But can you spot the red? A reflective abstraction....

But a Christmas Eve snow

A day early this year...

___________

Even though we remain hovering right at the freezing point, early this morning big, fluffy, and wet snowflakes began to fall, continuing even now and providing a beautiful, fresh white accent to the landscape...the northwoods' annual celebration of the season. This shot, as with so many others over the years, taken from my deck.

[This is also the time of year at which I get confused as to whom I've wished Season's Greetings and to whom I have not. Forgive me if I repeat myself and, in the spirit of the holidays, be patient with an old man, accepting good wishes however often they may be repeated. It's the thought, not the memory, that counts. ;-))]

Eurasian Nuthatch, sometimes called Wood Nuthatch or simply Nuthatch

sitta europaea

boomklever

sittelle torchepot

Kleiber

Trepador Azul

Picchio muratore

Trepadeira-azul

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The Lesser Tenrec has strong, grasping toes with tiny hooked claws, enabling them to to keep a grip on all but the smoothest of surfaces. They can even hang by one foot or even a toe while climbing.

Lake Manyara National Park, Tanzania

a tiny kingfisher that can be found near water in many parts of sub Saharan Africa

Corythornis cristatus

kleine gekuifde ijsvogel

Martin-pêcheur huppé

Haubenzwergfischer

Martín pescador malaquita

Martin pescatore malachite

Pica-peixe-de-poupa

Nikon Z9

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Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Madhya Pradesh, India

Coracias benghalensis

Indische Scharrelaar

Rollier indien

Bengalenracke

Carraca india

Ghiandaia marina indiana

Rolieiro-indiano

Nikon Z9

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ⓒRebecca Bugge, All Rights Reserved

Do not use without permission.

Kåkbrinken is the name of this small street in Stockholm Old Town (Gamla stan). The name is first attested in 1477. 'Brink' is not a word really used today, but mostly survives in names. It means a short slope. 'Kåk' is used today, it is slang for 'house' - and Kåken ('the kåk') actually means prison. But that was not what it meant back in the 15th century, then it meant pillory. This street was named after the pillory found on the square at one end of this street. But it is safe to say that most Swedes today would not know that is the case! (I myself, and I've studied history, found out when I read up on the name.)

... but it was just a paper bag

My Jam

Surrounded by nothing but turquoise lagoon which melts into sapphire blue, the Maldives island of Anantara Kihavah and its pure white sands rise up out of the ocean like a mirage.

For centuries, this was where Arab traders sailing to the Far East took shelter; a lush paradise blessed by coconut, papaya and mango trees. Navigating archipelago to archipelago by the stars, the seafarers were also drawn by the riches of the ocean surrounding the island – where a prehistoric volcano sank back into the depths, leaving blooming corals within a house reef and a wealth of lagoon fish.

Wishing to keep the pristine nature of the island intact, not one tree has been moved – as evidenced by the villas growing up around them. The design pays homage to the seafarers of old, fusing Indian Ocean, Arab and Portuguese motifs with indigenous materials.

But sometimes one can make a pretty good guess.....

female Common Kingfisher also called Eurasian Kingfisher

Alcedo atthis

ijsvogel

martin-pêcheur d'Europe

Eisvogel

Martín Pescador Común

Martin pescatore

guarda-rios

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today at the Baltic Sea -

Durch den steifen Ostwind vom Wasser her war es doch noch sehr kalt heute an der sonnigen Ostsee.

garrulus glandarius

gaai of Vlaamse gaai

geai des chênes

Eichelhäher

Nikon D850 with Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF + TC 1,4 III

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Hurray! This photo made it to Explore's front page. It is not photoshopped or superimposed or anything. I used a little digital enhancement to bring out the detail in the clouds and color in the backgroud. The balloon was sharp and detailed in the untouched version. © all rights reserved

Today there were 3 balloons up. I had 10 passengers. It was a pefect flight and a perfect day. Just the right amount of clouds and wind and sun and hassle-free landing fields.

This photo shows the Remax Balloon flown by Bill Baker with Black Mountain (San Diego city park open space area) in the background, and way to the back left can be seen Mount Woodson, between Poway and Ramona, a popular rock climbing spot.

taken yesterday in a forest. i had hoped to see a Brambling among the Chaffinches but there was hardly any activity because of the stormy weather

also called Common Chaffinch

fringilla coelebs

vink

pinson des arbres

Buchfink

Nikon Z7 with Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF

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in a clearing in a forest

Muscicapa striata

grauwe vliegenvanger

gobemouche gris

Grauschnäpper

Nikon Z7 with Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF

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A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort

female Puma in Torres del Paine, Patagonia, Chile

puma concolor

poema

Puma

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Created for the TMI's "Black in the Back" April contest. The flowers were photographed by me, but from a neighbor's yard. I've been trying to think how I could somehow transplant all of them to MY yard, but don't have a plan....yet.

A different Cuckoo for a change. This one was seen in Scotland.

but the never needing to say is what counts :-)

Margaret Lee Runbeck

HPPS!! stay safe my friends, take care :-)

butterfly on waterlily, sarah p duke gardens, duke university, durham, north carolina

maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Everlong/74/195/25

... but I love you, I love you a hundred times stronger

a hundred times stronger than you don't love me... (c)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZf_8_0bAGg

these Wildebeest had spent the night in the woodlands and were heading towards the Ndutu Marsh area (in the south east of the Serengeti, Tanzania )

The south east of the Serengeti is the most southern part of the annual Great Migration . It is the area where most of the Wildebeest calves are born.

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On a road on the eastern side of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA.

while it was still dark we had gone to a simple bird hide to be there before the flocks of Meyer's parrots and African green pigeons arrive at the clay eating site at sunrise.

While we were waiting we heard some noise behind us and after a while we knew these were warthogs ( definitely safer than some other possibilities...)

The family of warthogs came closer and had picked up our scent but they had no clue where we were.

The huge male in this image was walking in front and stopped nearby to look in our direction.

You can clearly see both set of tusks of which the very sharp small ones are used for fighting other warthogs or for defense against predators. The larger ones are used for digging etc.

Kafue National Park, Zambia

phacochoerus africanus

common warthog

knobbelzwijn

phacochère

Warzenschwein

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Well, and after the creation of the island, people came to it and started building houses and villages with their churches.

The sea was their friend, but at the same time their enemy because on the one hand they provided a source of income through fishing, but on the other hand the sea had its terrible quirks and she could rage like a raging rage and devourded houses, villages in short everything what got in her way and therefore also people.

And in order to avoid the seething desolation of the sea, dikes were always built higher, higher and higher, so that you no longer see the villages from the sea side, except for a small part of the church tower........

BUT IT`S NOT MY FAULT !!!!!!!

If you don't know who the loreley was just listen to the song :-)

Dschinghis Kahn - Loreley www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx1pPJZQ9OE

1941 Classic Cadillac

… but luckily my garden is flooded

Challenge sur Flickr : 154 : Fire & wide angle

But they are very hot when you eat them.

utterly

…but most of all, that contrary ecstasy

ricocheting inside – the barren racket

love finally makes on its way to silence…

tess gallagher

Old Doors Don't Open just a barrier between an alley and a parking place on the other side, but a charming alternative to concrete, shot in North Carolina.

Taken the same day as my last post. They seemed very happy to greet each other. This went on for a minute or two. The female was already on the rocks with her ducklings when the drake arrived. He greeted the ducklings too, although not as enthusiastically. I suppose it could have been a adult child returning to visit its mother, I've seen juvenile, almost adult males do that. But I'd guess it was her mate. In any case, they definitely shared some affection. I felt double lucky to see it. It's my favorite thing to photograph. I know people who refuse to believe birds feel emotions, even though its plain as day that they do. And I just love to see them show it.

But I would walk five hundred miles

And I would walk five hundred more

Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles

To fall down at your door

I'm Gonna Be (500 miles) - Writen by Craig Morris Reid & Charles Stobo Reid

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM0sTNtWDiI

Created for the Hypothetical Awards Contest "Take a walk or a ride"

Thank you for your visit, comment or fave. All are much appreciated. Thank you also to all who invite my photos to their groups.

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Photos and textures used are my own.

Uprooted but strongly we hold. The spring that washed away our soil still quenches our thirst. Watch us grow.

kerstinfrankart textures

the very first of these pretty finches are now arriving from their northern breeding grounds.

This image was taken in March when the last birds had not yet left

sometimes called Mountain Finch

fringilla montifringilla

keep

pinson du nord

Bergfink

Pinzón Real

Peppola

Tentilhão-montês

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it is midday but the sun stays low, october is soon over.../En still landväg i norra Uppland, det är mitt på dagen, men solen håller sig låg, snart tar oktober slut.../ Lugares silenciosos, es mediodía pero el sol ya permanece siempre bajo, termina octubre... (DSC_6936-3)

Rudolph the red nosed reindeer

* A second shot from Spurn Point this time looking inland. Spurn is well known as somewhere to see fantastic sunsets . However this evening it was not that spectacular but still rather enjoyable to see . This was taken looking across the Humber estuary towards the East Yorkshire “ mainland “ . There is not a lot of water in the shot just some very wet mudbanks .

If you are interested in the area there is a description of Spurn Point in the text of my previous post

THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT TO MY STREAM.

I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD NOT FAVE A PHOTO

WITHOUT ALSO LEAVING A COMMENT .

he longs to go forth into the fields, to feel its steady stream, to scent its fragrance; to stand under some heavy-foliaged chestnut-tree, and hear the rushing music on the crowded leaves :-)

John Richard Vernon, "The Beauty of Rain," 1863

HMM!! HPPT! we have had a very wet winter...fortunately most of the precipitation has not been frozen ;-)

camellia, 'Nuccio's Cameo', our yard, cary, north carolina

The Western Jackdaw is a smaller member of the crow family.

From research and experiments it is clear that these are very intelligent birds.

Anyone with bird feeders can observe how inventive they can be when trying to get to the food.

They are capable imitators of the human voice and of calls of other birds.

also called European Jackdaw or Eurasian Jackdaw

coloeus monedula

kauw

choucas des tours

Dohle

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Siwash Rock in Vancouver

**All photos are copyrighted**

Frail but still standing, the Hundred Guinea Oak is now over 600 years old. William John Chute who owned The Vyne in the late Georgian period was offered a hundred pounds and later a hundred guineas for the timber.

He flatly refused to sell the oak which you can see for yourself at the top of the lime avenue.

Dried field but with some green and colors in Lenta village south Crete