My Afternoon at the Zoo

It is a beautiful day here in Iowa...the sun is shining...the perfect temperature...just gorgeous! After doing some landscaping work in our yard this morning, I decided to take my mother-in-law out for the afternoon. We made a trip to the Blank Park Zoo and then went out for lunch...what an excellent way to spend part of my day! Des Moines is blessed to have such a wonderful zoo - my husband and I are zoo members and visit often. Currently, my favorite animal on exhibit is the Red Panda - I also adore the penguins! During this visit, all of the penguins were swimming and fun to watch. We also got up close and personal with an Emu...walked right up to us...was feeding on vegetation right along the walking path. The giant tortoises were also out today...and I caught a photo of one SLOWLY moving. However, the most active animals today were the giraffes - they were all moving about, feeding, and close to the walking trail - they were only a couple feet from us! It was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon...