Saturday, May 28, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
ZOO!
This past Tuesday, I took the kids to Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. It was a unique experience in that it was set high on a mountain side -- you could look down at some points and see Colorado Springs very small and far away.
We started with the giraffes. I paid $3 for "crackers" which was really a handful of lettuce and we went off to feed the giraffes. Giraffes, I discovered, have very long, somewhat slimy tongues!
Next we headed to the budgie cage....on the way we saw the elephants walking to the back of their space.
The budgie cage. The idea: free flying budgies...you buy a little bit of seed that is attached to a popsicle stick and they come land on your arm/hand and have a little snack. Sounds cool. My experience = not such a good idea to do with Isaiah. The stroller had to stay out of the little area. Isaiah was so happy to be out of the stroller, he started walking, then crawling all over the bird-poop laden floor...touching every thing and then trying to drink the water from the little fountain they had. There were many many signs posted warning about the risk of disease transmission from animals to people and the importance of hand washing. Needless to say, I left our uneaten bird seed there and went out with the kids, trying hard to keep Isaiah from putting his hands in his mouth before I could wipe them off/sanitize them. ....ah, memories!
Peacock...
My little Tigers. Unfortunately, the mountain lion was the only one of all the cats to actually be visible. All the other cats seemed to be in hiding.
Next we had some lunch and explored the large play area that there was for the kids. Myra always seems to gravitate to the "fake" metal versions of animals. (Case in point, her favorite part of Arches Park was the metal mountain goats set up just outside the visitor center, that we ran by on the way to using the bathrooms.) She really did not want to smile for this picture.
Sporting new sunglasses...
First carousel ride ever! The smile could not be wiped from her face :D
In the reptile house...we spent a lot of time here looking at the fish. Isaiah was very intrigued by the tanks. He kept pointing and saying "oooh!" over and over again.
Checking out the primates. I managed to get some good video of a baby orangutan swinging and playing in his cage and then being whisked away by his momma.
We ended the day with the hippos. They make very pig-like grunting noises when going into the water. Apparently they are part of the pig family.
Finding some new friends before heading home...
So that was the zoo. We had a great time! :D
We started with the giraffes. I paid $3 for "crackers" which was really a handful of lettuce and we went off to feed the giraffes. Giraffes, I discovered, have very long, somewhat slimy tongues!
Next we headed to the budgie cage....on the way we saw the elephants walking to the back of their space.
The budgie cage. The idea: free flying budgies...you buy a little bit of seed that is attached to a popsicle stick and they come land on your arm/hand and have a little snack. Sounds cool. My experience = not such a good idea to do with Isaiah. The stroller had to stay out of the little area. Isaiah was so happy to be out of the stroller, he started walking, then crawling all over the bird-poop laden floor...touching every thing and then trying to drink the water from the little fountain they had. There were many many signs posted warning about the risk of disease transmission from animals to people and the importance of hand washing. Needless to say, I left our uneaten bird seed there and went out with the kids, trying hard to keep Isaiah from putting his hands in his mouth before I could wipe them off/sanitize them. ....ah, memories!
Peacock...
My little Tigers. Unfortunately, the mountain lion was the only one of all the cats to actually be visible. All the other cats seemed to be in hiding.
Next we had some lunch and explored the large play area that there was for the kids. Myra always seems to gravitate to the "fake" metal versions of animals. (Case in point, her favorite part of Arches Park was the metal mountain goats set up just outside the visitor center, that we ran by on the way to using the bathrooms.) She really did not want to smile for this picture.
Sporting new sunglasses...
First carousel ride ever! The smile could not be wiped from her face :D
In the reptile house...we spent a lot of time here looking at the fish. Isaiah was very intrigued by the tanks. He kept pointing and saying "oooh!" over and over again.
Checking out the primates. I managed to get some good video of a baby orangutan swinging and playing in his cage and then being whisked away by his momma.
We ended the day with the hippos. They make very pig-like grunting noises when going into the water. Apparently they are part of the pig family.
Finding some new friends before heading home...
So that was the zoo. We had a great time! :D
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Arches National Park
So far, I think my most favorite American state is Utah. And my current top three favorite national parks are: Zion National Park, Utah; Arches National Park, Utah; and the Iceland Parkway between Jasper and Banff. I just love the red dirt, I love the massiveness of the formations...it is fantastical! To think about how much power water has that it can create these formations. I also love seeing the tiny little desert flowers that are often so bright and growing so boldly.
It felt like a real treat to be able to be here today. We drove through the park, pulled off at as many view points as we could, took tonnes of pictures, and even enjoyed 3 different 30 minute hikes. Myra was very keen on the hiking..."so mommy, are we going to hike some more?...I love hiking"
Here are a "few" of our pictures in random order...
Day 2
Day 2 - we travelled from Baker City, Oregon to Salt Lake City, Utah. Seems that the kids and I cannot help but succumb to napping while we drive. ...especially Isaiah and I. The days are sunny, I start squinting from the brightness, then I close my eyes, and then I realize I'm sleeping sitting up and reach for the little pillow so I can lean over a bit and snooze. :-) I guess it's one way to pass the time...
Classic Isaiah...a car for each hand and a cheesy smile as soon as the camera appears....
The highlight of the day, and any day if you ask Myra, was swimming at the hotel. On our first night, I opted to stay in our room and put Isaiah to bed while Tim and Myra went to try out the pool. I was surprised to hear that Myra had used some arm floaties that were for general public use, and she was swimming so well, Tim didn't even need to support her or hold her! She is such a water lover! Anyways....first stop at Salt Lake City was at Target to buy some water floaties. :D
Myra had a perma-smile on her face for the whole 45+ minutes she was in the pool, swimming back and forth, then, climbing up the stairs and jumping back in to Tim. I am feeling even more inspired now to invest in some swimming lessons.
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