Uploads from Axel-D, with geodata

Ripening fruit pods of the European spindle releasing its orange seeds

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:40:50 -0800

Axel-D posted a photo:

The European spindle (Euonymus europaeus), Better viewed On Black also known as the common spindle, is a deciduous shrub or small tree in the family Celastraceae, native to much of Europe, particularly in the centre, but is to be found in locations from Ireland and southern Scandinavia in the north, to northern Spain and Sicily in the south, and as far east as Lithuania. It is also to be found in Asia Minor and up to the Caucasus.

It grows to 3 to 6 m tall, rarely up to 10 m, with a stem up to 20 cm diameter. The leaves are opposite, and are lanceolate to elliptical, 3 to 8 cm long and 1-3 cm broad, with a finely serrated edge. In autumn they often show a beautiful bright red colour.

The hermaphrodite flowers are produced in late spring and are insect-pollinated; they are rather inconspicuous, small, yellowish green and grow in cymes of 3-8 together. The capsular fruit ripens in autumn, and is red to purple or pink in colour and approximately 1 to 1.5 cm wide. When ripe, the four lobes split open to reveal the orange seeds.
The fruit is poisonous, containing amongst other substances, the alkaloids theobromine and caffeine, as well as an extremely bitter terpene.
Poisonings are more common in young children, who are enticed by the brightly-coloured fruits. Ingestion can result in liver and kidney damage and even death.
The European spindle prefers the edges of forest, hedges and gentle slopes, tending to thrive on nutrient-rich, chalky and salt-poor soils.
Other names include Fusoria, Fusanum, Ananbeam, Shemshad Rasmi (Iran), Pfaffenhütchen (German).

Cultivation and uses
European Spindle wood is very hard, and can be cut to a very sharp point; it was used in the past for making spindles for spinning wool.

It is a popular ornamental plant in gardens and parks due to its bright pink or purple fruits and attractive autumn colouring, in addition to its resistance to frost and wind. It has been introduced to North America where it has become an invasive species in some areas.
From en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_spindle

After the rain

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 05:24:03 -0800

Axel-D posted a photo:

View of the Orb valley in Autumn. View On Black
Composed of 3 images (with differing exposures) tone mapped using Photomatix

Fresh Spring Morning

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Sat, 02 May 2009 09:57:30 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

Springtime in the Orb valley - Frühling im Orbtal

The forest greens

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:44:32 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

Springtime in the Spessart forest, Germany's largest coherent woodland area.
EXPLORE: Apr 27, 2009 #213

Winter sunrise

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 12:35:31 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

Winter sunrise in Bad Orb

My back garden

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Sun, 19 Dec 2010 11:07:47 -0800

Axel-D posted a photo:

Ready for a white Christmas!
Composed of 3 images tone mapped using Photomatix
View On Black

Sunset over the Kinzig dam

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 13:01:59 -0800

Axel-D posted a photo:

The Kinzig Dam (Kinzigtalsperre) was built from 1976 to 1982 to dam the Kinzig river between Bad Soden-Salmünster and Steinau near the village of Ahl. It is used for flood water regulation and for hydroelectric power generation. The catchment area of the dam is 231 km2. There is a scenic trail around the lake about 7 km long used for walking, jogging and cycling.

Winter sunrise

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 05:59:03 -0800

Axel-D posted a photo:

Winter came early this year and the weak sunshine, though very welcome, can do little to reverse it.
View On Black

Bad Orb Kurpark pond in Autumn colours

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 02:02:10 -0800

Axel-D posted a photo:

View of the Bad Orb Kurpark pond in Autumn.
Composed of 3 images tone mapped using Photomatix
View On Black

Bad Orb Kurpark in Autumn

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 05:09:43 -0800

Axel-D posted a photo:

View of the Bad Orb Kurpark in Autumn. View On Black
Composed of 3 images tone mapped using Photomatix

Cherry Blossom Time in Bad Orb

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:26:56 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

The last sunflowers of summer

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 07:43:08 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

Sunflowers in Autumn morning sunshine near Hof Sonnenberg Dairy farm

Autumn fire

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:03:44 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

Sunset near Bad Orb

How green is the valley!

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 02:41:40 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

Hirshborn ponds in the Spessart forest
EXPLORE: Apr 29, 2009 #446

A time to be born...

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:48:34 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

Newborn Highland calf in the Spring meadows near Bad Orb.
Information about the breed:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highland_cattle
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven”
EXPLORE: Apr 17, 2009 #204

Spring in the valley

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 06:28:42 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

Spring comes to the Orb river valley

Winter wonderland

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:32:13 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

Winter in the Orb river valley

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 08:32:13 -0700

Axel-D posted a photo:

View of the Reichstag in Berlin

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:18:46 -0800

Axel-D posted a photo:

The Reichstag building in Berlin is the official seat of the German parliament.

The Chancellor's Office (Chancellery) or Bundeskanzleramt

nobody@flickr.com (Axel-D) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 02:19:37 -0800

Axel-D posted a photo:

The new Chancellery building
(opened in the spring of 2001) was designed by Charlotte Frank and Axel Schultes and was built by the Spanish company Acciona from concrete and glass in an essentially postmodern style, though some elements of modernist style are evident. Occupying 12,000 square meters (129,166 square feet), it is also one of the largest government headquarters buildings in the world. By comparison, the new Chancellery building is eight times the size of the White House. Because of its distinctive but controversial architecture, journalists, tourist guides and some locals refer to the buildings as Kohllosseum (as a mix of collosseum and former chancellor Helmut Kohl under whom it was built), Waschmaschine (washing machine; because of the round-shaped windows and its cubic form), or Elefantenklo (elephant loo).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Chancellery