Amanda and I got together and took her daughter to the zoo. It was pretty hot outside, but not unbearable. I'm glad we went at this time of year and not any later. I haven't been to the zoo since elementary school, so it was almost like being there for the first time. I remember the animals being on concrete slabs with chain link fences. The enclosures are still small, but they're vastly improved from the old days. As usual, most of the big cats and "exciting" animals were dozing and mostly keeping out of view, but the big animals were on full display. As always, check out the full flickr set for all the fun :)

Reid Park's iconic anteaters:


( highlights here! )

After the zoo trip, I've got a bunch of unidentified birds. According to the zoo signs, these are all South American varieties - anyone have a really good guidebook at home (or some time to dig around online?)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5. The duck on the left and the goose-like bird on the right:


6. (and the little yellow bird in the background)


7.

8. The red-billed duck in the front:

naamah_darling has been playing mama cat to a litter of teensy kittens, and she has a growing photo set on flickr to follow their progress. Anyone needing a dose of cute should check this out :) (There's also video and more pictures in her lj if you need a megadose of adorable)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/naamah_darling/2455737363/

Finally had a chance to get back to my original list, and now book #7 for the year is finished.

The Lovely Bones: A Novel - by Alice Sebold

I know I'm about 5 years behind the rest of the world in reading this, but it was worth the wait. I loved the narrator's voice, and the story, while disturbing, was very well told. A very interesting take on how a family evolves after tragedy.

I've been organizing pictures from the past few years, and recently uploaded over 400 various snaps to my flickr account. This one reminded me that it's about that time of year, again.
Happy B-day "Super Chadd"! :)

I was out on the far east side of town today and noticed that every possible plant is blooming right now. I grabbed my camera and set out to capture a few shots of the ephemeral colors. I also spent some time visiting with a desert tortoise and the surprise visitor in his pen. Fun times! The full set is at flickr, but here are some highlights -

Yes, I'm parroting my icon, but it's the most appropriate phrase I can think of right now. I've been having the weirdest sensation. It's akin to deja-vu in its otherworldliness, but not quite as disconcerting. For the past week or so it's been one thing after another. A significant post from an lj friend here, a heart-to-heart conversation there. A chat w/ the boss at work, significant body changes, a long talk with the neighbor, that e-mail out of the blue, the new emotional outlook, the voice from the past returning, the old patterns and new perspectives.
I've got this sensation that some sort of convergence of events is about to occur.

Things feel swirly, but not in a threatening or ominous way. More like watching the final swirl of a tornado just as the sun breaks through the clouds.

Strange things are afoot at the Circle K.

This could get interesting :)

*****

In completely unrelated news, I just found this website. An entire archive dedicated to Rush tablature. I am a very, very happy girl right now.




(picture from 5 years ago - yikes! - but still quite fitting)

There's a quirky little park here in town that few people know about. I had a friend in HS who was obsessed with faeries and magic, and he was always talking about going to moonlit events at "The Valley of the Moon." It sounded kind of hokey and new-age-y to me, so we never managed to make it there.
Fast forward 15 years and VotM is suddenly back in the news. The park itself has been mostly closed to the public due to safety issues, but now that the Magic Carpet mini-golf place is closing, they're talking about relocating the giant statues to VotM. I've always lived in this general area of town, but VotM is now only half a mile from my house, and I've got a higher than average interest in the place because of this. Further, VotM is listed on the State register of historic places.
What's all the fuss? Well...it depends. On the surface, VotM is a ruin. To many, it'd probably seem like an eccentric guy's pipe dream. It is very much a collection of folk art and a labor of love.
What *is* it? It was created by one man as a place where kids could come and nurture their imaginations. It's a park with walking paths and kid-sized (and miniature) displays all based around fantastical themes. The man was clearly taken with Tolkein and lots of "Hobbit houses" dot the property. There are several recessed areas with benches for seating, and round spaces for performances. I guess they used to have storytellers in costume roaming the grounds and enthralling the visitors. The park's main feature is a large performance space with a sizable concrete stage, all of which lies in the shadow of the Wizard's tower.
Quirky is the only word I can think of to describe the place. I can see where it would have been wonderful for kids. I can also see the potential to re-awaken a sense of wonder in adults.
The VoTM is threatened due to the park's horrible deterioration (and largely unsafe conditions), but the Board of Directors is working with a neighborhood advocacy group to have a professional assessment made (and/or a master plan) and see what can be done.
Since it's an historic property, my office is peripherally involved.

Long story short, I got to tag along on a property walk-through on Wednesday. If you've ever wanted to see VotM, or been curious, this is your chance to catch the highlights reel.

Enjoy!


Valley of the Moon
Originally uploaded by midwinter.

Yep...Adagio, purveyor of fine teas and cool tea brewing toys, has created a Firefly blend.

Sounds...yummy?

You can't take the sky from me...

Windmill on the I-40
Originally uploaded by midwinter.

Submitted for the Photo Friday "far from home" challenge.

Runners up were:


and

I hate April Fool's because I am the most gullible and trusting person on the planet. Every year around March 30th, I try to steel myself against the pending onslaught of joke blog posts and media alerts, and EVERY SINGLE YEAR I fall for the pranks.

Sigh.

edda, it took me half an hour to wise up to yours, you mean, mean tease :P

We'll see what I fall for come daylight...

"What's this now?"



"SRSLY...
WTF?"



*cue the Jaws theme*

Hi everyone *waves* The road trip is officially over, and I finally had a chance to get my pictures posted to flickr. I'll share a few highlights here, but the full dirt is HERE . Too lazy to do a cut tag, so you get thumbnail pictures :)



The bearded dragons, two of the 8 reptiles we had on board.



The family at a Texas rest stop.



The massive road side cross in Texas.



Jenna's stickers.



A fabulous old adobe mission church and adobe houses on a hill in New Mexico.



Almost home!



Flagstaff.



Twin Arrows. All that's left of a major Route 66 landmark.



Meteor Crater outside of Flagstaff.



Astronaut at the bottom of the crater.

We had a rather seamless road trip and managed to get back an entire day early. This is great on so many levels. I'm road weary and saddle sore (12 hour days in a loaded minivan are tough), but it's all good. Some pictures and stories coming soon.