Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 26 January 2020

After I started the thread, I realized that this is BREXIT week. I won't give any opinions. No one needs those from me. I will just send best wishes to everyone on this thread and forum. I wish you all peace, security, prosperity, and happiness!

Diane:  Thank you.  I think folks over there are just relieved that they don't have to put up with all the parliamentary wrangling - at least for now, who knows how things will turn out...  

Hallo to all

Annette: I was torn. I know that Brexit's an incendiary topic, but it seemed rude and U.S.-centric not to even mention such an extraordinarily important event. After all these years, I feel close to everyone here and just want the best for all.

Diane: I've been catching the Impeachment coverage only very sporadically; mostly just catching the updates on PBS each evening. You can only take so much.

Annette: I've had it on NPR in the background while I work, but honestly I'm not paying much attention to it. It's not going to amount to a hill of beans anyway, because he's not going to be removed. In my view, the Dems either should have prosecuted him fully for ALL his crimes, or they should have delayed any action and focused on the election.

Good Morning and Thank You to Diane for starting us off again.

Also, for her Brexit wishes. I do know that everyone here will be heartily glad when it's done, whatever their beliefs for it, and that we are all hopeful now for the future.

Dry here, but supposed to be wet later, so we're unsure whether to go out for some air. I feel a little better after a bad week, and my OH is nearly over his cough.

Still no birdies - wetter today so not expecting many. OH has gone to church but I couldn't face going out in the rain - hail forecast for tomorrow!

Thanks to DIANE for starting us off again, and both DIANE and ANNETTE for thoughts for the UK as it rushes forward into oblivion! I think we could be okay in our generation, but I can't bear to consider what will happen in our grandchildren's and greatgrandchildren's lifetimes!

J's eye is looking much next bruised, and we hope his temporary glasses will be ready early this week, so that he can start seeing with two eyes instead of one at a time - he has used the patch alternately on each eye in the hope that they will both be working together. We are now watching little bits of TV when he feels he can - we all had a ban on it the first few days!

Still not done my Birdwatch -- as it began raining, we could not face going for a walk, so instead we rang Sue (OHs sister) and went to drink tea with her, and a gorgeous black Labrador she is taking care of, called Skye. Skye sat on my foot for most of the time we chatted: her owners are cruising around N.Zealand & Oz at the moment, but have reported that their trip to see the Blue Mountains had been cancelled due of course to the terrible fires.

Now I'm sitting by the fireside (with the electric glow on!) And my OH is taking a snooze.

OG - Sounds as if J is doing sensible things, regarding his eye. Hope the new glasses arrive OK. He's really been through it in the last year or two, one way or another, so things have to improve for him, now.

Morning all:

Lindybird:  Just spoke to my niece in the UK who was raving about Monty Don's American Gardens show - as you'd said, from the western states.  He apparently went to Lotus Land here in Santa Barbara.  It's a wonderful garden, but mostly full of non-native plants and trees.  Quite a showplace and extremely well funded.  I personally prefer our local Botanic Garden, which focuses more on native fauna.

OG:  I know what you mean about the next couple of generations.....    Hope J's glasses do the job.

Annette, don't be put off-- there are many different types of garden shown. I just had another whip through the 1st episode which had the famous Longwood in Pennsylvania, and Chanticleer in Philadelphia, to name but two.

In the 3rd & last episode, they had the Botanical Gardens in Pheonix Arizona, Sunnylands in Palm Springs (described as the 2nd Camp David, as it's used to entertain visiting VIPs) and one of my favourites the Henry Cowell State Park, to see the redwoods. How wonderful they are, so impressive!