Mating season

I fear it is upon us. Can anyone tell me if there is any truth in the rumour that conkers around the home repel spiders?

Funky fungi

South Lakes Wild Animal Park

Miles helped hand feed the giraffes before visiting the other animals. As ever we had a great time at South Lakes Wild Animal Park last week. We were looking more closely at some of the issues affecting the Sumatran tiger today after listening to a talk at the park. My head has been spinning with the pros and cons of palm oil. It certainly is difficult to weigh up all of the relevant considerations. Deforestation to plant palms is causing mega problems, but then of course there is the off set of cheap food in a world with poverty, bio fuel benefits etc.

Room with a view

We've been away for a few days to celebrate Nana's birthday. The view from our room was breath taking.

I suspect the lawns man let out a silent scream when Miles took to the croquet lawn with his mallet.

The hills were alive with cascading streams following a few wet days prior to our arrival. My heart was in my mouth but I had to let them experience the joy of clambering the falls, (small ones not large ones I hasten to add!), and thankfully there were no slips or trips.

It was Nana's first trip here, to one of my regular haunts.

I think she loved it as much as I do. I hope she did. I certainly enjoyed sharing it with her.

Christmas is coming...

Pantomime tickets booked, festive classical concert booked, next years diary on order, Christmas workshops organised for home ed group, Goodness, I've never been this organised!

Day O Day O

Daylight come and me wanna go home!!!

I got to join in at Hermione's steel pan session tonight. Yay! I can play The Banana Boat Song on the steel pans!

Harvest fun

Since I had some well out of date flour, (over enthusiasm with the wholefood order a couple of years ago), I agreed to this rather messy game which involved cutting away a slice of flour mound without making the plum on top fall. Good fun but best played outdoors - as I discovered once the kitchen was full of flour!

One thing lead to another and soon there was a flour fight in the garden - children with stony white faces all round!

Bobbing for apples in a bowl of water and catching them on a string.