The Zoo, The Fire Truck, & The Gas Man!

On day two we made our way to the Dallas Zoo, but only after selling my right arm to get through the doors (quite expensive).

There was an awesome childrens' section with everything from a petting zoo to a rocky splash park.

The tortoise shells were quite a hit.

Sister has quite an eye for capturing "animals" at the zoo. (This is one of the many "interesting" photos on the camera after she BEGGED for a turn to take pics!) Nice.

Fearlessly petting a snake...only after Little Man asked to touch its face!? What!?

Conquering the Galapagos...

And looking, make that searching, for monkeys in the tree tops...

The children found a "secret passage" and went exploring.

While we didn't see any baby kangaroos in their mama's pouches, we did see children in all sorts of pouches! Innovative, eh?

By the time we made it to the "safari" section of the zoo, all of us were hot, thirsty, hungry, and exhausted. Early on, cheapskate (that would be me) wouldn't let us buy anything. We'd all brought water, crackers, and nuts, and with the cost of admission, we were nearing our spending limit for the day. However, at this point in the afternoon, we'd consumed what we'd brought and it became clear we needed something for refreshment. By this time, every food/drink venue had closed. What is up with that?

We called it a day and made tracks for the car. The Engineer stopped in the restroom near the entrance and upon realizing it was air conditioned, being the sweet man that he is, suggested the ladies wait in the cool of the public restroom while he and Little Man got the car.

Needless to say, Sister was thrilled.

*Totally un-zoo related, while working on this post, I smelled something burning. I tend toward the paranoid side when it comes to smoke smells (thank you, mother! {I smile}). I sniffed all around the house and finally decided it was the fridge or the wall behind the fridge. I called The Engineer, but couldn't reach him. I called all the menfolk in the neighborhood, but alas, they'd all gone to work. So I called a friend who works for the Fire Department. I told him I'd unplugged the fridge, but wasn't sure I'd eliminated the problem. Five minutes later (thankfully enough time to change out of pajamas - we must prioritize, here!) "the engine" showed up with four kind firemen. They decided a component on the fridge was burning and told me to leave it unplugged, they showed off a sweet thermal camera, INSISTED we put up house numbers, and were ADAMANT I call the gas company, as they smelled gas. (I did too, but we have an old stove and any time I use it, the house smells like gas. Hmm...maybe we need to get a new stove?)

So I called the gas company. They INSISTED I put the phone down without even hanging up, gather the living, and wait in the front yard. We did. Pajamas (not me) and dirty diapers (not me, either) and all. About three minutes later the gas man came screeching around the corner (I exaggerate...slightly). After sharing that their "odor machine" had malfunctioned, putting extra "scent" in the gas, he did a thorough check of the house, indoors and out and ruled out any gas leaks. He also used to work for Sears doing appliance repair and offered a few tips and suggestions on the fridge.

Since his departure I've made 1,038 trips next door, arms laden with refrigerator goods. However, once again, I stand in awe of God's goodness and providence. Had this happened while we were out of town, our home very likely would've been consumed in flames. Our next door neighbors haven't moved in yet, which gave me a close, nearly empty fridge. God's timing, though not our own, is perfect.

It's been an exciting morning! And all that, before 8:30!