A day at the National Zoo

Today is Wednesday here. On Monday there were plans for a golf game with Peter, Nathan and Ray, but we woke to fine rain and so the golf was cancelled, so we relaxed with a karoke set which the kids got for Christmas. I got a score of 86 - eat your heart out Kamal!!
Yesterday (refreshed) we hit the National Zoo set in 163 acres of wooded land in the heart of the city (or I should say downtown). The brochure said there were 2800 animals, but after 2 hours and some serious foot-slogging, we had seen 1 seal, a colony of turtles, and some mekong-delta cat-fish (infront of which we are pictured). We took a cut lunch and Amanda queued for coffee - after half an hour, Ray went looking for her. After another half an hour I felt sure both Amanda and Ray were being held hostage, but soon after we did get our coffee.
However, the second half of the afternoon was much better. We saw some hippo, elephants and a baby one born in captivity, a giraffe, some praire dogs, monkeys and their kin, and at a distance the panda bears (You can see Amanda indicating our view of the pandas). That really does not make 2,800 animals, but on some fenced areas the notice read "This animal may be pregnant and so is probably resting in its den"....However, the country walk was beautiful and we had some laughs.
No baby as yet. Poor Gill went to the doctor yesterday and will go again on Friday, with a possible induction next Monday if nothing has happened by then. Judy is due to return Wednesday of next week, and we are due to go to New York on Sunday. Thinking of you all in Australia, Much love, Mum/Granma/Pat