Binder Park Zoo

Sara Zwart, me, Julie Esch

Andrew givin' a little love

The Tanzania flag and a couple Tanzanians

Giraffes at the zoo get a bit closer to visitors than ones in the Serengeti...

A weaver bird, a common bird in East Africa, making a cool woven nest

Chinese Red Panda

While we are in the States, Andrew and I are traveling around a good bit to visit people whom we haven't seen in years.  We're spending about a month in the Midwest, two weeks of which are in Michigan.  I went to Hope College in Holland, MI, so I have quite a few friends who still live in the area.

On the day these pictures were taken, we were in Battle Creek (think cereal) catching up with a Hope friend, Sara Zwart.  Julie Esch, who lives in Ann Arbor, was also along for the zoo trip (we'd spent the previous weekend with her and her family and we were sneaking in one more day together).  We all went to Binder Park Zoo, which was fun and interesting and the animals all looked happy and healthy (just look at that red panda - he's thinking life in Battle Creek is pretty good on a sunny afternoon!).  I wasn't sure how I'd feel about visiting a zoo after having been to the Serengeti (giant national park in TZ full of lions, wildebeest, zebras, etc.), but it turned out to be a great day.  After all, we got to walk all around the zoo instead of having to stay inside a vehicle all day!  I even got to rub a giraffe's nose (turns out they are kind of oily and might benefit from some facial cleanser).  And, of course, the very best part was spending all day with Sara and Julie (and Andrew).  There is something really wonderful about being together in person instead of relying on e-mail for communication.