We finished up our visit with Grandma and headed to Winston, OR. The main goal being to see Wildlife Safari. The park has a campground 1/4 mile from the park entrance. It doesn't get more convenient then that.
We strolled in on Sunday afternoon to beautiful 80 degree sunshine. We were gonna load up to see the animals Monday mid-day after Jeramie was done working. We hung out and relaxed in the much cooler weather then what we had left in Medford. Monday rolled around and it was overcast with grey skies. No sun to be found. I remembered coming here as a kid on a class field trip and not seeing much of the animals. This attraction was as much for me as it was for the kids. I wasn't about to risk going on a day when all of the animals didn't want to be seen. And since we planned on being here for three days, we had the luxery of waiting out the disappointing weather.
So we decided to swing into the metropolis of Winston, Oregon instead and let the kids spend the money that Grandma gave them at the Dollar store. I knew their new treasures would keep them busy for the day and we could try the park the next day instead. It had been awhile since we had seen a movie and Winston did in fact have a redbox so it was on the list of stops as well as finding "free" air to add to the tires of the Jeep.
The dollar store didn't take long. Our most methodical shopper is Andon and he and Jeramie searched each aisle for the perfect items. The girls had their money spent before we really even entered the doors. So instead of torchering myself with the girls need to constantly trade out items they have decided they like better then the last thing they just chose we headed back out to the car to wait "patiently". While reloading up we got a smile and a nod from a a kid walking by, baggy pants and hoody up. I love visiting small towns, even the local hoodlums are friendly.
We headed for "free"air next. It irritates Jeramie to no end that people charge for air. I keep reminding him that he is paying for the use of the tool that gets the air from out here to in there. Doesn't matter, it needs to be free. First stop in our search was a Town Pump. It was busy with about six cars and two attendants so we could barely see an air station but they did have one. Our vision was set on the station looking for a fee sign because if we saw one this was only going to be a drive-by when we came around the corner and right there in front of us, on the sidewalk, in front of the main building, totally unhidden, was an elderly man laying on the ground on his side, with his back toward us in a semi-fetal position obviously inacapable of getting himself up off of the ground. Jeramie slammed on the brakes and flew out of the car. ARE YOU KIDDING ME! We had to drive between the main building with the old man on the left and the pump stations with the six cars and two attendants on the right with all of the cars facing the main building. I looked out the window. Not a single person gave any sort of expression that they noticed or cared that a man was laying on the side walk. Are you telling me that every single one of these people are either so selfish or self absorbed that not a single one of them would aknowledge when someone is in need of help? This old man might have been known through out town as the local crazy, when he got up it took him a minute to catch his equillibrium and he did seem like he suffered from dimentia or something but come on people, crazy or not he needed help. Crazy or not, this man is a person. Crazy or not, this man might be someones grandpa. Crazy or not, this man also has a story.
We rented "The book of Eli" with Denzel Washginton. We had heard from credible sources that it was really good. I have an aversion to nasty words so I have a 4 word rule. This one almost didn't make it past the word rule but I hung in there. I'm glad I did. It was a story of post-tribulation discipleship with a "Mad Max" spin. It will get the wheels turning.
The next day started off grey but right around the time the park opened the sun broke. Jeramie didn't get up to work. That never happens. I knew he didn't feel well but when he started throwing up the kids and I couldn't get out of the motorhome fast enough. 300 sq. ft is too small when someone is sick, smellwise and noisewise. We left our sickly daddy to die on the couch with a bowl beside his head and all of the fans on and windows open. Off we RAN to enjoy our day. I feel a little guilty that we got to do this and he feels sooo terrible. He missed out and that bums me out. But atleast we had somewhere to go so that he could be sick in peace and quiet.
Almost all of the animals were out. I was a little worried when they said "stay atleast three car lengths away from the rhino's and honk your horn if you need help". How do you explain that to your car insurance company? "I had a rhino sit on my car". I wonder if they would hold things up with an investigation to confirm who was at fault with that excuse. However, after all of that wasted mental space, we never saw the rhino's. We did see all of the other creatures great and small. Andon's favorite, the lion (no surprise there), Lexi's favorite, the Llama (didn't see that one coming except that one of the staff told her to look out cause they spit so she might have fallen in love with their attitude), I couldn't get enough of the Giraffes. I cannot help but look at all of these animals and think about how imaginative and creative our God is (and with some can't help but wonder what he was thinking).
Wildlife Safari has one of the most successful Cheetah breeding programs in the world. There was a story of a cheetah and a herding dog who were raised together and they both live on the park still together. Even the animals have stories.
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
By Cecil Frances Alexander
No comments:
Post a Comment