we went to the ZOO

for a Treat. and we saw (highlights edition):

• the baby white rhino!!! three and a half weeks old, nose still not pointy, ridiculous little ear tufts; at one point got startled and did a tiny canter, and at another point was subsided into the straw pile with its eyes closed and its ears doing intermittent sleepy waggles
• the baby giraffes!!! two of them, both with TONGUES and both (obviously) much much taller than us
• ostriches doing A Gentle Jog, and also flapping their wings about a bunch
• The Pygmy Hippo (who also at one point got startled and GALUMPHED about it)
• the New Tapir, who is not a Common Hippos
• a CHEETAH (who then decided everything was Too Loud and it was going to slope off to the private paddocks thank you very much)
• The Flamingoes, who were almost all asleep; majority were on two legs not one, and it was Immediately Apparent from watching the one-legged sleepy flamingoes swaying enthusiastically that this was on account of The Wind
• Medium Elephant once again became Very Startled, made a Loud Noise With Her Face, and needed reassuring by All Her Grown-Ups
• baby giraffes (again)
• wolverines go LOLLOP, and
• A Penguin Pedicure (and lots of porpoising)

(Many other good things included Running Creatures, a very muddy tiger, the sleepy bongos, a baby monkey bum, the ponies labelled Lesser Rhea, a selection of sheep, and a sleepy African Wild Dog.)

The weather was extremely cooperative. I am very very glad we managed this outing. (And then I fell asleep listening to The Hidden Almanac in the car on the way home...)