Houston Zoo 2017 with the Bigger Cahoona - Red and White Flowers

Back in November of this year my wife went to Taiwan to visit family and get some business taken care of.  I didn't go with her for the lack of vacation time, so was by myself here at the house for almost three weeks.

Very fortunately, I'd received the Bigger Cahoona just before she left, so had plenty of opportunity to play with it without taking time from her or the family.  On one of those days I decided to go to the zoo.

It was wonderful.  For five hours I did nothing but follow my instincts as a photographer, gravitating to whatever suited my fancy for as long as I wanted to be there.  By the time it was over I'd snapped some 1,800 photos (thanks to burst and sometimes bracketing).  At home I immediately threw away about 1,400, and from the remaining 400 whittled it down to 117 real keepers.  Over time that number was reduced to about 90 that might be blogworthy, so here we are.

I'll be posting them in the order captured, beginning with these red and white flowers.  The awesome landscaping done by zoo staff creates as much opportunity botanically as with the animals in their care.