Cherry Blossoms
Everyone is seeing these days cherry blossoms. It is a beautiful spectacle that has not escaped anyone’s view worldwide. They are a clear sign of the coming of spring, one of the most beautiful seasons. These flowers belong to the cherry tree in my garden. Hope you like.
Japanese admire the cherry blossoms as the transient nature of life. The entire nation celebrates with festivals, and viewing parties and picnics, and after dark, the parks always seemed to be filled with strolling couples admiring the trees in the moonlight.
Some Japanese poems on the subject of cherry blossoms:
We cannot behold
the beauty of the blossoms
enshrouded by haze –
yet steal us their scent, at least,
spring breezes blowing from the hills.
Yoshimine no Munesada (816-90)
How many times now
have I crossed over hill crests
with the image
of blossoms leading me on –
toward nothing but white clouds?
Fujiwara no Shunzei (1114-1204)
Everyone feels grief
when cherry blossoms scatter.
Might they then be tears –
those drops of moisture falling
in the gentle rains of spring?
Otomo no Juronushi (late 9th century)
Cherry Blossoms
Thanks to The Endless Further for these beautiful poems.
This is the Third Post of the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge.
Penguin
Penguin Humboldt
Penguin Humboldt
Penguins are a group of aquatic, flightless birds, that is, they have lost the ability to fly but have adapted to marine life thanks to their dense plumage and fin-like wings, which make them fantastic swimmers. They feed on fish, crustaceans and squid.
Penguin Humboldt
Penguin
Penguins
All the species live in the southern hemisphere and are characteristic sight in the cold Antarctic regions, although the Humboldt penguin lives further north on the coasts of Chile and Peru, in the area of the Humboldt current. The Humboldt Current is a cold, low-salinity ocean current that flows north along the west coast of South America from the southern tip of Chile to northern Peru.
More info in Wikipedia.
Penguin swimming
The Penguin
I am a bird you know quite well,
All dressed in black and white.
And even though I do have wings
They’re not designed for flight.
I waddle, waddle, waddle,
On my funny little feet.
Across the icy snow I go
To find a fishy treat!
Penguin swimming
Penguin
I know a bird
That cannot fly:
Penguin is its name.
It cannot fly,
But it can swim
With speed that wins it fame!
I know a bird
That lives on ice
And waddles by the sea.
It looks so cute
In its black-and-white suit,
As handsome as can be!
Penguin
First Post of the Five Photos, Five Stories Challenge, invited by my friend Berryduchess from berryduchess.com. As I said her, I’m not good at writing but I’ll make an effort to not detract her confidence.
Sorry for my english, I’m neither good at it.
Poems for kids from teachingfirst.net
Penguin
Penguin
Bird
Bird
Birds of sunfall
Birds of sunfall passing in my eyes
Far off in the patterns of storm clouds,
How I wish to freeze you in my thoughts
And paint my poem on skies of yours.
Birds of sunfall singing your song
Pouring o’er hues at the trees of fall,
How I wish to flutter with you beside
And douse my wings at silent shores…
by Dinesh
Sunset
Afloat
Night Thoughts Afloat
By bent grasses
in a gentle wind
Under straight mast
I’m alone tonight,
And the stars hang
above the broad plain
But moon’s afloat
in this Great River:
Oh, where’s my name
among the poets?
Official rank?
“Retired for ill-health.”
Drifting, drifting,
what am I more than
A single gull
between sky and earth?
Tu Fu. Chinese poet
Afloat
For the Weekly Photo Challenge: Afloat by the Daily Post WordPress
roses
Spring flowers
flowers
I’ve selected these roses photographed yesterday afternoon for this Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: Close Ups.
Castelldefels beach. Kite-surf
Playing sports on the Castelldefels beach at 20 km from Barcelona in Catalonia. Young sporters doing Kite Surf.
Images edited with Adobe Lightroom 5 and OnOne software.
Castelldefels beach. Kite-surf
Castelldefels beach. Kite-surf
Castelldefels beach. Kite-surf
Vulture
This is the largest bird of prey found and the most common carrion-eater in the woods of the Mediterranean area. Unlike other species of vulture, it does not nest in cliffs but in the tops of trees.
It ranges from the centre and south-east of the Iberian peninsula, Mallorca, to eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Near threatened specie.
Vulture
La Fageda (Beech wood)
The “Fageda d’en Jordà” is an exceptional beech forest that grows on a flat and sits on a lava flow from the volcano Croscat, which offers a rugged, with abundant prominences very characteristics that may reaching more than 20 meters high and are called local tossols. Part of the Garrotxa Volcanic Zone Natural Park. It is located in the Garrotxa region, near the neck and San Miguel de Batlle Sacot (XI century Romanesque church) and plan Sacot and the hill of Bassols is at the southwestern flank of the volcano Santa Margarita . The Beech is surrounded by much of twenty-one volcanoes are in the Garrotxa region (Girona, Catalonia).
Jellyfish
Jellyfish or jellies are the major non-polyp form of individuals of the phylum Cnidaria. They are typified as free-swimming marine animals consisting of a gelatinous umbrella-shaped bell and trailing tentacles. The bell can pulsate for locomotion, while stinging tentacles can be used to capture prey.
Jellyfish are found in every ocean, from the surface to the deep sea. Scyphozoans are exclusively marine, but some hydrozoans live in freshwater. Large, often colorful, jellyfish are common in coastal zones worldwide. Jellyfish have roamed the seas for at least 500 million years, and possibly 700 million years or more, making them the oldest multi-organ animal.
Jellyfish
bCL Photography 