Welcome, autumn!

Today is the first day of autumn in these parts. A change of seasons always brings the promise of better days ahead!

Smiley smile

Stay for the goofy yawn!

Happiness is a wolf’s smile 🐺 #FridayThoughts pic.twitter.com/lmQv7clEzk

— Wolf Conservation Center (@nywolforg) August 9, 2019

Transformers

Here are three fluffy caterpillars. Eating leaves, living their lives, looking forward to a nice long nap in a cozy cocoon. Can you guess what they’ll look like when they wake up? Hold tight!

Here’s Apatelodes torrefacta. Just chillin’.

And here’s Apatelodes torrefacta, in full moth form.

Hiyeee, milkweed tussock caterpillar, serving a lewk!

Hey there, milkweed tussock moth!

Finally, salutations to the woolly bear caterpillar, keeping it real. Really furry, that is.

Fly free, woolly bear moth!

Plastidon mastodan

The world’s most famous ice age fossil excavation site is located in the heart of Los Angeles, California at the La Brea Tar Pits. Fans of ice age animals can view a heartbreaking scene: a daddy mammoth and a baby mammoth bidding a sad farewell to a mother mammoth trapped in the deadly ooze and sinking fast.

Of course, these aren’t real mammoths. They are made of durable fiberglass, created by sculptor Howard Ball and installed at the bubbling site in 1967.

How did they get to the tar pits? Towed behind Mr. Ball’s 1958 Volkswagen, of course!

Looking good

Conch shells are something to blow like a horn on special occasions and otherwise keep proudly on a shelf of treasures.

In the ocean, however, conch shells are something else entirely.

Occupied.

We see you, conches!

Yuri’s bears

The wonderful illustrator Yuri Vasnetsov was born in Russia in 1900. He studied modern art but found his greatest inspiration in traditional Russian folk art and his love of wildlife. Animals of all kinds spring to life in his drawings and paintings with much humor and sometimes a touch of dread. Bears were a favorite subject. Here are some terrific examples.

Mr. Vasnetsov was able to give all his animal creations a strong and distinct personality. Despite having lost a leg and trekking in deep snow, this bear seems to be looking on the bright side of life. It’s good to be home!

⌃Here are the famous Three Bears in a happy daytime woodland scene.

⌃And a different trio in a nighttime setting.

⌃This bear has found a  reluctant sailing companion, who also serves as a boat!

⌃And this painting shows Yuri’s love of bears is shared by all.

Farewell, summer. Welcome, autumn!

Happy Labor Day!

Happy #LaborDay to all the hard workers out there trying to build a better world one grain of sand at a time! pic.twitter.com/piP3oq6Va8

— Monterey Bay Aquarium (@MontereyAq) September 3, 2018

A little perspective

Hedgie hero

Azuki, a hedgehog from Japan, has 270,000 followers on Instagram. And more are signing on every day. Why? Because Azuki is irresistibly cute. And Azuki has a more interesting life than many people. Including me, possibly. I haven’t been camping in ages!