Stay With Me, Sway With Me!

F/6.3, 1/60, ISO 640.

American Black Bear

What do you call a knight who lets people borrow his stuff?

Sir lends a lot

Interesting Facts: When winter arrives, black bears spend the season dormant in their dens, feeding on body fat they have built up by eating ravenously all summer and fall. They make their dens in caves, burrows, brush piles, or other sheltered spots—sometimes even in tree holes high above the ground. Black bears den for various lengths of time governed by the diverse climates in which they live, from Canada to northern Mexico. ( https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/a/american-black-bear/ )

 

 

I’m On Top Of The World!

F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 320.

Mount San Jacinto State Park ( Desert View Trail )

Why did the snowman call his dog Frost?

Because frost bites!

Interesting Fact: Mount San Jacinto State Park is in the San Jacinto Mountains, of the Peninsular Ranges system, in Riverside County, California, United States. A majority of the park is within the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument.[1] The park is near the Greater Los Angeles and San Diego metropolitan areas.  ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_San_Jacinto_State_Park )

I Have A Bone To Pick With You!

F/5.0, 1/60, ISO 320.

Happy Halloween!

What does a skeleton orders at a restaurant?

Spare ribs!!!

Interesting Fact: Today’s Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from the Celtic-speaking countries, some of which are believed to have pagan roots.[35][36]Jack Santino, a folklorist, writes that “there was throughout Ireland an uneasy truce existing between customs and beliefs associated with Christianity and those associated with religions that were Irish before Christianity arrived”.[37] Historian Nicholas Rogers, exploring the origins of Halloween, notes that while “some folklorists have detected its origins in the Roman feast of Pomona, the goddess of fruits and seeds, or in the festival of the dead called Parentalia, it is more typically linked to the Celtic festival of Samhain, which comes from the Old Irish for “summer’s end”. (  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halloween#History )

Why Fit In When You Were Born To Stand Out.

F/4.5, 1/30, ISO 640.

PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo (“PhotoPlus“)

What do you call a bee trying to make up its mind?

A maybe

Interesting Fact: PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo (“PhotoPlus”) is an annual event held at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York. Designed for professional and advanced amateur photographers, Photoplus displays recent advances in photography through a variety of exhibitions as well as photography and digital design seminars. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photoplus )

Is That A Shark!

F/6.3, 1/160, ISO 160.

Green Heron 

What is a sharks favorite sci-fi show?  

Shark Trek 

Interesting Fact:  Each breeding season, Green Herons pair up with one mate apiece, performing courtship displays that include stretching their necks, snapping their bills, flying with exaggerated flaps, and calling loudly.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Green_Heron/lifehistory )

Sleep Owl Day, Party Owl Night!

F/6.3, 1/80, ISO 500.

Eastern Screech-Owl

Why did the Owl invite his friends over?

He didn’t want to be owl by himself.

Interesting Fact: Like most raptors, male Eastern Screech-Owls are smaller than females, and are more agile fliers and hunters. The female doesn’t hunt while on the nest; she and the chicks depend on food brought them by the male. Though the male is smaller, his voice is deeper than the female’s.  ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/ )

I Have My Goldeneye On You!

F/9.0, 1/320, ISO 160.

Common Goldeneye

Why did the cookie go to the hospital?

He felt crummy!

Interesting Fact: In winter and early spring, male Common Goldeneyes perform a complex series of courtship displays that includes up to 14 moves with names like “masthead,” “bowsprit,” and “head throw kick,” in which the male bends his head back to touch his rump, then thrusts forward and kicks up water with his feet. ( https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Common_Goldeneye/

It’s Not What’s Under The Tree That Matters It’s Who’s Gathered Around It.

F/11.0, 1/500, ISO 400.

Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays To You All!

Why is Santa so jolly?

Because he knows where all the naughty girls live.

Interesting Fact: Modern Christmas trees originated during the Renaissance of early modern Germany. Its 16th-century origins are sometimes associated with Protestant Christian reformer Martin Luther, who is said to have first added lighted candles to an evergreen tree. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree )

You Are A Lizard Not A Wizard!

F/7.1, 1/200, ISO 125.

Anolis Cristatellus ( Crested Anole ) 

What do you call a lizard that sings for a Rap Records?

A Rap-tile!

Interesting Fact: When looking for a mate or defending its territory, this anole will display its dewlap and perform “push-ups” to establish dominance. Males aggressively defend territories when mating, but only rarely does this result in physical combat. As a defense against predators, they autotomize their tails. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anolis_cristatellus )

All Bridges Can Be Crossed, So Don’t Give Up!

F/10.0, 1/640, ISO 160.

Verrazano-Narrows Bridge

Why was the big cat disqualified from the race?

Because it was a cheetah.

Interesting Fact: A bridge across the Narrows had been proposed as early as 1927, when structural engineer David B. Steinman brought up the possibility of such a crossing.[3] At the time, Staten Island was isolated from the rest of New York City, and its only direct connection to the other four boroughs was via the Staten Island Ferry to South Ferry in Manhattan, or 39th and 69th Streets in Brooklyn.[4] In 1928, when the chambers of commerce in Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, and Staten Island announced that the Interboro Bridge Company had proposed the future construction of the “Liberty Bridge” to United States Department of War. The bridge’s towers would be 800 feet (240 m) high and it would cost $60 million in 1928 dollars.[5] In November 1929, engineers released plans for the 4,500-foot (1,400 m) Liberty Bridge spanning the Narrows,[6] with 800-foot-tall towers.[7] It was hoped that the new construction would spur development on Staten Island, along with the Outerbridge Crossing and the Bayonne Bridge, which were under construction at the time. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verrazano-Narrows_Bridge#History