While Jerry and Dave did chores, Cheryl, rudely and ruthlessly, beat Anna Lee at Boggle, a game Anna Lee foolishly taught our son and daughter when they were young enough for her to win.
We also played and read with Bennett.
Cheryl and Dave planned a special day on Sunday as a belated “significant birthday” celebration for Jerry. It started with watching Bennett and his friend Nora take swim lessons.
The young man teaching them is studying to be a social worker. If he is as kind and patient with his future clients as he is with two four-year-olds, he should be a great success.
Watching them swim stoked our appetites and it was a good thing because there was such a wonderful menu at Woodberry Kitchen in Baltimore.
One of each of these was on our shared bread tray.
Next came the big surprise Cheryl and Dave arranged for Jerry. We went to the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore, dating back to 1876 and the third oldest in the country. There he, Bennett and Anna Lee got up close and personal with South African penguins.
We started with a brief orientation on penguins. Then we entered an anteroom where we got acquainted. There were six females and one male because the males tend to get a bit aggressive and possessive. The penguins like to peck at clothes, pants and things that dangle.
The keeper even had the penguins sing for us.
Outside, near their small pool, we could touch them and they returned
the favor by trying to take nibbles of our fingers and legs.
Jerry even got a souvenir.
Though we have seen penguins in Antarctica and in South Africa, this experience was truly sensational because it seemed so personal (just the keeper, the three of us, two women and seven penguins).
This polar bear is the only surviving one at the zoo. Her mate died a few years ago and she is content to live our her days enjoying looking for food and swimming in her pond during the summer months.
This was a great finale for a wonderful family time and a very full year of traveling.
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