This Place is a ZOO!!

Ok… its actually This Place has a Zoo… I'm talking about Como Park in St Paul… and it was a picture-perfect Minnesota day to be out & about!!

Typical of Como Park: large mature trees, rolling hills,
paths lined with quaint light posts...

I love this beautiful park with its mature trees, beautiful lake, golf course, bandshell / pavilion, conservatory (a lifesaving oasis of green in Minnesota winters), multiple picnic grounds, a kids amusement park, and more… a real gem in the city of St Paul.  Today our excursion was to the Zoo, or at least mostly to the Zoo… :)

What are those critters off in the distance, are they squirrels? are they
bunnies?  No!  They're Woodchucks!!!

As we were meandering toward the Zoo (not in the Zoo) we ran across some of our favorite friends… Jeff & I have always gotten a kick out of spotting the Woodchucks (a.k.a. Groundhogs, Whistle-pigs, …) in Como Park… these funny rodents just tickle us for some reason (and I'm not sure why)… when we see one we affectionately call it "Chuckie" (what else would you call a Woodchuck?)...

We tried to get pictures of them fully above ground… but they were a bit
shy, and not sure that Jeff & I were fans...

Today we spotted 3, though we only got descent pictures of 2… There was a great big one (Papa Chuckie), another mature one (Mama Chuckie), and a small one (Chuckie Jr.)….

Mama Chuckie pokes her head out of her burrow to see who has
invaded her family's land...

She looks straight at me and checks me out… she wants to make
sure I'm not a direct threat….

I guess she thought I looked ok, cause she let Chuckie Jr.  take a
peek as well...

After being a bother to this furry family for a little while we decided to leave them be, let them have a little peace and enjoy this beautiful day.  Next we passed by the edge of the golf course, so I took a couple shots… with my camera of course (I can barely handle mini-golf for heaven's sake!)…

Jeff & I were surprised there weren't more golfers on the course today, its a nice little course & it was a beautiful day… but maybe all those crazy golfers decided it was too pretty a day to waste golfing… whatever!  So we continued our stroll, past the conservatory...

Como Park Conservatory, an oasis of green in mid-winter :)

Jeff thought he needed to be in the picture… what the heck, I think
he's handsome, so why not!!

We were almost to the Zoo when… I couldn't help myself, I got distracted by flowers… so I stopped and clicked a picture of this pretty pink Peony...

Isn't she lovely?

Did we ever get to the Zoo?  Of course we did… here are some pictures from the little Zoo - it doesn't charge admission, just a suggested donation of $1/child & $2/adult, so don't go comparing it to the likes of the San Diego Zoo (I grew up near it, no comparison)… its a nice little Zoo!!  Here's some of my nicer Zoo pictures:

Not going quackers, just out for a swim...

Nothing says "Zoo" like Pink Flamingos

Watch Out!!  This big fella is on the move!!

This guy was simply resting peacefully by the Daisies….

Just Lion around, soaking up the sun...

This prisoner isn't going to get paroled anytime soon… good thing
stripes suit him!

Grabbing a bite where he can… trying to make sure he gets his greens...

Chillin' on a sunny afternoon...