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@ Childhood Delight
Chompers 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

White Daisy 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
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.
Serene Swift
A lone swift soars in solitude against a backdrop of atmospheric pastel cloud.

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@ Frozen Soap Bubble
“Oh hello, Chompers!” cried Paz. “Didn’t we bump into each other at the Fiat racetrack in Turin last July? This is quite the change of scene, isn't it!”
Frozen Soap Bubble
A study in patience and skill! A soap bubble frozen in the cold frost.

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@ Fun With Bubbles
"Why do we get sea breezes, Chompers?" queried chipper cheep.
Chompers looked baffled. "I don't know, chipper cheep! We just do!"
chipper cheep read out from the brochure: " 'Sea breezes occur because heat from the sun takes longer to warm the sea than the land, creating a difference in air pressure.' So—there it is."
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
"At the time of the Great Fire of London in 1666 there was no fire brigade such as we have today. Men from the Navy used gunpowder to blow up houses in the path of the fire to halt its spread!"
"Goodness me, Malao! Drastic, or what? Did it work?" queried Chompers.
"It sort of worked—eventually! But it took some days, during which time a large part of London had been destroyed."
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
“What have you got in your rucksack, Sir Barkey Barksalot?” asked Chompers. “It looks very full!”
“I’ve come prepared for anything, Chompers,” responded Sir Barkey Barksalot. “There’s canvas deck shoes, tennis shoes, flip-flops, sandshoes, walking boots, sandals, loafers—you name it, I’ve got it!”
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
When humans and animals breathe, we give off an odorless gas called carbon dioxide, or CO2. Plants use this gas, along with sunlight, to make food—and oxygen too! This process is called photosynthesis.
Sunset Bubble
The sunset is seen through the body of a bubble, slightly magnifying the setting sun.

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@ Playful Bubbles
"Why do we get sea breezes, Chompers?" queried Rainz.
Chompers looked baffled. "I don't know, Rainz! We just do!"
Rainz read out from the brochure: " 'Sea breezes occur because heat from the sun takes longer to warm the sea than the land, creating a difference in air pressure.' So—there it is."
Playful Bubbles
Burbling, gurgling bubbles rise, tickling the toes as you play in the water.

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@ Blue Glacier
When it’s a hot, muggy summer day, you’ve probably heard the word “humid.” But what does that mean, exactly? Relative humidity is the amount of water that the air can hold before it rains. Humidity is usually measured in percentages, so the highest level of relative humidity—right before it rains—is 100 percent.
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
The doldrums is a wind-free area around the equator where sailing ships used to get stuck for weeks. Hence the phrase ‘in the doldrums’.
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
"It's turned a bit hot, Chompers. They must have put the heating on! I'm going to take my scarf off," said Rex.
"Good scheme! I'll do the same," said Chompers.
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
Chompers and Sunshine had shaken paws and took some time to enjoy the exhibits in a companionable silence!
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
Chompers and WaQus had shaken paws and took some time to enjoy the exhibits in a companionable silence!
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
Air pollution is measured with the Air Quality Index, or AQI. The lower the AQI, the cleaner the air is. However, if you are outside when the AQI is over 100, it’s about the same as breathing in exhaust from a car all day! Things that cause poor air quality are forest fires and cities with lots of car traffic. If the AQI is higher than 100 you shouldn’t spend too much time outside.
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
“Ooh, it's just starting to get a bit cold, Chompers!” said Nash. “Can you hold my map while I dig out my jumper?"
Chompers good-naturedly took charge of Nash's possessions while he emptied his 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 he donned and then Chompers helped him put everything back in his rucksack.
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
"Hey, this is interesting, Chompers!" declared Edwina. "It says here that if the entire world’s water were fit into a 4 litre jug, the fresh water available for humans and pets would equal only about one tablespoon."
Chompers fidgeted with the corner of his brochure. "I'm not sure I follow, Edwina!"
"It's a proportion thing, Chompers. Nearly 97% of the world’s water is salty or otherwise undrinkable. Another 2% is locked in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves just 1% for all of our needs!"
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
"Hey, this is interesting, Chompers!" declared Laila Lu. "It says here that if the entire world’s water were fit into a 4 litre jug, the fresh water available for humans and pets would equal only about one tablespoon."
Chompers fidgeted with the corner of his brochure. "I'm not sure I follow, Laila Lu!"
"It's a proportion thing, Chompers. Nearly 97% of the world’s water is salty or otherwise undrinkable. Another 2% is locked in ice caps and glaciers. That leaves just 1% for all of our needs!"
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
"It says here that 'fire' is from the Old English fȳr, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vuur and German Feuer," remarked Chompers.
"That's interesting!" responded Champ.
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
“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," Tante Grønn said, offering Chompers a toffee from the bag and then unwrapping one for herself.
“That sounds like a good plan, Tante Grønn!" said Chompers. "Very relaxing, and your painting will be a great souvenir of our trip through the Elements!"
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, Arcturus?" queried Chompers.
"No, how, Chompers?"
"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
"It's turned a bit hot, Chompers. They must have put the heating on! I'm going to take my scarf off," said Sly.
"Good scheme! I'll do the same," said Chompers.
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
"Wind direction is given by the direction from which the wind comes," said Chompers.
"That makes sense!" replied Antsy.
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 Chompers'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.
Chompers has completed his exploration of "Air"! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also explore the Elements!