The mechanical zoo views

We headed up to the zoo on Saturday, to put our first-time annual pass to good use. I quickly realized that having an annual zoo pass has two great perks. First, the dad might be the one initiating the trip, knowing that no additional price needs to be paid (Matt was the one to say, "Let's go!"). And second, you can bypass the ridiculously long ticket line and head straight through the gates. Being a perfectly sunny Summer day, the entrance was crowded! Would have taken over 45 minutes to just enter. No exaggeration. We are not crowd people. So, having no payment and being able to immediately go in certainly were bonuses this time!

Once in, we began making our rounds. Near the elephants, a foreign family asked if we'd take their picture. Once done, we I asked them to return the favor.

It was while posing in front the huge/live/amazing elephant, that I realized that the kids were far more interested in the nonliving/mechanical/water-spraying "creatures" at the zoo. Sure, we stood and watched a jumping monkey reach through his cage to grab leaves, we got an up-close view of a rhino's horn, we laughed at the countless prairie dogs chasing, and we pointed out our favorite giraffes. But, really, Paige's insistence on watching an over-sized elephant spray the next visitor summed up where the kids' attention was this trip.

I guess you can't blame them for having their attention diverted when there is a moving train, displayed dinosaurs, dinosaur "bones" to dig, park slides, and the race to the carousel's perfect inanimate animal. With such a collection of painted metal, who really needs live creatures that move? Not these three it seemed.

Admittedly, I also enjoyed what I saw when my back was to the cages: The lady who, unknowingly, stood in the direct line of a dinosaur's water spray! The grandma who insisted on holding up the train's departure while getting her camera to work. The lady teetering backwards on her carousel animal while akwardly posing for a perfect picture. The couple trying unsuccessfully to calm down their old boys who were screaming about the dinosaurs. Yes. I'm a people watcher. And, although people are more animated than metal, I guess that isn't what one's goes to see at the zoo. Or is it?

Nah, it didn't really matter to me that the kids weren't taking in every movement at every cage. It quickly became obvious that there is the third perk to having an annual pass: There was no pressure to hit every possible corner. What wasn't especially interesting this time, might be next. What was too busy or far away, could be explored another day. When "done" we could be "done!"

When we go again, I'm sure something completely different will become the focus of the day.