San Diego Zoo

What a wonderful day! Jason took Thanksgiving Week off work. On Monday he treated Derrille and I with a trip to the San Diego Zoo. Jason maintains an annual membership to the zoo which helped us get in. We headed to the tram station first.

The boardwalk to the tram station winds between the tall vegetation. Like so many tourist attractions we've visited the path to the tram passes through a photo shoot stop. We smiled our best and continued on to the switch back waiting lanes. It didn't take long to move to the front. A worker stamped our hand so we could hop on the Express Buses if we wanted to move around the park that way. The stamp offers free trips all day. The open double decker buses that serve as today's tram have two loading docks. We chose the upper deck. Luckily the seats by the entry gate were ours for the taking and gave my guys room for their long legs.

Our bus driver and guide ranks as one of their best. Chris, aka Zoo Man, extended our 35 minute trip to 45 minutes or more. His knowledge of the flora and fauna were offered with facts and humor. One of his skills includes being able to mimic the noise almost every zoo animal makes! He offered sample sounds throughout the trip. One of the first facts he shared was the name of the zoo has been changed. The former San Diego Zoo, is now the San Diego Zoo and Botanical Gardens. The zoo grows its own bamboo to feed the panda, eucalyptus to feed the koalas and the acacia to feed the giraffes. The current estimates show that the zoo vegetation is worth more than the animals! Lush green trees and shrubs isolate some parts of the zoo enclosures. Zoo Man says flowers bloom here all year round. Another fact he shared was the discovery of a full whale fossil. Workmen found it while digging new water runoff terraces. The fossil goes on display next month in the Museum of Natural History.

The weather temperatures ranged around a pleasant mid-seventies; a comfortable day for riding the bus or walking the paths and hills wearing shorts and tee shirts.

Many animals were visible from the bus as we passed by. The polar bear chose to lounge on a slab in his habitat. He hadn't moved much when we stopped by later to see him again. Zoo Man informed us that the polar bear can live in this climate because the keepers have changed his diet. The new diet reduces the thickness of his fur. Between that and the cold pool, the bear lives a comfortable life.

Check out his paw!

The lion lounged by the edge of the cage and watched us go by.

We also saw a pair of baby leapords.

The elephant habitat includes a lot of space. The zoo also created a "pinata" tube. The pinata holds food that the elephants get by banging it around. The act of knocking down food also acts as an exercise event for the pachyderms. Other zoos have copied the pinata idea, but didn't take the pinata name. What else would a San Deigo that hangs from a tree to batted be called?

Between the rolling hills of two large elephant areas stands a heavily barred care center. This section looks several jail cells with oversized bars and gates. Inside this structure the elephants get showers, manicures and pedicures.

Zoo Man says they love their pedicures. Look at the size of those elephant nails!

The zoo houses several condors. The ones here are rescued, helped and if possible returned to the wild. Zoo Man gave us some stats, which I don't remember, but showed how this program has really helped increase the wild condor population.

We saw a big resident condor's cage, but only got to see this head sticking out of a rock cave.

The black and brown bears looked pretty lazy as they lolled around their pens.

The giraffe remains another favorite animal. A couple of juveniles moved through their yard as we passed.

We checked with the photo people at the end of our tour. I thought the photo was great, so we bought them. I almost didn't get to share this with you. After 36 hours dealing with India techs, and much frustration, we discovered a new printer was needed. I'm delighted to have scanning ability back.

We stopped by the flamingos to take a couple of photos for possible use on our Christmas cards.

The tram ride begins and ends near the entrance at the top of the hill. So after disembarking, we begin to move down the hill on foot. Nine trails wind among the enclosures. They intersect the four main streets and provide short cuts to various parts of the zoo. We took the Fern Canyon Trail for the quickest way to the Pandas. Jason said that exhibit is often crowded, and we wanted to see the black and white bears. Fern Canyon connects Easy Street and Center Street. The wide cement trail, nearly hidden from view by towering vegetation,crisscrosses a stream down the hillside. Waterfalls drop down the incline here and there.

Several monkey populations are housed at the end of the Fern Canyon Trail.

We were pleased to see no long lines outside the panda exhibit. Today we moved into it fairly easily. The exhibit begins with the red pandas who look more like members of the racoon family. What cute faces and bushy tails!

We saw the Asian Pandas next. A couple of panda sat on the rocks chowing down on bamboo. This one photographed the best.The new baby panda can be viewed on a closed circuit monitor since it isn't big enough to come outside yet.

The Harpy Eagle happened to be out and active as we walked by. The bird is HUGE! Visitor watch in awe as he or she flew around its equally huge cage.

I did learn about the three kinds of zebra. I like zebra too. The Plains Zebra display broad stripes that touch under the belly. The Mountain Zebra show thin stripes on the front and broad stripes on the rump, and none meet under the belly. Grevy's Zebra have narrow stripes and a white belly. At first glance in the zebra enclosure, I thought Yipes! Stripes! After checking the reader board I noticed that all three zebra types were represented.

We made our on foot visit to the polar bear next. Then we passed a variety of hoofed critters.

From here a steep, short walk up the road took us to the Skyfari Aerial Tram. This ride offers a spectacular view of the park.

Looking SW we got a view of downtown San Diego. Off to the south the Globe theater rose up on the horizon.

Below us the vegetation created a canopy of green for as far as we could see. It was impossible to get a good look at any animals. The Skyfari also brings visitors back up the hill and near the exit.

We took a couple of photo ops at the exit.

We concluded this wonderful day with dinner in Old Town. Jason chose the Barra Saloon for us.

Our patio table sat under heaters. As day turned to night the heaters created a soft light source for the diners. The ambiance invited patrons to enjoy a leisurely meal of excellently prepared foods.

The lights shining out of the Old Town Square market shops beckon visitors inside.

A lady and young boy in traditional dress danced for the pleasure of the audience. What a memory making day!

Musings

The pool water felt brisk....well downright chilly this morning. After a weekend in the low 80's, we had several days of cooler weather and nights of rain. The pool's heater didn't keep up. Of course once I got moving the water felt great. Fall has descended upon Chula Vista. Rain spattered against the RV roof the past two nights. Sooty pillows of clouds filled the sky as I swam. The autumn breeze blowing south from San Diego unfurled the flag about 75%. The palm tree tops swayed visibly rustling their green fronds. As the wind picked up and the sky darkened my brain thought..hmmm..perhaps being in this outdoor pool isn't my best choice right now. Then off to the west cracks of blue sky began to break through the gray pillows. Soon the sun appeared and white pillow shaped clouds floated against a blue sea. I put in 50 minutes of laps before getting out. Rain sprinkled threateningly several times during the day, but the temperature was still OK for a t-shirt and jeans. It was a Costco shopping day. When the sun shone down upon the pool today, I thought of my friend Liz and things for which I'm thankful. The warmth of the sun on my face rates high on the list, as does having this pool mostly to myself every day. I read an interesting piece on gratitude the other day. The article said "being thankful can be good for your health". It cited a 2011 study at Kent State University that "found people who wrote letters of gratitude experienced greater happiness and more satisfaction with their lives." Next a reference was made to a 2007 study at the University of Cal-Davis and the Missisippi University for Women. "That study looked at organ transplant patients who kept 'gratitude journals' of people andthings for which they were grateful. Research found they fared better health-wise than folks who didn't keep the journals" Perhaps that can be a lesson for us to acknowledge the good things in our lives, even if some of us have to search for something each day. With the news reports on the people in the East recovering from Sandy and the N'easterner, people on the west coast can easily find those things. Good prep for a good Thanksgiving.

Have you seen this photo of the Arlington Tomb of the Unknown Soldier? This special guard unit continued their vigilent watch throughout the assault by Sandy. Some of you may remember that Derrille and I had the opportunity to watch the changing of the guard when visiting Arlington. The ceremony remains breathtaking, and rates as one of the high points of that trip. The precision used in each watch and each changing of the guard impresses all who watch. You could hear a pin drop among those of us viewing the ceremony.

The bird of paradise flower stands in clumps all over the park. This photo of the plant shows where the flower probably got its name. Another something for the thankful list.

A small rose garden lines each side of one end of the main complex. I love roses and enjoy watching them bloom even as autumn comes to Chula Vista. A variety of flower blooms decorate the roadways and home in around the area here.

The park is celebrating Veteran's Day in grand style. This interior garden feels festive. This afternoon hundreds of small American flags were "planted" along the entrance roads. A dinner is planned for Monday.

As long as I'm musing....Five of my lady friends and I went out to lunch on Thursday. This week we visited one of area's Crazee Burgers restaurant. Food was great! The menu offers interesting choices of cheeses and accompanying toppings. One section of the menu also offers burgers from: buffalo, kangaroon, turkey, vegan, etc. For you beer drinkers, they have 16 brews on tap. The ladies had their usual fun outing!

Critters of the coast and Puget Sound

An eagle at Fort Flagler claims one scraggly tree overlooking the shipping lanes as his. Derrille and Jay saw him almost every day as they walked that part of the perimeter. He or she surveys the shipping lanes for passing food.

Counting deer remains one of our favorite activities at Fort Flager. Derrille and Jay usual saw some on their walk. I even spotted a couple of small does when I walked my couple of miles up the main road.

In Old Town at Newport the resident male sea lions lounge, bark and swim around the docks and rocks. In June only two or three remained in Newport. The rest of guys had gone south to mate with the females who stay in the warmer waters of California. By September they had returned to Yaquina Bay. For those of you who know about the sea lions in Newport, you may remember that these hugh mammals used to occupy about eight docks arranged in a "L" below a higher "people" dock. The docks succumbed to age and only two remain. The divers from the Undersea Gardens helped secure one of these old docks, or there would only be one left. Donation boxes can be found all over town to help the sea lions. The plan includes the creation of cement docks put in for the critters.

Then the metal cage can be put back into place. The sea lions lounge in the metal cage on top of each other. The gate remains open until a sick or hurt sea lion is spotted. The cage allows vets to isolate the injured sea lion and treat him. If you try to tranquilize a sea lion, they will retreat into the sea. Then when they pass out, they drown. So the cage option greatly helps with their health care. When the wind blows toward the sea, we can hear the sea lions bark inside the RV at Southbeach State Park several miles away.

At Winchester Bay the RV faces Salmon Harbor. The little coves that make up the edge of the RV park usually provide a playroom and diner for a couple of seals a day. Sometimes the seals float almost vertical and put their nose out of the water. I can only assume they also like the feel of the sun on their face. These critters tend to be a bit camera shy. By the time I'd recognize them in the water, got my camera, attempted to focus and swish...down they dive.

Brown and white pelicans spent time swooping and diving around the water in front of us. Their number muliplied when the fishing boats came into the marina across the way. I found it interesting to see both brown and white pelicans here. My past experiences have been viewing one or the other.

Reedsport lies about six miles north of Winchester Bay. Highway 38 starting at Reedsport heads inland to Drain Oregon and then into I-5 at Cottage Grove along the Umpqua River. A short ten miles out of Reedsport, an elk preserve exists. The preserve includes several viewing areas. Reader boards offer information about the elk, the ducks, the marshland and other interesting facts relevant to the preserve. We try to make a couple of trips out there when in Winchester Bay. One of our visits this year had a buck and his harem of young does on one end of the preserve. The gathering of bachelors hung out quite a ways from the harem. When Derrille and I arrived we spotted a dog like critter. It could have been a wolf. It sported reddish fur like a fox, but we think it was a healthy coyote. I was so engrossed watching, I forgot to use my camera.

One good size buck had settled down near the creek. He may have been an older guy, just living out his years.

Several ducks gathered on muddy islands and swam in the creek.

In June the bachelors were looking very fine with velvet antlers. Some of these guys look just about ready to challenge the reigning bucks for a few does of their own.

I think rutting takes place in Sept. when the young bucks fight for ownership. The ones we saw this fall will need to wait until next year to make their move.

This fall it occurred to me that one of the perks of our full time RVing relates to being able to view critters in their natural environment. I value being able see the magnificent critters! We did see a couple of whale, and other seals along our journeys this year.

Chula Vista

It only took about an hour and a half to drive from Rancho California to Chula Vista RV. We were welcomed back by staff and workers. It felt good! One worker even remember my name and gave me a hug.

This feels like "home", familiar, warm and friendly. To our surprise we were booked into the same wonderful site where we've spent our four months of previous times. Hurray for us! This particular park never guarentees a site. The sites are filled depending on length of stay, reservation date, etc.

We pulled into #42 and quickly noticed the large hedge that separate sites #41 and 42 had been replaced with a row of 10 infant shrubs. Since we pull in forward and the people next door backed in, we tend to share the area without the hedge.

I met these neighbors, as usual, very nice people. They have a home just north of San Francisco, in Marin County. He is not well. They came here for the warmer weather. He just turned 65 years old, but because of his health problems he looks like he is mid to late 70's. His wife share with me that he worked for George Lucas and through that association made a very, very good income. That brought me to my big Ah-ha for the day. These people have the funds to do whatever they want, but are hampered by health. We don't have much, but we do have our health...at least so far. I wonder how many people take their health for granted. It remains such a gift.

The lady next door mentioned that full timing makes her miss friends. I couldn't agree. We had such great times with friends this summer. Then with our friends Nancy and Paul the last few days at Aguanga. While we were talking one of my friends from here drove by and stopped. She jumped out of the car and we had a welcome back hug. We also have a lunch date with our CV friends for next week. With technology today the computer, smart phone, texting and blogs, friends feel close.

After setting up, Derrille went to the store for new water filters. We definitely needed new one. I put out my Mexican pots, hanging baskets, banners and other decorator things. Feels like home. Then we took me to Supercuts! I was several days past due for a haircut and boy it made me feel soooo much better. From there we drove to Walgreens and ordered my Rx refills. On the way to dinner we stopped by Best Buy and Verizon to recycle batteries, ink cartridges and old phone equipment. We ended the day by dining at Filippis Italian Restaurant.

We started day two with Derrille walking the Chula Vista 4 mile route. I excitedly headed for the pool. Since I haven't done laps since June 1st I swam slowly and stayed for 35 minutes. Derrille called for a dental cleaning appointment and got in today. He will return for some filling work later. I spent time visiting another of my friends in the park.

Here is a sailboat that passed by today. Wind surfers sped in and out of our view and navigated around the kite surfers.

The sun sets above Coronado and the "silver strand". This is an old photo, but similar to tonight. Before the evening winds come to cool down the area, we need to cook. Jason has come to visit this Saturday afternoon. One of the many blessings we have in the San Diego/Chula Vista area. I just read a blog of another friend. She was reflecting on things in her life for which she is thankful. Are thankful thoughts entering our consciousness because Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away? Or could it be the photos and news reports that we see of the East Coast devastation? Millions of people without food, water, power and in many cases without a home....makes us reflect on the everyday riches we possess. We here are the west coast have so many things for which we can be thankful.