Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 6 March 2016

Evening all and Big Hugs to Diane for starting us yet again. Spider wasn't terribly big, but it looked so very black and spidery-ish against the white duvet. No bite (no way would I give it a chance to get that close!) and didn't look like a Black Widow, but the thought of losing track of it in the bed was too much.  Oh good, I see on that link you posted that they discovered 14 new types of Tarantula!

I didn't mention being creaky before so no biggie.  Weather has been up, down and very dry here; now down and damp. In Arizona it was up, very dry and very windy and then down,, very dry and very windy, so no surprise.  Have Vicks, Vaseline, bottle of water and box of tissues on standby on bedside table and warm salty water for lovely gargle before I head down the hall. Just hope I don't lose my sense of taste.....  Must dig out the bottle of Pertussin in the next day or so...

OG: Super mouse indeed.  There are tarantulas in the foothills and agricultural areas, but they're rarely spotted in residential areas. Saw one lolling in the sun on some steps at Hearst Castle once; the guide introduced everyone to it, but it didn't bother to wake up. They are poisonous, but there doesn't seem to be a record of any fatalities. We also get Brown Recluses (nasty little critters that can cause serious skin damage/cell death) and Black Widows, but their bites are more dangerous to the very old and very young. The latter two are why I always wear leather gloves working in the garage or some areas of the garden. Black widows have set up house under our BBQ cover - something  I now watch out for when I dust off the grill for summer. They're timid and easy to send scuttling off.  Thank heaven, our bugs are nothing like those they get in Oz! Hope the church service is good.

Coverage on television tonight of fabulous wildflower "super-bloom" in Death Valley this year. Haven't been there and would love to go....

Have a good Sunday all

Annette: I'd like to see the super-bloom, too. If I had money, I'd pay for us to visit together!

Annette/OG: We're supposed to have Black Widows in Indiana, but I've never seen one. I do worry about Brown Recluses. They often live in the walls, attics, etc. of old houses like mine. Here, they can cause paralysis. A few years ago, a man in my local small town died from a Brown Recluse bite, but he was very old and in poor health.

A, I'm sending you an email about the current flu outbreak nationwide. Arizona has a bad epidemic. You might want to get some anti-viral meds if you don't feel better today.

A HAPPY MOTHERING SUNDAY TO YOU ALL

(I know for our friends across The Atlantic this is celebrated on the second Sunday in May but please also share our day).

Good Morning Everyone. A lovely sunny morning now, but cold and icy when we went to church. All the mothers were given a small bunch of daffodils from the children, as we left church.

Thanks Diane for starting the week and Thank you to Keith for such a lovely card.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Margo, You may want to edit your forecast of EJ's arrival. Just a small typo. I think you mean without fish. LOL

Morning all:  

Diane: Death Valley is only 6 hours drive from here and every year I plan to go. Not many places to stay around there unless you book months ahead; well, there's Las Vegas but...   No e-mail from you but checked websites on flu outbreaks and see what you mean. I did get a flu shot this year. As it turns out, my granddaughter was sick for days after I left and I heard from my daughter that g/daughter also called the pediatrician. We were all in the same hotel room for three nights. Will remember to pack HazMat suit next time.

Keith: I love the old fashioned "Mothering Sunday" title - and thank you for sharing the lovely tulips and best wishes with posters on this side of the Pond.  

Brenda: Another lovely springtime bouquet! Thank you. Was that yours? What is the white flower in the display?  Any word from Lindybird on if their weather has improved?

Another action-packed night here. Woke up just after midnight all sweaty and creaky; put on light to find big black spider on opposite wall. Really? No niceties this time - don't ask - it wasn't pretty.  Came out to kitchen to get more water and pottered to patio door to gaze out at the rain, which was bucketing down. but in the dark didn't spot the bowl of dry cat food by the door and managed to send it flying all over the living room carpet. Too tired for sweary words. Scooped it up and puttered back to bed with bowl of granola. Read; slept; woke up, put cat's food outside patio door then got distracted and ended up backing into it, sending it flying all over the door mat and patio. Swept it into a pile and called the crows for breakfast.

Had about 1.5 inches of rain with more to come. Everybody seems to have green lawns again!

I've just read that Nancy Reagan has died at the age of 94.  RIP, Nancy.

Thanks Clare; hadn't seen that yet.