Hi all. Haven't had a chance to check out most recent postings from last week but will do so tomorrow.
Thanks Diane, I have seen the elephants moving around but I guess it is sleepy time for the polar bear.
george g glad things are coming together with regards to the funeral, what a difficult day for SiL, son and of course yourself. My thoughts will be with you on Tuesday.
Luckily the torrential rain did eventually stop but it got quite flooded around this area with trees coming down causing even more problems. Strange weather for August.
I do hope you will see some of the white tail eagles that have been released in Fife.
Take good care of yourself.
Margobird
Good evening all
After a nice day, it started to rain. OH bowling but I suspect they will have retreated to the clubhouse and he will be enjoying (?) a lemonade, since he is driving. A happy day for me, eldest daughter (38) got the all clear after an echocardiogram this morning. She was born with 'hole in heart' and had surgery as a child. No problems until a recent ECG raised some questions. Anyway, a lot of anxiety - and for me, a lot of memories about her childhood, and remembrances of her elder sister who was born with same problem, but didn't survive babyhood. Just seeing the big smile on her face when she emerged from the exam. room just brought the tears to my eyes, big hugs all round and a deep sense of gratitude that all was well.
Take care everyone, talk tomorrow.
Good Friday evening all. Great to see an autumn migration of bloggers onto this page, now that LG Ospreys are on the move. I hope people saw Diane’s list of other wildlife sites on the Daily, and I am sure there are plenty more. I seem to remember somebody (maybe Tiger, Sandy or Alan) giving us a site listing sites last year – thought I’d saved it, but must have put it in a very safe place (ie can’t find it!). Since before I got up this morning, I have been convinced it was Saturday – only seeing some Academy kids in uniform convinced me it was Friday – and it still feels like Saturday! Went to Tesco’s earlier – there was a really shrill screamer about, but when I called out loud “Please will somebody kill that noise!” it miraculously stopped, so apparently discipline is still possible, 21st century parents just need reminding!! OH has been fitting replacement lights in the kitchen and changing the double-switching ready for some down lighters as well, so I have been busy with conference admin (yes, doing that annual job again, but at least it’s short term) and dealing with emails.
Cirrus – have a great time in Cumbria – hope you see Ospreys at Bassenthwaite, or passing through on migration.
Emma – I hope you are enjoying your trip to Aviemore and LG.
Annette – pleased you are safe home – I hope you and OH will have a properly restful weekend together.
Diane – the splash back material is High Pressure Laminate sold as “Duropal” upstand/back panels. The base material is MDF and therefore is very easy to cut and comes in various designs – ours is like a green and black mottled granite – same as the new worktops. This week, I suddenly decided I wanted black glass worktop protectors, ordered online Tuesday and got them Thursday! Thanks for links to San Diego Zoo cams – animals seem to have decent environments to live without pacing, and often these days animals in zoos are rescued from some far worse existence – or death.
George – how kind of you take SiL somewhere anonymous for shopping – good to hear she also has a sister for support. I hope you will get some time for yourself over the weekend, and that you will see the new White-tailed Eagles. Take care – will be thinking of you all on Tuesday.
Jsb – thanks for the stats – have kept a printed copy for reference.
Heather – so pleased your daughter had such good news to share after all you have been through together.
Hope others will excuse me not replying to all – now need to go and check plants in greenhouse for water.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Hello everyone, got back from my long weekend fluting in Manchester on Monday afternoon, read a few of last week’s posts, but haven’t managed to get back on until today.
Lindybird – your traffic jam was on Thursday I think, the same day as I would have been driving if I hadn’t gone on the train, phew! Apparently there was another hold up further north on the M6 that day, as someone was being persuaded not to jump off a bridge – all the traffic was being sent through on the hard shoulder, leading to over an hour delay. I don’t know if he jumped, haven’t heard either way. I hope “Sweetpea” won’t have so many very small clothes that s/he won’t get a chance to wear them all before they’re too small! Get some bigger ones too : )) Ah yes, I see you are comparing baby growth to ospreys LOL, I can’t resist a bargain either.
Diane – I like fudge and peanut butter, but I’m not sure about combined LOL. Beautiful swallowtail butterfly, I think we only have one of those here and it is paler than that one. Oh yes, New Forest Gateway, one of those things we do outside the osprey season, I remember. Excellent vid!
ChrisyB – glad you’ve seen the Bass osps again, I hope to go this weekend. We know that one chick has gone but hopefully Mr No-ring and 12 will still be around – just one more day, please! (Or half a week so Cirrus can see them.)
Paul – well done not falling for what certainly sounds like a scam, not sure I would have picked it up at the time but I still wouldn’t have done anything. Lovely baby woodpecker.
OG – love your little leucistic sparrow, I’ve never seen one of those. Lovely gull too.
Alan – great goldfinches, we have five today so I think that’s three young ones, but all the baby feathers have gone now.. There were eight earlier in the year, then just a pair stayed to nest, so I guess this is the family.
AQ – very impressive flowers, your black lilies. Thanks for the Burra mine pic, very bare.
Margobird – sorry you missed the show, and that you’ve been feeling bad, not helped by keeping your toilet company all night in case it flooded! We have had great weather this week, back to summber, although there is definitely an autumnal tinge to the air.
BrendaH/OG – We have hens, have had for over 30 years (not the same ones though LOL) and when they stop laying we just call them pensioners and let them scratch around, we don’t want to kill them and certainly couldn’t eat them!
Caught up to page 3 now and time for bed, will finish tomorrow.
Went to last page (I realise I didn't have to do that but I like to see what I'm following) and spotted george g talking about funeral for BiL, so I'll just say my thoughts are with you and family.
Terry in Cumbria
OG - One would expect our soil would be sandy as we are about 1 km from coast. However this was once swampy land and it has been built up with awful clayey fill. When we first dug holes to plant trees/shrubs, we ended up with a pile of stones, rocks, broken bricks & cement and not much soil! After some 37 years burying vegie scraps in my vegie patch, that area is not too bad. I have a "compost heap", that is, I toss weeds in a pile and they eventually turn into lovely compost. But . . . since Lizarda da Vinci took up residence in the pile, I haven’t dared to disturb her. We haven’t seen her since last summer (January?); far too cold for her now. For newbies, Lizarda is a blue-tongued skink.
Diane - The current mining disaster in Chile will bring back dreadful memories for the 2 men who were trapped in the Tasmanian mine. It will take 4 months (!!!!!!) to drill through an escape shaft in Chile.
Annette - I hope you have rested up and are recovered from your looooooong trip.
To Newbies coming here from the Daily Page. Welcome. We chatter about anything and everything. Don’t be shy to join in! It needn’t be every day - just when you can.
To lighten the day:-
Handy hint: Old telephone directories make ideal personal address books. Simply cross out the names and addresses of people you don't know.
The young man waited impatiently for the lady to finish with the drugstore telephone directory. After she had turned page after page he said, 'Madam, can I help you find the number you want?" "Oh, I don't want a number," she replied, "I'm looking for a pretty name for my baby."
Hi all. Still wiped out from trip - off to bed. Catch up - tomorrow??
Not surprised Annette is still tired from that marathon trip - sweet dreams, Annette!
Morning Everyone - I am only coming on to say hello, then Goodbye for now as have to dash out again.
Leave you for now with a picture I found of the knitted cupcakes we mentioned on this thread some whille ago!........
Morning, all. Off to Holm Show at Newcastleton today (in Border hill country).
Terry – welcome back. Hope your flute weekend was all you expected. I am sure your farmhouse garden has room for laying Hens and their retired sisters, but our suburban garden doesn’t – we’re probably not even allowed to keep poultry here!
AQ – I now can’t remember why I asked about your soil – no time to look back right now! Does Lizarda da VInci actually hibernate? Old phone books – ha-ha.
Annette – sleep it off, and come back when you are ready.