Officially, summer began on December 1 here in New Zealand (where the first days of March, June, September, and December respectively are considered the start of autumn, winter, spring, and summer). But this icy view of Naseby, on New Zealand’s South Island, shows that harsh winters here offer great conditions for outdoor curling, or what competitors call ‘chess on ice.’ And when there’s a multi-game tournament going on, that’s a ‘bonspiel’ in curling lingo. This year marks the first ever Curling World Cup. The second leg of the four-leg event brings the curlers to Omaha, Nebraska, today through December 9. Canada’s teams won the first leg, in Suzhou, China. Will they face stiffer competition in the Cornhusker State?
’Chess on ice’
Today in History
More Desktop Wallpapers:
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Borovets ski resort in Bulgaria
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Gem State views
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Bathing huts in Skåne County, Sweden
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Fall colors below Mount Sneffels near Ridgway, Colorado
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Mexican giant cardon cactus
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International Polar Bear Day
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In the footsteps of Leopold Bloom
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Ingenuity in action on the Santa Monica Pier
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National Dolphin Day
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Behold the perfect cone
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There’s a dog in there somewhere
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Lands End, Cornwall, England
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A timeless view of the night sky
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Winter solstice
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Islands of the Salish Sea
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International Day of Peace
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Ancient groves in Australia
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Nazar amulets, Goreme National Park, Cappadocia, Turkey
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It’s Opening Day for Major League Baseball
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National Cherry Blossom Festival
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A memorial in Germany
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J.R.R. Tolkien Day
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American bison, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
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Make way for robots
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Big Bend National Park anniversary
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A ‘Superior’ paddle
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Independence Day
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day
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A winter’s holiday ends
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Visiting a Maratha fortress
Bing Wallpaper Gallery

