Flight Radar 24 Pro

I've just been watching on my mobile phone a live updated display of an approaching plane, as it continued on its scheduled flightpath towards Heathrow airport, placed perfectly against a backdrop of an elaborately drawn 3d Google created map-using an android app called, 'Flight Radar 24 Pro.'

As I watch the descending altitude reading and see every turn the pilot makes-this extraordinarily detailed map complete with lakes and rivers and road signs, spins round on the screen to accomodate the change in the plane's direction in real time, I match the onscreen information with the increasing noise of the jet engines I can hear through the windows of my house as it gets ever nearer, I can't help but think of the incredible processing speed & the extraordinary number crunching involved in such a display! How can anyone not be filled with absolute wonder at this modern technological conjuring act...

We used to have an Atari VCS which at the time was cutting edge technology. It's difficult to believe now, but it really was! And we would literally spend hours playing a game of tennis on our black and white TV's with nothing more then a square block representing the ball as it bounced rapidly around the screen, hit by two larger rectangular blocks either end, representing each player.

How did the World ever change so fast?

Colchester Zoo

Spent a wonderful day at one of my favourite zoo's today. I completely agree with the writer John Burroughs who declared, 'I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.' Four hours after arriving, I too, left feeling nothing but an incredibly calm.

On the way home, I thought of the Red Pandas and just how adorable they are. I thought of the Chimp who managed to stealthily creep up out of sight and then bang on the glass just where my camera was, and scare the life out of me! I swear I could hear him laughing. And then I thought of the lone dik dik-the smallest of antelopes, wide-eyed, shyly approaching his water bowl, in a field of noisy cranes, fully aware of everyone watching, and wondering whether he'd be brave enough. He was. :-)