Giraffes

No doubt 'Giraffes' seems like an unlikely subject for a blog post but while I was browsing my pictures looking for the best ten from 2011, I came across a couple of giraffe pictures that I would have included had we been able to submit more than ten but since we couldn't I decided to write a post about them instead. Then I remembered another interesting incident involving giraffes and I thought about all the interesting observations I'd made about them over the years and decided to just write it all out - complete with pictures.

Here we go:

The first giraffe that I photographed was in a drive-through zoo not too far from Branson, Mo. I was so proud of this picture because it was as close to a close up as I'd ever gotten. (Of course, I could hardly miss since he was right there in our faces.)

That's the top of the car window above his head. He was so friendly and curious!

The next time we really watched giraffes was with our son, Dan, and his family at the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans. It was such a nice herd and they were so gentle and lovely. What we didn't know is that they were also innovative. They obviously found no reason to walk over to the water trough when there was perfectly good water right there where they stood.

Here's the lovely herd.

Here's the fountain:

Here's someone getting the innovative idea:

And then......drink up!

We had close encounters with giraffes again this past spring when we visited the Rocky Mountain Zoo near Colorado Springs again with Dan and his family. We found the giraffes here extra friendly. Notice they didn't even flinch when we stood under them or even held one of their legs.

Of course most of the giraffes at this zoo were actually real and they were actually pretty friendly. They let me get more giraffe close-ups:

And then they showed that they have really long tongues.

They were patient with anyone that wanted to give them a treat.

They chatted with Mr. Right and Dan.

They knew where the treats were even when they couldn't see them.

And they were rewarded.

But suddenly something got all their attention and I loved how every one of them was interested and curious.

The object of interest was a large tortoise being coaxed out of a wagon up to a higher level.

And then just as suddenly somebody must have said, 'okay break it up' and they went back to what they were doing.

All that took place within a span of about two minutes. I really like giraffes. In many ways I think they're a lot like humans. Except, of course, for that special drinking fountain thing.

You Capture - Top Ten of 2011

Beth's You Capture this week is 'Top Ten of 2011'. This is one of my favorite You Capture projects so it's inexcusable that I didn't start on it until last night. I require much more time than that since so many of my 2011 pictures are filed in different folders; however, a quick perusal resulted in the following:

Our earliest blooming flower - the Lenten Rose.

Our most colorful winged visitor - the rose breasted grosbeak.

An unwelcome squirrel trying to push around our decorative bunny.

Sunset on Lake Michigan.

And in the harbor.

A cheeky little house finch.

Majestic blooms from our Sum and Substance hosta.

Our grandson-in-law showing his son some of the sights in our pond.

An alert meerkat living up to it's reputation for inquisitiveness and vigilance at the Rocky Mountain Zoo near Colorado Springs.

The deteriorating boardwalk on my favorite trail in Indiana Dunes State Park.

My two favorite princesses - both my namesakes - Tessa Mary and Mary Addison born two weeks apart!

To see many more varied and beautiful pictures from 2011, visit Beth's I Should Be Folding Laundry.

Happy Birthday, Trey

Two years ago today, Trey Cooper was born in Louisville, KY. I wrote about him last year on his birthday here. This year, at two years of age he's quite old enough to be interviewed for his birthday post. So this afternoon I conducted a phone interview with him or anyway with his mother; and, between the two of us, we came up with all the answers to the interview questions exactly as we're sure Trey would have answered had he been the one I was actually talking with.

You're two years old today! How do you feel about that? Pretty good! I thought I was already old but I know something's going on today because I got an Elmo balloon.

Do you have any special plans for the day? Just eat a lot of cookies and watch blues clues. We're going out to eat, then I'm going to open presents, and then eat Blues Clues cupcakes.

Where are you going to eat? At El Toro . I like to go there because I get to eat as many chips as I want and play in a bowl of red stuff. And, the servers think I'm cute. When I was little they used to pick me up and carry me around.

Are there any special gifts that you're hoping for? I like cars and anything I can throw. Footballs are my favorite.

Do you enjoy being the youngest in your family? Yeah, I get played with all the time. The big kids are pretty hilarious and sometimes Mom and Dad are too busy with them to see me sneaking candy canes from the tree.

Is it hard for you to keep up with Mary and Ethan? Heck no. It's hard for them to keep up with me.

Do you feel that you're helpful to them? No I pretty much make a mess of their rooms then they have to clean them up.

On the other hand, just yesterday Ethan asked if I'd seen his dreidel and I said, "Yes!" Ethan was so happy and relieved. He said, "REALLY? Where did you see it?" And I said, "Ummmmm, I don't know". Ethan laughed and laughed so I guess I was helpful.

What's your favorite around-the-house activity? Ummm, finding things to climb on, seeing how tall I can get, throwing balls, and chasing a laser light when Mary flashes one around. My mom thinks this is very entertaining too.

I hear you have a special talent. What is that? I have a special talent? Let's see. I'm good at making baskets. Well, I also heard that you're a good singer. Heck yeah. I can memorize songs faster than any grown-up I've met and I love to sing. I'm pretty good too.

What's are your favorite songs? Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star and Baa Baa Black Sheep. My newest songs are Itsy Bitsy Spider and Jesus, Loves me. My grandma in Louisville taught me that one in just a couple of sessions. Are there any songs that you can't sing? If there are, I haven't heard them.

Do you enjoy daycare? Yeah, it's pretty cool. I get a lot of attention and now I'm one of the big kids in my class.

Do you have a lot of friends there? There are two I like to play with quite a bit. The rest just take my toys.

What about your teachers? They think I'm really cute and give me a lot of special attention. I like it that they hold me all the time and let me sit on their laps but I think some of the kids might be a little jealous.

I hear you're going to be spending more time at home with Mom now. How do you feel about that? Uh, I think it's pretty much the greatest thing ever. I like it when Mom holds me better than anybody. And, I'll get to have all her attention when the big kids are in school.

What did you like best about being one? It's when I got my big kid's bed and started daycare and learned to play with Ethan and Mary and now they think I'm more fun to play with too.

What are you looking forward to in the coming year? Mom will probably try to potty train me and I'll have fun showing her I prefer diapers; and maybe I'll get to go up and down the stairs all by myself. Also I think I might learn to ride a tricycle and take swim lessons. So I'm almost sure this summer will be the best summer ever!

What can you tell us about yourself that I haven't covered? I hope to one day be an electrician so I'm practicing plugging things in as much as possible. My mom and dad think I give really great kisses. I'm very affectionate. I like to watch sports especially golf on TV but Blues clues is my favorite show. I love sweets and I'm pretty sure I got that from Mom.

And, as always there are a few things I could add about Trey. In addition to being a smart, sweet, lovable and good boy, he's a good wii player.

And a good eater all by himself.

And a very good ice cream cone eater.

A good friend to his closest cousin, Eli.

And he loves his mom - a lot! (Did I already mention that?)

So Happy Birthday, Treybe. We hope it was amazing!

Christmas Music

I love Christmas music. The religious songs are the best but so many others are great too. Harry Connick, Jr.'s It Must Have Been Ol' Santa Claus and Smokey Robinson's Christmas Everyday are two awesome examples. What happy, good mood songs they are! I also like Ray Parker, Jr.'s Christmas Time Is Here; and, Two Steppin' Around The Christmas Tree by Suzi Bogguss will get your toe tapping every time. I even like Madonna's Santa Baby, The Beach Boys' Little St. Nick and Paul McCartney's Wonderful Christmas Time.

But I know I'm getting old. Sixties. That might be the age you have to be when songs like The Pretty Little Dolly make you laugh even when nobody else does. I think it's hilarious and I can't take it seriously because it's SO bizarre and ridiculous. But it's that very over-the-top macabre humor that puts some people off and, in a way, it does me too. But it's funny and stupid and I laugh and moan every time I hear it.

So I understand why I'm at odds with everybody else when it comes to that song but the one that has me feeling sad is my new feeling when I hear Baby, It's Cold Outside. I've heard more than one person describe it as creepy and someone else said they thought of it as the date rape song.

I want to think of the people with these opinions as shallow and judgmental and harsh, but we're all a product of the world we live in today.

Back in the 60's, having another cigarette and music in the background and one more drink while you're out a little too late all added up to a wonderful, romantic evening.

Sometimes I wish I could go back to the 60's and I'm so grateful that I got to be young in that decade.

And sometimes I'm even glad I'm in my sixties.