Pat Starnes Snippets: Pat Starnes-Front Gate Realty, 601-991-2900 Office; 601-278-4513 Cell (Front Gate Real Estate)

 If you are looking for something fun and educational to do with your family, why not take an afternoon and spend it at the neighborhood zoo? This weekend my best friend and I loaded up the grandkids, four girls under the age of nine, and headed for the Jackson Zoo. The weather was nearly perfect, a little on the warm side for late September. Fortunately there were enough trees to offer some welcome shade along the way.

 We saw the usual lions, tigers, and bears (oh, my!) along with giraffes, zebras, elephants, turtles, poisonous frogs, a plethora of snakes, peacocks, and a flock of flamingos! At the Jackson Zoo, there is a playground, a carousel, and a concession stand with plenty of seating if you need to take a break and cool off. The girls were fascinated and everyone had a pleasant afternoon.

The Jackson Zoo is open daily until 5:00 p.m. and discount packages are available. For more information, visit http://www.jacksonzoo.org.