Volcano lightning.

Nature Pictures

Baboons, Capetown

Via Ratak Monodosico.

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Via Vanderleun.

Female sculpture from Zentralfriedhof Cemetery, Simmering, Vienna (click on picture for larger image)

My curiosity is insatiable once provoked, and I’ve just wasted more than a hour trying to figure out whose memorial this very charming statue ornaments, and what is intended by the image of a classically-draped Bernini-esque female figure, kneeling, long hair hanging down, wringing her hands over a peculiar Art Noveau jewelry box or miniature model of a theater. Are we to take it that the soul or anima of the deceased is housed in this rock-crystal-windowed casket and the lady is imploring for it to come back to life?

A statue of this quality and interest is bound to be photographed more than once, and sure enough, I found more details at least, here and here. But none of the photographers can be bothered to identify the deceased party being memorialized, the sculptor, or what exactly is supposed to be going on. Imagine my frustration.

Via Fred Lapides (who means to say “Memento Mori”).

When this giraffe wrecks a photo, he does it right.

Hat tip to Vanderleun.

Actually: El Peñón de Guatapé.

From Ratak Monodosico.

Nice claws!

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Harpy Eagle (Harpia harpyja)

Self-portrait of Juan Rulfo in the Nevado de Toluca, 1940.

Hat tip to Madame Scherzo.

Many a carcase they left to be carrion
Left for the white-tail’d eagle to tear it, and
Left for the horny-nibb’d raven to rend it, and
Gave to the garbaging war-hawk to gorge it, and
That gray beast, the wolf of the weald.

—Battle of Brunanburh (Tennyson translation).

From Push the Movement.

Photo taken by Elstner Hilton in Japan between 1914 and 1918.

Hat tip to Madame Scherzo.