NewSecret
06-21-2015, 08:00 AM
Danny took his girlfriend Laura and their son Joel to
the zoo one bright early sunny morning after church.
It was Joel’s idea and his parents were happy to
oblige his wishes.
They all loved animals, owning a boa constrictor that
they kept in a cage in their back yard. Danny owned
several reptiles and amphibians before he and Laura
got together. When they bought the house they now live
in they decided one animal was enough, agreeing on the
boa as the one they both wanted to keep. They took the
remaining animals to a dealer and traded them for
in-store credit.
Dressed in their Sunday best they were excited to go.
Joel wanted to see the aquarium more than anything
else as the zoo had some sea turtles that fascinated
him. Laura wanted to see the giraffes while Danny
wanted to see the zoo’s lone komodo dragon.
Unlike many city’s zoos, the zoo they went to was
located outside of the city limits next to the state
park. This location allowed for a much larger area
than the majority of city zoos. This was good for the
zoo animals as it allowed them more space to roam
around than usual.
On their drive to the zoo with Danny in the driver’s
seat they had a conversion about animals.
Danny asked his son Joel, “What’s your favorite animal
in the world?”
Joel replied, “The hammer-head shark!”
Laura said, “Oh, really? And why do you like the
hammer-head shark?”
Joel shrugged and replied, “I dunno, they look really
cool I guess.”
Danny said, “Maybe someday we will go shark fishing
and we’ll see if we can catch one then have us some
shark steaks.”
Laura said, “Ooh, that’s a good idea! You want to go
shark fishing Joel?”
Joel replied, “Yeah!”
Danny said, “Okay then, we will figure out when we’ll
go shark fishing when we get home and check our
calendar. You’re gonna love it, son. We’ll go out on a
rental boat for a day and see what we can find.”
Joel replied, “Sounds great! I can’t wait to go!”
Danny and Laura smiled at each other.
Danny said, “When I was a boy like you I would go to
the lake with my best friends with some fishing gear
and we would catch trout. Those were the days, I tell
ya.”
Joel said, “My friend’s mom has ten cats. They have a
cat door in the laundry room where they go in and out
to the side yard. They buy lotsa cat food, like, two
tall boxes every day. Their house smells like cats and
there’s fur all over everything. I don’t like to play
inside there because of it so we go to the park to
play catch with my football.”
Laura replied, “Well that’s not good. Too many cats.
She takes good care of them though, right?”
Joel said, “Yeah, they take them to the vet and always
make sure they’re healthy and clean.”
Danny said, “Look, there’s a crocodile.” Then he
pointed to the ditch up ahead. Laura and Joel peered
out the passenger windows as they neared the
crocodile. It was moving slowly up the bank and
towards the forested glades in the distance. Danny
slowed as they passed.
Danny said, “Aren’t you fortunate to never walk into
one of those suckers on accident? That’s be a nasty
chomp to say the least.”
Laura said, “This one’s got more yellow on it than
usual. I never seen a croc so bright.”
Joel added, “Yeah, it’s really really yellow. Like a lemon
pie.”
Danny speeded up again to traffic speed. He said,
“We’re gonna be there soon so hold your horses!”
Ten minutes later they arrived at the zoo. The zoo was
very large indeed, giving the impression of a safari.
The outside wall looked like it was over a mile or two
in length.
Inside the greeting area building there was a single
skeleton of a dinosaur set up in the center of the
room with a placard mounted on a podium that read,
“coming soon”. Danny, Laura and Joel laughed at the
humorous novelty then they went to the ticket counter
where Danny bought their zoo passes. They were given
maps of the zoo and closed soda thermoses for the
drink stands scattered around the zoo.
Danny and his family exited the rear of the entrance
building into the main area of the zoo. A crowd had
gathered around a zoologist who had a baby cheetah in
her arms. She had a bottle of milk and the cheetah
eagerly sucked the sweet liquid up.
“Ah, isn’t that cute?” Laura said, “Let’s go look at
the cheetah.” Danny, Laura and Joel all joined the
crowd to watch the cheetah feeding. The zoologist told
the crowd fun facts about cheetahs while the crowd
swooned over the cuteness of the cheetah. When the
cheetah had it’s fill she put the bottle on the table
near her then invited the crowd to one following the other
touch the cheetah’s fur.
Laura asked Joel, “Do you want to touch the baby cheetah?”
Joel replied, “Yeah!”
They all three caressed the cheetah’s soft fur. Laura
said, “It is a beautiful animal, isn’t it?”
When they were done with the cheetah Danny looked at
his map to decide where they would go next. He said,
“The rhinoceros cage is over there.” He pointed, then
said, “Let’s go see the rhinoceros first.”
At the rhinoceros area the land was lowered enough
that the rhinoceros couldn’t get out. On the edge of
the essentially extensive hole was a stone wall with a
wooden railing to lean on and look down upon the
massive horned animal.
Joel said, “Wow! Look what size it is!”
The rhinoceros only stood there, not moving. It’s
small tail jerked at the flies irritating it’s
hindside. The area was obviously a temporary holding
for the rhinoceros as it couldn’t’ve been more than
the area of a small house.
Joel said, “It looks like a dinosaur, doesn’t it?”
Danny replied to his son, “Yes, it does son, sort of.
It’s got some dangerous looking horns, doesn’t it?”
Joel said, “It definitely does.”
When they were done observing the rhinoceros Danny
said, “Great! Let’s get on the zoo bus now and do the
mini-safari thing. There’s lions and giraffes and
gazelle in separate sections. When we’re done with the
zoo bus we’ll go ahead and visit the aquarium. Sound
like a plan?”
Joel replied, “Yeah, sounds like a plan!”
When they got to the zoo bus area there was a swan on
the zoo bus roof, spreading it’s wings out.
the zoo one bright early sunny morning after church.
It was Joel’s idea and his parents were happy to
oblige his wishes.
They all loved animals, owning a boa constrictor that
they kept in a cage in their back yard. Danny owned
several reptiles and amphibians before he and Laura
got together. When they bought the house they now live
in they decided one animal was enough, agreeing on the
boa as the one they both wanted to keep. They took the
remaining animals to a dealer and traded them for
in-store credit.
Dressed in their Sunday best they were excited to go.
Joel wanted to see the aquarium more than anything
else as the zoo had some sea turtles that fascinated
him. Laura wanted to see the giraffes while Danny
wanted to see the zoo’s lone komodo dragon.
Unlike many city’s zoos, the zoo they went to was
located outside of the city limits next to the state
park. This location allowed for a much larger area
than the majority of city zoos. This was good for the
zoo animals as it allowed them more space to roam
around than usual.
On their drive to the zoo with Danny in the driver’s
seat they had a conversion about animals.
Danny asked his son Joel, “What’s your favorite animal
in the world?”
Joel replied, “The hammer-head shark!”
Laura said, “Oh, really? And why do you like the
hammer-head shark?”
Joel shrugged and replied, “I dunno, they look really
cool I guess.”
Danny said, “Maybe someday we will go shark fishing
and we’ll see if we can catch one then have us some
shark steaks.”
Laura said, “Ooh, that’s a good idea! You want to go
shark fishing Joel?”
Joel replied, “Yeah!”
Danny said, “Okay then, we will figure out when we’ll
go shark fishing when we get home and check our
calendar. You’re gonna love it, son. We’ll go out on a
rental boat for a day and see what we can find.”
Joel replied, “Sounds great! I can’t wait to go!”
Danny and Laura smiled at each other.
Danny said, “When I was a boy like you I would go to
the lake with my best friends with some fishing gear
and we would catch trout. Those were the days, I tell
ya.”
Joel said, “My friend’s mom has ten cats. They have a
cat door in the laundry room where they go in and out
to the side yard. They buy lotsa cat food, like, two
tall boxes every day. Their house smells like cats and
there’s fur all over everything. I don’t like to play
inside there because of it so we go to the park to
play catch with my football.”
Laura replied, “Well that’s not good. Too many cats.
She takes good care of them though, right?”
Joel said, “Yeah, they take them to the vet and always
make sure they’re healthy and clean.”
Danny said, “Look, there’s a crocodile.” Then he
pointed to the ditch up ahead. Laura and Joel peered
out the passenger windows as they neared the
crocodile. It was moving slowly up the bank and
towards the forested glades in the distance. Danny
slowed as they passed.
Danny said, “Aren’t you fortunate to never walk into
one of those suckers on accident? That’s be a nasty
chomp to say the least.”
Laura said, “This one’s got more yellow on it than
usual. I never seen a croc so bright.”
Joel added, “Yeah, it’s really really yellow. Like a lemon
pie.”
Danny speeded up again to traffic speed. He said,
“We’re gonna be there soon so hold your horses!”
Ten minutes later they arrived at the zoo. The zoo was
very large indeed, giving the impression of a safari.
The outside wall looked like it was over a mile or two
in length.
Inside the greeting area building there was a single
skeleton of a dinosaur set up in the center of the
room with a placard mounted on a podium that read,
“coming soon”. Danny, Laura and Joel laughed at the
humorous novelty then they went to the ticket counter
where Danny bought their zoo passes. They were given
maps of the zoo and closed soda thermoses for the
drink stands scattered around the zoo.
Danny and his family exited the rear of the entrance
building into the main area of the zoo. A crowd had
gathered around a zoologist who had a baby cheetah in
her arms. She had a bottle of milk and the cheetah
eagerly sucked the sweet liquid up.
“Ah, isn’t that cute?” Laura said, “Let’s go look at
the cheetah.” Danny, Laura and Joel all joined the
crowd to watch the cheetah feeding. The zoologist told
the crowd fun facts about cheetahs while the crowd
swooned over the cuteness of the cheetah. When the
cheetah had it’s fill she put the bottle on the table
near her then invited the crowd to one following the other
touch the cheetah’s fur.
Laura asked Joel, “Do you want to touch the baby cheetah?”
Joel replied, “Yeah!”
They all three caressed the cheetah’s soft fur. Laura
said, “It is a beautiful animal, isn’t it?”
When they were done with the cheetah Danny looked at
his map to decide where they would go next. He said,
“The rhinoceros cage is over there.” He pointed, then
said, “Let’s go see the rhinoceros first.”
At the rhinoceros area the land was lowered enough
that the rhinoceros couldn’t get out. On the edge of
the essentially extensive hole was a stone wall with a
wooden railing to lean on and look down upon the
massive horned animal.
Joel said, “Wow! Look what size it is!”
The rhinoceros only stood there, not moving. It’s
small tail jerked at the flies irritating it’s
hindside. The area was obviously a temporary holding
for the rhinoceros as it couldn’t’ve been more than
the area of a small house.
Joel said, “It looks like a dinosaur, doesn’t it?”
Danny replied to his son, “Yes, it does son, sort of.
It’s got some dangerous looking horns, doesn’t it?”
Joel said, “It definitely does.”
When they were done observing the rhinoceros Danny
said, “Great! Let’s get on the zoo bus now and do the
mini-safari thing. There’s lions and giraffes and
gazelle in separate sections. When we’re done with the
zoo bus we’ll go ahead and visit the aquarium. Sound
like a plan?”
Joel replied, “Yeah, sounds like a plan!”
When they got to the zoo bus area there was a swan on
the zoo bus roof, spreading it’s wings out.