HAPPY NEW WEEK!
Last week's Chat thread is HERE.
I thought Annette seemed tired from all of her pet-sitting and entertaining duties, so I've started this week's new thread. Hope that's okay, Annette and all.
I've been very busy on a freelance project. The contract allows another month to complete the work, but I want to finish it sooner. It's very demanding (thanks for asking about it, Brenda).
I've also been trying to keep up with my lawn mowing. I've managed to see a lot of wildlife this week.
I've seen R.T. Hawk and his mate. I assume they're hunting to feed young. R.T. flew low over the driveway lane and gave me a disapproving look and a bit of a screech because he doesn't like the lawn mower. :-)
For the first time in many years, I saw an Indigo Bunting on my patch. He was glorious and looked like a blue Easter egg. He was singing like a canary, so he must have a mate this year, too. Woo-hoo!
With great fear and trepidation, I mowed over the site of last year's yellow jacket nest (aggressive species of wasp). I was so grateful because I didn't see a single yellow jacket! Apparently, they are well and truly gone and have relocated to someone else's land. Yay! I was swarmed twice last year, and I don't think I could take any more of their venom!
On Thursday, I had an exciting incident. I was cutting some weeds along the house, and a stunning, shiny black head appeared. A black snake flicked his tongue at me, and then climbed up the exterior wall of the house (yes, they climb!!!). He disappeared behind a loose piece of siding. All four feet of him!
He was gorgeous! It's a good thing he was a gentle black snake and not a racer; he might have bitten me, because I was pretty close to him. I knew what he was, though, and I wasn't afraid. I hope he stays around, because he'll keep chipmunks, field mice, and other critters away from the house and the car. :-)
There used to be a big one on this patch a few years ago, about 5.5 feet long. This fella must be an offspring.
I also have an active pileated woodpecker nest this year, and they're all very loud.
I hope you all are enjoying the spring and looking forward to summer. I wish good travels and fun times to all who are on holidays.
I'll be around to post when I finish my work. Take care, all.
Diane - TQ for starting the week - good to hear from you especially all your surrounding wildlife - you sound as though you have your own reserve! Also glad to hear you have a project to keep you busy.
Lynette, lmac and Wendyb - agree with your comments about politics - we've had enough to last us until the end of the decade! Overload is the best word I can think of to describe it!! And this forum is the better without political comment.
Nice to see you, Liz.
Evening all:
Diane: Thank you VERY much for starting the thread. I do appreciate it. Daughter home today - and surprise! - granddaughter drove with her, then flew back this evening to Phoenix. Anyway, everyone (including four-legged types) now home safe and OH and I enjoying a lovely Quiet evening. :-) How wonderful to see the Indigo Bunting - and RTH and all the other critters. Hope you don't get any of the bad weather now southwest of you. Good to know that you're still busy with your freelance project.
Brenda: You've got it right, I took a nap this afternoon in between reading and watching the birds at the fountain, then some time quietly puttering around in the garage, moving things around so I can open the car door without smacking into something. Have lots of similar small projects to get back to.
OG: Hope the weather is good for your trip.
Tina: Sounds like a very relaxing day. This is my 10th year with the whale count - it's been going for 11.
Lynette: Chocolate tombola? never heard of it but it sounds delicious.
LizLFW: hi there
Have a good Sunday everyone.
Annette: So glad you were able to see your granddaughter today. Wonderful that everyone, including the four-foots, are all back safe and sound in their homes. Hope you can get some rest and relaxation for a few days. Congrats on continuing to see the whales.
The freelance project is causing many creative sweary words to burst from my mouth day and night. :-(
So far, I've escaped the big storms, but I feel dang sorry for the folks in the plains states.
Hi to everyone! Best thoughts to you, Margo.
Thank you Diane for starting us off. I couldn’t live that close to a snake. We had some scary encounters on the farm with brown snakes.
I have a few responses overdue. Brenda – the twins still wake in the night, so Dau & s-i-l share the 3-4 call-outs.
Lynette – Miss3 isn't old enough for kindergarten until mid next year. Even then it won’t be simple to get 3 kids into & out of car and to be tied to kinder times – can’t be late!. Earlier this year they tried putting Miss3 into “family day care”. That’s where a woman looks after/plays with 4 children in her own home. I don’t know the cost. Getting Miss3 dressed, supplying lunch & snacks for the day was a rush each morn. S-i-l dropped Miss3 off and Dau collected her pm. However Miss3 became very unsettled, so after 2 months they dropped out. Perhaps she thought she was missing out on what was happening at home?
Annette – The twins are 11 months. Dau is planning to invite family & a few friends to a soup & birthday cake lunch next month. I volunteered and scored pumpkin soup. On checking my kitchen drawer for extra soup ladles, I pulled too far and everything ended up on the floor. Looking on the bright side, it was rubbish day and I manage to toss out some gadgets, unused or broken or whatever-is-this-for.
Good morning all
Thank you DIANE for starting us off. The snake would have freaked me, but that is because I've never seen one close up and personal so to speak. Creative sweary words sound interesting! Good luck with your project, I'm hoping for more to follow that one:-)
ANNETTE I agree with BRENDA, you have sounded a bit out of sorts lately, maybe that bad cold floored you a bit?
We returned late last evening and fell into bed because we had been up since 4am. The drive to Nantes airport took two hours prior to flying from there to London and for some reason (probably financial,I have my moments) I had booked us on the last flight home from London Gatwick. What a stupid woman I am. We had to sit around that airport all day. OH was very tolerant but did suggest that if there is a next time we should just get home as quickly as possible.
We only had a couple of days out that involved a lot of driving because of the vehicle problems that my brother is beset with.Two very kind friends of his lent their cars - one for the journey to and from the airport and the other lent us his all purpose runaround for the other days. This car enabled us to travel within fairly short distances from home but made a few strange noises from time to time! Anyway we spent a few precious days with my brother and his wife which is far more important than sightseeing.
I've been reading each day and am up to date with all the news. It is great to see old friends back on here.
Have a good Sunday, ALL.
OG - enjoy your trip. I hope that LINDY is having a good time and that MARGO enjoys time off with her OH - eating out every day sounds like a great idea!!
Posted on last weeks by mistake. Weather looks to be a copy of yesterdays and stupidly cold for May.
Good morning everyone, quick pop in, I am off to clean the inside of our friends boat this morning, OH will clean the outside. The friend in question has good intentions, but he's happy that we keep it well maintained whilst he's back home in Selsey.
The weather is glorious here, we may even invite family down later for a BBQ plus use of the Dinghy.
Have a great day, I will catch up later :-)
Good morning All - The weather today is much the same as we have had for several days now, sunny for a few minutes and then rain for a while, quite windy and cold also. I will probably visit a garden centre this afternoon, as I need a few things.
Heather - glad to see you back, sorry about your long journey home, hope you are recovered now.
Diane- so lovely to hear about all your interesting wildlife, so different from ours, I cannot imagine having snakes around!
Annette- You seem to have been so busy lately. Re - my conservatory plants - the christmas cactus you mentioned is actually an Easter cactus,the same sort of leaves but different flowers. The green flowered plants are sarracenias, insectivorous plants, I have several different kinds and find them very interesting, they eat up lots of flies,etc.,all summer long,a bit grisly!!
Dibnlib- So glad that the job problems have been resolved, it would have been a pity for you to have given up your work.
Margo- glad that you will be having some days out with your OH, hope you are feeling better at the moment and that little Billie is fine.
Tina- have a nice day with the boat.
Have a nice day everyone
Agree,DIBNLIB, it was 4 degrees C when we arrived home last night.
dibnlib said:Posted on last weeks by mistake. Weather looks to be a copy of yesterdays and stupidly cold for May.