Just picture it

"A man cries as he prays at the shrine of Sufi Saint Nizamuddin Auliya in New Delhi."
February 4, 2010. (REUTERS/Adnan Abidi)

I find, as I get older, I cry more.
Sometimes for joy. Sometimes in pain. Sometimes.
Sometimes for me. Sometimes for others.
Sometimes, for no apparent reason at all.
I find, as I get older, I cry more.
Sometimes.

"NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was launched in June, 2009, and is currently orbiting the Moon around its poles at a low altitude of just 50 kilometers (31 miles)."

"The primary objective of the LRO is to prepare for future lunar exploration, scouting for safe and compelling landing sites, potential resources (like water ice) and more."

"The high-quality imagery used in the mapping of the lunar surface is unprecedented, and a few early images have included detailed overviews of the landing sites of several Apollo missions, some 40 years after they took place."

Astonishing detail. It reminds me of the sense of wonder children find in simple things.

I wonder where the man in the moon lives?

"A common man marvels at uncommon things, a wise man marvels at the commonplace." ~ Confucius.

Its been bitter in the northern hemisphere this winter, and I for one (a sun-loving South African resident) don't miss the cold, the sleet, the snow, the darkness.

But in the midst of the big freeze, the city of Harbin is hosting its 26th annual International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival.

"Massive buildings built of ice from the frozen surface of the nearby Songhua River, large scale snow sculptures, ice slides, festival food and drinks can be found in several parks in the city."

And when they say massive, they mean massive. These are not conventional snowmen, or ice sculptures. These are artistic monoliths.

"The new PS20 solar tower at the Solucar Platform in Sanlucar la Mayor, southern Spain, seen on Sept. 23, 2009. PS20, one of the most powerful commercial solar tower in the world, consists of a solar field made up of 1,255 mirrored heliostats aimed at the tower, producing steam which is converted into electricity generation by a turbine."
(AP Photo/Miguel Angel Morenatti)

No single photograph I have seen in recent times, speaks to me so eloquently of the innate cowardice of men, and courage of women.
"An Iranian supporter of defeated Iranian presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi is beaten by Basiji (volunteer paramilitary militia) and government security members as supporters come to his aid during riots in Tehran, Iran, Sunday, June 14, 2009."
"Iranian youth opposed to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad take to the streets Sunday, setting dumpsters and tires on fire, in a second day of clashes triggered by voter fraud claims." (AP Photo)

2009 in photos (part 2 of 3)

2009 has been a monstrous year for me. And like this surfer, when the big wave comes, you either position yourself to ride it, and trust your instincts, or you get horribly wiped out.
Today, I am still standing. Having ridden the tidal wave of 2009.

"Australian surfer Mark Visser surfs an 11m wave at Cow Bombie, near the West Australian town of Gracetown, 280km south of Perth, Australia in this photograph obtained September 28, 2009. The organisers claim that Visser had caught one of the biggest waves in Australia for 2009." (REUTERS/Calum Macauley/Handout)

2009 in photos (part 1 of 3)

Wow. Joe McNally razzles up a brilliant shot. In his own words, the "jazzy looking thing in the photo is NASA’s Hyperwall-2, a conglomeration of 128 hi def screens all linked together via a main frame computer the size of Arizona and spinning out coordinated images of the galaxy."
We get the picture.
"The huge telescopes at play now generate tons of information every night on ever deeper areas of space, and this device is one way scientists can actually visualize the info these puppies are generating."
If you want to see "how" Joe got this shot, take a look at the video on his blog. Astonishing really, what you can do with added light.

"National Geographic's International Photography Contest attracts thousands of entries from photographers of all skill levels around the world every year. While this year's entry deadline has passed, there is still time to view and vote for your favorites in the Viewer's Choice competition."

Vote for your favorites in the Viewer's Choice competition.

So why this image?

I guess its the wanderlust in me. Having stood beneath the mists of Mosi-oa-Tunya (the Smoke that Thunders) as the Zambezi pours itself over the basalt precipice ... I can sense the majesty of the moment for the schoolkids in this photo of Iguazu falls. How it will leave them the richer for having been there.
The planet's a special place, isn't it?

There is something incredibly powerful about this image.
The primal instincts of lions .. at play .. doesn't look too different (to my eye) to that of lions hunting.

But to Lion Whisperer Kevin Richardson, its all part of a lifetime's love.

Kevin has always shown an interest in all types of creatures large and small and from an early age at just 3, was breeding crickets under his bed and keeping a pet toad called “Paddajie”. He grew from a young boy who cared for so many animals that he was called “The Bird Man of Orange Grove” in his home town to an adolescent who ran wild and, finally, to a man who is able to cross the divide between humans and predators. As a self-taught animal behaviorist, Richardson has broken every safety rule known to humans when working with these wild animals. Flouting common misconceptions that breaking an animal’s spirit with sticks and chains is the best way to subdue them, he uses love, understanding and trust to develop personal bonds with them. His unique method of getting to know their individual personalities, what makes each of them angry, happy, upset, or irritated-just like a mother understands a child-has caused them to accept him like one of their own into their fold.