Feel the fear and do it anyway

I promised the kids a trip to Butterfly World today. I must add at this point, I am terrified of moths and thereby anything that remotely resembles a moth, so this was a battle I was facing head on.

Anyway, we started with a trip to Dobbies (next door), where Little D was transfixed by the cockerel screeching 'cockadoodledoo' at the top of his lungs. Little D kept trying to copy him, bless! Miss A wasn't quite so impressed by the farmyard display and was more keen to find herself a nice playhouse to sit in. It was a challenge trying to keep the two of them in the same place as Little D kept making a run for it to get back to the cockerel.

I decided lunch was the best option and we had a bite to eat in the restaurant whilst listening to a man hammering out tunes on his Bontempi organ. The kids thought he was great and were swinging along to each tune (I, embarrasingly, found myself doing the same)!

There was no more stalling, Miss A wanted to see the butterflies. Now. We got there, got stamped and in we went. My worst fears realised, they were among us, flying about everywhere, one even landed on Miss A's top. I decided against telling her as she was looking a tad uncomfortable as it was. I think I managed to hide my fear, walking behind the kids so they couldn't see me jump everytime a butterfly came close. We made our way through other rooms containing snakes, iguanas, tarantulas, scorpions etc. which Little D was very excited about (especially the tarantulas). When we were making our way out we once again passed through the butterfly room. I decided that they were actually quite beautiful creatures (moreso that the ones in the other rooms) and even encouraged Miss A to hold her hand out to see if one would land on her. The only down side was when I picked up Miss A to show her one of the butterflies, Little D took off. It was only seconds before I realised he'd gone but the lovely lady next to us went one way and I went the other. Thankfully we found him crouched down at one of the tanks, in his element conversing with a rather large fish.

Out and onto the swing park before heading home. I was hoping the kids would be shattered and we'd get another early bedtime but it's 7.30pm and they're out in the garden covered head to toe in mud so not much chance of that.

I have no idea what this species of butterfly is but it had escaped from the main enclosure and was resting on some netting. I overexposed to get the background as white as possible but in doing so lost the little fella's antennas. Who needs to smell or taste anyway?