Toledo Zoo visit

We decided to visit the Toledo Zoo last Tuesday. Sometimes adventures happen later in the day and so we set off around noon. Toledo, Ohio is about sixty miles from Kevin's home so we still had time for a good part of the day. 

We needed to get gas in the car so that was the first thing we did by the highway entrance. While filling up we noticed a hitch hiker at the highway entrance where we were going to get on. He was playing a guitar and whenever cars turned to get on the highway he would hold a cardboard sign that said Southern Ohio. Kevin decided to be helpful and give him a lift at least to northern Ohio. His name is Elvin and is twenty four years old. He's a musician heading out to Northern California to work on a ranch in order to make enough money so that he can work his way down to Peru. He wants to travel all over South America and learn more about the music. 

We arrived at our exit and looked around for a place to drop him off but there was none. We got back on the highway and took him a couple exits further where there was a gas station. We said goodbyes and wished him luck. 

I guess Elvin and I are doing the same thing. He's going further than I am in his travels with youth on his side but as Kathy Bates once said "Face it girls, I'm older and I have Motel Miguel!" Or something to the like!  Hahahaha maybe in my younger days I would have done the hitch hiking thing but not now, I like driving my own car on my journey. 

We eventually made it to the Toledo Zoo by around two in the afternoon. It was hot and the humidity was high. I like to take pictures of street art whenever the opportunity presents itself and on the way off of the highway to the zoo there were several pieces. 

Once inside the zoo the first thing we saw was the Australian Parakeet feeding exhibit. Most of the birds are kept in indoor exhibits because of the harsh winters. The parakeets were all around and I believe the attendant told us they had two hundred on display. 

We only stayed in there for a few minutes because it was way too warm for us. We then moved over to their flamingo and waterfowl exhibit.  This was a covered outdoor exhibit housing flamingos, spoonbills,  cormorants and lots of waterfowl. 

Kevin is a very good photographer and he was getting some nice pictures in this aviary. 

This Long-tailed duck was checking me out!

The Mergansers were pretty active. 

As we were admiring the waterfowl I received a text from my good friend Dominique. Dom is the curator of birds and reptiles at the San Francisco zoo. After answering his questions I asked if he knew anyone at the Toledo Zoo. He kindly contacted his long time friend Chuck Cerbini whom he had worked with back in New York. Chuck made time from his busy schedule and met up with Kevin and I to give us a tour of their facility. I recognized Chuck right away from a talk he gave at the Aviculture Society of America in San Diego a few years back.   While waiting for Chuck we went into the birdhouse. The exhibits are beautiful and the lighting in the building was perfect for taking pictures. 

The Bali Mynahs were in beautiful condition and looked as if they were building a nest. 

One of the Sun Bitterns in another exhibit was acting silly and tossing a leaf up in the air and pouncing on it. 

A gorgeous pair of Red Crested Cardinals were singing away in the warm sunlight. 

The female cock of the rock in the same exhibit was enjoying what seemed her favorite perch. 

Kevin was really enjoying that she posed for him!

Moving on we saw Spangled Cotingas....

Lesser Bird of Paradise......

Tawney Frogmouths....

In another large walk through aviary there were lots and lots of African birds flying all around us. The Pin-tailed Whydas were really active....

A pair of Bearded Barbets were even comfortable enough above our heads to mate...

A pair of Plovers were sitting on a clutch of four eggs....

As we moved along we walked into the Australian exhibit and the little jewels were all about, taking baths.....this Blue headed Parrot Finch was soaking wet!

The Star finches were beautiful.....

And the Plum-headed Finches were beautiful. 

We finally met up with Chuck and he wanted to show us their breeding center where they are working with several species. 

The Pink Headed Fruit Dove being one of them. The Population was doing good for many years and then it crashed a few years back. Most of the zoo population was sent to Toledo where they have been concentrating on them and are having some nice success before sending some out to other zoos. 

Another species being the Crested Coua....

And Spangled Cotingas. 

Chuck was telling us about the new Pheasantry that just opened up this spring. It's a circular building with ten flights of about three hundred square feet each. Many species are housed in here like Firebacks, Reeves, Tragopans, Seriamas, Victoria Crown Pigeons. 

This Chestnut-breasted Malkoha was really friendly...

The Double-striped Thick-knee was just sitting very still in the ferns.....

And the Spectacled Owl was observing us from his perch. 

We had a wonderful time at the Toledo Zoo and thanks to Chuck for taking time away from his busy schedule for making another day so memorable for me. 

Breakfast At The Farm

Kevin asked if I would be interested in going to a free breakfast on a farm that the Michigan State University Extension sponsors once a year to show members of the public where their food comes from. His friends Mike and Rusty have a goat farm and creamery named Hickory Knoll Farms Creamery based out of Onondaga, MI. Mike works for the MSU Extension at Michigan State University.  They also host Foreign exchange students and this year they are hosting Andre Götze from Berlin, Germany and Erik Lycke from Gothenburg, Sweden. 

The event is moved around every year to a different host farm and this year it was the Pleasant View Dairy in Jonesville, MI. Several of these events are hosted throughout the state to make it accessible to as many people as possible. 

We arrived and there was already a line with several hundred people in it. This event drew in shy of three thousand people. Once you made it through this first line you registered and were given a small cup with a small amount of heavy whipping cream. We were to keep shaking it while in line and in about five minutes you have butter. This was an excellent way of keeping people busy while walking along to the actual stations where the food was being handed out. 

Many families with children of all ages were in attendance. 

This little boy had the most beautiful curls that just shined in the sun that I had to get a picture. 

And here's proof of the results, real butter!

It takes hundreds of volunteers to make this happen and I want to thank them all for giving up their day to show us city folks where our food comes from. Everyone that we saw with a red shirt was a volunteer. 

Kevin and I got our breakfast of pancakes, sausage, yogurt and coffee, milk, chocolate milk and enjoyed it at one of the hundreds of tables which had been set up under tents. 

You know they say milk does a body good and we did see almost everyone choosing it as their drink of choice!

After finishing our breakfast we had the opportunity to tour the actual dairy. For bio security we were asked to put covers over our shoes, as did everyone else that took the tour. Stations were setup along the way to meet the family that actually ran the farm, veterinarians that tend to the health of the cows and everything else that it takes to produce the milk which eventually end up at your local grocery store. 

Of course I had to dress the part so that the ladies didn't get spooked!

The barns were spacious and clean as expected. The housing was explained also in order for the public to understand why they were housed in different barns. 

All cows have different personalities and some like to cause trouble every now and then. 

We saw the babies as well and the explanation of why they are taken from the mothers for their well being and reducing the chance of bacterial infections. 

Each one of these hutches had a baby calf in them. The little kids were really enjoying all of this. 

After the first two months they were then housed in groups with other calfs of similar ages. 

Myself with, starting from the left, André, Erik, Kevin and Mike. 

There's the obligatory barn cats around, it is a farm after all!

Every calf gets an identification ear tag as soon as it's born. This makes it possible to trace back anything you would want to know about it in the future. 

What happens to all of the manure and pee that all of these cows produce you ask?  It's used back into the growing of the crops needed to feed all the cattle on the farm. 

A loving Daddy with his baby. This was a cute moment I had to capture!

The farm equipment was also on display to show people what it takes to process all of the crops grown on the farm. 

I had to try some of the equipment out!

Lots of corn in the fields!

They had a large straw bale maze we had fun in. Kevin took a few pictures of me for future calendars!  Hahahaha

I was lost!

We stayed till the very end when everything was being taken down. 

Then a tractor took everyone back to the parking area in a hay wagon. 

This is a great program to teach city people a small part of where their food comes from. Many have no idea the amount of work it takes from folks like this to put food on their table. It's not grown at the supermarket where it comes in a fancy container or wrapper. It all starts somewhere on a farm where it's actual people working hard to keep everyone fed. Next time you cast a vote against farmers remember that no matter what your choice is, wether you are a vegan, vegetarian or meat eater and any combination thereof, it took a farmer to put food on your table. Let's give them thanks for all of the hours, sacrifices and dedication they gave have put in for all of us.

A HUGE THANK YOU from me!