Now that it’s a little cooler, we’re starting to explore nature here in Cyprus. Close to where we live is Akamas National Park where an amazing variety of flora and fauna can be found in an area of 230 km².
But, it’s very dry now that we are at the end of the summer and almost nothing is blooming. Luckily I found this little creature to photograph, as well as the one and only plant with its white flowers.
On our way to and from the park we pass the donkeys and a very old olive tree. Sure, it looks like the donkeys are dancing..
Last weekend we went to Miġra l-Ferħa which is just a few kilometers from Rabat where we live. As you can see in the image above, the cliffs are high and plunge vertically down to the sea while people and cars look like miniatures.
There are plenty of paths to walk along the high cliffs, where you can walk for hours.
A plant is a plant, there are plenty of these but I’v no idea what it is. The color fits well into the slightly pale surroundings.
Felicia, on the edge.
They may not understand how close they are, but I trust them and I know them. Otherwise, I would never leave Felicia or Fanny without a leash up here.
It’s a quite barren area but I saw at least a few colorful flowers
Sky and sea merge on the horizon, the Mediterranean is calm, the boats are few, it’s a bit hazy and it feels very harmonious.
Felicia senses the smell of something.
Wonder who came up with the idea to build a window here!
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
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.
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
Felicia met a new friend in Ta Qali the other day, his name is Logan..
Logan is a three-year-old sixty-kilo Great Dane while Felicia is a four-month-old seven-kilo Basenj. Felicia was a little hesitant at first and so was Logan.
But soon she becomes braver and wants to play!
At first, Logan was a bit reserved.
Oops!
Felicia’s mother Fanny watches
Not the best picture but it shows who is chasing whom.
It seemed like they both had a lot of fun.
Let’s take another round!!
Full speed!!
And they played!!!
💚“The size doesn’t matter, all about the size of the heart’s matter.” 💚 ― Mohammed Tariq
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…
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.
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❤️
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.
“A good life is a collection of happy moments” -Denis Waitley“Don’t cry over the past, it’s gone. Don’t stress about the future, it hasn’t arrived.
Live in the present and make it beautiful” – Unknown Cee’s Photo Challenge Flower of The Day
And for those who may be curious about Fanny’s pregnancy.
Fanny is always curious about what’s in the bag when dad comes home from the store.
She is curious about everything.
She gave birth to six puppies last Sunday night. Everyone’s fine, more to come…🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕🐕
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.
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.
After four long weeks of waiting, it’s finally confirmed that my beloved basenji dog Fanny is expecting puppies. In the picture above she is only five months old, in July this year she turned three years old.Her mother in Sweden is called Drömma which means Dreaming. Dogs are pregnant for about 63 days or nine weeks. Today it has been 37 days since the first mating.
Although there is now a lot to prepare, plan and think of, I feel pure joy that I would love to share.
Here I’m again, among the Salt Pans in Gozo. Now much later in the afternoon and it’s a bit cooler.
As you can see in the first picture, the dried salt has now been collected in white bags.I wonder how big these caves really are and what might be inside, I guess tools and more sacks.Needless to say, someone taking a bike ride just before dusk.Others choose to fish.I’m curious about the salt, it looks like it hasn’t dried properly yet.
It looks like snow, wet snow.But it’s not snow, it’s too hot for that on this small island in the Mediterranean.
Now the sunset awaits…
🐕 In case you missed part one, you’ll find it here
Looks like an exciting place, let’s go down and take a look.Like a moonscape in the middle of nowhere.
Where am I?I really enjoy to run freely along the cliffs, although it looks more like I jump on soft dunes.
It may not be easy to see me at first glance but look closely and you will find me.Now you probably think I’m curious about that cave but I actually need some shade, it’s very hot.Here I am, at Xwejni Salt Pans on Malta’s sister island Gozo, and yes, I’m in this picture too.
These salt pans have been in this region since Phoenician and Roman times,
and the tradition actually continues to be used even today.
Click here and you will learn more about salt harvesting in Gozo, it’s quite interesting. Many people probably think of salt as simply that white granular seasoning found in saltshakers on virtually every dining table.
But it’s far more than that..No, I’m not in this picture but you can see a black dot far away, it’s the car that took me here.
It feels like a long walk back in the heat, but it was well worth the experience.
🐕 More to come from my short vacation in Gozo.
Några bilder från en av många promenader i “skogen” tillsammans med fina Fanny.Menar du att vi ska gå hela den där långa vägen tillbaka till bilen? Det är faktiskt 30+!Ja, men vi går i skuggan, mellan träden så känns det inte så varmt. Fast den där bilden är ju faktiskt från en annan skog.…och vi kan ta en och annan paus, ser kanske lite snårigt ut.Titta, matte lyckades fotografera en fågel!
(S)kottår.Kanske inte den bästa skogen om man vill hugga sig en gran till Julhelgen.Nu är vi framme, nästan, tror jag. Äntligen! Vi har ju gått i flera timmar, nu vill jag hem.. …fast det verkar som att vi gått lite vilse. Ser du var bilen är?Åhh nej!!Kanske ska vi prova att gå åt det där hållet istället. Äntligen hemma!
Tror matte blev lite snurrig, kanske fick hon en släng av värmeslag. Det här inlägget passar ju jättebra till Susan’s Trees on Tuesdays
…fast att tisdagen redan passerat verkar hon inte ha insett ännu.
💖Den 13:e juli 2020 fyllde min fina Fanny tre år!!💖 Fick dessvärre inte ihop något inlägg igår och gör därför ett nytt försök.Bilden ovanför har varit med förr men jag valde den för att den känns som en av de bästa bilderna jag tagit på henne, och jag har tagit väldigt många bilder sedan vi hämtade hem henne från Sverige oktober 2017.
Christina Acar målade av fotografiet på en mugg som jag idag använder som pennställ på mitt skrivbord.Basenji’s är inte så vanliga här på Malta och jag får ofta frågan vad det är för ras. Basenji är en av världens äldsta raser och härstammar från Afrika. Karaktäristiskt är rynkorna i pannan och den hårt rullade svansen. De har ett kattlikt beteende och tvättar sig själva. Deras främsta särdrag är oförmågan att skälla vilket beror på att deras struphuvud är annorlunda konstruerat. Varför vet man inte men vargen, som ju är hundens urfader, skäller inte heller. Fast tysta är de inte utan har sitt eget speciella sätt att utrycka sig på. Igår kväll hade vi pick nick i Ta Qali park där hon sprungit nästan varje dag sedan hon var valp.
Det var också där hon för första gången fick prova att springa utan koppel.
På trappan till hennes första hem i Tibro hos Marianne Gustavsson.
Nyss hemkommen till Malta i november 2017
Liten och vilsen.
Att titta på gamla bilder från när Fanny var valp är det nog bara jag själv som tycker är kul. Roligare kanske är att Fanny nu blivit så pass gammal att vi planerar valpar. ❤❤ Basenji’s löper bara en gång per år och en basenji kavaljer har vi redan hittat. Om allt går som jag hoppas på får hon möta Ricky till hösten.
“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”
– Audrey Hepburn” “Great photography is about depth of feeling, not depth of field.”
—Peter Adams “When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.”
— Ansel Adams“I don’t trust words. I trust pictures.”
— Gilles Peress
That I like quotes is obviously no secret. I often use them when I myself cannot find the words. I don’t want to be anonymous but my blog isn’t intended as a diary, although I sometimes create posts about my everyday life. Still, publishing pictures without a single word reveals a certain personality of the person who took them. Cee’s Photo Challenge Flower of The Day
It’s true, the last image is not a flower but for me Fanny is constantly blooming and fills my life with joy.
Life goes on as usual, I can still go out while my husband since three weeks now has to stay indoors. I go to the supermarket when needed and I take long walks with Fanny twice a day, otherwise I stay home as advised. I’m grateful to have my beloved dog as a companion when walking in nature.
Now in the spring you will find different flowers everywhere and thus a variety of colors while bees are looking for nectar. This flower is as small as my thumb nail.Despite prevailing circumstances, life is good…
Artistic. For the last Lens-Artists Photo Challenge of 2019, we will show some of our favorite photos that we have taken during the year that are close to end.Creative. It’s always difficult to pick favorites but I like the way Patti divided her favorites into different categories, so I did the same, or almost the same. Fun.
Here’s the proof, a smile says it all and means a lot. A smile is the shortest distance between two people.
Artwork created by nature. A favorite image does not always mean that it must be perfect from a photographic point of view.
Pictures can convey feelings, evoke memories or special moments. The true reality. This orangutan lives in Borneo’s rainforests and belongs to a species threatened with extinction.Our valuable nature. We must take care of our nature and its inhabitants which all have an impact on the survival of the earth. “Cherish the natural world because you’re part of it and depend on it”
-David Attenborough –Lens-Artists Challenge #76 – Favorite Photos of 2019
The above pictures are from the square along Sarawak River in Kuching. Every afternoon, both young and old can be seen playing with each other, many of them blowing soap bubbles, just for fun.This skilled lady I saw in Valletta here in Malta the other day. Guess why she’s looking down.Concentration! She really knew how to handle her little puppet on a string.Back to the square in Kuching. This little girl seems to be looking for someone.
Finally, Fanny and I at home yesterday evening. Fanny did not like to wear a Santa hat, I can understand that. It’s much more fun to try to bite it into small pieces and so she did. It was cheap and it was Christmas Eve.
As usual, I also show my pictures in color. This time, I prefer to see all these images in color, except one. Guess which one..
“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.
