July 2020 Favourite Uploads

[NYCat]

Ireland is so beautiful. 

 

Paulette

[Colblimp]

4 hours ago, NYCat said:

Ireland is so beautiful. 

 

Paulette

It is - I love it here.

[NYCat]

Lucky you. I have a neighbor here who is Irish and she has been in Florida lately. Too hot there and hot here. I have an Irish friend in Ireland too but many years since she lived here and many years since she moved back and I was able to visit her. I had such a lovely time. Fabulous food.

 

Paulette

[Betty LaRue]

I’ve always wanted to see Ireland.  Lucky you, Paulette, to have visited.
I’m not so much for visiting all the worlds popular tourist spots. Give me the road less taken. The countrysides, the style of homes, the pub...I’ve always longed to see an old pub! Mountains, lakes...I love nature. And Ireland is sooo green, from the photos I see!

So, with that lovely image of Ireland, here’s my buzzard. Please don’t compare!

 

Edited July 20, 2020 by Betty LaRue

[Michael Ventura]

8 minutes ago, Betty LaRue said:

I’ve always wanted to see Ireland.  Lucky you, Paulette, to have visited.
I’m not so much for visiting all the worlds popular tourist spots. Give me the road less taken. The countrysides, the style of homes, the pub...I’ve always longed to see an old pub! Mountains, lakes...I love nature. And Ireland is sooo green, from the photos I see!

So, with that lovely image of Ireland, here’s my buzzard. Please don’t compare!

 

 

Betty, it is so worth the trip.  When it is good to travel again, go with one of your kids or close friend.  Take two weeks, if you can, and explore by car (left side driving of course), you'll never regret it.  It lives up to the photos you have seen and the people are even nicer than you've heard.  I did that about 30 years ago and had very loose plans and stayed in BNB's the whole time.  Loved the old pubs and tea shops.  Had too many scones but really can't have too many.  I went there for a best friend's wedding (he married an Irish girl) not too far from where "Colblimp" lives (in West Cork) but gave myself two weeks to see some the country, toured with a friend who was also going to the wedding....loved it all!

[Betty LaRue]

Ireland was always on my bucket list, Michael. From what I know, I have Irish and Scottish in my family tree. I’ve always wished to see Ireland over Italy and France.
Another place I desired to go was the great pyramids of Egypt. But I don’t do well in hot climates, or places of unrest. Anything to do with the tombs, Pharaohs, and artifacts is fascinating.
I’m close to being disabled now because of back issues. I can go shopping, but an hour is about it. On bad days, less. I came out of Home Depot after looking for a drill bit a few months ago. My car was about 30 yards away. Pain bad, causing my legs to not work well. I looked around to see if another person was around who could help me.  Nada. I thought I’d have to sit down in the middle of the parking lot, but gritted it out and shuffled to my car.  Traveling might not be possible for me now. Forget carrying luggage, I can’t. I would never, not in a million years, ask a traveling companion to push me around in a wheelchair.(Hmmm, maybe I can hire a pool boy. )  About all I can carry for any length of time is my camera in my hands. Not a camera bag.

But hey! I get on the floor and do my physical therapy exercises every day, and I can get up without hanging onto anything! The exercises have strengthened my core. Even 10 years ago I couldn’t do that.

If I elect to have surgery, it will involve rods and screws per my neurologist. A truly major surgery.  A whole year to recover. And whether I’d be better off is an unknown. Meanwhile, I can go places in my car, shoot out the window or get out and walk for short distances to photograph things. I make lemonade.
And on a good day, I can stand long enough to make a pie!

[sb photos]

11 hours ago, NYCat said:

Lucky you. I have a neighbor here who is Irish and she has been in Florida lately. Too hot there and hot here. I have an Irish friend in Ireland too but many years since she lived here and many years since she moved back and I was able to visit her. I had such a lovely time. Fabulous food.

 

Paulette

 

I've only visited twice. Once long ago during the troubles, via ferry and driving first through the north, then down to Dublin. Then again some time back on business visiting DEC in Galway. My luggage was lost after being allocated to 3 different flights before finally leaving Heathrow in thick fog. I had 3 nice days to look around Galway and nearby until a taxi driver brought my luggage to the hotel. Crucial to the trip was my tools and electronic components to modify a batch of Maxtor hard drives on the Micro VAX production line to enable an order to be completed. I'd love to go back..

[spacecadet]

Among my first uploads for a couple of months.

Formerly in the nature thread, a marmalade hoverfly on a white nettle-leaved bellflower. Thanks to John for suggesting that it was worth uploading. And for identifying my greebly.

 

 

 

 

I think this one went in the "good things you did today" thread.

 

Got to have one of these I suppose.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 21, 2020 by spacecadet

[Marianne]

Lots of great pix!  Love the cat, birds, and rainbow especially!

 

My husband found us this beautiful spot to hike, socially distanced, with masks, doing our part to keep the NY curve down. I only had my iPhone along, promising him I'd walk rather than shoot, but thankfully there's S. It's about 40 minutes north of us, a trail on the old West Point Foundry. We're thinking when all calms down we may move upstate a bit, though still close enough to get into the city:

 

 

 

Love the panorama app on the iPhone

 

Wineberries, an invasive plant similar to raspberries and blackberries, that apparently some gardeners love because they fruit twice a year and do well in all kinds of soil and conditions - including growing profusely in the shade if our walk was any indication. I really like the iPhone 11, both for sharpness and in low light. I feel like it's a great backup camera. 

 

 

My baby tomato plants. They've grown so fast, the other day hubby remarked they were the size of toddlers. They'll be grammar school sized by the weekend if they keep it up. I gave a few plants to our new neighbor who is trying his hand at gardening. 

 

 

Had to include a view with my Wellies (did I spell that right?):

 

 

An potting herbs:

 

[Marianne]

For all you gardeners out there - my mint doesn't seem to be doing too well - getting brown and yellow leaves in the pot and in the ground. Everything else is exploding growth-wise and bright healthy green. We've had plenty of rain so I haven't had to water in a week, but the ground and the soil in the pots is draining well, so I don't think they are overwatered. they are in full sun and it's been 90 degrees out. Water every day despite rain the day before? I read that I should water every 2 to 3 days if it doesn't rain. Thoughts? I pulled out the weeds you can see in the plants I was potting. The herbs and citronella were the only ones not grown from seed because I could not find any seeds even way back in March!

Edited July 21, 2020 by Marianne

[Marianne]

On 20/07/2020 at 19:29, Betty LaRue said:

Ireland was always on my bucket list, Michael. From what I know, I have Irish and Scottish in my family tree. I’ve always wished to see Ireland over Italy and France.
Another place I desired to go was the great pyramids of Egypt. But I don’t do well in hot climates, or places of unrest. Anything to do with the tombs, Pharaohs, and artifacts is fascinating.
I’m close to being disabled now because of back issues. I can go shopping, but an hour is about it. On bad days, less. I came out of Home Depot after looking for a drill bit a few months ago. My car was about 30 yards away. Pain bad, causing my legs to not work well. I looked around to see if another person was around who could help me.  Nada. I thought I’d have to sit down in the middle of the parking lot, but gritted it out and shuffled to my car.  Traveling might not be possible for me now. Forget carrying luggage, I can’t. I would never, not in a million years, ask a traveling companion to push me around in a wheelchair.(Hmmm, maybe I can hire a pool boy. )  About all I can carry for any length of time is my camera in my hands. Not a camera bag.

But hey! I get on the floor and do my physical therapy exercises every day, and I can get up without hanging onto anything! The exercises have strengthened my core. Even 10 years ago I couldn’t do that.

If I elect to have surgery, it will involve rods and screws per my neurologist. A truly major surgery.  A whole year to recover. And whether I’d be better off is an unknown. Meanwhile, I can go places in my car, shoot out the window or get out and walk for short distances to photograph things. I make lemonade.
And on a good day, I can stand long enough to make a pie!

 

So sorry to hear that Betty. Have you tried acupuncture? I'd give it a try before surgery. I lost the use of my right arm due to  a herniated disk and had others causing pain - the doctor said I had a week before it would become permanent. they said they'd need to put in a cadaver disK. I couldn't face it, tried acupuncture instead and It really saved me. It acts up from time to time but a few treatments get me back to normal. I usually combine it with chiropractic - a gentle non-cracking type called network care. If you haven't tried it acupuncture do it - those needles look scary but they don't hurt. 

[Betty LaRue]

10 hours ago, Marianne said:

 

So sorry to hear that Betty. Have you tried acupuncture? I'd give it a try before surgery. I lost the use of my right arm due to  a herniated disk and had others causing pain - the doctor said I had a week before it would become permanent. they said they'd need to put in a cadaver disK. I couldn't face it, tried acupuncture instead and It really saved me. It acts up from time to time but a few treatments get me back to normal. I usually combine it with chiropractic - a gentle non-cracking type called network care. If you haven't tried it acupuncture do it - those needles look scary but they don't hurt. 

What’s wrong with my back, needles can’t fix. Treatment from breast cancer damaged my immune system. Then the extreme stress of caring for my husband who had dementia, (who, during his hallucinations said if he had a gun he would kill me) and the fact I was only getting 5 hours of sleep a night for several years because of needing to be ever watchful, damaged my immune response further. The Candida everyone has in their bodies went rampant in mine, (Systemic Candida) attacking my whole respiratory system including throat and lungs. I could never rest when I was ill because my husband wouldn’t allow it, he’d bang on the door 5 minutes after I laid down and yell, “get up” so I was like a zombie. Then it attacked my spine and caused it to collapse sideways at the bottom 3 years ago. The only way to fix it is surgery.  
But I don’t have any aversion to acupuncture, even if it did hurt I have a stiff upper lip, and it might help the pain. I still have Candida always lurking but it is mild now, and I can stop it from becoming severe easily when it blooms.
I’m sorry you have to deal with that stuff, Marianne. Handling it isn’t for sissies, that’s for sure.
On a good note, my Althea shrubs are beautifully blooming, I picked a handful of cherry tomatoes and two slicers this morning. And we had an inch of much-needed rain yesterday morning. I backed my car out and let the rain wash it! 😄
Betty

[MizBrown]

Took a few of a new orchid to show to an orchid group for ID:  Maxillaria cucullatta, also known as Maxillaria prestans.   It's a  small flower with a red lip.   Friends of a friend gave her a number of orchids when they left Nicaragua, all local species orchids.  She's passed some of them along to our mutual helper and me.  Two that the helper passed on to me included this one.  Used flash and a 30mm f/3.5 macro lens on my Sony a6000 for this one. 

 

 

 

[The Blinking Eye]

More Black Lives Matter art on the streets of Oakland, painted on boards covering the windows of businesses after looting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[aphperspective]

Got picked up by the local papers, fat lazy seal.

 

 

[spacecadet]

A book exchange in a local garden. Except for a funeral, as far as I've been since February.

This should be a pic of Diocletian's palace. Bother.

Edited July 23, 2020 by spacecadet

[Regis]

With all that is happening around the world at the moment we couldn't really travel for the holidays.

So we stayed home.

And enjoyed some of the local free spots.

Wasn't too bad when you come to think of it.

So far we are still lucky.

 

[Michael Ventura]

Yesterday, I was shooting a magazine cover of an ER doctor who was working with Covid-19 patients, it was shot in an empty conference room at the hospital.  I had my son with me as my assistant and so he stood in for a lighting test shot.  I thought it turned out well and could make a nice stock image, so I uploaded last night.  My son loves helping me (for some cash) but has no interest in photography.  He's a college student studying Cartography/Geography.

 

[Jools Devon]

A quick selfie as I BBQ'ed tea! - Great to be able to be back out in the camper van!

 

(RX100 - with the grass being the tripod!)

 

[Marianne]

On 22/07/2020 at 11:34, Betty LaRue said:

What’s wrong with my back, needles can’t fix. Treatment from breast cancer damaged my immune system. Then the extreme stress of caring for my husband who had dementia, (who, during his hallucinations said if he had a gun he would kill me) and the fact I was only getting 5 hours of sleep a night for several years because of needing to be ever watchful, damaged my immune response further. The Candida everyone has in their bodies went rampant in mine, (Systemic Candida) attacking my whole respiratory system including throat and lungs. I could never rest when I was ill because my husband wouldn’t allow it, he’d bang on the door 5 minutes after I laid down and yell, “get up” so I was like a zombie. Then it attacked my spine and caused it to collapse sideways at the bottom 3 years ago. The only way to fix it is surgery.  
But I don’t have any aversion to acupuncture, even if it did hurt I have a stiff upper lip, and it might help the pain. I still have Candida always lurking but it is mild now, and I can stop it from becoming severe easily when it blooms.
I’m sorry you have to deal with that stuff, Marianne. Handling it isn’t for sissies, that’s for sure.
On a good note, my Althea shrubs are beautifully blooming, I picked a handful of cherry tomatoes and two slicers this morning. And we had an inch of much-needed rain yesterday morning. I backed my car out and let the rain wash it! 😄
Betty

 

So very sorry for all you've been through Betty - acupuncture helps with immune system issues too - it could ease the pain pre-surgery - and those needles look scary but they don't hurt - I usually fall asleep during my treatments. 

[Sybille Reuter]

Mid-pandemic fresh air on the white cliffs of Rügen island in the Baltic sea... 

 

 

 

[MizBrown]

A couple:

 

Maxillaria cucullata, one of the several Maxillarias species orchids I have.

 

 

  Oncidium sphacelatum

 

 

Nicaraguan black pottery from an indigenous women's coop, taken a while back, but just added to my portfolio recently.

[MariaJ]

 

 

 

 

 

Summer surfing on a foggy day in Tofino, BC, on Vancouver Island.

[Bryan]

Nice to see a blue sky, the sun shining and people out and about, Durham market place