Always remember that the future comes one day at a time.

Brown bear, brown bear what do you see? Melbourne Zoo, April 2011.

The brown bear can weigh from 300 to 780 kilograms – that’s more than eight times me – and at its largest rivals the polar bear as the largest land-based predator in the world!

I see Henry and Ezra and some bloke with a camera. Melbourne Zoo, April 2011.

This one is a handsome beast that particularly caught Ezra’s eye. While Ez marvelled at its bulk and dexterity on those rocks, Henry was more taken by the fact that it was eating carrots and lettuce!

Ursus arctos, Ursus arctos quis operor vos animadverto? Melbourne Zoo, April 2011.

Comments

ratatouille's archives said…

Hi! Kris...
Wonderful pictures all Of a brown bear that..."can weigh from 300 to 780 kilograms – that’s more than eight times me..."
It's so cute and yet at the same time can "rip" your head off in one quick..."swope!"

"I see Henry and Ezra and some bloke with a camera."
(Laughter!)

"While Ez marvelled at its bulk and dexterity on those rocks, Henry was more taken by the fact that it was eating carrots and lettuce!"
Interesting!

The quote "rings" so true!
Thanks, for sharing!
DeeDee ;-D

11 May 2011 at 03:57

Carola said…

Wonderful writing? Laugh, laugh.
Great, these creatures are so awesome.

Try to imaging seeing one in the wild. I know you Australians can, because you live with so many dangorous animals.

In the Yellowstone National Park we did. On a backpacking hike, in two walking days distance. On a meadow, the grizzly bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) was bussy surching for ground squirrel on one end of a meadow. We stood on the other end, opp. 50 meters away. This bear could not smell us, the wind was coming from him. For sure we were afraid. All four we stood together, thought about what to do if he would come. Climb a tree? Who first?
Even to know that you could see one, (you prepare your camp for the night, make noise (bell) while hiking), it is a rare possibility. They are shy, don't like the smell from humans or theire noise.
The bear waked away.
And we did too. From time to time we turned our heads?

12 May 2011 at 00:55

Kris McCracken said…

At least the Blogger thieves haven’t stolen these comments! Maybe the bear scared them off…?

DeeDee, they are wonderful beasties!

Carola, I’m not sure that I’d sleep too comfortably with great big bears roaming about!

16 May 2011 at 10:33

Mad as hell

So there I was, arm hooked up to the machine, watching my plasma swirl away into a bag while the morning news dribbled across the screen like a bad fever dream. And what were they showing? A "riot" in Melbourne, allegedly. The sort of riot where the real thugs wear body armour, carry pepper spray and look like they just walked off the set of RoboCop. The people they were beating? A ragtag crew of teenagers and old hippies—probably fresh out of a drum circle, still smelling of patchouli. But sure, let's call it a riot. Now, here's where it really gets good. I mentioned this spectacle to a few people later, thinking maybe they'd share my outrage or, at the very least, give a damn. But no. What did I get instead? A smirk, a chuckle, and—oh, the pièce de résistance—"You should really just let it go." Let it go? Yeah, let me uncork a nice, overpriced cup of coffee, sit back with my legs crossed, and soak in the latest reality TV trash. Why bother caring when ...

Hold me now, oh hold me now, until this hour has gone around. And I'm gone on the rising tide, to face Van Dieman's Land

Theme Thursday again, and this one is rather easy. I am Tasmanian, you see, and aside from being all around general geniuses - as I have amply described previously - we are also very familiar with the concept of WATER. Tasmania is the ONLY island state of an ISLAND continent. That means, we're surrounded by WATER. That should help explain why I take so many photographs of water . Tasmania was for a long time the place where the British (an island race terrified of water) sent their poor people most vile and horrid criminals. The sort of folk who would face the stark choice of a death sentence , or transportation to the other end of the world. Their catalogue of crimes is horrifying : stealing bread assault stealing gentlemen's handkerchiefs drunken assault being poor affray ladies being overly friendly with gentlemen for money hitting people having a drink and a laugh public drunkenness being Irish Fenian terrorist activities being Catholic religious subversion. ...

Something unpleasant is coming when men are anxious to tell the truth.

This is the moon. Have I mentioned how much I adore the zoom on my camera? It's Theme Thursday you see, and after last week's limp effort, I have been thinking about how I might redeem myself. Then I clicked on the topic and discover that it was BUTTON. We've been hearing a lot about the moon in the past couple of weeks. Apparently some fellas went up there and played golf and what-not forty-odd years ago. The desire to get to the moon, however, was not simply about enhancing opportunities for Meg and Mog titles and skirting local planning by-laws in the construction of new and innovative golf courses. No, all of your Sputniks , "One small steps" and freeze dried ice cream was about one thing , and one thing only : MAD Now, I don't mean mad in terms of "bloke breaks record for number of scorpions he can get up his bum", no I mean MAD as in Mutual assured destruction . When I was a young man you see, there was a lot of talk about the type of m...

This will hurt me...

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