Weekly Chat, Sunday July 17, 2010

I too have had success with niger seed for the goldfinches ... I never saw a goldfinch in my garden until I started using them last year. They were around the area but never actually stopped to feed ... and it didn't happen immediately, it took a few weeks before they started using the feeder.

Good afternoon Alan and thanks for the lovely pics of the goldfinches.  Such good photographs.  So Hamish is being made even more handsome, perhaps if you have time could we have a photo please.

Just back from lunch with a friend at a local pub which has it emphasis on food and we had a very nice meal.  Prawn cocktail to sart followed by roast pork and a really lovely sweet, lemon tart with srawberry sorbet.  All this for just £20 which is really good value for some really good food.  Needless to say I am absolutely full and will not be eating again today.  Had a good chat with friend and some laughs as we always do about getting older and having more and more senior moments every day.  we try to talk about people we know and can't remember their names or watch someone on TV and can't remember when we saw it and what their names are either.  Have decided we will go back to this pub sooner rather than later.

Morning all: Quick hallo before I go off to tidy up the roses at the Mission. Lightning is now getting used to sitting on her little bed by me and the computer, but keeps wandering down the hall looking for OH.  She's acting so pitiful and begging extra cream in the mornings!! 

SueC: Thanks for that link!! I used to love those pencils - I still stop and gape when I see packages of pencils or even gel pens all lined up in their packages in color gradations. Alan: Lovely shot of finches - very smartly turned out.  Margobird: Yum. Lemon tart.

Back later, take care all.

Hello, All:  Had a lovely day out at the Tatton Park Flower Show - really lucky, as after a lot of rain in the N. West this week, it held off today and we even had a bit of sunshine in the afternoon. Able to walk around without coats & no need to carry umbrellas.  Will try to put on some pics tomorrow - my camera packed up halfway thru the day (its been creaking a bit lately) but got some shots which you might find interesting. Managed not to spend too much money - came home with a wooden jigsaw from the Crafts Tent for Baby Sweetpea, and a chicken and ham pie which we are about to eat now!

We have been going to the Show since it first started about 12 years ago & its the 1st time  I 've come home without any plants for the garden.

Here is a pic from a couple of years ago, when we were highly amused to see Wallace & Gromit amongst the flowers!

Evening Lindybird so pleased you have had a good day and even managed to find something to store away for Sweet Pea.  Glad it did not rain for you.  Love the pics.  Hope you enjoyed the chicken and ham pie.

Thanks margobird:   have to come on just to say:  we chose the pie carefully from many flavours available  (shall we have lamb?   pork?  meat & gravy?) then chose chicken & ham. When we opened the packet - it was chicken and mushroom!!!   Ate it with relish anyway, with baby cabbage from the allotment.

Lindybird you are making me feel hungry despite the fact I had a three course meal at lunchtime.

A quiet day on here – I hope that means everyone has been enjoying the same great weather we have had ever since our wet journey home Wednesday!  A few replies, then maybe a bit about our holiday.

Diane and DjoanS (I think) – so sad about the wee owlet; I do hope the others survive.

Annette – I hope that moving your room around did not include shifting the piano which I think you have mentioned as being in there!  You seem to be having a very busy start to “taking it easy”!  I hope Lightning will settle soon.

SueC – when we went to Pencil Museum in Keswick a few years back, I bought one of those lovely tins of coloured pencils – they just look so wonderful, all lined up!  One day I might learn to draw!

Alan – I remember Hamish’s new look when he had his summer haircut last year – I think you said then he felt a bit naked for a few days.  Lovely Goldfinches – do yours have any young ones?

Brenda & others - Our Goldies also eat other foods, but the Nyger seed first attracted them, and the young ones appreciate it – as does the Red Poll, who is still around.

Margobird – pleased you enjoyed your lunch and good company with your friend.

Lindybird – so pleased you had a dry day for Tatton – one summer when we were there it absolutely bucketed!  But have also had some good visits without flower show and rain.  Strange about the pie – was it one of those lovely deep ones that you get at all the shows?

A couple of answers I should have given earlier – Lindybird, nothing special in my seed feeders, just sunflower hearts and peanuts. I mentioned all those birds because it was unusual for my patch, although the greenfinch and the young goldfinches are still coming regularly, haven’t seen the woodpecker again!  The goldfinches never came to nyjer seed (how many ways can we spell that word?). Perhaps I’ll try it again now they are here.  Annette, re milking parlour, we bought a barn to convert when we moved to Cumbria, part of an ex-dairy farm, and other outbuildings included the milking parlour and cow byre.  Our kitchen was the stables and we had to fill in holes in the ceiling from the hayloft above, where hay was thrown down to the horses!  Now to catch up with all the lovely wittering...

If you look at Alan’s pic of Bassenthwaite on page 5 (which I couldn’t see last time I was on here), on the left hand side you can see the patch of green which very roughly looks like the UK and this is how the people at Dodd Wood viewpoint describe where something (eg an osprey) is “you see East Anglia/Wales/the Wash...”  Sorry you had rain, Alan, but, like Ireland, that’s what makes it so green – usually!  I had my week off at the same time and now I’m back at work it’s sunny again :((  I see none of your goldfinches are young ones, or have they got all their colours now?

Love your flamingos, Lindybird, I love birds with long legs (I saw a heron this morning while mowing near a river).  I’m admiring your Trumpeter swans but can’t see the Grey Crowned Cranes, must try to remember to look again later.  Our cats are covered in goose grass “bobs” like Dog. Aha, next page has a Crane :))  Glad you enjoyed Tatton Park Flower Show.  A local coach firm does trips there from Carlisle and one of the ladies whose garden we mowed today is going tomorrow, her niece has a stand.  We might go one year but we’re not good with crowds, is it really crowded?

Annette, how great that OH got an upgrade, much more relaxing for him.  In Cumbria we say “stop twining” to someone who is moaning or whining.  I remember crayons/pencils with Derwentwater written on them.  Have just deleted my link because Sue C has already given it!  Here is the Pencil Museum in Keswick  http://www.pencilmuseum.co.uk/history.aspx  

Heavens Margobird, you’ve been very energetic, dancing until all hours. Hope you didn’t sleep in too long next day.

Thanks for LG pics, OG, I’ve been to the Daily to see poor old Titch.  Handsome Odin on the scrub.  Sorry, I just clicked back on to the Chat and I gave you 2 stars! Perhaps I should change it to 5...

Welcome back HeatherB, you didn’t say whether you got all the food through customs or if you had to eat it at the airport!  My best wishes to one of our boys too please. And to you and george g, sorry about family illnesses, hope all goes as well as possible.