Good Planets 10/28

Here's what our beautiful planet looks like, as seen by the good people who sent us these photos.

Rowan saw the sunrise in South Africa.

and of this countryside she wrote:

Photographed a month or so ago on a beautiful September day. It's a small farm tucked into a fold of the hills with the typical patchwork effect of the English countryside. Not majestic or breathtaking but timeless - if I had passed that way 200 years ago it would have looked pretty much the same.

Kirsten saw this banana tree in SW Tanzania, she wrote:

these are special bananas in SW Tanzania - this species is Semelparous (reproduces then dies)...so these bananas still have seeds!

Kim J saw these stunning views at the Pinnacles in California

TaraDharma saw this view from the Santa Cruz hills looking down to the foggy coast-

and the ubiquitous "pride of Madera"

Delia saw the sun peeking through in Spring Hills, PA

Evan saw a delicate orchid in Virginia

and Tree saw this lovely orchid in Ohio.

Carolyn saw this first frost in Lewisberry Pennsylvania

Kim T saw the red rock country in Arches National Park, Utah.

and the Big Sur coast in California

Paul saw Agua Caliente Park in Arizona

Kirsten also saw these Red Fronted Macaws, she wrote:

...this photo was taken in Bolivia near Toro toro. This species is endangered (only ~200 left), and my student and I were working with local farmers to encourage conservation of this species.

Tree saw this magnificent butterfly

Delia saw the sun shine on the bunny's ears in Spring Hills, PA

Dawn saw this egret in flight in Newport, Oregon

Dawn also watched this gray whale breach the Pacific off the Oregon coast

Susannah saw this lone sparrow on a branch

and a heron hunting

This Snowy Owl saw Dave smiling and enjoyed it very much!

We'd like to thank all of the contributors who have helped us make Good Planets so much fun to do. This is our last weekend hosting for a while. Pam of Tortoise Trail will be doing Good Planets on Saturdays in November (please send your photos to her tortoisetrail at gmail dot com), and Divajood of Journeys with Jood will take it up in December. I hope you will all continue to photograph the beautiful earth and send pics to these Good Planets hosts.

Our friend Tara sent us this Lord Byron quote that we think is an appropriate way to sign of for now--

There is pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is rapture in the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and the music is its roar.
I love not man the less, but nature more.

Thanks everyone!