Good Planets - 11/25/2006

Welcome to Good Planets Are Hard to Find - 11/25/2006. Once again our contributors have sent us images bringing us the exquisite beauty and magnificence of our planet. (Don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge them in a new window.)

Steve and Mick of Voinapics Photography sent two photos from England. The first: A Little Swallow feeding her chicks. Steve tells us "It had been an interesting morning driving through Elmley RSPB in Kent UK. We had reached the car park at the end of the little roadway and had got the thermos out of the car to pour a nice cup of coffee. As we were enjoying the hot beverage we noticed a swallow circling overhead. The Swallow circled a couple of times then dived briefly into the nearby toilet block. Intrigued we moved closer for a better look but as we approached the building, noticed that Mrs Swallow was now sitting on a nearby fence watching us with a beak full of grubs. We apologising profusely to her for disturbing the youngsters' dinner and moved back out of the way but craftily at an angle so that we could still peer into the building. Mrs Swallow seemed happy with this arrangement and waving her tail at us in thanks, continued to feed her chicks much to our delight."

Their second photo is the little old wooden bridge at Shorne Park, Kent UK. Steve writes: "It was a cold cloudy weekend last year during early autumn when the family decide to go for a morning walk through Shorne Park . It had been a most enjoyable walk and we were making our way back to the car to start our journey back home, talking about the warming hot soup we had decided to have for lunch. Chatting away, we had almost walked past this little bridge without even noticing it. Years ago this bridge proudly spanned a small stream but, as time passed, the stream became a trickle and now the bridge was lost and forgotten within the overgrowth. Suddenly, as we walked past, the clouds parted and a golden glow bathed the bridge. We stopped, rooted to the spot to gaze in awe and I am sure that the little bridge swelled in pride as we admired its beauty."

Also from England, Mary of Forest Walks, sent a photo of one of the famous ponies that roam the New Forest near her home.Mary visited Canada in 2003. This is her photo of Moraine Lake in Banff National Park in Alberta.Susannah of Wanderin' Weeta in Canada brings us "Some of the more humble, often forgotten beauties: weeds in a ditch ... and English daisies from an ant's eye view."Robin Andrea and Roger of The Dharma Bums see bobcats (Felis Rufus) in their own backyard! Robin writes: "We feel very lucky to be able to see these cats. They are fairly elusive, but we've been fortunate to have seen them here in our yard and in California on the campus where I worked. Beautiful, shy little predators." This photo was taken in February up the street from their house.
Tara Dharma sent us photos of coastal California. "This Big Sur photo is an older one ...... the other two are taken at the beach across the street from my home."Phil of Perils of Caffeine in the Evening also shares tidal photos taken near Yachats, Oregon: a tidepooland starfish and anemone at low tide.Bev of Burning Silo in Ontario visited the west coast recently. These are two photos from her trip. "The landscape was photographed in the Painted Hills Unit at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument in Oregon -- Sept 2006.""The Brown Pelicans were photographed along the California coast not too far from Patrick's Point State Park. We had been seeing many long lines of Pelicans migrating south along the coast for a few days and happened to encounter dozens of them just before sunset along a beach. This was one small group among the many -- October 2006."Dawn also shared bird photos taken at Alder Lake, Washington. Common mergansers taken in Summer '06.Canada Goose on nest, taken in Spring '06Cindy of Woodsong in Michigan says of this photo entitled In the company of crows: "I'd been trying to photograph an ovenbird on the opposite side of the road, and saw the deer on a rise in a field .. then all of a sudden I heard a loud 'whoosh' and turned around.. the deer were as much in awe of the multitude of crows as I was .. a simple photo, but one of my favorites because it shows that animals feel/experience awe as well as we do. Some may dispute that - but I have seen it/felt it with my own eyes."Saren, who lives in Australia, sent photos of spectacular blooming trees. "I don't think these are jacarandas. The colour's right, but the tree shape is wrong. However, you notice spring in Brisbane because the days finally start getting longer and warmer, and the trees -- many of them South American or south African imports -- burst into brilliant blossom."Australia has some gorgeous flowering trees and shrubs of its own ... eucalyptus and bottlebrushes (callistemons) [shown here] ... [They feed] all the foraging nocturnal possums and flying foxes and daytime flocks of parrots and honeyeaters."Tim of Walking the Berkshires in Massachusetts says: "I took this picture during an ascent of Mt. Waddington, tallest peak in the Coastal range of British Columbia, in 1989 when I was 21 years old. We attempted to summit the mountain after a three-week traverse through Devil's Club and Slide Alder, over glaciers and up ice walls, but in the end we were checked by a storm that settled on the crest of the mountain and blew us back. No matter. It was exhilarating."You can read about Tim's climb and see more photos of his participation that summer with the National Outdoor Leadership School "... one of life's truly formative experiences."

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Good Planets Are Hard to Find is open to anyone who'd like to share the beauty of their own world with us. Heartfelt thanks to the photographers who contributed to this issue. It's been a great honour and absolute delight to host the November issues of Good Planets. December's host will be Divajood of Journeys with Jood. Send your photos to jkblue AT cox DOT net.