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I feel appreciated
Aug. 2nd, 2009 09:53 amI've worked at the University for six years now. Each year, they have a 'staff appreciation picnic', where everyone can get together with their screaming toddlers, and enjoy a free meal. We've never attended, until this year. This year, the venue was the Albuquerque Biopark and Zoo - a combination of botanical garden, aquarium, and zoo. So this year we decided to go.
It was wonderful spending a relaxing day with Bill. I don't pretend to know anything about flowers or plants - Bill is the gardener - but I did enjoy the walk and looking at the things that were in flower. A formal Japanese garden of sorts was lovely.
We stopped by the butterfly house, also included. There were relatively few butterflies, and the place was heaving with kids. It was difficult to find this area meditative, which is a shame. I think my perception was spoiled by our previous experience visiting The Key West Butterfly exhibit (http://www.keywestbutterfly.com/) a few years ago - a stunning collection.
It was time for lunch, and we headed home for a sandwich and a rest. After lunch I drove out to the supermarket, and took care of our weekly shop, then later we headed for the Zoo for the actual picnic part of the event - with 3500 people in attendance. I generally don't like zoos; or rather, I object to them on principle. Most zoos (as opposed to nature reserves) that I've visited provide small enclosures for the animals. They look bored or frustrated in their captivity. Birds are constrained by artificial environments making it impossible for them to fly more than a few feet; and primates in particular usually look miserable. At the same time, I share the general human curiosity about other species, so when I go I do enjoy that part of the experience.
Albuquerque zoo is small in comparison to the zoos in larger cities; and while they've laid out the grounds in an appealing maze of twisting pathways, it covers too small an area to give most of the animals the space they deserve. One ape looked back at the crowd with despairing eyes - and I couldn't feel happy about them being there. A polar bear, designed by nature to be the ultimate heat retention system, suffered in the 90 degree heat. True, he had a refrigerated pool to swim in, but the heat in the middle of the Albuquerque summer can be oppressive even for humans, who can easily adjust their heat retention. He looked exhausted.
The picnic itself offered a pleasant if basic BBQ meal, and overloud ranchero music. There were some breaks for rap music, which didn't actually help.
Re-reading this, it sounds like a depressing day; it really wasn't! Spending quality time with Bill is always special. I think however I will resume my avoidance of zoos. On the other hand, I would love to go to Africa at some point and observe that continent's wonderful wildlife in their own habitat; I hope one day we can afford an African Safari holiday.
It was wonderful spending a relaxing day with Bill. I don't pretend to know anything about flowers or plants - Bill is the gardener - but I did enjoy the walk and looking at the things that were in flower. A formal Japanese garden of sorts was lovely.
We stopped by the butterfly house, also included. There were relatively few butterflies, and the place was heaving with kids. It was difficult to find this area meditative, which is a shame. I think my perception was spoiled by our previous experience visiting The Key West Butterfly exhibit (http://www.keywestbutterfly.com/) a few years ago - a stunning collection.
It was time for lunch, and we headed home for a sandwich and a rest. After lunch I drove out to the supermarket, and took care of our weekly shop, then later we headed for the Zoo for the actual picnic part of the event - with 3500 people in attendance. I generally don't like zoos; or rather, I object to them on principle. Most zoos (as opposed to nature reserves) that I've visited provide small enclosures for the animals. They look bored or frustrated in their captivity. Birds are constrained by artificial environments making it impossible for them to fly more than a few feet; and primates in particular usually look miserable. At the same time, I share the general human curiosity about other species, so when I go I do enjoy that part of the experience.
Albuquerque zoo is small in comparison to the zoos in larger cities; and while they've laid out the grounds in an appealing maze of twisting pathways, it covers too small an area to give most of the animals the space they deserve. One ape looked back at the crowd with despairing eyes - and I couldn't feel happy about them being there. A polar bear, designed by nature to be the ultimate heat retention system, suffered in the 90 degree heat. True, he had a refrigerated pool to swim in, but the heat in the middle of the Albuquerque summer can be oppressive even for humans, who can easily adjust their heat retention. He looked exhausted.
The picnic itself offered a pleasant if basic BBQ meal, and overloud ranchero music. There were some breaks for rap music, which didn't actually help.
Re-reading this, it sounds like a depressing day; it really wasn't! Spending quality time with Bill is always special. I think however I will resume my avoidance of zoos. On the other hand, I would love to go to Africa at some point and observe that continent's wonderful wildlife in their own habitat; I hope one day we can afford an African Safari holiday.
