Happy Halloween!

Burning Jack-O-Lantern, originally uploaded by Bryan Mitchell Photography.

Boo!

Breath Taking

Looking back on the trail, originally uploaded by jenpilot.

The first time I understood the term breath taking was on this trail. I encourage you to click the picture to see the full effect. Also, here, here, and here.

Is This the Killer?

Tiger at The San Fransisco Zoo.., originally uploaded by Photo Nazi..

A tiger from the San Fransisco Zoo escaped and killed a man and wounded two others. It is OK for the police to use deadly force, even against humans. I think they have been a little gun and taser happy lately.
Update: Norwegianity has some words to add.

I don't think I've ever made this comment here, but I don't much care for zoos. Wildlife habitats, yes, zoos no. But not a priority of mine as we have millions of domestic animals living in hellish confinement operations thanks to soulless capitalists who'd rather spread disease than raise healthy meat.

You know the kind of capitalist I mean, the kind that snorts lines of powdered tiger dicks when the Viagra stops working.

It all ties in together eventually.

Update Two: Deweys take.

Berry Christmas

Berry Christmas!, originally uploaded by cattycamehome.

I still had flickr open and this came up from 2006. Here is cattycamehome's comment.

"Through the years
We all will be together
If the Fates allow,
Hang a shining star
On the highest bough,
And have yourself
A berry little Christmas now!"

To all of the lovely people I have met on Flickr - I so hope that you all have a super duper Christmas! ~ Cathy x

Christmas Eve

Eve, originally uploaded by copeg.

I was looking for a Christmas Eve picture and found this shot taken on Christmas Eve.

Budas Kamakura, Japan

Budas Kamakura, Japan, originally uploaded by Girados.

Budas Kamakura, Japan

Diabutsu

Daibutsu, originally uploaded by Maliah.

I ran into a friend at a Christmas party. He said remember the great buddha.

Peak Trail, Mission Peak

Peak Trail, Mission Peak, originally uploaded by busybeingborn.

Tom at Two-Heel Drive has a article in the Mercury News. Mission Peak.

Grazing Elk

Grazing Elk, originally uploaded by soundman2006.

It seems that there are too many elk in Rocky Mountain National Park. The park service is thinking about culling them.

But arriving at a population-control solution has been a messy process. Public hearings last year about proposed alternatives, including reintroducing wolves and reintroducing hunting by humans, were fractious and divisive.

A park biologist who led a management study of the elk, Therese Johnson, said in an interview that even with the plan in place, it was still uncertain how many animals might have to be killed in any year.

Ms. Johnson said that for several reasons, the park’s elk population had recently fallen a bit. About 700 were killed by hunters outside the park last year, one of the highest numbers in years. And more of the animals appear to be spending time in forest areas outside park boundaries.

She said that if the trend continued, there might be years when no animals needed to be killed. She also emphasized that the culling program would be scientifically based. The shooting would be done in winter, she said, when there are few visitors, with a goal of mimicking as much as possible how natural predators like wolves would reduce a herd, by taking out the old, the weak and the ill.

It sounds reasonable but I just do not trust the government with Bush as president.

Actual Blimp

100_0615, originally uploaded by madwurm.

Ron Paul Revolution

BostonRevolution, originally uploaded by bob 42.

Libby at Newshoggers reminded me of the blimp, another great reason to go libertarian. I think this is a photoshop version though.

Ascent

Ascent, originally uploaded by konaboy.

The search for the hiker lost on Mauna Kea has been called off. He was last seen going hiking alone. The search has been hampered by blizzard like conditions.

Northern Lights

Northen Lights (Aurora Borialis), originally uploaded by Arnaldur Birgisson.

Scientists have found out the energy source for the northern lights.

SAN FRANCISCO - Scientists think they have discovered the energy source of the spectacular color displays seen in the northern lights. New data from NASA's Themis mission, a quintet of satellites launched this winter, found the energy comes from a stream of charged particles from the sun flowing like a current through twisted bundles of magnetic fields connecting Earth's upper atmosphere to the sun.

The energy is then abruptly released in the form of a shimmering display of lights visible in the upper latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere, said principal investigator Vassilis Angelopoulos of the

Shovel Snow

Shovel snow., originally uploaded by christiannealmcneil.

I have to shovel snow. This is a picture of one of the huts on the Appalachian Trail in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

Snoqualmie Pass

Snoqualmie Pass, originally uploaded by reflectification.

Two hikers were found dead after an avalanche near Snoqualmie Pass. Another survived.

A spokesman with the King County Sheriff's Office said those killed near Snow Lake were a 33-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man. Family members and authorities did not make public their names Tuesday.

The surviving hiker, another 38-year-old man married to the woman who died, suffered a broken leg and underwent surgery at Harborview.

My sympathies to the families. More bad news a hiker is missing in Southern CA. Lets hope for the best.

Little Pink Houses

Little Pink Houses, originally uploaded by NOGoddess.

Brad Pitt wants to build little pink houses in New Orleans. First Draft and Tree Hugger have some links.
Also in the small house movement Olvlzl at Echidne's place has a great article. I especially like the Tumble Weed houses, what fun.

Last link via Avedon, who explains why the Libby commutation was better than a pardon.

Death Valley Spirit Rock

Death Valley Spirit Rock, originally uploaded by unlv_designer.

I saw a link to an article about these rocks over at clusterflock. Check it out. The rocks move by themselves.

Beware the Plethodon Nettingi

Cheat Mountain Salamander (4), originally uploaded by kwixted0.

There is an article in the Herald-Mail in Hagerstown Md, entitled "At Dolly Sods Beware the Plethodon Nettingi" The picture above is the dreaded plethodon nettingi. Lyn Widmyer ends with this graph:

I can deal with bears and mortar shells, but please, I prayed, don't let me wake up in the middle of the night with a Cheat Mountain Salamander in my sleeping bag.

I do not know about you but I am not worried about a salamander.

Malibu Fire

Malibu Fire II - Nov. 24th 2007, originally uploaded by sharky h. towers.

That is the sun coming up not the fire itself.

Full Moon

Full Moon 1st July 2007+, originally uploaded by cindytoo.