Ft. Wayne Childrens Zoo

To wear wool in this heat, you gotta be stupid... or stoned.

Whole buncha little kids on a tour.  They were as fun to watch as the goats.

Laurie, what ARE you doing with those goats?

Uhh... bad time for a picture?  (BTW, you should have heard him grunt!  "RRRRRRRUUHHHHH.... RRRRRRUUUUUUHHHH!!!"

Laurie was told they like being petted.  She'll believe anything...

Dingoes

Hee Haw front porch, Aussie style.

"Yeah, waddaya want?"

Momma and chick

Proud papa

Australian water ride

"Oh, no... the rapids!!!"

It looks like a fish, but it's actually me after lunch.

Seal training.  How's this catch for timing?

"Oh, c'mon, you're too kind..."

The winning bark in the loudest bark contest.

Boy, Scrappy would LOVE him...

From the safari sky ride

We saw something moving on the rock, but had to blow it up to see what they were.  Maybe if we'd noticed Mommy off to the side...

These are satu... sita... uhmm...

...antelopes.  These are antelopes.

Swamp monkeys.  Stars of a new series coming soon on the History Channel.

'Cause that's what I'D be doing if I were a pelican.

Bat-eared foxes

Servals chillin'

Mongoose in the hole!

Big cats pose great!

Winner of ugliest exhibit award.

Never been quite this close to a giraffe.

Laurie feeds him lettuce.

"I've got HAPPY FEET!"

Oh, and Bob, who needs Drew Blair when you got Lee Ann Okuly??!!

Laurie's 4th of July bash...

...went very well, even with 18 people (2 of them little kids) and a Booogle all in basically one room with temps at 104 (peak around 3 PM) outside.  No grilling allowed onsite, so hot dogs were boiled, just like the sweet corn.  But still good, plus plenty of desserts, potato salad, friendship dip (Remind me to have Laurie do a guest-recipe) crackers out the yin-yang, a large bowl of M&Ms (the culinary star of the show), and some nice cold PBRs to keep me from getting claustrophobic.

The attendees:  sis-in-law Mary and brother Chuck, sister Mary, our lovely hostess, my firstborn, niece Danielle (DJ), sis in law Linda, bro-in-law Jack.

Jack, photogenic even upside down.

The four-footed brigade...

Action Jackson, his mom Katie by the door

Brother Paul's nose, brother Art, Mary, Jack, soon-to-be-Mrs.-Art Tracy, and Chuck

Tracy's young'uns

After a good feast and several rounds of Draw Something (in which Chuck astounded), it was off to the fireworks.

The gang heading toward the spot we staked out (Insert whistle from The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly here...)

Just to annoy her- my favorite task

And now, for your viewing pleasure, the grand finale...