Central Park Zoo

Not thinking about Spring Break, P and I headed to see the Polar Bear last week. As we scooted through Central Park en route to the zoo we ran smack into an old friend of mine, in town for the week. She followed us to the zoo where we all fought the crowds to see the adorable penguins shimmy into the water, sprinkling bubble trails in their wake. Typically a photo frenzy opportunity for me :) my old chum occupied all available moments, leaving me photo free - sorry! But P and BB were truly there, photos or no, growing ever more annoyed at this new female presence, one who talked a lot, and Not to them :)

As we took a bathroom break, P had hit his own breaking point and instructed me to run away from my friend while she used the loo. And to Never, Ever stop again when I see someone I know :) We gracefully parted ways and wandered into the park to refill his empty cup. The large rock we settled on was littered with kids on break and swaths of crystal. P was pumped. Short of his hammer and chisel he tried knocking the crystals loose with a rock. It was too crumbly, so he tried lifting a large one to get to the "perfect" hammer rock:



Working another crystal patch:




We made plans to return to the location later in the week, with a chisel, thus freeing P to enjoy other rock based fun: jumping precariously close to the high edge. He ran about at the top, carefully walked the perimiter of a dirty puddle repeatedly (holding BB right over the puddle and chuckling) and then decided to descend the cliff. So down we went, around a bend, along a path and back up the other side of the outcropping. P was delighted. This, to him, was the ideal way to spend the day, screw old friends and their chatty ways :) So up down and around we went, over and over and over and over and over.... The top of the climb featured a solitary boulder upon which P perched, requesting a special photo for Uncle Ian (P's rock climbing inspiration and famously adored Unc):



It was a great day, one that we hated to give up - so we stayed well into the evening, watching the city get slower and darker and P's eyes get heavier :)