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!
Lindybird said: 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.
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.
Lindy thanks for the newspaper clip. Very interesting. I look forward to the project's completion next year. Good to see Sir Bernard is still around to take part in the ceremony.
ChloeB & Tiger's Osprey Data
HeatherB : Sorry you have decided to take a break from the group. Look forward to 'seeing' you again when you decide to return.
Annette : There have been 30 sightings of Phoebe today but I still havent seen her:
http://www.ustream.tv/hummingbirdnestcam
Aian, I just looked in and caught a very quick glimpse of Phoebe. 9.16pm.
Well done Brenda. I have been watching the football so missed her again. I see there are 40 sightings now.
Frost this morning then a wonderful day today – but OH had forgotten to return little camera to car (after downloading Son’s flat) before we went out! Road men came - how many men does it take to lay 50 yards of tarmac?!! – rhetorical question of course! Arrived early for dentist, so took a brief look at Kingholm Quay – one fishing boat and some sailboats. When we got to dental centre, he was ready early anyway so I was out before I was due in! But sad news – he is retiring in December – B******! Sandwich lunch at garden centre and bought new smaller artificial Ch********s Tree – decided old one is past its best, and this will be easier for me to decorate. On the journeys, saw at least a dozen Buzzards, mostly coasting and wheeling in pairs – wonderful colouration with sun on their undersides as they turned. Blood tests done – very slow bleed – phlebotomist said she has to pray for blood when she sees my arm!
Terry – OH was just having a chuckle so I asked what he was reading on screen – he had gone to the shipping site and been told that Snae Fell is going nowhere at zero knots!! He said he was relieved to hear it! For any who don’t know, Snae Fell is highest point on Isle of Man!
Thanks all for posts overnight and today.
AQ – thanks for continuing the tour – Mum had a mangle like that – but ours was green. Wouldn’t fancy the Lizarda episode – but at least a photo opportunity!
Annette – I hope jury service won’t be a long and tiresome case, or a violent or distressing one.
Alan - Melrose pic was not me – it was AQ – being Melrose in SA not Borders! But I do love our Scottish Melrose Abbey – heart of The Bruce is buried there of course!
Joan – more railway pics when I have finished the other places!
Terry – thanks for compliment for OH – I wouldn’t manage long without him! He once had an ambition to learn Trombone! Hope you are enjoying yours.
So sad about Heather leaving us! Came as quite a shock.
Lindy – thanks for Sir Bernard! Never did visit Jodrell Bank, but youngest GDaughter thought it was wonderful when she went!
Liz – sounds like quite a fall of snow around FW. I guess the ski centres there and in Cairngorms will be hoping for another lucrative winter!
Brenda – I hope tomorrow runs smoothly for you, OH and Daughter – take care!
Continuing Derbyshire, a couple of pics from Carr Vale Reserve (below Bolsover Castle):
Flying Ducks:
Autumn Berries:
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
A walk by the Chesterfield Canal.
Autumn Contrast:
Proud Mother (not a very picturesque view – they came under the bridge to see if we had food, then turned and went back disapointed!):
Fish coming up for late afternoon insects in the sunlight – hundreds of them at one bend in Canal (may be Dace or Chubb – can anyone give ID?)
Water Vole – we are fairly sure of this ID due to the ears being very hairy, so we don’t think we have a Rat by mistake! It was feeding on a clump of grass.
They have just found the world's longest cat!
Tiger Signature
Lovely pics OG. Yes looks like a water vole to me too.
Love the one of the swan and cygnets.
WOW! Tiger, that is some cat! He is HUGE! :)
Heather - Maybe I’m too late to catch you, but I do hope you will "drop in" from time to time. I shall miss your chat.
Chloe - Mount Remarkable was named by explorer Edward John Eyre "for the lofty way in which it towered above the surrounding hills". It does seem to rise very suddenly from the plains. Of course it is a midget compared to the Alps, etc.
Annette - Yes I am still visiting library once a week. It is rather more "recording" than "researching". Currently discovering more settlers who took up land, only to have it forfeited due to not complying with conditions. Of course some of them had no hope, having been given land beyond reliable rainfall.
Diane - I don’t know whether they breed camels in Aust. I know they capture the wild camels, descendants of those released when modern transport replaced the camel trains. http://www.wilmap.com.au/atts/83.html
Terry - We are never to old to learn. Today’s paper features on the front page a 94-year-old who is not only studying Australian History but is sitting for the SACE (matriculation) exam. He is eager to go on to further study next year. "Maybe a cooking class", he said. It was reported that 133 students over the age of 71 were doing a SACE subject this year.