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Hallooo, dear Dodopadlers! Miss Peabody here.
The much-anticipated National Doodle Day is at last upon us! Those of you using the Dodo Pad and/ or Acad-Pad diaries will see this glorious event noted March 5th. For those of you who are tragically without a Dodo Pad diary this year, read on to get all the information you need here!
National Doodle Day benefits two very important charities: Epilepsy Action, and The Neurofibromatosis Association. Your doodle, with your ₤1 donation, will help the thousands of people in the UK whose lives are affected by epilepsy and neurofibromatosis. Your assistance will help tremendously!
And as an incentive to you, the two doodles deemed best (one each in the Under 17s and Over 17s) will be featured in an upcoming edition of the Dodo Pad and/ or Acad Pad diaries, with the winners receiving their very own free diary showcasing their winning doodle!
And as if that weren’t enough to send your blood racing and your fingers doodling, there are more prizes to be won! See www.nationaldoodleday.org.uk for more details (and to get additional doodle entry forms).
Lord Dodo himself will judge the doodles. He is very much looking forward to observing your artistic genius. The closing date is March 31st, so submit your entry without delay!
Happy doodling, and good luck!
Toodle-oo for now,
Miss P
Colossus of Rhodes
Hallooo, dear Dodopadlers! Miss Peabody here!
After a hectic few weeks here at Dodo Towers things are finally starting to settle down a bit. Lord Dodo has been exceedingly busy getting next year’s Dodo Pad diaries ready. As per usual they will be full of his mirth and wily wit. Even though this year has only just begun, already work is in full swing for next year’s 2011 versions and the 2010/11 Acad-Pad range is printed and winging its way to us as I type! Miss Davinia Dalrymple in Stock Control here at Dodo Towers, has advised us to produce plenty of Dodo Pads for the upcoming year to avoid Dodopadlers’ disappointment from missing out on their beloved diary! So Lord D has exercised his creative brilliance yet again and, as usual, we’ve a plethora of Dodo Produce sure to please.
Now he is due for a much-deserved break. In order to preserve his above-mentioned mirth, he must take occasional breaks from his noble work and head off for a holiday in a relaxing location. He frequently chooses to go to the Dodolomites for his rest and relaxation. But this time (considering the frightful winter we’ve had) his Lordship has chosen a warmer destination. Very soon he’ll be off to the Dodecanese Islands of Greece!
“Dodecanese” refers to the twelve main islands in this chain, located in the Aegean Sea. The most famous of the Dodecanese is the island of Rhodes, former location of the Colossus of Rhodes which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Sadly, none of it stands today, but Rhodes is still a spectacular destination. I’m sure Lord Dodo will have a splendid time wandering about the Old Town Gardens and the ancient Olympic stadium.
While he is off enjoying his holiday, I will of course be here holding the fort and running the show. Of course when Lord Dodo’s work is done, for the rest of us here at Dodo Towers, ours has just begun and I endeavour to keep things here humming along like the well-oiled machine Lord D expects.
Despite the ongoing chill, I know that spring is just around the corner! How will you be finishing up your winter? Any big plans for the upcoming weeks?
Wrap up warm, and toodle-oo for now!
Miss P
Hallooo dear Dodopadlers! Miss Peabody here.
Those of you using the Dodo Pad and/ or Acad-Pad diary will observe on next week’s page a cunningly accurate depiction of a camel! They do indeed look just like that.
Have I ever told you of the time I rode a camel? There were two occasions, actually. The first was when I rode on camel back through the Sinai Desert to the base of Mt. Sinai, in the middle of the night. It was beautiful, with the stars glimmering in the sky. And so quiet, only the sound of the camel’s padded feet on the sand (and his periodic grumbling). Then I had a (very vigorous) hike up the mountain to arrive in time to see sunrise from the summit. Unforgettable.
The second occasion I had to ride a camel was in the Sahara Desert in Morocco. We set out early in the morning to avoid the midday heat. Our camel caravan arrived at our Bedouin tents in plenty of time to prepare a tagine feast! That night the stars blazed in the black sky. Desert skies at night are simply remarkable!
Camels are not the only exotic beasts I’ve used as a form of transport. While visiting the jungle of southern Nepal I rode on an elephant to observe the wild animals. The safest place to be is on the back of the largest animal in the jungle! My group and I rode our elephants in the early morning and watched the cool mist rise out of the jungle as the sun came up and warmed the air. We swayed through the trees and came to a clearing where we saw a rhinocerous family rising from their night’s sleep. Utterly thrilling!
While traveling in Tibet I had the opportunity to ride on a yak. Did you know that yaks are not the great hulking beasts I expected them to be? They are actually quite petite. Yet riding on the back of one is no less exciting for their diminutive size. As soon as I sat on the back of my yak, he decided to attempt to gore the yak in front of us with his long curving horns, in retaliation for some perceived wrongdoing no doubt. So there I was perched precariously on the back of this woolly beast while it charged after its intended victim, which made a narrow escape!
Have you traveled via unusual modes of transport? Do post a comment and tell me all about it!
And don’t forget, you still have a few days to get your Book of Garden Cuttings at 15% off! Read the post below for details.
Toodle-oo for now!
Miss P
