evening

Two guys fishing on a lovely Sicilian evening (well, two days ago). They look like they're having a peaceful time.



Dip into more ponds and seas at 2SweetnSaxy's.

Calla friends

I'm on holiday still, so I won't be able to return any visits until later in the week...but I couldn't resist scheduling a post with these two flower friends. I liked how the one is so considerately dripping it's dew drops into the other.



Find many more flowers at Today's Flowers hosted by Luiz, Denise, Denise, Laerte and Valkyrien.

summery forests

Around this time of year the light green dapple of young forest leaves has been replaced by some proper deep green shade. I love it, especially on long walks in sunny weather - it feels like summer has really arrived:



I'm still on holiday, so please forgive if I can't pay you a return visit just yet. Meanwhile back to Robin's Summer Stock Sunday for your dose of summery sights.

flags

If you're a seasoned urbanite you will be used to this jolly flag which can normally be found in the vicinity of anything gay:



Imagine this urbanites' surprise when she came across it in the middle of Cuzco:



I quickly ascertained on that occasion that I had not managed to walk into the middle of a South American gay pride parade (and I was impressed by all the brass they had brought along)...it was explained to me that this flag was derived from the Tawantinsuyu wiphala and is therefore a sign of Inca pride. Read more on the confusion at the BBC. Or go back to TNchicks PhotoHunt.

evening sky

I've gone away for a short break to Italy (hooray!). I nevertheless wanted to post this dramatic cloud which I saw on the way home the other day:



I won't be able to visit your photos until later next week - but have fun with all the lovely offerings at Skywatch Friday.

Blueness

The Mediterranean on a warm summer evening. I took this photo from a terrace on which I sit regularly (if not exactly often). I was told one can see Corsica on very clear days...but I haven't managed so far...and on that particular evening one could just see blueness.



Back to 2SweetnSaxy for water from all continents and in between.

Pentaglottis sempervirens

Another ubiquitous little plant that I like. Often referred to as 'that weed over there' most people seem to have forgotten that its common name is 'Green Alkanet'. The little blue flowers are a huge success with the bumble bees, and can apparently be used to garnish salads and drinks...

Towards midsummer the plants grow too high for their own good:



The one above has collapsed under the heavy weight of some summery rain drops.

Visit Today's Flowers hosted by Luiz, Denise, Denise, Laerte and Valkyrien for your weekly fix of blossoms.

Summer sights

When I go for a quick stroll on a sunny day in June I will inevitably get to see this:



I haven't tired of the sight yet, though.

Visit Robin's Summer Stock Sunday and Scenic Sunday for lovely summery sights.

day off

Working over time each day and having no weekends doesn't feel quite as easy as it used to be. I'm immensely tired after 6 weeks of it, and quite relieved that it's over for the time being. In fact I feel pretty much like the sky looked some evenings ago:



I'll sleep some more, and then I'll be ready to visit all your lovely pictures at Skywatch Friday.

water mirror

Tomorrow the first part of my fieldwork will finally end, and I'm celebrating with another work photo. I've taken pictures just below the water surface because I'm interested in floating biofilms. I love how the air-water boundary is a double sided mirror:



This is a little water-plant branch which got stuck on the chicken wire that covers my experiment (to protect it from dangerous moorhens). The water layer ends just above the branch...but I find it hard to see that half of the picture is a reflection.

Here's your link back to 2SweetnSaxy.

attention seekers ?

Ever since I stopped needing to use grasses as makeshift strings for little twigs (and the like) at the age of - say - eleven or twelve, this ubiquitous plant didn't really get much time from me. Until I suddenly started to develop hayfever some years ago. Do grasses just give us allergies to attract attention?
Here are the evil culprits:



Visit Today's Flowers hosted by Luiz, Denise, Denise, Laerte and Valkyrien for more colourful blossoms than the above.

bees and flowers

There is probably no spot in the UK which is further from the sea than where I live. Summer life happens very much in the garden. I love watching my insect neighbours, such as this assiduous looking bumble bee:



Visit Robin's Summer Stock Sunday and Scenic Sunday and enjoy the summer.

bad weather

Another week and then my current stretch of fieldwork will be over. I'm looking forward to it - I haven't had a proper weekend for a while, but many long days instead - and I'm feeling whacked. Last week was exceedingly cold, rainy and/or windy...not good when you have to handle sterile little sampling bags. There were several moments when I had to wade hastily (a contradiction in terms!) after my already bagged samples which, encouraged by the strong breeze, had started to float towards the sea. The sky often just offered cloud layer after cloud layer:




Click back to Skywatch Friday for hopefully lots of blue skies and warm sunlight.

world of biofilms

If you've left a comment in recent days and haven't yet got a return visit from me, the reason for it is that I've just got too much work...
That's also the reason why you'll get to see a peculiar photo today. It's a work photo:



What you see here is a busy underwater biofilm producing lots of bubbles in the process of digesting all sorts of stuff that has been washed or has fallen into the river.

Happy watery wednesday to you all.

yellow fluff

I don't know their names, but the cabbage whites seem to like them better than my nasturtiums - which must be a good thing:




Visit Today's Flowers hosted by Luiz, Denise, Denise and Laerte for all sorts of exotic blossoms.

More summer

We have had some pretty awful days - cold and rainy. Time to look backward and, hopefully, forward to long summer evenings near the water:



Visit Robin's Summer Stock Sunday and enjoy the summer.

Advertising

It's back to the archives again for this week's Photohunt. I used to love reading the political advertisments on my way to work in the Andes:



Even if not elected these people can be sure to have left a lasting legacy - houses don't get painted too often :)

There are many more advertisments at TNchicks PhotoHunt.

Time flies -

- apple blossom in my garden has been and gone:



This is probably the last time this old tree is sticking it's blossoms into the sky. Way before we moved here it acquired canker - which we can't cure it off. All the other apple trees in the garden have it now as well and so we will have to have a fresh start.

Click back to Skywatch Friday for marvellous skies from all corners of the world.

from the archives

All the photos I've had time to take last week are work related and show exciting algal gloob on tiles. That's a delight for microbiologists and definitely watery, but maybe a photo taken a few years ago is somewhat more enjoyable if you came for Watery Wednesdays :



Boats in the fading light of a summer evening on the River Alde at Snape.

Here's your link back to 2SweetnSaxy.