Archives

Badlands~

Apr3

The Badlands in Anza Borrego State Park in Southern California formed about 4 million years ago.

The unique topography is primarily sandstone, mudstone and claystone.

This whole area was once an ancient sea, and fossils abound in this arid part of the desert.

“The Badlands may be the best place in North America to view sediments from the Pliocene and Pleistocene Epochs.”

The maximum summer temperature recorded here was was 122F .

The hottest I have experienced was 119F.

In the spring, fall and winter though, the Badlands are temperate and comfortable, good for hiking and exploring.

Cheers to you from The Borrego Badlands~

Factual Source: https://www.desertusa.com/anza_borrego/borrego-badlands.html#:~:text=In%20the%20Anza%20Borrego%20Desert,remote%20springs%20and%20mysterious%20concretions.

Feathers, Fortresses & Flora~

Feb15

These are just three of the many reasons I love Oz. Most of the creatures are very friendly!

Tasmanian countryside.

Old church, in the former penal colony,

Port Arthur, Tasmania.


Tasmanian,

flora is unique and stunning.

Old Government House, Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney.

Flower Arrangement in the Government House. We met and chatted with the Governor of New South Wales while touring Government House where she lives (I told you, Oz is a friendly place!)

Royal botanical garden Sydney.

Cheers to you from just a few of the reasons I love Oz~

Desert Reflected~

Feb6

In a topsy-turvy world,

that spins,

like a ball,

in space,

plants grow upside down,

and fish swim in trees.

Cheers to you,

from a pond’s point of view~

These photos were taken over the years in California, at Borrego Springs State Park, The Annenberg Gardens in Palm Springs, and Death Valley National Park. (Note: Image three is posted upside down, while image four is right-side up!)

Two heads~

Jan17

Giraffes know that two heads,

work better than one.

You can look two ways at the same time,

and one head can prod another along!

Three heads are even better than two,

but prone to disagree about directions.

Compromise must be worked out.

Four heads can be confusing,

but giraffes will usually agree.

I wonder, why can’t we?

Cheers to you for the cooperative giraffes of Kruger National Park.

(Note: This is a reworked post from photos taken in 2015.)

Look Who Came to Play Today~

Dec19

A burrowing owl,

at his Salton Sea home in California.

He stayed out for his modeling shoot,

and didn’t fly off or run into his burrow.

He was definitely ready for his close-ups!

Burrowing owls (athene cunicularia hypugaea) are a California species of special concern and are listed as endangered in Canada and threatened in Mexico due to excessive development and habitat loss.

This is his Salton Sea home.

Cheers to you from Southern California’s sociable burrowing owl~

Escapist Landscapes Pt. 1~

Dec12

Feeling a bit stressed out these days? (The Beagle Channel Argentina).

Who isn’t? (Banff National Park Canada),

Let’s escape (Coastal Norway),

to peaceful places (Vancouver Island Canada),

and forget our worries (Zermatt Switzerland),

for awhile (Huahine French Polynesia).

I will do another peaceful images post after this (Yellowstone National Park),

because we all benefit from balancing negativity with peace and beauty (Grand Teton National Park).

Cheers to you and remember the beauty~

Critter Close Ups~

Dec5

Pensive Vervet Kruger National Park.

South African zebra Poses for her portrait.

Happy ostrich is ready for a close up,

while artfully made up Ms. Giraffe puts on the glam.

Barbary Ape in Gibraltar looks ready for a serious conversation.

Magellanic penguin stares me down in Ushuaia, Argentina.

California Channel Island Fox poses quite smartly,

while a elephant seal pup in California spins happily in the sea.

Bald Eagle in British Columbia Canada looks at me judgmentally.

Cheers to you from your portrait perfect friends ~

Escape~

Nov14

to a garden of dreams,

where worries vanish,

in a tulip trance,

while daffodils dance.

There are over seven million tulips,

in the Keukenhof gardens in The Netherlands.

A perfect place to dream your day away.

I am home for the winter at The Holler, but send you springtime cheers from Keukenhof~

Flamingos~

Nov7

If the headlines are stressing you out,

why not fly with me to visit some flamingos.

These lucky flamingos in Argentina, take off, at the slightest hint of trouble,

and flaming go!

Greater Flamingos,

and Lesser Flamingos, are just as adept at flaming going!

Wish we all could do the same.

Cheers to you from The Holler~

Note: I am currently hunkering down at The Holler and am posting some older photos you may not have seen.

Swoopers~

Oct31



Wild Australian magpies are inquisitive, wise, friendly, and fun to interact with. Like most creatures, they are usually respectful to you, if you are respectful of them.

But, they do swoop!

Swooping means they attack humans, other animals, cars, etc., causing about a thousand human injuries in Australia each spring. See:

https://www.science.org.au/curious/earth-environment/how-survive-magpie-swooping-season

They swoop if they perceive their nestlings are in danger….

or maybe, if they are having an irritating day.

Like all corvids, they have excellent memories and hold grudges, so if you bothered a corvid in the past, you better steer clear during swooping season, or else be ready to duck down really fast!

Cheers to you from Australia’s marvelous-memoried, moody-magpies~