Zoo Pics, volume 1

So, I'm training to volunteer at the zoo! And we finally got around to going just for fun. I got some good pictures!


Here's some pictures of the animal that is (as if you didn't know) my favorite. Her name is Nicole.

From Zoo

There aren't any lions (yet. There will be some day soon) but there are other African animals, like

Zebras

From Zoo

and Giraffes.

From Zoo

There are also hippos

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and a Rhino (who's name is Pete).

From Zoo<

From Zoo

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The primate house is full of interesting characters.

From Zoo

There are also turtles, some of which are tiny ones that are growing up at the zoo so they can be released when they're big enough that bullfrogs won't eat them.

From Zoo

My brother will be happy to know the zoo also has two of Oregon's iconic animals, beavers and ducks.

From Zoo

On the day we went with Miles and Rachel and Keely, it was rainy, and all the animals were sleepy, especially the kitties (well, the one in the bottom center is a ringtail or miners cat, which is related to raccoons and is not a cat).

From Zoo

Even the otter came in to dry off, leading to this extremely cute video.

From Zoo

So, the possibility that I'll be posting more zoo pictures in the near future is pretty high. Especially once I get to spend more time watching the zoo's new star.

From Zoo

That's Samudra (Sam, for short), the new baby elephant. Isn't he adorable?

That' s it for now!

Rose Garden

Finally went to the Rose Test Garden this weekend! Miles and Rachel were going with Rosalind ad Baron (Miles' mom and step-dad) and they invited us to go along. I took SOOO many pictures! I'm just posting my absolute favorites here.











































































































I have a bunch more in the web album below.

Rose Garden

Any that are decent at all ended up in this slideshow video. You can click on it, and it'll take you to the main video page that will let you go full screen if you want.







Have fun!

Where do they make balloons?

(Title is a reference to a They Might Be Giants song, in case you were wondering) Well, Rachel and Jill say they MAKE them in Statesville, but apparently they FLY them in Tigard, at the Allstate Festival of Balloons which is going on this weekend. I guess they started early, because the sky has been full of hot air balloons two mornings in a row. I took pictures both times, but they came out a lot better this morning, because it was a lot clearer.

Here are some of the ones I took yesterday






Here are some cropped/blown up views of those balloons.










And here are the ones I got this morning.






(I like this one)





It's a balloon... with a cow on it. O...k....





I think that one was flying yesterday morning, too.


And now, the two that are the pride of my collection. I could still see some of them when I got to work, and this one flew right over!!











Aren't those the prettiest colors ever? It looks awesome against the blue sky. You can almost see the person flying it!

Complex Walkaround

Hey everyone! I've been promising this for a while, and I finally got around to it. I took a video and some pictures of my apartment complex. The video is a little shaky, but watch it if ya want. I tried to take pictures of the important things in the video.

Here's the video version of the walkaround




And here's the photo version.



Our apartment, from the parking lot.



My car in my parking space in front of my apartment.



Yay! My car is finally licensed in Oregon! Oregon license plates are pretty, aren't they?



Our laundry room.



Our mailboxes



View down the hill toward the office.



Rolling Hills, that's us!



Here's a closeup of some of the mairgolds in front of the sign.



Bus stop in front of our complex. Public transportation FOR THE WIN!



I approve of our landscaping.



Yes, that is what you think it is. Someone in our complex actually drives a hearse. There's a toy shrunken head hanging in the back window. I would have taken a picture, but I didn't think it would turn out. (That's the office and the pool in the background, by the way)








The complex pool. I don't think I'll ever get to use it. It's always too cold here!





They're actually a lot more friendly and cooperative than this sign suggests.




Here's the picnic/grassy/wooded area between the buildings.



Playground equipment for the kids. There are a lot in the complex.



Path back up to our apartment from the picnic area.



Better picture of Mount Hood! It's impressive, huh? You can see it (sometimes) from the hill just down the road from our apartment.


So that's it! Hope you enjoyed!