8.18.2006

Tigers and Lions and Bears. Oh my!

There's something about a trip to the zoo that sparks the return of one's inner child. Maybe it's the smells (gag!) or the sounds (ROAR!) or just the general melee of the crowds. Whatever it is, the four of us took the two hour ride south to the *free* zoo at the very end of our state to be childlike together.

I've nothing witty to say. I took loads of photos. I chased a toddler for what must have been a million miles. I paid more than a human being ought to for cold bottled drinks on a hot day. I had a good time.

Animals have the ability to appear contemplative and playful all at once. Sometimes you get to capture that in pictures - if the cage doesn't get in your way. Here are a few of my favorite images from the day. I find something beyond the mundane and past face-value in each of these. What do they speak to you? (click on each image to see a larger copy.)




10 comments:

Dawn Falcone said...

Very cute!!
here from Michele's

David Edward said...

love that girraffe sticking oput his tounge

-
from michele

Shephard said...

I love visiting zoos, and we sponsor animals and donate when we can.
That toucan photo is great.

Michele says hello!

Joe said...

Great pics. I love going to the zoo!

Thanks for stopping by my blog earlier.

Chaos Mommy said...

I love the zoo! We have a free one about 45 minutes away that is fabulous! We've been there about 4 times this year and are going again on Monday!

carmilevy said...

Wow! I'm definitely tagging along with you the next time you hit the zoo: your eye for animals is remarkable!

All of these pictures take me back to my own childhood. I remember the zoo as a place filled with mysterious, wondrous animals. I never knew what I'd see around the next corner, and the experience fused very strongly into my memory.

These images make me want to grab my own camera and head to our local zoo. Darn, when's Nikon going to start delivering the new D80 to my town?

vanx said...

Every now and then my mind eddies and winds around the single thought--giraffes look weird. Then I think that Whales eat crill, and I am able to pull myself out of it.

Beautiful photos. It's very hard to get animals in poses that translate into human expression, which is, species-centric fools that we are, exactly what we look for. Good job!

Rick

Anonymous said...

I almost died when I opened your blog and the title was
Lions & Tigers & Bears Oh My
I was just talking with a friend while we sat at the pool last night. We took three pictures of each of her kids and I told her she should call her blog post Lions & Tigers & Bears Oh MY... because one of the kids ended up looking like a Lion!
Too funny.
Thanks for the chuckle~

Cath said...

What great pictures, especially the giraffes. Glad you had a good time! And wow, free! We pay a fortune over here!

OldLady Of The Hills said...

Beautiful pictures, my dear...I love those Giraffe photo's...but truthflly, I love them all!
This is a great Zoo!