Going to the zoo

 Yesterday was "Dollar Day" at the Dallas Zoo...
so naturally, I couldn't pass up on this deal!
[It's normally $15.00 for adult entrance.]

They did this last year, too. But we weren't able to get there until mid-afternoon
and the zoo closes at 5:00pm, so we didn't get the chance to see everything.
It's the biggest zoo in Texas, so you definitely need more than a couple hours to see it all.
[Especially when it's so crowded!]


This time I ended up going solo. I got there a little before 10:00am.
It was already super crowded and already super hot outside,
so I knew I wasn't going to go through the entire zoo.
Instead I made my way over to the main attraction for this zoo visit.

I mean, how can you resist the opportunity to see a couple of cute, cuddly koalas???
The last time I've seen a koala, other than Sydney, my giant plush koala,
was at Hogle Zoo in Utah when I was 13 years old!
So definitely way overdue for a koala sighting!

Not a real koala, but still very cute!

As I'm making my way to the side of the zoo where the koalas are located, 

I passed by the lemur exhibit. There was a lemur just chilling on a branch, 

so I pulled out my camera to take a picture.

 

After I took the picture, my camera beeped that the batteries were low.

I didn't think my batteries were that low, but I always keep a back up set

in my camera case for occasions such as this, so I didn't worry.

Then I put the back up batteries in...and the camera wouldn't even turn on!

Yes, they were dead! If only I had my battery recharger with me!

So lesson learned for the day: 

Before leaving to go somewhere to take lots of pictures, 

always make sure your batteries aren't low and your back-up batteries work!

Was disappointed that I wouldn't have the opportunity
to take a bunch of cool animal photos.

I mean, that's a main part of the fun of going to the zoo in the first place!

But, I thought, at least I can use my camera phone
to take a couple crappy looking photos.

You probably can't tell, because it's a crappy camera phone photo,
but this is a giant rabbit! And by giant, I mean at least a couple feet long.
It was so cute!

Then I passed by some donkeys. The gray one in the photo was lying down, 

chewing on the tree branch, but when I went to take a picture with my phone,

it said I didn't have enough memory left! AAARRRGGGHHH!!!

So, I went through my files and deleted a couple ringtones and photos, 

so I'd have enough memory to take a few more photos.

Of course, by the time I did all that, the donkey had gotten up.

Then I finally made my way to the koala exhibit.

I was a little disappointed that it consisted of nothing more 

than a small room with a few small Eucalyptus trees behind a glass wall.

I knew that koalas sleep all but about 6 hours a day, 

so the chances of catching them awake were not in my favor.

 

And apparently, I was correct in this assumption, as they were both sound asleep.

 Glare from the windows made my crappy camera phone photos even crappier! :(

I would've preferred getting photos like this one...

I mean, seriously? How freaking cute is that?!
Don't you wanna just scoop it up and take it home with you?

After spending a few minutes watching the koalas sleep,
I went to check out the other Australian animals they had in the exhibit.
I saw kangaroos, wallabys, kookaburras, emus, but no dingoes!
Made me think of the "Dot" movies I used to watch all the time as a kid.
Dot and the Kangaroo, Dot and the Koala...
Does anyone else remember those?

I visited a few other animal exhibits, before deciding to call it a day.
The heat and the crowds were getting to me.

Which leads me to another lesson I learned,
but one that I actually already knew, but this reminded me,
is that there are some "freaky" people out there!

[And I'm sure charging only a dollar for something brings

the extra "freaky" ones out in droves!]

I felt like a supermodel in comparison
to the majority of people I passed by.

I couldn't believe how many people
thought it was okay to be in a public place,

and one that caters to children no less, 

wearing super short shorts [more like denim panties],

or having their big belly hang out for all to see, 

or going bra-less, when they clearly need support,

I could go on and on....

And don't get me started on all the people
pushing and pulling around these giant coolers.

I mean, c'mon. It cost you a dollar to get in
and they're offering dollar drinks, chips and hot dogs.

Do you really need to be taking up extra space
in a crowded place, just to save a few bucks?

My visit to the zoo actually ended up being a bit of a self-esteem booster,
as well as making me realize how many little things I take for granted,
that I need to be more grateful for. So not a bad day after all!