The last few weeks we've gone on a few field trips, or as we like to call it, going places. Field trips makes it sound much more official like, though, doesn't it? All mixed up like, here we go...
{pretty}
The Strong Museum of Play was closing a Lego exhibit and we made it a point to get there before we missed it. This huge salt water tank is right at the entrance and is mesmerizing.
While the older boys were in Denver, my mom and I took the two littles on a quick trip to the zoo. I didn't get the greatest pictures, unfortunately. Some of the peacocks were walking around and a few were showing. They always look so goofy, like they are holding their breath and can barely hold themselves up when they're strutting around like that. Our turkeys would do the same thing. Their plumage is so beautiful!
In the rainforest. It reeks to high heaven in there but they have some really neat animals.
Another trip we took at the beginning of the month was to the local power plant, organized through our local homeschooling group and freeeee! I thought it would be a great trip for the older boys since they like things like turbines and engines and all such things that I really know nothing about. If I had been a conscientious blogger I would have gotten the gorgeous view right over that fence in the back of the Niagara River Gorge but alas, you just get half of my kids looking under a half of the entrance sign.
{happy}
About two minutes before my batteries died
Some of the creations were amazing but I wasn't feeling that great and you know, batteries are important so I didn't get many great shots.
There were no hippopotami "to swim with" and the monkeys were in cages so he couldn't "climb with them to give them a banana" so David had to settle for a ride on the train as his favorite part of the zoo.
It's a light bulb that turns on. Apparently for the Amish tourists.
I let John Paul go with the older group because I knew he'd want more than what the littler group was getting. It's so weird to realize that he's growing up and can go with the big people sometimes.
{funny}
Rhinoceros are just funny, right?
We got quite the show in the gorilla habitat. This little guy would stop, pose, and then run crazy around the place having a ball and sometimes banging on the windows. They ended up being our favorite animals that we saw.
David thought it was hysterical that he put a blanket on his head and ran around and then was rolling around and just acting goofy. Luke was in awe.
Mother was just sitting while little one used her as a playground. I can relate, mama.
I'm no fancy zoologist but...
Completely out of focus (I had like 14 seconds to get a shot with a toddler in my arms) but I was happy that Michael was assertive enough to get squeezed in for the static ball amongst all the kids, despite the fact that his hair wasn't really long enough for the effect!
{real}
This guy. Oh my. He was inches away from us, separated by glass, of course. But he entranced me. David called him "The Grandpa." He is huge and his expressions were so deep and...real. You could feel the tension as he walked by and sat right next to us. His body was massive and so solid. You could easily fit three of me inside him. Look at those veins in his chest.
(Linking this one up with Cari for Theme Thursday of "Bodies")
And then he looked at us. REALLY looked at us and made eye contact. It was disconcerting and his expression made me sad. I'm not anti-zoo, I don't think, but gosh, it's hard to see some of these animals locked up like that for our entertainment. Is the learning value worth it? I hope so.
Looking straight at us. This would have been one heck of a shot if there hadn't been that girl next to me with a bright orange shirt reflecting in the glass (and if I were more skilled with the camera). But man, look at that expression.
Joining with the ladies at LMLD
That lego exhibit looks so awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteWow. What a piercing gorilla stare. Do you know if he had ever been in the wild? Because if he was bred in captivity it's possible he knows no other life and was just telling you he had a migraine. Or something else that would cause a look like that. I don't think I am anti zoo either but you've made me think.
ReplyDeleteI always feel that way about the monkeys and gorillas in particular. They look so sad. :( Can I tell you, I almost had to leave the new version of "Planet of the Apes" because I was actually getting horribly sad for the baby monkey. :(
ReplyDeleteWhat INCREDIBLE shots you got! The gorilla- oh my. (I always leave the zoo feeling that *very* same way.)
ReplyDeleteWow, that shot of Grandpa Gorilla is amazing!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you made it to the lego exhibit. Some day your Buffalo children will see those falls. I wonder if David called the gorilla Graandpa because he looked grumpy. Your pictures are great.
ReplyDeleteGandma& Grumpy