HAPPY NEW WEEK and HAPPY DECEMBER SOLSTICEPlease check back to last week's thread for information from Annette on the fire threat!!! She posted photos that you will want to see!!!
The December Solstice is Thursday at 4:28 p.m. in the U.K, 11:28 a.m. in the eastern U.S., 8:28 a.m. in California, and Friday, 22 December, at 2:57 a.m. in Adelaide, Australia!
Everyone have a great week, and STAY SAFE, ANNETTE!
Juvenile Red-Tailed HawkU.S. Fish and Wildlife ServicePhoto labelled Public Domain (Copyright Free)
LOL!!! Very good, Lindy! LOL!!!
Evening all: Went for a long walk along the bluffs today and ended up at Coal Oil Point, where we count whales during the season. There was a good stiff breeze from the ocean and you could smell the saltwater too. Sat for ages on a bench and watched the waves and surfers and - such a treat - the blow of a southbound gray whale heading to Mexico for the breeding season. (The northbound migration starts February - the 14th is the first day we start counting! Hurray!). Horizon was still hazy and the smoke is back our way tonight. Still, the firefighters in Santa Barbara County have had a better day than yesterday but are busy preparing for the expected Wednesday "wind event" as they call it. :-) Did a bit of grocery shopping this pm and was amazed/dismayed to find the parking lot more than half empty, probably because of the evacuations east of that area.
Diane: Mice don't bother me; you can keep the spiders though. Thanks so much for your kind words. Things are a bit bumpy here from a variety of standpoints and Christmas isn't helping, so they were much appreciated.
Lindybird: When I saw Mabel in bold type, I first thought it was a new member of the WC! Oh and by the way, I want to move into your house.
Hope OG is okay. I remember she was feeling very cold at one point so hope that wasn't a precursor of something worse. Also hope that EE is doing better.
Annette – The flower above the bow is Waratah, floral emblem of NSW. I can identify most flowers on wreath. Going clockwise from Waratah, Sturt’s desert rose (NT), Red & green kangaroo paw (WA), Pink heath (VIC). Red bells could be Correa, red stars I don’t know. Next Golden wattle (AUS), Sturt’s desert pea (SA), Cooktown orchid (QLD) and Blue gum (TAS). ACT's emblem Royal bluebell is missing. I knew I should have researched this before posting!
Today's card has blue wrens (Splendid wrens, I think) on gum blossom, bottle brush (between centre two birds) and wattle.
Hmmm. Don't know where my post went, but thanks AQ, We know it as Protea, which your link indicates. We have Kangaroo Paws too (not a big favorite of mine) and Bottle Brush. We don't have Blue Wrens!
The wee field mouse has been humanely caught, and he had a little car ride out into forest. I released him inside an old abandoned church. He should have some cover there from the snow and cold. I told him to say his prayers that I never find his furry little behind in my house again!
I think he probably got indoors the other day when I was unloading groceries and supplies. I had my front door propped open because the new heater and some other things were heavy. He probably saw his opportunity and made a dash for the inside when I wasn't looking. LOL I don't see any signs that he had kin inside with him.
Annette: I'm so happy that you were able to get a long walk and some more or less decent air to breathe. You needed that. Absolutely wonderful and a good omen that you saw the gray whale. I'm sorry that your life has been bumpy lately. You don't deserve it. Here's to a better year in 2018.
AQ: I love those blue wrens. I have three species of wrens in the summer and one in the winter, but none of them are blue!
Have a good Monday, all.
Unknown said:The wee field mouse has been humanely caught, and he had a little car ride out into forest. I released him inside an old abandoned church. He should have some cover there from the snow and cold. I told him to say his prayers that I never find his furry little behind in my house again!
LOL !!!
Good Morning, Everyone. Misty here today, but not as cold. Milder weather forecast for this week in the run up to the Big Day.
Another beautiful card from AQ, thank you!! - I adore the wrens, and it's my favourite card from Aus so far, so I may print that one out!!
Annette - Glad you got the chance for a bit of fresh sea air and a stretch of your legs. So relieved that things sound better re the dreadful fires.
Diane - I might know that you'd release the mouse somewhere safe! Looked at my ditty this morning, and thought that you can tell it was written after midnight in about 30 seconds, LOL!! Never mind.
Today's pic(s) are for Annette: a horse we came across during a walk near Caernarfon in Wales, on our last visit.
She nibbled my OHs fingers, but we had no treats for her.
Have a good day, everyone.
DIANE I am not afraid of spiders...or mice, but wasps are a different story altogether. I am petrified, so much that I almost ran in front of a double decker bus in Windsor, just to escape one. Luckily OH grabbed me just in time.