Fun at the Zoo

On Thursday morning I picked the boys up at about 10:30 and we headed off to the zoo. Though the temperatures were to be reasonably cool, it turned into a very warm day, but at least there was no humidity.

We arrived at the zoo about 11:30. We've been to this zoo before but not for a couple of years.

The first thing we saw was this little guy. Jordan loved him and he seemed to like Jordan very well. We had purchased a bag of grain and one of peanuts when we entered the park and Jordan had the grain. This little guy is smart. He knew who had the good stuff.
The next thing we saw were two zebras. We tried to coax them over to the fence but they were enjoying a meal of hay and no amount of coaxing could make them leave it.
The two beautiful peacocks above strutted there stuff as the people passed by. Did you know that peacocks love peanuts and will actually fight over them. These guys were quick and Brandon enjoyed throwing the peanuts through the fence to them. Then the boys spied this little chipmunk. He was scurrying around in the grass near the capybaras. The boys had fun feeding him peanuts and he loved them. He stuck them in his cheeks and skittered away into the long grass to enjoy them. These beautiful flowers were growing around a fish pond. They are certainly beautiful. We stood and watched the fish while we waited for the show that would start at 12:00.

The first thing they brought out were some reptiles. The yellow and white one above is an African Albino Python. Jordan touched him but Brandon preferred not to.
After the reptiles the staff brought out the furry critters. The lion cub above loves doing the show and came racing out of the enclosure. There were two cubs and he is the largest of the two. We weren't allowed to touch him.
The smaller lion cub is more friendly with humans and we were allowed to touch him. He was soft as silk and had a nice personality.
The larger one stayed with the woman who was telling us all about the animals. See how he hangs onto her leg with his paws. It looks like he's trying to eat off her leg.

Another pose of the larger cub playing with the announcer. He is quite strong even though he is only a cub.

And here he is at the end of the show. He laid quietly and looked directly at us. He was adorable.

Next we got to pet a red fox. These animals live in the wild in this area and they are beautiful with their red coats. They eat mice, birds and other small creatures. Red fox smell kind of like skunk. The smell gives them some protection from predators.

The animal above looks like someone's pet dog, but it is really a wolf. The audience was not allowed to touch it and it dislikes noise, so we were asked to be very quiet as the young girl brought it around for us to see close-up.

This photo is a little blurry because the young lady didn't stop for photos with this guy. He isn't as comfortable around humans as some of the other animals.

Swans are magnificient creatures. So graceful and black swans aren't as plentiful as white swans. There were two of these swans in this area.

The boys have always liked meercats. This is a ring-tailed meercat, according to the sign.

The creature above is another kind of meercat but I don't remember what it was called. He is beautiful.

The monkey in the above photo was screaming his head off and making a terrible fuss. Something had upset him.

Then we came to the white-tailed deer. Remember Jordan had the bag of grain. This one is very interested in him.

Brandon had the bag of peanuts and the deer also enjoyed eating them. The boys love to feed the animals right out of their hands. There's nothing like being up close and personal with wild creatures.

The deer weren't shy at all. Jordan enjoyed feeding them grain. When the herd realized he had it, they all came toward the fence. This one didn't stray far until Jordan moved on.

And...the King of the Jungle. He was basking in the sun and taking a nap. He didn't even open his eyes as we passed.

If you look closely at the photo above, you can see the Koi. This is a pretty area.

As we were leaving the park we came across this African Crowned Crane. We waited around and tried to get him to turn around but he was only showing us his back.

Just before we left the zoo, Jordan fed some grain to this little guy and then gave the last of it to some goats. By this time we were all hot and tired and so we headed home to the AC and a nice cool glass of lemonade.

Take some time this weekend to get into the great outdoors and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. It's balm for the soul. ~Blessings, Mary~

Show and Tell Friday

It's time for Show and Tell Friday. If you would like to participate, drop over to Kelli's at There's No Place Like Home.

I mentioned to someone in their comments that I had several stuffed animals and they asked me to share them. So, here they are. All of them still have the price tag. In the chair is the guest of honor, my panda. I love panda bears and I got him when I managed a toy store. He is brand new and I keep him packed away to keep him nice and clean. This old house is dusty and I wouldn't want him to be ruined.

On Panda's right is Freddy the Fox. When I was a child I read books about Freddy the Fox and when I saw this one, I fell in love with him. He is a hand puppet and he has entertained many children in his day, including my own grandsons.

On Panda's left is my reindeer that Santa left me one year. His colors are beautiful. I had never seen a blue and white reindeer until he came along. He is very unique, that's for certain.

Above Panda's head is my snow tiger. He has velcro on his paws, which enables me to hang him on the mirror of my dresser. The dresser belonged to Grandma and it has posts going up each side of the mirror. Freddy the Fox sits on the post and then the snow tiger hangs from the top of it. They certainly dress up the mirror.

So, that is my animal menagerie. I hope you enjoyed being introduced to my animal friends.

Thursday after school, the boys and I loaded up their bikes and headed to the farm. We also had a huge ball in the car. Getting the bikes in there was no fun, but we managed. We didn't arrive at the farm until 4:30 - late for us. We are usually there by 4 pm.

The boys rode their bikes for a while and then Jordan stopped riding to play ball with Conner who is at the farm after school every day. It seemed quite a while since we'd seen Brandon so Jordan hopped on his bike and went to find him. The two boys finally appeared and Brandon was dirty all down his right side. It seems he had hit a rut in the lane and taken a tumble, but he said he was fine. I breathed a sigh of relief that he wasn't hurt.

The boys and Conner played ball for a long time and even played Monkey-in-the-Middle. Remember that old game that we played when we were kids? Well I taught the boys how to play it and they love it. After that, the boys went on the trampoline and had a wonderful time. We headed for home at 6pm. It was a beautiful day. The breeze was a bit chilly by the time we were ready to leave, but the boys had a great time and I enjoyed watching them.

When they arrived home, the boys helped me get the bikes out of the car and rode down to the park. Their parents weren't home from running errands and so the boys raced each other down the hill at the park and had a good time together.

It does my heart good to see the boys outside playing in the fresh air instead of sitting in the house playing video games. They both love their bikes and it is great exercise, as is the trampoline. I'm not sure if it is true, but the child psychologist at the farm told me that playing on the trampoline for 10 minutes is equivalent to 20 minutes of walking. Do you think it's safe for this ol' gal to get on a trampoline. I sure could use the exercise. LOL

That's about all the news from here. Nothing very exciting is happening. Tomorrow is hubby's birthday and I think the boys are coming over for birthday cake. We will see what happens and if that works. Their parents might have other plans.

Enjoy the weekend, get out in the fresh air and sunshine and take some time for rest and relaxation. Be safe and remember not to drink and drive. The life you save might be your own.
~Blessings, Mary~

If you would like to read my memories of the Old Red Barn of my childhood, please click HERE.

Animal Therapy for Asperger's Syndrome

April is Autism Awareness Month and as it is drawing to a close, I wanted to post at least once more on autism and the way it affects individuals.

Many of my readers already know that my grandson, Brandon, has Asperger's Syndrome. In March 2007, I saw an article in our local paper about the farm where I take the boys. It focused on animal therapy for individuals with disabilities both visible and invisible. It mentioned that animal therapy could aid those on the autism spectrum. I phoned the farm and made an appointment for Brandon to be assessed.

The farm accepted Brandon for animal therapy. Shortly thereafter, I had Jordan assessed. Both boys were eligible and so started our weekly trips to the farm.

At that time, there were numerous goats and horses at the farm. The boys saw pregnant goats, met the babies when they were born and experienced farm life. They bonded with the animals and learned about life and death. Because I grew up on the farm I wanted them to experience the circle of life and to understand that life is fragile. I also wanted them to benefit from the animal therapy.

Brandon has come a long way in the last year. He has learned to do things that he said he would never be able to do. He learned that he could sit with a baby goat on his lap and whisper his deepest fears and his secrets in its ear. He had no fear of that baby goat telling anyone what his feelings were. He didn't have to worry about the goat laughing at him or bullying him. The goat didn't care that he was different or that he thought a different way. The goat only wanted his love and to return that affection.

Today when I picked the boys up for the farm, Brandon was having a bad day. By the time we got to the farm, he was having a meltdown - not a major one, but a meltdown just the same. He said he was tired. He said he was sad. He didn't really know what he wanted to say, nor did he know what to do about it. At first he wouldn't get out of the car and so Jordan and I got out and left him. Sometimes that is the best thing we can do - give Brandon some quiet time. It didn't take long for him to get out of the car and we went to the barn. It was a chilly day with a strong wind and he complained all the way. I just kept the boys moving.

Once we were in the barn, Brandon headed to the stall where Matthew, the lamb and Chrissy, the baby goat are penned together. The babies were vying for Brandon's attention and it wasn't long until he was interacting with the animals. Then we saw Crackers lying in the paddock. I immediately wondered what was up as horses don't often lie down. We kept our eye on her and eventually she got up and was walking away from us. She was walking funny and I wondered if she was having some problems, but the more we watched her, the more we realized that there was something wrong with her back leg. She was lame and limping.

Brandon got so caught up with the animals that he forgot about his own troubles. He was in a much better mood as we headed home. The animals had worked their magic in his life once again.

Animal therapy has helped both of the boys a great deal, but I think it has helped Brandon the most in some ways. They are both learning lessons in the realities of life by watching the happenings on the farm. I would recommend animal therapy for anyone who is experiencing either physical or mental challenges.

Research has proven that animal therapy is good for people who are on the autism spectrum and Brandon has definitely benefited from having the animals in his life.

If you would like to read more about Asperger's and animal therapy, there is a good article HERE! Have a great Wednesday and remember to be kind to those who are different. Wouldn't this world be a dull place if we were all the same? ~Blessings, Mary~

Safari in Disney's Animal Kingdom

I never did get around to showing anymore photos of our trip to Disney World. I guess life just got in the way and I've been posting about other things. I was deep in though trying to figure out what I was going to post and started looking through the pictures on my computer. These are photos of our safari trip at Disney's Animal Kingdom, so come along with me on safari.

These beautiful white and black birds were everywhere around this water. I'm not sure what they are and it was hard to take photos while bouncing around in a safari truck, but it was fun.
I'm not sure if these photos will enlarge if you click on them, but if you look closely, you will see hippos in the water and more of those black and white birds.
It looks as if these birds are reading the sign. I thought it was a cute outlook on their location.
Gators, gators everywhere. I sure wouldn't want to have to wade through this giant puddle. The boys enjoyed seeing them in a kind of natural habitat.
I have a thing for oddly shaped trees, so just couldn't resist taking a photo of these two. Aren't they unique? The above photo is just one of scenery. I am not sure why I took it but it gives you an idea of the landscape.

I believe these are wildebeasts. They were laying in this area. There were lots of animals out and about because of the cooler weather.

The giraffes were fun to spot in a natural habitat. Did you know that giraffe's have a blue tongue? It is really awesome to feed them. We did that at Silver Springs the last time we were in Florida in 2005.

The elephants are on the move. These guys were walking away from us. Maybe they were tired of people looking at them. After all, even elephants deserve some privacy.

And he keeps going, not interested in the people who really want him to turn around to have his picture taken.

Here is a mother and baby and a few others of the elephant herd. They were all moving toward the same area.

And as we moved along we saw this mother and baby moving toward the rocks in the background.

The water in this area definitely looked blue. I like the blues, greens and browns with the contrast of the white birds. This was a little island and many of those birds had congregated there.

As we rounded the next bend, to the left was a lion relaxing in the shade of these giant rocks.

Don't they remind you of the scene in Disney's Lion King movie? Pride Rock and there is Simba himself looking down at us.

The boys, hubby and I were all amazed at this site. How often will we see ostrich eggs in the wild and Mama and Daddy are staying close by to make sure no one or anything messes with them. I wouldn't want to approach this nest. This was an awesome sight.

And then we rounded the last bend on the safari and as we headed back toward the drop-off point, this was what we saw. It was breathtaking. I love the way those vines hang down toward the water. What a marvelous sight!

I hope you've enjoyed the safari with us. We certainly enjoyed seeing all of these animals and birds roaming free. Take care and have a great week. ~Blessings, Mary~

Show and Tell Friday, the Farm and a Meme

It's time for Show and Tell Friday. If you would like to participate, drop over to Kelli's at There's No Place Like Home.

This crystal angel came my way from a blogging friend at Christmas 2007 and was a complete surprise. I absolutely adore her. The photo doesn't do her justice but she is beautiful. She stands about 6 inches high and is 5.5 inches from front to back. The pink you can see through her is the lovely tea light candle that she is holding. I often turn out the lights and let this little angel guide my way. I keep her on my entertainment unit. She is a very treasured possession. Thank you once again my blogging friend. Your gesture touched my heart.

Tuesday Brandon and I went to the farm and we enjoyed a bit of one-on-one time. We didn't take any photos. We hadn't been for several weeks and since the weather was nice we decided to go and see if Rosie the sheep had given birth. She hadn't. Today, Jordan and I took our one-on-one time and he wanted me to take the camera along because he wanted to take photos.

Here he caught the baby lamb from last fall looking directly at the camera. I must say that he took his time and made sure he was going to get a good shot.


He thought it was cute because Matthew and the goat were staying close together. This isn't a bad photo either for someone who is only 10 years old.
The the baby goat stood on his hind legs and started eating hay. Jordan was delighted and snapped the photo above.

He soon tired of taking photos and was off to play on the trampoline. The boy next door came running over to play with him and they spent about 20 minutes having fun. While they were doing that, one of the girls from the farm were watching them and I decided to go and see the horses. Meet Cracker, above. I love his gentle nature.

Don't let anyone tell you that horses don't take care of each other. The barnyard is very muddy because of all the melting snow and the rain we've had this spring. The horses are muddy and here cracker is pulling mud out of Max's hair.

When Crackers finished with Max, I whistled and called him over. Yes, I can whistle and yes, he did come. Here he is wanting some attention.
Then he turned his head as if to say, "This is my best profile." He began to scratch his nose on the fence so I gave his head and neck a good rubbing. He basked in the attention, though he gets lots from the people who live on the farm.

Max didn't want to be left out, so came over to have his photo taken as well. I rubbed his head and neck as well. These horses are Heflinger's and they are beautiful. The three girls that live on the farm will bring all of the horses in tomorrow, clean them up and give them a good brushing. They will look much like this within a day.

After the farm, Jordan and I stopped at Tim Horton's, washed our hands and I bought him a milk. He always gets quite thirsty when he goes to the farm and of course he knows we have to pass the coffee shop on our way home. We had a wonderful couple of hours together.


Now you may wonder why, since Easter is over, that I decided to post a picture of Jesus on the cross. Grams at Talk to Grams tagged me to do this meme. I've done this one before and it was easy to do, so I decided to do it again.

The Rules:
1. Write your own six-word memoir about yourself.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you'd like.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible, so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag five more blogs with links.
5. And don't forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

My six word memoir: He died that I might live.

Since I've done this before and tagged people, I am not going to tag anyone for this one. However if you do decide to partipate, please leave a comment so I can come and read your memoir.

I saw this meme over at Hootin' Anni's and thought it would be fun. For those who don't already know, Anni and I are good blogging buddies. We talk almost everyday and we have come to agree that we are kindred spirits. Now when I saw this, I realized that there are more things that Anni and I have in common.

The Name Game

Your rock star name (first pet, current car) Jack Ford. A very common name at that. Not something that a rock star would be likely to use.

Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal) Green Wolf. Not sure about Green Wolf but at least Wolf fits for Native American. Gray Wolf would have been better. Sorry, my favorite color is green.

Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name) Alw -Ma. I think this kind of sounds like something or someone in pain. Well, you never know with Star Wars.

Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink) Purple T. I shortened my favorite drink, which is a good cuppa tea to T. Sounds more like a superhero - Remember Mr. T.

NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers) William Bertrum. Bertrum William? Whadda think?

Stripper name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy) I don't have a favorite cologne, so that is out. But I do have a favorite fragrance. How about Lilac Chocolate or Chocolate Lilac. Do you think that sounds like a name for a stripper?

TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter) Chrysler Charlottetown. Charlottetown is the capital city of Prince Edward Island.

Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower) Spring Rose Spring is my favorite season because it is a time of rebirth and I have always loved roses since I was a little girl. Climbing roses are my very favorite, but I also love tea roses, floribunda roses and any other kind of rose.
Cartoon name: (favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now) Raspberry Jeans

Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree) Orange Willow. Think it fits? A good name for a hippie, don't you think?

Porn star name (first pet, first street where you lived) Jack Spring. Guess that would be okay for a male porn star. LOL Maybe Jackie Spring?

Thanks, Anni. I had a lot of fun doing this.

A week or so ago, I sent Anni her Pay it Forward gift and she's already received it. Drop by her blog to see what I sent her.

To Pea and Denise, remember that you can receive yours Pay it Forward gift anytime during the year, which ends in January 2009. LOL You'll never know when to expect a parcel in your mailbox.
Last but not least, be sure to stop by Mary's Vintage Flea Market and take a look at the cute things I have to offer for sale this week. There are rooster mugs, a Trust the Lord print, Fairy prints and some other items. You can also find out how to participate in Friday Flea Market by following the link from Mary's Vintage Flea Market. Join in the fun! Buy, sell or just browse and leave comments.

Have a wonderful weekend and spend some time outdoors. This is great weather for getting some exercise and enjoying the harbingers of spring. ~Blessings, Mary~