Back to the National Zoo

Today was Lauren, James and Theo's last full day with us and so we made a second visit to the National Zoo.

It was sunny at the end of the morning and so two of the Orang Utans were out on their aerial wires.

Many of the animals seemed quite sleepy.

Or were basking in the sun..

Towards the end of our visit we saw an unusual animal, but not in a cage..

A black squirrel - apparently they occur at the rate of 1 in 10,000 in the grey squirrel population.

Garden Flowers

This little flower has been in bloom for several weeks now, alongside the tiny Scilla flowers in the rockery at the side of the garden.

Like the Scilla it is a very small flower from a bulb.  It appears to be called Ipheion.

These double narcissi have come out in the last few days.

The petals are very tightly packed.

Today we noticed that the flowering Dogwood tree was in bloom, but no photos as yet.

That's not a squirrel!

While Theo has been here he has enjoyed watching the birds and squirrels either from his high chair or on the floor.

We spread some bird food on the decking to try to lure the squirrels and chipmunks into closer view, with unexpected consequences..

We hadn't realised that bird seed and mealworms were that tasty!

Lake Fairfax Park

David and I visited Lake Fairfax Park in the late Autumn/Winter but today the sun was shining and there were definite signs of Spring.

Tiny flowers were blooming in the grass.

The trees are just beginning to show signs of green.

In one corner of the lake there were turtles sunning themselves on half submerged sticks and branches...

There were also some very noisy frogs or toads, although we didn't see them.

Altogether it was a lovely afternoon.

Walk around Lake Anne

It was sunny and bright this afternoon and we went for a walk around Lake Anne.

At the start of our walk was a very pretty bridge over a feeder canal, surrounded by beautiful weeping cherry trees.

The lake itself is very picturesque..

Towards the end of the walk we found a swing for Theo..

He was very happy to play for a while..

Then home for tea!

Having Fun

This morning, Theo helped me put some letters into the mailbox for collection.

Then some quiet playtime - the bottom step is useful for practicing balance and standing up.

At lunchtime we went to the Silver Diner, followed by a return to Frying Pan Farm Park, this time with Grandpa too..

It was sunny but rather windy..

It was necessary to wrap up warmly for the wagon ride..

Easter Blooms

This beautifully shaped cherry tree was in bloom at the National Zoo when we visited on Monday.

At the Air and Space Museum yesterday a very different cherry blossom..

And finally at the Giant supermarket a not so subtle Easter floral offering..