Pandamania!

According to the Zoo in Atlanta, the the little cub of giant panda Lun Lun opened her eyes for the first time on Thursday, Oct. 12. Zoo officials made the discovery during a physical examination of the 36-day-old unnamed female cub.

"She's probably able to see now," said zoo veterinarian Dr. Maria Crane. "We noticed she's paying more attention to her environment."

Crane said it's hard to know how much Lun Lun's cub is actually seeing. The newborn appeared slightly startled at one point during her checkup when she noticed staff intently watching her.

The cub, whose name will be chosen in two months, has grown a little more than 16 inches in length in the past week and gained just under a pound, growing to 3.8 pounds.

"She's a very solid cub," Crane said. "Her growth is nice and steady, and that's really a testament to how well Lun Lun is taking care of her."

© 2006 The Associated Press.

Moon Festival, no. 6

Moon Festival, no. 5

We saw these ancient trees on the Tram Tour. A species from the time of the dinosaurs, they were discovered in China, and brought here to the National Arboretum.

Moon Festival, no. 4

Here is one of the beautiful Chinese Dancers, up close:

Moon Festival, no. 3

Later, at the banquet, there was dancing and music on Chinese instruments. For desert, we had the famous moon cake which was filled with red bean paste!

Moon Festival, no. 2

The Orchid Show was spectacular:

Chinese Moon Festival Banquet & Moon Viewing

The happy couple saw no moon viewing due to overcast skies, but we had a real fun time, especially since we met new friends Rachel and Joseph and sat at the same table with them. As part of the evening, we went on the Tram Ride, saw the Orchid Show (tons of orichids, exotic and rare) and went to the Orchid Tent Sale. This photo, taken early in the evening, shows the the Bonsai asian garden. The banquet itself was a real adventure as the power generators flickered. This garden is a hidden gem treasure in the midst of the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) with water gardens!