How loyal are your needles!

The best Christmas trees come very close to exceeding nature. If some of our great decorated trees had been grown in a remote desert area with lights that came on every evening as it grew dark, the whole world would come to look at them and marvel at the mystery of their great beauty. This time of year is a truly wonderful and magical one and Christmas is a holiday with a beautiful spirit of traditions. The spirit of giving, expressing love and gratitude and a celebration of life help to make Christmas a very special time of year for me. The smell of the Christmas tree, the twinkling lights, the time spent with family, all bring back the fondest memories in my life. Even if you are not a Christian, we can all enjoy the spirit of giving which is truly what this season is all about. As they say! “Tis the season to be jolly”, HoHoHo

Disclosure.... I was trying to figure out how I could post a Christmas photo and stay true to my landscape "nature". No, I didn't take Christmas lights out to Joshua Tree National Park and jeopardize this trees fragile needles. These were added in post-processing. :)

Thanks you all for taking the time to look at my photos, I would like to thank all my flickr friends and family for all of your encouraging support during the past year, It has meant so much to hear your friendly comments and well wishes during my recent illness. Thanks from the bottom of my heart!!

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year. :)

Please do me a favor and follow me on my other social sites found below:

500px | Facebook | Flickr | Google+ | Instagram | Youtube

Many thanks to all of you for your visits, kind and encouraging comments. Have a nice day!

SMALL and compact bird with a relatively short. dark tail. This male was seen at Sandwich Bay Kent and was the only bird of note seen today, and a bit distant, hope you enjoy it!

=======================

Trust you are staying safe and well, thanks for your visit, please leave a comment, it is always appreciated, and find it encouraging . God bless.........................Tomx

Also known as the Eastern Gray Squirrel, native to eastern North America where it is an essential natural forester. Less arboreal than then the Red Squirrel as the grey tends to feed extensively on the ground. Its not their fault that there over here in the UK that one lie's with the worlds most destructive and most dangerous animal on the planet called the human. This is one of the first wild mammals that children can get to see regally and so sometimes help encourage them to get into nature.

Close view of a Woodchat Shrike in Spain's Sierra Morena mountains.

Thanks for your visit… Any comment you make on my photograph is greatly appreciated and encouraging! But please do not use this image without permission.

things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.

-- Helen Keller

Thanks a lot, dear friends for encouraging me by posting comments & adding to your faves :-)

Thankfully, this year I was given permission to photograph in the snowdrop meadow near me.

Strundetal, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany

Thank you for your views, encouraging comments and awards.

The Emperor Gum Moth belongs to the Saturniidae family and is native to Australia. This species was formerly placed in the genus Antheraea.

This captive bred male emerged from its cocoon on 16.07.2016.

Thanks for your visit… Any comment you make on my photographs is greatly appreciated and encouraging! But please do not use this image without permission.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.

– Margaret Mead –

Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

– Desmond Tutu –

Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.

– Dale Carnegie –

♫ TUNE ♫

This song was made to celebrate the power of speaking out in order to promote a more just world.

Wild South Africa

Kruger National Park

A female elephant encouraging her two offspring to cross the waterway.

Photographed late one afternoon at Sable Dam, Kruger National Park.

Hello dear friends.

I´m on my feet again , slowly , slowly, I'll be back.

A lot of training right now, and it's hard to sit at the computer.

But I'm glad that finally I'll soon have two healthy knees to go with it.

Thanks for all the encouraging greetings.

Lincoln Square

Thank you all for your very encouraging comments, views and faves. Your continuous support means a lot!

They tell me I am the Queen

of elves, I have yet to believe

their tales.

I do appreciate you all 💖

Entry for the TMI Art & Nature Group

January Contest: Relationships In Nature

BiG THANKS to EVERYONE for your personal comments and also your support from selected groups.

Awards are always encouraging and especially appreciated from those add my work to their collection of 'faves'.

I just recently purchased a new camera. My husband has been encouraging me to buy this camera for years! A few weeks ago, I found a price I could not resist. I must say there are a LOT of buttons. After days of reading and watching videos, I decided it was time to test my knowledge. This shot has only been cropped with a small touch of saturation. The water was calm and reflected the tan building on the opposite side. As the ducks took to the water, I was focused on the lighting. I was so surprised at the colors and textures of the rippled water as the pair swam to the other side. I felt this would be a “Keeper shot”, which was confirmed when it popped up on my computer.

Thanx for being there for me, standing behind me, supporting and encouraging me in everything :-)

One from the archive, recently processed

They beauty of nature will encourage you to wake up early and take pictures.

I would like to thank everyone who take the time to view and comment on my photographs it is greatly appreciated and encouraging

I would like to thank everyone who take the time to view and comment on my photographs it is greatly appreciated and encouraging

Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. Magnolia is an ancient genus. Appearing before bees did, the flowers are theorized to have evolved to encourage pollination by beetles. To avoid damage from pollinating beetles, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are extremely tough. The flowers are bisexual with numerous adnate carpels and stamens are arranged in a spiral fashion on the elongated receptacle. The natural range of Magnolia species is a disjunct distribution, with a main center in east and southeast Asia and a secondary center in eastern North America, Central America, the West Indies, and some species in South America. 7127

Watch them follow and watch them run but truly...to my followers and all those who have been there to support and encourage me during this whole Photoshop adventure..I give you my thanks for believing in what I do and what I create. It is because of you all that I've kept learning , that I've kept creating and that I still try to climb that photoshop mountain to explore and learn every time again.

I still remember the very first picture that I added on Flickr , the first picture that got the 100 likes , the first banner and so on..

I know I might not always add my pictures so fast then I once did but I'm still here and still working on my little creepy sinister world , , sometimes brighter and more colorful then other times.

As always , and never forget , my special thanks to my sweet dear chum Lost..always there , always encouraging , because of him I've started with making pics. Adore you my dear Mellon.

Okay!! So after that little lecture .. 😉

DRD Spear is found @ DRD mainstore

Dirt Applier is from TWC ( The White Crow) @ TWC mainstore

Collar : CX Collar @ CX Mainstore

Scarf : XC Wanderer Scarf @ CX mainstore

Earrings : CX tainted Noctirine @ CX mainstore (gifts L'homme)

Pants : CX Roamer Pants @ CX mainstore

Bracers : CX Heathen Armguard @ CX Mainstore

CX SLurl : maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Cerberus%20Crossing/133/12...

Magnolia is a large genus of about 210 flowering plant species in the subfamily Magnolioideae of the family Magnoliaceae. Magnolia is an ancient genus. Appearing before bees did, the flowers are theorized to have evolved to encourage pollination by beetles. To avoid damage from pollinating beetles, the carpels of Magnolia flowers are extremely tough. The flowers are bisexual with numerous adnate carpels and stamens are arranged in a spiral fashion on the elongated receptacle. The natural range of Magnolia species is a disjunct distribution, with a main center in east and southeast Asia and a secondary center in eastern North America, Central America, the West Indies, and some species in South America. 37830

Sometimes called “sea parrots” as well as “clowns of the sea,” Atlantic Puffins sport large, brightly-colored beaks on their substantially-sized heads. Crisp black and white markings on their plumage, as well as superior diving capabilities, have led people to compare the northern seabirds to penguins.

About 25,000 Puffins can be seen on Skomer Island off the Pembrokeshire coast of west Wales.

Thanks for your visit… Any comment you make on my photograph is greatly appreciated and encouraging! But please do not use this image without permission.

Tropical type climate encourages rainforest type plants. 22435

Thank you all my kind friends for your thoughtful and encouraging comments, favs and views, I wish I could thank you all individually but right now it's not possible, hope all of you have a wonderful weekend and as always happy shooting :-))

Thank You Very Much all for your encouraging ♡♡♡

Corby Rose Garden was originally owned by a prominent business man named Henry Corby who moved to Belleville from England in 1832.

Over the years Mr. Corby and his family had been instrumental in encouraging and assisting Belleville in its growth as a community. A neighboring town that housed the family distillery was named Corbyville in his honor.

Corby Park, as it was titled, was donated to the city of Belleville in 1905.

thx 4 faves comments invites always encouraging press L to view full

thx 4 faves comments invites always encouraging press L to view full

We are encouraged to go out for a walk and keep a distance of

6 feet I did not have to think about it not a soul around.

~ Autumn Artistry! ~ The Award Tree ~

"AUTUMN REDS" - TMI October 2018 Contest

Thanks indeed everyone for your personal comments and also your support from selected groups.

Awards are encouraging and always appreciated especially from those who add my work to their collection of 'faves'.

Cheerz G

thx 4 faves comments invites always encouraging press L to view bigger

Walking in Your Footsteps - The Police

BiG THANKS to EVERYONE for your personal comments and also your support from selected groups.

Awards are always encouraging and especially appreciated from those add my work to their collection of 'faves'.

Cheerz G

"love the trees

until their leaves

fall off, then

encourage them to

try again next year."

I just love this quote and it reminds me that I think we could all use a little encouragement in times such as these. So I encourage you, wherever you are today, to take a quiet moment all to you and remind yourself that you are doing a great job! Life may not be perfect, but it is always worth it, be positive, find joy in the little things that make you happy. Life is Good! and it gets better. Always be thankful.

I wish you a beautiful week my friends. Thank you so much for your love, encouragement and support.

hugs,

Nadia♥

✈ La Vie

Salt Water ✈

Thank You Very Much all for your encouraging ♡♡♡

Not one I encourage normally, but when they stare at you with such intelligence & confidence and display plumage of such perfect beauty, it's impossible not to offer something. Our house already bears too many cockatoo scars so I need to resist their charming ways.

thx 4 faves comments invites so encouraging...press L

Encouraged by the sun and blue sky, we braved the 3°C for a ride through the countryside. Passed this little cabin that looks like an ideal spot to spend some time - on a warmer day.

thx 4 faves comments invites always encouraging bigger is good!

Kalamaki, as Kalkan was known in ancient history is thought to have been founded between 150-200 years ago by traders from the Greek Island of Meis, which lies 2 miles off shore from the town of Kas, which is 18 miles from Kalkan.

The success of those early traders encouraged others of both Greek and Turkish origin to settle. Evidence of this can be seen in the similarity in architecture in Meis and Kalkan. Settlement was further stimulated by Kalkan's harbour which was the only safe, hospitable harbour between Fethiye and Kas.

Kalkan Mosque

Kalkan's Mosque, originally a Greek orthodox church is one of Kalkan's earliest buildings and the architecture is very reminiscent of churches that can be seen in the Greek Mediterranean today.

Kalkan people were largely involved in trade. Various produce, including charcoal, silk, cotton, Olive oil, timber, grapes and sesame were brought by camel from the plains of Patara and mountains to be loaded onto ships where goods were taken to other parts of the Ottoman empire such as Egypt, Syria, Cyprus, Rhodes and Lebanon.

The 20th century saw Kalkan prosper with this trade, and history records that in the early 1900's there was a customs House, 17 restaurants, a goldsmith and several tailors at this time.

The 1920's saw the start of changes, with the founding of the Turkish Republic, and population exchange of Greeks and Turks. Greeks who were living in Turkey moved to Greece and Australia, and Turks who were living in Greece moved to Turkey.

In the 1960's a coastal road was completed between Kalkan and the larger towns of Antalya to the East and Fethiye to the West. This new mobility and the opportunities for local people to develop businesses further afield meant that at that time many people left Kalkan.

Encouraging emerging individualism, Photography through Flickr is no longer restricted to the self assured elite.

"Flickr is home to EVERY kind of photography, and that covers a vast range of subjects, styles, and categories."

thx 4 faves comments invites always encouraging bigger is good!

thx 4 faves comments invites always encouraging put cursor on image!

Jamiroquai - Where Do We Go from Here?

BiG THANKS to EVERYONE for your personal comments and also your support from selected groups.

Awards are always encouraging and especially appreciated from those add my work to their collection of 'faves'.

Cheerz G

I would like to thank everyone who take the time to view and comment on my photographs it is greatly appreciated and encouraging

From a day out with a falconer

Pen and Ink- Bilbao, España. When I was 12 years old. My Uncle Valentin, an artist, encouraged me to express myself.

Second Life - Landscapes

Thank You Very Much all for your encouraging ♡♡♡

We are encouraged to go for a walk so took the first step today nice to get out again I had no communication with anyone did not have to think about 6 feet separation.

This is Seymour, mascot of the Washington State Museum in Tacoma, WA. He was in the donation box when we were there, but travels around the state and to other museums encouraging people to "see more." I think he's actually a marmot and not a woodchuck/groundhog - but that's close enough, right!