The Creation Museum in Kentucky has a petting zoo stocked with the usual suspects and a few exotic ones as well. There was a tremendously fat hog, a pen FULL of goats (Which, even though they're small, are sneaky animals who'll head-butt you or eat your pants off the second you turn your back.), a donkey, a baby zebra (who was friendly up until the moment he realized I had no food and then he lost interest), two llamas (Watch out! They spit! From both ends! Ack!), and one seriously stuck-up camel.
I've never had an up close and personal encounter with a camel. I don't think I want to ever again. I've decided the camel rivals the goat for Freaky Semi-Trustworthy Animal status.
This camel was, in short, a Diva. With large, flapping lips. She stalked around her pen, moving too fast for comfort, whipped her head toward me so we were looking eye to eye, and crowded her Wow I'm Big body next to mine against the fence.
Now, I should tell you the staff there have the good sense to keep everyone on the outside of the camel's pen (and the llamas, for that matter). I'm grateful. I've never heard of any incidents of Death By Camel, but having tried to pet one, I'm sure they exist. The camels just haven't left any witnesses.
This camel was all attitude. She swept up to the fence, dipped her head to stare at me, flapped her lips and made me wonder if camels are indeed vegetarians and if the shirt I was wearing made me look edible, and then whipped around to stalk the pen again. My dad wanted a picture of me next to the camel. The camel didn't think anyone should be in the picture with her. I tended to side with the camel.
I realize people ride these things. I'm sure someone, somewhere, has a one-humped, loose-lipped Diva named Fluffy as a pet. I, however, am adding camels to my list of Animals I Refuse To Tether In My Yard and moving on.
Just curious, did the creation museum show dinosaurs and people together?
ReplyDeleteHere's something for a fundamentalist to consider: if the world is flat, could Sarah Palin still see Russia from her front porch?
CJ,
ReplyDeleteOnly you could turn a request to have your photo taken next to a camel into a laugh out loud funny story. Loved it.
Lmao. I rode a camel once. It was interesting.
ReplyDeleteJake - I read your comment and am trying to understand the question for a fundamentalist but I can't. Why do you think C.J. cares if Sarah Palin could see Russia if the world was flat? Seems odd...
I knew someone who knew someone who had llamas as pets. He said, "The thing about llamas is they're always glad to see 'ya!" I can neither confirm nor deny the statement.
ReplyDeleteHere is the train of thought. A hard core fundamentalist believes that the world is flat (it says so in the Bible). Hard core fundies love Sarah Palin. Since all the Mercator projections (Flat maps) have Alaska at one side, and Russia on the other- it begs the question that if the world is actually flat, can Sarah Palin actually see Russia? Any time you need to explain a joke, it just ain't funny...
ReplyDeleteJake- Au contraire. I (pre-morning-coffee) didn't get it. Read your explanation and did a real live spit take.
ReplyDeleteVERY funny. Can't wait to tell it in the teachers' lounge...
Jake - I don't remember if there were "people" in the dinosaur exhibit or not. Very cool dinosaurs, though.
ReplyDeleteMayberry - I don't think I ever want to ride a camel. I'd love to ride an elephant, though.
Peter- Llamas as pets? Oh, my.
Danielle - Yay! Haven't seen you in a few days. =)
So nice to be missed! I'm currently setting up camp in Completely Insane.... end of quarter at Cool School, tech week for Lear, AND I got cast in another show (so rehearsals for that)... AND I got another gig as Education Director for Rosebriar. When I'm not doing all of that, I'm rocking back and forth in a corner and pulling at my hair.
ReplyDeleteI've just been lurking.