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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haslingden_Grane
Haslingden Grane is a glaciated valley lying to the west of Haslingden and in the north east of the West Pennine Moors. It is easily accessible via the B6232 Grane Road which links to the M65 motorway and the A56. It contains three reservoirs: (west to east) Calf Hey Reservoir, Ogden Reservoir and Holden Wood Reservoir.
Prior to the construction of the reservoirs in the 19th century the settlement of Haslingden Grane had a population of 1,300 and was the centre of an illegal whisky distilling industry. The remains of some buildings can still be seen. Much quarrying has taken place in the past and continues at Jamestone Quarry.
The valley is overlooked to the north by Oswaldtwistle Moor and to the south by Musbury Heights. The attractive moorland scenery makes it a popular place for walking especially through the well known Fairy Glen beauty spot, there is an information centre, parking and cafe at Clough Head.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo,_Spain
Toledo is a city and municipality located in central Spain; it is the capital of the province of Toledo and the autonomous community of Castile–La Mancha. Toledo was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 for its extensive monumental and cultural heritage.
Toledo is known as the "Imperial City" for having been the main venue of the court of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, and as the "City of the Three Cultures" for the cultural influences of Christians, Muslims and Jews reflected in its history. It was also the capital from 542 to 725 AD of the ancient Visigothic kingdom, which followed the fall of the Roman Empire, and the location of historic events such as the Visigothic Councils of Toledo. Toledo has a long history in the production of bladed weapons, which are now common souvenirs from the city.
People who were born or have lived in Toledo include Brunhilda of Austrasia, Al-Zarqali, Garcilaso de la Vega, Eleanor of Toledo, Alfonso X, Israeli ben Joseph, Halevi, and El Greco. As of 2015, the city had a population of 83,226 and an area of 232.1 km2 (89.6 sq mi).
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alc%C3%A1zar_of_Toledo
The Alcázar of Toledo (Spanish: Alcázar de Toledo) is a stone fortification located in the highest part of Toledo, Spain. Once used as a Roman palace in the 3rd century, it was restored under Charles I (Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor) and his son Philip II of Spain in the 1540s. In 1521, Hernán Cortés was received by Charles I at the Alcázar, following Cortes' conquest of the Aztecs. Most of the alcázar was rebuilt, or restored, between 1939 and 1957 after the Siege of the Alcázar of the Spanish Civil War.
From wiki:
NGC 7822 is a young star forming complex in the constellation of Cepheus. The complex encompasses the emission region designated Sharpless 171, and the young cluster of stars named Berkeley 59
Image details:
SHO (Hubble Palette)
231, 5-min, 100-gain, SII subs
115, 5-min, 100-gain, Ha subs
165, 5-min, 100-gain, OIII subs
42.75 hours of data total.
Data calibrated with:
Darks, Flats and Bias frames
Data collected on clear nights Dec 2024, Jan, Feb 2025.
ASI2600mm Pro Camera
Esprit 100ED with reducer
446mm focal length, F4.4
Sensor cooled to -10C
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount
Dithered every 3 frames, 2X
drizzled in PIX
All data captured in my backyard in Yukon, Oklahoma
Bortle-7 sky.
Processed with Pixinsight and Photoshop.
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Dumfries
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_Municipality_of_Waterloo
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Nikon D3200 + Nikon Nikkor 18-135mm 1:3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S DX
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_D3200
www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/d3200.htm
www.kenrockwell.com/nikon/18-135.htm
www.opticallimits.com/nikon--nikkor-aps-c-lens-tests/241-...
DSC_0226 Anx2 1400h Q90 f25 f50
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanderling
The sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wading bird. The name derives from Old English sand-yrðling, "sand-ploughman".[2] The genus name is from Ancient Greek kalidris or skalidris, a term used by Aristotle for some grey-coloured waterside birds. The specific alba is Latin for "white".[3]
It is a circumpolar Arctic breeder, and is a long-distance migrant, wintering south to South America, South Europe, Africa, and Australia. It is highly gregarious in winter, sometimes forming large flocks on coastal mudflats or sandy beaches.
It is somewhat unlike other sandpipers in appearance, which has led to the suggestion that it should be placed into a monotypic genus Crocethia. A more recent review (Thomas et al., 2004) indicates, however, that the sanderling is a fairly typical "stint" or small sandpiper and should be separated from the large knots with its closest relatives in a distinct genus.
This bird is similar in size to a dunlin, but stouter, with a thick bill. It shows a strong white wingbar in flight, and runs along the sandy beaches it prefers with a characteristic "bicycling" action of its legs, stopping frequently to pick small food items. It eats small crabs and other small invertebrates. In spring, birds migrating north from South America consume large numbers of horseshoe crab eggs in the Delaware Bay area.
In spring, the birds arrive on the High Arctic breeding grounds (see map), where they lay 3–4 eggs in a ground scrape. On the nesting grounds, these birds mainly eat insects and some plant material.
The sanderling is one of the species to which the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (AEWA) applies.
Description
The sanderling is a small plump sandpiper, 18–20 cm (7.1–7.9 in) in length. Its weight ranges from 40–100 g (1.4–3.5 oz). The winter bird is very pale, almost white apart from a dark shoulder patch. This is the source of the specific name, alba, which is the Latin for "white". Later in the summer, the face and throat become brick-red. The juvenile bird is spangled black and white, and shows much more contrast than the adult.
Standard Measurements[4][5]
length180–220 mm (7.1–8.7 in)
weight60 g (2.1 oz)
wingspan430 mm (17 in)
wing114.5–121.6 mm (4.51–4.79 in)
tail47.3–53 mm (1.86–2.09 in)
culmen22.5–26.6 mm (0.89–1.05 in)
tarsus23.5–25.8 mm (0.93–1.02 in)
If its size is misjudged, a sanderling in breeding plumage can be mistaken for some varieties of stint, or a sanderling in winter plumage can be mistaken for a dunlin or red knot. It can be told from other small wading birds, given good views, by its lack of a hind toe. Its behavior is also distinctive.
Distribution, habitat and migration
The sanderling breeds in the High Arctic areas of North America, Europe and Asia. In North America, it breeds in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, Nunavut, Greenland (and to a lesser extent Alaska). In Eurasia, it breeds in Spitsbergen and areas of northern Russia from the Taymyr Peninsula to the New Siberian Islands. In the northern winter, it has a nearly cosmopolitan distribution across the world's marine coasts. It is a complete migrant, travelling between 3,000 to 10,000 km (1,900 to 6,200 mi) from its breeding grounds to its wintering sites. Birds that travel further also arrive later and leave sooner. Most adults leave the breeding grounds in July and early August, whereas juvenile birds leave in late August and early September. The northward migration begins in March at the southern end of their winter distribution.[6]
The breeding habitat of the sanderling is coastal tundra north of 5 °C (41 °F) July isotherm. The species typically chooses nesting sites on dry stony areas near wet areas, from 60 m (200 ft) above sea level to 800 m (2,600 ft). During the winter and its migration, it is most commonly found on coastal sandy beaches, but also occurs on tidal sand flats, mud flats and the shores of lakes and rivers. More infrequently, it may occur on rocky shores.[6]
Subspecies
The sanderling consists of two subspecies:
C. a. alba, (Pallas, 1764), breeds on Ellesmere Island, north & east Greenland, Svalbard, Franz Josef Land and the Taymyr Peninsula
C. a. rubida, (Gmelin, 1789), breeds in northeast Siberia, Alaska and northern Canada
Behaviour
Feeding behaviour
Sanderlings feed on invertebrate prey buried in the sand in the upper intertidal zone. In North America, this diet largely consists of the isopods Excirolana linguifrons, Excirolana kincaidii, and the mole crab, Emerita analoga. When the tide is out, these crustaceans live in burrows some way beneath the surface. When the tide comes in, they move into the upper layers of sand and feed on the plankton and detritus that washes over them with each wave. They then burrow rapidly down again as the water retreats. They leave no marks on the surface, so the sanderlings hunt for them by plunging their beaks into the sand at random, consuming whatever they find. Their bills can penetrate only 2 or 3 cm (0.79 or 1.18 in) and as the water swirls around and retreats, the sand is softer; this makes it easier for the birds' beaks to penetrate further. In the spring, when much breeding activity is taking place in the benthic community, there may be as many as 4000 invertebrates per square metre, but their average size is smaller than later in the year. The birds appear to rush madly around at the edge of the surf, but in reality they are maximising their chances of catching as many prey animals as possible when they are at their most vulnerable near the surface.[7]
Breeding behaviour
At breeding time sanderlings are territorial, with the male aggressively defending its territory. They may either form monogamous pairs or polyandrous (one female and two male) pairings.
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Studio_City_(Macau):
Studio City is a hotel casino resort on the Cotai Strip in Cotai, Macau. The Hollywood studio-themed leisure resort is the first in Asia to integrate television and film production facilities, retail, gaming and hotels. It is majority-owned by Melco Resorts & Entertainment and its subsidiary Studio City International Holdings Limited (SCIHL), Its two towers are connected by the world's first and highest figure-8 ferris wheel.
Inspired by the Golden Age of Hollywood, the cinematic-themed resort comprises a 30,000-square-foot Family Entertainment Center in collaboration with Time Warner Inc. subsidiaries Warner Bros and DC Comics. The entertainment center features DC Comics characters, such as Superman, Wonder Woman and The Flash.
Studio City features an Art Deco design inspired by two asteroids shooting through a Gotham City building. The resort was designed by Goddard Group, a Los Angeles–based entertainment design firm that also designed Galaxy Macau.
The resort's two hotel towers – Star Tower and Celebrity Tower – are connected by the Golden Reel, the world's first and highest figure-8 ferris wheel. Boarding at the hotel's 23rd floor, the wheel features 17 steampunk-themed cabins holding up to 10 passengers each, also designed by the Goddard Group, with hardware manufactured by Liechtenstein's Intamin Amusement Rides. Batman Dark Flight is a 4D flight simulation theatre attraction, along with a 40,000 square foot children's playground, the Warner Brothers Fun Zone.
Facilities include Legend Heroes Park, an immersive tech-based entertainment park (TBE), a 5,000-seat live performance arena, an indoor/outdoor water park, opened in May 2021, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a fitness centre and meeting rooms. Star Tower is rated 5-star by Forbes Travel Guide and houses several award-winning restaurants, the Zensa Spa and Pacha Macau nightclub, as well as 1,233 gaming machines and about 250 gaming tables. Studio City Event Center hosts concerts and sporting events.
Guests may also view space through giant portal windows at the Cosmos Food Station food court. Restaurants at Studio City include Michelin-starred Pearl Dragon, Bi Ying, Rossi Trattoria and Hide Yamamoto.
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city. Trieste is located at the head of the Gulf of Trieste and throughout history it has been influenced by its location at the crossroads of Germanic, Latin and Slavic cultures. In 2009, it had a population of about 205,000 and it is the capital of the autonomous region Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trieste province.
Trieste was one of the oldest parts of the Habsburg Monarchy from 1382 until 1918. In the 19th century, it was the most important port of one of the Great Powers of Europe. As a prosperous seaport in the Mediterranean region, Trieste became the fourth largest city of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (after Vienna, Budapest, and Prague). In the fin-de-siecle period, it emerged as an important hub for literature and music. However, the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Trieste's union to Italy after World War I led to some decline of its "Mittel-European" cultural and commercial importance. Enjoying an economic revival during the 1930s and throughout the Cold War, Trieste was an important spot in the struggle between the Eastern and Western blocs. Today, the city is in one of the richest regions of Italy, and has been a great centre for shipping, through its port (Port of Trieste), shipbuilding and financial services.
For further information on this fascinating city please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trieste
for Our Daily Challenge topic - 'Something to sit on' - This is one of Wiki's favorite perches to watch from. It's in the field on the porch to an old shed.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lesser_spotted_eagle
The lesser spotted eagle (Clanga pomarina) is a large Eastern European bird of prey. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The typical eagles are often united with the buteos, sea eagles and other more heavy-set Accipitridae, but more recently it appears as if they are less distinct from the more slender accipitrine hawks than believed.
Description
This is a medium-sized eagle, about 60 cm in length and with a wingspan of 150 cm. Its head and wing coverts are pale brown and contrast with the generally dark plumage. The head and bill are small for an eagle. There is usually a white patch on the upperwings, and even adults retain a clear-marked white V on the rump; the wing markings are absent and the white V is not well-defined in the greater spotted eagle.
The juvenile has less contrast in the wings, but the remiges bear prominent white spots. It differs from greater spotted eagle juveniles by a lack of wing covert spotting and the presence of a cream-colored neck patch.
The call is a dog-like yip.
Systematics, taxonomy and evolution
The birds formerly considered to be the resident Indian subspecies are now considered a separate species, the Indian spotted eagle (Clanga hastata), quite distinct and readily separable by morphological, behavioral, ecological and DNA sequence data. The European taxon is actually closer to the greater spotted eagle; their common ancestor seems to have diverged around the middle Pliocene, perhaps some 3.6 million years ago (mya),[2] from the ancestors of the Indian birds. The "proto-spotted eagle" probably lived in the general region of Afghanistan, being split into a northern and a southern lineage when both glaciers and deserts advanced in Central Asia as the last ice age began. The northern lineage subsequently separated into the eastern (greater) and western (lesser) species of today, probably around the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary not quite 2 mya.[3]
The spotted eagles as a group are quite distinct from the typical members of Aquila, the "true eagles".
Distribution and ecology
The lesser spotted eagle breeds in Central and Eastern Europe and southeastward to Turkey, and winters in Africa. This is a very wary species of open or lightly wooded country, in which it hunts small mammals and similar terrestrial prey. This eagle lays 1–3 white buff-spotted eggs in a tree nest. As usual for eagles, only in breeding seasons with very abundant prey does more than one young fledge however: the female starts incubating when the first egg has been laid, and thus the first young to hatch usually outgrows its clutchmate(s) and will kill and even eat them sooner or later.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York_Minster
The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York. It is run by a dean and chapter, under the Dean of York. The title "minster" is attributed to churches established in the Anglo-Saxon period as missionary teaching churches, and serves now as an honorific title.[1] Services in the minster are sometimes regarded as on the High Church or Anglo-Catholic end of the Anglican continuum.[2]
The minster has a very wide Decorated Gothic nave and chapter house, a Perpendicular Gothic Quire and east end and Early English North and South transepts. The nave contains the West Window, constructed in 1338, and over the Lady Chapel in the east end is the Great East Window, (finished in 1408), the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. In the north transept is the Five Sisters Window, each lancet being over 52 feet (16 m) high.[citation needed] The south transept contains a rose window, while the West Window contains a heart-shaped design colloquially known as 'The Heart of Yorkshire'.
History
York has had a verifiable Christian presence from the 4th century. However, there is circumstantial evidence pointing to much earlier Christian involvement. According to Bede, missionaries were sent from Rome by Eleutherius at the request of the chieftain Lucius of Britain in AD 180 to settle controverted points of differences as to Eastern and Western ceremonials which were disturbing the church. Tradition speaks of 28 British bishops, one for each of the greater British cities, over whom presided the Archbishops of London, York and Caerleon-on-Usk.
The first recorded church on the site was a wooden structure built hurriedly in 627 to provide a place to baptise Edwin, King of Northumbria. Moves toward a more substantial building began in the decade of the 630s. A stone structure was completed in 637 by Oswald and was dedicated to Saint Peter. The church soon fell into disrepair and was dilapidated by 670 when Saint Wilfrid ascended to the See of York. He repaired and renewed the structure. The attached school and library were established and by the 8th century were some of the most substantial in Northern Europe.[citation needed][3]
In 741 the church was destroyed in a fire. It was rebuilt as a more impressive structure containing thirty altars. The church and the entire area then passed through the hands of numerous invaders, and its history is obscure until the 10th century. There was a series of Benedictine archbishops, including Saint Oswald of Worcester, Wulfstan and Ealdred, who travelled to Westminster to crown William in 1066. Ealdred died in 1069 and was buried in the church.[4]
The church was damaged in 1069 during William the Conqueror's harrying of the North, but the first Norman archbishop, Thomas of Bayeux, arriving in 1070, organised repairs. The Danes destroyed the church in 1075, but it was again rebuilt from 1080. Built in the Norman style, it was 111 m (364.173 ft) long and rendered in white and red lines. The new structure was damaged by fire in 1137 but was soon repaired. The choir and crypt were remodelled in 1154, and a new chapel was built, all in the Norman style.
The Gothic style in cathedrals had arrived in the mid 12th century. Walter de Gray was made archbishop in 1215 and ordered the construction of a Gothic structure to compare to Canterbury; building began in 1220. The north and south transepts were the first new structures; completed in the 1250s, both were built in the Early English Gothic style but had markedly different wall elevations. A substantial central tower was also completed, with a wooden spire. Building continued into the 15th century.
The Chapter House was begun in the 1260s and was completed before 1296. The wide nave was constructed from the 1280s on the Norman foundations. The outer roof was completed in the 1330s, but the vaulting was not finished until 1360. Construction then moved on to the eastern arm and chapels, with the last Norman structure, the choir, being demolished in the 1390s. Work here finished around 1405. In 1407 the central tower collapsed; the piers were then reinforced, and a new tower was built from 1420. The western towers were added between 1433 and 1472. The cathedral was declared complete and consecrated in 1472.[5]
The nave of York Minster
The English Reformation led to the looting of much of the cathedral's treasures and the loss of much of the church lands. Under Elizabeth I there was a concerted effort to remove all traces of Roman Catholicism from the cathedral; there was much destruction of tombs, windows and altars. In the English Civil War the city was besieged and fell to the forces of Cromwell in 1644, but Thomas Fairfax prevented any further damage to the cathedral.
Following the easing of religious tensions there was some work to restore the cathedral. From 1730 to 1736 the whole floor of the minster was relaid in patterned marble and from 1802 there was a major restoration. However, on 2 February 1829, an arson attack by a non-conformist, Jonathan Martin,[6] inflicted heavy damage on the east arm. An accidental fire in 1840 left the nave, south west tower and south aisle roofless and blackened shells. The cathedral slumped deeply into debt and in the 1850s services were suspended. From 1858 Augustus Duncombe worked successfully to revive the cathedral.
During the 20th century there was more concerted preservation work, especially following a 1967 survey that revealed the building, in particular the central tower, was close to collapse. £2,000,000 was raised and spent by 1972 to reinforce and strengthen the building foundations and roof. During the excavations that were carried out, remains of the north corner of the Roman Principia (headquarters of the Roman fort, Eboracum) were found under the south transept. This area, as well as remains of the Norman cathedral, re-opened to the public in spring 2013 as part of the new exhibition exploring the history of the building of York Minster.[7]
On 9 July 1984, a fire believed to have been caused by a lightning strike[8] destroyed the roof in the south transept, and around £2.5 million was spent on repairs. The fire was photographed from just south of the minster in the early hours by Bettison photographers. This picture was subsequently published showing the South transept alight with a list of North Yorkshire firefighters attending. The stations attending ranged from Scarborough to Harrogate. Huge amounts of water were needed to provide jets at great height to hit the roof timbers and protect the Rose Window. Most of the water was pumped from the Ouse nearby because the water supplies around the minster were inadequate. Fire crews from the main York fire station in Clifford Street worked hard to protect the Rose Window and stop the fire spreading into the tower and organ. Many crews worked for hours and some were on high levels of the minster at the time when the South transept roof fell in. Luckily, those few firefighters inside when the roof crashed down were not directly beneath. But what they saw after the ventilation released the smoke, was a pile of timber covering the whole of the south transept floor to a height of at least six feet. When daylight came the whole scene was occupied by media. At about 8am an officer was approached by two ladies looking for information. "Have you an account for The Times"? They said. The officer replied, "Actually, I spoke to the London and New York Times at about four thirty" The ladies then announced that they were from the Church Times. Reports of the fire travelled across both hemispheres. The Restoration work was completed in 1988, and included new roof bosses to designs which had won a competition organised by BBC Television's Blue Peter programme. In 2007 renovation began on the east front, including the Great East Window, at an estimated cost of £23 million.[9][10]
In 2000, the Dean and Chapter allowed the York Mystery Plays to be performed for the first time inside the Minster, directed by Greg Doran.[11]
Architecture of the present building
York Minster is the second largest Gothic cathedral of Northern Europe and clearly charts the development of English Gothic architecture from Early English through to the Perpendicular Period. The present building was begun in about 1230 and completed in 1472. It has a cruciform plan with an octagonal chapter house attached to the north transept, a central tower and two towers at the west front. The stone used for the building is magnesian limestone, a creamy-white coloured rock that was quarried in nearby Tadcaster. The Minster is 173 yards (158 m) long[citation needed] and the central tower has a height of 230 feet (70 m) high.[citation needed] The choir has an interior height of 102 feet (31 m).[citation needed]
The north and south transepts were the first parts of the new church to be built. They have simple lancet windows, including the Five Sisters in the north transept. These are five lancets, each 52 feet (16 m) high[citation needed] and glazed with grey (grisaille) glass, rather than narrative scenes or symbolic motifs that are usually seen in medieval stained glass windows. In the south transept is a rose window whose glass dates from about 1500 and commemorates the union of the royal houses of York and Lancaster. The roofs of the transepts are of wood, that of the south transept was burnt in the fire of 1984 and was replaced in the restoration work which was completed in 1988. New designs were used for the bosses, five of which were designed by winners of a competition organised by the BBC's Blue Peter television programme.
The chapter house.
Work began on the chapter house and its vestibule that links it to the north transept after the transepts were completed. The style of the chapter house is of the early Decorated Period where geometric patterns were used in the tracery of the windows, which were wider than those of early styles. However, the work was completed before the appearance of the ogee curve, an S-shaped double curve which was extensively used at the end of this period. The windows cover almost all of the upper wall space, filling the chapter house with light. The chapter house is octagonal, as is the case in many cathedrals, but is notable in that it has no central column supporting the roof. The wooden roof, which was of an innovative design, is light enough to be able to be supported by the buttressed walls. The chapter house has many sculptured heads above the canopies, representing some of the finest Gothic sculpture in the country. There are human heads, no two alike, and some pulling faces; angels; animals and grotesques. Unique to the transepts and chapter house is the use of Purbeck marble to adorn the piers, adding to the richness of decoration.
The Kings Screen and organ.
The nave was built between 1291 and c. 1350 and is also in the decorated Gothic style. It is the widest Gothic nave in England and has a wooden roof (painted so as to appear like stone) and the aisles have vaulted stone roofs. At its west end is the Great West Window, known as the 'Heart of Yorkshire' which features flowing tracery of the later decorated gothic period.
The east end of the Minster was built between 1361 and 1405 in the Perpendicular Gothic style. Despite the change in style, noticeable in details such as the tracery and capitals, the eastern arm preserves the pattern of the nave. The east end contains a four bay choir; a second set of transepts, projecting only above half-height; and the Lady Chapel. The transepts are in line with the high altar and serve to throw light onto it. Behind the high altar is the Great East Window, the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world, which is currently undergoing a massive conservation project, due to be completed in 2015–16. Below the Great East Window currently sits the Orb, a stainless steel dome which opened at the end of October 2012, containing five of the conserved panels from the window, one of which is changed each month. The Orb enables visitors to see the work of renowned medieval artist, John Thornton, up close, revealing the remarkable detail in each panel.
The sparsely decorated Central Tower was built between 1407 and 1472 and is also in the Perpendicular style. Below this, separating the choir from the crossing and nave is the striking 15th century choir screen. It contains sculptures of the kings of England from William the Conqueror to Henry VI with stone and gilded canopies set against a red background. Above the screen is the organ, which dates from 1832. The West Towers, in contrast with the Central Tower, are heavily decorated and are topped with battlements and eight pinnacles each, again in the Perpendicular style.
English Heritage has recently made publicly available a monograph[12] on the architectural history of York Minster. The book charts the construction and development of the minster based on the architectural recording of the building from the 1970s. The full report can be downloaded from the Archaeology Data Service website.
Stained glass
York as a whole, and particularly the minster, have a long tradition of creating beautiful stained glass. Some of the stained glass in York Minster dates back to the 12th century. The Minster's records show that much of the glass (white or coloured) came from Germany.[13] Upon arrival at York, it was intricately painted, fired, then glazed together with lead strips into the windows. The 76-foot (23 m)[citation needed] tall Great East Window, created by John Thornton in the early 15th century, is the largest expanse of medieval stained glass in the world. Other windows in the minster include an ornate rose window and the 50-foot (15 m)[citation needed] tall Five Sisters window. Because of the extended time periods during which the glass was installed, different types of glazing and painting techniques which evolved over hundreds of years are visible in the different windows. Approximately two million individual pieces of glass make up the cathedral's 128 stained glass windows. Much of the glass was removed before and pieced back together after the First and Second World Wars, and the windows are constantly being cleaned and conserved to keep their beauty intact.
In 2008 a major conservation project of the Great East Window commenced, involving the removal, repainting and re-leading of each individual panel.[14] While the window was in storage in the minster's stonemasons' yard, a fire broke out in some adjoining offices, due to an electrical fault, on 30 December 2009.[15] The window's 311 panes, stored in a neighbouring room, were undamaged and were successfully moved to safety.[16][17] In September 2015 Phase One of the renovation project of the East Front of the Minster was completed.[18]
Towers and bells
The two west towers of the minster hold bells, clock chimes and a concert carillon. The north-west tower contains Great Peter (216 cwt or 10.8 tons) and the six clock bells (the largest weighing just over 60 cwt or 3 tons). The south-west tower holds 14 bells (tenor 59 cwt or 3 tons) hung and rung for change ringing and 22 carillon bells (tenor 23 cwt or 1.2 tons) which are played from a baton keyboard in the ringing chamber (all together 35 bells.)
The clock bells ring every quarter of an hour during the daytime and Great Peter strikes the hour. The change ringing bells are rung regularly on Sundays before church services and at other occasions, the ringers practise on Tuesday evenings. York Minster became the first cathedral in England to have a carillon of bells with the arrival of a further twenty-four small bells on 4 April 2008. These are added to the existing "Nelson Chime" which is chimed to announce Evensong around 5.00 pm each day, giving a carillon of 35 bells in total (three chromatic octaves). The new bells were cast at the Loughborough Bell Foundry of Taylors, Eayre & Smith, where all of the existing minster bells were cast. The new carillon is a gift to the minster. It will be the first new carillon in the British Isles for 40 years and first hand played carillon in an English cathedral. Before Evensong each evening, hymn tunes are played on a baton keyboard connected with the bells, but occasionally anything from Beethoven to the Beatles may be heard.[19]
Shrines
When Thomas Becket was murdered and subsequently enshrined at Canterbury, York found itself with a rival major draw for pilgrims. More specifically, pilgrims spent money and would leave gifts for the support of the cathedral. Hence Walter de Gray, supported by the King, petitioned the Pope. On 18 March 1226, Pope Honorius issued a letter to the effect that the name of William (Fitzherbert), formerly Archbishop of York, was "inscribed in the catalogue of the Saints of the Church Militant." Thus there was now St William of York (whose name is perhaps more often associated with the adjacent St William's College). York had its saint but it took until 1279, when William de Wickwane (William de Wykewayne) was elected archbishop, for the remains of the canonised William to be transferred to a shrine prepared for them behind the high altar.[20] This was placed on a platform raised upon the arches of the crypt removed to this position for that purpose. On 29 December King Edward I himself, together with the bishops who were present, carried on their shoulder the chest or feretory containing the relics to their new resting-place and Anthony Beck, consecrated the same day as Bishop of Durham, paid all the expenses.
The tomb of Walter de Gray was erected in the south transept. His remains were interred on "the vigil of Pentecost, 1255"[20] under his effigy "in full canonicals" carved in Purbeck marble under a canopy resting on ten light pillars. It was subsequently somewhat hidden behind a screen of ironwork erected by Archbishop William Markham in the early 19th century.
Organ
The choir
The fire of 1829 destroyed the organ and the basis of the present organ dates from 1832, when Elliot and Hill constructed a new instrument. This organ was reconstructed in 1859 by William Hill and Sons. The case remained intact, but the organ was mechanically new, retaining the largest pipes of the former instrument.
In 1903, J.W. Walker and Sons built a new instrument in the same case. They retained several registers from the previous instrument.
Some work was undertaken in 1918 by Harrison & Harrison when the Tuba Mirabilis was added and the Great chorus revised. The same firm rebuilt this Walker-Harrison instrument in 1931 when a new console and electro-pneumatic action were added together with four new stops. The smaller solo tubas were enclosed in the solo box. In 1960, J.W. Walker & Sons restored the actions, lowered wind pressures and introduced mutations and higher chorus work in the spirit of the neo-classical movement. They cleaned the organ in 1982.
The fire of 1984 affected the organ but not irreparably; the damage hastened the time for a major restoration, which was begun in 1991 and finished two years later by Principal Pipe Organs of York, under the direction of their founder, Geoffrey Coffin, who had at one time been assistant organist at the Minster.[21]
Organists
The organists of York Minster have had several official titles, the job description roughly equates to that of Organist and Master of the Choristers. The current Organist and Director of Music of the minster is Robert Sharpe. There is also an assistant director of music, David Pipe, and an organ scholar.
Among the notable organists of York Minster are four members of the Camidge family, who served as the cathedral's organists for over 100 years, and a number of composers including John Naylor, T. Tertius Noble, Edward Bairstow, Francis Jackson, and Philip Moore.
Dean and chapter
Dean: The Very Revd Vivienne Faull (since 1 December 2012 installation[22])
Precentor: The Revd Canon Peter Moger (since 12 September 2010 installation[23])
Pastor: The Reverend Michael Smith
Chancellor: The Reverend Canon Christopher Collingwood
Archdeacon: The Reverend Canon David Butterfield
Burials
Bosa of York, Bishop of York and Saint (died c. 705)
Eanbald I, Archbishop (780–796)
Osbald, King of Northumbria (died 799)
Ealdred (archbishop of York) (1061–1069)
Thomas of Bayeux, Archbishop (1070–1100)
Gerard, Archbishop (1100–1108)
Thomas II of York, Archbishop (1108–1114)
William of York, Archbishop (1141–1147, 1153–1154)
Henry Murdac, Archbishop (1147–1153)
Roger de Pont L'Eveque, Archbishop {1154–1181}
Walter de Gray, Archbishop (1216–1255)
Sewal de Bovil, Dean and Archbishop (1256–1258)
Godfrey Ludham, Archbishop (1258–1265)
William Langton, Archbishop (1265)
Walter Giffard, Archbishop (1266–1279)
John le Romeyn, Archbishop (1286–1296)
Henry of Newark, Archbishop (1296–1299)
William Greenfield, Archbishop (1306–1315)
Prince William of Hatfield, Infant son of Edward III (1337)
William Melton, Archbishop (1317–1340)
William Zouche, Archbishop (1342–1352)
Henry Percy, soldier (1364–1403)
Richard le Scrope, Archbishop (1398–1405)
Henry Bowet, Archbishop (1407–1423)
Thomas Savage, Archbishop (1501–1507)
Hugh Ashton, Archdeacon of York (died 1522)
John Piers, Archbishop (1589–1594)
George Meriton, Dean of York (1579–1624)
Charles Watson-Wentworth, 2nd Marquess of Rockingham, (1730-1782)
John Farr Abbott, barrister (1756–1794)
Astronomical clock
The astronomical clock was installed in the North Transept of York Minster in 1955. The clock is a memorial to the airmen operating from bases in Yorkshire, County Durham and Northumberland who were killed in action during the Second World War.[24]
Illuminations
In November 2002, York Minster was illuminated in colour, devised by York-born Mark Brayshaw, for the first time in its history. The occasion was televised live on the BBC1 Look North programme. Similar illuminations have been projected over the Christmas period in subsequent years.
York Minster was also artistically illuminated on 5 November 2005, celebrating the 400th anniversary of the foiling of York-born Guy Fawkes' gunpowder plot. This was done by Patrice Warrener using his unique "chromolithe" technique with which he 'paints' with light, picking out sculpted architectural details.
In October 2010, York Minster's south transept was selected for "Rose", a son et lumiere created by international artists Ross Ashton and Karen Monid which lit up the entire exterior of the south transept of the minster and illuminated the Rose Window. There were also satellite illuminate events in Dean's Park.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona
Arizona is a state in the Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. Its other neighboring states are Nevada to the northwest and California to the west. It also shares an international border with the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California to the south and southwest. It is the 6th-largest and the 14th-most-populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix, which is the most populous state capital in the United States.
Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912. Historically part of the territory of Alta California and Nuevo México in New Spain, it became part of independent Mexico in 1821. After being defeated in the Mexican–American War, Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848, where the area became part of the territory of New Mexico. The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the Gadsden Purchase.
Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate, with extremely hot summers and mild winters. Northern Arizona features forests of pine, Douglas fir, and spruce trees; the Colorado Plateau; mountain ranges (such as the San Francisco Mountains); as well as large, deep canyons, with much more moderate summer temperatures and significant winter snowfalls. There are ski resorts in the areas of Flagstaff, Sunrise, and Tucson. In addition to the internationally known Grand Canyon National Park, which is one of the world's seven natural wonders, there are several national forests, national parks, and national monuments.
Arizona is home to a diverse population. About one-quarter of the state is made up of Indian reservations that serve as the home of 27 federally recognized Native American tribes, including the Navajo Nation, the largest in the state and the country, with more than 300,000 citizens. Since the 1980s, the proportion of Hispanics has grown significantly owing to migration from Mexico and Central America. A substantial portion of the population are followers of the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Arizona's population and economy have grown dramatically since the 1950s because of inward migration, and the state is now a major hub of the Sun Belt. Cities such as Phoenix and Tucson have developed large, sprawling suburban areas. Many large companies, such as PetSmart and Circle K, have headquarters in the state, and Arizona is home to major universities, including the University of Arizona, Arizona State University, and Northern Arizona University. The state is known for a history of conservative politicians such as Barry Goldwater and John McCain, though it has become a swing state in recent years.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antelope_Canyon
Navajo Upper Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon in the American Southwest, on Navajo land east of Lechee, Arizona. It includes six separate, scenic slot canyon sections on the Navajo Reservation, referred to as Upper Antelope Canyon (or The Crack), Rattle Snake Canyon, Owl Canyon, Mountain Sheep Canyon, Canyon X and Lower Antelope Canyon (or The Corkscrew). It is the primary attraction of Lake Powell Navajo Tribal Park, along with a hiking trail to Rainbow Bridge National Monument.
The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means 'the place where water runs through the (Slot Canyon) rocks'. Lower Antelope Canyon is Hazdistazí (called "Hasdestwazi" by the Navajo Parks and Recreation Department), or 'spiral rock arches'. Both are in the LeChee Chapter of the Navajo Nation. They are accessible by Navajo guided tour only.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "米国" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis" "ארצות הברית" "संयुक्त राज्य" "США"
(Arizona) "أريزونا" "亚利桑那州" "אריזונה" "एरिजोना" "アリゾナ州" "애리조나" "Аризона"
Excerpt from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Anse_aux_Meadows:
L'Anse aux Meadows (lit. 'Meadows Cove') is an archaeological site, first excavated in the 1960s, of a Norse settlement dating to approximately 1,000 years ago. The site is located on the northernmost tip of the island of Newfoundland in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador near St. Anthony.
With carbon dating estimates between 990 and 1050 CE (mean date 1014)[1][2][3] and tree-ring dating of 1021,[4][5][2] L'Anse aux Meadows is the only undisputed site of pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact of Europeans with the Americas outside of Greenland.[3] It is notable as evidence of the Norse presence in North America and for its possible connection with the accounts of Leif Erikson in the Saga of the Greenlanders and the Saga of Erik the Red,[6] which were written down in the 13th century.[3] Archaeological evidence suggests the settlement served as a base camp for Norse exploration of North America, including regions to the south.[7]
Spanning 8,000 hectares (31 sq mi) of land and sea, the site contains the remains of eight buildings constructed of sod over a wood frame, with over 800 Norse objects unearthed,[8] including bronze, bone, and stone artifacts, and evidence of iron production.[9] The site was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1968 and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978,[10] and is managed by Parks Canada.
Excerpt from www.pc.gc.ca/apps/dfhd/page_hl_eng.aspx?id=14554:
The Long Point (Twillingate) heritage lighthouse is a brick lighthouse built in 1876, which was later encased in reinforced-concrete in 1929. Situated 331 feet above sea level, atop a cliff in Notre Dame Bay on the northeastern coast of Newfoundland, the lighthouse guides vessels into Twillingate Harbour and is a popular eco-tourism destination.
The Long Point (Twillingate) heritage lighthouse is a heritage lighthouse because of its historical, architectural, and community values.
The Long Point (Twillingate) heritage lighthouse is associated with the development of permanent marine aids to navigation along Newfoundland’s coast. Erected during an intensive period of lighthouse-building in the British colony, its use of brick and its distinctive lantern recall the British lighthouse tradition and reflect Newfoundland’s colonial ties to Britain.
The Long Point (Twillingate) heritage lighthouse is primarily associated with the development of the towns of Crow Head and Twillingate. Though French fishing vessels frequented the area as early as the late 1600s, local economic development began in earnest in the late 18th century and, by 1783, Twillingate, now under control of the British, had become a central commercial base in the area, with fishing, fish processing and sealing as its primary industries. To support this growing sea-based economy, the lighthouse was built in 1876 at the request of local interests. While fishing and sealing industries have since declined, the lighthouse remains an important beacon for those who continue to depend on these traditional industries. More recently, the lightstation has played a strong role in the community’s developing ecotourism industry, with its scenic surroundings being ideal locations for whale-watching and viewing icebergs.
From an aesthetic point of view, the Long Point (Twillingate) heritage lighthouse is the only one of its kind in Canada. It is a brick tower encased in reinforced concrete, from which it derives its unique visual profile. The tower rises from a square base to height of approximately 6.1 metres before angling in at the corners to create a short octagonal section below the lantern platform. The red-painted tower is capped by a white-painted cylindrical lantern and gallery. The original 18-foot cast iron lantern, featuring two rows of triangular glass panes, is now a rarity in Canada.
Situated 331 feet above sea level, atop windy Devil’s Cove Head, the tower required sturdy and heavy materials to withstand such a location. It is one of a few complete brick lighthouses to survive in the province. After it suffered structural damage during an earthquake in 1929, the lighthouse was encased in a one-foot-thick reinforced concrete shell, which proved to be a highly effective conservation treatment.
The Long Point (Twillingate) heritage lighthouse is a highly treasured symbol for the local community. Sitting high up on a cliff, with commanding views of the ocean, it is the centrepiece of an evolved and picturesque historic lightstation complex. The lighthouse and its remaining ancillary buildings strongly reinforce the rich maritime character of the region.
While the operation of a marine aid to navigation remains a key function for the lightstation site, today it is also very important for the regional tourism which it anchors. The lightstation is easy to access for visitors and has been transformed into an eco-tourism attraction with an interpretation centre, coffee shop, viewing platform, boardwalk and trails. It is one of the most visited lightstations in the province, popular with tourists and local residents alike.
The following character-defining elements of the Long Point (Twillingate) Lighthouse should be respected:
— its location overlooking Notre Dame Bay;
— the sequential geometric massing of the tower that progresses from a square base to octagonal tower with a lantern;
— the brick tower encased in reinforced concrete;
— the lantern that is composed of a multi-faceted base, two rows of triangular glass panes, fire-retardant cast-iron doors and a lantern cap;
— the interior circular stairway and wooden banister;
— its traditional red and white exterior colour scheme; and
— its visual prominence in relation to the water, surrounding landscape and setting within an evolved historic lightstation.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upper_Derwent_Valley
The Upper Derwent Valley is an area of the Peak District National Park in England. It largely lies in Derbyshire, but its north eastern area lies in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Its most significant features are the Derwent Dams, Ladybower, Derwent and Howden, which form Ladybower Reservoir, Derwent Reservoir and Howden Reservoir respectively.
In 1899, the Derwent Valley Water Board was set up to supply water to Derby, Leicester, Nottingham and Sheffield, and the two Gothic-style dams were built across the River Derwent to create Howden Reservoir (1912) and Derwent Reservoir (1916).[1]
West of the Derwent a large village known as Birchinlee, locally known as 'Tin Town', was created for the 'navvies'—the workers who built the dams—and their families, many of whom came from the Elan Valley Reservoirs in Wales.[1]
The villages in the Upper Derwent Valley:
•Bamford
•Yorkshire Bridge
•Hathersage
•Grindleford
•Calver
A narrow-gauge railway, for transporting materials, connected the Water Board offices in Bamford with the work site. A section of the track of the railway is now a footpath; other sections are visible when water levels in the reservoirs are low. The railway engine house still exists at the old offices. The offices are now occupied by a Quaker group.
Over the decades, demand for water increased. Piped intakes were constructed from the rivers Ashop and Alport to the west to feed directly into the Derwent reservoir, but soon demand increased further to the point where another reservoir was required. The larger Ladybower Reservoir, built largely during World War II, necessitated the flooding of the villages of Derwent and Ashopton, with the occupants being relocated to the Yorkshire Bridge estate, just downstream of Ladybower dam. A packhorse bridge with a preservation order on it also had to be moved, and was rebuilt at Slippery Stones, north of Howden Reservoir. The bodies in the churchyard were exhumed and reburied at Bamford. The reservoir was completed in 1945.
The topographical similarity between the Upper Derwent Valley and the Ruhr Valley of Germany led to the dams being used as a practice environment for the Lancaster bombers of the 617 Dam Busters Squadron in 1943 before their attack on the Ruhr dams. The Dam Busters film was subsequently filmed at the Derwent Dams, and the area sees occasional commemorative flypasts by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
The reservoirs cover 198.50 square kilometres, and can hold 463,692 million litres. The main beneficiary of the reservoirs' water is Sheffield, less than 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away, but the reservoirs are also connected to the Severn Trent's water grid that extends to mid-Wales and Gloucestershire. The reservoirs were originally intended to supply water to the cities of Sheffield, Derby, Leicester and Nottingham. Sheffield was supplied with "raw" water for treatment in its own treatment plants. The other cities were supplied with treated water. Water was treated at the Yorkshire Bridge works (now converted to apartments), and at the much bigger Bamford Filter works, much expanded in the 1960s.
The area is good for rare birds, including Black Grouse and Goshawk. Much of the surrounding land is administered by the National Trust and is popular as a recreational area for walking and cycling.
Wiki with our dear neighbor, Margaret. This is Wiki's favorite activity - sitting between one of my close friends and me and providing a soft spot in the conversation. I think we all purrr.
For Our Daily Challenge topic - 'Starts with CON.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The way to which mankind may hold
Is not the eternal way.
Eternal truths cannot be told
In what men write or say.
The name that may be named by man
Is not the eternal name
That was before the world began
Or human language came.
In that the namable took root,
The tree of fire and force,
Which, having blossomed and borne fruit,
Returns then to its source.
Who warms his body at that fire,
Sees nothing but its smoke;
But he who puts aside desire,
The flame’s self will invoke.
These two things are the same in source
But different in name;
Who solves this mystery has recourse
To that from whence he came.
................................. Charles H. Mackintosh (1926)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God (the great everlasting infinite First Cause from whom all things in heaven and earth proceed) can neither be defined nor named.
For the God which can be defined or named is but the Creator, the Great Mother of all those things of which our senses have cognisance.
Now he who would gain a knowledge of the nature and attributes of the nameless and undefinable God, must first set himself free from all earthly desires, for unless he can do this, he will be unable to penetrate the material veil which interposes between him and those spiritual conditions into which he would obtain an insight.
Yet the spiritual and the material, though known to us under different names, are similar in origin, and issue from the same source, and the same obscurity belongs to both, for deep indeed is the darkness which enshrouds the portals through which we have to pass, in order to gain a knowledge of these mysteries.
................................. G.G. Alexander (1895)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Existence is beyond the power of words
To define:
Terms may be used
But are none of them absolute.
In the beginning of heaven and earth there were no words,
Words came out of the womb of matter;
And whether a man dispassionately
Sees to the core of life
Or passionately
Sees the surface,
The core and the surface
Are essentially the same,
Words making them seem different
Only to express appearance.
If name be needed, wonder names them both:
From wonder into wonder
Existence opens.
................................. Witter Bynner (1944)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That Which Is Called The Tao Is Not The Tao
The flow of energy . . . . .
Here . . . . .
It . . . . .
Is . . . . .
Nameless . . . . .
Timeless . . . . .
Speed of Light . . . . .
Float . . . . . beyond fear . . . . .
Float . . . . . beyond desire . . . . .
Into . . . . . this Mystery of Mysteries
through this Gate . . . . . of All Wonder
................................. Timothy Leary (Psychedelic Prayers, 1966)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
====================================
====================================
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Personal Thoughts from August 07, 1976
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Energy is one.
Individuals are parts of that one.
Individuals through a source such as Love
(or other emotion or virtue) are one.
Thoughts are a source of energy.
Energy is neither created or destroyed.
Thoughts are neither created or destroyed.
Individuals are tuned-in to thoughts.
We do not think; we experience thought.
Our level of development is how we use
these thoughts to experience other
thoughts.
We are actually experiencing energies.
Our level of development is how we can
tune-in to these energies.
Our true purpose is to think and develop;
think and develop; become the source of energy.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Personal Haiku (05/05/2021)
============================
The Dao to humans
as lakes and oceans to fish
existence unknown
============================
A Couple of Haiku Notes:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tao gives birth to One
One gives birth to yin and yang
then birth to all things
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Yin and the Yang
they're not really opposites
complementary
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Yin/Yang Perception of Opposites
Tao Te Ching -:- Verse 2
====================================
When people see things as beautiful,
ugliness is created.
When people see things as good,
evil is created.
Being and non-being produce each other.
Difficult and easy complement each other.
Long and short define each other.
High and low oppose each other.
Fore and aft follow each other.
====================================
In Chinese philosophy, yin and yang (also, yin-yang or yin yang) describes how apparently opposite or contrary forces are actually complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world, and how they give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. Many tangible dualities (such as light and dark, fire and water, and male and female) are thought of as physical manifestations of the duality of yin and yang. This duality lies at the origins of many branches of classical Chinese science and philosophy, as well as being a primary guideline of traditional Chinese medicine, and a central principle of different forms of Chinese martial arts and exercise, such as baguazhang, taijiquan (t'ai chi), and qigong (Chi Kung), as well as in the pages of the I Ching written in 1,000 BC and before.
Yin and yang can be thought of as complementary (rather than opposing) forces that interact to form a dynamic system in which the whole is greater than the assembled parts. Everything has both yin and yang aspects, (for instance shadow cannot exist without light). Either of the two major aspects may manifest more strongly in a particular object, depending on the criterion of the observation. The yin yang shows a balance between two opposites with a little bit in each.
In Daoist metaphysics, distinctions between good and bad, along with other dichotomous moral judgments, are perceptual, not real; so, the duality of yin and yang is an indivisible whole. In the ethics of Confucianism on the other hand, most notably in the philosophy of Dong Zhongshu (c. 2nd century BC), a moral dimension is attached to the idea of yin and yang.
......................................................................................... Wikipedia
A Cybernetic Thought
=====================================
The creation of negative entropy through
complimentary forces of energy.
Yin --- Yang
0 --- 1
abdomen --- back
absorbing --- penetrating
acidity --- alkalinity
affective --- cognitive
afternoon --- morning
autumn --- spring
back --- front
backward --- forward
belly --- head
below --- above
black --- white
bottom --- top
broken --- solid
calm --- chaos
center --- extreme
centripetal force --- centrifugal force
chills --- fever
cinnabar --- lead
clockwise --- counter-clockwise
cold --- hot
contracting --- expanding
copper--- tin
darkness --- light
death --- life
diffuse --- focused
down --- up
earth --- sky
eight --- nine
emotional --- logical
empty --- full
end of motion --- beginning of motion
even --- odd
expands --- contracts
fat --- muscle
feeling --- knowledge
female --- male
feminine --- masculine
flexible --- firm
fluid --- static
follower --- leader
forgiveness --- anger
freezing water --- boiling water
fruits --- cereals
heart --- brain
introvert --- extrovert
intuitive --- logical
involuntary --- voluntary
inner --- outer
inward --- outward
left --- right
liquid --- solid
low --- high
magnetic --- electrical
me --- I
minus --- plus
momentum --- position
moon --- sun
mother --- father
negative --- positive
new testament --- old testament
night --- day
non-action --- action
north --- south
northwest --- southeast
off --- on
open --- close
orange --- azure
passion --- reason
passive --- active
passivity --- aggressiveness
potassium --- sodium
process --- structure
pull --- push
quiet --- loud
receiving --- giving
receptive --- projecting
relaxed --- tense
salt --- pepper
sensitivity --- firmness
short --- tall
six --- seven
slow --- fast
small --- large
soft --- hard
spiritual --- physical
static --- energetic
stillness --- motion
subconscious --- conscious
subjective --- objective
submissive --- dominant
sugar --- salt
sunset --- sunrise
sweet --- sour
taking --- giving
tiger --- dragon
tranquil --- active
valley --- mountain
venus --- jupiter
water --- ice
weak --- strong
west --- east
wet --- dry
winter --- summer
wisdom --- intelligence
woman --- man
xue-blood --- qi-energy
yielding --- aggressive
zero --- one
====================================================
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdD80MkLEE4&list=PLGm3KNNHzSQ...
====================================================
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A haiku question
Is it wise to seek wisdom?
Ask someone who knows
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seek and you shall find
ask and it will be given
those who are wise know
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
真理应该是唯一的宗教
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Zhēnlǐ yīnggāi shì wéiyī de zōngjiào
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Part of the south wall of the Lawrence and Chapin Building (aka the Vermeulen Furniture Building) on Rose Street, downtown Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,731,571 in 2016, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anchor of the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration of 9,245,438 people (as of 2016) surrounding the western end of Lake Ontario, while the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) proper had a 2016 population of 6,417,516. Toronto is an international centre of business, finance, arts, and culture, and is recognized as one of the most multicultural and cosmopolitan cities in the world.
People have travelled through and inhabited the Toronto area, located on a broad sloping plateau interspersed with rivers, deep ravines, and urban forest, for more than 10,000 years. After the broadly disputed Toronto Purchase, when the Mississauga surrendered the area to the British Crown, the British established the town of York in 1793 and later designated it as the capital of Upper Canada. During the War of 1812, the town was the site of the Battle of York and suffered heavy damage by American troops. York was renamed and incorporated in 1834 as the city of Toronto. It was designated as the capital of the province of Ontario in 1867 during Canadian Confederation. The city proper has since expanded past its original borders through both annexation and amalgamation to its current area of 630.2 km2 (243.3 sq mi).
The diverse population of Toronto reflects its current and historical role as an important destination for immigrants to Canada. More than 50 percent of residents belong to a visible minority population group, and over 200 distinct ethnic origins are represented among its inhabitants. While the majority of Torontonians speak English as their primary language, over 160 languages are spoken in the city.
Toronto is a prominent centre for music, theatre, motion picture production, and television production, and is home to the headquarters of Canada's major national broadcast networks and media outlets. Its varied cultural institutions, which include numerous museums and galleries, festivals and public events, entertainment districts, national historic sites, and sports activities, attract over 43 million tourists each year. Toronto is known for its many skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, the CN Tower.
The city is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, the headquarters of Canada's five largest banks, and the headquarters of many large Canadian and multinational corporations. Its economy is highly diversified with strengths in technology, design, financial services, life sciences, education, arts, fashion, aerospace, environmental innovation, food services, and tourism.
for Our Daily Challenge topic - 'Weather - show how the seasons are changing.- Today Wiki and I enjoyed a warm and golden walk after the first big rainstorm 2 days ago.
Miandam is a hill station located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, in the Hindu Kush.[1] It is located at 35°3′12″N 72°33′39″E, 55 km from Mingora the capital of Swat Valley, and 56 kilometers (35 mi) from Saidu Sharif.[2]
In the 1980s, it completed a mosque, medical complex, and plumbing system.[1] Its economy focuses on skiing tourism and agriculture. While the agriculture was mostly centered on corn and potatoes,[1] the town is the site of a World Wide Fund for Nature project promoting sustainable harvesting of medicinal plants, and now about 1,000 people are dependent on he medicinal plant trade for their entire income.[3] As of 1988, its population was 3,000;[1] but it is now estimated to be 20,000, including neighboring hamlets.[3]
Description
The metaled road passes small villages stacked up the hillside, the roofs of one row of houses forming the street for the row of houses above. Tiny terraced fields march up the hillside right to the top. Miandam is a good place for walkers. Paths follow the stream, past houses with behives set into the walls and good-luck charms whitewashed around the doors. In the graveyards are carved wooden grave posts with floral designs, like those used by Buddhists 1,000 years ago. Notable person:
Dr.ANWAR ALI(born 12 March 1988)is a medical student in Cuba from miandam swat
From wiki:
NGC 7822 is a young star forming complex in the constellation of Cepheus. The complex encompasses the emission region designated Sharpless 171, and the young cluster of stars named Berkeley 59
Image details:
SHO (Hubble Palette)
231, 5-min, 100-gain, SII subs
115, 5-min, 100-gain, Ha subs
165, 5-min, 100-gain, OIII subs
42.75 hours of data total.
Data calibrated with:
Darks, Flats and Bias frames
Data collected on clear nights Dec 2024, Jan, Feb 2025.
ASI2600mm Pro Camera
Esprit 100ED with reducer
446mm focal length, F4.4
Sensor cooled to -10C
Sky-Watcher EQ6-R Pro mount
Dithered every 3 frames, 2X
drizzled in PIX
All data captured in my backyard in Yukon, Oklahoma
Bortle-7 sky.
Processed with Pixinsight and Photoshop.
We spent an interesting couple of hours here.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sforza_Castle
I process my photos with Lightroom as well as Skylum's Luminar and find it easy to use with great results. Here is a link if anyone is interested in trying it out and with a $US10 discount: skylum.grsm.io/janetteasche8660
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Gardens
Kensington Gardens, once the private gardens of Kensington Palace, are among the Royal Parks of London. The gardens are shared by the City of Westminster and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and sit immediately to the west of Hyde Park, in western central London. The gardens cover an area of 270 acres.[1] The open spaces of Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park, and St. James's Park together form an almost continuous "green lung" in the heart of London. Kensington Gardens are Grade I listed on the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens.
Background and location
Kensington Gardens are generally regarded as being the western extent of the neighbouring Hyde Park from which they were originally taken, with West Carriage Drive (The Ring) and the Serpentine Bridge forming the boundary between them. The Gardens are fenced and more formal than Hyde Park. Kensington Gardens are open only during the hours of daylight, whereas Hyde Park is open from 5 am until midnight all year round.
Kensington Gardens has been long regarded as "smart" because of its more private character around Kensington Palace. However, in the late 1800s, Hyde Park was considered more "fashionable," because of its location nearer to Park Lane and Knightsbridge.[3]
History
Kensington Gardens was originally the western section of Hyde Park, which had been created by Henry VIII in 1536 to use as a hunting ground. It was separated from the remainder of Hyde Park in 1728 at the request of Queen Caroline[4] and designed by Henry Wise and Charles Bridgeman in order to form a landscape garden, with fashionable features including the Round Pond,[5] formal avenues and a sunken Dutch garden.
Bridgeman created the Serpentine between 1726 and 1731[5] by damming the eastern outflow of the River Westbourne from Hyde Park.[6] The part of the Serpentine that lies within Kensington Gardens is known as "The Long Water".[5] At its north-western end (originally the inflow of the River Westbourne) in an area known as "The Italian Garden", there are four fountains and a number of classical sculptures. At the foot of the Italian Gardens is a parish boundary marker, delineating the boundary between Paddington and St George Hanover Square parishes, on the exact centre of the Westbourne river.
Buildings
The land surrounding Kensington Gardens was predominantly rural and remained largely undeveloped until the Great Exhibition in 1851. Many of the original features survive along with the Palace, and now there are other public buildings such as the Albert Memorial (at the south-east corner of Kensington Gardens, opposite the Royal Albert Hall), the Serpentine Gallery, and Speke's monument.
The park also contains the Elfin Oak, an elaborately carved 900-year-old tree stump.
In popular culture
The park is the setting of J.M. Barrie's book Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, a prelude to the character's famous adventures in Neverland. The fairies of the gardens are first described in Thomas Tickell's 1722 poem Kensington Gardens. Both the book and the character are honoured with the Peter Pan statue by George Frampton located in the park.
Rodrigo Fresán's novel Kensington Gardens concerns in part the life of J.M. Barrie and of his creation Peter Pan, and their relationship with the park, as well as the narrator's own.
The Infocom interactive fiction game Trinity begins in the Kensington Gardens. The player can walk around many sections of the gardens, which are described in moderate detail.
Información en WIKIPEDIA:
Tomada a 187 m.s.n.m.
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1 photo of your trip
All Panoramio friends together
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Nude Statues
Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit)
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panel_truck
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Brampton Street Rods, Shoppers' World cruise night
www.facebook.com/p/Brampton-Street-Rods-100072559831232/
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Nikon D300 + Nikon AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G IF-ED
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikon_D300
www.dpreview.com/reviews/nikond300
photographylife.com/reviews/nikon-70-300mm-vr
_DSC7740x Anx2 1200h Q90 1.5k f25 f50
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters).
The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. The surrounding area is contained within the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of the preservation of the Grand Canyon area and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.
Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While some aspects about the history of incision of the canyon are debated by geologists, several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon.
For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native Americans, who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon a holy site, and made pilgrimages to it. The first European known to have viewed the Grand Canyon was García López de Cárdenas from Spain, who arrived in 1540.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon_National_Park
Grand Canyon National Park is a national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Wonders of the World. The park, which covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties, received more than 4.7 million recreational visitors in 2023. The Grand Canyon was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. The park celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 26, 2019.
Source: www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
Entirely within the state of Arizona, the park encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homelands of 11 present day Tribal Communities, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—a mile deep canyon unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors from both north and south rims.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "米国" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis" "ארצות הברית" "संयुक्त राज्य" "США"
(Arizona) "أريزونا" "亚利桑那州" "אריזונה" "एरिजोना" "アリゾナ州" "애리조나" "Аризона"
(Grand Canyon) "جراند كانيون" "大峡谷" "גרנד קניון" "ग्रांड कैन्यन" "グランドキャニオン" "그랜드 캐니언" "Гранд-Каньон" "Gran Cañón"
Wiki is high above the ground clowning around on the railing. She still loves being up high. See following pic for how high she is.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcelona
Barcelona is a city in Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within city limits, its urban area extends to numerous neighbouring municipalities within the Province of Barcelona and is home to around 4.8 million people, making it the sixth most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris, London, Madrid, the Ruhr area and Milan. It is one of the largest metropolises on the Mediterranean Sea, located on the coast between the mouths of the rivers Llobregat and Besòs, and bounded to the west by the Serra de Collserola mountain range, the tallest peak of which is 512 metres (1,680 feet) high.
Founded as a Roman city, in the Middle Ages Barcelona became the capital of the County of Barcelona. After merging with the Kingdom of Aragon, Barcelona continued to be an important city in the Crown of Aragon as an economic and administrative centre of this Crown and the capital of the Principality of Catalonia. Barcelona has a rich cultural heritage and is today an important cultural centre and a major tourist destination. Particularly renowned are the architectural works of Antoni Gaudí and Lluís Domènech i Montaner, which have been designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The headquarters of the Union for the Mediterranean are located in Barcelona. The city is known for hosting the 1992 Summer Olympics as well as world-class conferences and expositions and also many international sport tournaments.
Barcelona is one of the world's leading tourist, economic, trade fair and cultural centres, and its influence in commerce, education, entertainment, media, fashion, science, and the arts all contribute to its status as one of the world's major global cities. It is a major cultural and economic centre in southwestern Europe, 24th in the world (before Zürich, after Frankfurt) and a financial centre. In 2008 it was the fourth most economically powerful city by GDP in the European Union and 35th in the world with GDP amounting to €177 billion. In 2012 Barcelona had a GDP of $170 billion; and it was leading Spain in employment rate in that moment.
In 2009 the city was ranked Europe's third and one of the world's most successful as a city brand. In the same year the city was ranked Europe's fourth best city for business and fastest improving European city, with growth improved by 17% per year, and the city has been experiencing strong and renewed growth for the past three years. Since 2011 Barcelona has been a leading smart city in Europe. Barcelona is a transport hub, with the Port of Barcelona being one of Europe's principal seaports and busiest European passenger port, an international airport, Barcelona–El Prat Airport, which handles over 50 million passengers per year, an extensive motorway network, and a high-speed rail line with a link to France and the rest of Europe.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poble_Espanyol
The Poble Espanyol (literally, Spanish town) is an open-air architectural museum in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, approximately 400 metres away from the Fountains of Montjuïc. Built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition, the museum consists of 117 full-scale buildings, which recreate Spanish villages. It also contains a theater, restaurants, artisan workshops and a museum of contemporary art.
Taken for Our Daily Challenge Topic ' What Makes You Happy.'
Thinking about this I felt like my answers were too multitudinous - and this quote of my favorite writer says it so well.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoover_Dam
Hoover Dam is a concrete arch-gravity dam in the Black Canyon of the Colorado River, on the border between the U.S. states of Nevada and Arizona. Constructed between 1931 and 1936, during the Great Depression, it was dedicated on September 30, 1935, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Its construction was the result of a massive effort involving thousands of workers, and cost over 100 lives. In bills passed by Congress during its construction, it was referred to as the Hoover Dam, after President Herbert Hoover, but was named Boulder Dam by the Roosevelt administration. In 1947, the name Hoover Dam was restored by Congress.
Since about 1900, the Black Canyon and nearby Boulder Canyon had been investigated for their potential to support a dam that would control floods, provide irrigation water, and produce hydroelectric power. In 1928, Congress authorized the project. The winning bid to build the dam was submitted by a consortium named Six Companies, Inc., which began construction in early 1931. Such a large concrete structure had never been built before, and some of the techniques used were unproven. The torrid summer weather and lack of facilities near the site also presented difficulties. Nevertheless, Six Companies turned the dam over to the federal government on March 1, 1936, more than two years ahead of schedule.
Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead and is located near Boulder City, Nevada, a municipality originally constructed for workers on the construction project, about 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The dam's generators provide power for public and private utilities in Nevada, Arizona, and California. Hoover Dam is a major tourist attraction, with 7 million tourists a year. The heavily traveled U.S. Route 93 (US 93) ran along the dam's crest until October 2010, when the Hoover Dam Bypass opened.
Source: hoover.archives.gov/hoovers/hoover-dam
85 years after its completion, Hoover dam is still considered an engineering marvel. It is named in honor of President Herbert Hoover, who played a crucial role in its creation.
For many years, residents of the American southwest sought to tame the unpredictable Colorado River. Disastrous floods during the early 1900’s led residents of the area to look to the federal government for aid, and experiments with irrigation on a limited scale had shown that this arid region could be transformed into fertile cropland, if only the river could be controlled. The greatest obstacle to the construction of such a dam was the allocation of water rights among the seven states comprising the Colorado River drainage basin. Meetings were held in 1918, 1919 and 1920, but the states could not reach a consensus.
Herbert Hoover had visited the Lower Colorado region in the years before World War I and was familiar with its problems and the potential for development. Upon becoming Secretary of Commerce in 1921, Hoover proposed the construction of a dam on the Colorado River. In addition to flood control and irrigation, it would provide a dependable supply of water for Los Angeles and Southern California. The project would be self-supporting, recovering its cost through the sale of hydroelectric power generated by the dam.
In 1921, the state legislatures of the Colorado River basin authorized commissioners to negotiate an interstate agreement. Congress authorized President Harding to appoint a representative for the federal government to serve as chair of the Colorado River Commission and on December 17, 1921, Harding appointed Hoover to that role.
When the commission assembled in Santa Fe in November 1922, the seven states still disagreed over the fair distribution of water. The upstream states feared that the downstream states, with their rapidly developing agricultural and power demands, would quickly preempt rights to the water by the “first in time, first in right” doctrine. Hoover suggested a compromise that the water be divided between the upper and lower basins without individual state quotas. The resulting Colorado River Compact was signed on November 24, 1922. It split the river basin into upper and lower halves with the states within each region deciding amongst themselves how the water would be allocated.
A series of bills calling for Federal funding to build the dam were introduced by Congressman Phil D. Swing and Senator Hiram W. Johnson between 1922 and 1928, all of which were rejected. The last Swing-Johnson bill, titled the Boulder Canyon Project Act, was largely written by Hoover and Secretary of the Interior Hubert Work. Congress finally agreed, and the bill was signed into law on December 21, 1928 by President Coolidge. The dream was about to become reality.
On June 25, 1929, less than four months after his inauguration, President Herbert Hoover signed a proclamation declaring the Colorado River Compact effective at last. Appropriations were approved and construction began in 1930. The dam was dedicated in 1935 and the hydroelectric generators went online in 1937. In 1947, Congress officially "restored" Hoover's name to the dam, after FDR's Secretary of the Interior tried to remove it. Hoover Dam was built for a cost of $49 million (approximately $1 billion adjusted for inflation). The power plant and generators cost an additional $71 million, more than the cost of the dam itself. The sale of electrical power generated by the dam paid back its construction cost, with interest, by 1987.
Today the Hoover Dam controls the flooding of the Colorado River, irrigates more than 1.5 million acres of land, and provides water to more than 16 million people. Lake Mead supports recreational activities and provides habitats to fish and wildlife. Power generated by the dam provides energy to power over 500,000 homes. The Hoover Compromise still governs how the water is shared.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis"
(Nevada) "نيفادا" "内华达州" "नेवादा" "ネバダ" "네바다" "Невада"
(Arizona) "أريزونا" "亚利桑那州" "एरिजोना" "アリゾナ州" "애리조나" "Аризона"
(Hoover Dam) "سد هوفر" "胡佛水坝" "हूवर बांध" "フーバーダム" "후버 댐" "Гувера" "Presa Hoover"
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon
The Grand Canyon is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide and attains a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet or 1,857 meters).
The canyon and adjacent rim are contained within Grand Canyon National Park, the Kaibab National Forest, Grand Canyon–Parashant National Monument, the Hualapai Indian Reservation, the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the Navajo Nation. The surrounding area is contained within the Baaj Nwaavjo I'tah Kukveni – Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument. President Theodore Roosevelt was a major proponent of the preservation of the Grand Canyon area and visited it on numerous occasions to hunt and enjoy the scenery.
Nearly two billion years of Earth's geological history have been exposed as the Colorado River and its tributaries cut their channels through layer after layer of rock while the Colorado Plateau was uplifted. While some aspects about the history of incision of the canyon are debated by geologists, several recent studies support the hypothesis that the Colorado River established its course through the area about 5 to 6 million years ago. Since that time, the Colorado River has driven the down-cutting of the tributaries and retreat of the cliffs, simultaneously deepening and widening the canyon.
For thousands of years, the area has been continuously inhabited by Native Americans, who built settlements within the canyon and its many caves. The Pueblo people considered the Grand Canyon a holy site, and made pilgrimages to it. The first European known to have viewed the Grand Canyon was García López de Cárdenas from Spain, who arrived in 1540.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Canyon_National_Park
Grand Canyon National Park is a national park of the United States located in northwestern Arizona, the 15th site to have been named as a national park. The park's central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Wonders of the World. The park, which covers 1,217,262 acres (1,901.972 sq mi; 4,926.08 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties, received more than 4.7 million recreational visitors in 2023. The Grand Canyon was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979. The park celebrated its 100th anniversary on February 26, 2019.
Source: www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm
Entirely within the state of Arizona, the park encompasses 278 miles (447 km) of the Colorado River and adjacent uplands. Located on the ancestral homelands of 11 present day Tribal Communities, Grand Canyon is one of the most spectacular examples of erosion anywhere in the world—a mile deep canyon unmatched in the incomparable vistas it offers visitors from both north and south rims.
Additional Foreign Language Tags:
(United States) "الولايات المتحدة" "Vereinigte Staaten" "アメリカ" "米国" "美国" "미국" "Estados Unidos" "États-Unis" "ארצות הברית" "संयुक्त राज्य" "США"
(Arizona) "أريزونا" "亚利桑那州" "אריזונה" "एरिजोना" "アリゾナ州" "애리조나" "Аризона"
(Grand Canyon) "جراند كانيون" "大峡谷" "גרנד קניון" "ग्रांड कैन्यन" "グランドキャニオン" "그랜드 캐니언" "Гранд-Каньон" "Gran Cañón"
Great Western Railway 3700 Class locomotive 3440 'City of Truro' - built GWR Swindon Works, 1903 - renumbered to 3717 in 1912
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GWR_3700_Class_3440_City_of_Truro
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Railway_Museum
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Western_Railway
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Turntable
John Boyd & Co (Engrs) Ltd, Annan, Scotland, 1954
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_turntable
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City of Truro locomotive at Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot, Oxfordshire, in 2010
www.flickr.com/photos/edk7/51628854229
_DSC9226 Anx2 Q90 1.5k f25
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sardinian_warbler
The Sardinian warbler (Sylvia melanocephala) is a common and widespread typical warbler from the Mediterranean region. Like most Sylvia species, it has distinct male and female plumages. The adult male has a grey back, whitish underparts, black head, white throat and red eyes. Plumages are somewhat variable even in the same locality, with the intensity of a reddish hue on upper- and/or underside varies from absent to (in some subspecies) pronounced. The female is mainly brown above and buff below, with a grey head. The Sardinian warbler's song is fast and rattling, and is very characteristic of the Mediterranean areas where this bird breeds.
Taxonomy and systematics
Together with Menetries' warbler it forms a superspecies. Both have white malar areas and light throats, and otherwise black heads in adult males, as well as a naked ring around the eye. The subalpine warbler, which seems the superspecies' closest relative, has a dark throat and breast and a dark gray upper head in males, but otherwise shares these characters. These three species are related to a dark-throated superspecies consisting of Rüppell's warbler and the Cyprus warbler, which also share the white malar area with blackish above.[3]
This bird may be considered a superspecies, divided into the western Sylvia melanocephala and Sylvia momus from the more arid regions of the Near East and adjacent Africa.
Subspecies
The geographical variation in the Sardinian warbler conforms to some extent with Gloger's rule, though not as strongly as in some other typical warblers. The validity of leucogastra and norissae is not accepted by some authors, and valverdei has been described very recently. On the other hand, leucogastra might be more than one subspecies.[4]
Sylvia melanocephala melanocephala (Gmelin, 1789)
Iberia across the northern Mediterranean to western Turkey. Extends into the Maghreb from Iberia, and into Libya from Italy via Sicily. Migrates to the Sahel and oases in the Sahara in winter.[4]
Large, long wings, tail tip rather pointed. A dark form, usually lacking any reddish in males but flanks extensively grey. Females' uppersides vary between deep olive brown and greyish olive.[4]
Sylvia melanocephala leucogastra (Ledru, 1810) - often included in melanocephala; phylogenetic status requires review[4]
Canary Islands, resident, probably some vagrancy between eastern islands and Maghreb.[4]
Medium size, short-winged and large-billed. Tenerife and La Palma (western) birds are most distinct, being dark above with some rusty/beige hue on the underside in males. Eastern birds (Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria) are more like melanocephala and momus but differ in measurements.[4]
Sylvia melanocephala momus (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833)
Near East. Resident, some local movements.[4]
Smallish, short-winged. Varies between brownish grey and rusty above; underside almost always has reddish hue. Females rusty to rusty olive.[4]
Sylvia melanocephala norissae Nicoll, 1917: Fayyum warbler - probably only a local morph of momus[4]
Nile Delta region. Extinct since around 1940.[4]
Like momus, but tend to be very reddish.[4]
Sylvia melanocephala valverdei Cabot & Urdiales, 2005 - recently split from melanocephala
From Tiznit (Morocco) south to the Tropic of Cancer, inland to the edge of the Sahara. Resident, but some seasonal movements.[4]
Medium-sized, tail tip quite square. A very pure-colored form, the palest subspecies. Undersides clean white. Matte black cap in males. Juveniles decidedly sandy.
Distribution and habitat
It breeds in the southernmost areas of Europe and just into Asia in Turkey and the eastern end of the Mediterranean. This small passerine bird, unlike most "warblers", is not particularly migratory, but some birds winter in north Africa, and it occurs as a vagrant well away from the breeding range, as far as Great Britain.
Behaviour and ecology
This is a bird of open country and cultivation, with bushes for nesting. The nest is built in low shrub or brambles, and 3-6 eggs are laid. Like most "warblers", it is insectivorous, but will also take berries and other soft fruit.
ll Ponte delle Torri è l'opera più famosa e riconosciuta di Spoleto nel mondo, un'imponente costruzione, un ponte acquedotto probabilmente di origine romana, che congiunge il colle Sant'Elia al Monteluco a sud di Spoleto. È uno dei monumenti più famosi e pittoreschi della città. Ai due estremi del ponte si trovano due fortezze, la Rocca Albornoziana e il Fortilizio dei Mulini, eretto per vigilare il ponte e attivo come mulino fino al XIX secolo. Il nome Ponte delle Torri potrebbe alludere alle torri delle due fortezze o all'aspetto dei piloni. Si innalza su nove possenti arcate, ha una lunghezza di 230 metri e un'altezza di 80. Le dimensioni massime di alcuni pilastri alla base sono di metri 10 x 12. Piloni e arcate non hanno misure costanti: i piloni verso il Monteluco sono più massicci degli altri e sono rinforzati da arcate poste circa a metà della loro altezza; anche lo spazio tra le arcate è diverso, minore rispetto alle corrispettive verso Sant'Elia. La loro diversità fa pensare che siano stati costruiti in periodi diversi. I due piloni sorgenti dal fondo della valle sono vuoti e praticabili, al loro interno alcuni ambienti che fungevano da postazioni di guardia, con finestre e porte d'accesso situate a pochi metri da terra; nel tempo sono stati un sicuro rifugio diurno e stagionale per vari chirotteri.
The bridge of the Towers is the most famous and recognized Spoleto works in the world, an imposing building, an aqueduct probably Roman origin that joins the Sant'Elia at Monteluco at Spoleto south. It is one of the most famous and picturesque monuments in the city. At the two extremes of the bridge there are two fortifications, the Albornoziana Fortress and the Mill Fortress, erected to guard the bridge and active as a mill until the nineteenth century. The name Bridge of the Towers could refer to the towers of the two fortifications or the appearance of pylons. It rises up to nine powerful bows, has a length of 230 meters and a height of 80. The maximum dimensions of some pillars at the base are 10 x 12 meters. Pylons and arches do not have constant measurements: the pylons to the Monteluco are more massive than others and are reinforced by arches placed about half their height; The space between the arches is also different, smaller than that of Sant'Elia. Their diversity suggests that they were built at different times. The two pylons that spring from the bottom of the valley are empty and practicable, in them some rooms that served as guard stations with windows and access doors located a few meters from the ground; Over time they were a sure daytime and seasonal refuge for a variety of Km.
Steve Best | Twitter | 500px | FlickRiver | Flipboard | Nikon Club |
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Patrick%27s_Cathedral,_Dublin
Saint Patrick's Cathedral (Irish: Ard-Eaglais Naomh Pádraig) in Dublin, Ireland, founded in 1191, is the National Cathedral of the Church of Ireland. With its 43-metre (141 ft) spire, St. Patrick's is the tallest church (not Cathedral) in Ireland and the largest. Christ Church Cathedral, also a Church of Ireland cathedral in Dublin, is designated as the local Cathedral of the diocese of Dublin and Glendalough.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dublin
Dublin (Irish: Baile Átha Cliath) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. It is on the east coast of Ireland, in the province of Leinster, at the mouth of the River Liffey, and is bordered on the south by the Wicklow Mountains. It has an urban area population of 1,173,179, while the population of the Dublin Region (formerly County Dublin), as of 2016, was 1,347,359, and the population of the Greater Dublin area was 1,904,806.
There is archaeological debate regarding precisely where Dublin was established by the Gaels in or before the 7th century AD. Later expanded as a Viking settlement, the Kingdom of Dublin, the city became Ireland's principal settlement following the Norman invasion. The city expanded rapidly from the 17th century and was briefly the second largest city in the British Empire before the Acts of Union in 1800. Following the partition of Ireland in 1922, Dublin became the capital of the Irish Free State, later renamed Ireland.
Dublin is a historical and contemporary centre for education, the arts, administration and industry. As of 2018 the city was listed by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network (GaWC) as a global city, with a ranking of "Alpha −", which places it amongst the top thirty cities in the world.
Commercial building and former Diocesan Museum
Object ID: 62076, Lidmansky alley 10
Cadastral Community: Klagenfurt
Geschäftshaus und ehemaliges Diözesanmuseum
Objekt ID: 62076, Lidmanskygasse 10
Katastralgemeinde: Klagenfurt
de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_denkmalgesch%C3%BCtzten_O...
I saw the Huldra dance.
- large -
Where: Sweden, Östergötland, Ljungs Säby google maps
When: 20100617
How and why: The dark forest reflecting in the dark water, simple as that.
Editing: Green duotone
Two nights ago at 4 a.m. Wiki did something she never does. Three times she jumped on me hard while I was sleeping. I ignored her the first 2 times. The third time I knew I should get up for her. The house smelled very strange & I was alarmed. In the next room I saw the metal pipe going up from the woodstove through the roof of my all-wood house was glowing bright orange. 911 quickly got the local volunteer fire & rescue crew here (photo below) and all was well in an hour or so. No damage to anything except the stovepipe. I felt I was surrounded by heroes but I think Wiki's part is the most remarkable. My hero. She needs an award.
posted for Our Daily Challenge topic - 'Portrait'
There are several more pix following of Wix. I kept saying to her, "Wiki show me what a hero looks like !"
My 482nd image to make it into Explore. Wiki and I thank you.
ll Ponte delle Torri è l'opera più famosa e riconosciuta di Spoleto nel mondo, un'imponente costruzione, un ponte acquedotto probabilmente di origine romana, che congiunge il colle Sant'Elia al Monteluco a sud di Spoleto. È uno dei monumenti più famosi e pittoreschi della città. Ai due estremi del ponte si trovano due fortezze, la Rocca Albornoziana e il Fortilizio dei Mulini, eretto per vigilare il ponte e attivo come mulino fino al XIX secolo. Il nome Ponte delle Torri potrebbe alludere alle torri delle due fortezze o all'aspetto dei piloni. Si innalza su nove possenti arcate, ha una lunghezza di 230 metri e un'altezza di 80. Le dimensioni massime di alcuni pilastri alla base sono di metri 10 x 12. Piloni e arcate non hanno misure costanti: i piloni verso il Monteluco sono più massicci degli altri e sono rinforzati da arcate poste circa a metà della loro altezza; anche lo spazio tra le arcate è diverso, minore rispetto alle corrispettive verso Sant'Elia. La loro diversità fa pensare che siano stati costruiti in periodi diversi. I due piloni sorgenti dal fondo della valle sono vuoti e praticabili, al loro interno alcuni ambienti che fungevano da postazioni di guardia, con finestre e porte d'accesso situate a pochi metri da terra; nel tempo sono stati un sicuro rifugio diurno e stagionale per vari chirotteri.
The bridge of the Towers is the most famous and recognized Spoleto works in the world, an imposing building, an aqueduct probably Roman origin that joins the Sant'Elia at Monteluco at Spoleto south. It is one of the most famous and picturesque monuments in the city. At the two extremes of the bridge there are two fortifications, the Albornoziana Fortress and the Mill Fortress, erected to guard the bridge and active as a mill until the nineteenth century. The name Bridge of the Towers could refer to the towers of the two fortifications or the appearance of pylons. It rises up to nine powerful bows, has a length of 230 meters and a height of 80. The maximum dimensions of some pillars at the base are 10 x 12 meters. Pylons and arches do not have constant measurements: the pylons to the Monteluco are more massive than others and are reinforced by arches placed about half their height; The space between the arches is also different, smaller than that of Sant'Elia. Their diversity suggests that they were built at different times. The two pylons that spring from the bottom of the valley are empty and practicable, in them some rooms that served as guard stations with windows and access doors located a few meters from the ground; Over time they were a sure daytime and seasonal refuge for a variety of Km.
Steve Best | Twitter | 500px | FlickRiver | Flipboard | Nikon Club |
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_911
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Olympus OM-D E-M5 + Olympus M.14-42mm F3.5-5.6 II R
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympus_OM-D_E-M5
www.dpreview.com/products/olympus/lenses/olympus_m_14-42_...
www.mountaintripper.com/olympus-mzuiko-14-42mm-f35-56-iir...
PB030626 Anx2 Q90 1200h mono f10 f25 f50