Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 28 October 2018

HAPPY NEW WEEK!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week. I thought I'd start the thread, because Annette is traveling.

I'm posting this photo (a National Park Service photo), because I was astonished to see a Scarlet Tanager eating small red berries in my garden this evening. These birds migrate to the tropical rain forest just east of the Andes in South America. It's been fairly cold here in my area, so this species should be long gone from here. I guess the one I saw this evening was a late migrater. I felt quite blessed to see him, and I wish the little fella well on his long journey. I hope the berries were good for him. 

Scarlet Tanager
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, northern Indiana
U.S. National Park Service photo labeled Public Domain (Copyright Free)

  • bjane: I knew them as just plain old sack races.  How was the Arizona visit?

  • Not had any little visitors this evening - we will have to eat the sugar chews and gummy eyeballs ourselves!!

    Put our warmer duvets on the beds, and got on with the ironing etc. Had an enjoyable hour this morning getting the gardening done, in the autumn sunshine. Meant to say how much I enjoyed the lovely pics of the street art, AQ. 

    Hope that OG is improving.

  • Noted upgrade intention - will be watching out for further bulletins.  Things are improving slowly here.  Back in bed now and dictating this, but have been out of bed a few times today.  Had a visit from Social Worker and Occupational Therapist together this afternoon.  OT is going to commence negotiations for changing back steps to a ramp and SW is arranging a Care Package to take some of the pressure off EE.  J went back to work Monday and a colleague is now offering him a lift each way each day.  We have had a  lot of sunshine so far this week but began with some rain this morning which at least makes the temperature much better.  Thinking of you all as always.

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Annette-leaving tomorrow night. Check in to hotel around midnight :(

  • Have a good trip, bjane.  

    OG -  - Good to hear that things are improving, even if only slowly, and that you're going to have some help. It must have been a welcome change to get out of bed.

  • Nanny duty was a breeze. OH & twins played ball outside, MissL to nap easy-peasy, MissJ supervised me washing dishes, brought in washing, delivered Miss7 to Guides, came home in worst hour of rush-hour. Our street full of Trick or Treaters, out with sign on door, bowl of sweets, many groups of skeletons, last mother & child after dark (8.05 pm), at last feet up.

    In Murrayville a signboard recorded local birds, animals & flowers. New Holland honeyeater, Regent parrot & Mallee fowl.

    Splendid wren & Superb fairy wren. Little eagle (a very small eagle native to Australia, roughly the size of a peregrine falcon) & Masked woodswallow.

    As we crossed the border we changed our watches for the third time. It was our luck that this was Daylight Saving change day. A 5 min stop in Lameroo. Arrived at Tailem Bend roadhouse for tea at 6 pm. We finished in less than the hour allocated and returned to city just after 8 pm. FINIS. No more trips until after summer, maybe first in March?

  • BTW the street art was on the side of the public toilets!

  • Lovely pics again, AQ.  You can spend the summer planning more escapes/trips, now!

  • Oh, heck, I just flagged your post as abuse, AQ!!

  • bjane: Have a good trip. Hope the other folks at the hotel aren't early risers. :-)

    OG: Fingers and everything else crossed that the improvement continues apace.

    We won't get Trick-or-Treaters for another couple of hours. I don't really feel like dealing with it but we bought a bag of candy before we went away and I certainly don't want it lurking in the pantry for long.