PIC of the WEEK, SNAIL TRIVIA

Isn't this just the cutest snail, -- if you can call a snail cute ?

I found this article  in the " THAT'S LIFE " MAGAZINE that I buy every week

Just a little bit of Trivia that I Like

A MUMMIFIED MOUSE !

Just a Little Bit of Trivia -- Isn't this just the perfect Mummified Mouse!

Look at it's eyes, feet, and tail., in such great form

About 3 blogs back, I told you about how my husband had been given a Hofman guitar,

he loves it. 

To him it's like receiving buried treasure 

Actually I think it had been buried, in a shed, for quite a long time

It was full of straw, and rubbish, from a few decades

He shook quite a bit out, but  could still hear something rattling around in there So with a fine, pointy, long needle he spiked it, and bought out this mouse

After all the comments of Yuk, Revolting, -- I thought it quite Unique

a cute elephant , made of tin, nuts, and bolts

 I had a lovely day in Melbourne last week with 3 good friends We had a girly day,

50 people on our bus were booked in to see " Agatha Christies Play "

THE MOUSE TRAP

The Diamond Anniversary of the Play, it's hard to imagine that this play

 has been running since 1952,---   60 years No, I can't tell  you who the murderer was as we were sworn to secrecy !!!!

We couldn't take any photos of course

I would love to have taken some photos in this beautiful old theatre, but I did take a picture of this great ELEPHANT.

He was just around the corner from the theatre, the same size as a baby elephant.

                 This  street led into China Town (in Australia ? )

There were a few elephants around, Is it the year of the elephant?

FONZIE the CAT

Fonzie the Cat ( a male of course ) is loved by Sarah and Jakob - our grandchildren.

Aged 7, and 5, he follows them everywhere

Don't you think his eyes are unique, also his white whiskers

FONZIES getting very sleepy

SARAH and JAKOB are far from sleepy, Jakob is 7 and sharing a cake with Nana and  Granddad, and Mummy and Daddy. Jakob is having a big party with his school friends on Sunday

Fonzies asleep  Too much party ?

Dr Harrys Canine Cookies - and doggie coats

Doggie Biscuits -  There yummy !

First of all - do you like the doggie coats ?

Its very cold and the little dogs are feeling it too.

This is Rocky in his bright blue outfit

 

Then we have Tommy, he's only little and looks so cute !

Red really suits him

Montana is the oldest doggie, yes he's getting old.

So his outfit looks quite dapper, the " Henry Higgens " look.

Where's  Cleo?, she must be hiding under the couch

Her outfit is so trendy too, - pink checks

Rocky is my grandsons dog, Cleo my granddaughters, and Tommy and Montanna, my daughters

 

now for the ---" DOG BISCUITS "

Making dog biscuits is fun and super easy.

They're great presents for friends,and healthy

Packed with parsley to make your dogs breathe smell great,

they boast a stack of vitamin C and iron as well.

Preparation time : 20 mins

Cooking time : 30 mins

Makes about 36 biscuits

Ingredients------

2-3 cups finely, chopped / minced fresh parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped carrot

1/4 cup grated mozzarella cheese

2 Tbsp.vegetable oil ( preferably olive )

2 3/4 cups wholemeal flour

2 Tblp unprocessed bran flakes

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 - 1 cup of water

STEP 1 - Preheat oven to 180%C

Lightly grease 2 baking trays or line with baking paper

In a small bowl mix the parsley,carrot, cheese and oil.

In another bowl, stir together  the flour, bran, and baking powder

Add the parsley mixture and stir well

Gradually add 1/2 cup water.

Mix well, adding more water if needed to make the dough moist

Knead for 1 minute on a floured surface

STEP 2 - Roll the dough until 1cm thick

Use  small dog-boned- shaped cookie cutter, or a glass, to cut as many bikkies as you can , re-rolling scraps

Put the biscuits on baking trays, and bake for 20-30 minutes, or until biscuits are brown

Allow to cool on racks

The bikkies will harden as they cool

Store in an airtight, dog-proof container for up to2 months

I have tried these dog biscuits, and they are tasty ?

I found this recipe in the " Better Homes and Gardens " magazine

 

LOUIE the FLY

Since 1957  "LOUIE the FLY " has been a great Australian Favourite.

Not only the add, but also the jingle tha goes with it,

and his deadly enemy, the can of Mortein !

He sure doesn't look like a super hero ! -- our Aussie Fly

"PIC of the WEEK" An Extra Chubby Bubby Seal

This Baby Seal looks very chubby, and very cheeky !

Isn't he cute ?

He is also a little star as he poses for wildlife photographer, Keren Su, in this remarkable snap.

( Published  in " Thats Life's "  Magazines featuring "Pic of the Month ')

Why wouldn't he be smiling ?

This Canadian harp seal gets to play in the snow, and bask in the sunshine all day You could say life for this adorable guy is pretty much bliss, as he enjoys himself in the frozen corners of our planet..

AN INSECT RIDING A BICYCLE ?

'PIC OF THE WEEK'

In this weeks " THATS LIFE "magazine Photographer Eco Suparman (yes, thats his name )

captured this amazing photo

He was amazed when the Praying Mantis he was photographing jumped onto this curled leaf and looked like he was pedaling away into the sunset.

 

 

 

He had already noticed the plant but was more interested in the insect when, by an incredible stroke of luck,

the bug decide to "go for a ride"

Isn't it spectacular!

LOST DOGGY

ISN'T SHE SO CUTE -

This little dog wandered into our yard and stayed for 2 days.
My grandchildren just loved her. Sarah and Jakob were staying with us for the day.
We looked underneath and figured she was a girl, so the children called her " Flower"

Our little dog " Donna " took to her straight away The dogs were feed, played with, with tiaras on their heads, ( Princesses ) then sat on the lounge chair, under blankets watching a d.v.d.
Played with  outside and explored every corner.

(That was the easiest child minding day I have ever had. )

As' Flower ' was here all weekend the Shire Offices weren't open, so 1st thing Monday morning I rang quoting the number on her dog tag.
The lady said " Is the dog a  small, white and tan female Jack Russel Terrier ",
to which I replied YES!
She then said she would get in touch with the owner, and then she in turn would get in touch with me.

The  owner Geraldine was overjoyed to get her little dog back, and the dogs name was " Abbey"
She lived over  1 kilometre away so she had wandered a fair way .
Sooooo glad I found the owner, sure pays to get your dog registered.

Although I think our dog Donna was pleased to see her go as she had taken over her kennel.

WOODPECKER TRIVIA

Why doesn't a WOODPECKER get a HEADACHE,  or have BRAIN DAMAGE  ?

the redhead woodpecker , (above) pleated woodpecker with her babies - (below)

Researchers have discovered 4 structures of the woodpeckers head

that make it shock - absorbent -

1 - A strong yet flexible bill

1 - A hyoid - a structure of bone and elastic tissue that wraps around the skull .

3 - An area of spongy bone in the skull

4 - Little space for cerebral - spinal fluid between the skull and the brain.

Each of these elements absorbs machanical shock, allowing the woodpecker to strike a tree at a rate of up to 22 times per second with no injury to the brain.

the golden olive woodpecker 

nest-site woodpecker

common flame back male 

INTERESTING FACTS !

Inspired by the woodpeckers head, researchers have developed a casing that can withstand a g- force of up to 60,000. Their success may lead to among other things, better protection for aircraft flight recorders, which can currently  withstand a g-force of only 1,ooo. Kim Blackburn, an engineer at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom, says that what has been discovered about the Woodpeckers head provides " a fascinating example of how nature develops highly advanced structures in combination, to solve what at first seems to be an impossible challenge

Life is a Mystery ?
There are so many species of woodpeckers, I have chosen just a few.

Have you ever seen " Woody Woodpecker " the cartoon.?

Mum used to sing us the song from the cartoon, actually it was a hit on the radio , Danny Kaye used to sing it. "The Woody Woodpecker Song"

pleated baby woodpecker

 nuttalls woodpecker

 arizona woodpecker

PYTHON SNAKE - YELLOW ?

The following story was printed in the Herald Sun newspaper, Wednesday, January, 2012.

 This bright little wiggler might catch your eye, but has nothing on some. The hatchling is one of 2 green pythons bought to Ballarat Wildlife Park a  month ago.
Manager Stuart Parker said the slippery critters were born brick red, or yellow,turning green at 3 months.
"They are like the holy grail of snakes in Australia" Stuart said.
The hatchlings have some growing to do, to match the park's rare albino burmese python named  "Baby"
pictured with keeper Casey Burridge

Baby stretches to 3.5m and weighs 30 kg.
But the species has been recorded at lengths of up to 8.2m. and a whopping 183 kg
"She will grow her whole life " Mr Parker said,
Baby was given up because her owner had babies of her own ( twins ) but with a newborn you could be a bit concerned.!

I really enjoyed this article, l think that life in general, and especially animals, is such a mystery

A BOOK A MONTH - THE FRENCH CAT

l can't believe that l have decided to review a book a month, and l have started with

"THE FRENCH CAT" by Rachel McKenna

l don't really like cats, but then l have never had one. Love my dog ?

No, seriously l enjoyed the whole 165 pages of this beautifully Illustrated Book, not only photos of cats, but the romantic, rustic, heavenly  " France "

Rachel writes ; ln December our beautiful daughter Charlize was born.

6 months later, with my husband Andy, and Charlize in a backpack, the 3 of us set off to write this book. To me the assignment was like a love affair. Leaving at dawn to wander those romantic, ethereal, empty streets searching for cats.

Her photos tell a story.

 Hundreds of cats hang out in the large Montmartre Cemetry,where they would prowl amongst the graves and sit on the headstones of former famous Parisions.

Such is the French way, these cats are well looked after.

Every day around noon, a man (Saujot, a true cat lover ) arrives at the cemetery hauling 30 kilograms of cat food on a little trolley. He walks 6 kilometres from home and pays for the food himself or out of some donations from cat lovers.

Can you see Romeo and Juliette ?