Zoo Day.

Another grey overcast day but remarkably warm due to the southerly winds. No rain which was a bonus.

My mood was much better today due I'm sure to spending most of the day outside.

Zoo Day didn't start too well when I got in the car and found the battery was as dead as a dodo. That was the same battery that gave us trouble before and luckily we had a brand new battery sitting in the garage. It only took Peter ten minutes to swap the batteries over and I watched carefully to learn how to do it myself if needed.

When I got to the zoo the place was buzzing. I'd expected extra people because of half-term and holiday visitors but didn't know that today was a Hallowen themed VIP day. The zoo is allowed to run a limited number of VIP days when visitors can see some of our exotic animals. These included the reptile house, the silver foxes and the giant tortoises. I believe that visitors could also go to the off-site pens to see the animals kept there. Fortunately there were also a good number of volunteers to supervise things like fishing for rabbits, pieces of cabbage pegged to strings tied to wooden sticks and held over the wall of the rabbit run. Children were also going around with sheets to tick off pictures of numbered pumpkins and the names of bones which were hidden around the place. I spent my time finishing off weeding the larger of the children's play areas. Quite a few children played on the fort though one lad asked my permission first. With so many people around the animals were obligingly noisy, Mr Turkey was out and gobbled loudly every now and again, Pablo the pony kept whinnying becuase the other pony was out in a grassy field (Pablo has lamminitis and can't have too much grass) and the wolf-dogs barked when they spotted visiting dogs. Not sure if they wanted to play or eat, play I think.

Not the best shot of this skink? but I loved the way the little lad and the skink were watching each other.

I felt bad leaving the zoo when they were so busy but I know that I have to be careful with my back and not overdo things. At home I had a rest and then ended the afternoon sitting outside making another rope tassel and watching the surfers.

Walking around the zoo I looked up and saw a Red Kite circling overhead. The light levels were too low for a decent photo.