MLK day at the Zoo

I had MLK Day as a holiday this year, so William and I headed to the zoo. As much as I despise the caging of animals, I love the baby Orangutan. Kashih will be three next weekend and we have been visiting her since we moved here and she was just a few months old. I also love the monkey exhibit they have here and I learned only four such exhibits exist in the world. You enter the exhibit and the monkeys are running free, they are climbing on the trees right next to you, walking on ropes over your head, swing from limb to limb right in front of your face. It is really a neat exhibit, it is fun to walk through and just be cautioned not to stand underneath where they are swinging and climbing or else............

Hiking South Mountain

It was a bright, sunny, warm Sunday so we decided to try hiking again. South Mountain is, well, a mountain south of Phoenix, really it was more like a big hill than a mountain. The trail was short only a little over a mile, but there are many other trails on the mountain that can be taken. It was popular with cyclists,and I am pretty sure you won't catch me doing that. There was a nice view of Phoenix from the top and allegedly this is the place to go to view spectacular sunsets. We will have to try that one day soon.

Rocket Launch

The fifth grade class has been studying rockets and so for the end of lesson field trip, there was a rocket launch. Luckily for all the launch was postponed from a rainy day in December to this bright beautiful day in January. The entire class and teachers and chaperones walked to the High School to launch the rockets at the Soccer fields. Each rocket was different and went different heights, some zigged and zagged, some went so far they ended up in the yards of people living near the school. It was a lot of fun, the kids had a blast and I was even able to help assemble the engines and parachutes. (Apparently I didn't need to be a rocket scientist.) After everyone had shot off their rockets once or twice and all the engines were used, we headed back to the school, making a stop at the park for lunch and to run off some of that excess energy.

Mike's Games

Mike is all about Video Games and here is his collection of games he received for Christmas this year. Mike also received generous gifts from his grandmothers, so I am sure this is not the end of his new video games for this season. Merry Christmas, Mike, ENJOY.