http://jfm-photography.com/botswana daily 0.75 2017-03-18 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444336639-UA1Y8QZP8ZOZL3HBSDWS/Sunset+Game+.jpg Botswana - Sunset Game Mombo Camp Staff Playing soccer at sunset in Botswana, Africa.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444336639-UA1Y8QZP8ZOZL3HBSDWS/Sunset+Game+.jpg Botswana - Sunset Game Mombo Camp Staff Playing soccer at sunset in Botswana, Africa.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444335172-E5HP1NCDD4079QKHTJ9I/Elli-1+.jpg Botswana - Eye # 1 The elephant eye close up was taken with a 400 mm telephoto lens. Vumbura Plains Camp area - Okavango Delta - Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444366817-WMUD7ZR3M8U3KIGLBDJE/Zebra+and+Baby+-2+.jpg Botswana - Zebra & baby Vumbura Plains Camp area - Okavango Delta - Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444336166-N8O1BU93PMMX6CQMNFP1/Morning+Rest+.jpg Botswana - Morning Rest Male lion resting during the day after prowling all night roaring and marking his territory.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444336718-AEM2WA3CB8SZVE9T0WCE/The+Kill+1+.jpg Botswana - The Kill #1 Cape Buffalo vs Pride of 20 lions near the Mombo Camp,Okavango Delta - Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444337008-RGD40JM882HSOZC43ZU9/The+Kill+2+.jpg Botswana - The Kill #2 Cape Buffalo vs Pride of 20 lions near the Mombo Camp, Okavango Delta - Botswana. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444335840-PQXKY2G6ZU1NWT8R4YK9/Morning++.jpg Botswana - Morning Fog Female Lioness https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444335502-3Z4V6SUXKQ24ODZTEC9A/Fear+.jpg Botswana - Fear Cape Buffalo Watching the Pride of 20 lions kill another buffalo near the Mombo Camp, Okavango Delta - Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444337028-B0M3XDCH9YWMXTR08H04/Vumbura+Plains+Sunset+.jpg Botswana - Vumbura Plains Sunset The Nqoga River Vumbura Plains Camp area in the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta - Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444335587-W8RKU0MPI2RNIK01M2DH/Massi+Giraffe+Herd+2+.jpg Botswana - Massi Giraffe Herd The herd had just stopped running from predators and is checking to see if it is safe. Mombo Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444337381-G92IBOOWTG2XLAZ5KC0H/Zebra+Herd+Predator+Alert+.jpg Botswana - Zebra Herd Predator Alert The herd had just stopped running from predators and is checking to see if it is safe. Mombo Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444344135-FON86R0I3AYA1B5IGNIJ/Leopard+In+Grass+.jpg Botswana - Leopard In Grass Near the Kings Pool Camp Okavango Delta - Botswana. The Kings Pool Camp was so named because the King of Sweden loved this particular camp site and frequently visited it.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444350876-7SQOSKVZQ7AJNWFN917S/The+Hug++.jpg Botswana - The Hug Zebra and Baby standing as if hugging. Vumbura Plains Camp area - Okavango Delta - Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444348647-PRNGYRWFJ6UVIK8P21YN/Leopard+Hanging+Out+.jpg Botswana - Leopard Hanging Out Near the Kings Pool Camp Okavango Delta - Botswana. The Kings Pool Camp was so named because the King of Sweden loved this particular camp site and frequently visited it.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444335223-Y5Y8762DF3ZGU7CXAY0N/Warning+++.jpg Botswana - Warning The guide states: Elli’s always have something to say. When you see this posture; ears flared out; head up; the all-important trunk tucked back out of harms way and they may take a step tor two toward you but stop. They are telling you to back off and may charge you. Kings Pool - Okavango Delta - Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444355975-PYMJ7SSD5MSYNX9ZZEWP/Ellie+Walk+++.jpg Botswana - Ellie Walk Near the Kings Pool Camp Okavango Delta - Botswana. The Kings Pool Camp was so named because the King of Sweden loved this particular camp site and frequently visited it.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444358175-N9XPA6EZU054EHDQJ3EJ/Ellie+Family+.jpg Botswana https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444359100-E3MCDUBAYFOTX2T7QNO8/Egret+and+Cape+Buffalo+.jpg Botswana - Egret and Cape Buffalo Vumbura Plains Camp area - Okavango Delta - Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444340514-Q73YQ3WH2LGYNRGY9SJ1/Lone+Wild+Dog+.jpg Botswana - Lone Wild Dog This female wild dog is the last of a pack of 49 Wild Dogs that lived in the Kings Pool Camp area of the Okavango Delta - Botswana.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444351781-KL949Y745A6GA79P6DKZ/Hippo+.jpg Botswana - Hippo Kings Pool Camp area of the Okavango Delta - Botswana.   http://jfm-photography.com/costa-rica daily 0.75 2025-08-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754871229578-ZENJZ40C7Y343OH1JKRD/Majestic+Little+Blue+Heron+-2+.jpeg Costa Rica - Majestic Little Blue Heron #2 Little Blue Heron/Garceta Azul adult bird is 61cm or 2 feet tall. Photo taken in the Green Turtle reserve Tortuguerro Nat'l Park, Costa Rica; Caribbean coast lowlands/Rain Forrest backwater abandoned logging channel from a small boat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754871229578-ZENJZ40C7Y343OH1JKRD/Majestic+Little+Blue+Heron+-2+.jpeg Costa Rica - Majestic Little Blue Heron #2 Little Blue Heron/Garceta Azul adult bird is 61cm or 2 feet tall. Photo taken in the Green Turtle reserve Tortuguerro Nat'l Park, Costa Rica; Caribbean coast lowlands/Rain Forrest backwater abandoned logging channel from a small boat. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444866115-RC6CR0V3V2GVNO6T76P0/Defiance+-+Iguana++.jpg Costa Rica - Defiance This iguana was resting on a tree branch above the waters of a back channel in the Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean Coast lowlands/ Rain Forest that is more famous for its green sea turtle nesting in June to October. Picture was taken from a small boat 03/10/08 with an EF 100-400 F/4.5-5.6 IS USM lens on a Canon EOS 5D body with tripod.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533495922763-HCVVUAJLS467EFIBUWPW/0004+JC+Water+Walker+Lizard.jpg Costa Rica - Water Walker Lizard A part of the Iguana family, the Jesus Christ lizard is known so, because of a special ability it has. Upon, seeing danger, the lizard can run on the surface of water at a break neck speed. Also, known as the basilisk, the lizard comes with well equipped with webbed hind legs. While, their tread upon water surfaces is more of an appearance, it does not usually last for more than 10-20 meters in a stretch https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533496462158-M2EIDPP78ZUY8VHCR5OO/Ferns+Pattern.jpg Costa Rica - Ferns Pattern Photo taken in the Irazú Volcano National Park situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444866451-MSG988IKU9IW22N0SSU6/Majestic+Blue+-+Blue+Heron++.jpg Costa Rica - Majestic Blue Little Blue Heron/Garceta Azul adult bird is 61cm or 2 feet tall. Tortuguerro Nat'l Park, Caribbean coast lowlands/Rain Forrest backwater channel. Picture was taken from a small boat 03/10/08 with an EF100-400 F/4.5-5.6 IS USM lens on a Canon EOS 5D body with a tripod.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444866024-OT65TKBGVAQWHMDMVDQO/Curious+Sandpipers++.jpg Costa Rica - Curious Sandpipers https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444866342-4ZI900SMASZAYS6QI53U/Kingfisher++.jpg Costa Rica - Kingfisher https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444866907-R3VJZ4PJ05T5A1P9XZ7F/Motmot++.jpg Costa Rica - Motmot https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444866811-RVUX1BJXIC27B2Q9315U/Nesting+Hummingbird++.jpg Costa Rica - Nesting Hummingbird https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444867155-EHHZEXYL7G6XN55DUFDJ/Social+Flycatcher++.jpg Costa Rica - Social Flycatcher https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444867348-P06L64EX35EJ7BV1DGDE/Sweet+Nectar+-+Infant+White+Faced+Monkey+.jpg Costa Rica - Sweet Nectar - Infant White Faced Monkey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533496003018-8BR5E4FKOGBXB0W41HKH/0005+Masked+Tree+Frog.jpg Costa Rica - Masked Tree Frog Masked Tree Frogs (Smilisca phaeota ) inhabit Humid Lowland Forests throughout the Pacific and Caribbean regions of Costa Rica. Photo taken 04/14/2008 Manuel Antonio National Park, on Costa Rica’s central Pacific coast, encompasses rugged rainforest, white-sand beaches and coral reefs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533496123910-RLCNY2PDCDTRTPX1NBLF/Blue-gray+Tanager+.jpg Costa Rica - Blue-gray Tanager The blue-gray tanager (Thraupis episcopus) is a medium-sized South American songbird of the tanager family, Thraupidae. Its range is from Mexico south to northeast Bolivia and northern Brazil, all of the Amazon Basin, except the very south. Tortuguerro Nat'l Park, Caribbean coast lowlands/Rain Forrest backwater channel Costa Rica. Picture was taken from a small boat 03/14/08 with an EF100-400 F/4.5-5.6 IS USM lens on a Canon EOS 5D body with a tripod. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533496196245-BZYEP8POXANLI508SA69/Diego+de+la+Haya+Volcano.jpg Costa Rica - Diego de la Haya Volcano This is one of several craters of the larger Irazú Volcano that is active in Costa Rica within the Irazú Volcano National Park situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago. In Costa Rica the Irazú Volcano is known by the name of "El Coloso" (The Colossus) due to the catastrophes that it has provoked in the past. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533496579757-4X5CPWQ3U5MQ00LXJ2IM/Green+Plants.jpg Costa Rica - Green Plants Photo taken in the the Irazú Volcano National Park situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533496866067-AAPBXZ825ZO5JWSRYX5P/Praying+Mantis.jpg Costa Rica - Praying Mantis Mantises are distributed worldwide in temperate and tropical habitats. They have triangular heads with bulging eyes supported on flexible necks. Their elongated bodies may or may not have wings, but all Mantodea have forelegs that are greatly enlarged and adapted for catching and gripping prey; their upright posture, while remaining stationary with forearms folded, has led to the common name praying mantis. Photo taken in the Braulio Carrillo Park outside the capital city , San Jose, Costa Rica. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533497003774-EWDNL6QPF8QTU2EIM2OS/Red+bromeliad+.jpg Costa Rica - Red bromeliad Photo taken in the Braulio Carrillo Park outside the capital city , San Jose, Costa Rica. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533497075754-67WNSOSW3Q67LH4KAPPY/Tropicial++plant.jpg Costa Rica - Tropical plant Photo taken in the Irazú Volcano National Park situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533496076012-52ZV59GSCYE3Z0PM69H7/Banana+Farm.jpg Costa Rica - Banana Farm These bananas are being washed for export at a Banana Farm near the Tortuguerro Nat'l Park, Caribbean coast lowlands/Rain Forrest Costa Rica. http://jfm-photography.com/austria daily 0.75 2015-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444067260-EJ6WDWN0BXRB0UKD2YDX/Alter+Klosterkeller+Abbey+Cellar+Wine+House.jpg Alter Klosterkeller - Abbey Cellar Wine House - Alter Klosterkeller (Abbey Cellar Wine House) In Durnstein, Austria on the Rhine River, below the ruins of the Castle that imprisoned (1192) “Richard The Lionheart” King of England lays the “Alter Klosterkeller” Abbey Cellar Wine House. The straw wheel sign marks it and the light is lite in the center it is open.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444067260-EJ6WDWN0BXRB0UKD2YDX/Alter+Klosterkeller+Abbey+Cellar+Wine+House.jpg Alter Klosterkeller - Abbey Cellar Wine House - Alter Klosterkeller (Abbey Cellar Wine House) In Durnstein, Austria on the Rhine River, below the ruins of the Castle that imprisoned (1192) “Richard The Lionheart” King of England lays the “Alter Klosterkeller” Abbey Cellar Wine House. The straw wheel sign marks it and the light is lite in the center it is open.   http://jfm-photography.com/hawaii daily 0.75 2015-05-13 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445002636-65EXRF0I2VYRSH2HO8VE/Ka+Lae+Cliffs+.jpg Hawaii - Ka Lae Cliffs Ka Lae (South Point), Hawai'i (The Big Island). This is the southern most point of the United States.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445002636-65EXRF0I2VYRSH2HO8VE/Ka+Lae+Cliffs+.jpg Hawaii - Ka Lae Cliffs Ka Lae (South Point), Hawai'i (The Big Island). This is the southern most point of the United States.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445002704-B2D1GHE3DW96BE5LNFXB/Honu++.jpg Hawaii - Honu Honu is the Hawaiian term for the giant Hawaiian Green Sea turtle seen here after dragging its body on to the Punalu’u volcanic black sand beach. This is an exhausting task and the turtles are very vulnerable to predators while they are out of the water and sleeping. The Punalu’u black sand beach is between Pahala and Na’alehu on the Big Island of Hawaii on the southeastern Kau coast. Honu or the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) has been an important food source in the tropical seas.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445001255-NBHKDVCTOKWPS4FV2J9A/Punalu%27u+Foot+Prints+.jpg Hawaii - Punalu'u Foot Prints The well-known Punalu’u black sand beach is between Pahala and Na’alehu on the Big Island of Hawaii on the southeastern Kau coast.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445000361-7NSL7CZE2JEI7EI1R0FJ/Black+Sand+Beach+Honu.jpg Hawaii - Black Sand Beach Honu Honu is the Hawaiian term for the giant Hawaiian Green Sea turtle seen here after dragging its body on to the Punalu’u volcanic black sand beach. This is an exhausting task and the turtles are very vulnerable to predators while they are out of the water and sleeping. The Punalu’u black sand beach is between Pahala and Na’alehu on the Big Island of Hawaii on the southeastern Kau coast. Honu or the green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) has been an important food source in the tropical seas.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445000294-BD42VLJDXWR1G5OY86J7/Dusk+Hawaii+.jpg Hawaii - Dusk Hawaii Sunset as seen from the Hilton, Kona, Hawai'i on the Big Island of Hawaii on the southeastern Kau coast.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445001305-MAP5ZJOOSNFFGOI2DIOC/Sunset+.jpg Hawaii - Sunset Sunset as seen from the Hilton, Kona, Hawai'i on the Big Island of Hawaii on the southeastern Kau coast.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445000888-FYTDR12G2RB87SMS3EGE/Kilauea+Caldera+Glow+.jpg Hawaii - Kilauea Caldera Glow Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii on the southeastern Kau coast. It is 30 miles southwest of Hilo. Kilauea is one of the most active volcanoes on earth having some level of activity since 1983. The Hawaiian Volcano goddess Pele lives here and is very unpredictable. The Kilauea volcano Caldera observation station affords a eerie red glow after dark. It has been called the world's only drive-in volcano.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445000708-HI2VHNC2N6WRHPX8BP4F/Green+Shingles+Hale+.jpg Hawaii - Green Shingles Hale Hale is the Hawaiian term for house. Building across from "Under the Banyan Tree Farmer's Market" located in Hawi, Big Island Hawaii, North Kohala Region the northern most town on the Island. This is the turnaround point for the bicycle portion of the annual Ironman World Championships every October.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445000766-PVMFQZN0C6VV37W38GJ6/Green+Shingles+Window+Hale+.jpg Hawaii - Green Shingles Window Hale Hale is the Hawaiian term for house. Building across from "Under the Banyan Tree Farmer's Market" located in Hawi, Big Island Hawaii, North Kohala Region the northern most town on the Island. This is the turnaround point for the bicycle portion of the annual Ironman World Championships every October.   http://jfm-photography.com/italy daily 0.75 2015-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445079951-YELI1PGNZ0ZZMXXQ9T78/Messina++.jpg Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445079951-YELI1PGNZ0ZZMXXQ9T78/Messina++.jpg Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445080107-BXW0Y0UJH3N63EIBWJAN/Obelisk+of+the+Fontana+dei+Quattro+Fiumi+5091.jpg Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445080284-G9TVL595F5DH0H3MRQAQ/Piazza+Navona+Fontana+dei+Quattro+Fiumi++5093.jpg Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445080508-6VQ9XFG77OT54DHKN9H0/Pompeii+Brick+Oven+5765.jpg Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445080558-21H71VJN8X66O90CZJX7/St+Peters+Basilica-5019+.jpg Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445080848-ZLXXZMA48E49TO4FGWAX/St+Peters+Dome++.jpg Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445080879-W1F74QM3J4LFRDXLJJ39/Cardinal++.jpg Italy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445081323-P7QEH7O3AUCH0AZOEPKT/The+Drink+++.jpg Italy http://jfm-photography.com/cuba daily 0.75 2018-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533495368320-YD7CF7W9A2IKLOKJZ7I3/Sunrise+Moro+Fortress+Havana.jpg Cuba - Morro Fortress Havana Castillo de los Tres Reyes Del Morro Fortress guards the Havana Harbor entrance. This is a narrow inlet of 1 mile/1.5 kilometers that opens into three main harbors: Marimelena, Guanabacoa & Atares. Each evening at 9:00 PM the closing of the Harbor ceremony with a canon fired when a chain was drawn tight across the entrance to stop pirate sailing ships from entering. 1898 the US Battleship Maine was sunk in the Harbor and in 1960 The French munitions ship La Coubre explored which many attribute to the CIA effort to stop Fidel Castro. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533495368320-YD7CF7W9A2IKLOKJZ7I3/Sunrise+Moro+Fortress+Havana.jpg Cuba - Morro Fortress Havana Castillo de los Tres Reyes Del Morro Fortress guards the Havana Harbor entrance. This is a narrow inlet of 1 mile/1.5 kilometers that opens into three main harbors: Marimelena, Guanabacoa & Atares. Each evening at 9:00 PM the closing of the Harbor ceremony with a canon fired when a chain was drawn tight across the entrance to stop pirate sailing ships from entering. 1898 the US Battleship Maine was sunk in the Harbor and in 1960 The French munitions ship La Coubre explored which many attribute to the CIA effort to stop Fidel Castro. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444930643-ZEA6OIJ3I3S4UXXG3H6F/Sentinel+-+La+Habana+Vieja+Watchtower++.jpg Cuba - Sentinel - La Habana Vieja Watchtower Old Havana, Cuba watchtower fortification and moat to protect against invasion/pirates.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444928960-YEZUN575OJGE6GKK6YAE/Bicycle+Taxi+Old+Havana++.jpg Cuba - Bicycle Taxi Old Havana The US Embargo meant Cuba could not get any US products and automobiles. Fedel Castro got a million Chinese Bicycles for his people.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444930443-J2K0H9AYTH88YI4OWALE/Pinar+del+Rio+Sunday++.jpg Cuba - Pinar del Rio Sunday The old and the very old mix of transportation in Cuba Pinar del Rio Province near the Hotel Aguas Claras.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444928702-5K61TXU6QESRFVBEC57H/Ballet+Dancers++.jpg Cuba - Ballet Dancers Eva Roul Sanches Performing Arts School: Dance students in one of the three state musical arts schools in Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444928071-80R9RCJADZPMHT0LIW4Q/Barber+Shop+Patron++.jpg Cuba - Barber Shop Patron La Regla, Cuba across the bay from Old Havana, Cuba.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444929588-E6REUT2H8GPGNTDQCBZQ/La+Regla+Baseball+%26+Bikes++.jpg Cuba - La Regla Baseball & Bikes Break from a Sunday afternoon baseball game. La Regla, Cuba.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444930310-KGR9V6SC6W8H020S78S6/Million+Chinese+Bikes+++.jpg Cuba - Million Chinese Bikes The US Embargo ment Cuba could not get any US products and automobiles. Fedel Castro got a million Chinese Bicycles for his people.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444929550-SO65FB5QNOMK5EYN1SXZ/La+Habana+Vieja++.jpg Cuba - La Habana Vieja Restored portion of Old Havana Cuba circa late 1700's buildings.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444930717-JMGAWS3RFBHST6T5D1SE/Tabacos++.jpg Cuba - Tabaco Santiago de Chile Tobacco coop. Cuba. Tabaco drying shed. President John F. Kennedy enjoyed H. Upmann Cuban cigars to the point that before he signed the Cuban embargo he had his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, buy every one he could find.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444932277-V92VN18V5O5SZPOZNMHM/Working+the+Tobacco+fields++.jpg Cuba - Working the Tobacco fields Santiago de Chile tobacco coop. Cuba. The pace of life is slow on the coop this man and his child made one very slow pass through this field. They stopped to have just to watch me for 15 minutes. The first cutting is used for cigars and the second for cigarettes.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1520176571816-VQ2AC7AJ08FL0EFBRDFS/Fabrica+de+Tabacos+-+new++.jpg Cuba - Fabrica de Tabacos Cigar Factory-Fabrica de Tabacos, Fancheo Denalter, Pinar del Rio, Cuba. President John F. Kennedy enjoyed H. Upmann Cuban cigars to the point that before he signed Proclamation 3447 -- the Cuban embargo -- he had his Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, buy every H. Upmann that could be found in the Washington DC area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497299101944-F9WDB6DN225V2MCCB7LL/Fabrica+de+Tabacos+%28P%29.jpg Cuba - Fabrica de Tabacos Cigar Factory-Fabrica de Tabacos, Fancheo Denalter, Pinar del Rio, Cuba. President John F. Kennedy enjoyed H. Upmann Cuban cigars to the point that before he signed Proclamation 3447 -- the Cuban embargo -- he had his Secretary of State, Dean Rusk, buy every H. Upmann that could be found in the Washington DC area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444929269-5VO7A1CF158BM0YVZCR2/Finca+de+Pontas+Medicinales%2C+La+Quinta+++.jpg Cuba - Finca de Pontas Medicinales La Quinta Finca de Pontas Medicinales La Quinta, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba. This is one of the three state run Herbal medicine coop farms in Cuba. The US Embargo met Cuba could not get any of the US medications. Fedel Castro turned to herbal medications for his country.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444929848-BA1IECHGBEOCZRPTGNVA/Lady+of+La+Regla+Baptism++.jpg Cuba - Lady of La Regla Baptism Lady of La Regla Catholic Church, La Regla, Cuba. Across the bay from Havana. 21 children were baptized this Sunday morning.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444931232-QDZ35MVXGTVTMS7H4Q0R/Tack+Room++.jpg Cuba - Tack Room Santiago de Chile Tobacco Coop. Vinales Valley, Pinar del Rio Provence, Cuba.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444931125-XI20V6A1KK0PLM9QKLVD/The+Court+Yard+++.jpg Cuba - The Court Yard Court yard Old Habana, Cuba.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444928139-4NL743Y5OZYCUONTX07T/Medicinal+Tree++.jpg Cuba - Medicinal Tree Finca de Pontas Medicinales La Quinta, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba. This is one of the three state run Herbal medicine coop farms in Cuba. The US Embargo met Cuba could not get any of the US medications. Fedel Castro turned to herbal medications for his country.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444931571-UYLWB2L2440U40L8VXCP/University+of+Havana+++.jpg Cuba - University of Havana Sunday Morning March 2001 University of Havana, Havana, Cuba. Note the police will not let you walk on these steps. I tried to get a different photo and was directed off the steps.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444929306-RVNM31FYKAO1QR49I2X8/Herbal+Farm+Laborer++.jpg Cuba - Herbal Farm Laborer Girl Laborer resting. Finca de Pontas Medicinales La Quinta, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba. This is one of the three state run Herbal medicine coop farms in Cuba. The US Embargo met Cuba could not get any of the US medications. Fedel Castro turned to herbal medications for his country.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497298677576-8P0B5U22WIGGHMP6P2RG/Medicine+Farm+Girl+%28P%29.jpg Cuba - Herbal Farm Laborer Girl Laborer resting. Finca de Pontas Medicinales La Quinta, Pinar del Rio Province, Cuba. This is one of the three state run Herbal medicine coop farms in Cuba. The US Embargo met Cuba could not get any of the US medications. Fedel Castro turned to herbal medications for his country.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444928612-BWVMAUB6L2YTYHEGM98V/Pinar+Mogotes++.jpg Cuba - Pinar Mogotes Rock outcroppings Pinar del Rio Provence, Cuba.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444930180-0NS3QZJUNLC3GP5UVNKF/Lilies+Hotel+Aguas+Claras+++.jpg Cuba - Lilies Hotel Aguas Claras The lilies are in a pond on the grounds of the Hotel Aguas Claras Pinar del Rio Provence, Cuba.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444930012-9E5UDFTST4IFNQFNQW7J/Las+Terrazas+Biosphere+School++.jpg Cuba - Las Terrazas Biosphere School https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461450878058-99JQLXWSY6N76WZMCO7Z/Northern+Crested+Caracara+5295.jpg Cuba - Northern Crested Caracara The northern crested caracara (Caracara cheriway), also called the northern caracara and crested caracara. The northern caracara is a resident in Cuba, northern South America (south to northern Peru and northern Amazonian Brazil) and most of Central America and Mexico, just reaching the southernmost parts of the United States, including Florida. It inhabits various types of open and semi-open country. They typically live in lowlands but can live to mid-elevation in the Northern Andes. The species is most common in cattle ranches with scattered trees, shelterbelts and small woods, as long as there is a somewhat limited human presence.   http://jfm-photography.com/zambia daily 0.75 2015-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445926648-Q9HKINOXVWZ5Q7ZP0ZX0/Falling+Water++.jpg Zambia - Falling Water This is a close up photo using a 400 mm lens of the water going over the Victoria Falls. The water drops over 90 meters or about 300 feet. This image is the water in that fall.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445926648-Q9HKINOXVWZ5Q7ZP0ZX0/Falling+Water++.jpg Zambia - Falling Water This is a close up photo using a 400 mm lens of the water going over the Victoria Falls. The water drops over 90 meters or about 300 feet. This image is the water in that fall.   http://jfm-photography.com/home daily 1.0 2024-05-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136978674-QD04KVD9T67D5SJPYOVK/Outback+Sunrise+%231.jpg Home - Outback Sunrise #1 Image taken in Autumn/March from a Hot Air Balloon 300 feet high in the Central “Red Center” Australian Outback Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The water vapor from the trees is the mist highlighted in the sun’s rays. Temperature later in the day was 114 Fahrenheit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136978674-QD04KVD9T67D5SJPYOVK/Outback+Sunrise+%231.jpg Home - Outback Sunrise #1 Image taken in Autumn/March from a Hot Air Balloon 300 feet high in the Central “Red Center” Australian Outback Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The water vapor from the trees is the mist highlighted in the sun’s rays. Temperature later in the day was 114 Fahrenheit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716138517711-1BSZR1MNH12RN2FC7RQK/Three+Mallards+%231.jpg Home - Three Mallards #1 Close up of the three Mallards - Autumn on the Otakaro (Avon) River at the Mona Vale Garden Park, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517780379248-QR0MQJCR6HPSZ2KBU47B/Mount+St.+Helens+2017.jpg Home - Mount Saint Helens 2017 Mount Saint Helens is a horseshoe shaped crater partially filled by a young lava dome is what remains of the once conical Mount St. Helens or Louwala-Clough. It is an active stratovolcano that erupted in 1980 located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 96 miles south of Seattle, Washington, and 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a friend of explorer George Vancouver who made a survey of the area in the late 18th century. More images from NorthWest Coast   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443364681429-JJDV7T1CHR9JR6T80A40/Trondheimsfjord+-+3.jpg Home - Trondheimsfjord Trondheimsfjorden, pronounced [ˈtrɔnhæjmsˈfjuːrən]), an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at 130 kilometres (81 mi) long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way. Its maximum depth is 617 metres (2,024 ft), just inside of Agdenes. It was an important waterway in the Viking Age, as it is still today. Four giant squids have been found in the fjord, which is among the highest concentrations in the world.[2]. Åsenfjord, inner reaches of Trondheimsfjord near Stjørdal is where the largest German Battleship - Tirpitz -was moored during parts of WW2. More photos from Norway https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431716294882-V0KAXN2Q0649BE2F31NA/image-asset.jpeg Home - Oia Wind Mill Village of Oia, Santorini, in the Cyclades Island Group, Greece. This is a crescent shaped Island that is the volcanic caldera that was left from a very large volcanic island that erupted in 1450 BC. Oia sits 550 feet on top of the crest that remains. It is believed to be a candidate for the lost city of Atlantis and the resulting tsunami devastated Minoan Crete. It is noted for it’s brilliant blue domed churches with white walls perched on the top of the 550 foot cliffs. Donkey’s or walking are the local mode of transportation. The island can only be reached by ship.   View all photos from Greece   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431716450343-B773WN42850JPP12D731/image-asset.jpeg Home - The Drink This lion statue is part of the Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi (Fountain of the Four Rivers) designed 1651 by Gian Bernini for Pope Innocent X. Located in the Piazza Navona Rome. More photos from Italy   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431716701940-R5LETYTKJBNYEVZHDGUL/image-asset.jpeg Home - Sumela Manastiri on Mt. Mela On the cliffs of Mt. Mela over looking the Altindere valley the 4th century Sumela Greek Monastery 34 miles SE outside of Trabzon, Turkey in Altindere National Park.   More photos from Turkey   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431716832696-ZPAT6VVW2P05J0FII7D1/image-asset.jpeg Home - Morning Fog Uva Mira Winery on the slopes of the majestic Helderberg Mountains located in the Stellenbosch region of the Western Cape, South Africa had a award winning 2006 Chardonnay. More photos from South Africa   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431717015846-9ZINGHHE3VIRLSMLNWMI/image-asset.jpeg Home - The Kill #1 Cape Buffalo vs Pride of 20 lions near the Mombo Camp,Okavango Delta - Botswana. More photos from Botswana   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431717129634-1ZUBSSNAV90J6DBWU3Z3/image-asset.jpeg Home - La Habana Vieja Restored portion of Old Havana Cuba circa late 1700's buildings. More photos from Cuba   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431717239299-LA0T5YPF8MN7H9WHQCDW/image-asset.jpeg Home - Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja - Harpy Eagle Panama's National Bird. "Cheyenne" is in captivity at EL Parque Summit, Panama. www.summitpanama.org. It is a Neotropical species of eagle that inhabits the tropical lowland rainforests in the upper canopy layer. It ranges from Mexico to Brazil and northern Argentina but it is now rare. It is a threatened species. It is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the Americas and among the largest extant species of eagles in the world.   More photos from Panama   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431717328889-94RULNBYM76ARHU964SR/image-asset.jpeg Home - Sweet Nectar - Infant White Faced Monkey More photos from Costa Rica https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443388246114-GTRUZ6S47CAJN0DNSOSQ/St.+Edwards+North+Door+Stow+UK++final.jpg Home - St. Edwards North Door Stow   The shallow north porch of St. Edwards Church, a medieval-built Church of England parish church, serving Stow-on-the-Wold ('Stow'), Gloucestershire, is from the 17th century masks a 13th-century molding on the north door, which is framed by yew trees. The trees are estimated to be 300 years old. It is suggested that JRR Tolkien who frequently stayed in Stow used the North Door as the bases for his visualization for the “Doors of Durin or the Westgate of Moria to Middle Earth” in his book the “The Fellowship of the Ring”. You decide if it makes sense or not. The door was replaced in 1923 as a memorial for George Edward Hookham who died at age 31. The information about this person appears above the door on the inside. It is as follows: "To the glory of God. These doors presented by Mark Hookham are in memory of his son George Edward Hookham late Capt. Royal Gloucester. Hussars, who died 6th of April 1923, Aged 31 years, having served in the Great War in Palestine and Egypt." More photos from Stow-On-The-Wold   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461521228009-UXJDEGXZNY257NXSIYKJ/Glacier+Lake.jpg Home - Western United States View from the Glacier National Park Lodge of Glacier Lake astride the Continental Divide in Montana's Northern Rockies mountain chain of the Western United States. More photos from the Western United States https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461522256123-PFHJYJQXWZ5RMZL14XI7/Tower+Bridge+London+5392.jpg Home - Tower Bridge Tower Bridge as seen through the trees inside the Tower of London ramparts. It (built 1886–1894) is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London to connect the City of London directly to the northern landfall in Tower Hamlets. It has become an iconic symbol of London. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. Originally it was painted a mid greenish-blue color. More photos of Greater London https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461522903154-YIRIYN8NX5OOMBQADHMO/Stonehenge+1+4969.jpg Home - Stonehenge #1 Stonehenge is on the Salisbury Plain in the county of Wiltshire, near Amesbury, England. It is a UNESCO’s World Heritage site of a circular pattern of mysterious collection of ancient stones, arranged into a man-made structure believed to be approximately 5000 years old. It currently consists of a circular bank of earthworks where concentric rings of standing stones majestically rise from the Plain. The standing stones (sarsens) consist of massive blocks up to nine (9) metres tall weighing around 25 tons, set vertically into the earth. Sitting horizontally across the sarsens are ‘blue stones’ (due to their colour when wet or cut) weighing up to four (4) tons. These blue stones are cut and crafted, and then dovetail joined together. Researchers agree that the blue stones originated from Wales, 250klm away. Though there are differing theories as to how they came to be in Wiltshire. More photos of Southern England https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461523761493-YYKAYPHCZAQ38DQACZMS/Winter+Harbor+Lighthouse-4480+copy.jpg Home - Winter Harbor Lighthouse More photos in Nova Scotia https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461523834259-92O2UCCT3Y3OXIAC07FD/Nod+to+Frances+H+Burnett.jpg Home - Nod to Frances H. Burnett More photo in Eastern United States https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461522429214-ZXKKOFOV7713BO4TXJVF/Autumn+Fairy+-1+5706.jpg Home - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Autumn Fairy #1 Autumn Fairy’s fall colors camouflage her to blend with the tree leaves. Fairies are generally described as human in appearance and having magical powers. Diminutive fairies of one kind or another have been recorded for centuries, but occur alongside the human-sized beings; these have been depicted as ranging in size from very tiny up to the size of a human child. Wings, while common in Victorian and later artwork of fairies, are very rare in the folklore; even very small fairies flew with magic. Their camouflage green clothing and underground homes were credited to their need to hide and camouflage themselves from hostile humans, and their use of magic a necessary skill for combating those with superior weaponry. More photos of Renaissance Faire Fairies in Explorations https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482098513133-NPN15HPTQDK79Z1LZE2Y/00027+MMB_0644.jpg+Blue+-Footed+Booby+%26+Chick+-+%232.jpg Home - Blue-Footed Booby & Chick #2 More photos from Galapagos Islands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1489236288047-VL2SVKQ1BBZRRWE2YR5W/MMB_0950.jpg Home - Machu Picchu 250 mm lens from 952 feet above Macchu Picchu at the Sun Gate at Sun rise. Machu Picchu is located 120 km northwest of Cusco; at 2,430 meters it is hidden from the world in dense jungle covered mountains above the Sacred Valley - Urubamba Valley. This 'Lost City' is the most beautiful and impressive ancient Inca ruins in the world. Bingham was not the first to discover it. In 1901 the Cusco explorers Enrique Palma, Gabino Sanchez and Agustín Lizarraga are said to have arrived at the site. More images from Peru   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598225684962-CA9QZBCX9HDAMK3XSU9O/Mendenhall+Glacier.jpg Home - Mendenhall Glacier More photos of Alaska https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598225944209-QGPAX8HRWUEC9X667RFQ/White+Tail+Deer+Buck.jpg Home - White Tail Deer Buck More photos of Central United States https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841800547-M696O89CD9ENDOM7OL2K/01-Nestling+Am.+Goldfinch+on+Sunflower+-10+%280742%29.jpg Home - Treatise American Goldfinch https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618180429669-2JKN4JSK9Q7F8127CR5C/image-asset.jpeg Home - White Birch Copse at Twilight #1 The tall stately mirific copse of white birch trunks stand as sentinels in the blue twilight hues as the fall foliage of Peninsula State Park is enveloped in the darkness of the night. The bark of the stately white birch trees rising to the canopy appears to have eyes. The ancient lore, says the birch tree “eyes” served as guides along arduous mountain journeys so that travelers would be seen safely home. More photos of Wisconsin http://jfm-photography.com/turkey daily 0.75 2018-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445552110-KEC8945MK9PJERABVAI3/Sumela+Manastiri+on+Mt.+Mela+-+1.jpg Turkey - Sumela Manastiri on Mt. Mela On the cliffs of Mt. Mela over looking the Altindere valley the 4th century Sumela Greek Monastery 34 miles SE outside of Trabzon, Turkey in Altindere National Park.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445552110-KEC8945MK9PJERABVAI3/Sumela+Manastiri+on+Mt.+Mela+-+1.jpg Turkey - Sumela Manastiri on Mt. Mela On the cliffs of Mt. Mela over looking the Altindere valley the 4th century Sumela Greek Monastery 34 miles SE outside of Trabzon, Turkey in Altindere National Park.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445551566-2K71CO414TWBQ3S6KZRW/Gauntlet++Sumela+Manastiri++.jpg Turkey - Gauntlet Sumela Manastiri These stairs are the only entrance to the Monastery and a clever defense. No mater what the size of the attacking force only a two-man line could come up the stairs to gain entry. The stairway was a gauntlet the enemy had to traverse and they would suffer heavy losses. On the cliffs of Mt. Mela over looking the Altindere valley the 4th century Sumela Greek Monastery 34 miles SE outside of Trabzon, Turkey in Altindere National Park.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533495158207-UMEDLFTCTL5S94WE3ZOG/Altindere+Valley+Summer+Pasturing.jpg Turkey - Altindere Valley Summer Pasturing Turkish sheepherder moving flock into the mountains for summer pasturing. This is located in the Altindere valley on the road to the 4th century Sumela Greek Monastery 34 miles SE outside of Trabzon, Turkey in the Altindere National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445551795-5QC5RDG5ETVNXGS5R4Y8/Mountain+Stream+6427++.jpg Turkey - Mountain Stream This is located in the Altindere valley on the road to the 4th century Sumela Greek Monastery 34 miles SE outside of Trabzon, Turkey in the Altindere National Park.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445551927-G4MGU2WZ6492G0HZYDL8/Oryantl+Dansi++.jpg Turkey - Oryantl Dansi Kervansaray Night Club, Cumhuriyet Str., No: 30 Harbiye, Istanbul, Turkey. The “Belly Dance” has a different reference in Turkey. Turkish oriental dance is referred to in Turkey as Oryantal Dansi, or simply 'Oryantal'. The Turkish style of belly dance is lively and playful, with a greater outward projection of energy than the more contained Egyptian style. Turkish dancers are known for their energetic, athletic (even gymnastic) style, and their adept use of finger cymbals, also known as zils. Connoisseurs of Turkish dance often say a dancer who cannot play the zills is not an accomplished dancer. Floor work, which has been banned in Egypt since the mid-20th century, is still an important part of Turkish belly dance. Another distinguishing element of Turkish style is the use of the Karsilama rhythm in a 9/8 time signature, counted as 12-34-56-789. Many professional dancers and musicians in Turkey continue to be of Romani heritage, and the Roma people of Turkey have had a strong influence on the Turkish style (There is also a distinct Turkish Romani dance style which is different from Turkish Oriental).   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497299227569-JCPJMAOTG28I6DB8M9PO/Oryantl+Dansi+%28P%29.jpg Turkey - Oryantl Dansi Kervansaray Night Club, Cumhuriyet Str., No: 30 Harbiye, Istanbul, Turkey. The “Belly Dance” has a different reference in Turkey. Turkish oriental dance is referred to in Turkey as Oryantal Dansi, or simply 'Oryantal'. The Turkish style of belly dance is lively and playful, with a greater outward projection of energy than the more contained Egyptian style. Turkish dancers are known for their energetic, athletic (even gymnastic) style, and their adept use of finger cymbals, also known as zils. Connoisseurs of Turkish dance often say a dancer who cannot play the zills is not an accomplished dancer. Floor work, which has been banned in Egypt since the mid-20th century, is still an important part of Turkish belly dance. Another distinguishing element of Turkish style is the use of the Karsilama rhythm in a 9/8 time signature, counted as 12-34-56-789. Many professional dancers and musicians in Turkey continue to be of Romani heritage, and the Roma people of Turkey have had a strong influence on the Turkish style (There is also a distinct Turkish Romani dance style which is different from Turkish Oriental).   http://jfm-photography.com/eastern-united-states daily 0.75 2016-04-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445614960-VWIEN13UJZ0WUA08EZO6/NYC.jpg Eastern United States - NYC NYC - New York City. This contemporary Image selected for inclusion in the 11 Midwestern states juried Rockford Art Museum - RAM 2014 73rd Rockford Midwestern Biennial May to September 2014, Rockford, Illinois.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445612619-9086O94S25PDVII2RSYF/Nod+to+Frances+H+Burnett+.jpg Eastern United States - Nod to Frances H. Burnett Central Park New York City the English Garden: an intimate English-style garden with seasonal flowerbeds lush with spring bulbs, ringing a water lily pool with a bronze fountain - statue of a girl and a boy pays tribute to Frances Hodgson Burnett, author of The Secret Garden. April 19, 2006 was an exceptionally warm early spring that year on the day when this photograph was taken. The English garden was in full bloom for the wedding that took place that day.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445614059-1FPAW5TFI461D9OM0PGH/Wilderstein+Carriage+House++.jpg Eastern United States - Wilderstein Carriage House The Carriage House was done with a Blue Grunge Effect. Wilderstein - The Queen Anne Style Mansion in Rhinebeck, New York of the Suckley family. It was designed in 1888 by Arnout Cannon Jr.. The Carriage House is at the Wilderstein Estate of the late Margaret “Daisy” Suckley (1891 – 1991), Rhinbeck, New York. Wilderstein is one of the historic mansions on the Hudson of the American Aristocracy. Margaret “Daisy” Suckley was a sixth cousin; confidante and alleged mistress of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States). This relationship was the focus of the 1995 book – Closest Companion - by Geoffery Ward and the subject of the 2011 film “Hyde Park on Hudson”, as well as an archivist for the first American presidential library.[1] She was one of four women at the Little White House with Roosevelt in Warm Springs, Georgia, when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1945.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445613620-TDNKUZC7M4CWO85ECOEL/Vitis+Vinifera++.jpg Eastern United States - Vitis Vinifera This is the beginning of this year’s grapes harvest. Jonathan Edwards Winery, 74 Chester Main Rd, North Stonington, CT 06359 (860) 535-0202. Located in the quaint town of North Stonington, Jonathan Edwards Winery is situated on a beautiful 48-acre hilltop about nine miles from the Long Island Sound. Jonathan Edwards handcrafts both premium Napa Valley, California and Estate Connecticut wines to highlight each coasts’ unique climate.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445613960-HW67MHA00L2I71PMJYLU/Winter+Harbor+Lighthouse++-+Color+4480.jpg Eastern United States - Winter Harbor Lighthouse #1 Winter Harbor Lighthouse is located on Mark Island in Winter Harbor and also known as Mark Island Lighthouse. Latitude: 44.36143 Longitude: -68.08764. Built in1887 near the entrance to Frenchman’s Bay across from Bar Harbor, Maine. It is fixed white light beaming from a fifth –order Fresnel lens at a focal plane of 37 feet above high water. It was replaced by a lighted bell buoy in August 1933. It was then sold to a series of writers. One pair Pat & Rene Prud’hommeaux wrote the children’s book The Light in the Tower a fictional novel (ASIN: B0007E64BI) published in 1957 under the name Joan Howard about the Christmas tree they set in the tower each year for the fisherman. Lighthousefriends.com.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445614295-3YT8VQO8ETSFAL6MB9TK/Winter+Harbor+Lighthouse+-+Close+up+4475.jpg Eastern United States - Winter Harbor Lighthouse #2 Winter Harbor Lighthouse is located on Mark Island in Winter Harbor and also known as Mark Island Lighthouse. Latitude: 44.36143 Longitude: -68.08764. Built in1887 near the entrance to Frenchman’s Bay across from Bar Harbor, Maine. It is fixed white light beaming from a fifth –order Fresnel lens at a focal plane of 37 feet above high water. It was replaced by a lighted bell buoy in August 1933. It was then sold to a series of writers. One pair Pat & Rene Prud’hommeaux wrote the children’s book The Light in the Tower a fictional novel (ASIN: B0007E64BI) published in 1957 under the name Joan Howard about the Christmas tree they set in the tower each year for the fisherman. Lighthousefriends.com.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445613604-Y6VIQ6RU9CD3SICO7MDD/Remember+Holocaust++.jpg Eastern United States - Remember Holocaust http://jfm-photography.com/hungary daily 0.75 2025-08-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754872412100-6O34EAQIBJLMAG9C6PFG/Cassowary+%231.jpg Hungary - It’s Universal Photo taken outside the Central Market Hall (Nagy Vasarcsarnok), Budapest, Hungary. This is the largest and oldest (1897) indoor market in Budapest.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754872412100-6O34EAQIBJLMAG9C6PFG/Cassowary+%231.jpg Hungary - It’s Universal Photo taken outside the Central Market Hall (Nagy Vasarcsarnok), Budapest, Hungary. This is the largest and oldest (1897) indoor market in Budapest.   http://jfm-photography.com/panama daily 0.75 2018-08-05 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445119154-19MWYQPKS7158V1B9VN3/Harpy+Eagle+7243++.jpg Panama - Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja - Harpy Eagle Panama's National Bird. "Cheyenne" is in captivity at EL Parque Summit, Panama. www.summitpanama.org. It is a Neotropical species of eagle that inhabits the tropical lowland rainforests in the upper canopy layer. It ranges from Mexico to Brazil and northern Argentina but it is now rare. It is a threatened species. It is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the Americas and among the largest extant species of eagles in the world.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445119154-19MWYQPKS7158V1B9VN3/Harpy+Eagle+7243++.jpg Panama - Harpy Eagle Harpia harpyja - Harpy Eagle Panama's National Bird. "Cheyenne" is in captivity at EL Parque Summit, Panama. www.summitpanama.org. It is a Neotropical species of eagle that inhabits the tropical lowland rainforests in the upper canopy layer. It ranges from Mexico to Brazil and northern Argentina but it is now rare. It is a threatened species. It is the largest and most powerful raptor found in the Americas and among the largest extant species of eagles in the world.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533495641579-FF9KYH22FOMO8Q1GYIIE/Juvenile+Wood+Stork.jpg Panama - Juvenile Wood Stork The wood stork is a large American wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was formerly called the "wood ibis", though it is not an ibis. It is found in subtropical and tropical habitats in the Americas, including the Caribbean. In South America, it is resident, but in North America, it may disperse to as far as South America. Originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, this stork likely evolved in tropical regions. The head and neck are bare of feathers and dark grey in color. The plumage is mostly white, with the exception of the tail and some of the wing feathers, which are black with a greenish-purplish sheen. The juvenile differs from the adult, with the former having a feathered head and a yellow bill, compared to the black adult bill. The sexes are similar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533495766899-SG1NQJ410XBAXE85V2V0/Adult+Wood+Storks.jpg Panama - Adult Wood Storks The wood stork is a large American wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It was formerly called the "wood ibis", though it is not an ibis. It is found in subtropical and tropical habitats in the Americas, including the Caribbean. In South America, it is resident, but in North America, it may disperse to as far as South America. Originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, this stork likely evolved in tropical regions. The head and neck are bare of feathers and dark grey in color. The plumage is mostly white, with the exception of the tail and some of the wing feathers, which are black with a greenish-purplish sheen. The juvenile differs from the adult, with the former having a feathered head and a yellow bill, compared to the black adult bill. The sexes are similar. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445119217-L3YIPP8BPN7VX0JMQTFE/Embera++.jpg Panama - Embera Panama Canal central region - The Embera–Wounaan is a semi-nomadic indigenous people in Panama, living in the province of Darien at the shores of the Chucunaque, Sambu, Tuira Rivers and its water ways. The Embera-Wounaan were formerly and widely known by the name Chocó, and they speak the Embera and Wounaan languages, part of the Chocoan language family. The Chocó, or Embera people live in small villages of 5 to 20 houses along the banks of the rivers throughout the Chucunaque/Tuira/Balsas River watersheds in the Darien Province of Panama. There are generally three villages on each tributary that branches off from the main river system. Each village is about a half day's walk apart. The villages are built on a small rise, set approximately 100 feet in from the river. The houses of the village are set about 20– 50 feet apart atop the rise on posts, with no walls, but tall thatched roofs. Around each village, the jungle is partly cleared and replaced by banana and plantain plantations, a commercial crop for the Embera, who sell them to get cash for their outboard motors, mosquito nets, and the like. The hills leading down to the river from the villages is usually hard packed reddish clay. There are sometimes large boulders being played on by naked children. Dugout canoes are usually seen pulled up on the riverbanks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445119430-K8TFZ475BZ27P6N185MK/Playa+de+Blanco+Sunrise+-+1++.jpg Panama - Sunrise Playa Blanca #1 Playa Blanca Resort white sand beaches on the Pacific Coast of Panama.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445119634-G78GP08PF29IZ9BVDDF2/Playa+de+Blanco+Sunset++.jpg Panama - Playa de Blanco Sunset Playa Blanco Panama on the Pacific Coast.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443398764471-WZJDM6NMMRWZI503EI19/Panama+Sunrise.jpg Panama - Panama Sunrise Playa Blanca Resort white sand beaches on the Pacific Coast of Panama. http://jfm-photography.com/south-africa daily 0.75 2015-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445422068-W5RJSBFELGMG4TV8Z7F3/Orange+train++.jpg South Africa - Orange Train Commuter train going into Cape Town, South Africa with Table Top Mountain in the background.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445422068-W5RJSBFELGMG4TV8Z7F3/Orange+train++.jpg South Africa - Orange Train Commuter train going into Cape Town, South Africa with Table Top Mountain in the background.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445421160-ZYZWNVWVVV9R600W3LZA/Cape+Hangklip++.jpg South Africa - Cape Hangklip Cape Hangklip South Africa as seen across False Bay from the Cape of Good Hope Peninsula where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445415575-2THIPNGCRDXEJ5CPM0SO/Lands+End++.jpg South Africa - Lands End Cape Hangklip South Africa as seen across False Bay from the Cape of Good Hope Peninsula where the Atlantic meets the Indian Ocean.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445419326-7GJZIB13IY1S4I6LMQKK/White+Beach++.jpg South Africa - White Beach White Beach coastal area of South Africa.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445413905-YQVA9JMF99JRISJS01S3/Hemel-en-Aarde-Valley+.jpg South Africa - "Hemel - en - Aarde" or Heaven & Earth Valley "Hemel - en - Aarde" or Heaven and Earth Valley is truly beautiful beyond what the camera can capture of the slopes of the majestic Helderberg Mountains located in the Stellenbosch region of the Western Cape, South Africa .   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445413307-LB8QR07485NDE18YNV85/Morning-Fog+.jpg South Africa - Morning Fog Uva Mira Winery on the slopes of the majestic Helderberg Mountains located in the Stellenbosch region of the Western Cape, South Africa had a award winning 2006 Chardonnay.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445413408-6QWWKE975R5FD6G7V0BQ/Shaddow-of-Islam+.jpg South Africa - Shadow of Islam Shadow of minaret from which a muezzin calls the summon to prayer at the Chiappini Street Mosque in District #6, Cape Town, South Africa.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445413601-SVRJ8VX9CUWJVBZ8SNXV/1847++.jpg South Africa - Chiappini Street Mosque Chiappini Street Mosque was establish in 1847 in District # 6 Cape Town, South Africa and is still an active mosque.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445419515-2ZHXPOXZQHMBZZLITO0T/Social+Weaver++.jpg South Africa - Social Weaver This Nest is in the courtyard trees of the Lord Milner Hotel at the restored Victorian Village of Matjiesfontein , South Africa. This is a stop of the Rovos Rail's restored Pride of Africa 1800's 22 carriage train; lounge car train from Cape Town to Pretoria. Three days using 19D coal powered steam engines for the trip. The “Pride of Africa” is rated as one of the World’s Top 25 Trains because of its “train hotel” excellent accommodations, public space, service, dining and off-train sightseeing. Think of restored vintage Victorian style Orient Express sleeper, lounge and dining cars with white glove old world service. www.roos.co.za   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445414731-PR6X9VLM4GQENQINT3Q8/Sheep++.jpg South Africa - Sheep This photo has a slightly out of focus impressionist effect of Sheep grazing in the dry grasses of the winter season in the interior farm land north of Cape Town near Belmont, SA. This shoot was taken from the rear lounge car of the “Pride of Africa” private railway company ROVOS Rail Train traveling to their Capital Park Station in Pretoria. The “Pride of Africa” is rated as one of the World’s Top 25 Trains because of its “train hotel” excellent accommodations, public space, service, dining and off-train sightseeing. Think of restored vintage Victorian style Orient Express sleeper, lounge and dining cars with white glove old world service. www.roos.co.za   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445413712-B1SYE6XLTRFR9HGOJ4S4/Chestnuts++.jpg South Africa - Chestnuts Horses grazing near the ROVOS Rail route from Cape Town, South Africa to Pretoria, SA. This shoot was taken from the rear lounge car of the “Pride of Africa” private railway company ROVOS Rail Train traveling to their Capital Park Station in Pretoria. The “Pride of Africa” is rated as one of the World’s Top 25 Trains because of its “train hotel” excellent accommodations, public space, service, dining and off-train sightseeing. Think of restored vintage Victorian style Orient Express sleeper, lounge and dining cars with white glove old world service. www.roos.co.za   http://jfm-photography.com/western-united-states daily 0.75 2020-12-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443398668184-M094M0R8SI70JC42Z34T/Glacier+Lake.jpg Western United States - Glacier Lake View from the Glacier National Park Lodge of Glacier Lake astride the Continental Divide in Montana's Northern Rockies mountain chain of the Western United States. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443398668184-M094M0R8SI70JC42Z34T/Glacier+Lake.jpg Western United States - Glacier Lake View from the Glacier National Park Lodge of Glacier Lake astride the Continental Divide in Montana's Northern Rockies mountain chain of the Western United States. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461450654827-EAD58ZNTBW32HMMLKS35/Bald+Eagle+5197.jpg Western United States - Bald Eagle The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus, from Greek hali "sea", aiētos "eagle", leuco "white", cephalos "head") is a bird of prey found in North America. Bald eagles are not actually bald; the name derives from an older meaning of "white headed". The adult is mainly brown with a white head and tail. The sexes are identical in plumage, but females are about 25 percent larger than males. The beak is large and hooked. The plumage of the immature is brown. The bald eagle is both the national bird and national animal of the United States of America. The bald eagle appears on its seal.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445685284-YPHTPZS41Y5C7TZVV94O/Wild+Goose+Island+++.jpg Western United States - Wild Goose Island Saint Mary's Lake and Wild Goose Island is just off Going- To -The -Sun Road In Glacier National Park astride the Continental Divide in Montana's Northern Rockies mountain chain of the Western United States. This is an iconic photo representing Glacier National Park.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461450726931-S8FBLB8OTK7K0QS8D992/Grizzly+Cub+1815.jpg Western United States - Grizzly Cub Two year old grizzly cub forging on plants along the road to Pelican Creek, Yellowstone Lake ^ Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming in the Northern Rockies mountain chain of the Western United States. Grizzly cubs stay with their mothers through two years of age to protect them from the adult males. Fortunately the mother grizzly was not around because the cub slowly moved to within 10 feet of our parked vehicle. This is normally not allowed but we did not change its behavior nor inter act with it other than to take photos from the vehicle before we left.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533495474355-YWP5BNW4GJR99XU134K9/Geyser+Pool+Yellowstone.jpg Western United States - Geyser Pool Yellowstone Norris Geyser Basin comprises of three main areas: Porcelain Basin, Black Basin, and One Hundred Springs Plain. It is one of the most dynamic places in Yellowstone National Park because some of the pools here are some of the oldest, hottest and most acidic around. This thermoacidophilic niche is typically located in aquatic environments with high moisture content, including various geothermal hot springs and volcanic mud pools. The niche is adapted to highly acidic environments, generally with a pH of less than 4. Due to active volcanic activities in the area, the springs and pools in which the acidophilic niche is found are typically of fairly high temperature, usually ranging from 65 to 90 degrees Celsius. The niche is typically immersed in pools with high sulfur contents, either as hydrogen sulfide (H2S(g)) emitted as a volcanic gas, or as elemental sulfur crystals. Some niches are also found in pools rich with other metals, typically iron https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1533495525034-UIHS2HFOAY6TQDR553RV/Oxbow+Bend+Turnout+Mt+Moran.jpg Western United States - Oxbow Bend Turnout Mt Moran Grand Tetons Oxbow Bend Turnout on the Snake River in the Buffalo River Valley with in the background Mt Moran of the Grand Tetons mountain range. The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest in the United States. At 1,078 miles (1,735 km) long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Mount Moran is a mountain in Grand Teton National Park of western Wyoming, USA. The mountain is named for Thomas Moran, an American western frontier landscape artist. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443388843873-SFK12VB2YPL4HWHBT64K/Pelican+Creek+Sunrise+_1784+final.jpg Western United States - Pelican Creek Sunrise The suns rays are stripping across the marsh grasses as it rises for the day. Pelican Creek, Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming in the Northern Rockies mountain chain of the Western United States. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445685190-BMVL5C6SQ1VX4HNS9EMQ/Jammers+Reds++.jpg Western United States - Jammers Reds Restored Red 1938 Touring Cars at Glacier National Park Montana. The drivers were referred to as “Jammers” due to jamming the gears.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445685648-W84BQ2AJFVXQ552WOE5R/Charred+Trunks++.jpg Western United States - Charred Trunks These Charred Trunks are what is left of the 2006 Summer Warm Fire in the Kaibab National Forrest North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona western United States.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445685742-ZK3H0VVO09RXH14V4N28/Daunting+.jpg Western United States - Daunting Panoramic view looking south from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona western United Sates.   http://jfm-photography.com/stow-on-the-wold daily 0.75 2016-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443388171530-WN8NUIP5R4Z62RWV643P/St.+Edwards+North+Door+Stow+UK++final.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - St. Edwards North Door Stow The shallow north porch of St. Edwards Church, a medieval-built Church of England parish church, serving Stow-on-the-Wold ('Stow'), Gloucestershire, is from the 17th century masks a 13th-century molding on the north door, which is framed by yew trees. The trees are estimated to be 300 years old. It is suggested that JRR Tolkien who frequently stayed in Stow used the North Door as the bases for his visualization for the “Doors of Durin or the Westgate of Moria to Middle Earth” in his book the “The Fellowship of the Ring”. You decide if it makes sense or not. The door was replaced in 1923 as a memorial for George Edward Hookham who died at age 31. The information about this person appears above the door on the inside. It is as follows: "To the glory of God. These doors presented by Mark Hookham are in memory of his son George Edward Hookham late Capt. Royal Gloucester. Hussars, who died 6th of April 1923, Aged 31 years, having served in the Great War in Palestine and Egypt." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443388171530-WN8NUIP5R4Z62RWV643P/St.+Edwards+North+Door+Stow+UK++final.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - St. Edwards North Door Stow The shallow north porch of St. Edwards Church, a medieval-built Church of England parish church, serving Stow-on-the-Wold ('Stow'), Gloucestershire, is from the 17th century masks a 13th-century molding on the north door, which is framed by yew trees. The trees are estimated to be 300 years old. It is suggested that JRR Tolkien who frequently stayed in Stow used the North Door as the bases for his visualization for the “Doors of Durin or the Westgate of Moria to Middle Earth” in his book the “The Fellowship of the Ring”. You decide if it makes sense or not. The door was replaced in 1923 as a memorial for George Edward Hookham who died at age 31. The information about this person appears above the door on the inside. It is as follows: "To the glory of God. These doors presented by Mark Hookham are in memory of his son George Edward Hookham late Capt. Royal Gloucester. Hussars, who died 6th of April 1923, Aged 31 years, having served in the Great War in Palestine and Egypt." https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461436729803-IFYFY2XX1QRMZIT1Q2TT/Fleece+Alley+5001.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Fleece Alley Fleece Alley is one of the many alleyways known as "tures" run from Back Walls St. on the outside edge of Stow between the buildings of Stow into the market square on Sheep Street. These once were used in the herding of sheep into the square to be sold. It also made it easy to count the sheep as they are herded through the 5 foot wide alleys with 8 foot high limestone walls. Stow-on-the-Wold ('Stow'), Gloucestershire. UK. It is situated on top of an 800 ft (244 m) hill, at the convergence of a number of major roads through the Cotswolds, including the Fosse Way (A429) Roman Road. The town was founded as a planned market place by Norman lords to take advantage of trade on the converging roads. Fairs have been held by royal charter since 1330 and an annual horse (Gypsy)fair is still held on the edge of the town. As the fairs grew in fame and importance the town grew more prosperous. Traders who once only dealt in livestock, now dealt in many handmade goods, and the wool trade always stayed a large part of the trade. Reportedly (writer Daniel DeFoe), 20,000 sheep changed hands at one 19th century fair.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461436823945-CI3H3MSF9QM3OISHYPNL/Sheep+Street+Cottage+5032.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Sheep Street Cottage The Fleece Alley /"tures" (originally “chures”) run from Back Walls St. on the outside edge of Stow between the buildings of Stow (140 Sheep Street) into the market square on Sheep Street. Ancestors owned the 137 and 140 Sheep St. houses from the 1841 and 1851 census. The numbering system disappeared some time in the past and the limestone buildings where given names by the owners. The most abundant building material in the Cotswold’s is the Jurassic Limestone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461436904577-EF2T4M22EVD78JJ98SRW/Holly+Cottage+5029.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Holly Cottage Is it really # 6 Sheep St., Stow-on-the-Wold UK. ? The numbering system disappeared some time in the past and the limestone buildings where given names by the owners. The most abundant building material in the Cotswold’s is the Jurassic Limestone with fossil shells deposited just a foot under the topsoil. A prehistoric sea covered this area. All the buildings in Stow-on-the-Wold are built with this limestone.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461436962099-BEB3X7JARU7VEGQJI6NF/The+Optician+5031.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - The Optician The Optician is at the “top end of Sheep Street near the junction with the Fosse Way/Roman Road/ A429/Celtic Ditch”. The Fosse Way was originally a Roman defensive structure 230 miles long constructed by the 1st Legion between 44 to 46 AD. Stow-on-the-Wold, UK. This building was constructed with the Jurassic Bedrock limestone quarried from this golden coloured Cotswold stone.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461437004210-GPCLKHH8GTVQ5VXQ733A/Church+Street+5034.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Church Street Church Street is lined with shops and leads to the main entrance of St. Edwards Church, a medieval-built Church of England parish church, serving Stow-on-the-Wold ('Stow'), Gloucestershire, UK. The buildings around the Stow Market Square is hemmed in by clusters of old houses and Inns arranged in “higgledy-piggledy fashion” to protect against the strong cold winds. It was once the center of the wool industry.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461437058031-D1CKYD7MFG7VL9NGHL7U/Stow+Post+Office+5036.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Stow Post Office The Stow UK Post Office is at the corner of Church Street and Sheep Street Stow-on-the-Wold ('Stow'), Gloucestershire, UK. Stow-on-the-Wold, originally known as Stow St Edward or Edwardstow after the town’s patron saint lies about 244 metres above sea level and is the highest town in the Cotswolds. Its exposed location is reflected in the local couplet/ Children’s rhyme: “At Brill on the Hill, The wind blows shrill, The cook no meat can dress; At stow in the Wold The wind blows cold, I know no more than this. Where horses young & old are sold, Where farmers come to spend their gold, Where men are fools & women are bold & many a wicked tale is told” This rhyme can be found in The Mother Goose; Containing All The Melodies The Old Lady Ever Wrote, edited By Dame Goslin (1850). It can also be found in English Folk Rhymes (1892) By G. F. Northall. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461437171866-K32S82EZW1FB49HVP5LM/Stow+Fountain+5039.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Stow Fountain The Stow Drinking Fountain and Horse Trough (British Heritage ID # 126341 Grade 2 Located at 5224 High Street (North end). 1867-8. The first regular supply of pure water for the town. The structure commemorates this and the generous gift of £2,000 by Squire Joseph Chamberlayne (Family also build the Stow Lodge Manor) to enable the well to be dug deeper. 1896 Piers Thursby Esq. paid for the current fountain: Gothic, 4 sided with masonry pyramidal roof and poppyhead. Rough label to cusped panel on each face, 2 horse troughs, 2 drinking fountains and a dog bowl. Replaces a horse pond at the junction of High Street and the Fosse Way. Mr. H Hookham who was "builder of the town" built the beautiful water fountain where the old drinking pond for the horses, had been. In Sept 1896 it was formally opened. The engineer of the town helping with the work was a Mr. J Cox of the Elms. A name that sometimes crops up in relation to the Hookhams and Cliffords of this town. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461437281337-MS663PNDZXXNUVRWLY0B/Astley%27s+Defeat+5051.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Astley’s Defeat 1646 Sir Jacob Astley sat at the base of this cross-monument when he surrendered in the early morning of 21 March 1646. The last battle of the English Civil War (1642-1646) took place in Gloucestershire, one mile north of the town of Stow on the Wold. After initial royalist success the superiority of the parliamentary forces, particularly Brereton’s cavalry, soon overwhelmed and routed the royalist forces. Fleeing the field, the royalists fought a running fight back into the streets of Stow where the streets ran red with blood the final action took place, culminating in Astley’s surrender in the market square. The destruction of the last royalist field army at Stow on the Wold dashed the last desperate hopes of the Royalist cause and effectively signaled the end of the Civil War. King Charles 1 surrendered soon afterwards, to the Scottish army at Newark, in May 1646. He was executed in 1646. In the background one can see the Kings Arms Inn, Charles 1 stayed here in 1645 before the Battle of Naseby. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461437338216-C6ANBP09125PDT1RO563/The+Bell+at+Stow+5064.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - The Bell at Stow The Bell at Stow is an old English country Inn at the edge of Stow where Park Street joins Oddington Road, Stow-on-the-Wold, GL54 1AJ, Gloucestershire England, United Kingdom. This is located in the Cotswold’s an area in south central England containing the Cotswold Hills, a range of rolling hills that rise from the meadows of the upper Thames. The area is defined by the bedrock of Jurassic limestone that creates a type of grassland habitat rare in the UK and that is quarried for the golden coloured Cotswold stone. It contains unique features derived from the use of this mineral; the predominantly rural landscape contains stone-built villages, historical towns and stately homes and gardens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461437458122-XKJ9NUTZWN89LPKUR1BC/The+Equestrian+5067.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - The Equestrian Afternoon ride in Stow-on-the-Wold, GL54 1AJ, Gloucestershire, UK, heading to the Cotswold Hills grasslands outside of Stow. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461437498350-7WEFNY9R13WEZ7NPNHHJ/Vintage+Bike+5068.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Vintage Bike Vintage & Paint, 8 Park St, Stow-on-the-Wold, Gloucestershire GL54 1AQ, UK. This is a quaint little antique and more shop on Park Street in the heart of Stow. They advertise with these old black bicycles around Stow usually with flowers in the basket.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461437889930-85X1VZJJGJH9QGUBK0OC/M+and+W+Saddlery+Stow+5072.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - M & W Saddlery Stow Mangan & Webb Saddlery, Digbeth Street, Stow On The Wold, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 UK. "Digbeth" or "Duck's Bath" street has it’s name because the 21 March 1646 last battle of the English Civil War took place in Gloucestershire, one mile north of the town of Stow on the Wold and moved to the market Square. It was so deadly that it was said ducks could bathe in the pools of blood left in the street. Hence the street was renamed. This is located across from the “Porch House Inn” formerly the “Royalist Hotel” establish 947 AD. This is the oldest establishment in England.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461437986585-3PUWCQFUD7T6GL9LFWPQ/T+D+Goodall+5074.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - T.D. Goodall Fresh Yorkshire Milk delivered to your house. In 1913, at the age of 8, Thomas Dunwell Goodall started delivering milk on his way to school in 2 pint milk churns. This milk was untreated and produced at Fearnville Farm, Oakwood Lane, by his father (also Thomas Dunwell Goodall.) It was delivered by horse and cart, using 3 gallon churns which were ladled into customer's jugs. The tradition continues today.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461438039635-RO6QJ6CS0GOII6XF5F27/Pillar+Box+5082.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Pillar-box A pillar-box is a freestanding post box. They are found in the United Kingdom and in most former nations of the British Empire. Mail is deposited in pillar-boxes to be collected by the Royal Mail, An Post or the appropriate postal operator and forwarded to the addressee. The boxes have been in use since 1852, just twelve years after the introduction of the first adhesive postage stamps (Penny Black) and uniform penny post. Mail may also be deposited in lamp boxes or wall boxes that serve the same purpose as pillar-boxes but are attached to a post or set into a wall. According to the Letter Box Study Group, there are more than 150 recognized designs and varieties of pillar-boxes and wall boxes, not all of which have known surviving examples. The red post box is regarded as a British cultural icon. Royal Mail estimates there are over 100,000 post boxes in the United Kingdom. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461438091924-SW9DL5B8DDGRO9S0PCV1/Rectory+Lodge+Door+5087.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Rectory Lodge Door Parish Priests lodge residence door to St. Edwards Church grounds. The Stow Lodge Hotel picturesque gardens overlook the Stow Market Square. Originally built in the 18th century, for the Chamberlayne family (Also donated the Stow Fountain) whose crest it bears and was used as the parsonage for a large part of the 19th century. The original parsonage, which was under repair in 1840, has been lost; with a plausible reference northeast of the town Centre 'Parson's Corner'. The rectory was built in the early 20th century, away from the town at the southern end of the graveyard. Four rectors spanned the whole period from 1744 to 1899, and three of them were members of the Hippisley family. The Reverend Robert William Hippisley (1844-1899) lived in it prior to Mr. Mark Hookham (1844-1934). Mr. Hookham, a local businessman and elected warden for 23 years at St. Edwards Church, a medieval-built Church of England parish church, purchased the Manor house and lived in it with his wife Jane and their children (one was Capt. George Hookham) from 1900 to 1911. In 1935 it was sold after his death and converted into the Stow Lodge Hotel. The Hartley family currently owes the Cotswold Stow Lodge Hotel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461438143569-MSP6XRAQ1XN7Q7BEZEH0/Church+Street+Gate+5106.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Church St. Gate Main entrance to St. Edwards Church is here on Church Street. St. Edwards Church, is a medieval-built Church of England parish church for Stow https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461438198856-M4K7LFOYKZ00PO6C999D/Letter+Box+5115.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Letterbox This letterbox was on Park St., Stow On The Wold, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire GL54 UK. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461438902683-17IJC14L6ON1V4MHZLHZ/Eye+of+the+Kings+Men+5128-5129.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Eye of the Kings Men Rollright Stones 7.8 miles outside Stow in the Cotswold countryside. It consists of 3 main sites standing on the Warwickshire / Oxfordshire border which are thought to date from as early as 3800BC to as late as 1500BC - The King's Men, the King Stone and the Whispering Knights. The King's Men circle is made up of 77 stones in a small 31 metre stone circle of heavily weathered and eroded limestone with possibly an entrance to the north. This is the only circle in this area. It is believed to date from the late Neolithic to early Bronze Age period of 2500-2000BC. There are many legends attached to this site, one local tale claims that it is a king and his army turned to stone by a witch. Sybil Marshall recounts the tale in her book 'English Folk Tales'.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461438947137-HF2XTR2SNC0JYZOL9EW8/Stow+City+Grave+Yard+5245.jpg Stow-on-the-Wold - Stow City Graveyard The Stow City graveyard is located south of Back Walls St. beside the Fosse Way. – Roman Rd in Stow. The St. Edwards graveyard around the church was closed in 1855 by the newly formed burial board. The tower of St. Edwards Church is in the background of the Stow city graveyard. St. Edwards Church is a medieval-built Church of England parish church, serving Stow-on-the-Wold ('Stow'), Gloucestershire. UK. It is a four-stage tower from the 15th century, with corner buttresses to the second stages, two-light super mullioned bell openings, battlements adorned with blank arches, and crocketed corner pinnacles. A projecting rectangular turret on the southwest side houses the stair. The parapet includes pinnacles and a string course with gargoyles. The tower was completed in 1447, is 88 feet (26.8 metres) high and houses the heaviest ring of bells, eight in all, in Gloucestershire. http://jfm-photography.com/greece daily 0.75 2015-05-15 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444973635-5IG9ZV6JRQST9OCEYYTH/Sleeping+Dog+-Oia+%2522Life+Is+Good%2522+.jpg Greece - Sleeping Dog Oia - "Life Is Good" The Village of Oia rests on the rim of the volcanic caldera crescent shaped island in the Aegean Sea, Santorini, Italy.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444973635-5IG9ZV6JRQST9OCEYYTH/Sleeping+Dog+-Oia+%2522Life+Is+Good%2522+.jpg Greece - Sleeping Dog Oia - "Life Is Good" The Village of Oia rests on the rim of the volcanic caldera crescent shaped island in the Aegean Sea, Santorini, Italy.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444973915-LDR1VLBR70BDQYZY23PV/Blue+Domed+Church+of+Agios+Minas+-+Oia++.jpg Greece - Blue Domed Church of Agios Minas 18th century church in the Village of Oia, Santorini, Greece with the island of Thirasia in the background.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444973300-I56X5LHWNKQBH0014SUW/Oia+Wind+Mill++.jpg Greece - Oia Wind Mill Village of Oia, Santorini, in the Cyclades Island Group, Greece. This is a crescent shaped Island that is the volcanic caldera that was left from a very large volcanic island that erupted in 1450 BC. Oia sits 550 feet on top of the crest that remains. It is believed to be a candidate for the lost city of Atlantis and the resulting tsunami devastated Minoan Crete. It is noted for it’s brilliant blue domed churches with white walls perched on the top of the 550 foot cliffs. Donkey’s or walking are the local mode of transportation. The island can only be reached by ship.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444973394-E8PSUTG1XK4PF0KMNPE1/Slow+Food+Oia++.jpg Greece - Slow Food Snail Address marker Village of Oia, Santorini, Greece.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444972879-PTTX3T4854T4APCNJMU9/Ancient+Olympia+Water+Fountains++.jpg Greece - Ancient Olympia Water fountains Near the current Greek city of Katakolon these Water fountains are at the site of Ancient Olympia, Greece. This was the site of the first Olympic games in 776 BC at the confluence of the Alfeios & the Kladeos Rivers. The first recorded Olympic winner was Koroivos who was a cook.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444973156-E8AT25PACUYYNLDFXMFC/Partridge+5483.jpg Greece - Partridge Cape Sounion, Greece Temple of Posiedon or Neptune   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444973729-8DQPTSZJM9RJYZ5MHCNO/Santorini++Bay++5239.jpg Greece - Santorini Bay Row boat in the port of Skala Firon, Santorini.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431444972874-HV6ZIYCUSXW68777EGQX/Lions+Gate+5882+.jpg Greece - Lions Gate The Lion Gate was the main entrance of the Bronze Age citadel of Mycenae, southern Greece. It was erected during the 13th century BC in the northwest side of the acropolis and is named after the relief sculpture of two lionesses in a heraldic pose that stands above the entrance.[1] The Lion Gate is the sole surviving monumental piece of Mycenaean sculpture,[2] as well as the largest sculpture in the prehistoric Aegean.[3]   http://jfm-photography.com/norway daily 0.75 2023-08-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692970056273-XBM4ULDSZBB77KHNK7DN/image-asset.jpeg Norway - Sognefjord Ferry This is the NORLED ferry company people ferry (no cars) making the trip through the Sognefjord. The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden, nicknamed the King of the Fjords, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. It is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches 205 kilometers (127 mi) inland and plunging up to 1,308 m (4,291 ft) below sea level. The fjord runs through many municipalities: Solund, Gulen, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Vik, Sogndal, Lærdal, Aurland, Årdal, and Luster. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692970056273-XBM4ULDSZBB77KHNK7DN/image-asset.jpeg Norway - Sognefjord Ferry This is the NORLED ferry company people ferry (no cars) making the trip through the Sognefjord. The Sognefjord or Sognefjorden, nicknamed the King of the Fjords, is on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2005. It is the largest and deepest fjord in Norway. Located in Vestland county in Western Norway, it stretches 205 kilometers (127 mi) inland and plunging up to 1,308 m (4,291 ft) below sea level. The fjord runs through many municipalities: Solund, Gulen, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Vik, Sogndal, Lærdal, Aurland, Årdal, and Luster. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692970282116-UUNV6OVPB3LA65IU45ZA/image-asset.jpeg Norway - Fjord Life where the land meets the sea Most of the farms in the Aurlandsdalen Valley were abandoned between 1875 and 1907, many emigrated to America to become farmers. Some have been restored for tourism. The Sognefjord runs through many municipalities: Solund, Gulen, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Vik, Sogndal, Lærdal, Aurland, Årdal, and ending in Luster (at the small village of Skjolden). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692970387123-8C3GSNM9X88SHPZ7J6AE/image-asset.jpeg Norway - Troll Face Cliff Geiranger fjord A troll (originated from Old Norse troll,. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings. Trolls are sometimes associated with particular landmarks, which at times may be explained as formed from a troll exposed to sunlight. This is located in the Geiranger fjord, Stranda Municipality, Norway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1541346704473-MCT94MPZXYYTHAF7TPPR/Alesund%2C+Norway.jpg Norway - Ålesund, Norway "The Most Beautiful Town In Norway" Ålesund, Norway is in the Sunnmøre district. It is known for its salmon fishing that is reflected in its town coat of arms and furniture making. The statue of this fisherman, in the city of Ålesund was erected in memory of all the fishermen who have lost their lives at sea. Ålesund has been awarded the title of "The most beautiful town in Norway" by the Norwegian people. The unique Art nouveu style or Jugendstyle architecture makes Ålesund different from any other Norwegian city. In 1904, fire totally destroyed about 850 buildings in the city center. The German King, Kaiser Wilhelm II, was a frequent visitor to this area and got a substantial amount of aid sent to rebuild the city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443362195443-RZPC0ZKNHGDG1LDKVKKO/Trondheimsfjord+-+3.jpg Norway - Trondheimsfjord Trondheimsfjorden, pronounced [ˈtrɔnhæjmsˈfjuːrən]), an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at 130 kilometres (81 mi) long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way. Its maximum depth is 617 metres (2,024 ft), just inside of Agdenes. It was an important waterway in the Viking Age, as it is still today. Four giant squids have been found in the fjord, which is among the highest concentrations in the world.[2]. Åsenfjord, inner reaches of Trondheimsfjord near Stjørdal is where the largest German Battleship - Tirpitz -was moored during parts of WW2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443362260216-7TSHCPHB2HQ2ZGVSHXNO/Barents+Sea.jpg Norway - Barents Sea View of the coast line in the Barents Sea on the way to Honningsvåg -the northernmost city of Norway. It is situated at a bay on the southeastern side of the large island of Magerøya, while the famous North Cape and its visitors center is on the northern side of the island. The ice-free ocean (southwestern part of the Barents Sea) provides rich fisheries and tourism. Even though Honningsvåg is located at the northernmost extreme of Europe, it has a subarctic climate, due to the Gulf Stream. Also, there is no permafrost because the mean annual temperature is 2 °C (36 °F). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443362347596-NL7BVL1A0BT9D86BU1IV/Geirangerfjord+-Flydal+Viewpoint+-2.jpg Norway - Geirangerfjord -Flydal Viewpoint Looking to the North at Eagle Road's 11 hairpin switch backs. Geirangerfjorden is a fjord in the Sunnmøre region of Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The small village of Geiranger is located at the end of the fjord where the Geirangelva river empties into it. The fjord is one of Norway's most visited tourist sites. In 2005, it was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, jointly with the Nærøyfjorden. Along the fjord's sides there lie a number of now-abandoned farms. Some restoration has been made by the Storfjordens venner association. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443362406012-ZW97V2B4KGE40JXZ1DG3/Djupvasshytta+Hotel.jpg Norway - Djupvasshytta Hotel The Dalsnibba mountain peak is east of here at1038 moh. altitude. This is the Dalsnibba Pass from Fylkesvei between Geiranger and Lom and the Djupvasshytta Hotel at 1030 moh. Lake Djupvatnet is covered with ice and snow behind the building/to the right. In warmer weather it would be shimmering blue-green. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443362478115-O8PAR2QRZRQSV590P9HP/Dalsnibba+Pass.jpg Norway - Dalsnibba Pass June 3, 2015 the Dalsnibba Pass still has 12 to 15 foot snow drifts. The Dalsnibba mountain peak is east of here at1038 moh. altitude. This is the Dalsnibba Pass from Fylkesvei between Geiranger and Lom and the Djupvasshytta Hotel at 1030 moh. Lake Djupvatnet is covered with ice and snow behind the building/to the right. In warmer weather it would be shimmering blue-green. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443362553409-B2R0P4JFX8ZNJ9T3VKHC/Fantoft+Stave+Church+-1.jpg Norway - Fantoft Stave Church Fantoft Stave Church (Norwegian: Fantoft stavkirke) is a reconstructed stave church in the Fana borough of the city of Bergen, Norway. The church was originally built in Fortun in Sogn, a village near inner or eastern end of Sognefjord around the year 1150. In the 19th century the church was threatened by demolition, as were hundreds of other stave churches in Norway. The church was bought by consul Fredrik Georg Gade and saved by moving it in pieces to Fantoft near (now in) Bergen in 1883. Outside the church stands a stone cross from Tjora in Sola. On 6 June 1992, the church was destroyed by arson; the first in a string of church burnings by members of the early Norwegian black metal scene https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443362644741-424JTOPMRH9RQ4LLIU0Y/Skulstad+Fisk.jpg Norway - Skulstad Fisk Buildings at Bryggen or Wharf World Heritage Site Bergen, Norway include: Bellgården (a 300 year old building),[4] Svensgården, Enhjørningsgården, Bredsgården, Bugården,[5] Engelgården https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443390097374-KDAXQL82TSZJGBAF1R9Y/Norway+Panoramic+Rt+Side+2.jpg Norway - Nordkapp Scandes Mountain Range Coastline A Three panel Panorama of the Scandinavian Mountain range. The Scandes is a mountain range that runs through the Scandinavian Peninsula. The Scandinavian Mountains are equivalent to the Scandinavian Caledonides. The western sides of the mountains drop precipitously into the North Sea and Norwegian Sea, forming the famous fjords of Norway, whereas to the northeast they gradually curve towards Finland. The Norwegian Sea (Norskehavet) is a marginal sea in the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of Norway. It is located between the North Sea (i.e. north of the United Kingdom) and the Greenland Sea and adjoins the North Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Barents Sea to the northeast. The warm North Atlantic Current ensures relatively stable and high water temperatures, so that unlike the Arctic seas, the Norwegian Sea is ice-free throughout the year. Recent research has concluded that the large volume of water in the Norwegian Sea with its large heat absorption capacity is more important as a source of Norway's mild winters than the Gulf Stream and its extensions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443362711711-EDQJ6FH1TAQ5D1X2HPSN/Bryggen+Handel.jpg Norway - Bryggen Handel #1 Buildings at Bryggen or Wharf World Heritage Site Bergen, Norway include: Bellgården (a 300 year old building),[4] Svensgården, Enhjørningsgården, Bredsgården, Bugården,[5] Engelgården https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443362824562-JXQTV0HW4XE9MOWLRRSM/Bryggen+Handel+-2.jpg Norway - Bryggen Handel #2 Buildings at Bryggen or Wharf World Heritage Site Bergen, Norway include: Bellgården (a 300 year old building),[4] Svensgården, Enhjørningsgården, Bredsgården, Bugården,[5] Engelgården https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443362927879-VOBWUZ2SVH7884QP5689/Honningsvag%2C+Norway+Coastline+-+2l.jpg Norway - Honningsvag, Norway Coastline Honningsvag, Norway or North Point is the furthest point of land extending into the Artic Circle where the sun never sets in the summer and does not rise in the winter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443363054869-T14J4A5OS2M58PD88P5G/Mustard+BoatHouse+-+1.jpg Norway - Mustard BoatHouse Honningsvag, Norway or North Point is the furthest point of land extending into the Artic Circle where the sun never sets in the summer and does not rise in the winter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443363135873-LAOEQSDD074S4WZQ8OLZ/Torrfiskstativ+-2.jpg Norway - Torrfiskstativ #1 The "Torrfiskstativ " is the traditional cod drying A shaped rack that is not being used today. It takes the sun & air three months to dry the cod fllets that were traded in the past. Today the heads are also dried to be ground up into food for the fish farms. This one is located in the Artic Circle at Honningsvag, Norway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443363173685-ZHPRVW9ZONHR008VJD0Y/Torrfiskstativ+-7.jpg Norway - Torrfiskstativ #2 The "Torrfiskstativ " is the traditional cod drying A shaped rack that is not being used today. It takes the sun & air three months to dry the cod fllets that were traded in the past. Today the heads are also dried to be ground up into food for the fish farms. This one is located in the Artic Circle at Honningsvag, Norway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443363292385-O3UXEAMR50SCOZ1XJ3PW/Midnight+Sun+-+1.jpg Norway - Midnight Sun This photo was taken at 3:30 AM in the Artic Circle near Molde, Norway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443363350520-81311N0IMKCDXEILBDNC/Oystercatcher+-+1.jpg Norway - Oystercatcher Oystercatcher - Haematopus ostralegus - feeds on tidal flats & other open ground. Theis one was at the Haholmen Archipelago at the Fraenfjord near Molde, Norway that was the starting point for the Viking voyages across the Altantic. Captian Ragnar Thrseth built the replica Viking ship, Saga Siglar, and repeated these trips across the Altantic and around the world to prove it was done. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443363404628-JEAB45X7BPW7PTUOSO0C/Haholmen+Archipelago+Green+Row+Boat.jpg Norway - Haholmen Archipelago Green Row Boat The Haholmen Archipelago at the Fraenfjord near Molde, Norway was the starting point for the Viking voyages across the Altantic. Captian Ragnar Thrseth built the replica Viking ship, Saga Siglar, and repeated these trips across the Altantic and around the world to prove it was done. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1443363461249-SAQA60PEG34M52OZABK5/Hirt+Skum.jpg Norway - Hirt Skum Hirt Skum is the Norwiegian name of this small white flower. This was found at Geitoya or "Goat Island" on the Atlantic Ocean Road in the Haholmen Archipelago, consisting of around 20 small islands and ilets near Molde, Norway. http://jfm-photography.com/southern-england daily 0.75 2016-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461444948442-KUEHYXRNZB3147QPVSW7/Stonehenge+1+4969.jpg Southern England - Stonehenge #1 Stonehenge is on the Salisbury Plain in the county of Wiltshire, near Amesbury, England. It is a UNESCO’s World Heritage site of a circular pattern of mysterious collection of ancient stones, arranged into a man-made structure believed to be approximately 5000 years old. It currently consists of a circular bank of earthworks where concentric rings of standing stones majestically rise from the Plain. The standing stones (sarsens) consist of massive blocks up to nine (9) metres tall weighing around 25 tons, set vertically into the earth. Sitting horizontally across the sarsens are ‘blue stones’ (due to their colour when wet or cut) weighing up to four (4) tons. These blue stones are cut and crafted, and then dovetail joined together. Researchers agree that the blue stones originated from Wales, 250klm away. Though there are differing theories as to how they came to be in Wiltshire. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461444948442-KUEHYXRNZB3147QPVSW7/Stonehenge+1+4969.jpg Southern England - Stonehenge #1 Stonehenge is on the Salisbury Plain in the county of Wiltshire, near Amesbury, England. It is a UNESCO’s World Heritage site of a circular pattern of mysterious collection of ancient stones, arranged into a man-made structure believed to be approximately 5000 years old. It currently consists of a circular bank of earthworks where concentric rings of standing stones majestically rise from the Plain. The standing stones (sarsens) consist of massive blocks up to nine (9) metres tall weighing around 25 tons, set vertically into the earth. Sitting horizontally across the sarsens are ‘blue stones’ (due to their colour when wet or cut) weighing up to four (4) tons. These blue stones are cut and crafted, and then dovetail joined together. Researchers agree that the blue stones originated from Wales, 250klm away. Though there are differing theories as to how they came to be in Wiltshire. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461445001813-1W8NPJ8M69LYVWDUW3WD/Stonehenge+2+4976.jpg Southern England - Stonehenge #2 The henge stones appear to mark and accentuate important stages of the year such as the passing of seasons and particular sunrises and sunsets. This has led many experts to surmise the site was a religious or spiritual landmark used as an astrological observatory. It is believed that Stonehenge also sits proudly on the most prominent Ley line in Britain.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461445048888-5C5T1CDC2J86F1J3821B/Stonehenge+3+4977.jpg Southern England - Stonehenge #3 Cremated human remains have been located in and around the site, and the surrounding area contains numerous burial mounds. Leading away from the Stones are paths to these burial mounds and an avenue ends in a rock slab known as the ‘Slaughter Stone’.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461445098074-VJTQ15777WQ4F6ETMX9J/Saker+Falcon+5203.jpg Southern England - Saker Falcon #1 The saker falcon (Falco cherrug) is a large species of falcon. This species breeds from eastern Europe eastwards across Asia to Manchuria. It is mainly migratory except in the southernmost parts of its range, wintering in Ethiopia, the Arabian peninsula, northern Pakistan and western China. The saker falcon is a raptor of open grasslands preferably with some trees or cliffs. It often hunts by horizontal pursuit, rather than the peregrine's stoop from a height, and feeds mainly on rodents and birds. In Europe, ground squirrels and feral pigeons are the most common prey items. This species usually builds no nest of its own, but lays its 3–6 eggs in an old stick nest in a tree that was previously used by other birds such as storks, ravens or buzzards. It also often nests on cliffs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461445147893-42HBUCYI8BK5MOV3Q2IZ/Stonehenge+4+4980.jpg Southern England - Stonehenge #4 Throughout English history people have promoted differing theories as to who constructed this Neolithic henge - Stonehenge. These range from myths about the magician Merlin, through to Celtic Druids and local shepherds and even alien visitors!   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461446565656-MPTQJJV3MQ7ZN66H8R28/Stonehenge+5+4981.jpg Southern England - Stonehenge #5 Stonehenge is not a unique structure within Great Britain, more than 900 stone circles have been located in the British Isles; however Stonehenge is the largest and most well-known. Whilst it is not fully understood how and why this henge was important for ancient people, it is obvious that the site was relevant and for thousands of years it was built, modified, utilized and honored.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461446601560-JUDA61JKON5GX4BE0WUP/Stonehenge+6+4982.jpg Southern England - Stonehenge #6 In the 17th century, archaeologist John Aubrey made the claim that Stonehenge was the work of the Celtic high priests known as the Druids, a theory widely popularized by the antiquarian William Stukeley, who had unearthed primitive graves at the site. Even today, people who identify as modern Druids continue to gather at Stonehenge for the summer solstice. However, in the mid-20th century, radiocarbon dating demonstrated that Stonehenge stood more than 1,000 years before the Celts inhabited the region, eliminating the ancient Druids from the running.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461446652977-SBYYLFYBFH38FX3DYU1H/European+Eagle+Owl+5252.jpg Southern England - European Eagle Owl The European Eagle Owl or the Eurasian eagle-owl (Bubo bubo) is a species of eagle-owl that resides in much of Eurasia. Their pumpkin orange eyes and feathery ear tufts make them one of the most striking owls in the world. It combines fast and powerful flights with shallow wing beats and long, fast glides. Besides being one of the largest living species of owl, it is also one of the most widely distributed. The Eurasian eagle-owl is found in a number of habitats but is mostly a bird of mountain regions, coniferous forests, steppes and other relatively remote places. It is a mostly nocturnal predator, hunting for a range of different prey species, predominately small mammals but also birds of varying sizes, reptiles, amphibians, fish, large insects and other assorted invertebrates.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461448993053-RG2JX1PYO0G49LV9YM4D/Stonehenge+7+4984.jpg Southern England - Stonehenge #7 In the 1960s, the astronomer Gerald Hawkins suggested that the cluster of megalithic stones operated as an astronomical calendar, with different points corresponding to astrological phenomena such as solstices, equinoxes and eclipses. While his theory has received quite a bit of attention over the years, critics maintain that Stonehenge’s builders probably lacked the knowledge necessary to predict such events or that England’s dense cloud cover would have obscured their view of the skies. More recently, signs of illness and injury in the human remains unearthed at Stonehenge led a group of British archaeologists to speculate that it was considered a place of healing, perhaps because bluestones were thought to have curative powers.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461449047023-RW6N17JZ18POPF0XXW3P/Stonehenge+8+4985.jpg Southern England - Stonehenge #8 Stonehenge’s sarsens, of which the largest weighs more than 40 tons and rises 24 feet, were likely sourced from quarries 25 miles north of Salisbury Plain and transported with the help of sledges and ropes; they may even have already been scattered in the immediate vicinity when the monument’s Neolithic architects first broke ground there. The smaller bluestones, on the other hand, have been traced all the way to the Preseli Hills in Wales, some 200 miles away from Stonehenge. The theories about how the prehistoric builders without sophisticated tools or engineering moved these boulders, which weigh up to 4 tons, over this distance are fouled. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461449104296-LXL0UVRA8YQWSHXJHAPD/Stonehenge%27s+Sarsens+5224.jpg Southern England - Stonehenge’s Sarsens Stonehenge was built between 3100 – 1100 BCE. The circle was aligned with the midsummer sunrise, the midwinter sunset, and the most southerly rising and northerly setting of the moon. The ground plan and structural engineering of Stonehenge incorporate sophisticated mathematical and geometrical understandings on the part of its builders.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461449150754-EQJTPHOV5GOWH4DSHHLR/Saker+Falcon+2+5261.jpg Southern England - Saker Falcon #2 Full body image of this raptor. The saker falcon is a large hierofalcon, larger than the lanner falcon and almost as large as gyrfalcon at 47–55 cm (19–22 in) length with a wingspan of 105–129 cm (41–51 in). Its broad blunt wings give it a shadow similar to gyrfalcon, but its plumage is more similar to a lanner falcon's.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461449215331-V86R1UP80DI1JNT61DJC/Bluestones+1+5232.jpg Southern England - Bluestones #1 It has been estimated that the construction of Stonehenge required more than thirty million hours of labor.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461449252168-73JJJHG6GM65WLBJA7X0/Bluestones+2+5233.jpg Southern England - Bluestones #2 More than nine hundred stone rings exist in the British Isles. Of these, Stonehenge is the most well known. The megalithic monuments of Britain and Europe predate those of the eastern Mediterranean, Egyptian, Mycenaean and Greek cultures.   http://jfm-photography.com/maine daily 0.75 2016-04-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461524125975-39NTHQI2K0QQHWSB3ISY/Winter+Harbor+Lighthouse-4480+copy.jpg Maine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461524125975-39NTHQI2K0QQHWSB3ISY/Winter+Harbor+Lighthouse-4480+copy.jpg Maine - Winter Harbor Lighthouse #1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461524160856-T91H91RNQNAE51P1E814/Winter+Harbor+Lighthouse-4475.jpg Maine - Winter Harbor Lighthouse #2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461524204290-9NDG2SIHHP8RVYPEPQF7/Peggy%27s+Point+Lighthouse-3.jpg Maine - Peggy's Point Lighthouse https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461524253116-J9K3NGLB8QCFQYBV06O0/Peggy%27s+Cove+2014.jpg Maine - Peggy's Cove #1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461524307146-Q3J76G09YAEFTCN6N5QO/Peggy%27s+Cove+Nova+Scotia-4.jpg Maine - Peggy's Cove #2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461524349083-DB3AQF9BNN3OVYR9AAJ9/Peggy%27s+Cove+Nova+Scotia-8.jpg Maine - Peggy's Cove #3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461524385213-0GHORALV4G11DP6MJDAR/Peggy%27s+Cove-7.jpg Maine - Peggy's Cove #4 http://jfm-photography.com/greater-london daily 0.75 2016-04-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439133222-GTNW1FBEWEZQBQHCONJS/Tower+Bridge+London+5392.jpg Greater London - Tower Bridge Tower Bridge as seen through the trees inside the Tower of London ramparts. It (built 1886–1894) is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London to connect the City of London directly to the northern landfall in Tower Hamlets. It has become an iconic symbol of London. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. Originally it was painted a mid greenish-blue colour   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439133222-GTNW1FBEWEZQBQHCONJS/Tower+Bridge+London+5392.jpg Greater London - Tower Bridge Tower Bridge as seen through the trees inside the Tower of London ramparts. It (built 1886–1894) is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London. The bridge crosses the River Thames close to the Tower of London to connect the City of London directly to the northern landfall in Tower Hamlets. It has become an iconic symbol of London. The bridge's present colour scheme dates from 1977, when it was painted red, white and blue for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. Originally it was painted a mid greenish-blue colour   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439069159-7TLKB73VJWUWWEQXL1KE/Tower+Raven+5346.jpg Greater London - Tower Raven The presence of the ravens is traditionally believed to protect the Crown and the Tower; a superstition holds that "If the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it." One legend attributes the start of the tradition of keeping 7 ravens with clipped wings in the Tower of London to Charles II (reigned 1660–1685) and to his royal astronomer John Flamsteed, although there are versions of the legend that differ in their details. According to one legend, John Flamsteed complained to Charles II that wild ravens were flying past his telescope and making it harder for him to observe the sky from his observatory in the White Tower. Flamsteed requested that the birds be removed, but Charles II refused to comply with this request. The Greenwich Observatory was commissioned by the King in 1675 and the telescope moved there. During World War II, only one raven was able to survive the hardships of the bombing during the Blitz, so the Prime Minister, Sir Winston Churchill, ordered more ravens to be brought in, in order to bring the flock up to the correct size. The Tower ravens are enlisted as soldiers of the Kingdom, and were issued attestation cards in the same way as soldiers and police. As is the case with soldiers, the ravens can be dismissed for unsatisfactory conduct https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439191606-S0VPSKIPAB1UFNVW8CB7/The+Centre+Page+5435.jpg Greater London - The Centre Page Traditional Pub located on the North side near St. Pauls Cathedral on the walkway to the Millennium Bridge that crosses the Thames River to Shakespeare's Globe Theater at 29-33 Knightrider St., St. Pauls. London, Greater London, UK. It serves the Iconic “fish & chips” , as well as, Lamb & Mint meat pie, Bangers n' Mash. (the term "bangers" has its origins in World War II, the term was actually in use at least as far back as 1919. The term "bangers" /sausage is attributed (in common usage in the UK) to the fact that sausages, particularly the kind made during World War II under rationing, were made with such a high water content that were more liable to pop under high heat if not cooked carefully, due to pressure of steam; modern sausages do not have this attribute.) https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439230823-I8EG0ELF7M3YBXOJC41C/15+Stop+St+Pauls+5441.jpg Greater London - #15 Stop St. Pauls Woman waiting for the #15 bus at the stop for St. Paul’s Cathedral London, Greater London, UK. St. Paul’s Cathedral is an Anglican cathedral, the seat of the Bishop of London and the mother church of the Diocese of London. It sits on Ludgate Hill at the highest point of the City of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439298390-P0WPNUJHMYIFWHS1WC4I/Batavus+5449.jpg Greater London - Batavus Batavus is a Dutch bicycle manufacturer founded in 1904 based out of Heerenveen, Netherlands https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439340806-GKGQ1Z5ZA4ZBTIYM4T1Y/Yellow+Door+New+Globe+5466.jpg Greater London - Yellow Door New Globe Walk New Globe Walk is the street the recreation of Shakespeare's Globe theatre is located on just to the left of this house. Walk across the Millennium Bridge that crosses the Thames River to 21 New Globe Walk Bankside London SE1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439382042-LJ3S9F5Z8BTV9RV73WRM/Millenium+Bridge+Bubble+5500.jpg Greater London - Millennium Bridge Bubble The Millennium Bridge is reflected in this bubble. It crosses the Thames River to Shakespeare's Globe theatre at 21 New Globe Walk Bankside London SE1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439442724-38IBDKVN46MMFI12D819/Peelers+-+Bobbies+5586.jpg Greater London - Peelers/Bobbies Bobbies in front of Buckingham Palace June 13, 2015 for the annual Queen's Birthday Parade. The British police force was created in pre-Victorian England, when the British home minister, Sir Robert Peel (1778-1850), oversaw the creation of London’s first organized police force. Instead of the resented military red coats, Peel’s patrolmen wore black jackets and tall wool hats with shiny badges. They went out armed only with a short club and a whistle for summoning backup, walking regular beats and working to gain the trust of the local citizens. Robert Peel’s system was a success, and by the mid-19th century large American cities had created similar police forces. In London, the policemen were so identified with the politician who created them that they were referred to as “Peelers” or—more memorably—“Bobbies,” after the popular nickname for Robert. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439498322-U36J9SODWAX02FE0PP9U/Merida+5617.jpg Greater London - Merida This Merida was outside the Imperial Hotel Russell Square Park, London. Merida Bikes are German engineered bikes manufactured in Taiwan. It is Taiwan's second largest bicycle manufacturer after Giant. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439535508-T911A8ETERTE0OJ1JPVS/Sunday+Russell+Square+Park+5619.jpg Greater London - Sunday Russell Square Park Sunday afternoon is traditionally spent relaxing/sunning/reading outdoors in a green space like Russell Square Park. It is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. It is near the University of London's main buildings and the British Museum. The square contained large terraced houses aimed mainly at upper-middle-class families. A number of the original houses survive, especially on the southern and western sides. Those to the west are occupied by the University of London, and there is a blue plaque on one at the north west corner commemorating the fact that T. S. Eliot worked there for many years when he was poetry editor of Faber & Faber. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439575099-6O24L3DS5X0CLZ2S41UP/Reading+in+the+Park+5622.jpg Greater London - Reading in the Park Sunday afternoon is traditionally spent relaxing/sunning/reading outdoors in a green space like Russell Square Park. It is a large garden square in Bloomsbury, in the London Borough of Camden. It is near the University of London's main buildings and the British Museum. The square contained large terraced houses aimed mainly at upper-middle-class families. A number of the original houses survive, especially on the southern and western sides. Those to the west are occupied by the University of London, and there is a blue plaque on one at the north west corner commemorating the fact that T. S. Eliot worked there for many years when he was poetry editor of Faber & Faber. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461439632446-JTFJE22CDJRPUDMJ0E7M/Dues+ex+Machina+5643.jpg Greater London - Deus ex Machina Looks like a Deus ex Machina (god from the machine) bicycle in Russell Square Park, London. http://jfm-photography.com/explorations daily 0.75 2020-12-31 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451236492-Z7JNNLQ98SIIUVKAXID5/Autumn+Fairy+-1+5706.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Autumn Fairy #1 Autumn Fairy’s fall colors camouflage her to blend with the tree leaves. Fairies are generally described as human in appearance and having magical powers. Diminutive fairies of one kind or another have been recorded for centuries, but occur alongside the human-sized beings; these have been depicted as ranging in size from very tiny up to the size of a human child. Wings, while common in Victorian and later artwork of fairies, are very rare in the folklore; even very small fairies flew with magic. Their camouflage green clothing and underground homes were credited to their need to hide and camouflage themselves from hostile humans, and their use of magic a necessary skill for combating those with superior weaponry. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451236492-Z7JNNLQ98SIIUVKAXID5/Autumn+Fairy+-1+5706.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Autumn Fairy #1 Autumn Fairy’s fall colors camouflage her to blend with the tree leaves. Fairies are generally described as human in appearance and having magical powers. Diminutive fairies of one kind or another have been recorded for centuries, but occur alongside the human-sized beings; these have been depicted as ranging in size from very tiny up to the size of a human child. Wings, while common in Victorian and later artwork of fairies, are very rare in the folklore; even very small fairies flew with magic. Their camouflage green clothing and underground homes were credited to their need to hide and camouflage themselves from hostile humans, and their use of magic a necessary skill for combating those with superior weaponry. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451370174-1M0OXMK2PU3SHUJSFHB5/Autumn+Fairy+-2+5707.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Autumn Fairy #2 Autumn Fairy’s fall colors camouflage her to blend with the tree leaves. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451617491-1GTL2CSGN82XN4OVK0YS/Spring+Fairy+-1+5722.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Spring Fairy #1 Spring Fairy’s yellow and green colors camouflage her to blend with the spring flowers and grasses. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451660104-2KJGM60I34ERMIPAS1PD/Spring+Fairy+-2+5723.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Spring Fairy #2 Spring Fairy’s yellow and green colors camouflage her to blend with the spring flowers and grasses. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451716003-WU9EDGFZDMPR21C6VPM6/Spring+Fairy+-3+5724.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Spring Fairy #3 Spring Fairy’s yellow and green colors camouflage her to blend with the spring flowers and grasses. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451755207-I3TEJ8KZU8ZZK83UCJ67/Blue+Rhiannon+-1+5727.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Blue Rhiannon #1 Rhiannon is the Great Queen Fairy a pure maiden; the Celtic goddess of the moon was a Welsh goddess. In some versions of the legend of Rhiannon, she was the Celtic goddess who later became Vivienne, best known as the Lady of the Lake. She was the Celtic goddess who gave Arthur the sword Excalibur, empowering him to become King in the legends of Camelot. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451801465-CGAKTS4MKFQ758F2DDT0/Blue+Rhiannon+-2+5728.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Blue Rhiannon #2 Rhiannon is the Great Queen Fairy a pure maiden; the Celtic goddess of the moon was a Welsh goddess. In some versions of the legend of Rhiannon, she was the Celtic goddess who later became Vivienne, best known as the Lady of the Lake. She was the Celtic goddess who gave Arthur the sword Excalibur, empowering him to become King in the legends of Camelot. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451846290-ZB3P5QG3Z048VSR3Y1D1/Puck+the+Fairy+-1+5729.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Puck the Fairy #1 Puck's other name in Shakespeare's play 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' is Robin Goodfellow. Puck means mischievous. 'Puck,' is the witty, likeable fairy that faithfully executes the duties commanded by King Oberon, but throws in a little mischief of his own. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451885356-NAQ6EZO6C6OA7IELGXPV/Puck+the+Fairy+-2+5730.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Puck the Fairy #2 Puck means mischievous and he is up to something. Puck is a specific Shakespearean fairy based on the idea from European folklore. In Scotland, a mischievous fairy such as Puck would be called a brownie. In Germany, he is called kobold. He is a fairy who pulls practical jokes but means no harm. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1461451928360-JOC71MG93YBM7W0B7VKT/Jousting+Lances+and+Helmet+5759.jpg Explorations - Renaissance Faire Fairies: Jousting Lances & Helmet The plumes or helmet feathers under Edward IV (1461 – 1471) identified the wearer as men-at-arms of the royal security force. Later, their coat of arms and the feathers identified them. Bristol, Wisconsin https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598222374460-6B6G9ZHZ40N5RR624LVV/Las+Vegas+Reflections+-+1.JPG Explorations - Las Vegas Reflections Shot on the strip March 2019 of the casino reflections in their glass facades. This was a year before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down Las Vegas, Nevada and the world https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445686022-K6XCRX3JANPWVER60P5K/Drying+Grain+Bin+4415++.jpg Explorations - Drying Grain Bin Near Shabbona, Illinois Grain drying bins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445686017-WEQD2NB2DYWGNMNTHW5R/Don+Quixote%27s+Giants+4411++.jpg Explorations - Don Quixote's Giants Shabbona Wind turbines - Near Shabbona, Illinois. Shabbona was the Potawatomi Chief called the "Peacemaker" who lived in this area during the Black Hawk Indian wars.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431445685478-H51G3IHDQQC304RWW3FD/Yellow+Pear++.jpg Explorations - Yellow Pear Black and white of a carton of pears with one pear colorized /saturated yellow.   http://jfm-photography.com/bandw daily 0.75 2023-08-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659404553059-A85XSDFTJBK46YWSRSZN/image-asset.jpeg B&W - Ice Fisherman Ice Fisherman Rock Cut State Park, Il. after Rime Ice Storm 01.07.2021 Rime ice is a deposit of feathery needles of ice that forms when supercooled cloud or fog droplets rapidly freeze when coming in contact with an object. These feathery needles of ice crystals transform the trees and bushes into beautiful feathery ice crystal sculptures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659404553059-A85XSDFTJBK46YWSRSZN/image-asset.jpeg B&W - Ice Fisherman Ice Fisherman Rock Cut State Park, Il. after Rime Ice Storm 01.07.2021 Rime ice is a deposit of feathery needles of ice that forms when supercooled cloud or fog droplets rapidly freeze when coming in contact with an object. These feathery needles of ice crystals transform the trees and bushes into beautiful feathery ice crystal sculptures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659404594138-P1COE06DCPKMJ7KA3LFW/image-asset.jpeg B&W - Trestle #469 This is the UP/C & NW Rail Road Trestle Bridge (# 469) over the Rock River in south Rockford Illinois after a Rime ice storm. Built in 1896 this is a Warren Deck Truss Superstructure Type, one track wide, 768 feet long, 15 feet above the river. Built by Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of Milwaukee, WI. Currently owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. View from the West bank looking North East across the Rock River in the morning fog after the 01.04.2021 Rime Ice Storm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659404741884-FG1LY6TGYZPU84XK4UND/image-asset.jpeg B&W - S Curve Blacktop S Curve Blacktop Rock Cut State Park, Il. after Rime Ice Storm 01.07.2021 Rime ice is a deposit of feathery needles of ice that forms when supercooled cloud or fog droplets rapidly freeze when coming in contact with an object. These feathery needles of ice crystals transform the trees and bushes into beautiful feathery ice crystal sculptures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1550413471406-YB6RH5QEUQQDBJ52GJ8S/Mt+Rainier+at+27%2C000+feet+BW.jpg B&W - Mt Rainier at 27,000 feet Photo taken with an iPhone 6 from 27,000 feet from Air Alaska flight into Seattle, Washington Airport. Mount Rainier, also known as Tahoma or Tacoma, is the highest mountain of the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, and the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a large active stratovolcano located 59 miles south-southeast of Seattle, in the Mount Rainier National Park. It is the 21st most prominent mountain in the world with an elevation rise of 13,211 feet from its nearest low point. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1550413558710-EL8EWC2U3QR0GW6GX3U4/M+Earth-St+Edward%27s+Door.+Honor+Mentionjpg.jpg B&W - Middle Earth - St Edwards Door England The shallow north porch of St. Edwards Church, a medieval-built Church of England parish church, serving Stow-on-the-Wold ('Stow'), Gloucestershire, is from the 17th century masks a 13th-century molding on the north door, which is framed by yew trees. The trees are estimated to be 300 years old. It is suggested that JRR Tolkien who frequently stayed in Stow used the North Door as the bases for his visualization for the “Doors of Durin or the Westgate of Moria to Middle Earth” in his book the “The Fellowship of the Ring”. You decide if it makes sense or not. The door was replaced in 1923 as a memorial for George Edward Hookham who died at age 31. The information about this person appears above the door on the inside. It is as follows: "To the glory of God. These doors presented by Mark Hookham are in memory of his son George Edward Hookham late Capt. Royal Gloucester. Hussars, who died 6th of April 1923, Aged 31 years, having served in the Great War in Palestine and Egypt.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1550413682258-QYB4Z9BAN4UMD9JDQBU9/Wizard+Island+BW.jpg B&W - Wizard Island Wizard Island is a volcanic cinder cone formed after Mount Mazama, a large stratovolcano, erupted violently approximately 7,700 years ago; forming its caldera that now contains Crater Lake (about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep). The top of the island reaches 6,933 feet above sea level, about 755 feet above the average surface of the lake. A volcanic crater about 500 feet wide and 100 feet deep caps the cone. William Gladstone Steel named the crater the “Witches Cauldron” in 1885, and the island Wizard Island. It is located in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, North Western Coastal area of the USA. Spencer 1952b states, “The primary significance of Crater Lake appears to have been as a place of power and danger, renowned as a spirit quest site, yet also feared for the dangerous beings residing in the lake… Giwas, or Crater Lake’s ritual significance of the Klamath Indian Tribe beliefs reflects a more general Klamath understanding of the natural world, involving not only reverence but the capacity for significant interaction with certain mountains, lakes, and streams, as the individual sought comfort, assistance, or power.” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467330398528-AMS6LZLKN71FBJAD42UH/Elli-+new+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Ellie The elephant eye close up was taken with a 400 mm telephoto lens. Vumbura Plains Camp area - Okavango Delta - Botswana. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467330462607-KCC1X7LDPR1FLS2OXI9N/Zebra+Herd+Predator+Alert+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Zebra Herd Alert The herd had just stopped running from predators and is checking to see if it is safe. Mombo Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467330519799-K2MA8B6ITUOQUB9OJCHU/Sheep+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Sheep This photo has a slightly out of focus impressionist effect of Sheep grazing in the dry grasses of the winter season in the interior farm land north of Cape Town near Belmont, SA. This shoot was taken from the rear lounge car of the “Pride of Africa” private railway company ROVOS Rail Train traveling to their Capital Park Station in Pretoria. The “Pride of Africa” is rated as one of the World’s Top 25 Trains because of its “train hotel” excellent accommodations, public space, service, dining and off-train sightseeing. Think of restored vintage Victorian style Orient Express sleeper, lounge and dining cars with white glove old world service. www.roos.co.za   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1489236577659-VU051697QGRT03CQBHKN/It%27s+Universal+-+Budapest+2941+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - It's Universal Photo taken outside the Central Market Hall (Nagy Vasarcsarnok), Budapest, Hungary. This is the largest and oldest (1897) indoor market in Budapest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467330622926-AV650YSRC7K7OTR6JGCJ/Hirt+Skum+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Hirt Skum "Hirt Skum" is the Norwiegian name of this small white flower. This was found at Geitoya or "Goat Island" on the Atlantic Ocean Road in the Haholmen Archipelago, consisting of around 20 small islands and ilets near Molde, Norway.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467330716702-JFHB6INND4KLFQGX9DAX/Honningsvag%2C+Norway+Coastline+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Honningsvag, Norway Coastline Honningsvag, Norway or North Point is the furthest point of land extending into the Artic Circle where the sun never sets in the summer and does not rise in the winter. It is situated at a bay on the southeastern side of the large island of Magerøya, while the famous North Cape and its visitors center is on the northern side of the island. The ice-free ocean (southwestern part of the Barents Sea) provides rich fisheries and tourism. Even though Honningsvåg is located at the northernmost extreme of Europe, it has a subarctic climate, due to the Gulf Stream. Also, there is no permafrost because the mean annual temperature is 2 °C (36 °F). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467330786216-8J3T63W03WL6QOAKXJTY/Trondheimsfjord-3+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Trondheimsfjorden Trondheimsfjorden, pronounced [ˈtrɔnhæjmsˈfjuːrən]), an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at 130 kilometres (81 mi) long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way. Its maximum depth is 617 metres (2,024 ft), just inside of Agdenes. It was an important waterway in the Viking Age, as it is still today. Four giant squids have been found in the fjord, which is among the highest concentrations in the world.[2]. Åsenfjord, inner reaches of Trondheimsfjord near Stjørdal is where the largest German Battleship - Tirpitz -was moored during parts of WW2. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467330834079-457XRTQZMPKUT3FK5ZOB/Oia+Sleeping+Dog+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Sleeping Dog Oia The Village of Oia rests on the rim of the volcanic caldera crescent shaped island in the Aegean Sea, Santorini, Italy. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467330902296-LJQHT5PZW7I7R68K6H9B/Wild+Goose+Island+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Wild Goose Island Saint Mary's Lake and Wild Goose Island is just off Going- To -The -Sun Road In Glacier National Park astride the Continental Divide in Montana's Northern Rockies mountain chain of the Western United States. This is an iconic photo representing Glacier National Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467331611528-GT4VCO3M3NYC3YFD9K9B/Pelican+Creek+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Pelican Creek Sunrise The suns rays are stripping across the marsh grasses as it rises for the day. Pelican Creek, Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming in the Northern Rockies mountain chain of the Western United States.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467331645975-GDYZY5EWC1Q2AJ4PEKQF/Punalu%27u+Foot+Prints+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Punalu'u Foot Prints The well-known Punalu’u black sand beach is between Pahala and Na’alehu on the Big Island of Hawaii on the southeastern Kau coast USA. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467331692434-O6715CPSESBNZ8OY95U2/Winter+Harbor+Lighthouse+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Winter Harbor Lighthouse Winter Harbor Lighthouse is located on Mark Island in Winter Harbor and also known as Mark Island Lighthouse. Latitude: 44.36143 Longitude: -68.08764. Built in1887 near the entrance to Frenchman’s Bay across from Bar Harbor, Maine. It is fixed white light beaming from a fifth –order Fresnel lens at a focal plane of 37 feet above high water. It was replaced by a lighted bell buoy in August 1933. It was then sold to a series of writers. One pair Pat & Rene Prud’hommeaux wrote the children’s book The Light in the Tower a fictional novel (ASIN: B0007E64BI) published in 1957 under the name Joan Howard about the Christmas tree they set in the tower each year for the fisherman. Lighthousefriends.com https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467331761017-360FCKUBPHXBX72XC2QE/Peggy%27s+Cove+Nova+Scotia-4+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Peggy’s Cove Nova Scotia Low tide at Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia, Canada - a small rural fishing community on the eastern shore of St. Margaret’s Bay. It was founded in 1811. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467331794441-M8Y9UXK7IMW00CI4J5MW/Wilderstein+Carriage+House+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Wilderstein Carriage House The Carriage House was done with a Grunge Effect. Wilderstein - The Queen Anne Style Mansion in Rhinebeck, New York of the Suckley family. It was designed in 1888 by Arnout Cannon Jr.. The Carriage House is at the Wilderstein Estate of the late Margaret “Daisy” Suckley (1891 – 1991), Rhinbeck, New York. Wilderstein is one of the historic mansions on the Hudson of the American Aristocracy. Margaret “Daisy” Suckley was a sixth cousin; confidante and alleged mistress of Franklin Delano Roosevelt (32nd President of the United States). This relationship was the focus of the 1995 book – Closest Companion - by Geoffery Ward and the subject of the 2011 film “Hyde Park on Hudson”, as well as an archivist for the first American presidential library. She was one of four women at the Little White House with Roosevelt in Warm Springs, Georgia, when he died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1945.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1489846439269-EYO9F1GHW6L9SXAYM65Z/Amazon+Morning+Haze+%28BW%29+2775.jpg B&W - Amazon Morning Haze Morning haze in the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve ecosystem Peru where the Ucayali & Maranon Rivers merge to form the mighty Amazon River. 08/04/2016 100mm lens ISO 250. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1489846570706-J7U9J9XCPHRZLAITD0B2/Take+Flight+%28BW%29+1550.jpg B&W - Take Flight Five white egrets in the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve ecosystem Peru where the Ucayali & Maranon Rivers merge to form the mighty Amazon River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1489846660531-EZHULEH93QSABI6U27JR/Machu+Picchu+Bromeliads+%28BW%29+0553.jpg B&W - Machu Picchu Bromeliads Bromeliads commonly have long-lasting flower displays and/or brilliantly colored foliage. Other familiar bromeliads are Spanish moss, ball moss, and the pineapple. In their native habitat, many bromeliads grow on trees as epiphytes—taking their moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere and the debris that decays in their “cups.” The microclimate mist engulfs the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu and gives life to these plants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1489846789700-6F7WUUUPUYN56GKJFO8I/Phragmipedium+Caudatum+Lindley+Rolfe+1896+%28BW%29+0698.jpg B&W - Phragmipedium Caudatum This Cloud Forest Orchard iscommonly called the Tailed Phragmipedium refers to the long petals or the Mandarin Orchid, is a species of orchid occurring from Peru to Bolivia at elevations of 1000 to 2100 meters; Blooms from February to September with three to six 75 cm long flower; Temperature 20 -22 C and constant moisture. Orchards fragile existence in the misty microclimates around Machu Picchu ruins, Peru. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692970533367-24LUSMUT9VPVB1Z9RH16/image-asset.jpeg B&W - Troll Face Cliff Geiranger fjord A troll (originated from Old Norse troll,. In Old Norse sources, beings described as trolls dwell in isolated rocks, mountains, or caves, live together in small family units, and are rarely helpful to human beings. Trolls are sometimes associated with particular landmarks, which at times may be explained as formed from a troll exposed to sunlight. This is located in the Geiranger fjord, Stranda Municipality, Norway. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467331845471-5XX7NMHLOL7KL9I9O1UB/Pear+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Pears Carton of pears in wrappers with one pear exposed https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467332277180-7BFCORPRYUDYU6U8QJOL/Don+Quixote%27s+Giants+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Don Quixote’s Giants Shabbona Wind turbines - Near Shabbona, Illinois. Shabbona was the Potawatomi Chief called the "Peacemaker" who lived in this area during the Black Hawk Indian wars. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467332306357-8HHT5SMGHNY33TYSRR7O/Drying+Grain+Bin+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Drying Grain Bin Near Shabbona, Illinois Grain drying bins. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1467332543855-131LD94XIJD9GYGH6TRO/Masquerader+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Masquerader Masquerader denotes a person disguising their identity with a fancy costume/mask at a social gathering. Masquerader: Lady In Black. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517780104322-D8IM74J5T2AM227FCRVT/Golden+Hills+San+Francisco+BW.jpg B&W - Golden Hills San Francisco Golden Hills of San Francisco, CA. USA. The dry brown grasses give a golden appearance to the hills around the San Francisco Bay. Several ancient cities and San Francisco claim to have been built on seven hills but it is more like 43 hills for San Francisco. Canon 1Dx, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 400 on tripod with cable release.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517780187448-TLU1K4P2P3MNKPG249MO/Japanese+Sea+Nettle+BW.jpg B&W - Japanese Sea Nettle The Japanese sea nettle (Chrysaora pacifica) has a light- colored bell with a dark orange lines radiating from the center of the bell to its edges. They have long tentacles that can be up to 10 feet long. If touched these can cause skin irritations and a burning sensation. Habits are the temperate waters of the northern Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean and especially the Bering Sea. San Francisco Bay Aquarium on the Embarcadero, San Francisco, California, USA. Canon 1Dx, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 25600 with cable release.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517780231748-0O4SFK12UYBTDSO6UORV/Wizard+Island+in+June+2+BW.jpg B&W - Wizard Island In June #2 Wizard Island is a volcanic cinder cone formed after Mount Mazama, a large stratovolcano, erupted violently approximately 7,700 years ago; forming its caldera that now contains Crater Lake (about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep). The top of the island reaches 6,933 feet above sea level, about 755 feet above the average surface of the lake. A volcanic crater about 500 feet wide and 100 feet deep caps the cone. William Gladstone Steel named the crater the “Witches Cauldron” in 1885, and the island Wizard Island. It is located in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, North Western Coastal area of the USA. Canon 1Dx, EF 24 – 105 Lens ISO 100 on tripod with cable release   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517780292179-JTITTJDCVNWS7Y7LJ2R0/Mount+St.+Helens+2017+BW.jpg B&W - Mount Saint Helens 2017 Mount Saint Helens is a horseshoe shaped crater partially filled by a young lava dome is what remains of the once conical Mount St. Helens or Louwala-Clough. It is an active stratovolcano that erupted in 1980 located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 96 miles south of Seattle, Washington, and 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a friend of explorer George Vancouver who made a survey of the area in the late 18th century. Canon 1Dx, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 100 on tripod with cable release.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1550413617595-1HGIVH9JV4J631VK1TAZ/Sinister+Looking+Booby.jpg B&W - Sinister Looking Booby This Sinister looking Booby was taken in the Gallops Islands. The blue-footed booby is a marine bird native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean. It is one of six species of the genus Sula – known as boobies. It is easily recognizable by its distinctive bright blue feet, which is a sexually selected trait. Males display their feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting them up and down while strutting before the female. The female is slightly larger than the male and can measure up to 90 cm long with a wingspan of up to 1.5 m. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598225319846-PLF8TFLOBVSYVWQDG556/Mendenhall+Glacier+BW.jpg B&W - Mendenhall Glacier ( This is both in color & B & W that took 1st place + best in show in March 2020) The Juneau Icefield's most visible ambassador, 13-mile long Mendenhall Glacier ends at Mendenhall Lake. The glacier has retreated 1.75 miles (2.82 km) since 1929, when Mendenhall Lake was created, and over 2.5 miles (4.0 km) since 1500. Juneau, Alaska https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598225336500-9WC6H2EL8W03CR43KWG9/Mendenhall+Glacier+Ice+Chuck+BW.jpg B&W - Mendenhall Glacier Ice Growler (This is both in color & B & W that got a honorable Mention -) The chunks of blue-tinted ice that splash into the sea from Alaska's calving tidewater glaciers make for dramatic images, but far more meltwater is flowing into the ocean from Alaska's mountain and inland glaciers, a new study has found. In all, Alaska's melting glaciers are losing 75 billion tons of ice a year. Blue ice occurs when snow falls on a glacier, is compressed, & becomes part of the glacier. Air bubbles are squeezed out & ice crystals enlarge, making the ice appear blue. Juneau, Alaska https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618180789485-OBK1767LK7KLKV8AFIPE/image-asset.jpeg B&W - Waves at Cana Lighthouse Causeway Waves at Cana Lighthouse causeway Lake Michigan, Wisconsin, USA. The rising waters of Lake Michigan over the past couple of years is covering with 18 inches of water the causeway leading from the mainland parking lot to the island. This has been troublesome for some visitors. They can now make the crossing on a hay wagon pulled by a tractor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618180855813-X8T37XKWAYW7ZZRXB12G/Fall+Milkweed+%28BW%29.jpg B&W - Fall Milkweed Milkweed plants produce distinct seed pods in late summer. Pods are filled with seeds and floss, a material attached to the seed that allows it to travel on the wind, similar to dandelion seed. The milkweed flower is the preferred food of the Monarch Butterflies in their epic migration. http://jfm-photography.com/peru daily 0.75 2017-06-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736272522-IF486H8FICNXQPJER4IE/MMB_0950.jpg Peru - Machu Picchu 250 mm lens from 952 feet above Macchu Picchu at the Sun Gate at Sun rise. Machu Picchu is located 120 km northwest of Cusco; at 2,430 meters it is hidden from the world in dense jungle covered mountains above the Sacred Valley - Urubamba Valley. This 'Lost City' is the most beautiful and impressive ancient Inca ruins in the world. Bingham was not the first to discover it. In 1901 the Cusco explorers Enrique Palma, Gabino Sanchez and Agustín Lizarraga are said to have arrived at the site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736272522-IF486H8FICNXQPJER4IE/MMB_0950.jpg Peru - Machu Picchu 250 mm lens from 952 feet above Macchu Picchu at the Sun Gate at Sun rise. Machu Picchu is located 120 km northwest of Cusco; at 2,430 meters it is hidden from the world in dense jungle covered mountains above the Sacred Valley - Urubamba Valley. This 'Lost City' is the most beautiful and impressive ancient Inca ruins in the world. Bingham was not the first to discover it. In 1901 the Cusco explorers Enrique Palma, Gabino Sanchez and Agustín Lizarraga are said to have arrived at the site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736384176-SFN3WR9B1II0PUOW9V9Q/MMB_0896.jpg Peru - Sun Gate View The Sun Gate or Inti Punku is 290 meters/952 feet above Machu Picchu. This is the view from this Inca trail South entrance point of Machu Picchu shrouded in the clouds in the Sacred Valley /Urubamba River valley. This was the only trail to Machu Picchu from Cuzco. View 70 mm lens taken in the dry Winter season. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497630818336-9YEQT41E1Q2438MC0WDJ/Phragmipedium+Caudatum+Lindley+Rolfe+1896+0698.jpg Peru - Phragmipedium Caudatum This Cloud Forest Orchard is commonly called the Tailed Phragmipedium refers to the long petals or the Mandarin Orchid, is a species of orchid occurring from Peru to Bolivia at elevations of 1000 to 2100 meters; Blooms from February to September with three to six 75 cm long flower; Temperature 20 -22 C and constant moisture. Orchards fragile existence in the misty microclimates around Machu Picchu ruins, Peru. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736513598-ZEJYTD241K33FEMIKETE/MMB_0812.jpg Peru - Urban Sector (East) #1 This sector of Machu Picchu is separated from the terraces that form the agricultural zone by a moat. The city was constructed in the structure of a truncated pyramid that is a characteristic of the religious Inca architecture. A city dedicated to the religion that lodged a select group of nobles and priests who were dedicated to the adoration of the sun, the water and the mother earth. It is invisible from below and completely self-contained, surrounded by agricultural terraces and watered by 16 natural springs.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736570397-8ZYBIX1547DJFJCA62KC/MMB_0450.jpg Peru - Urban Sector (East) #2 This sector is clearly separated from the other sectors by a perimeter wall that is only approachable through an imposing double jamb facade. This architectural detail was typical of the building style of the Incas. The urban sector is composed of 172 premises of the most diverse shapes and size, connected by 109 stairways that allowed Incas to walk over the uneven surface of Machu Picchu. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497630769639-R8L92HYMSDJTSW2JX9UR/Machu+Picchu+Bromeliads+0553.jpg Peru - Machu Picchu Bromeliads Bromeliads commonly have long-lasting flower displays and/or brilliantly colored foliage. Other familiar bromeliads are Spanish moss, ball moss, and the pineapple. In their native habitat, many bromeliads grow on trees as epiphytes—taking their moisture and nutrients from the atmosphere and the debris that decays in their “cups.” The microclimate mist engulfs the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu and gives life to these plants. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497629659569-KKHTXYZANA1HBE7N0Y8V/Machu+Picchu+Central+Plaza+0624+%28C%29.jpg Peru - Central Plaza Machu Picchu's central Plaza is the center of the city. Many roofless stone structures flaked by steep natural terraces surround it. Huayna Picchu Mountain in the background. View 70 mm lens taken in the dry Winter season. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736702941-3ZMJI19DYCKAVXKVOEPC/MMB_0614.jpg Peru - Huayna Picchu Rising 1180 feet over the ruins of Machu Picchu is the peak of Huayna Picchu with temples and terraces on its summit. According to local legends, the top of the mountain was the residence of the high priest who every morning before sunrise would walk to Machu Picchu to signal the coming of the new day. From the summit, a second trail leads down to the Great Cavern and the Temple of the Moon. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736748509-6PP3JLO59HQ3FB8DXYY7/MMB_1019.jpg Peru - Alpaca Alpaca ‘s & Llama’s were central to the Inca’s life for meat, fertilizer, dung fuel for cooking/heat and wool, even though the surroundings food sources were lacking. In addition, they were prized beasts of burden for physical labor. So important that they are honored by sharing Chicha (fermented maize drink) with them during Inti Raymi (Quechua for "sun festival") religious ceremony /winter solstice - the shortest day of the year in terms of the time between sunrise and sunset and the Inca New Year. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736798977-BAGYWN6HYRLHF8FCT84F/MMB_0191.jpg Peru - Torito de Pucara Ceramic cow roof decorations or Torito de Pucara, they are placed on the roof for good luck, fertility (of crops and livestock) and to bring prosperity. They are typically given as presents for extra luck and pretty much every building you see in southern Peru has one of the decorations on its roof. Photos from the Gardens & Grounds of Hotel Sol y Luna in the Sacred Valley (Urubamba Valley, Peru).   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736849243-UT79UHY2TYDCZSGF8TJN/MMB_0013.jpg Peru - Montera Hat of Chinchero Village Traditional Quechua dress, including a flat red hat known as a Montero. Shaped like a shallow fruit bowl, these red-felt hats are worn by Quechua women. In some instances the "dish" is filled with flowers or baubles; in others it is kept in place by delicately woven sanq'apa straps adorned with white beads. Chinchero, a community of about 20,000 Quechua speakers (the Inca’s Language), is situated on a plain at 3800 m. in the Peruvian Andes near Cuzco.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736904250-04UFA9Q5OOC0KYP8VMBC/MMB_0045.jpg Peru - Brown Hat Andean Woman This woman is wearing a brown hat indicating she is from a different village. It is not the red Montero hat & dress of a Chinchero native. Brown or green hats made from sheep's wool indicate an Andean woman. Chinchero Market is at a small Andean Indian village located high up on the windswept plains of Anta at 3765m about 30km from Cusco, Peru.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488736945900-1RDBSZME1LGZA4BQTIOZ/MMB_0024.jpg Peru - Chinchero Market Chinchero Market is at a small Andean Indian village located high up on the windswept plains of Anta at 3765m about 30km from Cusco, Peru. There are beautiful views overlooking the Sacred Valley of the Incas. It is believed to be the mythical birthplace of the rainbow.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488737000139-E8CNF4FP0SDX7YGEEQB6/MMB_0039.jpg Peru - Chullo Traditional men’s attire is dark trousers (or track pants), woolen waistcoat and a hand-woven poncho, generally red in color and decorated with intricate designs. The distinguishing feature is a beanie-style hat with earflaps, known as a chullo. His father knits the first chullo a boy receives. The symbols and images, which can be traced back 600 years, usually portray local animals that hold high significance in Andean culture. Chinchero Market is at a small Andean Indian village located high up on the windswept plains of Anta at 3765m about 30km from Cusco, Peru.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488737057187-L5R80ERJ58ZUO2XX6LZF/MMB_0355.jpg Peru - Ollantaytambo Resident The royal estate of Emperor Pachacuti , the town is located at the foot of the Ollantaytambo Inca ruins that protected the strategic entrance to the lower Urubamba Valley. The town is a good example of Inca stone buildings & streets. The temple area is at the top of steep terracing which helped to provide excellent defenses. Stone used for these buildings was brought from a quarry high up on the opposite side of the Urubamba River - an incredible feat involving the efforts of thousands of workers. The complex was still under construction at the time of the conquest and was never completed.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488738092871-7JRRBWD0EOYLHWZB2JCK/MMB_0358.jpg Peru - Spanish Tile Roof Ollantaytambo The town of Ollantaytambo is located along the Patakancha River, close to the point where it joins the Willkanuta River. It dates from the late 15th century and has some of the oldest continuously occupied dwellings in South America. Its buildings have been altered to different degrees by later constructions, such as, adding second stories to the Inca one-story buildings with the Spanish balcony and title roofs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488738809360-N07SFVFKW8R9W1QWD7UP/MMB_0380.jpg Peru - Weaver - Engrascia Quispe Castro Engrascia is a member of the Chinchero Weaving Cooperative that was formed to preserve the art of weaving Quechua traditional clothing. Weaving was dying with the older generation so a Nat'l. Geo. Grant was written by Nilda Callanaupa to revive it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488738855072-YIXBOHP1SPHTKKB8P20Y/MMB_0378.jpg Peru - Chinchero Weaving Cooperative weaver She is wearing the traditional Quechua dress Montero hat, dress & using the low whorl spindle. Chinchero Weaving Cooperative Chinchero, a community of about 20,000 Quechua speakers (the Inca’s Language), is situated on a plain at 3800 m. in the Peruvian Andes near Cuzco. Their primary economic activity is potato agriculture. Their strong sense of cultural identity has kept them dressed and weaving differently from their neighbors for centuries. Women wove cloth for their own families, in the recognized style of the community.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488738895005-PIYNL939WOCK5I2Q7T1P/MMB_0425.jpg Peru - Chinchero low whorl spindle spinner This type of spindle has no fancy hooks, or turned shafts or fancy grooves and notches. It’s a whittled end of a stick with a rounded wood weight on the end. The shafts can be splintery so pricked fingers are common. Remember in SLEEPING BEAUTY, she pricked her finger on a spindle. Chinchero Weaving Cooperative Chinchero, a community of about 20,000 Quechua speakers (the Inca’s Language), is situated on a plain at 3800 m. in the Peruvian Andes near Cuzco.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1488738983140-W831PKSJKG13AE4A1RWT/MMB_0408.jpg Peru - Chinchero Alpaca yarn balls Alpaca yarn balls colored with natural plant and insect dyes from the Chinchero Weaving Cooperative.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497630852070-176L8NFRF97U1Q1MAKF4/Take+Flight+1550.jpg Peru - Take Flight Five white egrets in the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve ecosystem Peru where the Ucayali & Maranon Rivers merge to form the mighty Amazon River.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497629946042-IBT7R5DWRUU8KQKY2YE0/Amazon+Morning+Haze+2775.jpg Peru - Amazon Morning Haze Morning haze in the Pacaya-Samiria Reserve ecosystem Peru where the Ucayali & Maranon Rivers merge to form the mighty Amazon River. 08/04/2016 100mm lens ISO 250.   http://jfm-photography.com/galpagos-islands daily 0.75 2017-06-16 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480990877630-25NZVYX2557GZHRF0OIQ/00002+MMB_0135.jpg+Pelican+In+Flight+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Pelican in Flight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480990877630-25NZVYX2557GZHRF0OIQ/00002+MMB_0135.jpg+Pelican+In+Flight+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Pelican in Flight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480990941704-BPDOLE3NPW8U27T8JFBS/00004+MMB_0183.jpg+Galapagos+Sea+Lions+.jpg Galápagos Islands - San Cristobal Island Sea Lions – Close up Zalophus wollebaeki - The San Cristobal Island Sea Lion is very large, thick necks, a long pointy nose and males have a crest on top of their heads. The mature males weigh about 900 pounds and the females 244 pounds. They are only found in the Galapagos Islands and Isla de la Plata. They are very social, playful and the sound you will hear from them the most is similar to the barking from a dog. When they aren’t in the water they can be found on the sandy shores or rocky areas. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480991041755-PFWD19FDOI602CVD5CA7/00005+MMB_0187.jpg+Sea+Lions+%E2%80%93+Mother+%26+pup+.jpg Galápagos Islands - San Cristobal Island Sea Lions – Mother & pup Zalophus wollebaeki - The San Cristobal Island Sea Lion mothers suckle their pups for two years. The pups do not hunt food during this time that results in extra time to explore and their curious playful nature. Divers are always investigated. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480991309030-7E4MC0Y5XP95YUD7I1WV/00007+MMB_0222.jpg+Sea+Lions+%E2%80%93Three+.jpg Galápagos Islands - San Cristobal Island Sea Lions - Three Zalophus wollebaeki - The San Cristobal Island Sea Lions are very social, playful and the sound you will hear from them the most is similar to the barking from a dog. When they aren’t in the water they can be found on the sandy shores or rocky areas.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480991371615-AU25KQAKAMI5GJAXP3W9/00008+MMB_0249.jpg+American+Oystercatcher+.jpg Galápagos Islands - San Cristobal Island American Oystercatcher Some ornithologists consider the Galapagos American Oystercatcher to be an endemic subspecies, known as Haematopus palliatus Galapagensis. There are between 100 and 200 pairs, present all year around and nest along the coastline, has a loud shrill call and can be seen in tidal pools along Galapagos beaches. It has a bright red bill (which is both a hammer and a knife) and uses it as an oyster shell opener.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480991428978-V9FWV54IIZBTQ7OAYF58/00010+MMB_0287.jpg+Marine+Iguana+-%232+.jpg Galápagos Islands - San Cristobal Island Marine Iguana #2 Amblyrhynchus cristatus - San Cristobal Island marine iguanas are the world’s only marine lizards. They resemble large lizards, though they have evolved blunt noses for grazing on seaweed, laterally flattened tails to assist swimming, and powerful limbs with strong claws to help them cling to rocks. They snort or spit salt to rid it their bodies. The subspecies venustissimus, has red markings on its back.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480991561591-Z0SFIP3G4UYESN9ZZIGK/00012+MMB_0335.jpg+Marine+Iguana+-%234.jpg Galápagos Islands - San Cristobal Island Marine Iguana #4 The subspecies venustissimus has red markings on its back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480991697004-B6EREQ7I7540JMBZMFJU/00013+MMB_0359.jpg+Marine+Iguanas+-%235.jpg Galápagos Islands - San Cristobal Island Marine Iguana #5 Only the largest five percent of individuals dive into the water for food, mostly during the hot midday hours. The waters are extremely cold, and cause the iguana to lose heat rapidly when feeding. This forces them to return to the rocks and warm up in the sun again.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480991776082-JNFEDVB7DZSDB5VXIBF5/00017+MMB_0430.jpg+Galapagos+Hawk+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Española Island Hawk The Española Island Hawk is a large raptor, dark colored with both broad wings and a broad tail. Adults have a grey tail that is barred with dark stripes and have an overall brownish-black color. Unlike most birds, female Galapagos hawks are noticeably larger than their male counterparts. They have a extremely diverse diet consisting of mostly locusts, giant centipedes, small lava lizards, snakes, an rodents.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480991929595-YDY3Y2TYLLP41H7JHW0X/00018+MMB_0441.jpg+Waved+Albatrosses+-+%231.jpg Galápagos Islands - Waved Albatrosses Waved Albatrosses is the largest of the Española Island birds with a massive wingspan of 7 – 8 feet and weighing 7 – 11 pounds. They can grow to measure 86 centimeters (34 inches) in length.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497299418231-QSMX6QEHTN1AFML18ZN5/Waved+Albatross+0441+%28C%29.jpg Galápagos Islands - Waved Albatrosses Waved Albatrosses is the largest of the Galapagos birds with a massive wingspan of 7 – 8 feet and weighing 7 – 11 pounds. They can grow to measure 86 centimeters (34 inches) in length. Albatross parents spend long times out at sea searching for food/fish. This is held in the parent’s stomach, where it is converted to an oily liquid. The parent can hold this liquid in its stomach without digesting it for a considerable amount of time, making its hunting expeditions more efficient as it does not have to return frequently. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992049226-M8F0B34X1MLX7OS16EYR/00015+MMB_0417.jpgWaved+Albatrosses++Courtship+Dance+-+%232.jpg Galápagos Islands - Waved Albatrosses Courtship Dance #2 They engage in a very lengthy, noisy and complex courtship ritual, just like other Albatrosses. They dance and fence with each other with their beaks, in which the partners bend, face each other, and rapidly slap their beaks back and forth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992130879-WDFESOKE2XE4SNULHRNR/00021+MMB_0517.jpg+Waved+Albatrosses+Courtship+Dance+-+%233+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Waved Albatrosses Courtship Dance #3 In the courtship ritual, each faces the other in an upright posture, sometimes poising with beak wide open. Their beaks are then shut with a loud clap. Sometimes the birds will clatter their beaks rapidly. The dance also involves bowing, and parading around one another with the head swaying side to side in an exaggerated sway, accompanied by a nasal “anh-a-annhh” sound.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992180771-6W0IRNBQ5V8CZG65LIR3/00022+MMB_0518.jpg+Waved+Albatrosses+Courtship+Dance+-+%234+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Waved Albatrosses Courtship Dance #4 The courtship ritual dance is longer and more involved when a new pair of Albatrosses meet, or in pairs that have failed to breed in the previous season.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992236243-ECRT4Q8PKUA64TR6IF51/00016+MMB_0422.jpgWaved+Albatrosses+Chick++-+%231.jpg Galápagos Islands - Waved Albatrosses Chick The female Albatross lays her eggs on the ground as opposed to making a nest for them. During the incubation period, the parents frequently roll the egg about, covering distances as much as 40 meters. The reason the Albatrosses do this is uncertain. When the eggs have hatched the chick is dark brown, and covered with curly dark brown downy feathers. Critically Endangered status in the 2007 IUCN Red List.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992289027-ORITYGT67DK3RVFLZFQF/00020+MMB_0446.jpg+Waved+Albatrosses+Feeding+Chick++-+%232+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Waved Albatrosses Feeding Chick Parents spend long times out at sea searching for food/fish. This is held in the parent’s stomach, where it is converted to an oily liquid. The parent can hold this liquid in its stomach without digesting it for a considerable amount of time, making its hunting expeditions more efficient as it does not have to return frequently. They return, find their chicks and then pump the liquid into the chicks stomach. As much as 2 kilograms of liquid can be forced into the chick stomach at one feeding time. This volume makes the chick swell and look like an over-inflated brown bag. It can barely move until the oil is digested. This keeps them full and fed while the parents return to sea to search for more food.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992346599-DNS3T584ZRE4V5YHA6QH/00023+MMB_0584.jpg+Devil%27s+Crown+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Devil's Crown It consists of the picket fence-like remains of small volcanic cone which has been eroded away by the sea, creating in its interior an ideal habitat for several types of corals and marine life, like, hammerhead sharks.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992410490-QUS4CGJAU7GCP06W12QZ/00025+MMB_0619.jpg+Galapagos+Sea+Lion.jpg Galápagos Islands - Floreana Island Sea Lion https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992459901-GL7U0TAEX5HRG8A15HPU/00026+MMB_0642.jpg+Blue+-Footed+Booby+%26+Chick+-+%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Floreana Island Blue-Footed Booby & Chick #1 Blue-footed boobies nest on the ground by sweeping the ground clean for their nests.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497299609504-050TN14CUUCWBA3Y18H6/Blue+Footed+Booby+0642+%28C%29.jpg Galápagos Islands - Blue-Footed Booby The blue-footed booby is a marine bird native to subtropical and tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean. It is one of six species of the genus Sula – known as boobies. It is easily recognizable by its distinctive bright blue feet, which is a sexually selected trait. Males display their feet in an elaborate mating ritual by lifting them up and down while strutting before the female. The female is slightly larger than the male and can measure up to 90 cm long with a wingspan of up to 1.5 m. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992554944-E6JMM45R0WOOSU4WCQ1P/00027+MMB_0644.jpg+Blue+-Footed+Booby+%26+Chick+-+%232.jpg Galápagos Islands - Floreana Island Blue-Footed Booby & Chick #2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992631386-TQ47I6RXNRQMV1UM3L6J/00031+MMB_0715.jpg+Blue+-Footed+Booby+In+Flight-+%233.jpg Galápagos Islands - Floreana Island Blue-Footed Booby In Flight https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992708864-2GZT610FB5VELHHFW4ZV/00032+MMB_0771.jpg+Blue+-Footed+Booby+%26++2+chicks+-+%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Floreana Island Blue-Footed Booby & 2 Chicks How do you identify the different Bobby chicks? The feet of red-footed booby chicks don't turn red until they are three years old. Red-footed booby nest in trees and Nazca and blue-footed booby have ground nests. Nazca boobies make nests of twigs, rocks or coral on the ground. Blue-footed boobies sweep the ground clean for their nests.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992862330-M81MBTH9VAAGVRPWZSKH/00035+MMB_0816.jpg++Three+Greater+Flamingos+-+%233+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Three Greater Flamingos Punta Cormorant is probably one of the best shallow water flamingo lagoons that they need to feed properly. Greater Flamingo (phoenicopterus roseus) is one of the most widespread of the six flamingo species. This flamingo is distinctly recognizable for its long neck, light pink color and black-tipped beak with a harsh downward curve. The Greater Flamingo appears more whitish pink than the American Flamingo that is very bright. It is the largest of all of the flamingo species found in Africa, Asia and parts of Southern Europe include Italy, Greece, Turkey and Spain.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480992918616-3KTLFEOD40JX1EOU8YGI/00037+MMB_0832.jpg+Two+Greater+Flamingos+-+%235+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Two Greater Flamingos Greater Flamingo’s feed on small invertebrates that they pick up from the mud and water of the lakes and lagoons that they inhabit. These invertebrates can include small crustaceans, small fish, shrimp, plankton and algae. Sometimes Greater Flamingos digest mud to extract organic nutrients. They receive their color from their food intake. The color is specifically created when enzymes brake down the cartenoid pigments.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1497629430643-CNCLBR4MSHGILKBPRYM1/Greater+Flamingo+0863+%28C%29.jpg Galápagos Islands - Greater Flamingo Sleeping https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480993111098-9Q4VPC2GWMDH37AYPEI0/00042+MMB_0914.jpg+Yellow-Crowned+Night+Heron+on+Tree+-+%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Yellow-Crowned Night Heron on Tree This common heron tends to feed at night, but can often be seen during the day in shaded areas along the coasts of each island in the Galapagos. It is a stocky, gray heron with a black and white head and yellow crown. Because of its nocturnal habits, its eyes are larger than other herons. They breed in single pairs and build nests year-round in mangroves or under rocks.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480993279946-NUE1U8HIVTF2UTQFJMJP/00045+MMB_0024.jpg+Darwin%E2%80%99s+Finch++.jpg Galápagos Islands - Darwin’s Finch Probably the most famous of the Galapagos land birds are Darwin’s finches, so named because of their importance to Charles Darwin’s evolutionary theories. Darwin was fascinated, not only with the diversity of the thirteen species, but by how quickly they evolved from a common ancestor to adapt to the type of food supply on each island. These adaptations were mainly manifested in the shape and size of their beaks. They are not very spectacular looking. These finches are endemic to the islands.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480993387054-ZV78UT2U94MT5IY5UU0B/00047+MMB_0028.jpg+Giant+Galapagos+Tortoise+-+%2522saddle+back%2522+shell+-+%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Giant Galapagos Tortoise "Saddle Back" Shell There is a large amount of variation in the shape and size of their shell as it depends on which island the tortoise originates and the environment it has to adapt to. Those tortoises that are found on dryer islands have a "saddle back" shell where the rim of the shell is raised above the neck allowing them to raise their head and eat from taller vegetation. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480993601517-JDOWNLP1OP7H8AC3T99V/00049+MMB_0030.jpg+Giant+Galapagos+Tortoise+%2522table+top%2522+shell+-+%233+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Giant Galapagos Tortoise "Table Top" Shell #3 Some Galapagos Tortoises have aspects of both the "dome shaped" and the "saddle back" shell types and these are known to have "table top" shells. Regardless of the shell shape, all males have a concave undershell that facilitates mating. Galapagos Tortoises are herbivores and they feed on a variety of grasses, leaves, cactus, vines and fruit. They obtain most of their moisture through their diet and can go for long periods without drinking. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480993679723-ZE0WSF6DAI6XWQW8B4LE/00051+MMB_0037.jpg+Giant+Galapagos+Tortoise+-+%2522Table+Top%2522+shell+-+%234+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Giant Galapagos Tortoise "Table Top" Shell #4 They have strong, toothless jaws which suit their herbivorous lifestyle and they spend most of the day grazing in small herds or basking in mud or pools. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480993781361-6WT8CW1G31FW0218UKZR/00053+MMB_0045.jpg+Three+Giant+Galapagos+Tortoise+-+%235+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Three Giant Galapagos Tortoise Galapagos Tortoises are slow moving, averaging a long distance walking speed of 0.3 km/hr (0.18 mph), although if the tortoise has a purpose, for example moving to breeding grounds, they can move more quickly. They have a regular routine that is carried out each day and they use the same sleeping place and the same pathways to get around the island. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480993857149-7RGHDRP8Y10YQYV2CK6V/00055+MMB_0075.jpg+Giant+Galapagos+Tortoise+-%2522dome+shaped%2522+Shell+%236.jpg Galápagos Islands - Giant Galapagos Tortoise "Dome Shaped" Shell El Manzanillo (The Poison Tree) Farm is a giant Galápagos tortoise preserve outside Santa Cruz Galápagos. There is a large amount of variation in the shape and size of their shell as it depends on which island the tortoise originates and the environment it has to adapt to. Those tortoises that are found on wetter islands that have an abundance of grass and vegetation near the ground have "dome shaped" shells. Those with dome shaped shells tend to be the heaviest and largest of the subspecies, but they have shorter necks and smaller legs than those with saddle back shells. There is little variation in the dull brown color of the shell or legs in any of the subspecies. In all subspecies, males are larger than females. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480993963276-C89XQ1S7CSMUZAII3A8K/00057+MMB_0087.jpg+Marine+Iguana+Tracks.jpg Galápagos Islands - Santa Cruz Island Marine Iguana Tracks https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480994741537-PLJ46QBGU2O46CIR195A/00058+MMB_0093.jpg+Marine+Iguana++%26+Succulents+%236+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Santa Cruz Island Marine Iguana & Succulents #6 Poised on green/red succulent ground cover. The marine iguana of the subspecies venustissimus, is black with red markings on its back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480994860249-7Z7Z31QU29B9T1R1PPVB/00059+MMB_0094.jpg+Marine+Iguana+%26+Succulents+%237+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Santa Cruz Island Marine Iguana & Succulents #7 Poised on green/red succulent ground cover. The marine iguana of the subspecies venustissimus, is black with red markings on its back.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480994939578-NE34X1YW96U6W4N7UKMI/00060+MMB_0120.jpg+Galapagos+Land+Iguana++%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Santa Cruz Island Land Iguana #1 Conolophus subcristatus - This species is very large, growing to lengths of over a meter. The short head is blunt and the back legs are thick and powerful, with long sharp claws on the toes. It is yellowish in color with blotches of white, black, rust and brown and a row of spines passes along the center of the neck and back These miniature dragons roam around the Santa Cruz, sun-scorched, boulder-strewn island, nipping away contentedly at the fruits and flowers of their favorite food, the Opuntia Cacti. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995074316-6RT0GXQCVBZG5XHD1MSZ/00061+MMB_0126.jpg+Galapagos+Land+Iguana++%232+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Santa Cruz Island Land Iguana #2 It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands, primarily the islands of Fernandina, Isabela, Santa Cruz, North Seymour, Baltra, and South Plaza. Males defend territories, with displays involving head bobbing, biting and tail thrashing . During courtship, males aggressively court the females. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995151009-H4Q5Q363TW034CX6TC1R/00062+MMB_0130.jpg+Galapagos+Land+Iguana++%233+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Santa Cruz Island Land Iguana #3 This species has an interesting relationship with Galapagos finches; the iguanas often raise themselves from the ground and allow the finches to remove ticks from their bodies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995221418-5Q4VGCT435BTO2EPTZ8V/00063+MMB_0169.jpg+Sally+Lightfoot+Crab+-+%232+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Sally Lightfoot Crab #2 Grapsus Grapsus is also known as the ‘Red Rock Crab’. The Sally Lightfoot Crab is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of South America. The crabs round, flat carapace is just over 8 – 12 centimeters (3 – 5 inches) in length. They are rather flat and low to the ground and have been called ‘spider-like’ or quadratic in shape. Young Sally Lightfoot Crabs are black or dark brown in color and camouflage well on the black lava coasts of the Galapagos volcanic islands. Adults are quite variable in color. Some are reddish-brown, some mottled or spotted brown, pink or yellow.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995293628-1KLN72FRESK039SQQ3LS/00064+MMB_0201.jpg+Sally+Lightfoot+Crab+-+%233+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Sally Lightfoot Crab #3 Grapsus Grapsus is also known as the ‘Red Rock Crab’. The Sally Lightfoot Crab is one of the most common crabs along the western coast of South America.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995360986-6FSAC09EQFAR3N03RNKU/00065+MMB_0211.jpg++Three+Darwin+Finch+-+%232+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Three Darwin Finch https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995418598-P8DYBBEW2LDHUG6FJTQJ/00067+MMB_0223.jpg+Marine+Iguana+-%238+-+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Santa Cruz Island Marine Iguana #8 The marine iguana of the subspecies venustissimus, is black with red markings on its back. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995514496-OQXPGRNMPO9ESR7TE8YK/00068+MMB_0233.jpg+Marine+Iguana+-%239.jpg Galápagos Islands - Santa Cruz Island Marine Iguana #9 The marine iguana of the subspecies venustissimus, is black with red markings on its back.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995682308-VVC3G33XSIJFUPLUPQ4W/00070+MMB_0264.jpg+Sally+Lightfoot+Crab+-+%236+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Sally Lightfoot Crab #6 Grapsus Grapsus https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995745620-LU2T1XF8GNFUEBI7IEKK/00075+MMB_0297.jpg+Sally+Lightfoot+Crab+-+%2311+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Sally Lightfoot Crab #11 Grapsus Grapsus https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995800874-27K9D1E4HF6O60XIAYVC/00077+MMB_0306.jpg+Sally+Lightfoot+Crab+-+%2313+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Sally Lightfoot Crab #13 Grapsus Grapsus https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995857860-SRKNT14FDB7GTJGIB3AI/00080+MMB_0339.jpg+Yellow+Warbler+-+%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Yellow Warblers #1 Yellow Warbler is a small songbird with a thin pointed beak. It is mostly yellow in color and the male has reddish streaks on his chest. The Yellow Warbler stands around 12 – 13 centimeters (5 – 6 inches) in height, has a wing-span of 16 – 20 centimeters (6 – 8 inches), and weighs approximately 9 – 11 grams (0.32 – 0.39 ounces).   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995918383-KSK08LWO3WKTIJT9VDPL/00081+MMB_0340+2.jpg+Yellow+Warbler+-+%232+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Yellow Warbler #2 It is not endemic and may be found anywhere from Alaska to Peru. It is common throughout the Galapagos Islands, especially found in mangroves or manzanillo trees (The Poison Tree).   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480995985872-DQLOYM14MR1IUK6OHKX0/00083+MMB_0017.jpg+Gal%C3%A1pagos+Blue+Heron++.jpg Galápagos Islands - Bartolomé Island Blue Heron Bartolomé Island Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias subspecies cognata Bangs) is a large wading bird in the heron family Ardeidae, common near the shores of open water and in wetlands over most of North America and Central America, as well as the Caribbean and the Galápagos Islands. The great blue is the largest heron in the Galapagos, with its 4.5-foot length and almost 6.5-foot wingspan. Despite its name, the blue heron is a mostly gray bird, but is easily recognized by its long legs and great size. Like many members of this family, it often stands with its head hunched into its shoulders; it maintains this position when flying as well, with its long legs trailing behind. Great blue herons are found along the rocky coasts of most of the islands in the Galapagos, often standing motionless as they wait for fish to swim by. They have also been known to eat lizards, as well as young marine iguanas and birds for food. Blue herons tend to live alone or in pairs, but occasionally form a small colony of up to six nests. They breed year-round and often nest in mangroves.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480996141055-A06UPPVLYO2NBDDHXMK6/00084+MMB_0110.jpg+Galapagos+Brown+Pelican+nesting+in+Mangrove+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Bartolomé Island Brown Pelican nesting in Mangrove The brown pelican is instantly recognizable; with its huge pouched bill and large size (4 feet long with a 6.5-foot wingspan), it is often the first bird that visitors identify. As its name suggests, these pelicans are generally brownish in color. During the breeding season, however, the adults have bright white and chestnut markings on their heads and necks. They nest year-round in most of the islands.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480996234909-IQ2WCJB6UT2K4DPHAY0V/00085+MMB_0375.jpgGalapagos+Lava+Cactus+-+%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Bartolomé Island Lava Cactus #1 The lava cactus is a species of cactus and the sole species of the genus Brachycereus. The plant is a colonizer of lava fields, hence its common name. It is endemic to the Galápagos Islands. The smallest of the cacti species that inhabit the Galápagos, the lava cactus consists of a number of short, cylindrical stems that grow in dense clusters with sharp spines, which are yellow on the young parts of the plant, turning dark grey or black with age covering up to two meters. Found only in the volcanic archipelago of the Galápagos, on the islands of Bartolomé, Fernandina, Genovesa, Isabela, Pinta and San Salvador. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480996335988-3KGPQ5FYFAMBZN85YWPO/00086+MMB_0379.jpg+Galapagos+Lava+Cactus+-+%232.jpg Galápagos Islands - Bartolomé Island Lava Cactus #2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480996434083-M4S8PQN32IR2FML7E4CD/00088+MMB_0475.jpg+Three+Galapagos+Sea+Lions++%237+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Three Bartolomé Island Sea Lions https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480996501658-E6H51QPOFMHWZNV3HQCU/00089+MMB_0501.jpg+Galapagos+Penguin++-+%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Bartolomé Island Penguin Most penguins are associated with the colder regions of the Southern Hemisphere, but the cool Humboldt Current flowing from Antarctica along the South American coast enables the Galapagos penguin, the most northerly penguin in the world, to live here. Although they normally breed on the western part of Isabela and Fernandina, a small colony is often seen by visitors at Bartolomé. They are also occasionally present on Floreana and James as well. Breeding can occur year-round; two broods a year are possible under good conditions. Colonies are small and not tightly packed with nests. This flightless bird is one of five endemic seabirds in the islands. A penguin’s clumsiness on land belies its skill and speed underwater.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1480996655864-IQZXGAKJMKTLN0IKA1VF/00090+MMB_0555.jpg+Galapagos+Penguin++Preening++%232+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Bartolomé Island Penguin Preening https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1481160724925-NV6TZ0IHZNZ3O26R0XA0/00093+MMB_0771-2.jpg+Galapagos+Swallow-Tailed+Gull+Regurgitating++Squid+-3.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Swallow-Tailed Gull Regurgitating Squid #3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1481160881639-EVK7F85V5YDXW9IRHIBI/00095+MMB_0773.jpg+Galapagos+Swallow-Tailed+Gull+Regurgitating++Squid+-5.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Swallow-Tailed Gull Regurgitating Squid #5 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1481160963325-VCIVKBVLHW7XQ3GBF0HM/00096+MMB_0774.jpg+Galapagos+Swallow-Tailed+Gull+Regurgitating++Squid+-6.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Swallow-Tailed Gull Regurgitating Squid #6 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482067971683-ZYEW0CDZFAVXCDDDF5W4/00098+MMB_0776.jpg+Galapagos+Swallow-Tailed+Gull+Regurgitating++Squid+-8.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Swallow-Tailed Gull Regurgitating Squid #8 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482068094463-I8CK6COHR3C4IB1EJ6F1/00101+MMB_0779.jpg+Galapagos+Swallow-Tailed+Gull+Regurgitating++Squid+-11.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Swallow-Tailed Gull Regurgitating Squid #11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482068192547-QH32M0WXDX2YB09Z0JAD/00102+MMB_0781.jpg+Female+Magnificent+Frigatebird+In+flight++.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Female Magnificent Frigatebird in Flight The magnificent frigatebird is the largest species of the frigatebird. It measures 89–114 cm (35–45 in) in length, has a wingspan of 217–244 cm (85–96 in) and weighs 1,100–1,590 grams (2.43–3.51 lb). Males are all-black with a scarlet throat pouch that is inflated like a balloon in the breeding season. Although the feathers are black, the scapular feathers produce a purple iridescence when they reflect sunlight, in contrast to the male great frigatebird’s green sheen. Females are black, but have a white breast and lower neck sides, a brown band on the wings, and a blue eye-ring that is diagnostic of the female of the species. Immature birds have a white head and under parts. This species feeds mainly on fish, and attacks other seabirds to force them to disgorge their meals. Frigatebirds never land on water, and always take their food items in flight.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482068274505-HPJ4SGMFLC99VY6JU8XB/00104+MMB_0806.jpg+Red-Footed+Booby+-+%232+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Red-Footed Booby #2 The red-footed booby is the smallest of the Galapagos boobies, with a length of 2.5 feet and a 4.5-foot wingspan, and is readily distinguished by its red feet and blue bill with red base. Most adults are brown; however, about five percent are white, which is solely a different color phase and does not represent a new or hybrid species. The red-footed booby is the most numerous of the Galapagos boobies, but is also the least frequently seen. This is because it is found only on the more outlying islands, such as Genovesa, where a sizable colony estimated at 140,000 pairs exists. It feeds far out to sea, avoiding competition with the blue-footed booby, who feeds close inshore, and the Nazca booby, which feeds intermediately. The nesting behavior of the Red-Footed booby is quite different from the others. It builds rudimentary nests in trees, as opposed to the guano-ringed scrapes on the ground of the other boobies, and lays only one egg. This usually happens when food is plentiful and can occur at any time of the year.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069114307-UQUTDGSX93RLA70SMSIW/00107+MMB_0834.jpg+Nazca+Booby+-+%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Nazca Booby #1 The Nazca booby is the largest of the Galapagos boobies—with a length of 3 feet and a 5 to 6 foot wingspan—and it is found on most of the islands. Males and females look similar, but like the blue-footed booby, their calls differ; the smaller males whistle while the females utter a trumpeting quack. Because they are large birds, they often nest near cliff tops to give themselves an advantage when taking off. Breeding, unlike other boobies, takes place on an annual cycle that varies from island to island. On Genovesa, the birds arrive in May; courtship, mating and nest building ensue, and eggs are laid from August to November. Most of the young have fledged by February and the colony goes out at sea until May. Despite the location, the Nazca booby always lays two eggs while nesting, but even in a good year with plenty of food, the older sibling ejects the younger from the nest and only one survives.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069199904-L6Z3HJGATB9S74NEHY96/00109+MMB_0839-2.jpg+White+Magnificent+Frigatebird+Chick+-%232+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island White Magnificent Frigatebird Chick #2 Immature birds of both species, in addition to having white underparts, also have white heads. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069262738-OS38TRZR4WR3OIPVXZI7/00110+MMB_0855.jpg+Magnificent+Frigatebird+Preening+-+%231.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Magnificent Frigatebird Preening #1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069345584-4PG757VPF2L58NL624II/00111+MMB_0860.jpg+Red-Footed+Booby++%26+Magnificent+Frigatebird+%231.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Red-Footed Booby & Magnificent Frigatebird #1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069411862-NGL7032KHM3ZUGW5W9EF/00114+MMB_0867.jpg+Red-Footed+Booby+%235.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Red-Footed Booby #5 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069482094-TX7MS0ZBZ5GYVRLV1N93/00117+MMB_0881.jpg+Three+Male+Magnificent+Frigatebirds.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Three Male Magnificent Frigatebirds https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069546937-69FT6DCW78QIDQXLCHL2/00118+MMB_0908.jpg+White+Magnificent+Frigatebird+Chick+%233+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island White Magnificent Frigatebird Chick #3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069618433-ML4TUKIPPR4HK3UX1TN6/00118+Z++MMB_0911.jpg+Red-Footed+Booby+Nesting+%237.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Red-Footed Booby Nesting #7 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069670149-D5TV8AWWXX9JU95BGHTJ/00119+MMB_0917.jpg+Male+Magnificent+Frigatebird++.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Male Magnificent Frigatebird https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069729996-PQGXI3E5HVW3F2HRWGZK/00120+MMB_0938-2.jpg+Red-Footed+Booby+%238.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Red-Footed Booby #9 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069795749-6QCFJ3RNRZEO9XQSP5NM/00122+MMB_0942.jpg+Magnificent+Frigatebird+%26+Chick.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Magnificent Frigatebird & Chick https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069840623-2NVCNBZ416D45OBRZ89V/00123+MMB_0959.jpg+Red-Footed+Booby++%2310+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Red-Footed Booby #10 They are the smallest of the Galapagos boobies, with a length of 2.5 feet and a 4.5-foot wingspan, and is readily distinguished by its red feet and blue bill with red base.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069902882-W3VOPUGH0MUQ9GU6G65U/00125+MMB_1003.jpg+Red+Sac+Male+Magnificent+Frigatebird++-+%232.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Red Sac Male Magnificent Frigatebird #2 As with many Galapagos seabirds, a frigatebird’s courtship display is quite spectacular. It is the females who do the conspicuous searching out and selecting of mates. The hens take to the air above the rookery to look over the males, who cluster in groups. Whenever a female circles low overhead, the males react with a blatant display of wooing. The males have scarlet gular pouches (appropriately shaped like hearts) hanging under their necks, which are inflated to football-sized balloons. It takes about 20 minutes to fully inflate the pouch, and the male normally sits on a tree and displays it skyward in order to attract passing females. In addition, the male vibrates its wings rapidly back and forth and entices the females with loud clicking and drumming sounds.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482069996389-GZ8CTTOEGH17HO8W243W/00127+MMB_0892.jpg+Deflated+Red+Sac+Male+Magnificent+Frigatebird++-+%234.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Deflated Red Sac Male Magnificent Frigatebird #4 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482070867976-E8IWS773NZFC3M94L4OF/00128+MMB_1038.jpg+Galapagos++Cactus+Finch+%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Cactus Finch #1 Geospiza conirostris is a species of bird in the tanager family Thraupidae. It has a massive beak. The male is black, with white-tipped undertail coverts. Female and immature birds range in color from dull gray to matte black, and frequently show white edges to the feathers of their underpart . It resembles the smaller and finer-beaked common cactus finch, but the two species do not co-inhabit any island. It is one of Darwin's finches, and is endemic to the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador where three subspecies are restricted to: Española, Genovesa, Darwin and Wolf Islands. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071002581-R7WDH1I7OXRNOQMP6EX1/00129+MMB_1041.jpg+Galapagos++Cactus+Finch+-%232.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Cactus Finch #2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071075809-08DI7ITMBUVNXE2BYKO5/00130+MMB_1053.jpg+Galapagos++Mockingbird++.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Mockingbird The Galapagos mockingbird is a cooperative breeder with territorial groups generally comprising two to five adults but sometimes many more. It is not uncommon for breeders to also help raise nestlings that aren’t their own. The nests are made from twigs and located low down on cacti or higher up on taller vegetation. Instead of flying, they are often seen running along the ground. It has a varied omnivorous diet comprising arthropods, fruit, nectar from cacti and other plants, small vertebrates, sea bird eggs and nestlings, and carrion. They also remove ticks from the bodies of land iguanas.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071143547-PGRZJI3AYRY0OQ97TELC/00131+MMB_1063.jpg+Gal%C3%A1pagos+Dove+%231+.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Dove #1 Zenaida galapagoensis The Galápagos Dove grows to measure between 18 and 23 centimeters long. An attractive bird, it has dark reddish-brown upperparts, a pinkish neck and breast, a buffy-colored belly, and brown wings, streaked with white and black. The dove’s legs and feet are bright red. The head is particularly striking, with a long, black beak and dark eye, contrasting with the bright blue eye ring. The long downward curved beaks on the Galápagos Dove helps it feed mostly on seeds and fruits from the ground. Very reluctant to fly in the air, it will only do so as a last resort.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071231048-U3CAYLFWO7NAKFWQTDJR/00132+MMB_1092.jpg+Red-Footed+Booby++Open+Wings+%2310.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Red-Footed Booby Open Wings #10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071284482-XB77ZJ3OMVK1WT6BB549/00133+MMB_1135.jpg+Male+Magnificent+Frigatebird+In+Flight+%231.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Male Magnificent Frigatebird In Flight #1 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071346869-RSRGM6FFWDCUPZ1QYXCJ/00134+MMB_1140.jpg+Male+Magnificent+Frigatebird+In+Flight+%232.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Male Magnificent Frigatebird In Flight #2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071380493-ALOSALF1FYI1QHM1FR0S/00135+MMB_1149.jpg+Male+Magnificent+Frigatebird+In+Flight+%233*.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Male Magnificent Frigatebird In Flight #3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071419962-2X8ZME6LAATRI6Y0OV3I/00136+MMB_1178.jpg+Magnificent+Frigatebird++Chick.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Magnificent Frigatebird Chick https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071472879-W5KGP2YH9J7KRCBHUFDH/00138+Z+MMB_1226.jpg+Gal%C3%A1pagos+Short-eared+Owl+In+Flight+%231++.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Short-eared Owl In Flight #1 Asio flammeus is only found on Genovesa Island in the Galapagos Islands. It patiently stalks the storm petrel along the island’s eastern cliffs.. It is dark brown in color with light mottled markings, a dark facial disc, yellow eyes, and a black hooked beak.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071530434-84SI33FIQ632S3J86JFT/00140+MMB_1283.jpg+Gal%C3%A1pagos+Short-eared+Owl+%233.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Short-eared Owl #2 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071580388-TH3CZ93DV4O9KCAADFUM/00141+MMB_1331.jpg+Red-Footed+Booby++White+Plumage+%231++.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Red-Footed Booby White Plumage #1 Most adults are brown; however, about five percent are white, which is solely a different color phase and does not represent a new or hybrid species. The red-footed booby is the most numerous of the Galapagos boobies, but is also the least frequently seen. This is because it is found only on the more outlying islands, such as Genovesa, where a sizable colony estimated at 140,000 pairs exists.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071626269-6DFU5CU51P8EIJJSNNDX/00143+MMB_1346.jpg+Gal%C3%A1pagos++Fur+Seal+%231++.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Fur Seal #1 This is the smallest of the world’s seven fur seal species. There are currently about 40,000 remaining Galapagos Fur Seals. The average life span of a Galapagos Fur Seal is about 22 years. The Galapagos Fur Seal is one species that spends more time on the land than any other. They still spend about 50% of their time in the land and the other half in water. They prefer to lay on the rocks than on the sandy areas. It is believed that these rocks help them to cool down their body temperature while on the land. It isn’t uncommon for them to spend up to six days in the water and then one full day on land. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071679293-RL4FWV6F869GR73U4FHB/00144+MMB_1360.jpg+Gal%C3%A1pagos++Fur+Seal+%232.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Fur Seal #2 The males are extremely protective of their land territory though. They won’t leave it until they absolutely have to go in search of food. They tend to consume fish that are very close to the shorelines.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1482071724649-YP55SJNINB2WVKHMYP0J/00145+MMB_1393.jpg+Blue-Footed+Booby+%231.jpg Galápagos Islands - Genovesa Island Blue-Footed Booby #1 http://jfm-photography.com/northwest-coast daily 0.75 2021-04-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1550413871915-XZQQL8O8J9RQNCDOVQLY/Mt+Rainier+at+27%2C000+feet+CLR.jpg NorthWest Coast - Mt Rainier at 27,000 feet Photo taken with an iPhone 6 from 27,000 feet from Air Alaska flight into Seattle, Washington Airport. Mount Rainier, also known as Tahoma or Tacoma, is the highest mountain of the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, and the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a large active stratovolcano located 59 miles south-southeast of Seattle, in the Mount Rainier National Park. It is the 21st most prominent mountain in the world with an elevation rise of 13,211 feet from its nearest low point. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1550413871915-XZQQL8O8J9RQNCDOVQLY/Mt+Rainier+at+27%2C000+feet+CLR.jpg NorthWest Coast - Mt Rainier at 27,000 feet Photo taken with an iPhone 6 from 27,000 feet from Air Alaska flight into Seattle, Washington Airport. Mount Rainier, also known as Tahoma or Tacoma, is the highest mountain of the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, and the highest mountain in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a large active stratovolcano located 59 miles south-southeast of Seattle, in the Mount Rainier National Park. It is the 21st most prominent mountain in the world with an elevation rise of 13,211 feet from its nearest low point. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517763902669-JEUKTMP7HB9RHEMGKUJY/2_45+AM+Space+Needle.jpg NorthWest Coast - Space Needle #1 The icon of Seattle, Washington USA is the Space Needle observation tower. The Stuttgart Tower in Germany inspired it. Its space-age image was the focus of the futuristic 21st Century theme 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle. (605-foot tall; the restaurant on top rotates with just a one horsepower electric motor.) Canon 40D, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 100 on tripod with cable release from the Downtown Hyatt hotel room, 110 6th Ave. N. Seattle, WA.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517764014487-HW1N5929IP485UOWEIIT/2_49+AM+Space+Needle.jpg NorthWest Coast - Space Needle #2 The icon of Seattle, Washington USA is the Space Needle observation tower. The Stuttgart Tower in Germany inspired it. Its space-age image was the focus of the futuristic 21st Century theme 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle. (605-foot tall; the restaurant on top rotates with just a one horsepower electric motor.) Canon 40D, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 100 on tripod with cable release from the Downtown Hyatt hotel room, 110 6th Ave. N. Seattle, WA.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517764059546-UML1TAIZTAU033VBV874/5_32+AM+Space+Needle.jpg NorthWest Coast - Space Needle #3 The icon of Seattle, Washington USA is the Space Needle observation tower. The Stuttgart Tower in Germany inspired it. Its space-age image was the focus of the futuristic 21st Century theme 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle. (605-foot tall; the restaurant on top rotates with just a one horsepower electric motor.) Canon 40D, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 100 on tripod with cable release from the Downtown Hyatt hotel room, 110 6th Ave. N. Seattle, WA.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517764097100-08ZYO213V49WA04V9LFG/6_35+AM+Space+Needle.jpg NorthWest Coast - Space Needle #4 The icon of Seattle, Washington USA is the Space Needle observation tower. The Stuttgart Tower in Germany inspired it. Its space-age image was the focus of the futuristic 21st Century theme 1962 World’s Fair in Seattle. (605-foot tall; the restaurant on top rotates with just a one horsepower electric motor.) Canon 40D, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 100 on tripod with cable release from the Downtown Hyatt hotel room, 110 6th Ave. N. Seattle, WA.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618271488399-LQITV7F2ZDK1WY494PRN/Wizard+Island+in+June+2.jpg NorthWest Coast - Wizard Island In June #2 Wizard Island is a volcanic cinder cone formed after Mount Mazama, a large stratovolcano, erupted violently approximately 7,700 years ago; forming its caldera that now contains Crater Lake (about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) deep). The top of the island reaches 6,933 feet above sea level, about 755 feet above the average surface of the lake. A volcanic crater about 500 feet wide and 100 feet deep caps the cone. William Gladstone Steel named the crater the “Witches Cauldron” in 1885, and the island Wizard Island. It is located in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, North Western Coastal area of the USA. Canon 1Dx, EF 24 – 105 Lens ISO 100 on tripod with cable release   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517764212549-LH1SNBFBTATCJCNGRUTG/Mount+St.+Helens+2017.jpg NorthWest Coast - Mount Saint Helens 2017 Mount Saint Helens is a horseshoe shaped crater partially filled by a young lava dome is what remains of the once conical Mount St. Helens or Louwala-Clough. It is an active stratovolcano that erupted in 1980 located in Skamania County, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 96 miles south of Seattle, Washington, and 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon. Mount St. Helens takes its English name from the British diplomat Lord St Helens, a friend of explorer George Vancouver who made a survey of the area in the late 18th century. Canon 1Dx, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 100 on tripod with cable release.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517764821760-KHC8YNKAD94JBQO7E543/Multnomah+Falls.jpg NorthWest Coast - Multnomah Falls Multnomah Falls is the tallest waterfall in the state of Oregon. It is on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. The falls drops in two major steps, split into an upper falls of 542 feet (165 m) and a lower falls of 69 feet (21 m), with a gradual 9 foot (3 m) drop in elevation between the two, so the total height of the waterfall is conventionally given as 620 feet (189 m). Benson Footbridge is 105 feet above the lower cascade. Canon 1Dx, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 100 on tripod with cable release.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517764864165-V9XW51RFAWWGJNBBIZHZ/Oregon+Sand+Dunes.jpg NorthWest Coast - Oregon Sand Dunes Oregon Sand Dunes is the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America that are wind-sculpted towering to 500 feet above sea level. Located in the state of Oregon in the Pacific Northwest region of the USA. Canon 1Dx, EF 100- 400 Lens ISO 100 on tripod with cable release.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517764896783-AC1346LN4KC945MKWZ6H/Fog+City+Composite.jpg NorthWest Coast - Fog City The Fog City Dinner on the Embarcadero at night with the Coil Tower in Pioneer Park on Telegraph Hill lighted in the background. Homage to Edward Hopper’s 1942 NightHawks - oil on canvas painting. The original Fog City Diner, which opened in 1985 was closed, renovated and reopened at 1300 Battery Street along the Embarcadero in San Francisco, CA. USA.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517764942131-MEV2MC3XKZ5D5SFFG94V/San+Francisco+Ferry+Gate+B.jpg NorthWest Coast - San Francisco Bay Ferry Gate B Bay Ferry Gate B is located at the San Francisco Bay Ferry Terminal on the Embarcadero, San Francisco, California, USA. The Bay Bridge and Treasure Island can be seen in the background. Canon 1Dx, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 640 on tripod with cable release.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517765015384-6UT4MEMQP5KCIHAVFP8A/Golden+Hills+San+Francisco.jpg NorthWest Coast - Golden Hills San Francisco Golden Hills of San Francisco, CA. USA. The dry brown grasses give a golden appearance to the hills around the San Francisco Bay. Several ancient cities and San Francisco claim to have been built on seven hills but it is more like 43 hills for San Francisco. Canon 1Dx, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 400 on tripod with cable release.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517765064641-R2CQBHDH8OC9MVBY35ZN/Yellow+Pond+Lily+1.jpg NorthWest Coast - Yellow Pond Lily Nuphar luteum subsp. advena, the yellow water lily, or brandy-bottle, is native to temperate regions in the world. This aquatic plant grows in shallow water and wetlands, with its roots in the sediment and its leaves floating on the water surface; it can grow in water up to 5 metres deep. The flower ripens with a red fringe on the seedpod and the Klamath Indians call the seedpods “wokas” Taken at the Silver Lake area around the Mount St. Helens Visitor Center at Silver Lake, Washington, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is 96 miles south of Seattle, Washington, and 50 miles northeast of Portland, Oregon. This is one of several Interpretive Centers located on the Spirit Lake Highway with information about the volcano.   https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1517765265703-Q1OSG6EK3LOHQZTDDJSM/Japanese+Sea+Nettle.jpg NorthWest Coast - Japanese Sea Nettle The Japanese sea nettle (Chrysaora pacifica) has a light- colored bell with a dark orange lines radiating from the center of the bell to its edges. They have long tentacles that can be up to 10 feet long. If touched these can cause skin irritations and a burning sensation. Habits are the temperate waters of the northern Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean and especially the Bering Sea. San Francisco Bay Aquarium on the Embarcadero, San Francisco, California, USA. Canon 1Dx, EF 24-105 Lens ISO 25600 with cable release.   http://jfm-photography.com/northern-illinois daily 0.75 2022-08-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659404308729-XW3N9JWDU2BERKAPJUK6/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - Ice Fisherman Ice Fisherman Rock Cut State Park, Il. after Rime Ice Storm 01.07.2021 Rime ice is a deposit of feathery needles of ice that forms when supercooled cloud or fog droplets rapidly freeze when coming in contact with an object. These feathery needles of ice crystals transform the trees and bushes into beautiful feathery ice crystal sculptures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659404308729-XW3N9JWDU2BERKAPJUK6/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - Ice Fisherman Ice Fisherman Rock Cut State Park, Il. after Rime Ice Storm 01.07.2021 Rime ice is a deposit of feathery needles of ice that forms when supercooled cloud or fog droplets rapidly freeze when coming in contact with an object. These feathery needles of ice crystals transform the trees and bushes into beautiful feathery ice crystal sculptures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659403275230-1HYRIQ1BN6Z9F5N6CHY7/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - Trestle #469 This is the UP/C & NW Rail Road Trestle Bridge (# 469) over the Rock River in south Rockford Illinois after a Rime ice storm. Built in 1896 this is a Warren Deck Truss Superstructure Type, one track wide, 768 feet long, 15 feet above the river. Built by Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of Milwaukee, WI. Currently owned by the Union Pacific Railroad. View from the West bank looking North East across the Rock River in the morning fog after the 01.04.2021 Rime Ice Storm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659404886669-DUSTY7506AXDL5UFX7CE/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - S Curve Blacktop S Curve Blacktop Rock Cut State Park, Il. after Rime Ice Storm 01.07.2021 Rime ice is a deposit of feathery needles of ice that forms when supercooled cloud or fog droplets rapidly freeze when coming in contact with an object. These feathery needles of ice crystals transform the trees and bushes into beautiful feathery ice crystal sculptures. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659403370125-CYQ8BTOGHQTBLSFY7QSG/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - GATX 2698 GATX is the General American Transportation Corporation GM Diesel engine at the South Rockford, Il. Union Pacific Railroad line. Photographed after the Rime Ice Storm 01.04.2021. Rime ice is a deposit of feathery needles of ice that forms when supercooled cloud or fog droplets rapidly freeze when coming in contact with an object. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659404396117-ND0CQ8IGUG23CS8XTJE2/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - Juvenile Bald Eagle There is a difference between a juvenile and an adult bald eagle. Adult Bald Eagles have white heads and tails with dark brown bodies and wings. Their legs and bills are bright yellow. Immature birds have mostly dark heads and tails; their brown wings and bodies are mottled with white in varying amounts. After six months, the immature eagle begins to turn lighter brown. Young eagles are often larger than adults. This is because a young eagle's tail and wing feathers are longer than an adult's feathers. Even though this may be, young eagles still weigh less than adults. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598224857754-CI9XSW8A53L5HMGM1Q7O/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - Red Fox out of Brush Red Foxes at the Confluence of the Apple River and Coon Creek outside of rural Stockton in Northern Illinois. The red fox is the largest of the true foxes & one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia plus parts of Northern Africa. The red fox's resourcefulness has earned it a legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning. Red foxes are solitary hunters who feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game. Canon 1Dx with EF series II 100 to 400 zoom lens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598225005512-PD7G5IOQT7BM47B572GO/Red+Fox+out+of+Brush+Raised+Paw.jpg Northern Illinois - Red Fox out of Brush Raised Paw Red Foxes at the Confluence of the Apple River and Coon Creek outside of rural Stockton in Northern Illinois. The red fox is the largest of the true foxes & one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia plus parts of Northern Africa. The red fox's resourcefulness has earned it a legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning. Red foxes are solitary hunters who feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game. Canon 1Dx with EF series II 100 to 400 zoom lens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598225033020-S6R6UMFFYMSQ98OP0FVB/Red+Fox+Profile.jpg Northern Illinois - Red Fox Profile Red Foxes at the Confluence of the Apple River and Coon Creek outside of rural Stockton in Northern Illinois. The red fox is the largest of the true foxes & one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia plus parts of Northern Africa. The red fox's resourcefulness has earned it a legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning. Red foxes are solitary hunters who feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game. Canon 1Dx with EF series II 100 to 400 zoom lens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598224976168-36E7LE5YBRRT3KLI522P/Two+Red+Foxes.jpg Northern Illinois - Two Red Foxes Red Foxes at the Confluence of the Apple River and Coon Creek outside of rural Stockton in Northern Illinois. The red fox is the largest of the true foxes & one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia plus parts of Northern Africa. The red fox's resourcefulness has earned it a legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning. Red foxes are solitary hunters who feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game. Canon 1Dx with EF series II 100 to 400 zoom lens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598225058972-2Z7UK1POJ9MPP3GXKA35/Red+Fox+Walking+edge+of+Road.jpg Northern Illinois - Red Fox Walking edge of Road Red Foxes at the Confluence of the Apple River and Coon Creek outside of rural Stockton in Northern Illinois. The red fox is the largest of the true foxes & one of the most widely distributed members of the order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe and Asia plus parts of Northern Africa. The red fox's resourcefulness has earned it a legendary reputation for intelligence and cunning. Red foxes are solitary hunters who feed on rodents, rabbits, birds, and other small game. Canon 1Dx with EF series II 100 to 400 zoom lens. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1659404445710-5QKVGHAFVKACN0KEISFM/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - Green Peacock Southeast Asia The green Southeast Asia peacock has green and bronze body feathers, iridescent blue and green plumage, mostly metallic blue and green. A male Peacock’s tail feathers, or coverts, spread out in a distinctive train that is more than 60 percent of the bird's total body length and boast colorful "eye" markings of blue, gold, red, and other hues. The large train is used in mating rituals and courtship displays. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209319267-B1UNBNJU53SMLX2AUK61/Ready+to+Fly.jpg Northern Illinois - Ready to Fly The Northern Cardinal songbirds, raised crests on heads, orange-red, cone-shaped bills for cracking seeds. Males are a brilliant red color (from the food they eat) except for a black mask on their face. They are a medium-sized bird (8 inches). The female slightly smaller in shades of light brown, with reddish highlights & dark coloration around the eyes & beak. They are not found often in forests. They prefer the edges of forests and grassland landscapes with thickets and shrubbery they can hide and nest in. Cardinals, in the family Cardinalidae, are passerine birds found in North and South America. AKA cardinal-grosbeaks and cardinal-buntings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209382465-CKAX8JFPXF8K9JQBT83H/Cedar+Waxwing.jpg Northern Illinois - Cedar Waxwing Cedar Waxwing is a medium-sized, mostly brown, gray, and yellow bird named for its wax-like wing tips. They are social birds that form large flocks, eat berries (usually Cedar berries) the year around & in the summer supplement it with flying insects. They typically feed while perched on a twig, but they’re also good at grabbing berries while hovering briefly just below a bunch. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209603367-TDEMCMMSGLYKNFE531C5/Ranid+-+True+Frog.jpg Northern Illinois - Ranid - True Frog Ranid is an insectivorous usually semiaquatic web-footed amphibian with smooth moist skin and long hind legs used for jumping. This one was found in a pond at Severson Dells, Illinois. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209652925-F6X87A92C94VYN2S4NXK/American+White+Pelicans+1.jpg Northern Illinois - American White Pelicans #1 Photo taken at Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, Illinois. Most migrate south for breeding but some nonbreeding birds remain through summer on winter range. The Illinois migration flocks usually arrive in May & staying until September or October. Adults feed by either wading in shallow water or swim & submerge their pouches to scoop up a meal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209763408-7K2IIC02XAT9L6B5IQ7E/American+White+Pelicans+2.jpg Northern Illinois - American White Pelicans #2 Photo taken at Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, Illinois. Most migrate south for breeding but some nonbreeding birds remain through summer on winter range. The Illinois migration flocks usually arrive in May & staying until September or October. Adults feed by either wading in shallow water or swim & submerge their pouches to scoop up a meal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209808350-NXEBW9QT87G36VX1EFIH/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - American White Pelicans #3 Photo taken at Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, Illinois. Most migrate south for breeding but some nonbreeding birds remain through summer on winter range. The Illinois migration flocks usually arrive in May & staying until September or October. Adults feed by either wading in shallow water or swim & submerge their pouches to scoop up a meal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209851346-UNM0IYCTUCWP8SUY0ZO1/American+White+Pelicans+4.jpg Northern Illinois - American White Pelicans #4 Photo taken at Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, Illinois. Most migrate south for breeding but some nonbreeding birds remain through summer on winter range. The Illinois migration flocks usually arrive in May & staying until September or October. Adults feed by either wading in shallow water or swim & submerge their pouches to scoop up a meal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209896540-C9QAH0XYTOPMXO5JM2VT/American+White+Pelicans+5.jpg Northern Illinois - American White Pelicans #5 Photo taken at Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, Illinois. Most migrate south for breeding but some nonbreeding birds remain through summer on winter range. The Illinois migration flocks usually arrive in May & staying until September or October. Adults feed by either wading in shallow water or swim & submerge their pouches to scoop up a meal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209932996-03PJ7DS29F8WVLUIEO4G/American+White+Pelicans+6.jpg Northern Illinois - American White Pelicans #6 Photo taken at Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, Illinois. Most migrate south for breeding but some nonbreeding birds remain through summer on winter range. The Illinois migration flocks usually arrive in May & staying until September or October. Adults feed by either wading in shallow water or swim & submerge their pouches to scoop up a meal. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598210164150-1F20JKXZMM75P4NPN93I/White+Tail+Deer+Buck.jpg Northern Illinois - White Tailed Deer Buck Photo taken at Nygren Wetlands, Rockton, Illinois. Whitetail or Virginia deer or White-tailed deer are the smallest members of the North American deer family. Male deer, called bucks, are easily distinguished in the summer and fall by their large set of antlers. New antlers are grown annually and fall off in the winter. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598210235759-Q3Z05O5VZB9NIPB86485/Monarch+Butterflies.jpg Northern Illinois - Monarch Butterflies Mating Adult Monarchs make massive (the only two-way migratory butterfly) migrations from August-October, flying up to 3,000 miles south to hibernate along the California coast and in central Mexico in oyamel fir trees. They can travel 50-100 miles a day. It takes 5 generations to do this (just one way). They live for anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks*, & females lay eggs on the milkweed plant. Males mate throughout most of this period. Monarchs wing span: 3 3/8 - 4 7/8 inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm). * Decreasing day length and temperatures, along with aging milkweed and other nectar sources triggers the birth of the super generation and their epic migration. They live eight times longer than their parents and grandparents- up to eight months, and travel10 times farther. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598208979810-G8SRKRMYDZA3RN8RPWQV/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - Take Flight #1 The Northern Cardinal songbirds, raised crests on heads, orange-red, cone-shaped bills for cracking seeds. Males are a brilliant red color (from the food they eat) except for a black mask on their face. They are a medium-sized bird (8 inches). The female slightly smaller in shades of light brown, with reddish highlights & dark coloration around the eyes & beak. They are not found often in forests. They prefer the edges of forests and grassland landscapes with thickets and shrubbery they can hide and nest in. Cardinals, in the family Cardinalidae, are passerine birds found in North and South America. AKA cardinal-grosbeaks and cardinal-buntings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209126215-LEFAWXBWGIO36WOH4VHQ/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - Take Flight #2 The Northern Cardinal songbirds, raised crests on heads, orange-red, cone-shaped bills for cracking seeds. Males are a brilliant red color (from the food they eat) except for a black mask on their face. They are a medium-sized bird (8 inches). The female slightly smaller in shades of light brown, with reddish highlights & dark coloration around the eyes & beak. They are not found often in forests. They prefer the edges of forests and grassland landscapes with thickets and shrubbery they can hide and nest in. Cardinals, in the family Cardinalidae, are passerine birds found in North and South America. AKA cardinal-grosbeaks and cardinal-buntings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209178846-CESEWTEYJO6CWM8YPXRW/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - Take Flight #3 The Northern Cardinal songbirds, raised crests on heads, orange-red, cone-shaped bills for cracking seeds. Males are a brilliant red color (from the food they eat) except for a black mask on their face. They are a medium-sized bird (8 inches). The female slightly smaller in shades of light brown, with reddish highlights & dark coloration around the eyes & beak. They are not found often in forests. They prefer the edges of forests and grassland landscapes with thickets and shrubbery they can hide and nest in. Cardinals, in the family Cardinalidae, are passerine birds found in North and South America. AKA cardinal-grosbeaks and cardinal-buntings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598209234410-8NHK0YZJF0EFHM13TT2C/image-asset.jpeg Northern Illinois - Take Flight #4 The Northern Cardinal songbirds, raised crests on heads, orange-red, cone-shaped bills for cracking seeds. Males are a brilliant red color (from the food they eat) except for a black mask on their face. They are a medium-sized bird (8 inches). The female slightly smaller in shades of light brown, with reddish highlights & dark coloration around the eyes & beak. They are not found often in forests. They prefer the edges of forests and grassland landscapes with thickets and shrubbery they can hide and nest in. Cardinals, in the family Cardinalidae, are passerine birds found in North and South America. AKA cardinal-grosbeaks and cardinal-buntings. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610911065663-YVYLVSCN5ORCLQ5YQ00L/Eastern+Tiger+Swallowtail+-1+%280491%29.jpg Northern Illinois - Eastern Tiger Swallowtail #1 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is quite noticeable with markings of yellow and black stripes on its wings and body and a large wingspan of 3 1/2 – 6 1/2 inches. Males usually have minor orange and blue spots near the tail. Some females are brown or black, mimicking the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610911066113-BS20J4V7XR6EMHOL7XW1/Eastern+Tiger+Swallowtail+-2+%280488%29.jpg Northern Illinois - Eastern Tiger Swallowtail #2 Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly is quite noticeable with markings of yellow and black stripes on its wings and body and a large wingspan of 3 1/2 – 6 1/2 inches. Males usually have minor orange and blue spots near the tail. Some females are brown or black, mimicking the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610911157586-FLY09H74FUSQ7ICSEFUX/2+Male+Am+Goldfinches+-1+%280432%29.jpg Northern Illinois - 2 Male Am. Goldfinches #1 Am. Goldfinches forages on prairie flowers & Queen Anne’s Lace acrobatically to reach the seeds https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610911224409-LWC6J3PLPEINT27ZU792/Molting+Male+Cardinal+in+Northern+Illinois+-1+%280755%29.jpg Northern Illinois - Molting Male Cardinal  #1 Molting Male Cardinal Different coloration & scruffy looking due to August molting. Molting is a natural & regular process where some or all of a bird’s feathers are replaced gradually over some weeks. Molts are often timed to occur after nesting & before migrations (late summer). The reason for this timing is to fall in the lull between the strenuous activity of raising young & flying for thousands of miles. This way there is less stress upon the bird. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610911157990-H0UUN4CQKMVNKN5UPOA7/2+Male+Am+Goldfinches+-2+%280433%29.jpg Northern Illinois - 2 Male Am. Goldfinches #2 Am. Goldfinches forages on prairie flowers & Queen Anne’s Lace acrobatically to reach the seeds https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610911224481-J9A84O1HG2NV16QHWEUW/Molting+Male+Cardinal+in+Northern+Illinois+-2+%280754%29.jpg Northern Illinois - Molting Male Cardinal  #2 Molting Male Cardinal Different coloration & scruffy looking due to August molting. Molting is a natural & regular process where some or all of a bird’s feathers are replaced gradually over some weeks. Molts are often timed to occur after nesting & before migrations (late summer). The reason for this timing is to fall in the lull between the strenuous activity of raising young & flying for thousands of miles. This way there is less stress upon the bird. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610911296248-D55CPZP8GT84XNOY05HA/Monarch+Butterflies+-1+%280726%29.jpg Northern Illinois - Monarch Butterflies # 1 Adult Monarchs make massive (the only two-way migratory butterfly) migrations from August-October, flying up to 3,000 miles south to hibernate along the California coast and in central Mexico in oyamel fir trees. They can travel 50-100 miles a day. It takes 5 generations to do this (just one way). They live for anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks*, & females lay eggs on the milkweed plant. Males mate throughout most of this period. Monarchs wing span: 3 3/8 - 4 7/8 inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm). * Decreasing day length and temperatures, along with aging milkweed and other nectar sources triggers the birth of the super generation and their epic migration. They live eight times longer than their parents and grandparents- up to eight months, and travel10 times farther. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610911297658-A65JO2KOOIUNNPM6TA8X/Monarch+Butterflies+-2+%280728%29.jpg Northern Illinois - Monarch Butterflies # 2 Adult Monarchs make massive (the only two-way migratory butterfly) migrations from August-October, flying up to 3,000 miles south to hibernate along the California coast and in central Mexico in oyamel fir trees. They can travel 50-100 miles a day. It takes 5 generations to do this (just one way). They live for anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks*, & females lay eggs on the milkweed plant. Males mate throughout most of this period. Monarchs wing span: 3 3/8 - 4 7/8 inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm). * Decreasing day length and temperatures, along with aging milkweed and other nectar sources triggers the birth of the super generation and their epic migration. They live eight times longer than their parents and grandparents- up to eight months, and travel10 times farther. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610911297124-8TQF8O7ZT2U30Z9INWBO/Monarch+Butterflies+-3+%280730%29.jpg Northern Illinois - Monarch Butterflies # 3 Adult Monarchs make massive (the only two-way migratory butterfly) migrations from August-October, flying up to 3,000 miles south to hibernate along the California coast and in central Mexico in oyamel fir trees. They can travel 50-100 miles a day. It takes 5 generations to do this (just one way). They live for anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks*, & females lay eggs on the milkweed plant. Males mate throughout most of this period. Monarchs wing span: 3 3/8 - 4 7/8 inches (8.6 - 12.4 cm). * Decreasing day length and temperatures, along with aging milkweed and other nectar sources triggers the birth of the super generation and their epic migration. They live eight times longer than their parents and grandparents- up to eight months, and travel10 times farther. http://jfm-photography.com/alaska daily 0.75 2020-08-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598213036864-P3MWNE5Q7KWNBNQ688L4/image-asset.jpeg Alaska - Fluke / humpback whale #2 Whale tails are massive & grow up to 18 feet (5.5 m) wide. Flukes move up & down to propel the whale through the water. They surface every 15 to 30 minutes for air & “fluke” their tales as they dive again. Misty Fiords National Monument, Ketchikan, Alaska https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598213036864-P3MWNE5Q7KWNBNQ688L4/image-asset.jpeg Alaska - Fluke / humpback whale #2 Whale tails are massive & grow up to 18 feet (5.5 m) wide. Flukes move up & down to propel the whale through the water. They surface every 15 to 30 minutes for air & “fluke” their tales as they dive again. Misty Fiords National Monument, Ketchikan, Alaska https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598213149905-GX3UQANIZG10E2H44QGC/Mendenhall+Glacier.jpg Alaska - Mendenhall Glacier (This, in both color & B&W, took 1st place and best in show in March 2020) The Juneau Icefield's most visible ambassador, 13-mile long Mendenhall Glacier ends at Mendenhall Lake. The glacier has retreated 1.75 miles (2.82 km) since 1929, when Mendenhall Lake was created, and over 2.5 miles (4.0 km) since 1500. Juneau, Alaska https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598221724668-KVTRUVTVTMZ7YZFNG4O5/David+B.+ship+at+Mendenhall+Glacier.jpg Alaska - David B. ship at Mendenhall Glacier The Juneau Icefield's most visible ambassador, 13-mile long Mendenhall Glacier ends at Mendenhall Lake. The glacier has retreated 1.75 miles (2.82 km) since 1929, when Mendenhall Lake was created, and over 2.5 miles (4.0 km) since 1500. Juneau, Alaska https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598221810638-HMLP8TVO2YS0ERK2K4D0/Mendenhall+Glacier+Ice+Chuck.jpg Alaska - Mendenhall Glacier Ice Growler (This is both in color and B&W that got a honorable Mention) The chunks of blue-tinted ice that splash into the sea from Alaska's calving tidewater glaciers make for dramatic images, but far more meltwater is flowing into the ocean from Alaska's mountain and inland glaciers, a new study has found. In all, Alaska's melting glaciers are losing 75 billion tons of ice a year. Blue ice occurs when snow falls on a glacier, is compressed, & becomes part of the glacier. Air bubbles are squeezed out & ice crystals enlarge, making the ice appear blue. Juneau, Alaska https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598221882925-BA6AM3Z3ATGRY92IGJRG/Coastal+Brown+Bear+%27Speedy+2%27+%231.jpg Alaska - Coastal Brown Bear “Speedy 2” #1 Catching salmon at the Fish Weir Haines Alaska - Chilkoot River. They have access to coastal food resources like salmon. Grizzly bears live further inland and typically do not have access to marine-derived food resources. A fish weir blocks the fish migrations up stream to monitor & do a visual count of “the total sockeye escapement fish” with a controlled release/opening. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598222011614-FDFETQJ4XYN6A551LL5N/Coastal+Brown+Bear+%27Speedy+2%27+%234.jpg Alaska - Coastal Brown Bear “Speedy 2” #4 Walking along the Chilkoot River through fire weed Haines Alaska. “Speedy 2” is a three-year-old female. Fireweed is native throughout temporal North America (subalpine zone). Fireweed is a perennial flower that belongs to the willowherb family. The name fireweed stems from its ability to colonize areas burned by fire rapidly. http://jfm-photography.com/treatise-american-goldfinch daily 0.75 2021-01-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610840666649-KL7E0ZP7SRAPSSBF0TG4/image-asset.jpeg Treatise American Goldfinch - Nestling Am Goldfinch This very young Nestling is waiting for its parents to feed it regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610840666649-KL7E0ZP7SRAPSSBF0TG4/image-asset.jpeg Treatise American Goldfinch - Nestling Am Goldfinch This very young Nestling is waiting for its parents to feed it regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610840751239-35SI2MZDAKYAWPB5F4GZ/02-Nestling+Am.+Goldfinch+on+Sunflower+-12+%280738%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Nestling Am Goldfinch This very young Nestling is waiting for its parents to feed it regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610840816336-4GI4F4ITTC2Q6D829F36/03-Male+Goldfinch+feeding+nestling+-2+%280798%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Feeding Nestling American Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Nesting activity during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. Lays 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610840816786-THFSHUY87E9EIHFJUCHO/04-Male+Goldfinch+feeding+nestling+-4+%280796%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Feeding Nestling American Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Nesting activity during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. Lays 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610840817178-U6P6UY3YG4VDI6CIFEA4/05-Male+Goldfinch+feeding+nestling+-6+%280794%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Feeding Nestling American Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Nesting activity during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. Lays 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610840969882-OVG315GZZSAON1QW5RU8/07-Nestling+Am.+Goldfinch+on+Sunflower+-2+%280764%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Nestling Am Goldfinch on Sunflower The Nestling Am. Goldfinch graduate to foraging on their own for the sunflower seeds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610840817772-HZX7QI5ZNZVYL4QH5HK7/06-Male+Goldfinch+feeding+nestling+-15+%280788%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Feeding Nestling American Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Nesting activity during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. Lays 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610840970212-X9WPXW1NO1U4WME3B44Q/08-Nestling+Am.+Goldfinch+on+Sunflower+-3+%280761%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Nestling Am Goldfinch on Sunflower The Nestling Am. Goldfinch graduate to foraging on their own for the sunflower seeds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841099216-RJEKO6G92FEMVEH7TJEL/10-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+-1+%280659%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610840970584-3ICZZFRB654NFQ2HDSBO/09-Nestling+Am.+Goldfinch+on+Sunflower+-4+%280760%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Nestling Am Goldfinch on Sunflower The Nestling Am. Goldfinch graduate to foraging on their own for the sunflower seeds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841099357-9B40LYJJXP5RSY5I6850/11-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+-3+%280657%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841099873-D5J2HIZ4R2XJ04SJ9I5Z/12-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+-4+%280656%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841100427-LIBN0A6L53EBR79F3ET1/13-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+-6+%280649%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841100616-K4V6EKOBM16AH4YSRGYA/14-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+-14+%280478%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841281432-0WFF46M2PWGPELCR7DOP/19-Female+Am+Goldfinch+-10+%280324%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Female Am Goldfinch Females are duller yellow to brown, while males are bright yellow with black ascents. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841101069-OELNGL58TVGXY7QFB7LJ/15-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+-15+%280477%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841281660-UQGQHB6IR6WT3QH9QHH7/20-Female+Am+Goldfinch+-7+%280307%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Female Am Goldfinch Females are duller yellow to brown, while males are bright yellow with black ascents. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841101225-B5ECUYL53YZ7DPDXT55C/16-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+-18+%280466%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841282217-8FXJFRKW01VS3JGOSB2V/21-Female+Am+Goldfinch+-6+%280285%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Female Am Goldfinch Females are duller yellow to brown, while males are bright yellow with black ascents. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841101891-0VBIRJXL401VN9R9ICRO/17-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+-19+%280464%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841282956-T9V2ICL4B8HMNHXXPS05/22-Female+Am+Goldfinch+-5+%280283%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Female Am Goldfinch Females are duller yellow to brown, while males are bright yellow with black ascents. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841410660-9Y5HWGWYG5JVH34A6RYY/25-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+%26+Sunflower+and+Bee+1+%280258%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch & Sunflower & Bee Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841102061-49N6KT3L9M7C21AGM5BG/18-Female+Am+Goldfinch+-18+%280346%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841283326-F9ST86OV5J6C6LM5IB7R/23-Female+Am+Goldfinch+-4+%280281%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Female Am Goldfinch Females are duller yellow to brown, while males are bright yellow with black ascents. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841410913-4MSTQRXU1HZGUT7WXCSA/26-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+%26+Sunflower+Seed+-5+%280255%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch & Sunflower Seed Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841283513-ELZU1ALMN5J80MG0OOVI/24-Female+Am+Goldfinch+-3+%280280%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Female Am Goldfinch Females are duller yellow to brown, while males are bright yellow with black ascents. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1610841411353-OUXOYNXPCL0P23SSK1XG/27-Male+Am.+Goldfinch+%26+Sunflower+Seed+-4+%280254%29.jpg Treatise American Goldfinch - Male Am Goldfinch & Sunflower Seed Males are bright yellow with black ascents while females are duller yellow to brown. Am. Goldfinch forages on sunflowers acrobatically to reach the seeds. Nesting activity is during July & August. In courtship, male performs fluttering flight display while singing. Both parents feed nestlings who are fed regurgitated matter mostly made up of seeds. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in a solid, compact cup of plant fibers, spiderwebs & plant down. The birds will bound up and down in flight calling “perchickory”. http://jfm-photography.com/wisconsin daily 0.75 2021-04-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618174996629-XBFY8VXUEI8R98CWD0Y9/image-asset.jpeg Wisconsin - White Birch Copse at Twilight #1 The tall stately mirific copse of white birch trunks stand as sentinels in the blue twilight hues as the fall foliage of Peninsula State Park is enveloped in the darkness of the night. The bark of the stately white birch trees rising to the canopy appears to have eyes. The ancient lore, says the birch tree “eyes” served as guides along arduous mountain journeys so that travelers would be seen safely home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618174996629-XBFY8VXUEI8R98CWD0Y9/image-asset.jpeg Wisconsin - White Birch Copse at Twilight #1 The tall stately mirific copse of white birch trunks stand as sentinels in the blue twilight hues as the fall foliage of Peninsula State Park is enveloped in the darkness of the night. The bark of the stately white birch trees rising to the canopy appears to have eyes. The ancient lore, says the birch tree “eyes” served as guides along arduous mountain journeys so that travelers would be seen safely home. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618175277423-NV2A6GVWM92D9LFDBMDV/Sunrise+Rowleys+Bay%2C+WI.+-2.jpg Wisconsin - Sunrise Rowleys Bay, WI. # 1 Rowleys Bay is an unincorporated community located on Lake Michigan in northern Door County, Wisconsin, in the town of Liberty Grove that sits on the edge of the Mink River Estuary, one of Wisconsin’s most diverse and important wildlife habitats. The community is named after Peter Rowley who settled in the area in 1835, nearly 150 years after French missionaries first visited in the late 1600s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618175344827-42KZV0Q62Y0F8UD57G3X/Sugar+Maples+Timberline+Rd.+Ellison+Bay+-2.jpg Wisconsin - Sugar Maples Timberline Rd. Ellison Bay #2 Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) medium to dark-green leaves turn yellow, burnt orange or red in fall. Ellison Bay north eastern Door County Peninsula was established in 1863 & named after Danish born Johan Elliason. It is said Elliason purchased a mile of shoreline, advertised in Europe & Scandinavia for people to come settle in the area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618175566251-S5DTA0RS84D8XCXQD6E8/5-44AM+Sunrise+Rowleys+Bay%2C+WI_.jpg Wisconsin - 5:44 AM Sunrise Rowleys Bay, WI. Rowleys Bay is an unincorporated community located on Lake Michigan in northern Door County, Wisconsin, in the town of Liberty Grove that sits on the edge of the Mink River Estuary, one of Wisconsin’s most diverse and important wildlife habitats. The community is named after Peter Rowley who settled in the area in 1835, nearly 150 years after French missionaries first visited in the late 1600s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618175722448-8QRB60CHVJ2U20M8MJGD/5-59+AM+Sunrise+Rowleys+Bay%2C+WI_.jpg Wisconsin - 5:59 AM Sunrise Rowleys Bay, WI. Rowleys Bay is an unincorporated community located on Lake Michigan in northern Door County, Wisconsin, in the town of Liberty Grove that sits on the edge of the Mink River Estuary, one of Wisconsin’s most diverse and important wildlife habitats. The community is named after Peter Rowley who settled in the area in 1835, nearly 150 years after French missionaries first visited in the late 1600s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618175771065-DYYPC38KLYVSVZ5AHHBZ/Seaquist+Orchards+-1+Red+Apples.jpg Wisconsin - Seaquist Orchards #1 Red Apples Seaquist Orchards Farm Market are the premier cherry grower and retailer of cherries and cherry products, as well as, other fruits in Wisconsin. The market is located north of the scenic little village of Sister Bay, near the tip of the Door Peninsula. Currently Dale (4th generation) and Jim (5th generation) are partners. Jim’s wife Robin manages the business office and Dale’s wife Kristin manages the Farm Market. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618175833262-RX3SADHEDQ1XRKZ3WZ36/Steel+Clad+Cana+Lighthouse+-1.jpg Wisconsin - Steel Clad Cana Lighthouse #1 The Cana Island lighthouse is a lighthouse located just north of Baileys Harbor in Door County, Wisconsin, United States. Along with the Baileys Harbor Range Lights, the lighthouse was built to replace the Baileys Harbor Lighthouse in 1869 and was first lit in 1870. The keeper's quarters, privy, and tower were the first buildings and were made of cream city brick, but the brick of the tower deteriorated quickly because of storms and icy winters. In 1902, a steel cladding was added to the tower to protect it from further deterioration. The oil house bottom right once stored the fuel for the lighthouse lamp; it is the only six-sided stone structure of its kind in the Great Lakes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618175918812-KPGCITC9RCDQYY4A0PJM/Waves+at+Cana+Lighthouse+causeway.jpg Wisconsin - Waves at Cana Lighthouse Causeway Waves at Cana Lighthouse causeway Lake Michigan, Wisconsin, USA. The rising waters of Lake Michigan over the past couple of years is covering with 18 inches of water the causeway leading from the mainland parking lot to the island. This has been troublesome for some visitors. They can now make the crossing on a hay wagon pulled by a tractor. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618175985620-PSA3A97USSOXUX5T4920/Sugar+Maples+Timberline+Rd.+Ellison+Bay+-3.jpg Wisconsin - Sugar Maples Timberline Rd. Ellison Bay #3 Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) medium to dark-green leaves turn yellow, burnt orange or red in fall. Ellison Bay north eastern Door County Peninsula was established in 1863 & named after Danish born Johan Elliason. It is said Elliason purchased a mile of shoreline, advertised in Europe & Scandinavia for people to come settle in the area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618179447662-2MITHCRGR63K78AIIIL2/Sturgeon+Bay+Canal+North+Pierhead+Light.jpg Wisconsin - Sturgeon Bay Canal North Pierhead Light The Sturgeon Bay Canal North Pierhead Light is a red lighthouse located on Sturgeon Bay in Door County, Wisconsin. Painted red, the light is situated on the north pier of the southern entrance to the Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal. There are two lighthouses at this location, the other being the Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618179513712-9WTWWY2VSFMFC5LAIXDE/Sunrise+Rowleys+Bay%2C+WI.+-4.jpg Wisconsin - Sunrise Rowleys Bay, WI. # 4 Rowleys Bay is an unincorporated community located on Lake Michigan in northern Door County, Wisconsin, in the town of Liberty Grove that sits on the edge of the Mink River Estuary, one of Wisconsin’s most diverse and important wildlife habitats. The community is named after Peter Rowley who settled in the area in 1835, nearly 150 years after French missionaries first visited in the late 1600s. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618179590585-3MV0460BDV2W9JESVF2D/Sugar+Maples+Timberline+Rd.+Ellison+Bay+-4.jpg Wisconsin - Sugar Maples Timberline Rd. Ellison Bay #4 Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) medium to dark-green leaves turn yellow, burnt orange or red in fall. Ellison Bay north eastern Door County Peninsula was established in 1863 & named after Danish born Johan Elliason. It is said Elliason purchased a mile of shoreline, advertised in Europe & Scandinavia for people to come settle in the area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618179670312-DHCIF34C9A7ZXC8WXL9U/Hay+Rounds+Timberline+Rd.+Ellison+Bay+-1_.jpg Wisconsin - Hay Rounds Timberline Rd. Ellison Bay #1 Picturesque ton round bales dot the autumn fields skirted by sugar maples. The round bales require less time to dry between cutting and baling. This is because they are packed more densely and their shape makes them more moisture resistant. Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) medium to dark-green leaves turn yellow, burnt orange or red in fall. Ellison Bay north eastern Door County Peninsula was established in 1863 & named after Danish born Johan Elliason. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618179743640-CLSMXQ183KSH1OE4OKSW/Main+Rd.+Golden+Sugar+Maples+-1.jpg Wisconsin - Main Rd. Golden Sugar Maples # 1 Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) medium to dark-green leaves turn yellow, burnt orange or red in fall. In contrast are the white paper birch trunks (Betula papyrifera). Grows to 60' to 75', 40'-50' spread. (zones 3-8). Located at the Bethel Evangelical Free Church 1821 Main Rd, Washington, WI. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618179790492-JQI7GX089QYAAH7B6Q8Z/Abandoned+Long+Boat+-1.jpg Wisconsin - Abandoned Long Boat #1 The abandoned long boat rests on the limestone rocks tumbled into smooth discs shore of School House Beach in Washington Harbor, Washington Island, WI. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618179835727-KO3EMD7OI8NGHEC33B1H/Fall+Milkweed.jpg Wisconsin - Fall Milkweed Milkweed plants produce distinct seed pods in late summer. Pods are filled with seeds and floss, a material attached to the seed that allows it to travel on the wind, similar to dandelion seed. The milkweed flower is the preferred food of the Monarch Butterflies in their epic migration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618179890545-6ATOPQ323ILWIJ3FMEMJ/Main+Rd.+Golden+Sugar+Maples+-4.jpg Wisconsin - Main Rd. Golden Sugar Maples # 4 Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) medium to dark-green leaves turn yellow, burnt orange or red in fall. In contrast are the white paper birch trunks (Betula papyrifera). Grows to 60' to 75', 40'-50' spread. (zones 3-8). Located at the Bethel Evangelical Free Church 1821 Main Rd, Washington, WI. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618179976294-ZOD7MGKLBF40U4FHMU00/Washington+Harbor+-2.jpg Wisconsin - Washington Harbor #2 Washington Harbor is a protected harbor area and the Island's original shipping port. Deep, clear, blue waters that have sheltered many a ship and small vessel in storms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618180073513-6XBYS8LZ14JZV4FIQ9XR/Drying+Lavender+-1.jpg Wisconsin - Drying Lavender #1 Fragrant Isle Lavender Farm 1350 Airport Road, Washington Island, WI. The largest lavender farm in the mid-west. Used as a culinary herd & decoration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618180153009-M2F9BQJJVZPBE4WG3VEW/Main+Rd.+Golden+Sugar+Maples+-5.jpg Wisconsin - Main Rd. Golden Sugar Maples #5 Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) medium to dark-green leaves turn yellow, burnt orange or red in fall. In contrast are the white paper birch trunks (Betula papyrifera). Grows to 60' to 75', 40'-50' spread. (zones 3-8). Located at the Bethel Evangelical Free Church 1821 Main Rd, Washington, WI. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618180201947-OFVB8ACJOG1WRWV09OLN/Eagle+Panorama+View+Point+-2_.jpg Wisconsin - Eagle Panorama View Point #2 Eagle Panorama View point with Horseshoe Island in background Peninsula State Park, WI. Sugar maple medium to dark-green leaves turn yellow, burnt orange or red in fall. The maple beech forest is a climax mesic closed canopy hardwood forest. It is primarily composed of American beech & sugar maple trees which co-dominate the forest & which are the pinnacle of plant succession in their range. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1618180254403-4TTQLU1RN654DM7FL8FB/Sunset+Eagle+Panorama+View+Point+-2.jpg Wisconsin - Sunset Eagle Panorama View Point #2 Sunset at Eagle Panorama View point with Horseshoe Island in background Peninsula State Park, WI. Sugar maple medium to dark-green leaves turn yellow, burnt orange or red in fall. The maple beech forest is a climax mesic closed canopy hardwood forest. It is primarily composed of American beech & sugar maple trees which co-dominate the forest & which are the pinnacle of plant succession in their range. http://jfm-photography.com/isreal daily 0.75 2023-08-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692991722673-K8E6IWWD7TOE0OWLJYCT/Suspended+Orange+Tree+Sculpture+by+Ran+Morin+Old+Town%2C+2+HaTsorfim+St.%2CJaffa++Israel.jpg Isreal - Suspended Orange Tree Sculpture by Ran Morin Old Town, 2 HaTsorfim St. Jaffa, Israel https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692991722673-K8E6IWWD7TOE0OWLJYCT/Suspended+Orange+Tree+Sculpture+by+Ran+Morin+Old+Town%2C+2+HaTsorfim+St.%2CJaffa++Israel.jpg Isreal - Suspended Orange Tree Sculpture by Ran Morin Old Town, 2 HaTsorfim St. Jaffa, Israel http://jfm-photography.com/middle-east-west-asia daily 0.75 2025-08-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692976846009-FDB8Q6OHW0GEXDRH0BKU/image-asset.jpeg Jordan - Petra Bedouin Camel Herder - 1 He is a dromedary /camel-herding Bedouin selling camel rides at Petra. Officially, the Bedouins were “removed” from Petra in 1985 when the park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But unofficially, they are still here. 35-50 families remain in the 2,000+-year-old caves they have always called home. Bedouin - Bedu, or "desert dwellers" are nomadic inhabitants of the Persian Gulf who claim descent from two male lineages: Adnani and Qahtani. They retain a life style similar to the early biblical characters of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. They still hold on to the ancient Arab values of generosity, hospitality and good virtues. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692976846009-FDB8Q6OHW0GEXDRH0BKU/image-asset.jpeg Jordan - Petra Bedouin Camel Herder - 1 He is a dromedary /camel-herding Bedouin selling camel rides at Petra. Officially, the Bedouins were “removed” from Petra in 1985 when the park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But unofficially, they are still here. 35-50 families remain in the 2,000+-year-old caves they have always called home. Bedouin - Bedu, or "desert dwellers" are nomadic inhabitants of the Persian Gulf who claim descent from two male lineages: Adnani and Qahtani. They retain a life style similar to the early biblical characters of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. They still hold on to the ancient Arab values of generosity, hospitality and good virtues. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692976939922-UEBZWXJ6H62124IMAS7X/Petra+Bedouin+Camel+Herder+-+2.jpg Jordan - Petra Bedouin Camel Herder - 2 He is a dromedary /camel-herding Bedouin selling camel rides at Petra. Officially, the Bedouins were “removed” from Petra in 1985 when the park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But unofficially, they are still here. 35-50 families remain in the 2,000+-year-old caves they have always called home. Bedouin - Bedu, or "desert dwellers" are nomadic inhabitants of the Persian Gulf who claim descent from two male lineages: Adnani and Qahtani. They retain a life style similar to the early biblical characters of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. They still hold on to the ancient Arab values of generosity, hospitality and good virtues. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692977005502-MTFRLMAPK7HSA77117YX/Petra+Bedouin+Camel+Herder+-+3.jpg Jordan - Petra Bedouin Camel Herder - 3 He is a dromedary /camel-herding Bedouin selling camel rides at Petra. Officially, the Bedouins were “removed” from Petra in 1985 when the park became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But unofficially, they are still here. 35-50 families remain in the 2,000+-year-old caves they have always called home. Bedouin - Bedu, or "desert dwellers" are nomadic inhabitants of the Persian Gulf who claim descent from two male lineages: Adnani and Qahtani. They retain a life style similar to the early biblical characters of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. They still hold on to the ancient Arab values of generosity, hospitality and good virtues. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692977110683-JCEESBOL82013XFNFWJE/Jordan+Unmarried+Girl+Bedouin+Portrait.jpg Jordan - Jordan Unmarried Girl Bedouin - Bedu, or "desert dwellers" are nomadic inhabitants of the Persian Gulf who claim descent from two male lineages: Adnani and Qahtani. They retain a life style similar to the early biblical characters of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. They still hold on to the ancient Arab values of generosity, hospitality and good virtues. They are Muslims and Islam permits a man to take up to four wives, though the practice varies greatly among different Muslim communities, often depending on education and income. Arab families push to have girls married between 18-19 years old rather than seek higher education. If they don’t marry, they remain in their family’s home under the auspices of the father or men in the family. This is a male dominated culture where women have limited rights /freedom to travel/independence /occupation choices compared to western cultures. Their role that often depends on education and income of the family unit is to be a wife, home maker and bear children. In Arabic, the Word for Single Woman Means ‘Withered Branch' https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692977171367-VUQRNMEFGJNQJHOHRCN6/Bedouin+Eyes+-+1.jpg Jordan - Bedouin Eyes Bedouin - Bedu, or "desert dwellers" are nomadic inhabitants of the Persian Gulf who claim descent from two male lineages: Adnani and Qahtani. They retain a life style similar to the early biblical characters of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob. They still hold on to the ancient Arab values of generosity, hospitality and good virtues. They are Muslims and Islam permits a man to take up to four wives, though the practice varies greatly among different Muslim communities, often depending on education and income. While most Bedouin tribes used to be fully nomadic, only about 2 % are today. Amenities like hot water and electricity pushed more Bedouins to adopt a modern lifestyle over the last 100 years. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754871852903-AL5OLHLNYCWQRM3F1KJD/Arabian+Oryx+0374+%28crop%29.jpeg Jordan - Arabian Oryx Series #1 Arabian Oryx - icon of resilience and survival - located at the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, & a tufted tail, native to desert & steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula from Egypt to Yemen & Syria. The Arabian oryx went extinct in the wild in 1972 hunted for food & the presumed magical powers of its horn. There are now only 1,000 Oryx highly adapted to the harsh desert climate, with the ability to go for long periods without water, obtaining moisture from plants & dew instead, active at night, hooves that can dig into the sand, allowing them to traverse the soft desert terrain with ease. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754871929259-FNDEIPJLUZKUKNYH7MX7/Arabian+Oryx+0412+%28full%29.jpeg Jordan - Arabian Oryx Series #2 Arabian Oryx - icon of resilience and survival - located at the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, & a tufted tail, native to desert & steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula from Egypt to Yemen & Syria. The Arabian oryx went extinct in the wild in 1972 hunted for food & the presumed magical powers of its horn. There are now only 1,000 Oryx highly adapted to the harsh desert climate, with the ability to go for long periods without water, obtaining moisture from plants & dew instead, active at night, hooves that can dig into the sand, allowing them to traverse the soft desert terrain with ease. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754871980716-HSC7CN07SMW8156HGC1Q/Arabian+Oryx+0416+%28sq+crop%29.jpeg Jordan - Arabian Oryx Series #3 Arabian Oryx - icon of resilience and survival - located at the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, & a tufted tail, native to desert & steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula from Egypt to Yemen & Syria. The Arabian oryx went extinct in the wild in 1972 hunted for food & the presumed magical powers of its horn. There are now only 1,000 Oryx highly adapted to the harsh desert climate, with the ability to go for long periods without water, obtaining moisture from plants & dew instead, active at night, hooves that can dig into the sand, allowing them to traverse the soft desert terrain with ease. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754872020581-FUKI4RSSAX61SMJ29YAS/Arabian+Oryx+0417+%28crop%29.jpeg Jordan - Arabian Oryx Series #4 Arabian Oryx - icon of resilience and survival - located at the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, & a tufted tail, native to desert & steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula from Egypt to Yemen & Syria. The Arabian oryx went extinct in the wild in 1972 hunted for food & the presumed magical powers of its horn. There are now only 1,000 Oryx highly adapted to the harsh desert climate, with the ability to go for long periods without water, obtaining moisture from plants & dew instead, active at night, hooves that can dig into the sand, allowing them to traverse the soft desert terrain with ease. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754872073526-H0JOLM3OEK80NZJ7FWKN/Arabian+Oryx+0418+%28full%29.jpeg Jordan - Arabian Oryx Series #5 Arabian Oryx - icon of resilience and survival - located at the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, & a tufted tail, native to desert & steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula from Egypt to Yemen & Syria. The Arabian oryx went extinct in the wild in 1972 hunted for food & the presumed magical powers of its horn. There are now only 1,000 Oryx highly adapted to the harsh desert climate, with the ability to go for long periods without water, obtaining moisture from plants & dew instead, active at night, hooves that can dig into the sand, allowing them to traverse the soft desert terrain with ease. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754872119690-NCDXQAF38YAKS7FS6Z0W/Arabian+Oryx+0423+%28full%29.jpeg Jordan - Arabian Oryx Series #6 Arabian Oryx - icon of resilience and survival - located at the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The Arabian Oryx or White Oryx is a medium-sized antelope with a distinct shoulder bump, long, straight horns, & a tufted tail, native to desert & steppe areas of the Arabian Peninsula from Egypt to Yemen & Syria. The Arabian oryx went extinct in the wild in 1972 hunted for food & the presumed magical powers of its horn. There are now only 1,000 Oryx highly adapted to the harsh desert climate, with the ability to go for long periods without water, obtaining moisture from plants & dew instead, active at night, hooves that can dig into the sand, allowing them to traverse the soft desert terrain with ease. http://jfm-photography.com/palestine daily 0.75 2023-08-25 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692977766664-EW1K5J4O1MH49WRT1DTA/Banksy+Graffiti+Israel+Separation+Wall+Across+from++Banksy+Bethlehem+%3FWalled++Off%E2%80%9D+Hotel%2C+Palestine+.jpg Palestine - Banksy Graffiti - 1 Israel Separation Wall Across from Banksy Bethlehem “Walled Off” Hotel, Palestine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692977766664-EW1K5J4O1MH49WRT1DTA/Banksy+Graffiti+Israel+Separation+Wall+Across+from++Banksy+Bethlehem+%3FWalled++Off%E2%80%9D+Hotel%2C+Palestine+.jpg Palestine - Banksy Graffiti - 1 Israel Separation Wall Across from Banksy Bethlehem “Walled Off” Hotel, Palestine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692977826953-5N6WXB4CLOE1UQORADWI/Banksy+Graffiti+Israel+Separation+Wall+Bethlehem%2C+Palestine+.jpg Palestine - Banksy Graffiti - 2 Israel Separation Wall Across from Banksy Bethlehem “Walled Off” Hotel, Palestine https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1692977864976-MVREMYEVO46IGVM4SNDU/Bethlehem+Palestine+Israel+Separation+Wall+Apartheid+Banksy+Graffiti+Art.jpg Palestine - Banksy Graffiti - 3 Israel Separation Wall Across from Banksy Bethlehem “Walled Off” Hotel, Palestine" http://jfm-photography.com/australia daily 0.75 2025-08-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136174445-NDWQCZU39JF65JLJCD89/Outback+Sunrise+%231.jpg Australia - Outback Sunrise #1 Image taken in Autumn/March from a Hot Air Balloon 300 feet high in the Central “Red Center” Australian Outback Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The water vapor from the trees is the mist highlighted in the sun’s rays. Temperature later in the day was 114 Fahrenheit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136174445-NDWQCZU39JF65JLJCD89/Outback+Sunrise+%231.jpg Australia - Outback Sunrise #1 Image taken in Autumn/March from a Hot Air Balloon 300 feet high in the Central “Red Center” Australian Outback Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The water vapor from the trees is the mist highlighted in the sun’s rays. Temperature later in the day was 114 Fahrenheit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136192290-H6CSQWZC2LGLXQGCK70H/Cassowary+%231.jpg Australia - Cassowary #1 One eye head shot- Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures Australia. Cassowaries are the relatives of the Velociraptors. This “murderbird” 3rd Largest bird in the world is flightless; Females weigh 175 lbs./5.5 to 6 ft. tall; thick 3 toed feet 4-inch talons with dagger inner claw; Hiss, whistle & low frequency rumble noises & have a very powerful bite. Flat breastbone lacks a keel anchoring the pectoral muscles for flight. Central “Red Center” Australian Outback, Northern Territory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136202221-HKAQ6XBXIGFTE1FRX4KW/Outback+Sunrise+%232.jpg Australia - Outback Sunrise #2 Image taken in Autumn/March from a Hot Air Balloon 300 feet high in the Central “Red Center” Australian Outback Alice Springs, Northern Territory. The water vapor from the trees is the mist highlighted in the sun’s rays. Temperature later in the day was 114 Fahrenheit. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754858519338-YQCTL01PAN5QROF6Q82U/Uluru-Kata+Tjuta+National+Park+Australia.jpg Australia - Sunrise Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Central “Red Center” Australian Outback, Northern Territory https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136217921-AOVU6X4UFBUJ0PBMKCTU/Queensland+UBF+644.jpg Australia - UBF 644 Queensland Central “Red Center” Australian Outback Alice Springs, Northern Territory – Camel Farm workers worn out Boots, Rams Skull, Saw & License plates nailed to the porch roof of Pyndan Camel Tracks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136227277-ZKVA2MBN16EZEZRG6CP8/Cassowary+%232.jpg Australia - Cassowary #2 Two eyes’ head shot- Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures. Cassowaries are the relatives of the Velociraptors. This “murderbird” 3rd Largest bird in the world is flightless; Females weigh 175 lbs./5.5 to 6 ft. tall; thick 3 toed feet 4-inch talons with dagger inner claw; Hiss, whistle & low frequency rumble noises & have a very powerful bite. Flat breastbone lacks a keel anchoring the pectoral muscles for flight. Central “Red Center” Australian Outback, Northern Territory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136237673-L9UQ7HM52OKM40I9LWNU/Queensland+037+VJG.jpg Australia - Queensland 037 VJG Central “Red Center” Australian Outback Alice Springs, Northern Territory - Camel Farm workers worn out Boots, Lantern & License plates nailed to the porch roof of Pyndan Camel Tracks. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754956016738-BSCL95PX1GS4OTFVKB3D/Brighton+Bathing+Boxes+on+Dendy+Street+Beach+%2C+AU.jpg Australia - Brighton Bathing Boxes on Dendy Street Beach The Brighton Bathing Boxes are 82 beach huts on Dendy Street Beach in Brighton, Victoria, Australia, in the City of Bayside. The bathing boxes are unique because of their uniform scale, proportion, & building materials. They are the only remaining structures of their kind close to the Melbourne central business district. As a functional remnant of a bygone Victorian era. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136248640-BVBTRR6NOZZSFD5YXDIP/Woolamai+Cape+Sun+Seeker+%232.jpg Australia - Woolamai Cape Sun Seeker #2 Portrait - Sun seeker tanning at the Cape Woolamai surfing beach, Victoria in south east Phillip Island, Australia. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716136258314-6BBR4SAC2ZWWF5WPWW1Z/The+Model+and+the+French+Tuck.jpg Australia - The Model and the French Tuck Portrait – Attendant adjusting the models clothing French Tuck before an advertising shoot on the streets of Sydney Australia. Homage to the work of Norman Rockwell’s visual arts humor. Note: The French tuck is simply the art of tucking in a shirt just at the very front while leaving the back loose and untucked at the sides. It's all about the drape here! According to Tan France (It’s creator fashion stylist on Netflix show, Queer Eye) this simple tucking technique instantly adds polish to any look and helps add balance to a silhouette. http://jfm-photography.com/zealandia daily 0.75 2025-08-11 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754858131059-XX08NRRBLEE1S3U8OG8F/Anorak+Mt.+Cook+NP.jpg Zealandia - Aorak Mount Cook National Park It is a rugged land of New Zealand’s largest glaciers, with glaciers covering an impressive 40% of the park with 19 peaks over 3,000 meters including New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook. New Zealand's only International Dark Sky Reserve. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754858131059-XX08NRRBLEE1S3U8OG8F/Anorak+Mt.+Cook+NP.jpg Zealandia - Aorak Mount Cook National Park It is a rugged land of New Zealand’s largest glaciers, with glaciers covering an impressive 40% of the park with 19 peaks over 3,000 meters including New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook. New Zealand's only International Dark Sky Reserve. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754858377889-SZDMY5DYNCJCM9EO70LL/Mt+Cook+3+.jpg Zealandia - Anorak in background Mt. Cook National Park It is a rugged land of New Zealand’s largest glaciers, with glaciers covering an impressive 40% of the park with 19 peaks over 3,000 metres including New Zealand's highest mountain, Aoraki/Mount Cook. New Zealand's only International Dark Sky Reserve. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754858200325-E649M2H58UPT1PSSRAES/Anorak+Mt.+Cook+NP+Close+up.jpg Zealandia - Aorak Mount Cook National Park (Close up) To Ngāi Tahu, Aoraki represents the most sacred of ancestors, from whom Ngāi Tahu descend and who provide the iwi with its sense of communal identity, solidarity and purpose. The ancestor embodied in the mountain remains the physical manifestation of Aoraki, the link between the supernatural and the natural world. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754857893916-VAMXVJ6D9EV18P5C3VZ6/Sunset+Tasman+River+Valley+Aorak+in+background.jpg Zealandia - Sunset Tasman River Valley Aorak in background Mount Aorak/ Mt Cook in the background the Tasman valley is located just outside in Mount Cook Village on New Zealand's South Island. Named after Abel Tasman is officially recognized as the first European to 'discover' New Zealand in 1642. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754858022399-MBX09E0WQ11TX5QHATUB/Aorak+in+Clouds+at+Sunset.jpg Zealandia - Aorak in Clouds at Sunset Māori - Aorangi or Aoraki, meaning cloud piercer. The highest mountain in New Zealand. Its height is 3,724 meters (12,218 feet). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716138405718-2XGVSHJJ437R7SFGCK0O/Three+Mallards+%232.jpg Zealandia - Three Mallards #2 Mallards - Autumn on the Otakaro (Avon) River at the Mona Vale Garden Park, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754858263024-DUEAQ2N3SZEE3F4XI949/Mount+Aspiring+National+Park+Dart+River+Valley%2C+NZ.jpg Zealandia - Mount Aspiring National Park Dart River Valley, NZ It is a massive area of wilderness - glaciers, snowfields, mountains, valleys and wildlife habitats that require days of hiking to reach. To the west of the divide, where rainfall is plentiful, the beech forest comes with a sound track of birdsong and waterfalls. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716138348537-UHUSMVX3THLXC5KBZ88J/image-asset.jpeg Zealandia - Three Mallards #1 Close up of the three Mallards - Autumn on the Otakaro (Avon) River at the Mona Vale Garden Park, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754871494026-2EQV0AJTXIQ6S3GW9O3C/Te+W%C3%A4hipounamu+-+Greenstone+Waters.+%C2%A9+JFM+jpg.jpeg Zealandia - Te Wāhipounamu -Greenstone Waters Māori name for this area of Mirror Lakes a set of lakes lying north of Lake Te Anau & immediately to the west of the road from Te Anau to Milford Sound in New Zealand. The Ngai Tahu, the local Māori tribe, recognize the area as the home of Atua, or gods. The Māori used to travel through the park's valleys to collect greenstone, a translucent greenstone that was used to make jewelry. The reflections are of the Earl Mountains. Mirror Lakes Fiordland Nat’l Park, New Zealand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1716138449524-O81DSQMZMFH53BCJA90V/Three+Carolina+Wood+Ducks.jpg Zealandia - Three Carolina Wood Ducks The Wood Duck’s nest in tree holes & have strong claws for perching in trees. Ducklings have to jump 10 meters to the ground leaving the nest. These are native to North America but are here in the Willowbank Wildlife Reserve. 60 Hussey Rd., Christchurch, New Zealand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754858309919-C3Q189CMRPXZQE54LQ56/Water+Fall+Mararoa+Waimea+Ward%2C+Milford+Sound%2C+NZ.jpg Zealandia - Mararoa Waimea Ward, Milford Sound, NZ Milford Sound is often referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the World" due to its breathtaking landscapes. Towering cliffs, dramatic waterfalls, lush rainforests, and crystal-clear waters. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754871638709-RYDTIP4XB1KIVV7EDQ2R/Mossy+Silver+Beech%2C+Milford+Sound%2C+NZ.jpeg Zealandia - Mossy Silver Beech Milford Sound The mossy silver Beech tree’s branches are located on the banks of the Tutoko River, Fiordland National Park, Milford Sound, New Zealand. The Tutoko River is named after an important rangatira chief who lived in the region. The physical mountains & rivers are connected to the spiritual worlds through whakapapa (genealogy) to the gods via their mauri/life force. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754871587128-T9CVV8GL2N2UQDOL5D9Q/Lone+Tree+Dart+River+Valley+NZ.jpeg Zealandia - Lone Tree Dart River Valley The Te Awa Whakatipu (Māori name) - Dart River valley is located on the South Island of New Zealand near city of Queenstown. But more accurately the small town of Glenorchy/ a former stop on the ferry route (no longer running) is the beginning of the area called “Paradise” accessible by a jet boat ride up the shallow murky milky river water filled with “glacier flour” a fine dust of rock pulverized by the glacier. The Dart River valley was the location for many scenes filmed for The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. Examples are Isengard, filmed at Dan's Paddock, and Lothlórien in the old oak forests slightly further north. The Dart River Māori name is Whakatipu Kā Tuka, the Hollyford River. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754955474068-SI66G3BHZ9EI08G5CU5T/Te+Awa+Whakatipu++Stream+.jpg Zealandia - Te Awa Whakatipu Stream The Te Awa Whakatipu (Māori name) - Dart River valley is located on the South Island of New Zealand near city of Queenstown. But more accurately the small town of Glenorchy/ a former stop on the ferry route (no longer running) is the beginning of the area called “Paradise”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754955629519-OO77GYQX4JQNQUBTE421/Sheep+Dart+River+Valley.jpg Zealandia - outh Suffolk & New Zealand Romney Sheep Dart River Valley The Romney are the popular breed being medium to large, heavy-bodied sheep, with good wool cover all over their bodies and heads. Romneys are dual-purpose sheep, bred for both wool and meat. http://jfm-photography.com/central-america daily 0.75 2025-08-10 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754868826800-OY10WPZJYEPDANLTMF6K/Majestic+Little+Blue+Heron+-2+.jpeg Central America https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754868826800-OY10WPZJYEPDANLTMF6K/Majestic+Little+Blue+Heron+-2+.jpeg Central America http://jfm-photography.com/egypt daily 0.75 2025-08-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756390694727-CR1SLPLDBG338MY5Y2X7/01+Tutankhamen+Death+Mask.jpg Egypt - Tutankhamun Funerary Mask Tutankhamun's mask is a funerary mask made of gold, discovered in his tomb in 1925 by Howard Carter. It's a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian art, crafted from two layers of gold and inlaid with colored glass and gemstones. The mask, weighing about 22.5 pounds, depicts the pharaoh wearing a nemes headdress and the royal symbols of a cobra and vulture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756390694727-CR1SLPLDBG338MY5Y2X7/01+Tutankhamen+Death+Mask.jpg Egypt - Tutankhamun Funerary Mask Tutankhamun's mask is a funerary mask made of gold, discovered in his tomb in 1925 by Howard Carter. It's a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian art, crafted from two layers of gold and inlaid with colored glass and gemstones. The mask, weighing about 22.5 pounds, depicts the pharaoh wearing a nemes headdress and the royal symbols of a cobra and vulture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756390711030-7L3XMHM489XBO42LEJPQ/02-+Sphinx+Guardian+Great+Pyramid+Giza.jpg Egypt - Sphinx Guardian Great Pyramid of Khafre at Giza The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. Fourth Dynasty (around 2558–2532 BC) under Pharaoh Khafre. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756390726671-ZKO2YNDDFGO0D14FOO5B/03+Tutankhamen+Death+Mask.jpg Egypt - Tutankhamun Funerary Mask Tutankhamun's mask is a funerary mask made of gold, discovered in his tomb in 1925 by Howard Carter. It's a masterpiece of ancient Egyptian art, crafted from two layers of gold and inlaid with colored glass and gemstones. The mask, weighing about 22.5 pounds, depicts the pharaoh wearing a nemes headdress and the royal symbols of a cobra and vulture. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756390739169-Q3VGCEBLBVIK1UXAMJ4M/04+head+shot+Sphinx+Guardian+Great+Pyramid+Giza.jpg Egypt - Sphinx Guardian Great Pyramid of Khafre at Giza The Great Sphinx of Giza is a limestone statue of a reclining sphinx, a mythical creature with the head of a human and the body of a lion. Fourth Dynasty (around 2558–2532 BC) under Pharaoh Khafre. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756390750798-POG9LAQW0R87VBSHK87Q/05+-+Great+Pyramids+of+Giza+Egypt.jpg Egypt - Great Pyramids of Khafre at Giza, Egypt The pyramids of Giza were royal tombs built for three different pharaohs. The northernmost and oldest pyramid of the group was built for Khufu (Greek: Cheops), the second king of the 4th dynasty. Called the Great Pyramid, it is the largest of the three, the length of each side at the base averaging 755.75 feet (230 meters) and its original height being 481.4 feet (147 meters). The middle pyramid was built for Khafre (Greek: Chephren). The southernmost and last pyramid to be built was that of Menkaure (Greek: Mykerinus). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756390761893-CVV9I6F0YZ6ZLLRENG6D/06+-Sunrise+Balloon+launch+Valley+of+the+Kings..jpg Egypt - Sunrise Balloon launch Valley of the Kings Near Luxor /ancient city of Thebes - the valley lies in the southern half of Egypt, just west of the Nile River. For nearly 500 years tombs were built for the pharaohs who ruled the 18th -20th Dynasties (1500s bce - 1000s bce) & Powerful nobles. New Kingdom of ancient Egypt.By that time, the ancient Egyptians no longer used pyramids as tombs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391442575-0CTRK5HCUZVIAVN45K76/07+-Valley+of+Kings+Ariel+View..JPG Egypt - Valley of Kings Ariel View Near Luxor /ancient city of Thebes - the valley lies in the southern half of Egypt, just west of the Nile River. For nearly 500 years tombs were built for the pharaohs who ruled the 18th -20th Dynasties (1500s bce - 1000s bce) & Powerful nobles. New Kingdom of ancient Egypt.By that time, the ancient Egyptians no longer used pyramids as tombs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391453795-HSPISNU25RDZO4MGYMBR/08+-Sunrise+Balloon+launch+Valley+of+the+Kings..jpg Egypt - Sunrise Balloon launch Valley of the Kings Near Luxor - the valley lies in the southern half of Egypt, just west of the Nile River. For nearly 500 years tombs were built for the pharaohs who ruled the 18th -20th Dynasties (1500s bce - 1000s bce) & Powerful nobles. New Kingdom of ancient Egypt.By that time, the ancient Egyptians no longer used pyramids as tombs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391471762-9RZL39WHMWGGNA3A59OW/09+Great+Colonnade+Hall+of+Tutankhamen+50+meters+long+%26+21+meters+high+Luxor.jpg Egypt - Great Colonnade Hall of Tutankhamun Luxor It is located at the Luxor Temple complex. This was a major religious center in Thebes, which was once the capital of Ancient Egypt. Amenhotep III, Ramses II, Tutankhamun, and other pharaohs added new buildings to the complex over hundreds of years, contributing to its sprawling scale. Luxor Temple was known as “the place of the First Occasion,” where the god Amon was reborn during the pharaoh’s annual coronation reenactment. The Great Colonnade Hall features 28 columns measuring 61 meters (200 feet) long, 21 meters high. The Luxor Temple is also famous for its carvings of festival scenes, which were largely completed around 1330 BCE during the reign of Tutankhamun. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391480283-F9CROKAIOK3V80OUEDSZ/010+-Sunrise+Balloon+launch+Valley+of+the+Kings..jpg Egypt - Sunrise Balloon launch Valley of the Kings Near Luxor - the valley lies in the southern half of Egypt, just west of the Nile River. For nearly 500 years tombs were built for the pharaohs who ruled the 18th -20th Dynasties (1500s bce - 1000s bce) & Powerful nobles. New Kingdom of ancient Egypt.By that time, the ancient Egyptians no longer used pyramids as tombs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391492755-SCKHF98IY0CK3LVO008Y/011+-Sunrise+Balloon+launch+Valley+of+the+Kings..jpg Egypt - Sunrise Balloon launch Valley of the Kings Near Luxor - the valley lies in the southern half of Egypt, just west of the Nile River. For nearly 500 years tombs were built for the pharaohs who ruled the 18th -20th Dynasties (1500s bce - 1000s bce) & Powerful nobles. New Kingdom of ancient Egypt.By that time, the ancient Egyptians no longer used pyramids as tombs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391505596-AAYILWC2V3CLAUDMLCCR/012+-+Temples+of+Philae.jpg Egypt - Temples of Philae 280 BCE. Built during the reign of Ptolemy II (Egypt's Greco-Roman Period), the Temple of Isis at Philae is dedicated to Isis, Osiris, and Horus. The temple walls contain scenes from Egyptian mythology of Isis bringing Osiris back to life, giving birth to Horus, and mummifying Osiris after his death. The Philae temple complex is an island-based temple complex in the reservoir of the Aswan Low Dam, downstream of the Aswan Dam and Lake Nasser, Egypt. Architecture of the late-period Egyptian temple, showcasing a blend of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman architectural and artistic styles. It was also one of the last strongholds of ancient Egyptian religion, where rituals dedicated to Isis persisted long after the arrival of Christianity. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391554072-JIHN6STRJB1XC51HH2UG/013+-+Felucca-+Nile+sail+boats.jpg Egypt - Felucca- Nile sail boats The felucca is an iconic symbol of Egypt's connection to the Nile and its enduring maritime heritage. A Felucca is a traditional wooden sailing boat with lateen-rigged triangular sails (single or two), historically used for transport trade on the Nile River, including around Malta and Tunisia. The design has remained largely unchanged over the centuries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391560729-K6YX1J1E74OPN5EXZCFM/014+-+Captain+El+Mahousa+Felucca-+Nile+sail+boat..jpg Egypt - Captain El Mahousa Felucca- Nile sail boat This felucca is named after the 1863 first Egyptian royal yacht that is not a felucca. The felucca is an iconic symbol of Egypt's connection to the Nile and its enduring maritime heritage. A Felucca is a traditional wooden sailing boat with lateen-rigged triangular sails (single or two), historically used for transport trade on the Nile River, including around Malta and Tunisia. The design has remained largely unchanged over the centuries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391572114-EKEJ0JDRWN3Q8ZK1P2EQ/015+-Captain+El+Mahousa+Felucca-+Nile+sail+boat.jpg Egypt - Captain El Mahousa Felucca- Nile sail boat This felucca is named after the 1863 first Egyptian royal yacht that is not a felucca. The felucca is an iconic symbol of Egypt's connection to the Nile and its enduring maritime heritage. A felucca is a traditional wooden sailing boat with lateen-rigged triangular sails (single or two), historically used for transport trade on the Nile River, including around Malta and Tunisia. The design has remained largely unchanged over the centuries. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391617084-XUYFNI5OV9YLWUQYO2O6/016+Avenue+of+the+Sphinxes.jpg Egypt - Avenue of the Sphinxes The Avenue of Sphinxes in Luxor/ancient city of Thebes -(A.K.A. Processional Way) is a 2,700-meter (1.7-mile) long road lined with sphinx statues that connects the Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple for the worship of Amun-Ra. It was originally built to host the annual Opet Festival, during which statues of the gods Amun & Mut were carried in procession. The avenue was a significant part of ancient Egyptian religious & political life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391625604-0CMCTV9EOYBG19FLKO80/017+-Cairo+Streets+-+Egypt+Sweet+%26+small+Bananas.JPG Egypt - Cairo Streets Egypt Sweet & small Bananas The small Cavendish banana is known for its sweet taste, creamy texture, and bright yellow skin. It is served as a dessert many times. Bananas have been grown in Egypt for over a thousand years but it was not known in ancient Egypt but are now a popular ingredient in traditional dishes. Bananas are native to Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, not the Middle East. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1756391631218-GLY9S8VD4DZWICLFOSCZ/018+-Valley+of+Kings+Ariel++View..JPG Egypt - Valley of Kings Ariel View Near Luxor - the valley lies in the southern half of Egypt, just west of the Nile River. For nearly 500 years tombs were built for the pharaohs who ruled the 18th -20th Dynasties (1500s bce - 1000s bce) & Powerful nobles. New Kingdom of ancient Egypt.By that time, the ancient Egyptians no longer used pyramids as tombs. http://jfm-photography.com/morocco daily 0.75 2025-12-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517174364-36YOTC0W19K69C52NVDX/IMG_8985.jpeg Morocco - Sunset Erg Chebbi Dunes Sahara Desert Ergs (from Arabic for "dune sea") are vast, extensive regions covered by windblown sand dunes, forming dramatic "sand seas" with little vegetation. They are dynamic, wind-sculpted landscapes created by aeolian (wind) processes, contrasting with the rocky plains (regs) that make up most of the desert, and contain some of Earth's most mobile sand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517174364-36YOTC0W19K69C52NVDX/IMG_8985.jpeg Morocco - Sunset Erg Chebbi Dunes Sahara Desert Ergs (from Arabic for "dune sea") are vast, extensive regions covered by windblown sand dunes, forming dramatic "sand seas" with little vegetation. They are dynamic, wind-sculpted landscapes created by aeolian (wind) processes, contrasting with the rocky plains (regs) that make up most of the desert, and contain some of Earth's most mobile sand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517366002-GEHX71LX31U49F586051/IMG_8854.jpeg Morocco - Erg Chebbi Sand Sea Dunes Sahara Desert Sand Sea Dunes Er-Rissani Morocco: ergs (from Arabic for "dune sea") are vast, extensive regions covered by windblown sand dunes, forming dramatic "sand seas" with little vegetation. They are dynamic, wind-sculpted landscapes created by aeolian (wind) processes, contrasting with the rocky plains (regs) that make up most of the desert, and contain some of Earth's most mobile sand https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517424194-AHTKUMQMDPICAVVI4AA3/IMG_8695.jpeg Morocco - 11th Century Chouara Tannery dye vats #1 11th Century historic Chouara Tannery in Fes, are traditional stone pits filled with natural dyes and chemicals, used for centuries to color hides with vibrant hues from indigo (blue), saffron/pomegranate (yellow), and poppy/paprika (red), mixed with pungent solutions of cow urine and pigeon droppings for softening and tanning. These iconic, colorful vats showcase ancient, manual leather-making processes for goat, sheep, and camel skins, creating products like bags, slippers, and jackets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517492853-JE3Q43BXJCYY0W4LFM6H/IMG_8696.jpeg Morocco - 11th Century Chouara Tannery dye vats #2 11th Century historic Chouara Tannery in Fes, are traditional stone pits filled with natural dyes and chemicals, used for centuries to color hides with vibrant hues from indigo (blue), saffron/pomegranate (yellow), and poppy/paprika (red), mixed with pungent solutions of cow urine and pigeon droppings for softening and tanning. These iconic, colorful vats showcase ancient, manual leather-making processes for goat, sheep, and camel skins, creating products like bags, slippers, and jackets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517551294-OL75QLX20YPR9NOXB990/IMG_8637.jpeg Morocco - Door in Fès el-Bali Medina The Medina of Fes (Fès el-Bali) is the ancient, walled historic center of Fes, Morocco, known as the world's largest and oldest continuously inhabited medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its labyrinth of over 9,000 narrow, car-free streets filled with traditional souks (markets) selling crafts like leather, spices, pottery, and lanterns, historic Islamic architecture, and bustling local life, making it a captivating but easily bewildering place to explore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517608965-E8HPF13N5PIU18JQJK2Y/IMG_8594.jpeg Morocco - Butcher Shop Fès el-Bali Medina The Medina of Fes (Fès el-Bali) is the ancient, walled historic center of Fes, Morocco, known as the world's largest and oldest continuously inhabited medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its labyrinth of over 9,000 narrow, car-free streets filled with traditional souks (markets) selling crafts like leather, spices, pottery, and lanterns, historic Islamic architecture, and bustling local life, making it a captivating but easily bewildering place to explore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517659953-XMQTAQEAXHD4D0YD6JB2/IMG_8619.jpeg Morocco - Entering Fès el-Bali Medina The Medina of Fes (Fès el-Bali) is the ancient, walled historic center of Fes, Morocco, known as the world's largest and oldest continuously inhabited medieval city, a UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its labyrinth of over 9,000 narrow, car-free streets filled with traditional souks (markets) selling crafts like leather, spices, pottery, and lanterns, historic Islamic architecture, and bustling local life, making it a captivating but easily bewildering place to explore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517706922-QY040CECVFWB3QPGT9TX/IMG_8725.jpeg Morocco - Moroccan Cats As sacred creatures in Islamic culture, cats hold special status in Morocco. The Quran tells how Prophet Muhammad cut off his sleeve to avoid disturbing a sleeping cat, a respect passed down through millennia that makes felines the most beloved companion animals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517768832-JDKEFN5M3U3P077YNH53/IMG_9249.jpeg Morocco - Stork nest Masque Tower Ait Zineb Morocco Storks are large, long-legged, long-necked wading birds with long, stout bills. In folklore they are symbols of good luck, spring, and delivering babies, often nesting near humans on rooftops, which ties into their real-life nesting habits. They are carnivorous, migratory, build huge nests, and have unique features like beak clattering and leg-cooling, but their cultural role as family bringers is their biggest claim to fame. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517818546-D7U3ZICDJQ0NFZL83T0N/IMG_9051.jpeg Morocco - Jurassic Period Ammonite Fossil Morocco is noted for its Jurassic ammonite fossils which are abundant, spiral-shelled marine cephalopod remains, crucial for dating rocks and understanding ancient oceans, characterized by chambered shells for buoyancy and distinct suture patterns (goniatite, ceratite, ammonite) that evolved in complexity, with famous finds on England's Jurassic Coast revealing these predatory mollusks that lived alongside dinosaurs. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517875131-CE9K4P4NJV8YT08DFVQG/IMG_9682.jpeg Morocco - Essaouira Blue Boats Essaouira's iconic blue boats at its historic 18th Century Trade Hub harbor reflect centuries of maritime trade, Portuguese influence, and local traditions, with the vibrant blue color possibly honoring the ancient Murex shell blue dye, deterring insects. Essaouira (formerly Mogador) became a vital port under Sultan Mohammed III, connecting sub-Saharan Africa with Europe, earning it the nickname "Port of Timbuktu". UNESCO World Heritage site. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517918519-NTOCQFQ0EUU1N2BFR7V3/IMG_9668.jpeg Morocco - Essaouira Harbor Fortifications UNESCO Site: The well-preserved fortified medina, historic ramparts and port are a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its historic ramparts were featured in Game of Thrones Movies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766517981193-VUT0U7N05G87J64RLJVY/IMG_9616.jpeg Morocco - D’JAZY Essaouira Essaouira's artistic vibe, UNESCO-listed medina, historic ramparts (featured in Game of Thrones), bustling fishing port with blue boats, vibrant Gnawa music scene (especially the annual festival), and strong Atlantic winds that attract surfers and kitesurfers. It's also famous for its thuya wood crafts, argan oil, fresh seafood, and bohemian, laid-back atmosphere compared to other Moroccan cities https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766518040485-372HPLVYPVVJKUPWCFQV/IMG_9144.jpeg Morocco - Carpet Merchant Tinghir Morocco Tinghir, Morocco, is famous for its authentic Berber carpets, handwoven by local Amazigh women using traditional techniques and natural wool, often sold in cooperative shops like Maison Berbere or Maison de Cadeaux Berberes where you can experience mint tea, see demonstrations, and bargain for unique, culturally rich pieces direct from artisans. These handmade rugs feature vibrant colors and symbolic patterns, representing a significant cultural heritage, and buying from cooperatives directly supports these craftswomen, with prices varying by design, size, and intricacy https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766518089882-ATL5FZ90VL3PRAJ0BB81/IMG_9142.jpeg Morocco - Carpet Weaver Tinghir Morocco Tinghir, Morocco, is famous for its authentic Berber carpets, handwoven by local Amazigh women using traditional techniques and natural wool, often sold in cooperative shops. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766518141608-SN54DW6NIUDDC8I742HF/IMG_9154.jpeg Morocco - Carpet Coop Door Tinghir Tinghir, Morocco, is famous for its authentic Berber carpets, handwoven by local Amazigh women using traditional techniques and natural wool, often sold in cooperative shops. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766518194441-WLDNNJVQW71529P0MFAF/IMG_8266.jpeg Morocco - Horse Cart in Morning Fog In the rural areas the simple ancient modes of transportation prevailed. However, Morocco boasts one of Africa's most modern train networks, operated by ONCF (Office National des Chemins de Fer). Trains are ideal for traveling between major cities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766518244932-O3XLHHH90OHGSTP9M9SL/IMG_8217.jpeg Morocco - Honor Guard Mausoleum of Mohammed V Rabat The Mohammed V Mausoleum is a crucial architectural and historical landmark in Rabat, Morocco. It houses the tombs of King Mohammed V and his two sons, symbolizing Morocco's journey to independence and showcasing exquisite Moroccan craftsmanship. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1766518311750-XIH59LW2G1ZCURZ1J06Z/IMG_8144.jpeg Morocco - Bougainvillea Vine Rabat Bougainvillea is a vibrant, thorny tropical vine known for its stunning, colorful bracts (modified leaves) in shades of pink, purple, red, or white, often grown on trellises, arbors in warm climates. http://jfm-photography.com/contact daily 0.75 2015-05-15 http://jfm-photography.com/artiststatement daily 0.75 2015-05-12 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431446181996-QKKKMFXBVIW5AN4XS57R/John_Messley.jpg Artist Statement http://jfm-photography.com/travel-photography daily 0.75 2025-12-23 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1598212307296-ESJX554TITFXEJVSRE7M/White+Tail+Deer+Buck.jpg Travel Photography Northern Illinois https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431697174838-5HFEFHEV067PVVU0RPE3/Alter+Klosterkeller+Abbey+Cellar+Wine+House.jpg Travel Photography Austria https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1431702381191-W88H3TGLSYMM596AEDNN/image-asset.jpeg Travel Photography Turkey https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/54c54178e4b07b213a54c851/1754858131059-XX08NRRBLEE1S3U8OG8F/Anorak+Mt.+Cook+NP.jpg Travel Photography - 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