About 20 years ago, when my Granny passed away, my journey with elephants began. In fact it was probably about 35-40 years ago – the first time I set my eyes on this lovely elephant that my grand and brought back from India in the war for my Granny.

This elephant used to sit in the granny’s living room on the floor. When I was young I looked at it, but didn’t touch it; and revelled in the story of my grandad carrying it under his arm having been away being a medic in the war.

When my granny passed away in 2002, she passed the elephant onto my Mum, and when my mum passed away in 2015, she passed it onto my brother. But the nice brother that he is, and him knowing how much the elephant means to me, he gave it to me to look after.

Then there was the elephant I sent my granny for Christmas, two weeks before she passed away in 2002. It was in limbo, wrapped by me, but unopened by her. So I opened it and put it down on her coffin… but not before my niece, her grand daughter smashed it off a table (she was just one), and I glued it back together. All good.

I came home after the funeral to a Christmas card from my granny, post marked the day she died, and it had a fiver in it. I still have that card and fiver. Very special indeed. And it’s where my affinity for rainbows comes from too – as she lived on the west coast and I’d often see rainbows that reminded me of her, looking out for me.

Anyway, though out my adult life I’ve bought little elephants and dropped them in different places, to remember my granny. And people have bought me them (I don’t drop them). My friends, colleagues but me them, and my brother has taken to buying me one from wherever he travels to on holiday and gives me one for Christmas each year usually. So my collection is building.

I manage to spread them about the house, garden and car so that you wouldn’t notice that I have a whole herd of them… but there are getting to be quite a few. Fortunately for him, I buy him one every year too… (sort of as a joke)… so next time I visit I hope he has a herd too. 😂🤪

So I thought I would take them up to my Dads – tell him about the story of the first ones and show him the others.

I got them together at home, and even then, we realised I’d missed one. Turns out there are 34 elephants (one still to be dropped, leaving 33, plus 3 on my bracelets = 36)! (If I’ve counted them right). I even have two the same, one from my best friend and one from my brother / sister in law.

Ha ha. My dad enjoyed hearing the story and feeling the difference between the elephants, some are light and made of wood, some are heavy and ceramic or metal, there’s all different types.

So there we have it, my herd of elephants. 😂

Today is my Dad’s 82nd birthday and we all had a nice day together.

Here’s the card and robin I bought him (along with some bird seed and some. Biscuits). Dad was always in wonder about the the billions of people on earth… 6 billion, 7 billion… soon 8 billion.

We had ice cream last night, and cake today… later on we’re having fish and chips to celebrate.

Happy 82nd birthday Dr P!

I’m glad he liked the elephants and all the stories about the elephants. Now I’ll need to pack then back up, take them back home and try and remember where they all live!