Zoo Boo

Friday night began what is the week-long Halloween season. We took the kids to the Zoo Boo. The Zoo Boo is a trick-treating event at the local zoo. The zoo is a pretty nice facility with lions (and two new cubs), penguins, giraffes and all the other expected zoo animals. These animals are a wonderful thing to see--but of course we are there at night, which means you can see them and it costs more to get in. Actually some of the nocturnal animals are active which is nice to see. Merrick was able to say "trick-or-treat" and thank you at all of the candy stations and walked the whole zoo route--behold the power of candy. This year the Zoo Boo was graced with a heavy fog which added to the spookyness that surrounded the 'lake monster." This is really a guy in waders that has invaded the penguins pond--but still freaked Merrick out. We were there with another couple and their kids and everyone seemed to have a good time. Sophia was/will be dressed as Jo-Jo a cartoon character on the Disney Channel and Merrick was dressed up as a mouse. Given his subtle rage towards tree-rats it should have come as no surprise that when we showed him his reflection that he shook his fist and growled at himself.
With the threat of rain all day Saturday we stayed close the the house and Merrick and I spent the afternoon transplanting perrienal flowers and moving bird feeders away from our death-row maple. One of the large maples is coming down in the next few weeks. This does mean that I am holding off on the raking at least. The cooler temperatures also meant that it was a baking and cooking day (bannanna bread and chicken dumpling soup). Today we are thinking about a little geocaching and then likely bake some apple dumplings to use up the last of our apples from the orchard trip.