WHEN I CAN TRAVEL AGAIN

WHEN I CAN TRAVEL AGAIN, I WILL ...

COMMUNE WITH NATURE IN MY BACKYARD IN THE USA

ENJOY FAMILY I'VE MISSED, LIKE MY GRANDDAUGHTER

REVEL IN THE COOLER WEATHER IN WASHINGTON STATE

PHOTOGRAPH FLOWERS

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LINKING TO - TUESDAY'S TREASURES

OUR WORLD TUESDAY

MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

PICTORIAL TUESDAY

MOSAIC MONDAYS 

CITY DAILY PHOTO

CITY DAILY PHOTO is an online community of photo bloggers that share images of life in  their cities around the world.  The first of every month is Theme Day for City Daily Photo bloggers.  This month's theme is "When I Can Travel Again."  Be sure  to visit the City Daily Photo portal to view other participants' entries for today's theme day.

 

NATIVE BABOONS OF TAIF

SPECIAL THANKS to my friend Mariette Raubenheimer for the use of her wonderful baboon photos in today's post.   

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SOUVENIRS

ALL SEASONS

 

WEEKEND ROUNDUP - LETTER "T"

STARTS WITH "T" -  LOCAL JEDDAH "TAXIS IN TRAFFIC"

"TALL" - SET TO BE THE WORLD'S TALLEST BUILDING UPON COMPLETION

A FAVORITE - PALM "TREES," ABUNDANT IN JEDDAH

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FRIDAY BLISS

 

FLORA IN SAUDI ARABIA

PURPLE JACARANDA TREES - SPRINGTIME IN ABHA

DESERT ALIVE WITH VIBRANT BLOOMS

A big Thank You to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit him on Instagram - @NajranTours  and on FACEBOOK.

LINKING TO - MOSAIC MONDAYS 

SOUVENIRS

ALL SEASONS

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COFFEE, FLOUR, TREE OF LIFE

POPULAR DRIVE-UP COFFEE SHOP

CUSTOM GROUND FLOUR & SPICES

TREE OF LIFE - THE BAOBAB TREE

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OUR WORLD TUESDAY

MY CORNER OF THE WORLD

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WEEKEND ROUND-UP - LETTER "M"

 

STARTS WITH "M" - MOSQUE AND MINARET START WITH "M"

A FAVORITE - BABOONS ARE PART OF THE OLD WORLD "MONKEYS."

THEY ARE NATIVE TO THIS PART OF THE WORLD.

"MULTI" JUNK FOOD RESTAURANTS WITH A MEN'S GYM ABOVE

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FRIDAY BLISS

WINTER SEASON IN JEDDAH

WHEN FINISHED, IT'LL BE THE TALLEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD

IN WINTER, MILLIONS OF SMALL FISH LIKE SARDINES 

CAN BE SEEN IN THE RED SEA

LINKING TO - ALL SEASONS

 

SAUDI ARABIA ROCK ART PETROGLYPHS

Bir Hima in the Najran Province of Saudi Arabia is rich with ancient sandstone rock carvings made centuries ago.  The petroglyphs widely vary in content and inscriptions, and when they were first explored in 1951, many crude carving tools were discovered as well.  

Over 100 sites with rock drawings have been documented in the Najran area, featuring upwards of 6400 human and animal figures, consisting of camels, humans, giraffes, birds and other creatures.  Needless to say, Bir Hima is one of the world's richest and important archaelogical sites.

A big THANK YOU to my friend, tour guide Mohammed at Najran Tours, for allowing me to showcase these photos for today's post.  Visit his Instagram page  @NajranTours.  

LINKING TO - THROUGH MY LENS

Saudi Arabia Desert Flowers

Can you believe this is in Saudi Arabia?  Gracing the desert hills for as far as the eyes can see, this carpet of purple wildflowers blooms in the winter months west of the capital city of Riyadh.

I think it's magical, don't you?  

Special thanks to Khaled Al-Sheraihi for allowing me to post today's lovely photos of the desert flowers of Saudi Arabia.  You can follow him on Instagram.

 This post links to - SKYWATCH 

Saudi Arabia Camels in the Desert

I think this is one of the most beautiful camel photos I've ever seen.  White camels are the rarest and they really stand out amidst the lavender colored wildflowers and the reddish soil.  

The silhouette camel photo below is also very special.  It was a matter of taking it at just the right time being in the right place.

Special thanks to Khaled Al-Sheraihi for allowing me to post today's lovely photos of the desert camels of Saudi Arabia.  You can follow him on Instagram.

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WORDLESS WEDNESDAY 

THROUGH MY LENS 

Camel Humps and Scars

Like other animals, camels develop a thick warm winter coat for the colder months. When the weather warms up, they shed the excess fur, oftentimes in chunky clumps.  The last to go is usually atop its hump. 

Many camels have scars on their bodies and legs from running into barbed wire, which is used to corral the animals. 

Camel Profiles and Brand

This post shows the wide variation of colors that camels in Saudi Arabia come in. One humped dromedary camels are native to the kindgom.  Camels are brilliantly designed to live in hot desert climates like Saudi Arabia. Thick padding on their knees and chests allows camels to rest comfortably on the hot sand.  They have the capability of completely closing their nostrils during sandstorms, plus they have 3 sets of eyelids and an extra row of eyelashes to keep blowing sand out of their eyes.  Their thick but pliable lips give them access to thorny desert plants for nourishment, which are inaccessible to other creatures. 

Contrary to popular belief, camel humps do not store water - the humps store fat which enable them to go for months without other nourishment. Camels can run as fast as 40 miles an hour! The gestation period is 14 months. Branding with a hot iron is common, but spray paint branding is also done. The Arabic word for camel that I am familiar with is "jamel," but there are more than 160 different terms for camel in Arabic! 

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.

Planting Baobab Trees in Jeddah

Lately I have seen several new plantings of baobab trees around the city of Jeddah.  Called the "Tree of Life," the baobab tree is native to the drier regions of Arabia, Africa, Australia, and Madagascar. It is quite an unusual looking tree with an enormous trunk, where it stores lots of water.  Except for a few short months of the year, the baobab tree is leafless and appears as though its roots are sticking up in the air. 

It is known as the Tree of Life for several reasons. It can provide not only water, but food and shelter.  The tree is fire resistant and its cork-like bark can be used for making cloth and rope.  Its leaves are used as an ingredient in soups and there are claims that they have medicinal value.  The baobab fruit is edible and is very high in Vitamin C. Its fruit is called "Monkey Bread" and is described as having a velvety exterior and is about the size of a coconut.

Since it can store hundreds of liters of water, in times of drought the tree can be tapped.  Older trees are often hollowed out to provide homes for animals or humans, and some are even used as shops.  I'm rather excited to see these plantings mature and follow their progress!

Purple Geodes

These gorgeous geodes were on display in a precious stones shop here in Jeddah.

Saudi Arabia: Baboon Habitat

The native Hamadryas Baboon of Saudi Arabia resides in the mountainous areas, mostly in the southern and western regions of the country.  The below photo above shows an area between Medina and Jeddah where the baboons typically live.

I was shocked when we were driving by on the highway and saw a busload of religious pilgrims hand feeding the baboons fruit and taking photos.  The baboons are wild animals and can be very aggressive, especially when food is involved. 

The closer they came to our vehicle, the higher up our windows went!  We weren't taking any chances with the unpredictable creatures.

I'm sure the tourists got some great photos, but it was at great risk of harm to themselves, one we weren't willing to take!

Saudi Arabia - Mama and Baby Baboons

The baby baboons of Saudi Arabia are adorable and are carried around by their mothers.  The photo above shows a baby riding on his mam's back, while the baby in the photo below can be seen peeking out as it clings to mama's underbelly.  

Baboons of Saudi Arabia

The Hamadryas Baboon is native to Saudi Arabia and Yemen and some parts of Africa.  They live and thrive in the moutainous areas of the country.  Sometimes called the "sacred baboon," these baboons were revered by the ancient Egyptians and were an important part of ancient Egyptian religion.

The males are quite distinctive looking, with a long silvery mane and cape of hair that they keep neatly combed.  Females lack the silvery cape and are just covered in brown fur.  Another distinct feature of the Hamadryas Baboon is a large hairless area that is bright pink or red on their backsides where they sit. 

In today's modern world, however, these baboons can be a nuisance and a danger to people and agriculture here in this region.  They have attacked school children, spread disease, and have destroyed farms and crops.  The baboons travel in large packs, and while they appear to be cute and people love to photograph them, they are wild animals that can become aggressive.

SkyWatch: Jeddah's Beautiful Waterfront Park

Jeddah's Waterfront is one of the most popular areas of the city, attracting thousands on the weekends to enjoy being outdoors, the refreshing sea breezes, and the beauty of its natural surroundings.

The photography opportunities are endless, plus there is an ever growing abundance of restaurants to choose from if one is hungry.

At the Waterfront, there is a sense of serenity, calm and peace that washes over the soul with the gentle waves of the Red Sea.

A big "Thanks" to my friend and amazing photographer Abdullah Yahya for allowing me to share this beautiful photo for today's post.  Stay tuned for more fantastic pics from around Saudi Arabia taken by Abdullah.  Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ayaa1977

To  visit MORE friendly skies around the world, fly on over to SKYWATCH  where you’ll find beautiful skies posted by bloggers all over the world.