Water Country USA seems empty when I visit the park. No life vests, tubes, water and especially no guests. Still, we are hard at work getting ready for a fantastic 2012 season.

When it’s time to decorate for the holidays, mistletoe and holly come easily to mind when thinking about creating window box arrangements. Here at the park, we have many window boxes and containers to fill. By coordinating the color palette for the individual countries, we can make use of a great deal of plant material we have available at the park.

What is planted in your garden that will enhance your winter decor? Many of the elements that are present all year can have a true opportunity to shine at the end of the growing season.

Are you feeling the Christmas spirit yet? Do you feel overwhelmed with work, shopping, parties and all else that comes along with the holidays? Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration, offers a great opportunity to rejuvenate and rekindle your love for this time of year.

Before I came to the park, I was lucky enough to train and care for a colony of African Black-footed penguins at another zoo. It was there that I caught the penguin bug and have loved them ever since.

Christmas Town: A Busch Gardens Celebration is one of my favorite times at our park because not only does it mean peppermint fudge hot chocolate, but it means the penguins come to visit. I am really excited for our visitors to see the penguin exhibit this year because we will be featuring two different species.

For those of you that are familiar with our presentation, The Secret Life of Predators, you may see a familiar face on your TV this week. Cupid, our North American Barn Owl, is going to be a national star. If you’ve ever been to our presentation, then chances are, Cupid left an impression, as he flies right over your head.