HAPPY NEW WEEK!
Last week's chat thread is HERE.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week, especially OG and Eagle-Eye, who are on holiday.
I had a wondrous experience on Thursday. Temps had cooled a bit, and it was very windy. I went outdoors, just to check my patch. I saw R. T. Hawk come from the direction of the creek flood plain. He was riding the thermals and soaring around and around. If a bird can look happy, he did.
Shortly, his big pale mate came from the same direction. She, too, was floating gracefully on the thermals. She saw me and stared at me for a minute or so, then she started soaring downward, floating in circles in my direction. She kept watching me and moving closer. I froze and made sure she could see my open hands (so she'd be reassured that I didn't have a gun).
She descended quite close to me, and I thought for a moment that she was going to come to me. I thought about holding my arm out to see whether she'd land, but I was afraid I'd scare her. She never screeched at me, and she wasn't diving aggressively -- just floating above me and looking at me curiously. Finally, she caught a thermal and lifted back up into the sky.
R. T. Hawk had been unconcerned, and he was soaring over the creek. His mate followed in his direction, and then they flew toward the ridge together.
I was very honored to see her so close.
-----
The annual Perseid meteor shower will appear on 11-14 August. The waning crescent moon guarantees dark skies, so the meteors should be dramatic. Folks in the northern hemisphere should see 50 meteors per hour, with a third of that number in the southern hemisphere. Most of the meteors can be viewed in the wee hours before dawn, but you could get lucky and see a beautiful earthgrazer in the earlier part of the night. Info HERE.
NASA government photoLabelled public domain (copyright free)
Marvellous, CLARE! What a treat for you and Limpy and also knowing that Helen was having a great time also.
DIANE- Son and family are having a week in Disneyworld and a week at a beach, sorry, I've forgotten the name of it...
ANNETTE- I do look at Amazon reviews but not always and if the book is el cheapo I often just read the synopsis (don't know if that is the right word). I've usually got real books at my bedside but have got used to reading on the Kindle. As long as I have the printed word. Like you, I get quite worried if there isn't a new book to read.
LINDY- That is one ingenious dog you have. Always having to be one step ahead of her. Sounds as if she really enjoyed her time with the monster dog:-)) We have a few pruning jobs to do in the garden. My darling OH is grumpy because he lent his hedge trimmer to eldest son in law, who only did half his (short) hedge before heading away on holiday. They won't be back until Tuesday. Meanwhile, the list of jobs that OH needs the trimmer for gets longer every day.
ANNETTE- I have just noticed that there is a programme on BBC radio 4 this evening about how Californian farmers are coping with their fourth year of severe drought. I will be listening.
Hi, all.
Lindy: Must be lovely to have the buzzard family living close. Hope the young one learns not to project his presence by shrieking.
Brenda: I hope you will get your energy and stamina back soon. Sorry the bug has been tough on you.
Heather: I always thought I'd like to see the Falklands. Like you, I've been following reports of the California drought. It's chilling.
Clare: What a fantastic place to stay -- within view of the Dyfi nest. You must have had a wonderful time. Glad to hear that Dai Dots is living in a nice spot. I was looking for a new free desktop background/wallpaper for my computer, and I came across this one on the Microsoft site. I thought you might like it.
Here's the gallery of free backgrounds/wallpapers if anyone is interested.
My brother moved back to Lafayette this past week. That's our hometown, a medium-sized city in north-central Indiana on the Wabash River. It's mostly prairie up there. He's now living only about an hour north of me. He's working in Indianapolis and commuting back and forth every day.
This past week there was a major bridge failure on the main commuter interstate highway my brother is using, which is also critical for travel between Indianapolis and Chicago. He's had to figure out an alternative route that won't be jammed with traffic. The bridge shifted dangerously, was deemed unsafe, and was closed. The state is trying to figure out how to fix it. What a mess! 25% of the bridges in the United States are unsafe and in need of immediate replacement!!!
Everyone have a good week!
Evening all:
dibnlib: Love those local news reports a la Scily Isles. But to break a leg in 12 places? Sounds awful, poor woman.
Clare: What a fab few days away - and what a view!
Heather: A week at Disneyworld? Oh my. Re the BBC program; I'll be interested to hear which crop they focused on - I know that almond prices have gone sky high.
Diane: I have a plain blue screen with slide show of family photos in the center. How long is your bro's commute without bridge issues? Country is falling apart literally.
Have a good Monday all.
Annette: Lafayette is 63 miles (101 km) northwest of Indianapolis and 105 miles (169 km) southeast of Chicago. His commute to Indy is around 50 minutes, until the bridge disaster.
Unknown said:Clare: What a fantastic place to stay -- within view of the Dyfi nest. You must have had a wonderful time. Glad to hear that Dai Dots is living in a nice spot. I was looking for a new free desktop background/wallpaper for my computer, and I came across this one on the Microsoft site. I thought you might like it.
This photo always puts a smile on my face!
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, All. Gosh, lots to reply to!! Love your wallpaper, Clare! They would make me smile, too.
dibnlib: Ouch!! for that poor woman on/off the horse!
Clare: Wow, what a great holiday!! Glad you got as far as Glaslyn, too - that's quite a trek from your neck of the woods! Pity its not been good weather for anyone on their hols lately, but I know that you & Limpy would have still enjoyed the countryside & wildlife, whatever.
Here is what I have as wallpaper at the moment: I do change mine from time to time, often its mountains I've taken pics of when on holiday.
Thanks to Diane for the interesting links. Good that your brother will be nearer to you, although it sounds as if he might be stranded by bridges going down! Shocking that they are not being maintained properly.
I was astounded by what you might call "serendipity" at the weekend. Years ago, I lost a silver bracelet which was my mother's, and which I wore often. It has large chain links which are fashionable again at the moment. It disappeared at about the time we took our car to be crushed, and I mourned the fact that I might have left it in the glovebox, never to be seen again. The other day I was looking for a necklace, and found one I had not worn for ages in a plastic bag: when I took it out, it had the bracelet in the bag with it!! (this might have been because it had one of those squares of paper which stop the silver tarnishing, perhaps I was thinking of that at the time). Am astounded, amazed and thrilled!!
Heather: When they show the Falklands on TV, I shudder - I can see that the wind never stops. Not my idea of heaven!
Annette: Laughed a lot at the reviews of your book! I often read the reviews on all sorts of things, they are quite inventive sometimes and always help me to make up my mind. I put up reviews, too, on a lot of the stuff I buy, especially if they are really good items or really bad.
My OH is on his knees in the garage: our old freezer is not working very well, and its just the time of year when we load it up with our produce from the allotment. He is looking to see if the door seal is meeting and if he can alter the door hinges to make it more efficient. I should add that the freezer was my mother's, and that she bought it in around 1993 from a lady who must have already had it about 5 years!!
Lindybird said:I was astounded by what you might call "serendipity" at the weekend. Years ago, I lost a silver bracelet which was my mother's, and which I wore often. It has large chain links which are fashionable again at the moment. It disappeared at about the time we took our car to be crushed, and I mourned the fact that I might have left it in the glovebox, never to be seen again. The other day I was looking for a necklace, and found one I had not worn for ages in a plastic bag: when I took it out, it had the bracelet in the bag with it!! (this might have been because it had one of those squares of paper which stop the silver tarnishing, perhaps I was thinking of that at the time). Am astounded, amazed and thrilled!!