Posing A Question

He almost seems as though he knew I was snapping away with my camera phone, doesn't he?  This was at the Snake Farm in New Braunfels, Texas (motto: if it might kill you, we has it!) in their most recent incarnation of zoo.  This bright guy, and his peacock-y gang, seemed to be content in their little enclosure.  This surprised me.

Housed in the cage directly across from these beautiful birds are two Servils, cats known for eating, well, birds.  And next to that enclosure, are a couple of wolves.  Then there are the hyenas.  And of course, the 14,000 alligators and crocodiles.  In fact, the larger, predatory animals seem to have been arranged to completely surround the succulent birds and lemurs that are housed here.  Certainly, if I were housed in the middle of predators, I would not be so calm about it.  I certainly would not be posing for pictures. 

Or maybe I would, if I looked as good as this guy. 

Spring Break 2012

The Snake Farm is NOT the same as the Chicken Ranch!

This week, we probably should have all gone somewhere beachy, to put our toes in the sand and build sandcastles.  We did not.  Instead, we stayed at home.  I did clear out a good portion of the front bedroom, and my husband hauled it off to Goodwill.  Those who know me in real life understand how absolutely astonishing that is.   I was also able to get Larry to go with Zane and I to the Snake Farm.  My husband, who is extremely nervous around snakes, willingly accompanied us!  I thought he was very brave.  I am not sure that I could do the same if confronted with cockroaches.

To the gators, we are the equivalent lobster tank.

The Snake Farm has been on the outskirts of New Braunfels for years.   They used to only have snakes and alligators there, but they've since expanded to include other critters. Like these emus.  You can't see it, but the emu in front has a paper bag over his head.  He apparently is not very photogenic.

Then we had this little critter, which is called a Cavy.  Sort of reminds me of a dog we once had. 

This pot-bellied pig was part of the petting zoo, where a gang of young goats surrounded us, knocked us down and stole the bag of feed we had just purchased.  Kids today!

 

I tried very hard to get a picture of this tortoise chasing a hen around, but the hen refused to sign permission for me to take her picture.  It was the only blight on the trip.  Oh, and why didn't I take any pictures of snakes?  The place is called the Snake Farm, after all, and there were indeed hundreds of snakes. I did not take a single picture of them, for one very good reason. Snakes suddenly blinded by flashes tend to get very upset, and I did not want them slamming their heads against the glass trying to bite me.  Karma, and all that.  Overall, it was a reasonably fun, and brief, trip.

However, what the boy and his father REALLY wanted to do all week? Play soccer.