Summer Safari: Where The Wild Things Are

There is a place where wild things roam. To find such creatures you may think of leaving home. Weather you decide to search near, or go far, sometimes what's discovered is : Life's greatest gifts can come from where you already are..........

Our trip to "Wild Life Safari" right here in Winston, Oregon

Eagerly, we embarked on our journey, and bravely prepared to discover the unknown. With a bounce in our step, and courage in our hearts, we began hiking into unchartered territory.

With great effort we reached the first check point. Hope filled our thoughts when we saw this sign, and realized we had not wandered off course. It was the first real indication we were headed in the right direction.

At last, we reached our desired destination. The trip had indeed, been well worth the effort, and this beautiful cheetah was waiting to welcome us to the wild.

We had caught her at nap time (a major offense),but scince we were celebrated guests she pretended like it didn't bother her.

She even sat up to pose for this picture. We were grateful for her hospitality. We wished we could have stayed to visit with her all day, but we really had to be on our way.

We kept hiking till noon, where we met this porkupine. We asked him to stop and have a picnic lunch with us.

We took this response as an absolute no!

We decided to eat elsewhere, and tried not to be too dicouraged. As luck would have it, we soon met a colorful new friend. He was bashful at first.

But, when he found out we were from the USA, He decided to pose for the camera. He seemed to think it may help launch his singing career. I let him know I would do my best to get the word out.

This next fellow is named speedy. He banished all my theories about tortoises being slow moving creatures. It took 4 shots to get his whole body in this 1 frame. Here's to you speedy, for defying the odds!!!!

Here comes the treacherous part of our journey. Honestly, I wasn't sure we were going to make it with this guy blocking the road. Lets just say, it was one of my least favorite encounters. It really just goes to show sometimes, you have to go thru things you don't want to, to get to where you do.

Thankfully, this little guy came to our rescue, and manuvered us safely around. If that wasn't enough, he also cheered up Aria. Which was good, because the whole snake incident was a bit unsettling for her, and me.

He directed us to the next check point, wich was sure to be a big hit. "Don't forget to stop and smell the lillies", He wisely advised. Aria took this literally,

and stumbled across a wild flamingo, who was taking a bath.

He saw us coming, and quickly finished.

Then he ran to tell his other flamingo friends, who promptly invited us to thier lawn party.

We were fascinated with thier polite manners, but couldn't stop, because we had so much else to see.

Monkey see, monkey do.

Aria saw these monkies climbing trees and thought she could do it too.

Her disappointment was overwhelming, as we gently removed her from the tree and explained she could not stay over night after all.

This dingo saw the whole scene, and found it quite amusing.

The out look seemed glum, until we found this amazing elephant fountain. A clear indication we had made the right decision about the whole tree thing.

Happily, we crossed the bridge, where this camel offered us a ride. When we refused, He wouldn't talk to us any longer.

His son however, was much more hospitable, and just look at those eyes!

After that we were off again. Only to discover more treacherous conditions than before, but I finally did it! I faced my biggest fear.
That's right, Alligators!

Luckily, this one was stuffed. I think it still counts! Right?!

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.

Just try to say that three times fast!

We had a tough time deciding weather to go on Safari, or take a trip to the Ocean.
These shells are positive proof sometimes, you can have your cake, and eat it too! :)

This zebra head was so cool. They told us at one point this guy was chief.

The next creature we came in contact with was quite interesting. She closely resembled ourselves. If you look closely her sign says "American office worker in her natural habitat".
Which leads me to the question: What makes a Zoo? The animals, or the cage?

Little did we know, the most ferocious animal was still to come. We found her here, in this cage. She was so furry and cute we couldn't resist taking her home. With permission from her parents (of course).

Proving, once again, I am really just a big marshmellow.

It was such a beautiful day that, when Aria discovered this hidden oasis, we stopped for a moment to enjoy the sunshine.

At last, our journey was complete. We had survived the wild.

And, more importantly, the wild had survived us.