| PUT your Playstations away and switch off your televisions. Come and join me for a moment in a world of fresh air and with a set of rather special friends that have their favourite toys just like us. I’ve received a complaint from Allegro, Isis, Fox, Ada, Star, Celsius, Maya and Echo that they are doing all the work and not getting a mention.
“On behalf of the Turkey Herald we would like it on record that we
apologise for this oversight and aim to rectify the problem right away guys and girls.”
“Sorry Alex but it’s all about them this week...”
If you have children how many times have you heard the words, “That’s mine, give it back!” Hmmmmmm thought so. Well Allegro is a little like this with her hoop. Her favourite pastime is to swim to one of the corners of her pool and spin her hoop around her belly time and time again and she doesn’t do sharing! It’s hers! If you dare try and take the hoop away from her, she will push you away... Come to think about it she won’t let go of her long spongy either.
Echo, as always, goes for originality and loves his basketball and not only tosses it on the end of his nose but dives down and literally dribbles it like an ‘all-star’ along the bottom of the pool.
“You think that’s original? The hose is much better fun to play with.” Perge isn’t inclined to agree with me. She thinks that playing with the long vacuum hose when the pools are being cleaned is much more imaginative. Even though she has been told off for doing this, time and time again it’s her favourite pastime! When the trainers first saw her doing this they were just about to jump in as they feared she would entangle herself as she was spinning but she freed herself straight away and did it repeatedly and was having a ‘dolphin’ of a time. (Actually according to my mum I was the type of child that would take all my toys out of the box and then go off and play with something that I wasn’t supposed to.) Hmmmmmmmmmm have I changed that much? No.
“Yes I am coming to you Maya,”
Sweet as sugar, Maya gently plays with hoops too and she thinks that Allegro can be quite boring really. She shows me how you get the hoop, spin it round your waist and then flip it over the top of your tail. (Nothing like healthy competition between your pool pals hey.) Alex says that out of all the dolphins, Maya plays differently and comes out with quite unusual moves. She is known for being gentle, playful and thinks about how she plays more than the others. Ah bless her.
(Clever Maya)
Isis wants you all to know that whilst she is nifty with a hoop she can toss basketballs just as good as her male counterparts and enjoys showing the boys in the next pool that she’s rather good at it too. “Bring it on boys you’ve got nothing on me, afraid to lose to a girl?”
In unison, “bet you can’t do this.” shouting back to Isis is, ‘Ada’ and ‘Celsius’. These boys like to swim fast around the pool and toss the big blue balls high up into the stadium arena again and again. (Careful if you are walking past at playtime, ‘Ada’ has got me many a time! Funny though). It is a surprise if you are miles away concentrating on something else entirely, then suddenly, buffffffff. Both Celsius and Ada greatly enjoy it when Alex and the other trainers lower the targets above the pool because then it’s, ‘Game on!’ They jump high up to the targets and bash the strung up red balls with their tails.
(Looking good, Ada and Celsius)
“Tell them about me!” Ok Star I am just coming to you. Star likes to get the boys, ‘Ada’ and ‘Celsius’ to play fight with him even though they tend to be stronger than him. He likes to charge around the pool and hang out with the guys and play up. He’s still young and finding his way and proving himself is what it’s all about for him, even if this means he may get pushed around a bit. To Star he thinks it’s worth the amusement it gives him, after all he’s a boy’s boy too!
(Yes, what a Star!)
“Did you forget me?” How could I forget you Fox, when you are so adorable. Young and fragile Fox likes to play with everything, hoops, balls or just hanging out. She has been quite shy just lately and is soon to go in the therapy pool with the other girls. She can’t wait as she has been receiving special attention and care and whilst she has been made a fuss of in the last few weeks she is looking forward to hanging out with her female flippers. (Any girly can relate to that Fox).
(Little Fox gaining some confidence with Alex...) Also ‘Mila’s’ special dolphin.
Toys are used as a reward and a reinforcing tool and are brought out during training, periodically. Who doesn’t love toys and none of us are ever too old to play. With the stresses in everyday life we simply forget to slow down and have fun.
My flipper friends at Adaland have re-taught me that ‘time out’ is essential in life. We all feel better for it and isn’t it great when we stop the world around us spinning so fast and just get off for a bit...
To show you just how naturally dolphins just love to play I leave you with the following clip...
‘Dolphins Delight’ Bubble Fun From ABC NEWS in New York.
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