Weekly Chat, Sunday August 29, 2010

Another lovely day – bluest of blue skies, and barely a whisper of breeze.  Probably a stay-at-home day today.  Did someone mention ironing?!?

Lynette – should be some great autumn colours when you are near Peebles in September  - Kailzie Gardens and estate probably worth a visit, though haven’t been there in autumn ourselves.  There are lots of attractive small towns in the area, and plenty of forest walks and bike trails.

Wattle – poor you, with Cicadas in your ear all the time!  Lovely photo of the Galah.  Gardening with the Oxalis, rather than against it, seems very sound to me – environmentally friendly and work-saving!

AQ – enjoy this early mini-spring – and make spring last as long as you can before you are melting in the summer heat.  When the Cutty Sark had its fire a few years back, we were half hoping it would be irreparable, so the Carrick (as we knew her) would be the only remaining clipper and get investment to restore her!  Strange that the CS was built on the Clyde, but City of Adelaide was built in Sunderland, renamed after a Scottish County and former Bruce Earldom (now part of South Ayrshire) and ended up (at present) on the Clyde in Glasgow and Irvine!

Diane – glad you and Dad enjoyed the photos, but do tell your Dad that for every picture worth sharing, I take about a dozen rejects!  Enjoyed the Rooster and Rabbits clip – but didn’t like some of the others on that site – especially that poor fat puppy.

Annette – lovely scenery from your trip.  Can understand how one could fall asleep driving those roads for hours – especially in that heat (I know you have good air-con, but it just looks so hot!).

Auntie- good to see you again – pleased you were able to go to Tosca, with your BiL taking part.  Did your Mum go with you?  I hope she is well now.

Lindy – enjoy Son’s visit.   My young hairdresser (replacement as other is on maternity leave) was telling me she has been to a number of friends’ weddings this year – and they have all asked for money instead of gifts!  I don’t mind if Grandson asks us for cash, that’s what Gparents are for, but it seems very rude to ask friends – especially other young folk who don’t have much, and feel pressured to give more money than they might spend buying a gift.

Thanks for the info OG, will google and find out whats on out and about in the area to give us an idea.

Not very good at walking these days so its probably out in the car, take a picnic!! can be nice in September, and take pot luck.  Should be great fun!!!

Windy, sunny and a little cool down hear.

Annette in SoCal - pictures of your journey - can understand why you might feel the urge to nod off with the arid scenery mile after mile, its like our Motorways, they get very boring at times even though they get you from A to B a bit quicker than on other roads.   Having said that, we are too fond of taking the motorways and miss out on our beautiful countryside.

Its interesting to read what everybody else is doing, so keep it up.

Morning Diane, thanks for the vid, very funny!  I think they were hens, not cockerels, ours probably wouldn’t intervene, he’s a little hen-pecked, although he has taken up with the new hens we got recently. 

Annette –some of the young flautists are at the convention to show us why they won their prizes, others are there because they are up-and-coming and under the tuition of Flute Society members (eg William Bennett, Trevor Wye).  The emotion they can demonstrate so young is brilliant, especially the eastern Europeans; I find Japanese rather mechanical but they will grow.  As well as young people there were also a few old hands, it was fantastic to be so close to them and then see them in the refectory area afterwards.  Some were even in the Halls with us (but not Emmanuel Pahud)  Here he is playing Bach  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ah4s44OkDA  (my flute is not gold...)

Annette/AQ - I am just over half way through Stieg Larsson’s last book now, taking me ages but that’s because I read it in bed so have to stop for sleep :-))

Wattle – my neighbour has a lot of oxalis spreading over his path and he pulls it up but it fights back!  It’s lovely with brown leaves and yellow flowers, I would just let it go.

Lynette – nice to see you here, keep it up, you’ll soon get the hang of who’s likely to be about regularly and who pops in once or twice a week (or less, but all welcome).

I only came on today to find out if it was worth my while popping down to Bassenthwaite and it isn’t because both juves have gone now, in France already.  Have just looked at LG nest for the last time and taken it off the pages that open when I go online.  I have replaced it with tracking pages for Bassenthwaite.  Cirrus will be a few days late to see them this week.  So now it’s 2.30 and nice and sunny, I must get on with mowing (not ironing)!

Lindybird, thanks for the Monday Smile. I know that song, we sang it at school in out English class (when about 11yrs old) although I remember thinking it was about a pony…

OG, yes my mum was with me in that concert and thanks for asking she is doing very well, almost fully recovered just gets tired faster than before her stroke but she no youngster anymore. And you mentioned ironing - just let me know if you want more items to iron so I can send some of mine to you (really not my favourite HW)

TerryM, Bach is definitely my favourite composer especially love his violin concertos

AQ, if you think your German isn’t good enough to read a thriller - how is your Finnish? ‘Cause then I could lend my copies of Stieg Larsson’s to you

I went to Pohtiolampi (where that fishpond cam is) today. Thought I might see some ospreys ‘course although I think most of Finnish female osps have started their migration there are still some males around - and that trip was well forth driving (abut one hour from here) I saw so many ospreys there that I lost count! At the best there were FIVE ospreys in the same time. Saw few empty taloned dives but many successful ones too. And there was one juvie also. It sat long period on top that pole at the other side of the pond, made a vain attempt to fish but came back later (I think it was same ‘cause juvies don't usually hunt there) sat again on top of the pole and then made a dive and got a fish! Also had a nice chat with a man who keeps that web-cam there, learned a lot from him, only hope that I won’t forget all LOL Also saw and HEARD a heron, oh my s/he has a one ugly voice. I was there about only three hours but hadn't enough warm clothes so had to leave, but my what great hours they were

Auntie so pleased about your successful trip to Pohtiolampi - lucky you to see so many Ospreys while you were there.  We were too late for the turn of the tide this afternoon, so best picture I got at the shore was a flock of Oyster Catchers.

Afternoon all,

Thanks for all the chat and the pics.

Auntie : I am glad you saw all those ospreys fishing. It made the trip worthwhile.

Not been at home much today as Lady Ps sister has been taken to hospital with a really bad infection.

Weather is dull but we have had some sunshine today.

Greetings, all and welcome to the new posters.

Alan Sorry to hear that Lady P's sister has been hospitalised.  Hope they will soon have her on the mend.

dibnlib I met a neighbour with whom I occasionally go dog-walking.  Hadn't seen her for a while but didn't think anything of it.  She told me today that she had fallen when walking her Geman Shepherd and had broken her shoulder.  Coming along now but can only drive a short distance.  Older bodies are easier to damage, aren't they?  A couple of weeks ago I tobogganed down part of the staircase on my back, with my left arm out as a brake.  Didn't break anything but peeled back about 6 inches of skin on my arm!  It's healing well now.

We have had several bright sunny days though Saturday and yesterday were very windy.  Lots of washing done - and now lots of ironing waiting!

Good evening all ... and a warm welcome to the new posters on this site! It turned out to be a lovely day here ... the wind dropped and the sun came out ... very unusual for a Bank Holiday! We didn't go anywhere ... we don't like the crowds on a day like this.

Diane - loved the video ... very funny. I noticed that the barn owls are rarely in the barn now ... although the youngest was there for a while yesterday ... they looked very healthy and I hope they do well.They will be changing to the aviary webcam soon ... I watch that sometimes in the evening in the winter ... Hazel and Valentine are in that aviary,and they are the two owls that I adopted!!

Alan - sorry to hear about Lady P's sister ... I hope she will be better soon.

OG - glad you managed to get out, but shame about the tide. Lovely pic of the oystercatchers ... we have lots of them here ... often to be seen on the grass in the middle of the big roundabouts :-)

auntie- excellent that you saw so many ospreys fishing.

Linda - loved the Monday Smile ... thank you!

Wattle - gorgeous picture of the galah - such a pretty colour

AQ - I've been following the story of 'The city of Adelaide' for a while here. As you say, it was built in Sunderland, just down the coast from here, and they have been trying to raise money for ages to bring her back, but they were not 'the preferred bidder'.

Thanks to everyone for chat etc

Take care

Patriciat - That injury sounds horrendous but I'm happy to see that you can describe it as tobogganing!! I think as long as we can find some humour in our misfortunes (  after the first shock and pain) then we are not doing too bad.

Alan - Sorry to hear about Lady P's sister, hope for good news soon.

OG - Like Diane's Dad, I think your pics are fabulous. Also your knowledge base, I was impressed that you know about City of Adelaide, I had never heard of her, only Cutty Sark.

Auntie - What a treat to see the ospreys diving. I have never seen that, but OH has lost a few trout  :-) when an osprey has dived into the wee loch where he (OH) goes fishing. I am so glad that your Mum has made such a good recovery.

AQ - I have read all the Stieg Larsson books, but for me, the first one was the best. Had to laugh about wearing the layers on the plane, I do the same but draw the line at two pairs of trousers which is what one of my rellies does when going Ryanair!

Linda - Enjoyed the Monday Smile and will now blame you because the tune has been in my head all day :-)

Margo - Hope you have had a successful shopping expedition, I agree with AQ that layers are the answer, and yes, Edinburgh Woollen Mill does have good shirts, jumpers etc. I love gilets and cannot have enough of them.  OH just doesn't understand----

Wattle - Great pic of the galah, and sympathy re tinnitus. Horrible thing.

Lynette - Please persevere with Weekly, it will be good to hear from you. Agree, Daily page is a big miss, but there are a lot of threads on the Community pages, I am looking more, now that the nest is empty.

Annette - thanks from me too, for all your efforts this year.

Everyone else, including new bloggers - thank you for your posts and pics, always enjoyable.

Nothing much to report from me today, I went to the dentist , new guy, has the same name as us and is related to OH. So when I got home OH and I pored over the family tree, went online and worked out the connection. He is descended from a brother of OH's grandfather. So he is a kind of cousin I suppose! Aforementioned relationship didn't result in a family discount  - not that we expected one of course!  Checkup, scale and polish, £75. On that happy note I will sign off for today.