What are you up to?

[stlukesguild]

I see we're posting our "fur babies" again... so I need to participate. We have 2 pups, Raphael, who is the smaller dog... a mix of Dachshund, Jack Russell, and Chihuahua, and Pepper who is a mixed breed hound with traits from the Grayhound.

The two pups are inseparable...

Although we got Pepper first (they are both rescue dogs) Raphie is actually about 5 months older than Pepper.

For whatever reason, we have a good deal more pictures of Raphael. I think in part this is due to the fact that he almost seems to enjoy posing for photographs...

I've read that a dog's habit of grabbing a stick... or sock or slipper... when you first come home is something akin to the stimming behavior you might see in Autistic children... an action used to distract themselves when overly excited.

Raphael also tends to follow me about everywhere. When I sit down to take a break while working on a painting he'll stand in front of me until I finally let him up on my lap.

When I was forced to abandon my long-term studio and start working in a spare room at home, Raphael would repeatedly come into the room... look around trying to figure out what I was doing... and then start barking at me to stop and pay attention to him.

 

[brianvds]

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I've read that a dog's habit of grabbing a stick... or sock or slipper... when you first come home is something akin to the stimming behavior you might see in Autistic children... an action used to distract themselves when overly excited.

My landlady's one Maltese has that same thing: when she's excited, she frantically runs around looking for something to chew, and almost anything will do. And if she really cannot find something, she chews my ear.

 

[Artyczar]

Raphael looks like an excellent driver.

 

[brianvds]

Been strolling around in my local nature area again....

When people see this kind of thing they think drought, disaster, famine, little starving African kids with flies crawling over them, and so on. But no, it's a normal part of our seasonal cycles here. Our winters are bone dry - we haven't had a drop of rain since April or thereabouts, and I do not expect any until October.

Many people here find it depressing, but to me, this dry, dusty landscape has a unique charm, and I like the warm, earthy colors.

Outside of parks like this, wildfires are very common this time of year, and their aroma always reminds me of my rural youth. Like clockwork, we would get home from school only to have to go help put out a fire somewhere!

And some birdies:

Fiscal shrike:

Red-headed finch male:

Red-eyed dove:

Fiscal flycatcher on the park's fence:

Grey go-away bird in flight:

Wild canary:

Black-eyed bulbul in flight:

The park is unfortunately also home to a population of feral cats:

 

[brianvds]

On my Sunday morning walk, a sure sign of approaching spring...

 

[Mississippi Hippie]

Y’all like animal photos I have a year pass to aquarium!! Here’s some from this afternoon, I walk through the aquarium often, it is a great place, besides the lady bouncer at the entrance who demands IDs along with our passes!!

 

[brianvds]

Y’all like animal photos I have a year pass to aquarium!! Here’s some from this afternoon, I walk through the aquarium often, it is a great place, besides the lady bouncer at the entrance who demands IDs along with our passes!!
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Aquariums always have a quiet, cool, meditative feel about them. Might be nice to sit there and sketch the aquatic life.

 

[Hermes2020]

Some inhabitants of a park near my place.

 

[Artyczar]

MississippiHippie: those are gorgeous shots!!!
Hermes, love your friends at your park!

 

[Rich53]

I love the shot of the turtles racing across the log!

 

[Ellen Easton]

That goose you've posted is in much better shape than one of the geese around here. I read this morning that the people in the other little community across the highway from us lost a few chickens and the cougar took a 20 lb. goose as well. Cougars don't eat every single thing they kill. Sometimes they get goats or sheep but will leave dead or wounded poultry and people's small pets as collateral damage.

 

[Dave Woody]

I could share my pics of the worlds top motorcyclists racing at Magny Cours, France. I went by motorbike, in the saddle for many hours. This view made me pull over...I could not resist visage so pretty...

 

[Triduana]

I'm currently exploring Paris

The Olympic flame is gone but the orb is still there, not far from the Louvre

The Arc de Triomphe still carries the Paralympic symbol

Liberty

Very neat trees in the Jardin du Luxembourg

Sacre Cœur - a lot of steps but worth it

 

[Triduana]

Spent today at the Palace of Versailles - it went from sunny to torrential downpour and back very quickly!

 

[moscatel]

Triduana, oh wow!

 

[OliveOyl]

Brian, yes…I like all YOUR “brown” things and the “dry and dusty” landscape, too. Well…duh. I think the beauty in these places are usually more subtle and so can be overlooked. I know they’re not for everyone.

And hooray to Mississippi’s sea horses and slippery dicks (!), Herme at the park with his geese buds, Dave’s field of sunflowers (amazing) and….Kay in Paris! Just smiling for all the NICE things in the world.

I like this thread.
Still my favorite.

But no offense to the others….(gulp).