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

Good morning, LINDA, and thanks for the "hot" smiles - liked the horse in the trough!  Good luck with the to-do list.  I have done the ironing, and OH is still in bed, although he is coughing from lying down!

Woops - missed out ALAN - lovely Hedgehog.

Morning everybody. Some pics now from our trip to North Wales last month.

These are all scenes from around the Glaslyn Osprey Centre, which was closed when we were there. However, it was easy to see why the surround area was prime osprey territory.

The view up the valley of Afon Glaslyn towards Beddgelert

Around Pont Croesor, outside the Osprey Centre

The Welsh Highland Railway makes it's way across the Glaslyn at this point. The line here was originally the 1864 Croesor Tramway, a horse-drawn tramway which allowed the slate from the quarries around the Glaslyn to be transported to the harbour at Porthmadog. It was then developed into a steam railway in the 1920s, to allow the slate to travel faster, and also to provide a passenger service. The line, however, was not successful, as the slate industry declined and passenger numbers were less than what was expected. The line then closed in the 1930s. Like many other British heritage railways, it was then rebuilt mainly by modern enthusiasts and volunteers, and finally reopened in 2010 as part of the completion of the current Welsh Highland Railway. The service now runs trains between Caernarfon and Porthmadog.

Good Morning, the sun has just managed to break through the early mist:-)

Alan, it is unusual to see hedgehogs during daylight hours, hope it is ok, we saw a large one just as we turned into our drive last night, I've seen a smaller one visit our back garden regularly over the last few weeks, so I make sure I put out some dried mealworms and insect filled fat pellets for them.

Lindy loved the Monday smiles continuing on last weeks theme, the horse in the old bath tub is hilarious! I hope your to do list will be taken leisurely and you can still enjoy the bank holiday.

Lynette Glad you have had a lovely W/end.

Annette, I hope the fires soon come under control and the trees and wildlife escape without too much harm. I was worried about the bees, I don't know why they were dying, but I looked up about them, and found sometimes it's down to pesticides, I never spray my weeds or garden with anything, but know my neighbour/landlord does, also being on an arable farm crop spraying always worries me, especially for the birds and other wildlife we see occasionally here, it is often after spraying we have lots of window strikes, I think it does something to them. I have 4 hanging baskets, which I put around the old (unused) coal shed, it usually is a dull area, and like to brighten it up with pretty flowers in the summer

Diane I hope the owl hasn't had the bats, I'm not keen on wasps, we've had loads this year also, I think we must have nests in the back garden, we had them in the air vent a few years ago and had the authorities dust spray into the affected vents.

OG You have been busy with your family tree, I find them fascinating, and tried starting one of my own some years ago, but not having family to help out now and memory not good, I didn't get very far with it, and it can be very time consuming also. I hope eagle eye gets over his 'man flu' soon.

I'm just over the moon to see Mulberry and his Dad find themselves again, and enjoying the things they used to do many years ago, it will help give his Dad something to focus on especially in these early difficult times of adjusting to life alone, they have planned another walk for Sunday coming, and yesterday was a taster to make sure he was up to it, I'm happy to help in what ever way I can :-)

Wishing you all a good week!

I started this while it was morning and now after taking me so long it has turned into afternoon.!! ... Lol

MULBERRY - more great photos - and I hadn't realised that Dyfi was that far north - duh!

NITEOWL - pleased you mentioned it was the coal shed - I had  assumed it was the "wee hoosie" at the bottom of the garden!  We have a lot of Wasps around the compost bins and have been wondering whether we have a nest; however, they keep dropping dead, or maybe dead-drunk from banana skins!  Family history is very time-consuming, and with families living close together for many generations and with favourite family names, it is easy to follow a red herring up a cul-de-sac!

LINDY   really funny, loved them all.  a very pleasant day here, not too hot yet. We have had a nice summery lunch of watermelon/prawn and avocado salad in a wine, lime and chilli dressing. Haven't made it (thrown it together) for a while and forgot how good it is.

Final pic of cousins pup.

OG   please pass on "get well soon" wishes to EE.

MULBERRY   your Dad must be really appreciating your company, esp at this time.

OG We never made it down to Dyfi:-( Glaslyn is north, and close to Porthmadog where we were staying. Never saw an osprey, but the area is beautiful, and a mini Scotland with its mountains. :-)

Tripple Awwww !!! dibnlib ... :-)

Mulberry's Dad is very appreciative, and a lovely man, he's just a lost soul at the moment, but given time and lots of T.L.C he will appreciate also the life he has yet to live. (I hope)

Margo thoughts are with you also, hope all is looking better for you this week, and seen some improvement.

DIBNLIB - glad you have another nice day - please send lunch! (even though I just had my own!)  E-E did get up - well, to be truthful I told him he should because he was lying there coughing, and he hasn't coughed again since he has been upright!

Woops again!  Yes I did muddle Glaslyn and Dyfi, NITEOWL!  I think Dyfi is somewhere in the middle of the west coast - I know a neighbour of my parents used to holiday in that direction and bring back Salmon he caught in the Dyfi!

Driveway man's wife phoned - he should arrive later today.