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.
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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)
PS - but I don't play bingo much. !!!!!
Popping in to read all your posts. After yesterdays horrendous storms and biblical rain, today has been so much drier, only a little rain, and quieter. I think our grass has grown a few inches since before the storms.
I had my hair cut this morning and then immediately drove to East Grinstead hospital for a thorough check on my OH's eyes. It is a year since he had his corneal transplant. We didn't get home until after 4.30pm. Both very tired and hungry, so I started cooking almost immediately after getting home.
I will catch up tomorrow.
Good to hear from you, Brenda. We were thinking about you in yesterday's weather.
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
Came home last night, then out at a concert tonight - Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham on tour - excellent. Hoping to catch up a bit soon!
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
I survived nanny day - just. Dau had said I should be able to go early but twins upset that. By the time MissL fell asleep for pm nap, MissJ was awake. I held her quietly and she dropped off to sleep again for further ¾ hour but I didn’t dare move to replace her in cot. By then I could see there was no way I could escape early. MissJ having been checked for multiple things, has a mere cold & is recovering. OH & I went to bed early and coughed all night.
Victoria trip finale. Day 10. Homewards with detours! First to Murtoa where senior students designed a lizard & baby sculpture for the town median strip. Morning tea in Horsham. The Anglican church was open so I captured their stained glass. Oops, halfway round I realize there was a service in a side chapel. We drove out to see the church remaining from an aboriginal mission run by the Moravian Brethren in 1800s. Once managed by the National Trust, the site has been returned to the aborigines. Brief stops in Nhill and Kaniva, back in our own state for lunch (delicious pumpkin soup with bread sticks) in Bordertown. It was in Kaniva that we first saw a train on a truck. It was one of SA’s new electric train carriages heading to Adelaide. We passed it many times, cameras & phones snapping pics. At our last snack stop at Tailem Bend, the train & truck pulled into “our” service station for the night, before the last run next day. We were told by the blasé service station staff that about 30 such carriages had already passed in previous weeks. However it did add some excitement to our last hours which were pouring with rain. So that’s it folks for Victoria. My pics here.
Evening all: Nice lunch with friend and a stop at nearby Target for various odds and ends. Stopped at another store to shop for Ms. D, but it was full of back-to-school Moms and kids and merchandise a total mess, so threw up my hands and came home.
AQ: Interesting pix, but please rest over this weekend!
Hallo to everyone else and welcome home OG.
Hi, all. Have to confess that I didn't see the meteor shower because the low-flying bats drove me indoors. I'm not really afraid of them, but these tend to get very close. I found myself concentrating on bats and not meteors! LOL
Annette: My niece (age 11) and nephew (age 14) started school last Tuesday. It's shocking how much stuff must be purchased for kids to start school these days. Your link to the Tate Gallery photos was interesting. Ms. D is so beautiful and grown up. What a charmer! I hope you're having less pain from the sciatica now.
AQ: I hope you can get some rest and feel better. Your Victoria trip has been very interesting. I enjoyed the photos.
Heather: I'm glad to hear that Amy is okay now.
George: Good luck with Windows 10.
Dibnlib: I hope you will be much happier now, after putting the job behind you. Lovely photo of Benson.
Chrisy: Nice to see you!
Clare: Enjoy your work at Minsmere. I know you will be invaluable to them.
Brenda: I hope your OH's eyes checked out fine.
Lindy: Matthew is absolutely adorable in his little hat.
OG: Welcome back!
Lynette: Congratulations on getting your new PC! Hope everything goes well with setting up.
Hello to Margo!
Everyone have a good weekend.