A conversation with my roommate yesterday turned from her wedding-planning stress to past stress, and it turns out that we both took homeopathic anti-anxiety medicine when we were little kids.  We decided to enjoy the humor in that and ignore the possibility that we were neurotic kids.

So in honor of four-year-old Abigail and six-year-old Hannah, who were anxious about everything, today’s post is about things that didn’t add to that anxiety at all.  It’s about the zoo and the best of the best from that fine set of establishments.

I know that zoos make some people upset, but I choose to look at them like no-kill animal shelters.  Sure, the animals would rather be living in the wild somewhere (or on a couch, in the case of my dog), but they’re fed and cared for, so let’s not get all upset about it.

All of that preamble, and I just wanted to post pictures of animals.  In no particular order, here are some winners who can often be found at the zoo:

We caught this guy during his early afternoon nap (not to be confused with his mid-afternoon nap, his late afternoon nap, or his early evening nap).  Isn’t that tooth hanging over his lip adorable?  And the folded paws?!  Sea otters were always my very favorite animal at the zoo.  I guess I don’t believe in saving the best for last all the time.

While I wouldn’t want to meet this fellow in a dark alley, he’s awfully endearing.  His name is Willy, and he lives in North Carolina.  He likes luxurious rolls in the snow and swimming with homemade scuba gear.

Did this one catch you off guard?  Me, too.  I don’t find this creature endearing at all, but he/she offers some much-needed perspective.  Not all fuzzy animals are cute.  It’s a cold, hard fact, and somebody needs to be honest.  And I changed my mind, there’s no way to end this post without another sea otter.

“Oh, my!  What has Mildred gotten into this time?”  That’s what I imagine this lady is thinking as she puts her paws to her face.  Or she hasn’t mastered the art of keeping food in her mouth without some help from her paws.  Either way.

Photos are by these people: Mike Baird and Ucumari.  Mike is master of the otters, and Ucumari has a handle on polar bears and lemurs.