Sammy and I had a fun afternoon ogling animals at the zoo today. Our friend Peggy took us, she's an excellent zoo guide as she used to work there. So we got to hear her stories, like how much soapy scrubbing it takes to wash a bear and the hippo(who resembled nothing so much as a giant leather balloon peacefully floating in the water)is named Lily.

Sam got up close and personal with a Siamang monkey, the king of the Orangutans, a mama gorilla and her tiny baby, and a giant python. He loved it all. They seemed pretty interested in him. The python was probably just sizing him up for dinner, but the apes and monkey really seemed to want to relate to him. It was pretty cool. The Siamang swung up to the glass, all black fur and great long muscular arms. He stared at Sam with somewhat mournful eyes for a while, then he threw his arms out to the side and grinned and shook his head rapidly. Sam laughed. The monkey hung upside down and contemplated Sam that way for a long moment. So I held Sammy upside down to stare back at him the same way. Rightside up again, they watched each other for ages. Sam wants to visit him again soon.

The Orang also came right up to the glass and stared at Sammy. Tiny pink nose to giant brown one and only a single sheet of glass squeezed up between them. He was huge, immensely strong and very impressive. He just sat there and stared.

The gorilla mama was beautiful. She sat and munched on corn stalks, gracefully and meticulously peeling the outer stalk away with her gigantic fingers to nibble the core out whilst her tiny baby suckled at her breast. The baby was amazing. He looked so human, like a little grey/black baby person. Perfect little ears and fingers.

It was a perfect afternoon, warm september sunshine, very few humans strolling about. The animals were watching us as much as we were watching them.

I love the otters. They always seem to be having a grand fun time, either diving and playing in the water sending silver bubble streams arcing up to the surface, or frolicking about on the shore and, like most of my favorite critters, they're mad snugglers!

OK, I'm tired and I've gotta make these kids eat their dinners, give'em dessert, cleanup, pick bedtime books, brush teeth and hair and get them snuggled down to bed most likely to the tune of: "Noooo, Idowannagotobed!"

G'nite.