paul and other denziens of the zoo

I took a portrait of Paul, in front of the first brightly coloured wall I could find. Didn't want to disappoint him, after all. Also took some pictures of the few animals I saw. I always find myself more interested in seeing how the visitors to the zoo interact with the animals, rather than just trying to take clean pictures of the animals. I'm a bit uncomfortable trying to take images in a zoo that attempt to hide the fact that the animals are in cages. There seems to be something of a deception in doing that, that doesn't appeal to me. So instead, I step back and try to find a different point of view.

red wolves

I went to the North Carolina Zoo in Asheboro today. The weather was on the miserable side; cold, drizzle with occasional sleet and snow. The main reason I went was to meet Paul Lester, who lives near by. We had a good time walking around the mostly empty zoo. The majority of the animals were sensibly ensconced inside, out of the cold. Some more hardy animals were out, such as these red wolves, which were making a lot of noise.

Hit play below to hear the wolves calling. This is one of the first times I've tried sharing audio I've recorded, so please let me know if there are problems with this.

outer banks

Went to the Outer Banks in North Carolina this weekend. The forecast said scattered thunderstorms again, but I decided to risk it after all the comments saying it is always like that. Only got rained on a little the first night and my new tent stood up pretty well. Forecast for the second night was severe thunderstorms, wind and rain and it was clear and calm all night. I saw a few lighthouses, walked along the beach and saw the field where the first ever powered flight happened. All in all a relaxing, fun weekend. The one thing the pictures don't show are the number of mosquito and fly bites I'm trying hard not to scratch now. Plenty of DEET but some still made lunch out of me.