Zoo Lights

Tonight we went to see Zoo Lights at the Oregon Zoo, and it was a delightful evening of beautiful lights, chill air, and hot cocoa.  We had a great time walking around taking in the sights and drinking our chocolate, but by far my favorite part of the evening was watching the penguins.

Yes, penguins.

The penguin enclosure was unlit, so at first it seemed we would see only darkness in the water beyond the glass. But suddenly, a flash of white came out of the blackness; one small penguin zoomed by the window, only to disappear again into the dark.  I watched, mesmerized, as a dozen or so penguins, only their white bellies visible, came close enough for me to see and then winked out again as they sped off into their nighttime pool.  It was a little creepy at first, giving me that thrill of fear that dark water inspires in the oldest part of our brains, the part that wants to know for sure whether danger is lurking under the surface.  But gradually that faded and I came to enjoy the almost magical glimpses of penguins, and to wonder at them.  They swam as penguins do, rocketing through the water like streamlined little submarines, heedless of the dark or of their observers.  It was a hopeful moment in which I really appreciated that sometimes the dark is hiding beautiful, joyful creatures, and sometimes what we cannot see is not a fearsome unknown, but a simple dance of happy penguins.

Happy New Year, everyone!