Animals

I do like animals and I like the challenge of photographing them. Unlike people, they don't hold still when they are supposed to... Getting a good shot is sometimes really hard and I have found reptiles to be a lot easier to photograph than any other kind. That is of course because many of them move slower or don't move at all. The eye of last time is of one of the animals in this posting.



I love anything black and white. Penguins are therefore naturally one of my favorite animals. Did you know there are 17 different species of penguins? The ones in this picture are King penguins. They can get up to 37 inches high and weigh 30-35 pounds. Not bad for a bird!
Seaworld has a good page on penguins.



















Another black and white bird, the woodpecker. This one decided to feast on the bird food we put out a few years ago during the winter. I could observe it almost every day for at least a week. The woodpecker was a bit larger than most of the other birds that stopped by and could become quite agressive with the smaller birds.





Lets move on to reptiles:

I like turtles a lot and in fact almost got one when I was little. Although, mine would have been a lot smaller than these two guys. They are Aldabra Giant Turtoises or Galapagos Tortoise. I can't really tell because the only difference between them is a small shell plate. One of the most fascinating aspects about turtles and tortoises are their age. The Galapagos tortoise can be up to 200 years old. Maybe walking slower makes you live longer? They can only go about 1km/h. Tortoises have also existed for about 200 million years, so there's got to be something about them we could learn from. Maybe we should all start using dial up again...
The Hannover Zoo has a pretty funny entry on Galapagos turtles





And here is another reptile, this one I never wanted to own. I can't really tell you guys too much about them because there are so many crocodiles and alligators. I do know though, that I don't want to get too close to one.
This is a good site about crocodiles I found: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/csl.html






And one more, not a reptile but the only mammal in my animal gallery: The sea otter. That one is just so cute!














For next time, why not flowers?
What might this flower's scent be? Do you think it's strong, mild, sweet, pungent? What makes you think so?

Wonderful nature

Every once in a while I come across a mood or element in nature that makes me amazed about how beautiful and powerful the earth and what is on it really is. I have decided to comment on the pictures this time. Just enjoy them, as they are.













































































Since I am ending with an animal your next task has to do with animals as well. Try to guess what animal has eyes like this:

Fall

I have to say, fall in New England is pretty cool. There are just so many beautiful and vibrant colors. I spent a week with my parents traveling around Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Main. I honestly can't tell you guys where exactly I took most of those pictures but I still like them.



The reason for why leaves change color is mainly due to the increasingly longer nights during fall. Leaves have three kinds of color pigments. Chlorophyll are the green pigments. They are produced by sunlight. Carotenoids are orange, yellow, and red pigments and are also found in foods such as carrots. The Anthocianines are responsible for vibrant colors and are found in foods such as blueberries, cherries and strawberries. During the summer, when there is a lot of sunlight, the leaves appear only green because the Chlorophyll production is operating on high speed. As the nights get longer, the chlorophyll decreases and the other colors can shine through. Different kinds of trees have different amounts of pigments, that's why some are more red, others more orange, and others more yellow. Pretty cool.







This is at the entrance of the Killington National Park in Vermont. This picture makes me think about a different, very peaceful planet, where the trees are red all year long.



This is at the same National Park, a little ways in. I thought this was kinda eerie. On the other hand it is almost like a message for survival.






This one might not be a representation of survival but I loved the old tombstones in front the colored trees. I can't quite put my finger on why though. This picture I took in a small village in Vermont.








This is at the Canterbury Shaker Village, New Hampshire. If you haven't been there, it is very beautiful and very interesting. Maybe some of you History Museum followers might be interested in it.




We also came across some pretty cool reflections in lakes and ponds. I don't think I have ever seen fog reflected that clearly in water.



This last picture is of a swamp we drove by one early morning. We actually stood there for about 30 minutes because it was so magical.





Since the last two pictures are a bit gray, I am going to continue like this. This picture I took back home in Switzerland. To me this is a very "poetic" picture. Can you write a short poem about it? Think about what is in the picture, how it makes you feel, or maybe how it makes the tree feel?

Gondolas

Yes, I love Venice. It is definitely one of my favorite cities. And Gondole just make a great object to photograph. Thus this posting is dedicated to Gondole.





The picture I posted last time was indeed part of a Gondola. Good job guys! The two seahorses are attached to the middle of the boat and hold a rope leading back to the seat of the costumers. I think it might just be decoration though, I can't imagine anybody holding on to the rope or the seahorses in case they are falling out of the boat.

Gondole are one of the main means of transportation in Venice. Today they are mostly used to chauffeur tourists around and motor boats probably outweigh the number of Gondole. They used to have little cabins in the middle to protect the passengers from the weather, especially during the winter but since the tourists today go on a Gondola ride to see the city, they were removed. The tourists don't seem to mind too much if they have to bundle up...

The front part of the boats, although it looks very pretty, might not just be decoration. It is the popular believe that the six spikes represent the six quarters of Venice and the S es on the front and the back of the vessel imitate the course of the Canal Grande, the main channel in
Venice.

Since Gondole are like cars, the Venetians park them like cars, on the side of the canal. If you look closely, you can see a motorized water bus in the background. I took this picture early in the morning when the fog was still lingering above the water.






This is a picture of a Gondola parking lot! I guess on-canal-parking can be a problem in Venice as well.

I am always amazed how one person can steer a Gondola with so little effort. A gondola can be up to 11 meters long and weigh up to 600 kilos! Plus it is built so that its left side is higher than the right. I guess it gets around the corners easier that way.

My facts come from "The official Gondola site":http://www.gondolavenezia.it/homeng.asp
Go check it out if you wanna know more about Gondole.


Now for your next task. As you all have noticed, it is fall. At least here in New England. I took this picture on the Tufts Campus a few days ago because I was intrigued about how many colors one tree can have. Take a look, how many colors and shades do you see? Can you make up some interesting names for them? Then, on your way home or to work or school, pick up a leave and look at it. Does it have different colors, shades. Can you invent some names for these colors? Have fun!