I spent Mother’s Day at the Fort Worth Zoo with my daughter.

It……….was………amazing (except for the blistering heat). Actually, the heat made the animal waterfalls very tempting (kidding – um, sorta).

The zoo was perfect for this challenge (and for my wildlife photography class).

I tried to take different angles and views. Truth is? I filled up 4GB memory card.

That was a first for me.

In my defense, I love animals. Growing up, my dad would send me magazines that I would read cover-to-cover about the animals in them. The beautiful pictures and articles let me share a passion with a dad that didn’t live with me (my parents divorced at three).

My biggest regret was not collecting his encyclopedia’s on animals when he passed away. Not for their value, but for the memories of looking at them with my dad.

So Dad, this is for you. You would have loved these animals and probably been able to tell me things about them not even the display would know.

I did sneak in a few pics from my earlier trip to the zoo. They were just too good not to share. The rest were taken on Sunday. I got a Tamron 70-300mm lens for Nikon. I did hand-hold all these shots and truthfully, I’m just not the steadiest of hands (you get the steadier ones). It will take some getting used to, but I was really happy with some of them, especially the Bald Eagle. I am fascinated by the iconic American symbol of strength.

I have another wildlife trip this weekend to Glenrose Fossil Rim Wildlife Center. The animals will be out (basically in a bigger cage) in a more roaming habitat.

I can’t wait!

Happy Wednesday! I hope we all roar into the weekend (heh!).