I manage to see a lot when I get a chance to just wander around, or when I’m walking to or from another Department. I sometimes took a shortcut through Giraffe Ridge early in the morning, and I saw one of the Giraffes hanging out in her stall. She spotted me shortly after I took the photo and stomped her foot once. That’s when all of the other giraffes took notice of me. Communication? I like to think so. I think it was a “Hey! Heads up fellow long necks! We’ve got company.”

And it’s a busy place. You never know what you’re going to see next:

(A little “Matinee Music” please!I love Sinatra and Bono, but I guess it’s too late for re-writing it to “I’ve Got You Under My Shell”) : 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mOF-lm16aI&feature=related

These two were busy with their afternoon entertainment. Apparently they didn’t worry too much about people hanging around. And if it didn’t bother them, it didn’t bother me.

  

 

 

 

It’s always fun to take “unlikely photos” when the opportunity presented itself. I never knew what I was going to see, so it was kind of nice when I got a great shot of something that was an unlikely candidate for a photo. Horticulture has labeled all of the plants for those with brown thumbs:

For instance, this cage-ish thing is mounted on the side of the Passenger Pigeon Memorial Building. I found it quite beautiful and very elegant. I believe this building once housed animals and someone mentioned to me that it might have housed some sort of Primates at once time, possibly monkeys. And yet it has a bird mounted on the very top:

This is an indicator, (at least to me) that it housed birds at one time or another. But this Zoo has a very long history and many old buildings that have been used for various purposes.

And despite the fact that thousands of people come here weekly, there are spots at the Zoo where it is peaceful, quiet and gorgeous. I took this shot of some Bamboo busily shooting up into the air. It has done quite well here and it is used often for animal browse. The Horticulture Department did a fabulous job with this particular grove and it was stunning. Here is a close up and a little “Bamboo Garden Music”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEulyxBCA6c&feature=related


I’ve been told that a common question constantly asked by the Guests is to inquire where the Botanical Gardens are. They are everywhere; all you have to do is open your eyes and look around. 

More to come, and thanks for stopping by.