Yesterday I saw the first poppies of the year, one of my favorites when it comes to wildflowers. “The earth laughs in flowers.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson”
The purple is not as common as the red ones. Sure, they’re all beautiful! “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” – Buddha
This look a bit like a butterfly. “Butterflies are self propelled flowers.” ― Robert A. Heinlein
With this post, I wish you all a Happy Easter Holiday! Now I’m takinga short break and I’ll be back in a week or so. And don’t forget…
This post is dedicated to my lovely dogs Fanny and Felicia. They bring so much joy and have completely changed my life and daily routines. Fanny came to us as a puppy in November 2017, Felicia, her daughter, was born September 27, 2020.
💚 Mother and daughter, soon to be the same size 💚
Unforgettable memories, that was then, 25th October 2020. Six adorable basenji puppies, Cinnamon, Paco, Luna, Milo, Felicia and Gin. Five moved to new homes when they were eight weeks old and they are all very well taken care of!
Fanny, just a week before she gave birth to six puppies
My precious dog Fanny almost disappears in this picture, but she can be seen down there, on the edge. And if you look closely, Felicia can also be seen among the bushes on the side. I didn’t even see her myself until I enlarged the image.
Here are a selection of photos from Malta’s countryside, along the sea. This is where I prefer to go with my dogs, in nature, far from home. Here we can walk for hours and forget the hectic traffic, high rise buildings, all the construction work and cranes that have taken over in the small town of Sliema where we live, where I feel I have lived too long now.
Hello!!
It’s pretty steep here!
Come on, the wooden bridge has been repaired so it’s not dangerous to cross anymore.
Look at the couple on the narrow walkway far ahead! It seems to be crowded here.
The walkways are narrow, the clay wall is steep and the sea is far down. It’s exciting to run here.
Already sunset and time to head back home.
These are the places where I can fill my soul with energy while my dogs enjoy freedom and new exciting discoveries. A valuable part of my everyday life here on the small island of Malta.
Ghajn Tuffieha, Riviera Bay & Il-Majjistral Nature & History Park Malta March 2021
This is one of many colorful wild flowers that can be seen here on the island right now.
The beautiful gladioli are sometimes called the sword lily because of the sword-shaped leaves of the plants in this genus but the most widely-used English common name for these plants is simply gladiolus.
This lovely flower appear between March and May and is quite common throughout the Maltese countryside.
Feel free to click on an image in the collage and it becomes even more colorful.
I’m happy that this year’s first butterfly that I managed to capture was this special species,”The Queen’s Butterfly”. The dry blade of grass may be seen as a disturbing detail, but I decided to leave it instead of wasting time editing.
I was lucky to capture another one of these rare beauties. I read that the Swallowtail is Malta’s only endemic butterfly and its scientific name is Papilio machaon melitensis where melitensis shows that it is a Maltese species.
This species of butterfly, the Red Admiral is on the wing all year round and is relatively common here on the island. Regardless of being rare or common, it’s the same joy every time I manage to get a butterfly in front of the lens.
It doesn’t take much to feel joy in our everyday life. Positive thinking!
The pandemic cannot be ignored, it is here and we are all affected in one way or another. Therefore, it’s so important to try to pick out the positive parts of our everyday lives. Even the smallest things can mean a lot.
I really enjoy the beautiful flowers and colors of Spring.
Being surrounded by greenery in the middle of nowhere can bring pure joy for most creatures.
I’m grateful and very happy about having my beloved dogs Fanny and Felicia. After all, Life is good.
Gerberas are believed to symbolize Beauty, Innocence, and Purity.
“Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions” – Pablo Picasso
“Whether the flower or the color is the focus I do not know. I do know the flower is painted large to convey my experience with the flower – and what is my experience if it is not the color?” – Georgia O’Keeffe
“We are all called upon to do small things with great love” – Mother Teresa
Why do two colors, put one next to the other, sing? Can one really explain this? No. Just as one can never learn how to paint.” – Pablo Picasso
The beautiful wild flower Narcissus Tazetta has flourished in diversity here on the island of Malta since time immemorial.
Today, there are significantly fewer of these beauties seen in nature, mainly due to its attractiveness and delicious scent which leads to man being tempted to pick them.
It may be easy to be tempted, but given that they may soon be gone forever from the islands of Malta, makes it feel easier to leave them where they belong…
Fanny, her daughter Felicia and their best friend Freja running and playing in a sea of greenery and white flowers.
Running together in nature without a leash is pure joy, both for the dogs and their owners.
My dear husband, our best friend Fredrik, two basenji’s and a very cute American beagle.
Here we go!!!
…and here we were, in the area of Miġra L-Ferħa.
Located along the sea from where we could see the small island of Filfla. It was a very nice day! Thank you Fredrik for taking us to this for us unique and unknown scenery. Malta February 2021
I bought a bouquet of tulips, in two different colors, three pink and four red. That was then, now they have begun to fade. But my images do not wither, they remain as long as I choose to keep them, I can keep them alive.
“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” – Walter Hagen
“I’d rather wear flowers in my hair, than diamonds around my neck.” – Unknown
It feels like quite a long time now since I visited the island of Penang in Malaysia but sometimes memories last forever. These images are a selection of pictures that I took of the amazing Street Art that can be found in the city of George Town.
“Kids on a Bicycle” Mural by Ernest Zacharevic in Armenian Street
This is one of my favorites, the children do not hide much of the painting.
The “Skippy For Penang” mural is the biggest of the “101 Lost Kittens” art pieces.
“Love Me Like Your Fortune Cat”
Don’t miss to pay attention to the little mouse!
These are painted by ASA, Artists for Stray Animals in George Town, Penang.
Little Girl in Blue mural by Ernest Zacharevic in Muntri Street
This mural can certainly be seen with mixed feelings. A young child balancing herself on top of two window frames. Awesome or creepy…
Indian Boatman by Julia Volchkova in 75 Stewart Lane.
This is in my opinion the most impressive of all the fantastic murals I saw. I only wish I had taken more pictures of the Indian Boatman from different angles, to emphasize its greatness. But I’m pretty happy with this one anyway.
Nu är det väldigt länge sedan jag var med och skyltade tillsammans med Beate så här kommer några skyltar från Malta, trots att söndagen passerat. Bilderna som syns här ovanför är dagsfärska och har en tydlig gemensam nämnare, SÖTT!
Sött kan ju vara både gulligt och gott medan den här skylten är mer åt det motsatta hållet.
Avslutar med några skyltar från mitt arkiv som iallafall för mig förmedlar en känsla av charm och återblickande retro. Har många skyltar och fotar ofta skyltar så jag kommer säkert vara med igen. På söndagar…
Trogna deltagare som håller sig till reglerna och inte skyltar på vilken dag som helst hittar du hos BP
Last Sunday we visited the small and picturesque fishing village of Marsaxlokk which is the largest fishing harbour of Malta and has been so since antiquity. Here, among many other things, you’ll find the colorful and traditional luzzu’z.
The luzzu is a sturdy carvel-built boat with a double-ended hull brightly painted in shades of yellow, red, green and blue. The bow is often pointed with a pair of eyes, “Eye of Osiris”, said to protect the fishermen while at sea.
There’s much more than just the colorful boats to discover in this village, especially on Sundays. More to come…
The other day I took Fanny with me and went to Victoria Lines for a long walk. The view from here is amazing and in the distance you can see the island of Gozo.
Here, in the scenic lush nature, you can walk for hours.
“Nature is the place where your soul go free”
Cape Sorrel A common yellow flower found all over the islands
“In nature you don’t get lost, you find yourself”
Arisarum vulgare Friar’s Cowl, Arison. Present on the Maltese islands before man
Ja, alla dessa vilda blommor växer och frodas här på ön just nu. Som vanligt lägger jag upp lite för många bilder men det är så svårt att välja.
Dessutom är det av olika skäl lite långt mellan inläggen just nu, tid har jag men känner ofta att jag inte vet vad jag vill med mina bilder. Fotograferar mycket och kan sitta i timmar och sortera och redigera, men sen blir det oftast inget mer.
Min finaste lilla Felicia, hon får alltid vara med på ett hörn. Trots att hon inte är en blomma, är hon ändå en slags blomma, för mig.
Liksom hennes mamma, ett riktig guldkorn i tillvaron. På den här på bilden är Fanny bara något äldre än vad Felicia är idag. Då, i november 2017 var hon drygt fyra månader gammal. Time flies..
That was yesterday, when we celebrated Christmas Eve at home. Today, we went to Ta Qali Nature Park.
A blue sky with few clouds, green grass and plenty of wildflowers. It felt like spring in the air.
While Fanny could run without a leash as usual, little Felicia jumped happily and curiously around in the green grass in her eight-meter-long leash. Within a very few days she will be three months old. Time flies…
Here are some images from Ħal Far Raceway which is the one and only place to watch the fastest cars around Malta. I’ve been there once, only once ever during my twenty years here on the island.
I found these images in my archive, never edited and never used. This was about five years ago, in the summer of 2015.
So I thought, why not. It will at least be a slightly different post unlike all flowers, plants and doggies and even though the pictures are not new, they are still up to date. And I remember…
It was in July, it was hot, very hot. And it was fun…
…it was fun to see all these cars and motorbikes and to feel the enthusiasm of those who were on the track.
“To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a wildflower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour.
And Robin Redbreast in a Cage Puts all Heaven in a Rage. A dove house filled with doves and pigeons Shudders Hell through all its regions.” – William Blake
That was then, last summer, when the bumblebees were playing hide and seek. “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin” ― Mother Theresa”
This spring I saw lots of these, as well as during the summer and fall. Now that winter is here, they are still there. Unaware of seasons… “Time is an illusion.” ― Albert Einstein
“It’s being here now that’s important. There’s no past and there’s no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can’t relive it and we can hope for the future, but we don’t know if there is one.” ― George Harrison
That was then, just a few weeks ago. Puppies, growing and exploring a new world. “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” ― Marthe Troly-Curtin.
Here are some more pictures from Pembroke Heritage Trail. This time I show you some plants and a cute little lizard that I guess is a kind of chameleon.
These are some of the plants that are now found in the Pembroke area.
This is the same lizard as seen above.
A cute little creature!
Typically, my macro lens was at home but I think my small Panasonic Lumix did an excellent job.
Click on an image to enlarge.
Pembroke, Malta, November 2020
By the way…
This is the puppy that we are going to keep, she’s absolutely gorgeous❣️ The only thing I’ve not found out yet is her name. I’ve thought of too many and I feel confused. Honey is too close to Fanny but maybe Sapphire or Lady or Felicia. What do you think?
Mom often takes me to Pembroke, which is closer to where we live than Ta’ Qali Park. It’s a large barren natural area along the Mediterranean Sea. If you look closely you’ll see me in the image above.
Freedom and Joy!
The weather is still more than great here on the island. 20-23 degrees and no wind even though we are already in November. I have no idea from where the water comes in the images above, it hasn’t rained for a while now.
Our way up to the tower means good Exercise!
Now we are very close.
For those who are interested to read some history.
It’s a great view from here!
Feel free to click on an image to enlarge.
Back so sea level. Work is in progress, though not right now! There are more to find in this area and in my next post I will show some plants and a cute little creature I meet recently. So, more to come…
❤️ In the meantime, here you can see my beautiful litter of puppies, already six weeks old❤️
Here are some more images from Ta’ Qali Nature Park.
The weather here on the island is fantastic considering that we are already in November.
It’s the first time this year that I see a ladybug and the berries of the olive trees are ready to be harvested.
Now that the first rains have fallen after the summer drought, it’s easy to get a sense of spring.
I don’t feel I have succeeded so very well in photographing insects this year and now the dragonflies are fewer. There are many yellow butterflies in the park right now but they are not easily caught.
I end the post with Fanny, an amazing mother who will now slowly but surely spend less time with the puppies so that at the age of eight weeks they are no longer dependent on their mom.
Hello! I’m five weeks old now and still need my mom. I guess I’m the one who’s going to live with my mother while my five siblings move to their new homes. Although she who decides seems to have a hard time choosing ❤️
Här är några bilder från Ta’ Qali Nature Park dit jag åker med Fanny nästan varje dag nu när hon sakta men säkert börjar vänja sig vid att vara ifrån valparna under längre stunder.
Höstfärger.
Färgstarkt och vitt, två av en mångfald av de blommor som växer här just nu.
Ett av många små hus med dess invånare som bor i parken.
Valparna är nu drygt fyra veckor gamla och stunderna i parken blir inte så mycket längre än en timme. Sen vill Fanny hem för att se över sina småttingar. Hon är en helt fantastisk mamma.
Så fort hon kommer in i valparnas rum samlas de runt henne. För att dia mjölk och för att busa.
Hello from Malta! I’m one of six siblings born September 27, 2020, the one above who rests on me is my brother.
Mom thinks I’m cute, she thinks we’re all cute.
Now we are almost four weeks old and we can walk on our slightly unstable legs. We also tried to eat mashed chicken for the first time and it tasted good. What an exciting world, there seems to be a lot to discover…
Tänkte att jag skulle visa några bilder från området där jag bor, där jag ofta går mina promenader utmed havet tillsammans med Fanny. Här har vi gått otaliga gånger och det är inte alltid som vädret är så här fint.
Man kan gå hela sträckan på cirka tre km utmed havet från Tigne i Sliema till Spinola Bay i St. Julian’s men vi går sällan hela vägen utan vänder efter en halvtimme, speciellt nu när Fanny har valpar som väntar därhemma.
Går vi inte på klipporna så går vi på den breda strandpromenaden, här sedd ur Fanny’s perpektiv.
Den här skylten har sett sina bättre dagar och är knappast bildskön men då jag ser den så ofta när jag är på väg hem får den också vara med.
Idag har det gått 18 dagar sen valparna föddes.
Fanny tar det med ro
Hon är en fantastisk mamma, inte alltid så lätt när sex hungriga valpar skriker efter mat.
Avslutningsvis några bilder på vovvarna. Valparna har precis öppnat sina ögon och snart är det slut med att bara äta och sova. Nu är det lugnet före stormen då de strax ska ut på upptäcksfärd med allt vad det innebär. Ska bli jättekul och snart kan vi också ana var och ens unika utstrålning och karisma.
Vill passa på att tacka Anki som varit behjälplig när jag skulle försöka lära mig den nya blockredigeraren. Tack vare henne lyckades jag bland annat att få in den vita texen i bilderna och göra dem klickbara. Haha.. det tog faktiskt flera timmar att skapa vad ni ser här ovanför.
“Life is a painting, and you are the artist. You have on your palette all the colors in the spectrum – the same ones available to Michaelangelo and Da Vinci”
– Paul J. Meyer“Color is a power which directly influences the soul.”
― Wassily Kandinsky“You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry.
And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.” – Walter Hagen
The power of color is inescapable. Color affects your behavior, moods, and thoughts. Your reactions to colors are often deeply personal and rooted in your own experiences. A certain color has the ability to soothe your frazzled nerves, agitate a hostile adversary, motivate and empower you to take action, and also to bring healing energy when you need it. As Wassily Kandinsky proclaimed, “Color provokes a psychic vibration. Color hides a power still unknown but real, which acts on every part of the human body.” Written by Renee Phillips
Hello from Malta. This is what it looks like where I am, or rather where I was this morning.Mum took me to the sea, only a short distance from where we live. I’m used to run every morning but not now.
It’s 30 degrees but with a nice breez.
It feels relaxing to just lie here and watch.
I can swim but will probably have to wait until next summer.
Since I’m pregnant and due very soon I prefer to just sit on the rocks, relax and look around.My mom goes swimming almost every day. No, she’s not sailing, she swims but there are no photos of her in the sea so this image is good enough as it shows that she only swims when the water is calm.
And I know she always thinks of me when she’s not at home. I honestly believe she can think of nothing but me right now, and of the puppies I will soon give birth to.
And she has no idea how many there will be🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
So if she’s not visiting your site very often right now, you know why.
“Sunflowers end up facing the sun, but they go through a lot of dirt to find their way there.” ― J.R. Rim.
“Wherever life plants you, bloom with grace.”
– Old French Proverb.“...and are we not all just wilting flowers in a crowded garden
waiting for someone who will appreciate the beauty of our petals
While it still exists”
– G.M
This week’s theme, Negative Space chosen by Amy feels both challenging and fun. Although at least one of the images I’ve chosen may not fit the theme completely, they all have something in common. The blue color.“There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer.” — Ansel Adams“Photographs open doors into the past, but they also allow a look into the future.”
– Sally Mann.“When people ask me what equipment I use – I tell them my eyes.” — Anonymous“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place…
I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” — Elliott Erwitt
During my walks in Ta Qali now in September I rarely see any butterflies while the shimmering dragonflies choose to fly high above my head. So I search for other creatures in nature, some barely visible to the eye.
And I found these empty shells.When I first saw them, my camera was at home, but when I came back the next day, they were still there. Luckily, given that they could easily have been blown away by the wind. I’m happy I had the opportunity to take some photos, although I have no idea what kind of insects once pupated from these very thin small shells.
Some images from yesterday’s visit to Ta Qali. Many of the trees have recently been pruned. I was fooled by the orange spot that from a distance looked like a flower and I even saw some faces. In this fenced area I’ve been walking with Fanny since she was a puppy. Among Olive trees, Mediterranean Cypress and Ancient Carob trees. When the rain comes, the grass turns green and is then covered with flowers.
Sticky resin is now visible on many of the trees.
But how’s Fanny? Now that she is close to the seventh week of her pregnancy her behavior has changed. She’s not as playful as before, a bit melancholic and the walks are getting shorter and shorter while running is out of the question. Here she seeks shade under our car while I try to ventilate away the heat and turn on air conditioning before it’s time to go back home, a ride of about 20 minutes. Home to eat and then go to sleep. I love her so much ❤ ❤
This amazing animal knows nothing about zoos or fencing.
Orangutans are found only in Borneo and Sumatra, and Sarawak has the wild population of these intelligent ginger apes. I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to meet these wild animals in real life.
And I believe the quote below by Jane Goodall includes true facts. Semenggoh Orangutan Rehabilitation Center. Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia, December 2019.
“Chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans have been living for hundreds of thousands of years in their forest, living fantastic lives, never overpopulating, never destroying the forest. I would say that they have been in a way more successful than us as far as being in harmony with the environment.”
– Jane Goodall.
