Casillero del Diablo. Cabernet Sauvignon. Concha y Toro.

(Ali.13,5% vol. )

Глубокого рубинового цвета, с характерным многослойным и структурированным вкусом и ароматом, хорошо выражеными танинами в послевкусии. Густое и слегка терпкое, широкий букет темных ягод. Прекрасно сбалансированное вино.

Завжди буду вдячний милій стюардесі KLM, яка переконала мене в 2006 над Атлантикою спробувати cabernet sauvignon цієї винарні. Відмінне недороге вино, яке ще жодного разу не зіпсувало мені настрій.

Hydrangeas are believed to have originated in Japan, and are often associated with apology. Pink hydrangeas represent heartfelt emotion, a desire to get to know someone, but the Victorians associated blue hydrangeas with coldness and frigidity, because they produce magnificent blossoms but very few seeds.

The interesting thing about hydrangeas is that a single plant or bush can have flowers ranging from pink to white to blue to purple, depending on the acidity or alkalinity of the soil. Simply adding coffee grounds or egg shells to the soil will increase the acidity and change the color of new blossoms. to blue.

The dried blossoms are also prized, In her book Tar Baby, Toni Morrison praises the flower’s beauty saying, “A dead hydrangea is as intricate and lovely as one in bloom.”

One photo a day. (164/366)Bayside, Queens, NYC -- June 12, 2020

This is supposed to be the best viewpoint to admire the sunrise in São Miguel (municipality of Nordeste) - hence the name "Ponta da Madrugada" (something like "Dawn Headland" or "Dawn Point"). Sadly, I was not aware of this and visited it in the afternoon. Luckily, the view is always beautiful, no matter the time of day.

The flowers in the foreground are hydrangeas, which are native to Japan and which colours vary with the acidity of the soil they grow on.

O Miradouro da Ponta da Madrugada é supostamente o melhor local para admirar o nascer do sol em São Miguel (concelho do Nordeste). Infelizmente, eu não sabia disso e visitei-o à tarde. Felizmente, a vista é sempre linda, seja a que horas for.

As flores em primeiro plano são hortênsias, nativas do Japão e cujas cores variam consoante a acidez do solo em que crescem.

São Miguel - Açores/Azores - Portugal

Terraced iron-sulphate-stromatolites formed by acid leachates from pyrite-bearing mine wastes, Tintillo river (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Riotinto Mining Basin, Huelva, Spain)

Terraced iron formations of millimetric to metric scale are usually developed during the oxidation and hydrolysis/precipitation of dissolved iron in the acidic solutions after they emerge from waste piles, tailings, or mine portals, and they display a morphological pattern similar to that observed in travertines formed in Ca2+-HCO3 ––rich spring waters. TIFs differ from calcareous travertines, however, in their mineralogical composition, which is characterized by hydrous iron (oxy)hydroxides and/or hydroxysulfates, in agreement with the typical Fe(II)/Fe(III)-SO4 2– chemical composition of most acid mine drainage solutions. These spectacular formations are the result of the interaction between (1) highly acidic and Fe(II)-enriched waters, (2) atmospheric oxygen, and (3) acidophilic microbes that have found perfect habitats for their Fe-oxidizing metabolisms in these extreme environments. The abiotic processes could be more important than the biotic factors in winter (higher flow, lower temperature), and conversely, the bacterial activity could play a major role in summer (lower flow, higher temperature).

The water from the Tintillo river (and other rivers and creeks from Riotinto Mining Basin, Huelva, Spain) has a nearly unique red and orange colour derived from its extremely acidic chemical makeup, with very high levels of iron and heavy metals. There are a number of subsurface sulfide (mainly pyrite) bodies responsible for this acidity. These mineral bodies belong to the Iberian Pyrite Belt, formed 350 My ago in the Devonian Period, connected to active and hydrothermal volcanism that led to the formation of a volcanic-sedimentary complex. Volcanic activity in the region led to eight giant volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits associated with polymetallic massive flanks of volcanic cones in the form of pyrite, but also chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and cassiterite.

References:

Iron terraces in acid mine drainage systems: A discussion about the organic and inorganic factors involved in their formation through observations from the Tintillo acidic river (Riotinto mine, Huelva, Spain)

pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geosphere/article-pdf/3/3/13...

The Tintillo acidic river (Rio Tinto mines, Huelva, Spain): an example of extreme environmental impact of pyritic mine wastes on the environment or an exceptional site to study acid-sulphate mine drainage systems?

www.researchgate.net/publication/235355068_The_Tintillo_a...

Like much of England, the site of the New Forest was once deciduous woodland, recolonised by birch and eventually beech and oak after the withdrawal of the ice sheets starting around 12,000 years ago. Some areas were cleared for cultivation from the Bronze Age onwards; the poor quality of the soil in the New Forest meant that the cleared areas turned into heathland "waste", which may have been used even then as grazing land for horses.

There was still a significant amount of woodland in this part of Britain, but this was gradually reduced, particularly towards the end of the Middle Iron Age around 250–100 BC, and most importantly the 12th and 13th centuries, and of this essentially all that remains today is the New Forest.

There are around 250 round barrows within its boundaries, and scattered boiling mounds, and it also includes about 150 scheduled ancient monuments. One such barrow in particular may represent the only known inhumation burial of the Early Iron Age and the only known Hallstatt culture burial in Britain; however, the acidity of the soil means that bone very rarely survives.

Following Anglo-Saxon settlement in Britain, according to Florence of Worcester (d. 1118), the area became the site of the Jutish kingdom of Ytene; this name was the genitive plural of Yt meaning "Jute", i.e. "of the Jutes". The Jutes were one of the early Anglo-Saxon tribal groups who colonised this area of southern Hampshire. The word ytene (or ettin) is also found locally as a synonym for giant, and features heavily in local folklore.

Following the Norman Conquest, the New Forest was proclaimed a royal forest, in about 1079, by William the Conqueror. It was used for royal hunts, mainly of deer. It was created at the expense of more than 20 small hamlets and isolated farmsteads; hence it was then 'new' as a single compact area.

The New Forest was first recorded as Nova Foresta in Domesday Book in 1086, where a section devoted to it is interpolated between lands of the king's thegns and the town of Southampton; it is the only forest that the book describes in detail. Twelfth-century chroniclers alleged that William had created the forest by evicting the inhabitants of 36 parishes, reducing a flourishing district to a wasteland; however, this account is thought dubious by most historians, as the poor soil in much of the area is believed to have been incapable of supporting large-scale agriculture, and significant areas appear to have always been uninhabited.

Two of William's sons died in the forest: Prince Richard sometime between 1069 and 1075, and King William II (William Rufus) in 1100. Local folklore asserted that this was punishment for the crimes committed by William when he created his New Forest; 17th-century writer Richard Blome provides exquisite detail:

In this County [Hantshire] is New-Forest, formerly called Ytene, being about 30 miles in compass; in which said tract William the Conqueror (for the making of the said Forest a harbour for Wild-beasts for his Game) caused 36 Parish Churches, with all the Houses thereto belonging, to be pulled down, and the poor Inhabitants left succourless of house or home. But this wicked act did not long go unpunished, for his Sons felt the smart thereof; Richard being blasted with a pestilent Air; Rufus shot through with an Arrow; and Henry his Grand-child, by Robert his eldest son, as he pursued his Game, was hanged among the boughs, and so dyed. This Forest at present affordeth great variety of Game, where his Majesty oft-times withdraws himself for his divertisement.

The reputed spot of Rufus's death is marked with a stone known as the Rufus Stone. John White, Bishop of Winchester, said of the forest:

From God and Saint King Rufus did Churches take, From Citizens town-court, and mercate place, From Farmer lands: New Forrest for to make, In Beaulew tract, where whiles the King in chase Pursues the hart, just vengeance comes apace, And King pursues. Tirrell him seing not, Unwares him flew with dint of arrow shot.

The common rights were confirmed by statute in 1698. The New Forest became a source of timber for the Royal Navy, and plantations were created in the 18th century for this purpose. In the Great Storm of 1703, about 4000 oak trees were lost.

The naval plantations encroached on the rights of the Commoners, but the Forest gained new protection under the New Forest Act 1877, which confirmed the historic rights of the Commoners and entrenched that the total of enclosures was henceforth not to exceed 65 km2 (25 sq mi) at any time. It also reconstituted the Court of Verderers as representatives of the Commoners (rather than the Crown).

As of 2005, roughly 90% of the New Forest is still owned by the Crown. The Crown lands have been managed by the Forestry Commission since 1923 and most of the Crown lands now fall inside the new National Park.

Felling of broadleaved trees, and their replacement by conifers, began during the First World War to meet the wartime demand for wood. Further encroachments were made during the Second World War. This process is today being reversed in places, with some plantations being returned to heathland or broadleaved woodland. Rhododendron remains a problem.

During the Second World War, an area of the forest, Ashley Range, was used as a bombing range. During 1941-1945, the Beaulieu, Hampshire Estate of Lord Montagu in the New Forest was the site of group B finishing schools for agents[18] operated by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) between 1941 and 1945. (One of the trainers was Kim Philby who was later found to be part of a spy ring passing information to the Soviets.) In 2005, a special exhibition was mounted at the Estate, with a video showing photographs from that era as well as voice recordings of former SOE trainers and agents.

Further New Forest Acts followed in 1949, 1964 and 1970. The New Forest became a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1971, and was granted special status as the New Forest Heritage Area in 1985, with additional planning controls added in 1992. The New Forest was proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 1999, and it became a National Park in 2005.

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Forest and www.thenewforest.co.uk/

Hotel Hacienda El Roble Hotel located in Mesa de los Santos, Santander (Colombia), near the Canyon Chicamocha, the PANACHI Park and other attractions as Barichara, San Gil and Bucaramanga. Who is this hotel? "A hotel for coffee lovers" You enjoy learning as the best grown coffee from Colombia . The acidity words, body, fragrance and aroma come be part of your vocabulary. "A hotel for lovers of environmental social responsibility" A certified organic cultivation, with the utmost respect for nature and harmony between our coffee production and the environment. All protected by a majestic natural bleak. A hotel within a plantation of 300 hectares of organic coffee that provide habitat for mammals and insects of the region. A certified organic cultivation, with more than 59,200 trees that produce dark and turn food for more than 126 species of birds throughout the year. "A hotel for food lovers old Santander" Enjoy the dishes handmade and good craft culinary practices of over 200 years of tradition.

www.cafemesadelossantos.com/

PLEASE, no multi invitations in your comments ... thanks for this!

Bacchus we thank who gave us wine

Which warms the blood within our veins;

That nectar is itself divine.

The man who drinks not, yet attains

By godly grace to human rank

Would be an angel if he drank.

Rkatsiteli (Georgian რქაწითელი; literally "red stem" or "red horned") is a kind of grape used to produce white wine.

This ancient vinifera originates in Georgia and is one of the oldest grape varieties. In Georgia, clay vessels were found with seeds of Rkatsiteli grapes which date back to 3000 BC.

Rkatsiteli was popular in the Soviet Union prior to its fall and at one point was responsible for more the 18% of all Soviet wine production. There it was used to make everything from table wine to liqueurs to Sherry-like fortified wine. Prior to President Gorbachev's vine pull scheme, it was possibly the world's most widely planted white wine grape.

In Kakheti it was particularly known for its sweet dessert wines fashioned in the same manner as port wine. There were many attempts to create a sparkling wine from the grape but its naturally high alcohol levels prevented it from being much of a success.

The grape is mostly planted in its ancestral home of Georgia though there are still sizable plantings in other Eastern European countries like Russia, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, North Macedonia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine. It is also planted, in small amounts, in Australia and the eastern United States, mainly in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, Massachusetts, New Jersey and in Virginia and North Carolina. There have also been some experimental plantings in California, the Grand Valley AVA and West Elks AVA of Colorado and China (where the grape is known as Baiyu).

The high acidity of the grape is prone to make the wines excessively tart so winemakers try to pick the grapes as late as possible in order to maximize the sugar balance to offset the acidity. In most regions of Eastern Europe harvest is typically in mid October. Rkatsiteli makes noticeably acidic, balanced white wine with spicy and floral notes in the aroma.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ркацители (груз. რქაწითელი < რქა წითელი, красный рог) — высокоценный грузинский винный сорт среднего созревания. Из винограда приготовляются столовые вина высокого качества, десертные вина, виноматериалы для крепких вин и коньяков, виноградного сока. Урожай этого сорта также используется в свежем виде.

a lifespan…

A skeleton of Physalis, the small shrivelled fruit captured inside the fine lacy filigreed petals.

Edible Physalis: in the green husk here: it is characterised by the small orange fruit similar in size, shape and structure to a small tomato, but partly or fully enclosed in a large papery husk derived from the calyx.

The berry also goes by the names Golden Strawberry,Chinese Lantern and Cape gooseberry, and tastes like strawberries or pineapple in flavour, with a mild acidity.

The decorative species are grown as ornamental plants. For example, the hardy Physalis alkekengi has edible small fruits but is most popular for its large, bright orange to red husks.

A skeleton of Physalis, the small shrivelled fruit captured inside the fine lacy filigreed petals.

Thank you for ALL your faves and comments, M, (* _ *)

For more of my other work or if you want to purchase, visit here: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

This image is included in a gallery "Blue" curated by Andy Montgomery.

Average depth : 22 to 30 m (72 to 98 ft)

Max. depth : 30 m (98 ft)

Inferno Crater Lake is a large hot spring located in the Waimangu Volcanic Rift Valley on the North Island of New Zealand, and the largest geyser-like feature in the world. The actual geyser is not visible, as it plays underwater at the bottom of the lake, however, fumaroles are visible on the lake's shore and the rock wall behind it.

The water temperature in the lake ranges from 35 to 80 °C (95 to 176 °F), with acidity up to pH 2.2, and lake levels that vary up to 12 metres (39 ft), following a complicated 38-day cycle that includes an overflow stage. White silica deposits grow up to the overflow level, and the lake's colour is a result of finely divided silica suspended in the water. At low water levels the lake can be a dull grey colour, changing to an intensely sky blue colour at higher lake levels, in particular after the overflow stage.

Inferno Crater was blasted out of the side of the locally prominent Mt Haszard as part of the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption, which opened several craters along a 17 kilometres (11 mi) rift stretching southwest from Mount Tarawera to the nearby Southern Crater. Inferno Crater's trumpet-shaped lake bed is up to 30 metres (98 ft) deep when the lake is full, which is also when it reaches its highest temperature.

Since 1901 the lake occupying Inferno Crater has exhibited water-level variations closely associated with the Waimangu Geyser cycle. Inferno Crater Lake and its neighbouring Frying Pan Lake form a unique relationship and follow an interconnected rhythmic cycle of hydrology variations repeating itself over the course of roughly 38 days. When the water level and temperature of Inferno Crater Lake increase, the water level and outflow of Frying Pan Lake decrease. Comparable cyclic activity is unknown in other hydrothermal systems in the world.

The system has been the subject of studies since monitoring equipment was installed in the area in 1970. Four distinct phases can be recognised in its cycle: First, the lake level rises steadily from its lowest level by a total of almost 5 metres (16 ft) over the course of 8 days, and then it commences oscillating. The average lake level keeps rising over the course of the oscillations of the second phase until it reaches overflow level. At that point, the lake's volume has increased by 45,800 cubic metres (1,620,000 cu ft). Next, the lake overflows for about 51 hours at a rate of almost 80 liter per second, discharging on average 140,000 cubic metres (4,900,000 cu ft) of over 70 °C (158 °F) hot water down a temporary overflow stream into Waimangu Stream in the valley below. The last stage sees the lake recede to its low level over the last 13 days of the cycle, its water temperature also falling to the low point. During that stage, around 30 million liters of water drain back under Mt Haszard.

Inferno Crater Lake is accessible via a side track with 50 steps off the main Waimangu walking track. It is one of three lakes filling craters created in the vicinity during the 1886 event. (Wikipedia)

"Longing for Sardinia"?

"Hortos" from Cantina Sociale in Dorgali...

Opened after thirteen years... perfect....

a great wine from Sardinia two times awarded abroad...

it is not a "Cannonau" (the most famous red wine from Sardinia) but a so called "Isola dei Nuraghi"

Great, delicious red wine...

... and a delicious wild boar stew with juniper berries

Ajò.... enjoy... 🍷... and a big hug...😋

© All rights reserved

Liming a field neutralizes soil acidity and increases the activity of soil bacteria.

Onneto Lake is a part of Akan National Park in Ashoro, Hokkaido. "Onneto" means old pond or big pond in the aboriginal Ainu language. The lake with a circumference of 2.5 km was created when the river was dammed up due to the volcanic eruption of Mt. Meakan-dake. Due to high acidity levels, fish can’t live in the lake but ezo salamander and crawfish can.

Since the surface of Lake Onneto beautifully changes color from light blue to green and dark blue, depending on the time of day or the season, the lake is also called Goshikinuma. Along with Okotanpe Lake and Shinonome Lake, the lake is considered one of the three major mystery lakes in Hokkaido. Lake Onnetō (オンネトー), from the Ainu onne (ancient) and to (lake), is a freshwater lake near Ashoro in Akan National Park, Hokkaidō, Japan.

It was a rather windy day, so I had to combine two foto's for this one. It's a 245 seconds and a 1,6 second-deal. This is a small river in the area of Grünklosterberg, which is a part of the High Fens, a large Nature Reserve in Belgium. This river is called Getzbach and is one of the rivers who leads to the reservoir Wesertall Sperre near Eupen (Belgium). Characteristic for this river is it's dark (almost black) water with high acidity.

Ambrosia is an attractive medium-sized apple, with a pink-tinged orange/red flush over a yellow background. As such it is very much in tune with the modern preference for "bi-coloured" apples.

The flavor is pleasant and sweet, but one-dimensional in that there is no acidity to balance the sweetness - which is not necessarily a bad thing of course. The texture is essentially crisp, but not as crisp or hard as a Braeburn or Jazz - it is more the slightly softer crunch you might find in a Golden Delicious. Ambrosia benefits from being kept chilled and eaten from the fridge, because the crispness fades fairly quickly once it is left in the fruit bowl, and at this point it can become slightly pear-like. If you wanted to pigeon-hole Ambrosia, it is best thought of as a red/orange colored Golden Delicious with a flavor which is not quite as sweet. Certainly anyone who likes Golden Delicious but wants something a little bit different will like Ambrosia.

Ambrosia originates from western Canada and as with most modern varieties, production and quality are closely-controlled by the brand owners- PICO (Okanagan Plant Improvement Company) in western Canada. New plantings are also being established in Washington State in the USA, and in the Piedmont region of Italy. Although Canada is usually considered as a cold-climate growing region, the Similkameen and Okanagan valleys of southern British Columbia are semi-arid and apples are grown alongside grape vines and other warm-climate crops.

Ambrosia is unlikely to be available to private individuals, but when grown in commercial orchards, the best rootstock appears to be M26 rather than the more usual M9.

Unlike most other modern varieties, Ambrosia is not the result of a lengthy scientific breeding programme, but instead originated the old-fashioned natural way as a chance seedling in an orchard. Ambrosia was discovered by Wilfrid and Sally Mennell growing in their orchard of Jonagold trees in the Similkameen Valley in British Columbia, western Canada. The parentage is therefore unknown, but it seems likely that it is a cross between Jonagold, and Golden Delicious which had been growing in the same area previously. In terms of both flavor and appearance Ambrosia is almost exactly what you might expect such a cross to be like, with the flavor very much from the Golden Delicious side of the mix (bearing in mind that Golden Delicious is also one of the parents of Jonagold), but the visual appearance quite influenced by the Jonathan.

We are grateful to Elam's Organics for information about the origins of Ambrosia. For more details see: organicambrosiaapples.com/origins.html

A typical product of the #Basotho is the "Tsóeu-koto", a fermented cornmeal drink, prepared with finely cornmeal and milk. It has a slight acidity, a refreshing taste and can be consumed at any time of the day. It is a great source of energy for the population and is normally consumed between meals.⠀

Golden Gate Highland National Park, South Africa

© www.chiarasalvadori.com

La Sûre (Sauer en luxembourgeois et en allemand) est une rivière belgo-germano-luxembourgeoise et un affluent en rive gauche de la Moselle. Elle fait donc partie du bassin versant du Rhin.

La rivière tire son nom de l'acidité de son eau.

Son cours est de 206 km et son bassin versant couvre 4 240 km2. Ses affluents principaux sont la Wiltz, l'Alzette, l'Ernz Blanche, l'Ernz Noire, l'Our et la Prüm.

Le belvédère « Houfëls » (Haut-Rocher) près de Boulaide offre une vue imprenable sur la vallée de la Sûre et la Haute-Sûre.

A 457 mètres d'altitude se trouve un pavillon qui a été construit en 1934 par la famille Hames. Même si le pavillon ne peut être admiré que de l'extérieur, les lieux invitent toujours à s'y attarder pour un pique-nique avec vue panoramique.

Le point de vue est situé sur plusieurs sentiers de randonnée, dont l'Éislek Pad Boulaide, l'Autopédestre Boulaide et le Natur Pur ?. Il est également acecssible en voiture.

Pour les amateurs d'histoire, l'aire de repos derrière le pavillon abrite deux pièces d'artillerie historiques de la Seconde Guerre mondiale : un PAK (canon antichar) allemand de 8,8 cm et un canon américain de 155 mm.

The Sûre (Sauer in Luxembourgish1 and German) is a Belgian-German-Luxembourgish river and a left-bank tributary of the Moselle. It is therefore part of the Rhine watershed.

The river takes its name from the acidity of its water.

Its course is 206 km and its watershed covers 4,240 km2. Its main tributaries are the Wiltz, the Alzette, the Ernz Blanche, the Ernz Noire, the Our and the Prüm.

The "Houfëls" (High Rock) lookout point near Boulaide offers a breathtaking view of the Sûre valley and the Haute-Sûre.

At an altitude of 457 metres there is a pavilion that was built in 1934 by the Hames family. Even though the pavilion can only be admired from the outside, the place still invites you to linger for a picnic with a panoramic view.

The viewpoint is located on several hiking trails, including the Éislek Pad Boulaide, the Autopédestre Boulaide and the Natur Pur ?. It is also accessible by car.

For history buffs, the rest area behind the pavilion houses two historic artillery pieces from the Second World War: a German 8.8 cm PAK (anti-tank gun) and an American 155 mm gun.

From Masako~ (fake_plastic_earth)

professor at CCNY for a physiological psych class told his class about bananas. He said the expression 'going bananas' is from the effects of bananas on the brain. Read on:

This is interesting.

After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.

Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.

But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school ( England ) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand , for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking.. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal..

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels.. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack..

Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A banana a day keeps the doctor away!'

Situated close to a former small limestone outcrop (now a lake) on the edge of dartmoor. Lime was used for mortar, for plaster, for whitewash (a permanently smudgy paint) and to reduce the acidity of soils.

It is the high season of hydrangea blooms, and because of the Covid-19 shutdown, I've had more time to observe the day-to-day changes. What fascinates me most, besides the different stages of blooms, is the way one can alter the color of blooms from pink to blue and in-between. It all depends on the acidity or alkalinity of the soil, In fact, hydrangea blossoms are not flowers at all, but specialized sepals, or leaves, They act like nature's litmus paper, although the colors are opposite: pink for plants grown in alkaline soil, and blue for those in acidic soil. it is not unusual to see these opposing colors in the same plant, depending on the varying acidity of the soil the roots feed from.

Learn more surprising facts about hydrangeas at: www.americanscientist.org/article/curious-chemistry-guide...

One photo a day. (182/366) Great Neck, Long Island, NY -- June 30, 2020

Details best viewed in Original Size.

Morning Glory Pool is located in the Upper Geyser Basin and it’s probably the best known of its pools. According to a park brochure, the long favored destination for visitors was named for its remarkable likeness to its namesake flower. Unfortunately, this previously vibrant blue pool has fallen victim to vandalism; people have thrown tons of coins and other debris into the pool. Much of it had become embedded in its side and vent reducing water circulation and resulting in lower water temperatures. These lower temperatures have in turn led to the orange and yellow thermophiles that now thrive.

The color of the geothermal pools is determined by the heat-loving organisms that thrive in these boiling waters. The hottest waters give rise to thermophiles that produce the color blue while progressively cooler waters (relatively speaking) give rise to greens, yellows, red, browns and finally black. This rainbow of colors is particularly prominent in the pool overflow paths where the gradation of these colors may be seen as the waters get further away from their source of heat. An example of this may be seen at the edge of the pool and toward the top of this image where the overflow water winds its way into the woods.

If one looks around the periphery of the clearing one can see that the trees have been heavily damaged. This is due to the extremely high temperature and acidity of the geothermal water which will eventually kill the trees.

Explored February 12, 2011.

Onnetō Lake is a part of Akan National Park in Ashoro, Hokkaido. "Onneto" means old pond or big pond in the aboriginal Ainu language. The lake with a circumference of 2.5 km was created when the river was dammed up due to the volcanic eruption of Mt. Meakan-dake. Due to high acidity levels, fish can’t live in the lake but ezo salamander and crawfish can.

Since the surface of Lake Onneto beautifully changes color from light blue to green and dark blue, depending on the time of day or the season, the lake is also called Goshikinuma. Along with Okotanpe Lake and Shinonome Lake, the lake is considered one of the three major mystery lakes in Hokkaido. Lake Onnetō (オンネトー), from the Ainu onne (ancient) and to (lake), is a freshwater lake near Ashoro in Akan National Park, Hokkaidō, Japan.

... fresh Physalis in their husks. Both to eat and to photograph!

Physalis is characterised by the small orange fruit similar in size, shape and structure to a small tomato, but partly or fully enclosed in a large papery husk derived from the calyx.

The berry also goes by the names Golden Strawberry,Chinese Lantern and Cape gooseberry.

Not all Physalis species bear edible fruit. Select species are cultivated for their edible fruit, however; the typical Physalis fruit is similar to a firm tomato in texture, and like strawberries or pineapple in flavour, with a mild acidity.

Physalis fruit is a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron, calcium and trace amounts of B vitamins.

These fruits contain 18 kinds of amino acids.

These berries are also abundant in polysaccharides, compounds that may help fortify the immune system.

Yes, Nature creates its own jewellery.

A skeleton of Physalis, the small shrivelled fruit captured inside the fine lacy filigreed petals.

PHYSALIS alkekengi or Chinese Lantern Plant, they are native from southern Europe east across southern Asia to Japan.

Popular for the papery bright-orange lantern pods that develop around the ripening fruit, these are often cut and used for Thanksgiving and Halloween arrangements.

Plants are aggressive spreaders, and best kept out of the perennial border so they don't take over.

Also can be grown in tubs.

Small white flowers appear in midsummer, over a bushy mound of coarse green leaves.

Pods are green at first, but should be harvested as soon as the orange colour develops, the leaves stripped then stems hung upside down to dry in a warm dark room.

Thank you for your time and comments, greatly appreciated, M, (*_*)

For more: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

PHYSALIS, orange, fruit, "Magda Indigo", "black background", STUDIO, square, husk, skeleton, "Golden Strawberry", "Chinese Lantern", "Cape gooseberry", design, colour, "conceptual art", "Magda indigo"

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musbury_Tor

Musbury Tor is a flat topped hill overlooking Helmshore in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It separates Alden Valley to its south and Musbury Valley to the north. It is a very popular walking spot and the views from the top are magnificent. It is on farmland and is mainly sheep pasture. It is one of the tallest hills (338m) in the Rossendale valley and can be seen from much of Helmshore. A panoramic view from the top is shown in Chris Aspin, Derek Pilkington and John Simpson's book of Helmshore[1].

Geology

The underlying solid geology of the Rossendale fells is largely formed by the Lower Coal Measure comprising bedded sandstones, shales and mudstones. Rocks of the Millstone Grit series outcrop above the valley of the River Irwell and cap the hills. Musbury Tor is a perfect example of peneplanation leaving an almost isolated flat-topped hill where the harder Millstone Grit protects the softer underlying shales, leaving the distinctive sharp topography of edges and ledges characteristic of the uplands above the Irwell Valley.[2]

The other small scale topographic variations such as the undulating hummocky landforms are generally due to the former workings and stone quarries

History

Musbury was a township in the hundred of Blackburn. It was divided into three portions - Musbury Park; Musden Head (to the south), and the Trippet of Ogden (in the north). It was once the centre of the Earl of Lincoln's deer park, which was fenced by 1304, and stretches of the ditch enclosures still remain in the Alden and Musbury valleys.[4]

In 1894 Musbury ceased to be a township, and was transferred from Tottington parish to the borough of Haslingden.

World War II and after

"...to scan the skies for paratroops, four Home Guardsmen armed with one old rifle and six rounds of ammunition climbed each evening to the top of the Tor", says Chris Aspin in his memoirs. The guards apparently sheltered in a tiny hut, but they often "stumbled into bogs and old quarry workings". Chris Aspin also mentions American GIs practicing paratroop drops, and field exercises with live ammunition, before D-Day, setting up tents and a cookhouse by Great House on the Tor.[5]

In 1949 the Great House Experimental Farm in Helmshore was established by the Ministry of Agriculture on the flat top and southern slopes of Musbury Tor. Important experiments, including many on high-level grain planting and animal husbandry, and the effects of acidity in rain, were carried out. Great House Experimental Farm was closed in 1982, broken up and sold off to private farmers and others.

The white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) is an Old World vulture native to South and Southeast Asia. It has been listed as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List since 2000, as the population severely declined. White-rumped vultures die of renal failure caused by diclofenac poisoning. In the 1980s, the global population was estimated at several million individuals, and it was thought to be "the most abundant large bird of prey in the world".As of 2016, the global population was estimated at less than 10,000 mature individuals.

White-rumped vultures usually become active when the morning sun is warming up the air so that thermals are sufficient to support their soaring. They were once visible above Calcutta in large numbers.

When they find a carcass, they quickly descend and feed voraciously. They perch on trees nearby and are known to sometimes descend also after dark to feed. At kill sites, they are dominated by red-headed vultures Sarcogyps calvus. In forests, their soaring often indicated a tiger kill.They swallow pieces of old, dry bones such as ribs and of skull pieces from small mammals. Where water is available they bathe regularly and also drink water. A pack of vultures was observed to have cleaned up a whole bullock in about 20 minutes. Trees on which they regularly roost are often white from their excreta, and this acidity often kills the trees. This made them less welcome in orchards and plantations.

Entre 1975 à 2013, l’exploitation de l’argile blanche par l’Homme a considérablement bouleversé cet environnement forestier. À l’origine de ce paysage surnaturel, cette ancienne carrière de kaolin produisait une belle terre blanche destinée à la fabrication de la porcelaine, de tuiles, de briques,et de produits cosmétiques et pharmaceutiques. Pour extraire et transformer le kaolin, les exploitants déplaçaient des milliers de mètres cubes de matière en creusant jusqu’à 40 mètres de profondeur. Après la fin de l'exploitation industrielle de l'argile blanche, la végétation a repris ses droits et cette immense carrière à ciel ouvert s'est remplie d'eau de pluie, donnant naissance à un lac artificiel profond que nous découvrons aujourd’hui. Ce nouvel environnement demeure encore très jeune et l’acidité des sols des différentes couches géologiques empêche tout développement de la vie aquatique dans le lac (algues, poissons, batraciens). L’eau est cristalline, transparente, et ne présente aucune matière en suspension qui puisse absorber la lumière. Celle-ci se réfléchit pleinement dans le lac qui arbore ainsi un camaïeu de bleus, du turquoise au bleu azur, pour le plus grand plaisir des promeneurs et des amoureux de la nature.

Between 1975 and 2013, the exploitation of white clay by humans dramatically changed this forest environment. At the origin of this supernatural landscape, this old kaolin quarry produced a beautiful white earth intended for the manufacture of porcelain, tiles, bricks, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. To extract and process the kaolin, operators moved thousands of cubic meters of material by digging up to 40 meters deep. After the end of the industrial exploitation of white clay, the vegetation resumed its rights and this huge open-air quarry was filled with rainwater, giving birth to a deep artificial lake that we discover today . This new environment is still very young and the acidity of the soils of the different geological layers prevents any development of aquatic life in the lake (algae, fish, amphibians). The water is crystal clear, transparent, and has no suspended matter that can absorb light. This is fully reflected in the lake which thus sports a shades of blue, from turquoise to azure blue, to the delight of walkers and nature lovers.

© all rights reserved by B℮n

Please take your time... to View it large on black

Chianti is a red Italian wine produced in Tuscany. The first definition of a wine-area called Chianti was made in 1716. The earliest documentation of a Chianti wine dates back to the thirteenth century when viticulture was known to flourish in the Chianti Mountains around Florence. Discover the most celebrated region of Tuscany. The vineyards of this area produce one of the best wines in the world: Chianti Classico. This Wine represents a major source of wealth for the Chianti area, no wonder then that this product has been particularly looked after and protected, in order to distinguish its quality from other wine productions. This is why a rigid legislation has been introduced to regulate the production of Classic Chianti. The first limit obviously regards the geographical area where the grape must grow. But not only the vineyards must be cultivated in the prescribed area: the whole process of wine-making, storage and bottling must take place inside the protected zone. The grape variety from which Chianti is produced is Sangiovese. The alcoholic strength must not exceed 12 %. In addition to this, there are other requirements that must be followed, regarding the average amount of dry product (24 g/l); the acidity rate (4,5 g/l), the colour (intense ruby red), the smell (fruity, with nuances of wildflowers, berries, cherries or plums) and taste (harmonious, dry, strong and with respectable tannin).

We drive on the glorious wine roads of Tuscany. We visit the farms and cellars and of-course taste the great Chianti wine. Photo of the warm colors of the Tuscany evening sunset taken on the Casale dello Sparviero estate.

Denk je aan Toscana, dan zie je stadjes op heuveltoppen, wijngaarden omzoomd door cipressen zover het oog reikt. Liefhebbers weten dat je overal tussen die landerijen. wijnhuizen kunt vinden waar je ook nog eens kunt proeven... het idee alleen al doet je toch bijna het water in de mond lopen. Ook als je weer thuis bent en je neemt een slok van je meegebrachte wijn, ben je er in je gedachten weer helemaal: op dat zonovergoten terras in Castellina in Chianti of bij dat fantastische restaurant met die truffelgerechten in Monteriggioni. Zeg je wijn in Toscana, dan zeg je Chianti, een wijn die zich in de laatste 30 jaar tot Classico heeft ontwikkeld. Chianti is de bekendste en populairste van alle Italiaanse wijnen. De wijn wordt gemaakt van de alom aanwezige Sangiovese-druif, die graag veel zon heeft en goed bestand is tegen grote temperatuurschommelingen. De belangrijkste Chianti-zones worden gevormd door de streek Chianti Classico gelegen rond Castellina. Zoals met zoveel in Italia, is ook de wijnbouw begonnen in het zuiden, maar hebben de noorderlingen het later overgenomen. Na de Romeinse tijd kwam de zuidelijke wijnbouw in de versukkeling. De oudste ononderbroken wijntraditie. In de Renaissance kwam de productie weer helemaal terug en wel in...Toscana. Rijke handelaars en bankiers zoals de families Frescobaldi en Antinori namen druivenrassen mee uit Frankrijk en legden daarmee de basis voor het feit dat Toscana tegenwoordig de oudste onononderbroken wijntradities van Italië kent.

Italy, Pizza, "Pizza Ticinese", thin pizza with a golden brown crusty border, outside crunchy, inside soft, topped with Marzano tomato pizza sauce, spinach leaves tossed in garlic olive oil, mozzarella di bufalo, Formaggio d’Alpe Ticinese DOP & Prosciutto crudo d’Alpe Piora,

…buffalo mozzarella, Ticino Mountain pasture cheese & thinly cut air cured ham

Pizza should be baked at temperatures between 360°C - 575°F & 426°C - 800°F, best in a pizza wood-fired brick oven by placing them on the very hot oven stone floor. If the oven dome has the above mentioned baking temperature, the oven floor will typically be cooler than that temperature.

📍...Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP

Approximately 200 farmers which are producing under Italian law are responsible for the "protection, surveillance, promotion & marketing" of Mozzarella di Buffalo mozzarella from Campania, with 8% fat & 4.63% protein. In 2008 the European Union granted the trademark the protected geographical status DOP, raising it from D.O.C. since 1993 designation.

References to cheese products made from water buffalo milk appeared for the first time at the beginning of the twelfth century. Buffalo mozzarella became widespread throughout the south of Italy from the second half of the eighteenth century.

The history of water buffalo in Italy is not settled, one theory is that Asian water buffalo were brought to Italy by Goths during the migrations of the early medieval period, other "most likely hypothesis" is that they were introduced by Normans from Sicily in 1000 & that Arabs had introduced them into Sicily, some documents say there were imported from Indi A fourth theory is that water buffalo were brought from Mesopotamia into the Near East by Arabs and then introduced into Europe by pilgrims and returning crusaders,

…& so on & so on, ….the point is that the mozzarella is a very versatile, fantastic fresh cheese.

📍...Formaggio d’Alpe Ticinese DOP

Ticino Alpkäse AOP is a semi-hard, fatty cheese made from raw cow's &/or goat's milk. It has a milky aroma, slightly buttery & fruity with hazelnut nuances. It tastes sweet & in mature form with a decided aromatic nuance.

Alpine cheese is considered the forerunner of hard & semi-hard cheese. The first written evidence that the use of the Alps was already deeply rooted in rural society in Ticino & that Alpine cheese was being produced at that time, dates back to the 12th century.

📍...Prosciutto crudo d’Alpe Piora,

The ham is prepared by hand & matures at 2000m altitude at 15-18 °C on a mountain pasture in the Ticino Alps. The seasoned ham loses water, gains colour, firmness & gets its typical, sweet delicate, nutty unmistakable taste, as well as the reddish-pink colour of the ham.

Between the cold of the night & the heat of the day, which causes the meat to lose its humidity & acquire its “Alpine Scent”.

📌…San Marzano Tomato

The San Marzano Tomato is the classic Italian paste tomato. This variety is an heirloom from San Marzano sul Sarno, a town in the Campania region of southern Italy, near the city of Naples. The sweet, elongated, pointy plum-type tomatoes make delicious cooked tomato sauces. San Marzano tomatoes have an intense tomato aroma & a flavour that perfectly balances a rich sweetness with refreshing acidity. This sweet-tart balance is most pronounced when the tomatoes are cooked. Harvested San Marzano tomatoes at peak ripeness if they are to be enjoyed immediately, either fresh or in a cooked sauce or crushed on a pizza.

There is an enormous difference between Roma, Plum Tomatoes & San Marzano Tomatoes.

The San Marzano Tomato is generally thinner, less uniform than Roma tomatoes & carries less seeds in only 2 instead of 3 seed chambers. The tip of San Marzano tomatoes is also much more pointed than Roma fruits. San Marzano tomatoes tend to have an intense, balanced sweet-tart taste, while Roma tomatoes have a more mild flavour that tends towards acidic.

The Roma tomato is a modern variety bred from the San Marzano heirloom tomato. Roma tomatoes are directly descended from the San Marzano. The Roma tomato was introduced to farmers in 1955 by the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, whereas the San Marzano has been grown on the Italian coast for centuries.

👉…Beginning of the 20th century, Italian immigrants begun to open their own bakeries & were selling besides groceries as well pizza. The first documented United States pizzeria was Gennaro Lombardi’s, licensed to sell pizza in 1905 on Spring Street in Manhattan, a part known as “Little Italy” Lombardi’s, is still in operation today, however, no longer at its 1905 site, but has the same oven as it did originally. Pizza as we know & the world likes took the United States by storm before it became popular in its native Italy

Especially in the 50th, pizza’s popularity in the United States boomed & no longer seen as an Italian folkloric treat, it was increasingly identified as fast & fun food. Regional, decidedly non-Neapolitan variations emerged, eventually including California-gourmet pizzas topped with anything from barbecued chicken to smoked salmon.

Post-war pizza finally reached Italy & beyond their borders also influenced by the starting tourism. Like blue jeans, rock & roll, fast food etc. the Italians & the rest of the world picked up on pizza just because it was "Americano"…easy to eat, fast & tasty.

📍 …So actually pizza the way we like it is an "Italo-American" creation.

👉…One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

17 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

La Sûre (Sauer en luxembourgeois et en allemand) est une rivière belgo-germano-luxembourgeoise et un affluent en rive gauche de la Moselle. Elle fait donc partie du bassin versant du Rhin.

La rivière tire son nom de l'acidité de son eau.

Son cours est de 206 km et son bassin versant couvre 4 240 km2. Ses affluents principaux sont la Wiltz, l'Alzette, l'Ernz Blanche, l'Ernz Noire, l'Our et la Prüm.

Le belvédère « Houfëls » (Haut-Rocher) près de Boulaide offre une vue imprenable sur la vallée de la Sûre et la Haute-Sûre.

A 457 mètres d'altitude se trouve un pavillon qui a été construit en 1934 par la famille Hames. Même si le pavillon ne peut être admiré que de l'extérieur, les lieux invitent toujours à s'y attarder pour un pique-nique avec vue panoramique.

Le point de vue est situé sur plusieurs sentiers de randonnée, dont l'Éislek Pad Boulaide, l'Autopédestre Boulaide et le Natur Pur ?. Il est également acecssible en voiture.

Pour les amateurs d'histoire, l'aire de repos derrière le pavillon abrite deux pièces d'artillerie historiques de la Seconde Guerre mondiale : un PAK (canon antichar) allemand de 8,8 cm et un canon américain de 155 mm.

The Sûre (Sauer in Luxembourgish1 and German) is a Belgian-German-Luxembourgish river and a left-bank tributary of the Moselle. It is therefore part of the Rhine watershed.

The river takes its name from the acidity of its water.

Its course is 206 km and its watershed covers 4,240 km2. Its main tributaries are the Wiltz, the Alzette, the Ernz Blanche, the Ernz Noire, the Our and the Prüm.

The "Houfëls" (High Rock) lookout point near Boulaide offers a breathtaking view of the Sûre valley and the Haute-Sûre.

At an altitude of 457 metres there is a pavilion that was built in 1934 by the Hames family. Even though the pavilion can only be admired from the outside, the place still invites you to linger for a picnic with a panoramic view.

The viewpoint is located on several hiking trails, including the Éislek Pad Boulaide, the Autopédestre Boulaide and the Natur Pur ?. It is also accessible by car.

For history buffs, the rest area behind the pavilion houses two historic artillery pieces from the Second World War: a German 8.8 cm PAK (anti-tank gun) and an American 155 mm gun.

Tis the season for Hydrangea's of all colors. I understand most start out white and the acidity of the soil determines their final coloring. Enjoy!

... fresh Physalis in their husks. Both to eat and to photograph!

Physalis is characterised by the small orange fruit similar in size, shape and structure to a small tomato, but partly or fully enclosed in a large papery husk derived from the calyx.

The berry also goes by the names Golden Strawberry,Chinese Lantern and Cape gooseberry.

Not all Physalis species bear edible fruit. Select species are cultivated for their edible fruit, however; the typical Physalis fruit is similar to a firm tomato in texture, and like strawberries or pineapple in flavour, with a mild acidity.

Physalis fruit is a good source of vitamin C, beta-carotene, iron, calcium and trace amounts of B vitamins.

These fruits contain 18 kinds of amino acids.

These berries are also abundant in polysaccharides, compounds that may help fortify the immune system.

Yes, Nature creates its own jewellery.

A skeleton of Physalis, the small shrivelled fruit captured inside the fine lacy filigreed petals.

PHYSALIS alkekengi or Chinese Lantern Plant, they are native from southern Europe east across southern Asia to Japan.

Popular for the papery bright-orange lantern pods that develop around the ripening fruit, these are often cut and used for Thanksgiving and Halloween arrangements.

Plants are aggressive spreaders, and best kept out of the perennial border so they don't take over.

Also can be grown in tubs.

Small white flowers appear in midsummer, over a bushy mound of coarse green leaves.

Pods are green at first, but should be harvested as soon as the orange colour develops, the leaves stripped then stems hung upside down to dry in a warm dark room.

Thank you for your time and comments, greatly appreciated, M, (*_*)

For more: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

PHYSALIS, orange, fruit, "Magda Indigo", "black background", STUDIO, square, husk, skeleton, "Golden Strawberry", "Chinese Lantern", "Cape gooseberry", design, colour, "conceptual art", "Magda indigo"

Strobist Info: Godox AD200 with a 26-inch octo-softbox camera left and slightly behind and above the subject. Small white V-flat directly camera right of the subject.

This is the Velvet Buzzsaw, a cocktail created by Matt Hunt in 2019 for Death & Co and published in Death & Co Welcome Home in 2021. This spritzy gin cocktail puts raspberry (in syrup form) as the main character, but the supporting cast is vital to make this drink actually interesting. Gin and raspberry is classic combo seen easily in the Clover Club, which forms the foundation of this drink. Layered with that is rhubarb liqueur which famously pairs with berry flavors. Campari brings some bite and citrusy notes to help this cocktail avoid being a bit of a fruit salad. A tiny bit of blanc vermouth compliments all other previously mentioned flavors, and lemon juice provides the necessary acidity to bring this into balance. The whole cocktail is crushable yet offers some fun complexity.

1.5 oz London dry gin (see note)

0.5 oz Giffard rhubarb liqueur

0.5 oz Campari (see note)

0.25 oz Dolin Blanc vermouth

0.75 oz raspberry syrup (homemade is best, DM me for recipe)

0.5 oz fresh lemon juice

cold seltzer

Build all of the ingredients into a chilled white wine glass except the seltzer. Add a few 1-inch ice cubes and top with approximately 2 oz of cold seltzer. Stir gently to combine. Garnish with a lemon wheel.

Note: I modified this recipe a bit. The original contained 1.25 oz gin and 0.25 Campari, but I felt like that version was too sweet and not bitter enough to my liking.

© Chase Hoffman Photography. All rights reserved.

Colourful soil created from the geothermal activity in the The Námafjall Geothermal Area, also known as Hverir which is located in Northeast Iceland, on the east side of Lake Mývatn.

Here you will see many smoking fumaroles and boiling mud pots, surrounded by sulphur crystals of many different colours. This sulphur gives the area an overwhelming smell of egg.

The soil in the area has little vegetation due to the acidity caused by these geothermal processes.

Hydrangea Colors Are Determined By The Acidity Of The Soil

Hydrangea flower color changes based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

Hydrangea flower color can change based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

White hydrangeas cannot be color-manipulated by soil pH because they do not produce pigment for color. In other words, while the hue of the inflorescence is variable dependent upon cultural factors, the color saturation is genetically predetermined.

In most species, the flowers are white. In some, however, (notably H. macrophylla), they can be blue, red, or purple, with color saturation levels ranging from the palest of pinks, lavenders & powder blues, to deep, rich purples, reds, and royal blues. In these species, floral color change occurs due to the availability of aluminium ions, a variable which itself depends upon the soil pH.[16][17] For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple,[18] whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants.[19]

Hydrangeas are A a genus of flowering plants.

Several terms redirect here. For other uses, see Hydrangea (disambiguation) and Hortensia (disambiguation).

Hydrangea (/haɪˈdreɪndʒə/[3][4] or /haɪˈdreɪndʒiə/[5]) is a genus of more than 70 species of flowering plants native to Asia and the Americas. Hydrangea is also used as the common name for the genus; some (particularly H. macrophylla) are also often called hortensia.[6] The genus was first described from Virginia in North America,[7] but by far the greatest species diversity is in eastern Asia, notably China, Korea, and Japan. Most are shrubs 1–3 m (3 ft 3 in – 9 ft 10 in) tall, but some are small trees, and others lianas reaching up to 30 m (100 ft) by climbing up trees. They can be either deciduous or evergreen, though the widely cultivated temperate species are all deciduous.[8]

Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...

The flowers of many hydrangeas act as natural pH indicators, producing blue flowers when the soil is acidic and pink ones when the soil is alkaline.[9]

Etymology

Hydrangea is derived from Greek and means 'water vessel' (from ὕδωρ húdōr "water" + ἄγγος ángos or ἀγγεῖον angeîon "vessel"),[10][11][12] in reference to the shape of its seed capsules.[13] The earlier name, Hortensia, is a Latinised version of the French given name Hortense, honoring the French astronomer and mathematician Nicole-Reine Hortense Lepaute.[14] Philibert Commerson attempted to name the flower Lepautia or Peautia after Lepaute. However, the flower's accepted name later became Hortensia. This led to people believing Lepaute's name was Hortense, but the Larousse remarks that this is erroneous, and that the name probably came from hortus, garden.[15]

Life cycle

Hydrangea flowers are produced from early spring to late autumn; they grow in flowerheads (corymbs or panicles) most often at the ends of the stems. Typically the flowerheads contain two types of flowers: small non-showy fertile flowers in the center or interior of the flowerhead, and large, sterile showy flowers with large colorful sepals (tepals). These showy flowers are often extended in a ring, or to the exterior of the small flowers. Plants in wild populations typically have few to none of the showy flowers, while cultivated hydrangeas have been bred and selected to have more of the larger type flowers.

There are two flower arrangements in hydrangeas with corymb style inflorescences, which includes the commonly grown "bigleaf hydrangea"—Hydrangea macrophylla. Mophead flowers are large round flowerheads resembling pom-poms or, as the name implies, the head of a mop. In contrast, lacecap flowers bear round, flat flowerheads with a center core of subdued, small flowers surrounded by outer rings of larger flowers having showy sepals or tepals. The flowers of some rhododendrons and viburnums can appear, at first glance, similar to those of some hydrangeas.

Colors and soil acidity

Hydrangea flower color changes based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

Hydrangea flower color can change based on the pH in soil. As the graph depicts, soil with a pH of 5.5 or lower will produce blue flowers, a pH of 6.5 or higher will produce pink hydrangeas, and soil in between 5.5 and 6.5 will have purple hydrangeas.

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

White hydrangeas cannot be color-manipulated by soil pH because they do not produce pigment for color. In other words, while the hue of the inflorescence is variable dependent upon cultural factors, the color saturation is genetically predetermined.

In most species, the flowers are white. In some, however, (notably H. macrophylla), they can be blue, red, or purple, with color saturation levels ranging from the palest of pinks, lavenders & powder blues, to deep, rich purples, reds, and royal blues. In these species, floral color change occurs due to the availability of aluminium ions, a variable which itself depends upon the soil pH.[16][17] For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower color can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple,[18] whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers. This is caused by a color change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants.[19]

Species

Hydrangea paniculata

97 species are accepted.[20]

Hydrangea acuminata Siebold & Zucc.

Hydrangea albostellata Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea alternifolia Siebold

Hydrangea × amagiana Makino

Hydrangea amamiohsimensis (Koidz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea ampla (Chun) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea anomala D.Don – (climbing hydrangea) Himalaya, southwest China

Hydrangea arborescens L. – (smooth hydrangea) eastern North America

Hydrangea arguta (Gaudich.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea aspera Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don – China, Himalaya

Hydrangea asterolasia Diels

Hydrangea barbara (L.) Bernd Schulz

Hydrangea bifida (Maxim.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea breedlovei Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea bretschneideri Dippel – China

Hydrangea caerulea (Stapf) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea carroniae Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea chungii Rehder – China

Hydrangea cinerea Small – (ashy hydrangea) eastern United States

Hydrangea coenobialis Chun – China

Hydrangea corylifolia (Chun) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea crassa (Hand.-Mazz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea daimingshanensis (Y.C.Wu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea davidii Franch. – China

Hydrangea densifolia (C.F.Wei) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea diplostemona (Donn.Sm.) Standl.

Hydrangea fauriei (Hayata) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea febrifuga (Lour.) Y.De Smet & Granados (syn. Dichroa febrifuga) – central & southern China to Malesia and New Guinea

Hydrangea glaucescens (Rehder) Y.De Smet & Granados – China, Myanmar and Vietnam

Hydrangea gracilis W.T.Wang & M.X.Nie – China

Hydrangea heteromalla D.Don – Himalaya, west and north China

Hydrangea hirsuta (Gagnep.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea hirta (Thunb.) Siebold – Japan

Hydrangea hwangii J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea hydrangeoides (Siebold & Zucc.) Bernd Schulz – Ulleungdo, Japan, Kurils

Hydrangea hypoglauca Rehder – China

Hydrangea integrifolia Hayata – China

Hydrangea involucrata Siebold – Japan, Taiwan

Hydrangea jelskii Szyszył. – Andes

Hydrangea kawagoeana Koidz.

Hydrangea kwangsiensis Hu – China

Hydrangea kwangtungensis Merr. – China

Hydrangea lalashanensis S.S.Ying

Hydrangea lingii G.Hoo – China

Hydrangea linkweiensis Chun – China

Hydrangea liukiuensis Nakai

Hydrangea lobbii Maxim.

Hydrangea longifolia Hayata – China

Hydrangea longipes Franch. – western China

Hydrangea luteovenosa Koidz.

Hydrangea macrocarpa Hand.-Mazz. – China

Hydrangea macrophylla (Thunb.) Ser. – (bigleaf hydrangea) southeast Japan, southern China

Hydrangea mangshanensis C.F.Wei – China

Hydrangea marunoi Tagane & S.Fujii

Hydrangea mathewsii Briq.

Hydrangea megalocarpa (Chun) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea minamitanii (H.Ohba) Yahara

Hydrangea × mizushimarum H.Ohba

Hydrangea moellendorffii Hance

Hydrangea mollissima (Merr.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea nahaensis Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea nebulicola Nevling & Gómez Pompa

Hydrangea obtusifolia (Hu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea ofeliae Sodusta & Lumawag

Hydrangea otontepecensis Samain & E.Martínez

Hydrangea paniculata Siebold – (panicled hydrangea) eastern China, Japan, Korea, Sakhalin

Hydrangea peruviana Moric. ex Ser. – Costa Rica and Panama, Andes

Hydrangea petiolaris Siebold & Zucc. – (climbing hydrangea) Japan, Korea, Sakhalin

Hydrangea pingtungensis S.S.Ying

Hydrangea platyarguta Y.De Smet & Samain

Hydrangea pottingeri Prain (synonym Hydrangea chinensis Maxim.) – Arunachal Pradesh, Myanmar, southeastern China, and Taiwan

Hydrangea preslii Briq.

Hydrangea quercifolia W.Bartram – (oakleaf hydrangea) southeast United States

Hydrangea radiata Walter – (silverleaf hydrangea) southeast United States

Hydrangea robusta Hook.f. & Thomson – China, Himalaya

Hydrangea sargentiana Rehder – western China

Hydrangea scandens (L.f.) Ser. – southern Japan south to the Philippines

Hydrangea serrata (Thunb.) Ser. – Japan, Korea

Hydrangea serratifolia (Thunb.) Ser. – Chile, western Argentina

Hydrangea sikokiana Maxim.

Hydrangea sousae Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea steyermarkii Standl.

Hydrangea strigosa Rehder – China

Hydrangea stylosa Hook.f. & Thomson – China

Hydrangea taiwaniana Y.C.Liu & F.Y.Lu

Hydrangea tapalapensis Samain, Najarro & E.Martínez

Hydrangea tarapotensis Briq. – Andes

Hydrangea tomentella (Hand.-Mazz.) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea × versicolor (Fortune) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea viburnoides (Hook.f. & Thomson) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea wallichii J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea xanthoneura Diels – China

Hydrangea xinfeniae W.B.Ju & J.Ru

Hydrangea yaoshanensis (Y.C.Wu) Y.De Smet & Granados

Hydrangea yayeyamensis Koidz.

Hydrangea × ytiensis (J.M.H.Shaw) J.M.H.Shaw

Hydrangea yunnanensis Rehder

Hydrangea zhewanensis P.S.Hsu & X.P.Zhang – China

Fossil record

Hydrangea knowltoni

†Hydrangea alaskana is a fossil species recovered from Paleogene strata at Jaw Mountain Alaska.[21] †Hydrangea knowltoni has been described from leaves and flowers recovered from the Miocene Langhian Latah Formation of the inland Pacific Northwest United states. The related Miocene species †Hydrangea bendirei is known to from the Mascall Formation in Oregon, and †Hydrangea reticulata is documented from the Weaverville Formation in California.[22][23]

Four fossil seeds of †Hydrangea polonica have been extracted from borehole samples of the Middle Miocene fresh water deposits in Nowy Sacz Basin, West Carpathians, Poland.[24]

Cultivation and uses

Hydrangeas are popular ornamental plants, grown for their large flowerheads, with Hydrangea macrophylla being by far the most widely grown. It has over 600 named cultivars, many selected to have only large sterile flowers in the flowerheads. Hydrangea macrophylla, also known as bigleaf hydrangea, can be broken up into two main categories; mophead hydrangea and lacecap hydrangea. Some are best pruned on an annual basis when the new leaf buds begin to appear. If not pruned regularly, the bush will become very "leggy", growing upwards until the weight of the stems is greater than their strength, at which point the stems will sag down to the ground and possibly break. Other species only flower on "old wood". Thus, new wood resulting from pruning will not produce flowers until the following season.

The following cultivars and species have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit under the synonym Schizophragma:[25]

S. hydrangeoides var. concolor 'Moonlight'[26]

S. hydrangeoides var. hydrangeoides 'Roseum'[27]

S. integrifolium[28]

Hydrangea root and rhizome are indicated for the treatment of conditions of the urinary tract in the Physicians' Desk Reference for Herbal Medicine and may have diuretic properties.[29] Hydrangeas are moderately toxic if eaten, with all parts of the plant containing cyanogenic glycosides.[30] Hydrangea paniculata is reportedly sometimes smoked as an intoxicant, despite the danger of illness and/or death due to the cyanide.[31][32]

The flowers on a hydrangea shrub can change from blue to pink or from pink to blue from one season to the next depending on the acidity level of the soil.[33] Adding organic materials such as coffee grounds and citrus peel will increase acidity and turn hydrangea flowers blue.[34]

A popular pink hydrangea called Vanilla Strawberry has been named "Top Plant" by the American Nursery and Landscape Association.

A hybrid "Runaway Bride Snow White", from Japan, won Plant of the Year at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.[35]

In culture

In Japan, ama-cha (甘茶), meaning sweet tea, is another herbal tea made from Hydrangea serrata, whose leaves contain a substance that develops a sweet taste (phyllodulcin). For the fullest taste, fresh leaves are crumpled, steamed, and dried, yielding dark brown tea leaves. Ama-cha is mainly used for kan-butsu-e (the Buddha bathing ceremony) on April 8 every year—the day thought to be Buddha's birthday in Japan. During the ceremony, ama-cha is poured over a statue of Buddha and served to people in attendance. A legend has it that on the day Buddha was born, nine dragons poured Amrita over him; ama-cha is substituted for Amrita in Japan.

In Korean tea, Hydrangea serrata is used for an herbal tea called sugukcha (수국차) or isulcha (이슬차).

The pink hydrangea has risen in popularity all over the world, especially in Asia. The given meaning of pink hydrangeas is popularly tied to the phrase "you are the beat of my heart," as described by the celebrated Korean florist Tan Jun Yong, who was quoted saying, "The light delicate blush of the petals reminds me of a beating heart, while the size could only match the heart of the sender!"[36]

Hydrangea quercifolia was declared the official state wildflower of the U.S. state of Alabama in 1999.[37]

Hydrangeas were used by the Cherokee people of what is now the Southern U.S. as a mild diuretic and cathartic; it was considered a valuable remedy for stone and gravel in the bladder.[38]

Extrafloral nectaries were reported on hydrangea species by Zimmerman 1932, but Elias 1983 regards this as "doubtful".[39]

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Blueberries is very healthy all the time :-)

Here we enter the macro world with a bokeh capture of an amarican blueberry in Norway.

Wikipedia:

Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) are perennial flowering plants with indigo-colored berries. They are classified in the section Cyanococcus within the genus Vaccinium. Vaccinium also includes cranberries, bilberries and grouseberries. Commercial "blueberries" are native to North America, and the "highbush" varieties were not introduced into Europe until the 1930s.

Blueberries are usually prostrate shrubs that can vary in size from 10 centimeters (3.9 in) to 4 meters (13 ft) in height. In the commercial production of blueberries, the smaller species are known as "lowbush blueberries" (synonymous with "wild"), while the larger species are known as "highbush blueberries".

The leaves can be either deciduous or evergreen, ovate to lanceolate, and 1–8 cm (0.39–3.15 in) long and 0.5–3.5 cm (0.20–1.38 in) broad. The flowers are bell-shaped, white, pale pink or red, sometimes tinged greenish. The fruit is a berry 5–16 millimeters (0.20–0.63 in) in diameter with a flared crown at the end; they are pale greenish at first, then reddish-purple, and finally dark purple when ripe. They are covered in a protective coating of powdery epicuticular wax, colloquially known as the "bloom". They have a sweet taste when mature, with variable acidity. Blueberry bushes typically bear fruit in the middle of the growing season: fruiting times are affected by local conditions such as altitude and latitude, so the peak of the crop, in the northern hemisphere, can vary from May to August.

HYDRANGEA from THE GARDEN...

#AbFav_SUMMERGARDEN

#AbFav_PHOTOSTORY

Not all from my garden, most from my travels.

Hydrangea, the name, comes from the Greek words "hydro" or water, and "angeion," or vase = water vase, they prefer a lot of water.

A very ancient plant, found in fossils going back thousands of years.

In most species the flowers are white, but in some species (notably H. macrophylla), they are blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple.

In these species the colour is affected by the presence of aluminium ions which are available or tied up depending upon the soil’s pH content.

For H. macrophylla and H. serrata cultivars, the flower colour can be determined by the relative acidity of the soil: an acidic soil (pH below 7), will have available aluminium ions and typically produce flowers that are blue to purple, whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will tie up aluminium ions and result in pink or red flowers.

I wish you all the very best and thank you for all your kind words, time, comments, likes and faves.

Very much appreciated. M, (*_*)

For more: www.indigo2photography.com

IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved

Hydrangea, blooms, pink, leaves, flowers, blue, garden, Nature, outdoors, colour, "conceptual art", Summer, "Magda indigo"

Waves of bacterial mats provide the colors and apparent textures of the hot springs. Each type of bacterial is adapted to live at a particular temperature and acidity present in different rings radiating from the hot spring.

🇫🇷 Cette photographie a été prise un matin de Mars, alors que l'humidité de la nuit était encore bien présente dans les premiers rayons du soleil levant. Dans cette partie de la forêt de Fontainebleau, la🌳chênaie-hêtraie acidiphile🌳se plait sur les sols légèrement acides. Le sol est un facteur écologique important, et en plus de la texture et de la porosité, l'acidité (taux de calcium) joue un rôle dans la répartition des végétations dans nos paysages.

Si la fougère aigle est bien présente, alors il y a des chances pour que vous soyez dans une 🌳chênaie-hêtraie acidiphile🌳

🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿 🌿🌿🌿🌿🌿

🇺🇸 ️This photograph was taken one morning in March, while the humidity of the night was still very much present in the first rays of the rising sun. In this part of the Fontainebleau forest, the🌳acidiphilic beech-oak forest🌳thrives on slightly acidic soils. Soil is an important ecological factor, and in addition to texture and porosity, acidity (calcium levels) plays a role in the distribution of vegetation in our landscapes.

If eagle fern is present, then chances are you are in an 🌳acidiphilic beech-oak forest🌳

📷ISO 800, 140mm, f/4, 1/3200

web site : pascalechevest.com

instagram : pascalechevest_nature

Otro Hibiscos gigante muy raro de ver.

Hibiscus: Una bella y gran flor gigantesca que vi por vez primera en el balneario de Caldelas de Tui Pontevedra.

Es una planta digestiva, perfecta para tratar el estreñimiento.

Es una planta estomacal y combate la acidez. ...

Ayuda a mantener a raya los niveles de colesterol.

Es una flor renal, con efectos diuréticos y desinfectantes de las vías urinarias. ...

Ayuda a prevenir catarros, gripes…

Hibiscus: A beautiful and big gigantic flower that I saw for the first time in the spa of Caldelas de Tui Pontevedra.

It is a digestive plant, perfect for treating constipation.

It is a stomach plant and fights acidity. ...

It helps to keep cholesterol levels at bay.

It is a renal flower, with diuretic and disinfectant effects of the urinary tract. ...

It helps to prevent colds, flus...

Germany, Wedel. Pomegranate

The taste of the pomegranate combines sweetness & acidity in an exotic way. This is why the pomegranate seeds are ideal for refining desserts, meat. vegetarian dishes etc., often refine Mediterranean & oriental dishes

Pomegranates are harvested from September to December & contain numerous vitamins, minerals as well as secondary plant substances; mentioning only few ingredients like potassium, B-vitamins & other numerous vitamins, iron, especially polyphenols, which are said to have an antioxidant effect.

📌 The fruits stay well for two to three weeks at room temperature, if they are stored in a cool place, they can even stay fresh for several months. In contrast to the apple, the pomegranate does not continue to ripen.

The pomegranate was originally described throughout the Mediterranean region. It was introduced into Spanish America in the late 16th century and into California by Spanish settlers in 1769.

📌 To core the fruit, cut a square around the base of the flower, cut the skin downwards from the corners of the square, now pull out the flower base.

Then grasp the released area with both thumbs & break open the pomegranate at the incised areas. Break apart the pomegranate halves over a bowl, loosen the kernels from the skin & peel.

👉 One World one Dream,

🙏...Danke, Xièxie 谢谢, Thanks, Gracias, Merci, Grazie, Obrigado, Arigatô, Dhanyavad, Chokrane to you & over

16 million visits in my photostream with countless motivating comments

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musbury_Tor

Musbury Tor is a flat topped hill overlooking Helmshore in Rossendale, Lancashire, England. It separates Alden Valley to its south and Musbury Valley to the north. It is a very popular walking spot and the views from the top are magnificent. It is on farmland and is mainly sheep pasture. It is one of the tallest hills (338m) in the Rossendale valley and can be seen from much of Helmshore. A panoramic view from the top is shown in Chris Aspin, Derek Pilkington and John Simpson's book of Helmshore[1].

Geology

The underlying solid geology of the Rossendale fells is largely formed by the Lower Coal Measure comprising bedded sandstones, shales and mudstones. Rocks of the Millstone Grit series outcrop above the valley of the River Irwell and cap the hills. Musbury Tor is a perfect example of peneplanation leaving an almost isolated flat-topped hill where the harder Millstone Grit protects the softer underlying shales, leaving the distinctive sharp topography of edges and ledges characteristic of the uplands above the Irwell Valley.[2]

The other small scale topographic variations such as the undulating hummocky landforms are generally due to the former workings and stone quarries

History

Musbury was a township in the hundred of Blackburn. It was divided into three portions - Musbury Park; Musden Head (to the south), and the Trippet of Ogden (in the north). It was once the centre of the Earl of Lincoln's deer park, which was fenced by 1304, and stretches of the ditch enclosures still remain in the Alden and Musbury valleys.[4]

In 1894 Musbury ceased to be a township, and was transferred from Tottington parish to the borough of Haslingden.

World War II and after

"...to scan the skies for paratroops, four Home Guardsmen armed with one old rifle and six rounds of ammunition climbed each evening to the top of the Tor", says Chris Aspin in his memoirs. The guards apparently sheltered in a tiny hut, but they often "stumbled into bogs and old quarry workings". Chris Aspin also mentions American GIs practicing paratroop drops, and field exercises with live ammunition, before D-Day, setting up tents and a cookhouse by Great House on the Tor.[5]

In 1949 the Great House Experimental Farm in Helmshore was established by the Ministry of Agriculture on the flat top and southern slopes of Musbury Tor. Important experiments, including many on high-level grain planting and animal husbandry, and the effects of acidity in rain, were carried out. Great House Experimental Farm was closed in 1982, broken up and sold off to private farmers and others.

This solitary New Forest Pony was munching a gorse bush just down from our holiday cottage.

The New Forest pony is one of the recognised mountain and moorland or native pony breeds of the British Isles. Height varies from around 12 to 14.2 hands (48 to 58 inches, 122 to 147 cm); ponies of all heights should be strong, workmanlike, and of a good riding type. They are valued for hardiness, strength, and sure-footedness.

The breed is indigenous to the New Forest in Hampshire in southern England, where equines have lived since before the last Ice Age; remains dating back to 500,000 BC have been found within 50 miles (80 km) of the heart of the modern New Forest. DNA studies have shown ancient shared ancestry with the Celtic-type Asturcón and Pottok ponies. Many breeds have contributed to the foundation bloodstock of the New Forest pony, but today only ponies whose parents are both registered as purebred in the approved section of the stud book may be registered as purebred. The New Forest pony can be ridden by children and adults, can be driven in harness, and competes successfully against larger horses in horse show competition.

All ponies grazing on the New Forest are owned by New Forest commoners – people who have "rights of common of pasture" over the Forest lands. An annual marking fee is paid for each animal turned out to graze. The population of ponies on the Forest has fluctuated in response to varying demand for young stock. Numbers fell to fewer than six hundred in 1945, but have since risen steadily, and thousands now run loose in semi-feral conditions. The welfare of ponies grazing on the Forest is monitored by five Agisters, employees of the Verderers of the New Forest. Each Agister takes responsibility for a different area of the Forest. The ponies are gathered annually in a series of drifts, to be checked for health, wormed, and they are tail-marked; each pony's tail is trimmed to the pattern of the Agister responsible for that pony. Purebred New Forest stallions approved by the Breed Society and by the New Forest Verderers run out on the Forest with the mares for a short period each year. Many of the foals bred on the Forest are sold through the Beaulieu Road pony sales, which are held several times each year.

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Forest_pony and

www.newforestliving.co.uk/guides/new-forest-ponies

Like much of England, the site of the New Forest was once deciduous woodland, recolonised by birch and eventually beech and oak after the withdrawal of the ice sheets starting around 12,000 years ago. Some areas were cleared for cultivation from the Bronze Age onwards; the poor quality of the soil in the New Forest meant that the cleared areas turned into heathland "waste", which may have been used even then as grazing land for horses.

There was still a significant amount of woodland in this part of Britain, but this was gradually reduced, particularly towards the end of the Middle Iron Age around 250–100 BC, and most importantly the 12th and 13th centuries, and of this essentially all that remains today is the New Forest.

There are around 250 round barrows within its boundaries, and scattered boiling mounds, and it also includes about 150 scheduled ancient monuments. One such barrow in particular may represent the only known inhumation burial of the Early Iron Age and the only known Hallstatt culture burial in Britain; however, the acidity of the soil means that bone very rarely survives.

Following Anglo-Saxon settlement in Britain, according to Florence of Worcester (d. 1118), the area became the site of the Jutish kingdom of Ytene; this name was the genitive plural of Yt meaning "Jute", i.e. "of the Jutes". The Jutes were one of the early Anglo-Saxon tribal groups who colonised this area of southern Hampshire. The word ytene (or ettin) is also found locally as a synonym for giant, and features heavily in local folklore.

Following the Norman Conquest, the New Forest was proclaimed a royal forest, in about 1079, by William the Conqueror. It was used for royal hunts, mainly of deer. It was created at the expense of more than 20 small hamlets and isolated farmsteads; hence it was then 'new' as a single compact area.

The New Forest was first recorded as Nova Foresta in Domesday Book in 1086, where a section devoted to it is interpolated between lands of the king's thegns and the town of Southampton; it is the only forest that the book describes in detail. Twelfth-century chroniclers alleged that William had created the forest by evicting the inhabitants of 36 parishes, reducing a flourishing district to a wasteland; however, this account is thought dubious by most historians, as the poor soil in much of the area is believed to have been incapable of supporting large-scale agriculture, and significant areas appear to have always been uninhabited.

Two of William's sons died in the forest: Prince Richard sometime between 1069 and 1075, and King William II (William Rufus) in 1100. Local folklore asserted that this was punishment for the crimes committed by William when he created his New Forest; 17th-century writer Richard Blome provides exquisite detail:

In this County [Hantshire] is New-Forest, formerly called Ytene, being about 30 miles in compass; in which said tract William the Conqueror (for the making of the said Forest a harbour for Wild-beasts for his Game) caused 36 Parish Churches, with all the Houses thereto belonging, to be pulled down, and the poor Inhabitants left succourless of house or home. But this wicked act did not long go unpunished, for his Sons felt the smart thereof; Richard being blasted with a pestilent Air; Rufus shot through with an Arrow; and Henry his Grand-child, by Robert his eldest son, as he pursued his Game, was hanged among the boughs, and so dyed. This Forest at present affordeth great variety of Game, where his Majesty oft-times withdraws himself for his divertisement.

The reputed spot of Rufus's death is marked with a stone known as the Rufus Stone. John White, Bishop of Winchester, said of the forest:

From God and Saint King Rufus did Churches take, From Citizens town-court, and mercate place, From Farmer lands: New Forrest for to make, In Beaulew tract, where whiles the King in chase Pursues the hart, just vengeance comes apace, And King pursues. Tirrell him seing not, Unwares him flew with dint of arrow shot.

The common rights were confirmed by statute in 1698. The New Forest became a source of timber for the Royal Navy, and plantations were created in the 18th century for this purpose. In the Great Storm of 1703, about 4000 oak trees were lost.

The naval plantations encroached on the rights of the Commoners, but the Forest gained new protection under the New Forest Act 1877, which confirmed the historic rights of the Commoners and entrenched that the total of enclosures was henceforth not to exceed 65 km2 (25 sq mi) at any time. It also reconstituted the Court of Verderers as representatives of the Commoners (rather than the Crown).

As of 2005, roughly 90% of the New Forest is still owned by the Crown. The Crown lands have been managed by the Forestry Commission since 1923 and most of the Crown lands now fall inside the new National Park.

Felling of broadleaved trees, and their replacement by conifers, began during the First World War to meet the wartime demand for wood. Further encroachments were made during the Second World War. This process is today being reversed in places, with some plantations being returned to heathland or broadleaved woodland. Rhododendron remains a problem.

During the Second World War, an area of the forest, Ashley Range, was used as a bombing range. During 1941-1945, the Beaulieu, Hampshire Estate of Lord Montagu in the New Forest was the site of group B finishing schools for agents[18] operated by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) between 1941 and 1945. (One of the trainers was Kim Philby who was later found to be part of a spy ring passing information to the Soviets.) In 2005, a special exhibition was mounted at the Estate, with a video showing photographs from that era as well as voice recordings of former SOE trainers and agents.

Further New Forest Acts followed in 1949, 1964 and 1970. The New Forest became a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1971, and was granted special status as the New Forest Heritage Area in 1985, with additional planning controls added in 1992. The New Forest was proposed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 1999, and it became a National Park in 2005.

For further information please visit en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Forest and www.thenewforest.co.uk/

The Rio Tinto (or Red River) is a unique river in southwestern Spain. It is highly acidic which results in minerals disolving in the water, especially iron, which gives the river the colour of tomato soup. The area has been mined for copper, silver and gold for over 5000 years, but all mining operations ceased in 2001. There is an ongoing discussion as to what the reason is for its acidity, whether it is solely due to pollution as a result of the mining or whether the acidity comes from natural causes.

I found the river to be incredibly photogenic and took a whole series of photos from a bridge. It was difficult to choose which one to post, but I like the abstract feel of this one small stretch of river shoreline.

moss river is with a very unusual moss which grows only along acid waterside. the water is a hot spring with high acidity(PH). there are several waterfalls and this water fall is also with very high PH as well.

About one year ago we were having diner in a restaurant in the south of Europe, with at the end a remarkable desert. It was fruit the size of a big pear with patchy brown and slightly damaged skin, creamy white flesh inside with black glossy rather big seeds. The taste was marvellous mellow sweet hence fresh, thanks to a noble acidity, with hints of banana, pineapple, strawberry, but actually better than those. After some searching we found out this fruit was the Cherimoya. The one we grew is probably the Spanish/Portuguese cultivar. Our next challenge is now to grow the tropical fruits, because they were so good!

There are boardwalks and railings to keep people from walking into the hot springs, but it doesn't stop everyone. Near here, a man walked off the boardwalk and fell into a geothermal feature this year. Because of the high acidity and very hot temperature, there was no body left to recover. Very sad for his family.

Cook 1/2 cup of couscous for two.

Tomato Sauce:

Sauter a medium sized clove of garlic, 1/2 thumb-sized shallot, 1/2 brown onion finely diced in olive oil. Add a 400g (15oz) tin of diced tomatoes plus 1/2 of the tin rinsed with water, stir well, and season with:

• salt

• freshly ground black pepper

• a good dash of Maggi sauce

• a couple of teaspoons of Moroccan seasoning — I usually use ground cumin, ground coriander, and raz el hanout — but this time used Spice Roads Moroccan seasoning, a gift from my daughter.

Let reduce and thicken on a slow simmer, and if you like things with a certain acidity, add in the juice of 1/6 lime. (It also depends on how your spices are structured: the one from my daughter is already acidified with sumac, so you might want more.)

Lay a bed of couscous, add the number of falafel balls you want, ladle over the sauce, heat in a microwave for 30-60 seconds, and top with the cilantro leaves...