How I Spent My Birthday and January Book Recs from Joyfully Jay

Before I get into that, want to mention that Joyfully Jay has Precog in Peril on their January recommendation list. Thanks, Melanie! AJ’s Power Exchange is also there, courtesy of Amy. Check out all the recs and buy some great new reads.

___________

AJ and I went to the Como Park Conservatory on my birthday. It’s always a go-to location at this time of year for people in the Cities. Despite it being superbowl Sunday, the place was packed. The few pics I got that are not full of people were rare and I had to wait for them.

The first place we went was the tropical room. You walk through one door, then another, into a wall of humidity. If you look at the picture below, you’ll see a fog of humidity here and there. They blow it out of hidden tubes to keep the creatures happy. Loose in the enclosure are birds, tree frogs, lizards, and even a sloth. I got a shot of it, but as it sleeps 23 hours a day, all you see is a ball of fur and one hand hanging on to a branch. 

Note the turtle. I had to wait a good twenty minutes for my camera to adjust to the temp and moisture. As it was something like 14 degrees outside, this is understandable.

Also in this area are tanks full of exotic and interesting fish, many of them huge. Getting photos of them are nearly impossible though. The glass is full of hand/fingerprints and someone is always in the way. We watched a while and moved on.

This is a tree frog. I can’t remember if the zoo employee said it was poisonous or not, but we kept our distance. Cute little sucker, very small. I’m glad I have a good zoom on the camera.

Also in this area were several mice, scurrying about the undergrowth. I tried getting some pics but the lighting was very low and they were never still for a minute.

In the fern room was a display of prize-winning flowers, bunched up at one end. I particularly liked this display.

Next was the sunken flower room. I moved in for a closeup. It was very crowded and smelled wonderful. Remember, it’s 14 degrees outside, and just starting to snow. Visiting here was a wonderful break from winter. Everywhere we went, people were sitting on the benches reading, sketching; I even saw someone knitting. AJ thought that was interesting.

Here’s a long shot of the sunken flower room, taken from the entrance.

Although it was filled with flowers, the smell was never overpowering. It only served to remind us spring was just around the corner. Down the center is a waterway and at the far end, a fountain. There are no fish in this area.

The bonsai room was closed. That was a disappointment. Perhaps next time.

Come back Friday for more pics from my birthday escape!

About these ads