A Trip to the Zoo

Over the weekend last week, we had the opportunity to drive up to Columbia and while there we went to the zoo. Well first we had to drop my wife off at a school, as the real reason for going to Columbia was for her to attend this meeting. So we went to the mall, scoped out a good place to get our grub on and generally played.

As you can see the kids were pretty hyped up about going to the zoo. I don't think any kid suddenly becomes disappointed but anyway... We went to Hudson's Smokehouse for lunch, pretty good. I really liked the collard greens, but the mac-n-cheese was a hit with the kids, but really everything was good to Augustus. (Notice the shiner is still there)

So with the meeting out of the way and with full bellies, we head for the zoo. And there have been some changes there since we last went. Mainly, that the sea lions are not there anymore, replaced by a kangaroo walk about thing. You can walk right up to them, however you must stay on the path, and the kangaroos are off in the distance (at least they were when we went through). We miss the sea lions, but we pressed on.

There was a new baby giraffe, and who doesn't like seeing some cute baby animals?

But the show stopper had to be the Lorikeet exhibit.The Songbird loved this, as did her mother and the teenager. Basically you get swarmed by these birds hoping you'll have the $2 cup of sugar water (or whatever, I didn't taste it) and if you did, then prepare to have the birds come out of the woodwork. 

Notice how I didn't include Augustus in the list, because while I was snapping some pictures with one hand and holding her in the other, a lorikeet flew up on my shoulder and she was not ok with that at all. She likes her wildlife at a distance I reckon.

Kind of like this, there is at least a cage between the two. Through she again started crying when that white goat got up on his hind legs and erased that comfort zone that she thought existed.

The rest of the trip was fairly uneventful, well that was until we got to Yemassee. The Songbird said she had to pee really, really, really, really bad. We took the first exit we could, but there was no actual bathroom available. Just an old abandoned gas station. Try as we may, we could not get the Songbird to just "go" in the woods. So we did make it to the next exit, and they had a much more "civilized" bathroom there. So we learned that she might say she has to go, but really, really, really? I think not!