DESKTOP 1281 - ALONNISOS, GREECE

Alonnisos is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. After Skiathos and Skopelos it is the third member of the Northern Sporades. It is 3 km E of the island of Skopelos. Alonnisos is also the name of a village on the island, as well as the municipality that encompasses the island and the village.The village of Alonnisos is located on the southern part of the island. It is locally known as Chora. The main port of the island is located in the southeast and is called Patitiri. There is ferry and hydrofoil service from Patitiri to Volos, Agios Konstantinos, and Thessaloniki on the mainland and to the islands of Skiathos, Skopelos and Skyros.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

DESKTOP 1280 - ROCK

This post is part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DESKTOP 1279 - YARRA RIVER

This post is part of the Weekend Reflections meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme,
and also part of the Our Beautiful World meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

DESKTOP 1278 - WERRIBEE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.

DESKTOP 1277 - FOREST

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme.

DESKTOP 1276 - MAGNOLIA

Magnolia grandiflora, commonly known as the southern magnolia or bull bay, is a tree of the family Magnoliaceae native to the southeastern United States, from Virginia south to central Florida, and west to eastern Texas and Oklahoma. Some trees have been viewed as far west as New Mexico and California. Reaching 27.5 m in height, it is a large striking evergreen tree with large dark green leaves and large white fragrant flowers. Widely cultivated around the world, over a hundred cultivars have been bred and marketed commercially. The timber is hard and heavy, and has been used commercially to make furniture, pallets, and veneer.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 1275 - UN-SCIENTIFIC

"Un-Scientific" (detail) is a paper weaving construction by Bettina Hill, lining the floor and walls of Gallery 4 at CMAG (Canberra Museum and Gallery). The hand made weaving undulates with geometric curves and creates interesting effects with light and shade, depth and optical illusion effects.

This post is part of the ABC Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 1274 - KAVALA, GREECE

Kavala (Greek: Καβάλα) is a city in northern Greece, the principal seaport of eastern Macedonia and the capital of Kavala regional unit. It is situated on the Bay of Kavala, across from the island of Thasos. Kavala is located on the Egnatia motorway and is a one and a half-hour drive to Thessaloniki (160 kilometres west) and forty minutes drive to Drama (37 km north) and Xanthi (56 km east). Its nickname is The cyan city (Η γαλάζια πόλη).

The most important sights in the old town are the Castle, the Acropolis, the Imaret and the old Lighthouse at the end of Theodorou Pavlidou St, beneath which the rocks of Panayia are situated. The landmark of the Old City is the Mohamed Ali square, dominated by its statue, situated between the “konaki” (his house built at the end of the 18th century) and the church of Panayia, built in 1965 on the ruins of an older post-Byzantine three-aisled basilica.

The modern town Kavala boasts a unique character reflecting its recent past: Neoclassical mansions and big tobacco warehouses evoke the memory of a distant past when a wealthy bourgeoisie was dominating the city. In the “Mecca of tobacco” as Kavala was named in the past, thousands of tobacco workers, male and female, earned their living. Palm trees line the esplanade of the port,where modern buildings and fish tavernas are side by side, while fish boats cast their reflection on azure waters.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 1273 - EUCALYPTUS BARK

This post is part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DESKTOP 1272 - VENICE, ITALY

The Rialto Bridge in Venice, Italy.

This post is part of the Scenic Weekends meme,
and also part of the Our Beautiful World meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

DESKTOP 1271 - SUNSET TREE SILHOUETTE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Orange you Glad It's Friday meme,
and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme.

DESKTOP 1270 - FIRST HINT OF AUTUMN

While the trees still have their bright green Summer foliage on, a few leaves have started turning yellow as the days relentlessly shorten...

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme,
and also part of the Skywatch Friday meme.

DESKTOP 1269 - LARKSPUR

Delphinium is a genus of about 300 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae, native throughout the Northern Hemisphere and also on the high mountains of tropical Africa. All members of the Delphinium genus are toxic to humans and livestock.

The common name "larkspur" is shared between perennial Delphinium species and annual species of the genus Consolida. Molecular data show that Consolida, as well as another segregate genus, Aconitella, are both embedded in Delphinium. The name "delphinium" derives from the Greek for "dolphin", referring to the shape of the nectary.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 1268 - ALONNISOS

Alonnisos (Greek: Αλόννησος) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea. After Skiathos and Skopelos it is the third member of the Northern Sporades. It is 3 km E of the island of Skopelos. Alonnisos is also the name of a village on the island, as well as the municipality that encompasses the island and the village. The village of Alonnisos is located on the southern part of the island. It is locally known as Chora. The main port of the island is located in the southeast and is called Patitiri. There is ferry and hydrofoil service from Patitiri to Volos, Agios Konstantinos, and Thessaloniki on the mainland and to the islands of Skiathos, Skopelos and Skyros.

This post is part of the Wednesday Waters meme,
and also part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 1267 - CRETE, GREECE

Elafonisi ("Deer Island") is located 76km west of Chania and 5km south of Chrysoskalitisa Monastery, in the southwesternmost point of Crete, Greece. Elafonisi is peninsula, which has a tombolo at one point, and when the tide is in, it gives the impression of being an island. Elafonisi is a Natura 2000 protected area. The island has dunes with sand lilies and junipers. The endangered sea turtles (Caretta caretta) and several other rare animals nest on the island and it is strictly forbidden to remove any plants, animals and sand from the area.

On either side of the peninsula there are idyllic beaches with white sand and turquoise waters, reminiscent of the Caribbean. The sand is pinkish in many places, taking its colour from thousands of tiny shell fragments. Near the shore, the water is very shallow, creating a small lagoon, ideal for bathing children.

This post is part of the  Our World Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,

and also part of the Wednesday Waters meme,

and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 1266 - BLUE YARN

This post is part of the BlueMonday2 meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DESKTOP 1265 - SHOT TOWER

Coop's Shot Tower is a shot tower located in the heart of the Melbourne CBD, Australia. It was completed in 1888 and is 50 metres high. The historic building was saved from demolition in 1973 and was incorporated into Melbourne Central complex in 1991 underneath an 84 m-high conical glass roof.

Coop's Shot Tower is 9 storeys high, and has 327 steps to the top. The tower produced six tonnes of shot weekly up until 1961, when the demand for the lead shot dwindled, because of new firearm regulations. The tower was operated by the Coops family, who also managed Clifton Hill Shot Tower.Recently a museum called the Shot Tower Museum has been set up inside of the tower at the back of R.M. Williams, a tenant in the tower.The site is listed on the Victorian Heritage Register.

This post is part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.

DESKTOP 1264 - SUNRISE

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Orange you Glad It's Friday meme,

and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme.

DESKTOP 1263 - FERNS

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme.

DESKTOP 1262 - HYDRANGEA

Hydrangea macrophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae, native to Japan. It is a deciduous shrub growing to 2 m tall by 2.5 m broad with large heads of pink or blue flowers in summer and autumn. Common names include bigleaf hydrangea, French hydrangea, lacecap hydrangea, mophead hydrangea, penny mac and hortensia. It is widely cultivated in many parts of the world in many climates.

H. macrophylla blooms can be blue, red, pink, light purple, or dark purple. The colour is affected by soil pH. An acidic soil (pH below 7) will usually produce flower colour closer to blue, whereas an alkaline soil (pH above 7) will produce flowers more pink. This is caused by a colour change of the flower pigments in the presence of aluminium ions which can be taken up into hyperaccumulating plants. There are many proprietary 'bluing' chemicals that can be added to the soil around the plants to make the flowers blue.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 1261 - ARIZONA

Arizona (Navajo: Hoozdo Hahoodzo; O'odham: Alĭ ṣonak) is a state in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the Western United States and the Mountain West states. It is the sixth largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is one of the Four Corners states. It has borders with New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California, and Mexico, and one point in common with the southwestern corner of Colorado. Arizona's border with Mexico is 389 miles (626 km) long, on the northern border of the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California.

Arizona is the 48th state and last of the contiguous states to be admitted to the Union, achieving statehood on February 14, 1912. Historically part of the territory of Alta California in New Spain, it became part of independent Mexico in 1821. After being defeated in the Mexican–American War, Mexico ceded much of this territory to the United States in 1848. The southernmost portion of the state was acquired in 1853 through the Gadsden Purchase.

Southern Arizona is known for its desert climate, with very hot summers and mild winters. Northern Arizona features forests of pine, Douglas fir, and spruce trees; the Colorado Plateau; some mountain ranges (such as the San Francisco Mountains); as well as large, deep canyons, with much more moderate summer temperatures and significant winter snowfalls. There are ski resorts in the areas of Flagstaff, Alpine, and Tucson. In addition to the Grand Canyon National Park, there are several national forests, national parks, and national monuments.

About one-quarter of the state is made up of Indian reservations that serve as the home of 27 federally recognized Native American tribes, including the Navajo Nation, the largest in the state and the United States, with more than 300,000 citizens. Although federal law gave all Native Americans the right to vote in 1924, Arizona excluded those living on reservations from voting until its state Supreme Court ruled in 1948 in favor of Native American plaintiffs.

This post is part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 1260 - BAY OF ISLANDS, NZ

The Bay of Islands is an area on the east coast of the Far North District of the North Island of New Zealand. It is one of the most popular fishing, sailing and tourist destinations in the country, and has been renowned internationally for its big-game fishing since American author Zane Grey publicised it in the 1930s.

It is 60 km north-west of the city of Whangarei. Cape Reinga, at the northern tip of the country, is about 210 km by road further to the north-west. The bay itself is an irregularly-shaped 16 km-wide, 260 km2 drowned valley system and a natural harbour. It contains 144 islands, of which the largest is Urupukapuka, and numerous peninsulas and inlets. The three largest inlets are Waikare Inlet in the south, and Kerikeri and Te Puna (Mangonui) inlets in the north-west.

The Purerua Peninsula, north of Te Puna Inlet, separates the north-western part of the bay from the Pacific Ocean, and Cape Brett Peninsula extends 10 km into the ocean at the eastern end of the bay. The biggest town is Kerikeri, followed by Paihia. The small town of Russell is located at the end of a short peninsula that extends into the bay from the southeast.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 1259 - BUSHLAND

This post is part of the Monday Mellow Yellows meme,
and also part of the BlueMonday2 meme,
and also part of the Through my Lens meme,
and also part of the Seasons meme.

DESKTOP 1258 - CANDLES

Candles burning behind a crystal mosaic window.

This post is part of the Our Beautiful World meme,

and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme.

DESKTOP 1257 - MORNING MOOD

This post is part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.

 

DESKTOP 1256 - JELLY BEANS

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme.

DESKTOP 1255 - BEDDING GERANIUMS

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,
and also part of the Friday Greens meme.

DESKTOP 1254 - ZAGORI, GREECE

Zagori (Greek: Ζαγόρι), is a region and a municipality in the Pindus mountains in Epirus, in northwestern Greece. The seat of the municipality is the village Asprangeli. It has an area of some 1,000 square kilometers and contains 46 villages known as Zagori villages (or Zagorochoria or Zagorohoria), and is in the shape of an upturned equilateral triangle.

The southern corner of the triangle contains the provincial capital, Ioannina, the south-western side is formed by Mount Mitsikeli (1,810m), and the Aoos river and Mount Tymfi constitute the northern side, and the south-eastern side runs along the Varda river to Mount Mavrovouni (2,100m) near Metsovo. The municipality has an area of 989.796 km2. The population of the area is about 3,700, which gives a population density of 4 inhabitants per square kilometer, compared to an average of 73.8 for Greece as a whole.

This post is part of the Outdoor Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,
and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,
and also part of the Wednesday Waters meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme.

DESKTOP 1253 - LEROS ISLAND

Leros (Greek: Λέρος) is a Greek island and municipality in the Dodecanese in the southern Aegean Sea. It lies 317 kilometres (171 nautical miles) from Athens's port of Piraeus, from which it can be reached by an 8.5-hour ferry ride (or by a 45-minute flight from Athens). Leros is part of the Kalymnos regional unit. The island has been also called in Italian: Lèro and in Turkish: İleriye

The island is 74 square kilometres and has a coastline of 71 kilometres. The municipality includes the populated offshore island of Farmakonisi (pop. 10), as well as several uninhabited islets, including Levitha and Kinaros, and had a 2011 census population of 7,917, although this figure swells to over 15,000 during the summer peak. It is known for its imposing medieval castle of the Knights of Saint John possibly built on a Byzantine fortress.

Nearby islands are Patmos, Lipsi, Kalymnos, and the small islands of Agia Kyriaki and Farmakos. In ancient times it was considered the island of Parthenos Iokallis and linked to the Hellenistic and Roman literature on Meleager and the Meleagrides. The administrative centre and largest town is Agia Marina, with a population of 2,672 inhabitants. Other sizable towns are Lákki (pop. 1,990), Xirókampos (908), Kamára (573), and Álinda (542).

This post is part of the  Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 1252 - MORNING GLORY

Ipomoea is the largest genus in the flowering plant family Convolvulaceae, with over 500 species. It is a large and diverse group with common names including morning glory, sweet potato, bindweed, moonflower, etc. The most widespread common name is morning glories, but there are also species in related genera bearing the same common name.Those formerly separated in Calonyction (Greek καλός, kalos, good and νύκτα, nycta, night) are called moonflowers. The generic name is derived from the Greek words ιπς (ips) or ιπος (ipos), meaning "worm" or "bindweed," and όμοιος (homoios), meaning "resembling". It refers to their twining habit.

The genus occurs throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the world, and comprises annual and perennial herbaceous plants, lianas, shrubs and small trees; most of the species are twining climbing plants.

Ipomoea tricolor (morning glory) is native to the New World tropics, and widely cultivated and naturalised elsewhere. It is an herbaceous annual or perennial twining liana growing to 2–4 m tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, 3–7 cm long with a 1.5–6 cm long petiole. The flowers are trumpet-shaped, 4–9 cm in diameter, most commonly blue with a white to golden yellow centre.In cultivation, the species is very commonly grown misnamed as Ipomoea violacea, actually a different though related species. Numerous cultivars of I. tricolor with different flower colours have been selected for use as ornamental plants; widely grown examples include Blue Star, Flying Saucers, Heavenly Blue, Heavenly Blue Improved, Pearly Gates, Rainbow Flash, Skylark, Summer Skies and Wedding Bells. The cultivar 'Heavenly Blue' has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

This post is part of the Blue Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme,

and also part of the Seasons meme.

DESKTOP 1251 - SPARKLE

This post is part of the Our Beautiful World meme,
and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme,
and also part of the Photo Sunday meme.