Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 1 July 2018

Annette: I meant to say: "Good on you!" for hauling around all that recycling material to be disposed of properly. Hope you don't have to drive home with all that glass. Here in the rural areas, we don't have government garbage pick-up. We have to individually contract with private companies to pick up our trash once a week. Those companies don't pick up recycling. There is a recycling area at the now-defunct school in my small town, so I can take stuff there.

Good Morning.  Woken by the birdsong today; they seem to enjoy the dry bright mornings. I've been making sure that there's plenty of water in our two bird baths!

When we're in Wales, sadly our rubbish is not divided into recycling bins by the Council - so I take home with me some of the paper and cardboard we've discarded, to put into our own recycling, and we take the empty glass bottles to the nearest supermarket on the way past.

My Friend now has an appointment with the consultant this afternoon about her results.

That reminds me that it is time I carted our refundable recycling to the depot. We get 10c back on drink containers - glass, plastic & cans. 15 years ago they added cardboard fruit juice & flavoured milk containers. Of course the 10 c is added on at point of sale. Our state has had this for 40 years and other states are beginning to follow. With 80% returned, SA has the lowest drink container litter in the country. Too bad though, that we have no way of processing the recycling. Until recently Aussieland was sending it to China but they are no longer accepting our stuff. When I look in supermarket, I see how wasteful we are. So many cans, packets, pre-cooked meals, frozen meals. I think of my mother who slaved over a wood stove, creating meals from basics. When did I last make my own pastry? Etc Etc.

Still no rain. Hey, weather gods, this is our rainy season!

Fingers crossed for Linda’s Friend.

Thanks for your thoughts for my Friend, AQ.

Looks as if we're together in wishing for rain - it's so many weeks since we had any of any use, here, that I've lost count. Plants in my garden are beginning to suffer :-(

Good morning; weather continues!

Sat in the garden yesterday afternoon watching and supervising OH tidying the Woodland patch under the Birch tree.  It is very much a spring garden, so was mainly aimed at weeding, dead-heading and scratching the soil – not much depth among tree roots.  Then spread bark chips, leaving it looking very clean – later re-arranged to her liking by Mrs Blackbird, of course!  He will continue along the side fence later, but that is not too bad – full of foxgloves.

In the evening, we gathered in the front garden as the final Rideout of Annan Riding of the Marches was coming this way (RoM parades this coming Saturday).  The band were gathering and tuning up around the corner, but the riders came up the road towards us before turning to follow them.  Beautiful horses, and most riders well turned-out.  I like it that the final few horses are pulling rigs of “Chariots of Fire” – a local charity providing driving experience for disabled people.  There was also a good following of boys on bike so good to see them cycling with some community purpose.  I am not an avid follower of the RoM (read about it online if interested) but it’s good that such local traditions are observed.

Then I sat on the deck while OH was busy watering all the containers – no luxury of sitting there for him, Heather!  Thrilling news from Thailand – but what a dilemma now, how to proceed from here!

Linda – a very close (overhead) Helicopter took over from the birdsong here this morning – went there and back (wherever “there” was), so must have been some sort of incident nearby.  Praying for your Friend and her big news this afternoon – I hope the consultant has a plan in mind, she obviously needs something sorted.

AQ – I must confess, we resorted to a pre-packed M&S meal yesterday – chilled but you can freeze for later use – wanted to give OH a day off.   It was labelled for two, but there was plenty for the three of us!  But yes, some of the packaging has gone in general waste.

Food shopping at Asda today, with a pizza lunch on the way there (a change from OTB and garden centres); a quick Salmon dinner this evening, and usual dead-heading and watering tonight!

LINDY/HEATHER   Snap, I am the same with baths. At home I only ever shower in a good sized shower. We are visiting my in laws at the end of Sept and they only have a bath with no grab rail. Think I will have to bathe kneeling, not sitting. Not very comfortable. Think you can buy suction handles but not sure I would feel safe relying on one of those.

Morning all:

Diane:  Private trash collection is the only option out here too. I called the company g'daughter uses and they said the transfer station separates the trash there, but she wasn't sure and I doubt it.  I took a mass of cardboard to the transfer station that the kids had stashed in the garage (they had a separate area for that). WalMart and other supermarkets have large receptacles for plastic bags but the group that used to accept plastic bottles here has a notice on their website that they can't take any more.

AQ: Back in Santa Barbara, we have three bins and the recycling bin is also good for waxed milk/beverage containers.  I also wonder where it all ends up though and wonder at what point we stop packaging every last product in plastic.   :-(    I keep meaning to leave a note in the Costco suggestion box asking why there's so much unnecessary double wrapping (or even single wrapping) around the products.  Also why they don't offer more low-fat options. I am seeing more organic and "no antibiotics ever" labels there - and everywhere else - which is good.

Lindybird:  Best thoughts also here for your friend...

OG: Bark chips always look so nice until the birds start leaping about on them.  There's a month or so each spring when I head outside with a brush to sweep them off the sidewalk and back onto the garden at least once a day, but then see some feathered individual busy rearranging them right behind me! Ooh, like the sound of the Rideout and the horses. Will check that out later  Went to the rodeo last night; more on that later too.

dibnlib: Suction handles definitely not something I'd put much faith in.  Any point in researching portable shower/tub seats?

As mentioned to OG, went to the rodeo last night; more on all that later  Googled bronco riding at one point during the show and read explanations from various sites, including PETA.  Must say the English Shire horses were magnificent.  July 4 fireworks canceled throughout the county (and most of the state and, I suspecct, other southwestern states, due to fire risk).

Looks like most of us are waiting for rain.  I remember Margo suggesting we all do a rain dance during one drought (or was it the same drought?)

A busy day here and am hoping to take Ms. D to a science program at the library this morning.  Take care all.

ANNETTE Thanks. My S i L wants to get an over the bath seat for her Dad - she lives with him _ but he isn't having any of it, so think I will have to grin and bear it.

Have been looking in, hoping to hear some news about LINDY's friend but know that we will hear at some point.

Lots of replies in my head but things have been a bit upside down today - one of my nephews who has 'problems' has been causing waves in the family and I have heard that youngest son in law is to be evacuated from the oil rig because of what I hope is just a tummy bug. Seems severe, blood is involved ( too much information, sorry).

My Friend has seen her consultant, and been told that she has stomach cancer. For reasons too medical for us to understand, she will probably have chemotherapy, rather than surgery. She will be seeing an oncologist at The Christie Hospital next week to discuss the options.

EDIT - Thank you all for thinking of her.