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The Secret of Making Progress is to Get Started
- Mark Twain
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I spotted this Tortoise and his Human Pal taking an ocean-front walk along the cliffs of Palos Verdes California. One thing about California, you will usually find something interesting or unusual, even when you're not looking for it : )
The Tortoise:
Tortoises are "cold-blooded," meaning their body temperature varies with the surrounding environment. They are also herbivores, meaning they eat plants. Tortoises are found in a variety of habitats, including deserts, forests, grasslands, and swamps.
There are over 300 species of tortoises, and they come in a wide range of sizes. The smallest tortoise is the speckled padloper tortoise, which is only about 4 inches long. The largest tortoise is the Galapagos tortoise, which can grow to be over 150 pounds.
Tortoises are long-lived animals. Some species can live for over 100 years. The oldest known tortoise is a Galapagos tortoise named Jonathan, who is over 190 years old.
Here are some interesting facts about tortoises:
Tortoises have been around for over 200 million years.
The largest tortoise ever recorded was a Galapagos tortoise named "Johnathan" who weighed over 500 pounds and was over 190 years old.
Tortoises are very good at conserving water. They can go for long periods of time without drinking.
Tortoises are not very good swimmers.
Tortoises are very social animals and enjoy spending time with other tortoises.
Tortoises can be very affectionate and make great pets.
-Google Bard
(Sony, 200-600 @ 241 mm, 1/3200 @ f/8, ISO 4000, edited to taste)
After a nights rest at the Loch Ossain Youth Hostel we were up early for a long days hike to Dalwhinnie. We had twenty odd miles to hike and four munro to climb so we needed an early start. There was a silver lining though. As we emerged onto the shores of the loch the layer of hanging mist started to clear and a little colour was seen reflected. What a start to the day.
Adams County-Washington State
I have photographed this barn in previous years but now see that it appears to be going downhill rather quickly.
The Gäuboden is a region in Lower Bavaria in southern Germany without any clear geographic or cultural boundaries, that covers an area about 15 kilometres wide south of the River Danube and the Bavarian Forest, beginning opposite Wörth an der Donau and stretching as far as Künzing. The largest town in the region is Straubing, which is often called the centre of the Gäuboden. The Gäuboden is one of the largest loess regions in southern Germany. The farmland is nearly flat, no field borders or trees that might hinder the usage of huge machines.
This image was made near Schierling
Text adpated from Wikipedia.
The warm temps and rain have fooled the Spring flowers into blooming...Tonight Winter sets in here and will likely kill or ruin most of them...I decided to just catch a fleeting moment while it was here...
THANKS FOR YOUR VISIT AND FAVES
ON THE REACTIONS I WILL TRY TO RESPOND BACK
Pioenroos (Paeonia)
De (nog niet bloeiende) knoppen van pioenrozen scheiden een sap uit dat rijk is aan koolhydraten. Vaak komen hier mieren op af die zich voeden met deze substantie. De mieren zijn echter niet schadelijk voor de planten.
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Peony (Paeonia)
The (not yet blooming) buds of peonies secrete a juice that is rich in carbohydrates. Ants often feed on this substance. However, the ants are not harmful to the plants.