Marty Essen's Blog, page 274
September 1, 2018
Crabs
Marty’s photo of the day #2643: Two crabs, photographed with my underwater camera, along the coast of the Sea of Cortez.
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August 31, 2018
Your weekend Trump update
If you’re like me, you start each morning with a quick check of the news to see if you’ve been having a long bad dream and that Donald Trump is still just a game show host. Unfortunately it’s not a dream. But if you’d like to get an early start on the weekend, here’s a recap of what I found during my check this morning:
Trump supporters are still deplorable.
Mike Pence is still setting the standard for Christian hypocrisy.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders is still jealous that Mike Pence gets the Christian hypocrisy title. She’ll try harder to win the title from him today.
Rudy Giuliani still has reality issues due to his bout of syphilis . . . or rabies, I’m not sure which.
Ivanka Trump still hasn’t accomplished her goal for the year of memorizing the lyrics to “Valley Girl.”
Melania Trump is still miffed that Robert Mugabe was late on answering her ad in the “Wives for Despots” mail order catalog.
Donald Trump Jr. is still proud to have his picture in Webster’s Dictionary, under “arrogant,” “jerk,” “conspirator,” “pompous,” “slimy,” “scumbag,” “evil,” “treason,” and others too numerous to mention.
Donald Trump has still not been fitted for a straightjacket—but it won’t be long now.
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Badger mother and baby
Marty’s photo of the day #2642: A mother badger shares a moment with one of her babies.
(Photographed in the Bitterroot Valley of Montana)
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August 30, 2018
Come for a swim!
Marty’s photo of the day #2641: This is one of the pools at Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe. The crocodiles would like me to tell you that the water is the perfect temperature, and they would like to invite you for an invigorating swim.
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August 29, 2018
Burton’s legless lizard
Marty’s photo of the day #2640: This is a Burton’s legless lizard, not a snake. Why? Differences include ear openings (snakes do not have ear openings), skin flaps where they used to have legs before they evolved, and a detachable tail.
(Photographed in Australia)
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August 28, 2018
You’ve got the look
Marty’s photo of the day #2639: If you are married or in a long-term relationship, I guarantee you’ve seen this look before—or given it.
(Long-eared owl, photographed in Montana.)
The post You’ve got the look appeared first on Around the World with Marty Essen.
August 27, 2018
Donald Trump to require Canada goose documentation
Marty’s photo of the day #2638: So far Donald Trump hasn’t figured out how to put a tariff on Canada geese, but he recently tweeted:
“No Canada goose will be allowed in Amerika without dumantasion. They’re spying for Canada. They’re eating our fish. They’re Amerikan eagle RAPISTS. And some, I assume, are good burds. Secratay of the Inferior Ryan Zinke (He’s a Navy Seel!) is on the case.”
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August 26, 2018
Animals A to Z. The Letter Z
Marty’s photo of the day #2637: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.
Z is for Zebra. When I present my show “Around the World in 90 Minutes” at colleges, the last animal photo I show is this one. I call it “Zebras at Sunset.” Coincidentally, it’s also the last photo of Animals A to Z Month.
No one knows for sure why zebras have stripes. One theory is that when zebras stand together, predators have a difficult time determining where one animal ends and the next one begins. The prevailing theory is that since each zebra has a unique stripe pattern, the stripes help herd members identify one another. Of the two theories, I personally think the first one is most logical. I could see with my own eyes how difficult it was to make out individuals when members of the herd stood together. And if zebras truly need stripes to tell one another apart, why aren’t horses perpetually confused?
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August 25, 2018
Animals A to Z. The Letter Y
Marty’s photo of the day #2636: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.
Y is for Yellow-headed blackbird. I’m always amazed at just how many beautiful birds I can find within a half-hour of my house. I photographed this yellow-headed black bird at the nearby Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge.
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August 24, 2018
Animals A to Z. The Letter X
Marty’s photo of the day #2635: It’s “Animals A thru Z Month.” Each day in August, I will post an animal I’ve photographed—somewhere in the world—in alphabetical order.
X is for Xenopholis scalaris. The common name for a Xenopholis scalaris is a Wucherer’s ground snake. I checked the comprehensive animal encyclopedias I own, and none contain a single animal with a common name that begins with an X. So I’m forced to go scientific rather than common name today. Even so, not many photographers can go A to Z even with scientific names. I photographed this eighteen-inch-long nonvenomous snake in the Amazon Rainforest.
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