Rusty Comes Home

Back in the 1960’s my dad (a scientist at RAE Farnborough) worked with an Alsatian in a project to use them to find black boxes at air crash sites. The old recorders were very susceptible to getting wiped by people searching crash sites with metal detectors, so alternate methods needed to be found.

Pathé News clip can be found HERE:  Black-Box-Retriever

My dad loved the dog that was trained at RAE Farnborough for this task.

The dog was called Rusty.

As many people will no doubt know, we love our animals, be they hens, crows, cats or horses, but we have wanted a dog for some time. So, in memory of my dad, and his Rusty work mate, we looked for a dog to fill our homes dog shaped hole. It had to be a GSD (German Shepherd Dog) with a good temperament and fine with children and other animals. Chris did a lot of research and found a breeder in Ireland called Alsace Royale German Shepherds, who had exactly the style of GSD we wanted, and raised from a pup with children and animals around it. Chris did her homework, asked around and decided that these were the ones for us.

These dogs were originally called German Shepherd dogs until the war, at which point having something ‘German’ became unsavoury. As such, they were renamed ‘Alsastian Wolf Hounds‘, and then shortened to ‘Alsatian‘. Much campaigning took place, and in 1977 the original breed name was given the okay to register under again. In 2010 the ‘Alsation‘ tag was officially dropped.

We also knew who we wanted as the parents of our pup, so were going to wait until next year when they would breed the pair again… but in the meantime I went behind Chris’s back and talked to the breeder. I wanted to see if I could get a head start and somehow get a puppy ahead of the time Chris and Alex thought we’d be getting one, and then it would be a great surprise for them both.

Alex has been using pocket money and treats to buy dog toys, ready for when we got a dog, even though he knew we weren’t getting one for a long time. Even when asked what he wanted Santa to get him for Christmas, he replied “Dog toys please“. When asked why he didn’t ask for a puppy, he said “That’s not going to happen for a long time, so I’m not even asking”.

I asked what could daddy get you to make daddy better than Santa (expecting “a puppy!!!”) and he said… “A hug…”

Yeah, that knocked me back a bit too.

Well, that really made me want to surprise him. What a lovely, selfless answer. He didn’t want toys for himself, he wanted things for a dog that we wouldn’t be getting for a very long time, and the one thing he did want cost nothing.

Then Jackie from Alsace Royale called me just over a week ago. She had some news. One of the previous litters from the parents we wanted, had to be returned to the breeders because the new owners had some news after 8 weeks of ownership that meant they would not be able to keep a dog. A 15 week old female short hair GSD was available. Okay, she wasn’t a 10 week old GSD next summer… but what’s six weeks older, just to see the looks on Christine and Alex’s faces?

How could you not love me?

Here she is as a few weeks old, from the Alsace Royale web site (she’s the one who sniffs the camera):

After some careful planning, lots of calls with Jackie and a traffic jam encountered by Lenny, the Alsace Royale specialist dog courier, Alsace Royale Rusty showed up at our meeting place. I had intended to keep this all secret from Chris, and then turn up at Alex’s school that afternoon and wait at the gates as they left… but in the end, I took Chris with me, and some excellent friends picked Alex up after school – telling him that mum and dad had broken down in the car, and would be around later to pick him up.

Rusty meets Chris

Well, it goes without saying that Chris and Alex were really surprised and incredible happy. Rusty absolutely loves Alex, and her temperament is perfect. She gets on with our hens and cats, and is a really well behaved around strangers and other dogs.

Alex and Rusty – “Santa didn’t stand a chance daddy…”

She’s already become close friends with Ytsur, the mirror dog…

… and she’s discovered the lake, where she doesn’t care less about the swans and ducks…

So yup, she’s a happy new addition to the family.

Click link below for more pictures

Lots more photos HERE

What snakes are good at maths?

Ah yes, the old ‘Adder’ pun…

Off on a run around the local lake (Farnborough, South East England) I noticed a fast moving branch in the road. Instinctively I realised it could not be a branch, as they tend to sleep during the day (have you ever seen one slip across a road during the day? No… which proves my point).

I walked up to the ‘not a branch‘ slowly and turned off my audiobook app (I was listening to Stieg Larsson – The Girl Who Played with Fire ) and switched over to my camera. I took a few photo’s of this beautiful female adder (thanks to a friend on Twitter who helped with the recognition).

The last time I saw one of these in the wild, was  a few years ago whilst I was driving along near my house. It was in the road in the opposite lane. A bus ran straight over it. Driver probably thought it was just road debris, but I was right next to it waiting for the bus to pass.

According to the Forestry Commission, this siting was absolute text book! Mid April, hot day… near water… not shying away from people. This following information is from their website.

Adder

 The adder is the only venomous snake native to Britain. Adders have  the most highly developed venom injecting mechanism of all snakes,  but they are not aggressive animals. Adders will only use their venom  as a last means of defence, usually if caught or trodden on. No one has  died from adder bite in Britain for over 20 years. With proper  treatment, the worst effects are nausea and drowsiness, followed by  severe swelling and bruising in the area of the bite. Most people who  are bitten were handling the snake. Treat adders with respect and  leave them alone.

Name

Adder (Vipera berus)

Lifestyle

Habitat

Adders are relatively common in areas of rough, open countryside and are often associated with woodland edge habitats. They are less inclined to disappear into the surrounding undergrowth when disturbed and so are probably the most frequently seen of the three British snakes. The best time to see them is in early spring when they emerge from their hibernation dens. By mid April, the males have shed their dull winter skin and are ready to mate. There is a lot of frenzied activity on warm days, with males looking for females and occasionally wrestling with other males for supremacy. The ‘dance of the adders’ was thought to be a mating display, but it is a larger male attempting to drive off a smaller one. The snakes writhe around each other in an impressive way, often covering the ground at great speed.

Breeding

Following mating, females seek out a suitable place to give birth, often travelling over 1 kilometre from the hibernation site. Births take place in late August / early September. Unlike most reptiles, adders do not lay eggs. Young snakes are born about the size and shape of an earthworm, but a perfect miniature of the adult snake.

Development

During the autumn, adult snakes follow scent trails left by other adders to find their way back to the hibernation site, which is often used by many snakes over several years. The young adders tend to hibernate in the area where they were born. Their survival largely depends on the severity of the weather in the following winter.

Diet

Adders usually eat small rodents, such as the short-tailed vole. They will also eat lizards, frogs and newts, and have been seen taking young from the nests of ground nesting birds. When hunting, adders strike swiftly at the prey, injecting a lethal dose of venom. They then wait until the prey dies before starting the often lengthy swallowing process. Like all snakes, adders eat their prey whole, their teeth are designed to grip the prey as it is swallowed. Their jaws are linked by extensible connective tissue so each of the four main bones can move independently. This means they are able to swallow items much larger than the width of their head. The lower ends of the ribs are not joined as in most animals and can also open out considerably. The adder’s digestive fluid is amazingly powerful and will digest the flesh and bones of their prey almost completely. Only the hair and teeth of rodents pass through intact.

Threats

Young adders are threatened by a variety of predators, including birds of prey such as the common buzzard and sometimes adult snakes. Others may be killed and eaten by rodents while in hibernation. Adders are protected by law against being killed or injured through human activity.

Identification

Most adders are distinctively marked with a dark zigzag running down the length of the spine and an inverted ‘V’ shape on the neck. Males are generally white or pale grey with a black zigzag. Females are a pale brown colour, with a darker brown zigzag. But some adders are entirely black and can be mistaken for some other species.

How we manage our woods

Most of the woods managed by the Forestry Commission are suitable for adders. The way we manage the woods – cutting down older trees and planting young trees – provides excellent habitat. For the first 10 years as the young trees grow, adders can build up large populations unseen. Then as the tree canopy closes overhead, the snakes seek out the light and warmth that is available at the woodland edge.

Duck down

For the first time since I was released from hospital (FOR THIS) I went for a walk with Chris, her Mum and Alex. The last few walks I had been on I noticed about 21 Swans on the lake – by the looks of it 3 generations.

I had to keep my arm elevated still, but that didn’t stop me getting into the thick of the action with the birds. Yes, they aren’t the tamest and friendliest of creatures, but I’ve known them for a few generations now (likewise, they know me). I wouldn’t suggest you go up to swans in this way…

These swans were happy enough feeding around me – even the various geese breeds that showed up were in good spirits. The younger ones were a bit over zealous, but in a gentle way.

One young swan wanted my attention from behind where I was crouched down, and to do this it stretched around me and gently pecked my cheek – very gently…. I turned around and he just stood there expectantly for some bread. He came over as I put bread down and let me stoke his back and wings… then a few others came over for more of the same.

Even after I ran out of food, these birds were quite content to just hang out around where I sat…. so I got my iPhone out and recorded them. You can see how close they were – even the Canadian goose pecking around my feet…

As for the cat bite – I shaved my arm so I could keep check on what is happening. The tendons still ache and the swell is still very painful. The redness of the infection has reduced, but the reduction has slowed – If it doesn’t keep reducing, then I’m still likely to have my arm cut open and flushed.

Sniffles, Lake and Golf

Little lad suffering from the sniffles today. He didn’t sleep very well, and we were up properly at around 6am.

I think this will be his worse day, as it is streaming out of him! A walk around the lake with some fresh air should help.

Loving the Lake

We went out yesterday (he asked) – but he tired suddenly halfway around…. I had to hoick him up onto my shoulders for about 3 miles!!!

Off for a lake walk yesterday...

3 Miles with a passenger... OOOOF!

In other news – My new job is going really well. It is fast moving and constantly changing – One of those jobs that has more to do in the day than the hours allow!

My first sale that I quoted, calculated, planned out etc went through on Friday – so that gave me a good feeling. There have been others – but that was my first “cradle to grave” order. Next week the item will be in build for the customer – so that will be cool to see!

Boss gives lots of constructive chats, so that’s great for me. I can’t stand jobs that have zero praise or zero critique. How can I improve if I don’t have feedback? How can my morale grow if I don’t get praise? So yes – I am very happy where I am!

I’ll need a new car soon too. We are down to just the Berlingo – and that isn’t greatly economical, seeing as I do over 100 miles a day. Money is still tight, so a new car is out of the question…. but there is one second hand car make that I trust well past 150,000 miles – and that is VW… Those things are bullet proof – I had an old Passat that just ran and ran. My idea is to get a £1000 -£2000 VW Diesel Golf 1.9 – It does around 60mpg+ on motorway trips and there are plenty of them about. One thing is for certain, Alex will love it as he really likes the VW badge!

Snow kind of atmosphere

Finally!!! Snow that is PROPER snow!!! Not the few inches that people rant about! This is the best snow for close to 20 years! This is old fashioned snow! This is snow that eats unprepared drivers – and there were plenty of them today.

Read on for a few driving tips – and the mess that was my attempted drive to work!

What a day… a good 5 to 7 inches  fell over night. I made a comment on Twitter to Robert “Kryton” Llewelyn (@bobbyllew on Twitter) saying “It’s cold outside, there’s snow kind of atmosphere….”. He replied saying that he was now singing that all the time… Sorry Robert!! (Red Dwarf fans will understand…)

I’ve driven in harsh snow before, so I was confident of getting to work – my only worry was the other road users…

I cleared all of the snow from the car – unlike those idiots that just do a window. Getting hit by chunks of snow and ice off of the roof of the car in front is stupidly dangerous. In some places it is a legal requirement to clear all that snow off  – and I think it should be made a law in the UK all the time there are people lacking this common sense and common courtesy to other road users.

Rant over – I digress… I get into my car (the engine and heaters were already running) and notice a warning lamp on the dash… the ABS lamp! Great… I had no anti skid brakes. Never mind, I didn’t have them in previous cars and I am a pretty good driver (experienced in many conditions), so I wasn’t worried…. until I tested the road conditions and the brakes. I was going about 5mph with nothing around and I eased the brakes on…. hardly any pressure and the car slid. The roads were going to be bad.

I cautiously pulled away again in second gear. A rule of thumb for ice and snow driving is to use a gear higher then the one you would normally use and keep the revs low. This really helps reduce wheel spin when you pull away.

Within minutes I was stuck in traffic. Worst of the drivers were people in their fancy 4×4’s who automatically think they know how to drive in bad weather!!! I’m sorry, but just because you own one of these vehicles doesn’t mean you have a clue how to drive them properly… but more on that later!

It took an hour to get the first 2 miles… I would have stayed home but I had an important document to deliver (more on that in a later blog!). I carried on – amazed at some peoples pure lack of driving skills.

The snow kept coming down and the temperature dropped again. I noticed an icicle slowly growing on my wing mirror it was that cold! I actually watched it grow as I was stuck in traffic!

I drove onwards! I reached a roundabout where I saw a 4×4 driver wheel spinning and not going anywhere – this was on a flat road with a hill up ahead! If they couldn’t do level ground, then they didn’t have a chance….. SO I called out with some friendly advice “Try a higher gear and less gas“… to which they responded “I can’t…it’s an auto…“. Holy Cow! I know that type of car and they ALL have a manual mode you can use… A perfect example of an idiot behind the wheel…

I hit the bottom of the hill and just kept up the momentum. There are two schools of thought on keeping going on ice – Low revs and crawl, or high revs and just keep going. I used an bit of both and passed an Audi 4×4 estate as it slid back down the road…. Jeez! I was in a Fiat Multipla!!! What was going on with these people!!! I passed a tree blocking half a lane of the road – the weight of snow had caused it to collapse. That would be a pain for people going the other way!

I finally made it another mile…. I drove down a hill and came to a stop behind more traffic…. this was now 2 hours into my trip… I saw some people spinning in circles up ahead. The traffic was stopped solid so I put the car into neutral, hand brake on and heater running. No one was moving anywhere.

Whilst we were all stationary I noticed this Twitter message from Downing Street. What a bunch of idiots – It’s all very well that they can work from home, but a majority of people can’t work from home – so this message was pure stupidity. Well done Downing Street – Once more showing you are in touch with the people of the land. Numpties – isn’t it about time you let someone else run the country? My sons nappy content could probably do a less damaging job.

As one car came in the opposite direction they called out to the traffic row I was in…. “The Junction is a mess – cars just hitting cars…. It’s all blocked“. The junction was fed by a hill in all directions… it was an ice trap. Well, I wasn’t giving up, so I carried out a three point turn and headed back the way I had come. On the hill I saw a 4×4 off roader slow, shuffle on the spot and stop. They had come to a slippery stop and couldn’t move away again. I had to stop behind them… there goes my momentum!

They sat for a while and finally figured out how to use the gear box and pulled away. That left me (and a few cars behind me) stationary. I tried to pull away in second gear and all I got was wheel spin. Damn.

I tried again… but no luck. The key in situations like this is to not try too hard. If you can’t move, stop that method and try another, or else you’ll just get in even more trouble!

I tried to pull away again, this time spinning my steering wheel from left to right. This moved the front of my one way and the other…although not moving forward I was fighting for traction instead of just spinning in one place. Slowly I inched forwards…and stopped again. Hmmm… New idea needed.

I got out and let my tyres down to half the normal pressure. You shouldn’t do this and then drive at fast speeds – but for me, I wasn’t going to be going more than 20mph on these roads. Partially deflating the tyres is dangerous IF you don’t re-inflate them before going over 20mph, as you could end up losing all the air and some people have even had the tyre come off.

With my lower tyre pressure I went for an off-roading technique I had been shown. Lots of left and right steering and plenty of revs once the car started moving. Add to this some brakes….

I’ll explain:

Most road cars with 2 wheel drive are only one wheel drive on ice. Most 4×4 cars are only 2×4 cars on ice. This is due to the thing called the differential. This allows the wheels to turn at different speeds when cornering. You see as you drive in a curve, the wheel on the outside of the circle has to go further (and faster) than the one in the inside. If the both wheels were joined together by a solid bar this couldn’t happen and you end up scuffing and juddering around corners……

But WHY BRAKES? When a car wheel spins, it normally only spins one wheel and the other doesn’t move at all – all due to the differential. By applying the brakes very slightly as you also put on the throttle,  you slow down the spinning wheel and fool the differential into putting power into the wheel that wasn’t spinning. This means you have both wheels turning. This means you get all the powered wheels turning (more traction), and not one side turning and one side stopped. End of lesson!

This worked well! I slewed the wheels back and forth, changed up the gears and kept the wheels grabbing for grip all the way up to and over the peak of the hill. Once it was down hill all the way I stopped and put my hazard lights on.

I stepped out of the car and walked back down the hill to help the others that were stuck. Straight away I was told “No way – I’m stuck…” by a driver. I told him to slew his wheels and pull away in second gear – and to keep going once he was moving. It took several attempts before he got the knack (or listened), but finally he pulled away. There was no such like for the huge lorry further down the hill….. This road was now closed.

I carried on home, as by now I realised that there were worse roads ahead and more snow due. If I did get to work I wouldn’t get back. A phone call to the office showed only 2 people made it in (locals). Game over for most of them then!

I negotiated my way around the fallen tree and past the two 4×4’s I had passed coming the other way earlier (still stuck, still spinning to try and move…. muppets!). A few more snow broken trees and stuck cars later I slowly drove home. Knowing that the road behind be was impassable I powered my window down and let drives heading the other way know the troubles ahead. Luckily they all managed to turn back at the roundabout i had just past.

I got to Farnborough and slipped down a short cut slope by the Police Station. Big mistake.

The road was blocked at one end. I had to turn around and get back up the steep hill on a curve. I realised that the road was stupidly icy here – It was a safe assumption as the guy in front had got stuck on the level ground, slipped sideways and stopped. He got out, slammed his door and the car slipped sideways away from him. Not looking good for me then!

It was then I noticed a lady with a young boy at the bus stop. I knew no buses would get down here so I offered her a lift. Crazy of me to offer – and crazy for her to accept. I guess the child seat in the car and high Police presence made her feel safe. I called Chris on my hands free car phone for two reasons at this stage – To let her know I was almost home and to let the lady see I was a local person. I could have been lying, but the evidence that I was a family guy was enough for her.

Her son was just over 3 years old and autistic. She was trying to get him to Frimley for a specialist group that took ages for her to get an appointment for – she really didn’t want to miss it. I chatted about Alex as we struggled up the hill (more rapid left/right steering and high gears!) and finally got onto the Camberley road. I dropped the lady and her son off and carried on home. I hope she got home alright later – but hey, at least she made the appointment – the trip home wasn’t a race aganist time for her!

I got home and the snow was begging for some Alex action! We don’t have a sled, so I took an old filing cabinet shelf and formed a ramp on the front. I then added some carpet tiles so Alex wouldn’t get too cold a bum, and finished it off with a cord to pull it. He loved it!!

It was Hellish trying to keep his mittens on, but apart from that he thoroughly enjoyed his parent powered sleigh ride!

The lake looked wonderful in the snow – but then don’t you think that most things look so much better with a nice layer of snow?

The local main roads cleared up with the gritter lorries spreading their paint chipping loads all over the place. I figured that we may as well get the weekly shopping done as I had the safer car and Chris had no snow driving experience. The roads were pretty clear  – but tomorrow will be sheer Hell. It is already below freezing and that slush is going to be like sheet ice in the morning. I shall try to go to work again, but I think it will be worse on the roads tomorrow due to the ice. Today was just snow and pack snow – no real ice problems.

Once we got home it was dark out – but our neighbours were still building a snowman… and called me over to help! It took four of us to roll the middle section up onto the bottom section! It is way taller than me! (I’m 6ft 4in). You get the size idea from the crushed beer can buttons!!

Kane unable, stubble and watery visions

Not a great deal to blog about at the moment…well, lots of “bitsy” stuff.

Firstly, I shall take this blogatunity to wish Jon Kane a very happy birthday. A great chap who among other things has opened up a few more computing and net options to me – all giddyingly exciting stuff! (honest!). His blog can be found in my links to the left (his blog is called “Writersbloc”).

Why is there not much going on? Well it’s my back. Getting better in leaps and bounds (not actual leaps and bounds, as that would really hurt still!). The main problem is sitting and twisting. I have reduced upper mobility and am not able to drive – even if I could sit long enough! As it is, I can passenger in a car (with only slight pain) for about the same distance I can easily walk… so I walk (much better for me and Mother Earth!).

The Leki “Speed Pacer Vario” Nordic poles are getting a fair bit of mileage, and it’s getting me in shape. If ever I get a serious injury or illness, I do my best during and post recovery to make sure it doesn’t happen again. In the case of my back, as it gets better I shall do all I can to make it better than before because I don’t want to be in this situation again.

The side effects of the bad back have been benefical – although the same results would have been obtained without a bad back! The physio and Nordic Walking are giving me cardio and fat burning exercise which has resulted in me reducing my waist line by an easy 5 inches! Yup, that much!

Over 10kg lighter and getting trimmer to go along with that weight loss – at least that’s a good thing! It’s also less weight for my back to carry – hurrah! That’s what I mean about being better than before: I am strengthening my back, but also reducing load on it. I’m not going to have this injury happen again.

I’m glad the lake is so near though, as a good view really helps with making a long walk that bit more enjoyable.

It may have been a blog entry of bits and pieces, but it does come around on itself…. You see Jon introduced me to WordPress as a blog host, and also pointed me at Twitter. He also gave Will King some internettery ideas (www.shaveforum.com), of which I play a part (I admin and/or moderate a few web spaces in my spare time). I met Will through sharing feedback about his Azor – which in turn lead to me being introduced to Jon. The King of Shaves site and my new blog home, along with my need for a new phone, lead me to the iPhone (good for web admin and blogging on the go). The iPhone in turn has kept me relativly sane during my recovery as I can use it without having to sit at a computer (I am horizontal as I write this!).. General surfing lead me to Green Tea which has been very benefical, and it also lead me to Nordic Walking and more sanity saving freedom with the ability to go for a walk…and in turn getting my blog followers 10% discount at “The Tortoise and the Hare” sports store (see top left for details).

So it’s all interlinked in a gumbo of bits and bobs. All things that if they hadn’t of happened would have me not blogging, not walking, and going insane with lack of mobility and some form of mental and physical respite from my bad back!

It’s a strange wave we surf when the butterfly flaps its wings…

“Happy Birthday” Jon!

Pontoon boats and puddles

We went out for a family walk today. I was on my Nordic Poles and Chris had the push chair for Alex.

We took in Starve Hill airstrip (Hawley airstrip), the car bin and exercise house out the back end of Gibraltar barracks. It was a slow walk, but we covered 10km, and Alex walked a great deal of that.

As usual, puddles were top priority for Alex. Some puddles caught him off guard as they were deeper than he was expecting! Boots and waterproof trousers held up well for him though… Luckily!

As we passed the lake on the way back home, we saw the Army out on the water practicing with pontoon boats, or at least that’s what they looked like. Whatever they were, they sounded like they had powerful motors.

Flipper time

Rain.

Lots of it. The lake was close to flooding in places.

Finally a break in the weather and a chance to get my LEKI poles out and get some freedom from my back. I’m still suffering from the sneeze the other day – so Nordic Walking is freeing it all up…again.

A new route took me past some army training grounds and rifle range. All very busy around the area with gun fire and explosions. I found an area of derelict houses and tied up old cars – very odd, but an interesting site.

Along the way I also found an old concrete bridge. Strange to find something like this in the middle of nowhere, but that’s what makes walks around MOD land interesting!

Carrying on I came across an interesting tree root (well, I thought it looked cool!), and a track that opened out onto a huge open area of marsh/ferns. Each walk opens up new areas to head off to – which really helps in keeping my sanity at the moment!

Back home Alex proves a point from a previous blog post! (Picky, but easy post) He loves his real looking toy cars!

A Peaceful Walk

I went out for a gentle potter on my Nordic Poles today. I have noticed a problem with these autumn/winter walks…..leaves.

The bottom of the pole is fitted with a special metal tip. This allows it to dig into loose gravel and dirt, but isn’t so great on paved areas and roads. There are attachments for the pole tips to fix this though – curved rubber boots. These quieten the tap tap tap of the pole and give better grip. They work quite well on unmade roads and firm packed dirt too.

Due to my route I generally use the rubber boots, as they are better suited for most of the distance – but now the leaves are on the ground the boots have a tendency to slip (not great for a bad back).

So, I’ve had to go out with just the spikes. This is okay now I’ve got to grips with using the spikes on Tarmac, but not ideal. Luckily LEKI have bought out a new innovation that should solve this problem. I’ll be getting some of these new feet and will review them for the blog.

As for the walk today, it was taken at a much reduced pace as I had slept awkwardly. I’m still glad that Nordic Walking is allowing me to at least get away from laying on my back all day, but I am getting a bit depressed about my reduced abilities. I want to take my exercise up a notch, but I just can’t right now.

Soggy visits – and more iPhone shenanigans…

Today we took another walk to the lake, where we were joined by our good friend Sudeep – (“Soggy”).

Chris wanted to mow the lawn and do some gardening, and Alex is so very helpful in a toddler type way…..so I took him to the lake so he couldn’t be so “helpful”…. anyway, he had wanted to splash in puddles the day before but he didn’t have his boots on. This time he was booted and prepared!

Okay… in hindsight fisherman’s boots or a wet suit would have been a better idea, as Alex soon found the depth of fun exceeded the depth of water! Several times I was called on to empty a large amount of puddle or lake from his boots. Yup….they are water tight boots alright…. not one drop leaked out…

Alex had loads of fun getting soaked through – but that’s what being a toddler is all about!!!

We hadn’t seen Soggy for a few months – which is criminal as we only live a few hundred metres apart (the curse of modern life?). As you may well know from earlier blog entries, he’s an engineer/pilot friend of ours – so as Alex splashed, we discussed some aviation based applications on the iPhone. Yes – if you are a pilot, the iPhone has plenty of calculators that can be added to it, which makes it even more of a versatile tool!

Soggy hadn’t really seen an iPhone up close before (many people haven’t – and the curse of it being a “cool gadget” means some people won’t even think about getting one – no matter how useful it really is), so as a quick demo I used my WordPress application to capture a photo and publish to the blog as we walked around the lake. Now I am at home and have time to myself, I have added to that initial blog – but the demonstration worked! (see image below!).

To make a screen grab on the iPhone, press and hold the top power button and then hit the single button on the front of the iPhone (needless to say, don’t hold the power button down too long or it’ll turn off!). The image will be saved to your photo roll.

In other iPhone news – I have found a way to get pretty much whatever ring tone I want – albeit only 30 second samples. You don’t need an unlocked phone or any fancy programs – just a few minutes of your time and you can do it too.

Good times.