Orange

Today was the annual open day for the Steinhardt Garden in Mt. Kisco. It is a huge property that is not only home to its wealthy owners, but also to many exotic animals, and gorgeous gardens. We arrived just as it opened, which was a good thing because by the time we left, the dirt road leading up to the house was nearly blocked by cars.

This picture was taken in their maple forest. What a gorgeous spot.

Bob and his friend basically ran for two hours exploring as much as possible. Since they petered out in their third hour, we did not see all of the animal enclosures. Next year we will bring a picnic to nourish the little marathoners so that we can enjoy the entire place.

And the term exotic animals is almost an understatement. It is a private zoo. Animals we saw included zebra, camels, many species of birds, wallabies, emus, flamingos, monkeys, capybaras, servals, and many ungulates. And we missed at least half of the paddocks. Ever the critic, the servals' enclosure was too small - two cats were pacing. And only a chain link fence and roof separated them from the outside world. I will never forget the zoo med lecture in vet school - the most dangerous animals in the zoo are the large carnivores (I guess servals really are not large enough to eat adults, but certainly a child) and the venomous animals.

The inequities of wealth distribution in this country rang out loud and clear at this property. In their defense, a google search shows that
Mr Steinhardt retired from a life as a hedge fund manager to become a philanthropist. Maybe when they die, it can become a park that everyone can enjoy every day of the year.