Tweet...

This is a trifle hard to make out...it's a little bird in the tweeter of The Stiperstones Inn speaker. It made me smile :o)

Double Daisy

Ralph found a double daisy :o)

Alarming...

Ralph stayed at The Stiperstones Inn at the weekend. He and his Mum set off the alarms at 6.15am when he needed to go out for a wee! His Dad slept through it all.


He took a gentle stroll in Pennerley


...saw some cows


...took a look at the old lead mine


...even negotiated a stile


...with some help :o)

Ralph the Penguin...

Ralph the penguin poses in his new wetsuit at Marwell Wildlife in Hampshire. The ten year old Humboldt penguin, who loses all his feathers in the space of days instead of weeks, needs the suit to protect his skin from the sun.

Pigs and chickens

This weekend Ralph made some new friends...



some pigs...here's one of them...



and some chickens. He asks that if you wish these beautiful animals to give up their lives for you, will you please allow them a good, happy life, for as long as possible. These guys do have that, albeit rather too short...

River Slea

Ralph loves the way the tree roots end at the river bank.



There were baby ducks, some very yellow ones, but the pictures we took aren't very good...we need to remember to take a proper camera on walks.

Birthday cakes...

These cakes would be vegan if it wasn't for the inch of whipped double cream.
Ralph has shown no interest in them...just as well, as they're for his Dad to take to work tonight because it's his birthday tomorrow :o)

P.S. Happy Birthday, darling xx

Laundry ball

One of Ralph's favourite toys is a plastic laundry liquid ball...(the other is a tennis ball)...he likes the way it scoots away from him at high speed...



...bored with it now...

Stanley

Ralph had an unexpected visitor at the weekend...a Ralph Tribute Dog who we found running in the road. We brought him in and called the number on his "I've been chipped" tag. We were given the number of our local dog warden, whose 'phone message told us there was no service at the weekend or on Bank Holidays...and it was both. So we called the vet who said bring him to us and we'll scan him and trace his owners.




This "headless" picture gives an idea of how big he is...a sort of Supersized Border Terrier. He was very lovely. No picture of the tribute act and Ralph together as, just as they were about to be introduced we spotted people in the road obviously looking for someone. So, after careful questioning to make sure they were the right people, all were re-united and there was no need to take Stanley to the vet :o)

Sunny Laburnum

This rather splendid laburnum is along the route of one of Ralph's strolls. It seemed extra yellow in the weekend sunshine...or did it add extra sunshine?

Barnett Landscapes

Today, Ralph popped in to have lunch with Unky Cheryl at Barnett Landscapes. He was on his way back home after his Dad had passed his final Approved Driving Instructor exam :o)




...ready to be driven home now

Green fly invasion...

This morning I took my easel into the garden to work as it's such a beautiful day. I've just had to come indoors as green flies are descending in swarms. Ralph stayed out in the sun and is slowly turning green. We're in Lincolnshire...is anywhere else being invaded by aphids today?

Battle ground...

Ralph's people prepare to continue battle in the sunny patch at the bottom of the garden...the boy himself is out of shot in an even sunnier patch...ah, the promise of summer...

Firm bed...

Ralph has a lovely soft, cosy bed but seems to prefer the hard slabs...albeit warmed by the sun :o)

Nom...

Ralph likes to breakfast late...11.15am today...he does make a bit of a mess but cleans this up at dinner time :o)

Valiant boy...

Ralph finally caught and killed the pesky scrubbing brush which has been plaguing us for months now...we'll be having no more trouble from that little blighter!

Unky...

I found a picture of Ralph as a puppy, probably about 10 weeks old, with his Unky Forbes.



Unky Forbes married Unky Jess at the weekend... :o)

The tree outside Ralph's window is budding beautifully...it will be covered in white flowers again this year and then we will have the dubious joy of orange berries, which look very nice but leave orange stains on the carpet when they get walked in the house. I shall have to introduce a strict code of feet wiping, which will apply to all who enter...especially Ralph :o)

Just too far...

Sometimes, he just can't make it to his window sill...

Visiting Grandmas One and Two...

Ralph had a busy weekend visiting both his Grandmas.

At Grandma Number One's...


he had lunch at the Fitzharris Arms, Abingdon (someone, please take this on and return it to its former glory) and caught water from a hose pipe in Grandma's garden (no picture, sorry)...

...and at Grandma Number Two's...


...he walked along the towpath...

...of the Grand Union Canal...

at Blisworth...


...as far as the Blisworth Tunnel...


...and this, in the Legmans' Shelter...a shame it's there, but at least it's well done.


Packed and ready to come home :o)