Life at 78 R.P.M.

"Sixty seconds now feels more like thirty

Tick-tock, won't stop, and round it goes

Sand through the glass sure falls in a hurry

And all you keep trying to do is slow it down, soak it in

Keep trying to make the good times last as long as you can

But you can't, man

It just goes too fast."

If you have yet to figure it out, life travels at a blazing speed. Maybe not always, like when you're waiting for news that could have a major impact on your life, but in general, if you blink to slow, it's moved on with or without you.

But, one of the best things about moving quickly is the ability to sit back and think about all that has happened—the good, bad, and awesome. We all have experienced these three situations; it might be the birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, or the thrill of seeing something that had not happened in 108 years. (I tossed that in for the Cub fans around the world—of which I was one for a solid month.)

Recently I have had the opportunity to spend time alone; it was really weird without commotion, but I made it through and I am here to discuss it. My wife and kids went to California to visit family…I elected to stay behind. When they first left I had the feeling, "What am I going to do?" It was something I was  concerned about as I am not always good at being with me, myself and I. Spoiler alert, I did just fine but it did take a day or two to get used to.

During the first 24 hours I made soup in honor of my Mom (it was nothing like what she made), took photos in honor of my Dad (sorry Pops, I have you beat on that one), and went to our local zoo in honor of my kids. (Now they hate going  as I suspect I burnt them out long ago.) That's why I bought a single membership!

While I was there I saw animals in a very relaxed mode. I suspect since there are few fools who go in the middle of winter, they know they do not have to be "on." It was great to be there alone with my trusty Nikon, but I was not sure how I was going to "capture" any decent shots. 

The giraffes were inside and cramped up in a much smaller location, the polar bear was probably questioning why I thought for some stupid reason he would want to be in the icy water, and the lions, they were outside but doing their best to stay warm.

Then I heard someone mention, "the window." This is where you can look at the lions up close and feel safe with a very thick pane of glass between you and dinner. I went up and the "magic" happened. Here were a male and female nose-to-nose showing the love they have for one another—comfort, not love…this is a "G" rated blog.

The photo above is of the two lions; in 20-degree weather, they rested with not a care in the world. They looked to be dreaming of life from far away lands where it is warm. Both looked very content—and made every attempt to not pay attention to the idiot in 20-degree weather wanting to take a picture of them.

Thanks for stopping by.