Feed a Stampede

I almost don't want to tell you about our adventure today. Not because it wasn't good...exactly the opposite - because it was SO good. I hate to give away the "secret" of this little place about an hour away from our house where you can get close enough to feed camels, zebra, water buffalo, llamas, bison, elk, ostrich, deer, pot belly pigs, and a bunch of other animals I can't even name.I stumbled upon an advertisement for this 60-acre animal preserve that offered open-air, hour-long rides where they promised you would be able to "feed a stampede". The weather was beautiful today, so we ventured out to see if the reality could meet the advertisement. And it really did!Grace was tired since, for some unknown reason, she woke up at 7:00AM this morning even after staying up late last night for fireworks. But as she waited on the "bus" we could tell she knew something good was going to happen. She kept looking around and watching the other people board. She curiously played with the two buckets of food they gave us as I explained to her it was for the animals. As we crossed the first of three cattle gates, we were greeted by dozens of antlers and were told that many of the animals shed these in the winter, but at this site they remove them (it doesn't hurt) each year before the mating season when the animals tend to get aggressive. The bus made 6 or 7 stops along the way where the guide told us a little about the animals we were seeing and offered tips about how to feed them. Apparently, the zebras and ostrich were the most aggressive, so we were really careful when they approached the bus. We were more concerned with watching (protecting) Grace than feeding them.Kyle helped Grace feed the animals at each stop, showing her how to hold her hand up high and letting the food trickle into their mouths. Some even put their heads into the bus under the benches to get food that had fallen there. All of a sudden you would feel a furry face or a wet tongue sweep the area around your feet only to look down and see a huge head right there!

I was really amazed at the animals' mouths and the size of their teeth and tongues. When I reviewed my photos later, I was surprised at how many of these shots I took!

This one totally cracks me up!

See, this is why you need to brush your teeth!

We also had the rare treat of seeing a 1-week old baby water buffalo with its mother. The driver said that the mother hadn't come up to the truck since the baby was born, but she did today!After the safari (really a misnomer - a safari according to Webster is "a hunting expedition") we went to the "petting zoo" which really was just another place to feed the animals. This time we used the same food packed into ice cream cones. When you were done with the food, you just threw the cone into the pens with the animals. Good idea - no trash to clean up!I love that Grace was saying, "ostrich", "zebra", and "camel". She has seen pictures of these animals in books, but now the words have meaning for her since she has seen them in person. My only regret is not getting any photos of the zebras. I guess that means we will be heading back there in the spring!

PS - I just realized that today marks 18 months since Gotcha Day! Wow! It seems so long ago - almost like none of that ever happened and that I have never been without Grace in my life.