Peter’s most recent weekend visit to Waco was a bit out-of-ordinary. David was out of town, and Thursday evening is usually Granddad-and-Peter time at the Mayborn Museum, which is open until 9:00 on Thursdays. I, apparently, am not as much fun at the Mayborn as David is, so Peter said he’d just wait until Saturday, when Granddad would be back.
We arrived in Waco last Thursday, late afternoon, and went straight to the library, instead. Peter’s developed an interest in the animated series Paw Patrol, and I had a couple of books and a video on hold. We got those, and well, as long as we’re here, can we get a Bob (the Builder) and, LOOK! A Chuck! Well-armed with entertainment, we stopped at H.E.B for rice and Texas Toast, and headed home.
Fridays are usually zoo days (I’m at least rather fun at the zoo). For breakfast, Peter thought he’d like pancakes. “Do you have a Millennium Falcon cookie cutter, Mimi? You could use it to make Star Wars pancakes.” “No, I don’t have that. But I do have … ”
-
- A friend gave me these pancake molds, years ago, because she knew my own boys were Star Wars fans.
-
- I was able to create a Death Star pancake all by myself.
-
- We got to the zoo in time for a grilled cheese sandwich lunch.
-
- Gibbons in the tree behind Peter
-
- Peter looking down at a Kori Bustard (on the right) and a curled up DikDik (sort of in the center)
-
- Peter, at five, (looking through the glass, at the center back), can easily watch the Meerkats.
-
- Local vultures have found the zoo to be particularly attractive. Here they are, congregating in the enclosure which houses giraffes.
-
- Those birds behind the giraffe are, I think, African Openbills. I desperately tried to get a video of one on them who was diligently chasing the vultures until they were several feet away. He was too quick for me.
HOW NOT TO VISIT THE ZOO
When Peter and I arrived at the zoo, there were about six big yellow school buses, sitting along the curb. Lots of people were sitting at picnic tables outside the zoo. When we went in, there were many teen-agers getting prepared sack lunches.
We had our lunch and then went out to visit one of Peter’s favorite places, The Brazos River Country Fresh Water Aquarium, or, as Peter calls it: “Fish School.”
We like to pretend (or, he likes to pretend) that we are teaching each other about the important body parts and habits of the animals we see there. Most visits, we spend about half our time there. In the summer, it’s particularly nice, because it’s cool and damp and dark in there. In addition to fish, there are also exhibits with reptiles and amphibians.
While we were there, large groups of the out-of-town teens, along with their sponsors, came through. I finally got my phone out and pulled up the “timer” app. When the next group opened the door, I started the timer. Two-and-a-half minutes passed from the time the first kid came through the door until the last kid went out. Two-and-a-half minutes. And that’s not the total time that each individual kid was in that exhibit. That’s how long it took an entire group of thirty or so to completely enter and then exit the space. The first kid was walking out at about the same time the last kid was walking in. Not the way to visit a zoo. Or a museum. Or an exhibit, anywhere.
-
- Where we like to compare fish anatomy to our anatomy.
-
- The tail end of the speedy group.
-
- As we left the zoo, Peter saw this on the back of the vehicle next to us. “My dad HAS to get one of these!”
-
- I usually wait until the day I take Peter back to Fort Worth to do all his laundry. Sometimes, I forget to get to it first thing, and we’re a little delayed leaving town. Peter’s solution was to put his dirty clothes bin next to my side of the bed, so I would step on it on Monday morning, and remember to wash clothes.
-
- This is Peter’s jacket, which had to be washed after it went to the zoo. Those are deep pockets on the front; they hold LOTS of leaves, pebbles, sticks, etc. I did my best to empty them out, but the smallest items (tiny leaf pieces, wee pebbles, little stick shards), ended up in the bottom of the washer.
-
- And we got a little bit of painting done, too. (It’s the Paw Patrol tower.)
If you plan and work hard,
you will have plenty;
if you get in a hurry,
you will end up poor.
Proverbs 21:5 (Contemporary English Version)
Taking time to learn usually results in information retained. Hurrying through it often means you haven’t learned a thing, whatever content has been presented to you.