Weekly Chat, Sunday June 13, 2010

OK for the Newbies (and anyone else), it is 2 pm Sat in Adelaide, cool, calm, overcast, no sign of rain, 15 C.

Annette & Diane - Harking back a few days , a further comment on Occ, Health & Safety. If we didn’t have hot weather policies and other such safety provisions, the unions would have plenty to say and do (or not do, as in "strike").

This leads me to ask something of those in the UK. We watch a program "Grand Designs" where someone takes a derelict castle, cottage or whatever and they turn it into a fantastic modern home. Invariably they claim they will be in by Xmas, invariably heavy rain delays works, invariably they run short of money. Often the renovators take on tasks themselves. What we don’t understand is that amateurs are allowed to do things like electricals & various building tasks. Don’t you have regulations that only permit registered persons to do this?

Someone commented on dogs wearing my old jumpers. Just to make it clear – the Dogs Home use the jumpers as bedding. Now I have caught up on loose ends (or at least those I remember), I shall return to the Nest.

Hey AQ:   I don't know what they do in the UK re electrical, etc., I know that here, if someone (amateur) does something that, per the local code, requires a qualified professional and then goes to sell the house, the local authorities can make them undo the work and restore the home, etc., to its "legal" status. We had permits up the ying-yang when we remodeled the kitchen last year and multiple visits from the city inspectors to sign off on each phase of the process before additional work could be done.

Re the "hot weather" work rules, I've no idea (clueless on so many things!) why we don't have them here in the U.S.; unions aren't as powerful I suspect. I've never even heard it discussed. Diane might know, she's more in tune with that kind of stuff than I. 

Not much happening on the nest right now.

Hi, all. Storms moving in fast, so I can't stay long. Forecast says we'll have 90+F / 32+C temps for the next 7 days with 90-100% humidity. On the plus side, the farmers say that the corn is growing 2 inches per day!

Hello to all bloggers new to this thread.

Annette: I hope you have a wonderful visit. Always good to catch up with old friends. You mentioned moles. Last year, we had lots of them, and they made hills all over the garden. But this year I haven't seen any. Kind of worried about the homely little critters, and also about what has contaminated our soil?!     Heather: I know I've missed you, but have a great holiday!     Lindybird: I've just looked at your peony pic. That's the most beautiful peony I've ever seen. Our power goes off sometimes, too. I always hate to open the electric box to trip the switch -- BIG spiders in there! LOL     George G: My Dad loves rhubarb pie.      Margobird: I hope you're chosen to volunteer at LG. Hope you feel better now after your fall!     Brenda: Hope your foot continues to mend.      Alan: I don't know anything about the footie. But I had a dream about Europe this week, and in my dream, Spain won the World Cup.  For some reason, it was a controversial win, and there were riots in several cities. :-O   AQ: I'm sending all this rain your way, starting now.     OG: Oh, NOOOOO, you can't reach your ISP limit!!! Don't they realize that you have ospreys to monitor?!?!

dibnlib: Great news about Dillon. Hope he continues to heal. Per your piccie request: I don't have a digital camera anymore, so I can't take a photo of the sweet little groundhog beside my apple tree. I need to get a new camera! But this is what he looks like:  http://www.myfreewallpapers.net/nature/pages/groundhogs-in-love.shtml  If you look at this picture, you might have a cute overdose.

Unknown said:

Re the "hot weather" work rules, I've no idea (clueless on so many things!) why we don't have them here in the U.S.; unions aren't as powerful I suspect. I've never even heard it discussed. Diane might know, she's more in tune with that kind of stuff than I. 

AQ/Annette: Hmmmm. I'll reply after I think about this.

Hi everyone

First post for a very long time.

Gutted to think I will not get to LG this year.  Too far and too busy.

I did however get to Minsmere last weekend and had great views of a Bittern, Bearded Tits, Hobby, Marsh Harriers, Nightingale and chicks, Sedge Warblers etc etc.  Minsmere is my second favourite reserve after LG.  Would recommend Minsmere to everyone!

Unfortunately I do not have time to read all the threads so I apologise if I am asking a stupid question.

Have the chicks been named this year?

Happy Birding

Peter

Hello and welcome Peter!

To answer your question, the chicks have not been named yet - judging by last year, the LG team will announce the names just before ringing, which is likely to be in early July. One visitor to LG picked up the hint, that the "name theme" for this year may be Scottish rivers.    

Morning all:   What a red letter day yesterday for LG!  Beat that, SuperOdin! - wonder if he can, seeing as he's doing so well so far?  Will have to wait and see....

Dry but not really sunny here this morning.  Off shopping shortly, then more chores...

Thanks to OG for pic of gorgeous Irises - they are a lovely colour combination, OG.  Poor black ones, they look a bit disappointed, themselves.

Diane:   Got a cute overdose from the Groundhog pic - Aaah!  (just love that film 'Groundhog Day' , its so funny!)  Hope your storms wern't too bad.

AQ:   Knew that you meant your jumpers went for bedding to the Dogs Home - but I couldn't resist myself, having a vision of them wearing them!  A bit like those Victorian paintings where they put animals into pictures wearing top hats and parasols etc.  We have done our own alterations to houses where if you do anything to the electrical system, you have to have an expert in to 'certify' that you have done it properly, afterward. Don't know about more structural stuff, brickwork, etc.  We love that Grand Designs programme, its toe curling to see the huge risks people will take to get their dream home, and how sometimes things do come apart at the seams as unforseen things arise.... It always costs more than the guesstimate at the beginning, too.  I never cease to be amazed at how brave they are to tackle these things, and wow, sometimes the results really are amazing.

I'm off now, have a Good Day, All.

ps Welcome to Peter Osprey..   hope you enjoy the Osprey Group.

Good morning Peter, SueC and Lindybird - and anyone else who looks in here.  I can't concentrate on this thread this morning due to happenings at LotL, but I'll come back later.

That is superb!  Is that the same tree as the Woodpecker, or do you have a really huge gareden?