Beautiful Animals

Well, here's a photo that talks to me -

I'm very interested in Siena's two palio races a year. I've read a lot of the history; the piazza is (this can change from week to week, but mostly) my favorite, for many reasons. What a history. I'm interested in the Siena contradas (contrade), basically neighborhood associations, which have been around for centuries. I've mixed feelings if it is abusive to the horses, and stunned by what happens with the jockeys, who ride bareback. It's the horse that wins...
The races are 90 seconds long.

I would never go to one. I'm not too crazy about massed crowds of people. Plus the city is a noise factory almost 24/7 for the week that leads up to it.
Meantime I have about ten contrada scarves. I need to wear more scarves..

Oh, and I've read a few times that the race is fixed, or somewhat fixed, or so intricately fixed people still can't figure it out. I don't personally know.

Ta da - the photo:

Horses continue running after losing their riders during the Palio dell'Assunta, the famous break-neck bareback horse race in the main square of Siena, Italy.
Photo: Paolo Lazzeroni, Associated Press / SF

Something is wrong again. The list says that osso was the last person to post. When I come here, I don't see anything from osso. I see my last post.

So I posted the above message and saw osso's last post. So I deleted my message. And voila, her post disappeared. What's going on?

osso, Mega pic. For as long as it lasts.

It's probably the dread 'page break' phenomenon. It used to happen to me occasionally in the connect the picture threads - it's always the first post on a new page that hides, once there's a second post the first one always displays. Haven't seen it for a while.

That did happen.

I posted this above, and it didn't show up.
I posted it again, and I got the You have posted this already, this is a repeat and redundant besides (or words to that effect) hamster message.

I waited a while and tried again. Same story.
I think it's showing now since you posted, Roberta. I remember we went through this before, but I don't recall what we found out about it happening. It might be djjd that figured it out.

Meantime, I kept a copy as that post was some work, what with the disappearances. Glad I did, since after that, we had a short mess up with local electricity.


Just read Hinge's post, yeah, the dread page break phenomenon.
Sigh.

Yup, it's happening here. Is there any way to stop it? Or will it go away on its own?

Costa's hummingbird:

True nightmare captions to your photo Strauss:
Swanlings: Are we there yet?! Are we there yet?!
Are we there yet?! Are we there yet?!
Are we there yet?! Are we there yet?!
Swan mother: We're not going anywhere[through gritted beek] ((sigh)) We're just taking a rest in the lake for awhile....
Swanlings: But are we there yet? Are we there yet?!

The wallpaper sized image can be found at:
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/traveler-magazine/photo-contest/2012/entries/wallpaper/spontaneous-moments-week-5/#/0

"Our Audubon Field Guide identifies them as Common White-Tailed Mooches: The good news is, the bird feeder is squirrel-proof. The bad news is ... (Nashville, Tenn.)"
Photo: Mark Humphrey, Associated Press / SF

Zooborns is a daily source of delight but every now and then it's extra delightful:







Sand cat kittens.

Strauss, Wonderful, heartwarming picture. Glad to see that swans are good parents. I had an unpleasant experience with a swan in Frogner Park in Norway. I was just trying to be friendly. The boid chased me quite a distance. (Maybe it was a goose. I may have a photo.)

tsar, The swan baby sounds a lot like me. (Patience is not one of my virtues.) Such a beautiful PC. Breathtaking. Thanks mucho.

osso, First, I gotta say that I don't think anything is squirrel proof. But I applaud those who try. Second, squirrel, smirrel. The deer are hungry. Let 'em eat. Great pic, kid. Thanks.

soz, Gawgeous and thud-worthy cute. Muchas gracias, kid.

Whale shark, the largest fish we got (about 40 feet):

Let em be. The two bucks on the right will be history the next hunting season.

I contemplated voting that one down, FM. Not gonna do it. Just gonna snarl.



HH, Whoa, that's a doozy pic. I'm wondering where the photographer was--and how close. Thanks mucho.

I understand how problematic for humans deer are, but my view is that the humans are the problemo. Well, I would, eh?

You post such wonderful photos, HH. That one's a painting - I don't mean realism - more the shapes, colors, textures. A keeper. Kudos to the photographer.

Our Nature Center is prohibited from feeding the deer. What is remarkable is how accessible is the bird feed.

I can see not feeding deer, spent a lot of time re planting choices, always fraught with stuff and nonsense, and interesting fence designing. I don't pay that much attention to bird feeders, but a pal says one works re squirrels. Haven't talked with him lately, though, about this matter.

Thanks Osso. I try to give credit it to the photographer but some contributors to the site I get them from don't give credit (contrary to the TOS).

I know you do. (I presume you click on the photo and see what shows up in the url). You're smarter than me on all that stuff.