dual personalities

Tag: Elephants

April 19, 2024

Newer every day*

by chuckofish

TGIF. It has been a stressful week for this old retired lady. I have had a lot to do, on top of our ongoing street renovation stress.

So I am going to channel Katie’s vibe this weekend and chill as much as possible.

However, we do have a birthday to celebrate (mine) amidst other distractions.

I had my last bible study meeting of the “semester” yesterday–we finished part one (chapters 1-13) of Matthew. I really enjoy this group of old and young ladies who take their prayer work seriously and study very hard. We had a nice potluck salad lunch afterwards. Indeed, I feel very blessed to be in this group. I am grateful that God has been so patient with me over the years and that he has put me in this good place.

This is a wonderful story from the book God’s Smuggler about Christians communicating. I have heard of this book, but have not read it. I will soon.

And did you see that an elephant escaped from a circus in Butte, Montana this week and ran through town? The trainer managed to get her under control and there was no need for law enforcement intervention. I guess people in Montana take such things in stride.

So happy birthday to me and here’s to another trip around the sun!

*Emily Dickinson, “We turn not older with years, but newer every day.” (from a letter to a cousin, 1874

4 Comments
August 13, 2015

“I said the mountains looked like white elephants. Wasn’t that bright?”*

by chuckofish

WED LOGOS CIRCLE_2015-1

Did you know that yesterday was World Elephant Day? Well, it was. Did you know that elephant numbers have dropped by 62% over the last decade, and they could be mostly extinct by the end of the next decade?

This is shocking. China seems to be the main market for illegal ivory, where a single tusk can fetch $100,000–200,000.

Ugh. You can read more about it here.

Elephants at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka, on April 16, 2015. (Getty Image)

Elephants at Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka, on April 16, 2015. (Huffington Post)

You know how I feel about elephants. I have blogged about this and the evidence is all over my house.

IMGP1335

Between hedgehog populations in freefall and elephants going extinct, I am pretty depressed.

Well,  let’s look at some great elephants.

Linen canvas embroidered with gold, silver & silk, one of the 'Oxburgh Hangings', made by Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury & members of her household, probably at Sheffield Manor Lodge, Yorkshire, England, UK, 1570-85.

Linen canvas embroidered with gold, silver & silk, one of the ‘Oxburgh Hangings’, made by Mary Queen of Scots, Elizabeth, Countess of Shrewsbury & members of her household, probably at Sheffield Manor Lodge, Yorkshire, England, UK, 1570-85.

steve mcqueen & elephant

A handsome elephant and Steve McQ

plate

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And how can we forget Stampy:

And I want one of these to toast elephants tonight. Try to enjoy your Thursday.

*Ernest Hemingway

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May 1, 2013

Hello, Peanut

by chuckofish

baby elephant 1

We have a new baby elephant at our flyover zoo. Born on Friday, April 26, 2013 at 10:57 p.m., she is the daughter of Ellie, a 42-year-old Asian elephant, and Raja, our resident Elephas maximus stud. The baby weighed 251 pounds and stands 38 inches tall.

Now, of course, there is a contest to name her. You can vote here.

The names are not too exciting. I prefer Peanut.

5 Comments
April 10, 2012

Who doesn’t love elephants?

by chuckofish

I’m not sure what made me think of elephants. Perhaps it was the boy’s recent visit to the flyover zoo and his reacquaintance with Raja and his newest progeny, Kenzi. Raja was the first elephant ever born at our zoo. Now, at age 18, he has started his own dynasty, with daughter #1, Maliha, and daughter #2, Jade. Anyway, I have always loved elephants.

I am a big fan of this elephant:

Babar, a French elephant

And an elephant in a movie is always a plus:

Doris Day and Jumbo

Cary Grant has an elephant for a friend in Gunga Din, and she comes in handy once or twice, although not in this scene. (Yes, you guessed it. She wants to follow Cary onto the rickety bridge and hilarity ensues.)

Tarzan always had cool pachyderm friends. Elephants are something you definitely want on your side, because they can do this:

Cecil B. DeMille's The Sign of the Cross (1932)

One movie with an elephant I am not fond of is Disney’s Dumbo (1941) where in typical Disney fashion the child is torn from his mother’s loving embrace. When the elephant-mother is enraged, she is summarily punished. Boo.

It is very disturbing, and who needs that from a children’s movie?

I have blogged about my needlepoint elephants here, and I have a few other elephants at home:

Daughter #1's first needlepoint effort

I have elephants in my office:

I have actually touched an elephant. Flora, for whom the one-ring Circus was named, came to visit our church once long ago, when one of the Church Service ladies was on the board of directors of Circus Flora. Flora was still a baby then and came right into the Great Hall. She had long wiry black hair which was a surprise. Pretty neat.

Who doesn’t love elephants?

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