Pumpkins and elephants

Visit at the Oakland zoo after Thanksgiving. The first stop was at the elephants, who seemed to really enjoy the pumpkins. And for the rest of the tour, we heard Anastasia begging to go back to the elephants to sketch.

On safari

It's amazing what we can find in California. About an hour from our house is a safari sanctuary where we can go see the wild animals in authentic safari jeeps, with a very knowledgeable guide. Something really fun to do with the family.

Missed snow

We were promised snow down to sea level, something which occurs only once every 30 years. Some smart guys were already planning the best ski slopes on the San Francisco streets. At the end, we had a glorious sun, and not the shadow of a cloud. So, we went to the zoo, bundled up still. It's always a treat to go, the kids are super excited, but I think what they enjoyed most was the little farm, with the pigs, sheep, llamas and alpacas (again...), and especially the goats and hens on the loose. They got to feed them and brush them, and don't even think of skipping one...

Treck in the African Savanna

Yesterday morning, despite the thick, wet fog, we went to the San Francisco Zoo. We had brought raincoats, but once there, the sky quickly opened up (at least for the duration of the visit). Not many people there, which was even better for us.