Where is home/land?

12ss12 Happy Pongual! I hope you will have a great time during your holidays!
Thanks for sharing this information, it's very interesting to learn new customs! Next week I will have my last 2 tests and then I will get grades. The last test is for the subject of Religion. This year we learned about other religions including Hinduism, when you come back I would like to ask a few questions(by IGM) if you have no problem.

Welcome CylentLea123 to the forum! Mamma Mia was filmed in Skopelos and a few scenes in Skiathos too! Every week of summer the open air cinema plays this movie at least 5 times a week!

Wolf and Willow I wish you get the chance to visit Greece. Maybe if you want I could provide more pictures. I am thankful to live here for a lot of reasons even if we do have some problems.

 

Your photos are always great Arielh! I would love more, and I'm sure others would be as interested in seeing them as well.

 

I absolutely love that movie Arielh. The scenery is so beautiful.
I, too, would love to see more pictures

 

Hi! So many more interesting posts here
Thanks puppiesnponies, JJenks, Arielh, Farmlily3, MissSmartyPants, Nice to meet you all!

Congratulations on your engagement Farmlily3, May you find much happiness!!! Cherish your time together, wishing you all the best!

Misssmartypants, We are neighbors in a fashion! You can find many good shopping areas in those parts, but ohh the traffic !!

Very pretty photograph makeeating69, so colorful.
Happy Pongal 12ss12, hope you are enjoying your celebration, so interesting, thanks for enriching us.
If I have overlooked anyone, I am sorry & Hi !
No more photos yet, busy painting the house... I'm not a very talented painter!!

 

I plan on posting more, I hope I can post one "white" picture
In the thread " How the Weather in Your Neck of the Woods?" I posted one picture of Skopelos, an island near Skiathos.

Here is a recent picture taken by one friend of mine.

 

Very nice photo Arielh -makes me want to go there!

 

Beautiful picture, Arielh !
Pongal Celebration and tours, 2016

First day of Pongal

• Thirunathar Kundru in Singavarm (Ancient name 'Sirukadambur') an Archaeological Survey of India Site.
• Thirunathar kundru has it’s importance due to bas-relief work of 24 Thirthankars carvings and two stone inscriptions
• A Sculpture of Lord Mahaveerar, founder of Jainism and Monk Adhinathar are also there.
• The stone inscription lead to the conclusion that Jain monks resided here from 4 BC.
• 2 Jain monk Chandranandi & Ilayabhattara observed fast and ended their life here. Jain Monks when they feel they have lived enough die that way. They don't give place to disease or frailty.
• There was a cave were we had to crawl to get inside and couldn't stand upright inside it. We all really enjoyed it a lot.
• We took photos of cranes, Indian Roller Bird at the foothill
• and the scenery of Eastern ghats and also that of Ginee fort from the hillock.

Spoiler: 24 Tirthankaars sculpture

Spoiler: An view of the Gingee fort as seen from the Hillock

Spoiler: Eastern Ghats-Fold Mountains

Spoiler: Egrets

Spoiler: Indian Roller (Bird)

Spoiler: Just a rock in the fields

 

So beautiful Ariel and 12ss12! I no longer get to travel the world as I used to so I really enjoy seeing all the photos from all over. Ariel you just live in paradise good to know you enjoy it.

Unfortunately I live in the most boring place in the universe visually speaking. Unless you like suburban sprawl, strip malls, oil refineries, elevated roadways and flat, flat, flat land. There are attractive places in Texas don't get me wrong Houston just doesn't happen to be one of them.

 

Clash, isn't Houston near the Gulf of Mexico and its beaches, and coastal Nature Reserves?? ...and the Space Center and landing field!!!! Is it still in use??
Do you have a 'favorite' place in the world that you liked best?? Where would you live if you had a choice of.....anywhere???

Arielh, Clash is right - you do live in a paradise (fantasyland)!! And we Looove your photos!! Please keep 'em coming!!

12ss12 - Your photos are stunning, and an education in another culture and geography, and beauty of a different sort than the more northern hemisphere.
Love all the extra information, too!

 

Lily Pond​

An early Morning view of Fields​

Morning Walk through fields

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Not sure I have a "favorite" place as I've loved many. As a general region I would say Europe is my favorite. As for choice in where to live I would move back to Boston in a heartbeat if I could. I loved New England and miss it badly, even the dreadful winters. My circumstances do not allow it however as I moved back to Texas to take care of my elderly mother. I love her dearly so will be here as long as she needs me. Honestly I hope that is a long long time.

 

How wonderful you are able to care for your mother Clashstrummer! Texas is an interesting state that I haven't explored very much, but have liked what I've seen. I agree that Boston is wonderful, and New England in the fall is so beautiful!

12ss12 - Beautiful photos! Thanks so much for sharing!

 

12ss12, your photos are just stunningly beautiful! Thank you so much for sharing your beautiful country with us all!

 

12ss12....I just love your LILY Pond!!
It is such a gorgeous photo, and place!! As are all the rest!! Thank you for sharing with us, in so many ways!

 

I know you would love it. I love it too. Water lily blooms at night. That's why I couldn't take photo of a flower..just its bud.

The following pictures are from the Kaanum Pongal Tour (last day of Pongal)

National Fossil Wood Park, Tiruvakkarai, Villupuram District, Tamilnadu

• M. Sonneret, a European naturalist, gave the first detailed account of these fossils in 1781.
• The river Sankaraparani / Varahanadi / Gingee River flows through this village and the Fossil Tree park is situated on its bank.
• Approximately 20 million years old petrified wood fossils scattered throughout the park, about 247 acres (100 ha).
• The park consists of nine enclaves, but only a small portion of the 247 acres (approx 1 square km) is open to the public.
• Fossils were formed during massive flooding that occurred more than millions of years ago.
• The park hosts about 200 fossilized trees. They range in size from 3 to 15 metres (9.8 to 49.2 ft) meters in length, some of which are up to 5 meters in width.
• They are strewn and partially buried in the park grounds.
• No branches or leaves remain on the fossilized trunks.
• Scientists speculate that the trees did not originally grow at the site, but were transported before they had petrified.
• More details about the formation you can see in the notice board photo in the album- both in English and Tamil (last 2 photos)

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Love these pictures/information, 12ss12!!

Here in USA - Arizona,Western America - we also have some fossilized trees, found over a desert terrain. They are called "The Petrified Forest", and look almost surreal - like huge log gemstones scattered over a large area. Reddish brown overall, when they fossilized, the inner wood took on a subtle, softened rainbow effect. They are fascinating to examine up close, especially in the sunlight.

 

farmlily, you're absolutely right. I love the petrified forest. It's oddly beautiful and very peaceful. Maybe someday I can visit again.

 

Yes, Mindy....very well said!! 'Oddly beautiful and very peaceful.'

 

farmlily3 - I saw pictures of Petrified forest, Arizona. They are really beautiful. The hills are white. Are the rocks white in colour ? How did they become white. I read it was a desert & a plateau. Thank you for introducing it to me. I have to say, I envy you. How can you Like, Mindy said, it looks unique (oddly) beautiful and very peaceful. May I can visit someday, if possible.

Our fossil wood is on the banks of a river and because the river changed its course during the past 70 million years, the whole place & the village is highly uneven & I do not know how they build their houses in that terrain. Didn't have time to peepin Like Arizona, the fossilized wood are spread all over the entire area and are deep inside the soil. Just their outer layer is visible. But the locals do not know the importance of the place or the fossilized tree. I got some small pieces of the fossilized wood from the river bed and bought them back to my home. Just small chips. But they weigh like stones and are beautifully brown.

 

12ss12, when I saw the Petrified Forest, the logs were scattered all over a reddish desert terrain, and they were reddish brown themselves, blending into the landscape. I was 12 yrs old at the time, and don't remember the hills....but I will never forget the beauty and (at that time) mystery and question - how on earth do trees turn into r-o-c-k-s??! LOL!! It was fascinating!
You are so fortunate to have those small chips! I really longed to have some pieces (I used to collect rocks from our travels), but my Dad said they were protected and he wouldn't allow me to take anything. It was a good lesson, but I still miss having a piece for my collection.