Hi all: First off, con't miss the last page of last week's chat for lovely photo of Alan's hibiscus and OG's very informative shots of the nest at LG, showing the perch under the nest where chick #1 likes to sit.
OG. Assume plumber on the list for next week. So Boat of Garten actually has something to do with a real boat! I thought it was some obscure Scottish vernacular-ish term that had nothing to do with a boat. There was a nature program here last week about "preparing" an environment for some species that are living in an area that is expected to be threatened by higher ocean levels in the coming years. As with the Lapwings, the change has to be made gradually.
Cirrus. A 12-mile hike! I probably burned a couple of hundred calories just thinking about it.
Was in the garden all day - as I type have the soaker hose going on the camellias, which I fed and which need deep watering about twice in the summer; they're putting out buds now. Also fed the roses and plumeria. Found a volunteer duranta repens growing in one of the plumeria pots - I thought it was familiar but only recognized it today. Sun came out around 11 and lovely cool evening now.
Evening all: Had nice visit with daughter. Popped out to book club for a quick hallo last night; daughter and I went to the zoo today, which was nice - more on that later. Suffice to say we thought a couple of the creatures looked depressed and bored, but also found out that most of of the birds had been injured and couldn't survive in the wild. A pair of red-tailed hawks included at 27 year-old female with one wing and a young male that had never learned to hunt. Apparently, when it arrived, they tried to teach it but when they put a mouse or other prey close by, it would just sit and look at it and never did catch on. THere was a Golden Eagle that is blind in one eye, and 5 California Condors - 9.5 ft wing spans and not especially graceful birds.
Patriciat: We are also having a dull July, with the sun not showing up until well into the afternoon - typically a May/June phenomenon. The weather folks on TV were saying they couldn't remember such a cool July; me neither. In the meantime, my granddaughter, who lives in Prescott, Arizona, says their monsoon season (when huge thunderheads loom over the desert in the afternoons and then all heck lets loose) reports a lightning strike near their house that knocked the pictures off the walls!
Diane: When my daughter was here last night, we left Oro at her local Humane Society, where we saw a cat that had been transferred from the Santa Barbara branch where it had lived for years. They don't euthanize any animals unless they're ill. The attendant said they were exposing this particular cat to a "new audience" in hopes of an eventual adoption. Oro very popular with humane society folks - he's a very friendly dog! Was happy to get home though - get quite beside himself with excitement about riding in the car!! :-)
Djoan: Sounds like a very promising start to the remodeling project.
AQ: Truisms are right on! Hard to believe anyone can make bad coffee these days - ugh - ghastly sandwiches too? Oh boo. Don't go there again. Oh dear. I understand the "plant a garden" part of that proverb, but ...."wives are only good for one day?
Heron: Lucky you - at LOTL and LG!!
Alan: Glad Hamish is back to normal.
Wattle Train ride sounds like fun, but what a pain about the car.
Lindybird: Very cute little poem and so apt for Margobird! :-)) I have a button box! Hardly anyone sells buttons anymore so it occasionally comes in handy. I also have my mother-in-law's button box too. I know where that box labeled "String too short to be of use...." ended up. It's in our garage next to "Empty jars that nothing fits in...."
Heather: Glad stepdaughter is coming along. Is she due home soon? Your son-in-law should be back for a visit next week? Are you planning anything special or just letting him have quiet family time? We're all with you on that topic! I had a liberty bodice when I was very, very little. Geez. The memories... OK. So. Garter/suspender belts? Those things that held up our stockings? When I started wearing them, I wore mine inside out and got sores on my thighs! I think we're lucky to have grown up with thrifty parents; so many young folks seem to think they have to have all the toys and goodies now (oh dear, now I sound like a cranky old person!) :-)
Margobird: Is it me or are you going out a lot more than last year!? Sounds like your day in the garden was a bit exciting - for all the wrong reasons. :-) Hope dinner was uneventful! Our school knickers were burgundy - it was a convent - our gym shorts came all the way down to our knees. Oh my. Try doing the high jump in those!!
GeorgeG: Hang in there with bro-in-law. Lovely photo of LG. Take care!
OG: Toffee vanilla cheesecake sounds so exotic. Geez; You and Djoan can compare kitchen remodeling notes (you won't mind if I don't join in?) :-))
Have blathered on for pages it seems. Apologies if I missed anyone. See what happens if you miss a day?
I'm off to bed. Take care all.
Morning, Everyone. Dull skies but only light drizzle occasionally today..... Yesterday we were promised a veritable downpour for most of the day, but it didn't materialise :-)
Not read all of the above yet, but did notice a mention of vanilla toffee cheesecake....just like the times when your eyes alight on the best thing laid out on a whole table of goodies! Maybe its the dieting that makes me think about food even more than usual :-( However, yesterday reached my 1st target weight, (Yipeeee!) so now it's onwards & upwards - or is that downwards and upwards??? <sigh>
Will be in & out a lot today, some of it more out than in, so will write more on here later. Have a Good Day.
Done some ironing, so now resting wrists and back for a while.
AQ – sorry about the disappointing coffee and food – good thing you had good friends with you. 3rd garden saying so true – but so sad.
Annette – world weather upside down – did you read about the extreme freeze in Peru? Usually cold in the mountains in the south, but this is minus 24c and 400 dead! Our school knickers were grey and we had to wear them for gymn and only wear our shorts at certain times (and for outdoor games and athletics)! The shorts were horrible – made of blazer cloth, so hot and itchy! We also hated our school hats – corduroy pudding basin with a rolled brim. We had a petition for straw boaters in summer. HM made parental expense the excuse against them, but mysteriously next year we were allowed not to wear hats in summer term. After I went on to Uni, my Dad wore my school hat for gardening!! (Just read that through, ought to clarify HM was headmistress, not Her Majesty! LOL.)
Lindybird – yesterday’s forecast fine so it was dull and drizzly (apart from about two hours in the afternoon); today forecast wet, so it’s dry - say no more! Well done with the weight loss – I am still slowly losing the holiday extra.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Godo morning Lindybird and you must be so pleased that you have reached your 1st target weight. A few years ago I was really overweight and the doctor gave me a diet sheet to follow and I had to go and get weighed every week, as all the weight was not good for my blood pressure. I lived on cottage cheese, amongst the usual diet food, for six months and have never eaten it again, I just couldn't face it now. Fortunately I did loose the excess weight and kept it off and now find I can eat without putting any weight back on. Much smaller portions as I have got older but still have treats such as chocolate and I am absolutely addicted to Doritos, just love them. Keep going Lindybird you will get there I know. Have a good day.
Margobird
Hello Annette and what a lovely post from you, so enjoyed reading it. You are right we are going out a lot this year, It is just that there are so many shows all at once. I think August is the only month we don't have a show to see. Good job OH has a well paid job otherwise we could not go to so many.
No other disasters yesterday, dinner cooked with no untoward events. Got more white washing out today so holding my breath that my garden birds will not target it in their special way.
I've just done a 'speed read' through a number of pages . What great people you all are: :)
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Hi everyone. Just back from a weekend away in Perthshire. Managed to get to the Loch of the Lowes, and Loch Garten. Totally brilliant experiences. Seeing Ospreys in the flesh is magical. If I've managed to take any half decent pics, I'll post them. Oh Heron !! Hurry with the pics and thank you.
Margobird and Patriciat take good care with yourselves I so hope your Doctor has a sensible solution Patriciat ( and cannot the medial profession help your eyesight Margobird?).
Aim low. Reach your goals. Avoid disappointment. AQ – how true :)
D R A T T E D D U C K S - ha ha ha , so enjoyed this Lindy (you clever girl)
O U R M A R G O B I R D Simply lovely Lindy and yes, it’s true We all love Margo, The Dancing Queen!
A moody looking LG GerogeG – I loved it. A great pic. (do trust all turns out WELL with BIL)
Annette so pleased you’re having company in OH absence
All I hope with all my heart is that it is a war fought for a just cause and I say that without cynicism. Me too Heather B , me too/
Enjoy ALL the shows Margobird.
And have a great Wednesday everyone
Hi Cirrus hope you are keeping well. Unfortunately nothing can be done about my eyesight, or lack of it i should say, blind in one eye and the other affected by the same problem. Fragile retinas is the only way i can describe it. Had 3 operations and they managed to save the sight in one eye, although it is not perfect, I am just lucky they did as much as they could. Had it from a young age and it was many years (1977 in fact) when they felt they had to do something to keep some sight in one eye. Not a problem I am used to it and I worked all my life up until I was 63 and can do most things. Just have to be careful crossing roads. Not unknown for me to ask someone to croos me over roads.
Have a good day yourself.
Afternoon all,
Thanks for all the chat and pics.
GeorgeG : Great picture of LG. As you say very atmospheric.
Lindybird : Great poem about our wonderful Margobird.
AQ : Loved the sayings and so true.
Weather today is now cloudy and we are promised some showers. Yesterday we did have some rain but not enough to make a difference to the parched ground. This morning a shopping mission to Tescos was completed successfully and this afternoon will be in the garden after walking the Thunderdog.
Not unknown for me to ask someone to croos me over roads. So sorry to hear this Margo - you are remarkably cheerful about it, I admire that.
Alan - I am really pleased Thunderdog is himself again and can enjoy walking out with you
I'm desperately waiting on the RSPB to deliver me a sack of seed mix extra as all the baby birds (not to mention the adults) have eaten me out of house and home (as the saying goes). But as this is the first year in 20 odd of having Greenfinches in my garden again (they disappeared when that virus 'thing' killed so many) I am delighted to be a source of food for them. The sparrows also are a delight to me - there is a tiny flock of 8 or 9 that regularly visit with their young.
Afternoon all ... cloudy here with the odd spot of rain in the air, but not cold.
The kitchen re-fit is coming along very well ... only minor hitch has been with two boxes of tiles ... box was labelled correctly, but the tiles inside were wrong size! Didn't matter because plenty were ordered ... in fact I think I could tile several kitchens with what is here!!! OG - I will pass on the invitation to help with your kitchen :-)) I hope it goes as well as mine is going ... so far.
margobird - glad you had an uneventful evening after your earlier disasters of yesterday
School knickers? ... ours were navy blue ... and I seem to remember a pocket for a handkerchief ... not terribly hygienic I would have thought!
AQ - shame about your coffee and food being underwhelming, but good that you had good company. I like your 'garden gate' words of wisdom.
Thanks to everyone else I've missed, for chat, links etc
Take care
Joan - avid bird and nature watcher in Northumberland!
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