The Zoo

Most of the time, Dave and I plan everything all wrong. (Actually, we don't really plan, and then we're surprised when thing turn out all wrong.) Like most weekends in general and holiday weekends in particular, as of Friday evening we had no plans to speak of. The weather is un-New York-ishly gorgeous, the City is refreshingly empty, and somehow we've actually managed to get out and enjoy it.

Clio has already made two trips to the playground and one to the shockingly-empty Boreum Hill pool, and today we went to the Prospect Park Zoo.

Before heading out, we checked to find out exactly where it is and to make sure that it was, in fact, open today. (We usually skip this step, as one of us has a "pretty good idea" where something is and the other is "pretty sure it should be open." We are often wrong.)

We found it, no problem, and nabbed a great parking spot right out front. Normally we just miss everything, but today was different. We arrived just as the sea lion demonstration got under way, and learned all about the difference between their behavior in the wild and their behavior due to animal husbandry.

Next, we followed the nature loop to see prairie dogs, kangaroos, emus, and otters. We thought the red pandas were the cutest.

There are several interactive education exhibits (aka toys) along the path. Here I am trying on a tortoise shell for size:

And Clio checking out a turtle-boy.


Last but not least, we headed to the barn so Clio could try out all her barn animal sounds. Here, we discovered where all of Brooklyn went for the weekend! The zoo was, well, a zoo.


So much so that I missed getting pictures of Clio with the cow and the sheep (to whom she said "moo" and "baa"), but here she is with the Llama.


Despite reciting the story Is Your Mama a Llama, Clio was a little afraid of this one.

Finally, in keeping with our good karma, we got through the barn just as Story Time began. Clio was more interested in the floor mats than the songs but to each her own, right?

She did eventually get into it.

Now if Clio will just nap, we'll carry on with our unexpectedly great day.