Playful otter sighted yesterday while out and about.





Baby gator


Just got back from Chicago. During the return trip I was stranded for a night in Atlanta, again, thanks to the wonders of modern domestic air travel. Now I am off to Denver for the week. The cold weather gear has been packed!

The San Diego zoo has been on my "must see" list for quite some time. It definitely met my expectations. Aside from the exhibits, what struck me was the amazing vegetation throughout the zoo. For such an arid climate there was an abundance and diversity of plant life that I did not expect.

My first pandas.





A panda cub was in the exhibit too, but it spend its time snoozing up a tree and I couldnt see it.

There were several stunning aviaries that you could walk though.





Being a big reptile fan, I was thrilled to see the numerous reptile houses and outdoor habitats for lizards, turtles, crocodilians, and frogs.

Leopard tortoise


Asian aquatic turtles




After a long day at the zoo, I was ready for a snooze.


Some maritime scenery









A colleague invited the group of us onto his boat for a lovely evening sail in San Diego Bay. It was a lot of fun and we got some great views of the city from the water.





Head on view of the USS Midway aircraft carrier, from the water.



A memorable and enjoyable end to a wonderful trip!

Visited the Green Cay wetlands for the first time in a while. Not much wildlife around but this Roseate Spoonbill was unusual.







In other news, I just got back from Pittsburgh. The weather was rotten flying up there and there were long delays at the airport. It rained every day. Luckily I missed the bout of heavy storms that hit at the end of the week.





I've got a couple more out of state trips this month, and then it looks like things should settle down toward the end of the year. It has been a while since our last visit to Everglades National Park. Will be planning a visit there soon.