Community Day at Elmwood Park Zoo

Each year, our company allows us to do one day of community service and they pay us for it.  This year, we could do two 1/2 days, and one of my 1/2 days was helping out at the local Elmwood Park Zoo on October 4.  There was a team of 8 of us, and we had a great day.  It was super hot out ... for October, who could believe it?

First, we put away over 60 tables and a boat-load of chairs from an event the zoo held the evening before.  There must have been children there because you could tell by the remnants left over.  LOL.  We also had some trash to collect afterward, which didn't take long at all.  So after we completed that task, we put together corn shocks for the children's maze.  That sure was a lot of work.  We had to put all the stalks together, tie them up, and stack them up against the fence.  Whew, that was a lot of hard work.  We were rewarded with some awesome water ice (smooth like gelato).  That was such a welcomed treat.  Then it was off to lunch - pizza in an air conditioned building.  Ahhhh, what a way to relax.  Then for the finale, those of us who wanted to go to feed the giraffe.  That was my favorite part.  There were two of them, one that was about 3 or 4 years old, and another that was just about a year old.  They were so cute and took the food from our hands so gently.  For such large animals, they truly are gentle.  Although I don't have any pictures with me in them, you'll get the idea from the pictures we took.

 This beauty is actually the official Philadelphia Eagles Mascot

 Below is the official Temple Owl's Mascot

 Check out Risa, Tracy and Chris trying to collect the stalks to tie up!  That was a big job!!!

 These two cute donkeys are a couple.  The female was out walking about first and her significant other was making such a fuss, kicking up a storm because he wasn't with her.  So ... here they are together and happy as clams.  The white one is the male, and the brown one is the female.  So cute!!!

 The giraffe is waiting for us to come and feed him.

Hey, are you coming or not?  We're hungry.  Yes, hold on there cutie ... we're coming on over to feed you.

What a day we had.  Hope you enjoyed the pictures.  The picture of all of us together didn't turn out too well because the sun was in the way and blurred out the picture.  Oh darn!  Well, better luck next time.