Image 1/25

@ Childhood Delight
Estrella begins her 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?

Image 2/25

@ Desert Dunes

Blue And Gold Egg
The first painted eggs came from Mesopotamia, and because eggs were forbidden food during Lent, people painted eggs while Lent was being observed—after Lent, they would eat the eggs on Easter Day.

Beautifully decorated eggs “pysanka” are associated with Ukraine, and the oldest painted egg that was unearthed in northern Ukraine is dated to the end of the 17th century.

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.

Image 3/25

@ Serene Swift
"It says in our tour guide that 96.5% of water on Earth is in our oceans, covering 71% of the surface of our planet," remarked Estrella.
"That's amazing, Estrella!" responded NightGhost.
Serene Swift
A lone swift soars in solitude against a backdrop of atmospheric pastel cloud.

Image 4/25

@ Frozen Soap Bubble
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’.
Frozen Soap Bubble
A study in patience and skill! A soap bubble frozen in the cold frost.

Image 5/25

@ Fun With Bubbles
"The Great Fire of London in 1666 gave rise to many changes, you know, Estrella," remarked Choose a name. "Many streets were widened across London. New building regulations meant that instead of wood, brick had to be used for all houses."
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.

Image 6/25

@ Soapy Bubbles of Fun
"It's turned a bit hot, Estrella. They must have put the heating on! I'm going to take my scarf off," said Casper.
"Good scheme! I'll do the same," said Estrella.
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.

Image 7/25

@ Train In The Mist
"It's turned a bit hot, Estrella. They must have put the heating on! I'm going to take my scarf off," said Shamika.
"Good scheme! I'll do the same," said Estrella.
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.

Image 8/25

@ Sunset Bubble
Estrella was very happy to meet Fyzbana here! They both swapped tales of their experiences of their tour of the art gallery wings so far!
Sunset Bubble
The sunset is seen through the body of a bubble, slightly magnifying the setting sun.

Image 9/25

@ Playful Bubbles
The strongest winds in the solar system are on Saturn where they reach speeds of over 1,100mph.
Playful Bubbles
Burbling, gurgling bubbles rise, tickling the toes as you play in the water.

Image 10/25

@ Blue Glacier
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.
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.

Image 11/25

@ Swift in Flight
The four elements were even used to described the four temperaments a person could have, and Hippocrates used the four elements to describe the four “humors” found in the body. These theories stated that the temperaments and humors needed to be in balance with each other in order for a person to be well both mentally and physically.
Swift in Flight
Soaring through the grey clouds, this swift has the freedom of the sky to itself.

Image 12/25

@ Make a Wish Puffballs
"A trivia question for you, Garth!" announced Estrella. "Who is the largest consumer of fireworks in the United States?"
Garth pondered. "I don't know, Estrella, who is it?"
"It's Walt Disney World. The park launches the fireworks with compressed air instead of gunpowder to reduce fumes and gain better height and timing."
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!

Image 13/25

@ Cruising Cranes
"Wind speed is measured with a device called an anemometer. There's a project here for making an anemometer, Estrella. We could try it out tonight when we get back to the accommodation."
"Goodness, Bonny! Isn't it terribly technical and scientific to do that?" queried Estrella.
Bonny studied the diagram helpfully provided in the brochure. "Nah. It seems to be made of empty yoghurt cartons and stuff. We'll give it a go!"
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.

Image 14/25

@ Strawberry with Bubbly
"After the Great Fire of London in 1666, businessmen started house insurance companies. They had to be careful because if another fire started they could lose a lot of money. To get around this, they ended up hiring their own fire brigade just in case a fire did start! This is when the first brigade started."
"It sounds a bit hit-and-miss, Estrella!" remarked Torch.
"It was, yes. Any of the insurance companies' fire brigades weren't allowed to put out a fire of a house which was insured with a different company!"
"They'd just watch it burn, then, Estrella?"
"Well—I guess that was how it went, Torch, yes!"
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!

Image 15/25

@ 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?

Image 16/25

@ Two Heart Kites
Estrella and Starlight had shaken paws and took some time to enjoy the exhibits in a companionable silence!
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.

Image 17/25

@ Diving Polar Bear
"Do you know how matches came to be invented, Foxie?" queried Estrella.
"No, how, Estrella?"
"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.

Image 18/25

@ On The Air
"Patch, 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, Estrella, that's what it's supposed to do! See that exhibit over there?"
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.

Image 19/25

@ Air Bubbles
"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 Estrella.
"Cool!" responded Chloe Rose. "We could make a start when we get back to our hotel tonight."
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.

Image 20/25

@ Bubbles Everywhere
"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 Estrella.
"Wow indeedy!" responded Mimi.
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.

Image 21/25

@ Above It All
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.
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.

Image 22/25

@ Reflections In A Bubble
"It's turned a bit hot, Estrella. They must have put the heating on! I'm going to take my scarf off," said Aria.
"Good scheme! I'll do the same," said Estrella.
Reflections In A Bubble
Reflections distort the everyday, when seen through the swirling colours of a bubble, the whole becomes incredible.

Image 23/25

@ Blue Sky Aeroplane
"It says here that 'fire' is from the Old English fȳr, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vuur and German Feuer," remarked Estrella.
"That's interesting!" responded Brown Bobby.
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!

Image 24/25

@ Red Arrows Daredevils
"Depending on their strength, winds can be known as a breeze, gale, storm or hurricane. Wind is caused by differences in air pressure. Air rushes from high pressure areas to lower ones," remarked Estrella.
"Mm-hmm?" responded Azure Beauty.
Red Arrows Daredevils
The Red Arrows team of the British Royal Air Force carry out a heart-stopping aerobatic display here!

Image 25/25

@ Royal Air Force Red Arrows Team
As Estrella's experience of "Air" comes to an end, she 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.
Estrella has completed her exploration of "Air"! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also explore the Elements!