Hi everyone: And a good Sunday and rest of the week to you all. Don't forget to check the last posts of last week's chat for clever moving graphics from Tiger and Alicat (and maybe some others), pix of OG's friends' garden, late updates on one thing or t'other - and pix of my trip north! :-)
Weather these last few days are more like a not-very-nice English summer day. Unbroken gray skies, low clouds, and a constant soft drizzle. All very odd. On telly they were saying we had a couple of days of summer and now it's back to May Gray and June Gloom. Although tomorrow through Tuesday they're forecasting rain and possibly thunderstorms! A good day for doing inside stuff - like researching a new laptop. Spent ages reading about replacing the LED bulb in my laptop and it does sound a tad daunting: The Dell forum folks gave a link to a video, but you apparently - according to several folks who know - have to be "very, very careful." I didn't mind that but was especially put off by the news that the LED bulb (long and slender) was made of a very brittle glass that likely had lead in it, not to mention mercury. Also, do not have the tiny soldering iron or the special tape. Sounds like one of Alan's "Destroy It Yourself" projects! :-)
OG: Poor son with bad toe - definitely not a good time to develop problems - but ugh! - what a nightmare to find his new apartment so trashy. Just awful. So good of your OH to go up and check out the appliances, etc. Don't you hate it when "our" kids run up against this kind of stuff!
patriciat: I suspect there's more than one Mission San Miguel - wonder which one Lonnie Donegan (and U.S. artists) were thinking of. There is an old pueblo next to the mission I visited, which oddly has a Scottish name - The Rios Caledonia Adobe. According to the history page: In 1846 William Reed, Miguel Garcia, and Petronilo Rios bought the San Miguel rancho from Pio Pico, Governor of the Mexican Nation. Rios and his wife, Catarina Avila, had twelve children and moved into the adobe in 1851. In 1862 German-born Warren C. Rickard purchased the property from the state of California on a possession claim. In 1868 George Butchard named the adobe the Caledonia, a Scottish word meaning Scotland. He operated a stagecoach stop, tavern, and inn. According to local legend, Jesse James and the Dalton Brothers visited the inn.
Enjoyed reading all the posts; back tomorrow. Take care dear friends!
Morning all: Just spoke to my sister in Lincolnshire where they apparently have beautiful blue skies and are out in the garden doing clean up before the winter. She says they're going to spend the winter getting the house spruced up to sell since they've definitely decided the garden needs more time/work/energy than they can muster. And of course, it's in that village with zero services for miles... In the meantime, another gray and rainy day here.
Diane: Yes! We did keep the mountain lion fur!! My granddaughter took it back to Arizona with her as a memento. Does my "beautiful" granddaughter look like me? Of course! :-))))) I just saw (on telly) a recent movie about Dillinger; have to say I prefer Johnnie Depp to the original Mr. D. Haven't been on Facebook for eons and think I closed my account - that game sounds interesting. Hmmm. Losing your shoes? Lost in various places? Assume your "real" shoes are still in the closet when you awaken....
OG: My daugher also has challenges, shall we say, in the coping department; she's also prone to blowing things out of proportion. I've never seen so many tempests in a teacup, moutains arising from molehills, etc... I find a glass of wine in one hand and the phone in the other helps dilute the drama! :-) As someone said, your son's friends sound like such nice people. I always do the ironing when there's some nice old movie on telly. Oh, and a photo of the Real OG: Brilliant! Heading for a craft center you say? Very sensible to stop at that nearby bistro, but what a shame that it may all be sold. Pretty pix of Rother Valley Park. Good grief: Was the guy who designed Chesterfield's spire drunk or inspired?
Djoan: I had a sample of tiramisu at the local bakery yesterday - don't dare buy an entire serving. It goes down much too easily.
Alicat: Oooh, nice new scope - lucky you. Dancing is good for you - I think we should all do more of it. When I went to that open air concert at the winery I remembered how much fun it was.
Lindybird/OG: I think my computer could do with a cleanup too, but never sure which files to get rid of.... Browsing history is one I do know about - and temporary internet files, but not sure about others and various odd programs. When I get a new laptop, it'll have WIndows 7 on it. Vista didn't seem to last long; not sure of the difference....
Off to the gym for a bit; take care all.
Have enjoyed reading all that I missed lately. What super bird pics, OG - really lovely. Yes, New Girlfriend is the same one, we just still think of her as the 'new' girlfriend as its been so long since he brought one home!
Off to cook something now, will reply to more tomorrow.
EDIT: ps. Of course we had mint sauce! OH proudly announced that he had grown both the cabbage and the potatotes for the lunch, and grown and made the mint sauce himself - I said ' You'll be talking about keeping lambs in the garden next!'
Good evening all and have just been catching up with all the posts and wonderful photographs. Very interesting posts for which I thank everyone together with thanks for the photos. Have got my laptop with me here at Denbury Farm as my friend is hoping to teach me how to capture shots in readiness for next year's osprey season. She has tonight gone home for the night (she lives very close to the Farm) as she has a hospital appoinment early tomorrow morning and it will be easier for her OH to drive to the hospital from home to avoid getting stuck in traffic jams in Taunton. She is registered blind but had a cataract removed about four weeks ago to give her back a very small amount of vision or at least to give her back what vision she had before the cataract formed. Unluckily she has an infection in the eye which is proving difficult to cure so hence lots of hospital visits at the moment. She really is one of the most unlucky person I know, so is ever easy for her. For all this she soldiers on in the utmost difficulty.
When she arrived yesterday she told me she had something for me and I had to close my eyes and open my hands and to my delight when I opened them she had taken a shot of Lady at Loch of the Lowes and had it framed for me. I am absolutely delighted now I have this picture of Lady to put up at home.
We arrived in glorious weather yesterday and today has been the same. Warm enough to walk round without a jacket. A vast improvement on last year when it rained a lot of the time. Walked round the farm this morning handing out carrots to all the horses and bread for the chickens and geese, watching the black swans on the lake and just enjoying the beautiful scenery and the peace. It is so quiet it is deafening. All you hear at night are tawny owls and sky is full of stars with a bright moon shining.
George sorry to read about your son's accident and the cancellation of their holiday, such a shame.
ALICAT that was a wonderful birthday present that OH gave you, hope you have managed to use it today.
Lindybird just smiled about the mint sance and keeping lambs. The farmer has asked me if I would like to take a lamb home ready for the freezer but there is no way I could eat something I have spent time watching even though we do have lamb at home. Double standards on my part really.
As I mentioned in earlier post the farmer has some new arrivals coming to the farm on Tuesday hopefully. When he showed us the enclosure he been busy preparing I actually guessed correctly what they would be. I can't post what they will be here as I know some of the Denbury Farm bloggers also post here so until he lets that forum know I can't say anything. If it all works out it will be a good webcam to watch.
Sorry I haven't replied to everyone by name but hope you are all well. If I get time I will post again during the week.
Margobird
Enjoyed salmon with salad and more raspberries, then a long chat with Dau#2 who is pondering job future (SNH comes under Civil Service) and is very caught up with arrangements for GSon#1’s wedding next summer. She reckons there might be winter white stuff falling in Inverness this week!
Diane – did you go to bed at all Saturday night? Pleased you and Dad enjoyed pics – you are right about Gallinule – we know it as Moorhen here, but I googled both, and apparently it is an almost worldwide species called Gallinula Chloropus. Very flattering comment on photo of me – don’t know how anyone old, short, fat and a bit stooped, with NHS shoes and a walking stick can be described as beautiful – but thanks anyway!
Annette – will your sister be moving into a town, nearer to essential services? I hope they get a buyer – but despite the recession, there are still people with money to buy a dream in the country! I still have Windows XP, OH has Vista – so if I get new with W7, we shall still not have the same!
Lindy – with all the home-grown veg, I often wonder whether meat is necessary. When I was young, Dad grew all our veg – including marrows for winter jam, beans to be salted in big earthenware jars, sprouts and leeks to be brought in with frozen fingers in winter, and potatoes to last the whole year. There was always a lot in the summer, and we often had a plate of just fresh veg with butter – probably an austerity measure, but how I enjoyed it!
Must be something in the air – I’ve managed to mention job threats, recession and austerity so far!!
Margo – nice surprise to see you here via the laptop! Pleased you are having a good time and good weather. Hope friend’s eye heals soon. How lovely of her to think of that gift for you.
This was a breakfast guest one morning on holiday (taken through kitchen window):
Here is Revolution House, near Chesterfield – it was closed, but I thought it made a traditional “chocolate box” thatched cottage picture, despite its name, which derives from 1688, when three local notables met in what was then the 'Cock and Pynot' (Magpie) Alehouse to plan events leading to the overthrow of King James II in favour of William and Mary.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Our fungus foray last weekend was not very successful but we did find this in the garden.
Joan, do ignore that pesky vacuum cleaner, they never have anything nice to say!
OG, sorry about your son’s problems with his flat, let’s hope dad can sort it all out. We didn’t cycle today, I was navigating for a friend on a rally in his MG Midget. We were doing quite well until he did a wrong test which carries a hefty time penalty. I liked your heron on a bad hair day. Ooh, showing us what you look like : )) Now I’ll know who to look out for when around the corner of the Solway! Well done on eating properly while on your own. (BTW none of those words you used to describe yourself are a barrier to being beautiful!)
Brenda, love your woodpecker!
Annette, thanks for letting us see your lovely granddaughter, I’m sure she must take after you. For Chesterfield’s spire - http://www.chesterfieldparishchurch.org.uk/spire_about.php
Lindy, glad you’re back on in time for Monday Smile : ))
Re walking tigers, running horses and flying osps, some people on other forums on here have moving smileys and I don’t think anyone’s objecting yet.
Terry in Cumbria
Evening folks, have just read through all the posts and what a lot of news and pics already.
Its been really fascinating reading all your news and I apologise for not replying to all - too numerous.
Junior Church went well - only 4 children in the group I was with, went to Traditional Service in the afternoon and then home to finish off my 2nd glass of wine, didn't dare have it before I went to Church. Still awaiting a call so just living each day as it comes at present. Thanks for all your thoughts etc.
What wonderful stunning pics of the birds, OG and such a charming picture of yourself. It is so nice when we can put faces to names. Remember going through Chesterfield some time ago - famous for its spire. A number of years ago we use to travel up to Belper to see my OH's step-grandmother. Have been into Derbyshre a few times in the past and it is a lovely county with the National Park, hills and dales, and Chatsworth.
I'm prattling on again.
http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes/
RSPB Giving Nature a Home
OG - brothers birthday went well, my daughter texted him and he said he was having a good time. So glad it wasn't interupted by a phone call.
Diane in Indiana - will have to look a that quiz? on Facebook sometime as I am registered with them too.
Brenda H - just loved the pic of the woodpecker - such a good close-up too.
DJoan S - tiramisu ice cream sounds heavenly - and whats that about dieting, give it up, we only live once!!!!!!!!!!
OG - you've reminded me ,, I must get on with my ironing!! soon.
Lynette D said: Diane in Indiana - will have to look a that quiz? on Facebook sometime as I am registered with them too.
Hi, Lynette. Here's the link to the new Writer's Blox game on Facebook. It's like Scrabble -- sort of. Take care!
Edit: Woops. Must have forgotten to include the link. Here 'tis: http://apps.facebook.com/writersblox/?rs=fb
Thanks, Annette, for noticing!