Flickr photo by moocatmoocat
Aren't elephants just the most majestic and yet funny faced creatures you know?
I've been thinking about them ever since that elephant cloud blew into my blog on Friday.
Flickr photo by the inhabitant
In case you haven't noticed, I like elephant gazing too.
My fondness for elephants probably sprouted out of my love for this book from my childhood.
Have you ever read it? I don't remember much about the story except that I used to dream that I was the princess who got to ride on the elephant's back.
Of course now I'd rather imagine the elephants enjoying the wild. But I'll admit that this video does make me pine a bit for those princess dreams.
I hope that those elephants are treated well and like parading about, but maybe that's wishful thinking.
You may be more familiar with these two stars of the elephant world.
And look, there's Babar's ami at the Stravinsky Fountain in Paris.
Flickr photo by sinderin
I think what I like most about elephants is that even though they are enormous, powerful creatures, they're so playful.
Flickr photo by Jillybeanz
Watch these two play. It'll warm your heart! (The best part starts around 33 seconds.)
Their bodies are so fascinating.
Flickr photo by slinkymalinkicat
(You can buy that vintage print here.)
I love their huge flappy ears. Did you know that during the breeding season males produce an odor from a gland behind their eyes? They flap their ears around, propelling their elephant cologne through the jungle air. The single elephant ladies come running, singing "All the single ladies, all the single ladies, Now put your trunk up..."
I also like elephant legs and those stumpy feet. They remind me of pillars. Or tree trunks.
Flickr photo by annabellemartensen
Elephant trunks make me laugh.
Flickr photo by hkarrandjas
Not at you, elephants. No, I'm laughing with you, in delight of all the things you can do with that crazy thing: suck up water to pour in your mouth for a drink or a shower, pull up a single blade of grass or rip a tree out of the ground, and the entwining thing you do with your friends--the elephant version of a handshake.
But you know what's even funnier?
Such a mammoth creature, and yet look at its derriere...
Flickr photo by Roving I
Ha ha ha!
Oh elephant behind, you crack me up.
No, I'm not making fun of your backside, elephant.
No way.
I bow before you!
Flickr photo by mario bellavite
If that's a monk, he'd better hope the elephant doesn't have a cold or allergies.
You know what they say...
You should have seen the monk
He sat on the elephant's trunk
The elephant sneezed and fell on his knees
And that was the end of the monk
The monk, the monk, the monk.
Have a wonderful Monday, y'all! And before you pack up your trunk and move on out of here, take a look at this wild animation of an elephant on a trampoline. It looks so real!
Love, Becky
29 comments:
I think you would love Ashes and Snow if you haven't seen it- do visit: http://www.ashesandsnow.org/en/
Debra,
I had never heard of Ashes and Snow--so that's where the last picture comes from.
Thank you! It's fascinating!
I love elephants. I have a mini collection. Have you seen the Ella picture books? A throwback to Babar.
My Grandma had a huge elephant collection that she always let us play with carefully on the coffee table. Wooden, plaster, ceramic, glass, ivory, etc. - she had them in every shape and size. I always felt so special when she would take them out of her huge curio cabinet one by one. Thanks for the fun links!
Becky isn't that elephant cloud something else.
The good old pendulum eh, Becky. I know it very well.
Love Renee xoxo
What a funny film of the elephant jumping on the tramp. I wonder how many people thought he was really doing that, LOL! I know people who "buy" into everything they see, LOL!
Anyway, I was very happy to see Horton included in today's post! He's one of my faves! :)
Loved that video...elephant backflips are just what this day needed!
It's their wrinkly skin for me--with the old man stubble all over it!
I love that song. I sing it to my kids they think its very silly
They look so sweet! Babar was always one of my favorites.
I love Babar. His were some of my kids favorite stories.
The elephant on the tramp was pretty cool.
Hey, I just read in some random Internet headline somewhere that a pink elephant had been born...somewhere...
Hi Rebecca,
Love the elephant cloud!!
Happy Spring to you.
Rosemary
That trampoline video had me belly laughing!!
Ah, South Carolina, home of Brookgreen Gardens. May I live to see them again.
I have heard your name, but not your book. Go figure. Maybe I HAVE heard of you, or maybe I'm confusing you with someone else.
I have very much enjoyed your blog, and I just located your book at the Eugene, Oregon, library and, it being checked out, placed a hold on it.
I also love elephants. I got to go behind the scenes at San Diego Wild Animal Park and talk to the folks that tend to all the elephants and watch them work with them. It was really cool. My very down-to-earth mother's one fantasy was to ride an elephant. Alas,she had to settle for a figure collection, but it turned out pretty sweet. Great post.
Oh man. I love elephants so much! The one thing I wanted to do in Thailand was go for an elephant ride. Sadly it isn't ethical so we skipped it.
They don't treat the elephants well and an elephant is extremely smart so it's a bad life for them.
That video of the two elephants playing melted my heart. They're such incredible creatures!
May, I was afraid of that.
I read about how smart they are. You can tell in the videos--they're so expressive!
I love elephants :) Enjoyed visting your blog!
I watched a show about these bad boys the other night. It's cool how they tag along together holding tails with their trunks & they're so protective of their youngins. Elephants are Deb's favorites. She cries when she sees shows documenting mistreatment, but then again, she always cries when I cook.
And if the trunk is up, it is good luck!
Lovely pictures. Elephants in all shapes and sizes. I have some natural pictures too.
May be you can add the Elephant God Ganesh's pictures too.
This was great post.
I loved your elephant post mom! I think the cutest one was the elephants playing in the water.
love, sarah
LOVE elephants ... our zoo just welcomed a baby elephant, and - oh my - you should see the lines waiting to get a peek! :-)
Love the picture with monk, and the cloud elephant. I had no idea about the mating scents!
Oh my soul, I do love an elephant. I'd have one of my own if I could. I did ride one when I was really little. I remember it was scratchy.
Rebecca, I love your detailed look at the elephant and that last video.. oh does that ever look real... so Fun.. can you imagine?
oh and the elephant bowing in front of the monk... sensitive and beautiful..
Awesome elephants! Especially that cloud. My sister has an elephant love.
Love elephants. It's so sad that they still use them in circus. They're so mistreated. They had a Barnum and Bailey circus in New Havne Ct. last year and they paraded them thru town the next day animal right actvists came out. I was so relieved that it was brought to light, but feel people still don't realize what goes on.
Enjoyed your post.
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