 John Wardlaw with Mark Rumer-Cleary, Dallas Burney, John Molony, and JD Dickson in 2007 – SWNS 5 Friends Take Same Photo for Over 4 Decades: ‘We Vowed to Keep it Going No Matter What’ (LOOK): Five friends from California have been taking the same photo while on vacation together since 1982. The 62-year-old pals—John Wardlaw, Mark Rumer-Cleary, Dallas Burney, John Molony and JD Dickson—all attended Santa Barbara High School when they were teens. After graduation, they vacationed together at Wardlaw’s grandfather’s cabin on Copco Lake near the Oregon border. There, JD took the first photo of the five of them sitting next to each other. Wardlaw had the idea to duplicate the snapshot five years later when the quintet was again vacationing in the same spot. “We didn’t plan it—and didn’t make a vow to keep it going until it was done four times,” he said, from his current home in Bend, Oregon. “By the time it was 1997 we vowed to keep doing this no matter what.” Since they were 19, the friends have taken the same photo in 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017, and 2022. They plan to shoot their tenth portrait in 2027.  From 1982 to 2022 – SWNS The jar held by John Molony in all the photos originally held a cockroach they caught, which became their “mascot” on the guys’ first trip. “We all liked the photo. I even had a 20×30 inch poster of it hung in my house at the time.” When their story was featured on CNN 14 years ago, it went viral, with millions of views logged on their website. “The reaction was almost 100 percent positive”. The reactions taught John Wardlaw and his buddies “how rare” their friendship was, and for the last three summers they’ve all gathered at the lake cabin. The trip is a 12-hour drive—or an airline flight—for most of the friends, with John Dickson the only one remaining in Santa Barbara.  John Wardlaw, Mark Rumer-Cleary, Dallas Burney, John Molony and JD Dickson in 1992 – SWNS “But it’s been wonderful to have a friendship like this. When the story got a lot of press in 2012 we realized how rare it was and it made us stay in touch more—and made us feel how special it was. “Online people are saying ‘I wish I had friends like that’.  Friends in 2007 (SWNS) “I actually think it’s changed me a little bit—to appreciate life and friendships more.” The five have gathered at the lake, but not taken the photo, for the last three summers, and a few of the men are semi-retired with more free time.“We’ve been enjoying it, and spending more time together over the last few year,” said Wardlaw.Their next photo is planned for the summer of 2027, when they’ll meet at the same house in Lake Copco. 5 Friends Take Same Photo for Over 4 Decades: ‘We Vowed to Keep it Going No Matter What’ (LOOK) |
Magnificent Picture of Ape & Another Species
 bonobo cuddles a mongoose – Christian Ziegler/Natural History MuseumMagnificent Picture of Ape Cuddling Another Species is Finalist in Wildlife Photographer of the Year – SEE Photos By Andy Corbley-Sep 7, 2022: In a photograph that won Christian Ziegler “Highly Commended Image” at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest, a bonobo ape appears to be cuddling a mongoose as if it were a pet. Perfectly capturing the mystery and technical brilliance that are the standards for the competition, held by the Natural History Museum in London, this incredible story-in-a-photo ended later on, when the bonobo released the mongoose which went on its way. Now in its 58th year, the competition will nominate 100 entries for judging, selected from tens of thousands of submissions. “What’s stayed with me is not just the extraordinary mix of subjects in this year’s collection – a vast panorama of the natural world—but the emotional strength of so many of the pictures,” said chair of the judging panel, Roz Kidman Cox. Ziegler was exploring bonobo habitat in the Democratic Republic of Congo, wading chest deep flooded forest for days in Salonga National Park. Coming across a young male bonobo, he noticed the ape was holding a mongoose in his hand. “I was so surprised to see how he carried the mongoose with such care. I immediately started to follow him and document it,” he told BBC News. The motives of the ape are questionable, as they do hunt animals, but with his free hand gently wrapping under the arm holding the mongoose, signs of aggression were few. The BBC also heard from Dr. Barbara Fruth, director of an organization that has observed bonobos for 20 years, and who said that “we know from captivity bonobos care for individuals other than their own species.” Other entries  Southern Right whale – Richard Robinson/Natural History Museum The populations of this once-Endangered southern right whale are now returning to vast numbers, and this particular juvenile had a particular interest in the camera and person of Richard Robinson.In the category of “animal portraits” this photograph was selected as a finalist.  Coconut octopus peeks out of clam shell; nominated in 15-17-year-old category – Samuel Sloss/Wildlife Photographer of the YearNot to be outdone, this coconut octopus decided to strut his colors and coils from inside a “borrowed” clam shell for Samuel Sloss. While muck diving in Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sloss noticed the home invader, who promptly closed the shell during Sloss’ attempts at picture taking. Eventually though, he opened up and gave Sloss a finalist spot in the 15-17-year-old category.  ‘The Swimming Pool‘ captures breeding frenzy of tree frogs – Brandon Guell/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Like Ziegler, Photographer Brandon Guell had to spent days wading through chest deep water to photograph an early dawn phenomenon that only happens a few times a year in very few places. These green tree frogs are about to have a breeding frenzy on these stalks of grass in Costa Rica. Each female lays 200 eggs, which eventually fall into the water below and become tadpoles.  Dmitry Kokh/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Abandoned since 1992, Kolyuchin Island in Russia has been claimed by polar bears who, as a result of shrinking sea ice, are forced into scavenging the remains of industrial civilization. A low-noise drone was used to capture this excellent portrait of a bear that had taken a break on a windowsill.  European perch in Finland – Tiina Törmänen/Wildlife Photographer of the Year Tiina Törmänen got the cooperation for a photo from this lively group of European perch swimming through clouds of algae in a lake in Posio, Lapland. The algae is actually the result of warmer weather allowing these microscopic plants to bloom in great, problematic numbers, as these perch bear witness. All 100 finalists can be seen on the Natural History Museum website, and a winner will be selected for each category in early October. Magnificent Picture of Ape Cuddling Another Species is Finalist in Wildlife Photographer of the Year – SEE Photos |
Comedy Wildlife Contest Unveils class Photos
 A windy day on Bempton Cliffs during the nesting season for gannets in Yorkshire © Alison Tuck / Nikon Comedy Wildlife26/oct/2025, Comedy Wildlife Contest Unveils Wonderful Photo Finalists to Make Everyone SmileComedy Wildlife Contest Unveils Wonderful Photo Finalists to Make Everyone Smile: The Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards just released their annual finalists.“We are absolutely delighted to reveal the hotly anticipated finalists of the 2025 competition. They are a cracking collection of jaw dropping and laugh out loud photos of some of the most incredible wildlife that we share this planet with,” said contest officials in a news release.The call for photos was answered worldwide with photographers sending in a record number of brilliant and hilarious entries—just under 10,000 in total from 108 countries.They are all competing to win the top prize of an incredible one-week safari with Alex Walker’s Serian in the Masai Mara—other prizes include Nikon cameras and photography rucksacks.Among the contenders this year are animals caught in headlocks, doing high-fives and getting hugs. You’ll even see a dancing gorilla.The Awards were co-founded in 2015 by professional photographers Paul Joynson-Hicks MBE and Tom Sullam to create a competition that fused exceptional wildlife photography and the positive power of humor in a bid to help promote the conservation of wildlife and habitats that our precious planet relies on. Below are GNN’s favorites, but for more chuckles see the full collection of finalists at www.comedywildlifephoto.com. The images are all authentic, and absolutely no AI or digital manipulation is permitted to create the photographs.  Rwanda Gorilla © Mark Meth-Cohn / Nikon Comedy Wildlife “This photograph was taken during a trip to Rwanda earlier this year, where we spent four unforgettable days trekking through the misty Virunga Mountains in search of the gorilla families that call them home. We came across a large family group gathered in a forest clearing, the adults were calmly foraging while the youngsters were enthusiastically playing. One young male was especially keen to show off his acrobatic flair; pirouetting, tumbling, and high kicking. Watching his performance was pure joy, and I’m thrilled to have captured his playful spirit in this image.”  White-Tailed Sea Eagle in snow © Annette Kirby / Nikon Comedy Wildlife “This was taken in Japan. I was visiting Rausa on the Shirenhoka Peninsula and Nemuro Straits, where I was observing a White-Tailed Sea Eagle putting their fish in a hole and protecting it. This one had a fish and saw another Eagle coming in to try and steal it.”  Elephant ‘Peek-a-boo’ – © Henry Szwinto / Nikon Comedy Wildlife ‘Peek-a-boo’ features a Sri Lankan Elephant playing peek-a-boo with his ears.  Madagascar lemur licking his fingers after eating © Liliana Luca / Nikon Comedy Wildlife “It was then that the crowned sifaka lemur appeared, staring at me with wide, curious eyes, as if questioning my presence. Then, with the grace of a stage actor and the timing of a comedian, he raised his hand, licked it thoughtfully, and then paused mid-gesture, as if he knew exactly what he was doing.”  Two Bridled Guillemots in Norway © Warren Price / Nikon Comedy Wildlife “Guillemots were nesting on a small rocky cliff ledge where space was at a premium. The nests all crammed in close together which isn’t a good recipe for being good neighbors, as guillemots are fiercely territorial. Aggression and battles are frequent over nesting space and I captured this image of this bemused looking bridled guillemot, its head firmly clamped in his/her neighbor’s beak.”  Two Asian water monitors in ‘Battle Hug’ © Jessica Emmett / Nikon Comedy Wildlife ‘Battle Hug’ features two Asian water monitors locked in battle right by a main path in Bishan-Ang Mo Kio park in Singapore. “A battle of strength and wills never looked so affectionate!”  Southern Yellow-Billed Hornbill spooked by incoming tawny eagle © Geoff Martin / Nikon Comedy Wildlife ‘Hornbill In A Hurry’ – A Hornbill in South Africa was spooked by an incoming tawny eagle and decided a quick exit was probably wise. “Its ungainly departure was captured in a sequence of shots but this one for me perfectly captured the panic of the hornbill at that moment. The hornbill safely escaped although I doubt the tawny eagle was seriously interested in tackling that hornbill beak anyway.”  Yellow-cheeked Gibbon © Diana Rebman / Nikon Comedy Wildlife “This Yellow-cheeked Gibbon was just hanging out in the trees. It looks like he’s waiting for a beer to be served.” The team of expert judges will be busy over the next few weeks picking their favorites. The winners will be announced on December 9th at an Awards Night in London, which will be followed by an exhibition for one week from December 10 -14 showcasing all the 2025 Award Finalists at the Gallery@Oxo.The free competition is open to photography novices, amateurs, and professionals—all ‘to celebrate the hilarity of our natural world and bring a smile to everyone’s face. Comedy Wildlife Contest Unveils Wonderful Photo Finalists to Make Everyone Smile |
Just Doing What Comes Naturally
 Dance - Just Doing What Comes Naturally Human beings probably danced even before there was a word for it. Rhythmic bodily movement is instinctive. It connects people, even if unconsciously, to the rhythms of nature. The grounded movement is notably different from ballet's upward lift - itself in relation to western melodic forms. Dance is a form of expression that supersedes verbal language; it is possible to convey far more meaning in a sweeping gesture than a simple phrase. Dance springs from a human desire for personal expression and social connection. and it feels good.              |
Funny & Creative Bicycle Collection
 A collection of the most Unusual Funny & Creative Bicycles Ever - Bicycles have existed for over 100 years, and are one of the most popular forms of transportation, particularly in crowded cities and places where cars are either impractical or unable to be used. Although there are a few standard types of bikes, such as mountain bicycles, racing bicycles, and BMX bicycles, designers are always looking to create new concepts to improve the bicycle. Here we post some Funny & Creative Bicycle Designs around the World.                        |