Daily Archives: November 6, 2010

Zoo Frolic and Detour

I visited the Los Angeles Zoo yesterday. Why write about it here? Because I enjoyed it! And because I liked the break I took, short though it was, from my writing.

I met a deadline earlier this week, on November 1, for the manuscript for my third Alpha Force novel for Harlequin Nocturne, a miniseries about undercover shapeshifters in the military. I have another deadline on December 1 for a proposal, and I’ve started working on it. But some good friends just recently moved to Los Angeles, and they bought a membership to the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association.

My husband and I have been members of GLAZA since our kids were young. I used to go there walking a couple of times a week for exercise. I’ve taken a class on observing animals and participated in a couple of studies.

But that was a while ago. I hadn’t been to the zoo for a few years, even while maintaining my membership. I’ve missed it! I therefore jumped at the opportunity.

Things are different there now. The entrance and parking lot have changed. There are more places to buy food. A lot of new exhibits are in the works, including the new elephant habitat. But I could still pretty much find my way around. One of the animals that had been my friend years ago seemed to recognize me–although that could just have been wishful thinking. I saw some animal species that hadn’t been there before. Some of my favorite exhibits were closed due to some of the reconstruction going on. Even so, I had a great time, especially because I went with family and friends.

And then, when I got home, I sat back at my computer and jumped right into my writing, inspired by having allowed myself a frolic and detour before digging back in.

Anyone who knows me or reads my stories knows I love animals, so this was a natural course of action for me to take to get away. How about you–where do you go, or what do you do, when you have time for a break from your everyday life?

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