Island of Misfit Animals

Maggie and I went to Lambs Farm last week - it's a children's farmyard near Lake Bluff run by people with disabilities. It's a really good idea, it gets your kid out in a fun environment and teaches them that it is OK if people are a little different from them. Not to mention what it does for the employees that may have had a hard time finding work elsewhere. I had been warned however, don't expect too much.

A little more backround on this place... besides a farmyard, there is a restaurant, thrift shop, gift shop and pet store (yes, with real pets for sale, ugh). The farmyard also includes mini-golf, a choo-choo ride and a carousel. All the buildings are built like barns or farm buildings, and the animals are definitely the main draw.

There were only a handful of other cars in the parking lot when we pulled up and as we walked through the farmyard I couldn't help but wonder if this is where all the zoo's send their geriatric and not-so-pretty animals when they don't want them messing up the astetic of their zoo. I was wondering, am I on the island of misfit toys? A goat with a misaligned jaw, a goose with a growth on it's beak, a pig loosing it's hair, etc., etc. I wouldn't have been at all surprised if one of the goats walked around the corner with a wooden leg.

But as I mentioned, I was warned to keep my expectations low and because I had I was able to spend my time looking at this place through my daughters eyes instead of focusing on that weird duck in the corner with the shifty eyes. To her, she was meeting new friends at each enclosure. She greeted each animal with an enthusiastic "Hi!" and gave a couple goats a hug before she left. She learned how to say "Gooooose!" and got to share a grilled cheese sandwich with her friend D. She got to hear a parrot talk and had her first choo-choo ride. She was happy and sunny all day. So thank you Lambs Farm with your geriatric goats, our trip to your island was very nice after all.