Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 6 March 2016

HAPPY NEW WEEK!

The New Moon (the dark Moon) is on Tuesday.

Last week's chat thread is here.

Everyone have a wonderful week. Spring is almost here!!!

  • Diane - thanks for starting us off again.

    Keith, that's a lovely card.

    Belated Happy Mothers Day to all our mums past and present.

    Went with Dau to the Parish Church and it was a lovely Family Service for Mothers' Day. Received a small bunch of daffs and some chocs - in fact all the ladies received this.   Really a very nice gesture.

    Annette - you are having a time with the cat food, trust all is cleared up now and that the crows finished off the sencond spill.

    Son and D-in-L came round for lunch yesterday and although I had prepared most of it, Dau finished off the cooking and serving etc so had nothing to do. Really nice day.  Hope you all had a pleasant day.

  • Apart from some flowers and chocs from the kids I also am being treated to seeing the Lion King in April so really looking forward to that.

  • LYNETTE - what a lovely day, all round, for you, plus a treat to look forward to.

    Son's card arrived today, lucky I got one, suspect that DiL bought it and laid it in front of him! Years ago when he was still in the Air Force, I received a beautiful bouquet from him with the following message - 'This is to make up for all the  years when I didn't remember Mothers Day'. I still have the wee card. And I did laugh!!

  • Morning all:  OH and I watched Downton Abbey finale last night and must say they started with the Happy Endings within the first five minutes and it didn't stop for the rest of the show, with the exception of a few obligatory blips to keep us wondering.  Meantime, one hour plus into the show, a fireball broke up over SoCal (no didn't see it) but wish I had.  Then, right at the end of the show, something on the patio caught my eye and I peered out to see four huge raccoons scarfing up puss's dry food (not the stuff I spilled earlier, but left out there later than usual due to Downton). Puss was on a patio chair ignoring them (smart puss).  One of them (the Mom?) kept going behind the other three and getting up on her haunches to check on whether OH and I were going to rush out and shoo them away - they were only about 3ft from the patio door.  At that point we didn't.  I'm sure they think they hit the foodie jackpot so except to see them again tonight. If so, they'll be disappointed.

    Heather: Not sure about bug origin, but had a halfway decent night's sleep. I'm hoping it doesn't evolve into the Cough That Never Goes Away, per Brenda's post.  However, will miss another whale count since standing on wet and windy bluff makes no sense. Also Monday yoga class.  :-(  Your lazy Sunday sounds good for all the right reasons.

    Brenda:  Bummer about Lindybird's weather. I remember anticipating the sunshine and warmth of Italy (my go-to annual holiday destination) when I was a teenager in England. When are they due back?

    Margo: Will be thinking of you this week and sending very best thoughts.

    Lynette: Crows got mere scraps compared to what the raccoons made off with last night.

    Poured with rain last night and still raining now. After a very dry February, our weather people were hoping for what they've come to call a "March Miracle," the last chance for decent rainfall before November.  Even though it's no drought-buster, whatever we get will guarantee a lovely spring with lots of wild flowers along the roads.

    Off to rustle up some oatmeal.

  • What a glorious day!  Still really sunny, although it will soon be setting.  Spent a lovely hour outside (not in the greenhouse) tidying, weeding, sorting etc (and enjoying spring blooms) – but there is still frost in some of the pots which have been in shade.  I came in because of my back, but OH did a second hour!

    Oh, Heather, I nearly threw up when I read what you had for lunch!  I find anchovies and their cousins all quite disgusting!

    Lynette – pleased you enjoyed Mothering Sunday – and have an extra to look forward to.

    Annette – amazing that Lightning stayed put while Raccoon family ate her food – maybe she isn’t seeing and hearing too well these days.  Pleased to see you didn’t attempt to weather the coast for today’s count – stay sensible!  Also good to know it is still raining; I looked up the Death Valley Superbloom, and found some lovely footage – spectacular flowers.

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Sorry to have been the cause of potential gastric disturbance, OG! We eat cured fish but I draw the line at snails. Now that would make me feel unwell! OH has had them though, in France. As a child, though, I ate winkles. Holding my pin, it seemed good fun. Not now.

  • It has been a beautiful day here, but while I was playing bowls, there was a 5 minute hail shower. I had left a sheet outside, but OH managed to rescue it before it got soaked.

    Heather, I agree with OG. You will never find any kind of anchovies in this house. Both of us, hate them. Glad you enjoyed your lunch though. :-))

    Annette, / Heather,  Linda is due home on the 16th March.

    Annette, Four large raccoons on the patio must have been quite a shock. I guess Lightning is one very ' laid back' cat. Pleased you are getting some decent amounts of rain. Pity about missing the whale count, but obviously the right decision.

    Lynette, That sounds like a lovely 'mother's day' and you have a theatre visit booked for you.  Well done.

  • Heather – I think a lot of dietary likes and dislikes depend on what we might have been introduced to as children!  I am rather glad my mother didn’t try giving us some of the produits de mer when we lived so far from the sea (in Berkshire), as I think even the quality of white fish and mackerel were rather suspect, despite the best efforts of the real engines on the GWR (actually, I think it would have been Western Region of BR by then, but I still like to think I grew up on “God’s Wonderful Railway”!)

    Brenda – sorry about the shower of hail – glad your OH spotted it and rescued the sheet!

    J returned to the gym after work this evening, and says he feels okay but isn’t sure whether all his body parts are in the right place!  We just enjoyed shepherd’s pie with roast parsnips and spiced red cabbage (frozen peas for him) for dinner.  Think we might be once again sorting photos this evening.

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Lightning not laid back or suffering from ailments of aging, but felines are much smarter than dogs when facing formidable opponents. Cats sit tight and don't fight or fuss with raccoons, skunks, etc; dogs will investigate a skunk and get sprayed for their troubles. Skunk spray is stinky and hard to get rid of.

    I don't know why spellchecker keeps insisting raccoons is wrong; the plural can be either raccoon or with an 's'.

  • I remember winkles, etc., being sold in Watford market on Saturdays. The stall always seems smelly, wet and cold and everything on it looked slimy.