In the first and 2nd posts in this series you saw some of the native birds of Virginia, and met some of the pets of Daddy's Uncle and Aunt.
After visiting his relatives Daddy next spent a few days in the capitol of the United States, Washington DC.
He walked the streets of the "National Zoo", and visted the National Zoo, seeing interesting critters, of both the 2 and 4 legged variety every where he turned.
In this post I'll share with you scenes of some of those animals that have the freedom to roam anywhere they please in the Nation's Capitol, hobknobbing and lobbying government officials, and ordinary citizens alike, from the humbelist resident to the President himself.
One morning Daddy was walking along the shore of the Potomac, in Georgetown, near the Francis Scott Key Bridge, when he saw the first of 2 amazing sights...
Along the walkway, and on the walls on either side of it, were a few dozen birds of several species, loitering about, chewing the fat, and enjoying the view.
A few minutes later this tranquil scene was interrupted by the arrival of a young Asian man bearing three large plastic bags.
Suddenly a scene familiar to those who prowl the halls of power in this town, or watch Press Conferences on TV, ensues.
The birds gather around the man, like lobbyists looking for Government largess, and he starts tossing crumbs of bread, and handfuls of seed among the assembled mob, like the holder of a Press Conference dolling out scraps of information to the hungry media horde.
Daddy said the man told him that he has been doing this every morning for two years., and that the birds sometimes will eat out of his hands.
A few days later Daddy went to the White House to take a tour, but the day before, he just walked around outside its gates.
While there he had a close encounter with, possibly, the First Squirrel and his aides!
This little guy came through the gate, where Daddy was kneeling, right up to his camera, as he was fiddling with something on it, and by the the time he was ready to take more pictures, had taken some steps on the sidewalk, then dashed back onto the grass.
There they were, on the north lawn of the White House, scampering about, doing whatever such important squirrels do all day.
Daddy says that there appears to be a whole Squirrel "Shadow Government" in DC.
He says at least two varieties of them can be seen anywhere there are grass and trees in the Capitol, and surrounding suburbs, and they will sometimes accept food from the human officials, or even ordinary citizens (Whether these handouts constitute bribes, for some favor, or another, he says he isn't qualified to judge.).
He also saw a squirrel dash from one side of Pennsylvania Ave. to the other on some important errand, during rush hour, near the famous Willard Hotel, just down the street from the White House.
Along the Mall, near the Lincoln Memorial, Daddy encountered this family taking in the sights from the comfort of their watery home.
He says that birds of many varieties hang out whereever there is a body of water in the city, and surrounding areas.
Next up will be The Carnival of the Cats #211, where I will share pictures of the feline companions of Daddy's Uncle and Aunt, and introduce you to a whole bunch of my fellow CatBloggers.
Wow look at all the squirrels and birds in DC!
DC looks like fun for kitties!
Posted by: Yaffa & Sebastian | March 29, 2008 at 01:23 PM