Jude's Visit to see the Steinhardt's Exotic Animals
Please tune in to see me introduce our new Circle Edge Punch & other new products on HSN starting at Midnight EST on Tuesday, November 13.
After Hurricane Sandy knocked out the power in lower Manhattan, my daughter, Alexis, and her two children came to stay with me at the farm in Bedford, which is powered by generator. Despite all of the devastation everywhere, it was wonderful to have their company and we did many fun things together. One sunny day, I took Jude to Michael and Judy Steinhardt's property, my friends and neighbors in Bedford. You may recall my previous blogs about their amazing fifty-four acre property that can be described as an exotic wonderland. Jude was thrilled!
1 Jude loved the exotic farm and she was very comfortable as she wandered freely and easily through the pastures and animal houses. This one is the lemur house.
2 These are ring-tailed lemurs who put on quite a show for Jude. Lemurs are a special group of primates found only on Madagascar off the coast of Africa.
3 The lemurs are very friendly and curious. Of the 50 species of lemurs, 17 are on the endangered species list. Habitat loss is the main threat to lemurs, as people clear their native forests for farm land.
4 These Sebastopol geese are a new breed that recently joined the flock.
5 They originated in southeastern Europe and are known for their long curling feathers that drape elegantly from their wings, bodies, and tails.
6 We couldn't decide if these free-range turkeys were strutting their stuff or doing a turkey trot. Whatever, Jude loved them!
7 An errant western tufted deer stood and stared at Jude.
8 These tiny deer, native to China, are known for the tufts of hair on their foreheads.
9 We entered the greenhouse and encountered several common marmosets. Going from the cold outdoors to the warm humid air caused my lens to go foggy. These new world monkeys are only about 8-inches long.
10 This is a male Eclectus parrot, native to the Solomon Islands. This beautiful and rare bird is unusual in that males are green and females bright red. The female can be seen at the bottom right.
11 A serval shares indoor and outdoor cages with about five others. Native to sub-saharan Africa, these gorgeous cats have large, highly sensitive ears that enable them to zero in on prey that they cannot even see.
12 Large tortoises rest quietly in the warmth of a heat lamp.
13 Jude loved the tortoises, or tortugas, in Spanish!
14 This large land tortoise was basking in the warmth of the sun.
15 These are Stanley cranes, also known as blue cranes, and are the national birds of South Africa. They were very unfriendly, even to this poor turkey who flew into the wrong cage.
16 The binturong, also known as the Asian bearcat, is the only member of its genus. Neither a bear nor cat, the binturong is primarily nocturnal and sleeps high in branches. This beautiful creature was not happy to be moved inside for the winter.
17 The fennec fox is the smallest of all the world's foxes. Native to the Sahara, their distinctive, batlike ears radiate body heat and help keep the foxes cool.
18 This is a Geoffrey marmoset, also called a white headed marmoset and is native to Brazil.
19 The African grey parrot is a highly intelligent bird, known as the "Einstein's" of the parrot world because of their incredible talking ability.
20 We saw several albino wallabies. These rare and beautiful creatures are native to Tasmania, the southern island state of Australia.
21 There is a sizable flock of flamingos. Their pink color comes from carotenoid proteins in their diet of animal and plant plankton. I wonder where they will spend the winter? Without a doubt, they'll be well-cared for.
22 We then went to visit the camels and zebras!
23 Jude was fascinated by the striped zebras.
24 Jude and Melana fed sweet potatoes to the camels.
25 Three gorgeous camels!
26 Jude said bye-bye to her camel friends.
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
This made my day! Jude is adorable! Thanks Martha!
Posted by: Chris | November 12th, 2012 at 12:45 am
What fun for Jude. I used to take my grandchildren to the Greenville, SC Zoo. They loved it because it wasn't too big and it wasn't too small, it was just right for a lot of fun and no tiredness.
Enjoy them while you can, Martha...they grow up way too fast.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | November 12th, 2012 at 12:59 am
Martha, awesome blog and how exciting to have your family over! You know I love it when you get to spend time with the grandkids. In picture 22, it looked like the camels were talking. Cute photo of Jude waving bye-bye to the camels. Thanks for sharing this blog.
Posted by: KLBrown | November 12th, 2012 at 2:55 am
Too cool blog post Martha. Who would not enjoy watching the wonderment of a youngster experiencing the animals upclose? Thanks for sharing the family time.
Posted by: Thomas | November 12th, 2012 at 5:54 am
What an amazing assortment of exotic animals your friends/neighbors have Martha! I'm glad Alexis and the kids got to escape powerless New York and spend time with you in Bedford. Thanks for the lovely pictures!
Posted by: Cindy F | November 12th, 2012 at 7:24 am
Hi Martha I am so happy that Alexis and her kids spent it with you, I can imagine how excited the kids were to be at your farm Martha. I am sure she was happy to see the animals she is soadorable. Love Alexis"s blog and photos of her kids.
Best wishes
Posted by: Rowaidaa Flayhan | November 12th, 2012 at 7:39 am
Thanks for blimpse of Jude. I, too waited years for a grandchild and these pictures warm my heart more than you will ever realize. Not that I haven't loved times with other children in my life so for those who are without children-enjoy times you spend indulging children that are in your life as I have and I always will.
Posted by: ann | November 12th, 2012 at 8:43 am
Jude is growing up so fast - pretty soon she'll be in school. It doesn't seem that long ago when your nephew Charlie was standing on a box and helping you make cookies and now he's in college. For sure, enjoy them while you can because they do grow up fast. I can almost hear Jude oohing over the animals. Kids always like to see the animals and how lucky that her grandmother lives so close to an animal farm but I bet she likes your animals too! I'm glad they were able to spend time with you and I hope everyone has their power back by now. Trish
Posted by: Trish | November 12th, 2012 at 9:41 am
Hi Martha, I am absolutely delighted that Alexis. Jude, and Truman were able to get to your farm and stay safe after Sandy Hurricane hit her area, too and she lost power! Your generator was a good thing! Jude looks so cute and happy in some of these photos and how nice that you took her to see the exotic animals at the Steinhardt farm! As young as she is, it's easy to see how much she learns and how many new things she gets to see with you! It won't be long before you get to take Truman to many places, also! I remember your previous blogs about the exotic animals and they were great, too! Everyone of your photos were fantastic and I would love to visit there, also! How nice that the weather looked so good in these photos! Can't wait to see more and more about Alexis and your delightful grandchildren! How was that James Bond movie last night? Bet it was great! Can't wait to see you on HSN at 9PM in my area tonight! Loved you latest PBS Cooking Show last Saturday! Sure would be fun to see you every day! Also got to hear you on NPR at KUOW in my area on Saturday-great! Hope you have a great day! Off to see The Daily Wag about "Surveying the Tree Damage"! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | November 12th, 2012 at 10:01 am
Martha,So happy to hear of Alexis and kids,I so wondered how it
was going for them in the storm! What a fun time for you to have
them visit!
Posted by: faye warhol | November 12th, 2012 at 10:23 am
It's a bit odd to post about your grandkids and talk about them but not even show them, except for their backs!
Posted by: Shelley | November 12th, 2012 at 11:21 am
To Shelley,
I know Martha is capable of replying to your comment if she feels it's necessary but for my two cents whether necessary or not, I don't think it is the least bit odd for any parent or grandparent to want to shield their children from the camera. Not every famous person wants their child's face to be shown everywhere like Suri Cruise's pictures are. Alexis doesn't want that for her children, which is something Martha has mentioned on her show. Martha respects her wishes and so should we. I enjoy reading Alexis' blog, see link above on the left side, where she makes cute comments about her children's activities and to me, that is plenty of sharing. Children are cute from any angle and so are their Elmo crocs! Trish
Posted by: Trish | November 12th, 2012 at 1:35 pm
Hi, Martha,
So glad your family gathered around you during the storm. I can sure understand your protectiveness to include how you photograph them. Wonderful animals! I always took my daughter to zoos; art, history, and natural museums; and so much more. Now as an adult, she gathers her friends for such field trips and is surprised to learn their parents didn't take them. She enjoys helping them discover what they've been missing.
Thank you!
Posted by: Bobbie | November 12th, 2012 at 3:16 pm
Love the Website!
Question - years ago one of the TV episodes featured your chicken coop lay-out and plans. I have tried to find it, but alas have not been successful. I would love to raise chickens and turkeys! Can you help?
Thanks so much for your time and consideration. Happy Holidays!
Josie
Posted by: Josie Neunaber | November 12th, 2012 at 3:23 pm
Hi Martha, I loved these pics of the animals & I miss the animals on you show which won't be seen anymore. I am looking forward to your videos on the web tho. I loved all the crafts, cooking etc. it was such a nice variety. Thanks for sharing all your beautiful photos on this site. JoAnn
Posted by: JoAnn Pochciol | November 12th, 2012 at 3:24 pm
Thank you for sharing these pixs of your lovely granddauhter. I think it is very wise of you to photographer her in such a way that her privacy is maintained. You are always generous in sharing your life with us, and the few boundaries you erect are a small thing compared to all you allow us to see.
Posted by: Lee | November 12th, 2012 at 6:47 pm
What a delightful tour, thank you Martha !! I am amazed at the variety of wild life they have. I think it is awesome they are able to do this ! Jude is adorable.
Posted by: Gail Hildreth | November 12th, 2012 at 7:35 pm
How super cute she is i know how you feel. we have a new and first Grand baby she is the most beautiful Child. her name is Ava and we love he always. they both live with us.
Posted by: Anita Braddock | November 12th, 2012 at 9:22 pm
What an amazing experience for a lil one! Martha you always inspire me in some way or another~Cheers & Blessings Kim
Posted by: Kim | November 12th, 2012 at 11:32 pm
Martha, I am very glad that you have two wonderful grandchildren now.
Posted by: Marie Browne | November 13th, 2012 at 11:31 am
I was hoping that the Steinhardt menagerie withstood the hurricane without much trouble. It looks very ship-shape in your photos.
Also, what a treat to see Jude's cute little face and pretty blonde hair and to see how she's grown.
Have a delightful Thanksgiving!
Posted by: jw | November 13th, 2012 at 9:20 pm
What fun pictures of a happy day! Looking at the delightful animals and Jude too I am reminded of one of the great gifts that grandchildren give to us----they show us the world from a new perspective, a world where everything is fresh and new all over again. Of course their greatest gift is their love, so easy, so simple, so sweet.
Posted by: Penny | November 14th, 2012 at 2:24 am
Too cute for anything!
Posted by: Cairn | November 15th, 2012 at 2:33 pm
I just recently discovered your blog and very much enjoy the photos. Did you get close enough to smell the binturong (because they smell like popcorn)?
Posted by: Nancy | December 8th, 2012 at 10:07 pm