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distortions.net

I'm Ryan M. Tech geek. Avgeek. California Native plant gardener. All photos on this blog, unless stated otherwise, are mine. Cameras: Fujifilm X-T5 and X100V. Views are my own.

Germany

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    'Negative space' #FotoVorschlag

    At Berlin Tempelhof airport, December 5, 2023. #Berlin #Germany #Fujifilm #SOoC

    On a cloudy day with snow covered ground, a runner in a blue outfit travels along one of the Berlin Tempelhof's taxiways. A little father away, a dog runs in parrallel on gnow and grass. The scene is very white with few breaks of buildings along the skyline.

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    June, 2022: Munich’s Palace of Justice with the Neptune Fountain #Munich #Germany #Fujifilm #SOoC

    The rear of the Neptune Fountain, with Neptune's rear end prominent in front of the Palace of Justice. It's a nice blue but cloudy day, and the sky with clouds reflect in the palace's oversized windows. The copper and glass dome reaches toward the sky.

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    May 2, 2025: Lufthansa B747-8 (D-ABYM) SFO-FRA (Frankfurt, Germany)
    #HumpDay #B747 #Aviation #AvGeek #PlaneSpotting #FujifilmA Boeing 747, owned and operated by Lufthansa, taxies at SFO to 28L. Its at an angle, but the sun is fully illuminating its right side. It is set against buildings and brown hills of South San Francisco. The bay in front is a bit choppy and the photo was taken somewhere above powerlines, as they are visible at the bottom edge of the photo.

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    December 15, 2023: at Frankfurt Airport, Germany, a human for scale is behind a United 777-300 (N2243U). Hard stands are the best.

    #B773 #EDDF #FRA #Aviation #AvGeek #PlaneSpotting #Fujifilm

    The belly of a United 777-300 (N2243U), looming over the tarmac. The main 12-wheel landing gear are front and center, with a human in front of one of the wheels. The wheels cover more than half of their body. The red beacon, which is off, and an antennae is visible above the gear. Some cargo is visible behind the plane.

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    Update: Voting is over and Azurite lost.

    Here’s a photo of Azurite with smaller amounts of Malachite at the Freudenstein Castle in Freiberg, Germany. Let it lull you into voting for it in Mineral Cup 2025! Only a few hours left… #MinCup25 #Azurite #Geology #Minerals

    A professionally displayed hunk of dark blue nodular Azurite or Azurit (German) from Seabra, Brazil. There are some greener nodules of malachite. It looks like clumps of candy making a rock, all but ensuring that you’ll vote for it. Photographed with permission.

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    On this day in 2023, we began our trip to Germany. We flew KSFO-EDDF (Frankfurt) on United 777-3 reg. N2250U #Aviation #Avgeek #Travel #N2250U #B77W #KSFO An airport scene at SFO with a United Airlines 777 on the tarmac, a monorail train in the foreground, and a parking lot filled with cars. The background features airport buildings under a low overcast sky. The ground is damp. A United Airlines 777-3 is parked at the airport gate on a rainy day. Ground crew and equipment are visible around the aircraft. Overcast skies are in the background.

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    Yikes. Dresden’s Carola Bridge collapsed in their early morning hours. Apparently a tram had just crossed it and no one was on the bridge. And soon floods may begin. Here’s the bridge back in 2009 with a tram passing over. #Carolabrücke A busy riverside promenade with numerous people walking and socializing. Several street lamps, a parking sign, and a no-stopping sign are visible along the cobblestone walkway. There is a river with the concrete pier Carola Bridge. A church is visible beyond the far shore.

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    A narrow gauge steam train engine at Oybin, Saxony, Germany. June 2022. 📷 #MBApr A vintage black steam narrow-gage locomotive with the number 991760-0 on a railroad track with steam coming out, a conductor standing by, and forested hills in the background. There are also additional railroad tracks to the left. Steam comes out of its front.

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    Local Raley’s grocery has non-alcoholic beer imported from Germany. It’s good as hoped. Malty, which I prefer over hoppy. A hand holding a bottle of Clausthaler Original Non-Alcoholic beer, which contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume. The label includes the phrases “Superior Taste,” “Crisp & Fresh,” and “The German Pioneer”

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    Germany has great non-alcoholic beer and they seem quite popular there. More than you’d expect! They’re so much better than the rightfully maligned O’Douls. So I’m excited that Sierra Nevada Brewery is getting into this market. Can’t wait to try! https://sierranevada.com/brews/trail-pass-golden

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    COVID Sucks (Stay Fully Vaccinated )

    Glad I’m fully vaccinated as my post-Germany COVID symptoms/disease could be lots worse. Took several days to test positive. The infection started with an on/off fever, sore throat, cold-like symptoms, & general malaise. My finger tips tingled for a few hours (immune system must have gone after my nerve myelin)! Two weeks later, my head is congested (ears not at right pressure) and I’ve a minor cough. Get vaccinated & protect yourself. Don’t travel during peak respiratory virus season. Avoid poorly ventilated (we’ve learned… nothing) trains. Still, Germany was pretty great! Photos will be randomly posted.

    A positive COVID test results. The lolly-pop BinaxNOW style test.
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    After two weeks in Germany, Fujifilm’s new XApp was ace for geotags and JPEG transfers to my iPhone. Tips: set custom saved settings' power management to never turn off; wait to transfer at end of the day; geotag backup: use Pedometer++ for GPX, and HoudahGeo to geotag using GPX #Fujifilm

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    Love getting out of the bus at the departure stand. Returning today to SFO from Germany. #Travel #Deutschland #B77W #Fujifilm #AvGeek ✈️

    United 777-300 engine on a damp tarmac 777 wheel undercarriage with a man next to them for scale.Front nose gear of the 777 with the aircraft ID of 2143. A bus is driving off on the background.

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    Guten Morgen! Yesterday, after arriving at Frankfurt, Germany, we had lunch with jet-lag friendly alkoholfrei Bier. Today, in an hour, we’re catching a train to Berlin. #TravelPhotography Alcohol free beer in a Paulaner hellis glass. At the top corner within a glass window reflection an aircraft can be seen flying over. There’s a Christmas tree in the reflection too!

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    For several years I was in a “I hate hops in beer” phase. After having tons of not hoppy beer in Germany last year, I learned to like IPA beer like Sierra Nevada Brewery’s Powder Day. SNB is going crazy lately with a big focus on hazy & IPA beer.

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    Our thrice delayed trip to Germany has this year’s three of my top four aviation photos — from SFO and FRA. And then one for a trip back from Montana (the two 787s, the only one taken with an iPhone 11 Pro). #2022Top4AviationScores #Fujifilm #X100V

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    With insanity at European airports I’m thankful our early June trip to Germany was nearly flawless. We 😷managed to not get Corona (we tested ourselves before leaving though the US lifted that requirement while we were there). Almost 4 years of planning! Photo is Frankfurt Intl

    Aircraft at Frankfurt terminals
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    Beetle killed trees in Saxony, Germany.

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    Earlier in June: on a trail to Oybin, Saxony, Germany. Saxony has the best sandstone.

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    Before our trip to Germany, I pruned the first big leaves off a sunflower because they were shading out a pepper. Now the sunflower has a flower near each prune cut. Great for attracting bees to our peppers!

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