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.)