Hi ALL, it’s Hannah with the sixth session of exploring the point of view of the various wildlife of the world’s ecoregions!!
Good smelly-old words from my ancient, “Classics Edition of the World Atlas-Hammond 1967,” describes our next land-type as the, “Scrub: Olives, grapes, oranges and cork grow in the Mediterranean and California scrub forest regions of cool, rainy winters and hot, dry summers.”
Wikipedia says: “Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome, as defined by the World Wildlife Fund, are characterized by dry summers and rainy winters. Summers are typically hot in low-lying inland locations but can be cool near some seas, as near San Francisco, which have a sea of cool waters. Winters are typically mild to cool in low-lying locations but can be cold in inland and higher locations.
The Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub biome can be found around the world. More specifically, it occurs in the world's five Mediterranean climate zones, on the west coast of continents in the mid-latitudes:
- the Mediterranean Basin
- the Chilean Matorral
- the California chaparral and woodlands ecoregion of California and the Baja California Peninsula
- the Cape Province-Western Cape of South Africa
- the Southwest Australia corner area
Here’s a map for those who enjoy a visual of the same info.
And now for the critters!! ♥
So, you could embody “The King,” of the jungle...not Elvis!!
(Photo via Wiki under CC Lion lying down in Namibia |photographer=yaaaay)
Or....you could write from the pov of this most beloved creature.
You could bound and leap with this hectic looking Brown Hare!!
Go ahead...take to the trees and get under the scales of this guy!!
Alrighty then!!! Here’s an image list of creatures and some plants to scroll for inspiration, (remember copyright issues)!!
Also, if there’s a plant or tree-type you’d like to try-out by all means go for it!!
Link original work written for this prompt specifically please and be sure to visit the, “scrub,” of your blogging forest friends, (that’s the fun part)!!
Smiles to you all and thank you in advance for Transforming this Friday!!
25 comments:
Starting my Friday with inspiration! This one made me late for work...but it was worth it! Thanks!
Hannah, whoa...so many directions to go in! Thank you I am looking forward to this challenge ;D
I went all African, in honor of our Head Toad!
You took me back to San Francisco where I took breaks from college study to watch the hang gliders over the ocean and cliffs of Fort Funston. A free and gorgeous thrill! Thank you, Hannah.
Oh, forgot to say the tune is U2"Beautiful Day."
Well now, this prompt speaks to where my head has been this past week. I love it, Hannah!
Ah, the Cape is one of my top 5 perfect locations on Earth: the mountains rise from the ocean but the Mediterranean climate means rain in Winter, where I live it's the other way around, rain in Summer and blue skies in Winter. My brain has shut down for today, but I hope to scrape up something tomorrow.
PS. Thanks for the nod, FB.
Thanks for the great prompt, Hannah. Mine's a little bit snaky...
A really cool prompt, Hannah! I love your wildlife ones. I am totally braindead and beat today, and have no idea if I can write anything, but if a miracle should occur, I'll be back.
I've set you a bit of a challenge with my.poem - who can name this Greece based scrub dweller?
You know, maybe I'm wrong, but Hannah took the time and trouble to give us a really great challenge about the creatures and plants of the scrub, and people are writing about hang gliding and Crohn's disease, with only the loosest relevance to the topic Hannah asked for.
More and more, I'm seeing people not really follow the challenges. You guys know I'm not all about rules, but a lot of effort goes into creating these challenges for the group; can't we do better with our responses?
Shay, I'm actually glad you said that. I'm not one to put up a fuss if someone really feels drawn to write about a certain topic like it's going to be healing to them in some way or...you know if it just has to be written but I can definitely agree with you...I can say that when I respond to prompts I really try to respond to the guidelines...I'm not saying I've never loosely tied a poem to the prompt but I do try. Any way...it's all good and thank you, Shay, I do think it's worth mentioning. :)
So, I got around to writing one! It was fun...I took on a humorous tone this time!
I've really enjoyed those of you that have written today...it has made my day more entertaining to see what you all would choose to embody...bringing your unique voices to the "scrub," wildlife!!
I look forward to reading those of you that have spoken in comments here, too...I think Friday can be a hard day to respond to anything...lots of peeps by Friday, (night even by the time they get a Friday prompt), might be ready to respond to a chillaxing evening...so no worries. :)
Smiles and I'll be around to read you all soon!! :)
I must endorse the point made by both Shay and Hannah, and this is an unqualified statement as I have not had the opportunity to read the poems for this prompt as yet. Our specific prompts and challenges of Sunday, Wednesday and Friday require a certain amount of writer's discipline. The intention is not to school our members, but to push our own limits and boundaries when it comes to writing.
I am not referring specifically to this challenge or any individual response but address what could become a general trend.
We could quite easily have three Open Links a week and relieve all our contributors of the need to research and spend the time writing, selecting images and posting a challenge.
Please, let us approach these opportunities for creativity in the spirit in which they are intended.
Sorry I fell short on the POV part of this prompt, Hannah. I will try to rewrite and post for open link Monday...
Actually, I wrote my apology before reading the comments above. I always follow the prompts, but try and approach them in a unique way. THIS WAS MY FIRST TIME participating in one of Hannah's prompts, guys. If you have a problem, why don't you send me an email instead of being so rude? Why don't you just go ahead and remove my link.
I'm truly sorry that this has turned out like this...I apologize...I was trying to say that people can respond how they, "need," to...certain poems and situations need to be written and I get that, as writers we allow the poem to come to fruition if it is asking to be written...it's part of the process and the respecting of the muse...in my honest opinion and that is all I was trying to say on that part of it. The last thing I want is for anyone to feel alienated. I was agreeing with the technical aspect of it all but trying to relate what I have just stated...that there can be wiggle room for certain reasons. Agreeing and disagreeing...trying to be clear and failing...hurting people's feelings is the last thing I want to happen.
I'm really glad you participated, Laurie...I wish you'd leave your poem linked...personally it caused me to go and find out about this topic of which I knew little about and a close friend of mine has this...I thought the language you used brought the pov of the creature you chose.
I don't know what else to say but I hope that my meaning is more clear now and I hope people will continue to participate. It's really supposed to be fun and bring growth to us as writers.
It does take a bit of work, as many of us know, to get these challenges together so I respect the point that Kerry makes.
Peace in the garden~Hannah
I don't think that I, or anyone else, was rude. It's something that needed pointing out, for the benefit of the entire group.
There's "unique", and there's just not following the prompt. I said how I feel about it, and I was clear that I wasn't talking about just one person. If anyone is waiting for me to be a rubber stamp of happy sunshine, and never point out something that needs pointing out, then that's a social club, not a poetry group. I stand by what I said.
There's an appropriate way to do so Shay... such as in email. It was rude.
...especially if its a member you know wouldn't avoid a prompt on purpose.
Reading this preceding discussion reminds me that we are a group of individual poets, each with our own purpose and approach to poetry, and with our own artistic temperaments. It may be a good time to mention that we all work together with a common goal in mind, that is the improvement of our poetry and the opportunity to share it with others in a friendly environment. We have few restrictions, and certainly there is leeway for personal interpretation of any prompt, as Hannah has rightly pointed out. Having said that, a challenge is what it says it is: it challenges the poet to adhere to certain forms, themes or POVs. Aside from the time taken in setting up such a prompt the contributor also spends time reading and commenting on every linked poem on the grounds of her challenge. Let us respect that, and each other. I'm sure no offense was intended by simply sharing an opinion and it is unfortunate that it was taken. I guess, such things will happen, though, in a forum composed of passionate people.
Hey, Fireblossom! I thought you "got" my poem and your druggie comment was a funny reference to spending time on the coast. But now that I read your comment at RT, I see you didn't understand the poem. The yellow Lupines are speaking. The video reveals not only the hang gliders but the extent of the yellow Lupines--some of them untouched North and South because of the local sacrifice of the lupines which keeps other footsteps from touching them.
I added a tag to the title for you and others who do not understand that the lupines are speaking. You don't have to like it, but I hope you will read it when you get a chance.
My POV on off-prompt poems is that although they they throw me off, as long as it is not the same person doing it over and over, I would cut them some slack. I have been yelled at a couple of times--rightfully--by one of our leaders. and I apologized and we both went away happier. (I hope Laurie doesn't do anything drastic like stop participating.)
Susan, I assure you my comment at your blog WAS exactly that, and meant to be funny. If it wasn't, then you have my apology. As to the rest, I have responded to your email.
More broadly, to the group, I say "eat the meat, spit out the bones." I made an observation that I feel needed making. Agree or disagree, that's discourse, but it shouldn't cause WWIII.
Drama, drama, drama. I think we all need a group hug. I love you all and hope we can move forward with no bitterness.
I WILL be back to post here and might post on Monday link night. I have commenting to catch up on as well.
OK... Finally found some time at midnight to write to this prompt. Desperately wanted to write about the elephants and did... but my research was so dishearteningly sad... If we can't save and coexist with the majestic elephant, I just don't know how much HOPE I have for humanity's future....
Sorry, I am late. Great prompt Hannah!! I wrote more from the human standpoint, but I perhaps that is what a lion might be thinking. :)
@Jane - You have linked your poem to the incorrect prompt. Chained rhyme was on Sunday with Hedgewitch, this is Friday's prompt.
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