Photos of Christmas Greetings

And then there's the Southern ReinGator

Kite Flying On Assateague Island - Photos

Photo Odds And Ends

Sunset on Chincoteague Channel

Fox kits

Greetings from the Spring Queen

Patagonian puma

Chesapeake Bay sunset

Friday's Breeder Cup Races

The four Breeders Cup races on Friday will be the Juvenile Turf, the Dirt Mile, the Juvenile Fillies Turf (all run at a mile in distance, for a purse of $1 million apiece) and the Distaff for Fillies and Mares, run at a mile and an eighth, for a purse of $2 million.  Taped coverage will be shown on the NBC Sports Network Friday evening/night; the nine races run on Saturday will have live coverage.More information regarding each race, including pedigrees and racing history, may be viewed at The Bloodhorse website at   http://www.bloodhorse.com/

  The first Breeders Cup race will be the Juvenile Turf; there are 14 entrants and 2 alternate entries, in case of a late scratch.  Listed are Post position, name of the horse, and morning betting odds.
1.    Wet Sail        15 to 1
2.    Daddy D T       15 to 1
3.    Luck of the Kitten      8 to 1
4.    Commemorative      8 to 1
5.    Hootenanny      3 to 1
6.    Conquest Typhoon    12 to 1
7.    War Envoy      9 to 2
8.    Offering Plan      20 to 1
9.    Aktabantay      12 to 1
10.  Startup Nation      12 to 1
11.  Imperia      6 to 1
12.  International Star      15 to 1
13.  Lawn Ranger      20 to 1
14.  Danny Boy      20 to 1
AE   Faithful Creek     20 to 1
AE   Pappacoolpappacool      30 to 1

  There are 10 entries in the Dirt Mile, including Goldencents, who won the race last year:
1.    Goldencents      6 to 5
2.    Carve      15 to 1
3.    Vicar's In Trouble      12 to 1
4.    Pants On Fire      6 to 1
5.    Handsome Mike      30 to 1
6.    Golden Ticket      15 to 1
7.    Bronzo      12 to 2
8.    Fed Biz      7 to 2
9.    Tapiture      6 to 1
10.  Big Bane Theory      15 to 1

In the Juvenile Fillies Turf, there are 14 entrants and 2 alternate entries:
1.    Partisan Politics      15 to 1
2.    Osaila      5 to 1
3.    Sunset Glow      7 to 2
4.    Lady Eli      6 to 1
5.    Isabella Sings      12 to 1
6.    Sivoliere      12 to 1
7.    Rainha Da Bateria      12 to 1
8.    Nicky's Miss Brown      20 to 1
9.    Lady Zuzu      15 to 1
10.  Quality Rock      20 to 1
11.  Conquest Harlanate      10 to 1
12.  Tammy the Torpedo      12 to 1
13.  Prize Exhibit      20 to 1
14.  Qualify      5 to 1
AE  Flying Tipat      20 to 1
AE  War Alert      20 to 1

The Distaff will be missing Beholder, who still has some inflammation in her lungs after spiking a fever last week.  Without last year's winner, there are  11 entries:
1.    L'Amour de Ma Vie      15 to 1
2.    Tiz Midnight      10 to 1
3.    Iotapa      6 to 1
4.    Belle Gallantey      6 to 1
5.    Unbridled Forever    20 to 1
6.    Stanwyck      20 to 1
7.    Don't Tell Sophia      5 to 1
8.    Valiant Emilia      20 to 1
9.    Ria Antonia      15 to 1
10.  Untapable      5 to 2
11.  Close Hatches      3 to 1

Wildlife Photos

American egret at Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

Barbary lion cubs, both male

Bottle-nose dolphin

Brown bears

Mare on Assateague Island, Virginia

Wildlife Photos

Brent geese at the Thames estuary, England

Brazilian jaguars in courtship (female on left has claws out, male on right does not)

Gharial crocodiles in India

A filly rears with high spirits while farm dogs watch

 

Southern right whale breaches near Cape Town, South Africa

A macaque at a Japanese hot springs looks into a snow storm

Red fox pouncing on prey at Yellowstone National Park

Animals

Four-week-old liliger cub; Dad is a lion, Mom is a lion-tiger cross

Squirrel monkey in Ecuador

A handsome grulla horse

Rock squirrel in Texas

The owner of this dog says she sees Jesus wearing a robe in this view of her dog's bottom... What do you think?

Wildfires, Zenyatta, & the Eastern Shore

Things look a little better today, regarding the wildfires in Colorado - we have more containment, cooler temperatures, and a chance of rain for the next three days.  Unfortunately, the rain also means chances for lightning - otherwise, it's great news.  What is sobering is the report that 473 homes have been destroyed by the Black Forest fire, and the fire is now about 30% contained.  Pets and livestock, mostly horses, are missing - one can view and/or post missing pets and livestock on the KUSA website at  http://www.9news.com/news/photo-gallery.aspx?storyid=340858 .  One family believes they are lucky; they lost their house, but their 27 assorted animals and their barn are safe.  Their horses, cats, dogs, birds, and pigs all survived; they plan on rebuilding the house.    The Royal Gorge wildfire is reported as being 65% contained.  A new wildfire broke out yesterday, the Ward Gulch fire, close to Rifle Mountain Park, was started by lightning, and the last I heard, had expanded to over 400 acres with no containment.  Several structures were at risk, and the Park was evacuated.  There will be a live update on the status of all of the fires at 10 a.m. MDT; I'll update as needed.
   Zenyatta, Queen Z, the Spanish-walking retired racehorse has been confirmed in foal to War Front.  Her first foal, a yearling named CoZmic One, is a colt by Bernardini; this year, she produced a chestnut colt by Tapit.  It will be interesting to see what this mating to War Front will bring...
   On the Eastern Shore, a sinkhole opened up in a lane of US 13, Lankford Highway, near Keller.  It drew a lot of attention from locals on their way in to work.  ....  Two people took a 6-foot inflatable dinghy out into the Atlantic from  the northern end of Assateague Island, near Ocean City, Maryland.  They had to be rescued by the US Coast Guard, as the current quickly took them away from the shore.  The folks had no water, no food, no flares, no radio, no life vests, and no sun block with them.  Luckily, a chartered fishing boat saw them and reported them so they could be rescued. (My opinion: Idiots. Let Darwin's Law take care of them.) ....  And, finally, for the first time since the Civil War, a State Senator from the Eastern Shore, Ralph Northam, of Onancock, is running for Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia.  I'd vote for him, were I still living there.

Photo Miscellany

Tigers at the Wild Animal Sanctuary near Denver, Colorado

 

Frisky Friesian

 

Norwegian boat in a fjord

 

Venetian mask

 

Horses

Round-up of Chincoteague ponies

 

A roan feeling saucy in Colorado snow

 

 

Buddies in the pasture

 

Andalusian opposites