Bags of miscellaneous toys (including individual army men, odd Lego pieces, action figures, Hot Wheels cars and etc.), classic Poison or best of Neil Diamond CDs, cheap DVDs such as Zoolander or an overabundance of Harry Potter (or other flavour of the year) films, Twilight books, VHS machines and a wide-assortment of video-cassettes (perhaps a best of The Beachcombers collection), vintage clothes and knick knacks — make up a thrift store’s arsenal of gently used wares and wonders.

This past weekend was a tad bit on the chilly side but what better way to spend a Saturday than at one of southern Alberta’s premiere attractions — the Calgary Zoo, inside and out. Of course, many families huddled inside the cafeteria and the many indoor facilities housing the critters, both big and small but the brisk walks between buildings and displays were well worth it, especially to partake in the fishiness of the new penguin exhibit. It was as if the penguins seemed at home in southern Alberta’s -15 or below temperatures. These were no Penguins of Madagascar, mind you. Happy Feet penguins, maybe.