My favorite kind of trivia:
Forty years ago today, the Smithsonian National Zoo welcomed their first pandas, Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing.
These weren’t the first pandas on display in the United States (Brookfield in Chicago has that distinction),
but they were a first for the Smithsonian.
And, on a completely selfish note, these were the first pandas I’d ever seen in person.
I was just a little girl, visiting grandparents on vacation many, many years ago.
The pair’s significance was lost on me at the time; I just knew I loved them.
And you know what they say — true love lasts a lifetime.
While the Smithsonian holds a special place in my heart, I also love our local zoo.
And just when I thought they couldn’t possibly be more awesome, I read in today’s paper that one of our penguins bit Newt Gingrich on a recent tour. Not a political/party statement; a politician statement. Bite ’em all, little buddy.
hey there, friends 