This past weekend, my granddaughter and I went to the Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge.

I was telling my daughter about the park and she said that they take field trips of their patients from the dayhab center where she is a behavioral therapist. She said it was really pretty there but some animals like to hide.

This park is free. They have a huge visitors center and have trails for walking or biking. There are ponds and lakes for fishing and fishing is only $3. My granddaughter saw the sign for fishing and was lamenting the fact that her fishing pole was at home.

The drive is beautiful. The sky was so blue it looked fake, and I was reminded of animal parks when I was a kid. I remember one in particular, in South Dakota. It’s was Custer National Park, and the begging burros lived up to their name!

As we drove past different fields, looking for animals, singing along to the radio. Sofia was reading the signs on gates and fences of the animals that were in that area. I slowed down so we could and see if they were hiding.

Announcements from the backseat provided periodic information about the animal(s).

“Coyote! Like for real a coyote? I thought they were just on cartoons. It’s not going to hunt us is it?”

“Elks! Wait are those elks or deer? It looks like a deer. Wait that is a daddy! He has the hugest antlers! That’s an elk for sure, not a deer. Mhamó, just in case an elk is there, don’t take a picture of them, they will stomp the car!”

“Prairie Dogs! We got prairie dogs! They really should have thought of a better name, they don’t look like dogs, they look like moles, but with blonde hair. Oh don’t run into the road Mr Prairie Dog! That is not the way to cross the road that’s the way to get yourself smooshed! Don’t run over them, they are little you might not see them! Oh good, whew, they got away!” “That is a big bison! Did you know they were that big. We can’t get out of the car here, the sign says so and we can’t get out and don’t tough the fence. Will it bother the bison if I touch it? Oh wait! It’s like the fence in Jurassic Park huh? Well we aren’t gonna touch it because I don’t want to look like that little boy!”

We had a great afternoon, even though some animals were hiding. It was a perfect fall day!

The goal is 60 new things before I turn 60 and I have 25 more to go and I can’t wait!