Dallas Day 3

TNT & I were on our own the rest of the week so we headed to the Fort Worth Stockyards. Wonderful place to visit and I highly suggest taking the guided walking tour. So much history.

The sheep & pig barn no longer has the pens but is filled with gift stores and eating places.

This is the entrance to the pig/ship “subway” tunnel.  They moved so many animals that they made these tunnels from the barns to the processing plants.  Our guide said on average a pig was unloaded from the train and in the processing plant within 20 minutes. That’s moving!

We even got to see a cattle drive.  It was interesting to think cowboys would drive 1800 free range cattle 400 miles to Dodge City, KS. It would take around 40 days from Fort Worth to Dodge City. We drove it in 9 hours! I should mention here that free range cattle are not use to humans and I would guess had never even seen one before they were rounded up.  Cattle aren’t easy to move even when they are use to humans so I can only imagine free range cattle.

After the stock yards we headed to the Fort Worth Zoo.  I love the zoo and I somehow got my husband to act like a flamingo.

Choot’em Choot’em. Check out that big boy!

Beautiful bird!

I will now tell you about what happened in the rattlesnake enclosure. We walked in and it’s really dark. I told TNT I don’t like this at all. The only light came from the glassed in dens of the snakes. The Eastern Diamond back was dark so I turned on the flashlight on my phone so we could see it.  It was a big sucker and we thought it was fake then it moved.  We were laughing and TNT said wonder if they ever get out. He said that just as I walked towards an opening when an audio sound of a rattle snake started. Not sure if you’ve ever heard that noise, but it is so frightening and when you are grow up in rattle snake country that noise strikes you with fear. Remember it’s dark and I can’t see the floor.  I screamed, cussed and started high stepping it away from the snake.  TNT is laughing at me while I’m running past. Yes about 6 people saw me. TNT just kept laughing. Then I rounded another corner and there was a cardboard cowboy standing there. I jumped screamed and ran again.  So glad TNT found it funny!! I can laugh now but I was scared.

We moved onto the gorilla area.  This guy just stared at me and it’s really a weird feeling when they stare at you like that.  Then the big gorilla who never took his eyes off of me came down from on top of the rock and sat in the corner.  I took a few pictures then realized he was peeing. I’m not kidding it was really weird and he just wouldn’t leave my stare. You can see him peeing in this picture.

Then we moved on to the chimps.  I don’t know what the problem was but this was the most excitement I’ve ever had at a zoo.  We were looking at the chimps and one of them came running up to TNT and crashed into the glass. Then the chimp would start doing money sounds while glaring at us. We aren’t the type of people who tease animals and actually care very deeply for the animal kingdom so the fact that all those chimps were not happy to see us was weird.

We found the white tiger in a grumpy mood too. He’d pounce on the glass and roar. I’m glad we were watching it happen from a distance and not those people who he was doing that too.  Maybe they knew the storm was moving in, but something was definitely up with the animals.

The male lion was in no better mood as he roared the whole time we were there.

However, this lion and the lionesses in this enclosure were relaxed.

We finished the night eating at Joe’s Crab Shack and settled in to watch KU lose to Iowa State.

Update: I was typing this post during that game and with a minute left KU was down by 7 so I put that they lost to ISU.  Finally a fire was lit under their asses and they won in overtime. Rock Chalk.  I’m always afraid of ISU because they are so dangerous and they almost got us this year!