Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), Sunday 25 August 2013

Lindybird said:

Alan - There is a great cartoon in the Telegraph this morning, showing badgers emigrating.

Thanks, Diane!!   Now everyone can see it.

A bit dull and damp here again.  I'm off out food shopping, and later today we are going away for the weekend: back sometime Tuesday.

Meanwhile here are the last of the L.M. Hall pictures, just to finish them off.

Outside at the rear, you can see the lovely beams & decorations :

the garden at the back includes one of those artful arrangements, which has just been restored: there were some flowers, under a nearby hedge, but not in the middle of this part which perhaps became a fashion much later on in history.

Another view of the back of the house:  this is what the lady above is gazing at:

(EDIT  - you can clearly see the Long Gallery at top left, where I stood and marvelled at the wonky floor)

       - I just loved its  'wobbliness!!'

Afterwards, we returned home via a road passing the Astbury Mere, which my Friend did not know about as its hidden away down a side road. We stopped for a look, and when we arrived the first thing we saw was our old friend The Bear On a Pole, who has inexplicably returned!  - Perhaps folks asked for him to be put back again, after the event he was for originally!

Diane:  Hope  you got the grass cutting done without too much sweat!

MY OH has just climbed all the way up to the top of his ladders to take out just one branch of the apple tree which he trimmed the other day:  he had left one bit sticking up and it was so annoying us.  I watched hoping he did not fall off as I could see the headline in the local paper "Man killed by annoying branch!"

Unknown said:

Evening all: Very warm here today; will cool down again tomorrow. Played hooky from housework and the garden and went off to the gorgeous glistening golden beach! Took a book, an apple, nuts and water and lolled in my chair; watched kiddies play in the waves and soaked up the sunshine and the sounds of the surf.  Life is tough.  :-)

dibnlib: Hope Alan sees your "cull MPs" poster - I'd vote for that. Sorry to hear that Dillon's health is wobbly. :-(

Hi to everyone else; thanks for ducky pix, among others.

Please everyone excuse me just blurting in like this without greetings and so on (but 'Hello' everyone) - I just can't tell you how relieved I am ANNETTE to see your post.   About  10 days ago whilst out hiking we popped into a pub half way around our route and I saw a few seconds of a news flash about a forest fire somewhere - it looked horrendous. But then of course , the news turned to sport (drat it) . I didn't see anything mentioned on the news since (our media is stuck in a time warp called Syria) and then suddenly on a news somewhere the  forest fire turned up again and it was in California !!!!!!!!!!!! OMG - just a terrible thing and, of course, I thought of you.

So pleased everything seems 'normal' with you - is the fire out yet ? I  think it's been raging for a whole week . The wildlife !!!  the trees !!

Hi, Cirrus!  You may blurt in as often as you wish - I never see enough of you.

Hi Cirrus!   Nice to see you !!     Annette is fine, the fire is far away from her neck of the woods, although it has been pretty terrible. They seemed to have got it under control a couple of days ago, after it raged over a huge area of California and yes, sadly, there must have been many animals and wildlife affected.  Seems to be quite common in parts of USA where there is little rainfall at this time of year.

Glad to hear that you're still enjoying your hiking.

Last night I watched the "SpringWatch Special" about butterflies & moths, which had been recorded for me ages ago. It was very well done and most interesting.  Lovely pics/film of butterflies hatching from their delicate prisons, and tales of their long treks to UK from as far as Africa. Do try to see it, folks, if its ever repeated on TV.

Rats !!! LINDY -       I forgot to record it - how could I do that  - phooey. I will certainly look out for a repeat. It's been a Large White year. Myriads of them. And the caterpillars then ate all my rose leaves ! but, so pleased am I to see butterflies this year they are welcome. Leaves will grow again. About 5 years ago I sacrificed a lovely fuchsia bush to five elephant hawk moth caterpillars   - what awesome beasties they were  :) in no mistake. And the fuchsia grew again just fine the following year. But I've only had one Painted lady (they migrate) and one Red Admiral on my garden. A few Speckled Woods and Holly Blues. No Fritillarys or Commas. Still it's been a very much better year for them over all so here's fingers crossed for next year. Saw lots of Common Blues hiking - but, let me say, there is nothing ''common'' about Common Blues - the males are absolutely striking electric blue.

Thank you CLARE - I will look in from time to time it's just that I feel embarrassed about not acknowledging everyone's  posts but if I do that it takes quite a lot of time and I lose heart :(  dear oh dear, pathetic or what!

Sad to say I don't acknowledge everyone's posts but most people are still talking to me.

How are you, by the way?  I thought I'd ask while you're about!

Clare:  I've been too busy to look at your latest photos but rest assured I will find the time over the weekend to go and peek at them.