Well, we've nearly completed another stable orbit around our sun. Happy New Year! I hope 2019 is a good year for everyone.
Old Faithful Geyser Eruption and the Milky Way, Yellowstone National Park USA. NPS/Neal Herbert, photo labeled "Public Domain" (copyright free).
Goodness, AQ, I hope you survive! EDIT: Its been less than 5 C. here today, and tonight will be -1 C.......
Hello all, and a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU.
Hope you are all getting over the festivities of this last week, a new year has begun and what will it bring. I do hope that all of you will stay well and that it will be a somewhat settled year for all.
Nice to see all is well with you OG and that J is doing well.
It has been somewhat cooler down here today and cloudy, makes you want to hibernate but still, it is winter and we must expect this sort of weather. They are predicting a possible mini Beast from the East but we shall have to wait and see.
Microwave went the other day so will have to get a new one. Patience though as I must wait till the end of the month before getting one as I don't want to add to the CC bill. !!!
Great news from the New Horizons team, first pictures coming in.
http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes/
RSPB Giving Nature a Home
AQ: Hope you survived those temps - just ghastly. We are busy whining here about frosty mornings (barely 32F), We are expecting rain this weekend, so things should warm up.
PatO: I'm going to say Bon Voyage too in case I miss you (I imagine you busily packing, unpacking, repacking....). I can't imagine trying to figure out what would be good for 5 months! Take lots of photos.
Lynette: Utlima Thule turns (turn?) out to be shaped like a snowman; interesting that it's two separate objects held together by gravity. Do you know what kind of microwave you'll get? Lots of time to shop around!
Lindybird: I have one handbag, actually a cross-body bag. Black. It has to go everywhere. My daughter likes handbags; she probably has some of your mother's stashed in her closet.
We're having pizza tonight and I'm about to slice it up and pour a nice glass of red wine.
Take care all
Thank you, Lindy - and everyone else - for all the good wishes. I am almost all packed, and hoping the Chinese visa and my passport will be safely in the office in London tomorrow. It's all brinkmanship, and very worrying, and not doing my blood pressure or my bank account any good!
Good morning – OG here again! EE forgot to log out, so I couldn’t use his sign-in yesterday. Am I imagining it, or do I see more of us gathered together again now? Good to see all your posts.
Pat - good luck with final packing – but how do you decide what you need for such a long trip? Have a wonderful time, and I hope all is well with your house while you are away!
Lindy – well done, finding the mislaid present – and clearing out the cupboard. We packed away all the decorations yesterday – I’d endured them for nearly three weeks, so enjoyed welcoming back my tidy rooms! But it was good to have family here last Sunday. Pleased friends were able to come – and their dog came to play too! Have a wonderful visit with your Grandsons!
Annette – we too are catching up on appointments – blood test today and thereafter more frequent again as the weekly injection is increasing next week due to the state of my poor deformed toes. And J is going to try again to track down his forgotten eye surgery!
AQ – hope the day passed peacefully and you can now rest! Hope it cools down a bit soon.
Lynette – sorry about microwave! When I say I am well, it is of course relative – mostly using crutches again now, and only using frame at night. Ankle was bad yesterday, then a set-back in the evening when OH dropped one of my crutches onto my foot – it bounced on the swollen part, then landed a second time – no real damage, just rather tender!
Pat - I thought you had given up on the China visa, having been there before! Good luck collecting your papers!
Morning all: We have a family of crows that now numbers 5 and when I go out to bring in the paper first thing, they swoop down and perch on the phone lines waiting for me to provide breakfast. If I forget, one of them lands on the ground within view of the kitchen and putters about until I spot him/her. I know they stay in family groups, but I'm wondering how many there'll be this spring. Gosh, that was unexpected.
PatO: Don't stress out about the Chinese visa (easy for me to say). (I also thought you'd decided to give it a pass.)
OG: Yes, it does seem like more folks are on the site, but I'm wondering if Heather is still having a horrible time with the typeface on her tablet (also if "they" are planning further tweaks or if they're hoping we'll all adjust and never mind if a few fall away).
Am going to watch all the new congressional women being sworn in as they take their places in the House of Representatives, then zoom off up the road to Santa Maria to meet my friend's brother. I visited their family in Fresno right before Christmas and managed to leave behind my favorite pillow and wonderfully toasty robe (dressing gown). He drives a truck and is down in this area today. Then I'll continue to Arroyo Grande to meet grandson, who's been working all the hours God gives him) to exchange rather late Xmas gifts.
OG here. Interesting about the Crow family, Annette. Pleased your friend's family member can bring your left-behind items! Enjoy your time with Grandson!
Have had two emails from Web enquiries at RSPB, one tells me what to do with the other to get reconnected - it didn't work! So I am still not really here! Have tried re-joining as some folk suggested - can't do that either! !
Hello all
Just a quickie to say thank you for news.
Bella brought a nasty cold with her which she kindly gave to me. I'm coughing and splattering and not feeling that great. I rarely get colds, this must be a Shropshire variety! I'm due to go to hospital tomorrow for injection in hands, not sure if I should be cancelling. We'll see how tonight goes.
Family left this morning and are safely home.