29 June 25

A few days ago I wore giraffes. Today it's elephants! I'm making up for missing the International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos, scheduled annually on 8 June. When I was growing up, one regular summer activity for our family was visiting the zoo in Philadelphia, PA, where we watched elephants in an outdoor concrete yard, chained in place with iron shackles around their feet. Things have changed enormously since then! Elephants in most (?) zoos now are given open green spaces to roam freely, and in many cases they can get some privacy (away from prying human eyes) if they desire it. But there is growing action worldwide to reduce the harboring of elephants (and other animals) for human entertainment. It's not realistic to return them to their Asian and African homes, but many options have been created to care for "retired" elephants from circuses and zoos.

10 April 23

"Jumbo" the Elephant was first exhibited in New York City on 9 April 1882. So I'm showing my African elephants tie. It's adorned with a pair of safety pins, because the patent for the first safety pin (with a coiled wire) was granted to Walter Hunt on 10 April 1849.

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9-10 April 22

"Jumbo" the Elephant was first exhibited in New York City on 9 April 1882. So I'm showing my African elephants tie. It's adorned with a pair of safety pins, because the patent for the first safety pin (with a coiled wire) was granted to Walter Hunt on 10 April 1849.

22 September 20

 It's Elephant Appreciation Day! And every year I also note this as the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. During their travels in Mordor, Frodo and his friend Sam Gamgee had the chance to "appreciate" some enormous Oliphaunts, the largest of all animals in Middle Earth.

22 September 19

This is one of several "Elephant Appreciation Days" on various calendars. So I'm wearing my African Elephants today. It is also Hobbit Day, honoring the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. Frodo's comrade Samwise Gamgee had a special fascination with elephants, known in Middle Earth as oliphaunts. Sam got to see a huge oliphaunt while he and Frodo were with Faramir in Ithilien, and he quoted an old poem about oliphaunts to Gollum (Smeagol) around the same time. We have several house elephants, related to children's story books and Habitat for Humanity.

9 April 19

"Jumbo Day" marks the date in 1882 when Jumbo the Elephant was first exhibited in New York City. That event, with its promotional posters, triggered the popular usage of the word "jumbo" as an alternative to "huge." My African elephants tie features some jumbo elephants!

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10 April 18

Some calendars proclaim yesterday (9 April) as "Jumbo Day," marking the date in 1882 when Jumbo the Elephant was first exhibited in New York City. That event, with its promotional posters, triggered the popular usage of the word "jumbo" as an alternative to "huge." My African-elephants tie is adorned with a jumbo safety pin to celebrate the patent on this date (10 April) in 1849, awarded to Walter Hunt.

12-13 August 17

Yesterday, 12 August, was World Elephant Day. I like my African Elephant tie very much! It was a Father's Day gift in 2011. Today our 4-month-old grandson Paul Robert also decided to wear a tie!

22 September 16

This is one of several "Elephant Appreciation Days" on various calendars. It is also Hobbit Day, honoring the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. Frodo's comrade Samwise Gamgee had a special fascination with elephants, known in Middle Earth as oliphaunts. Sam got to see a huge oliphaunt while he and Frodo were with Faramir in Ithilien, and he quoted an old poem about oliphaunts to Gollum (Smeagol) around the same time.

14 October 15

My tie for today shows African elephants, as selected by nephew Matt Lang for his 24th birthday yesterday! He is an electrician-in-training and an excursion-train conductor/engineer. He routinely stops at railroad crossings to take pictures of all the "little engines that can" (and their heavyweight cousins).

30 June 15

Sunday was the International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos. I was otherwise occupied that day, so the elephants get some action and attention today! When I was growing up, the elephants at the Philadelphia Zoo were constantly chained up, inside concrete-wall enclosures. Much better conditions exist today in many zoos, but even where their environments are "more natural," serious concerns about privacy, respite and community need to be addressed. Three specific cases needing urgent action are described at https://goo.gl/pU7E2R -- concerning elephants in Roanoke, VA, San Antonio, TX, and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

22 September 14

Happy Hobbit Day! Bilbo and Frodo Baggins were both born on September 22. It's also Elephant Appreciation Day, so I'm wearing elephants/Middle-Earth-"Oliphaunts" on my tie.

11 June 14

The International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos (IDEAZ) was last officially celebrated on this date in 2011, but I am keeping the tradition alive with this tie. When our family visited the Philadelphia Zoo in the late 1950s-1960s, I remember that the elephants were exhibited in concrete-walled-and-floored enclosures, and the elephants' feet were generally chained to the ground to "keep them in their place." I think most current zoos provide exhibit spaces with good natural features and roaming space, but too little is being done (as far as I know) about giving these animals good contact with "the herd," and respite from public display. Watch this video for some fun learning about the intelligence of elephants.

11 June 13

For the past few years, June 11 has been designated as International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos (IDAEZ), sponsored by "In Defense of Animals." They have not publicized it this year, but I'm wearing my African elephants tie anyway!

22 September 11

It's Elephant Appreciation Day! It's also Hobbit Day, honoring the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins. So, the animals featured on my tie are OLIPHAUNTS, as known in Middle Earth.

6 July 11

I missed the International Day of Action for Elephants in Zoos, back on June 11! I will make up for it today, showing one of my Father's Day gifts that features African elephants "in the wild." The next BIG event for elephants is "Elephant Appreciation Day," coming up on September 22.