buffalo park!

Joshua had a major detour this summer with his sleep.  Fear, anxiety and stubbornness ruled the nights making sleep difficult to come by for a long time.

With much prayer, many nights with dad sleeping in his room with him, the start of school, an awesome sticker chart and fun rewards for each phase of improvement, Joshua has returned to being a good sleeper.

The last of his rewards (so far) was "a fun trip."  So a couple weekends ago we visited the Buffalo Park in Tupelo, MS.  As Joshua believes himself to be "an animal expert" Dave and I thought he would enjoy a trip to the zoo.

We had never been to the Buffalo Park before and didn't quite know what to expect.  It is a zoo but not like a zoo like you are picturing in your head, think more like a bunch of exotic animals in someone's backyard.  While we saw lots of animals in cages we also took a trolley into an open field (read no barrier between us and the animals).

What is a Buffalo Park without some Buffalo?
This was take from our trolley.

Water buffalo

Joshua loved seeing the zebra.
At one point we were so close to some zebra it would have been possible to touch them.

mom and baby zebra

baby buffalo standing in the water

Did I mention we picked one of the hottest days in the history of the world to visit the zoo?
Anna Ruth was a trooper!

Outside of the trolley ride, feeding the animals was a highlight.

In this picture Joshua and Dave are throwing food through the gate to "Elvis" the biggest buffalo at the park.  We pulled through a cattle gap and behind these feeding gates "so we won't be charged" by the buffalo.

These two didn't really want to come out of their house into the heat to see us...

until "Tall Boy" learned that there was food.

Joshua fed this 19 foot giraffe a bunch of lettuce.
I think I may have been more nervous than Joshua.

In this cage, hiding in the shade was a female lion.
She was beautiful and then became quite terrifying when she starting growling and roaring!

The two Nolen monkey boys with Opie the monkey!

Mom and Anna Ruth stood in the shade by a big fan while Dad and Joshua went into the reptile house.  Joshua lasted about 2.5 seconds in the reptile exhibit before racing out crying.  He said, "that is too scary in there."  Later, Dave agreed that the snakes were just a little too big and close for comfort.
Joshua loved, loved the Buffalo Park.  He added a few new facts to his expert knowledge and could not wait to tell everyone that he fed a giraffe and a buffalo.