Rabbits in the Serengeti

Hello, it's me again, Hippolina! Guess what?! I went on my second trip this year! I was staying with the Babblebrooks and it turned out they had a trip planned with the Periwinkles and Fudge to Africa, believe it or not! That's not even on the same continent as Riverside!!

Fudge got rather ill as we were traveling overseas by ship. I might have felt a little queasy in the tummy too... But the good thing about traveling by ship is that it allowed us to bring the cars along. And on the day documented in these photographs we were using them to go on safari!

This meant we were going to see the savannah - that's the African grassland - and aaall kinds of African wildlife. 

Zebras, giraffes, gazelles and hippos, buffaloes and crocodiles. Eagles and flamingos!

I was sooo excited.

As I have mentioned before, the Periwinkles came with us too, and so did Fudge the bear and Pickles, his little pet dragon. Fudge took along a box of chocolate and caramel sweeties against the recomendation of his mother, Nina.

They melted as soon as we arrived at the National Park. I guess he must have drank them instead of eaten them, believe it or not!

The Babblebrooks are very friendly rabbits. Teresa and Troy, the parents are very hard working Sylvanians, but they always find time to spend with their kids. The two eldest, Thomas and Tamara did not come with us. Tegan, the girl in the pink dress, was a very nice almost-sister and little baby Toby (one of Jemima's best friends) was a darling. 

It's only Tim who got on my nerves. He's the one to my right. He spent most of the time poking me in the tummy and making stupid faces or asking me weird questions out of the blue. During the ride to the park he told me, he had heard there were a lot of hippos in the Serengeti and whether any of my ancestors came from here. 

How am I supposed to know?? I'm an orphan and have spent most of my life inside Birgit's display cabinet!!

 
Luckily, I was soon distracted by the awesome view. Here are some of the pictures taken that day of the animals.

Fudge spent most of the time staring at the large eagle through his binoculars.

The rabbits were driving real slow, so we could have a good look at everything. Mommy zebra was taking care of her baby. Everything was really peaceful.

Until we saw the crocodile clamp a particularly fat pelican between its jaws. 

"Cooool!!!" Tim cried, but I felt sick to my stomach.

The crocodile was squishing the pelican's butt with its sharp teeth and starting to drag him away.

I grabbed the first aid kit from underneath the seat and was about to jump out of the moving car like a lunatic, when Mr Babblebrook started explaining about the circle of life and how one person's pet bird is another person's dinner and I decided then and there that I was going to be a veterinarian when I grew up, yes indeed, but I was not going to steal anybody's Sunday roast.

"Sorry, Mr Pelican," I whispered.

"Godspeed," I murmured as the crocodile dragged Mr Pelican into its lair.

It's hard to stay glum when the Babblebrooks are your almost-family and you're on safari and a funny looking animal with horns is grunting at little Jemima Periwinkle.

"Mommydaddy, da cow is talking to me!" Jemima squealed happily. 

"It's a buffalo, dear," her mother explained, "I bet he is saying hello!"

The giraffes said hello too.

But the zebras preferred to keep to themselves.

Soon a group of animals started to walk home. I guess they only stay at the watering hole during the first part of the day.

A guide had told us it was safe to get out of the car here and even go for a swim - except maybe if you met the big fat crocodile, but fortunately that was well fed now, so that it would leave us alone... *fingers crossed*

The first one out of the car was Fudge. He was practically stuck to his binoculars,

observing the large, majestic eagle wherever it went.

The two dads were the first to climb onto the lookout. They saw another pelican and I bet it was Mrs Pelican. It looked like she was in mourning over the death of her husband. Mr and Mrs Flamingo were standing next to her, consolingly.

Us children were taking off our clothes and putting on sunscreen. (The Periwinkles had come with an entire suitcase full of it.) Because what better place for little rabbits and a hippo to go for a swim than a watering hole with a crocodile in it...! *gulp*

Tegan said her ears were burning, so Mrs Periwinkle sprinkled some water on them from Jemima's watering can. 

Jemima was trying to unscrew a tube of sunscreen so she could cover little Toby in it.

I don't like sunscreen, it makes my skin feel all sticky and it smells weird, but I'm glad the Periwinkles and Babblebrooks take such good care of us and make us wear it anyway. 

The next ones to climb up the treehouse were Mr and Mrs Babblebrook. Mrs B. hogged the binoculars the entire time they were up there. Mr B. is a really nice husband though, and I bet he was glad that his wife was enjoying herself so much.

Everyone was having fun. 

Even Mrs Pelican seemed to be looking a little less sad by the minute. I guess you just can't stay sad for long when you're in the company of rabbits.

Tim built this super detailed sandcastle with five towers and (believe it or not!) he complimented me when I thought up a way to mould five dome-shaped roofs for it using Jemima's shovel. Maybe he isn't such a pain in the neck after all.

By the way, who knew Pickles the dragon could climb trees?

And that Mrs Pelican would take a liking to Fudge and tweak his ear?

Then it was the Periwinkles' turn to look down from the large tree.

They fell in love with the view of the land in the same manner they had fallen in love with the buffalos and zebras and giraffes, and they swore to one another that they would return again some day, their admiring "oohs" and "aahs" floating down to us like a song.

🐾 🐤 🐊 🐃 🐾

DEAR READERS, 

THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND COMMENTS. 

BEST WISHES AND LOVE FROM HIPPOLINA, THE PERIWINKLES AND BABBLEBROOKS, PICKLES AND FUDGE. 

HAVE A WONDERFUL START OF OCTOBER!

💛

Brought Back to Life

The Periwinkles are back in Tuscany. After weeks of cleaning and renovating, their house is finally finished. Julie looks through one of the kitchen windows and lets out a happy sigh. 

The Periwinkles have gone for a cosy, Mediterranean style of decoration, displaying some of their favourite pieces in the kitchen/dining room, such as the most wonderful blue frame displaying the appropriately named "Treasures from the Sea of Galilee" gifted to them by Drora, beneath that a beautiful clay vase given to them by Cutata, and beneath that their Portuguese green ceramic plate purchased from Cecília. 

On the kitchen counter are some more items from Cutata, such as a clay jar and a basket which they have filled with fruit. On the windowsill facing the meadow is a pot of rosemary with the face and ears of a teddy bear (Rilakkuma, actually) and next to that is another gift from Drora - a red vase filled with delicate yellow and orange flowers.

Julie is happy to be in Tuscany again, but she is also missing her best friend Teresa Babblebrook, which is why she is looking out of the window and at the letter box, hoping to receive a letter from Teresa soon, with the latest news from home.

James has just presented Mama Ghostie and her babies Wispy and Boo with their evening meal. He was on the look-out for birds and wild animals for most of the day.

Although he loves the new cottage, his favourite place to be is the garden. He spends hours outside with Jemima and the ghosties, looking at birds, playing games with Jemima, barbecueing, reading, tending the flowers, and so on.

Did you notice the lovely red doily on the garden table? It was a gift from Siiri and Iivari.

James feels he has done enough bird watching for today. The geese that fly past in the morning have just flown back home. As he slowly walks toward the kitchen door you can see Dragon, the lizard, sticking to a porch beam as lizards do, and Red, the squirrel, sitting on top of the veranda roof chattering, as squirrels do.

Let me show you the other rooms inside the cottage. Here is the bathroom.

Soon James is going to fill the tub with warm water so Jemima and her friend can take a bath. 

Yes, this is the third photo of the bathroom, but the Periwinkles are awfully proud of the way it has turned out, you know. No more dragons in the loo and all that.

Finally, let me take you upstairs to the bedroom. Here is Jemima's sleeping bag and her favourite stuffed animals Hans, Button and Sally.

Molly, the kitten is sitting on a red carpet (also a gift from Siiri and Iivari) with a dead toy mouse in front of her and Pip is on top of Jemima's sleeping bag doing what he likes best - taking a nap.

Here are Jemima and her friend Ralfie! They are sitting on top of her parents' sleeping bag, looking at a book.

The Periwinkles like books. They have a large collection and have brought some of them to the cottage. James' smiley plant has come along too.

Julie feels totally relaxed as she is preparing some porridge for supper.

Soon it is time for the children to undress, as James tests the temperature of the water and shouts: "Children, baaathtime!"

What a pleasant evening this is turning out to be. Quackie doesn't like baths, but maybe she can hide before Jemima reaches for her and only then go downstairs when the porridge is done...

HAVE A LOVELY SUNDAY, EVERYONE!

And thank you, Kathy, for the gorgeous sleeping bags, pillows, bathroom carpet and blanket (dining room carpet) that have turned this tiny cottage into a comfortable home!