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!
Lynette, sorry to hear about your mother, always a shock even when expected.
Margo/OG, yes I did get MWSnap sorted out, but then it all went wrong and I haven't managed it for ages. It seemed so simple, but then it stopped working and I'm sure I wasn't doing anything differently :((
That red mushroom was just a Fly Agaric. It wasn't huge, just that OH got too close, hence the fuzziness. It was about 4 inches across.
Alan, is that Jukka flying for you?
Have a great hol Lindy!
I'm glad some of you have explored marinetraffic.com, I think it's fascinating. Another thing you can do is to put a ship's name in the search to find out where it's got to. When a ship arrives in the dock I often Google the name and that's how I found this site - there are also sites with pictures.
OG, love those steam engine pics, and your OH, he looks the sort of person who is very thoughtful of his wife!
As well as singing and playing the flute, have I told you that I recently started to learn the trombone? Thought not. I met someone a while ago who said, ooh you don't want to do anything new after 40. I thought, how ridiculous, silly woman. Got to keep your brain cells exercised!
Terry in Cumbria
Hello all - Lynette, I am so sorry to read your sad news. When my Mum died it felt like the previous link in the family chain had gone - leaving me as the matriarch of the family. Not something I relished at the time. I will always remember Mum saying to me that there is no loss quite like losing your Mother. She was right. I have lost a husband and a child, both quite awful things to deal with but losing my Mum was exquisitely painful in a different way.
I'm going to take a break from the group. I have so enjoyed getting to know you but - I have been spending too much time here. Also, I am aware that you are all much more 'into' birds and wild life generally than I will ever be!!
Thanks to all (you know who you are!) who have supported me through some difficult/challenging family moments.
TerryM : I dont think it is actually Jukka. Looks more like some sort of eagle but you are not a million miles away.
Just popped in for something, then saw the latest post from Heather - how sorry I am that you feel unable to stay as part of our group, Heather - please don't feel you have to be on here all the time, just pop in now and then and let us know how things are with you! There is no obligation to be a daily writer - we are all busy, and some only post when they can. I should really miss you if you go!
I came on as I found the press cutting about the visit to Jodrell Bank of Sir Bernard Lovell, who is now rather elderly, but still alive!! as was discussed by some of us recently. He is shown here 'breaking the ground' with a spade for a new project which is a Science Discovery Centre at the site. This will be completed in 2011 and it is hoped to attract yet more visitors.
All this talk of frost, blue skies and feeling cold - my addition is that we have SNOW down to about 2,000 ft above sea level and it is quite a covering too. Expect it may be something in the Cairngorms too. The potential skiers will be hoping more is to come!!
HeatherB - sorry to hear you are going to have a break from this group, as I am sure many have enjoyed (and shared with your concerns) of your SiL's time in Afghanistan and the Homecoming that you went to in E'Burgh. We may all have an interest in wildlife, but we also have wider interests as well, and with the input from the many people on this weekly chat page of this group, I am sure we have all learnt a lot more than we knew before about other places, subjects, and useful websites. It certainly helps the winter months with no Ospreys go faster! How about a rethink?
Morning all:
Heather: Oh no, I understand about the temptation to spend too much time on a computer, but will absolutely miss you! :-((
AQ: Had to laugh a lizarda adventure - what a hoot.
Diane: No, won't try to escape jury duty. I've been on two - got thrown off one and served on the other. First was a civil suit brought by a writer who claimed a publisher had appropriated his work (as I was a freelance writer at the time, they clearly didn't want me on board!) and the second was a drunk driving charge - stupid kid was guilty being caught for the third time driving on a suspended license, although that tidbit wasn't allowed as evidence. You can't get out of it easily anyway - the last time I heard all kinds of excuses why people couldn't serve but the judge was super hard-nosed about granting delays. Normally, you can delay once (which I did when we took the trip North) but I think you'd need a death certificate to get out of it a second time!
Must get busy ordering that computer. Thanks ALL for posts. Take care.
Oh Heather! I do hope you nip in from time to time and don't leave altogether. I tend to vary as to how long I feel able to spend here, as do some of the other members and there are no hard and fast rules as to what we discuss....as you can see.
All the very best to you whatever you decide and a pleasure having 'met' you.
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data
Hi everyone.TerryM: Hope the trombone lessons go well.Heather: Sorry to hear you're taking a break from this group. All the best to you.
Paul.
Warning! This post contains atrocious spelling, and terrible grammar. Approach with extreme edginess.
HeatherB Sorry you're thinking of leaving us. I don't have a lot of time to spend on the computer either but it's good to pop in and out reading and, where possible, contributing. I'm certainly not a bird or wildlife expert but enjoy hearing what others know. Do stay with us!
Just signed in for the first time today. Went to hairdressers, who took much longer than usual, then went for lunch with OH and then food shopping. We are helping daughter move house tomorrow, so I doubt if I will be on here. It could be a very long day for us.
Lynette,Probably missed you, but did want to say how sorry I am to hear your news. It doesn't matter how prepared we think we are for such a sorrowful event, to lose one's Mum is a very painful time. My prayers and thoughts are with you.
Heather, Please do keep popping in and saying Hello. We will miss you and have enjoyed your posts. As for birds and wildlife, yes, the ospreys brought us together but, as you know, we discuss everything on these pages and there have been times, and will be times in the future, I am sure, when we each have had to devote our time to other issues and couldn't post on here, but we return when we are able. Look forward to hearing from you when you feel like it.
Terry, Good for you, learning to play the trombone. I firmly believe we must keep our brains active and am sorry for that person you spoke to, who feels that learning should end at 40.
Liz, I did see that there was some snow forecast, but I don't want to see any down here yet.
AQ, Lizarda seems to be becoming too used to you and is trying to become one of the family. I had a good laugh at your efforts to return her to her own home.
OG, Thanks for your latest photographs of Bolsover Castle. I am full of admiration for the architects and builders of those days. I hope your son's landlord gets that lock replaced or repaired.
Diane, Thanks for the link to see the grey seals.