The Backyard Zoo

by Jim Dunlap

"Nothing To Write"

"Here I sit all broken hearted. Tried to write, but couldn't get started." The author of the gist of that poetic tome is unknown, although I read a version almost every day. I am trying real hard, but there does not seem to be anything-new happening in my animal kingdom. It has been a good week though.

Monday morning my new HOST student made me happy by talking. Her teachers said she was extremely shy and introverted. Well, with the help of those wonderful teachers, and a couple of sessions involving a baby turtle and an alligator, she now talks a blue streak. Even when we visit her class after our session, she answers all the questions from her classmates. That's a good thing.

Tuesday we taped shows three and four of a new series produced for the PISD cable television network called "Animal Soup." It involves a walking tour-show-and-tell around the Living Materials Center. My co-host, Amy Mitchell, is a student enrolled in the Communications Advanced Studies class at Plano East Senior High School taught by Mr. Bill Gilkison. The show airs every Tuesday, 8:00 pm on channel A31.

Wednesday we taped a segment of "Wednesday's Child" for WFAA, Channel 8, and Univision, Channel 23. These kids need families and this news show helps introduce them to the potential parents. The host, Gloria Compos, had as much fun with the animals as the kids. The show airs on Channels 8 and 23 on November 7^th and 14^th at noon and 5:00 pm.

Thursday and Friday kept me busy traveling to schools doing what I love; talking to kids about animals. Coming up in November, the Animal Planet cable network, which is based in New Zealand, will travel all the way to Plano to tape two segments for their show here at the center. Tammy, office manager extraordinare, will host a segment about Diglet the armadillo and I will talk about Zorro the gray fox. That might be fun, air dates forthcoming.

I wish I could think of something to write about.

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