Buttonwood Park and Zoo, New Bedford

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Well what do you know? I’m back in New Bedford, Ma.! When I decided to stop at the zoo today I didn’t even think about its location in New Bedford. I was going to Dartmouth to meet up with a friend and just thought I’d do some exploring before we met up. Since I put zoos on my list for the summer I headed to Buttonwood to get started on my zoo list.

Buttonwood Zoo is easy to get to. You hop on Route 140 and just head south. At the end of RT 140 it becomes Brownell Ave. Brownell Ave will take you past Buttonwood Park, a lovely little park with a lake and fountain. There are benches and a path and loads of ducks and geese. In early spring it’s a great place to see baby birds, goslings and ducklings but today it looked like the babies were well on their way to adulthood.

At the intersection of Brownell and Hawthorn St you will want to take a left and you’ll see the Zoo on your left.

I was lucky enough to find a parking spot under a tree so I could leave the car in a little shade. The lot was quite full so I suspected the zoo was busy. That’s not surprising as it is an almost perfect day. The sun is out, there’s a breeze , the temps are probably around 80 and as they say in Arizona…”It’s a dry heat”. It’s not too often we can say that here.  Massachusetts gets lots of hot, humid days but this one wasn’t..it was really pleasant.

As I walked  toward the entrance I spotted the Animal Carousel in full spin. That wasn’t there on my last visit. I really love carousels. 

As I was buying my ticket (only $6.00 for adults) I started chatting with the clerk. Turns out the policy for seniors is age 60. Wow I qualify! So I only had to pay $4.50 to get in. I’m lovin’ it.

The gift shop was packed and noisy so I skipped that and headed into the zoo proper.

The first thing you see is an adorable carved bear statue. I love the face! 🙂

Right behind it is a large open habitat that contains, ducks, geese, turkeys, deer and buffalo. This is where I got the “photo of the day” of a beautiful buck, antlers in velvet, taking a snooze in the shade.

I moved on down the path to my right to the carousel. It was busy but not packed.

 I stood for a while watching and taking pictures. I remember when I was little I only wanted to ride the horses on the carousel. There didn’t seem to be any preference today. The kids were on the lions and hummingbirds, giraffes and seals as well as the horses.

Time to move on down the path. Flowers were blooming everywhere. The zoo considers the flowers part of their exhibits so  picking is not allowed. That’s ok with me. I just wanted pictures anyway. Pictures last longer.

There are wonderful statues throughout the zoo.  Besides the cute bear at the entrance  there a bronze bear statue along the first path leading to the black bear exhibit. There’s also a bronze sow  at the Buttonwood Farm, a double sculpture of 2 elephants at the elephant exhibit.

 2 Cranes grace a patch of grass and reeds near the Aquatic Center.

I explored the Bald Eagle enclosure, visited the Coyote and snuck a peek at a sleeping cougar. The Lynx was hiding and I didn’t see it or the River otters but the seals were getting check-ups where all could watch.

Everyone was friendly. There was interaction among the guests at every display as we searched out the animals.

The little train around the zoo seemed to be doing a brisk business as it was running regularly.

 I met it again as I crossed the covered bridge to the Buttonwood Farm. Horses, ponies, goats, cows, pigs and chickens…lots of domestic animals.

By now it was about 12:30, lunch time so I headed to the “Bear’s Den Cafe”. $7.00 got me a  (square) fish filet sandwich and small fires and a 16 oz drink. Not bad. Grabbing a seat at a table outside I could watch the deer and buffalo as I tried to keep my fries from the birds and squirrels. Actually it was fun sharing with the little critters.

After lunch I started to head out when I heard some music that I hadn’t picked up on before. Following the sound led me back to the elephant’s enclosure.

Across from the enclosure is a large field and there were some performers entertaining a crowd of children. It was the Toe Jam Puppet band. The show was filled with just plain silliness and the kids loved it. From following one of the performers around while he carried a bubble machine to playing “lindy” where the Lindy bar was always held high there were shrieks and giggles galore. My favorite skit was when they told a story with lots of silly characters.

For each character someone was chosen from the audience..all small children except one! There was a “bear”, a “Spider”, a “Worker Bee with honey, a butterfly and I think a worm..oh I’m sure I’ve forgotten some but each character was dressed in a costume and had to clap or jump or some such thing when their part in the story came up. Cute isn’t giving enough credit. Lots of fun.

 The Toe Jam Puppet band is at the Zoo on Mondays only so I was lucky to have run across them! It was good  clean fun for all! Especially with the help of the “bubble machine”.

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Now it was really time to start moving on to my second stop. It’s only 6 miles away but I will have crossed a town line and arrived in North Dartmouth.

Let’s get our summer bucket list going

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Officially summer begins on June 21. As far as I am concerned it begins when attractions start to open, Memorial day and sometimes before depending on the weather. That said, I have been in “summer mode” for a while. As I recall I started a Summer to-do list back in the spring. Now that summer has officially started I thought it might  be a good idea to update the bucket list.

I already know that there will be way more on my list than I will ever have room for! But first things first. I need to get in touch with my friends from Lally Laggy Farm in Lydon. I promised I would come back out and actually visit the farm, see their beautiful creme draft horses and feature the farm for them. So to that end an email is winging  its way through cyberspace requesting a visit.

At the same time that I met the folks from Lally Laggy I mentioned Fruitlands but only in passing. I think I should make an effort to return there and share my new experience with all of you.

I was trying to fill the New England National Parks Passport by Dec. 31 so I could get the 25th Anniversary Passport as a gift. Well, I had to buy one because I ran out of room in my other Passport so I’m not working on a deadline anymore. I still intend to collect all of the stamps, I just can relax a little.

So here is a new list of things I want to do or accomplish over the summer.

  • Lally Laggy Farm, Lydon, Ma
  • Fruitlands
  • Boston African-American Historical Site, Boston, Ma
  • Boston Harbor Islands National recreation Area (Harbor Cruise!)
  • Boston National Historical Park, Charlestown Navy Yard
  • A water shuttle to Salem, Ma including a visit to theEssex National Heritage area and the Peabody-Essex Museum
  • The Coastal Wine Trail of New England (My research suggests a minimum of 3 days to complete)
  • Lovely Historic Newport RI…Cliff Walk again?
  • Gillette Castle Cruise, Connecticut River
  • Cruise from Plymouth Ma to Provincetown
  • Climb the Mount Hope Bridge for scenic pictures.
  • Find and visit the Audubon society Of RI
  • Rent a Bicycle and bike the Cape Cod canel
  • Check out the various Glass Blowing locations from Newport to Cape Cod. After Chihuly it will be that much more interesting.
  • Climb the tower in Provincetown for spectacular photo ops.
  • Take a Whale Watch trip
  • Zoos! Southwick, Franklin Park, Buttonwood, Capron, Roger Williams, a huge list of Zoos and I can bring Nancy and her kids to these! Fun!
  • Museums and Aquariums…great indoor exploring on a rainy day!
  • Check out the Antique Carousel at Newport’s Easton Beach Rotunda
  • Work on my collection of New England Lighthouse photos
  • Green Briar Jam Kitchen and Thorton Burgess Society, Sandwich Ma
  • Walk the Freedom Trail
  • Take a Trolley ride through Boston
  • Take A Duck Boat Ride in Boston
  • Visit Boston Public Garden , The Swan Boats and The top of the Hancock Tower
  • Let’s not forget Fenway Park! How much are the “cheap seats” for a Red Sox game???
  • And lets not forget I have 7 days in July in New Hampshire! Cog Railway, Scenic Tram, Scenic Trains and Moose tours.
  • Moose tours and train reminded me… it’s inexpensive and easy to take the “Downeaster” to Portland, enjoy lunch and an afternoon of exploring before grabbing the train back to Boston…sounds like a nice day adventure.
  • Ghost tour, Boston has them, Plymouth has them and I bet Newport has them and I don’t even have to wait til October!
  • Helicopter Ride over the Newport Mansions? maybe
  • Garden in the Woods, Framingham

I think that’s it for now but of course it’s all subject to change. I know it’s way more than I will ever get to in one summer. Is there anything I missed that someone wants to hear about? Now’s the time! 🙂

Back to the Herrring Run

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WARNING THE CONTENT OF THIS POST MAY BE UNCOMFORATBLE FOR THE SQUEEMISH OR REPTILE CHALLENGED.

If any of you have been following my flickr photostream you know there have been a bunch of pictures of a great blue heron recently. That heron or its twin, has been hanging around the Herring Run off Rt 44 for almost 3 weeks now. In rain and sun, morning and dusk that bird is in the same place each day.

I’ve been trying different approaches to see if I can get a really good picture. You know the kind. Not just a good snapshot but the kind of picture where anyone who looks at it sits up and takes notice, the kind that has a “WOW” factor. I can’t understand what I’m missing because this silly bird has been patient and cooperative. It even lets me walk right up to the river edge and all it does is turn it’s head to look at me!

Well I thought it would be a good day today to go back and try again. I had some ideas that I wanted to try. We’d had rain in the morning and most of the day had been gray but now, around 4:30 the sun was breaking out. The light was soft. I thought it might be just the trick I needed.

When I pulled in to the parking lot I looked where the bird usually stands and it was…EMPTY! Oh no! There were a lot of red wing blackbirds dive bombing the picnickers for bread crumbs from their sandwiches but no Heron.

 I decided I’d take a walk around. Maybe it was around the bend in the river. So camera in hand I started along the river bank and sure enough. There was a Heron, this time on the big rock in the middle of the river. 

 That put him a bit farther away than normal but I figured I give it a try anyway.

As I was setting up the shot I happened to look down, to be sure I wasn’t about to step off the rocks into the river, and realized I was straddling a big snake. Now unlike Indiana Jones I don’t mind snakes but I don’t go out of my way to have a “close encounter” either. Especially when I don’t know what kind it is. This one’s eyes looked opaque so I wondered if it was blind or vision impaired. I’ve never seen a “blue -eyed” snake before either.

 I carefully stepped back away from the snake and looked around at the rocks I was standing on. There was another smaller snake maybe 6 inches away to my left.

Hmmmm I’ve never seen snakes here before but it does make sense. The reeds and grasses in the river are really tall and thick right now. And lots of rocks and old stone foundations give them plenty of hidey holes. Both of these snakes seemed to be sluggish. Since the sun had just come out a little while ago I surmised they were on the rocks to warm up in the sun. Comfortable that I wasn’t going to accidentally hurt them or they me, I turned back to my Heron but in my moment of inattention he’d taken off.

I wandered around a bit more now interested in the snakes. I crossed the little bridge over the fish ladder and gazed over the sea of reeds and tall grass. A line of rock foundation jutted into the center of the river  dividing the foliage and those rocks were loaded with snakes too. I found myself wondering if this is what it’s like to explore in the jungle.

I went back to my original location and both snakes were still there.

I hung around a bit more hoping the heron would return but after about an hour I was still just staring at the snakes so I packed it in for the day. I don’t know what kind of snakes they are but I suspect something like a black racer? Or maybe some kind of water snake? With the small heads I am pretty sure they weren’t venomous. Even so next time I think I’ll wear boots.

A Little bit of Trivia

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A friend of mine is a college professor who works with foreign students in an ESL program. ( English as a second language). I happened to run across a quiz on Travel in the USA that is geared to the ESL student. I figured as I travel around the USA and was born here that  I’d Ace the test. Ha! I won’t tell you my score but I will say it wasn’t 100.

Let me know how you do on it.:)

1) At this tourist attraction in Washington D. C. you can find Lincoln’s Bedroom, the Green room and the Red Room.

  • A) The White House
  • B) The Smithsonian Institute
  • c) The Museum of US History

2) Which of the following is NOT a borough of New York City?

  • a) Manhatten
  • B) Queens
  • C) Long Island

3) Which state legalized gambling in 1931

  • a) California
  • b) New Jersey
  • c) Nevada

4) What is the smallest US state?

  • a) Hawaii
  • b) Rhode Island
  • C) Washington D.C.

5) At this famous monument located in South Dakota, you can see the faces of four US presidents.

  • a) Mount Rushmore
  • b) Yellowstone
  • c) Mount McKinley

6) Carmel is a romantic, beach resort in __________?

  • a) Florida
  • b) Hawaii
  • c) California

7) What is the capital of California?

  • a) Los Angeles
  • b) Sacramento
  • c) San Francisco

8) Jazz Music comes from this city.

  • a) New Orleans
  • b) Atlanta
  • C) New York City

9) This is the longest river in the US.

  • a) The Colorado
  • b) The Missouri
  • c) The Mississippi

10) What State is the Grand Canyon in?

  • a) Colorado
  • b) Arizona
  • c) Nevada

Ok now. Have you got your answers?

The correct answers are:

1=a

2=c

3=c

4=b

5=a

6=c

7=b

8=a

9=b

10=b

How’d you do?

Award Winner

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WOW I am speechless! I mean it. I don’t know what to say! Blog awards…who knew!

I want to thank Patti from http://learnmoreeveryday.wordpress.com for even thinking of me. I’m so new to this blogging business that I’m still green or wet behind the  ears or a tenderfoot or any other of many names used to describe someone who is just learning the ropes.

I love http://learnmoreeveryday.wordpress.com blog. I look forward to getting my email saying there is a new post from her. Her posts have such beautiful photos and her descriptions and stories always touch me. Her Father’s Day post was especially beautiful since I lost my father many years ago. I hope her father has a speedy recovery and they have the chance for many more photo walks! I hesitate to add comments a lot of the time because they seem trivial after such heartfelt accounts. Way to go, Patti!

Now onto this award thing.:) I don’t have 15 blogs to follow. I work full-time and my blog keeps me running the rest of the time. I follow 2 blogs besides Leanmoreeveryday.wordpress.com. I wish I had time to follow more but  I will gladly tell you about these 2 and I certainly think they deserve the Versatility Award!

The first blog I found was Homestead Rambling’s. The first post was about the Civil War. About that time I was doing a blog on Lexington and Concord and the role of that area in the Revolutionary War. It seemed to just fit with the type of posts I was doing and it was so  nicely written. I subscribed immediately. Since then I see she is a very versatile writer covering many areas of interest and philosophy. She is a strong Christian writer but also makes it clear that she is down to earth as well. Love her cell phone challenges. I can so see myself in them. Her blog is http://homesteadramblings.wordpress.com/ I would award this blog the Versatile Blogger Award because of the many subjects she covers in her posts.

The other blog I really like is http://toddpack.com Now this blog can be sweet when he talks about his children, Thing 1  and Thing 2 or he may talk about bugs like fireflies/lightning bugs or more recently pay tribute to the passing of a great musician. This is an awesome blog! Again, so much versatility! That’s the award here.

There only seems to be 3 categories, The versatile Blogger, the Stylish Blogger and the irresistible Sweet Blog and it seems that the blogs I subscribe to all fall in the Versatile Blogger Category. So my congrats to them. I hope you try out their blogs!

Now the last part of the award is that the recipient has to tell 7 things not readily known about themselves. That’s a hard one to because I’m pretty much an open book and if I haven’t shared then I really didn’t want to, but let me think….

  1. I turned 60 this year and finally gave in and let AARP convince me to join.
  2. I hate talking politics. I have my views and consider them personal and private so you probably won’t get too many controversial posts in that regard.
  3. Most people think of me as a cat person but I really love all animals. I chose to share my home with cats because they fit my lifestyle. In a different world I might surround myself with dogs, cats, horses, hamsters, ferrets, sheep, goats etc. (even goldfish) Maybe I should have been a zoo keeper! I admire Jungle Jack Hanna!
  4. In my younger days I loved to scuba dive and still adore the snorkeling and swimming.
  5. When I retire I want to travel the USA in an RV and see all the places I’ve missed.
  6. I like being single.
  7. I am considering getting my motorcycle license.

Well, I think that sums it up. I am honored to even be considered in the same breath with the other recipients of the award and hope you’ll check out my suggestions. Thanks again to http://learnmoreeveryday.wordpress.com!