I have always had pets…everything from worms to cats and dogs. I could not live without them, but I bet sometimes my parents could have…
In the header, it seems the young cat staring at me never had a camera pointing at him before – or maybe he’d never seen such a weirdo as this one…
Of course my own sweetie, Totti, must be here as well! This weekend he had a short, but delightful, visit from his granddaughter – Diva.
See more pets here.
Hiding or being camouflaged – maybe this gentleman is doing both? Our eyes met under the souk ceiling in Marrakesh.
Click here for more inspiration.
Life in the desert – we all know there is life, but for me it was rather a shock to see how Much life.
Human beings might turn up – like in the header – but seldom without camels.
If you walk the dunes of the Sahara Desert an early morning, waiting for the sunrise, there are other creatures catching your attention…
…like this super fast moving gerbil, or desert rat. Puffs of sand coming up of this hole made me curious…
I waited for him to show himself properly…but swooosh, and he was up and back in his hole in less than a milli – second, digging along again. At least I got a glimpse of his fascinatingly big eyes!
After the sunrise, we walked over the dunes towards the camp. The grey light had shifted into pink, and was now turning more and more into a warm yellow. But who is making these patterns then? And, looking at the tiny footprints, there must be a multitude of these creatures…
And here he is – a scarab beetle scuttling the big sand waves. I guess a cousin to those scarabs highly revered in old Egypt. In the shadow of a dune I found this little one digging along.
We rode camels to the dunes and watched the sunset from one of them. A beautiful experience – beyond words. One of the Berber men told us we had been followed by a desert fox – I was sorry he did not tell us when the fox was still there.
Lastly – a picture of the scarab footprints…and something else…Who made these tunnels under the sand? I hope someone out there in the blogosphere has the answer!
As I have been to Morocco, I am a bit late…but for Sylvain Landry, here is a panorama piece of the Sahara Desert. Three pictures in one. Click to enlarge.
Totti is almost always happy, and many things make me happy as well – this is only a tiny selection…In fact, I like being happy, so I am constantly working on it…Thank you, Cee, for the reminder!
A summer table with a summer cake and fresh fruits…
Sitting in my garden, looking at the fragrance of the summer flowers…
Hiking alone, meeting good old friends…
Camellia Williamsii ”Brigadoon”
Beautiful flowers…vibrant colours…
Music…
And most of all – travelling Life with my children!
Back in 2004, Alain Ribet -a friend from Bordeaux- told me « My brother Bernard has gone quite mad: he’s bought a farm in an oasis in deepest Morocco”.
These are the words of Catherine Quenisset, the charming French lady who now, together with her husband Philippe, runs the ecolodge Sawadi in the palm grove of Skoura, Morocco. Read their story and about their sustainable concept by clicking the links above!
The Sawadi farm has the comfort of a riad and is implanted in a 4 hectare domain, This means a huge garden, and here they grow almost everything they need for themselves and their guests. For example roses for making rose water, flowers for the calendula oil, and all vegetables for the kitchen.
The hotel part of Sawadi includes only seven living houses, and is consciously restricted to that. In fact, Sawadi is the only establishment in Skoura to receive the “green key” a sign of their commitment to tourism and sustainable development.
All the buildings at Sawadi have been designed and built respecting the traditional local Berber architecture. The ancestral technique means that the houses are daubed with a coating of mud and straw and they all have narrow window frames. This to make the interior of the house remain cool in summer and warm in winter. The area has a constant dry heat which also means you can visit any time of the year.
Sawadi is a place for both body and soul. Mindfulness. After leaving the luggage and changing clothes, we sat on the porch for a long time this evening. Just listening to the silence, only interrupted by the birds and the occational sound from the farm animals.
There is a beautiful pool and the kind of traditional hammam (a steam room for 3, maximum 4 people simultaneously ) you can find in the wealthy families of southern Morocco. Here they offer you a scrub and massage with the famous Argan oil.
Callistemon – in abundance
Food preparation is consistent with Sawadi’s ”natural” ideal. In Sawadi they do not use any chemical fertilizers or pesticides. This is one of the reasons to why there are so many birds on the premises – and no mosquitos.
Sawadi is situated close to several places of interest. For example Aït Ben Haddou, the Todra and Dades Gorge, the valley of the roses, the valley of Draa, Telouet, Ouarzazate, Zagora, the road of 1000 Kasbahs.
Much thought has been given to children and their families. The playground for volleyball for example, and the offer to take care of the children for a whole day, should their parents want to go hiking or visiting some of the tourist spots nearby.
After an interesting walk through the gardens, kindly guided by the gentle gardener, we returned for a delicious dinner by the pool.
Unfortunately we only had a few hours in Sawadi – late evening and early morning…So, if I ever go back to Morocco, I certainly know where to stay. Thank you again , Catherine and Philippe!
Today I have been thinking…
…that maybe I should tell you about My day in the forest! This was the start. Early, early, before the sunrise, we drove to the big forest far away. As you could see above, we had a glorius morning with many interesting sounds and smells. My nose was at work from the very start…
And then, after a couple of hours, suddenly my mistress stopped still and told me to be quiet…Somehow (sorry to say) she had noticed this deer coming down from a hill on the left side…before I did. The wind must have come from the wrong direction – I have no other explanation…
Anyhow, she was gone with the wind as soon as my mistress pressed the button…
When we turned left and followed the path back towards the car, we noticed a host of daffodils in the middle of the forest. I was still deeply pondering my unhappy mistake before, and kindly let my mistress lie on the ground for some crazy photos…of daffodils…
…and me. I hope you enjoyed this short story of my day!
Totti
I often have the neighbours’ cat sitting in my old apple tree, waiting to catch a bird or two. I usually chase him away – but not yesterday…
I was out in the garden, weeding and giving some new soil to my flower beds, when something in the big hawthorn tree caught my eye.
I got my camera out and zoomed in the strange bird in the magpie nests…
Not afraid of heights…hanging between the two nests…
…taking the leap across…
…and back again. But the magpies were gone – too late for the party!
Mr Stealth sat pondering the situation for some seconds…
…and decided to leave.
And so he did – as elegantly as only a cat can do.
Why did I not chase him away then? Not only for the photo series…but because I do hate those magpies. They may be beautiful to look at, but they multiply each year and they eat all my little summer birds. When they are ready to leave their houses – the magpies are waiting for them. Only for a few seconds the little ones’ eyes see this magical world.
I have spent a couple of days at a seaside resort on the west coast. We had some sunshine and a slightly chilly wind, and enjoyed the stay very much.
Last night and late evening, we walked the pier before dinner.
Many dogs were out walking their masters, but I especially noticed this man and his best friend. They had that special friendship that made them play so well together.
The way it should be between man and dog. Between best friends.
Just watch them together. The listening and total understanding – no loud voices…
…but talking all the time…
Cooperation – and perfect understanding
Who needs anything more?
Leya 
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