HAPPY NEW WEEK!
I hope everyone has a wonderful spring week! I chose this photo for the week for a reason. The last time I went to town for groceries and supplies, I stopped to take some items to my relative who broke her hip. I arrived home very late. I was unloading the car in the darkness, barely able to see with a torch (flashlight), and suddenly I heard a booming loud call, "Who cooks for you! Who cooks for you all!" That's the call of a Barred Owl! The sound was coming from a tall tree on my creek levee.I was just about finished getting everything inside, when the bird called again. This time, he made his "monkey call." Barred Owls can make a wild series of calls that sound just like a big, loud primate. Seriously. Many years ago, we had a Barred Owl pair nesting on this patch, and my Mom swore we had a Bigfoot living in the woods! I was so happy to hear the big owl, and I hope he stays!Barred Owl (Strix varia)U.S. National Park ServicePhoto labeled Public Domain (Copyright Free)
I want some fritillaries for my garden and some barred owls for the trees. Dream on!
Annette - you made me smile with your tales of the shower on the train. Reminded me of a memorable overnight train journey I made many years ago from Istanbul down to the south of Turkey. Left Istanbul in the evening in heat and sunshine. Overnight, on the way south, it snowed heavily. The loos on the train were ... ahem ... rudimentary. A small 'box' cubicle with a hole in one corner. Nothing to hold on to, wet/icy floor ... I'll leave the rest to your imagination, and can guarantee you won't imagine the half of it!!! The joys of travel ...
Blue sky but chilly wind here this morning. Off to Hever Castle later, hopefully to see the azaleas at their best. Everything is so out of sync this year.
Have a good day, everyone.
Wowee! Looks like we all had a lot to say last evening – will read through now.
FB – occasional hiccups are inevitable, but a breathing space between them does help!
Annette – thanks for description of train accommodation! Been trying to imagine the shower arrangement swinging around in motion! Your time in Chicago sounds interesting – but a lot to fit into a short stay! Don’t start rushing about doing everything all at once now you are home – is it Whale Watch today?
Diane – enjoyed hearing the Barred Owl calls! The video suggests numbers are increasing too!
Pat – have a wonderful day at Hever Castle – can imagine the Azaleas will be wonderful right now – heady scent though!
“Pre-packing” day here – final ironing and preparing car with roof box on top and both scooter and wheelchair to be loaded – when OH gets back from shopping.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Have a lovely day at Hever Castle, Pat. Never been there.
Glad to see that you're planning on going on your weekend away, OG!
AQ - Will post you some barred owls and fritillaries post haste..... Hope the owls don't eat the flowers! Have you done your laundry etc yet? Don't suppose it took you long, as I know you travel light when you go away. Enjoy those lower temps.
A very cold wind, here. My light vest and my tights are back on again..... Forgot to say, that besides having some Magpies in residence in the garden, besides the usual sparrow and bluetit nests, we also have found a small wasp nest in our tool shed. I decided to leave it, partly because I don't want to upset them!
Edit: I'm off now to complain about the non delivery of our son's present - ordered on 26th April and still not delivered!
LINDA - Sorry your Son's present is still undelivered - hope you get satisfaction - and compensation if at all possible! Loved the idea of "not liking to upset the wasps" - with wasps, that, for me, would be nature-loving taken a step too far! I just ironed one shirt for me to pack, now going to try standing again to do one pair of trousers - remainder of ironing pile is "around the house" clothing, so can wait.
Forgot to say, I phoned Dau#1 last evening - she was out at Guides (helping at someone else's Company), but I spoke to SiL and both Granddaughters. They also received other Daughter's email on Saturday, and have no more info than us - as GD#1 said, we don't even know if her Sons were present! GD#1 is about to move in with a friend in Durham - unfurnished so we may get a visit to see what's available from J or us in our loft! GD#2 is revising for A level exams, and will then be choosing her top two Uni offers -looks like Edinburgh Napier or Liverpool. York haven't got a place for her, but said they want her so they offered her a place for Nursing with the possibility of a later transfer to Midwifery - rather an insulting offer I thought, since she has a vocation for the latter.
OG I agree with you. My nature loving does not extend to wasps I am afraid.
Hello all - thank you for all your news!
OG - have a lovely few days in Fife.
I'll catch up at some point - youngest daughter's eldest has been having issues with a school friend and things have got rather unpleasant. So I'm trying to help by listening. If you know what I mean!
Morning all:
Diane: I loved the audio/video links to the Barred Owls; very interested to hear they're moved West and even into Northern California. I was talking to my niece about the $$$s for the Chicago Art museum and I think she's going to arrange a river cruise instead. She will also be overnighting there en route to Albuquerque/Santa Fe on the Southwest Chief. I'll be meeting her there - that's in September - then driving her back through AZ to see the Prescott Valley contingent and finally here to loll in the sun. She'll then go to NY for three days and plans to do the museums before she flies home. The Chicago Amtrak waiting room has certainly set a high bar for all the others. LA has a lovely old station, but I don't recall free wine, snacks and a spiffy coffee machine.
OG: Hope you got those pants ironed and that the final preparations go well. If I miss you later, have a lovely time. Fingers crossed for good weather.
Heather: Gosh, if it isn't one generation, it's another. Why didn't they tell us this before we started the first one! Good luck with the listening.
Lindybird: That's definitely not good that pressie hasn't arrived. Let us know what they say.
Off to Tai Chi class....
HEATHER It is always good to have a listening ear. Hope things improve.
OG Missed that. Where are you going to? Have a good time anyway.
Dibnlib - only as far as Fife - to see how I manage away from home before we commit to a longer trip later. Not setting off till Sunday, and coming back on Wednesday.