Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 20 May 2018

DIANE - second one this week, I believe.  Pleased your family kids were not involved directly, but I am sure it affects them when it is in their city.

HEATHER - hope it was a good day for you in Elgin.

Forecast here was right - very hot and dry morning so got some gardening done - well, I mostly watched and gave directions - and was entertained by birds!  Finished the together part of newsletter this afternoon and the rain did start, so I also wrote my half of the communications report for the annual meeting - OH will cover the website which is his part. He did spend a while in the greenhouse before making dinner, then solar man arrived - panels are fine, but the inverter has a problem, so he will hope to be back, maybe next week, with a spare part.

Annette: I loved your latest photos!!! Well done! I wish I could see the northwest coast. Those islands off of Seattle and Vancouver would be so beautiful to view. I want to ride that ferry! That azalea is glorious! The Cecile Brunner climbing rose is spectacular. Your garden is a piece of artwork. So wonderful! Hope you're enjoying your time in Arizona.

AQ: Hope your daughter is recovering. I do need a goat!!!

Pat O: I hope you enjoy you mid-June break. 

Rosy: I am so very sorry about your family's loss. My condolences. I hope the family problems can be resolved soon. 

Lindy: Bonnie would have gone totally wild in my garden today. I had a big, fat groundhog searching my various vegetation for something good to eat! Have a lovely and relaxing time in Wales. 

Dau phoned yesterday in a “quiet” time. She is OK, at least as well as one can be with Little People underfoot. We had a long chat as twins were playing “beaches”, dressed in bathers & goggles, Fortunately inside as it is cool. I presume various toys were joining in.

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Linda – Thank you for info on your route to Wales. Likewise I have suburbs to navigate before I reach the open road (about 45 mins). I find 100 miles is too far without a break. I can picture you driving through those oh-so-green fields.

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Hello EVERYONE. Will I ever catch up?

Evening all:  Will try some belated responses, but will probably miss some.  Am reading posts from everyone, if only to reassure myself that somewhere in the world life is going on as normal for some people!  :-))

Diane:  I get so depressed with all the shootings, not to mention everything else going on here.  :-(

Heather:   I too find mountains somewhat forbidding - they look so inhospitable.  Of course, the desert isn't exactly cozy either.  I like lots of different trees, flowers, greenery, all regularly washed off by reasonable amounts of rain.  Re rose diseases, we definitely get them, especially by the coast where our morning marine layer is perfect of mildew - rust too.  That particular rose seems to be (I forgot the name) a bug/worm or whatever that eats the leaves one chomp at a time until there's nothing left but the skeleton of the leaf.  Ceanothus (at least one or more types) are native to California.  Hope SiL gets a good job offer much closer to home - I think it's brilliant they're putting their family life (as are Lindybird's son and DiL) before overseas jobs that will be so disruptive.

AQ: Talk about nanny duty (or grandnanna duty!)  I'm worn out with just one, never mind three.  I must've played a million board games with Ms. D since I arrived yesterday, with Chutes & Ladders the hands-down favorite.  Nothing like fumbling around with the first cup of coffee for the day while being asked "What do you want to play today?"  Ummm...  How long am I staying here???  How many games of Chutes & Ladders are in my future?   Seriously, glad Dau's whack on head is now better - but did she ever get to go shopping for clothes?  (It never fails - plan a measly hour or three to yourself with no kids and something screws it up!)

OG: Had a silly moment and read "....both went shopping in Tesco" as referring to "computer and keyboard weren't talking to each other" but after a night's rest when OH checked them.....  :-)

PatO: 300 church magazines!!  Ah, I see it's just one issue of one magazine.  Phew!  

Rosy: So sorry to hear about the death in the family and that it's exacerbating existing problems.  Is your son and his family in the US (wasn't that Cincinnati or am I way off the mark?)

Met with contractor this morning to go over last-minute details and minor changes. All heck will break loose next Tuesday (Monday is Memorial Day and a holiday) when the demo work starts.  That should only last a day or two before they start the framing.  So much fun.

Anyway, going to turn off the lights.....

Have a good Saturday everyone.

Good Morning. Dry here and the sun is trying to come out.

Heather, hope you had a good time in Elgin.  OG, hope you can get the solar thingy fixed soon.  AQ - You would love how green it is around here at the moment. Lots of pretty wildflowers out in the fields, too.   Glad your daughter is OK. Diane, I love seeing the groundhog on Groundhog Day!

Annette, Its lovely to see the youngsters, but you find you have to get your brain into quite a different gear when living in their world. Hope the bathroom plans all work out without too many headaches. 

Bonnie managed to get some greasy unknown substance on her head, ears and back of her neck yesterday. <sigh>   She's been washed twice with dog shampoo but it won't shift. So today Its going to be Fairy Washing up liquid and hot water with some vigorous rubbing, before we go out. A few new people arrived here last night for the weekend, so maybe there will be less bunnies evident over the next couple of days.

Don’t know how long showers lasted in the evening/night, but good for OH to have an evening without watering.  Good weather today, but he has to go down to do his printing at church before starting in the garden.

AQ – pleased your Daughter is okay after the bump on the head.  Beaches game sounds fun – one aspect when it must be easier with two and they can play together – until they decide to fall out!

Annette – My first encounter with Ceanothus was chez OH’s ancient maiden Aunts, who told me it was called “Californian Lilac”.   Sounds like Miss D is keeping you occupied until you get really busy with the makeover!  I had the same silly moment when I saw what I had written about PC and keyboard going shopping together, but I was too lazy to edit – thought it would give you a laugh!

Linda – I hope Bonnie’s greasy substance is non-toxic this time and that the Fairy liquid bath is effective!  Have a good day out – no bunnies, smelly fish or nasty substances!

Very breezy again - not the heatwave we were promised!  OH is strimming and trimming, finishing what he hadn't before.  I am staying indoors so far - not much point going out where the noise is!  I think one pair of our Woodpigeons has produced a baby - not sure what else it could be, strange little thing!

I don't like the message system on here, either, Heather. It used to be simple to use but now they've changed it, plus the way I have to stab things with my finger on this tablet pc, I use it as little as possible.

It's been dry here apart from just a couple of stray raindrops, so my OH cleaned all the windows before I was even dressed, then I helped him to clean a reluctant Bonnie with the washing up liquid, which seems to have worked: she certainly looks Daz white as we used to say, on her paler bits now! Took her for a walk after doing our food shopping this morning, hoping to see the horses we saw last time, but their field had nothing but buttercups in it.

No idea what the mystery substance was which she rolled in, it smelled vaguely of something oily which explains why it wouldn't come off. She had a good run on a big empty beach yesterday but she did go up to the grass beside it a couple of times and people dump things there after BBQs.

Could be a Wooodpigeon baby, OG: they're ugly looking!  I was writing when you just posted. It's not too bad here, and my OH has just gone outside to see if it's fit to sit out - no sunshine and rather clouded over. Not much wind, though.