Statues hewn from stone line the bridge crossing a watercourse paralleling the Angkor Wat historical complex of Cambodia. The imposing structures dotting the region are considered by many as the largest historic religious complex in the world. Innumerable artifacts ranging from elements of the vast Angkor Wat temple to supporting fabrications dot this area of Siem Reap Province and invite appreciation for the architecture and an insight into the culture of the Khmer people.
A cactus wren returns to its perch high atop a saguaro in the Sonoran desert to find a dove has chosen to occupy its briefly abandoned place. An attempt to motivate the dove to relinquish the saguaro crown and give up the space next to a sitting wren seems to fall on unresponsive feathers.
The islands of Assateague and Chincoteague along the coast of Maryland and Virginia harbor a large group of feral horses that roam free, protected by their residence within State Park boundaries. Their diet consists mostly of marsh grasses and available fresh water sources. Shown here are two of the wild horses at play.
The important European city of Berlin sits on the fertile European Plain and is ringed by forests and nature spots. It is one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities. Berlin is defined by a diverse human population coming from every peopled continent of the earth and speaking all major and many minor languages. Its rich history was most recently carved by the elimination of the infamous Berlin Wall. The wall was erected in 1961 to cause division but some 28 years later was dismantled to purposefully unite divided peoples — an act that inspired millions with new hope.
My daughter Katrina and I were traveling through the area when the momentous event unfolded. I will never forget the powerful impact it made on all of us, visitors and Europeans alike. Whenever we met them on the train or in the streets, joy was in the air and it was most contagious. It was not just news of the dismantled divider that fueled an excited spirit but also the prospect of renewal that always seems to accompany positive change.
A tarantula hawk feeds on a favorite treat: milkweed. While drinking the flower’s nectar, the colorful spider wasp’s legs fit into grooves of the milkweed flower containing pollen. The pollen adheres to the insect’s legs and when it flies to another milkweed, the pollen is transferred and the plant is pollinated, seeds are produced and more milkweed plants grow.
The female of the insect species is noted for searching out tarantulas, stinging them into paralysis and then laying an egg in the living host. The hatchling will feed on parts of the spider until it matures and then departs.
The new Simatai Great Wall village known as Gubei Water Town is up and running as an attraction at the foot of the Great Wall in Miyun county 135 miles north of downtown Beijing, China. The completely new town has architecture reflecting an historic Chinese style built around modern infrastructure which makes it both attractive and practical. The Tanghe River, complete with an arched stone bridge wends its way through the town which was modeled after a southern China community named Wuzhen Water Town which is famed for being the “Venice of the East.”