Pictures of the Week 2010-1
Hello All,
Travel was not high on our list of things to do in the beginning of 2010. Barb had been suffering from hip pain for quite a long time. Her orthopedic doctor had explained to her she would know when it was time to have it replaced and that holding off would do her no harm. Finally, it got to the point that is was affecting her quality of life, and she said “it’s time.” The hip replacement surgery was scheduled for March 2.
January and February were freezing cold months in our neck of the woods. In mid-February the weather broke a bit and gave us a few blue sky days. We were both chomping at the bit to get out of the house. We had no idea how long the recovery time would take after surgery so we decided to take a short trip before her big day.
We made the decision to get on the Natchez Trace and follow it north to Nashville, TN. We got a room for the night, and planned to visit the Nashville Zoo the next day. Places with animals are some of our favorite haunts. The return trip would be via I-65 and US-72 which would complete a nice short loop trip for us.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with the Natchez Trace, it stretches from the Mississippi River in Natchez, Mississippi, through the Shoals area in Alabama, and across the Tennessee Valley to Nashville. The Old Trace was first trod by buffalo, then American Indians. In the early 1800’s it was the main return route for Ohio Valley traders who, rather than fight the Mississippi River current, sold their flatboats for the value of their timber in Natchez and walked home via the Old Trace. By mid-century, steamboats made the dangerous trek unnecessary, and the Old Trace disappeared into the trees. Today, the 444-mile National Scenic Byway and All-American Road follows the Old Trace and has emerged as one of America’s most important examples of our nation’s natural and cultural heritage. Administered by the National Park Service, the road’s non-commercial environment coupled with a wide variety of historic sites, wayside exhibits and beautiful venues make it a memorable destination for an unhurried trip.
Our drive up the trace was refreshing and peaceful with the exception of a deer jumping out in front of us. With some quick maneuvering we were able to miss the critter--but it was close! While we had blue skies it was still quite cool and any place in the shade still showed the evidence of a cold winter.
Travel was not high on our list of things to do in the beginning of 2010. Barb had been suffering from hip pain for quite a long time. Her orthopedic doctor had explained to her she would know when it was time to have it replaced and that holding off would do her no harm. Finally, it got to the point that is was affecting her quality of life, and she said “it’s time.” The hip replacement surgery was scheduled for March 2.
January and February were freezing cold months in our neck of the woods. In mid-February the weather broke a bit and gave us a few blue sky days. We were both chomping at the bit to get out of the house. We had no idea how long the recovery time would take after surgery so we decided to take a short trip before her big day.
We made the decision to get on the Natchez Trace and follow it north to Nashville, TN. We got a room for the night, and planned to visit the Nashville Zoo the next day. Places with animals are some of our favorite haunts. The return trip would be via I-65 and US-72 which would complete a nice short loop trip for us.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with the Natchez Trace, it stretches from the Mississippi River in Natchez, Mississippi, through the Shoals area in Alabama, and across the Tennessee Valley to Nashville. The Old Trace was first trod by buffalo, then American Indians. In the early 1800’s it was the main return route for Ohio Valley traders who, rather than fight the Mississippi River current, sold their flatboats for the value of their timber in Natchez and walked home via the Old Trace. By mid-century, steamboats made the dangerous trek unnecessary, and the Old Trace disappeared into the trees. Today, the 444-mile National Scenic Byway and All-American Road follows the Old Trace and has emerged as one of America’s most important examples of our nation’s natural and cultural heritage. Administered by the National Park Service, the road’s non-commercial environment coupled with a wide variety of historic sites, wayside exhibits and beautiful venues make it a memorable destination for an unhurried trip.
Our drive up the trace was refreshing and peaceful with the exception of a deer jumping out in front of us. With some quick maneuvering we were able to miss the critter--but it was close! While we had blue skies it was still quite cool and any place in the shade still showed the evidence of a cold winter.
After a good night’s sleep in
Nashville we were off to the zoo. Upon arrival we were informed that many of
the zoo’s exhibits were closed because the animals were being kept inside due
to the unseasonably cold weather. The good news was that tickets were reduced
to half price. We laughed, purchased our tickets and chalked it up to “making
another memory!”
Our first stops were to the many indoor exhibits. The cold weather was a benefit to us in that we didn’t have a lot of people to contend with. And, the creatures were not scurrying here and there due to the cold. We could take our time in setting up our photos. That was exciting to us as we love to take photos!!
Here is a beautiful Green Tree Boa.
Our first stops were to the many indoor exhibits. The cold weather was a benefit to us in that we didn’t have a lot of people to contend with. And, the creatures were not scurrying here and there due to the cold. We could take our time in setting up our photos. That was exciting to us as we love to take photos!!
Here is a beautiful Green Tree Boa.
Check out the immense girth of
this Green Anaconda. You must admit, even if you don’t care for snakes, this
was one amazing specimen.
This Cuvier’s Dwarf Caiman was
trying to suck up as much heat as possible and didn’t twitch a muscle.
This Caiman lizard was keeping
an eye on us. They can grow to 39 inches long.
The color scheme on these
Green Basilisk Lizards is truly amazing. Don’t think we have ever seen them
before. It has the amazing ability to run on water which gives this species its
most recognizable moniker--the Jesus Christ lizard.
Growing to 2 feet in length they are abundant in the tropical rain forests of Central America. They spend much of their time in the trees and are never far from a body of water. When threatened, they can drop from a tree into the water and sprint, upright, about 5 feet per second across the surface. To accomplish this, they have long toes on their rear feet with fringes of skin that unfurl in the water, increasing surface area. As they rapidly churn their legs, they slap their splayed feet hard against the water, creating a tiny air pocket that keeps them from sinking, provided they maintain their speed. When gravity eventually does take over, the basilisk resorts to its excellent swimming skills to continue its flight. And, if that wasn’t enough, they can remain under water for up to 30 minutes!!
Growing to 2 feet in length they are abundant in the tropical rain forests of Central America. They spend much of their time in the trees and are never far from a body of water. When threatened, they can drop from a tree into the water and sprint, upright, about 5 feet per second across the surface. To accomplish this, they have long toes on their rear feet with fringes of skin that unfurl in the water, increasing surface area. As they rapidly churn their legs, they slap their splayed feet hard against the water, creating a tiny air pocket that keeps them from sinking, provided they maintain their speed. When gravity eventually does take over, the basilisk resorts to its excellent swimming skills to continue its flight. And, if that wasn’t enough, they can remain under water for up to 30 minutes!!
Heck, we even took photos of
Piranhas.
Below is a Boat Billed Heron
and a Blue Crowned Mot Mot.
By the time we decided to take
a look at the outside exhibits it had warmed up into a beautiful day. The zoo
keepers had allowed the animals outside. They were soaking up the sun and loving
it.
Then we started hearing these loud piercing howls and screams! Following the sounds, we tracked them to an exhibit of Siamangs. When the zoo keepers let them out, they rushed to the tops of the trees, and were putting on quite a show. They were screaming and rapidly swinging around the limbs of the trees. We were spellbound watching them--truly fascinating!
Siamangs are the largest of the gibbon species and hail from Sumatra and Malaysia. Along with other gibbons, the Siamangs are the top trapeze artists of the animal world. They leap with confidence across formidable gaps between branches, launching themselves 30-50 feet, using their hands as hooks. We learned that this mode of locomotion is called brachiation. While their arms are used for travel, their feet are used to carry objects. When walking, Siamangs hold their arms above their heads for balance.
The call of the Siamang excels that of other gibbons because of the animal’s sound-amplifying throat sac. The female emit’s a series of barks alternated with booms resonated in the vocal pouch, which she blows up like a balloon. The mate’s higher scream is usually uttered at each of the two accelerations of the female, and their combined “song” rises in pitch to end with the thunderous pouch boom of the male. It is quite a display of territory and power and can be heard for a considerable distance.
Here are a few shots of them in the tree tops. Note the inflated neck pouches in a couple of the photos.
Then we started hearing these loud piercing howls and screams! Following the sounds, we tracked them to an exhibit of Siamangs. When the zoo keepers let them out, they rushed to the tops of the trees, and were putting on quite a show. They were screaming and rapidly swinging around the limbs of the trees. We were spellbound watching them--truly fascinating!
Siamangs are the largest of the gibbon species and hail from Sumatra and Malaysia. Along with other gibbons, the Siamangs are the top trapeze artists of the animal world. They leap with confidence across formidable gaps between branches, launching themselves 30-50 feet, using their hands as hooks. We learned that this mode of locomotion is called brachiation. While their arms are used for travel, their feet are used to carry objects. When walking, Siamangs hold their arms above their heads for balance.
The call of the Siamang excels that of other gibbons because of the animal’s sound-amplifying throat sac. The female emit’s a series of barks alternated with booms resonated in the vocal pouch, which she blows up like a balloon. The mate’s higher scream is usually uttered at each of the two accelerations of the female, and their combined “song” rises in pitch to end with the thunderous pouch boom of the male. It is quite a display of territory and power and can be heard for a considerable distance.
Here are a few shots of them in the tree tops. Note the inflated neck pouches in a couple of the photos.
After a half hour or so they
decided to come down to ground level and bask in the sun. In these photos it is
easy to see how long and powerful their arms are.
You must admit they are really
cute with their pointed little noses and furrowed eye brows.
As you can see our trip to the
zoo was quite successful, and we enjoyed sharing a beautiful sunny winter day
with some amazing creatures.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns