Welcome, Summer!

Carmi's Thematic Photographic 201 is Welcome Summer

Although rather short-lived (10 to 20 years), Mimosa is popular for use as a terrace or patio tree for its light, dappled shade and tropical effect. Its deciduous nature allows the warming sun to penetrate during the winter. There are too many other high-quality trees in this cruel world to warrant planting this tree.

So mean! Doesn't it look pretty?









These pics below are from the Cacapon Resort State Park on Monday. It was cool and dry, there was a nice breeze to keep the gnats at bay, and few other people were on the course. Almost Heaven!











Finally, the bear necessities. What, you don't see him? He was RIGHT THERE!



Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.
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Saturday Night Bambi Movie

UPDATE: More pics from yesterday (You are currently using 558MB (54%) of your 1024MB).











(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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Thursday Critters

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Foggy Mountain Deer Orbs

UPDATE: Carmi has posted his 200th Thematic Photographic: - Abstract

It occurred to me that you can crop your pictures to tell the story you want to tell. The first here is a crop from "rainy morning geese" above. And the 2nd is another of Lake Siri.





Here is the above picture, uncropped. And yes, it was taken before 7:06 A.M. Sunday morning. Thanks, Notorious D.O.G.!


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How would you like your goose cooked?

Steamed? Yes, right away.















(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)

UPDATE: I had the idea of linking to Carmi's Thematic 199 - Got the blues last night, but I was too tired and went to bed instead.




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I'll Bet You Think This Column's About You

I don’t know if America has a leadership problem; it certainly has a followership problem. Vast majorities of Americans don’t trust their institutions. That’s not mostly because our institutions perform much worse than they did in 1925 and 1955, when they were widely trusted. It’s mostly because more people are cynical and like to pretend that they are better than everything else around them. Vanity has more to do with rising distrust than anything else.

Many of the best minds on the internets have already dissected Bobo's latest wankfest. From Atrios to Echidne to Charles Pierce to driftglass.

I'll just post a video for all the little people at their Applebee's salad bars, busy questioning authority.



Other Beesness:









(Cross-posted at Whiskey Fire. Mouse over pics for captions, and click them for larger versions.)
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