After many years, we now get lots of visitors to our bird feeder. My special treat is that I face the feeder as I sit at the dinner table - which is one of the prime time for company.

Cheetah surveying the crowd... since most of the zoo residents were taking it easy, the chetahs had big crowds today. These photos were all part of a lens test of the Sigma 120-400mm f/4.5-5.6 OS HSM. A fairly long, lens with optical image stabilization. Today I tried to determine if the lens is a keeper. Overall, I was impressed. The next step is to make some large prints from today's shoot.

Cheetah relaxing

Elephant profile showing the full trunk...

Rhino skin. What texture!

Business end of the rhino...

Secretary Bird.

We were eye to eye for a good five minutes. This zebra was scoping out the visitors, the rest were disinterested...

This fellow was pretty socialable today, while most of the other zoo residents were taking it very easy...

It was a hot day at the Philadelphia Zoo. The orangs had the right idea, find some shade and chill out... When they moved from place to place, they looked a little middle-eastern, covered in their shade clothes...

Yet another peacock shot. The pensive peacock - not strutting, not showing his plumage, just hanging around...

Saturday, Garrick and Braden asked me to go with them to the Buck Motorsport Center to see the Monster Trucks. It was a first for me. Had a great time!

On my mark. The trucks competed to see who would be the fastest in completing the course...

Go! And in 15 feet an old sedan sits a little closer to the ground.

How to deal with road obstacles...

Up! Up! Up!

Normally, Braden doesn't like loud sounds. The engines are different - "Wow!"

This car landed on its real wheels...

Rough landing for this car after running off the ramp...

Garrick was mesmerized by the action and sound of the engines...

Dragging off casualties from the early action.

Airborne!

It's a shame that cars that we used to love are reduced to scraps of metal on their way to recycling...

Looking on to the Monster Trucks' encore.

The Virgina Giant at the end of the night.

Congratulations to Matt & Julie on your wedding!

A pensive moment for Julie as she anticipates the events of her wedding day.