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@ Childhood Delight
Spectacular 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?

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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
The strongest winds in the solar system are on Saturn where they reach speeds of over 1,100mph.
Serene Swift
A lone swift soars in solitude against a backdrop of atmospheric pastel cloud.

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@ Frozen Soap Bubble
Spectacular was very happy to meet Dunkle here! They both swapped tales of their experiences of their tour of the art gallery wings so far!
Frozen Soap Bubble
A study in patience and skill! A soap bubble frozen in the cold frost.

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@ Fun With Bubbles
"Did you know you can start a fire with ice, Spectacular?" asked Summer!.
"How on earth do you do that?" queried Spectacular.
"Well, you need a disc of clear ice shaped into a lens, then use it as you would a magnifying glass to shine the sun's rays onto flammable material, such as dry grass."
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
The ancient Greeks believed that there were four elements that everything was made up of: earth, water, air and fire. This theory was suggested around 450 BCE, and it was later supported and added to by Aristotle. Aristotle also suggested that there was a fifth element, aether, because it seemed strange that the stars would be made out of earthly elements. He would be surprised to learn that they are in fact made up of many elements found on earth, and are so hot they could be said to be on fire all the time!
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
"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 Spectacular.
"Mm-hmm?" responded Eton.
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
"The Great Fire of London in 1666 gave rise to many changes, you know, Spectacular," remarked Graham. "Many streets were widened across London. New building regulations meant that instead of wood, brick had to be used for all houses."
Sunset Bubble
The sunset is seen through the body of a bubble, slightly magnifying the setting sun.

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@ Playful Bubbles
"It's turned a bit hot, Spectacular. They must have put the heating on! I'm going to take my scarf off," said Balthazar.
"Good scheme! I'll do the same," said Spectacular.
Playful Bubbles
Burbling, gurgling bubbles rise, tickling the toes as you play in the water.

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@ Blue Glacier
"Wind speed is measured with a device called an anemometer. There's a project here for making an anemometer, Spectacular. We could try it out tonight when we get back to the accommodation."
"Goodness, Schnupfen! Isn't it terribly technical and scientific to do that?" queried Spectacular.
Schnupfen 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!"
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
"Did you read what it said under that exhibit earlier, Mr. Dylan?" asked Spectacular. "It stated that early windmills' sails turned anti-clockwise but later makers shifted mainly to clockwise."
"Wow, Spectacular! It's one of those things I'd never have thought about!"

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
"What unit of measure is used for wind speed, Spectacular?" asked mucki.
"Um—I don't know—miles per hour?" hazarded Spectacular.
"No. The knot."
"Oh, mucki, I thought that was to do with sailing?"
mucki consulted the tour guide. " 'A knot is a unit of speed equivalent to one nautical mile per hour, used especially of ships, aircraft, or winds.' There you go."
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
Spectacular and Noelle shook paws, said “How do you do?” and posed for a souvenir photo. “Why am I always on the left?” grumbled Spectacular. “Let’s change sides.”
“No,” said Noelle. “This is my best side.”
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
“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," Lee-ana said, offering Spectacular a toffee from the bag and then unwrapping one for herself.
“That sounds like a good plan, Lee-ana!" said Spectacular. "Very relaxing, and your painting will be a great souvenir of our trip through the Elements!"
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
"Wind direction is given by the direction from which the wind comes," said Spectacular.
"That makes sense!" replied Beast.
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, MooBerry?" queried Spectacular.
"No, how, Spectacular?"
"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
"Did you know you can start a fire with ice, Spectacular?" asked DILLIGAS.
"How on earth do you do that?" queried Spectacular.
"Well, you need a disc of clear ice shaped into a lens, then use it as you would a magnifying glass to shine the sun's rays onto flammable material, such as dry grass."
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
“What have you got in your rucksack, Flora?” asked Spectacular. “It looks very full!”
“I’ve come prepared for anything, Spectacular,” responded Flora. “There’s canvas deck shoes, tennis shoes, flip-flops, sandshoes, walking boots, sandals, loafers—you name it, I’ve got it!”
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 ancient Greeks believed that there were four elements that everything was made up of: earth, water, air and fire. This theory was suggested around 450 BCE, and it was later supported and added to by Aristotle. Aristotle also suggested that there was a fifth element, aether, because it seemed strange that the stars would be made out of earthly elements. He would be surprised to learn that they are in fact made up of many elements found on earth, and are so hot they could be said to be on fire all the time!
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
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’.
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
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.
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 says here that 'fire' is from the Old English fȳr, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch vuur and German Feuer," remarked Spectacular.
"That's interesting!" responded FLEECE.
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
“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," Felix said, offering Spectacular a toffee from the bag and then unwrapping one for himself.
“That sounds like a good plan, Felix!" said Spectacular. "Very relaxing, and your painting will be a great souvenir of our trip through the Elements!"
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 Spectacular'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.
Spectacular has completed her exploration of "Air"! Please select another pet as visitor, so it can also explore the Elements!