It's a Zoo Out There!

Yesterday was our long-awaited field trip to the zoo!

The flamingos are right inside the gate, first thing you see. This pic doesn't do them justice, but they are such a pretty, shrimpy color.

I'd love to stay and watch them, but they smell worse than anything else I can think of at the zoo. Let's move along, kids!

This little guy was right outside the elephant enclosure. Do you think the elephant would have been scared of him?

We were looking at the aerial photos of the zoo on Google before we left, and we could barely discern the elephant standing there because they match the earth perfectly. Why is that? Because they spray the dirt over themselves to cool off?

Oh, hooray! A couple of new additions to the zoo! This is Parakeet Adventure---a little aviary that is simply bursting with these beautiful little budgerbriars. You can walk in amongst them, and buy ridiculously expensive "seed sticks" to feed them with. The kids loved it.

I kept thinking how my mom would have loved these little guys.

A couple more new additions, not nearly as exciting as parakeets: Warthogs and

meerkats.

The giraffes were beautiful and graceful, as always.

This guy was in the section with the lemurs, who were leaping all over the place. I don't know what his name is, but I really was that close to him. He was sitting right over the sign that had his name on it, so I just kept edging closer.

Gorillas are fascinating, but they make me hate the zoo. They just never look happy.

We had quite an education on this day. We got to see another gorilla go to the bathroom and then move upstream to wash his hands and face.

The tiger was very educational as well. And kind of horrifying.

He was pacing at the top of the hill and then came down to bathe, so we got a nice view of him.

Oh, he's looking over at us!

He's getting up and coming over to the glass! Quick! Get in front to get a picture! (Not just my kids, but there were several families there.)

And then.....

He walked right up to the glass and just as everyone is taking their picture he turns around, lifts his tail, and sprays the glass with his....er...secretions!

The kids all thought he peed, and I wondered where they go to school, because that's not how a boy tiger pees. Nor a girl, either!

Jerk.

Then, because we weren't already tired, the kids worked off some of their energy rock climbing. Even the Little Princess made it to the top twice, but the first time, she refused to rappel down and the zoo employee had to help her down. She got it the next time though!

Have a great weekend! And may all your tigers be polite!