It’s been a gloomy week in my part of the world, but Avalus found the perfect cure for my blues…a flower. A single, perfect, crisp white bloom being visited by a wee little moth. It’s just what the doctor ordered. Thanks for sharing, Avalus. Click for full size.
©Avalus, all rights reserved
Because the views were so epic, mountains for everyone! Most photos behind the cut, because… I seem to have the same affliction when handed a camera as several other people around here. Anyway, epic views being epic, the flight in (and then, out) was probably the most epic experience of the whole trip. Turbulence? Ya. Although I was told if the overhead compartments aren’t popping open, then I’ve had the easy trip. But what remains most about the flights in and out is that strange juxtaposition of feeling pretty terrified (understatement) yet reassured – the way the pilots handled the airplane through the turbulence was strangely comforting. Even with all the shaking and the bouncing, I never once had the feeling that things were actually out of control. And that is a powerful skill. I tip all my hats to the training and experience of those pilots.
Also I have included pictures of some fluffy horses between the epic views. Rather epic horses, actually – I can’t name the breed, but they were so beautiful, exactly my favourite in terms of size and general shape. Very beautiful horses.
Today’s musical selection is Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald Mountain, because I wanted to capture the dread of flying in through turbulence like I have never had the privilege to experience before. And there was a bald mountain looming over everything. And since playing the piece in my second season with the Ottawa Youth Orchestra, I have a special attachment. This version is performed by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra.
The bald mountain – I’ve forgotten its name, and I really shouldn’t, as all the mountains have names.
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
Onwards for more mountain views!
Terrible picture butterflies, that is – the butterflies themselves were amazing, and everywhere! Very few of them were ready to co-operate and pose for me, so I was lucky to get these three at all – and from a distance, playing around with the zoom. There were at least two more varieties that I didn’t even try for, else I would get stuck in the burrs.
Blue butterfly
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
Orange butterfly
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
Yellow butterfly
©rq, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
I was the foreigner here, as this is a lovely, satisfied, well-fed Macedonian spider enjoying the autumn sunlight. And a small side of fresh flies. Below the fold.
I have been wondering about who’s eating the beech leaves in the front yard and last week I found the culprits: Sawfly larvae.
Not that I mind, I don’t want a beech tree in front of the house so any help in keeping it small is appreciated. Though in these pictures they’re devouring the redflower currant, which I don’t appreciate that much.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
There’s hardly a zoo without a population of small feral cats, this one was no exception.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Peacock hen with half-grown chick
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Half-grown peacock chick
No particular order:
Prairie dogs, wallabies, secretary bird, kid (goat version)
Wanna come in for a cuppa?
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
Yes, we had to visit the goats three times. There#s something about them that draws the kids (human version) to them like a magnet
While on land, penguins are rather clumsy and funny, but underwater they turn into graceful hunters, flying through their adapted medium.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
The finalists of the 2018 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards are out, and they’re a blast. Here’s a couple of my favourites:
© Achim Sterna/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2018
© Mary McGowan/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2018
© Roie Galitz/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2018
© Kallol Mukherjee/The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2018
And lots more…
Today’s piece of music is more of a dance showcase, in the theme of colourful animals. Below the fold because spiders.
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
©Giliell, all rights reserved
It’s the autumn holidays here and we decided to go for one nice family excursion before we’re bogged down in postponed work again. We’d been promising the kids to visit that zoo in France for ages and finally decided to go. I know, for Americans 100km one sounds like your weekly shopping trip, for us it isn’t.
The zoo is in a smallish town near Metz that seems to consist of a thermal fountain, an amusement park, and a giant complex with restaurant, hotels, cinemas, parking and the zoo. The entrance fee is prohibitive, because in France most zoos are private enterprises and not public institutions, but we decided that we can afford it for a special trip, especially since we always bring food and drinks and therefore don’t have to pay the prohibitive prices inside.
To be honest, I don’t regret the money. It was a wonderful day and the zoo is amazing. There are no holidays in France, it was a Monday in October and there were at the most 150 visitors in the whole zoo. I guess in summer the people push you through, but now we had the leisure to enjoy the animals and the shows.
Of course I took a ton of pics. Original count was 2200, after weeding out the really bad ones there are 1300 left. I won’t post them all ;).
First part is the white lions. They are gigantic, at last 30% larger than the “normal” lions in the next enclosure. The couple has some juvenile cubs and as you can see, in the pics, the male was very interested in making some more…
©Giliell, all rights reserved, click for full size.
After his third attempt ended like this he threw himself against the glass of the enclosure…
Autumn is bringing back all the birds that seemed to have vanished during summer, including Florence the Woodpecker.
Did you miss me?
More tit pics.
©Giliell
See you
© Giliell