Day 317

We had planned on going to Busch Gardens or the Norfolk Zoo (Virginia Zoological Park), but the rain dashed those plans. Still, we wanted crab legs, to get out of the house and ice cream. So, we drove to  Hampton, Va...well mostly because of the crab legs from Joe's Crab Shack. There isn't one of those in Richmond.

The restaurant is beside a Bass Pro Shop, which has water lilies and roses outside it.

Back at home, there were more mushrooms. The wet weather has breed them quickly and in many varieties. Unfortunately the mini cluster ones that sprang up smell disgusting when they rot. I need to get rid of those. The rest are fine.

Day 223

Today, we went to the Virginia Zoological Park in Norfolk, Va. We love this zoo! A few months ago, they finished building the Trail of the Tiger enclosures structure. We have been trying to go for months, so this was a special treat. I will include a few zoo resident photos, but plants first, since some of the zoo animals aren't natural to this area.

Sunflower

Sunflower

Lily

Rose

Hibiscus

Bengal Tiger cooling off in a creek made for them.

Swinging Primate. I didn't photograph the description, so I don't know what kind it is.

This ostrich was mad that a giraffe came near his woman. The giraffe just stuck it's tongue out at the ostrich. Eventually the ostrich just walked away...no longer protecting his woman. The giraffe went back to eating the roof.

I have no  clue why both giraffes were licking the posts and eating the grass roof. This is the baby giraffe.

Turtle

Meerkat

There were 2 adults and 6 baby geese. Two of the babies were too far to the left to easily get in the frame. The babies kept on walking for a bit then laying down.

The baby Prairie Dogs were wrestling. They were squeaking and having fun. One of the adults came over to regulate, but the babies continued to wrestle beside the adult.

Adult Prairie Dog sitting on a dome. This area has three domes that you can look through. Sometimes, you get wacky views like the butt of a Prairie Dog.

Day 208

This morning, I met up with my friend Amanda Erickson to take some photos at Maymont. I haven't been to Maymont since March and the temperature was about 80, so it was a great excuse to go there.

Yoshino Cherry

Hemlock

Some type of pine tree maybe?

Southern Magnolia

In the Japanese gardens, there were a lot of dragon flies...

...and bees on these purple flowers.

Water lily and pads

Day 206

I noticed that the Tiger Lilies bloomed over the weekend.

Day 177

Today we woke to a thick fog. After a few hours, the fog started to lift.

This is at about 9:45am.

Since, rain ruined our fun yesterday, we headed back to Brookgreen Gardens today. We focused on the garden area.

Ferns are growing on the break of the oak trees.

The squirrels here are larger than the ones at home.

These flowers varied in colors.

Lily

I love how the thick leaves of this plant cradled the water from the rain and created rounded drops.

These vines were growing through each hole of this wall.

Ivy was growing all over the bottom of this tree meeting the Spanish moss from the top of the tree.

There was a whole section of trees like this.

Moss growing between the stones of a walkway

Many fountains and pools of water had water lilies and pads growing in them.

Last year, we visited in August and there were HUGE grasshoppers there, called lubbers. This year, we visiting in May and the lubbers were still tiny. However, we found them in large clusters.

Daises

Lizard trying to blend into the leaf

A baby lubber and a few pals

Bubbles occurred naturally from a small waterfall.

There were several turtles on this circle. I liked the turtle with it's feet dangling and the one with it's feet tucked in. John and Alex let me take lots of photos of the turtles, close to the pond, before reading the "Beware of alligators and snakes" sign. Thankfully, we saw none of those.

Dragonfly on lily pad