Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 8 September 2019

FB - Your decision sounds very sensible - when life is more difficult away from home and your own equipment, you have to question whether holidays are worthwhile. We haven't been away this year - apart from necessary trips to get Son to Manchester for medical reasons. Our house is equipped for me, and it is so much easier to be here!

Had a lovely sunny day again - church this morning then time sitting on the deck this afternoon, watching the Birds, Bees and Butterflies.

ANNETTE: I've just seen that P-61 (the mountain lion) was killed yesterday trying to cross the 405 Freeway in Los Angeles. Poor fella.

OG: Glad you had some lovely time on the deck this afternoon.

Hi, all.

Hi, Diane. How sad about the M. Lion. Humans and animals don't always mix. Certainly not wild animals.

F.Boar, sorry that some things are a struggle, but I agree with OG that perhaps only day trips are the way to go, when it comes to travelling around. I hope you can get relief for your new problem, with the cream.

OG - Its been a beautiful day here, too. We went for a walk this morning, and sat reading in the conservatory this afternoon. We've had more butterflies in the last few weeks than earlier in the summer, its lovely to see.

Here's a pic of our walk this morning.

There were lots of seeding heads on the wildflowers beside the path:

FB, It does help to be living in a beautiful area if you are unable to go away. I think you also have a handy hostelry nearby, where you can go for meals sometimes. That helps.

Talking of butterflies OG and Lindy, I saw two Red Admirals on our buddleia this morning for the first time in years. Everywhere else I have been buddleias are covered with them. We have had plenty of white butterflies flying around since late spring. Also a few yellow ones early on. Anyway I was very happy to see Red Admirals.

I am also waving to AQ, but I have lost track of the time.
We had some neighbours round for drinks this evening. A group of us take it in turns every couple of weeks.

Annette, you have a full programme of meeting old friends, Sorry about the one who moved away, and is finding it difficult to move back. I have been in that situation, but did manage it in the end. I hope your friend will be able to do so as well.

Hello to Diane, Heather, and everyone else not mentioned. Very sad about the mountain lion, Diane.

Good Morning. Wet here, as predicted: my OH put our large sun umbrella away yesterday, as although September can be lovely, we don't think we'll need it for some months!

Hope that both AQ and Annette have safely set off on their journeys.

Rosy, butterflies are supposedly becoming rarer but I live in hope that they will survive this glitch. A world without them would be awful to contemplate.

Hello to all
I missed speaking to AQ before she left for her wee trip. I hope it went well.
OG - it sounds as if you had a lovely afternoon x

LINDY - I somehow think that we won't be getting an Indian Summer...
Coming home from town this morning, I thought how disappointed my Canadian family are going to be, when they arrive at the end of this month. Inverness is no longer the pretty (ish) town of years ago, that they remember. Scaffolding, potholes in the roads, lots of shops closing down and to top it all, they have booked an airbnb apartment in one of the less salubrious parts of town. If they'd checked with me first.....

I'm very preoccupied with this boiler replacement. I have a 30 year old solar system, just two roof panels for hot water. There aren't many firms here who know about these old systems so I'm limited for choice. The worst case scenario is decommissioning the solar system and getting a new hot water tank etc. Plus, I'm told that the gas inlet pipe doesn't meet current regulations for size. So, it won't be a question of old boiler out, new boiler in. Looking online, it would seem that a new conventional boiler might be compatible with the solar system but I'm not a plumber! Plus, new boilers, even conventional ones, have a condenser. So more pipework, more money. Oh dear!!!!!

FORESTBOAR - OG knows more than any of us about the difficulties of travelling when equipment is needed, both on the journey and at destination. I can only agree, being at home with everything to hand and as ROSY says, your local hostelry round the corner sounds good!