Dublin in the Early AM

We arrived in Dublin about 4:30 AM.  By the time we got our luggage safely stowed at our hotel for a later check-in it was about 6:30 and we hit the streets.  These are Tom's best.  I only am adding one.  I have not had a chance to really look at mine but I want to start sharing and to show Mom where we are 'hanging out'.

There are bikes everywhere.  Bikes and double-decker busses rule here!

A common scene.

We enjoyed the relatively empty streets.  Later in the day they would be very crowded.  Our first goal was to check out Trinity College.  Just spectacular!!  Stay tuned.

Desert Botanical Gardens

DBG is building a new butterfly exhibit that will open in 2017.  In the meantime, they are offering butterfly walks on some Saturdays.  Instead of having hundreds of butterflies in a small space, you are guided to butterfly friendly areas of the garden in search of butterflies and caterpillars.  It turned out to be much more fun than I anticipated.  I was not expecting so many cactus to be in bloom.  Perhaps it is the abundance of recent rain.

Fortunately, the walk is leisurely and that gave us plenty of time to photograph flowers along the trail.

Not surprisingly, it takes a whole lot more work to get good photographs of butterflies that are free.

They have several live caterpillars on display and our tour guide, Kim, offered to go back after the tour and help us photograph them outside of their enclosures.  The yellow banded caterpillar will become a Monarch butterfly.  I don't remember what the other caterpillar is destined to become.

There is a lot going on at the gardens.  If you haven't been there in a while you just might think of going soon.  The weather is getting so nice.  Their annual fall plant sale is next weekend.  Thanks for sharing our fun.  Thanks to Rick, Barbara, Phyllis and Tom for sharing their photos.

Phoenix Zoo

It was hot.  It was humid!  Very humid.  It was also a lot of fun.  We share our best from yesterday's trip to the Phoenix Zoo.

Abstract art of free roaming animal.

For those who are keeping track, Jiwa celebrated his first birthday on September 5th. I want to give a very special thanks to my great friends who share their photography and are good sports even in the most trying heat and humidity.