Been Away From The Whole Wide World

Sorry folks. Managed to smash my right arm in two close to the replacement shoulder, in a fall on the eve of my birthday. I'm living life one-handed, in a brace, which makes computing hard, especially as the left arm isnt great either.

Here's a V-pic to keep you going.

Mind The Drop!

Cats may be well known for being able to land on their feet, but it all depends on the height they fall from. Too close to the ground and they can't right themselves; too hign up and the impact may shatter their limbs.

So a group of stunned visitors watched aghast as three out of our four tigers were dicing with either death, or a spectacular act of gymnastics. Mum Melati was on their high platform. Dad JaeJae decided to join her, having a good sniff around her rear end. They'd already had a go at mating. Well, he had. She was not happy or receptive. Then son Achilles decided to join them, having watched with curiosity about what was going on.













Meanwhile Karis was making her way on firm ground towards the other side of the enclosure.



There she did something I have never seen her do before. She went up to the glass and stared through it at a woman crouching down and putting her hand on the glass at the cub's level. They stayed transfixed by one another for ages.

The woman was a visitor from mum Melati's home zoo in Perth, Australia, where she used to connect with Melati in the same way. Who could have guessed that the little daughter would respond to the same person in the same way?

Tug O' War

On Wednesday I was due for my latest nipple tattoo session at St Thomas', one of the country's most eminent hositals, home of the Florence Nightingale Museum.

Sadly, they don't seem able to put surgical tattooist appointments on to their system. I was not the only person there who had experience of making a long journey in vain.

 So I decided to take myself off to see the cubs. I knew I had four days of building work coming up, starting today, so my opportunities were slight if I didn't take this chance.

To begin with, they were a bit subdued, positioning themselves in a place where they thought there might be food coming up soon.





Mum Melati was also rather lethargic. Rumour is that she and JaeJae have been mating, and she might have become rather prematurely pregnant. Cubs are usually nearer two years than eight months when mum mates again.


The kind keepers had given the youngsters a length of sacking to play with. They seemed to find it the best toy ever, and there was a mighty battle for possession.

The Thirteenth Floor

So talented, playing two completely different characters so convincingly.

Back to the Stripey Beauties

I haven't been back to the zoo since my operation, and I was missing the cubs, knowing they would be growing so big and I was not there to see it. So I went on Friday, my first big outing since surgery, and tiring oit was too. But worth it. I'm posting as many of the pictures as possible with few captions, just so I cn download them on to my iPad and share them with my friends in their best format.


Daughter showing off to dad



Boy in smelly corner



Dad joins in the fun



Girl joins boy in smelly corner



Best cub picture yet









Girl stalks boy









Mum emerges and goes to the smelly corner

The Taking of Pelham 123

Oh dear, dead again.
 

The Player

Sorry for the long absence. I'm recovering from my shoulder replacement and too much time on the computer or tablet makes my arm ache. The operation went well, but after that everything seemed to be governed by incompetence or indifference. I had a lovely single room with private bath, which gave them the perfect opportunity to ignore me. I've just lodged the complaint the surgeon has encouraged me to make. Meanwhile, here's an oldie in which he meets an untimely death once again.