Nature – Page 5 – Beastie HQ

Tae (Tea) Beasties, by CrawCrafts Beasties

Beastie News Roundup!

Posted on October 16, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Info, Life at Beastie Towers

Hello there Beastie friends! How’s your week going? This week’s post is going to be a bit of a mixed bag, as we catch up with a few snippets of Beastie news that I’ve been meaning to share for a while.

So, without further ado, let’s start the show…

Beastie Autumn Fun Worldwide!

Explorer Beastie isn’t the only little monster who’s been out and about enjoying the fall colours. Before he even stuck a paw outside, tierneycreates Beastie was enjoying the great outdoors with her mini-miniature schnauzer Mikelet!

tierneycreates Beastie and Mikelet - T Hogan — Picture sneakily borrowed from https://tierneycreates.com

This woolly little lady was so excited to change into her handknitted Aran sweater and kick through the fallen leaves… Although be advised that this post contains – SHOCK – Beastie nudity! You have been warned! Be sure to skip over to Tierney’s blog and check out the full post – it really made me smile.

If you’re in the mood for something more blood-curdling though, you might want to swing by Tammie Painter’s site and see what Finn McSpool encountered on his autumnal wanderings.

Finn McSpool at Hallowe'en - T Painter — Image spirited away from https://tammiepainter.com

Portland, Oregon is already gearing up for Hallowe’en, and the city is sporting some truly spine-chilling finery! Finn caught up with some celebrity spookies at City Hall, but the true horror was lurking in someone’s garden on the walk home. And if that wasn’t enough to turn you into a gibbering wreck, Tammie also used my October calendar page as the basis for a tale of Beastie terror that will scare the stuffing out of even the most courageous woolly monster!

Spooky Beastie Colouring - T Painter — Image Beastie-napped from https://tammiepainter.com

And Also in the Blogosphere…

Now, I usually like to keep things nice and upbeat here on the BeastieBlog. I mean, life is serious enough, right? But wow, this year September was tough! A couple of side projects that I’d invested a bit of time in came to nothing, and then I found out that I’d managed to completely miss the application call for my favourite Christmas market. Disaster!
Fortunately, I stumbled on some good readin’ among my fellow bloggers that helped perk me back up again. It was super cool to hear all about Weekes finding her creative feet again, and how taking photographs helped Paula of Typewriter Girl discover that she has an artistic streak after all! So thanks to both of you for making me smile!

Oh, and my mood lifted completely when I learned that the market I thought I’d missed out on had added an extra weekend, so I’m in! Hurrah! Full steam ahead on the Beastie-making!

And Looking Further Ahead…

While we’re on the subject of Christmas markets, I’m in the process of confirming a few for this coming festive season! Check out my scedule so far!

The Dublin Christmas Flea is the big one, and, all being well, I’ll be there with bells on for the second weekend (that’s the 13th-16th December inclusive). If you’re in the neighbourhood, come on over and say hi! Entry is free, and there is always SO MUCH GREAT STUFF THERE! (Besides the Beasties, obviously.)
I’m also going to be selling at the Dublin Cat Fair for the first time! So I’m currently working on a few feline sidelines that will be exclusive to that event, as well as some cat-themed Beasties. That’s on the 25th November.

There are a couple more in the pipeline, which I’ll post about as soon as the details are finalised.

Phew! Beastie news roundup complete! So I’d better get on with some crafting now, or those market stalls are going to be a little bare!

How about you? Are you prepping for festivities, or planning to remain blissfully in denial until the 15th of December? Be sure to let us know in the comments!

Autumn in Dublin's Parks - CrawCrafts Beasties

Dublin in Autumn

Posted on October 9, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie's Dublin, Knitted Beasties

Hello there, Beastie friends! How’s your week been? I’m juggling a couple of ongoing monster projects just now, but unfortunately none of them are at a publishable stage yet! So for today’s post, I thought I would share some pics of Dublin’s parks in their autumn finery instead. Care to wander with us?
Living in the middle of a city is great – if you feel like walking, there’s always somewhere interesting to walk to. And in Dublin, we’re lucky to have several beautiful parks right in the city centre! So anytime I’m in town, I’ll usually find an excuse to take a toddle around St Stephen’s Green, at least. It’s probably Dublin’s most famous and busiest park, since it’s just a stone’s throw from Grafton Street, one of our main shopping districts.

Explorer Beastie is posing in one of my favourite bits of St Stephen’s Green – an avenue of lime trees that leads away from the main gate. Lush and green in spring, shady and cool in the summer… And in Autumn, a riot of yellow leaves!

We would have taken more pictures here, but the downside of being in a popular park is that a Beastie could easily get trampled underfoot. Time to cut across to the far gate and seek out a hidden gem only a few streets away!

Much better! This is Iveagh Gardens… It may not be a truly secret garden, but it certainly feels that way. Two of the three main entrances are set well back from the street, and the park is full of quiet walks and crumbling statues.
Explorer Beastie also likes this big heap of rocks, which provides the perfect mountaineering challenge for an adventurous Beastie!
And from the top, you can enjoy the spectacle of the trees glowing in the Autumn sunshine. (Or catch your breath a bit, whichever fits!)

On this walkabout, we had an ulterior motive – to audition potential candidates for a holly-packed Beastie calendar page for December! Explorer Beastie threw himself into the challenge with gusto – braving the prickly leaves to help you all to better organise your busy lives.
Actually, those prickles don’t seem to be bothering him much at all…
And with the photoshoot complete, we were able to enjoy kick back and enjoy the morning sunshine.
Explorer Beastie really appreciates how tall he looks in the slanted sunlight – well, his shadow at least!

We even had a chance to meet some of the park’s residents…
… Although some of them were a little camerashy!
So, have your paws taken you anywhere interesting lately? And how is Autumn (or Spring) in your part of the world? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments!

Oh, and don’t forget to grab your free Calendar Pages for the last three months of 2018, and see which photos made the cut for November and December.

See you again next week for more monster adventures!

Heligan Security - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

Paddy, Plunkett and the Lost Garden

Posted on August 24, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Uncategorized

Wow, it’s been a loooooong time since we last saw Paddy and Plunkett, hasn’t it? So perhaps it’s appropriate that we catch up with them just as they’re about to venture into another place that the world forgot about for a while – the Lost Gardens of Heligan!

First, they took a peek through this hole in the fence, and decided that it would be an excellent place for a day’s exploring. Unfortunately, that window is just a liiiiiiiittle too small for them to climb through. Could it be that they’ll actually have to -GASP- pay an entrance fee for once?

Apparently not.
If you’re Beastie-sized, stowing away on a passing wheelbarrow is always an option. And once they were inside, they were quickly able to win over the staff with their Irish charm.

Great! Let’s celebrate with a snack. Pineapple, anyone?
You can’t see Paddy in these photos, because he’d already hopped over the wall and started munching. However, Plunkett wasn’t so sure…
“Paddy, it says on the sign that the heat these pineapples need to grow comes from filling the pit trenches with a steady supply of fresh horse manure.”
“Yes, Plunkett, but it also says that the pineapples are delicious… And one of the first ones harvested after this pit was unearthed and rebuilt in the 1990s was sent to the Queen as a 50th wedding anniversary gift! So if they’re good enough for her, they’re good enough for me. YUM!”

And what better way to celebrate the restoration of the only surviving pineapple pit in Britain? Apparently, these were quite the thing back in the 19th century, with gardeners in the “big houses” competing to see who could grow the tastiest pineapples! Unfortunately, the skills involved in maintaining one were pretty much lost – with the decline of apprenticeships, the knowledge was no longer being passed along, and no-one thought to write it down. It was only through trial and error that the staff at Heligan were able to make this project bear fruit… And the Beasties were more than happy to show a little appreciation for their efforts.

Suitably stuffed, the boys wandered a little further, and found themselves in the jungle! Luckily, they’re old hands at jungle exploration, having recently spent time at the Eden Project. And after eating all that pineapple, it’s incredible that this rope bridge was able to take the strain of them walking across it!
On the other side, the boys worked off a little bit of their recent extravagance by clambering around on the firewood pile…
… But a terrifying sight awaited them on the other side!
“Oh no! What happened here?”

But Plunkett was soon able to put two and two together, when he spotted this…
“Aaaaaah, this must be where they make the charcoal!”
“What do they need charcoal for?”
“For the barbecue, Paddy! They raise beef right here on the estate, and have big summer barbecues for visitors!”

Paddy went quiet.

“If I had known there was going to be a barbecue, Plunkett, I wouldn’t have filled up on pineapple!”

Oh dear. Perhaps a quick stroll around more of the gardens will help Paddy to work up an appetite for a second helping of Heligan’s tasty treats? We’ll have more from the boys on Tuesday… But in the meantime, do feel free to make Paddy jealous by sharing your weekend dining plans with us in the comments!

Have a good one, everybody!

Explorer Beastie at Glengesh Pass, Donegal - CrawCrafts Beasties

Coast to Coast

Posted on August 7, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie, Life at Beastie Towers

Hey there everybody! It’s great to be back after our little blogging break – and Explorer Beastie and I even had time to squeeze in a quick adventure while we were away! On Saturday, we took a trip right across the top of the island of Ireland to spend an afternoon in the beautiful rugged countryside around Glencolmcille in Co. Donegal.

Of course, when you find yourself out that way, it’s impossible not to stop at Nancy’s pub in Ardara for a tasty lunch. You’ll have to go a long way to find better fish dishes, and washing it down with a glass of their farmhouse cider is a must! I would have photographed my food for you all to enjoy, but I fell upon it like a pack of ravenous wolves… So here’s Explorer Beastie enjoying the cosy ambience instead.

Feeling pleasantly full, it was time to continue our journey… Next stop Glencolmcille! Although we did have to take a quick pause along the way to enjoy the dramatic landscape at Glengesh Pass…
…And to let Explorer Beastie stretch his legs by climbing all over the signpost.

Then, back in the car…
… We watched the scenery zip by the window, and the sheep-spotting really began in earnest!
And once we arrived in Glencolmcille, Explorer Beastie decided to hitch a ride in a slightly more rustic mode of transport!
We had high hopes of exploring the Glencolmcille Folk Village, but we’d arrived a little too late to be able to take a proper look around before closing time. We were still able to take a peek over the wall though, and it’s going on the to-do list for our next visit!

And hey, what’s that over there?
Looks like Explorer Beastie has found a quicker way to travel around Ireland in a day.

“I can see our house from here!”

He also spotted some more woolly friends from his lofty perch. So, we had to go and take a closer look!
And is that a beach I spy in the distance?
Why yes, yes it is! That would be a perfect place to wrap up our day trip, don’t you think?
Not too bad at all.

“Aaah, this is the life!”
And after a quick game of hide and seek in the long dune grass …
… Maybe it’s time for a paddle?
Very refreshing!

And then, with one last look back at the cliffs in the distance (we’ll definitely have to tackle those on a future trip too)…
… It was time to head back home!

Have your summer wanderings taken you anywhere interesting lately? Be sure to tell us all about it in the comments! And we’ll be back on Friday with a whole family of new Beasties to share. See you then!

Freaky Friday in Frankfurt!

Posted on July 20, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Explorer Beastie

Happy Friday, everyone! And since the weekend is very nearly here, I thought you might be tantalised by a post about the weirder things we encountered on our recent visit to Frankfurt Zoo! Buuuuut if you want to start out slow, don’t worry – you can catch up with the cute fuzzies from Tuesday’s post here.

So, we left Explorer Beastie and his new friend Rose the Pink Unicorn here…
Where to next? Let’s see what we can find under the waves… Dive dive dive!

Hey look – WE FOUND NEMO!
Frankfurt Zoo has a really great aquarium and reptile house… Alas, the light levels were too low for my long-suffering camera! If you’re in desperate need of some fishy pics, our recent snaps from Düsseldorf Aquazoo should help to tide you over.

Time to resurface! And back on dry land, a feathered friend hinted at what we should go to look at next.
There are heaps of exotic birds living here – some of them in free-flight aviaries you can actually walk through! Here are a few of our favourite sightings… An elegant red-crowned crane, a shy cassowary and a brightly-coloured bee-eater!
But hey, I promised you weirdness! And although these boat-billed herons definitely look like they’re plotting something sinister…
…They’re no match for the mighty marabou stork!

These massive, cadaverous-looking birds might not be winning any beauty contests, but they’ve a long association with the world of high fashion. You see, for many years, their delicate fluffy down (called “marabou”) was coveted as a trimming for the most glamorous evening wear and saucy lingerie! Not only is it soft and fuzzy, it’s naturally white and takes dye really well, too.

Of course, the downside of this for the marabou stork was that it almost literally became a fashion victim. Fortunately, a shift towards synthetic marabou, or using similar feathers harvested from domesticated turkeys, has helped them to bounce back. Hurrah!

Moving on from the aviaries, we met some more unusual creatures – an entire family of baboons, who had come inside to shelter from a passing rainstorm.
It was the first time either of us had seen a hamadryas baboon, and Explorer Beastie thought they were really strange. Mind you, from the look the big male on the left is shooting at us, I reckon he thinks the same about us!

And while these guys were all safely behind glass (thank goodness! You should have seen the size of their teeth), in another section of the primate house, we encountered a daring escape artist!
“You ain’t seen me, right?”

This lemur had somehow found him/herself outside the enclosures where the other lemurs were nonchalantly going about their day. Since there were staff about, we figured this separation was intentional… But that didn’t stop us being really surprised at first!

Oh, and then Explorer Beastie got distracted by the “most dangerous animal” exhibit, which he completely misunderstood and used as a photo op.

Then again, the idea of being a dangerous animal didn’t seem to faze him that much. He wanted one of these signs for himself.
Right, time for you to mellow out a bit! Let’s go and visit the gorillas.
One of them even came to hang out with us for their lunch break!
But by the time we left the great apes, those scattered rain showers had become a steady downpour. We took shelter in the nocturnal house… Yes, definitely shelter! We totally weren’t hiding from this guy.
Nope, not terrifying in the slightest.

But even the giant screaming bat couldn’t frighten the rain away. In fact, it got even heavier! So we decided to head for home. For some of the zoo’s inhabitants though, it seemed to be a refreshing end to a long hot day at work!
Thanks for joining us on our whirlwind tour of the Zoo! And if you’ve any plans to hang out with furred or feathered friends over the weekend, be sure to let us know in the comments!

We’ll be back on Tuesday with more from Frankfurt, so don’t forget to join us then… Have a super weekend!

It’s a Jungle in Here!

Posted on July 17, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Explorer Beastie

Hey there everybody! It may be another bright and sunny Tuesday in Dublin, but here in Beastie Towers we’re still dreaming of our recent adventures in Germany…
… And today’s post finds us moving on to Frankfurt, where we had urgent business – visiting Frankfurt Zoo with friends!

At around this time, Frankfurt Zoo was experiencing a bit of a baby boom. The main attraction was the triplet lion cubs, who had arrived in mid-April, but it turned out this momma bear had had some good news of her own recently too!
She was a lot braver than the cubs though – we were only just able to see them peeking their noses out from the doorway in the background!

And while the lion cubs had been formally introduced to their adoring public at the end of May, this new family wasn’t being subjected to the spotlight all day every day. But thanks to the wonders of technology, we were still able to see all the latest goings-on inside the lions’ den! Hey, looks like it’s lunchtime!

A little further along, we were able to catch up with some less elusive creatures. Looks like Explorer Beastie is planning a new career as a goatherd!
Next up – alpacas! They appeared to have had a haircut recently… What a shame I missed THAT! I would gladly have taken the trimmings off the Zoo’s hands for a reasonable fee.Then, at the zebra enclosure, Explorer Beastie made a friend!
Seems pink amigurumi unicorns enjoy a day at the zoo too!

And there were more pink creatures to see, like this vaguely rose-tinted pelican…
… And of course, FLAMINGOS!
But it soon felt like we were back on the African plains… On our wanderings, we encountered a rhino, a klipspringer and a whole herd of dama gazelles!
Explorer Beastie even got to hang out with the giraffes… Sort of.
Then, because it was a really HOT day, we were happy to take the zoo up on an opportunity to cool off underwater! Hmm, is anybody home?
Luckily, there was a Beastie buddy on hand to make sure Explorer Beastie didn’t miss anything!
And to top it all off, he got to take ride in a submarine with his new friend Rose!
Where will their undersea craft wash up? You’ll have to join us on Friday to find out…

Also, thanks to Isabel and Rose for all their help with the photos for this post! You’re the best!

Prickly Situation for Explorer Beastie at Aquazoo - CrawCrafts Beasties, Beastie HQ

Beasties of the Deep!

Posted on July 6, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie

Happy Friday, everyone! And with the high temperatures continuing, and still no sign of rain for us here in the Emerald Isle, a cooling dip in the sea might be just what we need… So isn’t it lucky that when we left Explorer Beastie last week, he was just about to venture inside Düsseldorf’s Aquazoo? I caught up with him at the hamster enclosure…

… By which time I was already feeling a little like the guy draped over the rocks in the picture on the right! Adventuring is clearly a lot easier when you have someone to carry you from place to place.

But I soon perked up as we started to explore Aquazoo – part aquarium, part zoo and part natural history museum, there’s loads of cool stuff to see. So, let’s turn left at the penguins, and head for the tropical jungle!
There were plenty of curious reptiles to meet in there…… But none as curious as the mysterious headless turtle!

The weirdness continued with an opportunity to see both the inside and the outside of a snake…
… So it was quite a relief when we encountered a tank full of complete, entirely normal tortoises.

And next… Explorer Beastie was very keen to get his picture taken with the stick insects. Can you spot them?
Fascinating as this game was, we were excited to get to the “Aqua” part of Aquazoo!

Appropriately enough, one of the first displays we saw was about mythical monsters of the deep. Explorer Beastie decided it was only fair that he add himself to the lineup…
…Although the specimens of real-life deep sea fish almost had him running for cover in my handbag. Check out those teeth!
Further down the hall, we met a much friendlier fish – a giant freshwater puffer fish! We could have watched this guy’s antics for hours.
But why should we have all the fun? Here, say hello yourself!

We also enjoyed the reef tank – it was full of brightly-coloured small fish, rays, a moray eel and even a shark!
And while I saw a similarity between these sand eels and Pepe the Prawn from The Muppets…

Sand Eels and Pepe the Prawn - CrawCrafts Beasties — Image of Pepe the Prawn borrowed from http://pepelovesdanandphil.tumblr.com

… Explorer Beastie felt a certain stripey kinship with these butterfly fish.
Some of the fish were very eager to get to know Explorer Beastie!
But perhaps some of these underwater marvels could have got a little bit too friendly. Um, are you sure this giant clam shell only wants to give you a hug?
Fortunately, he was able to escape the clutches of the scary shell and join me in what I shall affectionately call “The Realm of the Weird Squishy Things” – hello neon sea anemones and glowing jellyfish!
The coral reef display gave a certain little woolly monster an opportunity to pretend he was scuba diving…
… And he enjoyed getting up close and personal with an axolotl too!
But he had to wait until the very end before he finally got a chance to hitch a lift on a fish’s back!

Then there was just time for a quick snap with the whale skeleton at the entrance…
…Before we washed up on dry land once more, blinking in the bright evening sunshine!
Phew! That’s enough fishy goings-on for one week… Or is there anyone else out there who loves a good wander around an aquarium? Let me know in the comments!

We’ll be back with more monster shenanigans on Tuesday… Until then, have a super weekend!

Düsseldorf Days – A Walk in the Park!

Posted on June 29, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Explorer Beastie

Hello everybody! It’s veeeery nearly the weekend… And between the scorching weather and the lovely time I’ve just spent picking out pictures to use in this post, it really does feel a lot like I’m still on holiday! Hopefully a little of that will radiate out from your screen as you read… Now, let’s catch up with Explorer Beastie and see what he got up to on our first day in Düsseldorf!
Aha! He appears to have waded into a Beastie-sized jungle. It’s certainly an adventurous way to kick off the holiday! Maybe we’d better stick to the paths, though?

When we visited Düsseldorf last spring we were only there for a few days, so we pretty much stayed in the city centre. This time, we took advantage of a bright sunny morning and hopped on the underground to Nordpark – a park made up of a series of themed gardens. Perfect for an early summer walk!

Everyone we saw stopped for a photo op with the fountains, so of course Explorer Beastie wanted to as well.
And as we ventured in deeper, we found some formal walks to wander along…
… And some places where Nature seemed to have gained the upper hand!
Explorer Beastie found some interesting beetles wandering around here… Does anyone know what these are?
And then, around the next corner, we found ourselves on the other side of the world!
Welcome to the Japanese Garden!

It’s a beautiful place to relax and stroll through – lush and shady, and there are even koi carp in the pond!
Something you may not know about Düsseldorf is that it has one of Europe’s largest Japanese communities – in fact, the third biggest after London and Paris! In the years after the Second World War, a handful of Japanese firms set up in the city so that they could export metal and machinery from Germany’s industrial heartland back to Japan. Word spread, and by the early 1970s, 200 Japanese companies were registered there, and 2000 Japanese people called Düsseldorf home.

The community continued to grow through the 80s, but numbers dipped a little in the early 90s, when Germany’s capital relocated to Berlin and Japan’s economy took a downturn. However, Japanese people began to drift back to Düsseldorf from the late 90s onwards. Why? Because it already had everything they needed to help them feel at home when working in Europe – a support network for new arrivals, a Buddhist centre, a Japanese school and even a weekly Japanese newspaper!

So, to celebrate this special bond, in 1975 the Japanese garden was gifted to the people of Düsseldorf by the “Japanischer Garten in Düsseldorf” Association, a group of Japanese firms and members of the city’s Japanese community.

I’m not sure that those people could ever have imagined that one day, a little woolly monster from Ireland would be climbing in those perfectly-manicured trees…
… Peering over the bridge…
… Or catching some rays beside the stream!
Feeling very zen indeed, we took one last look back at the Japanese Garden…
… And continued our wanderings! I really loved this place, too… A sundrenched meadow where the long grass was full of singing crickets!
Having successfully “Beastie-bombed” my tranquil vista, Explorer Beastie tore on ahead to our next destination, at the end of this tree-lined path…
Where are we off to? You’ll have to come back next Friday to find out!

In the meantime, enjoy the weekend – are you enjoying the same heat and sunny climes as we’re getting in Ireland? Let us know in the comments! And be sure to join us again on Tuesday to meet another new Beastie friend!

Plunkett, Eden Project Vegetable Garden - H Crawford/CrawCrafts Beasties

The View From Outside Eden

Posted on May 22, 2018June 19, 2021 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Can you believe it? Paddy and Plunkett are still exploring the Eden Project! I always thought that the main draw of this awesome place was the exotic plant communities that live inside the biomes, but WOW was I wrong! It turns out that there’s a lot to see outside those bubble-like domes too. And, to Plunkett’s relief, there don’t appear to be any jaguars lurking in the undergrowth this time around. Let’s take a closer look!

First stop – the vegetable garden. This is definitely Plunkett’s cup of tea!
And after “borrowing” a light lunch of green salad – much better than the picnic Paddy had planned – he also enjoyed the beautifully laid out wildflower beds.
And although Paddy thought he’d found a quicker way to get around the outdoor gardens…
… This incredible life-sized driftwood horse sculpture by local artist Heather Jansch proved no match for a set of wheels. Paddy even let Plunkett drive!
And they discovered all kinds of treasures on their way! First up, a willow dome with honeysuckle growing around the branches…
I bet this place smells AMAZING on summer evenings! They also met an elegant reclining lady in the forest.
Paddy was particularly impressed with her hairdo, but she remained close-lipped about who her stylist is. He didn’t mind though, because he caught sight of this around the next corner.
“Plunkett! What is THAT?”
“Ha! It’s an industrial plant!”

An Industrial Flame Plant, to be exact. This striking sculpture is surrounded by thickets of plants that can be grown and burned as biomass, a means of energy production that is renewable, carbon-neutral and provides a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

And look at Plunkett, standing right next to a “danger” sign! Could it be that he’s feeling a shade more daring than usual?

Well, maybe… But he still let Paddy forge a path through the heather forest that they visited next!
The sun-warmed heather perfumed the air, and the boys were surrounded by drifts of pink, purple and white flowers… Which were buzzing with hundreds of busy bees.
And further along, they discovered just how important this bee restaurant could be!
But then, the honeybee hum suddenly seemed to get a bit louder.
“Paddy, do you hear that?”
Glancing over his shoulder, Paddy realised that Plunkett probably wouldn’t take particularly well to the giant bee that had just landed behind them.

“Ah, it’s nothing. Let’s go and see what other adventures the English Riviera has in store for us!”

Join the lads again in a couple of weeks, when they’ll be stopping off in some of the peaceful towns that make this part of the world such a lovely place to visit! Meanwhile, we’ll be back on Friday with the latest news from Beastie Towers!

See you then!

(B)East of Eden 2 – Another Level!

Posted on May 15, 2018 by crawcraftsbeasties in Beastie Family, Paddy and Plunkett

Hello there Beastiebuddies! We’re heading back to Cornwall this week, to rejoin Paddy and Plunkett as they make their way to the very top of the 50m tall Rainforest Biome at the Eden Project… No mean feat when you’re only 6 inches tall! Since I’ve wanted to visit Eden for a reeeealllly long time, the boys were good enough to go along with the camera and show me what it’s like. Cheers lads! Here are some of the highlights of last week’s adventure, or click to catch up on the full post.
I only hope they’re still talking to me after that long uphill trek! Let’s see how they’re getting on.

Ah, there’s Paddy now. He seems to be making good progress!
“You can see loooooads from up here! We found another waterfall, like the one at Babbacombe…”
“…But the people down below just keep on getting smaller!”
From up here, you can really see how the Cornwall landscape has been incorporated into this captive jungle – amazing! And soon…
“Taaaa-daaaaah! We made it! Hey Plunkett, take my picture!”The thing about being above the rainforest canopy, but underneath the protective dome that shelters it from the British weather, is that it gets very, VERY hot. Too hot for Aran sweaters, as it turns out. So after a nanosecond of consideration, Paddy removed his and used it as a parachute to skip out on the walk back to ground level.
“See you later, Plunkett! Wheeeeee!”

Do I really need to mention that parachuting isn’t Plunkett’s cup of tea? Probably not. So, he took his time wandering back downhill… And he was glad he did. Look who he bumped into on the way!
These are roul-roul or crested partridges, and they’re not just here for show. By eating their fill of bugs and grubs, they’re providing a valuable natural pest control service to Eden’s leafy inhabitants!

And Plunkett couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw this…
“Hahaha! Jaguars crossing! Paddy will love this.”
And he didn’t have to wait long to tell him about it. Paddy was just around the next corner!
“Paddy, did you see the jaguar crossing sign back there? Hilarious! As if there’d be jaguars in here!”

But Plunkett was in for a surprise.

“Sure there are, Plunkett! There’s one right there!”
“What? Whe… GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!”
Oh dear. Poor Plunkett! Hopefully it won’t take him too long to calm down again, and he’ll join us next week for a sedate wander around the outdoor areas of the Eden Project. I’m pretty sure they’re jaguar-free!

As for me, I’ll be back on Friday with more monster fun and games. In the meantime, have you ever met any unusual local wildlife on your travels? Share your tales of terror in the comments, and maybe Plunkett will feel better!

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