Cold Spaghetti

At the “Food Chain Cafe” Will pets an endangered snake native to Louisiana. (He was a little freaked out.)
He also pet Pillow, a domesticated chicken… sort of like the Zoo’s dog. (He was still freaked out.) I’m holding Kate with a firm grip as I took these… she wanted to check out that chicken something awful. (I wasn’t worried about her. I was afraid for Pillow.)
The kids hit the playground for a few minutes. Kate surprised us by going right to the slides and proceeding to WALK UP THEM. Not crawl up, but WALK. As in on her feet, up the slides.
Then Will and Paul rode the Zoo carousel, a beautiful work of art in itself. Will sweetly smiled for a picture right before it began to spin.
Kate took the breeze while she watched her brother from the gate.
With each spin, Will gave Kate and me a performance of funny faces. After the first three times, I wasn’t too keen on it.
But Kate LOVED it.
And Will LOVED that she LOVED it. (This is him blowing her a kiss and waving.)
And then turning to give me another funny face.
He gave Kate big hugs afterwards.
Then off to the elephant show. Kate and I missed it (we were shopping for easter basket goodies), but I’m told that WILL took this photo of Panya (or maybe this one is Jean?)
Kate and I enjoyed the duck statues on our way back to the elephants.
Then we went home for naptime and some work. A few hours later, we went back to the Zoo. (A perk of living 8 blocks away and having a membership.)
We went back and bee-lined to the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit, where the staff was feeding the alligators for the first time this season. Apparently, they only eat when the temperature suits them… and before yesterday, it had been 5 months since their last feeding. We thought it’d be a pretty spectacular display.
The bears reminded us of the reality. This is the Louisiana Swamp. Nothin’ moves fast here.
We messed up the time and only caught the very end of the feeding. Which was much more subdue than we had thought. The ‘gators hopped up, grabbed some meat, and disappeared slowly under the murk.
One floated around slowly, keeping an eye FIRMLY on Will. Will told us he wasn’t “gonna put (his) hand down there or the alligator will SNAP!! it up!” We told him he was a smart thinkin’ little man.
More bear R&R.
From the Swamp, we passed into Africa and checked out the giraffes and wild birds. When Will was 1, he fed one of the giraffes. The giraffe’s mouth covered Will’s entire hand as it gently took the food from his hand. This time, though, we just watched the birds close up and the giraffes from afar.
Kate thought the birds were HI-LARIOUS.
Will carried on a conversation with them: “Heeeeeere little birdy!“
The kids discussing the birds.
From there, Will stopped off for a quick run up Monkey Hill. Kate admired the statue while we waited.
Everyone at the statue. Resemble anyone they know?
A typical New Orleans afternoon!