DID YOU EVER PET AN ELEPHANT ?

Today I got to pet an elephant at the Atlanta zoo!  MOST AWESOME !!!!

I'm up here visiting Kyle and family and today we went to the Atlanta zoo. It was cold and foggy this morning but by the time we got going the sun was out and it had warmed up into the perfect zoo day. Apparently most of the residents of Atlanta thought the same thing so we braved the full parking lot and walked a couple of blocks. The zoo was mobbed but it is a huge place so the crowds were spread out enough that it didn't seem that bad.

Bridget works with a woman who's husband works at the zoo. The guy has some sort of PHD dealing with animals and he got us passes to a "Behind the scene experience" where we went into the "Yard"  where the two Atlanta African elephants were kept.  TARA the elephant was waiting for us in her training area with her trainer. Tara showed us just how smart she was by showing us her teeth and feet and ears. Then each of us was allowed to go up to the very large and heavy gate and pat and rub her side and feel the silky soft skin behind her ears. An elephants skin is the strangest texture ever. Sort of a cross between stone and leather with a lot of scratchy hairs sticking out.  Then we had to stand back away from the gate and hold out pieces of lettuce which Tara then took with her agile and very wet trunk. That was totally weird! Her trunk was like a soggy, rubbery, wet vacuum hose. Totally sloppy and AWESOME !  Great experience that I will share with you as soon as I get home and down load my camera.

By then we were all exhausted so we headed home for some quiet time before dinner.
This week is completely different from last week. Abby and Roman sleep late, feed themselves and go off to play or watch TV so Grand Ma is having a ball. Tomorow K and B are both going to work to the kids and I plan on a trip to the movies and lunch out.

How did I get so blessed ?