The Platinum Jubilee Mystery

 It was the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. A150 horses trotted and 1500 soldiers marched. A pigeon called Mr. Bob-Bob sat on a tree watching the parade. He was an unusually intelligent pigeon. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice, “Mr. Bob-Bob, where are you?”

He fluttered down to his owner, 9-year-old Amy Twist. Amy was a budding detective. Beside Amy stood Maya, her best friend. Maya had received a box of two pence coins with Queen Elizabeth’s portrait on them. They were a birthday gift from her grandfather, a keen numismatist. But Maya didn’t see the point of coins in the golden age of debit cards.

A few days passed with the box of coins sat forgotten on the windowsill of Maya’s ground floor room.

**

Amy was watching a detective film when Maya called.

“The box is missing, and I really need your help!” cried Maya.

“I thought you didn’t like them, Maya,” said Amy.

“Yes, I didn’t, until yesterday. Grandpa came over for dinner last night. That’s when he told us that each coin was worth up to £1,000!” said Maya.

**

Moments later, Amy, Maya, and Mr. Bob-Bob started hunting near the windowsill where the box of coins was last seen. They found a scrap of fluorescent yellow fabric on the thorny red rose bush near the window. There was a strand of blonde hair on the fabric.

 “These seem to be clues. Let me ask Mum who visited us yesterday…” said Maya.

Maya came back with some lemonade and information.  “Mum said that the only people who have come here were a parcel delivery person, a plumber, and the postman. The postman had black hair while the other two had blonde hair”

“So that’s 2 suspects then,” said Amy. “I’ve got a plan. Mr. Bob-Bob can follow the suspects. No one will suspect him… after all, pigeons are everywhere!”

Mr. Bob-Bob cooed and flew off on his mission.

**

Mr. Bob-Bob saw the plumber with his bag of tools walking down the main street. He could see the plumber’s golden hair under his cap, but the plumber seemed to just be going about doing jobs as usual.

Next, he tailed the delivery person who rode a bicycle wearing a fluorescent yellow jacket. He too seemed to be delivering parcels at various addresses - nothing suspicious. But at the last delivery, Mr. Bob-Bob overheard the delivery man tell someone that he will return his money soon as he was going to sell something valuable to a pawnbroker. Mr. Bob-Bob rushed back to let the girls know, who immediately alerted the police.

The next day the police called Maya’s house. They had captured the criminal red-handed at his flat with the box of coins. Maya was relieved to get the coins back. She donated one of the coins to the Royal Mint Museum so that everyone could enjoy them; another to RSPB in honor of Mr. Bob-Bob’s bravery, used one to buy a smartwatch and the rest went into savings.

---

 

Why I bought these succulents from IKEA

I always have liked succulents because they are so intelligent and diverse, the way they adapt to hot climates and their natural self defence is just amazing. When I saw these succulents in IKEA I knew that I had to have them. 

I wanted a indoor garden ever since I read the Modern Children’s Library Book 5, the World of Art and Pastimes. The reason I wanted a succulent garden is because I can keep it indoors, here’s more information about my succulents:

Gasteria batesiana ("Knoppies gasteria") is a species of succulent plant, native to the inland escarpment in the far north-east of South Africa. Gasteria batesiana is a small charming species bearing rough tuberculata brittle leaves. It is ideal for containers in a shady spot. It is at once recognized by its small rosettes of triangular-lanceolate leaves often with transverse mottled cross bands, simple inflorescence of large nectar-rich flowers attracting sunbirds during spring. The plant soon proliferates from the base forming small groups. Due to its medicinal use it is becoming very rare. Gasteria batesiana is one of 20 Gasteria species mainly confined to South Africa and southern Namibia (1 species).

Gasteria Duval: Gasteria (Gasteria spp.) is a genus of relatively rare, aloe-like succulents. It sometimes goes by the common name of "ox tongue" because it typically has long leaves with a rough texture. Depending on the species, gasteria leaves also are often marked with interesting patterns and colors. Moreover, mature gasteria plants typically produce tubular, curved flowers in the winter to spring. The genus is named for its stomach-shaped flowers ("gaster" is Latin for "stomach"). Common names include ox-tongue, cow-tongue, etc.

Pachyveria Scheideckeri: A smaller variety of x Pachyveria ‘Scheideckeri’ with striking leaf colours. x Pachyveria scheideckeri ‘Albocarinata’ produces multiple branches with these striking silver/white rosettes. They can also produce these lovely pink tinges if put in high light levels.

Crassula ovata, commonly known as jade plant, lucky plant, money plant or money tree, is a succulent plant with small pink or white flowers that is native to the KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa, and Mozambique; it is common as a houseplant worldwide. 

Gymnocalycium mihanovichii is a species of cactus 🌵  from South America. The most popular cultivars are varied mutants which completely lack chlorophyll, exposing the red, orange, or yellow pigmentation. This cute “mutant” cactus is actually a combination of two cacti, typically Gymnocalycium (the sicon) and a rootstock cactus, such as Hylocereus. The term “moon cactus” typically refers to the yellow and orange varieties, however red varieties like this one can be included.

Pros and cons

I fear nothing except spiders and the dark,

I love pigeons and I’m here to make my mark,

I like science especially zoology,

Well, there’s more to me

My brain is like a encyclopaedia, bulging with facts,

I know my birds and that’s that,

Wether it’s halogens or the structure of a tree,

Chemistry or branches of biology ,

I’m the girl, you can count on me.

Squishy glove creature

 

You will need:

• 1 old glove                                            
• Googly eyes or something similar 
• Craft Card and pens                        
• 1 rubber band.                               
• Scissors.                                      
• Glue.       

Method:

1. Push the thumb piece back into the glove until you can’t see it anymore,
2. Stuff the glove to the stretchy bit, then tie a rubber band  tightly and fold the stretchy bit down to make a hat,
3. Stick on eyes and a mouth.

                                   

Doggy doodles (but no poodles)

 

The Pegasus team

Maxine, Nyla and me,

Always a smile, us three,

Emeralds are green,

 Diamonds are white,

The path we take will be in the moonlight,

Our hearts are never as cold as ice cream,

Who are we?We are the Pegasus team!

Limericks

There’s a boy called Harry Potter ⚡️ ,

Always in trouble with Snape, the old rotter

Going on the Hogwarts train

With Ron and Hermione, again and again

His Patronus is a stag, not an otter!

***

Pigeons are purple and green 🐦 

They go everywhere but not a submarine 

They have red eyes that glow

They shiver if there’s snow 

They keep their coats shiny clean

***

Yellowish Venus always glows.

Does it contain life that no one knows?

It’s the hottest planet yet.

Named after a Roman goddess, I bet!

It was discovered centuries ago.

***

Solar system

Mercury, hot , not quite a big shot,

Venus,  glow, although no snow,

Earth , there , creatures everywhere,

Mars, red, not a sleepyhead,

Jupiter, big ,doesn’t grow a fig,

Saturn , with it’s rings, those icy cold things,

Uranus, side to side, so far and wide,

Neptune, blue, achoo, achoo, achoo.

Snow leopard in the mountains

I see you with your glossy coat and eye-liner eyes,

You catch prey that wins 1st prize

Windy mountain tops and freshly fallen snow,

Icicles glitter in the sun , not glow,

Your pale green eyes give an evil look,

I wish people didn’t hang your skin from a hook.

My dream Pet

My dream pet would be a Leopard Tortoise from Africa because they are very good pets and they are amazing.

Tortoises can live over 100 human years.I love all reptiles so much [apart from snakes]. I prefer tortoises to turtles because tortoises don’t bite unless they are mad at you.

Did you know, Hinge-back tortoises can fold their shells!

Did you know, the Alligator snapping turtle is America’s largest freshwater turtle!

I also like the endangered Star tortoise of India and Sri Lanka because it’s shell looks like it has gold in it.

Orphan Orangutan

 I see you trapped in a cage with thousands  more,

With the rusty iron bars and the stone-cold floor,

Rehabilitation,

This beastly creation,

I wish you were in the wild free,

Not staring with your dark eyes at me,

A clown’s dairy

 I am tired of being laughed at,

In my itchy red nose,

I am never taken seriously,

Of all those,

Pie-splatting  is boring ,

I’d like to salute,

Sailing across the powerful Ocean,

In a blue Navy suit.

Terrible Dophin tricks

Fish as payment, drat!

Jumping through hoops,Fancy that!

Poor them, with their  dark beautiful eyes,

They should be sailing through clear blue  skies.

My Birthday

 Remember, Remember,

The 7th of September,

When I open my eyes I see presents Tall,

Presents large and presents small,

I share the cake with all my friends,

The fun never ends.

Panda

 Perfect 

Awesome

Nice 

Daring 

Amazing

September

30 days mark the beginning  of Fall,

Cups of cider for one and all,

Full of apples falling down and ripe blackberries,

It’s the end of summer and all it’s expertise,

Achoo, Achoo, Achoo,

It’s the month of the flu,

It’s the time of year where school begins,

Full of happy smiles and cheery grins.

Thoughts

Things form in my brain,

Sometimes with laughter  sometimes with pain,

They soar,they fly, up clear,

Sometimes as high as the stratosphere,

They twist and tangle everywhere,

Even in my hair,

Whenever they come they come with ease,

Like a gentle breeze.

The Nincompoop

The Nicompoop ,The Nincompoop,

Stepped in a puddle of great big goop,

His leg was caught in a rope wich made him go up and down and side to side,

And made him go on a wild ride.

Pigeon

Perfect

Ingenious 

Genius 

Ecseptionaly smart

Obnoxious 

Nice 

My favourite animals

 Papillon dogs ,

Funny green frogs,

Grey Tabby cats,

Ear-splitting bats

Stuck in a three little pigs nightmare

Drat! It’s the three little pigs again,

Watching that story gives me such pain,

That abomination,

That beastly creation,

It drives me up the wall,

Even though I know I’l fall,

This story is in a fix,

I’d like to give it a DJ mix 

Pigs are  so unincredibly dumb,

I’d like to squash them with my thumb.

Happiness is…..

The feeling is like a wishing star,

The choice is never so far,

The pure feeling comes from the heart,

And it can easily break apart,

The feeling makes you confident,

And as the French say certemente ,

The voice will come when you’re under strain,

From the back of your brain.

Pigeon poem

Bird of grey flutter by,

Bird of grey fly through the sky,

Green and purple scarf ,

Your appearance will make nobody laugh,

In WW1 with a message tied to your leg you spread your wings abroad,

Now everyone thinks you’re a fraud.

Pigeon timeline

 

Pigeon photos clicked by me