"Zero hour....9 am" -- Rocketman, Elton John (but in this case, the William Shatner version)

Here it is then. I leave the UK tomorrow afternoon, and so leave sunny Wrexham in the morning. I've said my goodbyes to friends and family, sorted out documents, packed my bags, and booked train tickets.

I've spent the last couple of weeks on embarkation leave, or "sort your life out" leave, so most of that has been spent in North Wales, getting in as much of the colour green as I can. Pre-deployment training ended well with a lot of climbing up electricity pylons as preparation for climbing up radar masts. The above photo belongs to Emma Philpott, and was taken during one of our mast climbing days down in Somerset.

Coed Llandegla is a great place to go in North Wales if it is necessary to soak up some nature before, say, going on some sort of mad polar journey. I spent a bit of time wandering around the area and annoying passers by with my camera.

Ah well, they can't catch me now.