in this random rambling thread we post random pictures

[cavemanrich]

 

[EmmaDonovan]

The African gorilla at the Moscow Zoo is enjoying the snow. I suspect that in its natural habitat it would never see it. I hope it doesn't catch a cold.
https://cs17.pikabu.ru/s/2025/04/10/11/2wcozpkk_s0f0d7m0_720x1280.webm

I love how they spin around when they're very happy, just like little (human) kids!

 

[EmmaDonovan]

View attachment 4096027

Yosemite makes me proud of my home state. There are so many beautiful places in California.

I'm really missing it today - it was 102° here, meanwhile at home it was a perfect 65°.

 

[cavemanrich]

Yosemite makes me proud of my home state. There are so many beautiful places in California.

I'm really missing it today - it was 102° here, meanwhile at home it was a perfect 65°.

When my son was camping there some years ago,, Of course all food was placed into the Bear containers provided. So sitting around the campfire with the others,, YES, a Black Bear came to visit. One of the six members did have a fire cracker on hand. Blasted it,, and Yogi Bear ran off.
The way it worked in that campsite. If you were a party of 2. They would add additional occupants to make a total of 6 people per site.
Of course everyone slept in separate tents.
Son and his friend are Rock climbers, as I am also.
They were doing some smaller routes, Not El Capitan. Witch is usually a 3 day climb, even for top dogs.

 

[Pasha838]

Russia is experiencing rampant drunkenness again. However, this has nothing to do with people or vodka.
The problem is in the local rowan berries, which contain a certain amount of sugar. During temperature changes and strong thaws, the sugar in the berries begins to ferment, forming alcohol. Birds peck at these berries, get very drunk, fall from the branches and lie on the pavement.
People have to collect them in boxes and put them in a warm place so that they do not die from the night cold. After which the birds, having lain for some time, sober up and fly away.

https://cs17.pikabu.ru/s/2025/04/11/14/df46yfqg_s0f0d8m0_846x1262.webm

 

[AntiqueB]

It's nice that people help the poor drunkards!

 

[Pasha838]

It's nice that people help the poor drunkards!

I don't know why this is happening. When I was a child, these berries were distinctly bitter. Not poisonous - birds readily pecked them, but there was very little sugar in these berries. And now, for some reason, they have become distinctly sweeter. Either it is cross-pollination from some other, sweeter varieties like chokeberry, or the plants themselves have changed slightly for some reason. But the fact is that these berries have begun to ferment like grapes.

As a result, we periodically get piles of completely drunk wild birds. They don't die, but they lie around drunk for a long time. It's gotten to the point where children go around with cardboard boxes and pick up these birds. Some kind of bird sobering-up station.
Although, yes, simple alcoholic drinks were made from these berries before, but it was a long time ago, before the revolution, and those who did this added sugar. Otherwise, these berries would not ferment.
And now they ferment without adding sugar, right on the trees. Well, according to rumors, those who tried them out of curiosity (they are hardly tasty) - they became noticeably sweeter. Nobody knows why.
Or someone in the city mistakenly planted some distinctly sweet varieties used in cooking or the alcohol industry. But... Rowan alcohol is somewhat of a rarity here, at least I heard about it last time only 100 years ago, it was a book written about the life of rural landowners.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Beware The Walrus

 

[EmmaDonovan]