View allAll Photos Tagged FERTILE
The whole region got an economic boost by the completion of the Birecik Dam. The almost desert-like soil had changed into fertile land where the Turks cultivate pistachio nuts on endless fields.
Mesopotamia, Eastern Turkey
During my last day of shooting in Le Puy-en-Velay (March 9, 2023), I managed to complete all the subjects that required additional photography, and to extensively shoot the last item on my bucket list, i.e., the spectacular Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe chapel which I will show in a few days.
My first goal was to photograph the “inner” statuary in the canons’ cloister, i.e. the items that are only visible from the central space (préau in French), as opposed to the galleries. In monasteries, that space was often used as an herb garden, particularly when safe space was at a premium elsewhere. However, in the case of Le Puy and its secular canons, very often the offspring from the wealthiest families, there were other sources of supply, should herbs be needed, and aside from framing the central well, the purpose assigned to that space was most probably very similar to what it is now: a pleasure garden.
Bearing that in mind (and, no doubt, the designers of the cloister did), it is not surprising that we should find, on this inner side, one of the wildest collections of monsters, devils and sinners ever devised by the fertile imagination of Mediæval sculptors: while meditation in the galleries took place among virtuous and God-pleasing representations, the canons (or those who cared, at least) were reminded by that gallery of monsters and vices that basking leisurely in the sun in the garden wasn’t too good for their karma, if I dare say.
A thin sculpted frieze that runs for dozens of meters around a central square is very difficult to photograph. Here, I stitched together 5 exposures in a panorama shot to try and give you a general impression of what it looks like, before I go into the details.
You can also use the general cloister photo I first uploaded in today’s batch to locate the frieze: it is just below the edge of the roof covering the galleries, above the Romanesque arches.
Oberschwaben in Süddeutschland ... Äcker und sattgrüne Wiesen wechseln mit Wäldern und fruchtbaren Obstgärten, da und dort blitzt ein Weiher oder ein kleiner See, Hügel reiht sich sanft an Hügel. Dazwischen schmucke Dörfer und kleine Städte eingestreut, Burgen und Schlösser, Klöster und Kapellen und die fernen Alpen, bei Föhn zum Greifen nahe.
Upper Swabia in southern Germany ... fields and lush green meadows alternate with forests and fertile orchards, here and there flashes a pond or a small lake, hill joins hill gently. In between, pretty villages and small towns interspersed, castles, monasteries and chapels and the distant Alps, with hair dryer at your fingertips.
Souabe supérieure dans le sud de l'Allemagne ... Les champs et les prairies verdoyantes alternent avec les forêts et les vergers fertiles, çà et là un étang ou un petit lac flamboie, les collines tapissent doucement les collines. Entre les villages soignés et les petites villes entrecoupées, les châteaux et les palais, les monastères et les chapelles et les Alpes lointaines, près de Föhn à portée de main.
The translation from German to English with ImTranslator
Traduction de l'allemand en français avec ImTranslator
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. The Atherton Tablelands is a diverse region, covering an area of 64,768 square kilometres and home to 45,243 people (estimated resident population, Census 2011). The main population centres on the Atherton Tablelands are Mareeba and Atherton. Smaller towns include Tolga, Malanda, Herberton, Kuranda, Ravenshoe, Millaa Millaa, Chillagoe, Dimbulah, Mt Garnet, Mt Molloy, Tinaroo and Yungaburra.
The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tinaroo. Tinaroo Hydro, a small 1.6 MW Hydroelectric power station is located near the spillway.
This area is a distinct physiographic section of the larger North Queensland Highlands province, which in turn is part of the larger East Australian Cordillera physiographic division. South of the Tablelands is the Bellenden Ker Range.
Geological history
About 100 million years ago, the eastern edge of the Australian continent extended much further to the east, before tectonic forces fractured the eastern margin, pulling it apart. At the same time, slowly rising mantle material caused a doming up of the continental crust. As the eastern part of the continent broke away, it gradually sank below sea level. Since that time, the uplifted western portion has been slowly eroding westwards, creating the abrupt Great Escarpment, which separates the coastal plain to the east from the uplifted tablelands to the west.
From over 4 million to less than 10,000 years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions occurred over the Atherton Tablelands. The oldest eruptions created large, gently sloping “shield volcanoes” that produced extensive basalt flows. These flows filled the pre-existing valleys, producing a relatively flat tableland surface, instead of the more dissected landscape that would have existed previously. About one million years ago, the style of eruption changed. The lavas became more gas-charged, throwing fragmented lava into the air which built the numerous, small scoria cones, such as the Seven Sisters, near Yungaburra. Some of the rising magma interacted with groundwater, producing violent eruptions that led to the formation of maar volcanoes, such as Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine. Although all the volcanoes in the Atherton Basalt Province are regarded as being extinct and volcanism has been waning over time, given the relatively recent activity, it is possible that further eruptions could occur in the future.
Water Figwort / scrophularia auriculata. Kirk Hallam, Derbyshire. 15/06/20.
'OH MICKEY, YOU'RE SO FINE ... '
When viewed from a certain angle, don't you think Water Figwort flowers have a certain look of Mickey Mouse about them, (or Minnie, of course) ?
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Favorite crop in the fertile volcanic soil farmland, spring onions or leeks is a crop with few natural enemies, and farmers could keep them for months without harvesting.
Picture taken from a harmonious farm village by riding a horse 🐎, Tengger Semeru National Park, Mount Bromo, East Java, Indonesia.
Fertile flowers are followed by globose capsules 2.5-3 cm long, and 2 cm in diameter, with orange red longitudinal ribs, containing about 30 bluish tetragonal seeds provided of white aril.
www.healthbenefitstimes.com/facts-about-shell-ginger/
Sugar Mill Gardens, Port Orange, Florida
Hoang A Tuong Palace was built in 1914 and completed in 1921, the owner is Hoang Yen Chao ethnic Tay, father of Hoang A Tuong. Over 80 years of existence at the same time, covered with ancient moss leaves standing majestically dominant in a crowded residential area, crowded streets.
Prior to 1945, Bac Ha was a semi-feudal colonial society, dominated and ruled by class, exploiters and exploiters, in which the exploiting class was the paternity, Yen Chao - Hoang A Tuong.
During the reign of the French colonialists, Hoang Yen Chao's father, Hoang A Tuong, tried to exploit the people, occupy fertile lands, Valuable, concurrently monopoly selling salt, consumer goods, exploitation of forest products, opium and food, food for the French troops and henchmen. Based on economic potentials, Hoang Yen Chao archaeological site built a magnificent mansion and invited geographers to choose land and house with two French and Chinese architects to design and direct construction.
The site is chosen according to feng shui theory on a large south-east hills, behind and two right-hand mountains, in front of streams and mountains "mother bong child". The whole terrain can be beautifully painted, harmonious with tropical Asian tropical landscapes.
Brick-tile building materials produced on the spot by inviting Chinese experts; Iron, steel and cement are bought from under the air. Surrounded by a wall consisting of three gongs (one main and two side), many of them have holes in the apex and there are guards with two platoons. Total area of the whole building up to 4,000m². The villa is being preserved, preserved and embellished so that visitors can learn about the social history of mountainous areas once past.
#ABFav_Autumnal
Another aspect of autumn.
Normally the term “going to seed” has a negative connotation, meaning to decline, go downhill, age out, etc., but with peonies, I mean it in the nicest possible way.
I think peony seed pods are absolutely charming, giving the spring bloomers a whole other season of interest.
At summer’s end, when they split open to reveal their shiny blue and red seeds, wow!
Very impressive!
I especially like the open seed pods of the woodland peony (Paeonia obovata), with shiny blue to blue-black fertile seeds and brilliant red infertile ones.
Have a wonderful day and thanks for your visit, so very much appreciated, Magda, (*_*)
For more: www.indigo2photography.com
Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
Focus-Stacked image of Duffus Castle, comprising of 35 captures to enhance F/B focus.
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
So fertile is the soil here that not a foot of land is wasted. In the few areas being plowed at this time of year {October], we could see the rich color of the soil - and NOT A STONE to be found! Where I live in New York, about half the "soil" is stone. [The part that isn't stone grows plants very well, however].
Cette église romane est connue sous le nom de Cathédrale du Nebbio, rappelant son rôle d’église-mère de cette fertile micro-région (surnommée la Conca d’Oro). Elle se trouve à la limite de Saint-Florent le long de la petite route qui remonte vers Poggio d'Oletta par la Strette di San Germanu. Lors de sa consécration elle reçue le double vocable associant la Vierge de l’Assomption (Santa Maria Assunta) et San Fiorenzo. Du XIIe siècle elle a été construite entre 1125 et 1140. Elle est évoquée également dans deux documents plus anciens datant de 1138 et 1145. Le premier document dans lequel elle est clairement nommée est un acte du cartulaire de la chartreuse de Calci datant de 1176 (elle y apparaît comme Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae Nebulensis). . La Cathédrale de Nebbio a été le siège du diocèse de Nebbio jusqu'en 1789, date de sa suppression et de son rattachement au diocèse d'Ajaccio.
Suite à l'insécurité des côtes et à la malaria qui sévissait alors, l’église fut abandonnée par les évêques. Au début du XVIe siècle Agostino Giustiniani, évêque du Nebbio, fait restaurer la cathédrale et lui adjoint un clocher (détruit au XIXe). Malgré ces travaux, en 1576 le monument est encore abandonné. Il est même décrit sans toiture, lors d'une visite de Mgr Sauli, alors évêque d'Aléria. Au XIX siècle P. Mérimée contribuera à la faire classée monument historique (1875).
La cathédrale est d'architecture romane pisane. Elle a été construite durant la période dite « de paix pisane » qui s'est installée avec l'administration de l'île par Pise, à partir du XIe siècle. Tous les édifices religieux de cette époque sont dits « pisans ». La façade occidentale est une des plus réussies de l’architecture romane corse : plus élaborée que celle de la cathédrale de Mariana dont elle s’inspire, elle a plus de relief avec sa décoration sculptée et ses cinq arcatures aveugles du premier niveau, reprise par trois autres à l’étage. L’édifice est construit en calcaire presque blanc provenant des carrières de Mercurio. A l’intérieur, les similitudes avec la cathédrale de Mariana sont encore plus évidentes, du fait de la répartition de l’espace en trois nefs séparées et les mêmes proportions dans les volumes. Avec Santa Maria Maggiore de Bonifacio (partiellement d’époque romane), la cathédrale du Nebbio fait partie des trois seules églises en état utilisant ce plan en Corse. Elle mesure 27,75 m de long, 13,55 m de large et 13 m de haut.
Les reliques conservées dans l’église sont décrites par Mérimée (Notes d’un voyage en Corse) : « Trompé par des renseignements inexacts, je m’attendais à trouver, à Saint-Florent, des reliquaires anciens ; mais je n’y vis qu’une châsse toute moderne, envoyée de Rome, et contenant un squelette revêtu d’un habit de guerrier romain (vrai style d’Opéra), tout couvert de mauvais oripeaux et de verroteries. Ce sont les reliques de saint Florus qui, en compagnie de sainte Flore, a le patronage de la ville de Saint-Florent. Tous les deux sont fort vénérés dans le pays, et quelques stylets rouillés, quelques pistolets hors d’état de faire feu attestent les conversions qu’ils ont opérées. »
Mgr Guasco, évêque du Nebbiu (1770 à 1773), désirant donner à son diocèse une sainte relique, demanda au pape Clément XIV, de lui donner la dépouille d’un soldat martyr romain du IIIe siècle, ensevelie dans les catacombes Saint Sébastien à Rome. La dépouille du martyr chrétien fut exhumée et soigneusement rangée dans une chasse de bois de cèdre doré, après avoir été paré de sa tunique brodée aux perles fines, de sa couronne de fleurs et sa palme de martyr ainsi que de ses attributs guerriers (le jeune soldat avait été soldat du Christ). La fête de la précieuse relique est célébrée à Saint Florent, tous les trois ans, le lundi de Pentecôte.
This Romanesque church is known as the Cathedral of Nebbio, recalling its role as mother church of this fertile micro-region (nicknamed the Conca d'Oro). It is on the border of Saint-Florent along the small road that goes up towards Poggio d'Oletta by the Stretto di San Germanu. At her consecration she received the double term associating the Virgin of the Assumption (Santa Maria Assunta) and San Fiorenzo. From the 12th century it was built between 1125 and 1140. It is also mentioned in two older documents dating from 1138 and 1145. The first document in which it is clearly named is an act of the cartulary of the Charterhouse of Calci dating from 1176 ( she appears there as Ecclesia Sanctae Mariae Nebulensis). . The Cathedral of Nebbio was the seat of the diocese of Nebbio until 1789, date of its suppression and its attachment to the diocese of Ajaccio.
Due to the insecurity of the coast and the malaria that was raging at the time, the church was abandoned by the bishops. In the early sixteenth century Agostino Giustiniani, bishop of Nebbio, restored the cathedral and added a bell tower (destroyed in the nineteenth century). Despite these works, in 1576 the monument is still abandoned. He is even described without a roof, during a visit of Bishop Sauli, then Bishop of Aléria. In the nineteenth century P. Mérimée will contribute to the classification of historical monument (1875).
The cathedral is Romanesque pisan architecture. It was built during the so-called "Pisan peace period" which settled with the administration of the island by Pisa, from the eleventh century. All the religious buildings of this period are called "pisans". The western facade is one of the most successful of Corsican Romanesque architecture: more elaborate than that of the cathedral of Mariana from which it is inspired, it has more relief with its carved decoration and five blind arches of the first level, taken by three others upstairs. The building is built in almost white limestone from the quarries of Mercurio. Inside, the similarities with the cathedral of Mariana are even more obvious, because of the division of the space into three separate naves and the same proportions in the volumes. With Santa Maria Maggiore Bonifacio (partly Romanesque), the Nebbio Cathedral is one of only three churches in state using this plan in Corsica. It is 27.75m long, 13.55m wide and 13m high.
The relics preserved in the church are described by Merimee (Notes of a voyage in Corsica): "Deceived by inaccurate information, I expected to find, in Saint-Florent, old reliquaries; but I saw only a modern shrine, sent from Rome, and containing a skeleton clad in a Roman warrior's garment (true Opera style), all covered with bad tinsel and glassware. These are the relics of Saint Florus who, in the company of Saint Flore, has the patronage of the city of Saint-Florent. Both are highly revered in the country, and some rusty stilettos, some pistols out of state of fire attest to the conversions they have made. "
Bishop Guasco, Bishop of Nebbiu (1770 to 1773), wishing to give his diocese a holy relic, asked Pope Clement XIV to give him the remains of a Roman martyr soldier of the third century, buried in the catacombs of San Sebastian in Rome . The remains of the Christian martyr were unearthed and neatly arranged in a hunt of gilded cedar wood, after being adorned with his fine pearl embroidered tunic, crown of flowers, martyr's palm and warrior attributes (the young man soldier had been a soldier of Christ). The feast of the precious relic is celebrated in Saint Florent, every three years, on Whit Monday.
Kolavai Lake is a fertile fishing ground for fishermen in and around Chengalpet and supports their livelihood.
But, the fisher folk are not a happy lot. They feel the need for a small-scale fish processing plant since the catch has to be taken to long distances for sale. This, because they have to pay the market committee as they can't sell the catch directly to the customers.
The Kolavai Lake belongs to the community called Vetakaras, these are an indigenous group of people having a social right over the lake.
Till today, no motorboats or motorised fishing gears are used, but a diversity of fishing gears are used (that are often typical of small- scale fishing)
In the Hamar market in Turmi in the south of Ethiopia.
The Hamar are an Omotic community inhabiting southwestern Ethiopia. They live in Hamer woreda (district), a fertile part of the Omo River valley, in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). They are largely pastoralists, so their culture places a high value on cattle.
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Far North Queensland, Australia. The Atherton Tablelands is a diverse region, covering an area of 64,768 square kilometres and home to 45,243 people (estimated resident population, Census 2011). The main population centres on the Atherton Tablelands are Mareeba and Atherton. Smaller towns include Tolga, Malanda, Herberton, Kuranda, Ravenshoe, Millaa Millaa, Chillagoe, Dimbulah, Mt Garnet, Mt Molloy, Tinaroo and Yungaburra.
The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tinaroo. Tinaroo Hydro, a small 1.6 MW Hydroelectric power station is located near the spillway.
This area is a distinct physiographic section of the larger North Queensland Highlands province, which in turn is part of the larger East Australian Cordillera physiographic division. South of the Tablelands is the Bellenden Ker Range.
Geological history
About 100 million years ago, the eastern edge of the Australian continent extended much further to the east, before tectonic forces fractured the eastern margin, pulling it apart. At the same time, slowly rising mantle material caused a doming up of the continental crust. As the eastern part of the continent broke away, it gradually sank below sea level. Since that time, the uplifted western portion has been slowly eroding westwards, creating the abrupt Great Escarpment, which separates the coastal plain to the east from the uplifted tablelands to the west.
From over 4 million to less than 10,000 years ago, a series of volcanic eruptions occurred over the Atherton Tablelands. The oldest eruptions created large, gently sloping “shield volcanoes” that produced extensive basalt flows. These flows filled the pre-existing valleys, producing a relatively flat tableland surface, instead of the more dissected landscape that would have existed previously. About one million years ago, the style of eruption changed. The lavas became more gas-charged, throwing fragmented lava into the air which built the numerous, small scoria cones, such as the Seven Sisters, near Yungaburra. Some of the rising magma interacted with groundwater, producing violent eruptions that led to the formation of maar volcanoes, such as Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine. Although all the volcanoes in the Atherton Basalt Province are regarded as being extinct and volcanism has been waning over time, given the relatively recent activity, it is possible that further eruptions could occur in the future.
SN/NC: Podranea ricasoliana, Bignoniaceae Family
Podranea ricasoliana with its glossy foliage and abundance of attractive pink flowers is a very showy plant, well known to many South African gardeners. It is a vigorous, woody, rambling, evergreen climber without tendrils. The leaves are compound and a deep glossy green. It sends up many tall strong stems, 3 to 5 m up to 10+ m high if left unchecked, that have long spreading branches with a graceful arching habit. Large bunches of fragrant lilac-pink, trumpet-shaped, foxglove-like flowers are produced all summer long (November to March). The flowers are carried at the branch tips of the new growth and are held above the foliage. The flowers terminate a branch, and after flowering new side branches develop behind the spent flowers. The flowers are often visited by carpenter bees (Xylocopa species). The fruit is a long, narrow, straight, flattened capsule. The seeds are brown, ovate and flat, in a large rectangular papery wing. It tends not to produce many fertile seeds.
Nombre común o vulgar: Bignonia rosa, Bignonia rosada, Arbusto de Pandora, Trompetas. Es de la Familia Bignoniaceae (Bignoniáceas). Su origen es Sudáfrica.
Esta planta es una enredadera de tallos leñosos y volubles, sin zarcillos. Vigorosa y de rápido crecimiento. Con hojas pinnadas, con 5-9 (-11) folíolos de lanceolado-ovados a anchamente oblongo-elípticos, de 2-7 x 1-3 cm o algo mayores en los brotes nuevos; son de color verde oscuro, tienen el margen algo dentado, la base cuneada, a menudo algo asimétrica, y el ápice de corta a largamente acuminado. Peciólulo de 0,8-1 cm de largo. Sus flores acampanadas, dispuestas en panículas amplias, multifloras, terminales tienen el color rosa con nerviación violácea. Sus flores aparecen en verano y otoño en gran profusión, y son de tamaño importante. Fruto en cápsula linear con semillas aladas, pero rara vez se produce en cultivo. La variedad más conocida se llama 'Contessa Sara’.
A sete-léguas ou podranea, é uma trepadeira lenhosa, muito rústica e vigorosa da mesma família do ipê, a bignoniácea. De crescimento rápido, apresenta ramos longos e ramificados, que podem chegar a 10 metros de comprimento. Suas folhas são compostas e de coloração verde-brilhante. As inflorescências são terminais, esparsas, formadas por flores grandes em forma de trombeta, perfumadas, de coloração rósea e com estrias avermelhadas. A floração ocorre durante o ano todo, mas é mais abundante na primavera e verão. Às vezes formam frutos, que são do tipo cápsula, longos e aplainados Por ser extremamente vigorosa, deve ser apoiada apenas sobre suportes fortes e grandes, como caramanchões, pérgolas, pórticos ou muros. Exige tutoramento inicial e amarrio, além de podas anuais no inverno, que controlam o crescimento da folhagem e estimulam uma floração mais intensa. Adapta-se muito bem ao litoral e fornece uma sombra valiosa nos dias mais quentes. São muito visitadas por mamangavas (Xylocopa sp).
Podranea ricasoliana con il suo fogliame lucido e l'abbondanza di attraenti fiori rosa è una pianta molto vistosa, ben nota a molti giardinieri sudafricani. È un rampicante vigoroso, legnoso, rampicante, sempreverde senza viticci. Le foglie sono composte e di un verde intenso lucido. Invia molti steli alti e robusti, da 3 a 5 m alti fino a 10+ m se non vengono controllati, che hanno lunghi rami espansi con un grazioso portamento arcuato. Per tutta l'estate (da novembre a marzo) vengono prodotti grandi mazzi di profumati fiori rosa lilla, a forma di tromba, simili a una digitale. I fiori sono portati alle punte dei rami della nuova crescita e sono tenuti sopra il fogliame. I fiori terminano un ramo e dopo la fioritura si sviluppano nuovi rami laterali dietro i fiori esauriti. I fiori sono spesso visitati dalle api carpentiere (specie Xylocopa). Il frutto è una capsula lunga, stretta, diritta e appiattita. I semi sono marroni, ovati e piatti, in una grande ala cartacea rettangolare. Tende a non produrre molti semi fertili.
Podranea ricasoliana met zijn glanzende blad en overvloed aan aantrekkelijke roze bloemen is een zeer opzichtige plant, goed bekend bij veel Zuid-Afrikaanse tuinders. Het is een krachtige, houtachtige, kruipende, groenblijvende klimplant zonder ranken. De bladeren zijn samengesteld en diep glanzend groen. Het zendt veel hoge, sterke stengels uit, 3 tot 5 m tot 10+ m hoog als er niets aan wordt gedaan, die lange spreidende takken hebben met een sierlijke gebogen gewoonte. Grote trossen geurige lila-roze, trompetvormige, vingerhoedskruidachtige bloemen worden de hele zomer (november tot maart) geproduceerd. De bloemen worden gedragen aan de takpunten van de nieuwe groei en worden boven het gebladerte gehouden. De bloemen eindigen een tak en na de bloei ontwikkelen zich nieuwe zijtakken achter de uitgebloeide bloemen. De bloemen worden vaak bezocht door timmermansbijen (Xylocopa-soort). De vrucht is een lange, smalle, rechte, afgeplatte capsule. De zaden zijn bruin, ovaal en plat, in een grote rechthoekige papierachtige vleugel. Het heeft de neiging niet veel vruchtbare zaden te produceren.
Podranea ricasoliana avec son feuillage brillant et son abondance de fleurs roses attrayantes est une plante très voyante, bien connue de nombreux jardiniers sud-africains. C'est une plante grimpante vigoureuse, ligneuse, rampante, persistante et sans vrilles. Les feuilles sont composées et d'un vert brillant profond. Il envoie de nombreuses tiges hautes et fortes, de 3 à 5 m jusqu'à 10+ m de haut si rien n'est fait, qui ont de longues branches étalées avec une gracieuse arche. De grandes grappes de fleurs parfumées rose lilas, en forme de trompette, ressemblant à des digitales sont produites tout l'été (novembre à mars). Les fleurs sont portées à l'extrémité des branches de la nouvelle croissance et sont maintenues au-dessus du feuillage. Les fleurs terminent une branche et, après la floraison, de nouvelles branches latérales se développent derrière les fleurs fanées. Les fleurs sont souvent visitées par les abeilles charpentières (espèce Xylocopa). Le fruit est une capsule longue, étroite, droite et aplatie. Les graines sont brunes, ovales et plates, dans une grande aile papyracée rectangulaire. Il a tendance à ne pas produire beaucoup de graines fertiles.
Podranea ricasoliana mit ihrem glänzenden Laub und der Fülle attraktiver rosa Blüten ist eine sehr auffällige Pflanze, die vielen südafrikanischen Gärtnern bekannt ist. Es ist eine kräftige, holzige, weitläufige, immergrüne Kletterpflanze ohne Ranken. Die Blätter sind zusammengesetzt und haben ein tiefes, glänzendes Grün. Es sendet viele große, starke Stämme aus, die 3 bis 5 m bis zu 10+ m hoch sind, wenn sie nicht kontrolliert werden, die lange, sich ausbreitende Äste mit einer anmutigen Wölbung haben. Den ganzen Sommer über (November bis März) werden große Trauben duftender lila-rosa, trompetenförmiger, fingerhutartiger Blüten produziert. Die Blüten werden an den Zweigspitzen des Neuaustriebs getragen und über dem Blattwerk gehalten. Die Blüten beenden einen Zweig, und nach der Blüte entwickeln sich hinter den verblühten Blüten neue Seitenzweige. Die Blüten werden oft von Holzbienen (Xylocopa-Arten) besucht. Die Frucht ist eine lange, schmale, gerade, abgeflachte Kapsel. Die Samen sind braun, eiförmig und flach, in einem großen rechteckigen Papierflügel. Es neigt dazu, nicht viele fruchtbare Samen zu produzieren.
光沢のある葉と魅力的なピンクの花が豊富なPodranearicasolianaは非常に派手な植物で、多くの南アフリカの庭師によく知られています。それは、巻きひげのない、活発で、木質で、とりとめのない、常緑樹の登山家です。葉は複合的で深い光沢のある緑色です。それは、優雅なアーチ型の習慣を持つ長く広がった枝を持っている、多くの背の高い強い茎を送ります。夏の間（11月から3月）、香りのよいライラックピンクのトランペット型のキツネノテブクロのような花の大きな房が作られます。花は新しい成長の枝の先端で運ばれ、葉の上に保持されます。花は枝を終わらせ、開花後、使用済みの花の後ろに新しい側枝が発達します。花はしばしばクマバチ（Xylocopa種）が訪れます。果実は長く、狭く、まっすぐで、平らなカプセルです。種子は茶色で、卵形で平らで、大きな長方形の紙の翼にあります。それは多くの肥沃な種子を生産しない傾向があります。
يعتبر Podranea ricasoliana بأوراقه اللامعة ووفرة من الزهور الوردية الجذابة نباتًا مبهرجًا للغاية ، وهو معروف جيدًا للعديد من البستانيين في جنوب إفريقيا. إنه متسلق قوي ، خشبي ، متجول ، دائم الخضرة بدون محلاق. الأوراق مركبة ولونها أخضر لامع عميق. إنه يرسل العديد من السيقان القوية الطويلة ، من 3 إلى 5 أمتار حتى ارتفاع 10 أمتار إذا تركت دون رادع ، والتي لها فروع طويلة منتشرة مع عادة تقوس رشيقة. يتم إنتاج باقات كبيرة من الأزهار ذات اللون البنفسجي الزهري ، على شكل بوق ، تشبه قفاز الثعلب طوال الصيف (من نوفمبر إلى مارس). تُحمل الأزهار على أطراف فرع النمو الجديد وتوضع فوق أوراق الشجر. تنهي الأزهار فرعًا ، وبعد الإزهار تتطور فروع جانبية جديدة خلف الأزهار المستنفدة. غالبًا ما يزور النحل الحفار الأزهار (أنواع Xylocopa). الثمرة عبارة عن كبسولة طويلة وضيقة ومستقيمة ومسطحة. البذور بنية ، بيضوية ومسطحة ، في جناح ورقي كبير مستطيل الشكل. لا تميل إلى إنتاج العديد من البذور الخصبة.
Η Podranea ricasoliana με το γυαλιστερό φύλλωμά της και την αφθονία των ελκυστικών ροζ λουλουδιών είναι ένα πολύ επιδεικτικό φυτό, γνωστό σε πολλούς Νοτιοαφρικανούς κηπουρούς. Είναι ένας ζωηρός, ξυλώδης, περιπατητικός, αειθαλής ορειβάτης χωρίς τρύπες. Τα φύλλα είναι σύνθετα και έχουν βαθύ γυαλιστερό πράσινο. Στέλνει πολλούς ψηλούς δυνατούς μίσχους, ύψους 3 έως 5 m έως 10+ m, αν αφεθούν ανεξέλεγκτοι, που έχουν μακριά κλαδιά που απλώνονται με μια χαριτωμένη συνήθεια καμάρας. Μεγάλα τσαμπιά από αρωματικά λιλά-ροζ, σε σχήμα τρομπέτας, λουλούδια που μοιάζουν με αλεπούδες παράγονται όλο το καλοκαίρι (Νοέμβριο έως Μάρτιο). Τα άνθη μεταφέρονται στις άκρες των κλαδιών της νέας ανάπτυξης και συγκρατούνται πάνω από το φύλλωμα. Τα άνθη καταλήγουν σε ένα κλαδί, και μετά την ανθοφορία αναπτύσσονται νέα πλευρικά κλαδιά πίσω από τα λουλούδια που ξοδεύονται. Τα λουλούδια επισκέπτονται συχνά οι μέλισσες ξυλουργοί (είδος Xylocopa). Ο καρπός είναι μια μακριά, στενή, ίσια, πεπλατυσμένη κάψουλα. Οι σπόροι είναι καφέ, ωοειδείς και επίπεδοι, σε ένα μεγάλο ορθογώνιο χάρτινο φτερό. Τείνει να μην παράγει πολλούς γόνιμους σπόρους.
Die Felder sind weitgehend abgeerntet, Kartoffeln sind noch im Boden und die Gründüngung – Sonnenblumen, überall gelbe und blaue Farbtupfer
Oberschwaben in Süddeutschland ... Äcker und sattgrüne Wiesen wechseln mit Wäldern und fruchtbaren Obstgärten, da und dort blitzt ein Weiher oder ein kleiner See, Hügel reiht sich sanft an Hügel. Dazwischen schmucke Dörfer und kleine Städte eingestreut, Burgen und Schlösser, Klöster und Kapellen und die fernen Alpen, bei Föhn zum Greifen nahe.
Upper Swabia in southern Germany ... fields and lush green meadows alternate with forests and fertile orchards, here and there flashes a pond or a small lake, hill joins hill gently. In between, pretty villages and small towns interspersed, castles, monasteries and chapels and the distant Alps, with hair dryer at your fingertips.
Souabe supérieure dans le sud de l'Allemagne ... Les champs et les prairies verdoyantes alternent avec les forêts et les vergers fertiles, çà et là un étang ou un petit lac flamboie, les collines tapissent doucement les collines. Entre les villages soignés et les petites villes entrecoupées, les châteaux et les palais, les monastères et les chapelles et les Alpes lointaines, près de Föhn à portée de main.
The translation from German to English with ImTranslator
Traduction de l'allemand en français avec ImTranslator
I came across this four-banded longhorn beetle (Leptura quadrifasciata) on a white hydrangea (Spiraea betulifolia) by the garden pond in my mother-in-law's garden.
Evidently the pollen there was very tasty as it didn't pay me much attention and just walked slowly from flower to flower while eating.
I actually saw this one like two hours earlier (here: www.flickr.com/photos/tinyturtle/53329767568/) and during those hours, it had moved only like 15 centimeters / 6"!
The Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) is a medium-sized marsupial macropod, common in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia, including Tasmania. They are distinguished by their black nose and paws, white stripe on the upper lip, and grizzled medium-grey coat with a reddish wash across the shoulders. They can weigh 13.8-18.6 kg and attain a head-body length of 90 cm, although males are generally bigger than females.
The Tasmanian form, Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus (seen above), usually known as Bennett's Wallaby, is smaller (as island species nearly always are), has longer, shaggier fur, and breeds in the late summer, mostly between February and April. They have adapted to living in proximity to humans and can be found grazing on lawns in the fringes of Hobart and other urban areas.
The doe and joey above, seen at the Tropical Wings Zoo, just outside South Woodham Ferrers in Essex, are patently not red-necked. That's because the whole group at Tropical Wings Zoo were albinos. Rather different, aren't they?
I said 'were' above as the zoo closed in 2017.
Iwamizawa, Hokkaido. Pentax SP, Tamron 28mm F2.8 (CW-28), negative ISO 100 from Fuji exposed as ISO 100, developed with reversal processing as described before ( 1st: Korectol + KSCN 0.5g/500ml for 3min 20sec at 30 degC., 2nd: BAN1 ), scanned with Plustek OpticFilm120 + VueScan at 5300DPI, edited with GIMP. Bigger sizes: www.flickr.com/photos/threepinner/51369039994/sizes/ up to 7438 × 4911 pixels compatible. Learn DIY development and upgrade to film !
Another view of the Douro valley hills and agriculture. This is a train ride away from Pinhao at the Quinta do Vesuvio where OMG all of a sudden, for no reason, it's hotter, they get less rain, there's less water and they can grow fewer grapes. What could be the reason? lol
"Adventure in the Land of the Ancient Gods"
LADAKH : Day 8
Situated at a height of 10,000 ft or 3,048m asl, Nubra valley is not only presents the natural beauty of the mountains but the fertility of the soil and farming culture is still inherited until today. It is the largest fertile and beautiful village in Nubra valley covered with cluster of willows and poplar trees.
Beside Barley , walnut, and almonds fruit trees, some of nature's most popular commodities are mustard (Sarson) and Apricot. They plant it in turns by the season. While the wild grown Lavender remains an additional commodities for their income.
Thanks for your kind visit and support.
All comments, criticism and tips for improvements are welcome.
© Sayid Budi ~ All rights reserved 2011
Zwischen 6 und 6:45 Uhr im unteren Illertal nahe Tannheim in Oberschwaben/Süddeutschland – ein grandioser Sonnenaufgang wie selten so gesehen, die Sonne rot bis tief gelb und das in einer grandiosen Intensivität
Oberschwaben in Süddeutschland ... Äcker und sattgrüne Wiesen wechseln mit Wäldern und fruchtbaren Obstgärten, da und dort blitzt ein Weiher oder ein kleiner See, Hügel reiht sich sanft an Hügel. Dazwischen schmucke Dörfer und kleine Städte eingestreut, Burgen und Schlösser, Klöster und Kapellen und die fernen Alpen, bei Föhn zum Greifen nahe.
Upper Swabia in southern Germany ... fields and lush green meadows alternate with forests and fertile orchards, here and there flashes a pond or a small lake, hill joins hill gently. In between, pretty villages and small towns interspersed, castles, monasteries and chapels and the distant Alps, with hair dryer at your fingertips.
Souabe supérieure dans le sud de l'Allemagne ... Les champs et les prairies verdoyantes alternent avec les forêts et les vergers fertiles, çà et là un étang ou un petit lac flamboie, les collines tapissent doucement les collines. Entre les villages soignés et les petites villes entrecoupées, les châteaux et les palais, les monastères et les chapelles et les Alpes lointaines, près de Föhn à portée de main.
The translation from German to English with ImTranslator
Traduction de l'allemand en français avec ImTranslator
In our minds, black fertile land is the wealth of the earth, and the land after the snow is covered in white dress. Praise you, earth, your spacious mind, inclusive of war and catastrophe, nurtured humanity, and made us see holiness and beauty.
Snow refers to forms of ice crystals that precipitate from the atmosphere (usually from clouds) and undergo changes on the Earth's surface. It pertains to frozen crystalline water throughout its life cycle, starting when, under suitable conditions, the ice crystals form in the atmosphere, increase to millimeter size, precipitate and accumulate on surfaces, then metamorphose in place, and ultimately melt, slide or sublimate away. Snowstorms organize and develop by feeding on sources of atmospheric moisture and cold air. Snowflakes nucleate around particles in the atmosphere by attracting supercooled water droplets, which freeze in hexagonal-shaped crystals. Snowflakes take on a variety of shapes, basic among these are platelets, needles, columns and rime. As snow accumulates into a snowpack, it may blow into drifts. Over time, accumulated snow metamorphoses, by sintering, sublimation and freeze-thaw. Where the climate is cold enough for year-to-year accumulation, a glacier may form. Otherwise, snow typically melts seasonally, causing runoff into streams and rivers and recharging groundwater.
Major snow-prone areas include the polar regions, the upper half of the Northern Hemisphere and mountainous regions worldwide with sufficient moisture and cold temperatures. In the Southern Hemisphere, snow is confined primarily to mountainous areas, apart from Antarctica.
Snow affects such human activities as transportation: creating the need for keeping roadways, wings, and windows clear; agriculture: providing water to crops and safeguarding livestock; sports such as skiing, snowboarding, and snowmachine travel; and warfare. Snow affects ecosystems, as well, by providing an insulating layer during winter under which plants and animals are able to survive the cold.
from Wikipedia
The castle is situated on the Laich of Moray, a fertile plain that was once the swampy foreshore of Spynie Loch. This was originally a more defensive position than it appears today, long after the loch was drained.
The motte is a huge man-made mound, with steep sides and a wide ditch separating it from the bailey. The whole site is enclosed by a water-filled ditch, which is more a mark of its boundary than it is a serious defensive measure.
Duffus Castle was built by a Flemish man named Freskin, who came to Scotland in the first half of the 1100s. After an uprising by the ‘men of Moray’ against David I in 1130, the king sent Freskin north as a representative of royal authority.
He was given the estate of Duffus, and here he built an earthwork-and-timber castle. Freskin’s son William adopted the title of ‘de Moravia’ – of Moray. By 1200, the family had become the most influential noble family in northern Scotland, giving rise to the earls of Sutherland and Clan Murray.
In about 1270, the castle passed to Sir Reginald Cheyne the Elder, Lord of Inverugie. He probably built the square stone keep on top of the motte, and the curtain wall encircling the bailey. In 1305, the invading King Edward I of England gave him a grant of 200 oaks from the royal forests of Darnaway and Longmorn, which were probably used for the castle’s floors and roofs.
By 1350, the castle had passed to a younger son of the Earl of Sutherland through marriage. It may have been then that the keep was abandoned, possibly because it was beginning to slip down the mound, and a new residence established at the north of the bailey.
Viscount Dundee, leader of the first Jacobite Rising, dined in the castle as a guest of James, Lord Duffus in 1689, prior to his victory against King William II’s government forces at Killiecrankie. Soon after, Lord Duffus moved to the nearby Duffus House. The castle quickly fell into decay.
Die Felder sind weitgehend abgeerntet, Kartoffeln sind noch im Boden und die Gründüngung – Sonnenblumen, überall gelbe Farbtupfer
Oberschwaben in Süddeutschland ... Äcker und sattgrüne Wiesen wechseln mit Wäldern und fruchtbaren Obstgärten, da und dort blitzt ein Weiher oder ein kleiner See, Hügel reiht sich sanft an Hügel. Dazwischen schmucke Dörfer und kleine Städte eingestreut, Burgen und Schlösser, Klöster und Kapellen und die fernen Alpen, bei Föhn zum Greifen nahe.
Upper Swabia in southern Germany ... fields and lush green meadows alternate with forests and fertile orchards, here and there flashes a pond or a small lake, hill joins hill gently. In between, pretty villages and small towns interspersed, castles, monasteries and chapels and the distant Alps, with hair dryer at your fingertips.
Souabe supérieure dans le sud de l'Allemagne ... Les champs et les prairies verdoyantes alternent avec les forêts et les vergers fertiles, çà et là un étang ou un petit lac flamboie, les collines tapissent doucement les collines. Entre les villages soignés et les petites villes entrecoupées, les châteaux et les palais, les monastères et les chapelles et les Alpes lointaines, près de Föhn à portée de main.
The translation from German to English with ImTranslator
Traduction de l'allemand en français avec ImTranslator
Scissors & glue collage.
Background is a piece by Paul Klee (1879-1940) entitled "Monument in Fertile Country", 1929.
The Roman archaeological site at Dougga, Tunisia, overlooks a fertile plain planted with orderly rows of olive trees.
Supersampler + Vivitar UWS + Film tbc...
The results of another double exposure collaboration. This time between myself and the crazy mad and very lovely ~fiona~; who shot the first run through on the roll using her Supersampler. I subsequently shot over it using the Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim.
We did not plan individual frames, and had no idea what the other would shoot, what camera they would use, nor did we attempt to line up the frames. There are a few occasions when I've felt the need to crop, but not much and not on many from this roll.
India, Kerala or Kēraḷam, Backwaters.
Kerala’s from civilization almost untouched rich in fish, fertile unique backwaters.
🐂 …it's always something different to look into the "innocent, dark gleaming eyes of a foaming-snouted" water buffalo protecting his harem,
….if you can, keep a protected distance of about 40 m /130 feet,
if not,,,take your 📷&...🏃
Water Buffalos;
The water buffalo is a large, up to 3m long & heavy, strong cattle. The head is long, narrow, with small ears & set low on the body. The horns are horizontal & sickle-shaped backwards, these can reach a span of two meters, the horns of the female are significantly narrower & shorter than the males. The water buffalo stands on long, strong legs with wide hooves, the claws are spread wide, so the water buffalo don't sink into their swampy habitat.
📍… The wild water buffalo is listed as an endangered species, estimated about only 1000 water buffalos are still living in Asia.
Grasses, herbs & aquatic plants are the main part of his diet, but also leaves & small branches, he feeds exclusively vegetarian.
If the herd lives near humans, the water buffalo will also eat cultivated grain. Water buffalos are ruminants; searching for food, wild water buffalos they usually go in small groups split off from the main group, only looking for food in the evening hours.
👉….At 7 to 8%, buffalo milk contains almost twice as much fat as cow's milk. It is used to make the real mozzarella cheese in Italy, the "Mozzarella di Bufala campana", while the delicious “Burrata” is mainly made from cow's milk & rarely from water buffalo milk.
All European domestic water buffalos descend from the Asian wild water buffalo. Their domestication probably began 3000 years BC. in China, Pakistan & Iraq. In the 6th century they reached Europe via Bulgaria & Greece.
Today the European water buffalo is mainly found in Italy, Bulgaria, Romania & Hungary.
📌…Kerala’s unique backwaters in South India, is a network of interconnected five large lakes linked by canals, both manmade, fed by 38 rivers & brackish lagoons extending nearly half the length of Kerala state. A labyrinthine system formed by almost 1.000 km of waterways lying parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, known as the “Malabar Coast”.
The backwaters have an exceptional ecosystem; freshwater from the rivers meets the seawater from the Arabian Sea, formed by the action of waves & shore currents creating low barrier islands across the mouths of the many rivers flowing down from the Western Ghats range.
A Thannermukkom Salt Water Barrier, preventing salt water from the sea is entering the deep inside, keeping the fresh water intact. Such fresh water is extensively used for irrigation purposes.
Numerous unique aquatic species including mudskippers, crabs, frogs, water birds such as kingfishers, darters, terns, darters & cormorants, animals like otters & turtles live in the backwaters area. Palm trees, pandanus bushes & other leafy plants grow alongside the backwaters, providing a green shade to the surrounding landscape.
In the middle of this landscape there are a number of towns & cities, which serve as the starting & end points of backwater cruises. The backwaters are one of the noticeable tourist attractions in Kerala.
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Once upon a time, and indeed, a very long time ago, there lived a tiny bird. He lived in a village surrounded by magnificent, fertile land. His presence throughout the village in which he called home, however, went entirely unnoticed. Everyday, the tiny bird woke up, and with renewed vigour set out to accomplish the sole task of trying to make the village people acknowledge him. Everyday, he failed. His tactics, though stellar, and quite unselfish, and well conceived, proved unsuccessful. The tiny bird never gave up though. Tomorrow was another opportunity to fulfill his quest.
Despite his insignificance, the tiny bird lived a validated life, and thus, happily, with much fulfillment amongst the village people. He loved them so.
The tiny bird resided in a particularly tall tree that towered high above the rooftops and from a small hollow, he could while away the hours of the day and watch with very keen interest, and growing admiration, the comings, and goings on of the bustling village.
There was always a flurry of activity down below. As time passed, the tiny bird was able to decipher different families, and learn their individual idiosyncrasies. He knew who belonged to who. He saw their routines, and could predict with accuracy the events that would unfold every day.
The regime began in the early hours of the morning.
The men, having had their fill of hot porridge and tea, would leave the sleepy village and with quiet stealth head for the fields.
Every night they would return, tired and bedraggled from the days labour. They jostled, and laughed with each other as they made their way back home, anticipating, with great eagerness, the satisfying meal that would be waiting for them.
The tiny bird watched as the women folk would gather in the courtyard every morning. They would trade their abundance of wares with each other. One woman baked pies; another bread; another bartered her exquisite quilts. Friendly, and polite conversation ensued as the women quickly negotiated. It was a finely tuned, orchestrated event, and the tiny bird marvelled at the speed in which it took place. Time was valuable, and there was much to do back at home before the men returned.
Everyone had a role in the community - even the children. They too, had expectations to fulfill in this wonderfully scripted performance. Daily chores included milking of the cows, and goats, gathering of eggs, sweeping, and collecting wood for the fire that would eventually greet their fathers home. After the chores were completed the children did what children do - they played.
The tiny bird took immense pleasure as a spectator during this time of the day. He sat high up in the tree, watching the noisy, liberated joy, and the camaraderie the children shared with each other. It was the best time of the day.
Everyone participated - except one. Her name was Maggie. He could not figure out why, but the children treated her differently, or rather, ignored her. She did not take part in the games. It wasn’t for lack of trying. The children neglected to include her and every time she made motions to join in, they rejected her. Consequently, Maggie would sit in quiet resignation, and watch with longing as her peers frolicked about.
It tore the tiny bird apart to see the same scenario replay everyday. It caused him much anguish as he witnessed the injustice that the children administered, and with such callous, flippant disregard. He could not understand how this could happen in his happy, perfect village. He grew to love Maggie and watched her in silent fellowship.
It was very early one morning when the tiny bird woke up. He recognized that he was losing the joy in his life, and that the reasons for getting up in the morning were slowly diminishing. Nevertheless, he was at a loss as to what he could do to make a difference in Maggie’s life. The tiny bird was tiny but he had great wisdom and discernment. He knew that he could not continue living with so much anger and resentment towards the children. They were foolish and ignorant as to the pain they inflicted on one of their very own. He looked down at his beloved village. It was so quiet. He watched as the smoke from every chimney silently curled upward, then merge, dancing as one ethereal plume and drift off into the early morn.
It did not take very much longer for the sleeping villagers to finish the last of their dreams, and as the sun heralded another day the village awoke. With purpose, the villager’s routine began to unfold.
The men left. The women attended to their trades. The children finished their chores, and began to congregate. One by one, they emerged from their homes, and filled the village square with much anticipation, and enthusiasm.
Maggie appeared. The tiny bird watched her, as she, like a hundred times before, tried to engage with the children in their playtime. Again, they snubbed her.
Downcast, Maggie walked away and leaned against a fence post, and once again, resumed her position as spectator.
The tiny bird was incensed. Enough was enough! He flew from the hollow in the tree. Like an angry lightening bolt, and with the same intent to inflict, he dove down into the children.
Up and down he pelted his rage upon them. Over and over he dove. However, it was to no avail! The children did not see him - after-all, he was just a tiny bird.
Utterly depleted, the tiny bird flew over to the fence post where Maggie stood alone. He looked at her. To his disbelief, Maggie looked back at him, and for the very first time, he knew that she could see him!
She clapped her hands in glee. The tiny bird was smitten. He was so elated that he took a deep breathe and puffed up his chest as much as he could. He opened his tiny beak and to his utter dismay the sweetest song came belting out from deep within the depths of his tiny heart. He could not believe it! His very first song! Oh such joy! Maggie stood, with wonder, and delight, as she watched the tiny bird sing - just for her.
In time, the tiny bird recognized that he could not make the village children accountable, nor could he change them. He knew in their ignorance they did not have the eyes to see, the ears to hear or possess hearts with the capacity for unconditional love.
Perhaps, one day, that would change…
So it was - everyday, as morning broke across the horizon, the tiny bird would rise up from the safety of his hollow, and perch himself on a tree just outside of Maggie’s bedroom window. He would puff up his tiny chest with as much tenacity as he could muster, and sing his tiny song to Maggie, and he did that, for the rest of his tiny life.
Caessandrea, the curse of a teenage vampyre
Like some vampyric treasure huntress, she fed on the thrills the pursuit offered. Seeking out and stalking her type of fertile prey helped to quench the seemingly overwhelming desires that would engulf her. The trophies she attained, even though they supported her family financially, where actually quite trivial, even anti-climactic, when viewed through Cassandreas’s cunning eyes.
Coming soon
The curious chain of events that led up to an Occurrence at the Moonstone Formal
Kate, who had a private room in a corner of her family’s right wing, entered it at around 3 am. Exhausted from the prom, she laid back for a few moments to reflect on the rather hectic, and somewhat confused, events of the evening.
It all had happened at the Moonstone formal, an annual event put on by the trustees of an exclusive school that once was for poor children, but now catered to the sons of the very wealthy. And here is where, on the cusp of falling into dream, Kate’s contemplations grew.
Slowly Kate drifts off into a deep slumber. At first her dreams are happy and sweet, but soon, like the events that had taken place at the formal, they take on a darker tone.
As she thrashes in bed, a shadow moves over her, a ringed hand goes to her shoulder and Kate is once again calm. Silently, softly the shadowy form pulls Kate’s silky long hair away from her throat….
*******************************************************************************
Flashback to the Moonstone Formal earlier in the evening.
A girl with long reddish hair wearing a glittering copper coloured gown is dancing in the arms of a young man wearing a shiny grey satin shirt, and black Dockers. He is a stranger amongst the crowd, but whose natural charm soon let him win over the girls present, if not so much their male counterparts.
As the man smiles into the girls slightly slanted eyes, he holds her attention, as slowly he moves a hand from around her waist. The hand is clasped, holding onto a diamond bracelet that he had only minutes before removed from the delicate wrist of his current partner. The girl smiles back, seemingly swept up in his charismatic magnetism. He slips the bracelet into his pocket just as the song ends. Must you go she asks. Yes he said, I have one more lady on my dance card, not nearly as pretty as you, but then I must go, curfew you know. The pretty girl in the shimmering copper gown smiles, she knows he is fibbing, but appears not to care. Skip her, she purrs, that will give you fifteen minutes more, I’ll meet you out in the back garden, and will make it worth more than a single dance with some overly made up tart….
He smiles, go on first, I’ll give her my regrets he lies. The reddish haired copper gowned girl leaves him, and heads out towards the door.
Caess, short for her given name of Caessandrea, did not leave. Darting into a dark side corridor in a flurry of flashy copper, she took up a concealed position to watch. Sur enough, the bastard had taken Kates hand and was leading her to the dance floor. Caess watched as the fluid satin of Kate’s gown poured and moved along her wiggling figure, happy that she had snared a dance with the dashing stranger with the heavy foreign accent.
You should have left Caess hissed through the pointed canine fangs that had grown in accordance with her seething feelings. Casessandrea would have let him go with her bracelet if he would just have taken the opening she had given him. But now she have to put a stop to his antics. Le bâtard devrait avoir laissé suffisamment bien seul, Caess thought seething, but now he was after Kate’s jewels, and that simply would not be tolerated.
And sure enough, once Kate’s eyes were locked into her charming partners, he let a hand work its way up her back side, and with a simple flick of his fingers flicked op the clasp of the ruby necklace, that Kate had borrowed from her wealthy Mother. Whisking it magically away from the unwary girl in his grasp.
As soon as Caess saw what was happening she took action, turning away and marching to a group of young men hovering around a nearby table, a group that played for the school’s rugby team.
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End of Flashback, once again in Kate’s bedroom, where a shadow lurks.
The waning moon peeks from behind a heavy cloud, bathing the room in a misty bluish caste.
The waning moon peaks from a cloud, illuminated Kate’s Bedroom in a soft, misty blue light. The form hovering over her takes on colour. A copper coloured gown and long reddish hair outlines the young girl silently examining the now bare neckline of the soundly sleeping Kate.
Caessandrea, now in full vampyre mode, bends down, her long fangs hungrily sink themselves into the sweet, young flesh. It only lasts a minute, and replenished, Caess lifts up her head, looking around slowly, before bending down once again over Kate’s inert, still fancy dressed figure. .
The night stalker that now was Caess looked down upon her victim, the valuable ruby necklace, still draped around the sleeping girls throat. Its shiny redness almost matching the two bloody incisions just above the glittering rubies and diamonds of the expensive bauble Kate wore. Caess’s eyes sparkle as much as Kate’s jewels. The night is hers, and she is very much alive and in tune with all it’s secrets.
He should have left well enough alone, Caess again reflected, the arrogant rogue was given the opportunity to leave well enough alone, and escape with a profit, as it was….
The boys from the rugby team had caught up to him just as he was leaving. Unceremoniously emptying his pockets, and when the discovered what he had been doing, pretty much beat him to a pulpy mess.
The foreign accented strangers astounding haul was returned to their rightful owners, all women, consisting of a brace of bracelets, a pair of necklaces, and a large sparkly diamonded broach.
Not much time, the sun was just sending its awakening streaks into the horizon. Casessandrea lifted the clasp of the necklace Kate was wearing, and opening it, she slipped it off the dead to the world young lady. Then she took one of her twin bracelets. Giving attention to her open jewel chest, Cass selected three valuable pieces. Normally she would have only taken just the necklace, but the greedy rogue had opened a window of opportunity, and Cass was going to use every bit of it for her needs.
Caess left by the way she came, gliding noiselessly along the corridor and winding staircase. Out in the gardens she smiled wickedly to herself. The bastard had been so intent on lifting Casessandrea’s bracelet that he never felt Caesslift his wallet. She left it there, along the path, planting the evidence that pointed to him being the night burglar…..
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Casessandrea’s saga
Or
How she became a seventeen year old vampyre
Casessandrea had been born to thye manor. The first born of an old noble family, who occupying what was actually a medieval castle on a hill overlooking a small blue lake. When Caess was almost seventeen her father had been taken away from them at an all too young age, dying while fighting in the service of the king. Her family, forgotten by the courtiers had found themselves living a hardscrabble existence, barely maintaining ownership of their home.
Casessandrea’s family consisted of her dowager Grandmother, her frail Mother, younger siblings, a sister and twin boys who were not as yet of age. As the oldest, eleven though she was only just turning seventeen, Caess had felt obligated to find a way to support them, and keep the manor intact for the eldest of the twins. It was in search of fulfilling that obligation that Caess fell in with Brahme Davilen and his coven of vampires.
Caessandrea let Brahme turn her into a vampire when she realized her powers could be used to support her newly impoverished family, thus saving her family, along with their ancient castle. For her families honor and existence, she sacrificed a normal life for herself, keeping her sweet curse a secret, forever a teenager in appearance, but something much more in reality.
Caess still shivered deliciously as she remembered the hungering desire in Brahm’s red eyes as he bent down over her prostrate figure to make her one of his own. Sweeter than any lovers embrace, more tingling than ones first passion, Caess found herself on the cusp of almost all consuming ecstasy as his sharp fangs penetrated, and drank. Fire coursed through her veins as the metamorphosis consumed her, changing her into something that made Caess feel exhalted.
Caess now survives by befriending and feeding on the vibrant blood of teenage girls such as herself, picking nothing but the wealthy ones ;so she can steal some of their jewels which she successfully used to keep her family from ruin.
Le bâtard devrait avoir laissé suffisamment bien seu
(The bastard should have left well enough alone)
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FOR MORE PHOTOS PLEASE PEAK INTO THE ALBUM (VAMPYRE)
Courtesy of Chatwick University Archives
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuttgart
Stuttgart (Swabian: Schduagert) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known locally as the "Stuttgart Cauldron." It lies an hour from the Swabian Jura and the Black Forest. Its urban area has a population of 609,219, making it the sixth largest city in Germany. 2.7 million people live in the city's administrative region and another 5.3 million people in its metropolitan area, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Germany. The city and metropolitan area are consistently ranked among the top 20 European metropolitan areas by GDP; Mercer listed Stuttgart as 21st on its 2015 list of cities by quality of living, innovation agency 2thinknow ranked the city 24th globally out of 442 cities and the Globalization and World Cities Research Network ranked the city as a Beta-status world city in their 2014 survey.
Since the 6th millennium BC, the Stuttgart area has been an important agricultural area and has been host to a number of cultures seeking to utilize the rich soil of the Neckar valley. The Roman Empire conquered the area in 83 AD and built a massive castrum near Bad Cannstatt, making it the most important regional centre for several centuries. Stuttgart's roots were truly laid in the 10th century with its founding by Liudolf, Duke of Swabia, as a stud farm for his warhorses. Initially overshadowed by nearby Cannstatt, the town grew steadily and was granted a charter in 1320. The fortunes of Stuttgart turned with those of the House of Württemberg, and they made it the capital of their county, duchy, and kingdom from the 15th century to 1918. Stuttgart prospered despite setbacks in the Thirty Years' War and devastating air raids by the Allies on the city and its automobile production during World War II. However, by 1952, the city had bounced back and it became the major economic, industrial, tourism and publishing centre it is today.
Stuttgart is also a transport junction, and possesses the sixth-largest airport in Germany. Several major companies are headquartered in Stuttgart, including Porsche, Bosch, Mercedes-Benz, Daimler AG, and Dinkelacker.
Stuttgart is unusual in the scheme of German cities. It is spread across a variety of hills (some of them covered in vineyards), valleys (especially around the Neckar river and the Stuttgart basin) and parks. This often surprises visitors who associate the city with its reputation as the "cradle of the automobile". The city's tourism slogan is "Stuttgart offers more". Under current plans to improve transport links to the international infrastructure (as part of the Stuttgart 21 project), the city unveiled a new logo and slogan in March 2008 describing itself as "Das neue Herz Europas" ("The new Heart of Europe"). For business, it describes itself as "Where business meets the future". In July 2010, Stuttgart unveiled a new city logo, designed to entice more business people to stay in the city and enjoy breaks in the area.
Stuttgart is a city with a high number of immigrants. According to Dorling Kindersley's Eyewitness Travel Guide to Germany, "In the city of Stuttgart, every third inhabitant is a foreigner." 40% of Stuttgart's residents, and 64% of the population below the age of five, are of immigrant background.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_Museum
The Mercedes-Benz Museum is an automobile museum in Stuttgart, Germany. It covers the history of the Mercedes-Benz brand and the brands associated with it. Stuttgart is home to the Mercedes-Benz brand and the international headquarters of Daimler AG.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benz_Patent-Motorwagen
The Benz Patent-Motorwagen ("patent motorcar"), built in 1885, is widely regarded as the world's first production automobile, that is, a vehicle designed to be propelled by an internal combustion engine. The original cost of the vehicle in 1885 was 600 imperial German marks, approximately 150 US dollars (equivalent to $4,268 in 2019). The vehicle was awarded the German patent number 37435, for which Karl Benz applied on 29 January 1886. Following official procedures, the date of the application became the patent date for the invention once the patent was granted, which occurred in November of that year.
Benz's wife, Bertha, financed the development process.
Benz unveiled his invention to the public on 3 July 1886, on the Ringstrasse in Mannheim.
About 25 Patent-Motorwagen were built between 1886 and 1893.
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Lifting the mask from from a local clown
Feeling down like him
Seeing the light in a station bar
And travelling far in sin
Sailing downstairs to the northern line
Watching the shine of the shoes
And hearing the trial of the people there
Who's to care if they lose.
And take a look you may see me on the ground
For I am the parasite of this town.
Dancing a jig in a church with chimes
A sign of the times today
And hearing no bell from a steeple tall
People all in dismay
Falling so far on a silver spoon
Making the moon for fun
And changing a rope for a size too small
People all get hung.
Take a look and see me coming through
For I am the parasite who travels two by two.
When lifting the mask from a local clown
And feeling down like him
And I'm seeing the light in a station bar
And travelling far in sin
And I'm sailing downstairs to the northern line
Watching the shine of the shoes
And hearing the trials of the people there
Who's to care if they lose.
And take a look you may see me on the ground
For I am the parasite of this town.
And take a look you may see me in the dirt
For i am the parasite who hangs from your skirt.