Well, dang it anyway. Mister's last day of vacation time is here and he definitely DOES NOT wish to spend it sitting in the house. We have early entries into the Dallas Zoo and are taking advantage of the cooler weather. As we approach the Hippo Outpost, this sweet tortoise is out saying howdy and I am laughing at her while she tries to somehow either hide behind this piece of wood or turn it over. Either way, she just keeps pushing on it with her head tucked in. She's just dang cute. I would stay all day, but for the safety of the animals, we can't get as close as usual.
Onto the hippos, who are already in the water. Dang tortoise. As I stand at the water's edge watching these two river elephants lay in the water, my eyes are drawn to the flowers right in front of me and the giant bumblebee that is working them diligently.
Everything is picture perfect this morning.
There they are --- not real entertaining today, but I get it. Some days ya just wanna laze.
Again, keen eyes on the rail in front of us --- look who's cruising by.
Alright --- Gorilla Trail, here we come. At the first viewing post for the gorillas, one is actually hanging out. I think in all the years, this is the first time we've seen one here. Self-isolating and social distancing?? It's kinda funny.
Chimps at the window --- she's just watching me as close as I'm watching her -- all while playing with her toes. This gent comes along and decides that he would like her attention. Psssst -- it didn't work.
The Golden Weavers are at work in the aviary. I love watching these so very much.
We have cups of coffee and a pumpkin scone so choose to find a bench and just hang out in here, watching for a bit. We both love birds of all types and this place just makes me happy. Watch along with us.
Now, add some sound and just close your eyes and listen. I think the second audio is a bit better.
Well, we can't sit here all day, although it is so fun. Our coffee/scone are finished and we were so good about the crumbs, not a bit have gone astray. I know how hard the keepers work to keep these animals healthy. Perhaps the young gorillas will be out as we exit the trail. They are, but just barely in vision. They are moving out of site as we round the corner. Drat.
I guess that means the Savanna is next. With NO ONE around, I want to feed the giraffes. This is a rare opportunity as this place is packed with kids when the zoo is officially open and the giraffes are not usually out this early for feeding.
A peek out on the Savanna has me laughing. The zebras are quietly eating and the next thing I know, the race is on.
As I'm snapping pictures, Mister asks why I'm not just taking a video. Duh - Here ya go
As we walk away, my eyes turn and spot this elephant reaching for treats.
Again, I get the quizzical look from my sweetheart. He's right -- live action is always better.
A warthog pops out of his lair just long enough to look at us and then turns around and goes right back in. Thank you - we appreciate the appearance.
The elephants have been released in the small area and Ajabu decides he needs the whole tree to himself.
That's it for this side of the zoo --- onto Zoo North. It's always a question as we arrive as to whether the Linnaeus's two-toed sloth will make an appearance. He's been here for over a year. We've been here multiple times in the past year and have yet to see him. Hot dang --- we do spot a blob up in the trees. That's more than ever before. Also, reading the sign gives us an unknown tidbit: Sloths spend most of their time high up in the canopy of the rainforest using arching limbs as bridges to travel from tree to tree. Once a week, they make the long climb down to the forest floor to use the bathroom. They can lose up to 1/3 of their body weight each time they relieve themselves. Wow.
A peek at the gibbons finds them swinging about --- I am so hoping these two will become a family.
The morning is up --- the zoo will be opening to the public and I don't wish to hang here anymore. One last glance at the grass as we depart. Ahhhhhh
Now what? Is there a brewery open? One that is new to us? A short search finds False Idol in North Richland Hills. I'm game. It's a fairly new one for a walk-in taproom and I'm always up to a visit.
Not a lot of info on this board. We have to go online and look up each one. Not a fan of that.
The beer is nice. We never do find out why the name, but, oh well.
Towards the end, Mister is able to chat with the brewer for a bit and we are even blessed with a sample of a new beer he is working on. It's dang good and perhaps worth a return visit to try it out.
Homeward bound -- on the way a couple of statues are spotted. This one is an armadillo. It is a hand-formed sculpture made of welded, recycled steel and based on the idea that everything in Texas is "larger than life." It is 9 feet long, 5 feet tall, and 5 feet wide. That's an armadillo.
We did not get close enough to the next one to do it justice in a photo, but it is a flower log made entirely of salvaged steel parts arc welded together. I'm sure it really looks fun when real flowers are blooming along with the flowers of painted steel.
After a stop at Schlotsky's for lunch, we are almost home, when Mister rebels. He just doesn't want to go home and sit away his last few hours. This is the first time I've seen him really dreading a return to work. These are the first vacations days he has taken all year and it's been a long year, as everyone knows. We are going to book the next week away as soon as we are back home again. He turns towards Garland and a stop at Intrinsic for an early dinner and a beer. The day is just so nice that we go out to the patio and have it all to ourselves. Score.
Two and a half hours later, we have thoroughly enjoyed sitting and visiting with each other and taking time from the world ahead. I hope your day was as pleasant as ours - until our next adventure: Cheers.
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