedy to the plight of street people. Frankly, I miss him.

 

I think of Gina calling him to the computer, to read to him these things. I can see the room in my mind's eye. I know it well.

 

It makes me smile because I know as he hears them that our friendship is cemented. Brian: I think of you often. And I miss you. So there.

 

Here he is standing looking out at the ocean. I wonder what he is thinking.

 

I promised not to show his face...but I think this image shows the heart of my friend in Rhode Island.

 

Even after all these days, the impression he has left on my heart is as indelible as ink. I look forward to sitting quietly with you again, Brian, sipping a beer and listening to our wives talking happily together upstairs...and knowing all is well in their worlds.

 

He doesn't photograph stuff...but he helps those of us who do. So say hello to a hero of mine. His name is Brian.

 

Be well, dear friend.

Your value doesn't decrease based on someone's inability to see your worth

SN/NC: Rosa Sp, Rosaceae Family

 

Garden roses are predominantly hybrid roses that are grown as ornamental plants in private or public gardens. They are one of the most popular and widely cultivated groups of flowering plants, especially in temperate climates. An enormous number of garden cultivars have been produced, especially over the last two centuries, though roses have been known in the garden for millennia beforehand. While most garden roses are grown for their flowers, often in dedicated rose gardens, some are also valued for other reasons, such as having ornamental fruit, providing ground cover, or for hedging. Roses are one of the most popular garden shrubs in the world with both indoor and outdoor appeal. They possess a number of general features that cause growers and gardeners to choose roses for their gardens. This includes the wide range of colours they are available in; the generally large size of flower, larger than most flowers in temperate regions; the variety of size and shape; the wide variety of species and cultivars that freely hybridize.

 

As rosas de jardim são predominantemente rosas híbridas que são cultivadas como plantas ornamentais em jardins privados ou públicos. Eles são um dos grupos de plantas com flores mais populares e amplamente cultivados, especialmente em climas temperados. Um grande número de cultivares de jardim foi produzido, especialmente nos últimos dois séculos, embora as rosas sejam conhecidas no jardim há milênios. Enquanto a maioria das rosas de jardim são cultivadas por suas flores, muitas vezes em jardins de rosas dedicados, algumas também são valorizadas por outras razões, como ter frutas ornamentais, fornecer cobertura do solo ou cobertura. As rosas são um dos arbustos de jardim mais populares do mundo, com apelo interno e externo. Eles possuem uma série de características gerais que fazem com que produtores e jardineiros escolham rosas para seus jardins. Isso inclui a ampla gama de cores em que estão disponíveis; o tamanho geralmente grande da flor, maior do que a maioria das flores em regiões temperadas; a variedade de tamanho e forma; a grande variedade de espécies e cultivares que hibridizam livremente.

 

Las rosas de jardín son predominantemente rosas híbridas que se cultivan como plantas ornamentales en jardines privados o públicos. Son uno de los grupos de plantas con flores más populares y ampliamente cultivados, especialmente en climas templados. Se ha producido una enorme cantidad de cultivares de jardín, especialmente durante los últimos dos siglos, aunque las rosas se conocen en el jardín desde hace milenios. Si bien la mayoría de las rosas de jardín se cultivan por sus flores, a menudo en jardines de rosas dedicados, algunas también se valoran por otras razones, como tener frutas ornamentales, proporcionar cobertura del suelo o setos. Las rosas son uno de los arbustos de jardín más populares del mundo, tanto para interiores como para exteriores. Poseen una serie de características generales que hacen que los cultivadores y jardineros elijan rosas para sus jardines. Esto incluye la amplia gama de colores en los que están disponibles; el tamaño generalmente grande de la flor, más grande que la mayoría de las flores en las regiones templadas; la variedad de tamaño y forma; la amplia variedad de especies y cultivares que hibridan libremente.

 

Les roses de jardin sont principalement des roses hybrides qui sont cultivées comme plantes ornementales dans les jardins privés ou publics. Ils sont l'un des groupes de plantes à fleurs les plus populaires et les plus cultivés, en particulier dans les climats tempérés. Un nombre énorme de cultivars de jardin ont été produits, en particulier au cours des deux derniers siècles, bien que les roses soient connues dans le jardin depuis des millénaires auparavant. Alors que la plupart des roses de jardin sont cultivées pour leurs fleurs, souvent dans des roseraies dédiées, certaines sont également appréciées pour d'autres raisons, telles que la présence de fruits ornementaux, la couverture du sol ou la couverture. Les roses sont l'un des arbustes de jardin les plus populaires au monde avec un attrait intérieur et extérieur. Ils possèdent un certain nombre de caractéristiques générales qui poussent les producteurs et les jardiniers à choisir des roses pour leurs jardins. Cela inclut la large gamme de couleurs dans lesquelles ils sont disponibles ; la taille généralement grande de la fleur, plus grande que la plupart des fleurs des régions tempérées; la variété de taille et de forme; la grande variété d'espèces et de cultivars qui s'hybrident librement.

 

Le rose da giardino sono prevalentemente rose ibride che vengono coltivate come piante ornamentali in giardini privati o pubblici. Sono uno dei gruppi di piante da fiore più popolari e ampiamente coltivati, soprattutto nei climi temperati. È stato prodotto un numero enorme di cultivar da giardino, soprattutto negli ultimi due secoli, sebbene le rose fossero conosciute in giardino da millenni. Mentre la maggior parte delle rose da giardino vengono coltivate per i loro fiori, spesso in roseti dedicati, alcune sono apprezzate anche per altri motivi, come avere frutti ornamentali, fornire copertura del suolo o per siepi. Le rose sono uno degli arbusti da giardino più popolari al mondo con un fascino sia per interni che per esterni. Possiedono una serie di caratteristiche generali che inducono coltivatori e giardinieri a scegliere le rose per i loro giardini. Ciò include l'ampia gamma di colori in cui sono disponibili; la dimensione generalmente grande del fiore, più grande della maggior parte dei fiori nelle regioni temperate; la varietà di dimensioni e forma; l'ampia varietà di specie e cultivar che si ibridano liberamente.

 

Tuinrozen zijn overwegend hybride rozen die als sierplant in particuliere of openbare tuinen worden gekweekt. Ze zijn een van de meest populaire en meest gekweekte groepen bloeiende planten, vooral in gematigde klimaten. Er is een enorm aantal tuincultivars geproduceerd, vooral in de afgelopen twee eeuwen, hoewel rozen al duizenden jaren eerder in de tuin bekend waren. Hoewel de meeste tuinrozen worden gekweekt voor hun bloemen, vaak in speciale rozentuinen, worden sommige ook om andere redenen gewaardeerd, zoals het hebben van sierfruit, het verstrekken van bodembedekkers of voor afdekking. Rozen zijn een van de meest populaire tuinheesters ter wereld met zowel binnen als buiten aantrekkingskracht. Ze hebben een aantal algemene kenmerken die kwekers en tuinders ertoe brengen om rozen voor hun tuinen te kiezen. Dit omvat het brede scala aan kleuren waarin ze verkrijgbaar zijn; de over het algemeen grote bloemgrootte, groter dan de meeste bloemen in gematigde streken; de verscheidenheid aan grootte en vorm; de grote verscheidenheid aan soorten en cultivars die vrijelijk hybridiseren.

 

Gartenrosen sind überwiegend Hybridrosen, die als Zierpflanzen in privaten oder öffentlichen Gärten angebaut werden. Sie sind eine der beliebtesten und am weitesten verbreiteten Gruppen von Blütenpflanzen, insbesondere in gemäßigten Klimazonen. Vor allem in den letzten zwei Jahrhunderten wurde eine enorme Anzahl von Gartensorten produziert, obwohl Rosen im Garten schon seit Jahrtausenden bekannt waren. Während die meisten Gartenrosen wegen ihrer Blüten angebaut werden, oft in speziellen Rosengärten, werden einige auch aus anderen Gründen geschätzt, z. B. als Zierfrüchte, als Bodendecker oder zur Absicherung. Rosen sind einer der beliebtesten Gartensträucher der Welt und sowohl im Innen- als auch im Außenbereich attraktiv. Sie besitzen eine Reihe allgemeiner Merkmale, die Züchter und Gärtner veranlassen, Rosen für ihre Gärten zu wählen. Dazu gehört die große Auswahl an Farben, in denen sie erhältlich sind; die im Allgemeinen große Blume, größer als die meisten Blumen in gemäßigten Regionen; die Vielfalt an Größe und Form; die große Vielfalt an Arten und Sorten, die frei hybridisieren.

 

ガーデンローズは主に、プライベートガーデンまたはパブリックガーデンで観賞用植物として栽培されるハイブリッドローズです。それらは、特に温暖な気候において、最も人気があり、広く栽培されている顕花植物のグループの1つです。バラは何千年も前から庭で知られていましたが、特に過去2世紀にわたって、膨大な数の庭の栽培品種が生産されてきました。ほとんどの庭のバラは花のために栽培されていますが、多くの場合専用のバラ園で栽培されていますが、観賞用の果物を持っている、地被植物を提供する、または生け垣などの他の理由で評価されるものもあります。バラは、屋内と屋外の両方で魅力的な世界で最も人気のある庭の低木の1つです。それらは、栽培者と庭師が彼らの庭のためにバラを選ぶようにする多くの一般的な特徴を持っています。これには、利用可能なさまざまな色が含まれます。一般的に大きなサイズの花で、温帯地域のほとんどの花よりも大きい。サイズと形状の多様性;自由に交雑する多種多様な種と栽培品種。

 

ورود الحدائق هي في الغالب ورود هجينة تزرع كنباتات للزينة في حدائق خاصة أو عامة. إنها واحدة من أكثر مجموعات النباتات المزهرة انتشارًا وشعبية ، خاصة في المناخات المعتدلة. تم إنتاج عدد هائل من أصناف الحدائق ، خاصة خلال القرنين الماضيين ، على الرغم من أن الورود كانت معروفة في الحديقة لآلاف السنين مسبقًا. بينما تُزرع معظم ورود الحدائق لزهورها ، غالبًا في حدائق ورود مخصصة ، يتم تقدير بعضها أيضًا لأسباب أخرى ، مثل الحصول على فاكهة الزينة ، أو توفير غطاء أرضي ، أو للتحوط. الورود هي واحدة من أشهر شجيرات الحدائق في العالم مع جاذبية داخلية وخارجية. لديهم عدد من الميزات العامة التي تجعل المزارعين والبستانيين يختارون الورود لحدائقهم. يتضمن ذلك مجموعة واسعة من الألوان التي تتوفر بها ؛ الحجم الكبير للزهرة بشكل عام ، أكبر من معظم الأزهار في المناطق المعتدلة ؛ تنوع الحجم والشكل. مجموعة واسعة من الأنواع والأصناف التي تهجين بحرية.BOT

Orschwiller (Bas-Rhin)

© Leanne Boulton, All Rights Reserved

 

Street photography from Glasgow, Scotland.

 

Colour re-edit of a shot from July 2017. Enjoy.

There's something inherently sad about household objects left out for the trash man. They are like castoffs; broken or no longer cherished, and left ignominiously out on the curb. This easy chair caught my eye the other day. Part of the forlorn quality of scenes like this is the object being ripped from its normal context. I wouldn't give the chair a second look in someone's living room. But it seemed horribly out of place on the edge of the state highway that bisects the village. That, and the sedentary nature of a recliner juxtaposed against passing traffic. Wonderful visual metaphors for the life cycle of things we purchase and the passage of time (and with it life). In the eerie stillness after the truck passed I contemplated the chair and the many other personal objects scattered about the lawn behind me. There's a village-wide trash haul this weekend, and little collections such as this are springing up all around. I have to admit a weird impulse to inspect them, and yearn to pull over when driving by. I can't help but think I will find something of value (I almost never do) but also that idle curiosity about seeing the remnants of someone else's life (remember I did preface this as weird). I'll be placing some of my own items out on the curb soon. I tend to wait until the night before, perhaps to avoid having others inspect them as I did this chair. Even when it's sheer junk, I feel an odd sentimental tug about letting go of things. And that spell lasts as long as the objects remain on my tree lawn before the pickup. Much like this chair, they are in the condemned phase, but still retrievable. I can simply go back out and reclaim them. That sentiment vanishes the moment the objects are tossed onto the truck. Maybe that's why I wait until the last minute to put them out. I just can't stand that in between time.

The Jurassic Coast begins in Exmouth, East Devon, and continues for 95 miles to Old Harry Rocks, near Swanage, Dorset. It is England's only natural World Heritage Site, and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2001 for the outstanding universal value of its rocks, fossils and landforms.

Sunrise in the Saloum Delta. Senegal. 13°50′ N 16°29′ W

 

Saloum Delta is classified by UNESCO as a cultural landscape of Outstanding Universal Value.

 

whc.unesco.org/en/list/1359

The Merganser tried unsuccessfully for over 20 minutes to try to swallow its catch but eventually had to give up..... a little too big

Thank you everyone so much for sharing your quality photos which is a great way to see and keep in touch with the world from home. Also for your kind comments and favours which are much valued.I am not able to take on any more members to follow or to post to groups. I prefer not to receive invites to groups

Take a moment from time to time to remember that you are alive.

I know this sounds a trifle obvious, but it is amazing how little time

we take to remark upon this singular and gratifying fact.

By the most astounding stroke of luck an infinitesimal portion

of all the matter in the universe came together to create you

and for the tiniest moment in the great span of eternity

you have the incomparable privilege to exist ...

 

Bill Bryson

 

English ten pound note.

 

If you are familiar with this banknote then this image may strike you as being a little odd. You’ll know the iridescent holograms on the left, but you may not have seen the large yellow figures ‘10’ formed in the pattern at the top.

 

That’s because this image was taken in UV light. There are patches of fluorescent ink printed on the note that just look like white paper in ordinary light. The five-pound note has a 5 in the same place. I couldn’t afford a £20 note to check it out for consistency (or should that be cheque?) ;)

 

The British pound sterling is the oldest currency in the world that has been in constant circulation. It was adopted around 800AD being modelled on the currency of the French kingdom of Charles the Great (Charlemagne) which was established a few years before. Italian, Spanish and Portuguese currency had the same roots.

 

The French livre (pound) had 20 sous each of 12 deniers, like the 20 shillings and 12 pennies of sterling. Interestingly although the small denomination was called a penny its symbol was the ‘d’, just like the French denier, the Spanish Dinero and the Portuguese Dinheiro. All the names derive from the Roman denarius coin.

 

Sterling was decimalised in 1971 which caused all the prices to go up and the parking meters to stop working :) The pound now has 100 new pennies (p or pence).

 

Originally one French livre was worth a pound weight of silver (equivalent to 14.6 Troy ounces), but by 850 the pound sterling was only worth eleven and a quarter Troy ounces of silver. Looking at tonight’s spot price for silver my note should be redeemable for £1868.62 of the shiny metal… times change.

 

This image measures under 3 inches across as per the rules.

 

One thing that photographers should be aware of is that it is illegal to reproduce a digital picture of more than 50% of one side of the note without an overstamp, and the Queen’s head must not be distorted. There are the normal copyright issues as well and these can be rigorously prosecuted. See the Bank of England website for more details.

 

Thank you for taking the time to look. I hope you enjoy the image. Happy Macro Mondays :)

Minolta X700 Minolta MD 28mm 1:2.8 Tri-X EcoPro 1:1 01/19/2022

.

While at Echo Amphitheater in Abiquiú, I shot some infrared.

I've tended to process my infrareds to black and white as I never felt satisfied with my attempts at false color processing with channel swapping.

 

I've been learning more this past year about working with color prior to converting to black and white.

 

In the first comment box below is the unedited shot, pretty much all brown. Shot through the Hoya R72, 720 nm filter. The custom white balance that I had set keeps it from being totally magenta.

 

As has been my common result, using the Channel Mixer adjustment layer and swapping values for the red and blue channels wasn't great.

I've been learning what the Selective Color adjustment layer does, so opened that under the Channel Mixer layer.

It allowed me to play with how much red, yellow, green, blue, cyan and magenta are within colors and thereby fine tune what the Channel Mixer does.

 

Things were better.

Then I opened a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer above Channel Mixer and found that playing with the Master and moving the Hue slider helped too.

 

After working on tonal ranges, using midtone luminosity masks on curves layers and dodging and burning, I still didn't like how much purple was in the sky.

 

I tried the Select Color command to isolate the sky and that created a mask when I opened the Color Balance adjustment layer. Mostly working on shadows and midtones to reduce red, increase blue and increase green got the deep blue color.

 

I've been learning about the Hard Mix blend mode, and after using the color picker to grab the color of the trees, I opened a Color Fill adjustment layer, set it to Hard Mix and then reduced the Fill opacity to 7%. This enhanced the tree color.

 

Finally, I got a false color infrared that actually had definite color.

 

Why did I do all this?

This extreme edit became the underlying base to a black and white version of the shot. All the color stuff I've been learning was part of tutorials on processing for BW.

Barring unforeseen circumstances, I hope to post that on Thursday for Donnerstagsmonochrom.

 

Happy Sliders Sunday!