#WordlessWednesday South Lakes Wild Animal Park

Bye bye old banger...

Today I waved off my old car as it was driven off to be scrapped:

It was an emergency buy about 2 years ago when I thought I needed just a temporary vehicle until my poorly Skoda was fixed. Instead my Skoda ended up being scrapped in April 2012:

So I was left with a car that was far smaller than I was used to but no way of affording something better as I'd only just started a part time job. 

Roll forward until last month and my car was now 17 years old and increasingly noisy. Then disaster it failed its MOT so badly that it was beyond economical repair.. I had visions of going back to being carless and unable to get about our daily lives.

To get me through I hired myself a car from our local Enterprise car dealer and treated myself to a slightly bigger car for a little bit extra:

It's been fun being a boy racer in a 2.0 litre turbo diesel Astra but its not a practical family car and way out of my price range. But it gave my dad time to track down a much more sensible and reasonably priced Citroen Picasso:

It looks a lot younger than its 7 years as its obviously been well looked after. So now I hope that I can get this one to stay on the road for many years to come as I don't wish to car shop again!

#CountryKids at South Lakes Wild Animal Park

On Sunday we took advantage of the virtually free entry to South Lakes Wild Animal Park to go and see what has changed in the last 2 years. There are so many different rare species that are used to breed to replace ones being threatened in the wild. Here are a few of my favourite snaps of the day:

Lion

Sleeping Fennec fox

Penguin

Praire Dog

#SilentSunday

 

 

 

#CountryKids Walking Home

Something I started doing this month was walking back from work with my children once they got dropped off after school. Its just over a mile and as its the route they will have to take to school when they reach secondary age its good to get them used to it!

I have to admit the first time we did there were moans and groans and the dragging of feet but the next day we were a lot more speedy (it was an incentive to get home quick as it was raining!). The route does start through a housing estate and an industrial estate but then we have to cross over the river:

If we are lucky then we can see goosanders, swans or ducks as we pass by.. If we are really lucky then the sun shines on us:

Then we go down a currently very muddy path alongside the railway and pass an almost magical tree:

Then its up the hill and home! A walk we ought to do more often when there isn't the pressure of time or the need for me to take the car to work..