*** This Week Through Your Eyes 2023.08.05 ***

Love that wide angle sky in the first shot.

Cute. At least she can fly if the going gets tough.

The hands are a good take on this event. It is my favourite. The portrait of the guy with false eyelashes is nicely done too.

These events are incredibly difficult to photograph.

Looks like a good walk, even if the weather was against you. Some super toadstools!

It is the thing about hill or mountain walking the best weather always arrives when it is time to go home. It has happened to me so many times.

It was pretty disappointing, just a field where you have to use your imagination. A well stocked shop at the entrance, but very little information in the bare exhibition space. I was quite surprised how bad the area that was supposed to give some insights into the battle was. This would be a €5 monument in Italy as there is not really much to see. It is pretty nasty that they have blocked the public footpath that ran from our hotel to the battlefield. I found the old "kissing gate" entrance chained up. This just brought out the rebel in me, and so I just determinedly climbed over it into the field.

We got caught out with ULEZ in London. Our hotel was a hundred yards inside the existing zone. LT's site would not recognize our foreign number plates so I had to pay. The refund system is a joke. The refund costs equal the daily charge!

Thats two of us who are getting old and grumpy. Maybe because we remember when doing things, like going to a football match or going to a concert did not empty our bank accounts. Let's not even get started on the cost of tickets in three figures, to see (yawn) stadium concerts with has-beens like Elton John or Springsteen.

I agree. That makes me a grumpy old fart also. I wouldnt pay 20 quid for Hever Castle, and the recent airport drop off fees in the UK are quite outrageous. Being able to park for €2.20 for the first hour in the centre of Vienna seems like an amazing bargain in the context!

David

NCV,

While I agree wholeheartedly with the concept of improving the air quality in London and elsewhere, by reducing pollution from cars and lorries, the implementation of ULEZ leves a lot to be desired. I believe that if you have a foreign registered EU6 car, as I do, and apply before you visit the UK, you can be exempted; but I imagine it is a complicated business. They should be able to tell from the model of car and its age what rating it has, and there should be the possibilty of registering for exemption in the UK.

Did you have to pay the congestion charge also?

David

No we did not go into central London. So I avoided that one.

The dramatic clouds in the first one look ace, I could do with clouds like those on my sunset moorland shots, but they seem few and far between around here (when I'm out with a camera at least). I think I'd be tempted to give the lower section of the image a bit of a boost, perhaps lift exposure or shadows slightly and then bump contrast up a smidge on it.

I like these two the most. Despite sharing a common subject, they're two very different images, with dramatically different lighting. One of subtle tones, the other stark contrast.

What a wonderful view. Looks like my kind of mountain weather conditions too, apart from the wind, no one likes the wind.

Ironman. Lot of them today: Ironman Tallinn was held today in quite good conditions: ca. 20 C and cloudy, so not too demanding for competitors, though wind was quite strong. Tomorrow will be European Championship for half-ironman, but it will be raining cats and dogs and temperature will be 30C in the evening, so it will be almost as hard as today's distance. Shot tons of photos of competitors, here is quick selection.

Last turn, finish is in 50 meters. Time to celebrate!

Finish line red carpet can be seen from reflection. 226 km is behind.

IIRC this is womens winner

Main organizer Ain-Alar Juhanson, ex-triathlete, won Lanzarote Ironman twice and his best in Hawaii was 13th place.

Let it all out before finish

Finish turn with smile

Soon to be ironman!

Not sure I subscribe to this message

Spur from spectators

Emotional moments from family members after finish

This photo is the closest one that I tried to capture.Unfortunately, I spent a few minutes and having only a fixed 35mm lens camera did not help either. It would have been wonderful if I managed to capture the chart at the very end.

Wind is UP, and I'm DOWN to bed 'cause of it.

( So only shots from home )

My Lonely Tree is on the right 😎

Now in the Center

Painting The Monviso

Carnivorous Plants

I had a very bad parasitic infection.

Lost several pots probably more than 30% when these things end.
After 4 months some Dioneas are nicely recovering and finally, I have the joy to use the Z30 for the scope it was intended

Small plants got the worse

It's a joy to see them recovering

This is the cart with the big plants

These are giant plants ... at this time of the year, the pots should be full, each with 25-50 HUGE traps.

As Pinguicula goes I will probably lose all my 20 pots.
Maybe I'm lucky enough to be able to keep alive this composition -with 5 species- that seats on a separate windowsill.

All pictures SOOC but the small plant panorama

The distant mountain shots are wonderful. I always search out Monviso on the skyline when I'm in SW Alps.

Sorry to hear of your plant problems. It can be so disheartening to lose things after spending so much time and care. i never heard of people growing pinguicula, though I've seen plenty in the mointains, even here in Scotland. Are they the native alpine ones?

You've really captured the emotions here.

The 1st and 3rd have a kind of abstract quality which I like.
But it was the Pinguicula pics that fascinated me. Don't think I've seen that species before. Good luck with them.