Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Cats & Tigers & Bears, Oh My!

Brookfield Zoo Fountain

This past weekend was unseasonably warm, so we decided to take a trip to Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois (just outside Chicago). It's a superb zoo, beautifully landscaped, with many rare and fun animals to see!

We saw penguins...

Penguins

Macaws and other tropical birds...

Macaws

Baby Galapagos Tortoises...

Baby Galapagos Tortoises

American bison...

American Bison

Black rhinos...

Black Rhino

Giraffes...

Giraffes

and a meerkat family!

Meerkat Family

The dolphins like to peek into the office of their zookeepers...

Dolphin

And we saw the most playful tiger ever!
Her name is Whirl and she's 3 years old.

Whirl the Tiger

Check out the little video I did showing Whirl at play...


We stopped for ice cream and were visited by the
resident peacocks and peahens!

Sneaking up on a Peacock

After watching Whirl play, we wanted to buy our cat Penny a new toy for her birthday, which was also this weekend. Fortunately, there is a pet gift shop at the zoo. For myself, I bought this new tin sign to add to my collection...

Cat Tin Sign

and this rock for my garden...

Cute Message Rock

and this new fishy toy for Penny!

Penny Playing 2

We told her it was from Whirl, her distant cousin.
She was impressed, and did her best Whirl imitation.

Penny Playing 1

Penny tired herself out playing with her new toy.
She's 14 years old now, but still has the same spunk
she had when she was a kitten.

Penny Tired Out

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14 Comments:

Blogger Rose ~Victorian Rose ~ said...

What a wonderful day you had at the Zoo..I remember that zoo when I lived in Chicago.
My grandfather took me there and sat me on a stuffed bear to have my picture taken...and I was TERRIFIED of it. I was not a happy camper.
Seems like the whole nation has had some really nice weather latey...we sure have.
I see your a cat lover...saw a cute sign today...that said:-
" BEWARE OF THE DOG...AND THE CAT CAN'T BE TRUSTED EITHER"..

Loved it.

Thanks for stopping by.

Rose

October 12, 2010 at 9:35 PM  
Blogger Jeff K said...

I haven't been to the zoo in years. I need to get out there. Probably not until next spring. Nice pics!

October 13, 2010 at 6:43 AM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Hi Rose,

Thanks for visiting. Isn't it funny what we remember from when we were kids? Your grandfather probably thought you'd have a lot of fun memories, and you remember being scared of a stuffed bear!

I love cats... that sign you saw is fun! I like things with a bit of twisted humor.

-Pam

October 13, 2010 at 8:03 PM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Hi Jeff,

I couldn't believe how expensive it was to park and the price of the admission tickets! Fortunately, a friend of Terry's gave us a pair of free tickets so all we paid was parking. How about Lincoln Park Zoo... it's free!

-Pam

October 13, 2010 at 8:05 PM  
Blogger La Petite Gallery said...

I just thought there is no Zoo around here, guess Portland,Me.
A 2 hour drive. Lucky you.

yvonne

October 14, 2010 at 10:53 AM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Hi Yvonne,

Yes, we're lucky that the Chicago area has TWO zoos! :-)

-Pam

October 14, 2010 at 2:47 PM  
Blogger The Sweetbrier Cottage said...

I haven't been to the zoo in years, maybe longer, and Atlanta is supposed to have a great one. Your photos were beautiful! Looks like your kitty enjoyed her gift as well.

What type of tin signs do you collect? Could you do a post on them? I'd love to see them.

PS Thanks for stopping by my blog!

October 14, 2010 at 3:16 PM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Sweetbrier,

Thanks for the idea for a post on tin signs! Mine are mostly still packed away, awaiting the day when I decide to redo the kitchen. Then I'll tack them all over the walls. None of them are original antiques, though.

-Pam

October 15, 2010 at 6:57 AM  
Blogger victorian parlor II said...

Pam,

This is wonderful! I love watching Whirl play-she plays just like Kramer does with his mouse on a string. Your kitty looks very happy with her new toy. Happy birthday to her!

Blessings,

Kim

October 17, 2010 at 10:24 AM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Hi Kim-

Thank you for the kitty birthday wishes. I was amazed at how much Whirl reminded me of our little cats! I never knew adult tigers played like that! :-)

-Pam

October 17, 2010 at 9:16 PM  
Blogger Sea Witch said...

Love Love Love the Brookfield Zoo. Both of my sons have visited numerous times when we lived in Thomson, Illinois. Always such fun to go into the city and spend a day at the zoo. SEa Witch

October 18, 2010 at 8:13 AM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Hi Sea Witch-

Brookfield is a great zoo. I like that they're always improving things for the animals, and that they are involved with helping endangered animals breed and thrive. :-)

-Pam

October 18, 2010 at 9:23 AM  
Blogger The Rustic Victorian said...

What great shots of the Zoo.! I like the sign and rock for the garden,,,ahhh sweet Penny.
oxo
Marcie

October 20, 2010 at 8:20 AM  
Blogger Pam of Eastlake Victorian said...

Marcie-

Thank you! And, yes, Penny is a little sweetie. She's the most playful cat I ever had! :-)

-Pam

October 25, 2010 at 4:22 PM  

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