These three pictures are all off the telly. All from Planet Earth which we've only just got round to watching. I know you it would be difficult to get good A3 prints from them but as illustrations they seem fine.Picture 1 is some sort of duck - which variety escapes me but I know I haven't seen one on Moorgreen Res. Still, with global-warming one never knows.
The subject this week was Woodlands and the following 2 pictures are about the team's efforts to photograph the top of a Baobab tree. This involved a very brave camera-man going up in this semi-dirigable hot-air balloon pilotted by a maniac of a Frenchman who seemed to have little control over the contraption. The result was they crashed into the top of the Baobab and damaged the craft. It had to be repaired by local welding and sawing off part of one propeller, to balance the other. Ergo, less control even than before.
Picture 2 shows the crash into the tree-top which was obviously filmed from the ground.Picture 3 though is the real mystery. Cynic that I am I immediately thought "Who is filming them now then?
Perhaps there was some sort of boom protruding outwards from the contraption, on which was fixed a camera.
If you look above the guy's head (the one in the blue shirt - the crazy one) the solid cylindrical bit could be such a boom.
BUT if it is, why can't we see it complete with camera in Picture 2.
Whatever the explanation, the camera-man was brave beyond the call of duty, to agree to another flight after the first disaster.We find the 'Diaries' section at the end of each programme, explaining how the shots are obtained, quite fascinating. Some of the Arctic ones for instance, invoved sitting out on the ice in a tent for a fortnight, in temperatures which would tax a polar bear. My suspicious mind should not be taken as criticism.
The weather today has been mild but very stormy. The old barometer is showing 29. I think that is pounds per sq.inch and I've no idea what it converts to in a modern measurement. We went to Carlton Hill this afternoon so Y could have her birthday-nails serviced and I messed about in the car. The nail people are Chinese and have little English, and Y's Chinese is not quite up to it. The big decision was 'white tips' or 'naturelle' and it was finally decided that 'white tips' were what was required. Tracy does a passable Chinese accent for 'white tips', but I haven't got into including sound yet, so you must just take my word for it.
This evening it is Mansfield National Trust's monthly meeting and the subject is Bess of Hardwick. We hope it will be a good lecture plus loads of slides, because Joan and Chris are coming with us as our guests. Both have a strong interest in local history, and I think Hardwick in particular. The place always entrances us. There is always something new to learn. And we always think "I bet you would have a good evening in a pub with Bess". She was such a formidable lady.
Tell you more tomorrow........................
2 comments:
I think it is a mandarin duck - they were the ones doing the freefall from their nest and bouncing when they the hit the ground.....what I wanted to know was that particular duck particularly stupid in nesting forty foot off the ground, or do they all do that? I think the Frenchman was completely bonkers, I certainly wouldn't have got in that contraption a second time (or even a first, come to think of it). Do you think you could hire him and it for Y's 80th birthday treat?
I'd say there's a light aircraft out there somewhere.
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