Hi all. Just starting this 'coz going out to birthday dinner with OH tonight (Indian - his choice). Back to catch up with last week's final posts later, (which included a great photo from OG's trip).
Hey, Alan, you're back! Welcome home. Hope you have some more photos as good as the Heron.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Yes, Welcome Back Alan! Lots for you to catch up on, I'm afraid as some of the threads grew to enormous proportions as we all sat glued to our screens late into the night hoping to see the chick(s) hatch. Lovely pic of the Heron: not surprised you've had a wonderful break as have been to most of the places you describe and its a great part of the country. No parking space for Lady P ! Must get that sorted out!
Great pic of the Woodpecker, OG!
Just come in the house to try and cool down ! It really is hot today, but not complaining. I hope you are all enjoying the lovely weather. We went for a drive to the coast after early church before the day trippers arrive. The garden is so much hotter now we are back home.
Annette, I am sure you will, but do enjoy your OH's Birthday dinner . It was really comical to read your description ot the removal of your spa. I bet it was hard work for them though. Good Luck with your Airline upgrade, they always wait as late as they can to make sure they can make that extra profit out of the customer and then sometimes fly with empty seats.
Emma, I can remember people telling me to enjoy my children as the time passes so quickly. I realise now what they meant. The first couple of years, my son was at university though, he and his girlfriend ( now his wife ) tagged along too, ( Dad footed the bill ) as they liked the thought of where we were going. They, ofcourse, ' did there own thing ' when we were there.
Diane, Just love that list of strange name places. Thanks
OG, Thanks for your brilliant photograph of the rugged landscape and the soft and gentle daffodils.
Alan, Good to see you back and to hear you enjoyed your holiday. Lovely photograph of the heron.
Just had our lunch (salad!) but its getting hotter by the minute here, and certainly not fit to sit in the garden, even under the parasol. The forecasters were right for once, its a baking weekend & we expect to smell the barbeques again this evening. Have been pulling up weeds by the handful every time I venture out, as the little rain we had a few days ago combined with the warmth, has made them grow into monsters in very little time. We have lost a couple of plants, which were in pots, to the frosts we had not long ago so now have to decide what to plant again. No wonder we talk so much about the weather in UK !! - Now back to watering everything every evening as its so dry and warm.
p.s. Just looked back and clicked on the link kindly left by Diane re the Purple Herons: we saw them a week ago on the TV and they are certainly elegant and colourful - it would be wonderful if they manage to breed successfully but alas the Airport question hangs over their future prospects. Maybe with the economic cuts, the airport scheme might have to be cancelled.
"Breaking News" from Iceland magazine website: no volcanic activity at present – no recent earthquakes, no ash right now, just water vapour - but their Met. Office warns that this does not mean that Eyjafjallajökull has finished!
Dungeness, where the purple herons are, is one of our regular haunts for birding, but mostly in the Spring and Autumn to spot the migrating birds either leaving or arriving in the UK. There really is nothing the public can see of the herons and they are well protected.
Been harvesting herbs to freeze, so came in to sit by fan in study and cool off! Great to pick stuff from the garden - more salad leaves and radish ready for tea - yum-yum. Got some yellow radish this year as well as normal red ones - a deeper flavour, but not hotter. Now must make a cool drink for OH who is busy mowing.
We came in from the garden to sit in the living room, which is the coolest room- have been channel-hopping on the TV & was most amused to find that at the PGA Golf Championship in Surrey, they have the same Cuckoo 'cuckoooo-ing' as at LG!!
Afternoon all. Very hot here too. I took our two 'old ladies' (9 and nearly 15) for a walk, fairly short and mostly under the trees, and even that was almost too hot for them. The younger two just had to make do with the garden - they were competing in a dog agility competition yesterday so have had their share of my energy on a hot weekend! The competition was on the lawn in front of Castle Ward, a National Trust property in a very scenic location, looking across the narrows of Strangford Lough. This was Indy's first competition. She did very well in her first class until I made a miistake at the jump before the last. In the next class, she ran into the tunnel and hid, maybe because she was too hot. Tweed, who now has to compete with the 'big boys', came home with 2 fifth place rosettes.