Seen flying over Arcadia, CA this past Monday:
Attachment 22978

*THAT'S* where my boomerang got to!

My Back Yard RFN
 

Attachment 22984
Needless to say, Princess & I aren't doing a whole lot today. Watching Nightmare Before Xmas for now - her favorite.

OMG! Queen, that's...that's just not RIGHT!

I send :flower: your way, darling!

Zoo visit.

http://cellar.org/2009/zoo1.jpg

Expressway buggered. The radio says: it's partly zoo traffic.

We decided to go to the zoo on the first nice Saturday of the year. This is like trying to park in Manhattan, or trying to eat at a modern theme restaurant near a shopping area on a Saturday night.

http://cellar.org/2009/zoo2.jpg

If you visit the Philadelphia zoo and it's more than normally crowded, you are told at the very last possible minute to turn right and go to an alternate parking area. This leads to the West Philly neighborhoods next to the zoo, some of the worst neighborhoods in the city.

http://cellar.org/2009/zoo3.jpg

We waited in line, in the right-hand shoulder, for what seemed like forever to try to get into this alternate parking lot. But as we were 5 cars away, they stopped letting cars in -- it was full. But then zoo workers walked down to talk to every car in line, a block and a half, to tell us that if we just parked where we were - we'd then be in legal street parking, and it would be free.

http://cellar.org/2009/zoo4.jpg

Massive hedgehog was massive.

http://cellar.org/2009/zoo5.jpg

Curious rare marmoset was curious.

http://cellar.org/2009/zoo6.jpg

Dramatic prairie dawg was dramatic.

http://cellar.org/2009/zoo7.jpg

I almost got this shot. At the lunch place, it took the people just forever to get through a line of 10 people. Just forever, and it was hot dogs, pizza, and fries and cokes. By the time we were next in line, somebody wanted to pay credit, and the woman pulled out one of the old deals where you swipe the thing over the credit card carbon paper.

http://cellar.org/2009/zoo8.jpg

Dramatic polar bear would not go in the water for the dramatic water shot. But would lean over the rock for the dramatic rock shot.

http://cellar.org/2009/zoo9.jpg

Grumpy armored hippo was grumpy in the heat.

We did almost 3 hours in the crowd. It was OK.

People, don't take kids in strollers to the zoo. They aren't old enough to comprehend it and the strollers are painful in the crowd.

That was really neat, UT! Fantastic pictures.

ARMORED HIPPO!?

is that a new breed of rhino!?

Armored RHINO, SORRY!!

Attachment 22996

The side of a peacock we don't often see.

No, you saw nothing... look at this light... now repeat after me, I saw nothing, nothing at all. :haha:

Thanks for taking one for the Cellar. :thumb:

Zoo pix! I love animal photos. I wish animals would take our photos sometime, too - it seems only fair.

Medusa lost her wig:

Double rainbow on the 405 Freeway, at about 70 mph.

Attachment 23011

5201

Journalistic pictures I've taken; *Neat* subject!

Spyder-BRP

Here are a few scenes from the last couple of days. I'm still getting used to this new camera and am too shaky to use a telephoto outdoors in the wind and all. Maybe a monopod is in my future - or should be!

And can anyone identify those snakes? I thought they were blotched water snakes but the scale pattern does not seem right. Whatever they are, there are many here and (obviously) soon to be more. :eek:

I'm fairly sure those are water moccasins. Keep your distance.

Their fat bodies give them away.

This adorable bird seems to be a black backed stilt, but according to my bird books it does not usually found here. I guess the bird can't read.

"probably looking for answers"

Great shot. Is that a duck's head in the foreground?

No, just another rock emerging from the surface of the lake. It's interesting to see what has been hidden along the lake bottom, but I'd rather have a huge storm fill it back up. The poor fish must be swimming sideways by now. The great blue herons just stand around and jab their fill. A couple of them have taken to eating catfish while standing right about where that stilt stood. Interesting to watch the process.

Is that a "dark stripe that runs behind the eye alongside the head"?

When in doubt...... get the fuck out!

Here's one swimming high and one swimming low: so I guess we may have venomous and non-venomous snakes in there. Neat!*
Hmmm... hard to tell that the bottom pic is of a snake, isn't it? I love to watch them swimming. It's fascinating, absolutely awesome. No hands, either! Try that, Mr. Phelps!

*Opinion will probably change after I, or one of my pets, gets bit!

Many outdoor enthusiasts have encountered snakes around ponds, lakes, creeks, rivers, or other wet areas. Without a field guide, how would you know what kind it was? There are many kinds of water snakes including red bellied (shown above), banded, brown and southern to name a few. Comparing their markings to a water moccasin can confuse the casual glance. Rest assured, a brochure provided by the GA DNR contains excellent advice, photos and information on water moccasins and water snakes. Here are some highlights on identifying these reptiles of the aquatic persuasion:

*
Water moccasins, or "Cottonmouths," are relatively short and wide. Water snakes are longer and more slender.
*
Water moccasins bask on land, or on logs and stumps near water surface.
Water snakes are good climbers and spend a lot of time basking on branches hanging over water.
*
Water moccasins move slowly and defend their territory while water snakes move quickly away from disturbances.
*
When swimming, cottonmouths keep their heads elevated above the water and bodies riding nearly on the water surface. Water snakes keep their head and body low and below the water surface.
*
Cottonmouths always cock their heads at a 45 degree angle on land. Water snakes keep their heads level with the ground.
*
Both snakes feed on fish, frogs and other prey found around aquatic habitats.:eek:

A large tree here split the other weekend. It made for some great photos. (Sorry they're so big)

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...t/100_0457.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...t/100_0523.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i8...t/100_0531.jpg

Good info. Thanks! Around here it seems that the locals identify snakes into one of two types. If it's on land, it's a rattlesnake. If it's in the water, it's a moccasin. And then out comes the gun, shovel, etc.:headshake I do have a field guide, but I could use one that shows a close up of head from above and to the side, and a clear shot of the tail shape, and a good photo of the typical pattern. It seems that all the F.G.'s have photos taken in their habitats, so whatever was, is, in the pages. Maybe I should write my own guide, eh?

SonofV, closeup. Shhhh... he's still asleep.

God, I love that boy.

Doth the child have alien eyes????

And this... (no flash, didn't want to hurt young eyes. & yes, he moved.)

Took a couple today

Those are absolutely beautiful Jinx.

Thanks man! Was trying for "Americana" examples...

I just looked at them again. You absolutely nailed it!
They really are just ... compelling.

Very super awesome jinx.

The second one is my fave.

Thanks!

i didn't take this one, but it's freaking awesome:

http://images2d.snapfish.com/2323232...7%3B7345nu0mrj

Very nice, Jinx. I love the B&W.

Great pics Jinx, where were they taken?

Is this someone's home? Love the cat up on the rail...great shot.

One more.... uh, two

The cat on the rail is Jinx & LJ's home. You see they are very, very poor and have to live in an old house with no kitchen ceiling. :lol2:

Thanks Merc! I took them at Hopewell Furnace/French Creek... it's right in our backyard.

Wonderful photos Jinx...the black and white is a nice touch.

Took this shot yesterday.

Attachment 23366

Right outside the men's bathroom at the end of today's hike.

OH MY GOD!

IT'S A SKINK!

Cool skink! How big was it? Did your kids pick it up?

We have lots of blue skinks around my house. We love having them and the geko's around. They help keep down the billions of insects coming out now.

It was maybe 6-8 inches long. We didn't try to pick it up. In the back of my mind, I remembered that their tails can come off easily to evade predators, and I didn't want to be left holding a bloody tail. And I didn't want to try to grab it near the mouth. We did surround it, with me on one side of the fence and my son on the other. And it would scoot under the fence to get away from one of us and be in plain view of the other. We chased it back and forth like that for a minute or so before it finally stopped trying to use the fence for cover. It was pretty cool. Fast.

Can those things hurt you?

:biggrinha

no.

I've got some huge ones around here. Some of them have colorful stripes, but the reddish ones are much larger.

Delicious piece of red velvet cake from Holt's Bakery in Douglas, Georgia.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2199/...0c987b2676.jpg

Great shot!
Douglas is a quaint little town.
Now they got cake.
There goes the neighborhood.
God only knows what's next.
Could even be one of them concert things.

Yum!

Outclassed as I am... I offer you this.

I'm taking photos of "simple pleasures" to enter into a comp run by an organic breakfast cereal company.
As their company branding is mostly yellow I figure this laburnum might have a chance. It's not an all-out photo comp, just has to be good enough to go into their gallery.

Okay - for the record? I don't think my pics are good enough for this thread, let alone a competition :( But this pleased me.

Beautiful.

Bridal Falls off of Highway 50

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r.../IMG_07251.jpg