Motor vehicle traffic in Forest Park is something of a problem, particularly since the closing of US 40 is forcing a lot of additional traffic onto the streets that run through the park. Fortunately for Zoo visitors, a Zoo employee stands outside and directs traffic to stop when there are pedestrians waiting to cross. I enjoy watching the process: the crossing director waving his wands to let pedestrians know it’s time to go and the motorists know it’s time to stop.

Our adventures took us all around the Jewel Box today, from the Zoo past picnic grounds, woods and fields over to the Vandeventer Gates (not to be confused with Bill Gates). We watched workmen putting down sod, talked with horses, investigated alleged abuse of quotation marks, caught a Robin in his bath and met a tortoise. I think the tortoise was the highlight of our afternoon, though he may not have been so thrilled to meet us. Exotic flowers, mysterious cyphers, beasts and machines, you have just got to see these!