Hello From The River Murray

Yesterday mum, dad, Uncle Mick & Auntie Sally went for a drive to see some of the River Murray in flood. So myself along with Petunia and Rodney jumped into the back of the Nissan Patrol and off we all went.

Lots of talk about how low the river has been over the years of late. Uncle Mick & Auntie Sally have spent many a weekend or holiday with their caravan camping along the river. So did mum & dad until dad got too sick for it.

We have some cool photos to show you too.

Me first though.........then sis and Rod........

Percy

We had lunch at a lock near Renmark. Both families brought different foods for a share picnic on the lawns near the water edge. No pelicans though? We didn't see a pelican at all for the whole day.




We stopped at Waikerie for a break and another cuppa here. Check out the riverfront, we saw people fishing.



Isn't she a beauty. I found the Murray River Queen in Waikerie while we were taking a break.





That is Terry the ferry operator. He was showing me how to steer the ferry and we had a chat about how the water was really smelly back a week or so ago. Guess what?? Terry is a butcher!!!!

Oink!!! He came over to our car and told us as we were ready to leave. Crikey I nearly wet myself when I heard that. I think if I was told that while sitting on the controls I would not have crossed my legs.....heheheh




We crossed the mighty Murray 5 times over the day and each time the operators were really nice and waved to us as we left. One guy had a beard like the guys from the group ZZ Tops.






Look at all that water.........My mum said the last time she saw water like this was in 1974 (boy she's old) Ouch!! Mum just read that and flicked my ear. Mum and her family did a trip like this one to see the waters.




I wanted to go for a swim, but I got stuck. I thought while I swam they could have had a cuppa.

Petunia.

This is me at Lock 1 at Blanchtown.




Look at all that water behind me. So glad I didn't fall in. The green stuff floating on the water is called "duck weed".



Mum took me up real close to see the water.

Rodney.

Howdy! I'm showing you the Kingston Bridge on the Murray. Lots of water flowing and heaps of back water areas flooding out around the area. Australia sure is a beautiful country.


Here I am at another lock, somewhere. Mum forgot to write down where this photo was taken.

technorati tags: Australia, Murray River, percy, petunia, Rodney,, pigs, soft toys, South Australia,

We Had A Wedding

This morning Petunia married her Rodney. It was a lovely wedding with lots of their family and friends invited.

The venue was Dawn's house before the morning's stitching started.

Lots of photos and the Bride & Groom are now on their way to Stansbury for a honeymoon.

Bride & Broom with their wedding cake.

Photo of them with the best man, who started this crazy ride off, a year ago.

Wedding party with all the guests that came.

Family photo, note the hat I wore for the ceremony.

Going from 1 pig to now 3 and then a pile of beautiful softies from caring people who are helping me round some up for sick children......has been an amazing journey. I am loving the idea of making a child smile and using my imagination thinking up fun things with the 3 piglets has been lots of fun.

I hope it never ends.

In the up coming days Percy's photos of when he was in Fiji on Amy & Ben's honeymoon. I finally got the photos off Amy's computer.....yay......

technorati tags: rodney, petunia, percy, pigs, wedding, pigs soft toys, softies

We're Off Again....But Where To??

Well the little piglets are off again on a family trip. Not saying where they are going and for what reason. You'll have to wait and see.



Percy: "Hey this is my suitcase, who said you 2 could come"?

Petunia: "Hehehe cut that out Rodney"!!

Rodney: "Wasn't me, Petunia"!!

Petunia: "Percy... move your foot or I'm telling Mum".

This could be a long trip....................

technorati tags: pigs, petunia, percy, rodney, holidays

Family Meeting Family

Pat & I took a road trip up to Burra to see my sister and her little dog Jody. So the 3 piglets came along with us. We were hoping to get a look around Burra, but it was raining and very cold.



So the piglets huddled in Jody's basket and played with Jody. She kept sniffing Rodney and was making sure he's going to be a good little pig while visiting Petunia and her family.



Rodney was a bit worried about the licking of his bottom and was going to join us humans in the kitchen.

So far all 3 piglets are getting along okay. At times I feel my sewing room is turning into a pigsty .....chuckle.

technorati tags: australia, animals, percy, petunia, pigs, rodney, south australia

I Almost Went to Amy's Wedding

Yesterday I was allowed to go to the Jacob's Creek Retreat when Mum & Dad's daughter Amy was preparing for her wedding.

Mum made me a bow tie and put a rose in my tail for me........ I'm too sexy for my tie....too sexy!!!

Boy was I lucky..... I wasn't grabbed and had my tail straightened and all that gunk the girls were putting on their faces on me.

Mum said I couldn't go to the wedding and reception, as I have a bit of a liking for wines due to a few trips away.

But I did get to cuddle the bride before she left for the church.




How lucky am I??? I got first cuddle with the beautiful bride. Also I get to go with Amy & Ben on their honeymoon next week...to Fiji on a ship.


As I wasn't going to get a chance to win a garter................. I was allowed to have my own chance at the retreat.



Look who won!!!!!! Mum made this one for Amy to keep and made a different one for Amy and Ben to have fun with at the reception. This one has a bigger flower on it and is a bit more blue looking.

So now I am waiting to head off with them on their honeymoon.

Better take an Ipod, so I can get some sleep at night in their room.

Not sure if I'll post emails while away or post them when I get back......

Hope I can do a "Pig of the world" like in the Titanic movie.

Eat more chicken.

technorati tags: weddings, percy, felt toys

Final Postcard From Townsville

Mum mum mum mum,

D'you know how I saw that crocodile..... well when we were finished looking at the Wallaman, we saw a big black emu with a blue neck and two red dangle things! I said "Crikey, look there's a bleedin' big chick over there, it looks like a bleedin' emu!" and holiday dad said "That no bleedin' emu pig, thats a Cassowary and its a male and they does all the looking after the little cassowaries!" and then I said, "Lookout there's two chicks with 'im and he's coming right for us!"





While male cassowaries can be dangerous when they are looking after young ones and they have a big toe which they use as a defence weapon and they can tear ya guts out. So you are meant to put your backpack on your front and carefully walk away backwards.

Well holiday dad turned his backpack around and that meant I was in the first line of defence!!!

I said, "Crikey holiday dad, that bleedin' emu is gonna gut me first before it guts you!" and holiday dad just said "Its a cassowary pig, a cassowary..."





Well after we reached safety we saw these two little birds, one is a Spectacled Monarch because he can't see without his glasses (Fred Hollows should get onto that one) and the other




is a Eastern Yellow Robin, so I started singing, "When the Rob Rob Robin, comes Bop Bop Bobbing along..." and holiday dad said "It's a yellow robin pig, a yellow one..."

After we left Ingham we went back to Townsville and me and holiday dad rode our bikes around looking for Townsville icons so I could get my photo taken.

We found two.




The Sugar Shaker is a hotel in the middle of town.





Castle Hill is a big pink rock (I like pink) in the middle of town.






The last photo is me standing on top of Mt Marlow, over looking the Town Common (Townsville wetlands) and in the distance you can see Castle Hill (on the left) and a bit of the suburbs. The airport is the other side of the swamp.

Goodbye Townsville!

Eat more chicken.


Love
Percy.

Dear Percy,

My word you sure had some exciting times in this postcard. Those birds are so pretty. I love the "sugar shaker" what a great name for the building.

Good to read you were out getting some exercise with bike ridding too.

Thanks so much to Holiday mum & dad for hosting you up in Townsville and showing you around.

Now hurry home as Amy's getting married this weekend and your booked on the honeymoon cruise to Fiji with them.

Love
Mum

technorati tags: australia, queensland, holidays, percy, pigs

Wallaman Falls

Hey Mum,

You know how Holiday Dad promised me a waterfall to visit... well the weather was pretty wet up here so travelling around was a bit risky: there was even a Cyclone off the coast!

So after that passed and time was running out, we went to Wallaman Falls.





Wallaman Falls are the longest and highest falls in Australia, its nearest town is called Ingham which has a history of cane fields and the industrious and productive Italian migrants who came to Australia looking of the promised land. Well they found it in the fertile soils and high rainfall in this area.

Holiday Dad says he has been to Wallaman before in the dry season but really wanted to see it in the wet. And boy was the drive up there fun! Driving through the wet rain-forest into the mountains.



Here are some pictures of me standing at the top lookout of Wallaman Falls looking down. With all the water gushing over the top, the water was spraying down the gorge and everything was getting really, really wet.

The noise was amazing, it sounded like the Fokker F28 Airplane that I caught on the way up to Mangolia!!!




Here are some more shots of me at the waterfalls.






This one I was half way down and already into the spray of the waterfall..... it was a 240m drop in altitude from the top to the bottom and it was off the steep cliff.

The goat track zigged and zagged its way down the muddy slops and was full of bird nest ferns and vines with spines.

This photo was shot when I got down to the bottom and we were all wet and muddy. There was a river flowing down the stones and I am real glad that Holiday Dad had his waterproof backpack for me to travel in. I only got a bit damp for the photo opportunities, otherwise I was snug and dry inside.


More photos soon mum

Eat more chicken.

Love Percy.


Dear Percy,

Gosh those photos are amazing, I have only ever seem little waterfalls. So glad you didn't get lost and found having a mud bath.....lol

I can almost hear the water falling in the photos.

Love
Mum.

technorati tags: animals, Australia, percy, waterfalls

Tea Rooms Pt 2

Dear Mum,

At the tea rooms is an old train tunnel that goes under the mountain. Here are some pics of me looking at it from a distance.




Here I am at the other side if the tunnel.





Behind me is the old train line that goes into the tunnel.




Wonder if I should take a closer look at the tunnel?






We went inside the tunnel and there was a snake and there were lots of bats. Lots of darkness and there were lots more bats and more bats still!!!!

One of the bats brushes up against me! Oink!






Yay made it to the other side.


Uncle PNG Steve says they eat bats in PNG!

Eat more bats.


Love
Percy.


Dear Percy,

I loved the bat and snake photos. I haven't seen a lot of bats in my life time, closest was back in 1980. Love snakes and I have a photo of me holding a big python.

Love all the greenery in the photos and glad you didn't get run over by a ghost train.

Love
Mum.

technorati tags: australia, animals, felt toys, holidays, percy, queensland