Tag: Nature
“We are Living on This Planet…
I’d be lying if I said I’m not worried.
The worlds ecosystem is at risk over a timescale of no more than a few decades.
“We are living on this planet as if we had another one to go to”
– Terri Swearingen –
The Amazon rainforest is nearing a threshold and the Caribbean coral reefs are threatened to die off within a very few years while the world’s warming climate has resulted in sustained glacial mass loss.
“We can help the world live without fear. It is our only hope and without hope we are lost”
– Michael Jackson –
Humanity is affected by COVID-19. WHO has declared the rapidly spreading coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, acknowledging — the virus will likely spread to all countries on the globe.
I trust humanity’s willingness to cooperate, what else can we do…
Today’s Plant
I have no idea what kind of plant this is. It can be quite large and it is growing wild now here in Malta.
I tried to search the images through google but got some strange suggestions. I know it’s not a broccoli and for sure it’s not a kind of fowl! For me it’s not a beauty but an interesting common plant. Maybe it’s eatable.
“Plants are like people:
they’re all different…
…and a little strange”
– John Kehoe –
Flower of The Day
Today’s Flower
Distance
Sematan Beach, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia.
Flower(s) of The Day
Feeling Blue.
Red for Love – Red for Fire.
Snow White
Yellow Solar heat.
Pink – Passion.
Wherever life plants you…
Susan’s Flowers on Fridays
Cee’s Photo Challenge.
Lens-Artists Challenge – Favorite Photos of 2019
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
Flowers on Fridays
This time I choose to show three different types of flowers but with similar shades of color.
The flower on top I believe is an anthurium, also called flamingo flower.
The one above is a type of orchid but there are about 28,000 different species so I have no idea about its name.
Plumeria flowers. 
Susan’s Flowers on Fridays
Cee’s Photo Challenge.
Flower of The Day
“Look deep into nature and then you will understand everything better”
– Albert Einstein –
“It you truly love nature you will find beauty everywhere”
– Vincent Van Gogh 
“Time spent in nature heals your body, mind & spirit”
– Katrina Mayer –
Sarawak Orchid Garden, Kuching – December 2019.
Back..
…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…
The Power of Flowers & Color
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
“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.
Just Another Sunset…
A sunset like so many others..
…and some wise words from Singita, Miracle Beach.
The Tower
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 more
The view from here is amazing.
Għajn Tuffieħa Bay, Malta – November 2019
Too Close for a Close-up
This little creature suddenly landed on my sweater and looked deep into my eyes. So I did the same…
Spring is in the air
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
Flower of The Day
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.
Saturday’s picture & Quote
Thistly
“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 – 
Pomegranates and Prickly Pears
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
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.
Orchids
Thursday’s pictures..
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 –
Our Precious Wildlife
Borneo Rainforest, Malaysia.
Goodbye September
” 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
The True Reality
“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
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
Time to Harvest
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
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
“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 –
Time for a break
I’m taking a break now, not sure for how long. 
Flying away from Malta tonight for two weeks.
It really feels like I have to get away from it all right now.
💕 Take care out there! 💕 
“Sometime I just want to fly
away from here…
…as the bird fly before the winter.”
Today’s plant – Flower of the Day
This may not be a flower.
But it’s a kind of plant and since all flowers are plants…
…this tiny plant is my flower of the day.
I don’t know what kind of plant this is but there are plenty of them now in Ta Qali Park.
“In all things of Nature there is something of the marvelous”
– Aristotle –
Susan’s Flowers on Fridays # 4.
Cee’s Photo Challenge
Yellow Flowers
“Butterflies are self propelled flowers”
– Robert A. Heinlein –
“You don’t need to see the sunset to feel the warmth of its color”
– Atticus –
Has a bee ever landed on you, and instead of getting scared, you appreciate the possibility that you got confused for a flower.
A Photo a Week Challenge: Yellow.
Susan’s Flowers on Fridays # 3.
Cee’s Photo Challenge
Hibiscus
One of the very few flowers left on our roof terrace is this Hibiscus which has been growing there for eleven years now. We also have some geraniums left and I also bought a Bougainvillea, my favorite among flowers.
Susan’s Flowers on Fridays # 1.
Cee’s Photo Challenge
Flower of the Day
This is a very small flower that I found in Ta Qali National Park.
Perhaps someone know what kind of flower it is.
Cee’s Photo Challenge
Flower of the Day
Flower of the Day
Today I had a visitor among my flowers. It was very small.
Almost as tiny as a thumbnail.
Monday’s macro
Click on an image to enlarge.
Flower of the Day
Bougainvillea, I love this flower and especially when seen in this color.
