Beautiful Animals

That doesn't sound good for her...

That was clever! I shan't ask you how you did it - probably some weird and wonderful wizardry on the computer that would be beyond my limited computing skills - but I like it!

Just photoshop and some drop shadow. Thanks for sourcing the image.

The oldest sea otter at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, at 14 years old, carries one of her favorite toys.
Photographs: Michael Yang/Rex

While most coxswains get results by barking into megaphones, Barbar Bost's cox prefers the lick behind the ear. (Paddlin' & Pups event off Key Largo, Fla.)
PHOTO BY BOB CARE/ASSOCIATED PRESS




When pigs fly - other pigs get ambushed! Seldom expected but rarely lethal, the airborne minipig attack can nonetheless be terrifying to other, more ground-based minipigs. These siblings are two of a litter of 10 in Hannover, Germany.
PHOTO BY JOCHEN LUEBKE/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

I'm loving those, vonny and osso!

Thanks! I loved Vonny's too (and should have said mine were out of the San Francisco Chronicle Day in Pictures pages).
I'm still trying to figure what those birds are, so lovely, so interested in the treasure.

I think they're grackels, but I'm not sure.

I've got a bunch of bird books. This gives me an excuse to look at them..
I am guessing not grackles.

I see why you say grackle. On the other hand..

I look some more tomorrow.

There are some wonderful and doozioferous photos here, folks. If I was younger and had more than two hours of sleep, I would comment on each one separately. Got gonna happen tonight, but I appreciate you all.

Cape buffalo:

Viva la bathtime!

The Palio! I like Siena a lot, and have studied and lectured about the Campo, my favorite piazza, but I'd never go to the palio since I'm not great on being stuffed into very crowded situations. The palio is a 90 second race that has been run for many centuries; not easy on the horses or riders. It's the horse that wins for its contrada (district) since riders sometimes fall off. Actually there are two races, two different feast days when it happens.


"Jockey Luigi Bruschelli competes in a horse race in Del Campo square, Siena, Italy. Riders compete bareback in a bid to win the Palio, a silk banner depicting the Madonna and child."
Photograph: Stefano Rellandi/Reuters/via the Guardian

The birds are starlings - I recognised them. But what I didn't realise, until I searched to verify the type of bird, was that the little creature with the nut is a prairie dog/chipmunk! Here's the article I found.

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&source=web&cd=12&cad=rja&ved=0CGMQFjAL&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-1221618%2FYou-birds-nuts-Hungry-Chipmunk-bravely-fends-bullying-starlings.html&ei=CfYMUrb4GMXT0QWZ7oCwAg&usg=AFQjCNFxKrFTobTeP23dpM3Z0FrA8gzBsw

Grackles/starlings - I'

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC8QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fbirdinggirl.blogspot.com%2F2008%2F06%2Fdifference-between-grackles-and.html&ei=uvoMUrXzNY6yhAelpIBo&usg=AFQjCNGzA6nl05w-VqqRuTNH7DRSEpcR3A&bvm=bv.50723672,d.ZG4&cad=rja