Hi all: Thanks for chat and Ernie info - don't forget to read the last few posts of last week to catch up on folks.
Brenda: My sister has been to the Chelsea Flower Show several times and has always loved it. Do hope the weather is kind on your day.
Patriciat: How nice that people were so generous with your fund-raising efforts. Good for you - you must have a winning way!!
dibnlib: Thanks for spelling out Ernie's "real" name. Doesn't sound half as much fun as his more familiar name. Actually, I remember now - Premium Bonds - they were being sold when I was still in the UK. I think my sister also has some that she bought way back when....
Emma: Painting is done - although just noticed a smudge of Pot of Cream (the paint) on a wood ceiling beam. How did it get there!! Took all the blue painter's tape off the glass panes this afternoon and put the hardware back on and it looks pretty nice. Do need to do some tidying up where paint trickled under the tape and also onto the hinges a bit, but all pretty minimal.
Have been keeping tabs on Trucker Steve, whose cat has an eye problem. He's going to take her to the vet. He's got a hard trip this time - three days of 11 hours a day to the next stop in Wisconsin. He's in Montana now, where it's well into the evening.
Off to see how EJ is doing. Have a nice Sunday morning all.
Annette or others: Are you able to access Trucker Steve's website? I can't. It's prompting me for a user name and password. Never needed one before. Thanks.
Diane: I can access his page and the blog.... Have you tried Googling him and getting in that way?
I'm able to get in now. Thanks, Annette. They must have gotten it fixed.
Hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!
I wanted to check in and say hello to everyone. Hello! Hello! Hello!! =O)
I have been busier than a momma bird trying to feed all her babies but the new job is going very well. I'm kind of finally hitting my stride what with the commuting and learning all the new job tasks. Thank goodness I have quite a bit of experience already because it's a busy insurance firm and they use different operating systems than I'm used to but, they're very casual and easy going so that's been helpful.
I don't know how much I'll be on to post but I've missed all of you and wanted to say so. =O) I hope you're all doing well and I'll try not to be away so long until the next time.
Caerann
Before I actually go, here is a heart-warming story of the American Kestrel who stole the show recently at a Minnesota Twins game:
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/93321459.html?elr=KArksUUUoDEy3LGDiO7aiU
Oh and here is a short video of Kirby the Kestrel too!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRzKWdSdN1I&elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUHPYDiaK7DUiacyKUUr
Caerann: So good to see you and wonderful to hear that the new job is good. Hurray! Great news. Good for you. What a relief it must be. Fun video of Kirby - what a hoot (or cheep, or whatever....)
Such a lot to catch up. Welcome back to our travellers - I enjoy reading about your trips. Dibnlib - I’ve learnt to do as much as possible on holidays so I don’t have later regrets. Even at times being extravagant. Who knows if I can return. Annette - On our first overseas trip we were upgraded to business class for the first 6-7 hour leg to Singapore. "Yes Mr L, No Mrs L, What can we do for you, etc, etc." I enjoyed the food, then discovered that was only the hors d'oevres !!!! Too bad the next leg, the longest, we were back in cattle class. (That’s what we call it.) Barbara Jean - Loved your osprey conversation script. Dibnlib - When it comes to a competition between sport arenas and brain-things like libraries, well, sadly sport always wins. What’s wrong with a balance? Diane - I am in favour of educating children about wildlife, but participating in banding is not good. Couldn’t they watch a video? Caerann - Glad to hear work is keeping you busy LOL
I survived my visit to dau’s Reception class. They were very sweet. 20 or so sat quietly at my feet and gazed in horror at my tale of no one to play with (I did correspondence lessons thro’ primary grades). They had heaps of questions. Why couldn’t you walk to school? (It was 6 miles which I translated into "would you walk from here to the beach?") How old were your big sisters when you were in Year 3? (Quick mental arithmetic LOL) Did you climb to the top of the tree? (I mentioned my play place was a big old mulberry tree for my make believe games.). When you went to school did you have toys? (Two wee ones were cuddling a bear & a monkey.) Did you have a toilet in the house? (Heck I’m not that old. LOL) I read a few stories from my Grade 1 diary, one about magpies, and suddenly they all wanted to tell me about their magpie experience. Dau had taken them to a museum where they dressed in smocks and played hopscotch & bowling hoops. They learnt to their horror about the cane in the olden days.
Caerann: So glad that you're doing well and your new job is working out fine!!! Always glad to hear from you. Lindybird: Good that you got your computer sorted before the hatching! Nice of your son to work on it. Sue C: Wonderful videos, and I appreciate the goshawk reminder; I like that cam. Also, thanks for your comments re: peregrines. Cirrus: Thanks for your comments, too! Glad you're back. OG: Welcome back to you. Glad you had a good time. Loved the squirrel picture! We have an old squirrel who likes to take a nap every afternoon on our deck rail. I left him some walnut pieces yesterday, and he thought that was just grand.
Annette: Election results were interesting, eh? Did the authorities capture last night's bear and remove him to a safer environment? The one that was window peeping? LOL I read that The Pacific is an excellent production. Glad you're enjoying it. We don't get HBO. Dad keeps an iron grip on the remote, and he mostly watches the political shows. I only watch a couple of programs on the computer (V and FlashForward). I've been reading a lot lately
I know I sound like a broken record (er...DVD, I guess they don't make records anymore! I'm getting sooo old. Sigh). The storms that hit Oklahoma today are coming toward us, so I probably won't be on the web much tomorrow. And the site will be down in the a.m. I need to do a major house cleaning mission, anyway. My kitchen looks like a Darwinian experiment. Creatures unknown to science are evolving in my sink, and I've got to do something before they start to communicate -- or attack! Hope everyone has a nice Thursday. Night, all.
Diane & Annette - Sorry not sure what the rocks were. The best I can find is that they are likely to be sandstones. With lots of iron.
Lindybird - Missing out on coffee & cake by taking the caves option wasn’t too hard. We had already stopped twice in the morning for "pit stops" as we left city at 7.30 am (cornish pasty for a 2nd brekkie, snack for m'tea), then lunch at Orroroo.
This is Crystal Brook main street. Lots of little cairns relating to transport. This one a whaleboat. Large sculpture of a Lace Monitor (tree goanna) (Varanus varius) on left. They are native to this area. (Some wag had tied a pink ribbon round its tail!)
Pic of abandoned homestead between Crystal Brook & Orroroo.
Few miles further north, beyond the line of reliable rainfall. Pastoral country, not the agricultural land our ancestors dreamed. Cradock is a minute town of half a dozen houses.