Cookie Beastie Checks In!

Hey there everyone! The sun is shining here in Dublin, and I hope you’re all enjoying some fine weather in your part of the world too! It’s also nice to see life returning to something like normal in places – here in Ireland certain shops are starting to reopen, and we can now meet in groups of 4 or fewer. We are still being asked to stay at home as much as possible, but that’s ok with me… The Beasties are keeping me busy as usual. And it seems I’m not the only one! Last week I got a lovely update from Melissa and her Cookie Beastie… With pictures!

So, Melissa had just settled down to enjoy a nice cup of tea when…
Melissa and Cookie Beastie - M Bruner/CrawCrafts BeastiesHey there Cookie Beastie! Where did you spring from?

I suppose this little monster fancied a nice refreshing brew to go with that jellybean cookie. Tea and biscuits is always an irresistible combination. Also, check out the colour coordination – surely that’s no accident!

Not content with hijacking half of Melissa’s tea, Cookie Beastie thought it might be fun to take a tour of the garden… And pose for a few photos on the way. Check out this wall of cacti and succulents!
Cookie Beastie and Cacti - M Bruner/CrawCrafts Beasties I do love a good cactus, and it seems Beasties are no different. That said, it’s pretty hard to relax with all those prickles around… How about we find somewhere else to put our paws up for a minute?

This sunny spot looks perfect. Aaaaaaaah!
Cookie Beastie in the Garden - M Bruner/CrawCrafts BeastiesCan there be any better place to spend a tea break?

Mind you, it’s not all laying back among the flowers here. During quarantine, it’s especially important to stay fit and healthy. Next stop – the gym!
Pumping Iron - M Bruner/CrawCrafts BeastiesUm, you might have to put the cookie down if you’re to make any headway with those weights.

“What, really? Oh, okay… Maybe I’ll just spot you this time around, then?”

You know, that sounds like my kind of exercising!

A massive monster THANK YOU to Melissa… Not just for sending awesome Beastie pics, but also for being one of the essential workers who are keeping the cogs of their communities turning while the rest of us are staying safe at home. You rock!

Aaaand if you’re at home and in need of something to put a smile on your face, why not spend a quarter of an hour with The Book Owl? This is a new podcast series hosted by Tammie Painter, author and human in charge of wayward book-lovin’ Beastie Finn McSpool. Every couple of weeks, she explores a literary curiosity… And the most recent episode, about kids reading to dogs in libraries, is real feel-good stuff. Enjoy!

So, hopefully that little lot will see you through until Friday, when we’ll be back and revisiting some more Beasties from days gone by. See you then!

Beasties Climbing Olive Trees - CrawCrafts Beasties

Explorer Beastie’s Day Out at Kew Gardens

http://me.sh/18cehthx

OK, so I had a go at making a Mesh Gallery for this week’s challenge… let me know if it works for you all! I decided to use photos from Explorer Beastie’s trip to Kew Gardens last year – he had a great time hanging out with his buddy Garcia Beastie, as you can see!

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Today Was a Good Day.”

Right on Kew… Beasties Explore the Gardens!

Explorer Beastie & Garcia Beastie

My trip to London over the weekend wasn’t just for me… It was also the perfect opportunity for Explorer Beastie to catch up with an old friend! Garcia Beastie left his skis behind for a day to join us at Kew Gardens for a spot of horticultural exploring… as you shall see.
Beasties set off for adventure!

Luckily for us, the Great British weather decided to show its finer side! We got one of those perfect early autumn days for our visit – warm, bright sunshine with just a hint of coolness in the air. Lovely stuff! Also, it turns out Beasties get into Kew Gardens free of charge! But of course, it wasn’t long before they were up to mischief…
Beasties Climbing Olive Trees

I turned my back for five seconds, and the pair of them were halfway up one of the gnarly old olive trees in the Mediterranean Garden! Since they were so intent on climbing, I thought they’d enjoy the Xstrata Treetop Walkway…

Beasties in the Treetops
Up here, you can stroll around in the treetops to your heart’s content! Explorer Beastie scaled the barriers to make sure he got the best views…
Explorer Beastie scaling the fenceExplorer Beastie surveying the lie of the land…And he did get to see some surprising things!

Sweet Chestnuts on the treeGreen Parrot at KewSweet chestnuts growing at the very top of the tree, and an unusual bird having them for lunch! Kew Gardens is full of these green parrots, which are actually wild – they’re the descendants of escaped pets. We saw several large groups doing fly-by displays during our visit, and they’re hard to miss… they’re pretty noisy! The scenery up there wasn’t bad either…

Treetop walkwayTemperate House from the Treetop Walkway

Back on dry land, we made Beastie-sized tracks towards the Pagoda, a 10-storey Chinese-style folly that has been standing in Kew since 1762!

Beasties Walking to the Pagoda

The building is doubly impressive up close…

Pagoda at KewPagoda Closeup

 

 

 

 

 

 

…And there is also a Japanese-style gate and zen garden nearby!

Beasties with Japanese LanternBeasties at the Zen Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

But we couldn’t stop for long, because there was plenty more exploring to do! Our next port of call was Queen Charlotte’s Cottage, where Garcia Beastie helped out a lady who seemed to have lost her head over something…
Garcia Beastie StatueGarcia Beastie Statue Closeup

 

 

 

 

 

And then, a spot of lunch.

Giant Picnic Table
Suitably refuelled, we took in some of the Intoxication Season exhibits…

Explorer Beastie with Hallucinogenic Cactus… had a wander around the Princess of Wales Conservatory…

Explorer Beastie with Cactus
… explored the world of underwater plants…

Underwater Plants at Kew

…And took a trip to the top of the Palm House!
Explorer Beastie at the Palm House

As the light began to fade, there was just enough time to take some final pictures with the rather imposing Plantagenet Falcon, one of the “Queen’s Beasts”. These ten heraldic-inspired sculptures line the path outside the Palm House, and are replicas of statues that stood outside Westminster Abbey during the Queen’s coronation in 1953. Perhaps I should arrange something similar along the street outside Beastie Towers…
Beasties with the Plantagenet Falcon

And so ended another monster day out! More London-based Beastie adventures next time!

 

Mystery Solved!

Explorer Beastie Sunbathing on a Cactus

Hurrah! Thanks to an eagle-eyed Beastie fan on my Facebook page, I’ve been able to trace Explorer Beastie to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands! No wonder he’s looking so relaxed!

You know, I had always written Lanzarote off as an island of packed beaches and sprawling resort hotels, and I have to say that I’m surprised by what Explorer Beastie has found on his travels. It looks like he has definitely strayed from the beaten track…
Explorer Beastie on Path

…and discovered everything from crystal clear rock pools…
Rock Pool

… to prickly cactus trees…
Cactus Tree

… to out-of-the-way wine bodegas.
Beastie Bodega

He also seems to have had no trouble finding quiet beaches there, either…
Deserted Beach

… which he can claim all for himself!
Explorer Beastie on Black Sand Beach

All the same, I hope he comes home soon. I need someone to accompany me to the new Muppets film.

See you next time… I have some freshly-hatched Beasties for you to meet!

So That’s What He’s Been Up To…

Explorer Beastie Reappears!

At last! After nearly a month of waiting by the phone/computer/letterbox, I have finally had word from Explorer Beastie! It seems he has taken himself off for a bit of a holiday, and I was worrying over nothing. It would have been nice if he had invited me too, but I suppose it’s a lot easier (and cheaper) for Beasties to travel alone. He made it to the airport without incident…
Airport Beastie

… and hit the Duty Free, where he made some stripey friends.
Explorer Beastie With Tigers

He must have slept for the entire flight, because the next photo I have shows him enjoying a coffee in a distinctly un-Irish location…
Beastie Coffee Break

… then he checked into his hotel…
Explorer Beastie at the Hotel

… hit the beach for a while…
Catching some rays, Beastie-style

… and then worked up an appetite before dinner.
Cactus Climbing

Apparently Beasties get a real kick out of climbing cacti! You learn something new every day…

The only thing is, I still haven’t been able to figure out exactly where Explorer Beastie is. He’s promised some more photos over the next couple of days, which should help, but are these surroundings looking familiar to anybody yet? Let me know in the comments if you have any ideas!