Woodland Park Zoo

I came up with the idea to take Mom to the zoo today. They have wheelchairs you can rent for only $5. Also, they have a new exhibit of pink flamingos. I thought it would be a good way to get Mom out of the house, give her some new sites and get a little fresh air. Pamela gets a huge discount through Microsoft, so we decided this would be a good outing for all of us.

Everything worked pretty well...except for her comments about people being so big...she has always had a thing about weight. She has always had a weight problem...but she also doesn't have that filter that prevents her from saying things out loud that she is thinking. When we were at the African dog exhibit, she said loud and clear "it looks dead". The dog was laying on it's side sleeping, but it clearly was not dead. On to the next exhibit. We say zebras, giraffes, hippos, komodo dragons, and a beautiful flock of pink flamingos.

After lunch we decided to go see the butterfly exhibit. This is where one of the most tender moments I have ever watched occurred as Mom held hands with a toddler laying down in her wagon as we passed with the wheelchair. I just stood there watching this gentle moment as Mom gently held the little girl's hand and talked quietly to her. I think Mom enjoyed seeing all the little kids most of all.

After that we headed back to the car as Mom was getting a little chilled. I wrapped the blanket I had brought around her and off we went. She wanted to go to the cemetery, and to buy a blouse, but by this time both Pamela and I were tired from pushing her around the zoo in the wheelchair. We dropped her at home with the bag of jellybeans that Pamela bought for her yesterday. She was planning on watching the Olympic Games this afternoon.

All in all...a successful outing for everyone.