Toot & Puddle
When our kids were toddlers, Dani and I would take turns reading to them each night. Both loved to hear the adventures of Toot & Puddle, two endearing pigs from Woodcock Pocket.
These two best friends couldn’t be more different. Toot is an adventurer, longing to see the world. Puddle is a homebody, most content when enjoying familiar rhythms and routines.
One day, Toot takes off to see the world. He invites Puddle to come too, but being the home-pig that he is, he decides to stay in Woodcock Pocket.
Throughout his year of travel Toot sends postcards from exotic destinations, sharing his adventures with his friend at home. Toot scales cliffs in the Alps, visits an Italian pastry shop, swims with hippos in Africa, takes a camel ride through Egypt and more.
Puddle, meanwhile, enjoys life at home, celebrating everyday moments in familiar surroundings. He spends his days gathering maple sap for syrup, playing in spring mud, painting a self-portrait, or trying out a Halloween mask.
At the end of a year, Toot and Puddle reunite and share their experiences.
As we make our final preparations to leave, each of us seems to be alternating between the sentiments of Toot and Puddle: Eager for new experiences on the one hand; deeply wistful for our everyday life on the other.
Emotions are running high around our house. We are looking forward to our once in a lifetime journey. At the same time, we are looking forward to our return, and will be eager to hear from family and friends about life at home.
For now, we are content to enjoy a few final hometown adventures until this time next year.
I have a feeling that if Toot traveled today, there’d be no more postcards. He’d be blogging his way around the world. And Puddle would enjoy it all the more.
[Note: Thanks to John Whealan for the wonderful pictures of Caroline, Dani and Craig.]
7 comments
Hi I have been watching your site for a while now and just wanted to say Good luck and happy travels. hope everything goes smoothly and your adventures are everything you have been dreaming of.
Lizzie (uk) x
Don’t worry, Craig & Dani. We’ll miss you but we’ll be OK. You have our blessing and our best wishes. We’re so proud of you and Caroline and Conor. Love, hugs, and a kiss on the forehead, st
I see the ticker says 3 days until takeoff. That’s so exciting!
Your everyday life will be there waiting for your return.
I guess this is what we call “home”.. somewhere we know will be always there for us… and when you realize, 1 year has passed and you’re planning the next adventure!
It says 2 days already! It’s sooo close!!
Good luck, guys!! 😀
As a lurker I’ve been enjoying your website for months. Best wishes for a year full of adventures, learning, wonder, discovery, family togetherness, and new perspectives. Safe travels.
Hi!! I am thinking of you four and wishing you all the best. Enjoy yourselves, each other, and all of the new things you will learn, taste, smell, see, observe, like, and even dislike. May you come back fulfilled and happy! I am getting a little misty-eyed thinking about how wonderful your adventure will be. You planned so long – now go do it!!!! Love, Rachel
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