Not Really Lions

I forgot all about these two faux lions when I posted some sentinel lion pictures for you last night. These two kids obviously realized something was missing from the entrance to yet another museum on the Mall in DC (The National Gallery of Art, West Building, maybe?), so they decided to act out the part. They did pretty good, too, not moving until well after I'd walked past. Ah, to be young again. The squirrel is just a free bonus item for you.

More Proper Lions

While I'm on the subject of sentinel lions, how about this cat in front of the New York Public Library? There are two of them there, but I think I only took pictures of one for some reason or another. I think they were identical. This is how a lion is supposed to look in front of your building. Majestic, alert, stoic. Not playful or napping like those DC lions.

Sleepy Time Lions

Usually when you see lions in front of a building, they're alert and ready to pounce, or at least looking impressive to guard the entrance against marauding wildebeest. But these two look positively sleepy. Let me see, where did I find these. I think there were in front of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in DC, very close to the White House.

Compare these two tired cats to the lions in Chicago, there's a world of difference.

Lions And Tigers And Bears

Saturday in Cleveland, and the weather is supposed to be bad. It wasn't raining when I left the hotel this morning, but the weather forecast was threatening. So I had to find some place to go that didn't leave me out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of a downpour. So I decided to visit the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. I haven't been to a real zoo in about four years, so it was quite the experience. I've got a much better camera now than I had then, and I put a big long lens on the end of it. I got some really great pictures and had a lot of fun. Once I get back to Florida, I'll go through them and post some more good ones, but for now you get one lion, one tiger and one bear. Enjoy!

Here There Be Lions

I've brought you pictures of lions before, but nothing as big as these guys. The fact that they are stone and guard the entrance to The Art Institute Of Chicago doesn't enter into it at all. A little internet research reveals that these two lions were created the same year as the hotel I stayed at while in Chicago, 1893. They stand at the edge of Michigan Avenue, one to the north of the museum, and one the the south. The northernmost lion is above and below, and is called "On The Prowl". The southern lion, at right in the bottom picture, is called "Stands In An Attitude Of Defiance" I'm not sure what all that means, but they sure do look cool. I've got some daytime shots of these guys I hope to share with you later, but these nighttime shots from my first evening in Chicago sure are neat. Tough to tell in these pics, but the lions are actually bright green. Oh, the artist for these fellows was Edward Kerneys.