Scandinavia Orb: The Reptiles

One species of lizard and 4 species of snake inaugurate this ecosystem's reptilian inhabitants.

Scandinavia Orb: The Amphibians

The general state of the Scandinavian Orb offers visitors ample areas of wetlands ideally suited to amphibians. 6 species open the ecosystem.

Today's Sermon

Tiara

Peter died in a paper tiara
cut from a book of princess paper dolls;
he loved royalty, sashes

and jewels. I don’t know,
he said, when he woke in the hospice,
I was watching the Bette Davis film festival

on Channel 57 and then—
At the wake, the tension broke
when someone guessed

the casket closed because
he was in there in a big wig
and heels, and someone said,

You know he’s always late,
he probably isn’t here yet—
he’s still fixing his makeup.

And someone said he asked for it.
Asked for it—
when all he did was go down

into the salt tide
of wanting as much as he wanted,
giving himself over so drunk

or stoned it almost didn’t matter who,
though they were beautiful,
stampeding into him in the simple,

ravishing music of their hurry.
I think heaven is perfect stasis
poised over the realms of desire,

where dreaming and waking men lie
on the grass while wet horses
roam among them, huge fragments

of the music we die into
in the body’s paradise.
Sometimes we wake not knowing

how we came to lie here,
or who has crowned us with these temporary,
precious stones. And given

the world’s perfectly turned shoulders,
the deep hollows blued by longing,
given the irreplaceable silk

of horses rippling in orchards,
fruit thundering and chiming down,
given the ordinary marvels of form

and gravity, what could he do,
what could any of us ever do
but ask for it.

~ Mark Doty, 1953 -

Simple Things

From this morning's breakfast on my deck. Life doesn't get any better.
Canadian Bacon with Scrambled eggs tossed with green bell pepper and topped with sharp cheddar cheese. Cinnamon Hazelnut coffee. Scott Simon on NPR.

Japan Orb: The Design

The Japan Orb is the 12th independent ecosystem orb to be revealed in my zoo.

It features a wide variety of both flora and fauna. 74 species of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians open the exhibit.

It is a two-tiered biome with a height of 125 meters and a width of 528 meters, making it a medium sized orb in the pantheon of the others orbs in my zoo.

Japan is a temperate "four seasons" climate by and large and the landscape choices largely reflect this. There are both coniferous and deciduous trees in the main areas, and smaller sections that feature azaleas and bamboo.

One unique aspect of the orb is faux-pagado that encircles one of the tier-two structural beams. It is loosely based on the most famous pagoda in Japan, To-ji Pagoda in Kyoto. It is also designed to be the home of the sole bat in the orb.

In selecting species for this orb great consideration was also given to those animals native to and inhabiting the various islands and archipelagos administered by Japan.

The Japan Orb is found in the SSE edge of the zoo.

Japan Orb: The Mammals

19 Mammals open the Japan Orb. Of the lot, the Tsushima Wildcat is the most rare, with only 150 animals left in the wild. Care is being taken to promote breeding and expansion of the animal's gene pool.

Japan Orb: The Birds

The Japan orb is the first orb to open with a full compliment of recommended species @ 30. And still the Iconic Japanese Crane was not included because it's critically endangered status and enormous environmental requirements made its inclusion in such an interspecies open and interactive zoo too risky.