Wednesday, 17 November 2010

Big Cat Diary!

For my 60th birthday in September this year, I treated myself to a BIG cat photographic workshop - courtesy of Tesco points. As I am a 'tiger' in the Chinese calendar, I wanted to do something that would be related to tigers and this was the best thing that I could have chosen.  It was an absolutely amazing day and we were able to take photographs within the safety boundary....obviously not in the enclosures themselves. LOL. We would have been torn to shreds! This Snow Leopard was beautiful and we were allowed to touch it through the fence!  
There were no fingers allowed in the fence but whilst the keeper occupied the Leopard, we were able to stroke it with clenched fists. That is the closest I have ever been to a wild animal!
I can't remember the name of this lion but I called him 'Scarface'. It was evident that he had been hurt on several occasions due to the amount of scars he had on his face....awww...he was sooo cute!

This is Makari....my favourite tiger of all ...sooo big but it's hard to guage his size here.
Here puss, puss....
This is one of the other tigers....
Meowww...


...and me with Makari....eye to eye contact! Amazing.
 
A truly sensational day and one I will remember for the rest of my life.
Purrrrrr....

Friday, 12 November 2010

Autumnwatch!

I have been suffering with an overdose! An overdose of Halloween fun that is...*Ü* I spent so long planning and organising, baking, cooking and preparing that it consumed me for weeks and months - in fact, for 2 whole years! I feel it's time to let go and now look towards Christmas! The stairs are still loaded with items of Halloween to be put away and as there have been a lot of goings on these past 2 weeks, I have still yet to do it!

I read on a blog this morning how someone was a little overwhelmed reading other's blogs, only to learn that everything in life goes well for them. They feature items that they have made etc which looks totally impressive but wondered if in real life, it really is that way or do they have mounds of laundry piled high, children crying out for attention and a mound of stash that hasn't been put away after working with it. Well, I have just confessed that my house is in need of a major tidy up!

Last week, our kitchen sink pipe was leaking - the one under a kitchen base unit! So Mr Shifter got to work! Whilst he managed to remove the cabinet, he also managed to 'disassemble' it to the point of no return!  Hence we then had a gaping opening which looked totally unsightly which revealed how the previous owners had disguised the area behind the cabinets! Eek! The wallpaper must be 100 years old!


Thankfully, the pipe is now fixed and the area has now been re-cemented and levelled off ready for the new units.

A visit to Wickes was in order to see if we could replace it with a similar style.  As it is a Hygena design (no longer in production), we ended up checking out prices at different stores for a white high gloss unit with the intention of purchasing my long awaited white high gloss kitchen! I've been waiting for over 20 years! Who says everything comes to those who wait?! I wish a time span could be put on it! LOL. I would like to have a few years left in me to enjoy it!

So, I have been keeping busy with making more lists....Christmas present lists, Christmas food lists and lists of 'to dos'!

Meanwhile, I have been helping Mr Shifter with a cleaning job in London and whilst I was waiting for everything to be put in place, I sat and ate my cereal - only to be joined by this cute little guy!

Please may I have some?! Awww.
So, share I did.

The grounds were spectacular with so much colour. I always take photos of the different seasons - and if you didn't know, Autumn is my favourite! *Ü*

There were trees ablaze with fire...


...and a crisp golden and bronze carpet of leaves...

Thursday evenings on the television, there has been Autumnwatch and I LOVE the wildlife and creatures that have been featured on there. It's very educational and I have enjoyed watching activity that goes on in the cold from the coziness of my warm home.

Tomorrow, I shall be amongst creatures of a bigger nature - tigers, leopards and the BIG cats, as I have a photographic workshop to attend -  a birthday gift to myself, being that I am a 'tiger' in the Chinese calendar. Oh, you knew that already! LOL.

So peeps, have a wonderful weekend yourselves and stay warm.  

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