WEEKLY CHAT (non-osprey) SUNDAY, AUGUST 5 2018

Dull start to the day, but no rain, so hopefully OH will work on the front lawn.  Sorry some of you have the return of the heatwave - we shall have comfortable temps but some rain showers this week - wish precipitation would be consistent - say between midnight and 3am!  No plans for me today - maybe I shall make that birthday card - and even a few spares?

Hello to all -

Lovely to hear from you, GEORGE. I'm glad to read that you are feeling better. As you have discovered, there is no time scale for grieving, although one feels that there is an expectation that we should have 'come to terms' or 'moved forward' within a certain amount of time. That is the point at which we hold our pain inside and don't share it too much. As someone once said 'You never really get over a big loss, you just get better at dealing with it'.

Rain!  "The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men gang aft agley".

AQ: I still have guilt and regrets for comments I made to my family and situations I should have handled better. Unfortunately, we're all human and not our best selves 100% of the time.

My paternal grandparents were tenant farmers on a chicken farm, so we always had chicken. When I was a small child, I used to ride around in the feed bins while my uncles fed the chickens. 

George: So nice to see you. I'm sorry you've had a hard time, and I'm glad that things are looking up a bit. Take care of yourself.

Rosy: You're lucky to get to see foxes. I love them so much. I see one on my patch once in a while. I'm sorry the hedgehog was dead, but it's good that you do have them around. They are wonderful little critters. We don't have them in the U.S.

Oh, dear. I'm sorry the construction project will get worse before it gets better. Jacking up ceilings and floors is a demanding process. Hope they get on with it and the project is over soon. 

Hi all, thanks Annette for starting us off.  Lovely to hear from you George and pleased that you have managed to come through some dark days and are feeling much better re the way ahead.

Another hot and sunny day here, dau comes back from a wks holiday with friend today - went up to stay in her caravan close to Gt. Yarmouth.

After a number of years wondering what happened to a very dear friend of mine, through a contact on FB I have managed to get in touch with that person so we are now rolling back the years and in correspondence by email as he/she lives up in Worsley and I'm down here. I have to say it was quite a surprise to find out that my old friend (1st real love of my life) had transgendered to a female. Once over the shock we are now writing to each other from time to time.

Trying to fight off a summer cold, went to the gym last Thursday but didn't have much energy so only did a few laps, hopefully tomorrow I will be back up to what I normally do. At least you feel you've done some sort of exercise.

Unknown said:

Rosy: You're lucky to get to see foxes. I love them so much.

If you like foxes, Diane, here's one to be going on with. In the wild end of my garden (which is most of it) from a couple of months ago.

Lovely young Fox TEEJAY!

LYNETTE - glad you got a swim despite the cold.  Good to track down an old friend!

Weather stayed damp, so baked Blueberry Muffins this afternoon - some for tomorrow breakfast and some to freeze.

Lovely photograph, TeeJay.  I see foxes most nights - and during the day if I venture to the wilder parts of the orchard.  We used to have several deer, but since building work a couple of years ago they seem to have been scared off, although I have seen one this year.  We used to have masses of rabbits, but I haven't seen any this year.  They were becoming a real pest.  Now our main 'pests' are squirrels, crows (sorry, Clare!) and pigeons.  I do like to see wildlife, but the smaller birds are scared off by the bullies …