Morning out

OH and myself took little bear to Temple Newsam. The weather was glorious, and it seemed a shame not to go somewhere. So off we went to Temple Newsam, to the old fashioned farm there.

We went early, and there was little traffic as we pulled up. The first thing little bear noticed was the playground next to the car park. He was insistent that we went there first. 'We can go round the farm first, then any energy left you can use on the playground.' I said briskly. 'My energy tank is full,' little bear insisted, lying as the heat had taken its toll. But he dragged himself with us to the farm.

The farm has lots of the rare breeds, like Tamworth pigs and chinese geese. I really enjoyed going round. I spotted a farm moggy sloping between the old buildings, in these old places there are bound be good hunting spots. It is all the old stone farm buildings with the slate roofs. Some of it is seventeenth century, and still solid. It was relatively cool in the stone buildings but I did feel for the sows about to farrow. I remember how uncomfortable I felt just before little bear and I can't imagine that an animal doesn't have the same sense of, 'for heaven's sake isn't there one position I can be comfy' even without the heatwave.

There was also a sheep in the stone stables. I really, really felt for that sheep. It had a full fleece of dense wool. Great for early September when people were packing away their suncream and turning on the Central Heating but rubbish for late September when people were digging out their suncream and longing for Air Conditioning. It was just lying there, panting, though obviously healthy.

Little bear was unimpressed by the pigs, and the cows, and the geese ('too smelly, too noisy, too big, yuk!') because they weren't the playground. He wasn't even impressed with the toys at the gift shop (not playground) though he told the lady all about the present he had bought his girlfriend from nursery whose party he is going to tomorrow. And he was unimpressed by the cafe. He didn't want an ice cream or ice lolly, and he didn't want a cake or a sandwich, or even a piece of fruit and he would only tolerate a drink (wasn't the playground).

Eventually we went to the playground.

Little bear had a marvellous time. There was a huge slide which was actually a tunnel, curving round so kids could slide part way up the sides like they do in bobsleighs. Little bear came down feet first, head first, on his back, on his tummy - any way he could think. Almost worth putting up with a load of animals for.