Nativity Challenge

I can't believe it's nearly Christmas time again! Long-term Bobby fans may remember last year when the whole school dressed up and put on a Nativity Play. Well, we're doing the same this year. Everything was fine last time, except for a little trouble with some of the actors - the woolly sort! One of the sheep tried to eat the music off the piano, and, as I was the shepherd, I was not the most popular pup in town. So this year, I was absolutely determined there would be no repeat of the problem. I was so keen to prove myself, that when, Mrs Ewe asked for a volunteer to look after a new animal, I stuck my paw up straight away. She didn't say what sort of animal, but I assumed it might be some more sheep, or maybe a donkey. Either way, I have plenty of experience and there shouldn't be any surprises.

Oh how wrong I was! Imagine my surprise when Colin the Camel walked into the school hall! Not only is he just about the most exotic creature you can imagine, but he's also absolutely enormous! For a few moments, I couldn't think what to say - but fortunately Colin is a friendly camel and in no time at all we were getting on really well. The best news is, because I'm looking after Colin, I get to be one of the wise men in the play. I hope I get real gold to carry!

Rocketry is harder than I thought

Well I climbed to the top of the ladder, and then clambered into the cabin. I strapped myself into the special padded basket (it was my usual basket I use for naps, but I put an extra blanket in just in case of excessive G-Forces) and then I reached up to press the red button. I pressed it and then did a countdown..10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0....er -1?

Nothing! Not a sausage. I climbed back out of the capsule and down the ladder and went off to find someone to ask what had gone wrong. After a while I found Grandpa Rabbit. He came and looked at my rocket, and after a few moments, he started to chuckle.

"What's Up?", I asked.

"Well, young pup", he replied "it is normal for a space ship to include a rocket motor, or some sort of means of propulsion!". I looked at the bottom of the space ship, and it was true. There was a big gap where the smoke and flames normally come roaring out. "But it's made of cardboard", I explained "it would be dangerous to have a fire!". Grandpa just shook his head and smiled. "Perhaps you'd better wait until you're a bit bigger, and you can find a real space ship".

I suppose he's right. But, I ask you where on earth would I ever see a real space ship around here?

Up, up and away!

I'm on my way. I can't pretend that I wasn't a little bit nervous as I climbed up the ladder to the hatchway. After all, even the famous American astronauts didn't go into orbit in a space ship they'd built themselves! Never mind, I'm confident in the combination of Canadian know how and Sylvanian technology. I just hope I've packed enough treats for the trip - I wouldn't want to run out of dog biscuits before coming home!

I bet you're as excited as I am, but you'll just have to wait until next time to find out how I get on.

To boldly go where no dog has woofed before

Using that telescope has certainly inspired me! I have decided that viewing the stars from a distance is just not enough - I'm going to visit them in person! The first thing a pup needs when venturing outside the earth's atmosphere is a space suit, so I buckled down to the job, and I think you have to agree I've done a pretty good job. OK, it's not yet entirely airtight, and my tail still sticks out of the back, but these are surely minor details.

Next I've got to make myself a spaceship, but we've got the cardboard, we've got the sticky tape and we have the technology, so there's no stopping us now. After all, there was a dog in space long before a human made it!

The Sky at Night's the place for a Pup

Look what I found at the back of the attic! It's a beautiful old telescope. When I found it, I tried setting it up to look out of the little window at the back of the attic. When I looked through the telescope, I was amazed - everything I could see was upside down! I trotted downstairs to ask Grandpa Rabbit about it, and he explained that it is an astronomical telescope, and it's for looking at the stars. Apparently all astronomical telescopes work like that - don't ask me why. I tried hanging upside down to look through the eyepiece, but it was very tiring, and in the end, I decided a star probably looks the same both ways up anyway. I couldn't wait for it to go dark enough to go outside and try spotting some stars. Grandpa Rabbit found an old astronomy book I can borrow, and he helped me find some of important stars. Did you know the brightest star of all is in a part of the sky called "The Big Dog"? Not only that, but there's also a constellation called "Little Dog" and even one called Puppis! There's no doubt about it, this has been a giant leap for dogkind!

Never tell a grownup that you're bored!

Well I certainly learned a lesson today. Now we're moving from Autumn into Winter, the nights are getting dark very early - in fact by the time I've got home from school and had a glass of milk, it's already too dark to play outside. I thought it was very boring - and I made the mistake of saying so to Grandpa Rabbit. He chuckled in a rather worrying way, and said "I've got just the thing for you, my lad. (By the way, "My Lad" is never a good sign when a grownup says it to you - it's almost a bad as being called "Robert Labrador").

We went upstairs, and then upstairs again, until we reached the attic. It's a dusty dark room full of boxes and old junk. There isn't a normal ceiling, just the inside of the roof, so it's like being inside a sort of wooden tent.

"Right" said Grandpa Rabbit, "Here's a whole world of lost treasure for you to explore! If you tidy it up nicely, then you can have anything you find, that you fancy playing with". Grandpa Rabbit went back down the stairs, and I stared a the mountain of old junk. "Treasures indeed!" I thought, "I'll never find anything worth playing with in this lot". Well, I was wrong about that - and you'll see why next time!

Another Fine Mess

Well, things just went from bad to worse! As Little Tail tried to pull me in over the side of the boat, the whole thing started to tip over. I slipped out of his paws, and before we knew what was happening, I went back into the water one way, he went the other way, and the boat rolled right over. For a few moments we were both a bit scared, but then we realised that our paws had touched the bottom. Little Tail's daddy is very sensible, and he had only let us go out on a lake that is just a few paw's lengths deep.

We tipped all the water out of the boat (or as much as we could) and then pulled it to the side of the lake. Then we both trudged back to the village to own up to what had happened. Little Tail was rather worried that his father would be very cross - after all he is the Chief and they can be very fierce! But it was all right, and anyway Little Tail's mummy wouldn't let anyone be cross with us - she wrapped us both up in towels to make sure we got warm and dry as soon as possible, and gave us a nice mug of hot chocolate to drink. I was most worried about losing my lovely green wellies, but Little Tail's daddy said that we will most probably be find them in the dry season when the lake's level goes down. Even better - they said that I can borrow some moccasins to wear until then. What a great souvenir from my holiday in Labrador!

Peril on the Pond!

Everything started out really well. I thought we would be going out in a traditional Canadian canoe or a kayak, but Little Tail had arranged to borrow a friend's rowing boat. It was a lovely little boat, painted yellow and white, with two oars and just enough room for two small animals to share. Well, I say "just enough" - that was true as long as everybody stayed sitting down. The problem started when I decided to try fishing over the side. After a very short time, I felt a tug on my line - I had a catch! In my excitement I stood up to get a better view and that's when the boat started to wobble. I wobbled forwards first, and thinking that the fish was going to tug me in, I let go of my rod. Unfortunately, that just made me lurch backwards, and that was too much. Splosh! I went straight into the water. Once in the water, I remembered to keep calm and do a doggie paddle to keep myself afloat. I had to kick my wellies off, as they filled up with water, and my paws feel very heavy. Little Tail also kept very calm and steered the boat to keep close to me, and very soon he was helping me back on to the boat. For a few seconds, all he had to worry about was whether I would shake off all my wet fur on him, but then the boat started to wobble all over again. Apparently ( we found this out later) it's best to help someone back into a boat over the stern - that's the back end - as it makes it less like to tip over. Would the boat tip over all over again? You'll have to wait until next time to find out what happened!

A visit to the original Canadians

Back to my Canadian break, and after my less than totally successful attempt at fishing, I asked Mr Ranger what we could do next. Mr Ranger, being a Moose himself, knows a lot about the wildlife of Canada, but also about our history and cultural heritage. He suggested that we make a visit to meet some of the original native inhabitants of North America. Well, of course I was very keen to do that and so we set off straight away. I was a bit nervous about taking Rabbie the Bear with us - I mean I know native peoples are very good at living in harmony with nature and everything, but he is extremely large! But Mr Ranger said it would be no problem as he knows the people of the Red Tail Squirrel tribe very well.

After about two hours walking through the forest we came to a clearing, where there was a small cluster of traditional tents and we were greeted by the leader of the tribe Bushtail, and his son Little Tail. They were very hospitable and explained that they live in the tents throughout the summer, hunting and enjoying the great outdoors, but in the winter nowadays they move in to ordinary houses. Sounds very sensible to me!

We got on very well, and Little Tail offered to take me out for a ride in his boat the next day. That sounded too good to miss, so we all settled down for the night. Rabbie had a tent to himself but even so, his paws stuck out all night. He didn't mind though - it's the great benefit of being so furry! Next time, I'll tell you how I got on in the boat.

Halloween Fun

I couldn't resist breaking off my tale of what happened on my holidays to show you what happened on Friday night. I always enjoy Halloween of course, but this was something really special! Everyone in the whole village dressed up in scary or magical outfits and we went from house to house collecting treats (some people say trick or treat, but I'm not the sort of pup who does tricks). We finished off with a grand Halloween party in the village hall - there was ducking for apples and sticking the tail on the donkey. Dougie the Donkey was a bit worried about that, but it was a pretend Donkey, and with his instinctive grasp of where a tail should go, he won the first prize.

Next time, I will return to telling you more about my Canadian adventures and I will tell you all about my visit to some Very Important People!

The one that got away...

Mr Ranger was as good as his word. He found us a lovely little pond to fish in. Mr Ranger and I sat on a little hill by the side of the pond and Rabbie sat nearby, just dabbling his paws in the pond. Everything went really well until I got a bite. Now, I know fishermen are renowned for exaggerating the size of the fish they caught, but this one was enormous! A beautiful big salmon, all silvery and splashing about so hard I thought I'd lose my grip on the rod. But as soon as it appeared, a certain very large bear launched himself into the water, and made the fish disappear in an instant. I wouldn't mind the fish going but Rabbie made such a splash that me and Mr Ranger were both wet through. Even my wellies were full of water!

Mr Ranger gave Rabbie a very stern telling off, but after we had dried out a bit, we couldn't stay cross with him, as he looked so sorry for himself. We went back to Mr Ranger's cabin and shared a big pot of honey. Now the only problem I've got is how to get honey out of fur. Any suggestions?

Ranger to the Rescue

Well, what a relief! I turned around to see what was causing the rustling in the bushes, and out stepped a small but definitely friendly animal in a very smart uniform. He announced that he is the National Park Ranger for the area, and asked if I needed any assistance. I thought that was a bit of a strange question to ask when a few feet to his left stood a gigantic bear. Mr Ranger saw my expression and smiled kindly. "Don't worry about old Rabbie", he said "He's just a big old softy. He probably saw your fishing rod and thought he might be in for some handouts". We got to talking, and Mr Ranger explained that normally it's a very bad idea to feed bears you meet in the woods. But Rabbie is a personal friend, and a very trustworthy. "Just don't let him hug you too tight", explained Mr Ranger, "he can get a bit too affectionate for smaller animals".
Mr Ranger offered to show me the very best fishing pond in the forest - where there would be plenty for me to catch and enough to share with Rabbie. I'll let you know how we got on in my next post.

A walk in the woods

I promised to tell you about some of my adventures on holiday back home in Canada, so here goes. As you might know, Canada is a very big country, full of forests and lakes, and lots of people like to go on camping trips, doing some canoeing perhaps, and some fishing. Well, I'm not sure about canoes, as they look very wobbly to me, so I just decided to go off on a fishing trip. I put on my wellies to keep my paws dry, got out my fishing rod and set off into the woods. I followed a path leading to a small lake which everybody told me was a sure-fire winner for fishing success. After about a quarter of an hour, I was in quite a deep, dense bit of the forest, when all of a sudden there was a rustling in the undergrowth just ahead, and out stepped the biggest bear I've ever seen! Of course, we have bears in Sylvania, but they're not much bigger than me, and anyway they are all very friendly and don't like to eat anything much other than honey, or perhaps condensed milk. Canadian bears are completely different, and if there's one thing they love, it's fish. And here I was in the middle of the forest, with fishing gear, probably smelling of the bear's favourite food! He didn't say anything at all, but just looked down at me from a great height, so I decided to back away very slowly. This seemed to be a good strategy, until ...I heard more rustling behind me! I just froze - what would I do if it was the bear's even fiercer big brother!! You'll have to wait to find out what happened next.

What I did on my holidays

Hello everybody! Sorry that I haven't written anything for such a long time, but I've been away on my holidays. I'm going to try to catch over the next couple of weeks and tell you all about the adventures I had. I've just got back from visiting all my friends and relations in Canada, and I had a great time there. But first let me tell you about my visit to Sweden.

I have got an aunt in Sweden -well I call her an Aunt, but she's actually a friend of my mother from when she was a sled dog for a while. She's a moose called Hälge. Aunty Hälge lives near Stockholm and she took for a day out in the city centre. Stockholm is a very beautiful city with lots of islands with bridges between them. Aunty Hälge took this picture of me standing in front of a huge sailing ship. We had a little boat ride around the harbour later on - but our boat wasn't as big as this! Pity - I rather fancy myself as a nautical pup.

We had planned to travel up North to visit the reindeers, but seems they are already busy preparing for Christmas, so I'll go and see them another time.

I'll be back soon, with news of my visit to Canada. Love Bobby xx

See for yourselves!

You know last time I said I wished you could have seen me on the train? Well, guess what? There was someone with a video camera filming the whole thing! I've never tried putting a video on my blog before, so I hope it works out OK - perhaps someone could leave a comment to let me know.

Bucky says I looked rather nervous as I stood on the back of the guard's van, because the train was going so fast, but I'm sure that I just look intrepid. See what you think!

A very exciting outing

Today I went on a train for the first time ever! There is a little steam railway not far from us that takes people on outings during the summer. The surroundings are very pretty, and, as it was a nice warm day, Bucky, Kevin and I decided to give it a try. In the picture, you can see the three of us waiting patiently on the platform. Well at least, I was waiting patiently - I'm sorry to report that the other two were not quite so well-behaved. Bucky had to be warned against gnawing on the wooden bits of the station building, and as for Kevin! I don't want to say too much, but I don't think scrounging biscuit crumbs off other passengers is the correct behaviour for a well brought up chicken. Free range is one thing, but there have to be limits.

Anyway, after a while the train drew into the platform. The driver was very nice and let me stand on the footplate (that's what the driver's cab is called) for a little while. I wasn't allowed there for the actual journey of course - and to be honest it's just as well. It might be a very small engine, but it was really fast! It's a pity you weren't there to see me.

The Perfect Home

We have found the perfect place for the Bearskis at last! We had completely given up on finding a suitable home for them in the village, so we decided we must look further afield. Mrs Bearski made a picnic and put it in a basket for Mr Bearski to carry. Mrs Bearski herself carried a big jug of orange juice (which I thought she was bound to spill, but she is incredibly careful). Then we set off, with Bucky along to help amuse the little ones.

After about an hour of walking we all sat down to have a bite to eat, and leaned up against a big tree. To my amazement, I saw that there was a big door in the tree trunk, and on further inspection we discovered that it was one big tree house! Not only has it got lots of room for the whole family, but part of it converts into a table for dinner time, and best of all , there are enough tyre swings for the whole family! You can guess where Bucky and the little ones went straight away. As usual, I ended exhausted from pushing them for ages!

The tree house doesn't seem to be occupied, and, of course, Mrs Bearski was overjoyed with her new home, so that's where the Bearskis are going to live from now one. Bucky and I promised to come and visit them as often as we can. Judging by how well Bucky seemed to be getting on with young Miss Bearski, I think that might be quite often! Is there romance in the air?

Problems with the Housing Market

I'm still having trouble trying to find somewhere suitable for the Bearskis to live. Bucky and I thought hard about it, and even Kevin the chicken lent a hand (or beak), but we couldn't think of any Sylvanian house that has enough room for a whole extra family. In the end, we decided that we would have to give up our log cabin. After all, we don't live there, we just use it as a play house - and as the Bearskis are from Canada as well, we thought that they should feel at home.

Oh dear, that was a mistake. Mrs Bearski took one look and didn't like it at all. She says that one room isn't enough for a growing family, and anyway Bears like to live in the woods, not in the middle of an open field. It's something to do with foraging for honey I suppose. If they are that keen on trees, I'd better keep Bucky's "hobby" (nibbling trees until they fall down) a pretty well guarded secret. So where on earth am I going to find a house that is also part of a forest?

Hello, I'm back!

Hello everybody! I'm sorry it's been so long since I last updated my blog, but I've been away on holiday. I had a lovely 4 weeks back in my native Labrador, visiting all my family and friends, but now I have returned to Sylvania.

Today was a lovely day, so Bucky, Kevin the Chicken and I all decided to go for a country walk. As we were crossing the meadow, we met a family of small bears. They are called the Bearski family, and they come from a place called Furryville. By an amazing coincidence, they are from Canada too, and they have come over here on their holidays, but they didn't arrange for anywhere to stay. Unfortunately, there isn't a hotel in our village, so we've got a bit of a problem.

Anyway, I have promised to try and find somewhere for them to stay. Surely there will be someone with a spare room? Or two? Won't there?

Prizegiving Time

The celebrity turned out to be star of stage and screen, Angelina Ballerina. She was very elegant and pretty and she did a sort of twirl and curtsy before handing me the most magnificent trophy for winning the running race. I wanted to say something to her, but I got a bit shy and could only manage to mutter "Thank You" before I blushed and had to turn away. She didn't seem to mind and everybody applauded like mad.

I'm going to be away for the next couple of weeks. I'm taking a holiday and going back to see my folks in Labrador. I've been trying to pack everything but it's very difficult. I had to choose between spare socks and taking my trophy. You can imagine what won out there, so I'll have to hope it isn't too cold for my toes when I get to Canada.

I'll be back to talk to you all again in no time. I hope you all have lots of fun on your Summer holidays!

I've won!

In the end, I decided to stick with a straight running race. If there's one thing (apart from burying bones and seeking out interesting smells) that pups are good at, it's running round like mad things.

I lined up in the final against three of my friends and it was a very close finish. PC Badger was the judge, and he decided that I was the winner. I don't know if it was Sylvanian record time, but the important thing is that I am now the champion! At the end of Sports Day, there is going to be a prize giving, and I'm going to be presented with a prize by a well-known celebrity. I wonder who it will be?

I'm fit and raring to go

Good news everyone! My paw is better now and I've started my training for Village Sports Day. My only problem is deciding what event to compete in. My first choice was the sack race, so I went down to the Donkey Sanctuary to find an old sack to use for practising. Unfortunately I couldn't find any empty sacks anywhere. I picked up a full sack but before I could do anything with it, I became aware of a piercing stare from behind my left ear. It was Dougie the Donkey, and he took a very dim view of me taking his dinner away. I tried to convince him that it was just the sack I wanted, but he just looked at me. In the end I had to give up. So now I plan to enter the running race (boys, 10 and under). Wish me luck!

I've had a nasty bump!

I'm afraid I've been in the wars. Before you say anything, it didn't happen when I was having a ride with Dippy. In fact, I was having a quiet afternoon in playing with Bucky. He wanted to have a game of Snakes and Ladders and I couldn't quite reach the game on the top shelf of the toy cupboard. I stood on a stool to reach it, there was a bit of a wobble and off I tumbled.

I landed badly on my right paw and it hurt an awful lot. I was taken down to see Nurse Beagle at the surgery and she put it right in no time. She has put a bandage on my paw, and I have to keep it on for a few days. Nurse Beagle gave me a bit of a telling off for climbing up on the stool - she says I should always ask a grown up to reach for things that are high up. She says things it such a kind way that you don't feel bad, and I'm certainly going to remember that advice.

It doesn't hurt much any more, but I'm just a bit worried that I won't be able to take part in next week's Village sports. I haven't decided which event to take part in yet, but I certainly don't want it to be the "sitting down and watching" race!

A white-paw ride!

Dippy certainly found a way of joining in! When nobody was looking he knelt down and four of the

smallest animals climbed onto his back. Then he stood up and took them for a ride all round the village green! The four babies adored it, but there were one or two frowns on the grown ups' faces, I can tell you. The most worrying thing was how the babies were going to get down again, but in the end that was easily solved. Dippy just stopped, bent his back legs a little and they all slid down his tail. After that, everybody wanted a go, and, far from being left out, Dippy was the centre of attention. When it came to my turn I was very surprised at how it felt - all the books suggest that dinosaurs were all scaly and cold blooded, but Dippy is sort of furry, and very warm and cosy to sit on. Everybody agreed that Dippy had made it the best Summer Fete ever, and that he can stay in the village as long as he likes.

In the nick of time

Well, we managed to persuade Dippy to vacate his temporary home just in time. Lots of people and lorries arrived at the village green and started to set up the Village Fete. Dippy was fascinated by the activity and wandered out of his tent to have a closer look. At that point we rushed in with the table and filled the tent with cakes and so on. We were a bit worried that he might try to squeeze back in, but there were to many interesting things going on. There are games and competitions, the super slider has been set up, and there is a teacup ride for the tinies. The only problem now is that Dippy is a bit big to actually join in with any of these things. Despite his size, he's actually only a baby diplodocus himself, and he is starting to look a bit woebegone. How can we find some way that he can join in - without trampling or squashing something?

A tricky situation

Oh dear! Just when we thought we'd got the whole Dinosaur accommodation problem sorted out, a new and very tricky situation has developed. This week the village holds it's annual Summer Fete, and apparently Dippy's big tent is actually the marquee used for the refreshments and cake show!

Two grown ups turned up carrying a table to put in the tent and were rather put out to find a large Diplodocus blocking the entrance (and indeed the whole tent). Then PC Badger arrived on the scene. He seemed to find the whole situation rather amusing until Bucky unwisely suggested that the cakes could go on the grass outside the tent. How were we to know that PC Badger is odds-on favourite for this year's fruit cake championship? Anyway, he has made it clear in no uncertain terms that Dippy had better be gone by tomorrow morning, or I'll be winning the prize for most unpopular Pup!

Home Sweet Home

What a stroke of luck! Just as we were starting to despair of ever finding a suitable home for Dippy, we came across an enormous empty tent. It's just the right size for Dippy, and he can curl himself up with his nose under his tail (that's how dinosaurs sleep apparently).

The tent is right in middle of the Village Green and somebody said something about the Village Fete taking place in a "marquee" - but this is just a big tent, so I'm sure it'll be fine.

At last, I can stop worrying about getting into trouble with people about where my large chums are living. First Kevin the Chicken and then Dippy - it's been a very exhausting few days. I'm off for a nap now.

A subtle ruse

I don't know if you have ever seen a donkey frown, but it's a rather worrying sight, I can tell you! It's the nearest a donkey really gets to losing his temper, but we got the message - we have to move Dippy out of the Donkey's stable as soon as we can. Remembering that Dippy said he's a Veggiesaurus, we decided that the first stage in our master plan should be to lure him out. So with the somewhat grudging agreement of the Donkeys, we laid a trail of carrots and other vegetables away from the stable. Sure enough, after a little uncertainty, Dippy started to follow us. Soon we and our large prehistoric chum were well away from the Sanctuary, and the Donkeys were able to resume their proper place. Unfortunately, this is where the flaw in our master plan became apparent - there is no part two. Now we have got to have another brainwave for somewhere to lure him to!

Safe and Sound

Finally we managed to find out of the jungle! Of all the unlikely things to happen, it was a brainwave from Kevin (who says I'm a bird brain) the Chicken that saved the day! We couldn't see anything from our height because of the undergrowth, and though Dippy had a perfect view, he didn't actually know what we were looking for. Kevin came up with idea of trotting up Dippy's long neck so that he could see the way. Rather him than me, as it's a long way down, but Dippy was very careful and gentle with him. Pretty soon, Kevin was able to guide us back to the Sylvanian village.

When we got there, we soon had another problem. Dippy announced that he was rather tired and that he would like to have a sleep in "that nice little house". We all looked at each other in consternation - who's house could he mean? I don't think any of the grown ups would be too keen to find a Dinosaur sleeping in their bed! We soon found out, though - it was the Donkey's stable that he meant - he's obviously had his eye on it for a while. Well, he sort of backed into the stable but it's really nowhere near big enough and his head and neck stick right out. What's more, we have no got a large number of grumpy donkeys to contend with. Blimey, a pup's life is never simple!

Out in the big wide world

Today we decided that we had better solve the mystery of the strange face we saw in the background of my photograph of Kevin in the Donkey Sanctuary. We searched around the stables, but couldn't see anything, so we decided it would have to be a full Expedition. I was to be expedition leader with Bucky as Assistant Leader and Expeditionary Beaver. Kevin insisted on coming along as Expeditionary Chicken even though me and Bucky are almost sure there's no such thing. We set off into the countryside, and after a while the undergrowth started getting longer and longer. Unfortunately, at this point, Kevin decided he was tired, and demanded a ride in the barrow. We trundled him along for what seemed like hours, with no sign of our mysterious visitor, but always with the strangest feeling that we were being watched.

After a particularly bumpy bit, Kevin complained about ending up with scrambled eggs (I don't know what that means - surely only girl chickens have eggs?) so we stopped to have a rest. And that is when we saw him! Right behind us was the most enormous green creature that any of us has ever seen! At first we were all a bit frightened , but he introduced himself, saying his name is Dippy, and when he assured us that he is definitely a Veggiesaurus, and is not fond of eating small animals, we all calmed down and became friends. He's a very interesting chap, but I'm still not entirely clear on where he's come from. He just talks about something called an "anomaly", which I suppose is Dino-speak for something or other.

Anyway, now we have got just one problem. We've walked for miles and the undergrowth is now so high and thick that I can't see how to get home. I hope someone has a bright idea soon!

A problem solved and a mystery started

We have managed to find a place where Kevin the chick doesn't intimidate everyone by towering over them. I suddenly remembered the donkey sanctuary. All the donkeys are much larger than Kevin, and they are so patient and even tempered that they don't even mind when he climbs up onto their backs "for a better view". there's plenty of straw inside the stable for Kevin to make little nests in, and I'm hopeful that he will settle in really well with them. Burnham (he's the donkey inside the stable looking out) seems to have become quite fond of him already. he offered Kevin a share of his carrot. That was very generous , but I have to say that Burnham looked very relieved when Kevin told him that chicks eat seed and don't really like carrots.

So everything seemed to have been sorted out really well, and I took a picture of them all together. the strange thing was, when I got home and printed out the picture, I noticed something very odd behind the stable that I hadn't noticed when we were there. What on earth could it be? Whoever, or whatever it is, it must be very large!

A Sizeable Problem

You remember that I mentioned that of the baby chicks seemed to be growing faster than his brothers and sisters? Well just look at the size of Kevin now!

He's absolutely flippin' enormous! He is nearly as tall as me already and he's developed an alarming tendency to puff his chest out, tip his head back and go "cock-a-doodle-do". Well, at least that's what I think he's trying to do. It comes out more like "Cheep-a-squeakle-do", but I'm pretty sure he's trying to establish himself as the cockerel in chief. Anyway, he is creating a bit of a problem - he's already far too big to fit in through the door of the hen-house, and when he tries to stand on the roof, it looks very wobbly. We're going to have to think of somewhere else for him to live. Somewhere that doesn't mind noisy neighbours!

Those pesky sheep!

This really is the absolute limit. Do you remember when our football game was ruined when the pitch was invaded by an entire flock out to graze it to within an inch of its life? Well, they are only back and as full of mischief as ever! This morning I took some friends down to the Super Slider and there they were. The whole flock monopolising the slide and not letting anyone else have a go. The thing with sheep is that they always follow the leader, so once the lead sheep had decided he wanted another go and went back up the steps he was confronted with the rear end of the last sheep. That meant the loop was completed and then we had a never ending spiral of high speed slithering wooliness.

Well, we couldn't let this go on indefinitely- a dizzy sheep is never a happy sheep, and besides we wanted to get our slide back. I went to fetch Mrs Ewe - as she is a relative, she seems to be able to reason with the flock a bit better than the rest of us, plus, being a teacher, she has a really loud voice when she wants to. She finally managed to get the sheep back into their field, where they are now happily munching a way again. Best of all, she went to see Mr Panda, and he says that because we have lost a whole days playing, we can keep the slide a bit longer. So all's well that ends well.

Wheeeeeeeeee!

The most amazing thing happened today! A lorry showed up at the playing fields and unloaded lots and lots of bits of wood and steel, all painted bright colours, and looking like an enormous three dimensional jigsaw puzzle. Several hours of head-scratching later, Mr Panda had assembled it, and we realised that this was the Super Slider we had heard about. It is great fun - you go in through a little door and then climb up some spiral stairs inside it. then you come out at the top of a long whirly slide that is made of shiny and very slippery metal. It's a bit frightening at first as you go very fast and sometimes land with a bit of a bump at the end. But even the smaller animals were queuing up for another go. We kept going round and round and up and down until it was time for tea. Mr Panda says the slide (he calls it a Helter-Skelter - maybe it's Chinese?) will be staying for a whole week, so we can have as many goes as we like!

I'm back!

Sorry it's been so long since I have updated you with all goings on here in Sylvania. I had so much fun over Easter that I'm afraid I forgot all about my blog for a while. We had two birthday parties as well as all the Easter fun, so we were all very busy.

The chicks are still thriving. In fact one of them looks like he's thriving a bit too much - I'll have to keep an eye on him. he's called Kevin, and he likes his food a lot - he's always bossing the others about and insisting on his fair share - and then a bit more. Still, I don't suppose a fat chick can cause too many problems.

I was on my way down to see the Donkeys today and stopped off at the Post Office. Outside there was a very intriguing sign. What do you suppose a " Super Slider" could be? We have got a slide in the playground already, and it's lots of fun, but I think they must mean something else. We will just have to take a look tomorrow after school.

A home of their own

Bucky and I decided that, if we were ever to shake off our feathery followers, we had to create an alternative attraction. What on earth would turn a young chicken's head? Then we had a brainwave - one thing all birds have is a strong nesting instinct, so if we could provide them with a suitable home, perhaps they would settle into it. Bucky set to chewing up lengths of wood for me, while I made a sturdy frame. Then we nailed all the planks on to the frame and added a nice watertight roof.

Then came the moment of truth - would the chicks take to their new home? At first we weren't sure - they sort of hung around cheeping and looking a bit baffled. So in the end, Bucky crawled through the little door to show them how it worked - and of course, they all followed him. As soon as they saw the nesting shelf we'd built, their minds were made up - this was definitely the place for them.

Now all I need to do is get Bucky out of there...

It's one thing after another

Just when I thought things couldn't get any more difficult this happens! It seems that baby birds think that the first thing see after they have hatched is their mother. Guess who that is? Now we can't shake them off wherever we go - they just follow us around in an orderly line, cheeping for food. It's getting quite embarrassing - Mrs Ewe was not at all impressed at school, I can tell you!

I'm going to have to think of something - how can I persuade them that they are better off an more comfortable somewhere other than 50 centimetres behind my back?

Talk about counting your chickens!

I just could not believe the scene when I went down to my cabin this morning to check on the Easter eggs.

It seems they were not, as I had assumed, chocolate eggs at all. It must have been so warm and cozy in the straw that all the eggs have hatched out!

The cabin was absolutely stuffed with chicks. Bucky and I got bowled over as soon as we opened the door. It was cheepy pandemonium!One cheeky blighter even sat on my head.

Now we've got to try and decide what to do with these new arrivals. I just hope they will stay in the cabin for now - it's enough for me to have that little beaver baby following me around all day. Anyway, we're off to find some chicken feed to keep these hungry blighters form pecking us!

Easter's Coming

I don't know if you realised, but it's going to be Easter very soon. Actually, I can't wait because I gave up chasing cats for Lent, and the strain of resisting temptation is starting to show. Anyway, Mrs Ewe has asked me to do a very important job for her. Every year, the village holds an Easter egg hunt for all the smaller animals. They hide eggs all over the place and the babies run around with little baskets trying to find them. Of course it all has to be kept a great secret so as not to spoil the surprise. The eggs arrived to day, and Mrs Ewe has asked me to hide them away in my log cabin. Bucky came along to help - to be honest he wants to go everywhere with me - so we will just have to hope that he doesn't give the game away.

I have hidden the eggs away inside my cabin now and covered them up with a layer of straw. It will keep them out of sight, and also stop them getting to cold in this frosty weather we've been having. I'm sure they will be OK, but I'm going to come down and check on them every day, just to be sure.

It's Amazing!

Well, it certainly looks like my MP has delivered the goods this time! We went down to the park this morning for a kick around with the football, only to find that the most amazing collection of playground equipment had appeared overnight!
We rushed back to the village and told all the children and babies to come down straightaway. There's a railway engine that turns into a climbing frame, there's a lovely swing and there is also a roundabout which consists of teacups whirling around a teapot. the last one is the most popular with the babies. They queue up for a ride, and then, as soon as their turn is finished they rush around to the end of the line and jump up and down shouting "Again! Again!" at the top of their voices. It's quite tiring chasing round after them all - I had no idea you get so exhausted having fun!
I must write a thank you letter to the MP. If only I could remember what his name is...

My Good Idea

Seeing the Houses of Parliament gave me a great idea. You see, I have always thought our village should have a much better playground for all the smaller animals and babies to play in. It's nice to have a football field, but the little ones would really love some swings and roundabouts to play on. So I have decided to write to my MP! I got his name and address from Mrs Ewe, and I borrowed some smart writing paper. I sat down at the big writing desk and wrote the neatest letter I have ever produced. Then I took it straight to the Post Office and sent it on its way. I am sure I have a convincing case and I can't wait for the response to come. I hope he can help!

School Trip to London

Yesterday was a very exciting day out for all us at the village school! We all went down to London to see the sights. We saw Buckingham Palace, the Tower of London, and all the famous landmarks. My favourite place of all was the Houses of Parliament. One of my friends took a picture of me standing in fron to of Big Ben. It's amazing to think that the people who work in there can make so many decisions. I hope they always speak to a grown up before making the really important ones.

Actually, it's given me an idea of a way that I can try to help all the smaller animals in our village. I'll tell you more about it next time.

My new business

Bucky and I have found a way to keep us both occupied doing something useful.

With my new found talent for woodworking, and his great enthusiasm for chewing up wood, we decided we go into business as carpenters. Bucky saws up the wood and I build things from it. Occasionally, Bucky gets a bit overenthusiastic with his chopping up of the planks, so we have a sideline in bundles of firewood.

So far it's going really well. I've made a set of garden chairs for a cat who comes from Japan, and Bucky has made an enormous mess. But as there are shavings everywhere anyway, nobody minds. I just hope Bucky doesn't spot my skis!