"Lights of Cincinnati" (12/23/2018)

Sunday, December 23, 2018 (continued)
"Lights of Cincinnati" (1969) is a song title by Scott Walker.

Lunch at Fireside Pizza in a former firehouse

We arrived at the Cincinnati Zoo for the
PNC Festival of Lights

Hmm, covered parking at the zoo

But they were solar panels of the largest publicly accessible
urban solar array in the country

The 10.5 m/35' tall International Tree

Color-changing orbs in front of the Reptile House

Hey, it's Mufasa up on Pride Rock! (and Sarabi)

Sculpture of Martha, the last Passenger Pigeon,
who lived her last days at the Cincinnati Zoo

Copy of the painting/mural by John A Ruthven of Martha

Folded paper passenger pigeons

Statue (1985, by Lazslo Ispanky) of Joe Spaulding, Jr,
erected in his memory at the Children's Zoo

What?! But this is outside the enclosure!

Lighted zebra and giraffes

Waterfowl pond

Not many animals were out and about, except this lioness

Fiona, the hippo that was born prematurely and needed extra care, is doing well, but can only be seen if she goes outside, which she was not likely to do on this chilly day.

Tamiko with painted dog ears (KSS)

Meerkats (okay, yes, they are just sculptures!)

Now it's getting dark; polar bear and cub

It is difficult to capture the magic of the lights

I waited a looong time for this reindeer to lift his head...

You were supposed to look for a mouse in each
of four "gingerbread" houses

The window was smudged from young noses

Rainbow Tunnel

The flamingos were a little more pink than this picture shows

Lighted gorillas

There's Mufasa, again

Bright chameleon

And finally the hippos

View of the Roebling Bridge (by the builder of the Brooklyn Bridge)
from the Yard House, another "beer with a view" place where we had dinner

Tomorrow we return home after a holiday weekend in Cincinnati.
"They're serving up last call in Cincinnati" is a lyric from the song "Sweet Kentucky Ham" (2002) by Curtis Stigers.