Giant pandas Bao Li [BOW-lee] and Qing Bao [ching-BOW] are at the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington, DC. They made their public debut on January 24, 2025, after a nineteen-hour flight to the United States from China in October of 2024. Admission to the Smithsonian National Zoo is free, but entry passes are required. It is wise to reserve your free entry pass and paid parking pass online in advance. Once in the zoo, you don’t need a special pass to see the pandas but be prepared to stand in line—especially on weekends.
The Smithsonian National Zoo is only 238 miles from our house, and Walter and I may need to start planning our trip. But we’ve had our own panda event to celebrate this month.
Panda Pete and Kim Sue, featured in the top photo of this blog, have lived with us for five years. Two years ago, they filled out paperwork to adopt a panda baby from China. Last week, I received a notice to pick up their precious baby who actually traveled to the United States with the giant pandas for the zoo! She came to us holding a pink heart tucked into a cute Valentine bag with pink-ribbon handles. When I brought the baby home, we gathered all of the bears together for a gender reveal party. It’s a girl! Pete and Kim Sue have named her Ling Sue. All the bears are fussing over the new addition to our bear family, taking turns cuddling her and rocking her to sleep. Happy Panda Valentine’s Day!
In addition to the arrival of Ling Sue, our bear named Vinny wants to propose to his girlfriend Elsie on Valentine’s Day. It was love at first sight when he arrived at our house last year, and they’ve been side by side ever since. He bought the ring and plans to take her to a candlelight dinner to pop the question. I wrote the perfect poem for his big event.
Reading by Vincent
Cupid’s Mischief
by Dee Bowlin
Red velvet hearts
adorned with white lace,
fragrant pink roses
in a cut crystal vase,
candlelight dancing
through glistening wine,
whispers of music
as two lovers dine,
a kiss for dessert—
the timing is right
for the ring in my pocket
on this Valentine’s night.
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