Nice About Pet Animals photos

Check out these about pet animals images:

cockattel floor kitches colored

Image by johnisart
The background sucked, so I learned more about editing with Paint Shop Pro.

Cocoa Portrait

Image by K. W. Sanders
About one month ago, we almost lost our baby. She had gotten sick from a rare toxin that is sometimes found on grain or corn. This was one of those times. Luckily, it was caught in time and she will be able to see her seventh birthday.

about to jump

Image by marco_ask
Zoo Salzburg Hellbrunn
Salisburgo

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Nice About Animals photos

A few nice about animals images I found:

Darby_Mar 2010 054

Image by Donnaphoto
About 16 weeks here...Australian Cattle Dog/Husky Mix. Adopted from PetCo 1/30/20

Darby_Mar 2010 050

Image by Donnaphoto
About 16 weeks here...Australian Cattle Dog/Husky Mix. Adopted from PetCo 1/30/20

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Nice About Pet Animals photos

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Oliver Staring into Space

Image by Mr. T in DC
Oliver's been very affectionate lately. On my wife's flexday, he spend much of the time curled up next to her on the couch, or sitting in her lap. I hope his heart murmur is nothing to worry about, and not a sign of HCM or CHF. I guess we'll find out when he sees the cardiologist on the 28th.

Ideal Company

Image by valeehill
Lizzie is usually nearby. It's hard for her not to be close by since she won't go upstairs or into the kitchen or into the bathroom or...

Read about Lizzie here.

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Cool All About Animals images

Check out these all about animals images:

K-9 Officer, Koda ...item 3.. Shootout Claims Life of K-9 -- “Koda” was a fearless and loyal partner. (Feb 01, 2013) ...item 4.. No Dog is "Just a Dog" ...item 5.. RIP KODA: Memorial Service in Honor of Slain K-9 Officer (Feb 08, 2013) ...

Image by marsmet501
Cespedes was wanted on 3 charges, 1st degree attempted murder, battery, and discharging a firearm at a vehicle, and now he will add, amongst other charges, murder of the K-9 dog, which is considered murder of an officer.
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.......*****All images are copyrighted by their respective authors ........
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img code photo ... LCSO, KODA 2007-2013

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.....item 1).... BREAKING: Wanted Criminal Shoots and Kills LCSO K-9 Officer Koda in Police Standoff | RIP ...

The Tallahassee O ... tallahasseeo.com ...

Exposing Tallahassee Government And Corporate Corruption

February 1, 2013 ... Cop Reviews, Crimes, Government Officials, Law Enforcement

Posted: Thu 10:04 PM, Jan 31, 2013

Reporter: Jason Kahn Email

Updated: Fri 12:19 AM, Feb 01, 2013 | WCTV.Tv

BREAKING: Wanted Criminal Shoots and Kills K-9 Officer in Police Standoff [Slide Show]

tallahasseeo.com/2013/02/01/breaking-wanted-criminal-shoo...

Tallahassee, FL – According to police, at approximately 8:42pm this evening, officers attempted to stop a driver who was being pursued for attempted 1st degree murder, one of three charges.

After the pursuit was initiated, Carlos Manuel Cespedes, a Hispanic 31 year old male, failed to stop for police. Cespedes eventually pulled off on the side of the road on Magnolia Drive.

Cespedes then exited the vehicle and opened fire on the officers, fatally shooting a K-9 officer.

Police opened fire on Cespedes and he is now being treated at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital; the extent of his injuries are unknown at this time.

Cespedes was wanted on 3 charges, 1st degree attempted murder, battery, and discharging a firearm at a vehicle, and now he will add, amongst other charges, murder of the K-9 dog, which is considered murder of an officer.

According to Leon County Sheriff’s Office, there has been a shooting in the area of Seminole Drive and Magnolia.

WCTV has a reporter on the way, and will bring you updates as they become available.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Breaking: Shooting on Seminole Drive

Please Click Here To Watch Video From WTXL.Com

Posted: Thursday, January 31, 2013 11:14 pm | Updated: 11:45 pm, Thu Jan 31, 2013.

By: Ty Wilson | WTXL.Com

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL)– A shoot out between deputies and a man wanted for attempted murder happened Thursday night on Seminole Drive and Magnolia. According to the Leon County Sheriff’s Office deputies spotted Carlos Manuel Cespedes who is wanted for attempted murder, at N. Monroe and Fred George St. The deputies tried to stop him but he led them on a chase ending at Seminole Drive and Magnolia.

Deputies say Cespedes got out of the vehicle and began firing at them. Cespedes allegedly shot and killed the K-9 dog named Koda. Deputies returned fire and hit him. Cespedes has been taken to a local hospital.

No human deputies were injured.

Stay tuned for more information.
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....item 2).... Wanted Criminal Shoots and Kills K-9 Officer in Police Standoff [SLIDE SHOW] ...

WCTV News .... www.wctv.tv/home ... Coverage You Can Count On! ...

Posted: Thu 10:04 PM, Jan 31, 2013 ... Reporter: Jason Kahn Email
Updated: Fri 9:12 AM, Feb 01, 2013 ...

www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/BREAKING-Shooting-at-Seminole-...

Tallahassee, FL - According to police, at approximately 8:42pm this evening, officers attempted to stop a driver who was being pursued for attempted 1st degree murder, one of three charges.

After the pursuit was initiated, Carlos Manuel Cespedes, a Hispanic 31 year old male, failed to stop for police. Cespedes eventually pulled off on the side of the road on Magnolia Drive.

Cespedes then exited the vehicle and opened fire on the officers, fatally shooting a K-9 officer, Koda.

Police opened fire on Cespedes and he is now being treated at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital; the extent of his injuries are unknown at this time.

Cespedes was wanted on 3 charges, 1st degree attempted murder, battery, and discharging a firearm at a vehicle, and now he will add, amongst other charges, murder of the K-9 dog, which is considered murder of an officer.

According to Leon County Sheriff's Office, there has been a shooting in the area of Seminole Drive and Magnolia.

WCTV has a reporter on the way, and will bring you updates as they become available.
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img code photo ... K-9 Officer, Koda

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img code photo ... Carlos Manuel Cespedes, --- Carlos Manuel Cespedes mugshot

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.....item 3).... Shootout Claims Life of K-9 [SLIDE SHOW] ... WCTV News ... www.wctv.tv/home

... Coverage You Can Count On! ...

Posted: Fri 7:17 PM, Feb 01, 2013 ... Reporter: Jason Kahn; Julie Montanaro Email ...
Updated: Sat 1:36 AM, Feb 02, 2013

www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/BREAKING-Shooting-at-Seminole-...

... K-9 Koda Killed in Line of Duty 2-1 6pm
... K-9 Officer Killed in Standoff 2-1 Noon
... Standoff Ends in Fatal Shooting of K-9 Officer 1-31 11pm

UPDATED
By Julie Montanaro
February 1, 2013

A wanted man's run from the law ended with a shot to the head in his family's front yard.

Leon County deputies opened fire when they say the man pointed a gun at them and then shot and killed a K-9 named Koda.

The wanted man, Carlos Cespedes, survived.

Carlos Cespedes and deputies exchanged gunfire right near the corner of Magnolia Drive and Seminole Drive.

You can still see neon paint marking the spot.

Deputies say it was the end to a lights and sirens pursuit that started clear across town near Lake Jackson.

"We heard seven or eight gunshots and then about 30 seconds later, we heard some police sirens and the next thing we knew we were surrounded by police cars," neighbor Helen King said.

Cespedes was wanted for attempted murder. Tallahassee Police reports say he was wanted for shooting a man on Stuckey Avenue earlier the same day in an argument over a woman.

LCSO spotted Cespedes at a convenience store on North Monroe Street at about 8:45 Thursday night and when he refused to stop, they gave chase.

An LCSO spokesman says when Cespedes got to his mother's house on Seminole Drive, he got out with a gun in his hand.

When deputies let loose a K-9 named Koda to chase him down, Cespedes started firing, deputies.

"Koda was directly in that line of fire and Koda was ultimately shot and killed," LT James McQuaig said, " both deputies fired mulitple shots and the suspect was hit in the head."

The two deputies who fired on Cespedes - Ron McMullen and Tyler Epstein - are now on administrative leave with pay pending an internal affairs investigation.

The flag at LCSO is at half staff, black wreaths hang on the door and flowers continue to arrive for McMullen's partner ... a highly trained k-9 with five years on the force.

"We have lost a very valuable part of our team and deputy McMullen has lost a five and a half year partner that's been with him day for day for over five years," McQuaig said.

At last check, Cespedes was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries.

Deputies say when Cespedes is released from the hospital, he'll face a long list of charges including a felony for shooting and killing a police dog. That alone is punishable by up to five years in prison.

By: Julie Montanaro

New details have emerged in a shooting that claimed the life of a K-9 last night.

According to the Leon County Sheriff's Office, the shooting occurred in the front yard of the suspect's mother's home.

Carlos Cespedes was wanted for the shooting and attempted murder of another man on Stuckey Avenue earlier the same day.

Tallahassee Police reports indicate that shooting was during an argument over a woman.

Leon County Sheriff's Office Release

At approximately 8:42 p.m. on January 31, 2013 the Leon County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop Carlos Manuel Cespedes, 31, near the intersection of North Monroe Street and Fred George Road.

Deputies received information that Cespedes was in the area and had outstanding warrants for Attempted 1st degree Murder, Aggravated Battery with a Deadly Weapon and Discharging a Firearm from a Vehicle.

When deputies attempted to stop Cespedes, he fled in a silver Pontiac Vibe. Deputies pursued Cespedes to the area of 2115 Seminole Drive where he drove through the yard, exited the vehicle with a firearm and began firing at the deputies.

K-9 Deputy Ron McMullen deployed his partner “Koda” as he and other deputies attempted to apprehend Cespedes. The suspect fired multiple shots at the deputies, shooting “Koda.” Deputies McMullen and Tyler Epstein fired multiple shots in return, striking Cespedes in the head.

Deputies transported “Koda” to a local animal hospital where he died from a single gunshot wound. “Koda” was a 5 ½ year old male German shepherd who served with the Leon County Sheriff’s Office since 2008.

Sheriff Larry Campbell stated, “Last night the Leon County Sheriff's Office lost a valuable member of the agency. LCSO K-9 "Koda" was killed while protecting his partner, Deputy McMullen and other deputies from an armed violent fugitive. “Koda” was a fearless and loyal partner. He was trained to serve and protect and that is exactly what he did.”

Deputies McMullen and Epstein were placed on Administrative Leave with pay, pending the completion of an internal investigation per LCSO policy.

Cespedes was taken to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Room where he is being treated for injuries sustained during this incident. Upon his release, he will be transported to the Leon County Jail.

By: Julie Montanaro

Tallahassee, FL -A wanted man shot and killed a K-9 officer in Tallahassee late last night and deputies responded with gunfire.

At least two deputies shot the suspect; we are still not sure the extent of his injuries.

In the wake of last night's events, WCTV visited the Leon County Sheriff's Office. The flag is at half staff there and there are black wreaths on the front door, all for Koda, the 51/2 year old officer dog shot and killed last night.

Deputies were out all night working at the scene - taking photos, doing interviews and gathering evidence.

The man, Carlos Cespedes, was wanted for attempted murder and more. When deputies tried to pull him over last night, he took off, and they followed him all the way to the corner of Magnolia and Seminole Drive.

Deputies say when Cespedes got out of the car, he had a gun in his hand and opened fire, not only on the charging dog, but on the deputies too.

Cespedes killed the dog, and at least two deputies opened fire.

Cespedes was shot repeatedly and taken to Tallahassee Memorial, but neither the hospital nor the sheriff's office is releasing any information about his condition right now.

31 year old Carlos Cespedes. He is 31 had a warrant for his arrest out of TPD for attempted murder, aggravated battery and discharging a firearm.

WCTV checked his rap sheet, and according to court records, he's been arrested five times since 2008, including arrests for drug possession, concealed weapons charges, domestic battery and resisting arrest.

Those court records also show he was just in court January 3rd and was sentenced to probation and community service.

By: Jason Kahn

Tallahassee, FL - According to police, at approximately 8:42pm this evening, officers attempted to stop a driver who was being pursued for attempted 1st degree murder, one of three charges.

After the pursuit was initiated, Carlos Manuel Cespedes, a Hispanic 31 year old male, failed to stop for police. Cespedes eventually pulled off on the side of the road on Magnolia Drive.

Cespedes then exited the vehicle and opened fire on the officers, fatally shooting a K-9 officer, Koda.

Police opened fire on Cespedes and he is now being treated at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital; the extent of his injuries are unknown at this time.

Cespedes was wanted on 3 charges, 1st degree attempted murder, battery, and discharging a firearm at a vehicle, and now he will add, amongst other charges, murder of the K-9 dog, which is considered murder of an officer.

According to Leon County Sheriff's Office, there has been a shooting in the area of Seminole Drive and Magnolia.

WCTV has a reporter on the way, and will bring you updates as they become available.
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img code photo ... LCSO, KODA 2007-2013

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.....item 4).... youtube video ... No Dog is "Just a Dog" ... 2:52 minutes ...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVdp_lyEmJQ

DogsandSmallPaws

Published on Jan 4, 2013

"No dog is "just a dog" just like your not "just a human."
This dog couldn't of made me happier, he has showed me more than anyone else could. This dog isn't "Just a dog" and I know that. He is my partner, my defender, my friend, my family. I love him so much words couldn't describe. You and me, Hank. Forever & Always.

Category
Pets & Animals

License
Standard YouTube License
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.....item 5).... RIP KODA: Memorial Service in Honor of Slain K-9 Officer [SLIDE SHOW] ... WCTV News ...

www.wctv.tv/home ... Coverage You Can Count On! ...

Posted: Fri 1:13 PM, Feb 08, 2013 ... Reporter: Julie Montanaro Email ...
Updated: Fri 8:15 PM, Feb 08, 2013 ...

www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/RIP-KODA-Memorial-Service-in-H...

UPDATED
By Julie Montanaro
February 8, 2013

A K-9 shot and killed in the line of duty was remembered today with law enforcement's highest honor.

Koda was shot by a wanted man in Tallahassee last week. Today k-9 teams from all over the state came to pay their respects.

Ronn McMullen fought back tears as the sheriff handed him law enforcement's highest award ... the medal of honor ... for his k-9 partner Koda.

The 5 year old German Shepherd was shot and killed January 31st as he lunged toward a fleeing suspect with a gun in his hand.

"This is the first time we as an agency lost one of our dogs in this type of incident, so our emotions are really all over the board," said LCSO
K-9 STG Brian Pearson. "It's hard. At our last night of training Monday night. not having them there just wasn't the same. We really miss him as our partner too."

More than 500 people and dozens of canine teams from across the state came to Tallahassee to pay respects to Koda. One even made the trip from Ft. Myers.

"We lost a dog in a similar situation a couple of years ago and we had a lot of support from other handlers in the community so I just wanted to give that back." said SGT Ezra Padgham with the Ft. Myers police.

Koda's ashes are now in an urn etched with paw prints and the words "Guardian of the Night. Last Watch 1-31-13" The urn and pictures of Koda graced a table in front of the room.

A video montage of pictures flashed on the big screen as Keith Urban's song "For You" asked "Would I give my life? Could I make that sacrifice?"

A room full of tough guys collectively caught their breath when the sheriff handed McMullen a folded American flag and afterward a long line of people took turns offering McMullen a hand shake or a hug.

One veteran handler whispered on his way out the door, we're just all so grateful that Koda took that bullet and Ronn and the other deputy in the line of fire that night were spared.

The man who shot Koda is still hospitalized. The deputies returned fire that night and shot him in the head. Carlos Cespedes was initially wanted for attempted murder. Now when he's released from the hospital, he'll be facing many more charges.

Tallahassee, FL - A memorial for a Leon County Sheriff's Office K-9 killed in the line of duty took place today, February 8, 2013.

Koda was killed January 31st while protecting his partner, Deputy Ron Mcmullen and other deputies from an armed violent fugitive.

To honor Koda, there will be a memorial service today at 1:00 pm at the Tallahassee Automobile Museum in Tallahassee.
This service is open to the public.

We'll bring you complete coverage of the event tonight on eyewitness news.

Leon County Sheriff's Office Release

On January 31, 2013 LCSO K-9 “Koda” was killed while protecting his partner, Deputy Ron McMullen and other deputies from an armed violent fugitive.

“Koda” was fearless and brave, and because he gave his all that night, those deputies are alive and well. We all feel a debt of deep gratitude to “Koda” for his service and his sacrifice will never be forgotten.

To honor “Koda,” there will be a memorial service on Friday, February 8, 2013, at 1:00 p.m.

The service will take place at the Tallahassee Automobile and Collectibles Museum, 6800 Mahan Drive, Tallahassee, FL 32308.
The museum is located near I-10, exit 209A.

This service is open to the public.

Related Stories
Man Kills K-9 Officer, Shot in Front Yard by Police [SLIDE SHOW]

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Cutia / Common agouti

Image by Marcio Cabral de Moura
O Jardim Botânico de Curitiba ou Jardim Botânico Francisca Maria Garfunkel Richbieter é um dos principais pontos turísticos da cidade de Curitiba, capital do estado brasileiro de Paraná. Localiza-se no bairro Jardim Botânico. Em 2007 foi o monumento mais votado numa eleição para escolha das Sete Maravilhas do Brasil, promovido pelo site Mapa-Mundi.

Inaugurado em 5 de outubro de 1991, o jardim contém inúmeros exemplares vegetais do Brasil e de outros países, espalhados por alamedas e estufas de ferro e vidro, a principal delas inspirada no Palácio de Cristal de Londres.

O projeto é do arquiteto Abrão Assad, que também planejou o Museu Botânico, com auditório, centro de pesquisas, espaço para biblioteca especializada e sala de exposições temporárias e permanentes. Atualmente o Museu Botânico de Curitiba tem o quarto maior herbário do país.

Atrás dessa estufa está situado o Espaço Cultural Frans Krajberg, com a exposição permanente "A Revolta", de obras do artista polonês naturalizado brasileiro Frans Krajcberg. O nome "A Revolta" expressa o sentimento do artista com relação à destruição sem limites provocada pelo homem nas florestas brasileiras. Nessa galeria estão expostas 110 obras de grande porte, todas elas feitas a partir de restos de árvores queimadas ou derrubadas de forma ilegal. Há também exposição de fotos tiradas pelo próprio escultor, venda de livros relacionados ao artista e a possibilidade de visitas monitoradas. A principal finalidade do espaço é, de acordo com Krajcberg, a conscientização ambiental.

Todo o Jardim Botânico possui uma área total de 278 mil metros quadrados, incluindo o bosque com mata atlântica preservada. Localiza-se na rua Ostoja Roguski (Primeira Perimetral dos Bairros) - Bairro Jardim Botânico.
Wikipédia

A cutia (Dasyprocta aguti) (também conhecida como cotia) é um mamífero roedor, da família Dasiproctidae, gênero Dasyprocta, de pequeno porte, medindo entre 49 e 64 cm. Sete espécies de cutias habitam o território brasileiro.

As cutias têm apenas vestígio de cauda, extremidades anteriores bem mais curtas que as posteriores, e pés compridos com cinco dedos, sendo três desenvolvidos, com unhas cortantes equivalentes a pequenos cascos, e o quinto dedo muito reduzido. Herbívoras, as cutias se alimentam de sementes e frutos. Costumam fazer uma coleta cuidadosa na época de abundância para utilização em épocas de escassez. Sua coloração é variável entre as espécies.

A sua pelagem apresenta um efeito especial, aparentando ser dourada. Cada pelo possui zonas de várias cores, desde branco a castanho escuro. Este efeito de zonagem, comum em muitos outros animais tais como o lobo-cinzento, é causado por uma substância chamada eumelanina, que, durante o crescimento do pelo, é produzida de forma intermitente, dando origem a esse efeito. Por esta razão é usada a designação aguti para referir genericamente este efeito na pelagem dos animais.
Wikipédia

The Jardim Botânico de Curitiba, in Portuguese, or the Botanical Garden of Curitiba, in English, is also known as the "Jardim Botânico Fanchette Rischbieter". This is a park located in the city of Curitiba, the capital of the state of Paraná, and the biggest city in southern Brazil. It is the major tourist attraction of the city, and it houses part of the campus of the Federal University of Paraná. The international identification code is CURIT.

Opened in 1991, Curitiba's trademark botanical garden was created in the style of French gardens. Once the portal of entry, may be seen extensive gardens in the French style in the midst of fountains, waterfalls and lakes, and the main greenhouse of 458 square meters, which shelters in its interior, copies plants characteristic of tropical regions. It rolls out its carpet of flowers to the visitors right at the entrance. This occupies 240.000 m² in area. The principal greenhouse, in an art nouveau style with a modern metallic structure, resembles the the mid-19th century Crystal Palace in London. The Botanic Museum, which provides a national reference collection of native flora, attracts researchers from all over the world. It includes many botanic species from the moist Atlantic Forests of eastern Brazil.

The native forest is filled with paths for strolling. Behind the greenhouse is the Museum of Franz Krajcberg, the Polish Brazilian artist who took up the cause of environmental conservation; with 1,320 square meters of area, divided into multimedia classrooms, an auditorium with 60 seats and lounge with several exhibitions of works donated by visual artist, represented by sculptures and reliefs, as well as photographs, videos, publications and educational materials.

In the other side is the Botanical Museum, a wooden building which entrance using a bridge made of wood also. Actually, the Botanical Museum of Curitiba has the fourth largest herbarium in the country. In front of the construction there is a pond with carp, turtles, teal, herons, etc, and offers a lake, an auditorium, a library, an expositions area, a theatre, tennis courts and a cycle track.
Wikipedia

The popular term (common) agouti designates several rodent species of the genus Dasyprocta that inhabit areas of Central America, the West Indies and northern South America. They are related to guinea pigs and look quite similar, but with longer legs. The species vary in color from tawny to dark brown with lighter underparts. Their body is covered with course hair which is raise when alarmed. They are about 20 in. in length with a short hairless tail.

Confusingly, the related pacas were placed by some authorities in a genus called Agouti, though Cuniculus has priority and is the correct term (Woods and Kilpatrick, 2005).

Agoutis have five front and three hind toes; the first toe is very small. The tail is very short or non-existent and hairless. The molar teeth have cylindrical crowns, with several islands and a single lateral fold of enamel. Agoutis may grow to be up to 60 cm in length and 4 kg in weight. Most species have a brown back and a whitish or buffy belly; the fur may have a glossy appearance and then glimmers in an orange colour. Reports differ as to whether they are diurnal or nocturnal animals.[1] In the wild they are shy animals and flee from humans, while in captivity they may become trusting.

Agoutis are found in forest and wooded areas in Central and Southern America. Their habitat includes rainforests, savannas and, nowadays, cultivated fields, depending on the species. They conceal themselves at night in hollow tree-trunks or in burrows among roots. Active and graceful in their movements, their pace is either a kind of trot or a series of springs following one another so rapidly as to look like a gallop. They take readily to water, in which they swim well.

When feeding, agoutis sit on their hind legs and hold food between their forepaws. They may gather in groups of up to 100 to feed. [1] They eat fallen fruit, leaves and roots although they may sometimes climb trees to eat green fruit. They will hoard food in small buried stores. In a pinch, they have also been seen eating the eggs of ground-nesting birds and even shellfish on the seashore. Sometimes they can cause damage to sugarcane and banana plantations. They are regarded as the only species that can open Brazil nuts without tools, mainly thanks to their strength and exceptionally sharp teeth.

Agoutis give birth to litters of two to four young after a gestation period of three months. Some species have two litters a year in May and October while others breed year round. Young are born into burrows lined with leaves, roots and hair. They are well developed at birth and may be up and eating within an hour. Fathers are barred from the nest while the young are very small. They can live for as long as twenty years, a remarkably long time for a rodent.
<a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_agouti

The Illusive Mr and Mrs Wallaby!

Image by Jeanette's Ozpix
I knew there were wallabies about, after sighting their calling cards in the morning. So I was hunting for them all day.

Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus)

Eventually we spotted two on our bushwalk. A few of us had parted company from the rest of the campers who had gone back to camp for a swim. We explorers stayed behind.

On closer inspection by one of our expedition, he noticed that momma had a baby in the pouch. But they weren't in for family shots that day, and she hopped away before I could get a good shot. :-(

Read more »

Palin in Ohio: “It’s not about negativity, it’s about truthfulness.” Then why not TRUTHFULLY answer questions about your experience and knowledge, and you and your husband’s associations with the AIP?

Check out these animal jobs images:

Palin in Ohio: “It’s not about negativity, it’s about truthfulness.” Then why not TRUTHFULLY answer questions about your experience and knowledge, and you and your husband’s associations with the AIP?

Image by elycefeliz
McCain has said, "We don't have time for on-the-job training, my friends."

While he aimed that statement at Obama, it could also apply to Palin -- who has virtually no foreign policy experience or experience with issues on a national scale.

Steve Benen at Political Animal sums up the nonsense nicely:

“If only she and her team had the confidence to endure a question or two, the media coverage would have worked to the campaign's advantage. But, no. McCain's team doesn't trust Palin, and can't take the risk of another embarrassment.”

blackstarnews.com/?c=125&a=4979
By Robert F. Kennedy Jr

In 2004, America's malleable mainstream media allowed itself to be manipulated by artful Republican operatives into devoting weeks of broadcast attention and drums of ink to unfairly desecrating John Kerry's genuine Vietnam heroics while obligingly muzzling serious discussion of George W. Bush's shameful wartime record of evasion and cowardice. Last week found the American media once again boarding Republican swift boats against this season's Democratic candidate armed with unfair and hypocritical attacks artfully designed by GOP strategists to distract attention from the cataclysmic outcomes of Republican governance.

Vice Presidential hopeful Sarah Palin has taken to faulting Senator Barack Obama for his casual acquaintance with a respected Illinois educator Bill Ayers, who forty years ago was a member of the Weathermen, a movement active when Obama was eight and which he has denounced as "detestable." Palin argues that the relationship proves that Obama sees "America as being so imperfect that he is palling around with terrorists who would target their own country."

. . . But if McCarthy-era guilt-by-association is once again a valid political consideration, Palin, it would seem, has more to lose than Obama. Palin, it could be argued, following her own logic, thinks so little of America's perfection that she continues to "pal around" with a man--her husband, actually--who only recently terminated his seven-year membership in the Alaskan Independence Party. Putting plunder above patriotism, the members of this treasonous cabal aim to break our country into pieces and walk away with Alaska's rich federal oil fields and one-fifth of America's land base--an area three-fourths the size of the Civil War Confederacy.


AIP's charter commits the party "to the ultimate independence of Alaska," from the United States which it refers to as "the colonial bureaucracy in Washington." It proclaims Alaska's 1959 induction as a state "as illegal and in violation of the United Nations charter and international law." AIP's creation was inspired by the rabidly violent anti-Americanism of its founding father Joe Vogler, "I'm an Alaskan, not an American," reads a favorite Vogler quote on AIP's current website, "I've got no use for America or her damned institutions." According to Vogler AIP's central purpose was to drive Alaska's secession from the United States. Alaska, says current Chairwoman Lynette Clark, "should be an independent nation."

Vogler was murdered in 1993 during an illegal sale of plastic explosives that went bad. The prior year, he had renounced his allegiance to the United States explaining that, "The fires of hell are frozen glaciers compared to my hatred for the American government." He cursed the stars and stripes, promising, "I won't be buried under their damned flag...when Alaska is an independent nation they can bring my bones home."

Palin has never denounced Vogler or his detestable anti-Americanism.

Palin's husband Todd remained an AIP party member from 1995 to 2002. Sarah can be described in McCarthy-era palaver as a "fellow traveler." While retaining her Republican registration, she attended the AIP's 1994 convention where the party called for a draft constitution to secede from the United States and create an independent nation of Alaska. The McCain Campaign has reluctantly acknowledged that she also attended AIP's 2000 Convention. She apparently found the experience so inspiring that she agreed to give a keynote address at the AIP's 2006 convention and she recorded a video greeting for this year's 2008 convention.

In other words, this is not something that happened when she was eight!

So when Palin accuses Barack of "not seeing the same America as you and me," maybe she is referring to an America without Alaska. In any case, isn't it time the media start giving equal time to Palin's buddy list of anti-American bombers and other radical associates?

abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/Politics/story?id=6067150&...


pa_n_136044.html">www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/20/mccains-robocalls-have-...
One of the more noteworthy responses to John McCain's massive robocall campaign tying Barack Obama to Bill Ayers has been from parents whose children have been on the receiving end of the incendiary calls. Many have contacted the Huffngton Post detailing concerns that their kids were being told, in essence, that the possible next president of the United States associates with terrorist figures.

"My daughter answered the phone today and began listening to the most disturbing call regarding bombing and terrorists. She ran with the phone to get me, I heard just the end snippet of the call and immediately called the number cited as responsible," wrote a reader from North Carolina. "I was so angry and let them have it. I had to explain to my 7-year-old daughter that no one was bombing anyone else. This was a horrific experience."

www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8z40-XoIPc

www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/10/12/davis/

HA0259-036

Image by Highways Agency
Autumn in Birmingham.

Sardonic grin

Image by dalvenjah
I need to do a better job identifying animals...

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Somebody see's you!

Image by ucumari
When I got to the zoo yesterday, I heard splashing and knew Willy was in the water! I rushed down to his underwater exhibit to grab a few shots. Willy splashed around (mainly in the sun's reflection) for about 5 minutes. He played a quick game of "Peek-a-boo" with me before climbing out! It is always a treat when you see him in the water, no matter how long!

Resting Panda Bear

Image by Carl_C
No worries about nuclear proliferation....No concerns about rising high prices of gasoline or real estate....No anxieties about Monday workdays....Not a care or concern.

It is a jam-packed day to focus on getting ample rest on that favorite rock, staying warm, and staring at the strange creatures with the weird flashes.

Location: Washington Zoo, Washington DC

Set: Animal Life

Little Green Frog

Image by Old Shoe Woman
seen hopping on the side of our house while we were sitting outside because our power had been off for 6 hours. It is about 2 inches in length.

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20070819-20 - rejected kitten - IMG_3256 - kitten in the cat house

Image by Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL)
This coward loved the cat house more than just about every other cat ever.

BACKSTORY: Dave & Lacey brought over a kitten for Clint & Carolyn to try out. This poor kitten did not fit into our family. He was terrified of Clint, somewhat scared of Carolyn, and basically was ONLY interested in hiding behind piles of clutter large enough that human beings can't get to him. Completely anti-social and a nervous wreck. So 2 days later, we gave the kitten back to Dave & Lacey, as Lacey had stated we could if we didn't like it. He ultimately found a new home with other animals and kids and we hear the kitten was much happier and doing well. And he's probably still alive, too, which is more than we can say for poor little Beavis. Dave & Lacey's kid nicknamed the kitten Runny, because he kept running away, but he did eventually get a real name. We never found out what it was, and it doesn't really matter. Look at his feet shaking! This guy was an intellectual wimp.He had no place in our household. We require strong cats.

Runny the cat, cat house.

August 19, 2007.


... Read my blog at ClintJCL.wordpress.com



For a video of Runny The Cat's feet trembling like a nervous wreck for no reason at all, go here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5jRZT5Ar_o

Desert Cowscape

Image by Kiesha Jean
♥ My pictures come from my life so they all have great meaning to me. ::: CLICK HERE ::: to learn more about my life adventure.

♥ Shop 7ft photo wall prints by Kiesha Jean on Etsy

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Bryce Canyon National Park, southwestern Utah

Image by james_gordon_losangeles
Bryce Canyon National Park is a national park located in southwestern Utah in the United States. The major feature of the park is Bryce Canyon, which despite its name, is not a canyon but a collection of giant natural amphitheaters along the eastern side of the Paunsaugunt Plateau. Bryce is distinctive due to geological structures called hoodoos, formed by frost weathering and stream erosion of the river and lake bed sedimentary rocks. The red, orange, and white colors of the rocks provide spectacular views for park visitors. Bryce sits at a much higher elevation than nearby Zion National Park. The rim at Bryce varies from 8,000 to 9,000 feet (2,400 to 2,700 m).

The Bryce Canyon area was settled by Mormon pioneers in the 1850s and was named after Ebenezer Bryce, who homesteaded in the area in 1874. The area around Bryce Canyon became a National Monument in 1923 and was designated as a National Park in 1928. The park covers 35,835 acres (55.99 sq mi; 145.02 km2) and receives relatively few visitors compared to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon, largely due to its remote location.

Geography and climate
Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southwestern Utah about 50 miles (80 km) northeast of and 1,000 feet (300 m) higher than Zion National Park. The weather in Bryce Canyon is therefore cooler, and the park receives more precipitation: a total of 15 to 18 inches (38 to 46 cm) per year.
Yearly temperatures vary from an average minimum of 9 °F (−13 °C) in January to an average maximum of 83 °F (28 °C) in July, but extreme temperatures can range from −30 °F to 97 °F (−34 °C to 36 °C). The record high temperature in the park was 98 °F (37 °C) on July 14, 2002. The record low temperature was −28 °F (−33 °C) on December 10, 1972.

The national park lies within the Colorado Plateau geographic province of North America and straddles the southeastern edge of the Paunsagunt Plateau west of the Paunsagunt Fault (Paunsagunt is Paiute for "home of the beaver").[9] Park visitors arrive from the plateau part of the park and look over the plateau's edge toward a valley containing the fault and the Paria River just beyond it (Paria is Paiute for "muddy or elk water"). The edge of the Kaiparowits Plateau bounds the opposite side of the valley.

Bryce PointBryce Canyon was not formed from erosion initiated from a central stream, meaning it technically is not a canyon. Instead headward erosion has excavated large amphitheater-shaped features in the Cenozoic-aged rocks of the Paunsagunt Plateau. This erosion exposed delicate and colorful pinnacles called hoodoos that are up to 200 feet (61 m) high. A series of amphitheaters extends more than 20 miles (32 km) north-to-south within the park. The largest is Bryce Amphitheater, which is 12 miles (19 km) long, 3 miles (4.8 km) wide and 800 feet (240 m) deep. A nearby example of amphitheaters with hoodoos in the same formation but at a higher elevation, is in Cedar Breaks National Monument, which is 25 miles (40 km) to the west on the Markagunt Plateau.

Rainbow Point, the highest part of the park at 9,105 feet (2,775 m), is at the end of the 18-mile (29 km) scenic drive. From there, Aquarius Plateau, Bryce Amphitheater, the Henry Mountains, the Vermilion Cliffs and the White Cliffs can be seen. Yellow Creek, where it exits the park in the north-east section, is the lowest part of the park at 6,620 feet (2,020 m).

[edit] Human history[edit] Native American habitationLittle is known about early human habitation in the Bryce Canyon area. Archaeological surveys of Bryce Canyon National Park and the Paunsaugunt Plateau show that people have been in the area for at least 10,000 years. Basketmaker Anasazi artifacts several thousand years old have been found south of the park. Other artifacts from the Pueblo-period Anasazi and the Fremont culture (up to the mid-12th century) have also been found.

The Paiute Indians moved into the surrounding valleys and plateaus in the area around the same time that the other cultures left. These Native Americans hunted and gathered for most of their food, but also supplemented their diet with some cultivated products. The Paiute in the area developed a mythology surrounding the hoodoos (pinnacles) in Bryce Canyon. They believed that hoodoos were the Legend People whom the trickster Coyote turned to stone. At least one older Paiute said his culture called the hoodoos Anka-ku-was-a-wits, which is Paiute for "red painted faces".

European American exploration and settlementIt was not until the late 18th and the early 19th century that the first European Americans explored the remote and hard-to-reach area. Mormon scouts visited the area in the 1850s to gauge its potential for agricultural development, use for grazing, and settlement.


Ebenezer Bryce and his family lived in Bryce Canyon, in this cabin, here photographed c. 1881.The first major scientific expedition to the area was led by U.S. Army Major John Wesley Powell in 1872. Powell, along with a team of mapmakers and geologists, surveyed the Sevier and Virgin River area as part of a larger survey of the Colorado Plateaus. His mapmakers kept many of the Paiute place names.

Small groups of Mormon pioneers followed and attempted to settle east of Bryce Canyon along the Paria River. In 1873, the Kanarra Cattle Company started to use the area for cattle grazing.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent Scottish immigrant Ebenezer Bryce and his wife Mary to settle land in the Paria Valley because they thought his carpentry skills would be useful in the area. The Bryce family chose to live right below Bryce Canyon Amphitheater. Bryce grazed his cattle inside what are now park borders, and reputedly thought that the amphitheaters were a "helluva place to lose a cow." He also built a road to the plateau to retrieve firewood and timber, and a canal to irrigate his crops and water his animals. Other settlers soon started to call the unusual place "Bryce's canyon", which was later formalized into Bryce Canyon.

A combination of drought, overgrazing and flooding eventually drove the remaining Paiutes from the area and prompted the settlers to attempt construction of a water diversion channel from the Sevier River drainage. When that effort failed, most of the settlers, including the Bryce family, left the area.
Bryce moved his family to Arizona in 1880. The remaining settlers dug a 10 miles (16 km) ditch from the Sevier's east fork into Tropic Valley.

Creation of the park
Bryce Canyon Lodge was built between 1924 and 1925 from local materials.These scenic areas were first described for the public in magazine articles published by Union Pacific and Santa Fe railroads in 1916. People like Forest Supervisor J. W. Humphrey promoted the scenic wonders of Bryce Canyon's amphitheaters, and by 1918 nationally distributed articles also helped to spark interest. However, poor access to the remote area and the lack of accommodations kept visitation to a bare minimum.

Ruby Syrett, Harold Bowman and the Perry brothers later built modest lodging, and set up "touring services" in the area. Syrett later served as the first postmaster of Bryce Canyon. Visitation steadily increased, and by the early 1920s the Union Pacific Railroad became interested in expanding rail service into southwestern Utah to accommodate more tourists.

In 1928 the canyon became a National Park. It now has this visitors' center.At the same time, conservationists became alarmed by the damage overgrazing and logging on the plateau, along with unregulated visitation, were having on the fragile features of Bryce Canyon. A movement to have the area protected was soon started, and National Park Service Director Stephen Mather responded by proposing that Bryce Canyon be made into a state park. The governor of Utah and the Utah Legislature, however, lobbied for national protection of the area. Mather relented and sent his recommendation to President Warren G. Harding, who on June 8, 1923 declared Bryce Canyon National Monument into existence.

A road was built the same year on the plateau to provide easy access to outlooks over the amphitheaters. From 1924 to 1925, Bryce Canyon Lodge was built from local timber and stone.

Members of U.S. Congress started work in 1924 on upgrading Bryce Canyon's protection status from a U.S. National Monument to a National Park in order to establish Utah National Park.
A process led by the Utah Parks Company for transferring ownership of private and state-held land in the monument to the federal government started in 1923. The last of the land in the proposed park's borders was sold to the federal government four years later, and on February 25, 1928, the renamed Bryce Canyon National Park was established.

In 1931, President Herbert Hoover annexed an adjoining area south of the park, and in 1942 an additional 635 acres (2.57 km2) was added.[11] This brought the park's total area to the current figure of 35,835 acres (145.02 km2). Rim Road, the scenic drive that is still used today, was completed in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Administration of the park was conducted from neighboring Zion Canyon National Park until 1956, when Bryce Canyon's first superintendent started work.

More recent history
The USS Bryce Canyon was named for the park and served as a supply and repair ship in the U.S. Pacific Fleet from September 15, 1950, to June 30, 1981.

Bryce Canyon Natural History Association (BCNHA) was established in 1961. It runs the bookstore inside the park visitor center and is a non-profit organization created to aid the interpretive, educational and scientific activities of the National Park Service at Bryce Canyon National Park. A portion of the profits from all bookstore sales are donated to public land units.

Responding to increased visitation and traffic congestion, the National Park Service implemented a voluntary, summer-only, in-park shuttle system in June 2000. In 2004, reconstruction began on the aging and inadequate road system in the park.

Geology of the Bryce Canyon area

Erosion of sedimentary rocks has created natural arches.
Thor's Hammer.The Bryce Canyon area shows a record of deposition that spans from the last part of the Cretaceous period and the first half of the Cenozoic era. The ancient depositional environment of the region around what is now the park varied. The Dakota Sandstone and the Tropic Shale were deposited in the warm, shallow waters of the advancing and retreating Cretaceous Seaway (outcrops of these rocks are found just outside park borders). The colorful Claron Formation, from which the park's delicate hoodoos are carved, was laid down as sediments in a system of cool streams and lakes that existed from 63 to about 40 million years ago (from the Paleocene to the Eocene epochs). Different sediment types were laid down as the lakes deepened and became shallow and as the shoreline and river deltas migrated.

Several other formations were also created but were mostly eroded away following two major periods of uplift. The Laramide orogeny affected the entire western part of what would become North America starting about 70 million to 50 million years ago. This event helped to build the Rocky Mountains and in the process closed the Cretaceous Seaway. The Straight Cliffs, Wahweap, and Kaiparowits formations were victims of this uplift. The Colorado Plateaus were uplifted 16 million years ago and were segmented into different plateaus, each separated from its neighbors by faults and each having its own uplift rate. The Boat Mesa Conglomerate and the Sevier River Formation were removed by erosion following this uplift.

Vertical joints were created by this uplift, which were eventually (and still are) preferentially eroded. The easily eroded Pink Cliffs of the Claron Formation responded by forming freestanding pinnacles in badlands called hoodoos, while the more resistant White Cliffs formed monoliths. The brown, pink and red colors are from hematite (iron oxide; Fe2O3); the yellows from limonite (FeO(OH)·nH2O); and the purples are from pyrolusite (MnO2). Also created were arches, natural bridges, walls, and windows. Hoodoos are composed of soft sedimentary rock and are topped by a piece of harder, less easily eroded stone that protects the column from the elements. Bryce Canyon has one of the highest concentrations of hoodoos of any place on Earth.

The formations exposed in the area of the park are part of the Grand Staircase. The oldest members of this supersequence of rock units are exposed in the Grand Canyon, the intermediate ones in Zion National Park, and its youngest parts are laid bare in Bryce Canyon area. A small amount of overlap occurs in and around each park.

Biology
Mule deer are the most common large animals found in the park.More than 400 native plant species live in the park. There are three life zones in the park based on elevation: The lowest areas of the park are dominated by dwarf forests of pinyon pine and juniper with manzanita, serviceberry, and antelope bitterbrush in between. Aspen, cottonwood, Water Birch, and Willow grow along streams. Ponderosa Pine forests cover the mid-elevations with Blue Spruce and Douglas-fir in water-rich areas and manzanita and bitterbrush as underbrush. Douglas-fir and White Fir, along with Aspen and Engelmann Spruce, make up the forests on the Paunsaugunt Plateau. The harshest areas have Limber Pine and ancient Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, some more than 1,600 years old, holding on.


Bryce Canyon has extensive fir forests.The forests and meadows of Bryce Canyon provide the habitat to support diverse animal life, from birds and small mammals to foxes and occasional bobcats, mountain lions, and black bears. Mule deer are the most common large mammals in the park. Elk and pronghorn, which have been reintroduced nearby, sometimes venture into the park.

Bryce Canyon National Park forms part of the habitat of three wildlife species that are listed under the Endangered Species Act: the Utah Prairie Dog, the California Condor, and the Southwestern Willow Flycatcher. The Utah Prairie Dog is a threatened species that was reintroduced to the park for conservation, and the largest protected population is found within the park's boundaries.

About 170 species of birds visit the park each year, including swifts and swallows. Most species migrate to warmer regions in winter, although jays, ravens, nuthatches, eagles, and owls stay. In winter, the mule deer, mountain lion, and coyotes migrate to lower elevations.
Ground squirrels and marmots pass the winter in hibernation.

Eleven species of reptiles and four species of amphibians have been found at in the park. Reptiles include the Great Basin Rattlesnake, Short-horned Lizard, Side-blotched Lizard, Striped Whipsnake, and the Tiger Salamander.

Also in the park are the black, lumpy, very slow-growing colonies of cryptobiotic soil, which are a mix of lichens, algae, fungi, and cyanobacteria. Together these organisms slow erosion, add nitrogen to soil, and help it to retain moisture.

While humans have greatly reduced the amount of habitat that is available to wildlife in most parts of the United States, the relative scarcity of water in southern Utah restricts human development and helps account for the region's greatly enhanced diversity of wildlife.

Activities
There are marked trails for hiking, for which snowshoes are required in winter.
Navajo Trail. Trees are Pseudotsuga menziesii and Pinus ponderosa.Most park visitors sightsee using the scenic drive, which provides access to 13 viewpoints over the amphitheaters. Bryce Canyon has eight marked and maintained hiking trails that can be hiked in less than a day (round trip time, trailhead): Mossy Cave (one hour, State Route 12 northwest of Tropic), Rim Trail (5–6 hours, anywhere on rim), Bristlecone Loop (one hour, Rainbow Point), and Queens Garden (1–2 hours, Sunrise Point) are easy to moderate hikes. Navajo Loop (1–2 hours, Sunset Point) and Tower Bridge (2–3 hours, north of Sunrise Point) are moderate hikes. Fairyland Loop (4–5 hours, Fairyland Point) and Peekaboo Loop (3–4 hours, Bryce Point) are strenuous hikes. Several of these trails intersect, allowing hikers to combine routes for more challenging hikes.

The park also has two trails designated for overnight hiking: the 9-mile (14 km) Riggs Spring Loop Trail and the 23-mile (37 km) Under-the-Rim Trail. Both require a backcountry camping permit. In total there are 50 miles (80 km) of trails in the park.


Horse riding is available in the park from April through October.More than 10 miles (16 km) of marked but ungroomed skiing trails are available off of Fairyland, Paria, and Rim trails in the park. Twenty miles (32 km) of connecting groomed ski trails are in nearby Dixie National Forest and Ruby's Inn.

The air in the area is so clear that on most days from Yovimpa and Rainbow points, Navajo Mountain and the Kaibab Plateau can be seen 90 miles (140 km) away in Arizona. On extremely clear days, the Black Mesas of eastern Arizona and western New Mexico can be seen some 160 miles (260 km) away.

The park also has a 7.4 magnitude night sky, making it one of the darkest in North America. Stargazers can therefore see 7,500 stars with the naked eye, while in most places fewer than 2,000 can be seen due to light pollution (in many large cities only a few dozen can be seen). Park rangers host public stargazing events and evening programs on astronomy, nocturnal animals, and night sky protection. The Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival, typically held in June, attracts thousands of visitors. In honor of this astronomy festival, Asteroid 49272 was named after the national park.

There are two campgrounds in the park, North Campground and Sunset Campground. Loop A in North Campground is open year-round. Additional loops and Sunset Campground are open from late spring to early autumn. The 114-room Bryce Canyon Lodge is another way to overnight in the park.

A favorite activity of most visitors is landscape photography. With Bryce Canyon's high altitude and clean air, the sunrise and sunset photographs can be spectacular.

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20101009 1718 - Museum Of Sex - Genital Morphology display - IMG_2287

Image by Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL)
"Genital Morphology

There is no one 'right' shape for a penis or for a vulva--among people and [among] the animal kingdom. Few, if any, structures so more variation than the [genitals].

The great variation in the size, shape, and color of genitals makes them useful in taxonomy--the study of classification, which helps us to identify species.

However, genitalia is not always the best tool of differentiating males from females of the same species. For instance, male and female whales externally look almost identical, as the penis is protected by the genital slit when not being used, and the testes remain in the body cavity instead of descending.

In the spotted hyena, females have a full replica of the male external genital structure, and in some primate species, such as the wooly monkey, spider monkey, and bush babies, the clitoris of females is the same size or larger than the male penis.

Genitalia have both internal and external components. Biologists refer to the tubes and pipes for carrying and storing sperm and eggs found inside the body as 'internal genitals', and the tubes and pipes outside the body cavity as 'external genitals.'

These building blocks are rearranged in other mammal species, and in many people too, into what is called intersex. All in all, great variation occurs in the structure of external genitals among mammals, both within and cross species."

Genital Morphology display, argentine lake duck, banana slug, barnacle, genitals, longtailed duck, mallard duck, penis, vagina.

Museum Of Sex, museum, Manhattan, New York City, New York.

October 9, 2010.


... Read my blog at ClintJCL.wordpress.com



BACKSTORY: We were only scheduled to be in town for about 26 hours. And that included *two* sleeps. Combined with the SubGenius devival we were going to later that day, we really didn't have much time to do anything. We woke up, walked around Chinatown, ate, and then headed to the Museum Of Sex to see what oddities it had to offer. Then we went straight to the SubGenius Devival in Astoria afterward.

Happy Tails: Lucy

Image by LollypopFarm
I adopted LaVern about a month ago. As promised, here are a few pictures of her :) She is doing very well and has transitioned quite successfully. We named her Lucy and I don't think she has stopped playing since she stepped out into our apartment. She is eating well, drinking lots of water, and enjoying the room to run around. She is very curious. She has attempted more than once to conquer the string that hangs from the ceiling fan. She loves our attention, which we love to give her, she is quite spoiled. We brought her along to NH to see my family for Christmas and she was surprisingly good the whole time. She didn't get sick and she loved meeting her aunts and uncles and grammy and grampy. (My mother calls Lucy her "grandcat".)

All in all, she's doing great! I love her very much and can't wait to come home to her every day. <3

Lydia

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Desert Ecology Trail, Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 4

Image by Ken Lund
Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.

www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2002 was 143 square miles (91,327 acres) (370 km²) of which 111 square miles (289 km²) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

The Rincon Mountain District is located at the eastern edge of Tucson, Arizona; the east side of the park was the original National Monument. What is unique about this park is that it starts off in the Sonoran Desert and gradually gives way to a montane coniferous forest of the Rincon Mountains. The highest peak in this range is Mica Mountain, at an elevation of 8,666 feet (2641 m). While this side of the park has fewer Saguaros than its counterpart they remain larger in size, due to higher amounts of rainfall and run off from the Rincon Mountains.

The key feature of this district is its 8.3-mile (13.4 km) loop, which connects its two picnic areas and central trails. Recently after a lengthy road improvement project, and refurbishment of the Visitor Center, the Rincon District is fully open once more.

Hiking on this side of the park is readily accessible to visitors. There are trail heads present at the east end of Speedway and Broadway, but these trail heads are commonly used by horses and get heavy usage on the weekends. Off the park's loop road there are several additional trail heads. Each Visitor Center will supply a map of hiking trails on request.

And at the southern boundary of the park is the Hope Camp Trails which are also commonly used for horses. Access to the Hope Camp Trails is found at the end of Camino Loma Alta, however the road is no longer paved for the last couple hundred yards. This section of the park was added in 1991 when Congress authroized the purchase of 4,011 acres (16.23 km2).

The East Unit is open to camping, but camping is confined to backcountry sites, the shortest hike to one is 5.9 miles (9.5 km) to Douglas Springs Campground. Fees for campsites are .00 a night. While there are not spots for RV’s overnight in the park, Colossal Cave Mountain Park which is ten miles (16 km) down Old Spanish Trail from the park can provide such space.

Be aware that dogs are allowed on the trails, but must be on a leash at all times. Bicycles are confined to the loop road and the Cactus Forest Trail.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

The Sonoran Desert (sometimes called the Gila Desert after the Gila River or the Low Desert in opposition to the higher Mojave Desert) is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, with an area of 311,000 km² (120,000 mi²). The desert contains a variety of unique plants and animals, such as the saguaro cactus. On January 17, 2001, 2,008 km² (496,337 acres) of the Sonoran Desert was set aside as the Sonoran Desert National Monument for the purpose of enhancing resource protection.[1]

The Sonoran Desert wraps around the northern end of the Gulf of California, from northeastern Baja California through southeastern California and southwestern Arizona to western Sonora. It is bounded on the west by the Peninsular Ranges, which separate it from the California chaparral and woodlands and Baja California desert ecoregions of the Pacific slope. To the north, the Sonoran Desert transitions to the cold-winter Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau deserts. To the east, the deserts transition to the coniferous Arizona Mountains forests and Sierra Madre Occidental forests at higher elevations. The Sonoran-Sinaloan transition subtropical dry forest marks the transition from the Sonoran Desert to the tropical dry forests of Sinaloa.

The desert's sub-regions include the Colorado Desert and Yuma Desert. In the 1957 publication, Vegetation of the Sonoran Desert, Forrest Shreve divided the Sonoran Desert into seven regions according to characteristic vegetation: Lower Colorado Valley, Arizona Upland, Plains of Sonora, Foothills of Sonora, Central Gulf Coast, Vizcaino Region, and Magdalena Region. (see An Overview of the Sonoran Desert, external link below). Many ecologists now consider Shreve's Vizcaino and Magdalena regions, which lie on the western side of the Baja California Peninsula, to be a separate ecoregion, the Baja California desert.

The Sonoran Desert includes 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, 100+ reptile species, 30 native fish species, and more than 2000 native plant species. The Sonoran Desert area southwest of Tucson and near the Mexican border is vital habitat for the only population of Jaguars living within the United States.

Many plants not only survive the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert, but they actually thrive. Many have evolved to have specialized adaptations to the desert climate. The Sonoran Desert's biseasonal rainfall pattern results in more plant species than in the other North America deserts. The Sonoran Desert includes such plants from the agave family, palm family, cactus family, legume family, and many others.


Sonoran Desert near Tucson, AZ in DecemberThe Sonoran is the only place in the world where the famous saguaro cactus grows in the wild. Cholla, beavertail, hedgehog, fishhook, prickly pear, night blooming cereus, and organ pipe are other species of cactus found here. Cactus provide food and homes to many desert mammals and birds, with showy flowers in reds, pinks, yellows, and whites blooming most commonly from late March through June, depending on the species and seasonal temperatures.

Creosote bush and bur sage dominate valley floors. Indigo bush, Mormon tea, and mesquite are other shrubs that may be found. Wildflowers include desert sand verbena, desert sunflower, and evening primroses. Ascending from the valley up bajadas, various subtrees such as palo verde, ironwood, desert willow, and crucifixion thorn are common, as well as multi-stemmed ocotillo. Shrubs found at higher elevations include whitethorn acacia, fairy duster, and jojoba. In the desert subdivisions found on Baja California, cardon cactus, elephant tree, and boojum tree occur.[2] the California Fan Palm is also found in parts of the Sonoran Desert including areas of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park.[3]

The Sonoran Desert is home to seventeen aboriginal American cultures[citation needed].

The largest city in the Sonoran Desert is Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., with a 2006 metropolitan population of about 4.2 million. [4] This metropolitan area in central Arizona is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. In the North Phoenix area, desert is losing ground to development at a rate of approximately 4,000 m2 (1 acre ) per hour.[5] The next largest cities are Tucson, in southern Arizona, U.S.A., with a metro area population of around 1 million,[4] and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, whose municipality also has a population of around 900,000. The municipality of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico has a population of around 700,000.[6][7]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoran_Desert

Desert Ecology Trail, Cactus Forest Drive, Saguaro National Park 8

Image by Ken Lund
Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the modern City of Tucson.

www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm

Saguaro National Park, located in the state of Arizona, is part of the United States national park system.

Saguaro National Park is divided into two sections, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. Total area in 2002 was 143 square miles (91,327 acres) (370 km²) of which 111 square miles (289 km²) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each section. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into either section. Both sections conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel cactus, cholla cactus, and prickly pear, are also abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.

The park was established as Saguaro National Monument on March 1, 1933, and changed to a national park on October 14, 1994.

Facilities in the park include 150 miles (240 km) of well marked and maintained hiking trails, and shorter walking trails with interpretative information available. Hiking is not advisable during the hot summer months.

The Rincon Mountain District is located at the eastern edge of Tucson, Arizona; the east side of the park was the original National Monument. What is unique about this park is that it starts off in the Sonoran Desert and gradually gives way to a montane coniferous forest of the Rincon Mountains. The highest peak in this range is Mica Mountain, at an elevation of 8,666 feet (2641 m). While this side of the park has fewer Saguaros than its counterpart they remain larger in size, due to higher amounts of rainfall and run off from the Rincon Mountains.

The key feature of this district is its 8.3-mile (13.4 km) loop, which connects its two picnic areas and central trails. Recently after a lengthy road improvement project, and refurbishment of the Visitor Center, the Rincon District is fully open once more.

Hiking on this side of the park is readily accessible to visitors. There are trail heads present at the east end of Speedway and Broadway, but these trail heads are commonly used by horses and get heavy usage on the weekends. Off the park's loop road there are several additional trail heads. Each Visitor Center will supply a map of hiking trails on request.

And at the southern boundary of the park is the Hope Camp Trails which are also commonly used for horses. Access to the Hope Camp Trails is found at the end of Camino Loma Alta, however the road is no longer paved for the last couple hundred yards. This section of the park was added in 1991 when Congress authroized the purchase of 4,011 acres (16.23 km2).

The East Unit is open to camping, but camping is confined to backcountry sites, the shortest hike to one is 5.9 miles (9.5 km) to Douglas Springs Campground. Fees for campsites are .00 a night. While there are not spots for RV’s overnight in the park, Colossal Cave Mountain Park which is ten miles (16 km) down Old Spanish Trail from the park can provide such space.

Be aware that dogs are allowed on the trails, but must be on a leash at all times. Bicycles are confined to the loop road and the Cactus Forest Trail.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro_National_Park

The Sonoran Desert (sometimes called the Gila Desert after the Gila River or the Low Desert in opposition to the higher Mojave Desert) is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the northwest Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, with an area of 311,000 km² (120,000 mi²). The desert contains a variety of unique plants and animals, such as the saguaro cactus. On January 17, 2001, 2,008 km² (496,337 acres) of the Sonoran Desert was set aside as the Sonoran Desert National Monument for the purpose of enhancing resource protection.[1]

The Sonoran Desert wraps around the northern end of the Gulf of California, from northeastern Baja California through southeastern California and southwestern Arizona to western Sonora. It is bounded on the west by the Peninsular Ranges, which separate it from the California chaparral and woodlands and Baja California desert ecoregions of the Pacific slope. To the north, the Sonoran Desert transitions to the cold-winter Mojave, Great Basin, and Colorado Plateau deserts. To the east, the deserts transition to the coniferous Arizona Mountains forests and Sierra Madre Occidental forests at higher elevations. The Sonoran-Sinaloan transition subtropical dry forest marks the transition from the Sonoran Desert to the tropical dry forests of Sinaloa.

The desert's sub-regions include the Colorado Desert and Yuma Desert. In the 1957 publication, Vegetation of the Sonoran Desert, Forrest Shreve divided the Sonoran Desert into seven regions according to characteristic vegetation: Lower Colorado Valley, Arizona Upland, Plains of Sonora, Foothills of Sonora, Central Gulf Coast, Vizcaino Region, and Magdalena Region. (see An Overview of the Sonoran Desert, external link below). Many ecologists now consider Shreve's Vizcaino and Magdalena regions, which lie on the western side of the Baja California Peninsula, to be a separate ecoregion, the Baja California desert.

The Sonoran Desert includes 60 mammal species, 350 bird species, 20 amphibian species, 100+ reptile species, 30 native fish species, and more than 2000 native plant species. The Sonoran Desert area southwest of Tucson and near the Mexican border is vital habitat for the only population of Jaguars living within the United States.

Many plants not only survive the harsh conditions of the Sonoran Desert, but they actually thrive. Many have evolved to have specialized adaptations to the desert climate. The Sonoran Desert's biseasonal rainfall pattern results in more plant species than in the other North America deserts. The Sonoran Desert includes such plants from the agave family, palm family, cactus family, legume family, and many others.


Sonoran Desert near Tucson, AZ in DecemberThe Sonoran is the only place in the world where the famous saguaro cactus grows in the wild. Cholla, beavertail, hedgehog, fishhook, prickly pear, night blooming cereus, and organ pipe are other species of cactus found here. Cactus provide food and homes to many desert mammals and birds, with showy flowers in reds, pinks, yellows, and whites blooming most commonly from late March through June, depending on the species and seasonal temperatures.

Creosote bush and bur sage dominate valley floors. Indigo bush, Mormon tea, and mesquite are other shrubs that may be found. Wildflowers include desert sand verbena, desert sunflower, and evening primroses. Ascending from the valley up bajadas, various subtrees such as palo verde, ironwood, desert willow, and crucifixion thorn are common, as well as multi-stemmed ocotillo. Shrubs found at higher elevations include whitethorn acacia, fairy duster, and jojoba. In the desert subdivisions found on Baja California, cardon cactus, elephant tree, and boojum tree occur.[2] the California Fan Palm is also found in parts of the Sonoran Desert including areas of the Anza Borrego Desert State Park.[3]

The Sonoran Desert is home to seventeen aboriginal American cultures[citation needed].

The largest city in the Sonoran Desert is Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A., with a 2006 metropolitan population of about 4.2 million. [4] This metropolitan area in central Arizona is one of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the United States. In the North Phoenix area, desert is losing ground to development at a rate of approximately 4,000 m2 (1 acre ) per hour.[5] The next largest cities are Tucson, in southern Arizona, U.S.A., with a metro area population of around 1 million,[4] and Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, whose municipality also has a population of around 900,000. The municipality of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico has a population of around 700,000.[6][7]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonoran_Desert

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Cool About Pet Animals images

Some cool about pet animals images:

Hanna - Looking Lovely on My New Furniture

Image by valeehill
Read about Hanna (1988 - 1998) here.

Hanna - A 'Runny Babbit' and Her Basket

Image by valeehill
Read about Hanna (1988 - 1998) here.

Hanna - A Not-So-Secret Hiding Place

Image by valeehill
Read about Hanna (1988 - 1998) here.

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Nice About Pet Animals photos

A few nice about pet animals images I found:

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

Image by valeehill
Lizzie's long-time favorite toy - the Ty plush puppy. It's perfectly crinkly and squeaky and durable.

Read about Lizzie here.

Sleepy puppy

Image by NathanaelB
She's a bit of a contortionist isn't she! Her nose nuzzled under all four of her feet.

For more of my photography and stories about my travels please visit my photo blog.

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Nice About Pet Animals photos

A few nice about pet animals images I found:

#watching-fromda-window

Image by sillydog
Meet Snoopy. I wouldn't say he's the incarnation of Avalanche, but let's just say he's about the best dog ever.

Toby

Image by NathanaelB
Keeping me company while Jenny is in Alaska for the next three weeks.

For more of my photography and stories about my travels please visit my photo blog.

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Nice About Pet Animals photos

Some cool about pet animals images:

taro shiba, ears back.

Image by _tar0_
[FYI: taro is not sad or worried. our good friend *trick, whom taro absolutely adores, was about to put both his hands on taro's head. taro prepared by moving his ears back. the photo was taken at *just* the right moment.]

find more of taro the shiba & his sister, kiyomi, on taro's blog: tar0shiba.tumblr.com/

or find taro on twitter: twitter.com/_tar0_

Puss 'n Boots Ad, 1957

Image by alsis35 (now at ipernity)
Cuddly kittens + peppy cursive typeface + SCIENCE!! + grisly fish dissection = Everything I love about ads from before I was born. Clipped from September's Good Housekeeping.

Toby: Let's Snuggle! [3D Crossview]

Image by 狐☯忠 ❂ Fidelis
Like the man behind the camera, Toby likes to snuggle. =^.^=

(Did I ever mention Toby is a rescue dog? We have a tradition of adopting older dogs; Toby was 8 when we got him, and is now about 14.)

This version is for crossviewing, no glasses needed.

If you don't know how to view these, here's a guide:
www.neilcreek.com/2008/02/28/how-to-see-3d-photos/

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Nice Facts About Animals photos

Some cool facts about animals images:

have no fear

Image by elycefeliz
“Bravery is the capacity to perform properly even when scared half to death.”
~ Omar Bradley

Fear Not is a community-based art project that creates an anti-fear environment both on the street and in art spaces. The ongoing exhibition will include over 150 images of Fear Not Indirect Mail that has been delivered on the streets of San Francisco, Oakland, Brisbane, Austin, Chicago, Nashville, Kapa’a, and Wailua in the United States, Karlsruhe in Germany, and Florence and Milan in Italy, and London in England will be on view. Fear Not Indirect Mail involves participants writing anti-fear messages on postcards that are turned into magnets and placed somewhere out in the community (on bus stops, street signs, etc.) for someone else to find.

Fear Not Project website
Jennifer Maria Harris: "I have shown my work in traditional art venues for many years, but I have also always created artworks that exist outside of those spaces and that invite and involve people from all walks of life, even some who might not feel comfortable in, or interested in, a gallery or museum.

In the fall of 2007 I read an interview in The Sun magazine with Irish poet and philosopher John O'Donohue. The interview focused on questions of spirituality and creativity, and along the way it mentioned that the phrase "Do not be afraid" appears 366 times in the Bible. I imagined the person who had gone through over a thousand pages looking for that one message, and it made me think about how we are constantly making choices with regard to filtering the information around us, whether that's information from the Bible or another religious text, from friends and family, or from our own thoughts. That made me interested in creating a project that would make those choices more transparent.

As human animals, it is natural for us to choose to focus on and communicate about what to be afraid of. In our current culture, where we are surrounded by an overwhelming amount of information from around the globe, this results in an equally overwhelming amount of fear-oriented messages, both in our mass media and in the information we share with each other.

The Fear Not project seeks to address this culture of fear, which cuts across communities and contributes to the divisions in our society, by inviting people to consciously deliver anti-fear messages to each other and create a culture of Fear Not. The messages tell people not to be afraid, but I don't think the power behind the message is in the words. It's in the reminder that we can choose to see those words in the world around us. It's in the reminder that we can then choose to pass those words on. It's in the fact that someone else chose to share them with us, without regard for our race, religion, or political beliefs.

In all of these ways, I hope to emphasize how the power to shape our emotional environment, and the kind of world in which we choose to live, lies with us, not with the media or anyone else.

Fear Not Project on Facebook

have no fear

Image by elycefeliz
If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living.
~ Seneca, Epistles

Fear Not is a community-based art project that creates an anti-fear environment both on the street and in art spaces. The ongoing exhibition will include over 150 images of Fear Not Indirect Mail that has been delivered on the streets of San Francisco, Oakland, Brisbane, Austin, Chicago, Nashville, Kapa’a, and Wailua in the United States, Karlsruhe in Germany, and Florence and Milan in Italy, and London in England will be on view. Fear Not Indirect Mail involves participants writing anti-fear messages on postcards that are turned into magnets and placed somewhere out in the community (on bus stops, street signs, etc.) for someone else to find.

Fear Not Project website
Jennifer Maria Harris: "I have shown my work in traditional art venues for many years, but I have also always created artworks that exist outside of those spaces and that invite and involve people from all walks of life, even some who might not feel comfortable in, or interested in, a gallery or museum.

In the fall of 2007 I read an interview in The Sun magazine with Irish poet and philosopher John O'Donohue. The interview focused on questions of spirituality and creativity, and along the way it mentioned that the phrase "Do not be afraid" appears 366 times in the Bible. I imagined the person who had gone through over a thousand pages looking for that one message, and it made me think about how we are constantly making choices with regard to filtering the information around us, whether that's information from the Bible or another religious text, from friends and family, or from our own thoughts. That made me interested in creating a project that would make those choices more transparent.

As human animals, it is natural for us to choose to focus on and communicate about what to be afraid of. In our current culture, where we are surrounded by an overwhelming amount of information from around the globe, this results in an equally overwhelming amount of fear-oriented messages, both in our mass media and in the information we share with each other.

The Fear Not project seeks to address this culture of fear, which cuts across communities and contributes to the divisions in our society, by inviting people to consciously deliver anti-fear messages to each other and create a culture of Fear Not. The messages tell people not to be afraid, but I don't think the power behind the message is in the words. It's in the reminder that we can choose to see those words in the world around us. It's in the reminder that we can then choose to pass those words on. It's in the fact that someone else chose to share them with us, without regard for our race, religion, or political beliefs.

In all of these ways, I hope to emphasize how the power to shape our emotional environment, and the kind of world in which we choose to live, lies with us, not with the media or anyone else.

Fear Not Project on Facebook

have no fear

Image by elycefeliz
Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence.
~Eric Fromm

Fear Not is a community-based art project that creates an anti-fear environment both on the street and in art spaces. The ongoing exhibition will include over 150 images of Fear Not Indirect Mail that has been delivered on the streets of San Francisco, Oakland, Brisbane, Austin, Chicago, Nashville, Kapa’a, and Wailua in the United States, Karlsruhe in Germany, and Florence and Milan in Italy, and London in England will be on view. Fear Not Indirect Mail involves participants writing anti-fear messages on postcards that are turned into magnets and placed somewhere out in the community (on bus stops, street signs, etc.) for someone else to find.

Fear Not Project website
Jennifer Maria Harris: "I have shown my work in traditional art venues for many years, but I have also always created artworks that exist outside of those spaces and that invite and involve people from all walks of life, even some who might not feel comfortable in, or interested in, a gallery or museum.

In the fall of 2007 I read an interview in The Sun magazine with Irish poet and philosopher John O'Donohue. The interview focused on questions of spirituality and creativity, and along the way it mentioned that the phrase "Do not be afraid" appears 366 times in the Bible. I imagined the person who had gone through over a thousand pages looking for that one message, and it made me think about how we are constantly making choices with regard to filtering the information around us, whether that's information from the Bible or another religious text, from friends and family, or from our own thoughts. That made me interested in creating a project that would make those choices more transparent.

As human animals, it is natural for us to choose to focus on and communicate about what to be afraid of. In our current culture, where we are surrounded by an overwhelming amount of information from around the globe, this results in an equally overwhelming amount of fear-oriented messages, both in our mass media and in the information we share with each other.

The Fear Not project seeks to address this culture of fear, which cuts across communities and contributes to the divisions in our society, by inviting people to consciously deliver anti-fear messages to each other and create a culture of Fear Not. The messages tell people not to be afraid, but I don't think the power behind the message is in the words. It's in the reminder that we can choose to see those words in the world around us. It's in the reminder that we can then choose to pass those words on. It's in the fact that someone else chose to share them with us, without regard for our race, religion, or political beliefs.

In all of these ways, I hope to emphasize how the power to shape our emotional environment, and the kind of world in which we choose to live, lies with us, not with the media or anyone else.

Fear Not Project on Facebook

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Cool All About Animals images

A few nice all about animals images I found:

Sheep in the Snow Durham Dales

Image by Ambersky235

I worry about animals in this dreadful weather such as these sheep in the Dales. This photo was taken a few days ago, now today the weather is much worse. I am worried about the rabbits next door. There are three rabbits, one is the mother of four babies. All are out in the bitter cold, they should be indoors On Thursday we saw tiny lambs with their mothers in the Yorkshire Dales. There was snow still lying and it was bitterly cold. Millions of tiny lambs and sheep die of exposure and pneumonia in the severe hill conditions and this unseasonable weather is exceptionally much worse than usual for the time of year.


Please visit my website www.think-differently-about-sheep.com

In the photograph gallery you will find photographs, not only of sheep but other animals. Also photographs sized for desktop wallpaper of a variety of subjects including sheep, cattle, horses, birds , fish, plants, architecture and scenery

Smothered

Image by elycefeliz
www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/06/caught_in_the_oil.html

www.aolnews.com/the-point/article/charlie-riedel-photos-o...

www.huffingtonpost.com/bishop-katharine-jefferts-schori/l...

We Are All Connected

The original peoples of the North American continent understand that we are all connected, and that harm to one part of the sacred circle of life harms the whole. Scientists, both the ecological and physical sorts, know the same reality, expressed in different terms. The Abrahamic traditions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) also charge human beings with care for the whole of creation, because it is God's good gift to humanity. Another way of saying this is that we are all connected and there is no escape; our common future depends on how we care for the rest of the natural world, not just the square feet of soil we may call "our own." We breathe the same air, our food comes from the same ground and seas, and the water we have to share cycles through the same airshed, watershed, and terra firma.

The still-unfolding disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is good evidence of the interconnectedness of the whole. It has its origins in this nation's addiction to oil, uninhibited growth, and consumerism, as well as old-fashioned greed and what my tradition calls hubris and idolatry. Our collective sins are being visited on those who have had little or no part in them: birds, marine mammals, the tiny plants and animals that constitute the base of the vast food chain in the Gulf, and on which a major part of the seafood production of the United States depends. Our sins are being visited on the fishers of southern Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, who seek to feed their families with the proceeds of what they catch each day. Our sins will expose New Orleans and other coastal cities to the increased likelihood of devastating floods, as the marshes that constitute the shrinking margin of storm protection continue to disappear, fouled and killed by oil.

Yet the reality is that this disaster just may show us as a nation how interconnected we really are. The waste of this oil -- both its unusability and the mess it is making -- will be visited on all of us, for years and even generations to come.

. . . There is no place to go "away" from these consequences; there is no ultimate escape on this planet. The effects at a distance may seem minor or tolerable, but the cumulative effect is not. We are all connected, we will all suffer the consequences of this tragic disaster in the Gulf, and we must wake up and put a stop to the kind of robber baron behavior we supposedly regulated out of existence a hundred years ago. Our lives, and the liveliness of the entire planet, depend on it.

www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-wallis/a-time-for-moral-reckon...

Theologically, we are witnessing a massive despoiling of God's creation. We were meant to be stewards of the Gulf of Mexico, the wetlands that protect and spawn life, the islands and beaches, and all of God's creatures who inhabit the marine world. But instead, we are watching the destruction of all that. Why? Because of the greed for profits; because of deception and lies; because of both private and public irresponsibility. And at the root, because of an ethic of endless economic growth, fueled by carbon-based fossil fuels, that is ultimately unsustainable and unstable.

It's not just that BP has lied, even though they have -- over and over -- to cover up their behavior and avoid their obligations. It is that BP is a lie; what it stands for is a lie. It is a lie that we can continue to live this way, a lie that our style of life is stable and sustainable, a lie that these huge oil companies are really committed to a safe and renewable energy future. BP should indeed be made to pay for this crime against the creation -- likely with its very existence.

But I am also reminded of what G.K. Chesterton once said when asked what was most wrong with the world. He reportedly replied, "I am." Already, we are hearing some deeper reflection on the meaning of this daily disaster. Almost everyone now apparently agrees with the new direction of a "clean energy economy." And we know that will require a re-wiring of the energy grid (which many hope BP will have no part in). But it will also require a re-wiring of ourselves -- our demands, requirements, and insatiable desires. Our oil addiction has led us to environmental destruction, endless wars, and the sacrifice of young lives, and it has put our very souls in jeopardy. New York Times columnist Tom Freidman recently wondered about the deeper meaning of the Great Recession when he asked, "What if it's telling us that the whole growth model we created over the last fifty years is simply unsustainable economically and ecologically and that 2008 was when we hit the wall -- when Mother Nature and the market both said, 'No More.'" The Great Spill makes the point even more.

There is not one answer to this calamity; there are many: corporate responsibility, for a change; serious government regulation, for a change; public accountability, for a change; and real civic mobilization to protect the endangered waters, coasts, species, and people's livelihoods. But at a deeper level, we literally need a conversion of our habits of the heart, our energy sources, and our lifestyle choices. And somebody will need to lead the way. Who will dare to say that an economy of endless growth must be confronted and converted to an economy of sustainability, to what the Bible calls stewardship.

Mule Deer at the Grand Canyon by Michael Matti

Image by Michael Matti
As we were leaving the Grand Canyon visitor center area we came upon a few cars parked on the edge of the road. Wondering what all the fuss was about we slowed down and then saw what everyone was taking pictures of; a little ways out into the woods was a massive mule deer walking away from the road. Only the backside of the deer was visible since it was walking away from the road so I decided to go for a little jog through the woods to get a better view. I ran down the road and then out into the woods and then back toward the deer so that it was now walking towards me. I had my telephoto lens on and tried to hide behind a tree but it still saw me. It didn't seem to mind my presence, however, and just continued eating and slowly walking through the woods.

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