I'll Call It Like I See It

by sheila morris

Tag: riverbanks zoo in columbia sc

  • cool at the zoo


    Collins is in town and wants to go to the zoo, I texted Pretty yesterday afternoon; they’ve invited us to bring Ella and Molly to go with them. Collins is the five year old granddaughter of our good friends Francie and Nekki – Collins lives in Charleston but she and Ella went to the zoo together in the days before Molly was born so they weren’t strangers.

    Do you think it’s too cold to take the girls to the zoo? Pretty texted back. Of course, we think any temperature below 60 degrees is freezing. I know, I know. Ask the people who live in other parts of the country about cold – they will laugh at us. Ella is our three year old granddaughter, Molly just turned one year old last week, and we’re worried about a sunny mid afternoon with temps in the 50s.

    It’s a sunshiny day, I said, we’ll keep them warm. To the zoo we went.

    Collins (left) and Ella in zoo’s fun photo booth

    Francie and I crashed photo booth party –

    think the little girls had more fun without us

    we did see a tiger in between photo booth, carousel, playground…

    and souvenir shop

    Nana Pretty with grands watching the tiger –

    Molly taken with big striped cat, Ella studying caves

    Molly kept warm in stroller – had big time watching, absorbing new sights and sounds

    put me down, Naynay – I’d rather walk

    (won’t let he who shall remain nameless take my red hat away from me)

    thanks to Nekki for this last screenshot with Pretty, me and the kids

    this is how we roll with them now that Molly is walking, too

    Ella lives in her own world – we are privileged to share it when it suits her.

    Pretty sent this text to Francie and Nekki last night after we dropped Ella and Molly at home with their parents: “We had such a good time this afternoon. So funny to me that we now have our grandchildren playing together…”

    Next week Pretty and I have our 22nd. Anniversary; these two friends have been with us from the beginning. I know for sure I never dreamed of having these awesome little girls in a million years, but I have celebrated family in new ways with Pretty who brings the fun with her sense of humor that still makes me – and now our granddaughters – laugh.

    President John F. Kennedy said children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see. I love that idea and ask for wisdom to do my part in supporting these little girls with the same love, kindness, understanding and patience my grandmothers gave to me in a time long ago and far away but never forgotten.

    ***************

    Slava Ukraini. For the children.

  • ain’t no slide steps high enough

    ain’t no slide steps high enough


    Our granddaughter Ella James will be two years old this week on Friday, October 1st. so Pretty and I decided last night we would have a zoo day today to celebrate her day off from school (Jewish high holiday). It was a memory maker, as my mother would declare on the days before she lost hers. Whenever I get discouraged, whenever I feel like the world brings us all too many problems, I find a day’s dose of Ella James with Pretty works wonders.

    Pretty and Ella make joy real

    None of us quite understood proper bird feeding

    Cherry Icee fabulous

    Uh, oh. The Icee fell down.

    What’s this? Ugh. I get no respect. Seriously?

    Ain’t no slide steps too high for me to climb

    Do I know you? I don’t think so.

    Wheeee – let’s go, Nana!

    Bye, Bye, everyone – see you next time!

    (Another highlight of our day was the wonderful carousel ride which Ella rode twice, but my pictures weren’t suitable. Next time.)

    Ella and I were very tired after our morning at the zoo so we sat on a bench outside the entrance to wait for Pretty to bring the car around to pick us up. Unfortunately, my perfect granddaughter threw several wipes on the ground after she snatched them from the pack of wet wipes we brought for emergency use. Ella, I said sternly with my most authoritative voice, I have to tell you something very important. We never throw any trash on the ground.

    She looked at me with the same look Pretty gives me whenever she gets aggravated at something I say.

    Hush, she whispered. Hush.

    I burst out laughing. And that’s the way we roll.

    Thanks so much for indulging our zoo day pics – stay safe, stay sane, please get vaccinated and please stay tuned.

  • which little girl had the most fun at the zoo?

    which little girl had the most fun at the zoo?


    Yesterday was hot – not Phoenix, Arizona hot – but a typical summer day in Columbia, South Carolina that was hot with high humidity. What better time for Pretty and me to take our 22-month-old granddaughter to the zoo, right? The zoo?

    No, not the animal viewing side of the zoo. We’ll save that for the fall and cooler temps. Pretty had heard about the Waterfall Junction in the Botanical Gardens, however, and that was our plan for this babysitting day.

    everyone came to play

    Ella (in pink bathing suit) and Pretty stare at boys

    Pretty asks is this the most fun ever?

    Naynay, come – come get in the water with us!

    Ok, then. I’ll hang with Nanna.

    Wheeee – this is the most fun!

    I wonder if these boys would like to play with me?

    Who cares about them – I have my Nanna

    Wow – look at this big rock

    It’s the biggest rock I’ve ever seen up close

    Catch me if you can, Nanna

    I’m hiding from Nanna behind the water

    Sorry, Naynay – I have to play without you today

    I love the water!

    This yellow thing is as big as I am

    I don’t care – I’m strong

    Naynay, do you have my water bottle?

    Have I seen everything yet?

    I hope so – I’m a little tired

    I’m not THAT tired

    Nanna, wait for me! Is that an Olympics balance beam?

    I have to say I’m hard pressed to choose which little girl had the most fun today. Pretty releases her inner child with our granddaughter who has fun wherever we go, and I have fun watching them even when I forgot to wear a hat. Seats in the shade were at a premium; I had to play the old person card to get one.

    Our thanks to our friends Saskia and her son Finn who gave us a family pass to the Riverbanks Zoo for our birthdays this spring. This was our first time to use it, but I promise it won’t be the last.

    Stay safe, stay sane, get vaccinated and please stay tuned.