Two weeks ago, I decided to a linocut again after a long break of working with this technique. I used the same motive as in the previous watercolor – the two sailboats and just began. The result is shown below, as well as two photos of the linocut plate.

Blue Sailboats, Linocut 20cm x 30cm

Linocut, Phase 1

Linocut, Phase 2

The Dunes at Sunset
13 September 2009
Pike’s Beach, Westhampton Beach, NY

Currituck County plans to use recycled Christmas trees to help replenish the dune line that was damaged in November by the nor’easter storm.

Following the Christmas holiday, Christmas trees will be collected in Currituck County from December 26, 2009 through January 10, 2010.  Christmas trees may be dropped off at each Currituck County Recycling Center, as well as at the Southern Outer Banks Water Plant. A special Christmas tree collection area will be designated by new signage at each site.

Residents recycling Christmas trees should first remove all decorations and tinsel from each tree. County employees will collect the trees and take them to the beach for the dune replenishment program.

For additional information, contact the Public Works Department at 232-2504

Dare County will also offer Christmas tree pickup and recycling.

We have been blessed with some beautiful fall weather here on the North Coast, unusually clear, blue skies for this time of year and moderate temperatures in the 50’s.   A couple of weeks ago we took advantage of a lovely day to take a walk at east end of Headlands Beach State Park on Lake Erie, where the Headland Dunes lie.

The dunes are a protected area, but there are a couple of trails running through them.

The easternmost trail leads to a secluded cove where I found this most amazing piece of driftwood in the shape of a seal.  How I longed to take it home!

And this interesting arrangement of shells in the surf…

This center trail leads to the  mile long beach, the longest stretch of public beach in Ohio.

And a view of the old Coast Guard lighthouse

And a brave soul wind surfing, that’s a cold sport on Lake Erie in November, but the wind was so high he was flying!

There’s not much else going on here today – as the sun sets and the air grows cooler we head back home for some hot cocoa

!

Headlands Beach State Park and Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve are a great place to visit most times of the year – even in the dead of winter if you can stand the cold.  It is a wonderful place to birdwatch especially during spring and fall migration when traveling birds stop to rest on their way to and from Canada.  For more info visit Headlands Beach State Park

Sand dunes within a Martian crater

Here’s an exceptionally beautiful image taken by the HiRISE camera on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter showing rippling dunes within a crater on Mars’ southern hemisphere.

The way the dunes are lit reminds me of a Salvador Dali painting, the central area reminiscent of the lower part of a human face. The brightest areas are most likely carbon dioxide frost – dry ice – as the region was in winter when this image was taken.

Click here for the original RGB version of the entire region imaged.

Image credit: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona

WHEN I SAY I LIVE IN EAST HAMPTON, I wonder if people envision a fake chateau behind an impenetrable hedge, or a modernist cube in the dunes with an infinity pool and a five-car garage.

I’m pretty sure “the Hamptons” doesn’t conjure up the cottage at right (‘cottage’ is pushing it — it’s more like a shack). It’s not totally atypical of the Maidstone Park neighborhood of the unincorporated village of Springs, 5 miles north of the picture-postcard Village of EH, but very much in the Town of East Hampton, with an East Hampton ZIP.

I enjoy fantasizing the possibilities for fixing up these humble 1940s summer houses (some now occupied year-round), should they ever come on the market. They rarely do — they’ve been in families forever — and when they do, it’s with unrealistic price tags.

Some of them probably wouldn’t even need fixing.

There are a few that feel to me like Northern California.

Main Beach on the Gold Coast is located just two minutes drive north of Surfers Paradise. Main Beach has the perfect mix of beach, theme parks, restaurants and shops that you would expect of a Gold Coast suburb. Additionally, Main Beach has a variety of activities and attractions to choose from, including the ones below:

Learn How To Surf

Are you a newbie to surfing? Want to learn how to surf in just a matter of days? Then, you come to the right place! Get Wet Surf School offers tourists or locals like surfing lessons on perfect conditions right in their wave pool.

There are available beach lessons that are held every morning and afternoon. As for the wave pool lessons they are offered only at the White Water World before opening to the public.

As for the beach lessons, these are held at The Spit. This is the perfect place to be for learners to have fun and learn lessons.

The wave pool do give an alternative to those a safer yet fun environment to surf whatever age they may be. This is the perfect practice venue before you even hit real waves out on the beach.

Family Attractions

Get access to a variety of coastal environments that will leave you in total awe as you open your eyes and watch the beautiful beaches, dunes, Littoral rainforest and coastal vistas only at Gold Coast Oceanway. The good thing about this tourist attraction is that it’s children friendly. Therefore, you can bring along your young ones and the whole family with compromising fun for the adults. It is an experience that all of you will enjoy.

You can even bring your dogs as long as they are on a leash. You and your spouse, children and even your pet can enjoy a whole-day affair only at Gold Coast Oceanway.

Theme Park

Sea World is one of the most amazing theme parks located in Main Beach on the Gold Coast. It offers a wide range of exciting shows, attractions, and rides that will keep you and your family busy the whole day.

Fancy watching real-life sharks? You can through visiting Shark Bay and meet gigantic sharks while getting impressed with the breath-taking views both above and below water.

Have you seen Polar Bears? If not, then this is you chance to see how cute these creatures are. Just visit them at Polar Bear Shores and get mesmerized as you watch them play.

All these attractions and more are found only at Main Beach, Gold Coast. There is always an activity that fits you or your whole family’s taste, mood and budget.

I’ve spent the morning preparing images for a new exhibition at Griffith University’s School of Social Work and Human Services here in Brisbane. These are the images they selected to reflect the nature of the department’s involvement in things like mental health, Aboriginal affairs, community and relationship.

Let me know what you think of the images!

——–

Feel free to email Jo at admin@visitedplanet.com with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations.  See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com

Dogs and owner, New South Wales

Sunset on the Oodnadatta track, South Australia

Hands reaching out over the fire, India

Aboriginal child, Queensland

Canoe at Lawn Hill Gorge, Queensland

Mother and baby in Segou, Mali

Karnatika girls selling cloth on a Goan beach, India

Footprints in the dune near Birdsville, Queensland

November is an amazing month when it comes to photography. The light can be amazing but the most supreme moments last for just a very short time. It happened to me that I was too late this saturday. It had been raining very badly and the sun was just breaking though. I was on my bike trying to find a good spot. I was too late.

But the saturday before I was luckier. I cycled to Valkenisse: a place where the dunes are at its highest. I was just lucky enough to get a few shots of the great light before the sun was covered with a layer of clouds again. This was one of my first pictures this late afternoon. The following 30 pictures I took couldn’t compete because of the lesser great light.

Dunes in November Light

A recent research revealed what the foreign travellers most appreciate in Brazil. The top four included several facts related with the nature, but the interesting point in fact is the first position. People, was stated by most of the travellers and therefore stands at the number one position.

1. 

   Beach life

   People – Having people at the top of the list is an honour for any country. This means that the hospitality and the joy of brazilians is clearly visible for tourists visiting the country. In general the life has an easy-going rhythm and brazilians interact gladly with the foreigners. Here you will not stay at closed resort, but get mixed with the people and enjoy the same things as the brazilians do. I wonder if there is any other place on the earth where the joy of life is as visible as it is in Brazil. There may be many people with less conditions, but most of the will never lose their faith or the joy of life. If you come from a country with high level of self service you will also find it marvellous to be fully served at the stores,  bars and restaurants, and still you will not face disturbingly persisting sellers on the streets or at the beach.

2. 

   Country side

   The beauty of the nature – I would say that the second postition should be the beauty and the variety of the nature. As a huge country Brazil has an incredible variety of eco-systems depending on the part of the country. The beauty of the nature consists of numerous beaches, tropical vegetation, dunes, canyons, rainforest, waterfall, mountains, lagoons, lakes and rivers. There are extremely dry areas in Brazil and on the other hand a large part of the country is covered by rainforest. For sure the nature of this country offers something for each and every traveller, the question is do you really know all that Brazil has to offer?

3. 

   Endless beaches

   Beaches and the sea - Brazil has long coast with large number of beautiful beaches, some of the ideal for surfing, others for diving or snorkeling and almost all of them perfect for sunbathing and swimming. It’s not long time ago that I read an interesting review related to tourism in Brazil. The author said that Brazil may not have the most beautiful beaches of the world, compared to Southern Pacific of Maldives for example,  but Brazil certainly has the funniest beaches of the world. After having travelled widely around the world, I have to agree with the author of this article, Brazil definitely has the funniest beaches of the world and the best point is that many of them are among the most attracting ones as well. In Brazil beaches are like living-rooms, going to the beach is part of the culture and the daily life of brazilians. Here beaches are public and legally an access to any of them cannot be denied. This is why the coast of Brazil is not filled with resorts with private beaches, where only the clients can have an accesss. To be sincere, I think that is something Brazil should be proud of and this is why there is no other beach life like in Brazil. Being in the beach with the brazilians, you will quickly realize why people are in the top one position of the research. The joy of life is visible everywhere and there is always a beach bar to serve you whenever you are thirsty or hungry.

4. 

   Tropical vegetation

   Tropical climate - Thanks to the geographical position of Brazil, almost the whole country has tropical climate. This means that sunshine is basically guaranteed at any time of the year, at least in some part of the country. That’s why there are two basic things you should pay attention to before booking your trip to Brazil. First of all, if you have decided to travel during a specific time check out the climatical conditions in different parts of Brazil and choose your destination based on that. On the other hand, if you always wanted to visit certain area check out when is the best season to travel there, or at least when visiting those places is not recommendable and schedule your trip according to that. Right after that you are ready to enjoy the tropical climate and the sun shine of Brazil!

Visited the Cape (Orleans) over the weekend. Gone, the summer crowds …

… though the beach still calls …

… with a roar.

]]> http://michpics.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/november-on-old-indian-trail/ Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:52:33 +0000 Michigan in Pictures http://michpics.wordpress.com/2009/11/16/november-on-old-indian-trail/ http://raguyoz.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/mon-trip-en-4x4-sur-fraser-island/ Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:44:00 +0000 raguy http://raguyoz.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/mon-trip-en-4x4-sur-fraser-island/ http://pxleyes.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/drain/ Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:50:38 +0000 fatabbot http://pxleyes.wordpress.com/2009/11/10/drain/

New image in the dunes and lake photoshop contest

Thanks for view and comments. …
Drain photoshop picture

New image in the dunes and lake photoshop contest

If I could turn this into a "layered" cake, I suppose we could all have a piece! Had a lot of fun with this one. Hope you like it. Feel fr …
Waterfall photoshop picture

New image in the panoramas photography contest

Taken on the Wirulla Road near gawler ranges. Canon IS2S stitch program …
Sand Dunes photography picture

New image in the dunes and lake photoshop contest

If I could turn this into a "layered" cake, I suppose we could all have a piece! Had a lot of fun with this one. Hope you like it. Feel fr …
Waterfall photoshop picture

Phone: 954 603 8772.
Please leave a message and you will be contacted ASAP.

A/C not fixed = $20 (diagnosis/service)
If your air conditioning (A/C) is not fixed, the charge $20 to diagnose the problem.

A/C fixed + No parts = $50
(If your A/C is fixed and no parts are needed, the charge is $50 total.You will not pay more than $50 unless parts need to be purchased.)

A/C fixed + Parts = $50 + Cost of parts.
If your A/C is fixed and parts are needed, the charge is $50 + the cost of the parts.

Please note: Freon/refrigerant is a part and is not included in the service fee.

This is not an hourly fee – the labor fee is $50 no matter how long the repair takes. The charge is $20 if the A/C is not fixed.

Please note that the following services are not currently being offered: 1) coil change-outs, 2) compressor change-outs and 3) installations.

Here is a list of cities currently being serviced:

Boca Raton
Coconut Creek
Coral Springs
Deerfield Beach
Fort Lauderdale
Hillsboro Beach
Lauderdale Lakes
Lauderdale-by-the-Sea
Lauderhill
Lighthouse Point
Margate
North Lauderdale
Oakland Park
Parkland
Pompano Beach
Tamarac
Wilton Manors

South Broward, West Broward and Miami-Dade County are not currently serviced.

Here is a list of some of the units that may be repaired…
- Commercial A/C units
- Residential A/C units
- Split A/C units
- Package A/C units
- Wall A/C units
- Window A/C units

Please note: Personal Checks and Business Checks are not accepted as payment at this time.

If you can’t call, feel free to email your phone number to the email address at the top of this listing and you will be contacted ASAP.

Any and all air conditioners have a possibility of repair.

Here are some (but not all) brands that repairs are possible for..
Goodman, Trane, Carrier, York, Rheem, Ruud, Fujistsu, American Standard, Lennox, Mitsubishi, Bryant, Payne, Duchane, Fedders, Heil, Janitrol, Armstrong, GE, General Electric, Honeywell, Amana, Comfortmaker, Tempstar, Briggs & Stratton, Kohler, Guardian, Generac.

License # CAC014666

Incredible dunes on Mars, via The Bit Picture

I’ve selected two out of a dozen splendid images from Mars. Head on over to The Big Picture to see more! Some of them look like cells, but they were actually taken from space.

Frost forms on Southern Mars

Guys are still pulling out all the stops to impress the chicks.

Oct 23 – Jeffery’s Bay, South Africa (Island Vibe): Hang over day. Ate at The Mexican in the arvo.

Oct 24 – Addo, South Africa (Orange Elephant Camp): Safari through Addo National Park.

Oct 25 – Aliwal North, Lesotho (Moorosi Chalets): Aussie Tim and New Zealand Sarah (The last couple) had someone try to get into their tent. Luckily they went to bed early and were in there. Crazy, crazy, CRAZY rain, thunder, lighting storm while entering Lesotho. So crazy that the water made the roads too muddy and dangerous to drive. We had to park on the side of the road to camp. No pitching tents. We all decided to slumber in Gunga (our truck).

Oct 26 – Malealea, Lesotho (Malealea Lodge): Rain go away!!! Drove through the Gates Of Paradise. Still in the storm. Hail the size of marbles hit us hard. Poor Gunga and her fiberglass roof…and our ears.

Oct 27 – Malealea, Lesotho (Malealea Lodge): Quazi sunny day. Rain teasing us for now. Skipped out on the pony trek through the landscapes of Lesotho. The next time I ride a horse’ish like animal is when RJ wants to experience it. Otherwise, not on my own terms.

Amazing local family village dinner with Meusi and his son Dohwa (misspelling the names). Thank you again!

4AM, thunder and lightning storms are back. Stayed up and watched the lightning from my tent door. Flashed bright every couple seconds.

Oct 28 – Drakensberg National Park, South Africa (Maahai Camp) – G’bye Lesotho. Last new country of the trip, however it didn’t want us to go right away. We got stuck in the mud. Shovels + pushing + mud + rocks + mud + locals + 2 hours = finally on our way. Drove through the Golden Gate National Park. Beautiful landscape.

Oct 29 – Drakensberg National Park, South Africa (Maahai Camp) – Raining again. Ugh! Will not be able to hike the Dragensberg National Park. Lame.

Oct 30 – Johannesberg, South Africa (The Backpacker Ritz of Johannesberg) – Final dinner with everyone at Moyo.

Oct 31 – Johannesberg, South Africa (The Backpacker Ritz of Johannesberg) – Official end of our tour. Sad.

Nov 1-3 – Johannesberg, South Africa (The Backpacker Ritz of Johannesberg) – Watched Michael Jackson’s “This Is It” and “District 9″. Visited Shopping Malls.

Skipped out on Kruger National Park due to multiple reasons.

Nov 4 & 5 – London, England (Sleeping at LHR): One day in London. Brilliant city. I want to move here.

(poof redding not avilable)