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Next Friday after work, I’ll head over to Orlando to meet up with some friends for dinner. We’re going to cheer some other friends who are running in Disney’s Princess Half-Marathon, and take in the Flower and Garden Festival at EPCOT.

Be sure to check in over the weekend (Saturday March 6th and Sunday March 7th)for some mobile blogging fun – I hear we’re going to hit the tequila bar in Mexico

In the meantime, enjoy these topiary critters from last year’s Festival.

Rafiki presents the newly-born Simba to the kingdom

Mufasa’s subjects arrive to pay homage to the new prince

Just look at that Orlando sky!

Happy Critturday!

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I was walking in the Oasis, a quiet, lushly green and tranquil section just inside the gates of Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. It’s a soothing place where you’ll find twisting paths, a rope bridge, a joyously tumbling waterfall and all manner of exotic animals and birds. The day was hot, and the air was heavy and still. The silence was broken only by barely discernible ambient music and the gurgling of a stream. I rounded a corner and came upon a beautiful glade that surrounded a pool. And there he stood, on a rock – a Great Egret.

I became excited when I realized that he was in full breeding plumage. My heart started to beat faster; it was so loud in my ears, I was sure he would hear it, become frightened and take flight. I think I might have even been holding my breath. I crept forward to get a closer look, reaching into my bag for the camera.

The closer I got, the more convinced I became that he very well knew that he had company and didn’t mind in the least.. He seemed to straighten a bit and puff out his chest. I took this as a good sign in terms of getting some photographs, and I was no longer afraid of making the slightest sound. The mechanical whir of the camera’s lens opening and extending broke the reverie, contrasting sharply against the backdrop of rushing water and the far-off exclamations of other types of birds who lived at the Oasis. The Great Egret stood his ground, unperturbed. I fired off several shots of him just standing there on the rock, playing with distance and focus. He started to fuss a little, and I stopped shooting, holding my breath again, finger hovering in mide-air over the button.

And that’s when he did it…

… the Great Egret VOGUED for me!

(to be continued…)

Happy Critturday!

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—————-
Now playing: Madonna – Vogue

© Copyright 2008 Tink *~*~*

http://MyMobileAdventures.com

Walt Disney World is in the quasi-tropical climate of Orlando, Florida. The flora is so well-maintained and lush, it can support any number of critters that love the warmth and humidity. Encounters with local wildlife (in other words, not placed there by Disney) are not only very satisfying, but can also be frequent if you keep your eyes open and pay attention to your surroundings. Today we’re going to look at some “things with wings” – butterflies I’ve met at Walt Disney World.

Found and photographed near “stroller hell” aka the former sky ride in Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom – November, 2004

 

Not sure if this is a butterfly or a moth. Found in EPCOT, and I believe I was over by Universe of Energy. April, 2005

 

Last one – this beauty was found quite near a gorilla at Disney’s Animal Kingdom – it was like “beauty and the beast” in there that day October, 2006

 

Happy Critturday, everyone!

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Click photos to see if there’s a larger version to view in Flickr

In honor of the upcoming Chinese New Year, which falls on Valentine’s Day this year, I’ve decided to continue covering the Chinese zodiac, as photographed at EPCOT during the International Flower and Garden Festival one year. To see the original post in this series, click here and read “Red for luck and love at Disney”.

First up today is the dragon. According to ChineseZodiac.com, the dragon is the “mightiest” of all the Chinese zodiac signs. Dragons are dominant, ambitious and prefer to lead. If you are a dragon, you’ve got passion and courage and a wee bit of a temper You also love your independence, but you are not impervious to falling in love provided you find someone engaging enough for you – and once in love, you tend to stay there. Dragons are best paired with Monkeys and Rats, but will not do well with the Ox or the Goat. Hey, Rat – that’s ME! Hmmm, I wonder if I actually know any dragons….

EEEK, it’s a SNAKE! Well that’s what I would say if I found one in my garage or on my lanai… notice I do not say “in my house”, as I have no wish to tempt the gods Snakes are very intelligent and analytical; this makes them good at plotting and scheming. They are also very materialistic and enjoy luxury surroundings, so I’m guessing that part of all that plotting and scheming is to obtain the fine things they want. At work, they are creative and diligent but can become easily bored and therefore tend to job-hop. In relationships, the Snake is characterized as an attractive and expert seducer – why am I not surprised, given the Biblical story about the snake in the garden! They are a bit possessive and jealous of their mates. Don’t make the Snake cross, as they are big lovers of revenge. Snakes get on well with the Rooster and the Ox, but with Pigs and Monkeys – not so much!

Last one for today – it’s the Horse, and I actually like this particular statue best because of the awesome detailing that went into making the saddle. The Horse possesses many attributes that please – he’s energetic, outgoing, humorous and loves to be the center of attention and have a good time. Athletic and intelligent, they are also a little bit on the “ADD” side, starting many projects at once but not necessarily finishing before pursuing the next thing. The Horse enjoys interaction, and does well in careers where they deal with people on a regular basis. Horses are spontaneous in relationships, throwing themselves completely in, often leaving a little chunk of themselves behind when it ends. That must be completely exhausting! Horses can successfully partner with Dogs and Tigers but should not try it with a Monkey or a Rat.

Wow, no wonder why it never works with the “fun” guys :p

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Love these little bronze statues that circle the hub at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Here’s Pinocchio with his beloved little friend…

“… and always let your conscience be your guide!”

For a twisted take on Jiminy Cricket = conscience, take a look at this blog post at Disney Every Day. My Twitter friend @AmandaTinney has put together a clever post filled with humorous animal pictures, one of which I tweeted to her earlier this week. Enjoy!

Happy Critterday!

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Click the pictures to see larger versions in Flickr

Look at those colors. Look at those wings! These are scarlet macaws, one of the more colorful parrots that are native to the New World. They’re shown here with a Cast Member at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, who had stopped by to check their feed and ended up sticking around to answer questions and interact with the birds. The first time I laid eyes on a scarlet macaw, I didn’t quite believe that these were their natural colors. It just sort of reminded me of the 80s, when seemingly every teenager I passed on the streets of New York City had used Jell-O to add patches of color to their hair.

However, I quickly came to discover that the scarlet macaw, so called because the predominant color is red, comes naturally by all these colors. I love the yellow on the underside of the wings, and the blue down the sides. There are some subspecies that are differentiated by how wide the yellow band is, or whether or not green is present in the plummage.

The scarlet macaw is a native of humid, subtropical locations in Central and South America, and is the national bird of Honduras. Deforestation and pesticides have drastically reduced their numbers in recent decades. Hunting/capture/sale is illegal in many countries, except for very specific, permitted circumstances.

Scarlet macaws can be found in singles, pairs or sometimes in large flocks. The more remote the location, such as sparsely populated islands in Central America, the bigger the flocks tend to be. They nest in hollows of trees, and their young stay with them for well longer than a year before striking out on their own. I was amazed to learn that they can live to be up to 75 years old! They are very social when they are in captivity and like interacting with their people.

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© Copyright 2008 Tink *~*~*
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Of all the exotic creatures discovered by explorers when they first set foot on Captiva Island, there is none more respected and feared than the dread jackalope. Entire ships full of pirates and other scalawags were brought down by the resident herd, making it difficult to transform Captiva into a proper pirate hangout. This is why the jackalope was hunted nearly to extinction, and why in later years, a permit was necessary to hunt them. Here we see one of the last known specimens of the dread jackalope, stuffed and mounted, hanging over the bar at Captiva’s Mucky Duck restaurant.

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While touring the Naples Zoo in Southwest Florida last week, we came upon an enclosure full of cougars. No, not the Courtney Cox variety! These are the type found in the wilds of the western United States. Other words for cougar are panther, mountain lion, even puma – all are part of the same species of big cats.

I remember reading a few years back about genetic defects found in the Florida panther that scientists attempted to correct by introducing DNA from Texas mountain lions. They trapped a number of female mountain lions and transported them from Texas to Florida, releasing them into the Florida panther’s habitat. When the females gave birth, the genetic defects had been either reduced or eliminated from the offspring. All of the Texans were then returned to their home state.

At the zoo on this particular day, a pile of cougars lay sleeping on the ground in the shady enclosure, while a significantly larger one lounged on a wooden platform. I stood there silently wishing he’d get up and move about so I could get a good shot of him. Suddenly, as if my wish were his command, he roused himself and looked directly at me with sleepy, patient eyes – and then he stuck his tongue out at me!

Just call me “The Cougar Whisperer”

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While walking the path in the Pangani Forest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we are admonished to beware of the dangerous, marauding buffalo! I wonder how often a stampede actually occurs there? And come to think of it… have I ever actually SEEN a buffalo in Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Hmmm, I don’t think I remember seeing one… anyone? Have you been to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Do you remember seeing any buffalo there?

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I recently had the privilege of touring the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens here in Southwest Florida. OK, “privilege” is stretching it a bit – it was REALLY hot and the animals were mostly sleeping, so not so much in the excitement department. But the botanical gardens were beautiful, and we know that if we go back in, say, December, we’ll have better luck with the animals being more alert. As it happens, it was the animals that are accustomed to the heat who provided the most entertainment and education for the day – plus, my spot of red for Ruby Tuesday! In this photo, we see one of the animal handlers at the zoo ringing a dinner bell – hmmm, who’s getting fed?

Hey, who said you could come up out of the water yet? Back, back you beast!

Now, you just get right back into that water this instant, young man. You heard me – git!

Aw, you’re so cute when you’re all contrite and sorry like that! Good boy!

OK, here ya go – nice, juicy, RED steak. Supper time!

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