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)
Here is a pic of my Grandson Matthew, on his hols in Wales last month: He is still a smiler!!
Just read back through the thread, as I seem to be doing replies randomly - not surprising, as I don't know what I'm doing today!
Clare: Glad you're back with us, its so annoying not being online, it feels rather like when they cut the electricity off. When do you do another stint at Minsmere?
Awwww! Let's hope he stays a smiler - he's gorgeous.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
Thanks Clare - just seeing him on the page, now, has cheered me up!! See his six shiny teeth? - well, some of them anyway! If he is like his father, our Youngest, he will have a lovely sunny nature and a caring heart.
BRENDA I did just 20 lengths in a 20 metre pool, will go again on Thurs and do a few more.
OH went to the shop as they will repair the zip free of charge. They are advertising for another part timer, probably a zero hours this time as that is the way things were going. Wonder if they will find anyone as good as me as it was acknowledged I was pretty amazing at selling and wonderful with customers. Sorry to boast.
The storm last night was spectacular, though doubt friend who was in the middle of the woods when it started would agree!!! I have not long returned from walk with same friend and a dog in disgrace. I think you know he is a ball thief and usually people just laugh and shrug it off when I tell them I don't have a chance of getting it from him. Todays owner was not of the same ilk and looked most unimpressed when I told him that Benson was off home in a hurry to devour said ball. We met the Mother of a near neighbour with her 14 week old Jackie. Willow at 14 was put to sleep in June. Oh how it hurts.
You boast all you want, dibnlib: you knew you were good at your job, and the regular customers will probably wonder where you have gone. Doubt if someone brought in on zero hours will ever be able to even come close!!
How embarrassing that Benson won't give up a treasure he has found. Bonnie came back with a string ball from the beach one day, and we never did find out whose it was. She loves that particular ball to bits now.
Speaking of dogs: A conundrum for you All: How do you keep your blood pressure down when you are sitting quietly reading magazines and you happen to look over your shoulder and see that your dog has been very quiet for ten minutes because she has been stealing/digging up spring bulbs from a tub, and has spread said bulbs plus a great deal of very black dirt over the entire dining room carpet!! It was such a sight I forgot to shout, at first.... later, I bellowed "Garden!" & put her outside so that she knew it was a terrible thing she had done. There were several square FEET, not inches, of dirt spread all over. My OH had already got wearily up from his chair and was reaching for the hoover. It took both of us and two hoovers to clear up, which took longer than it had for her to cause such a mess. Ten minutes later I found some more dirt inexplicably behind the TV, which she must have flung.
I coped with Bonnie myself this morning, as my OH had gone out to play golf, having been rained off yesterday. After the dirt episode, he put her in the car and took her to the allotment and for a long walk in the fields nearby.
I had better describe our lovely meal last night, before I forget to do so. We started out in the garden with a glass of wine plus some nibbles: it was a lovely sunny evening and our friends have a small walled garden which they have lovingly filled with every kind of climbing flower, plus the usual shrubs. Very pleasant. Then we retired to the dining table indoors and had a cold soup - I was slightly doubtful, but it was a delicious cucumber and melon soup, she had used wine vinegar and some herbs to give it a bite. Then we had luscious roast lamb with carrots and greens, plus naughty roast potatoes. I didn't have a second helping of roasts as I had already seen out of the corner of my eye the pudding - this was made with buttery biscuits layered several times over with cream and raspberries, and decorated on top with strawberries and blueberries - my Friend had already told me that she had added some molasses made from passion fruit.
We had quite a talk, and a pause, before we attacked cheese, biscuits and grapes! A super evening with some old friends and lots of laughter.
Good afternoon all haven't been on for a while as Iam just trying to get in the way of Windows 10 on this computer as the tablets still use windows 8.1 which I liked and even though I have quite a few safety features on this new computer I am still getting things coming up saying that there are things needing attended too. I have McAfee on it it says that everything is ok so I am just ignoring the rest.
I was sorry to read that Margo was having more problems with her floor as she has enough problems with her health without external problems to bother her I hope the problem is solved quickly.
I am still waiting on word of the scans that they want to do so I must assume that it isn't life threatening which makes me think that if they say surgery is needed I might refuse. I met someone I used to work with and he has made me a new front gate as the old one was getting a bit tacky he even painted it for me.
I have also been getting problems with my left knee but I am treating it with deep heat and it seems to be responding as all the news I have read on here I am frightened to go the doctors as he might say I might need a new knee.
I hope everyone keeps well and special vibes to Margo at this time
george g
LINDY It is so hard when you have had a reliable dog and suddenly your life is disrupted by a young tearaway. I am sure there are days when you think "I am sending her back to the breeder" Hopefully she will suddenly turn a corner. When we first got Benson he would just about take your fingers off when given a treat. He really is pretty gentle now. H also has a drying coat which I thought was a waste of £50 as he wriggled so much we couldn't get it on. Last night he got pretty wet when out for his nighttime wee. I dried him off with a towel as best I could then he sat good as gold when I put his towelling coat on. So there is hope. I am now going to feed him then clear up the mess he will have left after chewing up the ball. I do know this is nothing compared with the mess you both have had to clear up. The moral of this story is "beware the very quiet puppy"!!!
Morning all:
Diane/Lindybird: Doing better with sciatica, thanks to exercises, anti-inflammatories, etc. Went to a stretch class Sunday at the Y, which incorporated many yoga positions (no surprise there).
Lindybird: OMG, is that a cute little boy or what? Want to pluck him right out of the photo and cuddle him! I think the pesky device on your arm is enough to raise your BP, what with "going off" every few minutes (or, having just read your latest post it's definitely Bonnie!) Is the BP arm wrap supposed to hurt? I know they can feel uncomfortable, but not sure about hurting. Ah, thanks. I thought I recognized the Primulas. Dinner sounds Wonderful.
dibnlib: Lots of time for pool laps. You're not boasting; just stating the facts! :-) Re naughty dogs, the same moral holds true for "beware the very quiet toddler." :-)
Clare: When are you back at Minsmere?
Heather/Brenda: Oh criminey - concrete floors in Margo's house means noise and dust and major upheaval. Wonder if she can go stay with her sister while the repairs are being made? Wonder who is responsible if the previous leak wasn't repaired properly.
Heather: Re our own Yellow River, the irony is that it was caused by the Environmental Protection Agency and, as usual, "the problem is much larger than originally reported." (Shades of the recent oil spill up the coast from us!) Sorry, but not sure why it's you who isn't popular: Wasn't your OH around to anticipate wet blinds too? :-)
George: You are very patient with your docs! There are some gentle exercises you can do to strengthen the quadricep muscles above your knee to relieve pressure on the knee itself. Here's a link that might have some tips: www.webmd.com/.../knee-pain-dos-and-donts
Off to start the day....