Lenny Lee's Surprise ...

Neapolitan Wafers

What should arrive a few days before my birthday but a box from one little maestro in the States ... what a surprise – a New Year’s present to my mother and I ... but what excellent timing – Lenny I think you must be psychic!

Calendar, Shakespeare
quote, Rocky Raccoon
photo and the New
Years card

I’ve had to wait a while for my Mama to feel like sharing the box of goodies ... but one day last week, when Janice was there ... Mum’s ‘adopted’ (massage therapist) daughter! ... we opened the box together.

My Mama was delighted and looked in wonderment as I explained how I met you Lenny, and where you lived ... she is really bemused – and I feel certain both she and my uncle would love to have been a bit younger and share this blogging life with us.

Muddy Hippo -
looking somewhat
splay legged!

I carefully took out each separate item ... the first was “Muddy Hippo” – he’s great and so clever of you to find him .... after my post that was included in our Lenny blogfest last June, when I used the Flanders and Swann song ...

'Mud, Mud, glorious mud
Nothing quite like it for cooling the blood!
So follow me, follow me
Down to the hollow
And there let us wallow
In glorious mud'

Hardwick amongst Mum's flowers
paw clutching his lavender bag!

Hardwick was a bit jealous of Muddy Hippo ... but is well now as Hippo is down with me and my warthogs, elephants et al! Hardwick did grab one of the lavender bags and is clutching it between his paws ... he’s happy as his mistress has the other on her pillow. Both lavender bags were beautifully tied with a violet ribbon ...

Then there were some things only for lucky me! – caramel chocolates, Lindor Truffles, some hazelnut cream wafers ... my favourites from childhood days, so those will be treats .... and then three barber striped umbrella shaped candy sticks ...

Flamingoes in the French wetland:
Camargue, France

Next came wildlife cards ... a curious bear cub looking out of a silver birch tree, a cougar lion kitten in winter, pairs of cardinals and chickadees sitting in a snow covered Christmas Tree, a little Emperor penguin ...

.... a photo of Rocky Racoon sitting on Lenny’s kitchen table munching on cashews!! A Rocky Racoon ‘Happy New Year card’ sent to my Mama and me from Lenny, with big sunshine hugs, and signed in green.

Wetlands of Aiguamolis de l'Emporda
- forms part of the Bay of Roses, Spain

A moonlit sparkly postcard view of Atlanta, then a Glam Rocks emerald and diamond encrusted retractable pen – good for my handbag! – a small bookmark calendar ...

... another bookmark, and two quotes ...

William Shakespeare: “One Touch of Nature Makes the Whole World Kin” ...

John Ruskin: “Nature is Painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty ...”

Bay of Roses, Catalan, Spain;
the bay is also home to the
famous El Bulli restaurant

Then last but not least ... a 2012 Nature Conservancy calendar – which Lenny must have known I desperately needed ... the wonderful photos in it – are from around the world – America (obviously!), Hawaii – a beautiful shot, a Canadian saw-whet owl, a jewelled gecko from New Zealand, an immature red-tailed hawk with a beautiful green nose and black beak from Michigan ...

That’s it I think ... but what a wonderful present of goodies – and so well timed for my birthday ... Lenny you are so thoughtful and I know my mother would be enthralled if she was a little more able to take details in – her marbles are still there, but new things are challenging ...

Macquarie Marshes -
important area for
White-Necked Herons

... when Janice and I were opening and looking at all the goodies, chatting away happily – Mum asked what are you talking about now?! or perhaps it was wittering on about now? ... or somewhere in between!

Lenny’s favourite subjects after his blog and school! are all critters big and small ... so as Groundhog Day was also World Wetlands Day – I will celebrate Wetlands with some photos ...

Wetlands are at the interface between truly terrestrial ecosystems and aquatic systems, making them different from each other, yet highly dependent on both: they are essential to all forms of life.

A beady eye belonging to an
Alligator Mississippiensis

A little bird told me that Sharon and Lenny are collaborating on a book – which I don’t think is too far away from being revealed ... and it’s about alligators ... so here is an eye – it looks quite cruel to me!! I wonder what their story is about ... are you going to give us any hints – Lenny?

Lenny I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that amazing box of goodies ... gosh that was so generous and thoughtful of you – and then what timing! I’m still celebrating and eating ... lucky me!

It is a wonderful world – full of gorgeous souls ... who we are so lucky to share and meet around the blogosphere and those in and around our families and friends.

Happy New Year again everybody ... especially you: Lenny and Sharon – very good luck with the book and its publication – and have a fantastic time with your families sharing your joy and your undoubted success ...