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The Olive Tree

At the bottom of my garden, which lies in the Axarquia region of Andalusia, is a track that leads to Lake Vinuela. At the side of this track is an Olive tree that must be hundreds of years old.

At the bottom of my garden, which lies in the Axarquia region of Andalusia, is a track that leads to Lake Vinuela. At the side of this track is an Olive tree that must be hundreds of years old. Its trunk, gnarled and twisted like an old mooring rope appears to be growing out of a huge rock. If this tree could talk, it would entertain you for hours. It was there long before the man-made lake appeared, and I suspect it will still be there when I have left this mortal coil.

This morning as I walked past the tree and bid good morning to it, as I often do, I began to think about Olive Trees in general, and the way they have lived alongside man for eons. Everything about the versatile Olive tree is useful; its fruit is enjoyed worldwide, the oil squeezed from its fruit is in almost every kitchen, and was once used to anoint kings and athletes in ancient Greece. The oil can also be burned in lamps to provide light. Its branches and leaves are a symbol of peace, yet were used to crown the victors of bloody wars. Tutankhamen had olive leaves in his tomb. The tree also gives us olive wood, the dense hardwood that’s so rich when carved and polished. How satisfying it is to handle a bowl made from Olive wood. I’ve even seen fabulous Olive wood guitars. The Olive stone is not wasted; it can be collected, and indeed is, to provide fuel for pellet fed stoves.

It is said that the Olive tree came from Asia Minor to the Mediterranean as long ago as 6,000 years. It was grown on the island of Crete in 3,000 BC. If there is an older cultivated tree in the world, I’d like to hear about it. The ancient Greeks and the Romans loved it, and as Rome grew, so did the domain of the Olive tree, in fact The Romans considered those who used animal fats instead of olive oil in their diet as barbarians. There are specimens on the Mount of Olives over 2,000 years old; what a tale they could tell. Hippocrates, the founder of medicine, considered a daily spoonful of Olive oil to be beneficial, and there are people still following his example today. Just think how many times the Olive Tree is mentioned in The Bible and The Quran.

These days, the Olive is the most extensively cultivated fruit crop in the world, with a more than 300% increase in cultivated area in the last half century. The biggest producers of Olives are the Spanish, who produce more than twice that of the Italians. Greece comes in third with Turkey fourth, closely followed by Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Portugal and Lebanon. Quite a Mediterranean influence there don’t you think?

The fruit is harvested by shaking the branches. I’ve seen this done in this area both manually and also by a machine that shakes the living daylights out of the tree, but it doesn’t seem to do it any harm. They fall into Olive nets that have been placed around the base of the tree. Usually they are taken to the local cooperative to be pressed.

So the next time you’re on holiday in the Med, sitting at the bar enjoying a Gin and Tonic with a plate of Olives, spare a thought for the worldly wise Olive Tree, and when you’re strolling through countryside with heat of the sun on your backFind Article, stop and have a word with the grand old man that is the Olive Tree.

The Olive Tree / Alan Liptrot

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Author is the founder of http://www.yourholidayrentals.com  providing worldwide holiday accommodation. The original article, along with other interesting articles can be found at http://www.yourholidayrentals.com/inspiration/

Stamp Collecting

If you think that stamp collecting merely involves the preservation of postage stamps in nicely-compiled binders, think again.

Stamp collecting is a hobby enjoyed by millions of people worldwide. However, what you may not know is that it is not just collecting of stamps, it’s more than that

It’s true that stamp collecting provides a very rewarding experience for enthusiasts all over the world. You cannot explain the excitement of getting a valuable postage stamp and watching the value of the stamp appreciate each year. It should come as no surprise that in this day and age of emails and digital distribution channels, the hobby of stamp collecting still commands a great following.

However, stamp collecting is not just a hobby. It can be more than that.

Stamp collecting can actually be a profitable venture, a hobby that can be transformed into a business, and for many entrepreneurs, a dream come true.

Welcome to the business of stamp collecting, where there are many ways to earn substantial income while enjoying the joys of one of the most wonderful and fulfilling pastimes in the world.

The Game Of Speculation

The number one way by which a stamp collector can earn some income from his hobby is, of course, by buying and selling postage stamps.

Similar to an investment or trading model, a stamp collect is to sell the stamps at the high price when everyone is looking for it, but keep them when they are not. It’s a matter of pinpointing which of the postage stamps currently in circulation have the best chances of rising in value. When there is an appreciation of the value of the stamps, that is where the collector can sell them for a profit.

Speculative stamp collecting is an investment model that requires a small financial investment – currently circulated stamps cost less than $0.50 each – yet yields significant earnings as a normally-priced stamp today can cost as much as $40 in a matter of 2 or 3 years.

Philatelic Investing

Philatelic investing is similar to simple stamp inventing in so far as they both involve the buying and selling of postage stamps. However, whereas the latter is about speculating on currently circulated postage stamps, the former is all about the purchase and eventual disposition of postage stamps that already command significant prices.

Philatelic investing often involves thematic stamp collecting. Philatelic investors usually concentrate on specific types of postage stamps, as the variety of published stamps may be too overwhelming for any businessman in this field.

Philatelic investing requires more diligence. Unlike simple stamp speculation where investments can be bought for mere cents, the subjects of philatelic investing cost hundreds of dollars, and sometimes, thousands of dollar even. Hence, a critical study of market forces, postal history and other relevant information is necessary in order to make sound investments that have the greatest chances of garnering fantastic profit.

Philatelic Brokering

Some people who are deeply involved with this hobby think that speculative postage stamp collecting is not as high-yielding as they’d like to fancy. However, philatelic investing requires too much monetary investment, which places it out of their reach.

The next best way to capitalize on the prevailing passion for postage stamps is through philatelic brokering.

Philatelic brokering involves offering one’s services to find the postage stamps that particular collectors are looking for. It involves the usage of one’s knowledge about postage stamps and about postal history as well as the industry to provide for the needs of other collectors… for a fee of course.

For example, someone could be looking for 1800s British stamp of a Queen Victoria. Let say if you where to get that stamp for $850, you can contact the collector. Ask for $1,000 for the said stamp, which will immediately net a profit of $150 for a single transaction.

Stamp Collecting / Joseph Then

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Find out more about stamp collecing today! It’s a fun hobby and it can have the possibility of bring in money! Check out my website for more information ==> http://www.stampcollectinghobby.net

Photography For Beginners: Depth of Field.

Depth of field is one of the toughest aspects for new photographers to master. Andrew Goodall takes a quick look at three ways of adjusting your depth of field for photos with impact.

Depth of field is perhaps the most difficult aspect of photography for a new beginner. It is well worth perservering, because when you understand how to control your depth of field, you can truly transform the impact of your photography.

Even when you break it down to the simplest terms, the relationship between aperture and depth of field can seem confusing. Whenever I teach a class, or try to explain the manual settings on a friend’s camera, this is the always topic we have to go over again and again. The good news is that with practice and concentration, the aperture/depth of field relationship will finally ‘click’ for you. The bad news is, there is more to understanding depth of field than just using your aperture.

But let’s get back to basics. What is depth of field?

In simple terms, the depth of field is the area behind and in front of your main point of focus, that is also acceptably in focus. So if you focus on a subject one metre away, you might look at your photo and find that everything from 0.9 to 1.2 metres is in focus. In this case, your depth of field is 0.3 metres (30 centimetres).

The very first thing a new photographer learns about depth of field is that it is controlled by the aperture on your lens. Very simply, a smaller aperture creates a larger depth of field, and a larger aperture creates a narrower depth of field. So if we go back to our previous example, let’s say the 30cm depth of field was captured with an aperture of F-8. You could narrow the depth of field considerably by adjusting the aperture to F-2.8, a much wider setting.

Sound confusing? It is hard to explain it any more simply, especially without showing you photos as examples. If this is your first time working with depth of field, don’t worry. Go outside right now and take some shots just as I have described, and you should be able to see the results right away.

So if it is that simple, why do so many people struggle with depth of field? As I wrote earlier, there is more to depth of field than just the aperture.

Depth of field is also affected by how close the subject appears in your photo. That means either how close you are to the subject, or how much you magnify or reduce the subject using different sized lenses.

The closer you are to your subject, or the closer you make the subject appear by zooming in with your lens, the smaller the depth of field becomes. Let’s say you are photographing a person five metres away. At this distance, a standard or wide-angle lens will not only show a lot of background, but the wide depth of field could make the background quite distracting. However, if you walk much closer to the subject and re-focus, the depth of field will become much smaller. As a result, the well-focused person will stand out clearly from a blurry background. You can maximize the effect by opening the aperture to its widest setting.

Now imagine your subject is posing in front of a beautiful waterfall. If you stand close to the subject and photograph them with a wide aperture, you could get a great shot of the person but the waterfall will be an out of focus blur. You could improve the situation slightly by closing the aperture a few stops. However, the most effective way to improve the depth of field is to stand a few metres further back, and/or zoom back to a wider angle with your lens. Not only will more background be visible, it will also be sharper (thanks to the increased depth of field) than if you adjusted the aperture alone.

So there you have a quick look at not one, but three factors than can make it easier to master depth of field; aperture, distance from the subject, and the size of the lens. This really is a topic that needs to be illustrated with a few photos, but hey – you have a digital camera. Why not go and try out these ideas at the next opportunity? You can see the results immediately, and of course with a digital camera it won’t cost you anything but a little time. With practice and patience, you will get a ‘feel’ for depth of field, and how to use it to improve your photography.

Photography For Beginners: Depth of Field. / Andrew Goodall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aperture, shutter speed, depth of field, composition…they are all explained and illustrated in Andrew Goodall’s expertly written ebook “Photography In Plain English” Find it at http://www.naturesimage.com.au/page/25/default.asp . When you visit the website, don’t forget to subscribe to the free online newsletter for even more photography tips.

Holidays In Mauritius- An Exotic Experience For All

Specialist options available by various holiday helpers

Holidays in Mauritius are a great option for all. Mauritius is one place that is an ideal destination for an unforgettable family vacation as well as honeymooners.

The splendid white sand beaches are awe-inspiring. The sugarcane plantation which is lush green offers a beautiful sight. The varied bird life and picturesque mountains add to the charm of this holiday destination.

Mauritius is well known for the water sports it offers to people. Thrilling and white knuckle water sports are offered all around Mauritius. Underwater submarine rides, wind surfing, sea kayaking and scuba diving are a few of the adventure sports you can try your hands at. A rare view of marine life also awaits you with all this excitement.

Holidays in Mauritius should be well planned as there is lot to be explored there. For golf lovers it is an ideal destination. Almost all country clubs and hotels provide golf courses. The climate also supports the ideal golf holiday.

For people who want to enjoy the pleasure of a sunbath, the beaches of Mauritius are also ideal. To make your holidays in Mauritius luxurious you must try the spas. You can pamper yourself with spa treatments at any of the hotels you choose to stay in. Professionals are hired by these hotels to assist the therapy. The hydrotherapy and soothing massage would completely rejuvenate you.

Mauritius car hire is a good option to economize on the cost of traveling and help you explore. You can hire the car and can take it anywhere. For taking the car on hire however you need to have a valid driving license with you. This also gives freedom from looking out for the transports facilities available.

You can look out for rentals available in Mauritius. It is an excellent option for accommodation. They offer total privacy, and are well equipped with all the basic and luxurious amenities. Rentals are generally located near the beaches. They offer splendid view of the white sand beaches which are meticulously clean. Rentals generally have a fully equipped kitchen. They provide the comfort equivalent to your home. Or you can look out for resorts or hotels. They offer all sorts of facilities to the customers. One can enjoy swimming, spas, golf, and clubs and all in the resort itself.

Mauritius has something to cater to the demands of people of all age groups. Night clubs, barsFind Article, shopping malls and casinos are there to entertain people of all ages and mindsets. These things make the trip to Mauritius lovely for just about anyone.

For honeymoon couples Mauritius is a perfect location. It is very beautiful and beaches and the picturesque view makes it romantic. Also a new craze with people has been seen. Many couples wish to arrange their wedding at the sizzling beaches of Mauritius. This adds freshness and uniqueness to their ceremony.

All these things together surely make holidays in Mauritius an unforgettable experience and easily put it within the top ten holiday destinations in the world.

Holidays In Mauritius- An Exotic Experience For All / Dawn Smith

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Find more great destinations and savings on air fares and accomodation at Destination Holiday Helper. Tips and advice to cover all of your holiday needs.

Natal Horoscopes Vs. Magazine horoscopes

Do you know what the difference between the Natal Horoscope and the Magazine Horoscope?

Normally people tend to open their favorite magazine, and read their Horoscope sign. But what you read will always be short and very general, because it has to fit a lot of people. I quit like these Magazine Horoscopes, but I very rarely pay them extra attention. There is absolutely nothing wrong in magazine horoscopes or in reading them, but one must remember how general they really are.

A Natal Horoscope is the precise horoscope which fits one’s individual. This is done through the calculations of people’s birth place and date. But to be even more precise an astrologer has to have the persons Time of birth, which adds another layer to their horoscope. I had a teacher once who explained it in such a lovely way:

“You should see your horoscope as a layered cake, each layer has its own content, and so does astrology.” So adding the time of birth will give a deeper insight to your being. Natal Horoscopes can actually be pretty long, but many contain the same content in more than one place, this is because it is computer made, and not handled afterwards by an astrologer. Yet another misconception to this field, many believe that the computer version is valid, which it is for an astrologer in themselves. But the real person /astrologer can something which no computer can; we are able to read more than two connections between planets, the computer only has the ‘basis’ of the calculation system, and in many cases a short description to each combination. Everything else has to be handled by the astrologer, who uses all their humane capability to interpretive a person’s individual chart. And they will also fill all the pagesArticle Search, but with no repetitions.

2008 By Karima Lachtane http://historyofastrology.blogspot.com/

Natal Horoscopes Vs. Magazine horoscopes / Karima Lachtane

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Karima is a new upcoming writer,she is of the Chleuh tribe (North Africa) and Danish people, Karima call herself for a Zebra.
The Tribal people that call themselves Chleuh’s (one of the old Berber tribes) are mistakenly referred to as Moroccans. Karima has written an article about this, which was published online by Dana Literary Society – in April month.