HAPPY NEW WEEK and HAPPY FULL MOON!I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Black-Billed MagpieSeedskadee National Wildlife Refuge, Wyoming USAU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicePhoto labeled Public Domain (Copyright Free)
Hello. Not the day we expected! J went to work and was sent home ill – very wobbly, dizzy and queasy. So OH didn’t go to Morrisons – just did a small local shop when he fetched J’s car home. A house along the road perpendicular to ours was badly damaged by fire when a car parked on it’s driveway went up in flames (midnight on Nov 5th????). Everyone escaped, but the roof will have to be replaced, and that’s not all! I am very sneezy – we are wondering if there are fire chemicals/particles in the local air.
Sheila – good to see a post from you! Jacqui Dankworth was a good actress (RSC etc) before she really developed her singing. She went through some difficult years, released a first album in 2003, but has really blossomed since marrying Charlie, who is well-known in Jazz circles. They were both excellent, and he is brilliant at arranging music to suit her voice.
AQ – lovely Rosellas!
Annette – I don’t know how much Cleo Laine still sings, but obviously keeps in practice – she still holds the annual festival at her home, but I think they gave up on the summer music school some years ago.
Linda – sorry the sore throat is persisting. How has Bonnie been today? Surprised you were packing so much as I thought you said before that you store your spare bedlinen at the caravan. I hope you had some time to relax today – and safe travel tomorrow!
J seems to have wandered back to bed again, and OH is making a shepherd’s pie.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Crossed in the post, HEATHER. Pleased you had a day out with daughter - hope you didn't get too cold.
Hi OG! I got the birds mixed up, didn't I?! Yes, it has been cold here and a very grey sky. I didn't post on here yesterday at all because I was was all talked out. All four of my children phoned and we had long chats, plus late stepdaughter's husband dropped by.
Sorry that J is poorly - what do you think the problem is?
LINDY - sorry that you are still suffering with your throat and hope that your OH gets relief after chiropractor. Is this back pain a recent thing for him? Too much digging in that allotment?
FORESTBOAR - Good that you are able to have your Cornish holiday. I'm envious. As a Westcountry 'maid' I love Devon and Cornwall. True, is very busy in some parts nowadays but still holds a special place in my heart.
Fireworks around here for the third night in a row. Doesn't bother me but I can't say the same for dogs and cats, etc. Having said that, youngest daughter has two young kittens and they weren't in the least bit bothered by the Elgin fireworks. Some two legged people were, though - the wind changed direction and some of the folk at the bonfire/firework display were hit by flying sparks. Speaking of which - OG - maybe you are being affected by particles in the air.
ANNETTE - please come here and spend a day in my garden :-) Only one more garden rubbish collection on 20th November before they shut up shop for two months. Children have assured me that they will take stuff to the recycling depot but I much prefer to be as independent as possible. So me and my loppers (grammar?) will have to make a special effort.
OG - Sorry to hear about J. Maybe it's only one of those 24 hour things, and he'll recover after a day at home tomorrow. I dither every time over how much stuff to take home - obviously, we don't leave any perishable foodstuffs or dried things in case they get damp. Some people here have freezers full of food, but we never bother with that and just restock the fridge each time we come. So I've been through the kitchen cupboards, and also checked the dates on the bottoms of all the cans (a good standby when there are no local shops). But the bed linen etc and spare towels are a conundrum. If I leave them here, they might get damp. If I take it all home, it fills up the spare bedroom and we don't yet know if we're hosting the family at Christmas. We have an attic bedroom ourselves, which looks good (when it's tidy) but has two drawbacks -- there are no wardrobes in it as the ceiling is too low, plus we have had mice in the small attic spaces left since the conversion, so the only clothes or linen in there are things like my old clothes for wearing when decorating! They've nibbled some things you would never expect, such as a rubber blow up spare bed in a bag! That had to go to the tip.
Ho hum, I think I'll just split the difference by taking only some of it home.
Heather - Glad you had a day out with your daughter.
We had a lovely morning, went on a favourite walk of ours along the old railway route besides the lake at Llanberis. The trees were mostly bare, though, so must have looked glorious a couple of weeks ago when everything was golden. We hardly met anyone, but saw some swans which we had seen nesting earlier in the year. Sadly, my sis-in-law who often goes to that area herself, said that the eggs from the nest had got bogged down and fallen into the water.
It was bright and not too cold: since we got back, it's been grey clouds followed by rain and then more rain.
Bonnie is bright and perky, but occasionally still coughing, and my OH said that she coughed a lot in the night. The Vet who we saw rang us to enquire as to whether she had any more adverse symptoms. She said that she had contacted the Environment Agency about the matter.
Glad to read that the vet is on the case, LINDY and also that the Warden has put up a warning notice.
Heather -- My OH has had back trouble for a number of years. When the NHS investigated, they found he had a couple of slipped and 'soggy' discs and could only suggest a chiropractor might give some relief. He has since found that if he does nothing to aggravate it, he can live with it, so he sometimes has a year without problems but then it flares up again.
He has in effect, worn out his back over years of doing physical work - his parents farmed and as the only son, with 3 sisters, he started helping out and lugging heavy bales around from the age of ten. Then he did a lot of digging in gardens, for ourselves plus all of our parents. At one time he cleaned cars which involved bending, twisting himself, and polishing, when he should have been taking care of his back. Now he's paying the price, sadly.
EDIT -- He tries to limit the times he has to spend digging at the allotment. I worry, but don't want to urge him to give it up as he gets such pleasure from it. He said recently that one day when he thinks it's got too much for him, he'll stop having his allotment plot and just grow a few beans in our garden!
A familiar story, LINDY. My OH grew up on a farm, also. Hard physical work from an early age and even though he didn't take over the farm he never lost the habit of pushing himself to the limit.
Heather: Will put your garden on my list - right after I've finished mine. :-)
Lindybird: Hope Bonnie gets over that upset soon.
Finally getting haircut tomorrow. My hairdresser left her husband (I knew she was planning to) and then left town (I also knew she was thinking about it) so am making do with another person who did a decent enough job, but tends to chat a bit too much. Still, it's round the corner and isn't pricey, unlike some other salons I've explored. Off to Arizona again this weekend for the week....
Good Morning. Very wet, here, and no sign of stopping. We're packing up and hope to be home by lunchtime.
Annette - You're dashing off again - do take care, but enjoy your family time.
(Bonnie seems a little better, but we both have colds :-( )