The gentle pitter-patter of raindrops on the window doesn't have to be the harbinger of a grey mood. The sound of rain is one of the most relaxing sounds in nature. Curl up on the window seat with a good book, your pet and a cup of warm tea and escape to destinations far and wide.

Heaven’s draperies shimmer across the night sky, dancing in undulating arcs of colour and light. What causes these celestial spectacles? When the sun explodes in massive flares, solar winds travel towards the earth and electrically charge gases in the earth’s atmosphere. Green auroras, the most commonly seen, occur when oxygen particles close to the earth are ignited. Isn’t it amazing that solar winds, like a panoramic travelling circus, make regular visits to the earth to dazzle sky watchers with such stunning beauty?

One of the true delights of fair weather is watching fluffy white cumulus cloud shapes, etched by an invisible artist on a vast canvas of blue sky. Cloud watching is best done with a good friend, lying on your backs or sitting comfortably. You see an elephant; your friend sees an angel. You both say “Train” at the same time and have a good laugh. Your friend spots an ice cream cone, and you see a hamburger. It must be time for lunch. Who knew that so many joyous hours could be spent just watching cumulus clouds on a sunny day?

Among these brightly coloured vendor booths, you may happen upon a delicious culinary delight, a quaint trinket to remind of your travels, or a treasure you never expected. So step right up, sample the wares, and enjoy the festivities with your companions. You never know what's waiting around the corner!

A lone balloon caught in shafts of sunlight.

In a far-off land, where all living things are sentient, the rocks atop a mountain pass amuse themselves by plotting mischief along the well-trodden path below… What might sound like thunder to the uninitiated is equally likely to be the rumbling belly laugh of just such a rock, planning on putting all manner of obstacles in the path of passing Pets. Pets do really pass here at their own peril!

For this leg of the travel game, the pets embark on a river trip past many beautiful buildings. They will need to wrap up warmly before arriving at the cold, snowy region before the boat continues over open water and past a sturdy old lighthouse before reaching the next landing stage, where the climate is much warmer! They will stretch their legs or wings by crossing the bridge back to their starting point.

The pets will gather on the picnic benches outside the community centre before commencing their country ramble. Let's hope those lunch bags remain intact for a few more hours! The tour encompasses country buildings from watermills and windmills to barns, some unusual stone buildings, including a lovely hobbit-type dwelling, and there are some scenes of chocolate-box prettiness. Those pets who have the energy left might like to swim out to the island in the centre of the lake or climb up to a fun tree-house! Others may prefer to explore a formal house and gardens or just relax by the beach!

Today's trip is on a modern train with spacious seats and large windows to enjoy the passing winter scenery. The train's first stop by a frozen lake allows the pets the opportunity to stretch their legs with a little skating! Let's hope there are no frozen paws from this adventure! The trip then proceeds to skiing grounds with steep snowy slopes, cable cars, chair lifts and an Olympic ski jump! The pets can also turn their paws to snowboarding if they wish. The pets will meet a cute little critter also trying to ski. Back on board the train at the end of an action-packed day, the pets will have the thrill of seeing the Northern Lights as they travel home in the setting sun to that night's lodging. There they will enjoy a warming milky coffee and a bowl of hot soup by the wood-burning stove in the dining room, while admiring the snowy scene outside.

Croeso i Gymru! Welcome to Wales! The pets' journey of the British Isles begins in the home of castles, choirs and Celtic myth; of legends, the longbow and language of the Welsh; of rain, rugby and racing; of dragons, daffodils and deer. With three National Parks and five Areas of Outstanding Beauty to explore, your pet will find that scenic Wales, with its mild climate, is the perfect place for a spring holiday! So—as our pets disembark on the north coast, clutching passpets and perhaps a Welsh phrasebook to try out the local lingo, let's see what sights they will enjoy on their tour! They will visit attractions ranging from a tiny house to large castles, and enjoy rambling through wide open spaces and waterfalls with picnic lunches of local cheeses and bara brith and evening meals of leek and potato soup and Welsh rarebit. On the last evening, in a mediaeval town near the border with England, the pets will enjoy traditional meal popular throughout Britain before retiring to their hotel for the night.

Welcome to Northern Ireland! The official flag of this country is the Union Flag, but St Patrick's Saltire (a red diagonal cross on a white field) represents Northern Ireland on the Union Flag. After arriving at the busy port of Belfast, home of the Titanic, the pets will have an extremely varied trip, viewing not only Neolithic sites and a wonder of the world dating back 50 million years, but they will also enjoy lots of bracing fresh air, viewing castles and coastlines! In the evenings, perhaps they will enjoy some legendary Northern Irish music with traditional meals in the local taverns.

Welcome to England! The pets cross the Welsh border to visit a nearby cathedral city and then the county of Shakespeare's birth before heading south to see a very different birthplace—that of an iconic British motor car in 1948, still in use today. Going further south the pets will enjoy two counties very popular as summer holiday resorts, have the opportunity to go on a hot air balloon ride, and to visit Dartmoor—let's hope the Hound of the Baskervilles isn't lurking! They will see wild ponies and have a glimpse of England's friendly national bird, known to every gardener. Moving further along the south coast, the pets will visit an exotic royal retreat in the Chinese and Indian style and a typical seaside pier.

The pets start their journey in Derbyshire, in the east Midlands, and travel up to see the base of the famous Red Arrows aerobatic display team before moving on to the Peak District. From there they explore Cheshire and Lancashire and the Lake District National Park. They can enjoy visits to popular seaside resorts on the west and east coasts, and will see York, one of England’s finest and most beautiful historic cities, called Jorvik by Viking invaders who settled there. They then travel up the North Yorkshire coast spotting British fauna and flora before stopping at Newcastle on Tyne for a final night before crossing the border into bonnie Scotland!

The pets enjoy a tranquil Hertfordshire landscape before moving south towards London. They see the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew and then move on to central London to visit iconic sights. Mind the Gap—they take a trip on the Tube to Baker Street, home of the legendary Sherlock Holmes! They see a typical London pub and see some friendly bobbies guarding the Palace. The pets will then head east to visit a football ground and the scene of a yearly pop festival before finishing the tour in the tranquil surroundings of a mediaeval cathedral city.

Céad míle fáilte! A hundred thousand welcomes! The Irish Republic, or Eire, as it's called in Irish Gaelic, is not, of course, part of the UK; it is an independent country, but geographically belongs to what are known as the British Isles. Ireland is well known for many things, from Oscar Wilde and George Bernard Shaw, Guinness and Irish whiskey, colcannon and soda bread, music, song and Riverdance, folklore, leprechauns and the legendary Irish hospitality.

There’s beauty in the pattern of freshly plowed fields, watching from on high as little green shoots climb out of the soil and strive for the sun’s warmth.

It snow last night and the winds have finally died down! Hurrah! You know what that means………snowmen, snowball fights, sled racing, cross-country skiing, ice-skating just beyond your view. Any and everything you can manage to do to have fun is waiting just beyond the door! Look at that amazing sky, the winds are just right for some wintery kite flying. Well, what are you waiting for? Pull on your warmest boots and your mittens, wrap yourself up warm and cozy and get out there!

Well, that’s certainly not Kansas… But a golden castle! Sign me up, I’m ready to see what kings or queens live in there! An ogre? Trolls? Are you serious, why would they want something so pristine? Well, you’re right, there’s only one way to tell, let’s explore!

There’s nothing so breathtaking as watching the sun peak over the crest of the mountain, the dawn of a new day and full of promise and adventure.

*Cough Cough* My goodness, it's certainly dusty up here...but so many forgotten treasures...so many beautiful things hidden away. The faint strains of a forgotten melody linger in the air...this music box must have belonged to your grandmother when she was a little girl. Childhood memories come flooding back, smiles and tears and whispers are waiting for you in every box...Are you ready to explore the past?