Of giraffe tongues and porcupine tails

We used our Labor Day off for a zoo trip to Binder Park with Matt and Kristin. Out of all of our zoo memberships, we picked this one to visit because they close for the season soon, and how can you turn down giraffe feeding? Matt and Kristin thought that was worth the trip alone, enjoying the giraffes' long, scratchy black tongues pulling off gymnastic feats to reach our biscuits.

We discovered that the animals they use for their educational stage shows are completely different species, not on exhibit anywhere else in the zoo. This is how we got a chance to get up and close and personal with a fenic fox, who was very shy and had big, sensitive ears. We really wanted to hold him, but that luxury was reserved for the trainer.

Another animal we wished we could touch was the prehensile-tailed porcupine. We heard that his quills have microscopic barbs on them that would embed themselves in your skin, requiring a visit to the hospital and a dose of muscle-relaxant to get them out! How could something so cute be so dangerous? His special training taught him to tap his enormous, wide nose on the handler's fingers to get a treat, so holding the carrot just out of reach encouraged him to dangle from his special tail for the prize.

We continue to pray for those affected by Hurricane Katrina. www.redcross.org