Going to the zoo, zoo, zoo

We took a family trip to the SB Zoo today. It is such a beautiful, manageable little zoo with lots of trees, flowers, grassy play areas and of course animals. We saw the giraffes, gibbons, elephants, a gorilla, some penguins, otters, and snakes. The gibbons were singing to each other when we were visiting them and climbing waay up high in the eucalyptus trees. And then the elephants were playing in the mud and squirting water all over themselves when we saw them. The gorilla was sitting in the shade resting when we first saw him, but we lingered for a long time and eventually we saw him walking around - he is BIG. The otters and penguins were swimming (in separate pools), and the snakes apparently got mad at Rhodri -- or at least, that is what Rhiannon has been telling everybody! Here are the troops during our lunch break.
We went on a train ride around the perimeter of the zoo - very exciting!
By the time we got home, it was really hot (~90 deg F / 30 C). Tryfan insisted on taking off all his clothes and soon Rhiannon did too. Grandma Debi taught Rhiannon how to play "Doe a Deer" on the piano and she was really stoked.
In case any of you readers have heard about the fire in SB, I can assure you that we are safe and fine. The 'Jesusita Fire' started yesterday afternoon but by this morning it looked placid and non-threatening, and I think a lot of people sighed in relief. However, about the time that we were heading home from the zoo in mid-afternoon, the sundowner winds whipped up again and the temperatures soared up to the 90's and the fire really took a nasty turn. Thousands of people have now been evacuated, power keeps shutting off downtown, and many homes have been burnt. But Tryfan is sure excited when he sees television footage of helicopters, and there has been plenty of that for him tonight.
For more information, I think the best news source in SB is http://www.independent.com/