Category Archives: Shadow on Tour

All about my trips

Shad does the British Diving Championships

Posted on by

As I dipped a cheeky toe into the warm chlorine-drenched water, I heard the squeak of rubber soles against the hard stone floor and the slurp of the water rocking gently back and forth against the sides of the pool as the competitors, coaches and judges made their way in for the British Diving Championships at the Plymouth Life Centre on 21st February 2015.  This is one of the top diving competitions in the country and was attended by a range of athletes including one of Britain’s favourite divers Tom Daley.  As you can imagine it was very warm and humid at the poolside and poor John was so hot he was glowing.  People kept coming to check on him, offering cold water and a dry towel, as well as taking a few pictures for a giggle.  My paws got a bit sweaty but I was given some ice cubes to play with and soon forgot about the heat.  It’s harder for John as he has all the photography equipment to carry, as well as a few extra cuddly bits around the middle!

 

As the contest got going, it became clear that the competitors were highly skilled and focussed on every tiny movement of their bodies, from hand position to the direction of their heads and flexion in the knees.  I thought a dive began the moment the water was touched, but it begins from the moment the athlete leaps into the air to the time they spring elegantly back out of the water.  The dives were performed from the poolside, a 1 metre springboard and a 3 metre springboard and each arrangement was carefully thought out and practiced to perfection.  The divers were judged on competencies such as the execution of the dive and rip-entry.  The diver’s goal is to enter the water with as little splash as possible (known as the ‘rip’), so ideally their stance should demonstrate a near-vertical body position and pointed toes.  They are expected to have strong abilities in all of the diving groups which include forward, backward, inward and twist dives, as well as arm-stands, reverse dives and the pike position (knees straight and body bent at the waist).

 

Another graceful event was the synchronised diving (known as synchro) which involved two competitors leaping off the springboard, contorting into various postures in unison before sliding smoothly into the water.  Each team was expected to dive in complete synchronisation, forming identical contours and landing in the water at the same time, which no doubt requires a considerable amount of muscle tone as well as precision timing.  I was so impressed by the beautiful shapes that I got carried away in the moment and decided to try a few postures myself from the side of the pool.  I started with one paw straight and one bent (the ‘standing flamingo’) before launching into an ill-judged ‘forward polar bear’ where I miscalculated my double-lunge and almost nose-dived into the water!   Perhaps synchro is not where my talents lie.  I think I’ll stick to photography, chasing feathers and taking naps!

Shad hangs out with the red squirrels

Posted on by

Red squirrel numbers have been dwindling for many years in this country since the introduction of the grey squirrels that are more adaptable and carry more body fat so they can survive longer winters.  That must be why I have a little round tummy, it’s in my genes!  Anyway, the greys were introduced from North America in 1876 apparently and they carry a virus which has also contributed to the red squirrels’ decline.  There are a few projects underway in the UK to support the growth of the red squirrel population and you can find out more about this on the Red Squirrel Survival Trust website.  How cute is that?  They’ve got a website!  They’ve even got royalty supporting them.  And I’m not talking about Alan Titchmarsh!  Although some might say he is a gardening supremo and he certainly does his bit to support British wildlife.

 

The reds in these pictures live at the British Wildlife Centre in Surrey and were so adorable that I had to write about them.  As I went through the double gates after John, they must have all been hiding because the enclosure was lacking in squirrels, apparently they don’t like the wet and the cold.  I saw a few chaffinches in the branches of the leafy green oak trees and some little Muntjac deer rummaging around in the undergrowth.  Suddenly my feline hearing picked up the scraping of tiny feet and one by one, red squirrels started to appear on the grass.  Several of them climbed up to the fence to get a good look at me, their little pink noses twitching with curiosity as they fixed me with their beady black eyes.  They seemed to use their tufty ears to express how they were feeling, just like I do, and they dedicated a large amount of their time burying the food that the keeper was giving them.  I watched them scurry along to a well-chosen spot, look around, then pretend to bury their nuts before scurrying off to another patch of ground to bury their grub for real.  This clever little strategy is a good way to put the competition off the scent and stop the others stealing their supplies.  Let’s hope they remember where the nuts are buried!

 

 

Shad does the British Wildlife Centre

 

Shad does the London Indoor Games

Posted on by

The very definition of lean mean fighting machine, these young men and women are as you can see at the pinnacle of their fitness.  Meanwhile, John and I continue desperately trying to achieve our recommended 10,000 steps a day on the pedometer!  These guys make The Green Goddess and Mr Motivator look like couch-potatoes, so you can imagine how John and I felt!  For those of you under 40 (you lucky things), Diana Moran (nicknamed The Green Goddess) and Derrick Evans (better known as Mr Motivator) are TV fitness icons from the 1980’s.  Although I was impressed by the stamina and physiques of these young people, I was a little troubled by the grunting noises and musky odours!

 

Anyway, I digress.  These pictures were taken when John took me with him for an athletics photography course a few days ago at the Lee Valley stadium in London.  The athletes were of different ages and had clearly been preparing a very long time, judging by the heights they achieved in the pole vault and the speeds they reached in the 200 metre dash.   I wonder how many years of their lives they have spent practising their sports while their peers were out gallivanting.  Watching those long legs leaping over the hurdles made me wince each time because they came so close to knocking the obstacles over, I feared for their safety.  Then again, I’m sure these dedicated contestants have all experienced more than their fair share of twisted ankles and grazed knees.  The long jump and triple jump were particularly impressive, given that they could leap even further than me and I’m a cat.

Shad does Strictly

Posted on by

When John told me we were going to Birmingham to see the Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour at the Barclaycard Arena I was thrilled, although you wouldn’t have guessed it from my cool demeanour and ever-so-slightly derisive snigger.  After all, a strong boy like me has a reputation to uphold.  But I could only keep up the nonchalant pretence for so long before excitement got the better of me.  We were going to see the loveable TV star Mark Wright, the handsome professional dancer Aljaž, the talented Simon Webbe and the delightful Zoe Ball.  If a cat could squeal, the local dogs would have howled at the high-pitch sound I wanted to make.  Instead I eagerly flicked my tail and pointed my ears up with glee as we made our way through the crowds to find our seats.

 

As the silver glitter ball glistened and sparkled, Zoe and the judges made their way out on to the stage and the crowd cheered as Craig Revel Horwood made his entrance.  It was just like the real Strictly that you see on the television, the professional dancers and their celebrity partners coming on to the floor to each perform two of their best dances.  As you can see, the men looked dapper and the ladies looked alluring in their ruffles and sequins.  Poor Scott Mills performed his lobster samba to Under the Sea and got a 2 from Craig which I thought was a little mean considering the effort he put in.  Scott seems like a nice guy but he has 2 left feet!  Simon Webbe performed his Argentine Tango and quite rightly got a 10 (yes a 10) from Craig while the crowd applauded enthusiastically.  Caroline Flack’s Charleston was superb and in the grand finale all the dancers looked wonderful as they kicked, flicked, spun, tapped and promenaded their way around the dance floor.  To top things off, Zoe and the other judges joined the entire cast for a dance and I was most impressed with Craig’s pivot!

 

My paws were drumming on the floor most of the night and at one point I was so carried away with the glitz and glamour of it all that John had to hold me back.  I certainly had a great time and it turns out I have a latent fondness for the ballroom .  Fab-u-lous darling!  (You have to be a Strictly fan to appreciate that phrase).  On the way home, I drifted into a satisfied sleep, dreaming of my Latin moves and whirling round the dance floor with a beautiful fluffy tortoiseshell lady!  Shimmy shimmy!

Shad starts the New Year 2015

Posted on by

New Year’s celebrations often include watching fireworks or singing songs and enjoying meals that invite good luck for the coming year.  In some parts of the world, traditional New Year’s dishes feature vegetables that resemble coins to bring future financial success such as lentils in Italy or black-eyed peas in the southern United States or grapes in Spain.   Yes I know they’re a fruit not a vegetable!  Ring-shaped cakes are popular in some areas of Europe as a sign that the year has come full circle and it is traditional in Sweden and Norway to serve rice pudding with an almond hidden inside.  It is said that whoever finds the nut can expect 12 months of good fortune (which they will need to pay for the dentist bills)!  My John knows all about dentist bills because he had to spend a few hundred quid last year on me at the vets.  I had a bad case of gum disease but I’m fine now and although I’m missing a few teeth, I could easily get my mouth around a bowl of rice pudding (preferably without the nut)!  That won’t happen though because us cats are not supposed to have dairy; it tastes yummy but our digestive systems are not designed to handle it.

 

Shadow

This weekend John went over to see a friend of his and took me with him so I could hang out with some of my mates.  It was a clear crisp sunny morning and while the humans were indoors chatting over coffee, my buddies and I sat in the garden discussing our New Year’s resolutions.  My friend Muffin is a 5 year old black girl who I’ve known since she was knee-high to grass-hopper and her resolution for 2015 is to continue her birdwatching hobby.  She has her own set of binoculars and a bird book and is getting so knowledgeable about British garden birds that she would probably do well on Mastermind.  The only problem is that Magnus Magnusson probably wouldn’t understand her answers!

 

The practice of making resolutions is said to have originated from the ancient Babylonians who made promises to their gods in order to earn favour such as vowing to pay off debts or return borrowed farm equipment.  So my good pal Ginger promised to return my Cats and Dogs in 3D on Blu-Ray that he borrowed from me last Christmas.  Ginger’s brother Basil (the chunky black and white 4 year old in the picture) assured his owner that he would keep the neighbours happy but curtailing his naughty behaviour.  Basil is often given to bouts of mischief including skidding down the neighbour’s conservatory, stalking the pigeons and chasing butterflies off the fence.

 

Basil
Ginger

Tiffin (Muffin’s sister) is another black cat with sleek shiny fur like mine and she is calm and reserved.  Her New Year’s resolution is to lose some weight because she (also like me) is a bit on the cuddly side and needs to improve her waistline.  Unlike the slender and agile Zoukia (the black and white 2 year old with 3 paws) who resolved this year to beat his high-jump record which currently stands at 31 inches from the ground.  Here he is getting some practice on the grass today while his owner flicked a feather toy around.

 

My New Year’s resolution is to build the business and develop Shadow Photography’s portfolio by doing more wedding shoots and bagging the best wildlife shot I’ve ever done.  The business is very important to John and me because we love the art of photography and enjoy expressing ourselves through this medium.  That’s why I write this blog and share my photos with you and that’s why John dedicates a huge amount of his time trekking around in search of opportunities to capture events and subjects of interest.  John and I thank you for your continued support and best wishes to everyone for 2015.

Shad does the Pagham Pram Race

Posted on by

When John said we were going to the races I pictured a Maserati Granturismo (in my favourite British Racing Green) streaking past me like a blur, or that amazing car built with an aircraft turbine engine that I watched charging up the track at Goodwood Race Course last summer.  What I got instead was a horde of madly dressed and slightly eccentric people pushing perambulators and varieties thereof through the streets of Pagham to raise money for charity and generally entertain the 3,000 people and 4 cats that were there to experience the fun.  Who needs the thrill of Italian sports cars when you can watch the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and 2 grown men in Harry Enfield scouser wigs and leopard print onesies strolling up the road in 2°c.  The other cats were Jess (Postman’s Pat’s black and white cat) and 2 cheeky white cats from the Cat. Rabbit and Guinea Pig Rescue!

 

Apparently, on Boxing Day every year whatever the weather, as many as 60 entrants complete the 3 mile course in fantastically designed floats accompanied by weird and wonderful fancy dress costumes.  The tradition goes back 60 years and participants come from across the world to take part in the wacky event which involves no running and the consumption of 3 pints of beer along the way.  That’s my kind of race!  Well it would be if you changed the pram for a bed and the beer for cat-milk and the cold air for a warm fire!  One person who needed a warm fire far more than I did was the rather brave young gentleman in a bobble-hat and elephant style underpants being pushed by his mate with a bare bottom!  This race is not for the faint-hearted, for a multitude of reasons!

 

Despite my joking earlier about the difference between Pagham Pram Race and the Goodwood Festival of Speed, there is a connection with one of the world’s prestigious automobile races, Le Mans (an endurance racing event held at a circuit in France).  This connection comes in the form of Pagham Pram Race President Derek Bell, a sports car driver who won Le Mans five times in the 80’s and who attended the Festival of Speed in 2014 to be awarded a plaque in recognition of his 50 years in motorsport.  He probably wouldn’t have received this accolade if he had been driving the pram version of the General Lee (the car driven by Bo and Luke Duke from the Dukes of Hazzard)!

Shad gets some sad news

Posted on by

When I look at the face of this beautiful lioness named Frosty, I see a long proud snout, focused curious eyes and a tufty beard (although I wouldn’t say that bit in front of her!).  She lives at the Isle of Wight Zoo which regular readers will know is a sanctuary for rescued big cats overlooking the scenic beaches of Sandown.  See how her rounded ears are facing forward probably listening to sounds in that direction, fully alert and concentrating on her surroundings, a perfect portrayal of the skill and patience required to capture prey so that herself and her family can survive.  Her broad nose is designed for superior scent detection although her whiskers are a little lack-luster compared to mine (I wouldn’t mention that to her either!).

 

One of the things I respect about lions is that they are the only social members of the feline family, choosing to live in large groups called ‘prides’ and engaging in a variety of peaceful tactile behaviours such as head-rubbing with other lions in greeting and licking each other.  So it is with great sadness I have to tell you that the noble big-hearted Charlie Brown passed away just a few days ago.  I met Charlie Brown at the beginning of the year on a previous trip to the Isle of Wight Zoo and you can see a photo of him just below.  He was a much loved character who arrived at the Zoo more than 10 years ago with his litter-mate Snoopy.  Snoopy was a dominant male who used to lead the lions in their evening roaring sessions but he sadly died in 2012 when it was discovered that he had an inoperable tumour.  Charlie relied on Snoopy for his sense of security so you can imagine how much Charlie must have missed his bro, but the keepers watched him carefully and after a while his neighbour Nahla moved in as his companion.  Poor Charlie became unwell this year and had been undergoing chemotherapy when he suffered an aneurysm and was put to sleep.  As I watched Nahla alone in the enclosure, I thought she looked lost and I wondered if she roared her goodbye when she realised Charlie would never come back.  It’s a sad business and Charlotte (the Zoo Director) is broken-hearted but I have no doubt she will continue to pour lots of love on to the remaining residents and welcome any new arrivals in need of help.

 

I gave Nahla a soft trill and walked slowly away from her enclosure with my tail low in respect and headed towards the tiger enclosures whilst pondering the circle of life.  Life does indeed go on and the gorgeous Ayesha lounging by her pool is a fine example, luxuriating in the winter sun and generally making the place look classy.  There is something regal about these magnificent creatures, whether it’s the aristocratic gaze or the eye-catching stripes I can’t tell.  Just across the way is my old buddy Xena the one-eyed white tiger I’ve told you about before.  Unfortunately Xena’s rock where she sleeps fell-in the other day so her enclosure is in need of repairs.  It seems they’re having a tough time at the moment at the Isle of Wight Zoo and my admiration goes to the keepers who were working hard on this freezing cold day while John, John’s daughter Natasha and myself sauntered around chatting to Charlotte and admiring the view (of the animals obviously)!  On our way home while we were waiting for the ferry to take us back across The Solent, we watched the hovercraft leaving Ryde Pier and as the powerful engines fired up, the blast-off really took me by surprise and a mighty wind shot through my fur and made John’s curly hair stand on end.  We all laughed!

Shad Enjoys a Sunset on the Beach

Posted on by

Now I’m not normally given to romantic notions and the mushy stuff, but a beautiful sunset will have me mesmerised by its radiance and charm.  Is it the warmth of those last rays of sunshine?  Could it be the brilliance of the red and orange hues or the patterns thrown across the sky by the beams of light?  May be it’s the promise of a new dawn approaching?  I think a glorious sunset means something different to every individual each time they look at one.

 

John and I have spent several early evenings on the seafront in our home town of Bognor Regis scouring the promenade for a perfect shot.  I love how the dusk light reflects off the water and the clouds, revealing the expanse of the ocean and the scope of the horizon.  It’s strange to think that while this British cat watched the sun disappear below the skyline, an Aussie cat somewhere in the Tropic of Capricorn was watching the sun rise up in the distance.

 

Some of these pictures were taken the other evening looking out to sea just as the sun was beginning to set in one of our favourite locations, Sandown Bay on the Isle of Wight.  I found the gentle swell of the water washing back and forth very relaxing and gazed happily at the sea-sprays, as the waves broke and the crest of each one spilled effortlessly down its front face.  See how the light dances on the surface of the water, glimmering its goodbye as the day comes to an end.  But for some creatures that live in the sea, their day is just beginning once the sun has gone to bed.  Many animals such as lobsters, octopuses and cuttlefish come out only at night to feed and hunt.  Of course I can’t vouch for that personally, I have no intention of getting my paws wet to check!  As it is, I got damp sand between my toes and it took me half an hour to lick it off!  It didn’t taste good either! But a good photographer makes sacrifices for his art!

Shad looks at the night sky

Posted on by

Do you ever look up at the twinkling stars shining against the black backdrop of the night sky and marvel at the secrets they hold?  It’s as though the stars are winking at earth, smiling coyly because they know something we don’t.  Is there an alternate universe containing another sleek black cat with satin-soft fur and an eye for the panache?!  Alright, I’m not so much sleek as I am portly, but I’m definitely got style!  Nevertheless, I am fascinated by the brightness of the stars, their contrast with the mysterious shadowy sky and the remarkable shapes they form.

 

Some of the most famous structures up there include the Big Dipper, Hercules and the constellation of Orion which contains a colossal star perhaps 1,000 times the diameter of the sun called Betelgeuse, a red supergiant nearing the end of its and waiting to go supernova.  Imagine that when it blows!  The explosion would be astronomical but probably wouldn’t be seen on earth for a few thousand years thanks to the unbelievably vast distances involved in space.

 

Moon Light

The mysteries of the night sky are part of their charm and so are the bright colours and exciting objects and events like comets, asteroids, black-holes, solar eclipses and interstellar dust.  John and I have spent many a chilly night outside gazing upwards with our cameras on stand-by, but taking photographs of space has its challenges such as cloud-cover and light-pollution.  Here we have captured some nice shots of full moons in all their splendour that illustrate the mountains and craters on its surface (that’s light bits and dark bits to you and me!)  The smooth dark patches on the moon are considered to be valleys where ancient lava flowed and many of these areas have names, most famously the Sea of Tranquility.

 

The moon is covered in impact craters perhaps because it has no atmosphere so it is unprotected from cosmic rays, meteorites and solar winds.  It has much weaker gravity than earth so if I lived up there I would only weigh about on sixth of my current weight.   I like the sound of that!  Plus the lack of atmosphere means no sound can be heard on the moon so I wouldn’t have to put up with John’s snoring!    But I would miss sharing the furnace-like heat that builds up under the duvet on a winter’s night and the treats I get for being adorable, so I think for now I’ll keep my paws on terra firma!

Shad does the Wingham Wildlife Park

Posted on by

Dry feet are very important to a pussy cat.  We like our paws to be shipshape, our whiskers to float free and our bellies to feel full!  But this day my fur glistened with moisture from the endless drizzly rain that fell from the sky.  It’s not uncommon to see doggies wearing a waterproof overcoat or a tartan jumper, but cats mostly don’t tolerate costumes or too much bling.  And this cat certainly isn’t prissy enough to pull-off a leopard-print mackintosh.  So I went ‘á la nature’, in reverence to my unadorned big cat cousins residing at the Wingham Wildlife Park in Kent.  John, Natasha (the other photographer in John’s family) and I had driven all the way over to Canterbury to catch a glimpse of Poppy the baby jaguar and it was worth every lick of my coat required later to get myself clean and dry.

 

Having never seen a jaguar in real life before, I switched from happy-go-lucky ‘human mode’ (which employs the skills I have perfected to communicate with humans in their visual / auditory way) to ‘untamed feline mode’ (which involves using body language and scent to connect with other cats).  My whiskers stood proud and bristled with excitement as I flicked a few happy pheromones in the direction of Poppy’s mum whose name is Luna.  I wanted her to know I was there to admire her baby so there was no need for her to fret.  You can imagine my surprise when I strode purposefully to the fence and found that Poppy looked just like me – sleek, black, handsome and proud.  The only difference I could see (apart from the size perhaps) was that Poppy had big blue eyes and mine are yellow.  Poppy is the first big cat to the born at the park and she takes after her black mum Luna more than her yellow-spotted dad Loki.  She was born in July 2014 and has recently gone on show to the public now the zookeepers are satisfied that her protective mother is comfortable with the idea.

 

Another new sight for me was the pardine genet.  This debonair exotic creature is very shy in the wild and as such there is not much known about its natural mating, courtship and hunting behaviours.  This mysterious cat-like mammal is similar to a civet, a fossa or a mongoose and has a vast range from Canada down to the Andes.  It’s a protected species throughout most of its range except for a few areas including Ecuador and El Salvador, yet they are hunted in many parts of Canada and the United States.  Seems like a contradiction to me but I’ve never understood the killing for sport thing.

 

There are far too many animals at the park to mention them all but some of the striking ones in these photos are the Puma (also known as a cougar or a mountain cat), the noble lion and magnificent tiger, curious meerkats and the dignified red panda, as well as quirky perky penguins.  There was also a monkey with a teddy who made me laugh because I have a teddy at home, but don’t go telling everybody that!