Hippograms

A Very Sad Hippo Still Loves You

2011-08-03T23:58:00.002-04:00

Dear Hippo-fans,

I'm a very sad hippo right now, and sorry to tell you that Rick--my co-blogger and best friend in the world--passed away after a very long illness.

I haven't posted much lately, and I'm going to take a break from it again, but he made me promise to go back to having adventures and blogging about them when I'm ready.

I'm very grateful to have had the support of my hippo-fans through everything. I know Rick was, too.

Love,
Hippo

Hippo Cinco de Mayo

2011-05-08T23:57:00.014-04:00

Hello Hippo Fans! I'm still mostly on hiatus, trying to take good care of a sick member of the pod, but I wanted to surface to wish you all a hippo Cinco do Mayo!

I hope everyone enjoyed a nice meal and celebrated with a fiesta,

Even if a sneaky bunny stole your sombrero!

New Additions

2011-05-06T21:36:00.001-04:00

We've had a few new additions to our hippo pod over the past few months. Please welcome:

Hiccup (purple) - A very supportive 'po. Rather timid, though. He gets the hiccups whenever he gets scared--which happens a lot.

Nancy (pink) - Met Hippo while waiting for a flight at Reagan National Airport. She has become close friends with Frankie, and they enjoy lighting up and wearing glow sticks on special occasions.

Ronnie (blue) - Came bearing a gift of jelly beans. Quick to smile and laugh at any opportunity (especially when he has eaten too much sugar--like in jelly beans).

...and just because they felt neglected lately, Hippo and Frankie want to say "hello again!"

We hope everyone had a Hippo Easter!

Hippo Friend

2011-01-10T23:57:00.000-05:00

One of my loyal fans shared a photo of a rather irresistibly cute little hippo. I think I even see a family resemblance with a certain blog-writing hippo! This might be another hippo cousin...

The pod and I hope everyone had a good holiday season and got a hippopotamus for Christmas. If not, hippos make good valentines, too.

Frankie's Christmas

2010-12-28T15:57:00.000-05:00

Our friend Frankie sent along some photos from his Christmas celebrations:

Citrus boxes are a comfortable way to travel. They're nicely padded and smell so good.

Hello, Holly! She's hanging around the Christmas tree to catch a glimpse of Santa on Christmas Eve.

The first thing to inspect on Christmas morning is the stockings. Will all my favorite candies be inside?

Dear Hippo Claus,

2010-12-24T19:20:00.000-05:00

All of the hippos in the pod have been very good hippos this year (especially me!). We baked you some cookies and left some candy canes for the reindeer. If they aren't hungry right away, they can always hang them on their antlers to save for later. Have you ever considered having a hippo help pull your sleigh? Some hippos are very big and strong, and could probably help you finish all the cookies when you aren't hungry.

For Christmas, we would like some new hippo toys, some warm hippo sweaters, or whatever else you would like to bring. Most of all, we want a hippopotamus for Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Santa! (and hippo fans!)

Love,

Hippo and the pod

It's beginning to look a lot like....

2010-12-10T20:31:00.002-05:00

Christmas!

I think this tree might be big enough for all the presents to fit.

...And there is the Big Guy, himself! (that's me, peeking in the side)

By the time I made it downstairs, I was so excited to give Mr. Claus all the wish lists from the pod, find out what kinds of cookies he and the reindeer want for their Christmas Eve snack, give him a big hippo hug, and get his autograph, I forgot to take a picture.

At least I have another two weeks to let him taste test the cookies, amend our lists, and take more pictures!

Free Zoolights!

2010-12-05T22:36:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year again, and this time ZooLights is free! (except for souvenirs, junk food, and parking)

For anyone who goes, you can help some of the hungry people (and hippos) in Washington, DC by bringing canned goods to fill one of Uncle Happy's old hippo crates. That's going to take a LOT of food.

This year, there are trains--big light up ones, little ones to see, and even one to ride!

Can you spot the hippo saying "hi" to Thomas? Thomas is a little bit blurry because he wouldn't stop moving.

The gin-GRR-bread lion habitat contest made me really hungry; my stomach even started growling like a lion. This one is my favorite because I also like to spend time at the National Gallery of Art Scultpture Garden

Those are just a few of the fun things to do and see. I'll post more of my photos of the lights later!

Zoo Friends

2010-12-03T22:46:00.001-05:00

Since I had some time off last weekend, I brought Opie and some of the other hippos to the zoo to visit some of our friends.

The Otter Brothers invited us to play a game of tag,

Mr. Leo offered us lunch, but service was taking a long time, so he got a little grumpy,

The 'mingo party thought we would enjoy a dip in the jacuzzi and shrimp cocktail,

And the Donkey family invited us to join a game of football...or rugby...or something....

We stopped in to say hello to a lot of our other friends, too, but one of our new favorite things to see at the zoo is this nice statue of Uncle Happy!

Hippo Holiday Spirit

2010-11-28T23:48:00.000-05:00

Now that Thanksgiving is done, it's time to finish shopping for presents for my little hippo pod. To help me get into the holiday spirit, I did a few of my favorite holiday things.

I went to see the skating rink at the National Gallery of Art Scultpture Garden.

They didn't have any little hippo size skates, so I watched the other visitors, admired the scenery, and sipped a hot chocolate to keep my snout warm.

After that, I decided to go see the fancy window displays at Macy's. Yes, hippos, there is a Santa Claus!

This window reminded me that I needed to do my shopping! I went to the bookstore to pick up a few more presents. (Don't tell anyone what I bought for them--it's a surprise!)

Shopping works up quite an appetite! I finished my day with dinner and visiting with some new friends!

CHEERS!

Pie!

2010-11-26T22:37:00.000-05:00

Happy Hippo Thanksgiving to all;

I hope everyone celebrated with all the pie you can eat!

Dental Care for Hippos

2010-11-05T09:37:00.000-04:00

Even hippopotamuses have to remember to brush their teeth. At this zoo in China, the hippos get some help from a zookeeper with a broom.

If they're lucky, they might get more help fighting those decay germs from a friendly beaver.

Happy Hippoween

2010-10-28T07:55:00.000-04:00

It's almost Halloween, and everyone is decorating and dressing up. This tree is dressed up in pretty pumpkin colors.

Wow! Look at this huge spiderweb! I wonder who built it?

YIKES!

Not funny. Next time, someone should tell me when there might be a giant hippo-eating spider looking over my shoulder.

Even the rose bushes are getting all dressed up for the big day, with a little help from "Mr. Legs."

Now I just need to decide which costume I'm going to wear!

Urban Hippo

2010-10-25T23:44:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about being a little hippo in the city is taking advantage of all the things to do outside, but close to home. This time of year is especially busy!

Here I am at the Bethesda Metro station on my way to another festival.

Happy Punctuation Day!!!

2010-09-24T21:37:00.000-04:00

Every well educated little hippo should know how to use punctuation correctly. That's why National Punctuation Day is one of my favorite holidays!

You're probably wondering how to celebrate. I recommend watching this video:

Question marks are my favorite; they sound funny, they're fun to draw, and using them usually gets information.

Heropotamus

2010-09-15T21:40:00.004-04:00

click here for full size

After reading about the adventures of Heropotamus, Hippo wants a mask and cape of his own.

Meet Schnaubbles

2010-09-12T18:24:00.000-04:00

Hippo was out shopping one day when he came across a distinguished-looking young hippopotamus. He saw that he was up for adoption and realized he had saved enough allowance to bring him home!

So he gave the check-out lady a picture of George Washington and she gave him back an Abraham Lincoln coin and let him take his new friend home.

Hippo presented the new hippo to his human who promptly named him "Schnaubbles".

Begemots

2010-09-07T10:47:00.000-04:00

Hippo's friend Elena sent photos of a hippopotamus (begemot) she found grazing on snowflakes in Moscow, Russia.

Note from Hippo: It may be short-sleeve weather in America, but Russia is on the other side of the world so it's cold and snowy there.

He wonders if they'll migrate over here when the seasons change.

Ludwig's Summer Vacation

2010-08-30T10:27:00.000-04:00

It's just about time to head back to school (or work). So Hippo's friend Ludwig von Flusspferd wrote to tell more about how he spent his summer vacation.

After some time spent seeing doctors, his vacation became more fun.

Supervising the van-packing. It's amazing how much stuff a little hippo can possibly need.

Smiling for the camera on his new little hippo-sized Nintendo DSi XL.

Rolling in a bed of his favorite flowers: snapdragons! They sound scary, but their mouths are so soft that it just tickles when they bite.

Thanks for sharing, Ludwig! From the rest of you, Hippo A. Potamus would like to know:

How did you and your hippo spend summer vacation?

Meet D.H.

2010-08-24T23:14:00.001-04:00

Contrary to popular belief, I am NOT afraid of the vacuum cleaner. When my staff was cleaning the other day, the only reason I ran under the couch was to pick up some change that rolled underneath.

(Maybe it wouldn't do that if I had pockets.)

I guess it had been a while since we cleaned under there, since I made a new friend.

Meet D.H. (short for Dust Hippo).

He's so tiny, it is kind of hard to see him. Here's a close-up.

And here he is trying to run off with part of my allowance!

*Note from Hippo's Handlers--D.H. didn't really grow up under the couch. He moved here from a nice place called Moss Mountain (mossmountain.blogspot.com) when he got a job offer from our pod to be Undersecretary of Couch Stuff. And he wasn't stealing Hippo's allowance, either.

Dr. Hippo's Practice

2010-08-13T00:13:00.000-04:00

Since I've spent so much time taking care of sick hippos in my little pod,

I decided I should practice medicine.

I'm going to practice, and practice, and practice on Opie until I get really good at it.

Messy, gross things make me kind of woozy,

But I'm really good at prescribing Band-aids and Tylenol.

Get well, hippos!

Hippos (sort of) at Work

2010-07-28T13:06:00.011-04:00

Another FOH (Friend of Hippo) discovered she gets to work with hippos (sort of) every day. Not the cute little kind like me, or the cute rotund kind like Jessica or Owen or Uncle Happy.

This is the cute, little kind of hippo.

These hippos are lucky enough to live in a big, fancy library! This library is so fancy, they use old card catalog cards for scrap paper.

This kind of hippo is the patron saint of brewers (I knew there was a reason I like root beer!), printers, theologians, and sore eyes.

Cameras weren't invented yet when he was alive, but he looked kind of like this.

This is another kind of sort-of a hippo.

Saint Augustine of Hippo.

Injury

2010-07-24T12:21:00.001-04:00

Ludwig von Flusspferd is on summer vacation in Michigan. It's considerably cooler there than his hometown of Washington, DC. Since he's too absorbent to wade in a pool, he prefers to lounge in the shade with a mild breeze and a cool drink.

But yesterday his human escort injured his leg and had to go see a doctor for X-rays. So they ventured out into the hot weather. It was kind of scary looking at all the instruments while they waited for the doctor. And in the X-ray room there was a hard table and some kind of apparatus hanging from the ceiling that looked like it'd be good at bonking you on the head.

His human was okay – nothing broken. And Ludwig got to pick a cool sticker on his way out.

Too hot for hippos

2010-07-07T23:35:00.000-04:00

My apologies to all hippo-fans and Friends of Hippo for taking so long between posts. I've been so busy, and it has been too hot to go on my usual outings and adventures.

Between bouts of sitting in front of the air conditioner sipping lemonade and eating popsicles, I've been trying to look after an unwell member of our little hippo-pod. Hopefully, he is on the mend and we will start taking field trips again, soon.

Dressing in my doctor duds probably helps him heal faster.

In the meantime, think cool thoughts!

Hippo of Mystery

2010-06-06T16:07:00.000-04:00

Much like other superheroes, I have an alter ego. My loyal hippo-fans know me as a mild-mannered executive hippo by day...

...but I become Ninja-hippo by night!

Sometimes the quick changes confuse me.

Misery Bear

2010-05-26T14:06:00.002-04:00

Hippo has been feeling a bit blue lately. But misery loves company so he was excited to find another diminutive fuzzy animal who's been having a rough time too.

Hippo Zombie

2010-05-07T13:46:00.001-04:00

Hippo's special birthday cartoon

Hippo Fiesta

2010-05-05T19:13:00.000-04:00

Hippo Cinco de Mayo!

(I'm doing my Hippo Hat Dance)

And Hippo Birthday!

But after all the fiesta, this hippo needs a siesta.

Hippo B. Potamus

2010-04-16T15:57:00.050-04:00

Have you ever Googled yourself? Typed your name into a search engine and seen what information about you is on the web?

Well, a little Mr. Hippo B. Potamus entered his name into a Google search, and Google said, "Did you mean Hippo A. Potamus?".

"Intriguing. Another hippo with a similar name?", Mr. B. Potamus thought as he perched in a tree among the blossoms. "Let's find out more about this fellow."

So he clicked a link and discovered our own little Hippo A. Potamus.

What a joyful reunion! Hippo was thrilled to meet a possible relative – maybe a cousin? There is a family resemblance, despite the difference in color and extra legs. Hippo A. Potamus has only two legs, but he's equipped with a special boogie pouch that helps him dance and pose with dexterity. And Hippo B. Potamus has an eye patch to cover a swashbuckling injury.

Two more hippos brought together by the power of the World Wide Web. Isn't that wonderful?

Hippo Ennumeration

2010-04-14T12:21:00.013-04:00

A Friend of Hippo (FOH) pointed out that if I don't take a thorough snout-count of my hippo household, I might miss out on civic hippo representation and civic hippo dollars!

But do I count just us fuzzy ones? Do the House Hippos have their own count? Does Tiny count as a fraction of a hippo? Does Frankie count as a hippo-and-a-half? How do you count Flatopotamus? Does anyone have enough fingers to count us all?

We'll just let FOH's and ennumerators count for themselves.

Click to enlarge

That reminds me – Have all you humans sent your census forms in?!?

Click to enlarge

Twenty-five hippopotamuses! Hippos truly are social animals. How many hippos are in your household?

Easter Hippo

2010-04-11T21:01:00.008-04:00

I hope all the hippo fans had a good Easter and a nice spring break. I must have been a very good hippo, since the Easter Hippo left me a basket full of goodies.

He left some yummy chocolate eggs, my very own tiny hippo size Slinkie toy, and best of all – my own itty-bitty baby dwarf house hippo!

Meet ??? the Octopus

2010-03-28T22:06:00.002-04:00

Since Happy and Tai Shan have moved away, I decided to make a new friend at the zoo. Meet "???" the Giant Pacific Octopus. Poor "???" doesn't have a name yet, but you can help name him.

I was very pleased to meet "???" but I didn't shake his hand(s)--we just gently high fived--or eighted--through his aquarium glass. He isn't very "giant" at three pounds, but that's okay. I'm not very big for a hippo, either.

UPDATE--Mr. ???'s new name is Octavius!

Hippo Patties Day

2010-03-23T19:09:00.000-04:00

With "O'Potamus" in my family name, St. Patrick's Day just had to turn into a week-long celebration!

(not to mention the fact that certain little hippos will use almost any excuse to celebrate)

I don't recommend the green root beer, though. Bleah! Regular root beer tastes much better and doesn't turn one's tongue funny colors.

Detroit Zoo Commercial

2010-03-18T10:31:00.005-04:00

One of the highlights of Hippo's national tour of zoos has been the Detroit Zoo. The animals there were all very professional and musically talented. This commercial from the 1980's gives a taste:

Hippo Hugs for Health

2010-03-09T00:27:00.000-05:00

Some hippos might need a little extra attention while we work on getting better. Dr. Hippo says a hippo hug a day keeps the doctors at bay (or at least makes the hippo happy). Don't forget to hug your hippo today!

Get well, hippos!

2010-03-02T07:46:00.004-05:00

Several hippos have been under the weather, lately. Dr. Hippo recommends washing paws often, eating a bowl of soup, and tucking in under some warm blankets.

Hippos on Ice

2010-02-25T20:04:00.000-05:00

Since we're stuck with winter – and the snow and ice that go with it – for a while longer, our little hippo clan decided to hold our own Hipp-O-Lympics.

You already know that Frankie likes curling, Aurora is a world-champion snow-hippo builder, Ludwig likes the slalom snow-hippo-angel making competition, Squeaky thinks the huge-hippo-luge looks interesting, and Opie is a speed-snout-sliding world champion!

As for me, I like ALL the winter hippo sports, but the napping-on-the-couch-after-a-cup-of-hot-chocolate-with-mini-marshmallows-marathon is my favorite!

Frankie Likes To Curl

2010-02-22T13:43:00.003-05:00

Frankie's favorite winter game is curling.

His rotund physique is perfect for the sport.

His butt gets a little chilly and the sweepers tickle.

But sliding and bouncing are fun!

Thawing out the Zoo

2010-02-21T08:24:00.002-05:00

Hippo stayed warm indoors during the blizzards. But now that the snow is melting, he took Aurora out for a stroll through the zoo.

Looks like the sloth bears haven't shoveled their walking paths yet. So lazy...

The elephant walk is very pretty under a blanket of snow. But it'd look even better with some snow elephants.

Poor Bronze panda hasn't had his ears scritched or snout rubbed in a week.

Momma panda is happily munching in the sunshine.

Oodles and Oodles of Noodles

2010-02-13T11:36:00.002-05:00

Hippo has a sudden craving for noodles.

Frankie's Weather Report

2010-02-09T11:50:00.003-05:00

During the Snowpocalypse of 2010, Frankie went outside to report on the weather.

The snow is five hippos deep and the temperature is two chills and a shiver. If you're going outside, bundle up!

The cars are hibernating. We'd better travel by foot.

Ludwig was hoping to visit the animals in the zoo, but nobody shoveled their sidewalk yet. We hope they have some good cartoons to watch and hot chocolate to warm up with.

The humans are sliding down a hill and struggling to climb back up. They probably wouldn't fall so fast if they didn't sit on those sheets of plastic.

Nature is very pretty when she puts her snow on.

It's unusually quiet and peaceful in the big city today. Maybe there will be more activity down this way.

The kids were starting up a snowball fight. Ludwig ducked behind a bush for a quick snapshot and then scurried off to safety.

The snowmen are growing fat this winter. They must be getting ready for a long, hot summer.

The Great Snow-pocalypse of 2010

2010-02-07T17:20:00.005-05:00

I've heard the "staff" grumbling something about "H-E-double hockey sticks freezing over," but the rest of our little hippo bloat thinks the snow is pretty.

Aurora especially likes to play outside in the snow. She built her own little snow hippo friend.

Aurora also likes kitties and was very impressed by a snow kitty she saw on her walk.

Brrrr! Aurora got kind of cold and wet after a while, so she stopped for some coffee to warm up.

I wonder what all the other hippos were up to during the blizzard?!?!

Squeaky and Tai Shan

2010-02-03T13:21:00.000-05:00

Hippo's friend Squeaky also wanted to see Tai Shan before he left America.

It was a nice snowy day to enjoy Winter at the National Zoo.

Even big kitties, which normally are not fond of water, seemed to enjoy a bit of snow on the snout.

Squeaky checked on the progress of the elephant walk construction. Elephant-sized path: check. Big bath tub: check. Elephants: elephants? Where are they?

Humans outnumber the critters at the zoo today. Maybe the elephants are hiding. Or helping to plow the parking lots to make room for all the visitors.

She sees him! She seems him! Tai Shan!

Snow makes pandas hungry.

Eating can get tiring.

Time for a snooze in the snow.

And time for lunch. An apple sandwich and bamboo fries, please!

Goodbye, Tai Shan!

2010-02-03T10:14:00.001-05:00

It's a sad day for Washington, D.C., and the National Zoo. Our own baby panda, Tai Shan, has grown to a rambunctious 4-year-old and it's time for him to travel to China to start meeting all the panda ladies.

The crowds were thick, so Hippo observed from the balcony.

Tai Shan, like any little boy, doesn't seem too concerned with the commotion. He's most interested in his fruit pop.

Mom munched on her own snack next door. Is she going to miss Tai Shan? Or is she dreaming of a new baby panda joining the family?

Daddy is very relaxed, enjoying a quiet nap on his heated rock.

Zoo Presents

2010-02-01T17:17:00.000-05:00

It was a cold January in Washington, D.C., so Hippo spent most of his time inside enjoying all his fun Christmas presents:

A snazzy tie, lots of candy, a paper hippo art project, some zoo animals, and a National Zoo T-shirt!

Hippo did venture out to visit Tai Shan and show him his National Zoo spirit.

But Tai Shan was more interested in munching on bamboo.

The Przewalski's horses never seems to mind cold weather.

But the cows seem frozen in place.

The orangutans enjoy playing ghost. Or abominable snowman.

Bon Voyage, Panda Boy!

2010-01-26T00:51:00.004-05:00

My pal Tai Shan, the National Zoo's "baby" panda, has his bags packed to leave on February 4 and is all ready to meet his new friends in China. Here he is-mid-snooze-practicing for the time difference.

I guess he didn't want to pay extra for his bags and have his bamboo snacks confiscated at security, because he's traveling on FedEx! First class on FedEx probably means he will have more leg room, and won't have to put up with anyone kicking the back of his seat or reclining their seat into his lap.

Happy Birthday (Hip)Poe!

2010-01-19T20:45:00.004-05:00

Today was Edgar Allan (Hip)Poe's 201st birthday! I'm afraid of visiting spooky graveyards in the dark, so I went to visit his grave site during daylight hours in September when it was sunny and warm.

For the first time since 1949, the Poe Toaster didn't show up. Maybe he had his calendar open to the wrong page.

Message in the Snow

2010-01-11T20:04:00.001-05:00

Little Christmas

2010-01-06T10:37:00.003-05:00

Today is Epiphany / Feast of the Three Kings, a holiday marking the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas and celebrating the arrival of three kings bearing gifts. Hippo is waiting patiently to give and receive all our own little hippo gifts tonight.

In the meantime we'll be shaking the presents, snacking on carrots and cookies, and playing games. We hope you have a day just as fun. Merry Little Christmas!

Ludwig

2009-12-29T10:40:00.002-05:00

Ludwig von Flusspferd wrote to tell Hippo how much he likes seeing all the fun things that Hippo does. And he wanted to share some other things that he likes to do too.

Ludwig likes snuggling in for a long trip.

Ludwig likes consulting the lunch menu.

Ludwig likes food shaped like O's

Ludwig likes playing in the snow.

Ludwig likes making angelic snow hippos.

Ludwig likes computing probability distributions.

Ludwig likes decorating cookies.

Ludwig likes playing the Moonlight Sonata.

Ludwig likes eating cake.

Ludwig likes art.

Ludwig likes posing with statues.

Ludwig likes pretty pictures.

Ludwig likes collecting souvenirs.

Ludwig likes getting presents.

Ludwig likes playing games.

Ludwig likes fancy dinners.

Ludwig likes dessert.

Ludwig likes taking naps.

Sweet dreams, Ludwig. And have a happy new year!

Hippo Christmas!

2009-12-25T00:43:00.005-05:00

Hippo hopes everybody got a hippopotamus for Christmas.

Hippo Christmas to all, and to all a good hippo-night!

Mystery of Henrietta the Hippo

2009-12-24T07:59:00.006-05:00

Hippo wonders who asked for a 200-pound pink hippopotamus for Christmas.

A fiberglass hippo named Henrietta retired from a children's zoo to El Dorado Hills, California. But now she's gone missing!

Fiberglass Hippo Stolen From Home

Hippo hopes it was just Santa's elves who took her back to his workshop to fix her fountain and patch her paint.

Festival of Lights

2009-12-22T15:08:00.000-05:00

While we were out walking through ZooLights, Hippo asked if he could take a few pictures himself. He had a little trouble holding the camera steady, what with the shivers and excitement and all. But he seemed to capture the essence of the festive lights.

Hipp-snow-potamus

2009-12-19T15:19:00.006-05:00

Brrrr! Opie wished for snow for Christmas, but Santa seemed to have gotten a little carried away!

Horatio is trying to see how much snow fell.

Look at those snowdrifts!

My tiny friend Aurora said she was going outside to try her new hat, but I can't find her.

There she is! She can't wait to build a snow hippo and then warm her toes with some hot chocolate.

Happy snow day!

ZooLights

2009-12-14T19:51:00.000-05:00

A favorite holiday tradition for Hippo is dressing warm on a cold December night and going for a very special walk through the National Zoo.

It's ZooLights!

The trails are ablaze with festive lights.

And glowing animals appear around every corner.

Even tropical birds enjoy the festivities.

Hippo has stars in his eyes.

Tigers prowl the forest.

Chasing after butterflies.

The light pandas are munching happily.

And the fuzzy pandas are snoozing. Tai Shan must have gotten tired packing for his big trip to China.

A family of elephants is stomping through the grass.

And making it hard to hold the camera steady.

It's not quite cold enough to build snowhippos yet. But the water is definitely too cold for a swim.

We should go warm up in the barn.

The alpacas are getting cozy in their beds and probably wondering what's with all the late night visitors.

But the goats are already fast asleep.

A squirrel is outside juggling acorns.

And a pumpkin is grazing on the – wait, pumpkins aren't animals. Pumpkins are food! Mmm, food…

Nothing can be more satisfying after a brisk walk in the cold than warm cinnamon donuts and hot chocolate.

Hippo Claus

2009-12-11T08:18:00.003-05:00

This is Opie's first Christmas with our clan. The other hippos have been telling him about all the exciting activities this season brings: Hunting for a 12-inch Christmas tree. Decking the halls with penguins. Advent calendars filled with chocolate. Cutting out cookies shaped like stars and sheep. Beautiful lights at the zoo. And a visit from a jolly elf in a red suit!

We were surprised when Santa Claus made a personal appearance at our home one night, far ahead of Christmas Eve. He invited Opie to sit on his lap and telling what a good hippopotamus he has been all year.

Opie was a little shy but thrilled to meet the big guy (who must have magically shrunk himself to little hippo size). Opie did comment that Santa Claus sounded a little different than he expected. Instead of "Ho! Ho! Ho!", Santa went more like "Giggle. Giggle. Oof! Snicker. Giggle." when Opie sat on his lap.

Hippo says he knows just what to get Opie this year. What a thoughtful friend!

Not Kermit

2009-12-07T22:51:00.003-05:00

Frankie heard that Hippo hangs out with Kermit the Frog. So he was very excited when he met Kermit himself! He found him in the forest, burrowing in some wet leaves and slurping up slugs. He invited him inside to warm up with some hot chocolate and a good movie.

Cards by Hippo

2009-12-04T11:46:00.004-05:00

Hippo can do amazing things with some colored paper, paste, and scissors (supervised, of course). He made these cards with the Japanese art of kirigami.

Frankie Is Thankful

2009-11-29T23:52:00.000-05:00

Frankie is thankful for Thanksgiving vacation.

Frankie is thankful for car rides.

Frankie is thankful for rest stops.

Frankie is thankful for cranberries.

Frankie is thankful for pie.

Frankie is thankful for games.

Frankie is thankful for kitties.

Frankie is thankful for leftovers.

Frankie is thankful for returning home after a fun trip.

Happy and the Girls

2009-11-25T09:09:00.004-05:00

Long time Washingtonian Happy the Hippo is relaxing in the pool at his new home in Milwaukee. He recently discovered a couple of eligible hippo ladies right next door:

Puddles, 33, shorter and a bit heftier at 2,900 pounds, is the offspring of Pinky and Patti. She was born in Milwaukee. She and Happy seem to have hit it off. They have been seen licking each other, although hippos are also known to lick the floor.

Is a steel "howdy gate" enough to keep these two lovers apart? Read the article in the Washington Post for more juicy details!

Happy Embraces a Whole New Dating Pool

American History

2009-11-18T11:25:00.000-05:00

Veteran's Day fell on a Wednesday this year. What do you do on a cold, rainy day off from school? Visit the Smithsonian Museum of American History!

We were welcomed by a protocol droid named C-3PO. He is fluent in over six million forms of communication, including Potamus. Hippo and C-3PO had a fascinating discussion about lunch etiquette, including where to stuff the napkin when you're not wearing a collar.

Hippo is a member of the V.I.P. (Very Important Puppet) Lounge. So we spent some time schmoozing with his old friend Kermit the Frog.

We like to visit the Room of Things That Are Bright And Noisy. It's fascinating to see all the clever things that people have invented in America. Hippo got a few bright ideas of his own.

No visit to a museum is complete without a pressed penny. Hippo posed with his "America On The Move - Winton Car" coin after the most important stop of the day to see the real, first Star Spangled Banner.

Frankie Likes To Spin

2009-11-16T10:21:00.003-05:00

National Arboretum

2009-11-13T09:21:00.002-05:00

Hippo likes to go out and explore nature, especially at this time of year when nature is so pretty. When he doesn't have time to travel far, he likes to visit the National Arboretum in Washington, DC.

It was a little early on Hippo's visit in October to see much color in the trees. But he liked this bright orange one and thought it'd make a wonderful Jack o'Lantern.

These columns were part of the US Capitol for over a century. When the Capitol was expanded the columns were moved to an open field where they contrast beautifully against the sky.

In the quiet areas of the Arboretum, the trees act a little silly when they think nobody is watching. Hippo caught this one make shadow puppets with its leaves.

The wooly worms were busy getting ready for winter. Hippo noted a faint smell of grapes and apples emanating from their dens. They must be stocking up on food for months of cold and snow.

There's a Scratch & Sniff garden that Hippo likes to explore. Sometimes he rubs his paws in the mint and herbs so he can remind himself of the delicious smells when he gets home.

Happy Birthday Sesame Street!

2009-11-10T20:53:00.004-05:00

I just love shows with puppets. Especially this one!

Marble Columns

2009-11-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

Marble columns! Elegant, sturdy, and bursting with class.

Nothing says you've got money and power like marble columns! You put marble columns on your house and that place looks like a mansion!

Look at these columns! Look at this one. Look at that one.

You gotta get yourself some marble columns!

Cake Wrecks

2009-11-05T22:34:00.006-05:00

Hippo discovered that there are Web sites where people write funny things every day. One of his favorites is called Cake Wrecks. They show what happens when professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong:

Q) What do you get if you cross Princess Leia, Dracula, and the Bride of Frankenstein?

A) This.

Hippo was excited to hear that the authors were coming to a bookstore near his hometown. They even brought along some funny cakes to share.

The cakes are so funny that they make him squirt root beer out his nose. I got him a book of Cake Wrecks so he'd stop getting my computer all sticky.

It was exciting to meet a real Web celebrity in person!

She wrote:

To Hippo

Under Neat That

Enjoy the "cake"!

- Jen Yates

Conservation Center

2009-11-04T11:00:00.003-05:00

One of Hippo's favorite places in the world is Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington, DC. He heard rumors that they have a farm where they raise endangered animals. So in October we drove out to Front Royal, Virginia to visit the critters during a special open house.

Lots of families with children were visiting too. But as far as we know, Hippo was the only hippo there.

It's important to protect delicate snouts from the sun.

Some big boys and girls played army on a hilltop. They galloped around, fired rifles, and hit targets with sabers while riding on horseback.

There was a long wait to see the rare clouded leopard cubs, so Hippo took the time to plan the rest of his visit.

The clouded leopards were worth the wait. They engaged in a wrestling match to keep us entertained.

Hippo found some chalk and left his mark on a wall.

He also left a message for the Zoo's recent graduate, Happy the Hippopotamus.

Hippo made friends with the local wildlife at the visitor center in Shenandoah National Park.

The view from Skyline Drive through the Park was spectacular.

Halloween Party

2009-11-01T09:14:00.002-05:00

Hippo, Opie, Frankie, Squeaky, Flatopotamus, Grumpy Ducky, and a host of costumed acquaintances threw a wild Halloween party.

Opie won the prize for Best Costume. He looked so smart in his graduation cap that we kept mistaking him for Hippo all night!

Hippo Halloween

2009-10-31T22:15:00.000-04:00

more eCards at HDgreetings.com

World Animal Day 2009

2009-10-30T10:08:00.004-04:00

October 4th was World Animal Day. If you missed it, you can celebrate it today. And tomorrow. And the next day....

Start out by enjoying this wonderful gallery from The Boston Globe's The Big Picture.

Hipp'o'Lantern

2009-10-26T16:44:00.001-04:00

Opie modeled for me while I created my hipp'o'lantern masterpiece. He isn't sure googly eyes were the way to go, but you can never go wrong with googly eyes!

Beach Hippo

2009-10-23T08:10:00.001-04:00

I finished my summer by taking a trip to the beach in Ocean City, Maryland.

Of course I had to walk along the boardwalk and visit the kite shop.

And play mini-golf.

I won, of course.

The water was kind of cold for a hippo, but I liked flying kites, walking on the beach, and picking up shells and other keepsakes.

That's a funny looking shell. I wonder what it is?

As it turns out, it wasn't a shell. Meet my new friend Frankie, a little sphere'o'potamus who needed a good home. He came home with me to live with my other tiny potamus pals.

Squeaky

2009-10-20T10:16:00.000-04:00

Hippo's friend Squeaky wrote to tell him about how she spends autumn in Michigan:

Squeaky enjoys reading about Hippo's adventures – they make her laugh and squeak.

She likes to garden and harvest grapes at the end of the season.

She turns apples into apple butter.

To send to all her friends.

When Squeaky makes cookies, she makes some little hippo sized ones.

She enjoys playing beautiful music.

And she likes to pet big kitties.

She's very handy, especially at fixing little parts.

Squeaky likes to go for drives through the countryside.

But she doesn't like having car problems. Where did we put the gas?

Have some apple pie, it'll make everything better.

Squeaky Loves Hippo.

Hail to the Victors

2009-10-17T08:13:00.000-04:00

To all the football fans, Hippos says:

Dress Warm!

Mountain Hippo

2009-10-16T10:39:00.001-04:00

I try to take my staff on fun outings as often as possible, so one day we drove to the Catoctin Mountains for a nature walk. Instead of the national park, we decided to go to the Cunningham Falls State Park where we walked on a nature trail up to the falls...

...and down to the lake.

We also went to the Cactoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo!

It is a very small zoo, so no hippos here except me (and any other visiting small companion hippos). They do have a very interesting educational poster, though.

My name in Swahili is "Kiboko."

There are some real zoo animals like monkeys, tigers, and these tangoing tortoises.

And a lot of friendlier animals that you can skritch and feed!

We even went to one of the animal encounters. Unlike the big zoos, the show let us get really close to some of the unusual and non-dangerous animals. I even got to touch a prickly hedgehog!

Star Spangled Hippo

2009-10-12T14:55:00.000-04:00

I'm a smart little hippo, and I really like to take my loyal staff on educational field trips. We recently went to Ft. McHenry in Baltimore, MD.

We learned all about the history of the flag while we helped to fold a big, giant, huge one!

Hmmmm. I think I'll follow this guy and see what he's up to.

Watch out for the water taxi!

Yup. The flag is still there.

Harbor Hippo

2009-10-12T12:37:00.000-04:00

What trip to Baltimore's Inner Harbor would be complete without a ride on the water taxi?

Oooooooooh, look! The Domino Sugar plant! Can we stop for just a little taste?!?!

I was a little wound up after eating a couple of sugar packets, so we walked around some of Baltimore's neighborhoods. Somebody must have been expecting me because they left a giant "H" for Hippo on the sidewalk.

A whole theater named just for me!

After our walk, it was time to finish the day with dinner and a nice view of the harbor at sundown.

Hippopotamoose

2009-10-06T16:07:00.003-04:00

What's everybody laughing at?!? I don't get it.

For Amusement Only

2009-10-03T20:07:00.002-04:00

Bon Voyage Mr. Happy Potamus!

2009-09-29T21:50:00.004-04:00

Happy, the Nile Hippo from the National Zoo left yesterday on his 800 mile road trip. I'll miss my friend, but I hope he likes his new home with roommates Patti and Puddles!

What a Zoo!

2009-09-21T16:19:00.001-04:00

Some of my favorite places to visit are zoos, so when I went to Baltimore, I just had to visit the Maryland Zoo!

No hippos (except when I visit) at this zoo, but there are rhinoceroses. Please note, rhinos have horns on their snouts, and hippos do not. Knowing the difference is very important-after all, this isn't "Rhinograms." They're still nifty creatures, though.

I asked these guys if anyone wanted to be my Personal Penguin, but they were all busy. The seagulls said they were busy, too.

This friendly giraffe was nice enough to bend down to fit in the picture. I still had to step waaaaaay back to fit the whole giraffe in the frame.

I learned a lot about the arctic...

Like how NOT to go trick or treating if you live where there are polar bears.

This zoo also has a farm area,

And a place to brush goats. Here's my friend after I brushed his hair. Say "goat cheese!"

One of the unique things about the Maryland Zoo is learning about the local wildlife. I got to see how I measure up to the orange spotted turtles.

...or not.

I had so much fun, I can hardly wait for my next visit!

Edgar Allan (Hip)Poe

2009-09-19T14:33:00.000-04:00

I am a very literate little hippo, so I decided to pay a visit to my favorite author: Edgar Allan (Hip)Poe!

I visited the house where he lived and wrote some of his stories and poems,

And also the grave where he is buried.

Here I am (Hippo) with the portrait of Mr. Poe, and my Edgar Allan Poe puppet.

Hippo, hippo, hooray for Poe, 'Po, and Poe!

Year of the Hippo

2009-09-05T11:53:00.003-04:00

In their infinite wisdom, Montgomery County Agricultural Fairgoers who visited the Arts, Crafts, and Photography building elected HIPPOS as the 2010 Animal of the Year.

"2010 Animal of the Year is The Hippo...." That's me, I'm The Hippo! Time to get my crayons out and start drawing now!

Hippo goes to the Fair - Part Two

2009-09-03T08:57:00.001-04:00

I had so much fun at the county fair that I still have more to show! Since this is an agricultural fair, a lot of farmers brought their animals. Meet some of my new friends:

Here is a newborn calf and her mom. Mom looks a little tired, but baby is already standing up!

The goats were all friendly, but since they chew on everything, I was afraid to get too close. You never know when someone might start nibbling on one's fuzzy coat.

This fancy chicken was nice enough to pose for a photo. I met a lot of regular chickens, too, but they were shy about having their pictures taken.

Mr. Bunny looked kind of hot in his fuzzy coat, but he had a big fan to cool him off.

Hmmmmm. I wonder if these little guys are related to my friend Grumpie Duckie? They seem rather happy, so maybe not.

A couple of alpacas even came to the fair. Say "cheese!" while I take your picture!

Some friendly cows were hanging out at the cow wash, getting ready for their turn to compete for the blue ribbon.

And this nicely groomed lamb didn't want to get his wool dirty when he went out for a walk before his competition, so he wore a shirt to stay clean.

All of this fun is really exhausting, but I can hardly wait to visit everyone again next year! Until then, I'll just work on my artwork for next year's entries.

Hippo goes to the Fair - Part One

2009-08-31T09:21:00.001-04:00

One of my absolute most favorite things in the whole world is my annual visit to the county fair!

It gets kind of crowded, so you have to remember where you park. Luckily, I got VIP parking in the "H is for Hippo" row, so it was easy to remember.

I watched people make things, like the chainsaw sculpture of a piggy. I wonder if Santa would bring me a chainsaw for Christmas so I can make one, too?

And there are all kinds of competitions to enter, like sewing, baking, flower arranging, vegetable growing, and a lot more! ...Suddenly, I'm really hungry for a tomato sandwich.

There are even funny competitions like toilet decorating. I like the googly toilet.

I even entered a photo of a very handsome and adorable little hippo in the Arts, Crafts, and Photography department. I didn't win, but the fun part is entering and having things displayed all week.

Of course, no visit to the fair is complete without a snack! I just wish my staff would wait until after I wipe my snout before they take my picture.

And don't forget the carnival!

Red Cross Hippo

2009-08-27T19:59:00.001-04:00

The same day I visited Glen Echo Park, I stopped to learn a little about the American Red Cross by visiting founder Clara Barton's house.

I didn't get any photos inside because I didn't want to damage the historical stuff with the camera flash, but I read all about Clara Barton, her house, and her work while I waited for the tour to start. You can see a virtual tour.

I also learned about first aid after I got itchy from the poison ivy.

Hippo-go-Round

2009-08-25T13:03:00.000-04:00

One day this summer, I went to Glen Echo Park just to ride the merry-go-round. This one is a very nifty and historic Dentzel Carousel built in 1921.

There are all kinds of cool animals you can ride – bunnies, tigers, giraffes, ostriches, and – of course – horses.

I really wanted to ride a bunny, but some other kids got there first, so I found a friendly looking horse. It was kind of tall for a little hippo like me, so my staff had to give me a boost.

Glen Echo has a lot of other fun things to do, too!

I also went to some of the galleries to look at a lot of art and had an ice cream cone, but I didn't stay for dancing at the Spanish Ballroom (although hippos loooooove to boogie). I'll have to plan another trip!

Summer Games

2009-08-05T12:06:00.001-04:00

moar funny pictures

Staunton, Virginia

2009-07-27T11:03:00.001-04:00

For Hippo's Memorial Day trip, we traveled to West Virginia. He's gotten very good at packing all the essentials for a few days on the road, in the wilderness, and relaxing at hotels.

Speaking of hotels, there aren't many in West Virginia. So we chose the neat old town of Staunton, Virginia as a base camp.

Downtown Staunton still has a functioning train station and lots of neat shops and restaurants nearby.

Staunton was also home to President Woodrow Wilson.

Grumpie Duckie stayed home for the weekend, but Hippo packed their finger puppets so they could continue to play while he was away.

We went for scenic drives in the mountains of West Virginia, although most of the scenery was clouds and rain. Still, we enjoyed hikes through the soggy outdoors to see bogs and waterfalls.

National Radio Astronomy Observatory

2009-07-24T09:50:00.002-04:00

When we had a few days free for Memorial Day weekend, I gave Hippo a choice of where to go for our first road trip of the summer. So we looked at a map and tourbook to see what was nearby and found... a GIANT RADIO TELESCOPE!

The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is in Green Bank, West Virginia, about four hours from Washington, DC. Scientists use the telescopes to study stars, the sun, and interstellar space. The telescopes are so sensitive to electronic signals that digital cameras are forbidden. We bought an old film camera just for the occassion.

The biggest telescope is two miles from the visitor center (where we learned about radio astronomy and ate a couple space hotdogs). Since it was raining, we traveled by bus rather than walking it. But clouds and rain don't stop the telescopes – the wavelengths of light they study shine right through the clouds, so the telescopes keep working day and night.

The Green Bank Telescope is the largest moving structure on land. It's taller than the Washington Monument. It's studying the formation of galaxies in the early universe, black holes, pulsars (listen), and supernovae.

Old Milwaukee

2009-07-22T10:30:00.005-04:00

One Hippo's loss is another hippo's gain. Washington, D.C.'s Happy the Hippo is headed to Milwaukee.

Happy needed to move out since his current building at the National Zoo is being renovated to expand the elephant habitat. But it's not all sad – Happy has several amenities to enjoy at his new home including:

Heated floors
Swimming pool
Shower
Two female roomates: Patty and Puddles

Hippo hopes to make a trip to Milwaukee after the move to keep in touch with his Great Uncle (and maybe enjoy his fancy facilities).

Cousin Opie

2009-07-13T21:08:00.002-04:00

TAKE US TO YOUR LEADER

Thoughtful Gifts

2009-07-06T14:59:00.000-04:00

Fourth of July

2009-07-02T15:09:00.001-04:00

Run – Swim – Sizzle – Sniff – Munch – Play – Listen – Flash – Boom – Hurray!

Hippo likes this holiday.

Drawing Lesson

2009-06-23T09:18:00.000-04:00

Hippo likes to draw and color. He especially likes animal coloring books. They help him imagine what a panda would look like with blue fur or how much easier it would be to find the wallabies if they were bright pink with orange polka dots.

But most of the coloring books from the zoo have only page of hippopotamuses. That's not nearly enough for Hippo to test out all the wardrobes he has in mind. So Hippo searched for a way to make his own hippos to color.

These instructions at DragoArt.com explain how to draw a hippo in seven easy steps.

National Parks

2009-06-18T17:36:00.001-04:00

Hippo recently got his paws on a lifetime pass to all United States National Parks. So now we're on a mission to go wherever it takes us. Our inaugural visit was to Great Falls Park in Virginia.

We've seen the falls from the C&O Canal Park in Maryland many times, but this is our first view from the west. Spectacular!

Lookn Gud

2009-06-15T18:58:00.002-04:00

moar funny pictures

TV

2009-06-12T18:30:00.005-04:00

Hippo is a little too young to remember the parties on New Year's Eve 1999 as Y2K approached. That was a wild night of food, drinks, games, funny hats, and sitting glued to the television waiting to see if predictions of blackouts, crashing jetliners, and jackpotting ATM's would come true.

But Hippo was ready to party today, the last day in decades of analog TV. We switched over from the cable box to watch our local NBC station on the rabbit ears one last time. They even had a countdown to switchover time, just like Dick Clark on Rockin' New Years' Eves.

What would happen when they turned off all those transmitters. Would the sky turn black? Would the urban buzz fade to an eerie silence? Would the aliens come for a visit, wondering what happened to all their favorite shows?

In fact, what happened is: it SNOWED. We learned recently that the snow is actually radio noise echoing from the Big Bang. We wonder what will happen when those old TV frequencies get reused for new kinds of transmissions. Maybe they'll make abstract art or Rorschach tests appear on those old-fashioned TV's. I think we'll keep one around to find out.

Art Contest

2009-06-03T21:48:00.002-04:00

We have received our first entry in the Color-a-Hippo Art Contest. It is a work of crayon on paper by a Mr. H.A.P. from Washington, DC. Thanks Mr. P!

Hippypotamus

2009-05-28T20:33:00.003-04:00

Hippo enjoys being chauffeured around in our car, but now he thinks he'd like to try going bike riding. Especially if he can paint the bike pink, yellow and green like this one. It's called the Hippypotamus and it was spotted in a race for kinetic sculptures in California.