Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 2 August 2020

AQ: That was a fascinating article on the search for the tree that started the Gospers bushfire. What an extraordinary use of technology. I also watched the short documentary video on that page. Those fires are one of the most astonishing and frightening phenomena in nature! Thanks. I hope you will stay safe from the virus. The Victoria conditions have been on our media. 

ANNETTE: Everything is thoroughly wet here in the wilds of Indiana because it's been raining and raining. I feel like Noah. I'm going to try to watch the astronaut homecoming coverage. Hope you're safe. I saw that your region had wildfires burning. I glanced at a fire map, and it looked like you're okay?

Went into the garden to photograph a rose, and noticed a butterfly floating past me: here it is.

We enjoyed our stroll onto Town, and looked at all the gardens on the way. Some immaculate, some neglected, some with cut lawns but untidy flowerbeds, some with pretty roses around the door but lawns a foot high!

We admired a lot of the workmanship on the craft stalls but the only thing I bought at the Market was a round of Strong Cheshire Cheese, described as wood smoked. Will let you know later when we cut into it, what we thought of it. I somehow resisted the yummy looking fudge and the pretty handmade scarves.

Annette - Multi-tasking again? Marmalade on the keyboard ... hmmm.

Odd sort of day here. Sunny, then cloudy, then windy. But no wet stuff. I know the gardens need it ... but overnight would be good.

Just watched the touchdown of the Astronauts from the ISS, off the Florida Coast. Good to know that they're all safe (they must have nerves of steel).

ANNETTE - my new PC should arrive tomorrow, so I guess I will have to renew my vow not to eat or drink over the keyboard! Why is Marmalade much stickier than other jams?

LINDA - been good to see some "real" flutterbyes around instead of Cabbage Whites - but some of the Buddleia will soon be past their best - happens every year!

PAT - plenty of heavy showers here, but balanced by sunshine.

J had a better day today, but obviously having to try very hard to achieve it. We were less uptight too, with him more calm.

Yes, OG -- Lately I've seen several kinds of butterflies and some of them too briefly to identify, but the other day there were some glimpses of interesting small brown ones. Couldn't see them clearly enough to go & look up their colours in the Butterfly book! I do know that some of the smaller ones were endangered but now I forget their names.

After putting on the pic above, we were sitting with our cups of tea when there was a loud crash. A teenage starling had flown in through the open conservatory door and was panicking and flying around. After a bit it went into a corner so I rushed over and grabbed it firmly but gently and threw it back towards the doorway, lifting it to point towards freedom and the sky. Thankfully, it flew off towards the trees and looked no worse for wear. My good deed for the day!!

Diane:  Fires not around here, but there's still time.   I missed the landing due to doc's appt; shall watch somewhere later....   I'm reading the John Bolton book.  It's interesting and well written, but not a comfortable read given all people and policies he describes.  He makes Trump sound almost coherent....  And Mary Trump's book was a fast read   Saw a headline in the NYT onlne to the effect of 'Trump complains nobody likes him as his friends depart to write books.'  I gather Michael Cohen has one coming out in September....    

OG: I've decided I'm the sloppiest person when it comes to spreading anything on toast.  Hope J continues to maintain some equanimity.

Just in from garden nap; must call a couple of friends to catch up....

Visit to Dau & Co successful. OH did show some interest in the girls’ “performances” – explaining favourite toy (some mini thingies), demo-ing their acrobatic skills outside on rope ladder & other stuff, climbing peach tree, chattering non-stop. Dau’s veggie patch is looking good, lots of chard (puts mine to shame), cauliflower, strawberries (huge), assorted herbs and a few jonquils & snapdragons for colour. Not bad for winter. S-i-l fixed my mobile phone. It is a simple one, just for calls & texts. It cannot display photos but they arrive and fill up the in-box and can’t be deleted. Last week a number I don’t recognise sent a huge thing and it keeps coming and coming. Can’t be deleted. Probably a scam or spam. S-i-l has fixed the problem by deleting all of my in-box and blocking that no. Then he sent texts from himself & Dau so I can just “reply” when I want to send a text. He showed me where nos are stored, so I can text or phone using the inbuilt “phone book”. Eureka! Another lesson in modern technology!

Victoria recorded second highest no of new cases & more deaths. Most worrying are the high no of cases where the source cannot be traced. Melbourne metro now has Stage 4 lockdown (night-time curfew, only 4 reasons to leave home, schools & most businesses closed). In the few hours before lockdown shoppers were stockpiling supplies. Regional VIC now has Stage 3 lockdown. Our state has 2 new cases, one a mature-age student who visited two schools, both are closed for deep cleaning and students alerted to watch for symptoms.

ANNETTE – Yes idiots are being fined. See here. One SA man, supposed to be isolating at home after returning from NSW, went to his gym six times before getting caught. Ah ha, 6 fines.