it's a zoo out there

This past weekend, to celebrate Alex's return to the family, we visited the Lazy 5 Ranch on the outskirts of Charlotte (and by outskirts, I mean a 50-minute drive into NASCAR country). I guess it was my idea, which is kind of weird that I wanted to do something involving animals and the outdoors, but it turned out to be fun for the whole family. It was fun for Catcher because he got to pet a mule; fun for Scout because she took a nap in the warm spring sunshine; fun for Alex because he's just a big kid himself; and fun for me because it was a weekend activity with the kids that did not involve Target or Trader Joe's (and I didn't have to feed the animals).

How would you like to wake up to this face every morning? Catcher didn't mind, though, he pet him without abandon.

The plaid-clad boys pet a few sheep (or "sheeps," as Catcher says) and fed a few camels.

Scout slept (shocker!), and I chased a peacock. I thought I could freak him out (or is it a she?) and get him to open up his feathers, but he just stood there mocking me. "Rookie," he thought. "I can do this all day."

Catcher did his best impersonation of the peacock.

When all the petting and chasing was over, we decided to embark on an African safari Mooresville, North Carolina-style. We saw a few pigs, some zebras, one ostrich, an antelope or two, a couple unidentified species of the cow variety, llamas and a giant pickup truck.

You see zebra; I see area rug.