Rare Ape House
echoing hallways, sharp smells-
the stoic waiting.

SNAKE FIGHT
Here's something you don't see every day: two rattlesnakes engaged in scale to scale combat! We went to the zoo over the weekend and happened upon this little drama. The Zoo people were all pretty worked up about it...they kept coming and looking and getting other people to come and look...but nobody seemed to want to go in and break up the fight (!) One of the keepers told us it was two male diamond back rattlesnakes, and that they were engaged in a wrestling match over territory. I was surprised they didn't just bite each other...but I guess they are probably immune to their own poison. So they have to try and squeeze the life out of each other instead. Ah nature, red in tooth and claw!

PECULIAR VULNERABILITY
Under her hard shell
nothing seems so naked
as the turtle's neck

SENSE OF SNOW
Brrr...it's cold outside. Just the way the polar bears like it. Look at that pleased, expectant expression. I think she can smell the snow which is supposedly on its way.

THE WILD DOGS
at play. They were romping and scuffling, tails wagging and tongues lolling, with happy sounding yips and squeals. A huge torment to the hungry cheetahs next door!

These African Wild Dogs are apparently a trio of sisters named Esmeralda, Sabrina and Samantha. Just in case anyone was wondering!

A CHEETAH LOPING ALONG
is a pretty impressive sight! We did not actually mean to see these guys...for some reason looking at big cats in captivity makes my heart shrivel. But we did want to see the wild dogs, and they must have moved the cheetahs over next to the dogs since the last time we'd visited.



This one was sitting on top of the cheetah hut, then she suddenly jumped down to see what was going on over at the neighboring enclosure (I think these guys were really getting hungry, they were incredibly lively!) I barely had time to depress the shutter let alone frame the shot but I did catch everything but the tip of her tail! I called out "Hey, do that again!" but was ignored. That's a cat for you! {'_'}

AFTER LUNCH NAP
and maybe ready for dessert? A White's Tree Frog at the zoo last week.

SLITHER TONGUE
I never ever saw the King Cobra so animated as I did last week! He was slithering all over the place, coiling, looping, tongue darting in and out (which is how they smell their prey I've been told so maybe he was hungry?) It was a real Harry Potter moment: if only I knew Parseltongue I could have asked him what he wanted for lunch.

By the way, I am really astonished at how many people have taken the time to email me that they are enjoying all the animal shots and wanting to see more! Thank you, and I am happy to comply. More on the way (so I hope you really meant it!)

SHARP
is today's theme at Moody Monday. I've been barely able to restrain myself from posting endless shots from our recent trip to the zoo (the light was just right that day by happy coincidence), so the temptation to post this snaggle-toothed bathing beauty was simply too much for me. Here she is! I call her Lolita the lolling eata.

I'm still itching to post some great shots I got of the king cobra, the polar bear, the zebras, the cheetahs and the wild dogs, so, you've been warned! Nancy's Animal Kingdom coming up.

DREAM HOUSE
Henry seemed very taken with this little pretend candy house at the petting zoo a few days ago. Since he can't talk much, I can only guess what he was thinking as he gazed bemusedly upon it. Perhaps something like "Can I eat it?"

I brought Henry back to his school yesterday after the extremely long Christmas vacation. For the first time ever he was unhappy to be left there, which was very distressing. We'd talked and talked to him about going back, tried to prepare him every way we could. His housemother and the girls, the co-workers, reassured me that all the children were having a hard time this year, probably because of the unusual length of the break. To ease the transition I sat and visited for a while but every time I tried to get up he grabbed my hand and cried. Finally it seemed that my staying was not helping at all so I just had to give him a quick kiss and run away. As I slipped out the front I could hear Henry wailing and the flutter of the girl's voices as they all clustered around him soothing and consoling him. I know I left him in the very best of hands, but what a wicked witch I felt.

DISTORTION
Brown Pelicans at the zoo on Sunday demonstrating extreme flexibility.

A wonderful bird is the pelican,
His bill can hold more than his belican,
He can take in his beak,
Food enough for a week,
But I’m damned if I see how the helican!

-Dixon Merritt

PYGMY MARMOSET

small powderpuff with
thread fingers, peppercorn eyes:
so hugely alive

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Paul and I took boys to the zoo on Saturday. Perfect weather for it: overcast but not gloomy, cool but not cold. The animals were livelier than usual. We avoided the large cats and the large primates, whose captivity always make us feel sad, but there was still plenty to see: small animals, amphibians, reptiles and domestic (petting zoo) animals. The little marmosets were particularly enchanting!