Bronx Zoo

Today's outing was the Bronx Zoo.  We were up and at 'em so early this morning, that we got there before the parking lot opened.  We waited for ten minutes or so before the Fordham Road Gate opened and we were able to park in a primo parking spot.

The plan for the day was to see the tigers and bears (oh my) on the way to the Monorail.  Since the Monorail gets crowded, we thought that we would try to get there early on to avoid the long lines. 

First up was Tiger Mountain.  The tigers weren't close up, but we did see them.  We were impressed by their size.  Good to know that I am smaller than a stretched out tiger, just in case I ever thought that I could take one on or out run it.  And Selim is 4 feet tall! Woot!

As we continued on, we came to a sleeping polar bear.  I was thinking that he must love the winter.  The painted white concrete can't be as cold as real ice.

The Himalayan Highlands exhibit contained the snow leopards and red panda.  The snow leopards were so pretty. 

The red panda was cute, but hiding.



Then we came to the Asia Plaza and the Monorail. 

The line was short and we we were able to get on the next train.  I found it hard to take pictures from a moving train, but I did get some decent shots of deer

a rhinoceros

and elephants.

It was also nice to sit down for a few minutes.  When we got off, lunch was the next order of business.  Selim ate his tofu sandwich so fast, I teased him by asking if he fed it to an animal.  We polished off the watermelon, french fries and drank almost all our water.  Fortified, we stopped at a gift shop where the cousins bought battery powered water spray fans.  Self-cooling mechanisms in hand, we walked on past the camel rides to the African Plains where zebras were hanging out.

Next up, giraffe building.  Since they weren't inside, we skipped it and kept going towards the gorilla exhibit, the Congo Forest.  The Mandrills and small monkeys were first.

In between the monkey and gorilla spaces were inside exhibits of frogs, snakes and other insects.   I didn't linger or photo document.  The gorillas are in a big space.  Looking at their faces and postures, it is easy to see one aspect of evolution in play.

By this point, the adults were flagging and we decided that the three hours we had spent made for a great day.  So we started back towards the car.  Luckily, we passed by a better giraffe viewing.

It took me a few minutes to realize that the lumps to the left of the giraffes were ostriches.

I really wanted to see the flamingos and we passed them on the way as well.

And of course, there was one more gift shop to enter.  Since it is hard to leave empty handed, we bought a new friend.

Since the boys were wearing their London 2012 t-shirts, we needed to capture.

As I was reviewing all 156 photos, I discovered that I managed to capture many animal bumpsters.  It was not intentional, but there you have it (them).

An aspect of the zoo that I really liked were all the animal architectural details.  Hello, we were at a zoo, but I had fun observing the ways that they were scattered throughout the grounds.  From the opening gates,

to the signs

 and signpost finials.

There were statues, parts of fountains, and roof details.

It was a great way to spend three hours.  By the time we got home, all the boys in the car were asleep.

CT State of Mind

My goal was to leave the house this morning by 9:00.  We were pulling out of the driveway at 8:56!  The 4 1/2 drive took us 4 1/2 hours and it included a stop for gas and coffee in Newington followed up with a pit and snack stop at the rest area on the Mass Pike and stop-and-go traffic outside of Hartford and then Stamford.  I was just going with the flow of traffic -- although if you were to ask Mom or Grammy Bev, they would say that I come by my lead foot honestly.  Right, ladies?

Selim fell asleep in Hartford and with the ensuing silence from the back seat and passing the familiar left exit to Route 9 south of the city, my mind wandered to 1998 when I lived at the coast in Clinton and Old Saybrook.  For two years I made the regular drive between Clinton and the Capital city for work, monitoring the legislation that involved water usage. 

I never really wanted to live in that state.  But I had finished graduate school and didn't really have a job.  Plus the ex-boyfriend had said to me when I was breaking it off, "Don't leave me.  I have a gun."  Not sure whether that was a threat or a plea, I left his apartment and called the police.  When he continued to follow me as I went to the gym or run errands, or park his car sideways across the road when I drove home, I got scared.  When he threatened to kill himself and was taken to the State hospital for observation (putting me down as his emergency contact), I freaked out.  Luckily, Jake stepped in and offered me her grandparents' beach house in Clinton for the fall and winter.  She was moving in as well and it would be like old times.  It was a refuge and exile both.  I felt safe as nothing was in my name, no utility, phone service...nothing.  I could start fresh and not look over my shoulder.  The price to pay was leaving my family, the comfort of my supportive community, the Ashram and my regular life.

There were aspects of life that I loved.  For the first seven months at the beach house, I went to sleep every night to the sound of the waves hitting the sand and sea wall.  I got to stick my feet in the water any day that I wanted.  I reconnected with Jake, nine years after we graduated from college together, we were roommates again.  I found work that was challenging and mostly enjoyable.  Later I rented a garage apartment in Old Saybrook that was as charming as it was small.  I took golf lessons so that I could learn the sport that my dad enjoyed, with the intent that we could play together when we could.  I started my first garden.  I made a few new friends. 

After two years, the job that I once loved started to make me ill.  I was so unhappy that I would leave the office in the evening and throw up when I got back home; literally purging my day and giving myself a fresh start at night.  I felt alone and in exile.  Pissed that some guy had made me too scared to stand my ground.  If anybody asked, I would insist that he didn't run me off -- but he did.  So when Ivan offered me a chance to interview for a position back in NH, I jumped at the chance to come back home, to the familiar, to my family and support.  Two years to the day, I moved back.

I haven't been back or driven through too many times since.  I'm not sure when we stopped going to NY the day after Christmas for family gathering...but it was shortly there after.  I made it to New Haven for some important events for my brother -- the first sermon he preached, MDiv graduation and wedding.  There might have been other occasions, but I'm drawing a blank.  Not so many as to make the signs and landmarks routine and therefore not thought / reminiscing provoking.

And now I'm sitting on the couch with my sister.  She lives 4  1/2 driving (not flying) hours away!  We are together.  She is working on a writing assignment and I'm deciding if I am going to take a quick nap.  Selim and cousin Cabin Boy are with Stan and the neighbor at Chuck E Cheese for a birthday outing.  Mr. Y is curled up at my hip, shedding black fur, drooling and happy to be pet by his auntie.  Life is good.