somethin' tells me nothin's happenin' at the zoo . . .

 Pleasantly ensconced in the Washington Hilton after a nice overnight train journey.

Our old pal Ann Crockett met us here at the hotel for lunch. Good pub restaurant. Then we took off in her car to enjoy our nation’s capitol’s traffic. About like we remembered it.

She obliged my desire to go check out the Naval Observatory – as a kid in the fifties and sixties I almost lived there during the summers – but that was not to be. It was all sealed off and guarded by stern-looking Marines. Either Joe Biden doesn’t like to be disturbed or there was something governmental going on. (We later saw a sign saying the National Zoo would be closing down at 1600, so that’s probably it.)

With no stars and nebulae available, we turned to the Animal Kingdom for amusement. Poured an ungodly amount of change into a parking meter and trotted into the zoo.

It’s much more elegant and ecologically responsible than it was when we were kids. I mean, it used to be full of animals, can you imagine? Now it’s full of educational signs and manicured pseudo-Nature, with a few birds and beasts lurking here and there. We did see an elephant. They’re hard to hide.

I guess the crowded old way was irresponsible, and besides all those animals must have cost a bundle to maintain. I suspect that there has been pressure on the entity’s financial “ecology” from two ends – cheap conservatives and timid liberals. The result is a place that’s kind of long on dignity and short on excitement.

Ah well. This twenty-first century. You can’t live with it and they won’t let you out of it.

Joe