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@ Childhood Delight
Zasha begins his experience of Air!
Childhood Delight
Do you still play with bubbles? When washing the dishes and a bubble forms when you squirt the soap, do you laugh or smile in delight? Are you tempted to take some soapy mixture and go for a walk, leaving a trail of bubbles everywhere you go?

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@ Desert Dunes

Purple Flower Power Egg
My pets are in awe of these beautiful eggs—they would love to try to paint their own one year. Easter and spring are times of joy as the earth awakens, plants are pushing forth from the soil, and the days are becoming warmer. Many baby animals are born in the spring, and life is burgeoning. May these eggs bring you joy and be a reminder of the earth renewing itself.

Desert Dunes
These ridges in the sands are caused by the action of the wind and are called "dunes". The effect is similar to those found under the sea, where it is the waves that form the dunes. Most windblown sand on the Earth is composed of quartz but gypsum dunes are also found.

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@ Serene Swift
“Ooh, it's just starting to get a bit cold, Zasha!” said FLAPPY. “Can you hold my map while I dig out my jumper?"
Zasha good-naturedly took charge of FLAPPY's possessions while she emptied her rucksack of a pack of sandwiches, a Thermos flask, a pair of galoshes, a bag of toffees, a paperback novel, a bottle of mineral water, an address book, some postage stamps, an assortment of different coloured biros, a bottle opener, a couple of old train tickets, a handful of golden and silver moles, a door key, some shopping receipts, a screwdriver, a bottle of multivitamins, a lottery ticket and a selection of rather battered sachets of salt, sugar and tomato ketchup before locating the jumper right at the bottom. This she donned and then Zasha helped her put everything back in her rucksack.
Serene Swift
A lone swift soars in solitude against a backdrop of atmospheric pastel cloud.

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@ Frozen Soap Bubble
A natural gas vent in Iraq known as The Eternal Fire has been burning continuously for over 4000 years, and it has been mentioned by Herodotus, Plutarch and in the Old Testament Book of Daniel.
Frozen Soap Bubble
A study in patience and skill! A soap bubble frozen in the cold frost.

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@ Fun With Bubbles
The idea that four elements – earth, water, air, and fire – made up all matter was the cornerstone of philosophy, science and medicine for two thousand years.
Fun With Bubbles
Wintertime is a time to play outdoors and if it is cold enough you can make some soapy mixture and blow bubbles. Watch as ice forms and races around the interior of the bubble. These are delicate and won’t last long as cracks appear letting the air out and then the bubble is gone.

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@ Soapy Bubbles of Fun
"There's a fun project in our brochure on how to make a weather vane from an ice cream container lid, scissors, a marker pen, a skewer, a straw and a pin," remarked Zasha.
"Cool!" responded Frank. "We could make a start when we get back to our hotel tonight."
Soapy Bubbles of Fun
The iridescence of a soap bubbles, which seem to contain a wealth of changing colour, stem from light striking the bubble from varied angles.

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@ Train In The Mist
“If there's time at the end of the day when we get back to our accommodation, I might do some initial sketches for a watercolour painting from the postcard I bought in the gift shop," Lady Jane said, offering Zasha a toffee from the bag and then unwrapping one for herself.
“That sounds like a good plan, Lady Jane!" said Zasha. "Very relaxing, and your painting will be a great souvenir of our trip through the Elements!"
Train In The Mist
Who has dreamed of taking a train? Sitting in a swaying car—listening to the clatter of steel wheels on steel tracks. You watch the miles go by as you pass through tunnels and forests—and look down on rivers far below.

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@ Sunset Bubble
Water expands by 9% when it freezes. Frozen water (ice) is lighter than water, which is why ice floats in water.
Sunset Bubble
The sunset is seen through the body of a bubble, slightly magnifying the setting sun.

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@ Playful Bubbles
"This is an extremely varied set of exhibits, Zasha!" remarked Brujula. "We're going from really cosy pictures of pets to amazing scenic landscapes!"
Playful Bubbles
Burbling, gurgling bubbles rise, tickling the toes as you play in the water.

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@ Blue Glacier
“If there's time at the end of the day when we get back to our accommodation, I might do some initial sketches for a watercolour painting from the postcard I bought in the gift shop," Ugie said, offering Zasha a toffee from the bag and then unwrapping one for himself.
“That sounds like a good plan, Ugie!" said Zasha. "Very relaxing, and your painting will be a great souvenir of our trip through the Elements!"
Blue Glacier
Over many decades a vcontinuing build-up of snow results in the presence of a large enough mass of snow for the change from snow to glacier ice to begin. The age of the oldest glacier ice in Antarctica may approach 1,000,000 years old! Glacier ice is blue because the red (long wavelengths) part of white light is absorbed by ice and the blue (short wavelengths) light is transmitted and scattered. The longer the path light travels in ice, the more blue it appears.

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@ Swift in Flight
"There's a fun project in our brochure on how to make a weather vane from an ice cream container lid, scissors, a marker pen, a skewer, a straw and a pin," remarked Zasha.
"Cool!" responded Choose a name. "We could make a start when we get back to our hotel tonight."
Swift in Flight
Soaring through the grey clouds, this swift has the freedom of the sky to itself.

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@ Make a Wish Puffballs
"Did you know that fire can only burn on Earth, Zasha?" asked Sabrina.
"I guess I hadn't really thought about it, Sabrina! Why is that, then?"
"It says here that fire can exist on no known planet, other than Earth itself. This is because the rest of the planets in our Galaxy don’t have enough oxygen to support the burning of a flame."
Make a Wish Puffballs
Golden dandelions in bloom are a lovely sight (especially for bees!). Eventually, all those beautiful flowers turn into white globes of exposed seeds that are often called puffballs. Dandelions are so success at growing because their puffballs disperse their seeds over long distances in a stiff breeze. Some dandelions don't need to wait for the wind, though. As dandelions turn to seed, perhaps you will pick them, close your eyes, make a wish, and blow the seeds into the air!

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@ Cruising Cranes
“You know what, Zasha?” said Tommy. “Seeing all these amazing photographs makes me want to take up photography myself!”
“Sounds like a great idea!" replied Zasha. "There’s an evening class you can join when we get back!"
Cruising Cranes
The crane is a graceful, elegant bird. It plays an important role in Japanese symbolism, representing positive change and associated with the New Year in various cultures. Crane symbolism focuses on the need for balance and living in harmony with others.

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@ Strawberry with Bubbly
The air in Earth’s atmosphere is made up of approximately 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen. Air also has small amounts of lots of other gases, too, such as carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen.
Strawberry with Bubbly
Imagine a ripe, luscious strawberry dropped into a tall glass of sparkling wine or champagne, imparting a subtle fruity flavour into every delicious sip!

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@ Cloud Walking
Oh look ... you won a pet!
Cloud Walking
These clouds are so inviting, fluffy and soft. I wonder how it would feel to walk upon the clouds. Would the feet sink deep into the cloud or would your feet skim lightly across the top? Would you become tired like you do if you walk for a long time on the ground, or would you be able to walk and never tire, no matter how far you went?

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@ Two Heart Kites
"Paddy, I've got something called "sepia effect" on my camera. I've got a feeling it’s faulty, though. It just makes everything go all brown!”
"Oh, Zasha, that's what it's supposed to do! See that exhibit over there?"
Two Heart Kites
Two red hearts flying high are a joyful sight, and flying kites is always such a fun pastime. The day is clear, and the breeze is steady—let’s join these happy people and fly some kites of our own.

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@ Diving Polar Bear
"Do you know how matches came to be invented, Teeka?" queried Zasha.
"No, how, Zasha?"
"An English apothecary, John Walker, used a stick to stir a pot containing antimony sulphide, potassium chlorate & sulphur and some of the mixture stuck to the end of the stick. When he tried to scrape the lump, it easily caught fire and this led to the birth of friction matches. This was in 1827."
Diving Polar Bear
Polar bears are of course very good swimmers and they have excellent eyesight when underwater. A polar bear will stay in a dive underwater for as long as it can hold its breath, which will usually be about a minute but can be up to three minutes! Their fur is made of hollow hairs, which helps them stay afloat when swimming.

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@ On The Air
"The Great Fire of London in 1666 gave rise to many changes, you know, Zasha," remarked Tickety-Boo. "Many streets were widened across London. New building regulations meant that instead of wood, brick had to be used for all houses."
On The Air
"You're on the air!" This familiar phrase from the world of radio broadcasting—or wireless broadcasting for those of us with very long memories!—is as familiar as the iconic red sign that lights up in the studio, to remind broadcasters that anything they say will be heard by their audience, be it local or around the world.

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@ Air Bubbles
Ray Bradbury wrote a book called The Fireman, but the editors found the name boring. They called a local fire station to ask at what temperature book paper would burn at. The firemen put Bradbury on hold, burnt a book, and reported that the temperature it burnt at was 451° Fahrenheit. The rest, as they say, is history.
Air Bubbles
Bubbles are fascinating, and they can teach a lot about elasticity, surface tension, chemistry, light, and even geometry. Not just pretty spheres that float in the air when playing with soap on a warm day.

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@ Bubbles Everywhere
The strongest winds in the solar system are on Saturn where they reach speeds of over 1,100mph.
Bubbles Everywhere
Like a kid's dream of so many marbles. Whether these bubbles can be played with or put in the bottom of a fish tank, they look fun to run your hands through.

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@ Above It All
"Do you know how matches came to be invented, Zelda?" queried Zasha.
"No, how, Zasha?"
"An English apothecary, John Walker, used a stick to stir a pot containing antimony sulphide, potassium chlorate & sulphur and some of the mixture stuck to the end of the stick. When he tried to scrape the lump, it easily caught fire and this led to the birth of friction matches. This was in 1827."
Above It All
You are drifting along in a balloon high above towns, forests, and lakes. The sun is rising as mist rises from the ground. There is a sense of forever as the expanse of the sky goes on and on.

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@ Reflections In A Bubble
"Do you know how matches came to be invented, Mystique?" queried Zasha.
"No, how, Zasha?"
"An English apothecary, John Walker, used a stick to stir a pot containing antimony sulphide, potassium chlorate & sulphur and some of the mixture stuck to the end of the stick. When he tried to scrape the lump, it easily caught fire and this led to the birth of friction matches. This was in 1827."
Reflections In A Bubble
Reflections distort the everyday, when seen through the swirling colours of a bubble, the whole becomes incredible.

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@ Blue Sky Aeroplane
"Wow! It says here in our brochure that there’s a bush called dictamnus albus which emits a flammable, oily substance which can be lit on fire, without burning the bush itself," remarked Zasha.
"Wow indeedy!" responded Splodge.
Blue Sky Aeroplane
Up, up and away! Does this aeroplane carry groups of happy pets jetting off on holiday? Or perhaps businesspets going on international meetings? Whatever their destination, we wish them a safe journey!

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@ Red Arrows Daredevils
A natural gas vent in Iraq known as The Eternal Fire has been burning continuously for over 4000 years, and it has been mentioned by Herodotus, Plutarch and in the Old Testament Book of Daniel.
Red Arrows Daredevils
The Red Arrows team of the British Royal Air Force carry out a heart-stopping aerobatic display here!

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@ Royal Air Force Red Arrows Team
As Zasha's experience of "Air" comes to an end, he receives a wonderful gift!
Pine Tree, Blue, Overlay
You can use this wonderful overlay as a backdrop in your art slides, or in the foreground for your pets to scamper around. Trees, glorious trees, there is always room for more trees in your life and your art.

Royal Air Force Red Arrows Team
The famous Red Arrows aerobatic team provide an exciting show here in Newcastle on Tyne, England.
Zasha has completed his exploration of "Air"! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also explore the Elements!