WEEKLY CHAT (non-osprey) SUNDAY MARCH 4 2018

Diane: Will REALLY miss you on here.  Like Heather, I enjoy your updates on RTH and other critters.

Spoke to niece in Newport Pagnell today via Facetime; saw pix of her cats snuggled by the fire and snow piled up in the garden.  

Have been shopping for a new laptop and a replacement iPhone (an older model) so I can pass on mine to one or other family member with an even more ancient and failing model.  My laptop screen keeps dimming plus odd video symptoms pop up and it turned itself off the other day.  Costco has a really good deal on one and I do like what they call their "concierge" service that adds another year to the manufacturer's warranty.  They were a great help in resolving a problem with a new TV we bought some years back when the manufacturer and local service person flaked out - they arranged to have someone drive up from Los Angeles to sort it out (we ended up with a replacement), but Costco handled the whole thing.

Have a good Sunday everyone.

  • Good afternoon on another sunny day!  Got to Asda to start shopping and found the disabled loo out of use (awaiting a replacement seat); tried the mother and baby – seat far too low; went across the road to our car dealer and, much to salesman’s amusement, borrowed his!  I did suggest to Asda that my woman’s logic would suggest moving one of the seats from other loos temporarily to the single disabled one!  Anyway, shopped back there and at M&S and got home for lunch before microwave man arrived.  He has taken it away, hopefully for repair.

    Pat – sorry you lost all those saved recordings – but summer is probably the time to rebuild your library – and some will be repeats, I am sure!

    Linda – sounds like you have your usual mishaps with you, even on holiday – thought you had left them at home!  Probably easier to laugh at them when you are more relaxed!

    AQ – sorry heat is still with you!

    Heather – pleased machine is delivered and installed – and hope you enjoyed your lunch with Daughter!

    Annette – can’t get to grips with the change of whale day!  Hope you are seeing plenty of them today.

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Glad everyone is successfully  getting machines repaired, cars ordered etc! Also lovely photos from Clare. I hope Lindy is having good weather on holiday. My brother and family were on Fuertoventura last week and said they had a fair bit of rain in the mornings, though did go swimming in the sea in the afternoons.

    I had a surprise today when returned from my volunteering this morning. Masses of white & beige feathers all over the yard and a partly eaten carcase on top of the hedge! I tidied up as much as reasonable and just now the sparrowhawk returned looking around for it's lost lunch! Missed it with the camera though.

    Prey was probably a collared dove.

  • Oh, naughty SH!  There are plenty of less attractive birds it could have taken rather than a collared dove - good that you saw it, though, even though you couldn't get a photo.

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Hi all.

    Karen - lovely to hear you had an invitation to walk the new Queensferry bridge, thanks for the photo, looks impressive.

    Lindybird - see you are managing to get away after the debacle of that  that cruise you originally booked.   Do hope that your cousin will make it through his illness.

    Forestboar - well done your older SD for getting through chemo. Hope all goes well in April.

    OG - nice to see you have some family weddings coming up and your 50th as well, snap - ours is in August. Also your 70th birthdays. What a lot to look forward to.

    Been back to the Ambulatory dept at the local hospital. Doctor has signed me off as he says that the leg is improving and swelling has gone down. Still quite sore where new skin is. Reduced antibiotics to 2x4times a day for another week.  A stockinette dressing has been put on to protect but will try and leave it off when inside. So all in all, progress has been made.

    Weather has been mixed today with rain coming in, could be all over the weekend!!

  • Hello ChrisyB,

    OG,  I think all birds are attractive. I do not like to see them eat each other, but that is nature. I find it quite upsetting to see magpies fly off with eggs or baby birds.

    I am pleased to read that Heather now has a working machine, and that OG's microwave is (hopefully) being repaired.

    Today did not start well. I had just put the kettle on to make a cup of tea before going for my follow up cataract appt. I switched on the waste disposal unit, and all the lights and power went off. Resetting the fuses did not work, so had to call the electrician. OH was not happy! I noticed that there was a leak under the unit. I don't think I will replace it as it uses a lot of water. I wasn't using it much, anyway for that reason.

    I think I have managed to save the food in the freezer. We ate some seafood this evening.

    Anyway, we had been meaning to change our down lighters to LED ones, so have now arranged this with electrician. It is becoming increasingly difficult for us to climb up the step-ladder, so should not have to do that with the new ones.

    I am a bit concerned about using any machines tomorrow now, but will need to do some washing.

  • Just saw your post, Lynette,  Pleased that your leg is improving.

  • Oh Rosy, never had a dishwasher, or pardon me I have, its me. Hope you sort something out.

    OG - glad you enjoyed your lunch at your church, menu sounded good.

    Lindy - where are you actually on holiday.

  • Great photos as ever, Clare. Glad you managed to capture the woodcock, not a bird I'm familiar with.

  • Dau phoned before 9 am, they are off to beach, early to escape heat, will be here for lunch. Quick dash to shops for bread, ham, tomatoes. Toy box found, clutter cleared. Now I only have to make sandwiches.

  • Evening all:

    Lindybird:  Never heard of a glass nail file; it wouldn't last long in this house.  Hope the warm weather stays with you.

    OG:  Oh no fun having to traipse around looking for a workable loo before you could even do your shopping.   Lots of fog and rumors of whales but no sightings during my shift, but I'm still on a high from last week's display.

    ChrisyB: I came back home yesterday and found a Cooper's Hawk perched quietly on the side of our fountain, helping itself to a long drink. I very slowly pulled my phone out of my bag to take a photo, but then the plastic water bottle I was holding sort of crackled and the hawk took off. It lives in a tree on the block behind us.

    Lynette: Hurray for the improved leg!

    Rosy:  You should see the crows go after our hawk; such a racket!  Gosh. Hope the electrical problem gets sorted out quickly.

    AQ:  You are so good to your family!  Nanny duty, rushed trips to the store for sandwich fixings....    Do you have any outings with your chauffeur friend planned?  Or group trips?

    Have a good Saturday all...