National Geographic Photo Contest 2010

16,000 photographs submitted from 130 countries entered
National  Geographic Photographs Contest 2010.
Some favorites were extracted for publishing.

The Boston Globe listed about 47 pictures on their web site.  Of those from that web site, these were the pictures that were selected for the email forward that I received.  

Click Here  to see the rest of the published pictures . . . including the ones below.

                                Info for each picture are also listed.

Click Here to see the winners from 2010 (First and second winners are not in the pictures below).  

Click on the pictures to view them better.

 Honorable Mention

 Grand Prize Winner and Nature

February 2011

Being Thankful . . .

I AM THANKFUL: 

FOR THE WIFE WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT, 

BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME, 

AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

FOR THE HUSBAND

WHO IS ON THE SOFA BEING A COUCH POTATO, 

BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME 

AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

FOR THE TEENAGER WHO IS COMPLAINING 

ABOUT DOING DISHES 

BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME, 

NOT ON THE STREETS.

FOR THE TAXES I PAY

BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM EMPLOYED.

FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY 

BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG

BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK 

BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING, 

WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING, 

AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING 

BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING I HEAR 
ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT 
BECAUSE IT MEANS WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

FOR THE PARKING SPOT

 I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT 

BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING 

AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.

FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL

BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM WARM

FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH 

WHO SINGS OFF KEY 

BECAUSE IT MEANS I CAN HEAR.

FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING 

BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES 

AT THE END OF THE DAY 

BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN 

CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF 

IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS 

BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

AND FINALLY, FOR TOO MUCH E-MAIL BECAUSE 

IT MEANS I HAVE FRIENDS WHO ARE THINKING OF ME.

Live well, Laugh often, & Love with all of your heart!

Thanksgiving Poem

May your stuffing be tasty 

May your turkey be plump, 

May your potatoes and gravy 

Have never a lump.   

May your yams be delicious 

And your pies take the prize, 

And may your Thanksgiving dinner 

Stay off your  thighs!   

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 

EASY Pilgrim Hat Cookies to Make

Pilgrim Hat Cookies
TIME: Prep: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 cup vanilla frosting
7 drops yellow food coloring
32 miniature peanut butter cups
1 package (11-1/2 ounces) fudge-striped cookies
32 pieces orange mini Chiclets gum
Directions:
In a small shallow bowl, combine frosting and food coloring.
Remove paper liners from peanut butter cups.
Holding the bottom of a peanut butter cup, dip top of cup in yellow frosting.
Position over center hole of a cookie, forming the hatband and crown.
Add a buckle of Chiclets gum. Repeat with remaining cups and cookies.
Yield: 32 cookies.

Be Kinder Than Necessary . . .

Because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle

A sharp tongue can cut your own throat.

If you want your dreams to come true,

you mustn't oversleep

Of all the things you are, 

your expression is the most important.

The best vitamin for making friends . . . B1.

The happiness of your life depends

on the quality of your thoughts.

The heaviest thing you can carry is a grudge.

One thing you can give and still keep 

is your word.

You lie the loudest when you lie to yourself.

If you lack the courage to start,

you have already finished.

One thing you can't recycle is wasted time.

Ideas won't work unless 'you' do.

Your mind is like a parachute . . . 

if functions only when open.

The Ten Commandments are not a multiple choice.

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime!

It is never too late to become what you might have been.


Jan 2009