Oktoberfest is German for beer...

...according to Matt. We made a special trip to the Detroit Zoo with Matt and Kristin for their Oktoberfest event, featuring authentic German food and beer, a very loud polka band, and an enormous inflatable dude wearing Lederhosen. This day was special in more ways than one, however--it was also Adopt a Pet Day in the zoo's parking lot, the largest single gathering of dogs and cats in need of homes in Michigan. Honestly, we have no idea how we managed to escape without another mouth to feed. Matt and Kristin very nearly took a beautiful kitten home. Ah well, that just opens them up to the possibility of getting a puppy down the road.... :-) Jon wished he could have adopted one of the most oversized cats we'd ever seen, but couldn't because "Mr. Bigglesworth" didn't have a track record of living with dogs.

Meanwhile, back in the zoo, we enjoyed a good laugh at the prairie dogs. Last spring, they had had a litter of babies, and we remember how tiny they all were. Now, they are all fully grown and plumped up in readiness for the cold season. Our other favorite sighting of the day was the elusive aardvark. In the past, we have waited for hours to see him move and have never been rewarded until now, when he lifted his head momentarily. Just about the only hard-to-find zoo animal we have yet to see is an armadillo--maybe we'll get the chance at Toledo sometime soon.