Weekly Chat, Sunday March 7

Hi, all. My computer has been off most of the day because we've had thunderstorms and they kept making the power blink off and on -- hard on the computer and other electronics. Very early for this type of weather here. Coming toward you, Gary. I'm hopelessly behind but did want to make a few comments:

Auntie: I hope that your job has now become less demanding, and I also hope that you were able to avoid the illnesses that were sweeping your hospital. Sounds like it was very stressful for a while there. Hope you can pamper yourself a bit now. I wish you a gentle thaw and a lovely spring.

OG: I'm soooo glad that everything went well at your hospital visit. So pleased that your health is holding well right now. Yay!!!!! Loved the flower photo!

BrendaH: Loved the expression lazy wind.     DjoanS: Wonderful train picture!!!     Cirrus: Lovely post from you! Hope everything is going well for you.     Margobird: Glad that you behaved yourself at the Question Time. LOL Great that you had a good time.

TerryM: Thanks so very much for the wind farm vs. bird debate links. I have only just started reading them. Very interesting! All of the information on this subject seems so contradictory to me; very hard to know what to believe and support as someone who reveres the Earth, the birds, and the working class.

Alan: Simply wonderful pics you are posting!!! I can't believe how tiny that little eagle chick is. I have dust bunnies under my bed that are bigger than that chick! :-)

AQ: Thanks for more interesting history. Don't envy you the auto race. The Indianapolis 500 is a pain in the...neck...for people in this area, and the news media can't talk about anything else for the entire month of May! Blah!

Annette: Hope that your scratches have all healed up! I loved the cactus flower picture. They are indeed such a metaphor for life -- great moments of beauty from such a rough looking plant. 

Can't be an owl tonight. Have to get up early to take bins up the lane for regular pick-up of the rubbish. Also, have a shopping mission. Night all.

Unknown said:

Tiger : I heard a rumour that owls favourite meal is ratatouille.

A L A N !!!    LOL LOL

Alan Lovely pictures.  Sorry I didn't get to see the earlier ones (Hamish's haircut included).  Haven't done more than trawl quickly through the posts the last few days as the weather has been good enough to allow a bit of tidying in the garden - not much, as the back garden needs a complete makeover, thanks to wet weather, frost and lively Border Collies!  Did manage to pot up two clematis we bought in the Scottish Heather Centre in October - they don't seem to have suffered by overwintering in their little pots!  Now Cruts in under way and I have a list of dog agility events I want to watch on the live TV streaming being provided this year.  Know some people who are competing.  One fried had a 2nd place yesterday with a little dog found wandering on one of the main city centre streets in Dublin some years ago. May tackle my pile of ironing while watching this morning, for the good of my conscience

Morning all. Beautiful sunshine here, that famous yellow orb is definitely trying to make the huge piles of snow to disappear. But I think it`s work with that task will last many weeks still. Temps are ok: sub zeros by nights and few pluses in daytime. Sunrise today 6.50 sunset 5.57 pm.

Patriciat, never seen agility "in live" only in telly but it is so wonderful to see how the dogs seem to love go around and totally enjoy it

Alan, thanks for the updates in various nests. It is amazing how those tiny eaglets grow to be the big eagles. Read somewhere that whitehead eaglets are the most rapidly growing birds in US.

Diane, thanks for your kind words. Things are slowly getting normal at work. Didn`t get nothing nasty just running nose and a cough. Have night shift today but after that three days off :)

I´m getting so impatient about waiting ospreys`return to UK and here. Although I sincerely wish their "fish-markets" will be free of ice in time

Hope everybody has a nice day!

For info. I posted this yesterday on the LGO Diary page.

Starting today there are Google Street views on Google Earth covering almost 100% of the UK's roads, streets and countryside. They are copyright so I cannot show this, but there are panoramic views of Loch Garten, looking across the water from near the car park entrance in beautiful sunshine, as well as miles of Abernethy Forest. I have not spotted any wildlife (or ospreys) so far at LG, only four of my neighbours, in my street including two boys trying to hide from the camera.

Good morning Alan and thanks for that link.  I watched most of yesterday afternoon and thought that hatching was very close.  She was listening and watching all the time.  How gentle she was when she got down to brood her very precious chick.  Nature is just wonderful.  Have a good day. 

Am off out for a while but will catch up with all the other posts later.

jsb said:

For info. I posted this yesterday on the LGO Diary page.

Starting today there are Google Street views on Google Earth covering almost 100% of the UK's roads, streets and countryside. They are copyright so I cannot show this, but there are panoramic views of Loch Garten, looking across the water from near the car park entrance in beautiful sunshine, as well as miles of Abernethy Forest. I have not spotted any wildlife (or ospreys) so far at LG, only four of my neighbours, in my street including two boys trying to hide from the camera.

Thank you. Those are great. There are two people coming down from the osprey centre.

Managed my outing yesterday and with the lambs in the fields it looked very spring like but there is still quite a bit of snow on the hills and i can't remember the snow being still here at this time of year. Didn't manage to see the eagles as they have moved further up the hill which you can't see from the visitors centre.

Loved the pictures of the black penguin along with the other photos.

A few years ago I went on holiday that had a visit to the Palace of Westminster and Buckingham Palace as part of it and the guides knowledge of the places is overwhelming and in both the House of Lords and Commons you were not allowed to sit on the seats   

An alarming piece of news in the local paper yesterday that they are once again contemplating  ship to ship oil transfer in the Forth again I thought that after all the promises made last year that this was a no go scheme.  It is about time the Scottish Government got their finger out and made up their mind where the areas of conservation are going to be around our coast.

Off now to get ready to go and see cousin in the hospital after going thro' operation for bowel cancer

Hope everyone has a good weekend.  Alan Raith Rovers play Dundee in the quarter finals of the Scottish cup tomorrow   

Afternoon all from TI,

JSB : Thanks for letting us know about the new feature on Google Earth. I have already had a look down my street but there were no people around. 

GeorgeG : Thanks for reminding me about the Scottish Cup quarter final tomorrow. Dundee have stuttered a bit of late so it is by no means a foregone conclusion who will win.

Patriciat : I have not been watching the live streaming at Crufts but I did watch the highlights last night on More4. The agility and flyball was exciting to see and the Rotweiler won the working group and the Cardigan Corgi won the pastoral group.

Thanks everyone else for the chat,history, links etc.

Today I went on yet another shopping mission to Tesco and I am about to take Hamish out for his afternoon walk . Weather is showery today with not a lot of sunshine. Temp 8.2 c