Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium

This is a long post but it was a full day. This wasn't Arlie's first time to the zoo but it certainly was the first where I think she really enjoyed being there as opposed to just having fun with mommy and daddy.

Arlie is no longer content to walk but must run and careen wherever she goes. Makes for a lot of skinned knees (and after today skinned forehead and nose)

She had fun feeding the goats. Some of the older children were super-aggressive and knocked her down trying to get to the pellets she accidentally dropped. The mama bear sure came out in me!!

Arlie loved, loved, loved the walruses and the tiger. I'm not sure what it was about those particular animals that she found so fascinating but they got barks and claps which is definitely her seal of approval!

There's a new exhibit at the zoo called Budgie Buddies. They had budgies of all colors flying free and you can buy these sticks that have food at one end. The objective is to stand still and hope there's a hungry budgie in the vicinity that will land on your stick and eat the food. This budgie had just gotten squealed at in his little bird ear by Arlie and was outta there.

Arlie rejecting Bishop's advances. Andrew will be so proud.

I was a little surprised how much Arlie liked the, uh, squirty fountain? Spraying water-feature?
Whatever you call it, she was having fun chasing the water around. Although. . .

. . . as you can see sometimes the water found her.

And we ended our trip to the zoo with a ride on the carousel. I hadn't been on one myself in over 20 years. Maybe in a few months we can try it on one of the actual horses (or frog or walrus). I had to buckle a very damp, happy, and exhausted girl into her carseat. What a great day!