Taking the Mickey
As you know, I spent last week at Disneyland just outside Paris.
The place was swarming with delightful princesses and funny head gear.
These three Mickeys (or should I say ‘goofies’?) caught my eye.
‘Ear they are. (Pun intended!) Meet the family…
If you’ve ever been to a Disney Resort, then you know that you need the stamina of a marathon runner.
With aching feet in temperatures of over 30 C the first day, I wanted whatever he was smoking…
We were overjoyed to find a rat in our food
And I stayed firmly on the ground as I let the others get slung into orbit on Space Mountain.
There’s nothing more exhausting or fun than getting into a festive mood every day and just enjoying life.
I dedicated myself to the task. After all, it was the Minnie-mum I could do.
For more cute pictures, please visit: My World.
At play
Now that November has settled on us like a soft grey shawl, it’s hard to imagine that only a few short weeks ago, our world was bathed in sunlight and autumn leaves.
The beginning of October was celebrated with an adventure to the climbing tree,
Where no child was too old to fill her boots with water
Or enjoy the warmth of the old tree and the delicious chill of bare feet in cool air.
Small boys played with sticks – and shadows,
And finally, exhausted from jumping off the tree too many times,
Enjoyed the last rays of sunshine on the patchwork quilt of autumn grass.
For more stories, please visit: My World!
Playful
A cold frosty morning – the perfect time for a quick dip in the lake.
And what better way to dry off than to roll in the crunchy leaves?
A little shake and some moonwalking.
Who else wants to play?
For more goofy animals, please visit: Camera Critters.
Forest gold
In September and October, the woods are full of people with baskets, torches and little trowels.
Because that is when you can find forest gold.
Hiding there under moss and in the dark damp secret places of the woods, if you look very carefully, you can uncover chanterelles and other delicious mushrooms.
(However, if you ask a Swede where to find great mushrooms, they will say, “Over there!” as they point to an area of forest the size of a small country. Their mushroom spots are guarded jealously and the location handed down from generation to generation.)
I took the anklebiters, the dog and an empty basket in the hopes of picking some of our own forest gold.
Chanterelles are very small and hard to find. You have to concentrate on the tiny details of the forest floor.
Soon the woods were ringing with excited cries, “I’ve found a house of mushrooms!”
“I’ve found a palace!” “I’ve found a whole family!”
“Have you found any yet, mama?” shouted the happy children.
“Well, I’ve found the last blueberry,” I said helpfully.
Soon, the basket was full of edible gold.
Dusk crept over the silent trees with the setting sun breaking free and shining gloriously for a few minutes.
I looked up – and discovered my very own forest gold.
For more stories. please visit: My World.
(Click the photos to enlarge.)
Making fun out of rubbish
A couple of weeks ago, I brought to your notice – in the form of stairs being transformed into piano keys – a new theory called The Fun Theory, which investigates how making something more enjoyable can change behaviour for the better.
Take littering, for example. How many times have you seen someone just carelessly throwing away wrappers on the ground even when there is a litter bin nearby? Is it possible to make people actually want to pick up litter just because the bin makes a sound? Can it really be that simple?
Apparently – the answer is yes.
And although the novelty might wear off in a few weeks, perhaps this could be solved by having a number of random noises coming from the bin. And, in the long run, this might be enough to change our patterns of behaviour.
I hope so – because anything else would be… well … rubbish!
A new perspective on: Getting drenched…
What if yesterday’s walk really felt like this?
Went out for a walk with the dog this morning. It was raining – gloriously tipping it down: not a drizzle or regular rain – but lovely skin-drenching, torrential rain.
It took me a few minutes to throw on some suitable clothes – a rain jacket, rain trousers, walking boots and a once-white woolly hat to top off the look!
Half an hour later, my gear has reached saturation point. The jacket begins to drizzle inside, and the rain trousers have begun to let the rain in so that now my jeans are wringing wet. I stop and savour the feeling of dripping wet cloth as my jeans cling to my legs. I shake my arms and laugh as I feel the cool drops rush down my arms. The forest paths have been turned into mini-streams of swirling water, and the dog is thoroughly enjoying himself as he splashes along them and down into ditches that now resemble streams.
It is all too tempting, so I throw my inhibitions to the wind and jump into the nearest ditch! The water comes in over my shoes and floods my feet. I wiggle my toes in order to enjoy the delicious sensation of rain between them. I laugh and run and can hear my feet squelching inside my shoes. No wonder children hop into puddles at every opportunity.
I rip off my hat and let the rain drench my hair into wet tendrils, shower my face and then gush down the inside of my jacket, starting on the back of my neck. I am exhilirated by the feeling of cold water rushing down my neck and back.
A small hole in the seat of my rain trousers joins in the fun and starts letting cold drops of rain in. They trickle onto the backside, making sure it is thoroughly, gloriously, splendidly wet. I giggle with glee and start skipping home.
I hope it rains again tomorrow.
Who says what?