Author | Lightnews

OfConnell

@ofconnell.bsky.social

900 followers 790 following 270 posts

Husband of a great wife, father of wonderful kids, proud grandfather, Amateur photographer, AI afficionado, love desert four-wheeling, metal detecting, drones, computers, meteorite collecting. Commercial use of my content is not permitted.

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OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Nov 9

Hi!

I have another account that highlights generative AI pics, which I am also fond of...

The id :
Aimless-one.bsky.social

I understand folks' reluctance to having someone copying an individual artist's works, and so I use it for learning specific art styles, like Surrealism, Abstraction, etc...

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · 10h

#photography

Spin cycle...

Pic taken while Phone was spun 180⁰ in a 2 second night exposure, when it indicated "hold the phone steady"...

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · 10h

#Photography

#Maui #Sunset

Mottled Orange Pink clouds loitering to deliver another gorgeous Maui sunset...

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OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · 1d

The Economist is all about libertarian policies like taking money you didn't earn yourself, and NOT raising yourself up by your own bootstraps, JUST LIKE Libertarians everywhere...

"Don't tax ME, tax THEE"

"I built every inch of the road I drive on, built my own power, water supply", all that BS

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · 4d

#photography

#Maui #Sunset

Polo Beach...

Wailea Makena, Maui

The Sun sets over Polo Beach...

Wailea Makena, Maui

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · 5d

#photography

#Maui

Walking in the clouds...

Haupa'akea Peak

Haleakalā National Park

An 80 mile slightly anxiety inducing drive brought us to the crater of the Haupa'akea Peak, at Noon. The clouds roll over the lip of the cauldron, at 10,000 feet above sea level, and make it hard to judge whether you are looking at the sky or the ocean. The mist over the lower elevations sometimes made it hard to tell how high up the mountain we were.

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OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · 15d

Last group

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · 15d

Next group

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · 15d

Here's a list of sites that push the same conservative bullshit, in case it wasn't obvious before.

Most used the same bullshit pic, and there's 40 of them.

Get your political news from other sites.

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · 24d

#photography #ArizonaSunset

Another gorgeous sunset here, these pics taken from Talking Stick Resort golf course...

Beautiful hues dominate the sky near sunset. Pic 1

Beautiful hues dominate the sky near sunset. Pic 2

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Sep 12

#photography

Sunset

Sun streaks through the branches at sunset in Arizona

4 6 110

Reposted by OfConnell

Carbon Brief @carbonbrief.org · Aug 4

Revealed: How colonial rule radically shifts historical responsibility for climate change | @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org @vernerviisas.bsky.social #CBarchive

Read here ➡️ bit.ly/3TecPJx

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OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Jun 17

The vapor whale slowly and silently traverses the sky above the treetops. The creature is enormous...

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Jun 17

#Photography

SpaceX Launch tonight...

500+ miles away.

Description in ALT

10x zoom of the vapor cone from the SpaceX rocket launch.

Shortly after this pic, the angle slightly changed, and the rocket disappeared, leaving the twilight phenomenon behind.

2x zoom of the vapor cone from the SpaceX rocket launch with the vapor trailer of the twilight phenomenon behind.

Remnants of the vapor cone from the SpaceX rocket launch with the vapor trailer of the twilight phenomenon behind. Waves of the vapor trains form unusual formations

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OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Jun 16

#photography

Golden Hour, 'Zona...

Description in ALT

As the sun drops behind the cacti covered mountains, the clouds light up from rays of light to add dimension and contrast for another phenomenal sunset near Lake Pleasant

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OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Jun 15

#photography

Black Swans dot a lake near a sheep farm an hour outside of Christchurch, South Island, New Zealand, early March.

A common sight in the area, apparently. I had no idea.

Description in ALT

Hundreds of black swans lazily float on a lake, just outside the entrance to the sheep farm.

Black swans are a common sight in the Christchurch area, as they were introduced to New Zealand from Australia in the 1860s and have established populations in both the North and South Islands. While the Australian black swan (Cygnus atratus) is now widespread, New Zealand also had its own unique, now-extinct species of black swan called the Poūwa (Cygnus sumnerensis).

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Australian Black Swans:
These are the black swans you'll typically see in and around Christchurch today. They are native to Australia and were introduced to New Zealand in the 1860s.

New Zealand's Extinct Black Swan (Poūwa):
New Zealand once had its own species of black swan, the Poūwa, which was distinct from the Australian species.

Poūwa Characteristics:
The Poūwa was larger and heavier than the Australian black swan, with proportionally shorter wings and longer legs.

Extinction:
The Poūwa is believed to have been hunted to extinction by humans shortly after their arrival in New Zealand.

Current Swan Population:
Today, the Australian black swan is a common sight in New Zealand, including the Christchurch area, with populations found on larger coastal or inland lakes.

Lake Ellesmere:
A prominent location for black swans in the Canterbury region (where Christchurch is located) is Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora), though a severe storm in 1968 significantly impacted the swan population there.

Hunting:
Black swans are considered game birds in New Zealand and can be hunted during the appropriate seasons.

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Jun 14

#photography

Early morning Island watching at the beginning of March, on the way to Tauranga

Description in ALT

A distant island, cloaked by lingering clouds, the sky, ok, to me, amber and almost a greenish blue...

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Jun 13

#photography

Bin Chickens, in the land down under...

Description in ALT

4 Australian White Ibis, known as "bin chickens" roam around the park in Sydney Harbor, looking for a snack

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Jun 13

#photography

A beach in Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand, in mid afternoon, early April

Description in ALT

Islands dot the beach view from Rotorua in early April on a beauty of a warm day. A sailboarder tries to navigate the waves

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OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Jun 4

Hey, Racket, in case you were unaware, we have pictures of modern phones now, and you can upgrade your phone pic now, for a low, low monthly payment...

A pic of the brick, one of the 1st wireless phones

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · May 7

I'm sorry. I hope they reverse the cuts after huge political fallout.

I have family members with big concerns due to the cuts, but they're not as bad as your daughter's.

Call your representative every day until they help you. You may have to personally go there also, if your calls aren't working

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OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Apr 13

#photography

Kinsale, Ireland

Description in Alt

Fog rolls back on the river Brandon, just behind the Archdeacon Duggan Bridge, Kinsale. A beautiful sunny, cool morning at 8:30, temperature 51⁰, and low wind. This was taken down the road ( Castlepark ) from Kinsale Beach, where folks MUCH heartiest than I were swimming daily in 40⁰ waters.

I put on a fleece at the mere sight.

A wonderful place to visit, should you get to Eire... it's a great food town.

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OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Mar 28

#photography

"Not all who wander are lost..."

Description in ALT

A picture of the Sonoran Desert while on a search for a missing man that thankfully turned up after a few days.

While folks searched for him, eventually, he showed back up on his own.

Frustrating as it may have been for those that knew him, or were helping to find him, this WAS absolutely the best case scenario. No question.

Very quickly, it doesn't really matter WHY someone is gone, because if they come back alive, your prayers HAVE been answered.

I have been on other searches...

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Mar 26

Taken at Shenandoah farm, in Wellington, on the North Island of New Zealand...

OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Mar 26

#photography

"They're comfortable around humans, but are not pets..."
Is a good reminder for fools like me.

Highland Bull Bois...

Description in ALT

He wanted to be pet. I wanted to pet him... but the last second warning makes you look at those sharp, pointy horns makes you wonder how fast he can swing that big old head around , or close the 3 foot distance he was away.

He looked friendly, but you gotta respect a Highland bull.

Two big boys get curious about the crowd, and want to see who risks walking in the paddock with them.

Only the farmer that they're already familiar with, reminding us that they're not big puppies, that's who.

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OfConnell @ofconnell.bsky.social · Mar 26

#photography

A hidden island, in the morning myst.

Description in ALT.

Sorry folks, I have been traveling a bit. Lots to show, but don't want to spam y'all.

An island hides in the clouds, at sunrise, in the Tasman Sea, blurring the distinction between the clouds and land.

The lonely island looked uninhabited by anything but birds and maybe some seals, or turtles, but I'm speculating; it did look devoid of humans though, so it was probably doing fine.

In order to find the speck of land on the sea, you had to zoom in on the horizon, in a direction you thought you'd seen it before. It disappeared and reappeared in the myst until the Sun came up and burned off the clouds.