Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey Topics), 12 June 2016

OG  so sad about the nest and babies. Friend who had blue tit chicks in a nesting box told us that only 2 have survived but they look hale and hearty, thank goodness.    Good news though about the Hedgehog. I do hope he sticks around. 

Sorry about the nest and chicks going, OG.  Nature, raw in tooth & claw!  I think I'm right in your saying that you have not seen a hedgehog for a long time, same as we havn't  :-(

Today dried up in the end:  we took large golf umbrellas with us on our walk this morning, but did not need them, and its been dry this afternoon. The forecast for the week looks very mixed!

I thought you might like to come on a little walk with me:  we took photos on our last visit to Wales.

This is a favourite walk, and I think I have posted pics of it in the past.  It is on the Coastal Path which runs all the way around Wales, but this is the section which runs from Caernarfon to Bangor - we never walk as far as Bangor, of course!

I was glad I had the camera with me, as straight away we saw lovely wild flowers along the pathway:

The water you can see are the Straits of Anglesey, with the Isle of  Anglesey in the background.  Caernarfon itself is just behind us as we walk North - here are the posh new flats built around the Marina in the distance as we walk away from them....

Here is the view looking forward:

Continued....

There are lots of wildflowers along the way:

(pretty forget-me-nots which are still a joy even when you see them quite often!)

Then I noticed someone in the water, and grabbed the camera again:

He/she was so intent on fishing, that he didn't mind me at all, although I was miles away, anyway!

This is what I actually saw, without the zoom lens on the camera, so I was lucky to spot him! He never moved for five minutes!

--  He is centre of the picture.....

More views of the path:

There is a tiny, determined dog just in the distance!

From there, you can see some of the buildings on the other side of the water: this is a pub (blue building) that we have driven to but not been in (yet!)

Back again.  We admit to watching none of the royal happenings and none of the football which was being discussed last evening – and I have been really disgusted with England fans in Marseille (and others). 

Linda – I did enjoy your poem for Diane!  All day yesterday it felt as if rain was going to come; there were tiny amounts which weren’t worthy of the name “raindrops”, so I referred to them as “raindrips”!  We took the risk not to water outside, and were lucky (don’t often say that) that we did get 1cm during the night!  I don’t agree about The Duchess of Cambridge photos yesterday, I thought that half-up hair and ridiculous hat made her look like a 40-something aunt of two or three generations ago!  I thought the Britannia model was a bad plan for the Queen’s parade, must have been upsetting, but I suppose there have been some sad memories as well as good ones among her 90 years!  Nice photos from your coastal walk in Wales – thanks.

Heather – like many others have said, we would not be able to produce a meal with no notice – all meals are pre-planned to avoid any waste.  I suppose they might just get an egg, but would have to eat it with toast, as bread is frozen, and salad from the garden in summer!  Sorry OH gave you a health scare in the night; pleased he seems OK, but you are right to get him to the doctor tomorrow.

Dibnlib – pleased you made contact with your Brother with good news about your Mum’s best carer – hope she will stay available a long time!  Lynette – sorry about the old car – pleased you can replace it with a slightly newer one.

Diane – thanks again for the new week!

Annette – sorry the glider wasn’t for sale!  Glad you got some rain too.

Brenda – my word, that was a long-lasting storm yesterday – sorry the match was abandoned, but pleased all were safe and had tea!  I hope today was dry for the Eastbourne match, and hope your street party went ahead.

Alan – those peonies are beautiful.  We’ve never grown them as they take up so much space for a short flowering period, but my Dad had them in his bigger garden when I was young.

Today has remained dry, so we shall check this evening that the rain last night did reach under leaves of potatoes, hostas, courgettes etc – all the things with large top growth.  Looks likely that we shall get some rain tomorrow and/or later in the week.

The path leaves the edge of the water sometimes, and becomes a nice leafy walk:

Someone stopped in their tracks on this brow, as she saw something!  not sure what!

Some of the gorse was still out:  I love it!

And the May - both pink and white.  Here is a close up of the pink one:

Plus "candles"

Saw some gargantuan dandelion clocks!  This one caught my eye:

Finally, a riot of Pink:

Morning all:  Still gray here; saw the photos of the Queen's picnic in the park - a shame about the rain. I couldn't get over the photo of Phillip in the bearskin - those things weigh a ton - assuming it wasn't a specially made one - and he's well over 90 right?

Lindybird: Lovely lovely shots indeed and impressive lens. Beautiful countryside - so English (sorry, Welsh?) But what's this? No close up of that pub? :-)

Heather: My OH was given exercises to do for his balance issues (crystals in ear canal stuff) and did those and is better. He was also given "walking" lessons - he tends to be a bit uncoordinated, and did those for about one week. Grrr.

Alan: Oh those peonies are just wonderful - such luxuriant flowers.

OG: Congrats on your poo-identification skills!  Too bad about the nest. Soccer hooligans made the news here too. Re Kate's hat and hair (are we talking about her Buck House balcony outfit?) you know what they say: If you live long enough everything comes back into style.

June Gloom still with us; went for walk; now back to do desk stuff, which is okay on an overcast day.  Take care all.

OG - I don't waste any food whatsoever but always have the makings of a meal in the fridge plus freezer and store cupboard. Trained by my mother who had a guest house and was a great cook!  

Sorry, HEATHER, didn't mean to offend, but if we had enough meats and cheese in the fridge all the time to feed our family at short notice, we would be eating it up every day and never be able to choose menus!  Only two of us eat cheese, except occasionally, and some of them are vegetarians, and the carnivores do not all have the same meat preferences!