Entrance to the National Zoo, Washington, D.C.

I have lived in places where statuary is rare. This is because cities, such as Phoenix, Arizona, are so new, they have not had time to include statuary among the sprawling shopping centers and subdivisions. One exception is downtown Scottsdale, Arizona. For this reason, when I travel around the world, I notice both the commemorative and decorative statuary. The lions at the entrance to the Smithsonian National Zoological Park on Connecticut Avenue, NW, in Washington, D.C. are almost hidden by the surrounding plants and likewise mostly unnoticed by the crowds of visitors standing in line to go through the security checkpoint. But I always notice the details of the world surrounding me.