Wednesday 28 January 2015

UAE Trip - with some unexpected wildlife

A quiet week this week, so I have resurrected an old section "Show me the Sunny" as well as going back in time in the Photo Finish section.

Show me the sunny

Resurrecting the section monitoring our way to a fortune (or not) with our Solar Panels
(I will update this every Quarter, when we get our tax free payments through)

  • KW Produced since October 2011 – 13098

  • Earned this Qtr - £196

  • This has earned us approximately – £7,569

C.A.C.T.U.S (Cheap As Chips TUeSday)
The section cataloguing the films shown at Bishop’s Stortford cinema which has a half price policy on a Tuesday.

The second film for 2015 was the Oscar nominated American Sniper – The group all enjoyed the film, even if it is a little jingoistic. There was one scene however which was unforgivable for an Oscar nominated film. For anyone who has seen American Sniper tell me if the scene with the new born baby was not a complete embarrassment. Apparently the baby that had originally been booked for the scene was ill and the stand-in failed to turn up…. Personally I feel they would have been better off dropping into the local zoo and raiding the chimp cage…

This week’s C.A.C.T.U.S attendees
Niel
Marb
Natalie
Penny
Al

C.A.C.T.U.S Running Totals
Niel (2)
Marb (2)
Natalie (2)
Penny (2)
Al (1)

Photo finish
I will, during the quieter moments of 2015, treat you to the highlights of 2014.  For my first trip back into the past, I have only gone back a few short weeks to just before Christmas.

Our pre- Christmas trip to (UAE) Dubai and Sir Bani Yas Island

Dubai

Burj Khalifa -
The world's tallest building with 163 floors.
829.8 m (2,722 ft)

Top Tip
 Make sure you Pre-book your
 tour to the viewing balconies.

It's very expensive if you don't book advance.

Burj Khalifa view from the Armani restaurant. 

View from the 148 floor
top tip book your visit to the sky deck in advance
 It's a bit expensive when you turn up on the day.


Shot from 124th floor using Tilt and Shift Lens



Shot from 124th floor using Tilt and Shift Lens


The Aquarium in the Dubai Mall


If you want to see some more shots from Dubai click here

Sir Bani Yas Island


Arabian falconry show




Falcon fishing in Abu Dhabi


Neighbourhood Watch


Arabian Oryx

It's lonely in Black and White


Dance to the death....
Doh!


If you want to see some more shots from Sir Bani Yas Island click here

Friday 16 January 2015

Florida - wilder than you can imagine

After last year’s pathetic effort,  just two posts - must do better. I have decided to try and get my Blogger mo-jo back on track with more pictures and less massacring of the English language. It has enough problems without my assistance.

To start the New Year Mrs B and I went to sunny Florida. The trip got off to a fantastic start when we got upgraded to Business Class on our out-bound flight. We thought it had got even better when Avis offered us an upgrade on our pre-booked hire car. I had booked a Mustang convertible which failed to materialise. Would you like a Corvette Stingray instead? The sales girl showed Mrs B a picture –

Corvette Stingray
Mrs B - "Oh that would be fantastic" - all thoughts forgotten about how we would get 3 large bags and a couple of oversized rucksacks into a small space without having to sacrifice one, or possibly even both of us…

Avis agent – “OK that will be another $200”

Me - Ouch, are you sure Mrs B?

Mrs B – “It looks really sporty”

Me – “But how are we going to get all the luggage in?”

Mrs B – “You are great at packing cars..”

Me - "$200 is a lot extra to pay when you can’t supply the car we booked"

Avis Agent - "That's $200 a day sir"

Me - "Noooooooo"

Avis Agent – “My manager says we can do a deal for just an extra "$1,000" for the week”

Mrs B - "You mean on top of what we have already paid…..Hmmm….. next"

We ended up with this gas guzzler, an impressive 18mpg

Chevrolet Camaro
The back seats came in useful for most of our luggage 
Karma caught up with us on the return flight – no upgrade this time but we did get the delights of two (yes two) babies directly in front of us…. Despite not being related and having no apparent time to practice together they treated us to the delights of solos and duets for the entire flight….

"Aaaaarrrgghhh"

I would love to have felt sorry for the parents but I was too busy supressing murderess thoughts and trying not to offer my pillow as a solution. Fortunately for my freedom I had to keep the pillow clamped tightly over my ears.

C.A.C.T.U.S (Cheap As Chips TUeSday)
A new section cataloguing the films shown at Bishop’s Stortford cinema which has a half price policy on a Tuesday.

This week the delights of “The Theory of Everything” – I particularly enjoyed it as I met the real Professor Hawkins in person last year (you would have read about it if I had been blogging properly last year - try and keep up).

I even got to hear his iconic voice – He only managed “Y E S” but it was an incredible moment, which would have been a lot better if I had not been so busy biting my lip trying not to inappropriately laugh….

Stephens bid for my photographic services
2 and 1/2 oranges - ouch 
This week’s C.A.C.T.U.S attendees
Marb (saved from Blackwidow 2)
Natalie
Penny

Almost attendees
I'm guessing my new friend Stephen didn't get the text

Photo Finish

Sanibel Island 
 (is it just me - it sounds like a pretentious manufacturer of bathroom suites)





Fly me to the moon



Click here if you want to see more pretentious bathroom suite pictures

Miami 
 If you ever watch "Burn Notice"this has to be said in a fake Irish accent (just like Fi says it: Moi-Am-Me in the title sequence for the show)


The Pool at our hotel  

South Beach Moi-Am-Me

No messing with this lady
I think that was blood on her nails 

I'm guessing our hotel had a name change as
it is no longer called Tiffany's but the slightly
pretentious sounding

The Hotel South Beach

Thanks to Big Sis for the recommendation
 
Click here If you want to see some more Moi-Am-Mee pictures

Florida wildlife
(Sadly I heard only 2% of visitors who come to Florida bother with the wildlife. Most people come for the stupid mouse with the big ears and annoying voice….. )

Great places to visit for wild life

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
J.N.Ding Darling National Wildlife Sanctuary (on Sanibel island)
Shark Valley 

The Gators like to get close to the boat
Mrs B refused to get in this shot....

They are so cute when they are small but remember you will
need at least a  15ft Bath tub for when they grow older
 (available through Sanibel Island bathroom
 suppliers to the rich and deluded)

Anhinga

Mrs B and I got very excited at seeing Raccoons
while the Americans around us thought we ere mad
make a fuss over just vermin

she looks like she is doing an impression
of Tommy cooper
"Not like that, like this"
 

Male Brown Anole 

Osprey with the remains of a fish
big prize for anyone who can work out
what type of fish it was.....

Flipper in full play mode 

Bald Eagle
surveying his kingdom

Brown Pelican 

Roseate Spoon Bill

Little Blue Heron
Not sure if it is fishing or just playing with
his bath water
"Now where did I put my rubber duckie"
Click here if you want to see more wildlife pictures

I had always thought that the Everglades were a swamp but it is in fact a very slow moving river.

Catch you next time