Going on a Gruffalo Hunt

After the run on Saturday, and the snow that was beginning to settle on the roads, I went to bed with a great smile on my face, with great anticipation of getting Olive dressed like an Edwardian explorer in the morning to build a snowman.. as well as chuck tons of snowballs at her Mummy.

"CHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESE"

Instead, when I looked out of the window, I thought it looked like damp squib:

I was anxious to get anywhere where the white stuff had fell properly, and tick off the plans I had today, so found myself being followed by a big, bad mood.  Just like the one out of one of Olive's favourite books:

Big Rabbit's Bad Mood, by Ramona Badescu and Delphine Durand

I recalled an invitation to visit the Mum of Julia's friend who stayed over last week (we shall refer to her as Nanny Barbara (pronounced bar-bear-ra, in homage to the Royal Family).  Knowing they had a huge garden, and some woodlands behind, I decided we could head over there, and find something to do with Olive in the snow.  Julia could also indulge in her favourite sponge, fruit, jelly and custard based desert (you can imagine what that may be).

Click photo's for larger image:

the woodlands at the back of the house

the prospects were looking good

Once here, we were treated to a lovely roast pork lunch, with exceptional crackling.  The bad mood was slowly ebbing away.  Then Nanny Barbara nipped outside, and came back with an amazing sleigh, which I promptly put Olive onto, and then headed off into the woods in search of the Gruffalo...

Getting really excited

Our journey took us along bumpy paths, deep, but short slopes, we spotted snakes log pile house, and owls rooftop house.

We even stopped above (what I can presume was) an old, small quarry, and is now a basin in the woods to see if this was the Gruffalo's cave.

All this came to no avail, but we managed to have fun exploring, and Olive only came off once, right at the end.  Into a slushy, muddy, wet puddle.  She was alright though, it was a part of the fun.

Looking back through the photo's I discovered that I even have a twin daughter:

This made me want to take another photo with her in every frame of the panoramic, but the battery died by then on the phone, so it was time to head on back home, and have some more fun with Nanny Barbara, before the drive back to London and home proper... where there was a bit more snow all round.

Eyeing up yet more of Nanny Barbara's food