A Chilly Rescue

 

It was a very chilly day coming home from Linnea's dance recital. Pauline and Hayden insisted on going to pick up their little sister today, since they haven't had a chance to ride their bike all winter. Linnea was excitedly chattering about her role as the Snow Princess when something happened....

THUNK

The bike stopped moving.

"Oh no!" exclaimed Pauline. Distracted by their sister, the siblings weren't paying much attention to the path they were traveling on. A large ice chunk had stopped the bike from moving, and they couldn't get it to budge.
"It's too heavy and I forgot my gloves!" cried Hayden. Attempting to move the ice block was starting to hurt his paws. Linnea started to cry...for such a small pup she sure could wail!

In the distance, at their ice cream stand, the penguin triplets could hear Linnea crying. "Quick, to the rescue!" yelled Rocky, "Someone needs our help! Hop in!"

They zoomed off as fast as they could in their snowmobile, towards the sound.

The triplets reached the Huskies quickly. "Are you guys okay???" asked Rocky.
"Oh gosh, yes? I mean no. We got stuck..this ice chunk is too heavy to move! Our paws keep getting too cold!"
Kippie stumbled over a few minutes later, "WE CAN FIX IT EASY PEASY" he yelled. But what he meant was his siblings could fix it, he didn't want to drop his ice cream.

"Okay. Hop on your bike and get ready to take off!" said Pearl. 

"One. Two. HUP!"
Rocky and Pearl picked up the ice chunk with ease and shuffled it over to their snowmobile.

"WOOOW...we can make a lot of ice cream with that!" Kippie said in awe.
"you silly, we don't make ice cream with ice! that's snow cones" laughed Pearl.
"Oh...WOOOOOOW we can make a lot of cone snows with that!" Kippie attempted to correct himself.
"you silly goose" laughed Rocky.
"I'm not a goose! I'm a penguin!" exclaimed Kippie
"It's just a phrase, Kippie, it means you're silly" explained Pearl
"hmmm....but I'm not a goose!!"

They continued bickering, oblivious that the Huskies were trying to thank them for their help.
Linnea sighed "can we just go? I can thank them at school tomorrow...they can bicker for hours! I've seen it!"
Pauline and Hayden chuckled.."yeah, let's get home before we find more ice!"

Thankful for their rescue, the huskies headed home, ready for some hot drinks by the fire in their warm and cozy home.

They also called the triplets' parents, to make sure they get home before dark....because like Linnea said, they can bicker for hours!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was a chilly day indeed, my fingers almost froze off trying to pose these cuties for photos. I know it's been a long while since I've wrote a story...the creative brain hasn't been great. But I'm hoping to make a habit of it again. I hope you enjoyed! <3 
-Shiloh
Don't forget to follow me on all my socials as well! I keep those up to date fairly well.
(Tumblr @ShilohSylvanian and Facebook/Insta/Tiktok @PackratShiloh)

Toy Shop

Hello Readers!

It's been so long! I've been a very busy mouse helping my family with the new Pizzeria and babies, and the town has been busy with so many events and holidays! One of those holidays, Toy Day, is a very busy time of year for our local alpacas, The Woolly Family. Since Toy Day is coming up in a few short months, I decided to catch the family now before they get extra busy again.

Mr. Woolly and his family own an AMAZING toy shop down the street. They take great pride and joy bringing happiness to the town through the power of games and toys. Mrs. Ariana Woolly found her passion for toys through knitting! A while back, a lot of the local kids wanted new clothes for their dolls and had nowhere to buy them, so she decided she could knit some adorable clothes for them. Her husband, Andre, has always loved the looks on his children's faces when they'd get a new toy. So together they decided to open up the first toy shop in town! 

Andre is always at the door with a great big smile, ready to greet his customers. He takes great pride in finding the best items to stock, as well as taking custom orders. If there's a toy you've been dreaming of, Andre can find it!

The toy shop is also a great place to play. They have many toys set out to test for yourself or keep little ones occupied while you buy them gifts! Parents can also drop their babies off in the "play corner" to be babysat by Ariana and her daughter, Fiorella, while they tend to other business in the local shops. It's really such a great idea, since getting babies to leave the play corner is quite difficult! 

I've asked baby Gabriel to show me around and tell me about his favorite toys...there is such a large variety, I don't even think I can list them all (since it did take up a full hour while he showed me EVERY single toy in the shop..oops!). Some of his favorites are the toy car, elephant doll, blocks, and the play table. He also loves to push around the small cart for pretend shopping or helping his father put toys away.

The play table has a variety of play options to choose from as well! Which I find really unique and fun. You can have a tea party with treats, drive a car around town, color and match shapes, or pretend to cook! 

Don't you love this place? I just love walking around and looking at all the shiny new toys. But what happens when you run out of room for new toys? Well the Woolly's have that covered too! Their latest project, Caring4Critters, is a charity to donate toys and other products to our local orphanage. You can buy and donate toys from the shop or bring in ones you no longer want. The items will be dropped off during Community Day, which the orphanage holds once a month.

We hope you stop by soon!

Pizzeria Grand Opening

Hello Readers!

    I have some exciting news today! As some of you know, my family makes pizzas for a living. My Papa & Mama have been running a pizza business out of our home for quite some time now. But this year, we started construction on a full storefront on main street. I'm happy to announce that it is finally complete and ready to open! TODAY! 

    We held a ribbon cutting ceremony with the Mayors' this morning to celebrate the grand opening. I've never been to one before, but it was super exciting!  I was very happy that the whole town gathered to congratulate us and check out the Pizzeria. 

Papa started up the oven right away to prepare for the day while we got some important photos taken and greeted our friends. One of those friends here is Mr.Pickleweed, who will be running a pizza delivery service for our pizzeria!

He gets to ride a cool scooter!

We're offering quite a few different pizzas on our menu now that we have a bigger space. Our house special is cheese, tomato, shrimp, mushroom and basil! It is suuuuper delicious! We also offer margherita pizza, salmon pizza, olive pizza, cheese & spinach pizza, and green pepper & corn pizza! I'm getting hungry just talking about it!

    Mama & Papa make a great team. Papa is in charge of making the dough and adding the toppings on the pizza. Mama bakes them to perfection in the brick oven, as well as taking orders when my brother and I are in school. When we aren't at school, my brother and I will be taking care of the phone calls and orders, as well as waiting on anyone in the pizzeria! Baby Albert is in charge of "cleanup!" Sometimes pizzas can get made wrong or there's a mess on the table, Albert is the best at making sure the ingredients don't go to waste! We're all excited to help out in the family business.

If you call to order out a pizza, Mr. Pickleweed will load them up in his scooter when they're ready! Then he will safely drive them to your house (or wherever you order it within the village). I hope one day I can learn to deliver pizza too! It looks like a lot of fun.

We hope to see you soon in our new shop!

xoxo Shiloh

Happy Halloween!

 Hello Readers and Happy Halloween!

    Halloween in Sunnypatch Gardens is lots of fun! Everyone gathers in the town square to begin trick-or-treating at all the local shops on Main Street. Many of these shops are also giving out or selling awesome themed goodies. This spooky holiday season, the Thistlethorn Mice set up a Halloween stand outside their grocery store. I absolutely adore all the pumpkins!

        I was so busy this month that I didn't have a costume ready, but that's okay! Everyone in town is welcome to the Halloween celebrations, despite age or costume status. Franklin Sunnypatch, for example, doesn't enjoy wearing clothes other than his onesie; as they irritate his skin and make him grumpy. It would be a shame to deny him candy & activities just because he's more comfortable without a costume! Happiness is the main goal for all celebrations in Sunnypatch Gardens.

I headed out a bit early to document the day. Along with me are Amethyst, Peanut, and Franklin, to check out the new stand. 

Amethyst Hopscotch is dressed like a purple witch, isn't she so cute? & Peanut, which we met in our last article, decided to keep up with his ghost theme. 

Franklin was very fascinated with the spooky table. It was covered in potions, spell books, jars of mystery, and an unknown skull! I personally found it a bit creepy, but he loved it.
The Halloween stall was being run by Rosemary Thistlethorn, while her husband took the kids out to visit the other shops. She had so many cool things to choose from! Everyone gets to pick one thing for free and then pay for extras later in the evening.

   Mrs. Thistlethorn was so excited for her first customers. I did a brief interview, as I didn't want to hold her up too long in case others arrived early.
Me: Why did you decide to set up a stall this year instead of just passing out candy at the store?
Rosemary: I really wanted to go all out this year. Clovis, the kids, and I worked really hard during the summer building this stall together and coming up with a plan. I wanted to offer some extra fun items for everyone to enjoy during my favorite season. 
Me: Which is your favorite item from what you are offering today?
Rosemary: Definitely the potions. I had fun coming up with the menu and using the amazing ingredients we have to choose from at the store.

After the interview, I took a look at all the spooky items!

One of the items to choose from are these awesome Halloween treat bags!* I picked out a purple bag, isn't it so cute? It can hold so much candy! Peanut chose a book about Fairy Tales. He's been very interested in spooky tales about the supernatural and local lore, lately. Maybe he'll grow up to be like Mr. Hawthorne, the Paranormal Investigator!

Amethyst chose a potion soda for her and Franklin. Each one has a different flavor and "special potion effect!" That sounded too adventurous for me, but they seemed super excited about it. Amethyst got a lime flavor; it's special effect was that it made your lips pucker! Franklin got a lavender flavored potion, which relaxes and calms the drinker. They loved their drinks and offered me a sip from each. It was pretty good and not so scary!

Overall, we had an excellent time! We scored SO much candy and goodies. I hope your Halloween was a blast and safe as well!

xoxo Shiloh

*treat  bags, mini pumpkins, fortune table, and book are miniatures from Michaels Craft Store. The stall and potions were made by me & my husband - process & directions will be posted in my new craft tab.

The Haunting of Cozy Hill Manor

 Hey readers! Today we have a guest writer, Mr. Hickory Hawthorne. He has an amazing investigation to share with us!


Greetings Sunnypatch Gardens,

          My name is Hickory Hawthorne and I am Benicio Marshmallow's cousin. I was called to investigate a situation right here in your hometown. You see, I am a paranormal investigator. No, not like those tv shows, I am the real deal and I treat spirits with the utmost care. I discovered I could communicate with the dead when I was a small boy. I decided to put my skill to good use starting when I was a teen, and helped families learn to live with spirits or help troublesome ones find peace. I've been doing this for a long time and take great pride in my job. Now, the reason why I'm here...

Your very own Mrs. Sweetwater asked my cousin to give me a call. I didn't get much detail, but he assured me she wouldn't ask if she wasn't serious. I decided to take the job and headed on over to Cozy Hill Manor. The following is my investigation into the matter at hand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Me: Hello Mrs.Sweetwater, what seems to be the issue here?
Mrs.Sweetwater: Oh my, it seems silly to say outloud..but I think we're being haunted. We just started fixing up this old manor to turn into a daycare and orphanage..I would feel terrible if all the children were always startled by whatever is happening here!

Me: What kind of things are going on? Can you show me the hot spots?
Mrs.S: I guess your usual...it's all quite spooky really. Let me show you inside. Please excuse the mess, we only started renovating a week ago.

We walked in and I was greeted by her son Henry.
Mrs. S: "Henry, show Mr. Hawthorne to the living room while I put on some tea. please."

Henry: Right over here Mr!
Me: Thank you very much. How do you like this manor, Henry?
Henry: Oh, it's scary! I don't even like going upstairs by myself!
Me: Oh my! That sounds very spooky.
Mrs. Sweetwater came out and sat down a tower of snacks and some tea. What a delightful host!
Me: Oh goodness, thank you so much. Can you tell me about this room? I said as I munched down on some macaroons. Mr. Sweetwater entered the room as I asked this question.

Mr: Sweetwater: Most days, this phone here will ring almost hourly. But no one is ever on the other end! I just hear breathing. We don't even have the phones fully hooked up yet!
Me: Oh my, are there any other phones in the house?
Mr. S: Yes, there is one in the kitchen. But we go to look and no one is using that phone either.
Me: hmm..very interesting. Can you show me some other areas?

Mrs. Sweetwater lead me upstairs to one of the kids' rooms.
Mrs.S: In here, we find toys strewn about. I know my Henry always cleans up after himself, and he swears he isn't the one doing it, I know he wouldn't lie about this.

We heard a knock on the wall in the room just then. We glanced around but didn't see anything.
Me: Does anything else happen in here?
Mrs. S: sometimes I find dirty dishes and leftover food crumbs in here too..like someone is bringing stuff from the kitchen sink up here! It's so weird. And those knocking noises too! But usually not any of it when someone stays the night in here.
Henry came in and confirmed the knocking sounds and everything else. Then he lead me to the bathroom.

Henry: Sometimes..the tub is filled to the brim! Even when I wasn't even having a bath prepared! Or when I do turn the water on..I'll leave and come back and there's bubbles! I don't even like bubbles in my bath! I think this is the scariest room. I hear the sink come on sometimes or the toilet flush when I'm in the next room. So spooky. eugh. *he shudders*.
Me: Oh dear...that's a lot. I'm sorry it's such a scary experience for you. I promise I'll figure this out Henry. 
He leads me back downstairs as he's just too spooked to even give me a further tour of the house.

Mrs. Sweetwater was downstairs making waffles.
Mrs. S: Sorry, I cook when I'm stressed! But also...the activity definitely picks up when I'm cooking. We'll hear rattling, moaning, a gurgling noise even! It's very strange.
As she send this, we heard a grumbling gurgle noise from the next room over. I looked but didn't see anyone.
Me: This was a lot of information...I'm going to head to Mr. Marshmallow's for the night and come back tomorrow after I review all my notes. I promise I'll get to the bottom of this for you all and hopefully resolve the situation.
I headed to my cousins house for the night. I had a strong suspicion what was up..but I just needed something special to bring with me tomorrow...


The Next Day

I arrived at the Cozy Hill Manor with a secret weapon....
PIZZA
from Mr. Marshmallow's Pizzeria.

The bears  looked at me in confusion.

Me: I promise this will all make sense in a moment. Please set the pizza out on the table.

We sat and waited for what seemed like ages..but then we heard that strange sound again!
Me: AHA! Look!
Everyone turned around and saw....

Henry: a G-G-G-GHOST!

everyone gasped!

Me: now just wait a moment...Excuse me..little ghost? Would you want some pizza? If so..I need you to be truthful with us. Who are you?

???: Y..y-yes please. I'm sorry. I'm not a ghost! I just was trying to play a game..but then I kept getting stuck in the house at night, too scared to head home in the dark..and I was hungry..and also having fun..I..I'm sorry! he began to wail.

Mrs. S: Oh you poor thing! Please come have some pizza!

We all sat down and enjoyed some delicious pizza together.

We learned that the little chipmunk is named Peanut and he is one of the Hazelnut's children. We called over there and Mrs.Hazelnut was so upset! Apparently all the children had been sleeping in their little treehouse to camp out this week but never noticed their brother missing during the night!

But with that, our haunting was solved!

Huzzah!

~Mr. Hawthorne, Lead Investigator

+if you missed it...go back and check some of the photos for some secret clues!