I enjoyed your pictures, both the Centennial Parade and the zoo. Have you seen the series on Animal Planet about meeerkats? Of course, right now I can't remember its name, but the animals live in large groups and it's almost like a soap opera!

very interesting article. I'm always amazed at how great pandas are fed on bamboo, especially the culms. Looks so dry and not very nutrious (feel like)

Claire - visiting herereally made me think of the concept of the "blank slate". I've always thought that my property was a blank slate when I bought it - since there was nary a flower blooming. But it wasn't a blank slate in terms of landscaping - the house was already sited here, as was the pond, driveway, garage, septic system, and tons of large mature trees. So as I have attempted to garden, I must do so within these constraints. So I really started thinking about what I would do if I truly had a blank slate. If I was handed 7 acres of open land, and I could decide on my own where to situate everything - house, trees, gardens, etc. There was just something about this place - I guess because it is so "different". I was really in awe. I guess it also "spoke" to me - just in terms of that dichotomy of these formal linear gardens, interspersed with whimsical topiary animals. So often I visit a garden and I come home with 1 or 2 good ideas - usually in terms of how to pair plants together. But this place - I just got this whole sense of wow - who ever came up with the vision of this formal whimsical topiary garden. And I really started thinking of the what ifs - if I truly had a blank slate, would I want to create a zoo of bushes?

The giraffes were our favorite as well, so much so that they were the first area we went to. We lucked out as they feed in the morning and it was 10:30ish so they were still hungry :-) The one baby was soooo cute, she just wasn't *quite* tall enough to reach the snacks, by craning her neck and sticking her tongue waaaaaaaay out she could just barely get the crackers. I also liked the one "squatting" down to drink. It's amazing how awkward AND graceful they are all at the same time!