Ploughing Championships

We went along to the local ploughing championships at the weekend....

 We had been really looking forward to it, so we could put Ralph into the terrier racing. He is the fastest dog at the park after all! (and he really wanted to win me a bottle of wine, he told me so!) Just look at how excited he was at the prospect of chasing a small furry thing across the field....

 Sadly for poor Ralph, the only thing on his mind when the stalls opened was - where is my mum?! He didn't chase after anything! Never mind.

After a trip to the hospital on Monday, N had her cast taken off and as long as she is careful doesn't need another one on. No cartwheels for 3 more weeks!

Living Coasts - Torquay

Living Coasts in Torquay is a coastal zoo, and definitely the best aquarium type attraction we have ever been to.

The macaroni penguins they have outside are amazing and N even said it is the best penguin enclosure she has seen. At feeding time the ropes were pulled back and the penguins came out to be fed.

They also have an excellent seal enclosure outside and the seals were very willingly sitting up on the rocks close to us posing for photographs.

Inside is where the magic began. As we made our way down through the mangroves (which was too noisy and dark for N), we came across a 'bubble' which you could sit, stand or lie in and it put you underwater in the seal enclosure. The seals were playing with N while she was there, coming up and laying alongside her. Living Coasts was quite quiet at the time so N could spend a lot of time interracting with them.

It was a very magical time that I don't think any of us will ever forget.

Pennywell Farm

We took a trip to Pennywell Farm . We had a really great day, there lots of things to see and do and everyone was very friendly.

N always loves to see the farm animals and although her mum (me) ALWAYS feeds the goats (my favourite) and the sheep, she has never been brave enough. Until we visited Pennywell! She loved feeding the animals and was thrilled that she managed to do it.

 She even stroked an owl.

 Cuddled a piglet....

 How adorable!

Becky Falls - Dartmoor

We visited Becky Falls in Dartmoor, the woodland park was beautiful. Peace and Nature.

 We enthusiastically followed the stamp nature trail.....

 N told us all about the money tree

 we left a coin each on the tree to ensure safe passage..

Babbacombe Cliff Railway

We are back from our holiday to Torquay, we had a lovely time. It was probably the first time we have been on a seaside holiday without playing on the beach, paddling in the sea and using the caravan park swimming pool...(all out of bounds to poor N with her cast on her arm)

However it meant we had time to have lots of fun elsewhere.

 Hubby is an old pro of cliff railways but N and I were newbees!

The cliffs were 400 million years old.

 large rockfall..... think of all of the fossils in that, I mused.

Afterwards hubby very kindly drove us to here.........

The first 'chip shop' fish and chips I have tasted in almost 10 years. It was magnificent!

Next Post - Becky Falls

Taking Science Thursday toooooo far

Okay so today is Thursday that equals Science.

I had a Robert Winston experiment planned, instead we spent 3 hours in the local hospital getting N's arm in plaster.

She came off her scooter with a somersault yesterday evening and has a possible fractured scaphoid, which apparently doesn't show the fracture for 10 days.

 She coped so well with the 3 hour wait, but it all got a bit too much with the apparent smell of the wet plaster and the sling on her arm (she doesn't like things on her arms)

 we mentioned we home educated to the nurses and they printed out the x ray for us - sweet.

We are off to the John Radcliffe tomorrow for further examinations...........

Coconut Biscuits (Cookery Wednesday)

It is Wednesday and that means (according to our schedule!) that it is cookery.... today was all about Coconut Biscuits

225g flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

100g butter

175g caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 beaten egg

50g dessicated coconut

1. sift together flour and baking powder
2. rub in butter
3. add sugar, coconut, vanilla and egg
4. mix to a dough
5. refrigerate for at least one hour
6. roll out and cut into whatever shape you desire
7. bake at 190 for 10 minutes

 guess who went a bit giddy at the supermarket when choosing the food colouring?

we came home with green, yellow and black

(at least halloween is approaching, although I don't think that was in her thoughts at the time)

N's Grandma visited today and managed to come to the park with the dogs using her frame. She said she took great pleasure in watching both dogs chasing after their balls and racing around with such happiness.

So here are a couple of dog photos as I haven't posted any for a while......

Pepper got bored with her ears so decided to wear them inside out for a change.

Last night I took this picture of them sharing the same bed.....they had been to the groomer's and did smell particularly sweet = even more reason to snuggle up.

Art Friday

N's chosen subject for art today

Banana and Apple

 Pencils

 Pastels

 Pens

OPAL Biodiversity Survey

Today we did a little biodiversity survey kindly recommended by the blogging family at The Chicken Shed , this survey and others can be downloaded from OPAL Explore Nature

Our little patch of chosen hedgerow

 completing the workbook

 examining the wildlife