Last post from Singapore

I just found out I am leaving Singapore! I am not even going "Home!"
I came here from Clearwater, Florida but I understand my mom, dad and I are going to Florida for only a few weeks and then we are off to Winston Salem, North Carolina. That will be close to my birth place, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee so I get back to a mountainous area with four seasons.

I am looking forward to a cooler climate. I hope we have porch so I can enjoy the cool breezes and can scare away the birds and squirrels.

The move will bring on a major problem though...I can't be known as "Singapore Kitty" anymore! What should my new blog be called??? I know I'll have lots of adventures in my new city.

How about "NC Kitty?" Nah, too boring...
What about "Winston Salem Feline?" Nope, too plain...
I know..."Purrla, the Mountain Cat?" ...too ferocious sounding....
I need help readers!

Anyway, I have really enjoyed giving you a little insight into life in Singapore for the past two years. Check out the blogosphere for my next adventures from my new home in North Carolina.






                                                           

                                                          

A Walk Around My Neighborhood in Singapore

If you keep up with my stories, you know I am a very adventurous kitty who sneaks out of my parents condo and takes adventures all around Singapore. I normally slip undetected on to a double decker bus, hide under a seat upstairs, and then jump off somewhere new, and explore.

Recently I have come to realize I don't always have to go far from my home to see the beauty of this "Red Dot" city/state. I have been taking a 3.5 mile (5.6 kilometer) walk through my neighborhood and have come across some gorgeous landscapes, flowers, and some pretty interesting critters.    

As I pass through a quiet street I come across some lazy pets. I ask them if they want to come along on my adventure but they both say it is too hot and they would rather snooze.

My favorite section of the stroll is going along the path at Sungei Ulu Pandan Canal. People walk, run, and bicycle along the canal enjoying nature at it's best. There are plenty of rest areas along the way for the weary. I enjoy stopping to watch the numerous monitor lizards swimming along the banks looking for fish to eat.

Overhead the MRT passes as well as road traffic.

The most interesting overpass is the remains of an abandoned railroad track.

Runoff water all over Singapore goes through an amazingly designed drainage system. The system around this area spills into the canal through channels that are pleasing to the eye.

As I head home I pass trough a small park, some construction that I messed up, past a street sweeper, and some more potted plants.

I sure live in a beautiful place!

Singapore Community Gardens

The Singapore National Parks Board has a wonderful gardening program described on their web site www.nparks.gov.sg . It provides support for 600 gardening clubs throughout the nation. I found one called Ayer Rajah Zone "1" RC Gardening Club on one of my excursions.

A neighborhood cat named Jake met me at the gate and showed me all around his big garden. He says it is his garden but he doesn't do any work. He says he has a staff of people that do all the hard labor.

The garden is huge and very well organized. It is fenced in and there are stepping stones laid out that separate the different fruits, vegetables and flowers being grown. Jake's staff does a wonderful job weeding and keeping the place well organized and clean.

An odd sight is the plastic bags tied loosely over some of the young fruit to keep bugs away.

 There is a potting shed to store equipment and to start off fragile young plantings. Jake likes to hang out there and sleep in the shade.

 I enjoyed my visit immensely but it was time to go. Before I left, Jake asked me which part of the

garden I like best. Since I am not a big fruit eater, I told him the flowers were my favorites.

I Tried Goat Milk!

Have you ever had fresh goat milk? I tried it and it was great! I guess I need to explain...
There is a goat farm in Singapore called Hay Dairies www.haydairies.com.sg out at the Kranji Countryside www.kranjicountryside.com . I was wandering around the other farms out there when I came across the Hay Dairies unique billy goat sign.

 I walked around the fenced area and noticed how clean everything was. There must have been 300 goats but it didn't stink.

I then walked up to a viewing stand and was amazed to see a group of about ten goats being calmly led up a ramp to the milking area. As each goat stood at it's appointed stall eating some food, a man gingerly lowered a bar over their necks so as not to hurt them. This bar held the goats in place so several men could clean the goats and then hook up hydraulically operated milking machines to each animal. I guess the goats are very used to the process because they all stood still as the pumping machine was turned on. The process took about 10-15 minutes and then the animals were led off to allow another group of ten to go through the same process.

As I walked around there were a few signs explaining a lot about the goat business (Yes, even though I am a cat, I can read quite well!) A very nice gentleman spotted me and asked me if I would like to try some fresh goat milk. I can't speak but rubbed up to him indicating I would love to try some. You see, my parents won't let me drink milk. Since they were not around I figured I should try some.
The nice man opened a little bottle that had been chilled and poured it into a bowl for me to try. Wow, was that good stuff! It is smooth, creamy, and sweet tasting.

Unfortunately, the gentleman had to get back to his work. The whole time I was there, there were cars driving up with people who wanted to buy some milk. One guy had a truck marked Goat Cheese. I guess he must get the milk from here and take it to be processed somewhere else.

I hated to leave but I had to get on down the road to my next stop...a Koi fish farm. I wonder if they were going to let me eat a Koi or two?