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.

"Mt. Fuji and tea plantation" Shizuoka by  Hiroshi Ichikawa. It is the 88th day counting from the beginning of spring, and it is said to be a turning point from spring to summer.  Tea picking of new tea is also performed at this time.  The tea leaves picked at 88th night are said to be fine, and it is said that drinking tea on this day will make them live longer ... This is Shizuoka, the place for tea.  A tea plantation is spreading at the foot of Mt. Fuji.  The splendid greenery that spreads over the gentle hills and blue Mt. Fuji create a beautiful contrast.  Shizuoka tea is cultivated using a traditional farming method called "Tea grass farming," which is recognized as a World Agricultural Heritage.

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.

This shy guy here, is hiding for what! Why do elephants hide in the first place? ... Because they're so good at it. And none are as skilled at self-concealment as this specimen from the Loxodonta genus of African elephants - namely the species laprofolis. These mammoth creatures roll in the mud, getting covered in seeds which stick to their grooved hide. When it rains, the seeds sprout into dense, leafy growths which camouflage the huge beast as it wanders the savannah. Don’t believe us? Maybe take a closer look at the species’ name and see if you're still not convinced it exists. Either way, it’s best to be on your guard today, who knows where the next elephant of surprise will come from? This image is taken from  Marakele National Park, Limpopo, South Africa, by  Staffan Widstrand.

Spring is here! This image is a former waste water treatment field and it's called  "tricky field", situated in Berlin, Germany. These fields were once used for filtering waste water but there they are a sight for sore eyes and nature lovers. These trees, however reducing in numbers but nonetheless, give a breathtaking view in spring season. The “Berlin Rieselfelder” were created by James Hobrecht at the end of the 19th century for the purification of Berlin's wastewater.  Today, all of the trickle fields are out of order, but in 1928 around 10,000 hectares were used for wastewater treatment.  Wastewater treatment plants have now taken over the tasks of the trickle fields, which existed not only in Berlin, but throughout Germany. So lets celebrate spring and save water for the next generation.

Leopard snoozing in a tree in Namibia Feeling tired?. A good day for a nap Like the napping African leopard in today's image, you might be feeling a little tired after losing an hour of sleep when the clocks went forward at 1 am, as we switch to daylight saving time. The good news is, you’ll be repaid with lighter evenings from now on. In the UK, clocks always go forward one hour on the last Sunday in March and go back an hour on the last Sunday in October. We’ve been switching to BST (British Summer Time), since World War One so you’d think we’d be used to it by now. But it’s tiring losing that hour in bed, so maybe take a leaf out of our leopard’s book and grab a cat nap if you can.

Azaleas in bloom at Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Charleston, South Carolina Pretty in pink, and purple, and red... Azaleas in peak bloom are a stunning sight at the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens near Charleston in the US state of South Carolina. Together they create a vibrant forest of blooms spanning hundreds of native and hybrid varieties, including 15 azaleas once thought to be extinct. Founded in 1676 as a rice plantation, Magnolia introduced an extensive network of dams and dykes built along the Ashley River for irrigating fields for rice cultivation. These earthworks were created by African slaves from rice-growing regions of West Africa and their descendants. Botanical gardens were an early feature of the plantation; some sections of Magnolia's gardens date back 325 years.

Rhododendron flowers and Bucura mountain lakes, Retezat Mountains in Carpathians, Romania A post for nature lovers! The oldest national park in Romania is located in the high mountains of the Southern Carpathians.  In addition to numerous deep blue glacial lakes - such as Bucura Lake, which we see here - the protected area also has over 60 mountain peaks with a height of over 2,300 meters.  The Retezat National Park also serves to protect one of the last primary forests in Europe.  Many animals live here, including golden eagles, wolves and brown bears.  But the flora is also impressive: a third of all plant species found in Romania can be found in the park.

Balloon over Lavender plantation, Brihuega, Guadalajara province, Castilla La Mancha, Spain

Honeybee approaching the flower of a common pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris), Upper Palatinate, Bavaria, Germany Hooray, Lenz is here!.  Beginning of spring We welcome the beginning of spring with this wonderful picture of a honeybee approaching the bloom of an ordinary pasque flower.  The flower, which is widespread in Western and Central Europe, is one of the early bloomers and shows its flowers from March to May.  At the beginning of the flowering period, the plants are often in an attractive contrast to the garden, which still looks wintery. Unfortunately, the population of the common pasque flower is considered endangered.  In many German states it is threatened with extinction, in some regions such as Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen it is already extinct.  As colorful and tempting as the flower looks, people should keep their distance, because all parts of the plant in the common pasque flower are very poisonous.

Knowth burial mound in Newgrange, Boyne Valley, Ireland for St Patrick's Day It’s a good day to be green For St. Patrick's Day, an image of the Knowth passage grave, part of the Boyne valley tombs, about an hour's drive north of Dublin. In addition to Knowth, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is home to the Newgrange and Dowth passage graves, henges, standing stones, and a significant portion of Western Europe's megalithic art. Knowth, the largest passage grave in the complex, is a 12-metre-high mound with a diameter of 67 metres; two east-west passages run under it that lead to separate burial chambers. The structures predate St. Patrick by nearly 4,000 years, and their original purpose is unclear - but on this day dedicated to celebrating all things Irish, they show off the engineering capabilities of the area's ancient population as well as the natural green beauty of the Irish countryside.

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 .

Loughrigg Tarn sunrise, Ambleside, Lake District Boundless beauty of sun and mirror in the fells! As the sun rises on Loughrigg Tarn, in the heart of the Lake District, you can see why the poet William Wordsworth likened it to Italy’s Lake Nemi, describing it as “Diana’s looking glass … round, clear and bright as Heaven”. This small, nearly circular tarn just north of Windermere reflects surrounding fells in its clear waters which, in the summer, are decorated with water lillies. Of the 16 lakes in the Lake District, only one is actually called a lake – that’s Bassenthwaite Lake. All the others are “meres” or “waters”. And then there are numerous smaller tarns like this one - "tarn" is derived from the Old Norse word for pool. While Loughrigg Tarn, nestled beneath Loughrigg Fell near the popular tourist destinations of Grasmere and Ambleside, is considered one of the Lakes’ hidden treasures, it’s pretty accessible as it is one of the lowest tarns in the national p...

Pointe de Pen-Hir and the Breton monument of Free France on the Crozon peninsula, Brittany La Breizh!.  It smells of spring and Brittany Looking at this picture, you can almost feel the fresh Breton wind sweeping our face, as much as it sweeps the tall grass and wild flowers of this steep coast.  In ten days, spring will be here again but, as we wanted to get a little ahead, we offer this photo full of daisies, sea, blue sky and sea breeze. What you see here is the Pointe de Pen-Hir, located on the Crozon peninsula, in Brittany.  The stone structure that we see in the background is a monument commemorating the Bretons of free France, inaugurated by General de Gaulle in the 1960s. This Monument to the Bretons, also called Croix de Pen-Hir, was carved by artist François Victor Bazin in blue Brennilis granite.  You can read the inscription "Aux Bretons de la France libre - MCMXL - MCMXLV - France has lost a battle, but France has not lost the war.  In ...

Eurasian Eagle-Owl (Bubo bubo) in wildflower meadow, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany Look at the ears and the fascinated feathers of this magnificent creature! Hedwig is probably one of the most famous owls in contemporary film history. As a faithful companion of Harry Potter, she has not only found a place in the hearts of many children, but also delighted many adults. We don't know why our leading actor looks so grim in this picture, but even a Lord Voldemort should be anxious and serious. Our owl – scientifically known as Bubo bubo - belongs to a genus of birds in the family of the actual owls. With a size of up to 75 centimetres, a weight of around 3.4 kilograms and a wingspan of about 1.80 metres, the owl is the largest owl in the world. Special features are its eye-catching feather ears and the striking orange eyes. Today's picture was taken in Rhineland-Palatinate. The main area of the owl is located in the state with the capital Mainz in the districts of Bad ...

A puma in the Andes, Argentina This lone puma walks in the Andes of Argentina, and it may be looking for a companion who can cluster.  Here is one of the biggest cats of the world! A 'Cougar' in fact and of course without a hat... (Wondering why???) Today is March 2 and here we are celebrating Dr. Seuss Birthday who wrote remarkable books and made our childhood memorable with pretty pictures and invincible rhymes. His famous book "The Cat In The Hat", is a story about a silly cat who always falls for wrong charms, still warming the hearts of the children.  Let's take a moment, stop making movement and recall old times, all fun and sun shines...  Do tell about about your favorite work of Dr. Seuss.  (© Sebastian Kennerknecht / Minden Pictures)

Otter Creek in winter in Brandon, Vermont Looking down on the Otter Otter Creek is the longest river entirely contained within the borders of Vermont and has been an important waterway since people settled in the area around 10,000 years ago. Originally an important trade route for the indigenous Abenaki, Algonquin, and Iroquois nations, it remained a vital part of the economy of the early European settlers up through the 19th century. It winds through some of the American Green Mountain state's most scenic towns, from Brandon to Middlebury to Vergennes, and empties into Lake Champlain. It is also the water source for more than one of Vermont’s many microbrew makers, including Otter Creek Brewery. With at least 60 breweries serving just over 600,000 people in the state, Vermonters lead the nation in beer brands per-capita. Cheers! (© Caleb Kenna/Offse)

The Alps through the eyes of Jakub Polomski

The "Lion Lion" Kenya, Samburu Nature Reserve It's Cat's Day !!! Today is Cat Day on February 2 (Nyan) 2 (Nyan).  As you can see, this is an anniversary only for Japan, but there are nationwide cat transfer events, local cat protection events, and other cat related events… This is Samburu Nature Reserve in Kenya, Africa.  Lion children are playing around.  Even the lion of the beast is a cat.  It is such a cute figure when small. ( © Mark C. Ross / Getty Image)

Ruff (Philomachus pugnax) male for London Fashion Week. This male ruff is catwalk-ready in his lavish plumage, designed to catch the eye of admiring females (who are much more modestly dressed). The males' flamboyant collars come in black, white, ginger, stripy and plain varieties which, along with their head tufts, help them compete for attention as they strut their stuff during breeding season. These wading birds breed in river meadows and coastal marshes from northern Europe to Siberia and can be spotted on the east and south coasts of the UK. They are usually passing through en route to African wetlands although some will over-winter here.