Well today was Father's Day, but due to being hundreds of miles away doing the military thing, John was unable to be here with us. The girls were a little sad about it and I didn't want them to sit and dwell about missing him, so I decided to take a walk on the wild side. Unbeknownst to me (until recently- thanks to www.MyMiamiCounty.blogspot.com), our little neck of the woods is home to a rather interesting attraction - a petting zoo filled with some interesting and exotic animals. It's called the Idle Hour Ranch and is home to a plethora of animals both big and small - including (but not limited to) a giraffe named Sam, llamas, camels, goats, birds, an anteater, wolves and kangaroos. An added attraction this weekend (and a few more upcoming weekends) are the elephants. The animals are very interactive with their visitors - especially when they are eating food directly from your hands! How cool is that?
Because Maya is immunosuppressed, she was unable to pet or feed the animals, but she was excited to be so close to them. Both of the girls were thrilled with the antics of the animals - Peaches the bird was especially vocal today. Sam the giraffe was a big hit - he ate bread straight from Laely's hand and had beautiful and expressive (and big) brown eyes. (He also pooped while we were feeding him, an observation that Maya was all too happy to point out to everyone.) There were goats running free around the farm that were very friendly and curious. The llama we saw (and fed) was also an interesting character.
Elephant rides were offered, but Laely didn't want to ride without me and since Maya couldn't partake in that particular activity (again due to immunosuppression issues - animal bacteria, etc.) we passed on that. Laely was thrilled with her pony ride though. The kangaroos were fun to watch and the Pot-Bellied Pigs were a big hit with the girls as well. The beautiful cougar was also an breathtaking sight to see up close and personal.
Overall, the trip to Idle Hour Ranch was a great way to spend Father's Day, and I'm hoping the girls remember the fun we had instead of focusing on the fact that they couldn't be with their dad. However, we did get a phone call from him today after we got home, which added to the excitement of the day. I'm not sure what made them happier - the 10 minute phone call from Daddy or the afternoon spent at a petting zoo, but either way I'm happy just because they are.
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