Beautiful Animals

Baby peacocks and the LA Arboretum -


Male peacock at the LA Arboretum -


more -


close up -



I took four quarters of plant id classes, many of which were at the arboretum.
I've jumped out my skin from a sudden screech many many times...

Yup, osso. Peacocks make a helluva noise.

I've sometimes wondered what it would be like to live very near the zoo. Do you hear animal noises? Probably. I used to live near Yankee Stadium, and I heard people noises.

Howler monkey (these make a doozy noise):

That is one gorgeously plumed bird. I have to admit, though, there he doesn't look like the brightest bulb in the chandelier--from certain angles. Still a gorgeous boid.

Hey, Izzie. What's the red thing in the background? A telephone booth?

Banded duiker:

Ha yep Boida - thats my telephone box just along from the house. It's one of the original ones (rare these days - tho of course digital inside - even takes credit cards!!!!!!!) - aesthetically the photo is pants - but I love the fact MrPheasant looks like he might wanna make a phone call..... you know.... boid to boid over the pond That tree is right on my riverbank so he was pretty close to me (well, for a pheasant) - I was getting terribly excited as you can imagine. Sad sad sad person that I am - laughing now - I do love 'dem boids too.

They are very noisy - and truly - they are absolutely daft. They are certainly a few sammiches short of a picnic! This one was walking in the field straight towards the next door neighbours kitty by the river. "Errrrrrrr... NO BOID - don't do that"!!!!!


I reckon the robins have nested next to the river at the bottom of the garden. They get real close to us (me 'n the animals) when we go down, chittering away at us and making a big song and dance flapping at us. I have loads of pics but think ya'll may be robined out. Tiny little birds - so tiny. Lovely.

Osso - gorgeous peacock - colours are magnificent!

Gray mouse lemur:

pics and story from author neil gaimans blog

And today it was cold but sunny and clear, and I went for a walk with my dog and Bill Stiteler.





And my dog found a stick, which was the best stick any dog had ever found in the whole of history. There never was such a stick.









I gave it back.

A supoib stick. And an even supoiber dawg. A dawg who knows a good stick when he sees one. Glad you gave it back.

Roberta, I was just going through some of my travel pictures, and found this delightful one that almost looks like an impressionist painting. Can anyone guess where this was taken?

I love that photo, CI!

Strange, about a month ago I was trying to get rid of some of my collected items. I've saved photos and cartoons of sheep for ... decades, as triggers for paintings. I tossed a bunch of them and then, on second thought, grabbed them from the waste basket and put them right back in the folder.

Maybe sheep-painting time is a 'cumin in'.

Izzie, it is impossible to bore me with robins.

And you and Boida are right, the pheasant looks a bit of a apple pie with no filling..

Dj, good to see that dog with stick series. Part of why I love blogs..



OK, here's one from today in the SFChronicle's day in picture series. Cross your fingers, as there are rumors the Chronicle will bite the dust in the newspaper foldathon:



From left - dirty, cleaner, cleanest: Baths at the White Tiger Safari in Yongin, China, are apparently taken one at a time.

c.i., Thanks for the pastoral photo. Very nice indeed.

osso, Nuttin' like a white tiger, even a dirty one. Thanks.

Spotted bat (aka pinto bat):

Where are those spotted bats found?

Right now, they may be found on april fools day avatars...

The bats are in western North America--Arizona, California, Colorado, Utah, and British Columbia, Canada.

I'm calm enough about bats to read about them, seen them in exhibits, but I'm not personally acquainted with bats. As I grow older, I figure I might like them... in small increments as opposed to some winged phalanx.

Some long time ago, my husband and I took one of our driving out of town vacations, that time involving a trip through death valley in June or July, not sure which. Blessed are the innocent, or dead are they. Anyway, we stopped at the obvious place, in our case the cheapo motel version of the Furnace Creek Inn, whatever the name, but as a bennie of actually arriving and signing in, we could use the Inn's pool. Let's say the area was unpopulated.

So, we did check out the pool. Must have been ten at night that we wandered up there. The hotel was near empty. I think. We must have put on our swim suits some place around the pool. Or before, I don't remember.
I remember a luxe warm pool in a splendid place, sort of frank lloyd wrightian, me floating.

I remember my husband mentioning the bats.
I'm night blind. I cannot see stars, and I didn't even suspect the bats.
I panicked and we left. Now of course, in retrospect, I don't fear the bats, and think that may have been a wondrous time. Too late.

osso, I've had a few personal encounters with bats--not in the city. They make me noivous in person. But they are fascinating animals. And there are many, many different kinds. I sometimes look at pictures of them, trying to find something appropriate for the "beautiful animals" thread. This time, I decided I loved dem ears.

Ring-tailed cat:

Owl monkey:

That owl monkey looks like a smartie.

Robbie, Thomas and Diane and I talked about you today, all good, your ears (speaking of bats) should have been burning.

Solomon Island Leaf Froglet