Weekly Chat, Sunday July 25, 2010

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.

 

  • OH mowed but I didn’t go in the garden - maybe tonight.  I received the email to get on with my missionary friend’s monthly mailing, so spent the afternoon printing out the material and labels, folding and stuffing envelopes – and watching Ospreys/empty nests. 

    Margobird – I don’t mind going for my monthly blood tests now, I just laugh it off – except when the head-nurse tries to do it and I end up bruised!!

    Heather – so pleased SiL arrived home – I hadn’t realised before that they get any leave from overseas postings.  Glad that Stepdaughter is home from hospital, and I hope she continues well.

    Dibnlib – sorry to read about Dillon’s bad leg and pleased he is recovering well.

    DjoanS – excellent news about the kitchen – shame about the damaged hob but pleased you can go ahead and use the kitchen until the replacement arrives.  I am looking forward to putting our stuff back after the work in two weeks time – might get rid of unwanted items from back of cupboards!

    Annette – pleased you have your normal California sunshine back!!  Good that the Oriole is using its own feeder now.  Arms may have been cold last Friday at first blood test, but shouldn’t have been!  I had one of those 8 hour things (glucose tolerance test) when I was expecting Son – 3rd child – because I had already had two large babies, apparently a symptom of diabetes (which I still don’t have).  I am doing the quizzes – worth having a go, although really they are just like a different sort of raffle – first correct entry drawn on closing day wins.  Not difficult to get correct answers using the Internet, but I learn while I am doing it.  Sorry about the drip in your shower!  From what gets said on here, most of us need to become chocolate sniffers!

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Just took this pic of 1 adult and 3 baby goldfinches on the feeder:

  • Baby Goldfinches!    We only have the adults, Alan  so you are lucky.

  • OG - UK forces do get two weeks leave in a six month posting. I'm not sure about US forces, I think that their postings are longer anyway. Could be wrong. Maybe somebody reading this will tell us.

  • Hope the family are able to make the best of his short time at home,Heather.   Nice that its the school holidays now.

    dibnlib:   Sorry to hear that Dillon is in the wars, too. If its just a stretched muscle, he should be better soon.

    DjoanS:   You must be thrilled that the kitchen is (nearly) done. Such a pleasure to put your things into nice new cupboards.  We had a new kitchen when we moved into this house in 2003 - eventually!  A few weeks without one at all! as it was extended & ripped out etc.  Everything new except the stove, and now I'm being promised that at last we can treat ourselves to a new one - when I told our children that we had only had two stoves in over 37 years of marriage, they didn't believe me.  Anyway, when we put in the new kitchen we had to leave a specially measured space for the eventual new stove, as the old one is the old measurements, before everything was totally metric. Shall start looking at them in the shops soon. (maybe this one will have to last a long time, too)

  • Had a wander round the garden, admired mowing, checked for watering, rigged up string for Ipomeas which are above their obelisks and cut another courgette – didn’t do any real work!

    Alan – lovely picture as usual – not all from one family as lower juve is more advanced than the other two.

    Heather – as Lindybird says, good that SiL’s leave is in school hols – will they be able to go on holiday together for a week or so?

    Lindybird – enjoy shopping for your new stove!  Good planning to leave correct space for it.

    Think I’ll sign off now and see if I can raise Bear Centre and/or BigRig Steve – couldn’t get on either earlier.

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Unknown said:

    Auntie: T-shirt and knickers to work sounds very Scandinavian and progressive!  Let us know how it goes. :-)

     

    So tempted to try that outfit as working uniform but I'm afraid that it will cause heart attacks and arrhythmias and such instead of me trying to help patients recover from those LOL Weather forecasts promise the extreme heats are now over and we should get normal twenty something Cs. And I do hope you guys (in UK) get some rain too. Alan, good capt of that fishing osp, there has also been Blue Herons at that pond. Have a nice Friday all!

  • Morning, All:   Calm skies here today & the rain is forecast for late afternoon, so my OH is hoping to do bit of tidying up at the allotment.  We are stuffing ourselves with green beans - ooH!  I do love them, and at least they are not fattening   ;-)

    Off out later on shopping mission, and then on to Friend's house for natter and lunch. Will take some beans and cabbage for them, we like to share the spoils of (his!) labours.

    Glad to hear that your heatwave is nearly over, auntie,  we are worried about your wearing the correct attire so as not to get arrested!

    Have a Good Day.

  • Just popped in to say Good Morning and to thank you for all your news and pictures. We are going up to London, as our daughter is having day surgery but with a general anesthetic, so obviously we want to see her, but also need to drive her back home and stay with her.

    Hope you all have a good day and enjoy yourselves.

  • Morning to everyone..DJOAN Glad your kitchen is finished and that all went smoothly, apart from hob.

    ALAN great osp pic, lucky you to catch that.

    LINDY well done on your diet wish I had such willpower

    HEATHER I am sure you will al enjoy SILs brief visit home, I guess that is him 1/2 way through

    OG Glad you finally got your blood taken. Remember when a friend of mine had blood taken by a doctor, what a mess, I have never seen bruising like it. Her work colleagues told her to sue but I am glad to say, she wouldn,t - as a nurse she said that if she did the same to someone she would hope they wouldn't sue.

     MARGO Thanks for the bear video. We used to have different experiences when we lived in Shetland. It was so windy there we used to come home and wonder if our washing would still be on the line or maybe it would have ended up on a nearby island?????

    Not happy this am as I have to go to the dentist in an hour. A crown fell off and from what he said on my last visit if that did happen then he thought it might not be saveable as the remaining real tooth is almost non existant. This crown was done just over a year ago by a private dentist and cost nearly £400. It is an NHS dentist I am seeing this am

    On a brighter note we were at Tiso yesterday and I saw the most wonderful Paramo Velux Adventure Light Waterproof in a foxglove colour. Came home and shortly after OH said come on we will go back for it and said he would be happy to pay half.   Thank you, thank you OH. I am so pleased with it. Told you Tiso was a dangerous place to have coffee!!!!!!