Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 15 December 2019

Rather busy in both Sainsburys and Tesco. Had to queue to pay at the till in both, it seems that although they like the extra business, they aren't putting on extra staff yet for the seasonal rush.

Didn't brave any other shops, as I'm hoping I've got enough in the way of wrapping paper etc. I'm now well stocked up on all the basics, such as teabags and loo rolls! Off to get my hair cut in the morning, can't wait.

Morning all:

OG: I'll add my wishes for a good trip home for the guys and an all clear from the docs for J.   My freelance gig is also a challenge over the holidays; people are so distracted.  The deadline for our next issue is January 9, which is better than in the past.

AQ:  That's 111F for heaven's sake!.  Phoenix and Las Vegas temperatures!  I see they're still letting the horses race in Adelaide?  Wonder how that will turn out for man and beast (not to mention the spectators).  :-(    I guess farm kids all over the world learn to drive all kinds of vehicles early on.

Diane:  I heard "lake effect" temps for your area.   Brrrr.

Hallo to everyone else!

Gray and overcast here.  We're looking at rain all next week (hurray!) and the Prescott, Arizona contingent will get snow so a White Christmas for them.  Meanwhile, our resident Anna hummingbirds are lining up for the feeders.  Last evening I counted six of them at the feeder outside the kitchen window.  It still amazes me that they fight like heck during the day but call a truce at night.  :-)

I was met with thick fog and  minus 1temps when I left for work at 7.40. After taking almost 10 mins to scrap and defrost the car I then had to stop after a few minutes as the windscreen had

re-frozen gort there eventually. However yesterday we had heavy rain and this was one of my 2 way to work. The rain runs off the fields and down from higher ground.

Real winter weather, then, Harelady. Ugh. Always worrying when you have to scrape the windscreen.

Annette, my OH who was a farmer as you know, was allowed to drive the tractor from a very young age. No roll bars either in those days, in case it overturned! Makes you shudder to think....

My goodness HARELADY - what a mess the road was in.
LINDY - my OH was the same, driving on the farm but I'm not sure from what age as from what he said they were still using horses for a lot of things when he was young.
ANNETTE - I didn't realise that temps got that high but thinking about it, our friends in Palm Desert used to retreat to Seattle or over here in the summer months.
I've got a memory lapse, have forgotten the other replies that I had in mind (!) but no doubt I shall remember in the wee small hours of the morning - and then will forget again when I go online later!

Thank goodness I am not preparing for a C-mas gathering. Overnight min temp 27 at 7.30 am. Total fire bans across SA today & Friday as temp expected to 44 & 45. Tomorrow will be bad with strong winds and threat of dry lightning before cool change. I am not going anywhere, and if I do, I always take bottle of water. They say bushfires in NSW have burnt an area greater than Wales.

My avatar is the Rainbow Lorikeet. Now there are 6 different species.

Harelady:  Good grief!  Did you drive through that?  

AQ: Dry lightning not popular here at all either! Very tricky.  Must now look at Wales vs. Oz to get an idea of devastation from fires.  

Went outside this morning "only for an hour" to rake up some leaves and just came back in!  Did take a two-hour break around lunchtime that included a brief nap.  At least you can see where the pathways are ...

The House of Representatives is about to vote on the two article of impeachment....maybe I'll go outside and find some more leaves to rake....maybe the neighbors have some leaves they'd like raked....  

ANNETTE - I watched the vote while I ate lunch. Much too hot to venture outside, Leaves would be brittle. 42 C so far in Adelaide. Wudinna on Eyre Pen is 46, expected 49 C (120 F).