The Zoo

Last week, a friend mentioned in passing on a Wednesday morning that it was free zoo day. I nodded and kept on sweeping the floor, and then couldn't stop thinking about it. I decided, what the heck, who cares if it's 40 degrees and overcast and February, why not go? So we packed a quick lunch, hit the potty, and went -just me and the little guys! Usually when we got to the zoo it is like walking through a crowded oven. But this time, the crowds weren't too bad (because it was freezing and gray and February), and the animals were so active! What a treat! We had a great time, enjoyed the animals at the kids' pace, watched the elephants get fed, rode the carousel, played on the playground, and head home in time for a little snooze for Asa before we picked up the school kids. It was liberating to do that at the drop of a hat. A most satisfying morning.

Bald eagles

Grizzly bears

Sea lions

Tiger. We got to see him yawn and his teeth were most impressive.

Snow leopard

Hornbill

Porcupines

Sand cat

A tortoise having lunch.

Asa's favorites we're the spiders, which were not alive. He didn't mind though. He anticipated finding them the entire time we were there. And he talked about them the whole way home.

A burrowing owl

We rode on the carousel. Asa picked a baby hippo.

And Leah rode on the sea lion.

We saw rhino with a magpie on his back.

And we got to watch the elephants eat lunch. They did tricks for their food.

We had a really good view of all the monkeys.

And wow. The lions were all snoozing one inch away from us.

The roosters and chickens and peacocks that run free around the zoo were fun to watch.