Today, I woke up late, being knackered from working a long day yesterday. I figured I'd noodle around for a bit, listen to the radio, and work on a blog post. Then the phone rang- it was my cousin, who did not use the alias Big Leo during the hilarious "Midnight Gardeners" stunt, but, as ringleader, went by "El Capitan". My cousin and his son had to travel to New Rochelle on some business and were planning on hitting the Bronx Zoo afterwards. Well, my destiny was clear- it would be boy's day at the zoo.
Wednesdays is the free day at the zoo, so the place was, as they say, a zoo. A lot of summer camps take their charges there because they don't have to pay admission for thirty or so little urchins. Needless to say, there were a lot of hairless apes wandering the premises. We decided to concentrate on some key areas- my little cousin wanted to see the gorillas, and take a ride on the Wild Asia monorail- and what could possibly go wrong with a monorail ride? Anyway, the line for the monorail ride was longer than the monorail ride would have been, so we decided to bag it, and head off to "Jungle World". While I really like the tree kangaroos, my personal favorite is the comical looking Fly River Turtle:
We finally wended our way to the gorilla exhibit, with a long detour to check out the spotted hyenas (I don't know why, but I've always had a soft spot in my head for hyenas). The gorilla exhibit was packed, but the gorillas just looked kinda bored- if I were in the hoosegow, I'd look (and be) bored as well. We were only at the zoo for a couple of hours (which is not a big deal on free admission day, or if you're a member), and we resolved to return at a later day when it would not be so crowded (membership has its privileges, one of which is unlimited admission).
After the zoo sojourn, we decided to hit The Rambling House for an early dinner and (for the adults) a couple of beers. Happily, they had the strong (6.3% alcohol by volume) pale ale from The Bronx Brewery on tap- I have to say, it's delicious, and I wish the brewery staff good luck in their endeavors.
It's been a day of goofing off, but it was nice to hang out with family, and to mingle a bit of learning in with the goofery. As regular readers know, I'm a big one for mixing education with goofing off and boozing it up... my goofery should be apparent to even a cursory glance at the blog.
B^4, when I was in 2nd grade, I bought a book through Scholastic Book Services called "Quest of the Snow Leopard". (And I still have it.)
ReplyDeleteMany decades later, I recall going to the Bronx Zoo and taking pictures of a snow leopard they had there. She was spectacular.
(Pics are on film, somewhere...it was long before I ever got a digital camera.)
~
P.S., Mr. Goofing Off!
ReplyDelete~
On the most recent visit en famille to the Wellington zoo we saw the African Wild Dog mother throwing up meat for the wee babbies to eat. Said babbies made the weirdest yowling to get Mom to hurl. Very interesting and almost as memorable as the time that we saw the lions mating. Though I don't think that Daughter Kiwi told her class about the chundering in as much detail as she described the coupling. Apparently she went on and on about it.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like an excellent day BBBB
I've always had a soft spot in my head for hyenas
ReplyDeleteThat's yer fontanelle.
Said babbies made the weirdest yowling to get Mom to hurl.
How did the Young Kiwis do it?
Very interesting and almost as memorable as the time that we saw the lions mating.
Used to live across the valley from the Welly Zoo. You could tell at night when Rusty was getting lucky. RRrrrrooooowwwwRERRR RrroooorrrrR RRR RRRROORRRWWR RRRROWERRWWW ROR ROW ROW ROW ROW
Still haven't been to that zoo for some reason. I'll get there at some point.
ReplyDeleteCounty Zoo always has some interesting behaviors going on in Spring. More amusing than the bears going at it, is the reaction of suburban matrons...."just keep going Johnny."
ReplyDeleteAlso notable is that vampire bats are VERY VERY QUICK at it. TAKE NOTE YOU VAMPIRE FETISHISTS.
We once spent an amusing half hour watching a snake ingest a fresh rat.
OK, I learned that there are tree kangaroos.
ReplyDeleteBut not Kangaroo Trees.
ReplyDeleteRock Wallabies DO NOT ROCK!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't been to a zoo since my kid was 7, and he's 24 now. Sounds like I need to borrow a child.
ReplyDeleteRambling House sounds like a good time.
Many decades later, I recall going to the Bronx Zoo and taking pictures of a snow leopard they had there. She was spectacular.
ReplyDeleteYeah, they are spectacular. We were pretty close to one of the black panthers in the Asian jungle house, and it was pretty active. It looked a giant version of Mrs Cat.
P.S., Mr. Goofing Off!
Guilty as charged!
Though I don't think that Daughter Kiwi told her class about the chundering in as much detail as she described the coupling. Apparently she went on and on about it.
It sounds like an excellent day BBBB
I imagine the teacher was anxious to change the subject!
You could tell at night when Rusty was getting lucky. RRrrrrooooowwwwRERRR RrroooorrrrR RRR RRRROORRRWWR RRRROWERRWWW ROR ROW ROW ROW ROW
Sounds like "Rusty" was not an appropriate name!
Still haven't been to that zoo for some reason. I'll get there at some point.
Next time you're in NYC, we'll make it happen, then do a Bronx pub crawl.
We once spent an amusing half hour watching a snake ingest a fresh rat.
We were lucky enough to catch a river monitor doing the same.
OK, I learned that there are tree kangaroos.
I live to serve, old chum!
But not Kangaroo Trees.
The folks in R&D are working on it!
Rambling House sounds like a good time.
It's a lovely place. Sundays are the best night to go.