A guest popped in for lunch! Literally. Glanced off the table and landed belly-up on the deck. I finished my salad--it was in no hurry. Then I flipped it over. Ah, an Eastern Eyed Elater, Alaus Oculatus. Beautiful, isn't she?
Monday, May 27, 2019
Alaus Oculatus
A guest popped in for lunch! Literally. Glanced off the table and landed belly-up on the deck. I finished my salad--it was in no hurry. Then I flipped it over. Ah, an Eastern Eyed Elater, Alaus Oculatus. Beautiful, isn't she?My Little Garden Zoo: Africa!
Last installment: Africa!
AFRICAN ELEPHANT
Loxodontus africanus
AFRICAN LION
Panthera leo
AFRICAN WILD DOGS
Lycaon pictus
BLUE WILDEBEEST
Connochaetes taurinus
COMMON CHIMPANZEE
Pan troglodytes
COMMON WARTHOG
Phacochoerus africanus
HARTMANN'S MOUNTAIN ZEBRA
Equus zebra hartmannae
HIPPOPOTAMUS
Hippopotamus amphibius
OKAPI
Okapi johnstoni
RETICULATED GIRAFFE
Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata
SCIMITAR-HORNED ORYX
Oryx dammah
SLENDER-TAILED MEERKAT
Suricata suricatta
SOUTHERN WHITE RHINOCEROS
Ceratotherium simum simum
WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLA
Gorilla gorilla gorilla
WHITE AND BLACK RUFFED LEMUR
Varecia variegata
Not on Display:
- AFRICAN LEOPARD, Panthera pardus pardus
- AFRICAN PENGUIN, Spheniscus demersus
- AFRICAN SPUR-THIGH TORTOISE, Centrochelys sulcata
- ALDABRA GIANT TORTOISE, Aldabrachelys gigantea
- BLACK MAMBA, Dendroaspis polylepis
- CAPE BUFFALO, Syncerus caffer
- CHEETAH, Acinonyx jubatus
- COMMON CHAMELEON, Chameleon chameleon
- COMMON OSTRICH, Struthio camelus
- EASTERN BLACK RHINOCEROS, Diceros bicornis michaeli
- EASTERN GREEN MAMBA, Dendroaspis angusticeps
- FENNEC FOX, Vulpes zerda
- FOUR-TOED HEDGEHOG, Atelerix albiventris
- GEMSBOK, Oryx gazella
- GREATER KUDU, Tragelaphus strepsiceros
- GRIFFON VULTURE, Gyps rueppellii
- HONEY BADGER, Mellivora capensis
- IMPALA, Aepyceros melampus
- LESSER KUDU, Tragelaphus imberbis
- MANDRILL, Mandrillus sphinx
- NILE CROCODILE, Crocodylus niloticus
- RING-TAILED LEMUR, Lemur catta
- SABLE ANTELOPE, Hippotragus niger
- SPOTTED HYENA, Crocuta crocuta
- THOMSON'S GAZELLE, Eudorcas thomsonii
ANTARCTICA (Not on Display)
- EMPEROR PENGUIN, Aptenodytes foresti
- GENTOO PENGUIN, Pygoscelis papua
- SOUTHERN ROCKHOPPER PENGUIN, Eudyptes chrysocome
Breaky Means Breaking Some Eggs
Three day holiday weekend and three breakfasts with eggs! Beck to the Cream of Wheat tomorrow...
A monster Spinach stuffed Omelet
Scrambled Eggs with Grape Tomatoes and Broccoli
Roasted Green Bean Egg "Burrito"
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Folger Shakespeare Theatre: Love's Labor's Lost
A little break from My Little Garden Zoo recap.
Shakespeare's "Love's Labor's Lost" is, according to the dramaturg, one of his earliest comedies, circa 1594-96, but it's not his first, and it comes after three of his more acclaimed comedies (in order): "A Comedy of Errors," "The Taming of the Shrew," and "Two Gentlemen of Verona". I've seen all three, and overall "Love's Labor's Lost" measures up quite well. In fact, I can't think of another comedy in which the word play was at times so convoluted in a lightning fast, playful way that was such a delight to unwind. This play also holds the distinction of having the most rhyming couplets of any of his plays. However, it does suffer from a lousy ending. I thought the same fate befell his comedy "Twelfth Night". In both cases, I came to the productions knowing little more than there titles. The ending is both ironic and clever, it just tries too hard to connect wash set of dots to the point of slowing down the momentum to the point that outstrips the gravitas therein offered. It is a comedy. I feel like the actor who played Berowne understood this completely when he held back the last word of his last line and then delivered it sotto voce to the audience with perfect timing. Everyone burst into laughter because, 1) it was funny as hell, and 2) the last 10 minutes as boring as hell.
To the cast, it was a wonderful mix of old familiar faces and newbe some of whom where using this production to debut in the region. Zachary Fine, who played Berowne, was the lynchpin to the entire production, but every member was well suited for their role and well ensconced in the zeitgeist created by the ensemble. Having said that, I have four more shout outs.
The set was stunning in both its utility to the action of the play and its imposing detailing. The costumes were lovely and well suited to the chosen placement in time of a "Great Gatsby"-esque mansion for the rogish King of Navarre. Several parts of dialogue were converted into song with music composed for this production and in a style harmonious to the time period.
I have to tell you, even with the speed bump at the very end, for $25.00 dollars, this was money well spent!--[My "partially obstructed" view seating notwithstanding]. The person to my right paid $63.00 for essentially the same experience, and from her endless chatter with her husband enjoyed it a hell of a lot less! Hmmm...
Shakespeare's "Love's Labor's Lost" is, according to the dramaturg, one of his earliest comedies, circa 1594-96, but it's not his first, and it comes after three of his more acclaimed comedies (in order): "A Comedy of Errors," "The Taming of the Shrew," and "Two Gentlemen of Verona". I've seen all three, and overall "Love's Labor's Lost" measures up quite well. In fact, I can't think of another comedy in which the word play was at times so convoluted in a lightning fast, playful way that was such a delight to unwind. This play also holds the distinction of having the most rhyming couplets of any of his plays. However, it does suffer from a lousy ending. I thought the same fate befell his comedy "Twelfth Night". In both cases, I came to the productions knowing little more than there titles. The ending is both ironic and clever, it just tries too hard to connect wash set of dots to the point of slowing down the momentum to the point that outstrips the gravitas therein offered. It is a comedy. I feel like the actor who played Berowne understood this completely when he held back the last word of his last line and then delivered it sotto voce to the audience with perfect timing. Everyone burst into laughter because, 1) it was funny as hell, and 2) the last 10 minutes as boring as hell.To the cast, it was a wonderful mix of old familiar faces and newbe some of whom where using this production to debut in the region. Zachary Fine, who played Berowne, was the lynchpin to the entire production, but every member was well suited for their role and well ensconced in the zeitgeist created by the ensemble. Having said that, I have four more shout outs.
- Tonya Beckman - She did double duty as both Boyet and Jacquenetta, and here's the thing: I didn't realize this until I came home and was perusing the program notes more carefully!
- Megan Graves - Once again the perfect "boy", fearless and utterly convincing.
- Louis Butelli and
- Susan Rome as Holofernes and the Nathaniel respectively. They were a tour de force of chemistry and comic timing--a delight to watch.
The set was stunning in both its utility to the action of the play and its imposing detailing. The costumes were lovely and well suited to the chosen placement in time of a "Great Gatsby"-esque mansion for the rogish King of Navarre. Several parts of dialogue were converted into song with music composed for this production and in a style harmonious to the time period.
 |
| the partially obstructed view from my seat... |
My Little Garden Zoo 2019: Asia
AMUR LEOPARD
Panthera pardus orientalis
ASIAN BLACK BEAR (MOON BEAR), Lt
Ursus thibetanus
&
MALAYAN SUN BEAR, Rt
Helarctos malayanus
ASIAN ELEPHANT
Elephas maximus
BALL PYTHON
Python regius
BORNEAN ORANGUTAN
Pongo pygmaeus
BURMESE MOUNTAIN TORTOISE
Manouria emys
GIANT PANDA
Ailuropoda Melanoleuca
INDIAN COBRA
Naja naja
KOMODO DRAGON
Varanus komodoensis
Under Construction:
- MALAYAN TIGER, Panthera tigris jacksoni
Not on Display:
- BACTRIAN CAMEL, Camelus bactrianus
- BURMESE PYTHON, Python bivittatus
- CLOUDED LEOPARD, Neofelis nebulosa
- EQUATORIAL SPITTING COBRA, Naja sumatrana
- INDIAN FLYING FOX, Pteropus giganteus
- INDIAN PANGOLIN, Manis crassicaudata
- INDIAN PEAFOWL, Pavo cristatus
- INDIAN RHINOCEROS, Rhinoceros unicornis
- MALAYAN TAPIR, Tapirus indicus
- MONGOLIAN HAMSTER, Allocricetulus curtatus
- PRZEWALSKI'S HORSE, Equus ferus przewalskii
- SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS, Dicerorhinus sumatrensis
- SUMATRAN TIGER, Panthera tigris sondaica
- TIBETAN YAK, Bos grunniens
- WHITE-HANDED GIBBON, Hylobates lar
My Little Garden Zoo 2019: North America
AMERICAN ALLIGATOR
Alligator mississippiensis
AMERICAN BISON
Bison bison
CALIFORNIA SEA LION
Zalophus californianus
GILA MONSTER
Heloderma suspectum
GRAY WOLF
Canis lupus
GRIZZLY BEAR
Ursus arctos horribilis
MOOSE
Alces alces
NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER
Lontra canadensis
TIMBER RATTLESNAKE
Crotalus horridus
WOLVERINE
Gulo gulo
On Display, but not shown:
MALLARD, Anas platyrhynchos
TRUMPETER SWAN, Cygnus buccinator
Not on Display:
AMERICAN BADGER, Taxidea taxus
AMERICAN BALD EAGLE, Haliaeetus leucocephalus
AMERICAN BLACK BEAR, Ursus americanus
AMERICAN BULLFROG, Lithobates catesbeianus
AMERICAN GREEN TREE FROG, Hyla cinerea
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN, Pelecanus erythrorhynchos
ARCTIC FOX, Vulpes lagopus
ARCTIC HARE, Lepus arcticus
ARCTIC WOLF, Canis lupus arctos
BEAVER, Castor canadensis
BIGHORN SHEEP, Ovis canadensis
BLACK-FOOTED FERRET, Mustela nigripes
BLACK-TAILED JACKRABBIT, Lepus californicus
BOBCAT, Lynx rufus
CANADIAN LYNX, Lynx canadensis
CARIBOU, Rangifer tarandus
COLLARED PECCARY, Pecari tajacu
COYOTE, Canis latrans
DOMESTIC TURKEY, Meleagris gallopavo
EASTERN CHIPMUNK, Tamias striatus
EASTERN COTTONTAIL, Sylvilagus floridanus
EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL, Sciurus carolinensis
ELK, Cervus canadensis
GREAT HORNED OWL, Bubo virginianus
GREEN SEA TURTLE, Chelonia mydas
HARBOR SEAL, Phoca vitulina vitulina
HARP SEAL, Pagophilus groenlandicus
LEAST WEASEL, Mustela nivalis
MOUNTAIN GOAT, Oreamnos americanus
MULE DEER, Odocoileus hemionus
MUSKOX, Ovibos moschatus
PEREGRINE FALCON, Falco peregrinus
POLAR BEAR, Ursus maritimus
PRONGHORN ANTELOPE, Antilocapra americana
RACCOON, Procyon lotor
RED FOX, Vulpes vulpes
STRIPED SKUNK, Mephitis mephitis
WALRUS, Odobenus rosmarus
WHITE-TAIL DEER, Odocoileus virginianus