Field Trip!

Today Sydney had her first preschool field trip. We went to a place called the Yellow River Game Ranch. It's a wildlife preserve of sorts. All of the animals there have been rescued and/or rehabilitated and wouldn't survive in the wild. They have all sorts of deer, bears, birds, bunnies, felines, etc. native to Georgia.

From the moment you step on the trail chickens and deer approach you for food. I had a bag of carrots, crackers, apples, and corn kernels so Sydney could feed the animals, but I felt like they were attacking me to get to the food! I was a little nervous.

It was kind of cool though. It was kind of like something out of a fairy tale the way the deer would walk right up to you - without any fear - and eat a cracker from your hand. Sydney felt the same way. As she threw corn to the chickens she yelled, "Mom, I'm just like Cinderella!"

It was really cute. The billy goats were a little scary though. They kept trying to eat Jaxon's blanket. Then a squirrel jumped onto the side of the stroller and I almost had a heart attack. Jaxon didn't seem to mind, but I couldn't get out of there fast enough!

The trail is a mile long and at the end there is a "Bunny Burrow" where you can go and sit with bunnies as they eat out of your hands. Sydney and I bypassed that. Maybe I'm a mean Mommy, but sitting in rabbit filth as the dirty little critters crawl all over you in hopes of eating your carrots and apples before their siblings get them... well, I'm just not down with being dirty.

Sydney didn't seem to mind. I guess she had her feel of nature with the deer and chickens. The other animals we avoided were the bears (like 5 of them in cages) and the cougars (three of them; the signs on their cages read: "Please don't feed us. If you get bitten, we get killed." Sad, huh?)

We saw donkeys, pigs, roosters, peacocks, porcupines, bobcats, ducks, geese, swans…a little bit of everything. The donkeys, bobcats, and other may-attack animals were in fenced-off areas or cages, but every one else just roamed freely around the property.

It was a fun little trip.



Sydney cautiously approaches a deer,
















and then she throws the cracker at it. After one almost bit her (he was trying to eat a cracker as I was passing it to her), she became a little hands-off.

















I'm pretty sure the rope is there for a reason, but Sydney didn't quite catch on.

















Sydney was way too interested in this turkey. She kept trying to stand by it and pet it, but it kept moving away from her!

















Here's the crazy billy goat trying to eat the stroller again.

















Sydney loved trying to catch the little duck family!
















And the post would not be complete without a picture of Baby Brother!


















For those who are interested:

http://www.yellowrivergameranch.com/