HAPPY NEW WEEK and HAPPY NEW MOON! The new moon (the dark moon) is Sunday.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week!
Lynette: A visit to the Grand Canyon instead of a party? Just how big was that party going to be?! :-) Hope your eye doc appointment is sooner than later and they come up with a good alternative to a hard table.
Heather: Just saw on the news that more than 90% of the grapes in the Kincaid Fire area have already been harvested and are safe! Phew! (Some actual wineries have burned though.)
Went a bit mad in the garden again today, but two long--planned 'to-do's' are finally done Also got an e-mail from Mike, the researcher who founded and ran the Gray Whale Count for the last 15 years saying that he's retiring from the project, which is so not what I or any of the other volunteers want to hear! It's been challenging though for the last few years in terms of funding plus fewer reliable student interns after a decade of really good people, which meant that Mike ended up having to do all the paperwork in addition to monitoring the actual migration and photographing the whales and calves. (Interns were on site all day every day; volunteers' shift were just two hours). Apparently, another local group is taking over the Count and we'll hear more about that later; still, it really won't be the same without our fearless leader. :-(
AQ: At least we're at the end of the fire season. LA and Ventura counties are bracing for very strong and super dry winds tonight with hurricane-strength gusts of 80 mph expected. It's the most serious warning the national weather service has ever issued for the area. We meanwhile, are expecting normal temps and breezes.
I see the UK is having an election in December. Wonder if it will make a difference. I can imagine the mere mention of the word Brexit is enough to raise blood pressure at this point.
Lindy: I hope you have a lovely time in Wales as you close up the caravan for the season. I'm sorry about your family difficulties. Safe journey.
Lynette: I hope you can have your op soon.
AQ and Lindy: Sorry the family has been ill. I hope you don't catch it.
OG: I'm glad you're getting your new freezer. Wonderful that your winter birds are gathering. I saw R.T. Hawk last week for the first time in quite a while. I walked up the hill to town, and he soared above me. He looked healthy.
Annette: Some of India is blistering hot. I'll bet your husband suffered in the heat while in the Peace Corps. I'm too old to join now. I just don't have the stamina, physically or emotionally, that I used to have. I'll explore other ways to restore a sense of meaning and purpose to my life. I'd like to write a book--if I ever get out from under my current freelance deadlines. I hope you stay in the Goldilocks Zone and are safe.
No fires here in Indiana. We have hard rain coming in tonight through Thursday, and then Thursday night it's predicted to SNOW!
Take care, all.
Annette: Our posts crossed. I'm so sorry about the upheaval in your whale program! I know you always enjoyed that every year. Maybe the new local group will be good? I hope so.
ANNETTE – How sad your whale group is changing. I guess it is inevitable when the mainstay retires. Much harder too these days to get people to volunteer.
I “passed” my eye test, sailed through the field test which I hate as it is up to me to see the mini flashes. Unlike a blood test or such. It was very hot out, 34 C, worse tomorrow. Hey, weather gods, it’s not summer yet.
I see some people have an election in December. Cynical me suggests that it won’t solve anything, just another hung parliament. I would like to bang pollies heads together to knock some sense in.
AQ; Congrats on passing your eye test. Getting volunteers for the Gray Whale Count has never been an issue; there are loads of us, but most if not all don't want 8-hour shifts.
Annette, what a shame about your leader of the Whale Watch. But everyone deserves their rest, and it sounds as if he's done his bit. Hope the new arrangements are suitable for you, when the change comes. We are all heartily tired of the Brexit word. Sadly, it's not going to go away and will now be joined by the Election word. All of the political reporters on TV look excited, and say we've never lived in such exciting times. All the electorate are sighing, and I suspect many will take no interest in proceedings, having been burnt out by too much discussion already. I predict a low turn out on Polling Day.
Edit: Oh, and Yes, it will probably not make much difference to the pickle we're in.