Happy late Father’s Day to those it particularly applies to. Jim got to sleep in while I fed/cleaned/entertained the kids…. just like EVERY DAY. I’m thinking we should re-assess this Jim voluntarily works evenings thing because it’s really only benefiting one of us…
Last Monday we took the boys to the Toronto zoo for the twin’s birthday. We were there 4 hours and we still didn’t see everything (toddler pace). I thought going in mid June that it wouldn’t be that hot yet (especially after this winter) but it was 29C and sunny so all the big outdoor animals were passed out in the shade, just like last time I went. The pandas were adorable though, and the kids had a blast. Plus ice-cream,so that was the first thing they told their uncles about of course. I did get to have an interesting chat with a panda keeper that confirmed some stuff I was roughly aware of: male pandas are only fertile for like 2 days out of the year. Pandas are anti-social in general, plus their ridiculously limited diet doesn’t give them a lot of energy so they’re kind of too lazy to go seeking a mate. So the chances of finding a female in heat within that 2 day span are pretty small. The zoo’s female was impregnated with frozen sperm from China instead so Toronto’s male panda is pretty much useless :) Interestingly, it can take up to 160 days for a fertilized egg to even implant so the keepers are playing a waiting game with the occasional ultrasound. If Er Shun is pregnant, the gestation is only 45 days.
Considering how evolution is always pushing adaptation and survival of the fittest, pandas are hilariously too apathetic to procreate. If they weren’t so darn cute would humans even intervene? It’s only fair since we’re wreaking their habitat, but they certainly get more love and resources than black rhinos for instance (and WAY more shelf space in the gift shop, including their own gift shop for one.)
I’m not sure when I’m going to get the chance to see this movie but I can’t wait. We’ll probably take Sam, he sits very patiently in movies and seems transfixed, as in barely answers me when I ask him questions. How Not to Train Your Dragon is available today only (and a little bit Tuesday, like till lunch time I think) on RIPT:
Vote incentive: The rough little doodle that inspired this design. And that is of course a Jayne call out on the last panel… kindred spirits I suppose?