Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 27 May 2018

HAPPY NEW WEEK!

I hope everyone has a great week!

White-Tailed Deer
U.S. National Park Service/R. Cammauf
Photo labeled Public Domain (Copyright Free)

  • Hello to all and thank you to DIANE -

    It was such a pleasure to read about your encounter with the doe, DIANE. I was picturing it all.

    AQ - Yes, the steam engine! We have one or two up here that run on 'special' routes. I can still recall the 'smuts' as we waved out of the window to whoever was seeing us off on whatever journey we were making! That was not yesterday - more like over 60 years ago! Not sure what that pole was (the stobie pole).

    Can't stay on here as son etc have just crossed the border into Scotland and not a bit of housework has been done, here! I've not even been in the shower yet. shame on me...

    Youngest son in law is on his way home. His flight from Houston arrived in London earlier and he is about to board the flight to Aberdeen. He just got a bit fed up of hanging around in the hotel waiting for the next job. His boss in Scotland said that he could do with Paul being at home so although the boss lady in Houston wanted to hang on to him, he is homeward bound. He doesn't want to work in the US for family reasons, so declined the job offer.

  • Good morning. Back here again. We have been trying to turn into a smart home, to enable OH to manage things when I am not available. Currently it has worked, but getting things set up was hardly smart!! She can now control the heating temperature, turn TV system on in the living room, answer the doorbell and give couriers delivery instructions and control the Dyson filter fan without me.

    Lindy: we are rather like you weather wise, bedlam all round us apparently but all we have are grey skies and occasionally an attempt to drizzle.

    On SD front, younger is now just waiting for her bed to be delivered then she can move in. Older finishes radiotherapy on Wednesday, then a blood test and hopefully wait for her all clear to go back to work.

    Life may become more stable soon!!!!

    First fledgeling starling on the feeder tray this morning – ear plugs due soon!

  • Hello again!

    Diane – thanks for starting us off again with the new week and that lovely account of your visit from the Deer!  A pity she and her friends don’t eat stinging nettles as well as the more palatable weeds!

    AQ – enjoyed the account and pictures of your recent trip – loved the steam engines!

    Annette – thinking of you tackling workmen in the coming week – oh, and playing Chutes and Ladders!

    Linda – From the weather reports, I thought you would be telling us about thunder and lightning – so pleased you didn’t get it!  Hope you found a good carvery lunch!

    Dibnlib – I gather you have been having mixed weather, but sometimes the hottest temps in the country!  I hope you have been enjoying some good walks, and not to many days when Benson won’t go out!

    Heather – pleased Son and family were well on the way – and I am sure they are coming to see you, not to inspect the housework!  Enjoy their company!  Pleased SiL has made a firm decision and is nearly home!

    FB – pleased to see your smart controls are working out better for you and your OH, and that your SDs will soon be more settled too.  Our first baby Starlings arrived in the week, and it is already very noisy out there – this morning it sounded as if at least half a dozen were being murdered – I even looked out to see whether Sparrow Hawk had arrived, but it was just them shouting among themselves!

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Morning all:

    Heather: Also glad to read that SiL is en route home. Houston would not be my first (second, third, etc. ) choice to take any job  

    ForestBoar: Must congratulate you on organizing such a smart house for your OH.  Bravo.  Fingers crossed things will settle down in the coming weeks.

    We haven't heard from bjane for a while - hope all is well. Anyone else MIA?

  • Yes, we did hear from George, but that was a while ago..... hope you're OK, George (and bjane, too!)

  • Been having a short zzz zzz since we had a very pleasant carvery lunch out at our favourite Garden Centre, here. (It's won Awards for its food).  I had the turkey, so what was on my plate was rather Christmassy, but without the sprouts! My OH had turkey plus beef, which he said was deliciously tender. No dessert, as we had no room left!

    I bought a small draping bit of artificial greenery, to go in our bathroom at home, as I have a spider plant in there at present but have to keep putting it on the windowsill or it doesn't get enough light in its corner. I resolved to look for something 'not real' as it will be less trouble, but it's taken me two years to find something!

    Went for a drive on the estuary afterwards, where we can see Anglesey in the distance, and various estuary birds are pottering about on the sandbanks and mud flats. Not near enough without binocs to identify, though. Should have asked the man parked next to us who had one of the biggest scopes on a stand, I've ever seen!

  • Pleased to see that ForestBoar is managing to get his smart system up and running, I'm sure it will be a boon. And fingers crossed now that everything is going well for your family now, FB, after such a worrying and stressful time.

  • Annette: I haven't heard the Barred Owl this week. It's been a deer and groundhog week. LOL I am also vastly relieved that Heather's son-in-law is arriving home and has decided not to move to the U.S. Yay! I even had the audacity to send Heather a private message warning her about everything happening here in the states.

    Bjane popped in briefly a few days ago to suggest that I use an electric weed trimmer on my nettle to save my shoulder. Thanks, bjane for caring. 

    Lindy: The little deer herd stays in the woods around my house. They don't wander far, and the only other people they regularly encounter are my neighbors (all the deer run from them and their little dog). The deer know to bolt and run like the wind if anyone is carrying a gun or a bow. That's why I don't ever try to take photos of them. I fear they might think my phone is a gun. You Wales holiday sounds wonderful.

    ForestBoar: I hope life be easier for your family now. 

  • Hi!  BJane did a short reply to a post recently, but I can't remember what!  She seemed okay - didn't mention anything wrong.  I had an email from George - didn't see him on earlier trip, but shall arrange something in mid-June; he wasn't particularly well, but not too bad - trying to balance meds for two different conditions.

    LINDA - I saw sprouts in a supermarket this week - from South Africa - don't know what they would be like!  Most people with large scopes don't usually object if you ask for a look through them, but I suppose you could be unlucky and find a wrong'un!

    DIANE - obviously your memory is better than mine re BJane's post!

    Dinner is ready - smells good!

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Not eating yet - we're too full since lunchtime! But will browse on a bit of salad with ham and cheese shortly. 

    Sprouts seem wrong somehow, when it's not winter.....    When we were bird watching (and listening to Frank Sinatra and Andy Williams on our stereo) it was raining, increasingly heavily. The guy with the big scope was sitting on the lip of his car boot, underneath the raised door of it, keeping relatively dry. I did consider wandering over to ask him if he'd seen anything interesting, but was frightened he would scorn my ignorance!

    Have planted a Hebe we bought today to replace one which has died in the winter, in a tub by the door. Found a nicely bright pinkish one which with a trailing ivy is all that's needed for a welcome by our entrance. We don't spend much on plants here because they can die of neglect in between visits, but the caretaker is very good and will water things if asked (mind you, he has plenty to do)