Go to the beach, they said. It’ll be relaxing, they said. It’ll be pleasant, they said. Hmmm… Not so much at this beach on Grand Turk Island. This week’s photo challenge is the brainchild of Tina Schell. She writes in part, “How many ways can you think of for getting away from the daily grind and finding peace? Show us your views on ‘Taking a break…” You can read her entire challenge post here.

Animals take breaks as well as humans. For this week’s response, I feature a few animals in the process of “taking it easy.” In the shot above, this lone bison rested at the side of the road in Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota. We stayed safely in the car and hoped the sound of the camera wouldn’t upset him. It didn’t take me long to snap the photo and move on.

A buck and two does rest in the shade on a very hot day in the Red River Valley Zoo in Fargo, North Dakota.

OK, I don’t know if sea lions take a break from resting, but if they do, that’s what this bull and his harem were up to when I captured this image in southern California.

Horses that work for a living hauling wagons full of goods are certainly deserving of a break. This pair of workhorses are resting between pulls at the Western Minnesota Steam Thresher’s Reunion. Thanks again to Tina for an interesting challenge topic.

John Steiner