A cow, a chicken, and a llama walk in to a bar...

I'm not sure if I'll ever try feeding a cow from the palm of my hand again. It seemed a good idea at the time, and how could I say no when she was looking at me all sweet and doe-eyed like that?

Cute as they may be, I should have taken note of all the goobers on the end of her nose before tenaciously (though not tenaciously enough) reaching my hand towards her mouth. Who knew how slobbery those creatures are? Oh well, we live and learn I suppose...

When a friend invited us to join her on an outing to Kiwi Valley Farm Park last week, we were keen as beans. Here was the Lily Bug's opportunity to ride a pony for the very first time, and Guy Smiley's chance to meet the living embodiment of the animals in his favourite farm-themed cardboard picture dictionary.

Is it just me or does this expression say "I'm trying to stay calm but DEAR GOD SOMETHING HAS HOLD OF MY ARM!"?

 

 There's a certain light that flares in a child's eyes when confronted by something that truly amazes them.  When a mythical creature known only in books materialises before their eyes and those eyes all but pop with awe, their faces light in a way that cannot be faked, or reproduced, or ignored.

Even if you live in the furthermost corner of the furthermost land and your children have long grown accustomed to the sights and sounds of rural life, there was surely a moment when their gaze focused on a chicken or a cat or a monkey for the very first time, and a little burst of wonder lit their eyes.

Unfortunately I failed to adequately capture any kind of boggle-eyed wonder in my photos as almost every one was out of focus, or I kept missing the right moment. And eventually it dawned on me that I was so busy taking pics like a snap-happy tourist, I was forgetting to actually take part in the outing and enjoy the moment. (That happens far too often.)

But at least a few farm animals were workin' it for the camera...