Ey up, just a small update as to what I've been doing lately even though...it's really not too much. An excuse to bump down that summer journal since the weather has turned significantly chilly and blustery the last few days! Almost time for hibernation I'd say hahah.

Otherwise, I've been doing pretty good. Been a couple of places over the last month or so, visited Kew Gardens again (for unfamiliars, it is the largest botanical garden in the world: [link]) which is always a treat for me because I really do enjoy walking around such places. The plants and landscapes are really beautiful there, especially in the evening time. It is also on the flight path of Heathrow, so if you are lucky to go there on a clear day you are never short of watching the planes fly into the sunset hahah.
I also tried out for the first time this Treetop Walkway, which is a giant metal structure that encircles the treetops so you can walk around the canopy and view various parts of the gardens from up high. What I didn't realise as I got to the top was that, as the Wiki entry states: 'The floor of the walkway is made from perforated metal and flexes as it is walked upon. The entire structure sways in the wind.' By perforated metal it means chicken wire, this stuff was the most malleable form of metal I've ever had the displeasure of walking on hahah. I should say at this point in time, I have a slight aversion to high open places - which is probably odd because I love flying but I at least feel safe in a big metal capsule with wings and seatbelts and whatnot. Places which sway and feel like they're about to collapse or you could fall over the side of at any moment are a bit different lol! Needless to say I managed to make my way around this walkway pretty sharpish, though the view was fantastic. I did take some photos from this point, I might add them to my flickr account sometime.

Went to Bournemouth Air Festival '09 too, really glad I did go because I had the best day - good spot on the beach, the weather was perfectly clear, ate the world's best fish&chips - and got to watch jets and acrobatic planes for eight hours on the shoreline. Not too bad a day in all! I hope it is as good next year, I really enjoyed it. I shall try my best to go again.

Also managed to get down to Silverstone for the World Aerobatic Championships ([link]) for some stunt plane performance, since I think those little planes are so cute hahah. Quite sad was that one of the pilots was killed a few days prior to the event during practice, so bit of a somber start. But they did keep the event on and I was able to get to the front of the runway, it was good fun watching take-offs and landing too. It always looks a bit precarious when these planes come in to land since they kind of bumble in at a sideways jaunt and it never looks like they're going to touch down properly hahah. Still, GBR came in third overall so it wasn't too bad! Couple of pics of the static planes: [link] [link] & [link]

I think that's pretty much the only things of slight interest I have been up to the past few weeks. Oh and also as of late, I've been in a bit of an orchestral music phase which is something I would like to ask about - if anyone knows of any good pieces of orchestral music or instrumentals. I am sure movie soundtracks are the primary source of this, but unfortunately I am not a movie-person at all - so I have no idea where to start! The only composer I know a little about is Ennio Morricone, and though his work is great I'd still like to branch out and find others. So if anyone has any recommendations of movie soundtracks or composers in this orchestral genre, I'd really love to hear them hahah.

Hope everyone else is doing well also.

Cheers,

- Josie