WEEKLY CHAT (non-osprey) SUNDAY, JUNE 14, 2015

Hallo all.  Long day out; nice to see grandson and partner and see photos from the Bahamas.  Had a strawberry waffle for breakfast, but was seriously taken aback by frozen strawberries - this in a town literally surrounded by strawberry fields and farm stands bursting at the seams with luscious ripe berries. 

Off to catch up with last few posts from the previous week.

  • Evening all:  A/C unit installed, but of course no need for it right now. But oh, another remote to keep track of!

    Brenda: Thanks for passing on the news from Margo. Also for the link to the bird (bath) in the hand! How cute!

    Heather:  Good to know you'll have internet access - but will you have time?  :-)

    Vivienne: Lots of threads to visit, so have fun exploring.  Seems like everyone is much busier after retirement than before.

    Rita: Oh good, so you're all set. Have fun traveling with the menagerie. Have a safe trip!

    Take care all and have a good Thursday.

    Update: Huge raccoon in the garden just now, scarfing up spilled cat food while cat, OH, and I watched from 5 feet away - we weren't even speaking quietly. OH had to clap his hands and chase it off round the corner - but then it came back!   Very bold, which isn't so great in a critter that  size. Speaking of critters, we have another junior-size possum in the neighborhood - must be that time of year. 

  • Good Morning, All. Dry here but now dull after a bright start. Can't see anything as unusual as a raccoon in our garden, LOL! Came home yesterday to find a lovely bright tub of bronze lilies opening, and several of my poppies are now out. Sadly, the big white ones are hanging their heads after some rain.
  • Quiet on here this morning:  Not quiet here, sadly, as a team of workmen arrived next door today and are busy erecting scaffolding around the whole house.  I think they are going to render the outside, so hope its not going to be too noisy.  I'm off for lunch with Friend soon, so will leave Bonnie in her crate to wait for my OH who is out at golf.  Hopefully she will not mind the noise too much :-(

    I see you are all busy, from reading back a few days.  

    Heather:  Thinking of you, and all your dashing around.  Hope all is well. Rita - you must be busy again today, as I see you're off tomorrow.  Hope the tortoises enjoy their trip!  Annette:  Glad your air con is sorted now and you're ready for the hot days. :-)

    Margo:  {Big Hugs}  Thinking of you daily.  Look after that little Billie, she is such a cutie :-)

  • OG:  See that you arrived home tired after your long trip.  Hope you're recovering now, and busy filling the washing machine (like me!)

    AQ:  Love the pics of the Twins enjoying their birthday cake!  LOL!!

  • Heather: Have a good journey. I hope everything goes smoothly!

    Rita: Have a good holiday!

    I am finishing up the last issues with my freelance project today! Yay! I'll pop in and catch up with everyone when I've regained some energy. :-)

  • For the first time in 144 years, a wild black bear has been spotted living in Indiana! The young fella walked across the Michigan-Indiana border, and he's been wandering around northern Indiana near Lake Michigan.

    I thought I'd make this card for Margo to send her some bear strength. Take care, Margo!

    Black Bear
    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    Government photo labeled Public Domain (copyright-free)

  • Rita and dianne thank you so much fotr the beautiful cards.

    thanks to you all for your kind thoughts and wishes, a bit of a low time for me but I will get over it.

    love Margo x

  • Best wishes from me too Margobird,  hope you are feeling better soon!

  • Morning all Off to lunch with friend today - a nice little place down the coast a bit that has a lovely garden area full of succulents.  Moved furniture before the workmen came yesterday so am taking advantage of that to start a major housecleaning. Place is getting grotty and I keep finding bits of garden sprinkled about the house (mulch, twigs, dead blooms, etc., etc.) that I've brought in in my hair, on my t-shirts, shoes, etc.,. So serious steps are called for!  :-)

    Diane: We don't have anything as exotic as a bear, just red crabs farther south along the coast that are usually off Mexico but are coming north with warmer waters; speaking of which, "they" are saying the waters have been consistently warmer through the winter and are hoping it signals an El Nino, which could mean a really wet winter here. "They" were saying they haven't seen anything quite as close to this pattern since the 1980s. Hurray for finishing your freelance project and hope that you don't have to scramble for another one any time soon.

    Margo: The bear is also a symbol of strength among some Native American tribes - you often see silver necklaces/pendants depicting them in a rather modernistic style that's very attractive.

    AQ: Just looked at the First Nations page - those huts are very similar to what the Chumash people built in this part of California (and other areas of the US I'm sure) except "ours" didn't have the stone foundations.  The text includes several rather negative adjectives regarding the "invastion," which isn't surprising.  I'm not sure where the current OZ government is on treatment of native peoples...   Anyway, hope you're not worn out from nanny duty or have caught any more of Miss3's germs!

    Off to sort out the day!

  • Annette: I love those modernistic style versions of bears! Know just the kind you mean. Sorry I keep popping in & out and commenting, I've been busy but I'm trying to catch up on everyone's news. Your garden sounds as if its invading the house, bit by bit.....we have a similar problem here with someone with four feet continually trailing in and out. She brings in all kinds of things. We have just had a teabreak and have been watching a Sparrowhawk sitting on our hedge waiting for some unsuspecting baby bird to land nearby. She/he flew off eventually but didn't see if she caught anything.