The fabulous Paralympic Winter Games,
When unknown folk become household names,
Those who can barely see,
Choose to Alpine Ski,
Courage will never seem the same!

The extraordinarily brave Kelly Gallagher is the first Briton to win Olympic Gold. She is partially sighted and has just won the Alpine Super-G following her guide, Charlotte Evans

This is Professor Bluebird from Puget Sound,
One of the most beautiful songbirds around,
For just a trifling donation,
You can protect them in your nation*,
This is one of the loveliest charities I’ve found.

* the USA
To donate to this great charity, go to:
http://www.pugetsoundbluebird.org

There once was a woman (no source),
Who decided to buy a pet horse,
They walked out together,
In all kinds of weather,
On a specially made leash of course!

Now just where does that apostrophe go?
My grammar’s more crib than chateau!
Is it after or before?
I need to know the score,
I simply don’t understand dammit , or know!

I once had a cat called McDuff,
Who never could get quite enough,
Of a crisp brown paper sheet,
To wrap in from his head to his feet,
He just loved all that stationery stuff!

My friend had a piglet called Sam,
Who was destined to be fattened for ham,
But he had such charm,
That he came to no harm,
He’s alive and happier than a clam! *

* happy as a clam at high tide is an American expression for someone who is as happy as can be (thanks Cory Cook)

March 04: Counting Sheep?
This farmer in Scotland now dyes all his sheep,
With colours non-toxic, both flashy and deep,
To please or electrify,
All those that drive by,
And prevent them from going to sleep!

There once was a mongrel called Pat,
Who began to start wearing a hat,
When asked why this was so,
He’d growl voce sotto,*
Because it keeps my comb-over flat.

* pronounced sotto vochy – Italian for very quietly spoken

I am the original coffee snob,
As long as I can pour it down my gob!
We grind our beans for every brew,
‘Cause instant, well, it’s frankly spew,
Coffee just has to be the proper job!

This beauty’s the lilac breasted roller,
It’s markings are vibrant and solar,
Lilac and blue,
Every colour and hue,
It likes to swoop down from a position that’s polar! *

* this bird loves wooded landscapes and it likes to sit high in a conspicuous “polar” position, so it can sweep down on its prey. It is the national bird of both Botswana and Kenya and lives in sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.