HI all: I'm late starting this. Be sure to check the last two pages of the previous Weekly Chat - some interesting links, news, updates on nest data, photos. I haven't had a chance to read them all but off to do that now.
Morning all: Wattle: I'm not sure I'd go for pink, but you're right when it comes to OH's tendency to appropriate tools. I had my own (small) box of basic tools before we were married and I still keep it in a kitchen cupboard where it's handy. Went to look for a specific screwdriver the other day and found OH had used it and had put it in one of his (many) tool boxes out in the garage, where I had to sort through all kinds of stuff before I found it. Our local hardware store has some "light" tools, presumably for women, with flowers and garden motifs..... rather pretty actually.
George: An hour in bed with a cup of tea on docs orders? I know it sounds good, but for the wrong reason. Take care of yourself and hope bro-in-law appt and any subsequent op goes well.
Afternoon coffee break. Overnight rain – you could hear the garden s-i-g-h with relief, it so needed it. Went a bit cold while we were in town, but better since lunch. Sorting plants as usual – tomato roots were at bottom of pots, so getting them into their gro-bags, and then need to deal with new shrubs. Trying to get stuff moved on as much as possible to make watering task easier for kind neighbour across the road when we are away.
AQ – got the violets from an old lady where we used to live. She had them everywhere, and I think they only moved here by hitching a ride in other plants’ containers! I pull some out where they spread, but I feel very sorry for them, so a lot are allowed to grow unplanned. They all seem to flower. Diane – I do so hope Steve can keep TK – he will feel lost without her - lets hope the company agree that she is allowed on board since he already has her with him. Haven’t successfully seen Pete’s Pond since new sponsor – always seem to get that video with the two Zebra back-to-back. Annette – sorry your little Hummer didn’t survive – but good that you did what you could for him. Sad about Hawk Chick too – birds have a lot of dangers to face. Lindybird – asked my young hairdresser if she will vote – she said she never has and can’t think why she was sent a polling card. I explained a little about democracy and the electoral register, but not a flicker of interest –so sad. Alan – our constituency vote could be interested – our MP was the only one of his party elected last time in Scotland – and another party has put up the daughter of a past party leader! GeorgeG – good to see you again – sorry to read about the treatment not working – hope the new regime is successful for you. Enjoy your Son and DiL’s visits – hope planes are allowed in the air for their holiday. Don’t know if our Son has met yours yet – he will be doing stuff with the school, and met with a lady from Careers, who said it wouldn’t always be her that he networks with. Also hope your BiL will be deemed strong enough for his op – it’s a worrying time for you all. Annette - why do men have so many toolboxes in the shed but never the item they need for a particular job? Either that, or every job seems to need all the toolboxes at the same time!
OH on his way back outside, so must follow and do my bit!
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
GEORGE G hope BIL gets his op soon and that you enjoy the visit from son and wife. Can you tell me please, Is the programme you are talking about "Monty Halls Great Hebridean Escape?" I am assuming so.Will make a note to watch it next week and try and catch up on I player cos it looks really good.OH knows the Hebrides better than me through both his RAF days and also when he worked for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd. Had to laugh when we bumped into a cycling German one day and he told us he had been visiting the "He Brides" His English was excellent but I will always think of him when talking about the Hebrides.
Off to watch the news headlines and then Dillon and I are off to walk with a friend who has a black lab called Abby. The dogs ignore each other while Lisa and I catch up with the last few days.
Staying away from news and election opinion this evening! Turned into lovely evening weather for us to water plants and tuck some of them in for the night - wish I could just trust overnight weather, but it's more unpredictable than ever, this year. Also pulled some rhubarb for stall at coffee morning tomorrow. We'll get another lettuce leaf each tomorrow from the one plant which survived from my first early sowing in the coldframe - but the radishes have been good. Done some stuff on the computer, and now tired.
First election result in. It was a Labour hold but share of the vote down 12%
Annette. Hope you can access this link. It gives the results. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/
Tiger Signature
Thank you for the link, Tiger. Very interesting. Later edit: Very helpful link, Tiger. I've been watching the election results. Looks like a change in your government if results continue in the direction they are heading.
By the way, folks, this afternoon, the American stock market plunged 998.50 points in its largest point drop ever. (It dropped 600 points in a 7-minute period!) It recovered to a loss of 347 points at close. Very volatile, very scary!
Hope everyone has a nice Friday.
Oh darn it. Click on Tiger's election link after I'd responded to Diane and OG and lost my post. Silly me.
Tiger: Very interesting site - thanks - I'll be watching that tonight. Looks a lot closer than we'd heard it might be but still a ways to go. Was watching PBS News tonight and they had someone from the Sunday Guardian explaing what happens if there's no clear majority. (Brown refuses to leave #10 and a lot of horsetrading goes on for a few days.) Amazing that in the case of a clear majority, the Prime Minister gets to move the next day!! No transition period.....
OG. I've no idea why OH has so many tools, supplies. - Well yes I do. Whenever he can't find anything (as in, it doesn't jump off the shelf and say "here I am!!" he says, "I'll just go over to OSH (Orchard Supply & Hardware) and pick one up." Do you have any idea how many tubes of caulking, rolls of duct tape, etc., we have? Enough to hold the entire Western Hemisphere together!!
Diane: Gather the huge drop on Wall Street was a combination of nervousness about Greece, an erroneous trade that resulted in billions of dollars of something being bought/sold instead of mere millions, and a possible glitch in the online trading. I often wonder about terrorist hackers.... Maybe it's back to the mattress as a safe haven??
Had a good day today unearthing the sprinkler heads that got buried when we mulched the front lawn last June - put little flags over the spot so as not to lose them again. We'll be incorporating/modifying them when we replant the front yard. We're also having a free tree planted by the Goleta Valley Beautiful folks in the next week - a Chinese Pistache - but declined a second one because we plan to plant at least two in our front yard but don't know which yet. The free ones are part of a city-sponsored project designed to add more street trees around town; not intended for planting on private property but in the parkway (the grassy area between the sidewalk and the street) which the city manages. We just have to take special care of it for the first year or two.
Annette: I'm not sure what to make of today's stock market crash. Some of the explanations sound suspect to me -- I feel sort of like Mr. Spock: "That's illogical". The mattress may, indeed, be the safest option :-) Need to go to bed, but I'm watching the UK election results. I've been reading the "manifestos" of some of the parties. People in the UK appear to be much more practical than in the U.S.; they don't get as caught up in abstract social/religious issues.
Hey Diane: I must confess I have a really hard time with the role that religious issues often play in U.S. politics when there's supposed to be this separation of church and state. Can never get my head around that contradiction.
Morning All. Dull but dry here. Went to bed last night after the 1st Result came in, as we knew it would not be resolved by morning, and hey ho! its still a bit of a muddle. Not very satisfactory for Government when no one gets a landslide victory.
Surprised to hear about the Stock Market in the US. We have had a bit of a waver here as we are affected by the crisis in Greece (they are bankrupt and gone cap in hand to the EU to bail them out).EDIT; see you have mentioned Greece, so perhaps you already know about the riots there etc.
georgeG: I have been very much enjoying the Hebrides series, such lovely scenery and such genuine people up there. Hope you can get your medication sorted out.
Annette: My OH is the opposite of yours, and will turn the garage & shed inside out rather than buy anything new, however cheap! I don't understand his Filing System though, and have had to ask him only this morning to find me a paint brush as I'm going to paint the kitchen stool, which is a very old wooden but solid affair, so every couple of years I slap some gloss paint on it to freshen it up. The kitchen cupboard cleaning is going well, except I got one day behind this week, but also I was very puzzled to find at the back of one cupboard a pack of dried lentils, marked 'Use By 2003'..... if I clean out the cupboards every spring, how come that was still there?? Have found some interesting ingredients bought with specific recipes in mind in the past, but still unopened - memo: Must Sort Out those Recipe Clippings from magazines/papers.
dibnlib: Saw that lovely pic of the lions in the field of bluebells, how dramatic they look together.