What I thought was going to be a boring weekend, turned out to be something quite unusual. Daddy was off work and that is always a good sign. However, the house needs to be cleaned, grass mowed and the grocery shopping is to be done. Once all the chores are out of the way, it is then and only then that adventures begin.

The weather frequently determines whether we stay inside or go outside. As we move from summer to autumn, the weather turns cold, a chilly wind blows and intermittent rain takes place. The four seasons help provide a backdrop for different activities and therefore the movement into a new season is always welcomed. I am not sure which season is my favourite as each one provides opportunities to see and do fabulous things.

Saturday was extremely busy with all things to do with the house. Verity and I did notice that Mummy picked up some unexpected things whilst shopping. When she buys bread rolls, this is the first indicator that we would be having a picnic somewhere. Verity and I give each other a nod to say that something fun is about to happen. When we returned home, we tried to help with the chores so we could go from the boring stuff to the fun stuff. We went to bed that night still wondering what we would be doing the next day.

Sunday morning came and we woke up early in anticipation of what would happen that day. Daddy made scrambled eggs and a pot of milky tea. After breakfast we were told to dress warm and to put on our hiking boots. Mummy spent time in the kitchen making tomato and cheese rolls, she also packed crisps, biscuits, and a flask of hot chocolate in the picnic basket. Our adventure was about to begin. Verity and I wondered where we would be going this time. We started to become extremely excited and could not wait to get in the car.

Daddy loaded the car up for our day and Mummy decided to drive. It was obvious we were going somewhere new as Daddy had a map and he became the navigator. As we left Buckleberry, the small shop lined streets made way for fields and farms. Verity and I played spot the animal, but we mostly saw sheep. It was thrilling to see the odd one or two alpacas. We had scarves made from alpaca wool, so we thought we knew what they felt like if we were to touch an alpaca. Without saying anything, Verity whispered, “Soft!” We were obviously thinking the same thing.

Mummy parked the care next to a café. There were several cars and people were chatting to a wildlife warrior. Daddy said in a loud voice, “That’s Warren!” He sounded pleased to see someone that he knew. As we got out of the car, Daddy and Mummy arranged backpacks and asked us to sit on a bench and wait. They joined the people who were chatting with Warren. When they returned, they had big smiles on their faces and together said, “Let’s go!”

As we walked, Daddy explained that we were in Mopplee Forest. The trees had been in Mopplee Forest for hundreds if not thousands of years. Daddy pointed out the young trees, mature trees and then the old trees. He told us when a tree is old, it is considered ancient. Verity asked, “Does that mean that Grandpa Sam and Grandma Sophia are ancient?” Mummy and Daddy laughed.

After lunch, we continued along the discovery trail. We could see many squirrels and birds around horse chestnut trees. When we got closer, we could see the spikey fruit hanging off branches but also scattered on the floor around the trees. Daddy looked pleased. He picked one of the fruits up and then peeled it open. Inside was a smooth, glossy round object. It looked like a large pebble, but it was not a pebble. It had a flat side and looked like something you could eat. Daddy told us that they are poisonous and only deer and squirrels can eat them. Mummy told us they are called conkers.