WEEKLY CHAT (non-osprey) SUNDAY JULY 12, 2015

Hallo all:

OG: Love the photo of the two ducks (not sure which kind). But which of you got down on the ground to get that shot?  The details on the drake are really striking.

Heather: I remember Circassian Circles - but only the name!  What a wonderful time you had, sounds like so much fun.

Rita: Congratulations on your knee.  Good for you.  Seems like a lots of folks on here will be happy to cheer you along in rehab.  :-)  Do you have one of those walkers? (I think they call them Zimmer frames over there).

I'll be up at 6 a.m. to watch Federer/Djokovich game.

Here's to a good week for everyone and hope Margo is doing okay.

  • Annette - thanks again for starting us off. Have sent you a pm.

    Rita - pleased to hear you have had your opn. and hope the nausea soon settles down.  Now for the hard work of rehabilitation - but don't push it too hard.

  • Good morning, all!  It's worth going back to last week's thread to see OG's beautiful photos.

    I'm having a quiet day today - Limpy is at Minsmere and Helen (feeling much better) is at a friend's overnight for a birthday party.

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • Good Morning, Everyone. I saw OGs lovely pics last night but I shall be going back to the last thread, myself, to enjoy them again. Really good studies of beautiful ducks. RITA: You've had your knee op! Wonderful! Sorry that you've had a rough time since, hope it settles down once you get over the anaesthetic - nice that you're with the family, to help you recover.
  • HEATHER - Your day at the wedding sounded such fun - I remember doing the Gay Gordon when at school. Well done on staying up late! Hope you get time to rest & recover! CLARE - Enjoy your peaceful day - good that Helen is feeling up to going out.
  • Hi, Lindy!  I forgot to mention how pleased I am that Rita has had her knee op - fingers crossed for a good recovery.

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • Good morning; well, I think the rest of it will be good – the first part was dull and dreary, but I see it is getting brighter. J missed most of the Mission Week in the end, having some kind of food poisoning (not from my cooking, I hasten to add). He was recovering on Friday, and yesterday evening he went along to the ceilidh and hog-roast (I wouldn’t have risked the hog-roast myself, but he has to make his own decisions and seems fine today). They didn’t attract any unattached “youth” during the week, but quite a few children came along, and their parents were interested in the plans for the new Church centre. The youth team decided last evening to give themselves a break during the school hols, when quite a number of them, and their young people, are involved in gatherings elsewhere, so he can now decide when he might go away (to give us a break!).

    This afternoon, OH and I are going to another church tea, up in the hills – it will be our late lunch and I shall put a late dinner in the oven for the three of us. We did some weeding yesterday – but I may have already said that!

    Annette – thanks for starting the thread. I took the photo of the two ducks – from the low level of my seat on the scooter. I miss some things from being lower down, but it is helpful when things are running around at ground level!

    Liz – long-time-no-see! I hope all is well with you up in the Fort!

    Clare – enjoy your quiet day! What a pity you weren’t on rota at Minsmere today, now Helen is feeling better. We got the news yesterday that Autumn Watch in November will be coming from WWT Caerlaverock – about 10 miles along the road from us! Here is a photo of their new artwork on the approach to the reserve:


    Rita – I hope your recovery goes well. Margo – I hope the week has not left you as bad as last time and you can enjoy OH time today. George – belated birthday wishes – did you go to Anstruther for the fish and chips (they are the best!)

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • After the glorious weather we have had here, today is very grey, with on / off light rain. High humidity though.  

    George, Sorry I have missed your Birthday, but a Belated Happy Birthday to you. I hope you had a wonderful day.

    Rita, So pleased to see that you are home with your family after your knee operation. I have read all the advice for you from fellow posters, who have had the same op. Sounds as if you could be down South with your family for a quite a while now. I hope all goes well for your recovery.

    OG, Excellent duck photographs. Thanks for the news about the Autumn Watch coming from WWT Caerlaverock. Sorry J has had 'food poisoning' but good that he will be able to arrange a summer holiday for himself.

    Heather, The wedding celebrations sounded fantastic. Glad you were able to stay until the end. Plenty of time to recover afterwards.

    Linda, I agree that the bridesmaids' dress colour should be kept a secret, but it is unusual to not let the groom's mother know the colour to avoid for her outfit. Everything sounds very well organised though. I do hope the weather is good on the day, too. A very exciting time for you.

    The greyhound my daughter adopted has had to be returned to the kennels. He was fine when he spent weekends with them and was very placid when I met him, but after two days with them, he bit our daughter's boyfriend and refused to move from his bed, except to eat and go out in the garden for quick visits. They took him to the vet, in case he was ill, but the vet couldn't find anything wrong. He gave the dog an injection, in case he had any joint pain, but advised my daughter to not keep him, as greyhounds are usually such quiet placid dogs. Daughter decided she was going to persevere, but it became more obvious that the dog was not happy, for some reason and he started growling at my daughter and tried to bite her boyfriend again. She consulted the vet and the kennels and was told to return him to the kennels. It was only when she returned him, that she was told that a previous couple had had him for five months and he had bitten the wife, quite badly. Daughter has been so upset as she feel she has failed the dog, but when she took him back, he just walked away from her and went straight to his kennel without any guidance. 

  • Unknown said:
    The greyhound my daughter adopted has had to be returned to the kennels. He was fine when he spent weekends with them and was very placid when I met him, but after two days with them, he bit our daughter's boyfriend and refused to move from his bed, except to eat and go out in the garden for quick visits. They took him to the vet, in case he was ill, but the vet couldn't find anything wrong. He gave the dog an injection, in case he had any joint pain, but advised my daughter to not keep him, as greyhounds are usually such quiet placid dogs. Daughter decided she was going to persevere, but it became more obvious that the dog was not happy, for some reason and he started growling at my daughter and tried to bite her boyfriend again. She consulted the vet and the kennels and was told to return him to the kennels. It was only when she returned him, that she was told that a previous couple had had him for five months and he had bitten the wife, quite badly. Daughter has been so upset as she feel she has failed the dog, but when she took him back, he just walked away from her and went straight to his kennel without any guidance.

    That's enormously sad, especially for your daughter.  It makes you wonder what has previously happened to the greyhound for it to behave like this.  I daren't think of its potential future.

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • That is a shame about the greyhound, Brenda - but I think your daughter has made the right decision as that kind of problem dog very rarely improves - something must have happened in his past which will now make him unsuitable for living in a normal domestic environment. Buzz had been badly treated when young, and never socialised with other dogs - when we got him it took two years of loving care to get him to trust my OH, but he never liked any other male, except our eldest son. He was a nightmare to take for a walk as he wanted to fight other dogs. But we were glad we were able to give him a good life in the end. He looked "normal" and was not a bad case as rescue dogs go, but we will never have another.
  • Our son and his fiancee have organised the whole wedding themselves, and are also paying for it, with a little help from us. Her father is not in the picture at all. We are just doing as we're told, but have dropped in the odd bit of advice!! I have no idea what her mother is wearing, either, but as my outfit has several colours in it, with all black accessories, I'm hopeful that I will not clash with anyone. We are very much looking forward to it: the bride is of Greek parentage and so there will be a tinge of Greece about the whole affair, and her relatives seem very jolly and cheerful.