Diane: I suspect your poor fingers are frozen solid, so started the new thread. :-) Do hope your friendly neighborhood critters show up when the temperatures rise.
Check back for lovely pic of Kingfisher (and more) from Clare; Lindybird's Second Christmas and updates on cruises; OG's plans to attend a masked ball - and more!
I drove all over the local neighborhood today: Library; hardware store; charity shop; Bed, Bath and Beyond (looking for towels); Habitat for Humanity's ReStore warehouse; University's hazardous waste center; County electronic recycling center; pet shop, beauty supply shop; and two supermarkets! Phew!
Diane: I can't get it - just stepped away. Did they scrub it?
OK, apparently that's the case.
So things going from bad to worse here as the authorities today ordered a mandatory evacuation for the entire area around the mud slides, which they say could be in effect for at least two weeks. People had two hours to get out. Problem is too many outsiders getting into the "exclusion zone" (hitherto restricted to residents), but what with broken water mains, sewers, etcs.,, it's impossible to guarantee anything and they're also bringing in the Army Corps of Engineers with heavy equipment to work 24/7 on cleaning things up, so need the streets clear of unecessary traffic. New images today showed areas only just accessible where destruction is awful.
Then, of course, we have the Orange Menace on the loose again, wondering why America doesn't take more immigrants from Norway instead of ******** countries. Does it never end? Every day it's a new low...
Unknown said:Then, of course, we have the Orange Menace on the loose again, wondering why America doesn't take more immigrants from Norway instead of ******** countries. Does it never end? Every day it's a new low...
Our herring gulls are red listed birds. Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.
Unknown said: I just had wonderful news! R.T. Hawk is alive!!! The big fella made it through that long bout of extreme arctic cold. It's a balmy 60F (15.5C) here -- weird. So I went outdoors near dusk to check the land and my car. I noticed that I had a flat tire. (The tire pulled away from the rim slightly during the cold.) I was sitting by the car using my tire pump, and I heard a long, loud SCREAM! It was R.T! He was saying hello to me from back in the woods. About 5 minutes later, I heard him take a small bird. So he must be in satisfactory condition, because he's able to hunt successfully. If he's okay, then his mate is probably okay, too, because they hunt as a pair. Red-Tailed Hawks who are strongly bonded often hunt together, and R.T. and his mate are formidable hunters. R.T. must have been stocking up on food. Temps are predicted to plummet quickly tonight, and we have an ice storm coming and then more arctic temps this weekend. I'm happy he was able to get a last meal before it turns bad again. I'm so very happy that he survived. Yay!!!!!!!!
I just had wonderful news! R.T. Hawk is alive!!! The big fella made it through that long bout of extreme arctic cold. It's a balmy 60F (15.5C) here -- weird. So I went outdoors near dusk to check the land and my car. I noticed that I had a flat tire. (The tire pulled away from the rim slightly during the cold.) I was sitting by the car using my tire pump, and I heard a long, loud SCREAM! It was R.T! He was saying hello to me from back in the woods. About 5 minutes later, I heard him take a small bird. So he must be in satisfactory condition, because he's able to hunt successfully. If he's okay, then his mate is probably okay, too, because they hunt as a pair. Red-Tailed Hawks who are strongly bonded often hunt together, and R.T. and his mate are formidable hunters. R.T. must have been stocking up on food. Temps are predicted to plummet quickly tonight, and we have an ice storm coming and then more arctic temps this weekend. I'm happy he was able to get a last meal before it turns bad again.
I'm so very happy that he survived. Yay!!!!!!!!
Thanks, Clare!!! I've been enjoying your lovely photos. You are very talented!
Annette: Yup, launch was scrubbed until Friday at the same time.
Heather: Your daughter should not be subjected to that kind of treatment by her employer. That makes me so angry on her behalf! I hope her job isn't really in jeopardy.
Unknown said:I've been enjoying your lovely photos. You are very talented!
Clare: Wow! Congratulations to Limpy and to you! I'd say that an 18 is darned good! That sounds like a lot of fun for you both.
I'm going to contact eldest son in law who used to work for the Council until fairly recently. He still has contacts. I'll ask him about the sickness/days off policy. Middle daughter says that there is a big problem with people taking odd days off, often on a Monday :-( so these interviews are becoming more common. While her immediate boss was a bit grumpy, the lady who interviewed her said that daughter was under the threshold for sick/absent days. I think ANNETTE is correct - daughters immediate boss is a bit of a 'jobsworth'....
DIANE -How wonderful that RTH and possibly his mate are alive and well and still in your domain! I remember when he followed you along the road...
ANNETTE - yes, the man is not coming to London - for the time being anyway. I don't think that many will be unhappy about that :-)
OG - Thinking about you x
LINDY - I don't think that I would rush to see that film, from what you say. I think that the company of each other, you and your friend, would have been the best part of the day?
Youngest family enjoyed their roast lamb last evening. S in law looked at the broken light fitting and decreed that it could be fixed. Not sure how I feel about that! I think that I will replace later in the year.
I've just done all of the overdue filing. Next job in that department will be to look at all the files and decide if any can be decommissioned. My OH was a hoarder. Think that ANNETTE will know what I mean.
I don't want to speak too soon but I am feeling so much more in control of my life. I had a frightening down point a few days ago - won't go into details but somehow it has given me a wake up call. Don't ever, ever want to feel like that again.
Take care, all