Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 20 December 2015

Annette -  just realised that you mentioned RAIN!!  Hooray!!

Everyone must be really busy again.............

Thank you Diane for starting the week. Also for the interesting picture as always.

I looked at the Solstice website and noted that it was Stonehenge time.

I remember going to Stonehenge as a child, when we could walk amongst the stones. Now you cannot get anywhere near them (unless you are a Druid at Solstice time). It cost 1/6D in old money then. Did I write that correctly?  Also, as a teenager, I remember crawling under the barbed wire in the evening, when it was closed officially.  Of course, we were not vandals. but it was awesome to be amongst the stones. Oh dear!, I have confessed to a historical crime! I don't think anyone was too bothered at the time.

Brenda, Yes, perhaps February is not the best time to visit Paris, but most European cities seem to be  good in December. Not too many people and reasonable temperature,

Happy Holiday week everyone.

Thank You Rosy!     I remember seeing people on TV walking amongst the stones:  in those days there wer'nt even any "Hippies"   LOL!!

Went for a walk this morning as it was sunny and bright:  met some folks on horses and a few dog walkers.  Bonnie was interested in everyone:  she always thinks that everyone is going to be her friend.  She managed to get very muddy indeed as she ran along in the muddiest bits of the path.......

Been trying to put up the last of our decorations so that we can put away the boxes.  Our little tree is up in the sitting room with lights winking merrily. It does seems strange not to have a big one, though.  I have hung decorations around in the conservatory so that it doesn't look too bare, but there is no point in getting out any of my china ornaments etc as Bonnie would just break them.  Our son gave her a new ball for Christmas, and she just loves it - an added bonus is that it is too big to go underneath my large display cabinet where she likes to roll things, just so that she can then dig them out again.

I remember taking my girls to Stonehenge when it was free.

Left Daisy at home as can whiz around shops without her.

I do M and S and himself goes through  car wash.

Lovely lunch on way home.

Youngest birthday today but working tonight as night 3 of 8 before she drives up.

Weather mild so fingers crossed for no snow on A9!on Saturday.

Moon getter bigger as a lovely clear sky and can't wait for the days to get longer.

Hello Everyone. Instead of returning home after church, we went straight to the shops and I have finally finished my Christmas presents shopping. phew !!! Came home and wrapped them all, ready to take with us, in a weeks time. I have had some presents delivered directly to daughter's, but I don't know how we are going to transport everything if we travel by train.

Thank you Diane, for starting the week with such a lovely pic.

Annette, Pleased to see you had some rain. Sounds like the right rain for the garden.

Linda, Lovely to hear about the children and Tomasz performance in his Christmas play.

AQ, I hate to think what your temperatures could become during your mid summer. It really must be energy sapping for you all at the moment.

Rosy, We look our children to Stonehenge many times, but it really does look far to commercialised now. I do wonder if it has lost it's atmosphere now.

I was going to say that only Druids - and select World Leaders - get to wander among the stones at Stonehenge. I also remember walking around - even touching them I think! - when I was a child.

We've been wondering why our bird feeder has been unusually quiet this last week or so. Here's the reason: Parked just six feet from the house and three feet from the feeders.  Unfortunately, not great shots through the windows from my iPhone.  It's a Cooper's Hawk.  I was sweeping the pathway a few hours later and as I walked around the corner he came barreling back around just about head height about 4 feet away before he shot up into the sky.  I think pruning back the top pf the hedge has made it easier for him to spot the feeders.

Although not a welcome visitor to your regular garden birds, Annette, it must be a fantastic sight to see in your garden. They are good photographs from your iPhone.Thank you.

Andy Murray wins the well deserved Sports Personality of the Year.