RIP MARILYN, MY FAVORITE GIRAFFE AT THE MEMPHIS ZOO

RIP MARILYN:

On Oct. 30th, 2019 Memphis Zoo officials have announced the sad news that its oldest giraffe has died at the age of 26. Marilyn was a favorite of zoo visitors; she gave birth to six calves.

Zoo officials said in the post that the giraffe's "strong maternal instincts and experience made her a regular 'auntie' and 'midwife'" for other new mothers and young giraffes in the herd.

I’d like to celebrate her life! So, I built a photo gallery here of some of my pictures of Marilyn, her babies and some of the other giraffes. As a photojournalist in Memphis, I photographed Marilyn often and also many of her babies at one time or another over the years. Watching and photographing giraffes is one of my favorite pastimes.

Reticulated giraffes are endangered, but Marilyn did her share to reproduce this beautiful creature. The Memphis Zoo’s breeding program has been very successful. For several years here in Memphis, we’ve enjoyed baby giraffes each spring. The gestational period of a giraffe is over a year and their babies are usually born at about six feet in height.

Reticulated giraffes are native to Somalia but they are also found in Northern Kenya. It is estimated that there are less than 9,000 Reticulated Giraffes left in the wild.

The first video below is of Marilyn and her baby. I made other short videos of the giraffe’s at the Memphis zoo and I will share them here too because giraffes, especially baby giraffes, are such a joy to watch.

VIDEOS BELOW:

Memphis Zoo Giraffe Marilyn gets to know her new baby at the Memphis Zoo. Spring of 2016

Springtime At the Memphis Zoo- Visitors to the Memphis Zoo are in for a double treat this spring!!! The Memphis Zoo Welcomes Second New Baby Giraffe in Less Than One Week~ Wendy, a Memphis Zoo giraffe gave birth recently to a boy calf and his is name is Kiburi, which means precocious in Swahili.

The Memphis Zoo has had three baby Reticulated giraffes this year. All three are doing well and on exhibit. Bogie, the first one of the three, was born on exhibit and is being hand raised and bottle fed.

Visitors to the Memphis Zoo got to see a live birth when one of the giraffes gave birth while on exhibit April 3, 2017. "Memphis Zoo is pleased to announce the birth of a baby boy giraffe, "Bogey." Bogey was born on Monday, April 3 at noon, while mother "Akili" was on exhibit.

Thanks for the memories.

Uncommon Friends

A pig, Miss Betty, and a goat have become inseparable friends at a farm in Mississippi. It is unusual as pigs can be aggressive when it comes to their food, they have also been known to eat anything, including goats.

MEMPHIS UKULELE FLASH MOB HOSTS MEMPHIS UKE-N-ROLL FESTIVAL

UPDATE: UKE FESTIVAL POSTPONED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS-THE FESTIVAL WILL BE RESCHEDULED FOR A LATER DATE. STAY TUNED….RETURNING IN 2021

Pete McCarty invites everyone to the Memphis Uke N Roll Festival in April of 2020. Come join the Memphis Ukulele Flash Mob as we have a four day party in Memphis that celebrates everything wonderful about the ukulele. For tickets go to www.memphisukenroll.com

What started out as a small group of friends getting together to jam has grown into a wonderful ukulele community in Memphis. The Memphis Ukulele Flash mob meets each week at Central BBQ on Summer Avenue in Memphis on Tuesday evenings from 6-8pm for a standing room only sing-a-long led Pete McCarty.

Memphis Magazine recently did a story on Pete and the Flash Mob calling them the Pied Piers of Happiness who “bring joy to the world.”

https://memphismagazine.com/culture/the-pied-pipers-of-happiness/

The all volunteer group also spend their time and talent spreading love around the community, playing for nursing homes, children’s hospitals, farmers markets and even holiday parades.

The festival will showcase talent from around the country, there will be workshops, open mic opportunities, sing-a-longs, fun and fellowship in the south main neighborhood in downtown Memphis.

Enjoy this photo gallery which will get you a sense of our city, Memphis, the city we love so much. You can also see some of the Memphis Ukulele Flash Mob members spreading some love. (Photos by Karen Pulfer Focht ©)

To see other videos and photos of the Memphis Ukulele Flash Mob look under “Ukulele Fun” Category on my blog.

Now, ya’ll come!

John Michael Talbot in Memphis

John Michael Talbot sings Healer of My Soul at St. Louis Catholic Church in Memphis, Tennessee. The event was sponsored by Lumen Civitatis. John Michael Talbot is an American Roman Catholic singer, songwriter, guitarist, author and founder of a monastic community known as the Brothers and Sisters of Charity.

He is a multi-platinum selling, Grammy / Dove award winning Contemporary Christian Music pioneer. He is recognized as one of Catholic music's most popular artists with compositions published in hymnals throughout the world.

John Michael Talbot sings Healer of My Soul at St. Louis Catholic Church in Memphis, Tennessee. The event was sponsored by Lumen Civitatis. John Michael Talbot is an American Roman Catholic singer, songwriter, guitarist, author, television presenter and founder of a monastic community known as the Brothers and Sisters of Charity.

Memphis Uke-N-Roll Jamboree April 23-26, 2020 (SAVE THE DATE!!)

Each Tuesday the Memphis Ukulele Flash Mob meets at Central BBQ on Summer Ave. in Memphis . The weekly sing along is led by Pete McCarty (AKA Petey Mack) About 100 people of all ages show up with ukuleles and kazoos in hand to play and sing together. The all volunteer Memphis Ukulele Flash Mob also plays on occasion for the elderly, for sick children and even at some area Farmers Markets and festivals.

Memphis has a very rich music history and is the perfect place to hold a ukulele festival.

It was recently announced that the Memphis Uke-N-Roll Jamboree, a ukulele festival in Memphis, is being planned for April 23-26 2020. Save the date, more information is coming. YA’LL COME- https://memphisukenroll.com/

The Brown County Ukulele Festival was held in Brown County Indiana in January of 2019 at the Brown County Inn. The weekend was full of workshops, concerts and jams.

You’ve never been to a ukulele festival? Well click the VIDEO ABOVE to get an idea of what goes on. This video is from the Brown County Ukulele Festival in Brown County Indiana.

For more on the Memphis Ukulele Flash Mob see

http://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/stjudemarathon2018
http://www.karenpulferfocht.com/blog/memphisukuleleflashmob

FOR MORE ABOUT MEMPHIS SEE:

https://www.travelchannel.com/destinations/north-america/us/tn/memphis/why-memphis-is-the-hottest-southern-destination-of-2019--?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=January_Social&utm_content=TravelChannel_MemphisHotSouthernCity

https://www.memphistravel.com/

Frommer’s recently named Memphis a must see detination https://www.frommers.com/destinations/memphis

National Geographic named Memphis one of the top destinations in the world. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/destinations/north-america/united-states/tennessee/memphis/