Dear Liza,
It has been a long time since I went to the Oregon Zoo with the cousins. These two pictures show how the three years between visits have changed the Cousins.
This photo, with everyone wearing masks, was taken Monday. Look at those long legs!
This was taken just three years ago, on our last visit. No masks and really small cousins! Time just keeps on slipping, as they say…
A lot has changed at the Zoo itself, too. There is a new Polar Bear enclosure, but makes me feel sad. The enclosure has grass and trees, but no water or snow-y looking things. It feels like they were trying to get the Polar Bear used to living without snow. He doesn’t look too happy about it, either.
But, not counting the whole global warming thing, it was a good day. I enjoyed watching the Cousins as they visited their favorite places. We watched the sea lions zoom and swish through the water.
We explored the new Primate habitat.
We visited garter snakes and mongooses, which I want to call mon-geese but have been told that is not right.
And of course we found lots of ways to be silly. Grandpa Nelson found sort of a shrine to hands …
There were also lots of ape hands to compare ours to…..
And Cousin Kestrel sat and listened to Dr. Charles Darwin talk about The Origin of Species.
It was altogether a wonderfully delightful, exhausting, and heart felt day!
Love,
Grandma Judy
Dear Liza 