Melbourne Zoo 2013!

GR that sounds fun and what a shame I traded in all our old phones not all that long ago, we seemed to have a few lying around!

Lai

A with a good many phones sounds rather appropriate

That's just so true GR

Mrs Kipia

That slumber party sounds good GR and whats this about not having 23 friends!!!!! don't we all count I reckon the old phones are going to be traded in for money or something to help the animals at the zoo, thats what I reckon but I could be wrong. Fingers crossed you get to win, it would be brilliant.

Loving the title of that book, yes we need to see a picture for sure......and some snippets from the book "The Saggy Baggy Elephant "

Sounds like we are in for a long wait to see the completed puzzle

Now get entering that competition young man

littlewid-x-

Actually you are all amongst my bestest bunnies , but maybe only another six or so friends out here. I don't know. It can be difficult to define good friends from more mere acquantances sometimes, but from this forum I would love to invite the four beetles, plus CC and Prin!

I have more friends from overseas than in Australia I think. And when I really think about it, then twenty-three people of importance could certainly be rounded up (in my mind) to turn up to the zoo party. I am sure though that given life commitments (flights already booked out ) not all could make it

And I would include my dad, mum and brother in there absolutely!

A picture of saggy baggy elephant I did like a mini model shoot on Sunday I think it was! There is a picture on my camera somewhere just waited to be uploaded of this book...and I! Yes, unfortunately my mug was destroying all of these possibly beautiful images

I was kinda modelling the new cycling top that a bestie got as a birthday present for me

It might be summer again before that jigsaw puzzle truly shines

GR if you won i'm sure you wouldn't have to fill all the places but I bet a fair few would be filled and you never know, a few of us may just sneak over to Oz for a good slumber party

Summer till the Jigsaw is completed ...... come on Mum & Dad get puzzling

We don't mind if your mug is in the shot of Saggy Baggy Elephant GR......we have all seen it before and survived

littlewid-x-

GR where were you when we needed you for WS's brain teaser

Lai

What was WS' brain teaser?

Tellmetellmetellme!!!

A photo now of me could be saggy baggy eyelids

You didn't look through the different posts and threads GR - you are missing all the excitement

Lai

a huge aaaaaawwwwwwwwwwww what a great book and a lovely Saggy Baggy

Thanks for sharing GR.

Lai aka E

It was my pleasure Mrs Kipia

G R

S

Lai

Your use of smileys just gets better and better and better Mrs Kipia!

With the Little Golden Books, at the back of Saggy Baggy Elephant it mentions the entire collection plus some small drawings of characters, and I remember a story about a little tugboat! I don't recall what it was about, but know it was a little red boat and that I liked it as a small child

I had a pleasant afternoon at Werribee Zoo today; emphasis on afternoon since I certainly didn't make it for the morning

The pooches came in about 8am, and next time I checked my phone it was 10:45 But I was in no great rush so no sweat. Something to eat, a short walk, shower/shave and out the door about 12:30. By the time I got there it was about 1:40, so with closing at 5 I still had a lot of time.

Phone and camera stuff had all been organised last night, and first thing I did was go into the shop and (after browsing through the truckload of plushies of course ) hand the phone in. I had to fill out a form of brief details on a bag and then throw the phone in (plus I added the charger), but that was all pretty quick and easy. I 'just' squeezed my bag into the blue bin...already a lot of entrants for this free slumber party!

Oh - on a sidetopic - on the drive to the zoo I got a minor idea for TSP (first in about six weeks), so good that there is still some passion for this project Must endeavour (word of the night ) to get back to it all soonish.

The idea related to the rhino, though I didn't even get to see the little one But it's okay; it's because the keepers are hand feeding him (or her? I forget) to make super sure of the babies wellbeing since mum's last three toddlers haven't made it

This zoo is all quite familiar to me as I only went there last January (or about that time). Like the Melbourne Zoo, the meerkats are right near the entrance, though in this case they were all hiding off in the distance. Never fear though LW as I did get a pic or two of them later at a different enclosure

I was going to go straight to the 'rhino enclosure', bit then realised that there wasn't one. The rhino's are a part of the 'open range' part of the zoo, so I couldn't try to see the baby immediately anyway, and would only have confirmed once on safari that the little one wasn't on display yet. If all goes well then we may be able to see it in about two months time

The enclosures area is actually relatively small, perhaps about 25% of the Melbourne Zoos size, though they do also have an Australian animal area which I didn't get around to looking at. Not because I ran out of time so much, but that it was quite cold and I was looking to get back to a warmish car

They have a nice cheetah enclosure here, so I got some good pics of the duo One was right up close to the glass which was great, and later during my second visit here there was one that walked right at us as I got there, and then spent a minute or so prowling up and down the viewing area before moving back off into the distance. Unfortunately I didn't manage to get a good pic in these moments as there could have been a great shot there; but was made difficult as they even seem to prowl quickly!

The hippos are a major attraction of Werribee and I got lucky when I got there as one was on the move into the water, so got some good 'motion picture' shots of this And then a couple of minutes later it was feeding time, so we had a keeper talk about them as a big crowd circled for all the nom nom nomming They were eating hay while the still shined But really, they were eating hay!

Oh, a couple of funny comments that I just remembered! At the cheetah enclosure a small boy was going, "there's the leopard", so I think it is he who is to answer to for this 'leopard' smiley I didn't have the to tell him, "it's a cheetah mate".

With the mother hippo (who was with her two daughters), she weighs 1,900 kgs, and the keeper goes, "that's a really good weight for a hippo as many weigh between 2,000 and 2,500 kg and some males can weigh as much as 3,000 kg." So I figured that the males must eye of this mum thinking, "that slender one sure has some talent".

The whole hippo area is set up really well, and they have many 'statue' type things of hippos as well as the real thingys.

The wild dogs were out in force, so it was great to seem them active as last time I was there they were completely hidden, obviously trying to be leopards. Well, they certainly don't want to be hyenas. There is a funny sign that says, "We Are Not Hyenas!" And yes, come to think of it they do look a little like them. But on another point, why no hyenas at Werribee or Melbourne

And they have no elephants here which is strange, as they should go well in the open range area with the giraffes (who I got great viewing of on safari ), zebras, unsighted rhinos, ostrich's and co.

Anyhoo, must be off in a sec to watch the old/new Inspector Morse, but I saw the lions too. Here they have a group of females (whereas at Melbourne it is males). The giraffes here are all males. They have six of them, with three hybrids and three rothschild types.

Will post some pics south rather soonish hopefully!

Why thank you indeedy GR. I do love these smileys

Just in from a great lunch with friends and a few chores to do so I will come back and read all about your afternoon at the zoo later GR.

Lai

Caught up with myself now GR. It sounds like another great visit, and well done for dropping off your old phone.

ENDEAVOUR topical indeedy. I hope you enjoy it, I haven't watched any of them so let me know if I am missing something please?

I am chuckling about the little boy and the - and it sounds like you saw lots of great animals, although sadly no or

Looking forward to the soonish pics and ones as well

Lai

Sounds like a fab day GR and I am soooooooooooo pleased you managed to see the Meerkats can't wait to see the pictures also looking forward to the Hippo pics as well

Brilliant that you handed your phone in, all they need to do now is pick your name for the slumber party

Are you planning on going back in bout 2 months to see if you can see the baby Rhino?.............please say yes

I want The Saggy Baggy Elephant too what a wonderful little book, I enjoyed reading the little snippets we could see GR

littlewid-x-

internet! Just lost a huge post cause of it

I am not sure that anything can annoy me more

I really loved Endeavour last night! The actor looks nothing like John Thaw, though then again, perhaps we all look very different after twenty-five or so years! Anyhoo, they have really got his character spot on, with his ways of constantly questioning parts of a case which others consider 'concrete', to standing up for what he believes is correct even when it is a way out there theory and is having to go up against the 'establishment' so to speak. The young Morse is also revealed to be horrendous in his dealings with women; even back then he was loveable but un-dateable

There was a really wonderful moment in this first episode (I will be looking for the season on DVD shortly) when Morse went on about a link to the supposed crime scene via clues from crosswords (anyone who knows Morse knows that he loves crosswords, Wagner, beer, jaguars - the cars not the big cats - and of course women!) and his superior officer was shooting him down about the body being at Bagley Park or whatever it was called. But then in comes an informer to give the news that the body has been found right there! The cast of characters was well done with his superior being a right old , but then the superior to him (Inspector Thursday) being morally sound and standing up for Morse even when he was under enormous pressure from powerbrokers to not do so. The case itself was interesting with many twists and turns. And the show even had a young Max in it, who was the original pathologist in the Morse shows. Another bit part character of the episode was also in an earlier Morse one as a car salesman that Morse hated (episode called Driven By Distraction, possibly my favourite ever Morse show), though his character here was different. But funnily enough this Endeavour episode also centred around a car yard!

GR - I may have to watch it when it comes round again as repeats.

Lai

Okay, now back on topic

Even though it's not technically, as this is Werribee NOT Melbourne Zoo

With the rhinos, the mother is in a separate paddock with a female friend who is helping her to get over the trauma of having her baby taken away from her. The baby is on its own, and the father is out on the open range, but (showing what he really thinks of us) we could hardly see him as he was way out by the fenceline and was well positioned so that we could only see his backside! So my photo just looks like a big rock! The safari bus could not go off the road tracks to get closer. When you go to Werribee you get a safari ride as your standard freebie with the entrance fee. The safari guide was very informative and good natured too, so helped to make our ride a nice experience for everyone I think. The many rabbits got a bit of a talking too though! Cause they are very much pests here, though when one looks at one individually of course they have to love the little furry

At the shop afterwards I bought a lovely meerkat statue kinda thingy. It was only $30 so not bad on price, and is now being displayed on the desk in the main room (has squeezed in to the last bit of room I reckon). I also got a hippo key ring.

Okay, I will try some pics (again) now.

I'm there!

I could rip you in two!


Sorry guys; connection just doesn't want to work right now, but I will still be uploading more photos regularly.

Oh by the way Lai, something I forgot to mention that was lost in that earlier attempted post: Endeavour kept up the Morse tradition of always having an affair occur amongst the murder suspects. Yep, if a male and female merely say hello to each other then it's on! You Brits are soooo promiscuous

And it's most definitely time too, for they've got to be off to flee the murder scene, or kill someone else, etc

GR - Morse/Endeavour and the murder suspects so true!

Thanks for posting some pics, you must be losing a post, it drives me to despair when that happens to me and it's always when it's a long one and often with photos

Glad you visited the shop as well

Lai

I am watching the old Morse episode Driven To Distraction now. It's actually the characters worst ever performance as a detective, as he gets it completely wrong, but it's so funny how stubborn he is once he gets his mind set on a particular guy doing the murders. This is a conversation after he returns to his car after an apparently meaningless investigation/questioning of the car salesman.

Morse; Well, that's our man alright.
Lewis; What? Who?
Female detective (special guest in this ep); Boynton?
Morse; Now all we've got to do, is to find out how and why.
FD; What evidence do you have?
Morse; Not a shred.

It's just oh so British!

And now for some more pics:

Such beauty: