A Visit to the Zoo - Nurnberg, Germany - October 1979 - Age 4 and a half

We were fortunate to be able to travel and see so many place and interesting things with our sons. We have visited zoos in many cities and still enjoy going to zoos, now with our grandchildren. This photo was taken at the zoo in Nurnberg, Germany in October 1979. Leif would be 5 years old three months after it was taken. He as an active, strapping boy, but even he got tired out running around all over the place at the zoo and wearing himself out on the playground equipment, so he got a break riding on his dad's shoulders.

It was a fall day with the leaves turning pretty colors, though it was chilly and cloudy. We were there with our friends the Summerlins, whose daugher, Erin, was one of Leif's best friends and playmates in the little village of Sachsen bei Ansbach where we lived.

Leif Climbing - Stuttgart - March 1978 - Age 3

I wonder how many things Leif climbed in his childhood; trees, fences, logs, playground equipment, hills, fountains, rocks, and so much more. If it could be climbed, he'd climb it, and seemingly knew no fear of falling. He took a lot of joy in physical activities and challenges as a child, which must have made it all the harder for him to accept the limitations his asthma put on him as an adult.

This photo was taken in March 1978 whe he was three years old. We went to visit our friends the Streckers in Stuttgart, and they had put this climbing apparatus into their daughter's bedroom. Leif was captivated. He's all the way at the top with his head against the ceiling. This was another photo which was badly damaged by improper processing and had yellow streaks through it. I'm glad I could restore it somewhat.

That was the same trip when Peter Anthony broke a finger playing with an exercise wheel they had. He was in a lot of pain until he got it braced.

It was a good weekend with our friends, a German family Peter became acquainted with through trial work. Our children were relatively the same ages. Another thing we did that weekend was going to see the darling baby tigers at the Stuttgart zoo.

Leif - Honolulu Zoo, Hawaii - June 1, 1985 - Age 10

We only went to the Honolulu Zoo once. While we were there, Leif found this rust colored hen that had made a nest in a tree. He climbed up to take a look. This wasn't real high off the ground but I don't know what kind of tree it was.

The funny thing about that trip to the zoo was the giant land turtles that were putting on an odd mating show. Peter A. and Leif found it hilarious, especially the male grunting.

We took the boys to zoos in so many places, from Manhattan, Kansas to Chicago, from Germany to Japan. We always enjoyed them, but Hawaii had so many other fascinating things to explore, culturally and geographically, that the zoo seemed to be rather "ordinary." There are so many places we went that I don't have good photos of Leif, such as the Polynesian Cultural Center, Bishop Museum, Waikiki, Punchbowl Crater, Waimea Falls Park, the Honolulu Botanical Garden and so much more, plus the attrations on the other islands like Haleakala.

Our three years in Hawaii were great, even though I was perpetually worn out trying to get my master's degree except for the last six months we were there.

Leif on a Slide - Nurnberg Zoo - April 1978 - Age 3 and a half

Here's an example of fearless Leif on the playground, head first down the slide. He's not hanging on here to slow himself down. He's doing it so I can get the picture without him zooming by.

This playground was at the zoo in Nurnberg, Germany, where we lived from the summer of 1977 to the summer of 1978 in an American Army housing area that no longer exists. Peter W. was the Chief of the Nurnberg Law Center at that time, an interesting irony for a man that had been an immigrant from Germany in 1958 at the age of 15. He was a major in the Judge Advocate General's Corps at this time.

The Nurnberg Zoo was a great place to take the kids, a very nice park with many unusual animals, plus this playground. We could never pass a playground with Leif. HAD to stop! Likewise with those riding toys you used to have to stick a quarter in, though we didn't always supply the quarter.