Reno: Wild horses and gliders in the city limits

Since most of our drive through Southern and Central Nevada happened at night, we didn't see much of the landscape until we awoke the next morning in a small town just a short drive from the city limits proper for Reno. We'd made a fair bit of distance for leaving so late in the day, but we still had quite some distance left yet to cover so we didn't want to dawdle in our campsite for too long. Upon waking, however, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we had some four-legged company grazing not far from our vehicles. We were able to get some photos of the crew, what seemed to be a small family unit with a youngling in toe. There's a lot of wild horses throughout Nevada, but they're not something you encounter much when you're in Las Vegas, you've got to get a bit further out. We weren't in the total boonies here, either, which made our guests all the more of a wonderfully unexpected delight to see! 

Antho, in his typical fashion, was up around sunrise and exploring the area a bit. I was so wiped out from driving late into the night prior that I slept closer to 8am, landing me about 4-5 hours total sleep. It's not easy hauling across the country on a set time frame (places to be, job interviews to attend, that sort of business), and we were only in the first stage of a thousand-plus mile journey! Given that circumstance, we did a quick stretch and vehicle check to make sure we were ready to go before preparing to embark out for the day. For the drive, we had walkie-talkies in each of our vehicles, allowing us to stay in immediate communication without having to manhandle our phones while on the move. Don't text/navigate/call and drive, guys! For real! It's dangerous out there! My car has an updated stereo to sync with Bluetooth, allowing me to drive and listen to the map directions without having to hold my phone...most modern cars are going to come with that sort of thing standard, but my car is over 25 years old so she came with a cassette tape deck and AM/FM radio. Old school, baby. 

So after admiring our four-legged friends in the desert, and looking up to catch someone gliding in a strange fan-powered chair set up. Quite the exciting start to the day, and we'd barely just gotten started! 

Korea: Blind Alley Raccoon Cafe

Is there any animal that you feel a particular kinship with? Like, do you see an eagle soaring high above it all majestically silhouetted against the bright blue sky and feel like there's a special significance, a certain similarity shared between your personal essence and the animal? I used to think that I had that sort of quasi-spiritual-groove with dolphins, who seem to appear near me when in bodies of water they frequent, but these days I find I chalk that up more to the mind seeking to connect the dots and form a meaningful pattern to make it special rather than actually being something special. Dolphins, in all their majestic flippering and gratitude for all the fish, are also a bit rapey and scary, too. Did you know that Flipper and his friends will isolate a female from the pod and then take turns on her, gang-raping her for weeks on end and using aggressive posturing and behaviors to intimidate her into acquiescence? Like, DAMN, dolphin-dudes, chill! Any moderately attractive woman of post-pubescent age has probably, at some time or another, had to deal with the unfortunate human equivalent of those gang-rapist-creeps of dolphins, though hopefully in less full-out-forceful and trauma-inducing situations. I know I hate me some over-the-top jabronies, so my love for dolphins is dampened knowing they're those guys at the party. As if that wasn't bad enough, dolphins also have a habit of killing babies, whether it's another bottlenosed nosed dolphin or another species, and they're riddled with STDs! Yuck. Over it. 

But you know what animal is totally cute, has a super-fluffy tail, toe-beans, fancy-facial-attire, and a vaguely triangular-faced-monkey-like appearance? Raccoons, AKA trash-pandas! These little guys are vastly underappreciated! Look how adorable that sleepy little baby is up there on that railing! Don't you just want to rub his little feeties and boop that snoot?! Trash-Pandas, much like myself, are almost always up for a good snack and a nap, which I think are two traits almost any decent human can get behind. So when my friend Carmen informed me that there was actually this magical place tucked away in Seoul where you could grab some warm beverages with caffeine AND cozy up to some raccoons, you know I was on-board! 

Unfortunately, by the time we arrived most of the fluffy little cuties were quite sleepy and settled in for a nap, high above the reach of most visitors. There was one very happy, very friendly little corgie romping around who was more than eager to step in for pets and appreciation, so I found myself spending more time with that little sweetie. As much as I love the raccoons, I also understand how anyone can wind up cranky when woken from their nap prematurely, so better to let them get their Zs. 

Vegas: Moth friend

Las Vegas, Nevada, is not a city known especially for its bountiful and abundant wildlife. This would be a shame if you consider the beautiful big horned sheep that live among the hills outside the city proper, or the fierce and stealthy mountain lions that feed upon them, or the adorable little quail and kangaroo rats (or chipmunks, or rabbits) who can sometimes be found scurrying and chirping among the brush. These animals, however, tend to reside more on the periphery, not wanting to venture too far into the city for fear of bumping shoulders with the human residents, unless an especially appealing park happens to be located in close enough proximity to a densely populated hill, as is the case in Hemenway Park in Boulder City where the sheep can sometimes be found. On any given day, you're rather unlikely to encounter any of these creatures, though- aside from perhaps the rabbits, who seem to be doing pretty well, even to the point of becoming a menace in some areas, or maybe the coyotes who occasionally snag a smallish pet from an unwatched backyard...but I digress. The general wildlife in the region isn't keen on sharing space with us, so you're far more likely to encounter some form of insect, arachnid, or human specimen. A good example of this would be our encounters with scorpions, who found their way into the small, poorly sealed studio space we spent the better part of 2017 and 2018 inhabiting. Did you know that scorpions can climb? I didn't until I found one in our sink and decided to research the terror that had entered the sanctity of our space. Scorpions do pretty well in Las Vegas, and if you find yourself in the city with access to a handheld blacklight, feel free to do some investigating of outdoor spaces with it. You may be surprised, shocked, or horrified at the sheer number of the creepy crawlers you can find refracting neon-light in the dark of night. To be fair, scorpions can help humans by eating other creepy crawlers you might not want coming around, like spiders or centipedes, but that's not an especially comforting reassurance when you stumble upon a scorpion in your shower late one evening, unprepared. 

While moths aren't typically considered a friendly visitor, due to their habit of gnawing on perfectly good clothing and leaving holes for us to find, I'd gladly find one perched upon my laundry over a scorpion. This friendly little guy posed for some photos, too, allowing me an opportunity to appreciate their beautiful markings. I don't know, is it weird that I got excited at finding him? Maybe.

But you have to admit, he sure is a pretty little thing!

Thanks for stopping by!

💘

XOXO,

NAU

Vegas: Ducks, ducklings and deserts

 

Most things have already been said, in some way, some form, at some point in time, by someone or other. That's just kind of the nature of life- we all like to think that we're these ingenious innovators, creators of the one-true-unique idea to spark in this universe, but alas, such will not be the case for many of us in this lifetime. This may seem like a rather defeatist sort of realization to come upon and could inspire many to throw down their pens or pencils and spit in the direction of any new endeavor, but that, my friends, really would be defeat. It's not so much that there's nothing new to be added, but its the matter in which we tell our unique experiences and tales that brings something special to the table. After all, I'm certainly not the first person to make a blog post about ducks, or birds, or animals, or any such thing, and I'm certainly not the first or only person to ever pontificate on what the city of Las Vegas is or means. Las Vegas means a lot of things to a lot of different people, as do the annual migrations and habits of animals like these pretty little birds. Every year, much like the human visitors to the city, hundreds upon thousands of visitors flock to the city, dipping their feet into the toes of the communal excess and hedonism that the city so desperately tries to provide, before packing it in and moving on. Who knows where they all go? Well, I'm sure in the case of some of the ducks there's probably a geo-tracker tucked along their ankles or clipped to their wings, that allows some curious scientist a rough idea of their migratory pattern, but for the vast majority, their end destinations are as mysterious as their intentions for visiting. A snack, perhaps- but is it food for the soul, or simply a desire to glut themselves silly until their full to the gills? Perhaps it's an excuse to drop their young off at the pool and pretend to be young again themselves before the responsibility of raising a brood was a concern. Whatever their reasons may be, much like our feathered friends, the vast majority of humans visiting Las Vegas only migrate through the city, a brief intermission of sorts, without setting down roots. In a city of transients, being a resident is something strange, and typically worthy of a surprised remark by the few you indulge in the knowledge.  The environment surrounding the city itself, should you ever venture past the oasis of the Strip and its artificial constructs, is thorny and harsh, an unwelcoming wasteland full of poisonous insects, barbed plants, and venomous snakes that begs to reconsider the sanity of those who seek to reside there. I guess that's why the people who stay, who grow up there like dandelions taking root in cracks in the sidewalk, take a perverse sort of pride in it. Living among the desert is unnatural, a fuck-you to nature and its attempts to dissuade fragile human beings from setting up base in this arid and unwelcoming environment, so the people who reside, who remain, must be hewn from a particularly tough, stubborn, or stupid stock. 

So, fly away, little duckies, to greener pastures and cleaner waters. I won't blame you. I tip my hat to those who wish to be in the desert, who ran from inclement weather for the unnaturally predictable weather; hot and sunny. If that's the life for you, power to you. I, however, much like these ducks, have got to get a move on.

Vegas: People (and pigeons) of the Strip

People in the West tend to talk a lot of crap about pigeons, calling them "rats with wings" (which is in and of itself offensive to us people who've had pet rats before), "vermin" and other unpleasant monickers that the poor little birds have done naught to earn. It's not the pigeons' faults that the relentless spread of human civilization has encroached upon natural lands where wild pigeons would have happily gone about their business far removed from most human activity, though the pigeons in the Americas today are all the descendants of domesticated pets. The original, indigenous pigeon, the passenger pigeon, went extinct a long time ago.  I'm sure the pigeons would rather not have to eat our garbage and instead prefer to feast on fat worms, seeds and grubs out of the grasses and fields, fresh and natural, juicy. Coincidentally, though, the spread of humans was a big factor in why the pigeons (and doves) were able to proliferate as well as they have, due in large part to the aforementioned domestication. For eons they were bred for food, their chubby little nestlings (aka squab) made an easy protein source for the people living in growing cities throughout the Middle East and Europe at the advent of civilization... then they were kept as pets, admired for their monotonous pairings, messenger and navigation abilities, and the simple lives that made them easy to cage. Now, instead of being the food source themselves, pigeons are able to scavenge from the endless detritus that collects around any large human city. In this much, they at least share an obvious kinship with rats, who found their way to the Americas onboard shipping vessels and were not originally native to the lands. They've done exceptionally well and endured due to their symbiotic, or at least reasonably tenable, relationship with humans.  

People without homes, or the homeless, also share this kinship with the misunderstood animals aforementioned. Any large enough group of humans gathered into a township or city will begin to accumulate their own human vestigials, lingering around the periphery of the acceptable spaces to squeak out a living on the remains and shrapnel of others, largely trying to skirt by unnoticed by the masses who would maybe try to stamp them out. 

Vegas: People and pets on the Promenade

Winners and losers love Las Vegas, though for their own entirely different reasons. Those lucky few winners are able to amass gargantuan piles of cash, obscene quantities of paper power filling their happy hands eagerly, while the losers...well, what is life without hope? Without the glimmering of hope at the end of the tunnel life becomes meaningless, but dangle the proverbial carrot a sufficiently tantalizing distance away and that optimism will power a horse (or person) through otherwise insurmountable challenges. The homeless population of Las Vegas has plenty to hope for, in the city of Sin, after all one of our biggest sales points is the fact that you can go from zero to hero with one fortuitous spin of the slot's reels, all it takes is luck! While I, personally, would never wish (or wish for my enemies) to be homeless in this unforgiving desert climate, there are benefits to the near endless parade of sunny days to be sure, namely the constant flow of tourist's foot traffic that means crafty buskers can make a fairly decent chunk of untaxed income, especially when they have an outstanding talent or deformity. There's one fellow you can regularly find in front of the Bellagio's fountains who draws portraits with his mouth, due to his lack of hands. 

It's not just the homeless that are likely to gather in these large public arenas, of course. You will invariably encounter several superheroes in varying stages of accuracy, decency, and dress. These hopefuls will pose with their eager fans for an exchange of currency, so don't try to take their photos without their permission (unless their backs are turned), as you're likely to find yourself in an awkward confrontation with a pissed off Defintely-NOT-Ryan-Reynolds-Deadpool. Like it wasn't bad enough it wasn't the real Ryan Reynolds, but to get hostile too?! Not very X-Force, man. But when you're dealing with money-hungry imposters like this, instead of the anti-heroes themselves, what can you expect?   

But the people watching is something else, that's for sure. 

All photos in this post were kindly provided by Antho Jay, who has been my faithful photographer!

Vegas: Mirage Secret Gardens and Lion and Tiger Habitat

Aww, look at that sleepy face! That would be Apollo, who is now considered a senior citizen. The sign in front of his enclosure says as much. During our visit to Siegfried and Roy's Secret Gardens, most of the big cats were lazing about in the afternoon sun or splashing around in the little pool provided to them. One pair of tigers, in particular, were entertaining themselves with a giant red ball in their wading pool, which was endearing and drew large crowds. I guess a cat will be a cat, no matter how big they get. While I'm definitely more of a dog person, I can appreciate the majesty and attraction of these large predators, especially when they're acting like goofy oversized kittens.  It's important to remember, though, that these are predators at the end of the day and can easily crush bones with their powerful jaws, as happened to Roy Horn during that infamous incident where the Bengal tiger Montecore carried him offstage with his jaws and coincidentally left him needing over 25% of his skull removed at the hospital later. Luckily, Roy is recovered and doing well, and is quick to emphasize that the incident was an accident and that the tiger never meant to attack him. To quote the man himself; 

“But we need to rectify – he never attacked me,” says Horn. “If a tiger attacks you, you are finished.” In fact, he still calls Montecore “my brother.”

So, please remember to proceed with respect and caution when admiring these beautiful animals. They are as lethal as they are adorable, and while they may have been "tamed" by man they will always have the capabilities to end life with lightning quick ferocity. This is not to disparage tigers, it's simply a reminder that their role in the animal kingdom is that of an alpha predator, and to be reticent of that fact when admiring them (from a safe distance). All those fences and barriers are there as much to protect you from the animals as it is to protect them. Pretty much every camera these days has a zoom, doesn't it? 😉

Lots more photos below!

Enjoy!

Moos in Glendale, NV

Don't get me wrong; I love all animals. While I'm not currently a vegetarian (as you might have noticed from posts about eating live shrimp in Noryangjin and making bossam at home) I have been in the past, and even tried veganism for a while. I absolutely understand the reasons for not eating meat, and when I encounter cows out in the real world I always get excited and the car is almost always inevitably pulled over so I can run over and try to forcibly project my adorations on to the cows standing there, minding their own business. Most of the time, the cows could udderly care less about this silly human female flopping about and gesticulating wildly at them while making strange cooing baby-talk noises. They're busy doing cow stuff. Understandable, right? Since most cows you're liable to encounter along the roadside like this are going to be working farm cows,  they likely have a working relationship with the humans they know- and unfortunately, a lot of times that may involve some level of primordial fear in the instinctual awareness that their human's endgame involves eating them, forcibly inseminating them, or stealing their milk. I mean, that's life- I get it. I've been to dairy farms and giggled as the calves eagerly licked and sucked at my thumb in search of milk, but these sweet beasts are often viewed as a resource, a trade good, not a cogent and affectionate animal with intelligence similar to a dog. It bums me out to think about the conditions that most grocery store meat cattle are raised in, as I know a lot of it is far from the idyllic pastural scenes here... In a perfect world, I would buy my meat directly from the farmer who raised that cow, and the bovine would have the most pampered lifestyle of luxury and relaxation up until it's final moment, which would be swift and painless... but until we get to a point where we can bioengineer a sentient source of meat who provides their bodies willingly (as in The Restaurant at the end of the Universe by Douglas Adams) , it's always going to be a bad proposition for the cute little cows. Personally, I don't eat much beef. I will, every once in a blue moon, and a bit of liver and onions is a major power meal for me when I find myself lagging, but I'd much rather have fish or chicken any day.  I don't know the fate of these particular cuties, but they were pretty unenthusiastic about my excitement at their existing here. There was even a little bubba! So cute. Goodness. 

Vegas: AJ's Day out part 3: Flamingo Wildlife Habitat

If you're at the Flamingo hotel and casino here in Vegas and wanted to see an actual, say, living and breathing Flamingo instead of the silly stuffed animals and artificial replicas that profligate the area, you're in luck! While I can never seem to find it on my own volition or haven't tried hard enough to yet, Antho is adept at finding the way to the Flamingo's Wildlife habitat. It's not far from their buffet, so once you're in the hall where the buffet is you should see the large glass windows and doors leading to the habitat. Once you step through those doors you'll be in a lush oasis where the soothing tones of trickling water mingle with the laughter of tourists and other visitors to the area, with conspicuously high humidity compared to the rest of the strip thanks to all that lovely water splashing around. The signature flamingos are there, along with pelicans, ducks, koi, catfish and many other beautiful creatures big and small. The habitat is open 24 hours as far as I'm aware, though the animals aren't going to be active for that entire duration, naturally. Everyone has to sleep sometime! During the busier hours of the day there will also be trainers around with some parrots, who will kindly pose for a photo for you if you'd like. We've seen at least one person get pooped on while posing, though, so pose at your own risk. 

 

It's free to enter, though I believe the photographs with the birds will cost you. There are certain times of the day where you may be able to participate in, or at least watch, as the animals are fed, which is always entertaining. Pelicans are especially goofy when eating, due to their expanding throat/chin pouch that they have. Nature, you crazy! It is neat to see all the diversity there is, though, and this is an extremely small slice of the sheer biodiversity existing on our planet. While the flamingos and many of the long-term residents have had their wings clipped to prevent an escape, there are many other birds who simply stop by to enjoy the scenery. I imagine it's especially lovely to come outside and enjoy a coffee in the early hours, as the animals and humans begin to rouse from their slumber. There's certainly plenty of options for grabbing a bite or a cuppa inside the casino, and there's a small cafe just inside the doors adjacent to the habitat itself. 

Lots of photos below, taken kindly by our lovely Antho Jay (or AJ for short) as ya girl Nau here was working at the time. Nice of him to capture these moments and adventures for us, right?

Enjoy!

Vegas: Springs Preserve Butterfly Exhibit May 2018

For a limited time frame every year, the Springs Preserve converts one of their greenhouses into a butterfly habitat, filling it to the brim with the beautiful little flutterers. The exorbitantly green interior is maintained at a specific temperature and humidity level to keep the precious guests at their happiest, and each guest who enters is inspected prior to entry and exit in a secured secondary environment to prevent any possible hitch-hikers from contaminating the environment (and to keep their guests safely inside)... but even with meticulous work nature will invariably run its course, so if you choose to visit the butterfly habitat please be cautious of where you're stepping! Sometimes the little lovelies who aren't feeling so well, or are having a hard time getting airborne, will find their way to the walkways. We had a butterfly land on my purse, another on my hand, and Antho had one land upon a dread while another found itself attracted to his socks... so we BOTH had multiple butterflies land on us this trip! Given their friendliness, it's best to keep a close eye on kids who may get overly excited and try to grab one of the delicate little things. It's okay, I totally understand the impulse, but the volunteers at the Preserve put a lot of time and effort into protecting their headlining stars. The exhibit can only stay open for a limited time each year due to the fragile nature of the butterflies, who aren't well-adapted to our extreme seasons. This makes it all the more magical to catch it during it's short season of operation! The butterflies were not very shy this time through, with some of them happily landing on us as mentioned above, and others posing for photos with all the leisurely calm of a beach-goer getting a tan. There's a stunning amount of variety among them, too, with small fuzzy orange fellas floating around next to massive blue and brown winged butterfly behemoths. We've visited the exhibit in the past, and made a conscious effort to get to it once more before it closed for the 2018 summer season. 

There will be plenty of photos below!

Vegas: May visit to the Springs Preserve part two

Invariably, another post about my much beloved Springs Preserve rears its head here upon my wee little blog. I apologize in advance for any this abundance of flowers and animals and things may upset, offend or otherwise make grumpy. This place happens to be one of my happy places here in the city of Las Vegas, a real escape without having to go-too-far, an oasis in the city of sin. Long story short, it's pretty here and there are lots of flowers and animals to ogle for your relaxation and optical entertainment. I've found no end to the amount of amusement I've been able to glean from this place, between their butterfly exhibit, the Origen museum, Boomtown and Water works, or the external wildlands where you can hike among the less-tended grounds. There's even a restaurant on site if you grow hungry and want a salad or tasty wrap! Not to mention the endless parade of different events they have going on throughout the year for all the different holidays. Such a fun place and really great to take the whole family! We go for date days out, because it's nice to stroll the grounds together and look at all the flowers and details. The staff has always been extremely pleasant and friendly when we've talked to them, and we've felt welcomed here. 

...at least, when it comes to the human occupants!

This little bird above didn't seem too pleased with our presence here, and while we were able to get some awesome photos of him, we eventually decided to leave him be and move along before he got too fed up with the attention. Thanks for your cooperation, little friend! Cheers.

It was a warm and beautiful day out and we enjoyed this visit immensely. There will be plenty more photos below, thanks in part to our little bird friend above being kind enough to model for us, along with my propensity towards taking an exorbitant amount of photographs on any given outing. Hope you enjoy this glimpse into our life! 

Vegas: Gila Monster at the Springs Preserve

In case you haven't noticed from the sheer voluminous backlog of posts I've written thus far involving the Springs Preserve, it really is one of my absolute favorite local spots here in the confines of our lovely little city of Las Vegas. Not only is it an expansive property with acreage upon acres of stunning natural views of untampered wild foliage coupled with immaculately tended gardens but all of these views change with the seasons and there are always some new and exciting events popping up all year long. There are stone-studded pathways leading you through tunnels of foliage and butterflies hiding in a particularly sunny and climate-controlled corner. There are even animals and a museum to get your learning on! It's such a nice escape and it's only a 10-15 minute journey from where we live currently, but even if you're not super-central like we are it's at such a convenient juncture of freeways that you'd be hard-pressed to find an inconvenient way of getting there. There's also lots of good food to be found nearby, as well as inside their very own on-premises restaurant, so you needn't fear hunger while hiking. This post is primarily going to cap-off our little visit to their zoo area, where the friendly tortoise gentleman popped up to say hello to us previously. I'll have more posts about the Preserve up soon, but I've been drowning a bit under a backlog of photos and inadequate memory to store them all... eesh... between the blogging, the tie-dye, and travel photos I accumulate I manage to burn through all available storage on my poor desktop! I have external drives and lots of Google storage, but it's a pain to shuffle things around. I guess it's a bit of digital spring cleaning, though, which was much needed. I literally couldn't import any more photos off of my camera, and I've got a lot of more stuff to show you from the past month! 

Like check out this handsome critter! I've always been fascinated by Gila monsters, the venomous lizard who has to gnaw their deadly poison into your system with their big, impressive jaws. They're definitely a remnant of an earlier, more creative time in nature's history, and they too fall into the flashy-colored stylish ways of their fellow venomous friends in the animal kingdom. Nature's way of saying to frigg right the hell off, mate, if you know what's good for you.

I'm not saying to frigg off, though, mate!

There's plenty more photos here to gander, so feast your eyes if you're not freaked out by the dinosaurs.