Not in My Neighborhood!   I could hardly contain my excitement
as my family drove  down the steep hill entering Lake Wingra
Park’s one-way road along the shoreline. It was always difficult
to find a parking space on a Sunday, but somehow we always
managed. We entered the Henry Vilas Zoo under a canopy of mature
trees. The musky scent of animals struck me along with a
lightened heart in anticipation.  We always started with the
lions, working our way past the rhinos, the incredibly long
spotted necked giraffes, and then would stop to say hello to
Winky the elephant. We would saunter on to the seals and the
monkey house. I would giggle with my sister at the pink bottoms
of the orangutans.  As we wound our way towards the bear’s
outdoor exhibit, I would sprint up to my favorite animals in the
zoo. The prairie dogs were contained in a free standing circular
upright structure. Their silly antics would keep me occupied
while everyone else was ready to move on to the bears. These
very social mammals would pop their