DESKTOP 1097 - RILED CAT

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme,

and also part of the My Sunday Photo meme.

DESKTOP 1096 - TREES & SKY

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 1095 - SPRING

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme.

DESKTOP 1094 - GERALDTON WAX

Chamaelaucium uncinatum, Geraldton wax, is a flowering plant in the Myrtaceae family endemic to Western Australia. It is an erect shrub 0.5 to 4m high, bearing white or pink flowers June–November. The name uncinatum means "hooked" in Latin, in reference to the tips of the leaves. The flowers (somewhat resembling those of the tea tree) last a relatively long time after cutting, making the plant popular in horticulture. It is widely cultivated throughout Australia, both in home gardens and in the cut flower industry. Purple-flowering cultivars have been developed.

Geraldton Wax is relatively hardy and fairly easy to grow in a Mediterranean climate with well-drained sandy soil and a sunny aspect. It can be grown in areas of higher humidity, such as Sydney, but tends to be short lived. It is also good in pots. It has the tendency to 'fall over' and may need support. It is very drought-tolerant and has aromatic leaves. The hardy characteristics have led to its use as a root stock species for grafting species of the closely related featherflowers of genus Verticordia.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 1093 - CAPRI, ITALY

Capri is an island located in the Tyrrhenian Sea off the Sorrentine Peninsula, on the south side of the Gulf of Naples in the Campania region of Italy. The main town Capri that is located on the island shares the name and is the largest population centre. The island has two harbours, Marina Piccola and Marina Grande (the main port of the island). The separate comune of Anacapri is located high on the hills to the west.

Capri has been a resort since the time of the Roman Republic. Some of the main features of the island include the following: the Marina Piccola (the little harbour), the Belvedere of Tragara (a high panoramic promenade lined with villas), the limestone crags called sea stacks that project above the sea (the Faraglioni), the town of Anacapri, the Blue Grotto (Grotta Azzurra), and the ruins of the Imperial Roman villas.

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

DESKTOP 1092 - TROPICAL DREAM

It's Winter where I am currently and it's nice to have a tropical dream!

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

DESKTOP 1091 - YELLOW SPLIT PEAS

We are continuing to experience cold and wet weather in Melbourne, but we shouldn't complain, it is Winter after all. Perfect season for soups, stews and various pulse dishes. Split yellow peas are the perfect ingredient!
 
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 1090 - LADYBUG

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme,
and also part of the Saturday Critters meme,
and also part of the Camera Critters meme,
and also part of the I Heart Macros meme,

and also part of the Macro Monday meme.

DESKTOP 1089 - BLUE SKY SILHOUETTES

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,

and also part of the Saturday Silhouettes meme.

DESKTOP 1088 - COMMON MALLOW

Malva neglecta is an annual of the Malvaceae family growing to 0.6 m. It is also known as common mallow in the United States and also buttonweed, cheeseplant, cheeseweed, dwarf mallow and roundleaf mallow. Although considered a weed, this plant is often consumed as a food. This is especially true of the seeds, which contain 21% protein and 15.2% fat. The plant is an invasive species in the United States.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme,

and also part of the Friday Greens meme.

DESKTOP 1087 - JAPONICA

Chaenomeles japonica is a species of Japanese Quince in the Rosaceae family. It is a thorny deciduous shrub that is commonly cultivated. It is shorter than another commonly cultivated species C. speciosa, growing to only about 1 m in height. The fruit is called Kusa-boke (草木瓜) in Japanese.

Chaenomeles japonica is also popularly grown in bonsai. It is best known for its colourful spring flowers of red, white or pink. It produces apple-shaped fruit that are a golden-yellow colour containing red-brown seeds. The fruit is edible, but hard and astringent-tasting, unless bletted. The fruit is occasionally used in jelly and pie making as an inferior substitute for its cousin, the true quince, Cydonia oblonga.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 1086 - MIKROLIMANO, GREECE

Mikrolimano in Attica, Greece is also known as Mounichia Port, and is third and smallest port of Piraeus, which has undergone multiple name changes throughout history. Formerly known as Tourkolimano, it has also been called Koumoundouros Port or "The Lantern".  The ancient Athenians used it as a military harbour, but Mikrolimano is known today for its many fine seafood restaurants and its picturesque moorings for the pleasure boats of the locals.

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

DESKTOP 1085 - CATHEDRAL COVE, NZ

The Coromandel Peninsula on the North Island of New Zealand extends 85 kilometres north from the western end of the Bay of Plenty, forming a natural barrier to protect the Hauraki Gulf and the Firth of Thames in the west from the Pacific Ocean to the east. At its broadest point, it is 40 kilometres wide.

Almost the entire population lies on the narrow strips along the Hauraki Gulf and Bay of Plenty coasts. In fine weather the peninsula is clearly visible from Auckland, the country's biggest city, which lies on the far shore of the Hauraki Gulf, 55 kilometres to the west. The peninsula is part of the local government areas of Thames-Coromandel District and the Waikato Region. Cathedral Cove, shown here, named for its cathedral like arch through the limestone cliff, is a popular destination, only accessible by boat or on foot.

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

DESKTOP 1084 - BOOKCASE

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

DESKTOP 1083 - SURVIVOR

This post is part of the Scenic Weekends meme,

and also part of the I Heart Macros meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme.

DESKTOP 1082 - CROW

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

DESKTOP 1081 - PARSLEY

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme.

DESKTOP 1080 - BLUE IRIS

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

DESKTOP 1079 - ACROPOLIS, ATHENS

The Acropolis of Athens (Ancient Greek: Ἀκρόπολις; Modern Greek: Ακρόπολη Αθηνών Akrópoli Athinón) is an ancient citadel located on a high rocky outcrop above the city of Athens and contains the remains of several ancient buildings of great architectural and historic significance, the most famous being the Parthenon.

The word acropolis comes from the Greek words ἄκρον (akron, "highest point, extremity") and πόλις (polis, "city"). Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as "The Acropolis" without qualification.

While there is evidence that the hill was inhabited as far back as the fourth millennium BC, it was Pericles (c. 495 – 429 BC) in the fifth century BC who coordinated the construction of the site's most important buildings including the Parthenon, the Propylaia, the Erechtheion and the Temple of Athena Nike. The Parthenon and the other buildings were seriously damaged during the 1687 siege by the Venetians in the Morean War when the Parthenon was being used for gunpowder storage and was hit by a cannonball.

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.

DESKTOP 1078 - JAIPUR, INDIA

Jaipur is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Rajasthan in Northern India. It was founded on 18 November 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the ruler of Amber, after whom the city is named. The city today has a population of 3.1 million. Jaipur is known as the Pink City of India. The city is unusual among pre-modern Indian cities in the regularity of its streets, and the division of the city into six sectors by broad streets 34 m wide. The urban quarters are further divided by networks of gridded streets. Five quarters wrap around the east, south, and west sides of a central palace quarter, with a sixth quarter immediately to the east.

The Palace quarter encloses the Hawa Mahal palace complex, formal gardens, and a small lake. Nahargarh Fort (show here), which was the residence of the King Sawai Jai Singh II, crowns the hill in the northwest corner of the old city. The observatory, Jantar Mantar, is one of the World Heritage Sites. Included on the Golden Triangle tourist circuit, along with Delhi and Agra, Jaipur is an extremely popular tourist destination in Rajasthan and India.

This post is part of the Our World Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Ruby Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Trees & Bushes meme,

and also part of the Travel Tuesday meme,
and also part of the Wordless Wednesday meme.

DESKTOP 1077 - AZURITE

Azurite is a soft, deep blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits. It is also known as Chessylite after the type locality at Chessy-les-Mines near Lyon, France. The mineral, a carbonate, has been known since ancient times, and was mentioned in Pliny the Elder's Natural History under the Greek name kuanos (κυανός: "deep blue," root of English cyan) and the Latin name caeruleum.

The blue of azurite is exceptionally deep and clear, and for that reason the mineral has tended to be associated since antiquity with the deep blue color of low-humidity desert and winter skies. The modern English name of the mineral reflects this association, since both azurite and azure are derived via Arabic from the Persian lazhward (لاژورد), an area known for its deposits of another deep blue stone, lapis lazuli ("stone of azure").

This post is part of the Blue Monday meme,
and also part of the Macro Monday meme,

and also part of the Through my Lens meme.

DESKTOP 1076 - WINTRY SUNSET

Sunset in the city with the sun reflected in the windows of an apartment building.

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

DESKTOP 1075 - TREE & SKY

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

DESKTOP 1074 - GREEN FABRIC

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme.

DESKTOP 1073 - CHOCOLATE COSMOS

Chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus) is a chocolate scented flower. Dark red-brown, sometimes almost black, velvety flowers on long, slender, reddish brown stems blooming from early summer to autumn make this an attractive addition to a garden. 

Chocolate cosmos is a tuberous-rooted, tender perennial native to Mexico that can be overwintered indoors where not hardy. Grow in a border or in containers where the flowers can be appreciated up close. They also make good cut flowers.  Grow in moist but well-drained, fertile soil in full sun. Deadhead and provide support. Mulch in autumn where hardy, or lift the tubers and keep frost-free during winter, storing them in barely moist peat.

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

DESKTOP 1072 - ZEPHYRANTHES

Zephyranthes is a genus of temperate and tropical plants in the Amaryllidaceae family, native to the Western Hemisphere and widely cultivated as ornamentals. There are over 70 recognised species as well as numerous hybrids and cultivars. Common names for species in this genus include fairy lily, rainflower, zephyr lily, magic lily, Atamasco lily, and rain lily. The name is derived from Ζέφυρος (Zephyrus), the Greek god of the west wind, and ἄνθος (anthos), meaning flower, referring to the slender stalks.

Flower colour in the species ranges from white to yellow (various tints of this colour from lemon to sulphur) and pink. Zephyranthes have erect flower stalks which support a flower that may be upward facing or slightly nodding. The funnel-shaped, flowers with six petals can be crocus shaped, but may also open flat such as in Z. jonesii or even reflex slightly. Pictured here is the white Zephyranthes candida.

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 Floral Friday Fotos meme.

DESKTOP 1071 - SACRÉ-COEUR, PARIS

The Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Paris, commonly known as Sacré-Cœur Basilica and often simply Sacré-Cœur (French: Basilique du Sacré-Cœur), is a Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Paris, France. A popular landmark, the basilica is located at the summit of the butte Montmartre, the highest point in the city.

Sacré-Cœur is a double monument, political and cultural, both a national penance for the defeat of France in the 1871 Franco-Prussian War and the socialist Paris Commune of 1871 crowning its most rebellious neighbourhood, and an embodiment of conservative moral order, publicly dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which was an increasingly popular vision of a loving and sympathetic Christ. The Sacré-Cœur Basilica was designed by Paul Abadie. Construction began in 1875 and was finished in 1914. It was consecrated after the end of World War I in 1919.

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 1070 - SKY WINDOWS

A section of the ceiling and sky windows in Eastland, a Melbourne shopping mall. Post-processed with Photoshop.

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

DESKTOP 1069 - AT THE PARKLANDS

This post is part of the Scenic Weekends meme.

DESKTOP 1068 - SUNSET

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,
and also part of the Scenic Weekends meme.

DESKTOP 1067 - MOSS

This post is part of the Friday Greens meme.