Blogging with mehar_mah

 The Hobbiton Hobbiton, near Matamata, North Island, New Zealand It's the Birthday of the most fantasied characters in the history of the fantasy world! Happy Birthday to dear Bilbo and Frodo!!!  Today's, on September 22,  marking the anniversary of the 'Unexpected Journey', which sets in motion the 'Lord of the Rings' book series. Fans of the film adaptations of those stories will have no problem identifying today’s image as Hobbiton in the Shire (though it is actually a set built in the countryside near Matamata on New Zealand's North Island.) You can celebrate Hobbit Day by walking around barefoot all day and having seven meals like a hobbit, or just by watching (or re-watching) any or all of the six films in the series.

Daffodils in Dora’s Field, Rydal, Lake District by Simon Whaley Landscapes. Dancing daffodils! This sight of daffodils open a window from the past where we can hear the beautiful lyrics, wrote by  our nature loving poet,  William Wordsworth. The “host of golden daffodils, beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze” that he describes are said to have been inspired by those in Glencoyne Bay, Ullswater, on a visit with his sister Dorothy in 1802. Wordsworth spent much of his life in the Lake District, the perfect place for a key figure in the Romantic movement and passionate environmentalist to get close to nature. To mark the anniversary, the Wordsworth Museum has been expanded and modernised and Dove Cottage has been refurbished to help generations of new fans discover Wordsworth.

Blooming cherry trees in Jerte Valley, Province of Cáceres, Spain Jerte Valley in bloom As winter turns to spring in the Jerte Valley, all eyes are on the cherry blossoms. This tiny region in the Province of Cáceres, Spain, has the perfect microclimate for cherry trees, and there are more than 1.5 million of them here in just 37 square kilometres. The cherry blossoms last just two weeks before the petals rain down, covering the entire valley. About 40 days later, the first cherries are ready to be picked. Locals make wine, beer, and various foods with them. Cherries are also used for spa and beauty treatments, since they have antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, in addition to vitamins and ellagic acid .

Saguaro cactus flowers, Coronado National Forest, Arizona, USA The desert blooms Spring may yet to have sprung here in the UK, but across the Atlantic, in the US state of Arizona, the Sonoran Desert is coming into wildflower season. Soon the big daddy of the cactus world – the saguaro – will start to bloom. This amazing succulent is the largest cactus in the United States (it can grow higher than 50ft and weigh several tonnes, when it’s fully hydrated). It can also live more than 100 years and will grow arms as it ages, creating that classic cactus profile associated with the desert and the Wild West. Its flowers are short-lived, typically blooming at dusk and remaining open only until the following morning. They form at the top of the plant and the tips of branches and are striking enough to be honoured as Arizona's state flower. They’ll go on to produce a red, edible fruit that will ripen by July. (© Jack Dykinga/Minden Picture)