Pages

Sunday, July 5, 2015

A day at a Farm

Not far from where we live is

Oakvale Farm and Fauna World

It is a working farm/zoo, so whilst it will have the cows, sheep and chickens, it also has the native animals (eg koala, wallaby, dingo) and a few exotics (eg Ostrich and camel), both the native and the exotic animals require a zoo keeping licence.

Llewellyn had mentioned she would like to go sometime, and as a birthday surprise, Maddie and Miriam had arranged to take her there.


Happy Birthday Llew
There is a big present

Yippee
but first

We want to take you somewhere 

We did check the website for the map and timetable, and it is all there in case you are planning your trip. They give you a map and timetable to take around the Farm with you once you've paid your entry fee.  It doesn't say it anywhere, but just to let you know, accompanied dolls get in for free!
That's probably why I got to go.
  


at the entry point you can also buy these Feed Bags. They are made of animal friendly brown paper and filled with pellets also suitable for animal food.

We assembled at the first picnic table

and planned out our route

First stop, American Alligator




A turtle pond (the turtle is sunning himself on the rock in the middle of the water). This might have been a Murray River turtle (short neck)'
We have them at our place.


Next stop was Reptile Ravine;


When the sun was not available the heat lamps were the next best thing, very appealing









Shingle back lizard ( a cross between a pull me pull ya and a pinecone)
























Snakes

























Next was the Walk through Aviary














An opportunity exists to have a tractor ride (in the seated carriages) around the farm, but we were a little early, like an hour.


So we decided our next plan of attack. The girl at reception had warned us that there were goats, and as we were earlier than the morning feeding time there was a high risk of animal nibbles. One bag and many animals, well it was the birthday girl's treat, so Llewellyn would do it. Maddie and Miriam decided to see the farm mostly from my backpack, and maybe come down when the coast was clear.

Some animals had warning signs not to feed. We should have checked whether there were signs on the other side of the fence telling them not to eat.




Wombat


Piggy

Geese making a fuss


more piggys


a chicken pretending to be a piggy


 Lambs, they were definitely upset that feeding time hadn't come yet























alpaca


on a mission





a big eastern grey kangaroo


I'ma comin'



a donkey

 more Alpaca, the larger kind












Wallaby and Kangaroos soaking in the morning rays, they also ate what was left of the feeding pellets and the bag that they came in.

 

whatchoo lookin at?












Juvenile Emu

mmm you look tasty






They live next door to the Camel 



and a draught horse





and insisted on following us along the fence line until we were out of sight

black swan




Dingo (native dog)
















An Ostrich

A very tall aviary with a stair case up inside to get closer to the birds that are usually high up 


 










the right height for toe biting










 I couldn't get the right light on this fella, but he was eyeing off Llewellyn like nothing else, amazing eyes, and his neck going to and fro, even when we walked around behind him - a very Julie moment, or hmmm was he thinking friend or food?
peacocks and hens, no tail feathers

Koala Country




there isn't actually any whirlwind when these guys run, sorry to bust a myth 




















We didn't take a train ride, but we did get nibbled by goats and kangaroos and pecked at by emu.
It was fun


Saturday, July 4, 2015

Happy American Girl doll day

One year ago today (though it was a Friday then) I got my first American Girl doll - that I've kept.
Her box name was Julie Albright.
This particular girl had come to me after living a while in a place called Whitelake.
I renamed her Llewellyn (because I like the name, and like the spelling, and don't care if its often a boys name or a surname. It's pronounced Loo ellen if you like, or with the HHH sound if you prefer, as long as you don't call her late for dinner), middle named her July (to acknowledge the month and her original name, and because I like the idea of a person having a middle name (of which I don't have, and so my dolls get them to make up for my lack of)) and surnamed her Whitelake (after her known place of origin, I don't know if she was bought at a store or online).
It was decided that she have her arrival date as her birthday, because the 4th of July is very American, she is not entirely Julie Albright to have her birthday, and because I liked the idea. Not all my dolls follow this suit else Emily, Josefina and Trinity wouldn't have birthday-d yet and Miriam who arrived July 7 is until September, and looking at my records 2 girls so far other than Llew are using this rule. ooh how mean there are 3 still to be decided on, must do something about that.

So Llewellyn moved in and we've have lots of fun and adventures with her, and she's here to stay, 
so without further ado, we'd like to sing

Happy Birthday to You
Happy Birthday to You 
Happy Birthday dear Llewellyn

Happy Birthday to You

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

A Little Lego will do it

Hey Miriam, I got something  I want to show you

Nooooo

Wait wait, its a good thing

Its a thankyou present
Wha..?
Yeah for helping me out lately, and a sort of sorry that it wasn't all that pleasant

Ooooh

Wow, Lego and Pirates

I know just the person who'd love to help me with this, thankyou

Hey Maddie, how's it going?
Mm
I'm a little bit bummed, they've changed the policy on the Lego Minifigures game

and you now have to buy it to keep playing, even though we spend a bit on the minifigures anyway, and the incentive is a game code for a figure I already have

and it's about $43 when converted, and I sorta spent all my allowance, like ages ago.

That's a shame, would some actual handson Lego brighten your day? Look what Catherine gave me for helpin out (and nearly breaking my legs)

Wow Lego and Pirates all in one, computer game pppfff