Praying Mantis

A praying mantis was lingering outside this fall. They look so beautiful up close.

Garden of the Gods, Colorado Springs, CO

An honest-to-goodness mirage,

Midway in the desert between San Ignacio in Mexico and the lagoons where the gray whales bear their young, there is an oasis. You can tell that we were approaching it because of the scrubby grass in the foreground. What looks like water in the back isn't - it's a mirage.

Gazela restoration

View of the Gazela, a 3-masted barkentine built in 1883 in Portugal but now residing in Philadelphia. The ship requires constant maintenance, done by an all-volunteer crew (one member of which is Dan). --spleen

real person who looks like a statue

A street performer who does absolutely nothing. He just stands there while [Michael Jackson's] "thriller" album thunders from his boom box. The real draw is the audience and their reactions. For this, they give him money! This strikes me as a purely American artist. Not only does he do little or nothing, but he gets others to do the work for him while he rakes in the cash. --Dan

poison ivy with "poison ivy"

Revenge is a dish best served by insects. Poison Ivy, with "poison ivy" (actually mites). -Dan

Fish "cleaning station"

A "Cleaning Station" seen off of Maeda point in Okinawa (Japan). The large fish is allowing itself to be cleaned by the small wrasse above it. Out of the frame, a line of other fish waited their turn. --Dan