Hope all in the storm path have escaped any problems.
Lindybird: Happy viewing!
Diane: El Nino? Hmmm - it seems to have forgotten to stop by here. Seriously, "they" aren't expecting it until the end of December.
All good here today - raked masses of leaves off the parkway (street sweeper due Monday) and must do the garden paths tomorrow (if I can find them!).
Have a good Sunday all.
OG: Ducks drowned? The mind boggles.
I'm sticking with guinea pigs, if anything....
We were lucky up here with weather although the Spey is amazingly high with flooding in Aviemore.
Youngest flew up yesterday straight off a night shift and plane was delayed. So a 13 hour sleep last night. Super walks with Daisy today as she was so pleased to have company on our walks.
Although Daisy wasn't with us as a puppy she was a nightmare and thought she was top dog. So she went to dog boot camp for 3 days along with daughter. Expensive residential course where she learnt she was further down in the order of things. She also stopped being destructive.
She has a crate but it is her cave. It's in a part of the cottage where she is in the thick of things. It's covered in throws so it's nice and dark and it's her sanctuary. It has never been used as a punishment place either.
Looking forward to 12 days with daughter who will fly back to work 8 nights on the trot over Christmas and with weather permitting she will drive up from Dorset for New Year.
Daughter still having a bad time with flooding in Kendal, she had to go to Shap today via the Motorway as the Shap/Kendal road was flooded. Her son's school was closed today but I think is open again tomorrow. Her friend who has been doing non-stop rescue work has had his house by the river very badly flooded and other friends have had water right through their house. Luckily my daughter lives near the top of a road on a hill.
I had my Cactus Club Christmas Lunch yesterday, and had a good time. OG - after what you had said about The Old North Inn I was a bit worried but it was alright really, nice and warm and very pleasant attentive staff, none of whom I had seen before. Food quite good but one or two grumbles, could not drink coffee as much too strong, and horrible sprouts, (frozen) and terribly chewy and tough, other vegetables were ok.
Today I received a letter from Raigmore Hospital to make an appointment at the Orthopaedics clinic. I have reached the top of the waiting list at last after eleven months!! I dread to think what my knee would be like by now, it was beginning to bow outwards in June! Even if I had waited until now for the appointment, it would probably mean another wait for the operation. So now I must phone up and explain that I had the operation 5 months ago! In fact, I am afraid that I had forgotten that I was still on the waiting list. I do not know whether they have a long waiting list for everything but I did have to wait 10 months for an eye appointment a while ago, something to do with paternity leave which set everything back. Then I had to wait months for skin clinic because the consultant had fallen off his bike. Sorry about this grumbling, but I do think these conditions are poor, my doctor thinks so too.
I am beginning to panic a bit about Christmas , have really done nothing much yet, I must start my cards and letters now, some of you seem very well organised.
Rita: I hope your daughter will stay safe. I've been looking at Facebook posts showing the flooding and destruction in that area. So very sad. Glad you enjoyed your Cactus Club Lunch.
Lindy: You do sound frustrated and exhausted. I hope a solution can be found for Bonnie's behavior.
Heather: Hope you are feeling better!
Annette: Well done on the little bird rescue!
OG: I've been trying to figure out how the adult ducks could drown. Maybe they couldn't get out of the water and their feathers became waterlogged? The floods might have washed out the banks, sandbars, etc. where they exited the water? Or the water was rushing so forcefully that they couldn't get to land? Poor ducks.
LINDA - I hope you got to bed last night - saw a post from you on Facebook quite late on - and that you got your "quiet" day today which you had planned to have yesterday, both of you.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
OH arrived home before any extra rain - we had a lovely sunny day here today, and it is very warm this evening, for December. Will make replies tomorrow.
Where is everyone? No night shift! The wind came back last evening and into the night - can't yet see if it rained, but there is a pretty little slice of moon out there, just below the "morning star". Expecting a busy day - restoring contents of linen cupboard - hopefully with some flinging involved - or at least downgrading of various oddities!
Just popping in to say, Good Morning Everyone. Raining here but no wind. OH has a Drs appointment at 9.30am so I need to finish my breakfast and get ready to take him.
Good morning Everyone,
OG, Glad OH returned home without too much difficulty.
Good luck with the the linen cupboard. Towels seem to breed in mine.
I hope Lindybird is having a more peaceful time.
Went to see 'Spectre' yesterday with two friends, and then on to local Italian.
No comment about the film, but the meal was good. Always a reliable restaurant, and reasonably priced for this area.
Good Afternoon, All. Relative peace has now been restored, here, after our rather chaotic weekend. Bonnie has calmed down a bit, and my OH has been busy, putting down a new, wider door plate for the carpet in the doorway where she had ripped it up. He got out the strong glue and glued back most of the wallpaper, as she tends to attack the walls where it's got any corners or flaps for her to get hold of.
We think she was upset as she had a bad night, dogs hate to be confined near where they have 'been' and in the crate she was stuck with the mess. Luckily, we have an old Belfast sink in the garage which someone else had put in: it's been a boon for washing boots, etc and now it's useful for rinsing out dog beds etc. My OH washed everything and put the beds on the line, even though it was raining at the time!
I had a further setback as I nearly fell downstairs - I stood on the top step and my ankle gave way: then because of that, my weak knee also gave way, and if I hadn't grabbed the post at the top of the stairs quickly, I could have gone! As it was, I crumpled, hanging on for dear life and seeing my life flash before me.... my OH came to the rescue thank goodness.
So now I'm hobbling a bit because I wrenched the knee. No permanent damage, I'm sure, but a nuisance when I go up or down steps. It's eased today so I hope to forget about it soon.
Rita: A worry for you when your daughter has to cope with the dreadful conditions there. It looks truly awful on TV but very heartwarming to hear how people have already rallied round to help others. Glad your Cactus Club lunch was a success. Don't know what some people do to sprouts!
Rosy: Nice to enjoy a good Italian meal. You don't comment on the film, so I presume you didn't enjoy.....I heard that it's very very violent, so don't think I want to see it except perhaps a shortened edited version on TV.
Thanks to Everyone for their advice and thoughts after our mini drama with Bonnie - it's appreciated very much. I have been stressed, but hope to "calm down a bit, dear!" as the famous quote goes.