Sharing

Yesterday was the hottest day yet and nothing, but nothing, got done.  (It's still over 80 degrees in the house at 5 a.m. this morning.)  I got caught up on a lot of stuff I'd DVRd, including a number of the wonderful PBS Nature programs.  One in particular, a documentary on an orphaned baby elephant, brought back one of the best memories in my life, and that's what I have to share today.

The Kids' dad and I took the family down to the San Diego Zoo for the day.  We had just the three then, and I was heavily pregnant with the fourth.  The San Diego Zoo is huge!  We must have walked miles going up and down the many paths, marveling at the exotic animals and, in the afternoon, I couldn't take another step.  Their dad took the three and went on, and I sat down alone at the rear of the elephant enclosure, the backside of the barn.  It was a surprise when the barn door slid open and the caretaker came walking out with a baby elephant to take a stroll in their yard.  What a treat!  But the best was yet to come.  The man noticed me and my rather obvious condition, seemed to make up his mind, and motioned me over to the fence.  Of course I went.  We made some small talk, and then he opened a small gate and invited me in to pet the baby.  Oh wow!  The baby sniffed or felt me all over with its trunk, and I must have gotten its approval because the man told me to put my hand in the baby's mouth.  Really?!  I will never, ever forget the sensation of that little elephant sucking on my fingers with its trunk wrapped around my shoulders.  It was pure magic.  I was sorry the Kids weren't there, but, of course, if they had been, it never would have happened.  It was my moment in time, mine alone.

We're supposed to be in a cooling trend, starting today.  I sure hope so.  We're getting a lot of smoke from the Ferguson fire down by Yosemite and the air quality is very poor.  Like it or not, I've got to get something done today to get ready for Deb and Craig's visit.  Or not.