Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 11 October 2020

Enjoyed today - tried to be relaxed about it, and it felt rather like A Day Out. Our morning was brightly sunny, and we had a simple lunch before tackling the matter of what to bring home & what to leave behind. A good journey back, but I felt frustrated to think that we had left some of our neighbours behind, who had been there all week, and were looking forward to enjoying the good weather predicted this weekend but had not been told they must leave!!

I really don't understand what is going on and I don' t think our Site Manager does either. As we were offered a discount on next year's rental fees when we lost the best part of the early season, maybe now we should get a further reduction?

In bed now and tired, but ready to tackle a busy weekend.

OG: No, not staying on for the final window - the crew was very thorough; spotted a couple of flaws in one pane (which we would never have noticed!) and are ordering replacement. Will be heading home early Sunday.....

Take care everyone.

Just a thought

It’s no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then. (Lewis Caroll)

SunnyKate2: Thank you so very much for the link to the cuckoo! What a beautiful bird and a lovely haunting call!

Gardenbirder: Very funny cartoons. I hope you're well!

Annette: I hope you are enjoying your visit and you have a safe trip back. Glad about the young fawn's outcome!

Lindy: I'm so sorry that you couldn't stay longer and enjoy the beauty of Wales. It's such a lovely location. I wish you could have stayed more this year. 

OG: I'm so very, very glad that your leg is healed! I hope you won't have any more problems with it. I was worried about that. Hope the new cheeses are good. Today the highway department finally completed the maintenance work on the bridge (they'd been working on it since July 20), so the highway is now open and I can get groceries at the big supermarket. Yay!

Lynette: I'm sorry you didn't get to celebrate your brother's birthday with him. 

dibnlib: I hope you won't need the stair lift after all. Good that you are happy and comfortable in your current home.

Clare: I wish you all the luck in the photography competition, and I hope you will get the ranking you want. However, I already think you are extremely talented and highly advanced. I enjoyed the nuthatch and the other pics very much. Your later photos of the gulls were fabulous! Congratulations on the weight loss and fitness improvement. Well done! 

AQ: I'm sorry you couldn't enjoy your meeting at the cafe with your travel friend. 

Rosy: I also love ducks! I haven't been hearing the pair who took up residence on my creek. I wonder whether they migrated this year.

Harelady: I'm very sorry your SiL must undergo such extensive treatment. My best wishes to her. And continued best wishes to Annette's sister. 

Heather: I was sorry to read that you are suffering. I won't offer any comment, because I'm afraid it would be simplistic, but please know that I'm sending you good energy and thinking of you.

Pat O: Hello to you. Hope all is well (as well as possible in these times, anyway). 

Thank you, Diane. I'm fine. Been a bit busy this week, steaming over a hot computer most of the time, with several things on deadlines. Lots of Zooming with friends, and various online meetings. I wonder, will we ever go back to face-to-face meetings, having to travel to inconvenient locations in all weathers, and sit in crowded rooms with people coughing and spluttering, when we could be achieving the same (or even better) results sitting in our warm and cosy homes?

I did get to Sheffield Park earlier in the week with a friend. The autumn colours are spectacular, as always. Took loads of photographs, most of which I'm quite pleased with. Nowhere near Clare's standard. She would have loved the Canada geese - hundreds of them - obviously holding a conference on the main lake, with all of them having a lot of say!

Many people in Indiana won't believe the science on the coronavirus (thanks to Trump), won't acknowledge the seriousness of COVID-19, and won't wear masks or engage in any protective measures at all. Law enforcement and government officials won't enforce the mandates. Also, the state won't pay for enough testing and tracing. So, now we've had a huge surge in cases.

The county next to mine (right up the road from me) has a positivity rate for unique individuals of 29.7% and a rate of 20.7% for all tests, the highest in the state. 

The governor has further opened up the state and lifted restrictions, anyway, and he left much of the responsibility for setting the rules to the individual counties (there are 92 of them!). So, our plan is a confusing mess. He did keep the mask mandate, not that anyone in my area wears one (except me).

The city of Chicago has issued an order that requires individuals coming from Indiana to Chicago for non-work purposes and Chicago residents returning from Indiana to quarantine for 14 days under the threat of penalties. Ohio said that anyone traveling from Indiana should quarantine.

Sigh.

Unknown said:

I wish you all the luck in the photography competition, and I hope you will get the ranking you want. However, I already think you are extremely talented and highly advanced. I enjoyed the nuthatch and the other pics very much. Your later photos of the gulls were fabulous! Congratulations on the weight loss and fitness improvement. Well done! 

You are too kind.  I've improved a lot but I still think I have a fair old way to go.  There are some fantastic photographers out there.

I find myself dreading the gym and pool being told to close - it has made such a difference to me, being able to get in the water.  The exercise is making a big difference to my mental health as well - I came off anti-depressants earlier this year and the swimming and gymming are filling that gap nicely.

By the way, how is your hawk pair?

Pat O said:

Took loads of photographs, most of which I'm quite pleased with. Nowhere near Clare's standard. She would have loved the Canada geese - hundreds of them - obviously holding a conference on the main lake, with all of them having a lot of say!

If you keep that up, Pat, who's to say you won't be a similar standard in the years to come?  So much of my improvement is down to relentless practice.  You might consider taking a camera wherever you go, there are very few places without birds.

You're spot on with the Canada geese!  Could you post some of your photos, please?  If you're pleased with them they are clearly worth seeing.

Clare, I would happily post some of my photographs - but I have tried on previous occasions and have never succeeded. I did manage to download one (rather small, but definitely there!) before they changed the site - gosh, that seems a long time ago! And my photographs are very much of the 'aim and fire' variety, nowhere near your standard! And I am easily pleased ...

Forecast: thick dark cloud; weather this morning: bright sunshine! But now the cloud is thickening, so another "wait and see" day. We all overslept again today after various problems in the night.

LINDA - pleased the day was reasonably pleasant for you as a "day out". At least you are safely home and know what you need to be getting on with there through the winter months.

ANNETTE - have a good break now, and then safe travel home on Sunday - will that include a stopover or an early start and drive right through?

DIANE -good to see a long post from you. Cheeses were just ordinary regular stock - can be kept up to a year in freezer, although I plan for six months max, and they usually get used before then. Pleased the road is reopening and you can get to the supermarket again - all you need is reasonable weather for driving! Have you seen that Walmart has sold part of its share in Asda? No longer the major share holder, and ownership is in the hands of a varied consortium.

PAT - it's difficult to know whether Zoom meetings will become the norm for the future - especially while there are still active elderly who are not familiar with IT in all its forms. So pleased you had your trip to Sheffield Park - and I could imagine the noise of the assembled Canada Geese! Please may I add my request to see photos on here?

Just suggested to OH that he should be aiming to mow this weekend - could be the last chance this autumn and the grass does so much better through winter if it gets a haircut in October. Oh dear, that's twice I have mentioned winter in this post, must be the effect of starting my planning (and some supplies) for Christmas!