The cool weather is the perfect time to see the big cats at the Nashville Zoo having a really good time!!
Clouded Leopard comes right up to the "window" at their Nashville Zoo nature enclosure.
Just like domestic cats, clouded leopards mark their territory with their mouths.
Big paws on the clouded leopard.
Profile of one of the clouded leopards at the Nashville Zoo.
Hanging out in the tree.
All the playing and climbing and pacing make a clouded leopard tired! Yawn!
Last Tuesday I went to the Nashville Zoo to, what else, take photos. The zoo is a beautiful natural resource of not only animals but plant life too.
Without a doubt my true intentions of going to the zoo this particular day was the chance of seeing the baby giraffe. She was born to Margarita the first week of November last year. Her dad is the sweet, Congo! There are loads of good information on her birth including a video on the Nashville Zoo website! A truly exciting time for the Nashville Zoo and the city of Nashville. I got to the zoo just in time on February 15th. At around 2:30 Suzasita came out in the yard with her mom and “auntie”; Congo was waiting for them. It was the first meeting of dad and daughter.
Suzasita smelling the fresh air in nature or maybe a treat from the keepers up on the rock.
The Nashville Zoo's male Masai giraffe, Congo has a darker coat than the girls.
Handsome portrait of Congo from the Nashville Zoo
Baby Suzasita and mom, Margarita making an appearance at the Nashville Zoo's beautiful, natural yard.
Masai Giraffe family study in black and white.
Baby giraffe with her mom and auntie in nature at the zoo.
Baby and dad giraffe at the Nashville zoo.
Suzasita's reaction to Congo checking to see who she is.
Stay tuned for my next post which will show some of Nashville Zoo’s plant life in winter.
And, almost forgot, in honor of Momma Margarita, I heard that today is National Margarita Day!! Woo HOO!!!!!
Check out the gallery, wild thing, at maryclairecrow.com to see one of my all time favorite photos of Congo!
The Nashville Zoo has five new baby meerkats! They remind me of those little beanie babies! They frolic around in their natural setting putting on a show that entertains so many of us!
Adult meerkat giving a hug to a baby meerkat.
The baby meerkats already learning the characteristics in their natural world.
Meerkat at the Nashville Zoo scratching while a baby digs in the dirt.
Meerkat Madonna
Baby meerkat leaning on an adult meerkat.
Sweet baby meerkat at the Nashville Zoo.
The Nashville Zoo also has a new baby giraffe and has two pregnant anteaters. Be sure to check out the zoo and all it’s benefits!
Be sure to check out more of Mary’s animal and nature images!
The Isaacs: wow! This non religious woman was truly inspired and moved by the music and passion this beautiful family has for God. Their voices are those of angles. The sound that carried through the cave was enough to give one chills and to cause others to raise their hands to heaven. It was a true day of passion and spiritual awakening. If you have never heard of The Isaacs you should.
The back of Ben Isaacs bass.
Lily Isaacs singing with her two daughters, Becky Isaacs Bowman and Sonya Isaacs Yeary.
The Isaacs singing "The Three Bells".
Sonya holds her banjo mandolin.
John Bowman feeling the spirit.
Becky Isaacs Bowman tuning her guitar with her mom. Lily in the background.
Sonya Isaacs blowing us all away with her powerful and passionate voice.
Becky, Sonya and Ben Isaacs harmonizing.
Stay up to date with the latest news from Bluegrass Underground.
Check out more of Mary’s beautiful nature photos and prints by visiting her website.
Last Saturday the cave was a rockin’! The perfect music for February’s installment of Bluegrass Underground at Cumberland Caverns. Music full of passion, excitement and energy. You need to listen to Valerie White. She is a little piece of dynamite. Her voice is strong and full of spark. Along with her band Liberty Pike you have a band that is full of excitement.
Valerie along with Becky Buller on fiddle and guitar made me want to be a bluegrass star. To say they are cool is such an understatement. Their energy is never ending and once the show is over you are left wanting MORE! The men of this group provided the calming yang to the ladies ying. Dave Tousley on bass was as cool as they come and Shane Blackwell must be a guitar legend. Check out more of Valerie and Liberty Pike. You will not be disappointed.
Now on to some of my favorite images from their set. They were so much fun to photograph!
Valerie Smith playing her mandolin at February's Bluegrass Underground
Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike jammin' at Bluegrass Underground
Soulful sounds from Valerie Smith as she sings her rendition of "I'm Not Lisa" at Bluegrass Underground.
Valerie and Becky of Liberty Pike whistling at the end of "Walk Like an Egyptian". This was the second time this song was preformed bluegrass style in Cumberland Caverns at Bluegrass Underground.
Becky Buller of Liberty Pike on guitar.
The bass being played by Liberty Pike's, David Tousley.
The fiddle played by Becky Buller.
Valerie Smith and Liberty Pike at Bluegrass Underground.
To see more images and concert information from Bluegrass Underground check them out on Facebook. Also be sure to check out Mary Claire Crow’s beautiful images of nature.
This little one is determined!! She wants to walk and has just the other began to crawl. She is sweet, funny, attentive, curious, smart and is going to be running around the block before her parents and older brother know it!
Only six months old!
classic with her silver rattle
peeking over dad's head
love from dad
she loves playing with hair
walking with the help of mom and dad
philosophical
checking out the world
nothing like a soft pink blankie
love from mom
conversations with her bear
sweet, silly face
walking on the table in her sailor dress
all this fun is making her tired
A stunning tall white barn on highway 56 just before the highway 70 intersection.
Bluegrass Underground started the 2011 year with a huge bang!! Two groups who are probably the funniest, most entertaining I have seen in a while! Cumberland Caverns will never be the same. The crowd was LARGE. Not since the taping back in May for PBS has the crowd been this big.
After a great mini warm up by the fabulous Travis Stinson, The Cleverly’s took the stage. Doing renditions of “I Gotta a Feeling” by the Black Eyed Peas, “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry and “Walk Like an Egyptian” by the Bangles one cannot help but smile and dance in their seats. I think they would be a fabulous band to have a wedding! I would coin these guys as nerdy, modern cowboys. They left me full of inspiration.
Travis Stinson
The Cleverlys with Otto demonstrating how to walk like an Egyptian.
The brothers: Digger, Miles and Vernon Dean aka VD
A portrait of Vernon Dean
Portrait of Miles: singer and poet
Cousin Harvey D. Woody look a like and drummer
I love this one of Vernon Dean
Harvey's Drum
Digger, always with a smile or smirk or sly grin on his face
Cousin Otto, always gracious for applause
The headliners took the stage next. Riders in the Sky not only are colorful musically but their dress, stage set and stories of the cowboy way will keep one with a colorful smile on one’s face! I just adored these guys. So humble to have won so many awards. Their set with stuffed armadillos, a Woody (Toy Story) doll, creative campfire and cactus had me wondering and anticipating their performance. So much great music that comes from the cave…I may just have to buy another ipod to hold it all.
Portrait of Too Slim
The guys, larger than life cowboys
Portrait of Polka King Joey
Too Slim as roadkill armadillo
Happy Trails
Portrait of Ranger Doug
Portrait of Woody Paul
A yodeling cowgirl
A favorite of mine
on stage at the cave
cowboy hats
Kiddos on stage with Woody Paul
Most of the crowd in the cave
Too Slim
Face Playin'
Woody Paul cheesin' for the camera
Happy Trails to you Ghost Riders in the Sky traveling through the Tumbling Tumbleweeds!!
Conjuring up images of those yummy cocktails from the eighties, a not so great movie staring Mel Gibson, a favorite Eagles song and the sunrise over Old Hickory Lake about a week ago.
