She watched as he slunk by, her eyes growing round…
Otis, I noticed
Was washing her paw
When Burma sneaked over
(The cat from next door)
She watched as he slunk by
Her eyes growing round
Her fur rose in hackles
She leapt to the ground Continue reading
In which Otis hunts for food, and finds the source…
Otis, I notice
Is lumbered with greed
She never has learned
That there’s time between feeds
She’ll sit round and meow
Like a beggar instead
And pretend to my friends
That she never gets fed Continue reading
And she also has stripes on one leg at the back… Otis, Queen of the house – apparently.
Otis was a friend that I lived with for 16 years. We moved many times, from the forest to beside the highways and many places in between, and she was always there, somewhere in the background, usually no more than 12 feet away from me. She wasn’t a lap cat, nor a smoochy cat, but we had a very special friendship and I miss her very much. I truly hope I see her again some day. This is the first installment of my 8-part tribute to her. Continue reading
Evil personified! This one took a jandal hostage and wouldn’t give it back until lots of food was thrown at it. Bundi, Rajasthan.
You hear the term ‘Bucket List’ bandied about quite often, yes? I was fortunate enough to cotton on at an early age that the world is a fascinating place and I had started a list of countries and things I wanted to see by the time I was 12. Tibet, the Pyramids, Bedouins in Arabia, Castles in England, Frogs in the Amazon, Iguanas in Galapagos, the usual run-of-the-mill stuff.
I’m not entirely sure where the ‘Bucket List’ term originated, but since I’m about to turn 50 and inherit my license for eccentricity, I’ve decided that I shall have a Pooh List. I know – I’m such a grown-up. And I’ve already ticked off several of the items on it: Continue reading
I am guilty. And I was ignorant. I didn’t know.
This baby is so hungry she tried to latch onto a passing elephant she didn’t know to suckle.
Photo by Lek Chailert
I went to India four times before I saw my first real live elephant. At about 2 o’clock in the morning, in Pahar Ganj, a place bustling with people and traffic and street dogs and rubbish. I was so thrilled to finally see one that I didn’t stop to think that the poor thing was probably stressed out by the noise and traffic, and also probably just hanging out to get off the hard tarmac and go to bed. Continue reading
Bikini Bird. Not the sort I’m talking about…
Photo courtesy of memoflores, Flikr
Before I go getting all carried away with researching this matter of birds in New Zealand, I thought I would do a poll to see if anyone is actually interested, in case I go investing valuable grey matter into an exercise in futility. Besides, I wanted to play with the buttons on my blog. (Wot’s that switch over there for? Wot happens if I push this?) So let me know whether reading about ridiculous ratites and assorted avialae would blow your hair back or whether I should give it a big miss and go and pour a nice wine and photograph wetas or some thing instead.
The Weta of New Zealand. Face only a mother could love…
Photo courtesy of Masivaan, Flikr.
So here we go – your chance to have a say in the investment of my grey matter:
If you aren’t tempted by these tantalizing buttons, leave a comment instead.
New Zealand is a unique little country, sitting in an unassuming manner at the very bottom of the world. Or in my opinion, at the top of the world, if other countries would only face reality and turn their atlases up the right way. We’re one of the first countries in the world to see the break of dawn, after all. Our national colour is black, our national flower is a fern and our national bird couldn’t fly if you threw it off a cliff.
I can’t fly – please don’t throw me off that cliff…
— Oscar Wilde
Playing with Faa Mai. Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Two BFF’s at the elephant clinic, Elephant Nature Park.
Jodi had told us that some of the elephants could be drama queens, and on this last day I got to see it for myself. I was lolling about in the dining area having my morning coffee and looking across at the elephant clinic, where there was always an elephant to be seen who lived there on a semi-permanent basis due to her need for ongoing foot treatment, plus another elephant who hung around keeping her company. Every day at ENP I had seen both of them there together. Today something caught my eye – there was only one elephant (Number 1). The more mobile one (Number 2) had gone for a wander around the back. Elephant Number 1 suddenly noticed she was gone and made a hell of an uproar! She started bellowing ‘Come back! Where are you?!’ – presumably in Thai Ele language – and kicking up a right fuss. I spotted the other one come out from around the back, and I actually saw her heave a great sigh. She took her time wandering back to the front of the clinic then trumpeted to Number 1 – ‘All right! Keep yer proboscis on, I’m here!’ They touched trunks and felt each other all over for a little while then settled back into their usual routine of, well, eating. Ah, the trials and tribulations of a BFF relationship. Continue reading
I was reading about the Fractal Patterns of Lightning Strike Scars here, then I saw the captured lightning stuff. These guys get to play with some really cool toys!!
“This 3″ x 3″ x 2″ three dimensional Lichtenberg Figure was created by ebeam irradiation along multiple planes. The internal potential within the specimen prior to discharging it was estimated to be 2.2 million volts. The specimen is illuminated from below by blue LEDs.”
Lightning captured in acrylic.
See more about this at capturedlightning.com
Enjoy!!
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