My local park has a great selection of native animals on display. The park is great for families to walk around and have a picnic on. Here are some photos of Eastern Kangaroos, Red Kangaroos and Emus.
The Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is a marsupial found in southern and eastern Australia, with a population of several million. Although a big Eastern Grey male typically weighs around 66 kg (145 lb.) and stands almost 2 m (6 ft.) tall, the scientific name, Macropus giganteus (gigantic large-foot), is misleading, as the Red Kangaroo of the semi-arid inland is larger.
The Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest of all kangaroos and the largest surviving marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, avoiding only the more fertile areas in the south, the east coast, and the northern rainforests. Red Kangaroo's legs work much like a rubber band. The male Red Kangaroo can leap in full force approximately 9.14 meters in one leap. Males grow up to 1.8m (6 feet) tall and weigh up to 187lbs . Females grow up to 1.1m (3.6ft) tall and weigh up to 77lbs . Tails can be up to 1m (3ft) along.
The Emu, (Dromaius novaehollandiae) is the largest bird native to Australia. It is also the second-largest extant bird in the world by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich. The soft-feathered, brown, flightless birds reach up to 2 m (6 ft) in height. The Emu is common over most of mainland Australia, although it avoids heavily populated areas, dense forest and arid areas. Emus can travel great distances at a fast, economical trot and, if necessary, can sprint at 50 km/h (30 mph) for some distance at a time. They are opportunistically nomadic and may travel long distances to find food; they feed on a variety of plants and insects.

Eastern_Grey Baby_Red Big_Red Emu_1 Emu_2 Emu_3  

It took forever to get them to line up like this.  SD Zoo Actually they are supposedly the sentries.  There is a "Cat Pit" about a half mile away.  They can hear and smell them.  Thats right, the rest of the herd runs away while these guys are getting eaten.  The cats can't really get at them but is it cruel to torment these poor guys? "I won't be coming back, son, tell your mother I love her, sniff, sniff..."  
Here are two wrong ways to feed giraffes.So wrong. , Aaaahhhh!
And finally a pic of my cousin. Won me a prize!
Does anyone know the true story of how the San Diego Wild Animal Park rail was named WGASA?

It was a beautiful day on Saturday so Michael and I made the best of it and went to Sportsman Lake park and walked around a while.

It was a great day to take a stroll and provided a Picture perfect picnic area.  Some couples and individuals even found the day nice enough to take a swim.

Thanks for looking.  Comments, critiques and suggestions are always appreciated.

Howie, Luis and I took the E train downtown during lunch to get a feel of the Ticker Tape Parade.  To watch this parade from the sidelines, people start lining up at 6-7AM and they close the streets to pedestrians at 9AM, so we only can get to one block away from Broadway.  Howie and I have seen many ticker tape parades in the past, we know how to get close, but today we settle for a far view.

The first three photos show how narrow the Canyon of Heroes is.  The Canyon of Heroes is Lower Broadway from Battery Park running past Wall Street to City Hall. Broadway is an old indian path and was the stage coach route from NY to Boston as it is named in the Bronx, "Boston Post Road". The first three photos and the last one were taken last week. All the other photos are from today's parade

Ticker Tape Parade 2007 Giants

I don't have to much appropriate for the challenge, but I do have this. Lover's Toast It was taken at the Garfield Park conservatory here is Chicago, which was hosting an exhibition of Niki de Sainte=Phalle's sculpture.
And as long as we are talking about love, I should include one of my daughter, Tuesday.Through the Looking Glass

Over the weekend I got to go out by myself for a bit. My hubby stayed home with the kids. I went down to the park to see if there was anything good to see. Not a whole lot, but I took some winter photos anyway. Everything was covered in snow including the lake. But it was quiet and sunny.
A winter walk I can't wait for spring.
This photo I took this morning just as the sun was coming up, but the sky was still dark. It was taken from my attic again.
moon_1_31_08_framed
Hope you enjoy them. ;)  

A couple of people expressed an interest in seeing the color version of my previous post, so I thought I would put it up today  Lover's Toast - Color along with some others.  All these were taken at Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago which featured an exhibition of her work incorporated into there usual exhibits.
Girl in the Golden Swing Water Jugs
A Romp in the Garden Tidal Dance
JazzMan
These are good examples of the rotund, voluptuous figures she is known for.  Interestingly, Ms. Sainte Phalle was a fashion model in her youth and remained quite slender through her life.
The conservatory also has fine collection of exotic plants.
Zebra Leaves AlienFlower

I thought I should repost this, only this time, I thought adding pictures would be the smart thing to do.

Orchid_003 Orchid_005 Orchid_002 Orchid_004 Orchid_001 The Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus, Ohio was running a Orchids display. I thought I would practice on some of the flowers on display there. Please keep in mind I am just learning this photography thing, so please be kind in your reviews..

The sound of waves on sand is Sydney’s theme song, and this short and sensational walk (2.5 km) is a heart-and-soul symphony, wrapping up the very best of the city’s coastline. In an easy, one-hour stroll, the trail follows the headlands between Bondi and Bronte, cresting high to offer a view of sea-carved sandstone and crashing waves, then dipping down for a close-up look at some of Sydney’s best-loved beaches.

With the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop at either end, you’ll find smart cafes where you can chill with a bluewater view. The walk begins at the southern end of Bondi Beach, near the Bondi Icebergs outdoor swimming pool and ends at Bronte Beach, a popular spot with families who favour the shady lawns. Across Bronte Road from the park is a row of super-slick cafes.  Bondi_3 Tamarama_1 Tamarama_2 Tamarama_3 Bronte_1 Bronte_Pool

Nestled between the high rises at Milson's Point and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, there is an amazing little amusement park called Luna Park.

(I've been to Sydney a number of times in the past few years, but it's always been in either June or July, which is Wintertime in Australia, and the park has always been closed.  This time, I timed my visit for December and I finally got an opportunity to wander around the park.)

Opened in 1935, Luna Park was modeled after the grandaddy of all amusement parks, Coney Island in NYC.  The towers of the entrance gates are designed to resemble the art deco style of New York's Chrysler Building.  Between the Towers hangs The Face  which was modeled after the traditional fairy tale character 'Old King Cole'.  

Although it's gone thru several renovations and is no longer as large as it used to be, the midway is still a pretty interesting place to hang out, take your chances and try your luck at winning a prize (and people watch on a sunny weekend).  

The end of the midway brings you here, where imitation really IS the sincerest form of flattery....

a last look back towards the entrance makes me glad I braved the raindrops and finally made a visit to this place.

And Pablo, even though the 'real' Coney Island may one day fade away, take comfort in the fact that it's memory will live on forever, halfway across the world in Sydney, Australia.

 Charlie our tour guide for the day, took us out Red Rock Road. This road heads south out of Inyokern, CA and skirts Black Mountain on the west side. This road eventually leads into EP15, the dirt road that winds through the heart of the El Pasos and will take us on to our other destinations for the day.

Our first stop was along Red Rock Road where Charlie gave a brief talk on the historical significance of Black Mountain to the Native Americans of the region. It is considered sacred and has been the site of many tribal ceremonies. I wish that I could have gotten a photograph of Black Mountain, but on this day the sun was quite bright and directly over the mountain.

Our second stop was at the Dutch Cleanser Mines. Here's a picture of the
group preparing to wander around and explore the area. These mines contain very fine pumice which is used primarily in kitchen cleaning products. In fact, it is so fine that I ruined a point and shoot camera there a few years back. Even though I was very careful about the dust, it still managed to get inside the camera and corrupt the CCD (which could not be cleaned without a trip to the factory).

These mines are HUGE. Many of the openings are large enough to drive a large truck into and they seem to worm together, and go on forever inside the mountain. They're extremely interesting.

This is one of the many views from the mines. This area is near Red Rock Canyon State Park and it's pretty obvious how the area got it's name.

Next Chapter - On The Way to Bickle Camp

Arches National Park Utah

North Window

It's been a such a frantic week here with the funeral preps and stuff that I haven't even had the camera out, let alone try to pick a best of anything. But that reminded me of a hectic day late last year and the few minutes Jaryd and I stole to drive thru a local park on the way home from an aborted road trip.  This was the only shot that day and it's not the best here and maybe not even my best but it's not bad and it's a typical Hoosier Autumn.  I wish I could go back to that spot right now.
Tranquility

p.s.  Last night I logged on to check the "best of" entries. At the time I didn't think I would enter, I just couldn't wrap my head around the idea with all we have going on, and I must say I was impressed by all the entries...not a loser in the bunch.  I feel obliged to say that for a bunch of students, amateurs and wannabe pros we are pretty freakin' good.

I've never seen Bute Park before, but this morning made for a wonderful change!  While walking to the park, these blinding windows flashed in my eyes and I have to say, I thought the source was beautiful!  

When the bridge came into view, I just had to stop.  I love things that put distance into perspective!  

As we were walking along, the sun kept glaring in our eyes.  It disappeared for a second, and I looked over to see this shining tree.  We stopped for a few minutes underneath it and looked up at the sky, seeing how the reaching branches seemed to touch the clouds.  Almost a bridge from the heavens to Earth!  Across from us was another tree, kind of like the one used in big fish!  I think it's amazing that it still has its symmetry.

Over by the tree, though, was a leaning over that had been twisted by the wind.  The water was gorgeous, and I just had to take a shot of thewater view.

As we were leaving the park, Cardiff Castle came into view, and it looked so magical that I had to breathe a satisfied sigh.  

Life is beautiful.

Bare Island, La Perouse is a protected marine park in southern Sydney which has an abundance of sea life. Every weekend and most days of the week groups of scuba divers converge on the area to dive. It is a great place to do your first sea dives. One Sunday morning I watched with interest as a mother taught her young daughter to snorkel. They were both geared up in wetsuits and I watched the mother meticulously prepare her daughter adjusting her shoes, mask, snorkel and float pack before they entered the water. The girl looked enthusiastic – but apprehensive at the same time. I could hear the girl’s mother reassuring her as they edged into the shallow water from the rocks. A few shrieks and cries came from the young girl. Her mother grabbed her and spoke to her clamly and before long the girl was snorkelling in the shallows. I later saw them out of the water walking back to the car. The young girl was excitedly re-counting to her mother all the wonderful things she saw under the water!  
Zipping_Up Shoes_On Mask_On In_You_Come Just_Breathe

Here are some more pictures that I took in October 2007 here in CT. There is an old B&W Factory shoe factory across the river from my condo in Norwich, CT. There is an Graveyard_1 old graveyard about 3 minutes from my condo. After I was finished taking these pictures, Red_Leaves_1 Red_Leaves_13 Red_Leaves_3 Red_Leaves_4
This random leaf fell and landed on the only patch of grass without a leaf on it.Lone_Leaf These were taken at Eastern Point State Park in Groton, CT.Black_n_White_Lighth Black_n_White_Splash

Bicentennial Park was created during the 1980s, in time to celebrate Australia's Bicentenary in 1988. The 100 hectare natural heritage site provides an important wetland ecosystem with 40 hectares of beautiful parklands. Bicentennial Park is part of Sydney Olympic Park and offers visitors recreation, nature-based tours, environmental education and outdoor event experiences. The Park offers free entry, BBQs, picnic areas, playgrounds, pathways and cycleways, parking, access to the wetlands, salt marsh and bird hides.
Mangrove Split_Plank Close_Mates Lonesome Great_Egret Chained_To_The_Wheel

Put the bike in the car, the camera in the backpack and went for a cycle around the Homebush Olympic Park site. This was the area where we had the Sydney 2000 Olympics. The area is all parklands and nature reserves and trails now. A great place for young families to visit. In a by-gone era Homebush Bay was an active shipping area with the Newington Armoury housed there during the war years. The wharf in these photos is just rotting away. Lots of new apartment complexes have been built in and around the bay and it is now a trendy place to live. There are a few 'shipwrecks' throughout the bay which are interesting.
Old_Wharf_1 Old_Wharf_2 Old_Wharf_3 Tired_Nails Shipwreck

Finally getting around to going thru my photos from my trip to Nevada.  Here are some from when Kim and I went out.  It was cold and windy, but we had lots of laughs and took lots of photos.  Lampe Park has a little creek where the ducks and geese congregate. Here are some shots:

Duck flapping
Duck floating
Duck cold feet he was standing on a sheet of ice.
Duck lots of green I loved the way the sun hit all their heads and the emerald green came out.

Thanks for looking!  Have a wonderful day!  :o)

Today was warm and sunny so Howie, Luis and I hopped the B train one stop downtown to Washington Square Park.  The park is closed for renovation till Spring 2009. Yikes, a fence surrounds the whole park.  I took them on a walking tour of Greenwich Village instead.

Wheels

Federal Style Sun Drenched

Bleeker's Corner When I set up this shot there was no one in the photo.  I guess the light changed and I just kept shooting till the whole frame was filled with people.

Levels of Exhaust

A few historic buildings :
Washington Square Hotel

Stonewall Inn

Northern Dispensary I have no idea what they were dispensing.