I had a dream a few nights ago. It had several parts, but one I remember fairly distinctly was a zoo scene. There was some new zoo in town (probably Omaha) and we (I and friends unspecified) were invited by the zoo officials to tour it. There was a set of track that ran around the zoo, and a train that followed it. Throughout the dream the train changed between being some sort of tram-like thing into a trail. In any case, there was some reason why we were monitoring someone (I think female) in front of us. There was some activity regarding this, and eventually we (the tour as a whole) reached the end of the line.
Perhaps I should describe the track a bit more; it began in the northeast corner of the zoo, and wrapped around through a fairly winding way (but, all in all, U-shaped) counterclockwise to its terminus at the southeast corner of the zoo. Here there was a sort of cul-de-sac where we had some sort of break (we weren't really paying attention to the tour itself) before beginning again. Somewhere between the two ends of the tour it changed into more of a trail upon which we walked than a tram track; also along the way the monitoring activity shifted into a search for suspicious activity on the part of zoo officials.
Before we left the cul-de-sac I managed to fall a bit behind the group, and when they had continued a safe distance from me I slipped off into an alcove-like area; a maintenance path, I suppose. In the way that dreams do such things it became a side-route. The best way to describe the path is as a shortcut; the path cut straight across the center of the zoo area, and would allow me to reach the beginning of the trail sooner than the rest of the tour. Well, the dream weaver is fickle, and it again became just a side-path. It ended in a small clearing, in the center of which stood a man. Before him on the ground were two wooden sticks very much like arna sticks (and I am sure I have slaughtered the spelling, but not having seen the word I have no memory on which to draw). I understood somehow that I was to combat the man, and that he had been waiting for me there.
At this point my alarm woke me up and after rather resentfully turning off the alarm and settling back down to bed I found myself unable to recover the dream. I don't really remember what followed, but I did manage to get another two five minute segments of dream time in before finally facing the day.
The zoo is a bit strange; I can't help but compare it to the amusement park situation I've encountered before; perhaps they are connected in some way -- the same part of my mind working, or a common memory source, or perhaps just a recognized "nice" stock dream setting. This evening I couldn't help but note that there was another commonality between the two; a female. To be sure, she didn't last long in this last one, which turned into some sort of conspiracy and intrigue tale, but it is to be noted; the similarity between following the girl along the path and following the girl under the bridge (along the path) at the amusement park are close enough grasp my attention.