My neckst blog post - or is it my previous one?

This evening there was the most nexquisite sunset. I was out for an after-dinner stroll across the Neckmoors, thinking how wonderful it is that no matter how many times I walk here, there is always something new to see, a fresh sense of wonder! A group of wild giraffes watched as I went by before disappearing into the misty valley and overhead the giraffe-patterned sky turned from orange to pink. The scene changed so rapidly - and yet it seemed still and forever-the-same.

A few weeks ago I returned from a similar walk with Littl' Nicky. We had been talking about my blog, and he had pointed out to me that it was back to front in time ... "That makes people read the ends of stories before the beginnings, Daddy!'" As we returned home to the kitchen for mugs of tea, he told me I should make another blog with the posts in 'right way round' order.

"Oh dear!" I sighed. That sounded like a lot of work, and I couldn't quite get my neck round how to do it.

"I'll help you, dear," said Maureen.

Hours and hours and hours later, after countless mugs of tea ...

... we lifted our aching necks and cheered! It was done - my blog in chronological order! We decided to call it Raph G. Neckmann's Ramblings to differentiate it from this blog. (Necky Becky said we should just use the same title written backwards. I suddenly had the worrying thought that the whole blog might have come out backwards).

Here it is - with the first post at the top and its very own icon!

Please click on this image to view my 'right-way-round' blog!

Now I will have to work out how and where to put this new post on it - and subsequent ones...

Giraffe Greetings of the Season!

Even accounting for the time-difference between our Camelopardalis Constellation and your planet Earth, dear Bloggy Friends, it has been a long time since I have communicated with you via the Interneck!

It has been a busy year for our family and friends - I shall endeavour to tell you some of our adventures neckst year. We even managed one visit to planet Earth a few weeks ago, when there was a 'nextra day' enabling us to travel in an intergalactic instant and enjoy one of your cities unseen by any human eyes! Oh the fun we had skating on your frozen river, nexploring your historic sites and buying souvenirs. (I hope our coinage was correct for the nexchange rate - it is a long time now since I left accounting!)

Here at Necky Knoll House we are in the midst of our winter festivities - delicious aromas drift across from the kitchen where Girth is preparing a feast, and The Stiffnex band are rehearsing raucously in the cellar. We all send you our heartfelt greetings and wish you much giraffitude and joy in the year ahead!

Ingrid Sylvestre Artist Designer Writer Composer Speaker Storyteller Durham North East England UK

A Nexceptional Year for Sprouts!

Allotments, Neckelchester Village

Greetings to all my dear human friends! It has been many Camelopardalian moons since I last visited your planet via the Interneck. We have had such adventures! I shall begin with our most important news; this has been a nexceptional year for sprouts ...

As you will know, we giraffes love our sprouts and they have a very special place in our culture and energy. (Necky Becky has just reminded me that she will NOT eat sprouts!)

Our Brassica camelopardalis are very similar to your earthly Brussels sprouts, coming from the same family. Here are some of our most popular varieties:



'Nexceptional' yields very neat tightly-budded sprouts with a lovely nutty flavour and is one of the easiest to grow.

'Celestial Giraffe' sprouts are a little untidy in their individual shapes, yet their taste is truly heavenly! Those of us with a delicate and experienced palate can detect subtle honey-like flavours that vary from region to region.


Last and most important is our great 'Fountain of Flatulence', grown especially for our AFF Gas energy supply. A robust plant that will flourish in any soil, it has a wholesome flavour especially popular in soups.

Camelopardalian sprouts grow very tall, and have to be harvested with special long-handled tools.


Here we are enjoying a family sprout-gathering in our vegetable patch at Necky Knoll House. The February evening sun sends low shafts of light between the trees and overhead the sky is dusky pink and mauve.

As it grows dark an enticing aroma wafts across the garden. Uncle Girth is busy at a huge tureen of freshly prepared sprout soup! It's time for supper ...

(c) Ingrid Sylvestre - Artist, Illustrator, Writer, Durham North East England UK

Reminiscing & new beginnings as we stick our necks out for our dreams!

This time of year is a rather nostalgic time for me. We have been celebrating the anniversary of when we moved to our lovely new home, Necky Knoll House, and set up our Giraffe World Tours family business. And with every anniversary, there is a time of looking back as well as looking forward.


I remember standing outside our old home, Neckmoor Cottage, and bidding the rugged scenery farewell. A group of wild giraffes stood silhouetted in the twilight.



As we packed all our belongings ready to move, Maureen and I looked at each other, and I knew we were thinking the same thoughts.


It was on the journey to our new home that Maureen first sang our Beginning song, looking out of the windows of the bus. Now we sing it every year in the Spring.


So here we are, in the warm friendly squabbly family glow of everydayness. As we sing, we remember ... and we also look forward, sticking our necks out for our dreams!

'It's the beginning
Of something new,
Something to wait for
Dreams coming true.
Life for living
Places to see,
Being the things that
We want to be.

Though we go
By road unknown,
We move on
Together.
Though we seek
Freedom of mind,
Strength we find
In harmony.'

(c) Ingrid Sylvestre - Artist, Designer, Illustrator, Author, Songwriter - Durham, North East England UK

An Anniversary Celebration: Farewell to Accounting - Enter Giraffe Entrepreneur!

We are all amazed that another whole year has passed and our anniversary celebrations are with us again for that wonderful day in April 2008, when I said farewell to accounting! Who would have predicted the nextent to which our lives were to change?

The photo above was taken as I received my lovely leaving gifts at Storey & Tawle, the Raffsburgh accountancy firm I had worked with for so long. (This link will take you to the original post). Oh the joys I have had looking through the lovely telescope - most especially gazing all those light years away to Planet Earth, and knowing that all my dear human bloggy-friends are there!


My first ever blog post was The Escape of a Giraffe Accountant, when I handed in my notice, and since then we haven't looked back! Our new family business Giraffe World Tours was born, we bought our bus, we moved house, we've had nexciting adventures, made lots of mistakes, had lots of fun, grown closer as a family. And we're always moving on to the neckst step of the way! Even when we don't know what it is ...


If I have one nexhortation for you, dear human bloggy-friends, it is this: Stick your necks out for your dreams!

And now it's time to party!

(c) Ingrid Sylvestre - Artist, Designer, Illustrator, Party Caricaturist Durham North East England UK

A Forest Walk in Spring

Early this morning we looked nexcitedly out of the windows of Necky Knoll House to see if the sun was shining. Yes! It was perfect weather for our planned day out in the Forest, with a beautiful dawn light playing on the sides of the Knolls.



The morning mist still clung to the valleys, and as we drew near to the Forest it seemed to beckon mysteriously.



Littl' Nicky toddled on ahead. "Ooh, Daddy!" he nexclaimed, "Flowers!"


Further into the Forest, we caught a glimpse of some flying girigglies, who performed a Spring dance while Nexi and Necky Becky watched, spellbound.



There were woodland creatures everywhere! A long wrigglie paused for me to take his photo as he scuttled nexuberantly among the leaves and mosses.



We saw beautiful little mounds of giraffe moss on some old stone walling, back lit by the sun to look like miniature citadels.


Everywhere we noticed signs of the coming Spring - each twig studded with buds bursting into life!


In the shadows of the trees grew the lovely little Giranthus flowers, shining like miniature lanterns.


And the sweet Viola giraffata greeted us shyly with bowed heads.



As our children ran ahead of us along the path, Maureen and I recalled happy memories of days spent in this beautiful place, and looked forward to many more.

(c) Ingrid Sylvestre - Artist, Illustrator, Landscape Painter, Writer, Sylvan Muse, Interpretive Panels, Durham North East England UK

Double the Neck in 2011!

Greetings from Camelopardalis Constellation and Happy New Year to all our dear friends on planet Earth!

With two giraffe-necks in it, 2011 promises to be a nexuberant year. Stick your necks out for your dreams, and love your planet!

We are back at Necky Knoll House after a wonderful holiday at the tree house, and have been celebrating by singing our family song, 'With Our Necks Entwined'. No doubt you will be able to identify all our voices - do join in with us, and if you can find a secret portal to our world, you are most welcome at our party!