Back..

Published on by Anita6 Comments

…back to my daily life here in Malta after a couple of weeks in Sarawak, Malaysia. Today’s images are from yesterday’s visit to Ta Qali Park. Nature has changed, in some way, it feels more subdued. It’s winter now, not so many colorful flowers, besides the yellow ones that bloom all year round. These special plants are now seen growing in abundance among the green grass in the park.
They are small and resembles a kind of pitcher plant.I really like being in Sarawak, I wouldn’t mind living there year around. It’s a very special part of the world. But I know it doesn’t work to take my dog ​​to the other side of the earth.
It feels good to be with Fanny again…

Black & White Photography – 4

Published on by Anita17 Comments

This is the fourth time I’ve joined Susan’s black/white photo challenge and to me it’s really a challenge, but a fun one. In last week’s b/w post I showed old vehicles but it feels more challenging to edit images of people.

Choosing between these two types of editing felt a bit difficult, they are so different. Which one do you prefer?These people dressed in traditional costumes are from the Iban tribe in Sarawak, Borneo. The Ibans are famous for their head-hunting past, their massive ironwood longhouses, their ornate body tattooing, their wonderful weaving skills, and of course their potent rice wine, tuak.Next Monday I will be traveling to Sarawak again, probably for the last time…

As before, I also show my pictures in color, for those who want to compare.
The one I am least satisfied with is the warrior, he is doing much better in black / white.

Susan’s Black and White on Wednesdays

The Power of Flowers & Color

Published on by Anita16 Comments

It feels like my last post was a bit too depressing so I decided to add some happy color in a new post instead. My colorful bougainvillea is still blooming on our terrace…

…and the color splash that is barely visible in the top image is the color of Fanny’s new coat.If dogs could smile she would do it and if dogs could talk she would tell that she is a happy one.

Trees on Tuesdays

Published on by Anita20 Comments

“Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop”
– Rumi – “The greatest Threat to Our Planet is the Belief that Someone Else will Save it”
-Robert Swan – Susan’s Photo Challenge Trees on Tuesdays.

The Tower

Published on by Anita15 Comments

Għajn Tuffieħa Tower, designed by architect Vincenzo Maculaniwas, is a small watchtower built in 1637.The tower was built on the site of a medieval watch post and was originally armed with a ½-pounder gun. Its garrison consisted of a captain and three men, who were paid by the Università of Mdina…read moreThe view from here is amazing.

Għajn Tuffieħa Bay, Malta – November 2019

Black & White Photography – Part 3

Published on by Anita

This feels almost a bit scary. I’m not good at all when it comes to edit my images to black and white.In September I visited an exhibition of old motorbikes at the Aviation Museum in Ta ‘Qali. The Historical Motorcycles Club exhibited both classic……and military motorbikes.…as well as some old cars.

Engine and a wheel.

As I wrote, I’m not used to this at all, but, as long as it’s fun, I will continue to challenge myself.

As last time, I show my images also in color, for those who like to compare.
Your comment or advice for improvement would as always be greatly appreciated.
For some unknown reason, it’s not possible to comment on this post.
Thanks anyway for visiting my site!

Susan’s Black and White on Wednesdays

Trees on Tuesdays

Published on by Anita9 Comments

Same tree taken from different angle and different seasons. The one in the middle was taken in the beginning of February this year. The others are from last weekend.
Għajn Tuffieħa Bay, Malta.

Susan’s Photo Challenge Trees on Tuesdays.

Yes, the picture in the middle has been shown here before.
Didn’t have much imagination today.

Spring is in the air

Published on by Anita41 Comments

Yesterday we went to Ta Qali Park. Usually we never go there on the weekends when the summer is over because there are too many people and you can’t have your dog without leash. But we were all alone.I haven’t been here for a while and was really surprised. It felt like spring even though we are in November! This beauty has a very special expression, perhaps it was also surprised that it felt like spring in the air.The sky was blue, the grass was green and there were lots of small yellow flowers.
Fanny was more than happy to run around in the greenery without a leash. At first I didn’t notice that there were two butterflies on the leaf! A spider with its catch of the day.I saw lots of different kinds of butterflies, dragonflies and other kinds of insects. But as usual, they are very active and difficult to capture with the camera. I’m glad I got this one.Ta’ Qali National Park, Malta

Welcome November

Published on by Anita22 Comments

Typically November, the sky is gray, it’s thundering and it’s raining again.
Days like these we need both color and flowers and not to forget, a happy mind. Susan’s Flowers on Fridays # 13. 
Cee’s Photo Challenge.

Flower of The Day

Published on by Anita19 Comments

It continues to rain here on the island. These are still blooming on our terrace, although it’s soon November.
Life goes on, sometimes a bit too fast. For the future, I have a wish…Cee’s Photo Challenge.

It’s Raining

Published on by Anita17 Comments

Today the weather is so bad here on the island that not even my dog ​​wants to go out.
It’s raining and getting dark outside already at five o’clock.Bad weather doesn’t mean you can’t shoot. But in case you aren’t in the mood for that, it can be fun to look through all the pictures stored in your huge archive and try to pick only ONE, just for fun! There are so many different ways to stay positive when a day feels gray.
Like thinking about old bright and happy memories, and not to forget…

Thistly

Published on by Anita12 Comments

“Do not blame the thistle that you can see no beauty”
– Jonathan Lookwood Huie – “Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better”
– Albert Einstein –

Susan’s Flowers on Fridays # 13. 
Cee’s Photo Challenge.

Black & White Photography

Published on by Anita33 Comments

“When you photograph people in color, you photograph their clothes.
But when you photograph people in black and white, you photograph their souls”
– Ted Grant –

I’m not sure if I agree with Ted Grant.
These images were taken when I sat in my car waiting while a religious procession passes by along the road. Nowadays it is not so common for me to photograph people.
What’s more unusual is that I edit them to black and white, so these are an exception.But I enjoy trying something new and would love to learn more.
What do you think about my black and white photos, how could they have been improved?

Here the images are also shown in color, for those who want to compare.
Your comment is much appreciated. Thanks!

Susan’s Black and White on Wednesdays

Pomegranates and Prickly Pears

Published on by Anita14 Comments

We spent another Sunday among pomegranates and prickly pears in Majjistral Nature Park. This time I had brought gloves so I could pick some of the prickly fruits. They taste pretty good, not too sweet.

The pomegranate kernels are not sweet at all but taste good mixed with yogurt and some honey.I found a small nest full of life……and a butterfly. There were plenty of them but I only managed to capture this one.Fanny was with us, as always. Here she rests after running around in the amazing surroundings of the park.And here she waits patiently between the rocks as we make our way up the last hill on the way up to the plateau where we have parked our car. The weather was fine, 25 degrees and another day of life is gone.

20 October 2019 Il-Majjistral Nature & History Park

Autumn Feeling

Published on by Anita24 Comments

Last Sunday we went to Il-Majjistral Nature Park here in Malta. We haven’t been here since last spring and it is always exciting to see how our nature changes, depending on the seasons. Now autumn is here.This is nothing to be found in the spring.

These thistles have completely changed colors. Once purple, now turned into soft autumn colors.Our nature is absolutely amazing! This picture speaks for itself. As always, Fanny was with us. She loves to run freely in the large nature park with all steep slopes. She has seen wild rabbits here, now sniffing and looking for them. Luckily she never catches any, they are too fast.

Sunshine’s Macro Monday.

Skyltsöndag

Published on by Anita11 Comments

Då var det söndag och dags att skylta igen. Här är en blandning från förra helgens utflykt till fiskebyn Marsaxlokk här på Malta samt lite annat smått och gott. Den övre har anknytning till den sista. Enjoy! Den här var väl fin!

Har man hund så har man. Voff, voff…🐕 I en fiskeby erbjuds naturligtvis färsk fisk. Fast vi tyckte det var lite för dyrt och tillagade fisk hemma istället.San Gwakkin?? Men en Skylt är det och de så typiska Malta-färgerna. En tygpåse som förhoppningsvis leder till ett gott skratt… Kunde inte undgå att lägga märke till alla män som plötsligt gick omkring och bar på svenska flaggans färger. Helt fantastiskt att så många tagit flyget hit för att se fotbollsmatchen mellan Malta-Sverige. Vilken entusiasm! Vädret har dessutom varit strålande med upp till 27+ vilket inte framgår på bilden, men en skylt ser ni iallafall.

Alla kan vara med och skylta på söndagar, BP håller i trådarna.
Länk till övriga deltagare.

A trip to Marsaxlokk – Malta

Published on by Anita36 Comments

Last Sunday we went to Malta’s largest fishing village Marsaxlokk. I enjoy walking around here, mainly because of all the colorful fishing boats that are seen in the harbor but also because of its special atmosphere.Even the fishing nets are colorful.…and so are the benches.

Some snapshots!On Sundays, many Maltese visit the fish market to buy from the morning’s catch and it’s a popular location among locals for Sunday lunch. We neither bought any fish nor ate lunch but it was well worth a visit!

Macro Monday

Published on by Anita28 Comments

The butterflies above are from my archive and I believe they were all photographed in Borneo’s rainforest some years ago. Maybe someone out there knows what kind of butterflies these are?Yesterday I saw this tiny dragonfly here in Malta but the beauty flew away too fast.
Without my macro lens this time but at least I got a fairly good close up.
Sunshine’s Macro Monday

Thursday’s pictures..

Published on by Anita19 Comments

The main thing these pictures have in common… …is that they are surrounded by the greenery of nature.

“In nature, light creates the color. In the picture, color creates the light”
– Hans Hofmann –

Goodbye September

Published on by Anita24 Comments

” In all things of Nature there is something of the Marvelous”
– Aristotle –

” The earth has music for those who listen”
– Shakesphere –Cee’s Photo Challenge
Sunshine’s Macro Monday
Photo a day Challenge / Goodbye September

Skyltsöndag

Published on by Anita8 Comments

Söndag och dags att skylta igen. Fortsätter med mina bilder från Spanien med inslag från Malta. Spanien. Ingen direkt skylt men en något udda lokal för skyltning av lite speciella festkläder.

Något historiskt i Granada, Spanien.
Valletta, Malta
Spanien
En gammal skylt från en nedlagd butik i Valletta, Malta.

Lite blandat från Spanien och Valletta på Malta.Den här tycker jag om, rar på något vis, Spanien så klart.Att namnge sitt hus är vanligt här på Malta. När vi hade hus i San Ġiljan döpte vi det till Larnita, en kombi av våra namn, Lars och Anita. De som köpte huset år 2005 lät skylten sitta kvar och den sitter där än idag.Avslutar med en liten påminnelse om hur viktiga våra insekter faktiskt är.

Alla kan vara med och skylta på söndagar, BP håller i trådarna.
Länk till övriga deltagare.

 

The True Reality

Published on by Anita21 Comments

“There are some four million different kind of animals and plants in the world.
Four million different solutions to the problems of staying alive” – Sir David Attenborough –“Let us develop respect for all living thing. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding and compassion. And love” – Jane Goodall –“Ever since we arrived on this planet as a species, we’ve cut them down, dug them up, burnt them and poisoned them. Today we’re doing so on a greater scale than ever.”
– Sir David Attenborough –

“If we [humans] disappeared overnight, the world would probably be better off.”
– Sir David Attenborough –Most of these photographs are archive images from my travels on Borneo while some are taken here in Malta.

Stones

Published on by Anita11 Comments

Thousands of small, small stones, shaped by the waves of the sea.Salobreña beach, Spain September 2019.

“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the water to create many ripples”
– Mother Theresa –

Tuesday Photo Challenge – Stone

Trees around a lake in Sarawak, Borneo.

Trees on Tuesdays

Published on by Anita18 Comments

One of the few old trees still left in Malta. Too many trees are cut down to build wider roads.

Tree trunks and a bit of imagination can create different kinds of figures.“The best friend on earth of man is the tree. When we use the tree respectfully and economically, we have one of the greatest resources on the earth.”
― Frank Lloyd Wright –

Susan’s Photo Challenge Trees on Tuesdays

Skyltsöndag

Published on by Anita26 Comments

Dags för Skyltsöndag igen och eftersom jag nyligen varit i Spanien kommer de flesta därifrån. Enjoy!

Gatuskyltarna är ofta vackra. På Calle La Granja bodde vi en vecka i den lilla charmiga staden Salobrena.

Vi bodde i den gamla delen där gränderna är som labyrinter och gatorna branta. Bestämde mig för att gå upp till toppen där Castillo De Salobreña ligger. Bilden till höger såg jag på en husvägg och gick dit pilen pekade. Fast jag gick förstås vilse…Till slut nådde jag toppen och jag vet, det här är ingen skylt och inte heller någon ruin men utsikten var fin.Nu förflyttar vi oss till Gamla stan i Almuñécar som också ligger utmed Costa Tropical.
Här har någon dekorerat sin fasad och enligt skylten fått någon slags utmärkelse.Menu del Día är ofta lika svårlästa som här. Speciellt om man inte behärskar spanska.
Ögonen fastnar istället på dekorationen till vänster.Medelhavet med den milslånga stranden har ganska grov sand till skillnad mot Malta där vi mest har klippor. Här och var syns dessa ashtrays, en väldigt bra idé för att hålla stranden ren.Tillbaka i Salobreña men utanför Gamla stan. Här syns fasaden till ett av många hus som jag tror är semesterbostäder. Tycket dekorationen är riktigt snygg och kan nog även ses som en skylt.Tillbaka hemma på Malta där det snart finns fler lyftkranar än träd. Vad pilen fyller för funktion har jag ingen aning om men jag vet iallafall en som har en förkärlek för lyftkranar så den bilden får avsluta veckans skörd.

Vem som vill kan vara med och skylta på söndagar, BP håller i trådarna.

Här är en länk till andra deltagare.

Time to Harvest

Published on by Anita12 Comments

There are plenty of olive trees in Ta Qali Park and I’ve seen how they’ve grown since last spring.Now they are ripe and ready to pick.This morning my dear husband came home with a whole bag of olives, at least several kilos.

Soon he realized that the best thing is to remove the pits before they are soaked and went to buy a olive pitter. He spent quite a long time with each olive but within a month they will be ready to eat. Lucky me…

Dragon fly – The One and Only

Published on by Anita43 Comments

I’ve only seen a very few dragonflies this year and those I’ve seen have flown by quickly. Certainly I was happy when I found this one sitting on a twig in Ta Qali National Park. I was worried it would fly away and therefore had difficulty adjusting the focus quickly, but I’m pretty happy anyway.

Roses

Published on by Anita15 Comments

“My life is part humor, part roses, part thorns.”
– Bret Michaels –“A rose dreams of enjoying the company of bees, but none appears. The sun asks: Aren’t you tired of waiting? Yes, answers the rose, ‘but if I close my petals, I will wither and die.”
– Paulo Coelho –

Susan’s Flowers on Fridays # 7. 
Cee’s Photo Challenge