This one is a little late; our nieces and nephew have conspired to keep us away from the computer. It is wonderful. One of the ways they kept us occupied was a visit to the zoo, which reminded me of a passage from Pirke Avot.

Yehuda ben Teima said: Be as bold as a leopard, as light as an eagle, as swift as a gazelle, and as brave as a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven.

Be as bold as a leopard.

Be as light as an... owl, in this case.

Be as swift as a gazelle.

Be as brave as a lion. Hey, even sleepy lions can be brave.

#BlogElul, the brainchild of Rabbi Phyllis Sommer, invites participants to chronicle the month leading up to the Jewish High Holy Days through blog posts, photos, and other social media expressions.