Flying Cats

"Sklar's poetry could be characterized as American Primitive, clean and bracing as creek water. Like Whitman, Sklar celebrates the mystery and profundity of the everyday. This is "guy" poetry, muscularly chronicling the days and to-do list of the contemporary American male, helplessly and joyfully committed to the challenges of raising a houseful of boys, teaching sleepy-eyed college students, and handling the ignominies of manuscript rejection letters. Sklar's poems tumble and sing with enormously universal appeal. -publisher.

Did you know that the fishing cat has partially webbed paws for catching fish? Or that pumas can leap over 15 feet into trees? There are roughly 38 species of cats today, each one superbly adapted to their environment - whether that be in the rainforest or the desert! This captivating and stunningly illustrated guide will teach you everything you need to know about our feline friends.

An adopted cat has a very special secret. No one believes Toby's owner when she says he can fly, but when a little kitty is in trouble, will Toby save the day? This charming picture book appeals to cat lovers and children of all ages.

Pigs may not fly, but felines almost do! Every cat owner who has watched his or her pet soar from table to counter to the top of the draperies will swear that its true. And here's the proof, in a photographic tribute to the cat's bold and brazen nature, as well as a whimsical reminder of what makes these animals so beloved.

The consolidated PBY Catalina was probably the most versatile and successful flying boat/amphibian ever built, serving not just with the US Army, Navy and Coast Guard during World War II but also with the air forces of Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with the Danes, Free French and Norwegians as well as in Brazil, Chile, Indonesia and elsewhere. With a remarkable lifting capacity and endurance, this long-range twin-engined aircraft could absorb a great deal of punishment and still return home after flights lasting an entire day and covering thousands of miles.

The story of the top-secret “Black Cats” who undertook dangerous long-duration high-altitude missions to provide intelligence on North Korea during the Cold War. Plying through the darkness at the very limit of the earth’s atmosphere, the U-2’s extrasensory intelligence-gathering sensors quietly intercept and redistribute mountains of information to a highly classified ground site, located at Osan Air Base, Korea. From there, the top-secret intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) products are distributed to the highest levels of command authority within the United States. Although the Dragon Lady has been in continuous service for nearly 70 years, she has always been considered a “National Asset,” with technology so sophisticated that she outlasted her “replacement”—the SR-71—decades ago. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Rick Bishop, a former U-2 pilot, takes the reader deep into the Black World of non-satellite ISR to reveal how a small detachment of 100 hand-selected personnel with only eight pilots and two aircraft became the most reliable and productive air force unit to ever utilize the Dragon Lady during the Cold War and to this day. As second-in-command of Detachment 2 (Det 2) of the 9th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing during the mid-1980s, Rick kept a detailed journal of the daily operations that routinely launched pilots on high-altitude solo missions lasting at least nine hours. Wearing full-pressure suits similar to those utilized by the Shuttle astronauts, these missions took a physiological toll on each pilot who upon return had to coax the Lady, universally known for her treacherous landing characteristics, safely back on the ground along with the often-priceless intelligence-gathering sensors. Although the pilots were the pointy end of the spear, this is also the story of the missions that could not be accomplished without the dedicated effort from enlisted personnel and civilian company tech reps to keep the maintenance-intensive platform in the air. Along with Physiological Support Division personnel, responsible for keeping the pilot alive in their pressure suit environment during emergency situations, as well as numerous other support troops required for logistical and supply support, the unparallel success of Det 2 can only be attributed to the professional pride of the close-knit selectively manned brotherhood known as the Black Cats of Osan.

Earth. DurPlunk’s home. Again… When the evil-hearted Maine Coon from Katonia finds himself exiled on the primitive planet with three of his Sphynx soldiers, there may be only one way to make their new home bearable. Gather an army of Earth cats, conquer the humans and make DurPlunk the planet’s ruler! DurPlunk may be in for more than he bargains for, though. Conquering a planet where humans are in control could be more difficult than he thinks. To complicate things, two of his former adversaries from Katonia now live on Earth with their friend, Sarah. Will Bootsie and Soxy be able to keep DurPlunk from accomplishing his evil plans? Back on Katonia, Sunset has his paws full. As the planet’s ruler, he is trying to right the wrongs of the past. Can he ever find a way to live in peace with the Sphynx who have always been seen as enemies? His recent truce with the dogs gives him hope, but the Sphynx may not be as cooperative as the canines. As if Sunset doesn't already have more tuna on his plate than he can eat, he learns that DurPlunk is stirring up trouble for the Earthlings. Will Sunset be able to send reinforcements to Earth to stop DurPlunk? Will Bootsie and Soxy find a way to keep the Earth humans safe? One thing is for sure. DurPlunk is going to have to be alert and keep an ear, tail and whisker out at all times if he is ever going to win his battle for planet Earth! This is book 3 in the Alien Cats series. Book 1 - Alien Cats: No Place Like Home Book 2 - Alien Cats: Return to Katonia Book 3 - Alien Cats: DurPlunk's Battle for Planet Earth