WEEKLY CHAT (non-osprey) SUNDAY, AUGUST 21, 2016

Evening all;  now popping back to catch up on all your news.

MaryGK: Alaska ferries are definitely for folks who are happy to rough it, sort of.  I wouldn't mind it if I knew I had a comfy hotel near the dock.

BrendaH: Good luck looking for the jacket to go with that dress.   Thanks for news of Margo and OH's doings - great to know they're enjoying themselves.

Heather: Don't think my OH would worry about my disposing of kitchen stuff; on the other hand the garage (which he also doesn't frequent) might be harder to clean out.    Chocolate teapot?  :-))    Cornish pasties - yum yum.

Rosy: Daughter has always had a menagerie (pigs, goats, peacock, horses, dogs, etc.) now it's horses, ducks, dog and floppy-eared bunny.  I just have her ancient cat which caught one bird yesterday and two today!  Pesky puss.  :-(

Hi to everyone else.

  • Here are more pictures  ~

    More things you can buy:

    Or a large owl on his own perch - I quite fancied this one!  At first I didn't notice the woodpecker halfway up!

    Even a snail or two!

    Here is your own little kingdom or den to have at the bottom of the garden:  I think they were made in Finland. EDIT -- Lapland!  Very cosy, and insulated! (Also very very expensive!)

    You could have a wood stove inside.

  • More gardens:

    Red seemed to be popular - the same one had red flowers in it, too.

    A so called "Children's Garden" - not many flowers, of course, and this area to play in, even in bad weather - there were children in this red tent thing which was hung up and could be twirled around.

  • More unusual things:  A garden dedicated to The BFG  (the Big Friendly Giant, for the uninitiated)

    His glass bowl of Dreams......  (he collects dreams for children)

    Farther on, another BFG tribute - this one even larger!

    He has red flowers in his hand. And this time, the dreams are in his big leather bag next to him. Here he is from another angle:

    Another garden - didn't like this one!

  • More pics:  a close-up of the Cheshire Cat, but I think I got him out of focus!

    More gardens:  There were not as many on view, this year, and very few Gold Medals for them, either.

    More - this one was the project of the women in Styal Prison, with an appropriate theme of "Time"

    The figure is trying to turn back the hands of a clock on the top of the wall.  Here are details of the planting along the side:

    The whole garden was contained within a metal clock frame, with the numbers in Roman around the edge. I think they got a Silver Medal for it.

  • I found more!  More gardens.....  this one from a famous garden which I have visited (can't remember the name of it of course....) the Victorian part has been renovated and refurbished, and has this "stumpery" at the centre, of which the Victorians were very fond.  They liked the architectural style of the deceased trees, and arranged them:

    This was so pretty I took it from several angles!

    All for now ~  I must go and sit in my own garden whilst the sun shines!

  • I'm not going to go right back to the beginning but have picked up threads on this page.   Love all the garden pics, Lindybird. Some amazing items for sale especially the owl/woodpecker on the tall tree trunk - super carving.

    AQ - take it steady with that knee, don't overdo it. You put me to shame though. There is a food cupboard that I should clear out so that we can try and put it back in its slot as it slides out, except I pulled it out too far the other week and it came out of its runner so have to be very careful when opening. Have to hold it so it doesn't tip up and feel for items. Will have to b e in the mood to see to it, probably the autumn when the weather is cooler.

    Scorcher of a day here so sitting inside in the relative cool!!!

    Managed a swim this morning and hoping to go again on Thurs. Dau has gone off with a friend on a day trip to Great Yarmouth.

    Only just over a week and then Dau wil be back in school and the new term starting - where has the summer holidays gone.

  • Hi, all: I just submitted the final draft of my project, and I'm e x h a u s t e d! They may still want me to do some follow-up.

    Annette: There are reports of Minke Whales around the Sumburgh Head Lighthouse on Shetland. Also, someone said that an Orca Whale was heading south from Victoria Pier.

    MaryGK: The Berlin Cruise Ship in now in Lerwick Harbour. It's pretty. You can also see it on the Taxi Rank Cam.

    Also, someone said that auroras are visible anywhere in the U.K. tonight. Shetland Aurora Cam.

    Take care, everyone. Lindy, your flower show photos are very lovely.

  • Hey, Annette! I think I saw one of the Minke Whales!!!

  • Thanks Diane!

    By the way, if anyone has missed it, there is a new Blog today from Jess ~ Odin seems to have left...... ;-(

    Willow disappeared recently, too.  Another hugely successful year for our two resident (almost) ospreys at LG!