Blogging with mehar_mah

   Tigh Mor and Loch Achray, Perthshire Bing has taken this breathtaking photograph at  Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park which also happen to be the favorite place of photographers. And by looking this shot you know the reason why... The whole Loch is covered in mist and a magical spell that bounds your hearts and calls to its beauty.  Loch Achray is one of 22 larger lochs in Scotland’s first national park. Others include its namesake, Loch Lomond, Britain’s largest freshwater lake, and Loch Katrine, which inspired Sir Walter Scott to pen his epic 1810 poem The Lady of the Lake. Tigh Mor sits about a mile east of Loch Katrine and was well situated in the 19th century to pick up passing trade from tourists en route to see the famous loch. When it was built as a hotel in 1849, it had a fairytale-like appearance with its imposing towers and ‘candle snuffer’ coned roofs. Despite later additions, and a restoration in the 1990s which saw it turned into holiday a...

 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.

  Sailboats in Warnemünde, Germany Its a Pirate Day! Lets sail and talk like a big, burly PIRATE! The holiday (yeah, we're calling it a holiday) was first imagined in 1995 by two US residents from the state of Oregon. September 19 was chosen for the annual observance since one of them had an ex-wife whose birthday fell on that day and they figured they could remember it. A few years later, seeking widespread adoption, they pitched the idea to humour columnist Dave Barry, who wrote, 'Every now and then, some visionary individuals come along with a concept that is so original and so revolutionary that your immediate reaction is: "Those individuals should be on medication"'. From there, it went viral, and these days, September 19 is celebrated internationally, with major brands and media personalities joining in the silliness. We're fans, too. Just picture us typin' this here with an eye patch, peg leg, an' pocket full o' swag doubloons. Arrr!   

  A new born pup is sleeping on the Mummy Sea Otter,  Monterey Bay  California. Sea otters shower their pups with attention, cradling them and grooming them for hours. But it's more than a gesture of affection - a mummy will rub her pup to fluff the pup's coat, which causes the fur to retain air bubbles. The air insulates the pup from chilly water and sometimes causes the youngster to float like a cork. Sea otters can survive on land, but they spend most of their time in the water, sleeping above the surface and anchoring themselves with kelp or by holding onto each other. When they get hungry, they use rocks as tools to hunt for food and pry open shells - something that makes them relatively unique, as they're one of the few mammals that can use tools.

Sunrise at Llyn Padarn at Llanberis, Snowdonia National Park by Helen Hotson. The lone tree of Llyn Padarn This serene scene on Llyn Padarn, a glacially formed lake at the foot of Snowdon, is a photographer's favourite with its solitary tree set against a dramatic landscape. Sitting on the western shore of the lake, the 'Lone Tree' is visually striking at any time – be it full of leaves and set against a sunrise in the spring, leafless and mirrored in the still waters of the lake or enveloped in mist in the autumn and winter. The lake itself is a site of Special Scientific Interest which is home to lots of wildlife including the rare Arctic Char. At an impressive 29m (95ft) deep and two miles long, it is one of the larger natural lakes in Wales, sitting on the Llanberis Pass below Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales.

"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.

"Victoria Falls and Rainbow" Zambia by  Dietmar Temps. A place where rainbows meet! Victoria Falls is a large waterfall located in the middle of the Zambezi River, which flows through the southeastern part of the African continent.  Located on the border between Zimbabwe and Zambia, it is also a World Heritage Site alongside the Iguazu Falls in South America and is a World Heritage Site.

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.

A Kermode bear cub huddling with its sibling in Canada's Great Bear Rainforest, British Columbia by Ian McAllister. Brothers rivalry! They’re very cute but we’re betting these two Kermode bear siblings are a handful (hang in there, mama bear!). Kermode bears are a subspecies of the American black bear, although they're obviously not always black. They have a recessive gene which sometimes results in cream or white fur. While most Kermode bears are black, scientists estimate that between 10 and 20 per cent of the population have ivory coats. Known as ‘spirit bears’, they are special to indigenous people of the British Columbia coastal regions in Canada where they live. Today is Siblings Day in the US, which celebrates the bond between brothers and sisters.

Aerial view of Santorini island, Greece by Amazing Aerial Agency. Beautiful, whitewashed buildings through the clouds! With its romantic sunsets, dazzling ocean views and whitewashed buildings clinging to rocky clifftops, the Greek island of Santorini (aka Thera) is the very picture of an idyll in the Aegean. But this tranquil scene belies the island's explosive geologic history, for this is the site of one of the largest volcanic eruptions in recorded history. The Minoan eruption, about 3,600 years ago, caused the centre of the Thera volcano to collapse into the ocean, leaving Santorini a jagged, crescent-shaped moon atop the sea. The impact of the eruption was more than just geologic - when the volcano blew its top, Santorini was home to a thriving outpost of the Minoan civilisation. A farming and fishing community had been established at Akrotiri on the island around 7,000 years ago, and by the time of the eruption had developed into a prosperous city built largel...

The April full moon, or pink moon, rises over St Michael's Mount, Cornwall, England by Simon Maycock. Once in a pink moon! We're seeing a vivid 'pink moon' rise above St Michael's Mount - a granite-encrusted isle connected to the rugged peninsula of Cornwall, England, by sandy flats and a man-made causeway that submerge at high tide. The same order of monks that established France's Mont-Saint-Michel built a church and priory here in the 12th century. In ensuing centuries of war, the insular monastic outpost was fortified into the imposing castle we see today. Privately purchased in 1659, the mount was opened to the public in 1954 - and is still managed by members of the family that bought it over 350 years ago. This photo may give the moon a somewhat salmon tint, but the term 'pink moon' doesn't arise from its colour, nor from any place near the Cornish shores. The April full moon is called the pink moon because Native Americans associa...

Castle on the hill! Cherry blossoms and Himeji Castle in Himeji, Japan by Tororo. In honour of Castle Day in Japan, we're featuring Himeji Castle - one of the most pristine examples of traditional Japanese castle architecture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Castle Day is on April 6 (or 4/6) because the Japanese character for castle (城) is read as 'shiro', and the Japanese pronunciation of 'four' is 'shi' and 'six' is 'ro'. Samurai warrior Akamatsu Norimura built Himeji Castle in 1333 as a fortress. Over the years, the structure has been remodelled many times and buildings were added as it changed hands. The castle even survived World War One unscathed while surrounding areas were bombed mercilessly. Today, it’s perhaps the best-known castle in Japan.

Let's celebrate  ‘the sparkliest day of the year' because it's The Unicorn Day by honoring  the beast of sea: A pod of narwhals or  narwhales. A pod of narwhals near Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada by Eric Baccega. A pod of narwhals brandishing their tusks in the Arctic Ocean. Narwhals develop only two teeth, but - in males especially - the left canine can grow into a three-meter-long spiral tusk. As the tusk juts out of the top of their head, it's given the whale the nickname, 'unicorn of the sea'. For centuries narwhal tusks were sold to gullible buyers as rare unicorn horns with magical powers. These 'unicorn horns' were so prized for their medicinal and healing properties that in the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth I paid around A$20,000 for one (equal to the cost of building a castle back then). By the late 17th century, scientific facts started replacing superstitious beliefs and the unicorn horn market fell out of favor. Today narwhals c...

Looking inland from Ponce de León Inlet toward the lighthouse, Florida by Jason Sponseller. We’re at the Ponce de León Inlet Light, a lighthouse in the US state of Florida, for Pascua Florida Day, marking the anniversary of the Spanish explorer's arrival here in 1513. Believing it to be an island, Ponce de León claimed the land for Spain and named it 'La Florida' because of the verdant landscape and because it was the Easter season, which the Spaniards called 'Pascua Florida' (Festival of Flowers). According to legend, Ponce de León arrived here in search of the Fountain of Youth, a mythical water source said to restore the youth of those who drink or bathe in its waters. While that mission was unsuccessful, his name lives on in history and on this lighthouse and the inlet where it shines.

A fool's hen? Ruffed grouse in Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada by Jim Cumming. Various types of forest grouse are sometimes rather unkindly referred to as 'fool hens' because they don't fly away when approached by humans. In its northernmost habitat in Canada, the ruffed grouse pictured here is more likely to behave a little more ‘foolishly’, sitting and looking at people as they approach. But further south, they are more wary and fly off at the slightest sign of movement. And they can be quite the acrobatic fliers when needed, flying in short spurts and making sharp twists and turns as they navigate thick forests.

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.

A boundless beauty and serenity!  Aerial view of Spray Lakes Reservoir, Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park,  Alberta . Established since 1922, Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park sits about 48 kilometres southwest of Banff and is only accessible via backcountry hiking trails or by a helicopter. This gem in the wilderness boasts snow-peaked mountains, glistening lakes, glaciers and luscious larch trees. Given its relative inaccessibility, it tends to draw serious campers, hikers and mountain climbers. We don’t blame them for trekking it out here given the naturally stunning vistas here.

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.

"Central Park" New York City, New York, USA Central Park in Spring. Central Park is a four-kilometer north-south urban park in the heart of New York and Manhattan.  The green belt at the center of the skyscraper is an oasis for urban children.  Spring is finally coming to such a resting place… This park is planted with Yoshino cherry trees and double cherry blossoms sent from Japan, and from April to May it will be a beautiful row of cherry trees.  A flower belt that stretches in the middle of the city tells Manhattan of spring.

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.