The husband and I took the girls to the Erie Zoo for their season opening celebration on Saturday and saw something I have never seen before in all of the times I've visted the zoo. Keep in mind, I'm there almost weekly (sometimes more) in the summer and I worked there for four years. I'll bet you've never seen it either.

The polar bear actually went down that concrete slide into the pool!

I kid you not. And, of course, it was the one darn time I didn't have my camera with me (it was in the car).

Here's a shot of Mizar taken by Erie Times-News photographer
Janet Campbell in August.

It was almost as if Mizar was performing for the crowd. It was, what 40 degrees, and we're all freezing and that bear is swimming, swimming, swimmming and rolling around, playing with chunks of ice in the water, climbing out and diving back in. All this to the cheers of the crowd that had gathered around his exhibit.

Then, he starts trying to climb UP the slide. I'm standing there saying "no, no...get down...didn't you learn anything from your brother's broken paw?" (that polar bear had to be put down despite heroic efforts and surgery to repair the leg).

But, he wised up, noticed the stairs and climbed up to the top. I thought there was no way he'd go down that slide and, really, I wasn't sure I wanted him too. But, he stuck his big front paws out, put his belly to the 'crete and flopped into the pool.

When he got out, amid cheers and clapping, he shook dry and headed inside. Show's over, folks!

Nope, he came out in the next exhibit, running and jumped into that pool.

What a show off!

We loved every single minute of it. And, I'm pretty sure Mizar did, too.

The opening of the Erie Zoo makes a dreary, cold, schizophrenic month like March something to look forward to.

P.S. If you like to cook, I posted a great recipe from a friend for Meatballs You Can Feel Good About (turkey) on my other blog -- Runner's Notes. Check it out!