Swimming to the zoo
Camp Babka 2026 has come to a close. This session’s highlights include sand art (thank you Amazing Savings — $10 extremely well spent), Votee Park Splash Pad (I found it fun and refreshing and the girls liked running through the sprinklers that weren’t turned on), Van Saun (a fan favorite for all ages), and our trip to the Bronx Zoo.
Let’s analyze that last one.
Husband #1 assured me that the weather on that particular Thursday was supposed to be lovely until the rain began at 3 p.m. He lives on his weather app — I am not quite sure why when he doesn’t go anywhere except to the office, but that is another story.
“Honey, the tickets are non-refundable, are you sure the weather is going to be nice on Thursday?” I ask with great affection.
“Yes, I told you, the weather is going to be fine until 3 p.m.,” he replies with great authority.
“You sure? The tickets are $104 …” I reply respectfully (well, let’s be honest, not that respectfully).
“Yup.” Conversation over.
I buy the tickets. And please don’t ask why I didn’t go on Wednesday, when it is free. Well, you can ask, and I will tell you that you still need tickets. I will also tell you that nothing is ever really free, but I digress.
Strudel and Little Curly are all excited about going to the Bronx Zoo. Aside from the bevy of animals, there is a whole Daniel Tiger situation going on there. Daniel Tiger, for those not in the know, is Mr. Rogers’ replacement on PBS. He is a cartoon tiger who has his own neighborhood.
No, Strudel and Little Curly are not supposed to be watching Daniel Tiger. Yes, I let them anyway — I watch it with them, and it is very a lovely show with wonderful life lessons. Truth is, Little Curly doesn’t watch it, but Strudel does. In any event, she was very excited about seeing Daniel Tiger “in person.”
Thursday arrives. It is a monsoon. Call #1 to Husband #1.
“Dude, it is pouring out. Why did you tell me that it wasn’t going to rain until 3???”
“It isn’t raining in Fort Lee,” Husband #1 responds.
Deep breath. Put the girls in their car seats. Put the food, ponchos, double stroller, and stroller cover in the car. Get into the car.
Still pouring.
Start driving. Still pouring. Pass Fort Lee. Still pouring.
Call #2 to Husband #1. “Um, what part of Fort Lee are you in? Because it is still raining in this part.”
Click.
Get to the zoo. Still pouring. Park the car. Put the ponchos on the girls, put the girls in the double stroller, put the rain cover on the stroller. Everyone is crying, including me.
“It is going to be a great day-even with the rain!” I say to Strudel and Little Curly above the screams.
“Look — there are the buffalo!” I excitedly share with my very unhappy campers. “I can’t see through the rain,” Strudel informs me.
What was I thinking? And then, up ahead, the World of Birds.
In all the times I have been to the Bronx Zoo, and there have been dozens, I have never gone into the World of Birds. We live in a world of birds — there are birds everywhere — but this particular World of Birds is indoors and there is still a monsoon outside.
And that is where Camp Babka spent the first 45 minutes. It is amazing what you can find to do and see inside the World of Birds when it is pouring outside.
The rain stopped for a little over two hours, and we had time to see Daniel Tiger and his friends and about 20 different exciting animals. And then it started to thunder again and Babka and her campers, safely buckled in their stroller, ran back to the Bronx River Parkway parking lot B.
Back in the safety of the car, we began our drive home.
Fortunately, the Camp Babka mobile turns into a boat, because almost the whole torrential downpouring drive home was on flooded roads.
Thank God, we made it home by 2 p.m., we all changed into pajamas, and we had a lovely closing ceremony.
This included listing all the animals we saw at the zoo, which is why I know there were about 20….
Rosh Hashana is in two weeks. How did that happen?
Banji Ganchrow of Teaneck already misses her campers and has a lot of leftover snacks….