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Today was Kayleigh's field trip to the zoo!  It was very fun.  As a warning, this post will contain a lot of pictures!

This morning when Spencer found out he was going to Stacey's and turd and I were going to the zoo he was so sad.  I think he was mostly sad that I was leaving him.  He got this look on his face

And then said, "but I am going to miss you."  It was so pathetic that even his sister felt bad for him.

But once I got him dressed and across the street, he was happy to play.  So I don't feel too bad anymore.

The zoo here is pretty nice.  It's not a typical zoo, though.  There are generally animals that are suited to this climate.  No exotic animals from the rainforest or anything like that.  There are moose, caribou, bears, foxes, eagles, musk ox, yaks, tigers and a few other animals.  Zoo's always depress me because I feel bad for the animals in those tiny cages, the birds that can not spread their wings and soar over the trees, the big cats that can't hunt.  They always seem to be just walking in circles and it makes me sad for them.  But one of the things I like about here is this zoo is mostly made up of animals that were injured and are being rehabilitated, orphaned babies and those who are so injured that they can not survive in the wild.  But I still wonder if maybe, those who can not survive in the wild, would be better off dead rather than in captivity.  They do set the animals that can be rehabilitated free.  Which I also like.  

I had two kids with me.  Kayleigh.  And her little first grade love, Dylan.  I have no idea why Mrs. Campbell put them together, but I assume it was mostly because they get along well.  What chaperone would want kids who fight the entire time you are there.  So here are a few snapshots of the lovebirds.  And no, I did not let them hold hands or otherwise touch.  But they got along very well :)

Of all the animals my favorites were the bears.  There were black bears...

Brown bears (AKA Grizzlies)...

And my absolute favorites were the polar bears...

I have never seen a polar bear do anything beside be a lazy turd and lay around on a rock.  This guy was all over the place.  And watching him move underwater was amazing.  They don't really look that big when they are laying around, but if you seem them spread out swimming you can tell how huge they really are!

This is my favorite picture, how cool is that?

And now my last thought for the day....Why I love it here.  When I was driving to the zoo this is the scene I saw.  The  mountains.

The exact same road just going the other way you see the Cook Inlet.

Everywhere you look, you see beauty.  It's even pretty here when everything is dull and grey.  Can you imagine a beautiful sunny day once everything has bloomed?  I can not wait until summer!