MY SUNDAY BEST MEME #112 - CHALLENGE: ROCK

Welcome to the meme, "My Sunday Best", which is a photographic and creative meme that allows you to showcase your talents in imaging. Every Sunday, you can post here showing an image you have created using your camera, (and/or) image processing software, and/or painting and drawing in the conventional way and have scanned in.

The rules are simple:
1) Create your image according to the "CHALLENGE" theme, and post it up on your blog;
2) Put the "My Sunday Best" logo image link somewhere on your post so people can click and come by here;
3) Leave a comment here once you have posted;
4) Visit other posters' blogs and be amazed with their creativity!

Please do not use this meme to advertise your goods or services. This is a creative meme and any inappropriate links or comments shall be removed immediately!

NEXT WEEK'S CHALLENGE THEME IS: CITY LIFE

Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies 335 km south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs, 450 km by road. Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Uluru is sacred to the Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the area. The area around the formation is home to a plethora of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a World Heritage Site.

Uluru is an inselberg, literally "island mountain". An inselberg is a prominent isolated residual knob or hill that rises abruptly from and is surrounded by extensive and relatively flat erosion lowlands in a hot, dry region. Uluru is also often referred to as a monolith, although this is a somewhat ambiguous term that is generally avoided by geologists. The remarkable feature of Uluru is its homogeneity and lack of jointing and parting at bedding surfaces, leading to the lack of development of scree slopes and soil. These characteristics led to its survival, while the surrounding rocks were eroded.

It seems last week the theme "Lozenge" proved to be too difficult for people so there were no entries of note! Hopefully next week, "City Life" will prove to be an easier topic...

DACHSHUND

The dachshund (English: badger dog; also known as the sausage dog or wiener dog) is a short-legged, long-bodied, hound-type dog breed. The standard size dachshund was developed to scent, chase, and flush out badgers and other burrow-dwelling animals, while the miniature dachshund was bred to hunt smaller prey such as rabbits. In the United States, they have also been used to track wounded deer and hunt prairie dogs. Dachshunds also participate in conformation shows, field trials and many other events organised through pure-bred dog organisations such as the American Kennel Club (AKC). According to the AKC, the dachshund is ranked in 13th place in popularity amongst dog breeds in the United States.

This post is part of the Saturday Critters meme,

and also part of the Camera Critters meme.

VICTORIANA

Architectural details on a Victorian terrace house in a Melbourne inner suburb.

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.

CHRYSANTHEMUM

Chrysanthemums, often called mums or chrysanths, are of the genus Chrysanthemum, comprising approximately 30 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Asteraceae which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe. The name chrysanthemum was given to these plants by Linnaeus and is derived from the Greek words, chrysos (golden) and anthemon (flower), with many of the cultivated varieties having brilliant yellow-gold flowers. 

Chrysanthemums were first cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century BC. The plant is renowned as one of the "Four Gentlemen" in Chinese and East Asian art. The plant is particularly significant during the Double Ninth Festival. It is believed that the flower may have been brought to Japan in the 8th century CE, and the Emperor adopted the flower as his official seal. There is a "Festival of Happiness" in Japan that celebrates the flower. The flower was brought to Europe in the 17th century.

Modern chrysanthemums are much more showy than their wild relatives. The flowers occur in various forms, and can be daisy-like, decorative, pompons or buttons. This genus contains many hybrids and thousands of cultivars developed for horticultural purposes. In addition to the traditional yellow, other colours are available, such as white, purple, and red. The most important hybrid is Chrysanthemum × morifolium (syn. C. × grandiflorum), derived primarily from C. indicum but also involving other species. The photo here is from a plant in our garden, which was given to us as a cutting by a neighbour. It currently has a profuse showing of rich, large blossoms that brighten the wet and gray autumn days.

This post is part of the Floral Friday Fotos meme.

LIGHTNING

Lightning | ˈlʌɪtnɪŋ | noun [mass noun]
The occurrence of a natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud, accompanied by a bright flash and typically also thunder: A tremendous flash of lightning lit up the night and illuminated the empty street.
• [count noun] Literary - a flash or discharge of lightning: The sky was a mass of black cloud out of which lightnings flashed.
ORIGIN

Middle English: Special use of lightening (verbal noun from lighten2).

This post is part of the Wordless Wednesday meme,

and also part of the ABC Wednesday meme,

and also part of the Nature Notes meme.

SYDNEY SIGHTS

 Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. It is on Australia’s south-east coast, on the Tasman Sea. In 2016 the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 5 million people. Inhabitants of Sydney are called Sydneysiders, comprising a cosmopolitan and international population.

The site of the first British colony in Australia, Sydney was established in 1788 at Sydney Cove by Arthur Phillip, commodore of the First Fleet, as a penal colony. The city is built on hills surrounding Port Jackson, which is commonly known as Sydney Harbour, where the iconic Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge feature prominently.

The hinterland of the metropolitan area is surrounded by national parks, and the coastal regions feature many bays, rivers, inlets and beaches including the famous Bondi Beach and Manly Beach. Within the city are many notable parks, including Hyde Park and the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Sydney is a high-ranking world city and has hosted multiple major international sporting events, including the 1938 British Empire Games (now known as the Commonwealth Games) and the 2000 Summer Olympics. The main airport serving Sydney is Sydney Airport and its main port is Port Botany.Sydney is the top tourist destination in Australia, most international tourists spending some time there if nowhere else in Australia. In the year ending 2012, Sydney received a total of 10.5 million international and domestic visitors, which injected $11.7 billion into the state of New South Wales’ economy. The most well-known attractions include the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Other attractions include Royal Botanical Gardens, Luna Park, Darling Harbour, some 40 beaches and Sydney Tower.

The New South Wales Government operates two programs relevant to Sydney as part of the NSW Tourism Strategy, they are: Brand Sydney ( to revitalise and strengthen the image and appeal of Sydney) and Visit Sydney (to increase promotion of Sydney as a tourist destination through a strengthened dedicated business unit within Destination NSW). Sydney also has several popular museums, such as the Australian Museum (natural history and anthropology), the Powerhouse Museum (science, technology and design), the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Australian National Maritime Museum.

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.

IN DECLINE

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

MY SUNDAY BEST MEME #111 - CHALLENGE: LOZENGE

Welcome to the meme, "My Sunday Best", which is a photographic and creative meme that allows you to showcase your talents in imaging. Every Sunday, you can post here showing an image you have created using your camera, (and/or) image processing software, and/or painting and drawing in the conventional way and have scanned in.

The rules are simple:
1) Create your image according to the "CHALLENGE" theme, and post it up on your blog;
2) Put the "My Sunday Best" logo image link somewhere on your post so people can click and come by here;
3) Leave a comment here once you have posted;
4) Visit other posters' blogs and be amazed with their creativity!

Please do not use this meme to advertise your goods or services. This is a creative meme and any inappropriate links or comments shall be removed immediately!

NEXT WEEK'S CHALLENGE THEME IS: ROCK

Lozenge | ˈlɒzɪn(d)ʒ | noun
A rhombus or diamond shape: [as modifier]: Lozenge patterns are common in heraldry.
• A small medicinal tablet, originally in the shape of a lozenge, taken for sore throats and dissolved in the mouth: Throat lozenges relieve the symptoms of infection.
• Heraldry - A charge in the shape of a solid diamond, in particular one on which the arms of an unmarried or widowed woman are displayed.
ORIGIN
Middle English: From Old French losenge, probably derived from the base of Spanish losa, Portuguese lousa ‘slab’, late Latin lausiae (lapides) ‘stone slabs’.


Last week the theme was "OLD" and Taken for Granted in the USA posted a nice shot of some lovely old things. The photo below was my favourite this week! Please visit his blog to see other great photos!

LAMB

"March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb..."

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

EQUINOX SUNSET

Autumn is here in the Southern Hemisphere...

This post is part of the Skywatch Friday meme,
and also part of the Friday Photo Journal meme.