Rachel, Owen and Kathryn

The latest TV fave (hopefully fad) is a slightly bizarre programme about a bunch of small animals who turn into tin cans at the first sign of danger - hence the name "Canimals". They are not a very friendly group and seem to squabble and play a lot of silly tricks on each other. Nonetheless, Katy was keen to make some canimal models, so I got creative with toilet roll inner tubes and various paints. Showing her how to paint some white patches on the brown dog, I explained "You just have to go dob, dob, dob". Quick as a flash she came back with "Or you could say dog, dog, dog!" No doubt about it, she's got the punning gene.

Katy meets Olly the tropical screech owl at Haverthwaite station.

Chugging again, this time on a steam train from Haverthwaite to Lakeside . Wondrous Windermere. What a surprise! A reception committee of owls met us at the station - w[h]oo'd have thought it?

En route to staying with friends in Silverdale we visited the Lakeland Wildlife Oasis , which boasts a large snow leopard and some rather smaller creatures too.

Pretending to be a MOUSE Katy can just squeeze into our (admittedly large) cat box.

Smithills Open Farm (near Bolton) one Saturday. She seems soo confident - and liked so much she had another go!

On a tip from friends we visited Walton Hall Gardens (21st March), which offers a 'children's zoo' and a superior playground featuring a complicated tunnel installation which Katy explored very thoroughly, fighting off all the older children. The zoo was populated by some very dramatic peacocks, a motley collection of rabbits and guinea pigs, a couple of donkeys and ponies, invisible red squirrels, and a little herd of dwarf goats. Two of them wandered out of a barn and Katy announced "Two goats!". Impressive enough, thought I, but then another trotted out and she said "Three!" Blow me down, the child's not yet 20 months and she can count! Her parents were not as clever, however, as we managed to leave home without her coat. She had to wear my grey fleece with the sleeves rolled up, but it was so long on her she looked like a mini Gandalf wandering through the Shire.

Cotebrook Shirehorse Centre again. Here's a shire horse having a shower, and Katy displaying her mastery of balance on her rocking horse. The little piglets running loose around the fields caused her endless delight, and the soft toy pig we bought her has quickly become and essential sleeping companion.

If you've ever wondered, here's your answer. Taken at our return visit to the Shire Horse Centre, 13th March 2010.