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Butterflies at the Zoo
Aug. 21st, 2009 08:55 amYesterday Mason and I had plans to meet some friends of ours at "the little zoo" (aka Como, as opposed to the "big zoo" the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley). It was a bit drizzily when we started out at ten o'clock, but there are several indoor parts of the little zoo -- a short tropics trail and the Conservatory -- plus I figured none of us would melt. Besides, I've discovered something strange about myself. I don't mind getting soaked as long as rain doesn't hit my head. I brought my ball cap, so I was good to go. Mason had a rain coat with hood (and, briefly, he decided to be "fancy" and wore a Halloween wig of mine that is long black and pink hair. That got hot pretty quickly, though.)
We had a great time. We even got out to the Japanese garden, which is lovely, even in a slight rain. My favorite part, however, was the butterfuly garden. Como has one of those large log-shapped tents full of hundreds of varieties of butterflies and all their favorite plants to sit on and sip nectar from. Thanks to the slight drizzle all the butterflies were clinging to the undersides of trees or plants and were sitting perfectly still. We could get right up to them and really examine their wings and bodies. It was really amazing. The kids all borrowed my little digital camera and took a zillion pictures of all the butterflies... some of which are quite stunning. (I'm going to download them later today and get them up somewhere...) If you ever get the chance to go to a butterfly garden in a very light drizzle, do it. The butterflies are so much easier to really see! And there was this one tree that looked like it had burst forth in flowers, only each "flower" was unique and really a butterfly seeking shelter.
Wonderful!
We did managed to get drenched on the way back from the big cat house. Periodically during the day, the sky opened up and really let loose a deluge. Then it would go back to a light drizzle. For the most part, we lucked out and happened to be inside when the big dump happened, except for the last one, as I said. Mason and I were absolutely drenched just as we were headed to the car to go home.
All and all, though, a lovely day.
We got home in enough time to have a warm up bath and play a few video games before heading back out into the weather to pick up Mom from work. After dinner, I changed the fish tanks (after all, it was Thursday, fish tank day,) and as I did I thought about the sad tanks at the Aquatic House at the little zoo. They have some cool fish there, but I have to say that some of their choices seemed a bit irresponsible. Bat fish... fry at this point, given how small they are, which are going to very, very quickly out grow the tank they had them in. I suppose they give these guy to the big zoo when they out grow these tanks...but.... I worry people will see those and think, "Wow, I should get one of those for my tank at home!" Plus, long nose gar? (Not in the same tank, mind you, but those things get to be several FEET in length. If you want to see adult gar, go to the Underwater Adventure at the Mall of America.) The archer fish, however, were cool to see... but again pretty crowded. I understand why zoos do that, though. It's not much fun for most people to look in a tank and see only one or two fish. Anyway, it made me feel responsible for my own fish and so I made sure to scrub the glass free of algea and whatnot.
Today is probably going to be a quiet day. Mason woke up in the mood for dinosaurs so he's watching the BBC's "Walking with Dinosaurs." (With the subtitles, in English, on so he can read along to Kenneth Brannaugh's narration. I once asked him about this habit of his, and he said he like to be able to see how to spell the dinosaurs' names versus how they're pronounced.)
Perhaps I'll even get some writing done today.
Fingers crossed!
We had a great time. We even got out to the Japanese garden, which is lovely, even in a slight rain. My favorite part, however, was the butterfuly garden. Como has one of those large log-shapped tents full of hundreds of varieties of butterflies and all their favorite plants to sit on and sip nectar from. Thanks to the slight drizzle all the butterflies were clinging to the undersides of trees or plants and were sitting perfectly still. We could get right up to them and really examine their wings and bodies. It was really amazing. The kids all borrowed my little digital camera and took a zillion pictures of all the butterflies... some of which are quite stunning. (I'm going to download them later today and get them up somewhere...) If you ever get the chance to go to a butterfly garden in a very light drizzle, do it. The butterflies are so much easier to really see! And there was this one tree that looked like it had burst forth in flowers, only each "flower" was unique and really a butterfly seeking shelter.
Wonderful!
We did managed to get drenched on the way back from the big cat house. Periodically during the day, the sky opened up and really let loose a deluge. Then it would go back to a light drizzle. For the most part, we lucked out and happened to be inside when the big dump happened, except for the last one, as I said. Mason and I were absolutely drenched just as we were headed to the car to go home.
All and all, though, a lovely day.
We got home in enough time to have a warm up bath and play a few video games before heading back out into the weather to pick up Mom from work. After dinner, I changed the fish tanks (after all, it was Thursday, fish tank day,) and as I did I thought about the sad tanks at the Aquatic House at the little zoo. They have some cool fish there, but I have to say that some of their choices seemed a bit irresponsible. Bat fish... fry at this point, given how small they are, which are going to very, very quickly out grow the tank they had them in. I suppose they give these guy to the big zoo when they out grow these tanks...but.... I worry people will see those and think, "Wow, I should get one of those for my tank at home!" Plus, long nose gar? (Not in the same tank, mind you, but those things get to be several FEET in length. If you want to see adult gar, go to the Underwater Adventure at the Mall of America.) The archer fish, however, were cool to see... but again pretty crowded. I understand why zoos do that, though. It's not much fun for most people to look in a tank and see only one or two fish. Anyway, it made me feel responsible for my own fish and so I made sure to scrub the glass free of algea and whatnot.
Today is probably going to be a quiet day. Mason woke up in the mood for dinosaurs so he's watching the BBC's "Walking with Dinosaurs." (With the subtitles, in English, on so he can read along to Kenneth Brannaugh's narration. I once asked him about this habit of his, and he said he like to be able to see how to spell the dinosaurs' names versus how they're pronounced.)
Perhaps I'll even get some writing done today.
Fingers crossed!