This week’s big cat is the fastest animal on Earth, the cheetah is unique in many ways, it kinda looks like a large muscular greyhound with its sleek body and long thin, powerful legs.  An adult can run up to 113km/h or 70 mph.  They have large nasal passages allowing them to breathe easy while running.

They like to live in dry areas like the bush lands of Savanah and the semi-deserts, they feed on gazelles, impala, wildebeests and zebras. They like to hunt during the day, following a herd from a distance then selecting and old, an injured or a young victim, it will chase its victim and usually catches it on its first attempt. Its powerful jaw muscles enable it to tightly hold and suffocate its prey.

Most males prefer to live alone and will claim and make an area as their own.  Their paws are more like dogs then a cats being narrow and hard padded and non-retractable like a cats which allows for better grip while running.

They can be as long as 1.5 metres or 3.5 feet, as tall a 1 metre or 3 feet they weigh about 45-65 kilos or 99-143 pounds, they have a life span of 12-14 years, females usually have between 2 and 4 cubs at a time.

Unlike other big cats they don’t roar but purr, they also make high pitched yelps and barks as well as moan and bleat. They have a tawny to creamy white or pale buff fur that is marked with evenly spaced, solid black spots. The head is small and rounded, with a short snout and black tear-like facial streaks. 

Cheetahs are in the “vulnerable” category and are at risk of extinction in the wild. They face a number of threats, including losing their prey and habitat to human activity, human-animal conflict, and illegal animal trade. Less than 100 animals live in East Africa, less than 2,000 in Sudan, and fewer than 500 live in Northeast Africa. The total number of cheetahs in the world is estimated to be approximately 6,517 mature individuals.

This week we are in Central Europe which is the region lying between the defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. It includes the countries of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic and Hungary.

So, this week we will start with the Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. 

The country was once known as Czechoslovakia but in November 1989, the Velvet Revolution ended communist rule in the country and restored democracy. On 31 December 1992, Czechoslovakia was peacefully dissolved, with its constituent states becoming the independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

It has a population of around 10.7million, the capital is Prague, and the official language is Czech.

The koruna, or crown, has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 1993. The koruna is one of the European Union’s eight currencies, and the Czech Republic is legally bound to adopt the euro in the future. The official name in Czech is koruna česká.

The Czech National Bank, is the central bank and financial market supervisor in the Czech Republic, headquartered in Prague. It is a member of the European System of Central Banks.

The flag of the Czech Republic is the same as the flag of the former Czechoslovakia. Upon the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in December 1992, the Czech Republic kept the Czechoslovak flag while Slovakia adopted its own flag. The first flag of Czechoslovakia was based on the flag of Bohemia and was white over red. It was created in 1920, shortly after the founding of the first independent Czechoslovak state. The white, red, and blue colors are both symbolic and historic.

The coat of arms of the Czech Republic is divided into two principal variants. Greater coat of arms displays the three historical regions—the Czech lands—which make up the nation. Lesser coat of arms displays lone silver double-tailed lion in red shield. The Czech coat of arms dates back to the 13^th century. It consists of a shield divided into four squares. The top left and bottom right squares are red, with a white, double-tailed crowned lion. The lion is the symbol of Bohemia and signifies power and sovereignty.

Its national bird is I think the female eagle, and its national flower is the rose and the lion is the national animal.

It is considered a relative safe country with violent crime low but petty crime exists as it does in all countries.

Many Czech’s speak English, German and Russian.

I had a mostly good night, had to get up at 11pm to use the powerfit due to how much my legs were moving, after that I went back to bed and straight off back to sleep.

This morning, I took my meds at 5am and went back to bed till 6am. It is 16 degrees and my BGL was 6.1

I made a couple of slices of toast for breakie but only managed to eat one and I had my morning egg flip.

Tim and I went shopping and by the time I got home I was exhausted.

Steps: 4,225

I had a mostly good night, had to get up at 11pm to use the powerfit due to how much my legs were moving, after that I went back to bed and straight off back to sleep.

This morning, I took my meds at 5am and went back to bed till 6am. It is 16 degrees and my BGL was 6.1

I made a couple of slices of toast for breakie but only managed to eat one and I had my morning egg flip.

Tim and I went shopping and by the time I got home I was exhausted.

Steps: 4,225

I had a mostly good night, had to get up at 11pm to use the powerfit due to how much my legs were moving, after that I went back to bed and straight off back to sleep.

It is only 8 degrees and my BGL was 4.4.

It warmed up, got to 23 degrees.

I managed to close my eyes for an hour before I had to pee. I should have closed them again after I went to the loo.

I have managed to stay awake till 7pm but found myself extremely tired so I am off to bed.

Steps: 4,586

KATHY’S BIRTHDAY SHE IS 39 TODAY

I had a good night slept straight through till 5am. It is only 9 degrees and my BGL was 5.0

By 9am it was a nice 15 degrees, and it reached a top of 20 degrees.

I had a 1hr nap, but I am going to try and increase it to 1.5hrs tomorrow, I am feeling exhausted and tired at 7pm but will manage to stay up till 7.30pm.

Steps: 4,109

Another good night woke twice to pee and straight back to sleep. It’s 8 degrees and my BGL was 5.1

I had to change into shorts as it is warm.

I had my knee braces on but after 4 hours they started to annoy me, so I took them off.

It’s 11.30pm and I am up using the powerfit due to restlessness.

Steps:3,345

Had a so-so night after using the powerfit I went back to bed at midnight and straight back to sleep till the alarm went off.

It is only 7 degrees and my BGL was 4.9, the day warmed up a bit got to a top of 16 degrees.

It started to rain this afternoon after Sam got home from school.

I am managing to stay up a bit longer at night, it is 8.15pm and I am off to bed.

Steps:2,989

Had another so-so night, I kept waking up for a few minutes and this is why I suspect I woke up tired. The temp is 12 degrees my BGL was 4.5 and I am in winter clothes.

Damn it felt cold when Sam and I went to wait for Joel (transport driver)

Tasha drove me to Miller’s bakery so I could get a couple of things.

A cold day but no rain which is something.

Steps: 2,861

Had a good night went to bed around 8.15pm slept till 3am after going to the loo I went back to bed and slept till 5am when the alarm went off.

A somewhat cold start to the day with the temp being only 6 degrees and my BGL was 5.5

Tim is working today all day he expects to be home around 6pm. He arrived home at 6.30pm.

Tasha, Jessica and I walked down to vote, I took the walker and felt exhausted by the time I got home.

Steps: 3,106

When we think of autism, we generally think of children, but adults may recognise the signs of autism in themselves often this will happen once their child is diagnosed with being on the autism spectrum.

So, it is not surprising that many autistic adults are undiagnosed.

Historically, autism was generally identified in children and predominantly in males. These days we have a better understanding of autism and its presentation across genders. This has led to better recognition of signs that could indicate a person is autistic.

Recognising the signs of autism as an adult often comes through personal reflection. You may initially learn about autism through a family member or a friend who has been diagnosed. You may identify with their personal journey and feel a connection with them.

Seeking and undertaking a formal diagnosis is very much a personal choice. Some adults may want to get a diagnosis, but others will think what’s the point at my age. Being diagnosed can be helpful when someone is trying to work to their personal strengths. It can also bring a sense of relief, recognising that you are just different and not defective or broken.

Learning more about yourself and autism will be beneficial whatever pathway you choose.

There are two distinct pathways when seeking an adult diagnosis. Assessments can be conducted by a psychologist, or by a psychiatrist, with experience in assessing autism.

Both will conduct some form of standardised testing for autism and other conditions, such as ADHD or mood disorders, and provide you with a report.

However, there are some differences between the services and support they can provide. A report from a psychiatrist may not be as detailed as one from a psychologist.

Ensure you ask upfront what is entailed in the assessment and report process.

It’s the middle of the week and we are back in the year 1942 and while the 6^th Australian Division walked out of steaming jungle into the deserted village of Kokoda, the 9^th Australian Division were under fierce fire on the hot desert sands of Egypt.

This post is about the battles at El Alamein, the first was in July 1942 which ended with an up in the air result and neither side being the clear victor.

Then between 23 October to the 5 November saw another battle and the axis army on a retreat they didn’t recover from.

The Battle of El Alamein was the last great imperial battle. More than 13,500 men in the Eighth Army were killed, wounded or missing including 2,694 Australians from the 9th Division, approximately one-fifth of the Eighth Army’s total casualties.

El Alamein was an obscure railway siding on the line from Alexandria. It was between the sea and an impassable swamp of the Qattara Depression. It was also the last defendable position before the Suez Canal 320 kilometres (199 miles) away.

The Aussies had been fighting in the European, Middle Eastern, and North African theatres of the war since 1940. During most of 1942 RAAF squadrons were active in the area providing air-cover for the various battles fought in the area.

From June to November 1942 the AIF and RAAF would play an important role in the battles and victory at El Alamein.

The purpose of the fighting in North Africa was to prevent the Axis powers from threatening Alexandria and the Suez Canal.

In 1941 with the arrival of the German General Erwin Rommel things most of the Allies gains in the area were lost to the Germans. After heavy fighting to Benghazi the Allies had fallen back to Tobruk, were Rommel held the 9th Australian Division under siege for ten months. The besieged men were referred to as trapped rats by Lord Haw Haw and the Aussie’s took pride in the name the Rats of Tobruk.

In an amazing logistical operation during the nights of September and October 1941, destroyers and cruisers slipped into the port and evacuated 15,000 Aussie troops, sadly at the end of October some of the evacuation convoys were bombed resulting in heavy casualties. Also, some Aussie infantry troops were standard at Tobruk leaving by road on 16 December.

Events outside the desert war in North Africa diverted Aussie troops and equipment elsewhere and even though the United States entered the war after Pearl Harbour and their presence was welcomed it became obvious that the need to defend Australia was realised. This led to the withdrawal of Australian troops from the middle east.

More next week.

Hey everyone, it is Tuesday here down under and time to look at another big cat, this week it is the Leopard.

Leopards are the third largest big cat; they are excellent climbers and unlike most other wild cats’ love living in trees. They can live in various different habitats and have a wide range of prey. They are generally found in the Saharan regions of Africa as well as Asian countries like Turkey, Korea, Jave and India.

They are easily recognised by their rosette patterned coat and their extremely long tail which is darker in colour then the rest of their body. Although their base coat can vary depending on its habitat, those living in open grasslands are a golden yellow, while those living in deserts are yellow or cream in colour. Then there are those who live in mountain regions and they are a deep gold colour.

They like to hunt at night, though females with cubs prefer to hunt during the day, they hunt all kinds of creatures from small rodents to small monkeys and impalas.

They are super strong and can drag a fully grown male antelope or a young giraffe which can weigh up to three times that of the leopard into the treetops.

They will attack humans and are considered more dangerous than lions or tigers. Humans have been a threat hunting them for their fur.

There are also snow leopards which are found in the snow caped mountains of Russia, China and the Himalayas they have woolly fur and interestingly not loud roars like other big cats.

Black leopards also known as black panthers are found in dense, wet forested areas of India and southwest Asia.

Good morning, all, well it is Monday morning, and I am hoping this Monday is a good one and that I am productive and not just tired, as I am so over being tired all the damn time.

This week we are in Northern Europe which if I haven’t said before and I don’t think I have and I am too damn lazy to search and find out, is a loose term that generally includes the Nordic countries of northernmost Europe such as Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway.

This week we are looking at Finland which borders Sweden, Norway and Russia the capital is Helsinki which occupies a peninsula and surrounding islands in the Baltic Sea.

Helsinki is home to the 18th-century sea fortress Suomenlinna, is an inhabited sea fortress composed of eight islands, of which six have been fortified; it is about 4 km southeast of the city centre of Helsinki. It is popular with tourists and locals, who enjoy it as a picturesque picnic site. Originally named Sveaborg (Castle of the Swedes), or Viapori as referred to by Finnish-speaking Finns, it was renamed in Finnish to Suomenlinna (Castle of Finland) in 1918 for patriotic and nationalistic reasons, though it is still known by its original name in Sweden and by Swedish-speaking Finns.

It has a population of around 5.6 million, its currency is the Euro, and it has two official languages Finnish and Swedish.  However, even though English is not their official language, you’ll find many Finns speak English well. English has become widely spoken, especially in urban areas and among the younger generation.

The Flag of Finland, also called siniristilippu, dates from the beginning of the 20th century. On a white background, it features a blue Nordic cross, which represents Christianity. The state flag has a coat of arms in the centre but is otherwise identical to the civil flag.

The national coat of arms displays a crowned lion standing on a red field. The lion holds a raised sword in its right gauntleted foreleg and is trampling a curved sabre. The lion, the crown and the sword and sabre handles are gold, as are the gauntlet joints. The blades and the gauntlet are silver.

The brown bear is Finland’s national animal. For ancient Finns the bear was a feared yet revered and respected animal. The importance of the bear in the minds of ancient Finns is demonstrated by the fact that there are over 200 different names for the bear in their language. 

The lily-of-the valley is Finland’s national flower because its attractive and sweetly scented flowers are very familiar to most Finns.

The Head of State is the President of the Republic, and the Government is led by a Prime Minister. Finland was formerly considered a semi-presidential parliamentary system, but pursuant to the 1999 constitution and the 2012 constitutional amendments, it is now a full parliamentary democracy.

Human rights in Finland are freedom of speech, religion, association, and assembly as upheld in law and in practice. Individuals are guaranteed basic rights under the constitution, by legislative acts, and in treaties relating to human rights ratified by the Finnish government.

Finland consistently ranks among the countries with the lowest crime rates in the world. Violent crime is relatively rare, and the overall crime levels are significantly lower compared to many other countries.

I slept through the night, when the alarm went off at 5am I got up went to the toilet took my meds and went back to bed till 6.30am.

It is 10 degrees and my BGL was 5.0.

I still feel like shit but still managed to go to the cemetery, we picked up Sue and took her with us. When we got there Dave & Leigh and Liarna were getting out of their car. A short while later Sandy and Skylar turned up. It was wonderful seeing them all and after a few minutes Skylar was less shy and started to run around and have fun.

After coming home, I went back to bed for a bit.

Sam mowed the back yard and helped Tim with a couple of other tasks out the back.

I am having another early night off to bed at 6.30pm, I hope I feel better tomorrow.

I slept through the night, woke at 4.45am decided I would get up and have a shower. I feel a tad better than yesterday now.

It is 16 degrees and my BGL was 4.8. It warmed up by 11am also the wind picked up and is very strong.

I made myself two soft boiled eggs for lunch.

I felt worn out by 2pm and should have had a nap but didn’t and now it is 5pm and I am falling asleep.

I went to bed at 6.15pm and slept through the night, this morning I am still not good, but we will see how I go during the day.

Much cooler this morning, only 8 degrees my BGL was 4.3.

I read on Facebook that Jono and his girls were in a car accident yesterday afternoon and all are in hospital.

Freya isn’t the best, both girls have broken collarbones, and Freya has multiple small brain bleeds. She has been seen by a neurologist and had a CT scan and is the care of the trauma team.

Another early night for me.

Steps 4,388

I went to bed at 6.30pm and slept till 9pm after that I was pretty much awake till 1.30am.

There was more drama between Sam and Tim last night which is why I was awake for so long. Nothing new, just the same old issues.

It is 3 degrees and my BGL was 3.9.

I went to make my porridge for breakie only to discover I was missing an unopened box, very frustrating.

It has warmed up nicely to 21 degrees at midday.

Steps:3,991

I had a good night but this morning I am struggling to keep my eyes open.

Ok I went back to bed for an hour, and I am more awake now.

At 9.30am I decided to close my eyes while sitting in my armchair, as I was so tired.

It is 8 degrees and my BGL was 4.0

By midday it had warmed up to 22 degrees and by 2pm it was 26 degrees.

I received a text from Kelli that made me really happy. Tim is wondering why I am so tired I said I thought it was a mix of being unwell and Parkinson’s and it should pass.

Sandy went and bought me bread; this also made me happy as I could have a sandwich for lunch.

Steps:4,558

I had a good night, and I feel more awake this morning. It is 12 degrees and my BGL is 5.4.

I had a dental appointment, just a checkup and cleaning, my teeth are not as bad as I expected. I was told one tooth is in need of repair but I’m not sure if we can afford it.

Tasha dropped me off then left to drive her friend to work before coming back to get me. I had to wait 40 minutes for her to get back and pick me up. I was not happy.

The temp reached 27 degrees

I am so tired that I am going to bed at 7pm.

Steps: 3,555

I had a good night and I feel more awake this morning. It is a warmish 17 degrees this morning and my BGL is 5.5

I had to turn the air con on at 11am as it was just so hot, the temp was 26 degrees.

Tim arrived home at around 1pm he will be here for a couple of hours before returning to work.

By 3.30pm it had cooled down and I turned the air con off and opened the doors.

Tim got home from work at 6pm.

Steps:4,642

Ok let’s step back to the Kokoda Track and 1942, the Australian retreat continued and after a fierce battle at Ioribaiwa the exhausted Aussies had to withdraw to Imita Ridge only 50 kilometres or 31 miles from Port Moresby.

By the end of September, it was clear that the Japanese would not take the battle to Port Moresby which was a good thing. Due to all the retreating the Aussies felt forced to undertake they were closer to their supply lines, the Japanese however found themselves far from their supply lines. The Japanese were also exhausted and starving and by the end of September the Aussies were pushing them back over the Owen Stanleys.

Sadly, the fighting was far from over and MacArthur was complaining about slow the pursuit of the Japanese was going across the mountains. General Blamey was also complaining but he was caught in the middle between MacArthur and the Australian Prime Minister, and you can bet MacArthur was breathing down his neck demanding this and that be done.

On the 2 November the Aussies retook Kokoda, which was abandoned, however, this was bot the end of the fighting to expel the Japanese.

While the Aussies were fighting in Papua the United States forces landed at Guadalcanal the battle there took six months before the Japanese finally withdraw on 6 February 1943.

Total casualties of Aussie on the Kokoda Track from July to November 1942 were 1,680 of these 625 were killed, this didn’t include the battle of Milne Bay.

Blamey and MacArthur planned that the Aussies would mount a rapid offensive against Gona in mid-November, of course this was easier said than done with the Japanese bunkers were well defended.

The terrain was swampy with shoulder-high, razor sharp kinai grass and it wasn’t till 9 December that they succeeded.

It has been estimated that the Japanese lost 7,000 men during the Papua campaign.

After Papua the Aussies remained under Japanese fire in the mandated territory of New Guinea until the end of the war.

I haven’t felt well for the last few days, and still don’t feel much chop after doing anything I find myself tired again, and it’s getting me down.

Anyway, here is a bit more about tigers, did you know there are eight sub-species of tiger, they are the Bali tiger, Bengal tiger, Caspian tiger, Ind-Chinese tiger, Javan tiger, Siberian tiger, South China tiger and the Sumatran tiger. Although the Caspian, Bali & Javan tigers are now extinct. The rest are still endangered.

The largest tiger is the Siberian tiger found in Russia.

The smallest tiger is the Sumatran tiger found on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.

The South Chinese tiger is considered to be the evolutionary ancestor of all the tigers in the world. It is the most endangered.

There are tales of the Great Bengal Tigers being ferocious man eaters but almost all wild tigers avoid humans, thus fatal attacks by tigers on humans is thankfully rare. They generally will only attack if provoked or injured.

Many adult males claim territory as their own keeping other males out a territory is usually about 52sq km or 20 sq miles and usually includes a body of water.

Tigers communicate by using different sounds.

There are some white tigers, they have white fur and chocolate-brown or black stripes, they also have blue eyes were other tigers have yellow eyes and are very rare. Most of them can be found in zoos.