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Tag: National Zoo

  • National Zoo

    National Zoo

  • picnic at the zoo

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  • national zoo with the minamikes

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  • out: national zoo

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  • out: national zoo

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  • zoolights

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    the mighty quinn is now officially a flight risk.

    for the first time for either kid, while we were eating dinner in the zoo’s snack bar, he just walked right out the front door — looking for mommy, who had taken sparklet to the bathroom about five minute earlier.

    fortunately, the dad of a family who was sitting near the door saw him wander out and assumed that something wasn’t quite right.

    but it’s officially the end of the innocence for the parker family.

    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    zoolights

  • my two dads

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    my two dads

  • out: national zoo

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    out: national zoo

  • out: national zoo

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    out: national zoo

  • hookie

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    flex: hookie

  • national zoo

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    national zoo

  • out: national zoo

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    out: national zoo

  • carousel: national zoo

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    carousel: national zoo

  • National Zoo

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    national zoo

  • national zoo

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    national zoo

  • out: zoo, with the mighty boigs

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    out: zoo, with the mighty boigs

  • video: National Zoo

    httpv://youtu.be/3sLeQLfpo90

  • zoo

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    zoo

  • pizza park

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    pizza park, national zoo, washington d.c.

  • out: zoo aquarium

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    out: zoo aquarium

  • out: national zoo

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    out: national zoo

  • out: zoolights with the talimo’s

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    out: zoolights with the talimo’s

  • out: national zoo

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    out: national zoo

  • the drews at the zoo

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    the drews at the zoo, washington, dc

  • zoo portrait

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  • out: pizza park

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    out: pizza park

  • fonz, state farm saves the kids farm!

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    The kids farm lives!

    In a move that doesn’t surprise anybody who has ever been associated with non-profit fundraising, a corporation (state farm) has come up with a couple of million dollars to keep the kids farm at the national zoo open.

    My theory all along is that this was all orchestrated — that the budget cut announcement was just the opening salvo of a major donor fundraising effort for the petting zoo.

    At the “we did it!” celebration at the zoo this morning, I actually ran into the Executive Director of FONZ, who was very clear that they started absolutely from scratch when the cut was announced. So if this was orchestrated, they seem to have left out the people involved.

    Regardless, congrats to The Friends of the National Zoo for pulling this off, and to State Farm for recognizing and incredible opportunity and stepping up to the plate to take advantage of it.

    As a result, it looks like we have many more years of our baby girl and her animal friends in store.

    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    kids farm celebration, national zoo, washington, dc

  • out: kids farm

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    out: kids farm, national zoo, washington, dc

  • out: picnic on lion hill

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    out: picnic with minamike on lion hill, national zoo, washington, dc

  • found: renegade

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  • still saving the kids’ farm

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    each time we go, i take pictures like it’s going to be our very last trip ever — so far, so good.
    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    kids’ farm and pizza playground, national zoo, washington, dc

  • out: national zoo

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    out: national zoo, washington, dc

  • out: walter pierce, national zoo

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    out: walter pierce, national zoo

  • save the kids’ farm at the national zoo

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    it looks like Congress hates babies.

    the national zoo is losing about half a million dollars in funding this year, and the Smithsonian is planning on shuttering sparklet’s beloved kids’ farm (and it’s sister attraction, the pizza park) to offset the short fall.

    according to the washington city paper:

    The Kids Farm costs $250,000 per year to operate with three staffmembers, and given that it hosts no endangered species and is not a part of the Zoo’s research activities, it was an easy thing to lose.

    “The kids farm is very important to me personally,” said Zoo director Dennis Kelly. “But it is a change that we can affect relatively quickly and relatively safely for the animals.”

    of course the cynic in me (who spent four years on Capitol Hill, and five in non-profit fundraising) is hoping that the image of the kids farm on the chopping block is just a lever of sorts…

    while i’m sure there’s not a lot of corporate interests lining up to sponsor the anteater pavillion, but something tells me that the Zoo is hoping to parlay the impending public outcry to line up sponsors for both the farm (john deere, osh kosh, gerbers, organic valley) and the pizza park (pizza hut, papa john’s, domino’s).

    in a recent interview, the head of the Zoo let slip that it would take “just a $5 million endowment” to save both the farm and the pizza park in perpetuity.

    until then, i think we can expect a steady stream of photogenic baby sit-ins, bake sales, and fundraisers.

  • “i’ll be over here … by the crust.”

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  • found: big cheese

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  • el tigre en el zoológico

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    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    el tigre en el zoológico, national zoo, washington, dc

  • the pizza garden

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    our nanny share nanny doesn’t speak english. the lady sparkler and i haven’t spoken Spanish since high school.

    if that’s not a recipe for a laugh-track worth sit-com, i’m not sure what is.

    about six weeks ago, our nanny started saying how much sparklet loves running around “the pixa” — “the pesca” we ask?

    “no, the pixa” she she replies. “pixa! pixa!”

    “oh, of course — the ‘pixa!’” we finally replied, without an ounce of comprehension. “boy, does she love that!”

    over the next six weeks, we proceeded to ask every native Spanish speaker we’ve ever known what “pixa” meant en Español.

    not a clue.

    i Google translated about a dozen different spellings — pisca, pixa, pitsa, pesca, pixza.

    nothing.

    we finally decided that she meant either “pesca” which is Spanish for “fishing” or PISCA which is the Paranormal Investigation Society of Central Alabama.

    we were pretty confused about where they could possibly go fishing in northwest D.C., much less the intricacies of travel to Central Alabama, so we gave up and called it a day.

    fast forward to yesterday, when our beloved nanny share partners came to the zoo for sparklet’s birthday, and they said:

    hey, have you guys been over to the pizza garden yet? it’s a giant pizza that the kids can climb all over. maria says that they really love it.

    pizza. pixa. pizza = pixa.

    (cue laugh track.)

    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    the pizza garden, national zoo, washington, dc

  • first birthday

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    thank you all so very much for coming — sparklet had a blast, and we couldn’t have picked a more perfect day for it. if you took any photos while you were there, please email/comment them along — while we got *some* good ones, i know we didn’t catch everything that was going on.

    it was great seeing you all 🙂

    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    sparklet’s first birthday party, lion hill @ the national zoo, washington, dc

    more photos from:
    hparker23185 · cmfol

  • “i’m ready, y’all — when does everyone else get here?”

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    i might be going out on a limb by saying this, but i think sparklet’s ready for tomorrow, and — more importantly — for Saturday.
    See Slideshow of the Photos on Flickr:
    “i’m ready, y’all — when does everyone else get here?”

  • national zoo

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    see slideshow of the photos on flickr:
    national zoo, washington, dc

  • proud papa

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    the lions at the zoo just had babies — four of them — and not knowing anything about animal husbandry, sparklet and i wandered up to the exhibit to see if they’d be out running around yet.

    no babies, but dad was there.

    which brings up a good point — if the lady sparkler ever comes home with four babies, i’m taking papa lion’s lead by running into the back yard, climbing on top of the highest point, and hoping for the chaos will subside without my active participation.

  • “let me in!”

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    things have fundamentally changed now that sparklet’s seen cows in the wild — being on the “wrong” side of the fence is simply no longer acceptable.

  • national zoo

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    you’d think with the number of times we’ve been to the petting zoo that sparklet would have actually pet something by now — but sadly it’s not the case.

    most of the time it’s just me and the sparklet and there are just too many things to lose track of — hands on livestock, hands near eyes, hands in mouth mouth, stroller, camera, sanity, etc.

    but this time i had help. and she had petting (that’s Flash the Miniature Mediterranean Donkey, btw).

    the result? a bit of a yawner, actually.

    sparklet only really identifies things as animals when they move — everything else is just a big carpet. but, if the animals are moving, she can’t pet them. if they’re not moving, then what’s the point?

    See All the Photos on Flickr:
    national zoo

  • oh, ethyl — we hardly knew ye so well

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    i love going to the petting zoo, and — according to gowalla, and foursquare before that — we’ve been to the “kid’s farm” roughly two dozen times since early May.we go because i love that sparklet enjoys going to a “farm,” even if it is a fake farm with fru-fru animals like Miniature Mediterranean Donkeys and Anglo-Nubian Goats. that, and it’s only a couple blocks away so we go all the time.

    today, however, we noticed someone was missing — Ethyl, one of two Nigerian Dwarf Goats. (fwiw, the other is named Lucy … in a fit of “I Love Lucy” hilarity.)

    we asked one of the zoo keepers (who was really quite worked up about it) about what happened and she said Ethyl passed away earlier in the week after some time in the Zoo’s hospital.

    now, sparklet’s obviously too young to know any better … but before we lose any more Zoo friends, we decided to do a “guestbook” of those we see the most:

    ECPA20100719_4121 by [ecpark]
    Pat
    Miniature Mediterranean Donkey    		 ECPA20100719_4115 by [ecpark]
    Giuseppe
    Miniature Mediterranean Donkey
    ECPA20100719_4097 by [ecpark]
    George
    Miniature Mediterranean Donkey    		 ECPA20100719_4085 by [ecpark]
    Flash
    Miniature Mediterranean Donkey
    ECPA20100719_4092 by [ecpark]
    Tulip
    Holstein Cow    		 ECPA20100719_4091 by [ecpark]
    Rose
    Polled Hereford Cow
    ECPA20100719_4140 by [ecpark]
    Mortimer
    San Clemente Island Goat    		 ECPA20100719_4102 by [ecpark]
    Iris
    Anglo-Nubian Goat
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    Lucky
    Anglo-Nubian Goat    		 ECPA20100719_4137 by [ecpark]
    Marla
    San Clemente Island Goat
    ECPA20100719_4138 by [ecpark]
    Lucy
    Nigerian Dwarf Goat    		 ECPA20100719_4150 by [ecpark]
    Cirrus
    Alpaca
    ECPA20100719_4090 by [ecpark]
    Orion
    Alpaca    		 ECPA20100719_4080 by [ecpark]
    Ziggy
    Alpaca
    See All the Photos on Flickr:
    kids farm, national zoo, washington, dc

  • baby zoo animals

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    there’s been rash of baby animals being born at the national zoo — gorilla, red panda, kiwi, hornbills, etc — and because we never really make it past the petting zoo, we hadn’t managed to see any of them.

    it’s crazy hot right now, which has mostly kept us inside in the afternoons, but we made a rare exception and drove over to the zoo to run in an see the new baby gorilla in her (mercifully) air conditioned enclosure.

  • petting zoo

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    not saying we go a lot, but i know the names of more petting zoo animals than i know the names of people on who work on my floor.
    See All the Photos on Flickr:
    kid’s farm, national zoo, washington, dc

  • zoo portraits

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    zoo portraits, washington, dc

  • the zoo

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    the zoo

  • almost there

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    our entrance to the zoo (the bridge, by the petting zoo) has been closed for construction since february, which has put quite the crimp on our spring. wondered by today, and its all back to normal. of course, we didn’t have enough time to make it past the sign, but maybe next week.

  • easter morning

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    sparklet and i spent easter morning at the zoo, in a noble effort to give mommy another couple of hours worth of sleep.

    as mid-day naps from baby seem to be in short supply, both mommy and daddy are a little strung out.

    of course, that didn’t stop us all (and i mean *all*) from staying up to watch baby momma’s baylor lady bears serve as a speed bump on UConn’s way to the championship game.

    i’m sad to say, but easily the best part of the game was when 6’4″ tall espn reporter rebecca lobo put her shoes back on after towering over uconn’s descended-from-garden-gnomes coach during a halftime interview … even with her shoes off, the camera man couldn’t find a way to keep them both in the same frame.

    See All the Photos on Flickr:
    easter morning

  • zoo portraits, part 2

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    ECPA20100118_1374, originally uploaded by [ecpark].
    this is the three month edition of baby sparklet’s zoo portraits. we found a little bear near the bottom of the zoo, and each time we’ve visited, we stop and take a picture. considering how close we live to the zoo, we should have 200 of these by the time she turns three.
    Explore the Photo Set:
    updated: zoo portraits

  • zoolights

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    photo of the week // week twelve
    well, baby sparklet finally started caring/waking-up for something about christmas … and all it took was a trip to Zoolights.

    the big win for sparklet so far has been the lights on the christmas tree, and each night she stays completely enraptured with them for hours on end. in hindsight, i guess it makes sense that she’d be pretty happy with a place where every free shrub/tree/building is covered in them.

    i wonder if we can potty train her at 12 weeks if we wrap the bathroom with christmas lights?

    Explore the Photo Set:
    zoolights

  • first trip to the zoo

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    photo of the week // week four
    we’re in a strange bit of indian summer that is reaching deep into november, but nobody in the sparkler family is arguing.

    we figured when baby sparklet arrived it would be waaay to cold to spend any serious amount of time outside, and frankly i didn’t think that baby mommy would be up for the hike down there and back.

    we didn’t spend much time in the zoo — baby sparklet is just starting to look and focus, mommy still isn’t 100% — but we did find a hidden little statue that we’re going to try and swing by for photos each visit.

    i’m really excited that we’re up and moving around. i feel like i’ve been waiting eight years to take my daughter to zoo …

    Explore the Photo Set:
    photos: first trip to the zoo

  • photos: national zoo

    [National Zoo, Washington, DC]
    ECPA20090919_0087, originally uploaded by [ecpark].
    quick trip through the zoo. the last time we went, i got *really* great pictures, and then proceeded to have my camera stolen at the bar afterwards. no where near as good pictures this time, but at least we all came home in one piece.
    Explore the Photo Set:
    photos: national zoo, washington, dc

  • found: concert at the zoo

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    ECPA20090726_0724, originally uploaded by [ecpark].

  • We Love D.C.

    Well, it’s been exactly one year since we moved to D.C. proper, after a combined 20 years of living around the periphery (well, I did 2 years in Glover Park, but that hardly counts). so, in the spirit of the new(ish) local blog We Love DC, the lady sparkler and I spent a walk through the neighborhood recounting why we love this place.

    National Zoo
    Denizens of Mount Pleasant refer to the Zoo as their “backyard” and in a lot of ways it is. I know more about the Prairie Dogs than I do some of my friends. Free summer concerts on lion hill, winter solace because the tourists stay away, spring babies, and the best fall foliage in the city.

    Free Stuff
    It’s easy to take this for granted, but we are reminded everytime we leave the city … everything in D.C. is free. From concerts, to movies on the mall, to museums, to monuments. The first time the lady sparkler and I went to NYC together, we just couldn’t shut up about the $18, $25, $30 tickets to see anything of culture. No wonder they are so grumpy up there.

    Kennedy Center
    Truely the greatest “monument” in D.C., the Kennedy Center presents an amazing array of theatre, music and culture to the city. Sure, we should give a shout out to the Woolly Mammoth, Arena, Signature and Shakespeare Theatres too, but the top class productions in D.C. are good enough to rival those of other major cities around the world.

    Food
    A decade ago, “food” would certainly not make an area top list, but D.C. is now home to quite a few decent restaurants. Maybe they aren’t the most daring menus on the planet, but the food is top-shelf and the service is legitimately okay. Going out, we have had as many great meals as we do mediocre, and that’s a step in the right direction.

    Urban Parks
    It’s hard to believe in a city, but we really have trees and parks all over the place. Rock Creek is enormous, and just about every intersection of the big avenues has a park of some kind. Large and small, these parks are one of the reasons DC-ites are out and about so much.

    RFK Stadium
    While a source of scorn for a lot of people who just don’t get it (D.C. United’s owners to name a few), RFK Stadium is the last great municipal stadium in use in the country, and one of the truest places to watch a ballgame in the country. No doubt: we will cry if it ever gets torn down.

    Meridian Hill / Malcolm X Park
    Parisian fountains in the middle of the District … who can argue with that? Almost by definition, spring starts in the city when the park’s fountains are turned on, and it plays host to everything from picnics to drum circles. The best news, is that ten years ago it wasn’t save to think about entering the park. Now? Oasis in the city.

    Mount Pleasant
    I loved Mount Pleasant before I even knew what it was. I got lost here in the late 90s and again in 2005, both times thinking it was the most beautiful neighborhood in the world. I’m here for the amazing. She is here for the farmer’s market. It’s a win, win.

    Now, the one reason we hate this place: no one stays here … in the last 4 months, we’ve lost a handful of our closest friends to Seattle, Boston and now Mississippi. Mississippi?!? When you start losing people to the deep south, you have to wonder how great your city actually is … but why we hate D.C. (politics, interns) is a posting for another day.

  • spring has (preliminarily and tentatively) sprung

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    panda-porn, pt I, originally uploaded by [ecpark].
    i have to lead with the panda-porn, well, just because … but this is actually only the third best thing we saw while we soaked up spring in our backyard (a.k.a. the national zoo).

    in second place, we saw a river otter do 50+ flip turns in the five minutes we were watching. he just kept going and going. i’m thinking maybe we need to put in for a bigger pool for him … maybe something Olympic sized.

    the pièce de résistance was seeing an orangutan actually use the so-called “o-line” around and above the Zoo. now, i have been coming here rather steadily since moving to D.C. eleven years ago, but i have never seen any animal actually using those cables they have strung above the sidewalks near the ape house. today? there they were … and they even dropped poo on the tourists.

    truly, a perfect day.

    Explore the Photo Set:
    National Zoo, Washington, D.C.

  • photos: zoolights

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    IMG_7564, originally uploaded by [ecpark].
    Explore the Photo Set:
    Zoolights, National Zoo, Washington, DC

  • Photos: National Zoological Park, Washington, DC

    The National Zoo just opened up a new Asian Trail, and I haven’t had a chance to check it out before today. My parents are in town, and we decided to take advantage of an “indian summer” day by spending it outside.

    The featured image for today’s entry is probably one of my favorites in recent memory. The pattern and the sunlight … Every once in a while you just get lucky.

    Explore the Photo Set:
    National Zoological Park, Washington, DC