Thames by dusk

I was driving back from work the other evening and was struck by the view over across the Thames to the South Bank.

Funny really, I drive this way every day, but sometimes I just stop and think. Nice view!

Bushka by Dawn

This blog is about Bushka, so time for an update. Bushka (nee Cecilia) remains a lovely Maine Coone... She has grown in confidence going outside - at first she was a scaredy cat, jumping at her own shadow - but she now scampers outside fearlessly, rides in the lift (elevator) with aplomb, and has learned that if she meows loud enough at the door we'll let her back in again!

The other night I was aware that she had decided to lie down next to me in bed - but surprised to find her still there in the morning, lying on her back with her head on the pillow. Are cats really supposed to do that?!

Putney Zoomer rides with friends

Having taken the X9 across Northern Europe, I thought I'd take the little Zoomer across London!

Bike trip to Germany

Went for a ride with friends from the X9 Riders Club last week. We rode from the UK to France, Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany - 1,200 miles there and back. Great rides in forests, past vineyards, up mountain, alongside rivers - great people, and some excellent food.

This is the video I took (just over 5 mins).

Vibro-greeting!

We've noticed that Minibu has recently starting vibrating her tail - not a swishing, but a rapid 'vibration' - with her tail held straight up and usually a slightly arched back. She does this when she sees us unexpectedly in the garden, or sometimes when we are giving her her favourite food or even a back rub.

I knew it meant she was happy, but a dig around with Google confirms this:

"According to experts, a cat’s tail will vibrate when she’s happily anticipating something desirable, like a treat. Some cats may also quiver their tail when they’re excited but uncertain of a situation."

So - Minibu seems happy :-)

Phoenix to land on Mars

NASA - Phoenix set to land on Mars

May 13, 2008: NASA's Phoenix Mars Lander is preparing to end its long journey and begin a three-month mission to taste and sniff fistfuls of Martian soil and buried ice. The lander is scheduled to touch down on the Red Planet on Sunday, May 25th. Phoenix will enter the top of the Martian atmosphere at almost 13,000 mph. In seven minutes, the spacecraft must complete a challenging sequence of events to slow to about 5 mph before its three legs reach the ground.

Update - Landing Successful! Video link HERE

Bushka - Outdoors Portrait - May 2008

Back to the cats! This is Bushka enjoying the gardens now that 'summer' seems to be here. Over her shoulder Minibu is lying on the cool earth in the shade.... Both cats enjoy being outside and we try and let them run around for several hours each day.

They let you know when they want to come in by racing to the door when we go out to call them. It's really good to see them 'socialising' with other people and other cats.

Lama 5 outdoor flight

This was the first outdoor flight of the electric Lama 5 helicopter. May 4th was a calm and sultry afternoon in London - perfect for some outdoor flight...

Gourmet flight to France

On Friday 11th April Tony and I flew with Matthew to a delightful restaurant near to St Malo. Boasting no less than 3 Michelin stars, Les Maisons de Bricourt, offered us the perfect excuse to nip over to Cardiff (to collect Tony) then head South in Matthew's beautiful Cirrus SR22, overflying Jersey and Guernsey before making landfall at Dinard and then heading over for a fabulous lunch!

Zoomer ride to Hendon

Thought I would take the Zoomer up to the famous 'Ace Cafe' one Saturday and ended up joining friends from the X9 riders club on a jaunt up to Hendon where there was a bike show.

In mostly urban driving the 50cc Zoomer had no problem keeping up with scooters powered by engines over 10 times its size! Sometimes, even on a bike, less is more :-)

Airborne Lama 5 fascinates Bushka & Minibu

Do they look terrorised by those whirling blades of death? Yeah, right - not a bit!

Red Arrows April 1st Fly-past

The Red Arrows flew over Canary Wharf today. They were celebrating 90 years since the creation of the Royal Air Force. Luckily I was ready for them...

Minibu checks the chopper!

This is the model helicopter - a twin engined, Lama 5 - bought from Maplin in Putney, U.K.

In the background is Minibu the Persian, waiting for another chance to nibble one of the rotor blades.

She thinks I can't see her in the shadows, but I know her plans!

Bushka checks the chopper

Had my first real hovering flights with the Lama 5 this evening. Much harder than you might imagine - with lots of little hops till I got the hover more or less under control.

Bushka the Maine Coon watched from on top of a table, but dropped to the carpet once the helicopter had landed.

Pussies & choppers - who would have thought...

Sniffing the machine

Rather unexpectedly the cats love the sight and sound of small radio-controlled helicopters! They hang about on the arms of sofas, or high on the mantelpiece, their tails flicking as the micro machines hover and dance around the living room. Their heads follow each circuit of the room.

They are sensibly wary of the swirling blades, but when the helicopter lands or crashes they drop to the carpet to approach and sniff the machine...

Today I decided to get a slightly bigger helicopter - a Lama 5.

I must remember to take a photo of it before I have my first crash!

Zoomer on Putney Heath

I thought it might be fun to try the new 50cc Honda Zoomer on Putney Heath, so with Kyle's help we made this little video. The camera on the bike is an Oregon Scientific 'helmet-cam' whilst Kyle provided some steadier shots with my Panasonic Lumix.

The video was put together very quickly to teach myself how to use KDEnlive - a free video editor for Linux...

Bushka sees snowflakes

This was today, Easter Day 2008, in London, UK.

We awoke to snow falling. Both cats could barely believe their eyes; they jumped from the bed to the window to try and catch the dancing flakes with their paws.

I took the above video - edited it in kdenlive - and posted it to Googlevideo. This is my first link to a video.