Slow loris

Why do these people have a slow loris? I don't know, but it brightens my day!

St. Bernard barrel

You know how, at least in cartoons, St. Bernards always carry a little barrel around their necks? At some point during my childhood, my mom told me the dogs carried hot chocolate in the barrel. Made sense to me—something hot to give to the cold skiers the dogs rescued from the slopes. 

I still thought it was hot chocolate until sometime last year, when Chris told me it's actually brandy in that little barrel. Innocence shattered. Thanks, Chris.

In a new children's book, Wiggens Learns His Manners at the Four Seasons Restaurant, the St. Bernard's barrel is said to contain "the spirit of helping others." Yeah, it contains spirits, all right!

Run for the Wild

Video: Koko the gorilla meets Mr. Rogers, her TV idol.

Chris and I are running the first ever "Run for the Wild" 5K next weekend in the Bronx Zoo, just about my favorite place in all of New York, and possibly one of my favorite places in the world. If you would like to pledge a buck or two to benefit the Wildlife Conservation Society's efforts to research and protect gorillas, you can do so on my pledge page here. If you would like to get out in the beautiful spring weather and run with us, you can sign up here!

Back when I was shuffling between various part-time gigs, I would often find myself at the Bronx Zoo's "pay-what-you-wish" summer Wednesdays. On one such Wednesday, the gorilla exhibit was nearly empty (unheard of) and one of the baby gorillas put his hand up to the glass right where I was standing. I didn't understand how breathtaking these creatures are until that moment. Their intelligence is visible in their faces, and their hands look so human.