Stormy Monday

Is this global warming? We woke up to a blustery, cold Monday. It felt like October, not June! Being the stoic northwesterners we claim to be, I bundled up the kids and went to the Pt. Defiance Zoo and Aquarium today. We arrived about 11:30 a.m. and except for a few unlucky field trips from local schools, there were few other visitors because it was pouring down rain. If it weren't for the frequent showers and gusts of wind that destroyed our umbrella and soaked the playgrounds, we would have enjoyed the nearly private tour of the zoo today. We actually did have a lot of fun despite the weather. There were enough dry moments to get from one shelter to the next and our double stroller had good awnings for the seats to stay dry. It was just a relief to be outside and breathing in the fresh air.

Here is Finley inside the sea anemone at the new, expanded play area. I had to persuade Finley that actually going to see the animal exhibits would be as much fun as playing on the playground. We also rode on the carousel. They had a sleigh that we could sit in all together and that was much more to Finley's liking than trying to hang on while the horses go up and down. I had Evelyn in the sling and she loved it! Unfortunately, I had left my camera with the stroller so I have no pictures of this delightful whirl on the merry-go-round.

Inside the jaws of a Great White Shark! We got to see them feed the fish today in the coral reef exhibit. We also had the rare treat of seeing the polar bears pouncing on their big toy balls and frolicking in the water.

I was trying to take a fun smiling picture, not a bumped head shot!

Evelyn walking from toadstool to toadstool in the big tented play area. This was also the area where we got to feed the goats and sheep. Finley is over his shyness about petting zoos so he used most of our quarters getting goat feed pellets from the vending machine. He wanted to make sure they all got their fair share so he rationed out the pellets to each goat, one at a time.

Finley, the hermit crab! This new play area is really great. They now have a covered sand play area, meercat exhibits, caves and a large, rope spider web to climb, in addition to the other playground.

Climbing, always climbing...

Fun new play structures and exhibits at the zoo, next to the previous play area.

Evelyn was mesmerized by the shark tank. There were huge tuna as well, that swam in schools above us, flashing in the green, filtered light. She protested every time I tried to pick her up. She just wanted to stand there with her hands on the glass, taking it all in.