Ellipsis: Oakland Zoo

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Smile... Pass It On

"Does the giraffe know what he's for? Or Care? Or even think about his place in things? A giraffe has a black tongue twenty-seven inches long and no vocal cords. A giraffe has nothing to say. He just foes on giraffing."

~Robert Fulghum, All I really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten

I spotted this goofy giraffe near the Oakland Zoo. I love it. Is it public art? You bet! Does it make me smile? Of course it does! I wish there was more stuff like this around. I would love to see art taken seriously in public schools again. Can you imagine how much nicer one's commute would be to see the occasional wild animal, or vase of flowers, or even just an amazing smile or message like... "Have A Nice Day"... painted on a support beam or overpass? Great things can begin with a smile.

Mood: Happy

~Me :)

Wednesday, October 07, 2009

If I Ever Go Missing, You Can Find Me At The Zoo

From For Ellipsis

"Animals have these advantages over man: they never hear the clock strike, they die without any idea of death, they have no theologians to instruct them, their last moments are not disturbed by unwelcome and unpleasant ceremonies, their funerals cost them nothing, and no one starts a lawsuit over their wills."

-Voltaire, letter to Count Schomber, 31 August 1769

Last week, Alan and I received free tickets to the Oakland Zoo, so we decided to get out of the house and have a little fun. It was a day before I felt any twangs of the flu,thank goodness, if we would have waited one more day to use them I couldn't have gone! Timing is everything I suppose. Anyway, sick or not, I could spend the whole day at the new Fruit Bat exhibit just talking to them. What wonderful, fascinating creatures they are. Beautiful animals.

Actually, all the animals were gorgeous, but I don't know which I enjoyed more, the bats or the chimpanzees. The bats reminded me of Dylan and Hendrix. Especially this one, who has a favorite stuffed animal, a rainbow colored bear. He actually cuddled with it, as he slept upside down. There is something kind of wonderful about that! The chimps were just darn cute, and pleasant to be around. It's a tough choice. If I go by the number of pictures taken, I suppose the bats win. LOL.