Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 10 January 2016

Never mind Clare. Always another day.

Dibnlib - I loved the notice, very good!

Wrote a reply and a whinge on my desktop, funnily enough, about losing faith in technology......it's still  got the whirligig going around an hour later....

I have just seen a photograph sent in by a viewer of snow falling in Kirkconnel in D&G. I have checked where it is exactly and found that it is not near you OG, but I guess it could be on it's way.  

We have a yellow warning for the rain this evening and overnight. Looks as if we will have to leave the heating on continuous this weekend. while we are at daughters. The temperatures look as if they are going to get quite low. 

Good evening.  Just had a visit from the gasman!  OH phoned late this afternoon (we had been out longer than usual) to request a visit as the boiler packed up while we were gone.  When he mentioned that making an appointment for tomorrow would be difficult due to timing for my trip to the hospital, the phone person said I would qualify for an emergency visit this evening!  He came out from Dumfries and has done a temporary fix and ordered a spare part and arranged for the local guy to come and fit it after we get back tomorrow after lunch.  I call that good service!

Clare – thanks for all the lovely pictures yesterday!

Chrisy – good to see a post from you.  I have got some Calendula body wash/shampoo in case of need – it doesn’t lather very well, but I assume it will keep me clean and comfortable!

Brenda – I hope OH’s appointments today went well – sorry you are still having to run the chauffeuring service!  You are right, Kirkconnel is well northwest of us, on the way into Ayrshire – and higher up too.  No snow here yet, but it could be coming before morning.  Not sure when you are setting off, so best wishes for the weekend – I hope you bond well with the pup and that she will not give you any trouble.

AQ – I hope you are enjoying the cooler night – and that you get a few more days’ respite from the heat!

Linda – pleased about the toe and ankle improvements – take care!  We have had frost, bright sunshine, pouring rain and some sleety stuff today – and are to expect possible overnight snow.

Annette – lunch was at the garden centre today (went for seed potatoes and seeds) – but we still called at the OTB for coffee on the way home!  Had a lovely different soup for lunch – tomato, orange and tarragon – delish!

Unknown said:

Diane: Saw lots of nasty weather and accidents on the interstate in your neck of the woods on the tele last night.

Hi, Annette and Brenda. I'm okay. We had high winds, ice/snow, and arctic temperatures. It was 2 F or -16.6 C this morning. The "feels like" wind chill temp was -12 F or -24 C. It's warming up now. We're in this weird weather pattern where it warms up with torrential rain, and then the temperature plunges rapidly to arctic cold and the rain turns to ice/snow. That's why all the traffic accidents have been in the news. The rivers and creeks look strange because they're freezing at flood stage.

Hello to everyone. Will try to get back here later for replies. Brenda, I hope you have safe travels and the puppy isn't much trouble.

Good to hear from you, Diane.  I hope your red tailed hawks are OK, along with your other lovely wildlife.

Thanks, Clare. I haven't been outdoors today. In the extreme cold, the birds and animals have to save every bit of energy. I was reluctant to go out and maybe make wildlife fly or run. I did hear the red-bellied woodpecker complaining loudly. I love that bird! I hope the hawks are okay. I also hope the migrating birds who stayed around because of the warmth have now gone far south!

Not long ago some rare whooping cranes had landed in a county south of me. At nearly 5 feet tall, they are the tallest bird in North America with a wingspan of 7.5 feet or 2.3 m. The total population is only 600 birds, so I hope they left quickly and are now far away!

I can honestly say I wouldn't want to go outside in temperatures like that!  Let's hope the migrating birds are well south - including your whooping cranes.  They sound enormous.

OG - glad the gas people have been helpful. They were good, putting you on a priority list. Hope you don't have snow to contend with tomorrow.

Brenda - The pup sounds as if she is going to be quite easy to cope with, except for the early starts!  Bonnie had very early starts for over six months,  often 5.30am..... don't know how my OH coped......he often fell asleep after lunch, though!  Now she can wake any time between 6.30 and 8.00am. He is very good and gets up to let her out.

As I write, we are in bed and can hear her barking. Something disturbed her half an hour ago and she won't settle. This is unusual, though.

Diane -  Do hope all will be OK with both you and your animal & bird neighbours. I know that your house can be cold in winter. Keep lots of clothes on!!

I wrote earlier today complaining bitterly about my fights with technology. The post wouldn't post, which I felt was ironic.

Won't repeat it all now, except to say that my love affair with modern equipment & gadgets is over - except that without it I wouldn't be able to talk to all you lovely people.

Goodnight. Let's hope I have more luck with it tomorrow.