polar vortex recap.

The big news in the Lou this week is the Polar Vortex.

What is this crazy weather, you ask? Click here to learn more!

That’s the science of it…but really it just felt like super cold temps and a whole lot of snow. 

Naturally, there is no such thing as a true go-back-to-bed-no-work-at-all snow day in the world of zookeeping. Most animals need care 365 days a year, polar vortex or no polar vortex. So, I had to head into work both Sunday (blizzard day) and Monday (frigid day).

As you may recall, working outside everyday in the winter was my biggest concern upon becoming a carnivore keeper. I HATE being cold and I’m the type who is ALWAYS cold. I barely tolerate air conditioning, people. Little did I know I would spend the winter working the coldest routine in the carnivore unit and that we would face the coldest temps our city has seen in my lifetime! 

Needless to say, when I saw a forecasted windchill of -30 I was a tad concerned…

So, how was it really?

Actually, not bad. Really not bad at all.

Sunday it snowed constantly, which is always beautiful and exciting. There’s nothing like a blizzard. I can’t remember the last time it snowed so hard all day long and truly I loved it. 

I left work around 10:30 that day, which was a nice change of pace. THAT, my friends, is a Zookeeper Snow Day!

Upon leaving work, I had the idea to immediately swap Carhartt’s for sweatpants and spend the day on the couch drinking hot chocolate. 

My boyfriend, John (aka my 4 wheel drive chauffeur for the weekend), however, had other plans.

We ended up spending the rest of Sunday driving around St. Louis like two idiots. It started with a mission to shovel John’s grandma’s driveway and pick up some sleds and ended up turning into an all day “dig strangers out of the snow and push cars out of ditches on the highway” fest. 

I won’t lie, at first, I was pretty mad. I really had my eye on those sweatpants.

But it actually turned into quite an adventure and between the two of us, John and I “saved” eight cars from certain doom in the snow. 

I eventually got to the sweatpants, around 4:00 pm. Phew!

Snow is fun, super negative wind chills, however, are not. I really braced myself for Monday. But like I said, it actually was not bad! The sun helped. And it wasn’t too windy. Plus, it was just so freaking beautiful with all that SNOW!

At one point I took my glove off to take a picture, which was probably a mistake and several other employees commented on the fact that my nose and cheeks were the exact shade of my magenta hat, but other than that it was just fine.

I’ll chalk it up to really good gear. And the fact that we got to leave at noon! Not too shabby. This second “Zookeeper Snow Day” allowed me to clean my apartment AND finish my weekly laundry before 5:00 pm! Truly, everyone should be allowed to leave work at noon on their Friday just so they can get all of their dumb chores done and enjoy the weekend! It was glorious. 

To sum it up—vortex schmortex. 

The animals are fine and happy and, let’s be honest, extreme weather is always exciting.

For better or for worse, Zookeepers in the Midwest get to feel the full force of each different season. It’s something I both love and hate about my job. 

Here are some of the pics I took Sunday/Monday. Hope everyone enjoyed being snowed in!

(Sunrise in Forest Park Monday Morning)

(No, that’s not Santa’s Workshop. Just a bathroom at the Zoo.)

(It doesn’t LOOK that cold…)

(Preparing to work in the blizzard)

(Sledding. Obviously necessary.) 

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Well, it is December 22 and I am definitely ready for three of the best days of the year–Christmas, Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve Eve!

 

December is always a fun month full of parties, cookies and (if we’re really, really lucky) snow! But everyone knows the best part of Christmas is watching Christmas movies. (Kidding. Sort of.)

 

I’ve been very busy lately working, shopping and baking, so I’ve hardly had time to watch some of my favorites. I have a lot of catching up to do over the next couple of days!

 

Below is my countdown of the top 5 (in my opinion) Christmas movies ever. Grab some egg nog. Watch. Enjoy.

 

5. ELF

 

Elf is a on the more modern side of Christmas classics, but I consider it a real yuletide masterpiece. Elf includes the North Pole, carols, Will Ferrell, claymation and warm fuzzy feelings–really everything a successful Christmas movie should! Try to watch Elf and not smile. It is literally impossible. It’s claymation scenes are an allusion to another holiday gem, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Don’t forget to include Rudolph, The Bumble and Yukon Cornelius in your movie marathon too!

 

4. MUPPET FAMILY CHRISTMAS

 

It’s just not Christmas without the Muppets. Seriously, Kermit and friends have been spreading holiday cheer for as long as I can remember. Many of my friends are fans of A Muppet Christmas Carol. Good, yes. But the best? No. Muppet Family Christmas was a made for TV special that ran in 1987. My dad taped it off of the TV with an old VHS and my family has been watching it every year since. It doesn’t just feature the Muppet cast, but also includes the characters from Sesame Street and a few Fraggles too. Like Elf, it’s chock full of the best of Christmas–more carols, more warm fuzzy feelings, a Christmas turkey and an icy patch to boot!

 

3. HOME ALONE

 

This movie has had a profound impact on my life. I spent most of my childhood attempting to create booby traps thanks to the creative genius of Kevin McAllister. Seriously. My quote in our senior high school yearbook was “This is it. Don’t get scared now.” thanks to Kevin too! Home Alone has more solidly quotable lines than any movie I know (perhaps with the exception of Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison, but it’s pretty dang close ). Before watching be sure to order yourself a cheese pizza, include a nice tip and don’t forget to tell the delivery boy to keep the change, ya filthy animal!

 

2. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE

 

When someone gets hired at the Zoo they take a “True Colors” test to outline their personality type. “Blues” are the emotional, feelings sort who really like rainbows and butterflies and, of course, Christmas too. Well, I’m a “blue” person and It's A Wonderful Life is about as blue a movie as you can find, so, of course I love it. It’s not just one of my favorite Christmas movies ever, it’s also one of my top ten favorite any kind of movie ever! The characters are amazing, Jimmy Stewart is perfect and there is plenty to laugh, cry and cheer about. If you’ve never seen this movie it is a must watch every holiday season. It is long though, so set aside an evening to curl up by the fire and appreciate this absolute classic.

 

1. WHITE CHRISTMAS

 

 This is the Christmas movie to end all Christmas movies! (That’s why it’s #1, duh!) Mr. Christmas himself, Bing Crosby, stars, alongside Rosemary Clooney (George’s aunt), Vera Ellen and Danny Kaye.White Christmas is in so many ways far superior to any cocker spaniel. There’s snow, of course, amazing dance scenes and a slam-bang finish! Try not to let your heart melt when you hear Bing sing “White Christmas” at the end.

 

So, there you have it! The best movies to watch over the next few days. 

Honorable Mentions: A Christmas Story, The Grinch, A Claymation Christmas, Love Actually, Garfield’s Christmas Special, A Charlie Brown Christmas and Christmas Vacation. All excellent films too.

Like all opinions, obviously, these thoughts are simply reflections of what I grew up with. I know everyone grows up with different Christmas movies, songs and traditions, so if you agree or disagree with the list, leave a comment below!

 

Enjoy the celebrations this week! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Happy International Cheetah Day!

Everyone knows that December is a month full of special days. 

But did you know that December 4 is actually one to celebrate? 

Why? Well, it’s International Cheetah Day, of course! (You didn’t know that?!)

This is a day to acknowledge the unique intrinsic worth of the cheetah–an endangered and very special animal. 

I have had the pleasure of getting to know the Zoo’s five cheetahs over the past four months. 

First, there’s Shanto, the old man of the group. He is twelve years old and he is one big, tough cheetah. He has a little hitch in his walk, which just makes him that much more badass. If Shanto were in The Lion King he would be Mufasa. If he had a human voice, it would be James Earle Jones. 

Then there are Shanto’s (now 7 year old!) cubs–Zuri and Kgosi. Zuri is the spunky one. She is mischievous, curious and, quite frankly, a flirt. That cat has some moxie. Her favorite past time is eating and Zuri has the roundest cheetah belly I’ve ever seen. Kgosi is the cutie pie of the bunch. He has an adorable face and ears that kind of stick out sideways on his head, which only help his cause. Kgosi is a very sweet cheetah, whom everyone loves. 

Next, there’s Jason. Jason is the Disney prince of cheetahs. He is just so handsome and dapper all of the time. Quite the charming cheetah. And finally, Jason’s girlfriend,Claire. Claire is the newcomer of the group, just arriving in June. She is the princess. Claire is a beautiful, intelligent cheetah, with sharp wits and enough tough stuff to hang with any of the guys. 

Cheetahs are having a bit of trouble in the wild. There are around 10,000 wild cheetahs left in the world, which might sound like a lot, until you take a moment to consider that 100 years ago there were 100,000 cheetahs! Talk about a rapid decline! 

Some consider them a doomed species. A lack of genetic diversity only adds to the laundry list of troubles cheetah populations already face (i.e habitat destruction, human/predator conflict). 

But we cannot give up on this amazing creature. Usain Bolt holds the world record for the 100 meter dash. He can run it in 9.58 seconds (fast!). Sarah, a cheetah at the Cincinnati Zoo, recently ran the same distance in 5.95 seconds (whoa!!). 

Every species is important, of course, but any animal alive on this planet that can reach speeds up to 70 mph, powered by only their own four feet, is one worth puling out all the stops to save in my book! 

Every morning, when I am feeding the cheetahs, there is a special moment when I am shifting them back into their yards. The cheetahs run past me, only inches from my legs. They move and run with such enviable grace. It’s exhilarating to watch. That moment when the cheetah flies past me is hands down the most amazing part of my daily life at this point in time. 

So, we cannot give up on the cheetah. Everyone must do their part. We can start by learning all about these incredible creatures. 

Tomorrow the Zoo is having a party for International Cheetah Day. There will be keeper chats, crafts and cookies and Zuri will (hopefully!) be showing off her running talent. 

Learn what you can about cheetahs. Love cheetahs. And certainly don’t give up on cheetahs. 

And don’t forget to celebrate on December 4! 

Lions are Amazing! →

Check out these awesome lion photos! Amazing!

on scuba diving.

When I was about 8 or 9 years old my sister and I entered a summer story writing contest at the local library. The topic was “My Dream Summer Vacation.”

My sister wrote about spending the summer flying around on a magical Pegasus. 

I wrote about spending my summer as a sea lion at the Saint Louis Zoo (a totally normal idea, right?). 

My sister won. 

I wasn’t kidding when I said I wanted to live the life of a sea lion at the Zoo. What’s not to like? They spend all day sunbathing and swimming around. Exactly what I like to do on my vacation! And on hot summer days, oh man, that water has always looked wonderful. 

Well, this year “My Dream Summer Vacation” kind of became my life. I was scuba certified in order to swim around in (and clean) the wonderful waters of the sea lion exhibit at the Zoo!

Remember in May when I was just SO excited about diving?

(Scuba Diving Day 1. Oh, how little I knew what was coming.)

Well, November scuba diving is a whole ‘nother beast, ladies and gentleman. A different story.

That wonderful water is now a cool 58 degrees. Fifty-eight, you say? Like a crisp Fall day, right? No, that is not right. Not right at all. Fifty-eight degree water is not the same as fifty-eight degree air. 

Mental_Floss explains it like this: The amount of heat that moves between your body and the surrounding medium and the speed at which it moves, both of which are important to the sensation or warmth or cold that we feel, depends on how good a conductor the medium is. The reason the water feels colder than air is because water is the better conductor of the two. When you hop into that 60-degree pool, heat escapes your body much more easily than it would if you were standing beside the pool in 60-degree air. Because the water takes more heat from your body, and quicker, it feels colder.

I can sum it up a little faster. It feels like this. 

And it’s only going to get worse. Six months in, here are a few reflections on what it’s really like to live like a sea lion at the Saint Louis Zoo. 

1. It’s real cold. Ok, maybe not for the actual sea lions, but definitely for me. I supposedly descended from some hearty, European stock that should be equipped to withstand such temperatures. But man oh man, when that water starts seeping through that wetsuit…yikes. When it hits my face…double yikes. Usually, it’s really just the first two minutes that it gets really bad. Then eventually the skin, wetsuit, hood, socks, gloves etc start to do their job and I warm up. Except my lips. My lips always feel like this guy’s. 

2. I always have to pee. I think it’s the pressure. Sea Lion Sound is not super deep, but even 12 feet of pressure on one little bladder is, for me, too much! I’m typically good for about 25 minutes. There I am la la la la la, swimming, swimming, swimming…when BAM! I have to pee. And I have to hold it for another good half an hour underwater. When I became certified my instructor told me that, “There are those who pee in their wetsuits and those who don’t admit to peeing in their wetsuits.” Well, sir, I refuse to pee in my wetsuit. So , when I scuba dive, I always have to pee. 

3. Speaking of bodily functions, yes, there is a lot of poop. From the sea lions, of course! (I hope that would have been obvious). They live in that water, they poop in that water. Cleaning up the poop is, after all, the purpose of scuba diving at the Zoo. At first, it kind of grossed me out. I mean, that poop floats through the water. The water I am swimming in. My lips and face are exposed, remember? But I quickly got used to it and besides, I shower soon after. What does sea lion poop look like? I would classify it in the fecal matter category of “logs.” Sea lions eat plenty of fish and sometimes the poop is kind of sparkly-like, from the fish scales. If The Rainbow Fish gifted one shiny scale to a furry, brown log, that would be sea lion poop. 

4. Ah, the shower. As a child, I was on the swim team. I’m not really sure why because I’m pretty bad at swimming and I hate cold water, but I was. I remember many cold, cold mornings spent swimming laps in the local Elks Club pool. After shivering our way through practice, my sisters and I would rush home and take the hottest showers imaginable and it was pure nirvana. I never thought I’d have that delectable feeling again. Well, I do now. After one hour of blue-lipped scuba diving in Sea Lion Sound I get to take a really hot shower and it is a truly fantastic moment. Kind of makes swimming in poop worth it in the end.

5. It really is cool.  No, I’m not even trying to make a pun here. Yes, November (and I’m assuming, sadly, December/January/February/March/April) scuba diving is cold. But at one point in my dive today I looked up and Nuna the cutest, not so little (up close!) harbor seal in the whole world, was swimming in circles right above me. She did lots of loops and spirals, swimming right through my bubbles, only a few feet from my nose. And the amazing part?  I was at work! I get to swim with a seal at work!

It’s my summer dream come true. 

It’s really a very lucky deal to get to scuba dive as a part of my job. 

Truly brings a whole new meaning to the idea of starting the work day gathered around the water cooler…