Duke the menace

[Duke of Buckingham]

“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.”

William Blake

[Duke of Buckingham]

Birds of Paradise



Count Raggi's Bird of Paradise
Photograph by James P. Blair
The Count Raggi's bird of paradise is the national bird of Papua New Guinea.



Lesser Bird of Paradise
Photograph by Tim Laman
The male lesser bird of paradise, like others in its genus, has beautiful plumage, which he displays to females in an elaborate courtship dance



Princess Stephanie's Bird of Paradise
Photograph by Robert Sisson
Also known as a paradise magpie, Princess Stephanie's birds of paradise wear striking black feathers.



Ribbon-Tailed Bird of Paradise
Photograph by Robert Sisson
Divas of the avian world, elaborately feathered birds of paradise, like this ribbon-tailed species, practice elaborate courtship rituals.


Baby Animals



Baby Harp Seal
Photograph by Norbert Rosing
A baby harp seal rests on the Arctic ice. Its mother can distinguish it from hundreds of others by scent alone.



Baby Asian Elephant in Tall Grass
Photograph by William Albert Allard
Baby elephants are born big, standing approximately three feet (one meter) tall and weighing 200 pounds (91 kilograms) at birth. They nurse for two to three years, and are fully mature at 9 (females) to 15 (males) years of age.



Lynx and Cub
Photograph by Norbert Rosing
Lynxes are known for the black tufts of fur on the tips of their ears.



Black Bear Mother and Cub
Photograph by Norbert Rosing
Mother black bears are notoriously protective of their cubs, who stay with their mothers for about two years.



Leopard Cub Playing With Mother's Tail
Photograph by Beverly Joubert
Usually solitary animals, leopard cubs live with their mothers for two years, learning how to hunt. Cubs are born in pairs and are grayish with no discernible spots.



Bobcat Kitten in the Wild
Photograph by Hope Ryden
Bobcat kittens are born in litters of one to six and will stay with their mother for up to one year before heading off on their own.



Polar Bear Mother With Cub
Photograph by Norbert Rosing
Dutiful mothers, female polar bears usually give birth to twin cubs, which stay with her for more than two years until they can hunt and survive on their own.



Cheetah Mother and Cubs
Photograph by Chris Johns
Cheetah mothers typically give birth to a litter of three cubs, all of which will stay with her for one and a half to two years before venturing off on their own. When interacting with her cubs, cheetah mothers purr, just like domestic cats.



Black Bear Cub
Photograph by Robert Caputo
Black bears are excellent climbers, scaling trees to play, hide, eat, and even hibernate.



Crocodile Cracks Its Shell
Photograph by Steve Winter
Female crocs lay their eggs in clutches of 20 to 60. After the eggs have incubated for about three months, the mother opens the nest and helps her young out of their shells.

[Duke of Buckingham]

[Duke of Buckingham]

Sometimes when I feel the will to give up
and I am lost for a small while
A light comes to me
and I understand.
We are not alone.

[Duke of Buckingham]

Mount Bromo, Indonesia
Photograph by Helminadia Caryati
This Month in Photo of the Day: Traveler Contest Images
Taken in the morning at Mount Bromo, East Java, Indonesia



Portrait, Brazil
Photograph by Geralyn Shukwit
This Month in Photo of the Day: Traveler Contest Images
Christiane, a child of the "roofless" movement in Salvador, Brazil. A beautiful spirit living a life not hers by choice, but she brings love and light to all around her.



Svartifoss, Iceland
Photograph by Giacomo Ciangottini
This Month in Photo of the Day: Traveler Contest Images
Svartifoss (Black Fall) is surrounded by the dark lava columns that gave rise to its name. The hexagonal columns were formed inside a lava flow that cooled extremely slowly, giving rise to crystallization. Skaftafell National Park, Iceland.



Monkeys, Indonesia
Photograph by Suhaimi Abdullah
This Month in Photo of the Day: Traveler Contest Images
The wild offspring stares while the elders rummage through a pile of rubbish for food in Tawangmangu, Solo, Indonesia.



Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Photograph by Ignazio Sciacca
This Month in Photo of the Day: Traveler Contest Images
After spending two months in the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro with carioca people, samba, and lots of caipirinhas, finally there was a perfect day to go up to Sugarloaf Mountain and take this picture.



Petra, Jordan
Photograph by Bhaven Jani
This Month in Photo of the Day: Traveler Contest Images
Petra, the magical ancient land in Jordan, turns almost mystical by night. Candle lamps guide visitors down the mile-long Siq, and when you reach Al Khazneh, it is overwhelming to see this sight. People are gathered around these candles spread out in front of the Treasury while musicians play soulful music.



Buick, Cuba
Photograph by James Kao
This Month in Photo of the Day: Traveler Contest Images
The National Highway in Cuba has many stretches where you will not see another car for miles. Then when you do see one, it is an old classic like this 1950s Buick, which looks at home on the open road with the Cuban landscape of fields and mountains in the distance.



Claustral Canyon, Australia
Photograph by Carsten Peter, National Geographic
This Month in Photo of the Day: Adventure and Exploration Photos
Veteran guide John Robens (at far left) leads a soggy team through a moss-covered passage in Claustral Canyon, a few hours' hike from their exit point. Canyoneering is all about the serendipity of discovery, he says. "You walk for miles and suddenly you find yourself in this magical spot."



Mountain Biker, South Africa
Photograph by Guy Anderson, Your Shot
This Month in Photo of the Day: Adventure and Exploration Photos
The town of Hilton in South Africa is known for its misty weather, which came out in full force for an annual mountain bike classic. The unusually wet winter's day challenged competitors with muddy tracks, low visibility, and an icy wind. I battled to just keep my camera dry, and after failing to obtain sharp images through the haze, I took a step back and framed this shot, which captures the adventurous rider tackling the harsh environment.



Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Photograph by George Steinmetz, National Geographic
This Month in Photo of the Day: Adventure and Exploration Photos
On the eastern margin of Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, expedition cars attempt to cross the flats after flooding from heavy March rains.

[Duke of Buckingham]

This is an important lesson to remember when you're having a bad day, a bad month, or a shitty year.
Things will change: you won't feel this way forever.
And anyway, sometimes the hardest lessons to learn are the ones your soul needs most.
I believe you can't feel real joy unless you've felt heartache.
You can't have a sense of victory unless you know what it means to fail.
You can't know what it's like to feel holy until you know what it's like to feel really fucking evil.
And you can't be birthed again until you've died.

[Duke of Buckingham]

TIME 2010 Best Pictures