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Forest Animals

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The Lodger loves walking. Which for a person with PWS is great. Accidental exercise as I like to call it. Walking in our house is often a treat. When the Lodger has a good day in school his treat is a walk to see the cows. If the day isn't so good we walk a different way punishing him with hedgerows and trees. That'll teach him.

 We use incentives a lot with the Lodger to reward his good behaviour and keep him focused on little goals day by day. Luckily the excitement of a visit to see the cows keeps him on the straight and narrow most school days. The only problem now is there are plenty of cows in the fields around the house so he doesn't have to go far to watch his favourite animals.
 

 The Lodger loves walking to school, walking to see the cows, and also walking in the forest opposite our house. The Galway forest as he calls. In his world literally the only forest in Galway. One of only two in Ireland. The other one is in Kildare if you're wondering. We often go on jaunts in the forest looking for forest animals. But we never see any because the lodger NEVER STOPS TALKING. And the animals know. They want to avoid the questions so they stay silent. But on we go looking for rabbits and foxes, hedgehogs and deer and especially, bears and wolves. Most days we come home with the Lodger announcing to everyone he meets "No Forest Animals Today". And tomorrow we try again. To find that blasted bear hiding in the Galway forest.

 Given the shorter evenings today we decided to go on a bigger adventure. The Galway Forest at night. The Lodger was prepared. His forest boots were on and his hat and coat. And his new torch for looking for forest animals at night. It was lashing rain but this didn't stop him. I wondered would we have a better chance in the dark to see some beady eyes staring back at us from between the trees
We hoped to see bats and owls and obviously, bears. I wondered how the Lodger would feel in the forest in the dark. And in true Lodger style he didn't disappoint.

Firstly we saw that the forest has a new gate. I know, exciting.


 THIS IS SO EXCITING!!
THE FOREST IS SO EXCITING IN THE NIGHT.
WHY IS THERE NO SUN.
IS IT BECAUSE IT IS NIGHT?
WHAT ANIMALS DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEE DAD?
ARE YOU EXCITED?
THANK YOU FOR MY NEW TORCH PRESENT.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ME TO THE FOREST IN THE DARK.
WHY IS IT DARK?
I LOVE THE DARK
I LOVE THE GALWAY FOREST.

 We were the only people (hopefully) in the forest and throughout a decent 2k walk the Lodger was as chatty as ever, excited by his new torch, the darkness, and the forest animals we looked for in every tree. Needless to say they stayed quiet again, even the bears.
Eventually on the way home the Lodger announced no forest animals today in the dark, only the rain and a new gate.

 The excitement continues.

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