Rice fields in the Sidemen Valley, with Mount Agung in the background, Bali, Indonesia
© Jon Arnold/Danita Delimon
Green fields of grain
We're looking down on the lush fields of the Sidemen Valley, sitting in the shadow of Bali's tallest mountain, Mount Agung. In May, this Indonesian province marks the end of the harvest season of a key staple—rice. Towns and villages are decorated with colorful flags, and farmers erect shrines to Dewi Sri, the rice goddess. Small handmade straw dolls depicting the goddess are left here and there in further tribute. Before 'social distancing' entered the global vocabulary, people came together to share traditional food and indulge in fun and games, like water buffalo races through the streets. This year, to be sure, the celebrations will be more subdued, more private, though the gratitude for a bountiful harvest, we suspect, will be just as deeply felt.
Related Images
Lake Dobson in Mount Field National Park of Tasmania
For International Beaver Day, a beaver swimming in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Blossoming cherry trees at a tea plantation in Longyan, China
An old farm in the Shetland Islands, Scotland
Water wheels in the Tashkurgan Grassland, Tashkurgan Tajik Autonomous County, Xinjiang, China
Circular agricultural fields in Morgan County, Colorado
Leopard snoozing in a tree in Namibia for National Napping Day
Wildflowers in bloom at Lost Dutchman State Park in Arizona
Bing Today Images
