just a few beautiful living things

Cheetahs:

Their efficiency makes me gasp. They are one of the most intimidating animals to me…they are incredibly impressive, with terrifying speed. But they are gorgeous.

Bonobos:

I had a hard time deciding which picture to include, because there are so many pictures out there where bonobos look eerily human. For years they were known as pygmy chimpanzees, but they are actually quite different. To me, they look more like humans. The females have breasts similar to ours. They walk upright more frequently. But their society is almost devoid of violence; instead of conflict and physical violence, they substitute sex. It’s very interesting how animals, primates in particular, can show us simplified variations of our own society.

Trees:

I could not find a picture that adequately expresses my love of trees. They are breathtaking, but a photo just cannot show the way the sun shines through the leaves, the way the wind blows through the leaves. Trees glitter! And their vascular systems are incredible: sucking water from deep within the earth to the top of the tallest redwood. I love the fact that we only are seeing half the tree; the root systems underground are just as majestic. As humans, we think of ourselves as the most successful, important, etc. etc., but trees were here long before us, and will likely be here long after us.

Dolphins:I think dolphins are even more intelligent than we have projected. What if they are just as intelligent as us, but without opposable thumbs, cannot demonstrate this in a way we understand?