On Safari

Today we drove into Saline to take in "preschool day" at the Saline Community Fair.   Since the fair website wasn't altogether informative as to what "preschool day" meant, I wasn't at all sure what to expect, and as it turned out I never really got a chance to find out.  The only specified preschool activiity that Calvin was interested in was the Gemini concert that was already underway when we arrived, and as soon as the performance was over he wanted nothing to do with the remaining preschool activities (which seemed to include a number of kiddie games with junk candy prizes  anyway), and instead made a beeline for the animal showing barns.  He clearly remembered the animals from the Chelsea Fair and was raring for a repeat.  I have no idea how the two events truly compare, but the barns at the Chelsea Fair felt larger, fuller, more informative, and more inviting, which, after the bombing of "preschool day", left only one major draw at the Saline Fair - the Whipsering Pines Animal Sanctuary.  When Jon and I  first became acquainted with this group several years ago, we had the opportunity to pet a juvenile Okapi, one of our very favorite (very rare) animals, and we have been fans of the event ever since.  Every year their visit is a little different, and while there were no Okapis this year, Calvin had a great time feeding and petting llamas, goats, sheep, a baby bison, and two kangaroos.  Oh, and he road a camel.  All by himself.  The man running the  exhibit was a little hesitant to put such a youngster on a camel alone, but I assured him that Calvin had ridden quarter horses with no assistance, so he tried it.  Calvin was quite at ease, and quite content, on his camel (most kids ask for ponies...we see where this is going).  The morning was so much fun that Calvin asked to take daddy back after nap time (he wanted to show him the bison and the camels), and he was such a good boy that morning  that we decided to go ahead and go.  We didn't ride any camels the second time around, but we did feed all the animals again, and got the chance to hold an armadillo (Jon) and a fenec fox (me).  Calvin wasn't so sure about the armadillo–he really kept his eye on him at all times and only gave him a brief pet–but he was much more at home with the charming little fenec fox.  Our own little zoo at home will never feel the same again.

More pictures in the Sept 2008 Album.