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Flashback Friday

Found some pictures of about 5-6 years ago that might be of interest to some of you.  We went to Niabi Zoo with Michael and Alhanna on one of their trips up North.



This is Michael at the house in Galesburg and by the looks of it had a long day, but a good one.  He was horrible to get to sleep.  He couldn't have a book read to him, he had to have 15, then do it over.  He would come up with all kinds of excuses to stay awake.  here he must have been playing with his cars.  Eventually, the Sandman caught up with him.



Alhanna, in full Princess mode.


The following pics are from a trip we took to Niabi Zoo with the kids, who were up for the weekend from Clarksville.  This is Michael from the trip back home.   Again, the Sandman catches his prey.

Another sleepy victim.   


Me playing pillow.


Naturally I had my peeps with me.




Alhanna seems upset over something.


Bored?  A kid at a zoo??


Michael never met a camera he didn't like or an object he couldn't climb.


Indeed.



Taking a ride on the train.


Fun water-coolers.


Ever the adventurer.




Niabi isn't too bad for kids.  Nice train ride for extra bucks, and the animals are OK.


Niabi also has a neat petting zoo.


Michael is pretty fearless.


Playing hand tricks with a bovine can be pretty one sided.


I'm not sure what this expression was.


Michael and I riding the Merry-Go-Round.  


I really treasured the time I had with Michael.  For some damn reason I really got a kick out of spending time with him.   In fact, I have pictures of the best damn weekend I ever had.  I'll post them one of these days.




OK maybe I did feel a little silly up there, but it was fun, too.  


Today he doesn't remember too much of our good times and has developed other interests and friends, but I have the memories and the pictures.  And that's good enough for me.


And cryptically, like Jackie Paper, he waves goodbye to a time in life...

A dragon lives forever but not so little boys 
Painted wings and giant rings make way for other toys. 
One grey night it happened, Jackie paper came no more 
And puff that mighty dragon, he ceased his fearless roar. 


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