Over the River and Through the Woods to Katie's House (& Zoo Atlanta) I Go...

Hi, everyone!

 

Happy September!
(A little late, I know...)

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I'm visiting my daughter Katie in Atlanta; I drove down last Wednesday.



It's a wonder I'm able stay on the road when I'm driving alone;



I'm always looking at the scenery ~ ;^)



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This is odd, I know, but kudzu fascinates me...



the shapes it takes as it envelopes things



 (I know, it's a destructive, invasive vine, but it's pretty!) ~



Kind of like looking at cloud shapes...(I do that, too).

 

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This is only a little way from home, the levee road

 

between Charleston, Missouri, and Cairo, Illinois...

 

doesn't that look like a horse rearing up?

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Roadwork on the Ohio River Bridge into Kentucky...I was stopped about midway.

 

I don't think I've ever been "stuck" on a bridge before...

 

good thing they don't bother me...

 

I took the opportunity to play with the camera on my phone

 

and look for more kudzu creatures.

 

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...And I didn't have to look far!

 

Doesn't this look just like Godzilla?? (Do I have an overactive imagination?)

 

 Or maybe Bigfoot would be more appropriate for the locale...

 

I saw Godzilla immediately, though.

 

(I saw a T-Rex on the way back to Sikeston from a festival in Kennett, Missouri last fall

 

 and have regretted not turning around to photograph it ever since...)

 

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Thursday morning Katie took me to Sublime Doughnuts...

 

(She passes it every morning on her way to work ~ will-power!)

 

I've been there three times now...:^)



That's Kamal Grant, owner-operator, on the left ~



You can read more about them here...Sublime Doughnuts.

 

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I had my usual Orange Dream Star (filled with citrusy-crème Heaven)

 

and Katie had a strawberry-filled something that looked good, too ~

 

but since I'm only allowing myself one, I can't forgo my Star.

 

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Off to Zoo Atlanta!

 

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These Chilean Flamingos were just beautiful...

 

(kind of stinky but gorgeous...)

 

I kept taking
pictures, hoping for one ~ or a portion of one ~

 

that I can do a painting from...

 

(The two flamingos in the last photo were having a slight altercation.)

 

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There were fabulous bronze sculptures throughout the zoo...

 

Since the real lions were making themselves "scarce" that day,

 

 this will have to do for my "lion pic"...

 

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Oh, this was such fun!

 

(Now I want a bunch of parakeets as well as chickens and llamas...)

 

We went into the large enclosure with them ~

 

I've been in butterfly-habitats like this, but never one with birds!

 

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There were hundreds, all the parakeet-colors...

 

Blues, greens, yellows, aquas...

 

Some mixed with white in different combinations...so pretty!

 

They would all swoop around in synchronized flight...

 

just barely over our heads ~

 

(Which might be unnerving if "The Birds" disturbed you.)

 

Maybe they were annoyed because we didn't buy "millet-on-a-stick" for them.



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These looked as if they may have been naughty,

 

with their little faces turned to the wall...

 

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Meerkats!

 

I think they are so cute...I used to love watching Meerkat Manor ~ ♥

 

There were a lot, but this little fellow looked particularly photogenic...

 

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Another pretty bronze...

 

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This fellow was hoping for cabbage leaves...

 

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Not sure what species this little guy was...

 

some sort of pigeon, I think.

 

He was interesting-looking, though...

 

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The paths through the zoo were bamboo-edged and so nice and shady!

 

The weather was perfect.

 

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A Red Panda...I love his face!

 

(Photo by Katie)

 

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The Giant Pandas were so interesting! They were eating bamboo the whole time

 

we watched them...we were told that there is a special crew that does nothing



but cut and collect bamboo for them...

 

If someone has a stand of bamboo they want to donate, this crew

 

comes out and assesses it, deciding if it meets the Pandas' nutritional needs...

 

What a job!

 

There are twin baby Pandas at Zoo Atlanta; two boys born to Lun Lun on July 15th.

 

We saw photos, and were able to see just a glimpse of them on the "Panda Cam",

 

but they won't make their public debut until they are a few months old.

 

Click here for the Panda Cam...(lots of photos and videos!)~

 

They won't be named until they are 100 days old, per Chinese custom.

 

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The tigers were magnificent...

 

The male (right) was annoying the female a bit...

 

(he was in her personal space, I think.)

 

...so he just flopped down a little farther away for a siesta ~

 

Look at those paws!!

 

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After leaving the zoo (still downtown), I spied all this gingerbread on a row of little houses
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Katie circled around and took these photos for me...

 

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Skyview Atlanta
...pretty neat!

 

(Because the gondolas are enclosed...thank goodness!)

 

The first photo was taken through the car window

 

and the second through the sunroof...

 

We'll save that for another day...or maybe night.

 

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And last, but definitely not least ~ Katie's kitty Bunch's

 

 (originally "Honeybunch") 10th birthday was Friday...

 

The kitties had a Tuna Party.

 

Isn't she a pretty girl? She plays like a little kitten!

 

That's all for now...

 

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

 

Love,

 



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Oh, Look! Fairy Watermelons!

Look, look!

 

 Someone (another Fairy gardener?)

 

 left our Fairy some little watermelons on her front steps!

 

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Wee little Watermelons!



(Makes you want to say "Wee Wittle Watermelons", doesn't it?)



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Actually, they are Cucamelons...




Also called MOUSE MELONS, which is even cuter than "Fairy" ones, I think!



Aren't they sweet?



You can read more about them here...I ordered the seeds from this company, Terroir Seeds ~



after seeing them on Pinterest.



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I probably should have fed them a little Miracle Grow...



 But I have been so BAD this year...things in the garden have been pretty much on their own.



They did okay, though.



They are green inside, and taste like cucumbers...



and a little like watermelon (the part near the rind).



Perfect Fairy Watermelons!



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We've been picking lots of green beans...



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I used to dislike this chore very much, pinching the ends off

 

and snapping the beans!

 

I kind of enjoy it now, though ~ and I really like how fresh green beans taste...

 

Grandma Collier and Grandma Launius used to can oodles and oodles of them,

 

and during the same time we would have them at meals...

 

(With tiny little "new" potatoes and seasoned with ham)

 

Never got tired of them, though!

 

 

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The zinnias are still going strong in the garden...



(They would produce even more flowers if I would go out and cut some bouquets!)



We have had so much rain for the past week...



The flowers and vegetables are loving it!



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Okay, a few kitty pictures...;)



These aren't great (indoor, night photos) ~



But Cyrus and Tallulah were so cute, napping together.



Leo was off somewhere else, probably hanging out with one of the boys.



He much prefers them to me...I do the baths and the grooming...



Not popular things with the boy cats.



Of course, I also feed and scoop, but I guess they think that's beside the point!




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Tallulah..."Wittle Wuwah", I call her.

 

She loves me and hangs out with me, even though I AM the bather...

 

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Lastly, a few little ACEOs!

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I've been having such fun with these! That Tallulah ~



She gives art lessons, piano lessons, bakes...;)



Getting ready to list the last one on eBay tonight!



That's all for now...back to painting.



Have a good evening, all!



Love,

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