WEEKLY CHAT (NON-OSPREY) SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

Heather - I can understand your mixed feelings about the greenhouse. I'm sure your OH would be pleased that it's going to be reborn in a new location, rather than rotting away. And hopefully you will be able to visit now and again.

Funny day here today. Was supposed to be going out with a friend for the day, but she has had to go back into self-isolation. So instead went out for what we claimed was a 'business lunch' in a lovely local indoor/outdoor cafe in the middle of the Sussex countryside. The 'business' was dealt with very quickly and (hopefully) efficiently - the lunch was delicious, as was the cake and coffee we had for 'afters'. We sat and chatted for three hours ... well, aren't business lunches supposed to be long? After a jacket potato with smoked salmon and cream cheese followed by a large slice of coffee cake - can't understand why I don't want any supper this evening!

Morning all: Granddaughter and daughter off to see the latter's doc this morning. Very very humid here last night, which upped daughter's already high anxiety levels, in spite of fans going full tilt all night. She wasn't at her best this morning, then Ms. D threw up in the kitchen sink (fortunately the garbage disposal side) right after breakfast. All better now and she's doing her school work online - it all seems to be going well. My high-desert family is just not used to such high humidity (and neither are we Californians either). I wouldn't be surprised if they don't all leap in the car and zoom back to AZ tomorrow. We'll see....

Heather: That's great that the greenhouse is staying in the family.- much better than having it deteriorate into a pile of scrap and then you'd feel guilty too!  Besides, maybe you can go visit it. :-)  Hope the gull met up with some helpful person; it's difficult to know what to do in those circumstances. Wildfires not around here, but family drove through a lot of smoke coming into LA yesterday.

OG: Good that J realized he'd upset you; I'm sure we've all had things to apologize for at one time or another and it's often our nearest and dearest who get caught in the backwash. :-) Also hope boiler is sorted. Fingers crossed the orthopedic doc will be able to advise something to help.

AQ: So what are you going to do with all that free time on your hands! :-)

PatO:  That's my kind of business lunch.

Heather B said:

CLARE - there was a juvenile gull in my front garden at the weekend. I spent ages watching it sitting there and not interfering, as per advice from RSPB. Then it walked to the front gate which was open, awaiting youngest family. I was worried and phoned daughter's mobile to warn them, because I wasn't sure at that time if it could fly or was injured. The outcome was that when their car drew up to turn into the drive the gull walked off down the road. I didn't see that, was inside in the kitchen. However, when I was speaking about it, youngest granddaughter said that she had noticed that one of its wing/flight feathers was ' hanging down'. We went looking but no sign of it. You never know if what you do is right or wrong.... Certainly no adult gulls in the direct vicinity.

At this time of year it will have long since fledged and it will be independent of its parents.  It's possibly hurt but I hope it's not serious.  I think both of us would be happier if it had been seen flying.  Fingers crossed you'll see it tomorrow, sitting somewhere it can only have flown to.

Wednesday? Already? Food shop morning. I washed car which was covered in Monday’s dust. Gee, it looks nice now!

 

Just a thought

It is what it is. It was what it was. It will be what it will be. Don’t stress it.

PAT - that lunch sounds great and I have all the ingredients to hand ! Well, the smoked salmon is in the freezer but that isn't a problem !

Good morning. Just been reading all the posts.

HEATHER – J has something new to worry over now – his new mobile phone was delivered yesterday and he started trying to do stuff with it before reading the “quick start” card or the online instructions – result: he can’t do what he wanted and has ended up signing up with Google by mistake! He asked OH to help late yesterday evening, and he said he wasn’t prepared to do something unfamiliar in a hurry just before bedtime without having seen the instructions! We are both in the “doghouse” this morning – thankfully he is going out to have his car serviced! Pleased that family acted on the greenhouse decision; I think Bill would have been happy that it is going to be put to good use and that you don’t need to fret over it. Young gulls can evoke a lot of sympathy just by being a bit daft and walking about looking lost – I wouldn’t worry about it.

LINDA – sounds like you were busy yesterday (probably while OH was at golf?). Hope you didn’t try to do too much.

PAT – pleased you had business to justify the lunch (I see gatherings in England are to shrink again, thIs time with the force of law). Glad you enjoyed lunch – just leave the Salmon off for me!

ANNETTE – sorry weather is affecting the dry desert dwellers, especially your Daughter with her problems. No idea when orthopaedic doc might see me – although physio did say he has been carrying out some outpatient and surgery appointments.

AQ – I hope the car will be able to stay clean with no more red dust from the north.

Well, now about the boiler. We too have a maintenance agreement with Scottish (British) Gas and it was checked quite recently. They tried to respond quickly yesterday – we are lucky that one of their engineers lives very near. Unfortunately, his van broke down, so he eventually had to use a hired van with only a minimum of his equipment. The problem was not the simple on he had suspected, and he has had to order a major part for Thursday – and it goes deep inside, so it will mean a full strip down (boiler, not him) and a full day’s job. So we have now had to restructure our week! The boiler has been fine since he fiddled with a few bits, so I am going to try to grab my shower in the wet room – access to electric shower is not so easy for me.

Prepped a heap of beans yesterday to eat and to freeze, and we both had a surprisingly productive day. Diary looks full today too, and the sun is shining, which is encouraging.

CLARE: Your photos of the seals and the lovely gull are glorious! A wonderful way to start my day!

OG: I hope the orthopaedic doctor will be able to give you lots of help! I'll be thinking of you.

Been too busy in the garden to come on today --- and just off out now, to lunch! Will write about it later!

I had a quick look at Felixstowe Ferry yesterday morning - click on this lovely (!) bird to see more: