Throat Lozenges: The Loves of My Life and Other Tales By Ondrea Tucci

This is going to be a fairly photo heavy post. I'd apologize, but I'm not sorry.

I went back through the photos I took on the plane. I was right to only post the one I did in my previous entry.

I've been busting my ass on writing papers and setting up presentations and doing quizzes and grinding my way through formulas (you know, doing all of the things I'm SUPPOSED to be doing), so I rewarded myself with two days of going out and taking photos. I didn't have much time to play with, so I went out shooting the other night after I got off of work, and then I took myself to the zoo today to take some pictures.

Here's the photo I liked best from going to GoG the other night:

Normally, that water isn't there. But due to the serious rains we had a few weeks ago, I was able to take a very typical reflection photo. I don't mind, though. I really like it.

Now, for the pictures I took today at the zoo. I went at 9, because I wanted to 1) avoid crowds and B) avoid crowds of children. I was successful at neither, and that put a bit of a damper on the morning. But I was still at the zoo, so there's that. I did get someone to take a picture of me as close to the snow leopard as I could (legally) get, and that pleased me greatly. I don't think I could take a selfie with my camera. Moving on!

The elephants are back! They weren't terribly active, but I think close-up shots of elephants are neat. I wish I could have gotten one with its eye looking at me, but this picture is just fine. I like it quite a bit.

Well hello, little meerkat! They have several new enclosures for these funny little guys, and in a later encounter, I set my pretzel down to take some pictures of them, and eight came running over to the glass next to my pretzel and started scratching at it furiously. I would have shared, but the zoo said that for my health and safety, I'd better not (I wouldn't REALLY have shared, pretzels are clearly not good for meerkats. Fritters are.).

Isn't he stoic looking? He was napping right in front of me, and he opened his eyes long enough for me to take this picture of him. I was chatting with a woman from New York, and she very kindly pointed out that he had woken up for a moment. That was perfectly lovely of her. 

I. Fucking. Love. Otters!!! I was bummed that this one was the only one out and about, but I'm glad I got this picture. I tried to get a picture of it swimming, and I was ALMOST successful (it could have been SUCH a great picture, too), but it was blurry. I was giggling rather gleefully, so blur was sort of a foregone conclusion. 

These were my favorite two pictures of the day. I wonder what he was thinking about. I bought a painting by an orangutan, as well. A very productive visit to the primate house. 

Fall has finally come to Colorado. It'll be gone in like, an hour, so I'm glad I snapped these while it decided hanging around was a good idea. I got the smallest taste of fall colors when I was in Michigan (it made me miss Ithaca so much. Ann Arbor reminded me of Ithaca almost exactly, so it was a very...surreal?...kind of homesick), and I was jealous that we didn't have them here yet. Hooray! They've arrived. And they're already getting ready to leave.

I walked through the zoo all by myself, broken toe and all. I felt very pleased, and pretty positive that I had just forced my body to heal itself. Now my foot is super swollen, and I regret it. But I think it was ultimately good for me. I've been walking on the right side of that foot for days (I try to not use my crutches, because I don't want to get complacent), and I made sure to correct every time I noticed myself doing it. I didn't limp all that much, but I'm definitely paying the price for my excursion now. I've decided it may be wise to use my crutches tonight for getting to and from class.