Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

You cannot love your country only when you win.

Republicans seem to think life begins at the candlelight dinner the night before.

Since when do we limit our critiques to things we could do better ourselves?

Republicans are the party of chaos and catastrophe.

This really is a full service blog.

Oppose, oppose, oppose. do not congratulate. this is not business as usual.

The fundamental promise of conservatism all over the world is a return to an idealized past that never existed.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

This country desperately needs a functioning fourth estate.

Nothing says ‘pro-life’ like letting children go hungry.

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Never give a known liar the benefit of the doubt.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

The snowflake in chief appeared visibly frustrated when questioned by a reporter about egg prices.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

Hell hath no fury like a farmer bankrupted.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

The press swings at every pitch, we don’t have to.

Tick tock motherfuckers!

These days, even the boring Republicans are nuts.

They love authoritarianism, but only when they get to be the authoritarians.

You are here: Home / Nature & Respite / Respite / Taking a Break from the News, Take 2

Taking a Break from the News, Take 2

by | 35 Comments

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My timing was terrible yesterday.  Between the April 1 elections and Booker – I love that everyone is referring to it as “Booker” – yesterday was not the day for this post.  Trying again today!

Open thread.

In case anyone wants to take a break from the news, here are all the sidebar images from March.

In no particular order.  Click on any image to see it in full-size.

Just enjoy the beauty, or chime in with thoughts about a daily image in the sidebar.

3 Sidebar Photos – March 2025 1
Image by GB in the HC (3/22/25)

On The Road - frosty - 2024 National Park Road Trip - Two More National Parks, Sort Of (3) 7
Image by frosty (3/31/25)
On The Road - Munira - On Retreat
Image by Munira (3/11/25)
On The Road - Munira - On Retreat 1
Image by Munira (3/12/25)
On The Road - Munira - On Retreat 9
Image by Munira (3/14/25)
Medium-sized wading bird with mostly brown feathers and white trim. It's eating a snail on a muddy shoal.
Image by Betty Cracker (3/13/25)
3 Sidebar Photos – March 2025
Image by FelonyGovt (3/3/25)
On The Road - arrieve - Saudi Arabia, part 1 6
image by arrieve (3/15/25)
On The Road - way2blue - Aitutaki, Cook Islands [2 of 3] 3
Image by way2blue (3/7/25)
On The Road - way2blue - Aitutaki, Cook Islands [2 of 3] 7
Image by way2blue (3/2/25)
On The Road - Paul in Jacksonville - Sunrise, Sunset Redux 1
Image by Paul in Jacksonville (3/1/25)
On The Road - Paul in Jacksonville - Sunrise, Sunset Redux 4
Image by Paul in Jacksonville (3/2/25)
On The Road - Paul in Jacksonville - Sunrise, Sunset 1
Image by Paul in Jacksonville (3/9/25)
On The Road - Paul in Jacksonville - Sunrise, Sunset 3
Image by Paul in Jacksonville (3/6/25)
On The Road - Paul in Jacksonville - Sunrise, Sunset 6
Image by Paul in Jacksonville (3/8/25)
On The Road - Paul in Jacksonville - Sunrise, Sunset 9
Image by Paul in Jacksonville (3/10/25)
On The Road - Albatrossity - Cranes along the Platte River, 2024 6
Image by Albatrossity (3/16/25)
On The Road - Dagaetch - Canada - Icefields Parkway 7
Image by Dagaetch (3/17/25)
On The Road - Albatrossity - Ngorongoro Crater 3 2
Image by Albatrossity (3/18/25)
On The Road - knally - Shropshire Hills 2
Image by knally (3/19/25)
On The Road - knally - Shropshire Hills 3
Image by knally (3/17/25)
Image by Raven (3/23/25)
On The Road - Steve from Mendocino - French Basque Country #7 6
Image by Steve from Mendocino (3/26/25)
Beloved Dogs & Cats - Day 1 11
Image by Jeffreyw (3/4/25)
On The Road - Dagaetch - Antarctica! 5
Image by Dagaetch (3/5/25)
On The Road - Steve from Mendocino - Brittany, France
Image by Steve from Mendocino (3/20/25)
On The Road - Steve from Mendocino - Brittany, France 8
Image by Steve from Mendocino (3/25/25)
On The Road - Albatrossity - Springtime in Arizona - Week 2 1
Image by Albatrossity (3/21/25)
On The Road - Steve from Mendocino - The Caribbean 4 of 4 – Virgin Islands
Image by Steve from Mendocino (3/29/25)
On The Road - Steve from Mendocino - The Caribbean 4 of 4 – Virgin Islands 7
Image by Steve from Mendocino (3/27/25)
On The Road - MollyS - Monet's gardens at Giverny, the water garden and house 5
Image by MollyS (3/24/25)
On The Road - randy khan - Springtime in Paris (well, not really) – A Day in Giverny 1
Image by randy khan (3/28/25)
On The Road - randy khan - Springtime in Paris (well, not really) – A Day in Giverny 2
Image by randy khan (3/30/25)
beautiful magenta dahlia
Image by WaterGirl (3/1/25)

Reader Interactions

35Comments

  1. 1.

    BeautifulPlumage

    I love these daily shots and thank you for thinking of it!

    Now I’ll go catch up on my Morning Moment of Gloating (TM

    ETA: and I very much thank everyone who has shared their photos, a big hug to all

  3. 3.

    RaflW

    I’m at our WI cabin trying to get some interior painting done before the onrush of family & guests this spring. Really heavy storms and wind woke me at 5:55. We’ve had rain come in through the cheap vinyl patio doors before at the bottom when there’s easterly gusts + rain, but today both patio doors also sprung leaks from the top. Yikers.

    I’m super relieved that Crawford won* yesterday, because if she hadn’t, I’d be calling a Realtor today to list this joint. I’m just so tired.

    * Not wanting to bring politics into the thread, but important context here as a cabin owner. BF and I have discussed what our path is had WI voters lost their minds.

  4. 4.

    Raven

    The Bohdi!  Just what I needed sitting in the waiting room for the second MRI in two days!!

  5. 5.

    WaterGirl

    @RaflW: It’s all good!

    *Except for the rain and leaks part.  I hope that between Booker and last night’s results in Wisconsin that will get a boost.  I predict a little less tired in your immediate future.

  6. 6.

    WaterGirl

    @Raven: The Bodhi has been featured in all 3 months so far.

    I suspect that will continue to be the case, because sometimes I see his beautiful face and cry because he looks exactly like I feel that day.

    So I put him up!

  8. 8.

    dearmaizie

    Love the images!  Thank you for posting and I have a question.  Apologies if it has been asked and answered.

    Can I download some of them to use as desktop wallpaper on my PC?  Won’t go anywhere but my PC.

  9. 9.

    pieceofpeace

    @Raven:   May you be rewarded with good enough results.  Take care, Raven, miss you previously more-often posts.

  14. 14.

    pieceofpeace

    WaterGirl, your posts help bring on calming and enthusiastic appreciations every morning, rather than diving right into the onslaught of news, emails, to do lists, etc., thank you!

  16. 16.

    WaterGirl

    @pieceofpeace: Thank you, I find them calming, too.

    When I stop to look at them, I always click on the image to see the bigger higher resolution version.

  17. 17.

    GB in the HC

    @WaterGirl: Thank you for making all these photos available in one place. I love the series and am honored to be part of it.

    ps I just emailed another to you.

    Cheers.

  19. 19.

    ArchTeryx

    Right now, my big project doesn’t have anything to do with politics at all.

    Within my fandom, there’s a lady named Melissa (or just Mel), a safe-for-work cartoonist that goes by Likeshine, her “fursona” being an emerald green gryphon (half bird, half cat). She’s one of the sweetest, gentlest people you can imagine, and she’s lucky enough to have entire Sandhill Crane families making their home in her backyard!

    She also has the self-esteem of a bacterium. More than one abusive boyfriend and her own natural self-hatred did that to her. It drove her, in some ways, to greatness, but it also was eating her alive.

    Now that she’s what we call a “greymuzzle,” she has a lot fewer fans these days (which is a crime in itself). It’s depressing as hell. So, being a silver-crest myself, I reached out to her… and we became friends, bonding over a love of cranes.

    Now I’m working nonstop to help her see her true worth for herself. I commissioned her to create a crane fursona for herself, one that will help her feel better. I constantly praise her and tell her how special she truly is. I share lots of crane-related things with her, and she shares video of her crane families. Slowly, but surely, she’s starting to develop some self-worth. And that makes it all worth it to me. Someone as beautiful as Mel deserves to feel that way about herself, and be taught that the crazy one isn’t her – it’s those abusive exes. The inverse of gaslighting, basically. Helping her see truth – which is that she’s wonderful.

  20. 20.

    WaterGirl

    @BeautifulPlumage:  I put up the first image for Jan 1, fireworks I believe, to mark the new year.   Someone in a thread that day suggested that maybe we could have a beautiful or happy image in that spot every day.  (I don’t recall the suggestion exactly.)

    I figured I’d give it a try and see how it goes.  I do not recall whose idea it was, though!

    Feel free to out yourself, whoever you are!

  21. 21.

    H.E.Wolf

    Thank you for this moment of beauty, peace, and tranquility both yesterday, and today!

  24. 24.

    Scout211

    Thank you WaterGirl, and thank you to all of the jackals who have submitted the beautiful photos.  Yes, they are needed and very much appreciated.

  29. 29.

    WaterGirl

    Speaking of images, can I just say how much I love the current protest image in the sidebar?

    Corn maze for trump supporters.  With just one corn stalk.

    Classic!

  30. 30.

    Scout211

    @raven: Good luck, raven.  I hope you get positive news from your MRIs.

    No, brain yesterday

    I had a moment of panic when I first read those words, since I didn’t see the comma at first.  Phew! No brain would have been, well, not good.

    Brain MRI is fun. (Not). I had one a few years ago and they are so damned noisy!

  31. 31.

    Denali5

    Thanks for the beautiful photos, Water Girl, especially Mont St. Michael and the water lilies. So soothing!

  32. 32.

    WaterGirl

    @Denali5: Is that the one from Steve from Mendicino on 3/25

    This one was one of the water lilies was my absolute favorites, too:   Image by randy khan (3/30/25)

  33. 33.

    Denali5

    I bought a water lily painting  at a thrift store thinking it was a copy of a Monet. Although I haven’t found the original, and I haven’t visited Giverny yet.   I still love it.

Comments are closed.