Exploring Como Zoo

Hand in hand with Grandma Jane

She with the leopard skin pillbox hat. Ok, not really. But it was appropriate for a zoo trip.  Your dad was working this particular Saturday and I enlisted Grandma to keep me sane. I do know that I'm lucky to have this option.

The building in back is one of the original buildings. There were animals in this place when I was a kid, but no more. I think it's actually zoo office space now.  What I recall from childhood is a) it smelled and b) there was a large snake in one of the displays. I didn't like them then, something I think I took from observing your Grandma's reaction to them. Oh well.

Yes, the Lion Sleeps Tonight (how could I resist?). Even though it's day. They truly are spectacular animals. Last time we were here a woman was sitting there sketching him. This day the place was pretty darn vacant.

This guy.

This guy was right up to the window. I brought Roman over. It took him about 3 seconds and he got a look on his face like "no way" and backed away. We stood back about 10 feet. Roman decided to stand behind me for protection. He still had that look on his face. Something about this creature really freaked him out. And I tell you what, it was very endearing. I don't know why, except something was going on in his little head. Maybe getting that close to something that looks back at you was just too weird. I think I'm still amazed at watching them become part of the world. For a long time they just observed, there was absorption but not a lot of connection. Now when I see 1 or 2 year olds I can recognize that vacant observation mode and it's kind of funny.

These little ones weren't as scary.

Pretty funny looking, in fact.

We were able to take part in story time. Zoe and Roman started out sitting by us on a bench, but I asked Zoe if she wanted to go sit on the carpet. She did. Roman wasn't so sure, but as soon as he saw all the kids interacting (and telling the storyteller that there was a spider on her back), he was all for it.  But then the story ended, all the kids went away and the props were taken down. Roman wasn't happy about that. He was just getting warmed up (a 10 minute adjustment period doesn't work for a 12 minute story time).