Remic Rapids @ Ottawa River, Ottawa, Canada

Balanced Rock Sculptures:

Another Exotic Fruit - Banana!

Banana is the most commercial fruit there is. It's very common and it's eaten all over the world in so many different varieties and here is the post of just the banana kinds in Hawaii:

This is just to tell you about the magnitude of the species. In this poster there's only bananas that are endemic to this island. Therefore, imagine how extended this genre is!

Here's a DOLE video on banana harvesting:

Another Exotic Fruit - Grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of my favorite fruits to eat fresh.
When I started my bed & breakfast in Puerto Rico, the existing building was right next to this humongous grapefruit tree. We built a balcony next to it so in the morning I would wake up and literally walk 3-4 ft and I could pick my own grapefruit right there. It was a size of a bowling ball. They were so sweet that they tasted more like oranges, rather then grapefruits. There was no bitterness at all.

The tree is still there healthy and producing and it almost looks like this.

By the way, if the fruit is really sweet and ripe, the seed inside starts germinating and growing into a small plant inside of the fruit itself. I find it a very interesting phenomenon and it looks like this.

Natural Phenomenon - Tree struck by lightning

While hiking in Gatineau Park I have noticed this tree that was hit by lightning. Straight away I knew that it was lightning that caused it. When lightning hits a tree, it splits the bark of the tree because all the energy goes in the center and it pulls it apart.

Another Exotic Fruit - "Funky-Smelling" Durian

This fruit has its special status. I've been avoiding talking about it for the longest time, because I didn't know how to approach it. It's main characteristic is a very specific smell that stinks! Wikipedia explains it as the smell that  evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust, and has been described variously as almonds, rotten onions, turpentine and gym socks. The odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia.
But the taste is incredible and worth trying! Unfortunately, in Canada it is rarely available...

More image report on Lac Phillippe, Québec

 

 

Four-month Anniversary

Today is a four-month anniversary of my blog and I wanted to share the top countries that read me the most. And they are:

1. United States
2. Canada
3. Russia
4. Germany
5. New Zealand
6. United Kingdom
7. Taiwan
8. Israel
9. Italy
10. Pakistan

And that`s according to Blogger. Whereas Google Analytics gives me a bit different story. Here`s the top list from google analytics:

1. Canada
2. United States
3. Israel
4. United Kingdom
5. Montenegro
6. Czech Republic
7. Belgium
8. Hong Kong
9. Singapore
10. Malaysia

The discrepancy is quite high. The top country is different - in the first list it`s US and in the second it`s Canada. Another thing is in both lists 5 countries are completely different. The ones that are same in both lists are Canada, US, United Kingdom, and Israel. Others are totally different. Who to trust?
This image I found online says Google... Hmmm....