Discovery after dark

Four years of living here and until last week, Phil and I have never been to the Center of Science and Industry, aka COSI, a first-class science education center in downtown Columbus.

Not for lack of interest; it's just that as empty-nesters with no grandchildren, we don't really enjoy sharing space with an overwhelming number of children.

I am a curmudgeon, basically. 

However, once a month COSI hosts an After Dark event for people 21 and older who would like to view the exhibits without the unbridled enthusiasm of youngsters. 

We had a really good time.

The theme was Christmas in July, so most of the staff and quite a few guests were dressed in holiday attire. Santa was there, although I would recommend he attend to his scraggly beard before the busy season starts.  Somewhere on the premises there was a live reindeer, but alas we did not see him/her.

There was a bar and food for purchase. We ordered a couple of cocktails and we were going to eat, but the holiday-dinner themed menu choices didn't look that great. Green bean casserole is not super appealing on a hot summer day.

We spent most of our time in the Dinosaur Gallery and it's fascinating. Apparently Hollywood has misled us about the speed of a T-Rex. Bio-mechanically a tyrannosaur that size would not be able to run through a jurassic world; it would have lumbered along more like an elephant.

I see you, T-Rex, I feel you. I am a plodder, too.

Lizards, snakes and alligators are all direct descendants of dinosaurs. So are birds like the oversized turkey-monster behind me in the photo above. Phil and I spent the entire spring in a fierce battle with sparrows and a psycho robin, so we can attest that birds are tenacious and highly adaptable, traits of survivors.  

We wanted to explore more but we were getting hangry and the green beans still had no appeal, so we left for dinner. I could see a return visit on another After Dark night. I have the site bookmarked and will keep an eye on the calendar.