Columbian Park Zoo

This afternoon I took the kids to the Columbian Park Zoo, a small but free zoo in the middle of a park.  We took Lydia with us, as well as her friend Gracie, who were both excellent tour guides and made sure we didn't miss a thing.  We saw the animals and rode the train, played on the equipment at the park and had a snow cone on our way home.  It was a fun time out of the house (We've been in the house a lot since we got here and needed to get out and about.).

These wallabys were in an enclosure we could walk through with the wallabys 

practically close enough to touch.  

Several of the females had joeys and it was fun to watch the little ones.

Blythe, Lydia, and Gracie

Hello, emu!

 

An aerie full of chicks.

Within the zoo is a butterfly enclosure.  

We walked in and a butterfly landed on Lydia almost immediately.

Blythe is riding a giant butterfly.

Brandt wanted me to take this picture of him as Sasquatch.

Isn't it amazing how I captured him?  

Looks just like this guy.

 There is a petting zoo and we got to go in and wander around with the animals.

Brandt said, "Take a picture of me.  Just a random guy on a cow."

Okay random guy.  

Climb up on that cow.

Blythe was happy to be Blythe on a cow.

Brandt wanted me to take a picture of goat poop.

Because poop is funny.

Apparently.

As I sat down to blog and he was looking at pictures next to me, he said,

"Where's the poop picture?  You didn't delete it, did you?"

No, I didn't delete it.

This goat is nibbling on Brandt's shorts.

Gopher!

Two more gophers!

Farmer boy on a tractor.

On the outside of the bald eagle enclosure is a silhouette of their wing span.

Everyone tried to measure up.

"Hello! Hello!" these otters seemed to be saying.

They all jumped out of the water and lined up along the fence just as we walked up.

If I had been on their side of the fence I could have taken a picture of four children lined up looking back at us. 

There is a train that makes a circular route around the park, passing a pond, a library, and the senior center.  The five of us were the only ones riding.  We saw ducks and geese both with babies, seniors playing shuffleboard (which I have never played), and had a brief mid-ride stop because, in the words of the engineer, "There's a turtle on the track."  We all jumped out of the train and ran over to see it.  It was moving fairly speedily for a turtle.  

Watching a miniature train as it ran around an indoor faux landscape.

Train riders.

We were not many. 

(Empty train below)

Train stopping turtle.

  

This is a wide flat swing on the playground.

I wanted a picture of both the children, but it took three shots to get one.

First Blythe was looking but not Brandt.

Then Brandt was looking but not Blythe.

Then voila! 

Success.