Weekly Chat, Sunday, October 24, 2010

Sheila – I always compose in Word – text seems to resize when it uploads.  It is amazing where some of our exchanges lead us – and I always was, from childhood, someone who could get immersed cross-referencing in a dictionary or encyclopaedia, so now it happens online.  I just get so interested in the topics, recapture a memory, or find, like you with your Cambridge connection, a coincidence which encourages me to explore further!

Since “rain stopped play” in your garden, have a picture (from Sheffield Botanic):

Annette: Two good programs on tonight: First Life with David Attenborough on Discovery Channel and Nature: A Murder of Crows on PBS. I'm going to watch while I work tonight. Hope you get your computer sorted with limited expense. I would love to have a new one, but it's not in my budget. :-( I am going to order a new printer from Dell tonight at $60 off. My old one (bought in 1998!) is on its last legs, and I need one to handle all of my Dad's medical and insurance issues, etc.

Will catch up with everyone later. Everyone have a great week.

Have to show up for jury duty at noon tomorrow (Monday); had to listen to a recording reminding jurors not to carry anything into the courthouse that could be used as a weapon - including knitting needles! Had to smile because knitting is enjoying a resurgence here

Diane: The Crow segment on Nature is a repeat - saw it the first time around; let me know what you think about that guy's experiment running around with his antenna - I thought his conclusion was a bit weak.  Just found Attenborough - have been yakking with my granddaughter for almost 45 minutes!  Was checking our local (well, Los Angeles) PBS station and see - can't believe this! - that they're showing Rain Man tonight - in French!!??  At least that's what the cable line up shows.....all a bit odd.  Usually Sundance or IFC show foreign language pix.   It's been on so many times (in English); maybe they're trying something different!  :-)

I

UK folk: Here's an explanation and some video of the program that Annette and I are talking about. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8080091/A-Murder-of-Crows-PBS-US-TV-review.html

Annette: I remembered seeing footage from the crow program after I had watched a bit. I thought it was very interesting. The crows showed extraordinary cognitive abilities (e.g. being able to manipulate tools in multiple steps to obtain food). Very compelling is the fact that if a crow is shot over one farmer's field, crow populations will avoid that field in the future, even altering their migration patterns. I've heard about those reports before from other sources.

I thought this guy's specific "proof" that crows have facial recognition ability was weak, and his mask experiment was seriously flawed. His premise is that the crows remember being caught by the man in the mask, and they retain the memory for up to 2 years. But maybe the crows were just alarm calling at the incredibly silly mask? ("What kind of a funny looking, potentially dangerous human is that?") I don't think the fact that the crow offspring alarm called at him in the end was indicative of anything, because he paced back and forth agitating the crow until he got his desired result -- and I'd alarm call at that goofy mask, too.

I objected very strongly to the ethics of his "research". The narrator mentioned but did not explore the fact that the Defense Department is funding his work, because they think crows can be used to seek out and identify the locations of "bad guys". I don't believe in exploiting animals for military purposes (others are free to disagree). Also, when that Cooper's hawk killed and ate one of his crow test subjects, that researcher spat out, "I hope he chokes on it." He showed rage and contempt for the hawk. I think ego and money drive his "research" more than dedication to nature.

However, I personally do believe that crows are capable of facial recognition because mine are comfortable with me, but will alarm call frantically if someone else is around our house. They hate the guys who read the electric and water meters. I've also seen some strong indications here that they do, indeed, have elaborate social communication skills. I think they do transmit information to each other, but I don't have scientifically valid proof, just my own observations.

Hope your granddaughter is getting on well!!!

SheilaFE  Glad you liked Farweel Tae Tarwathie   It is one of the few songs that I liked the moment I first heard it. Mind you one little bit of the puzzle I will never solve is that I am not 100% convinced that it was Robert Lovie singing when I first heard it. Still that is what the BBC said and I cannot argue.

I love the line "there aren't any birdies to sing to the whale".

For some reason it also reminds me of another instant conversion. The woman who ran the Luciano Parvarotti fan club was a Frank Sinatra fan until she heard the Italian sing. It was a real "road to Damascus" moment and  from then on Pavarotti  was her idol.

I only saw Pavarotti once. That was in "Pavarotti in the Park" in July 1991. It was pouring with rain and everyone was thoroughly miserable. Then Pavarotti came out and started to sing. Within 30 minutes everyone was so happy.One of the most remarkable things I have ever seen. He did try to "makes eyes" at Princess Diana but she was not having that sort of thing. :)

I also remember "Parvarotti in the Park" for one other reason. It was the first tme I saw an ad for Hagan Daz ice cream. I remember thinking that it looked like an ad for condoms.

Oh I see you are into climbing Munroes? I have only ever climbed two. Ben Vorlich and Ben Lawers.

How did you get on with "Scottish Ospreys"?

OG It is always easier to tell the truth. That way you do not have to keep telling more and more lies.

As far as composing is concerened I open the forum in two windows. Then I surf in one and compose in the other. It works for me.

 dibnlib   Oh I like the work of art. Very clever.  I hope Dillon is fine.

Diane My printer is a HP Laserjet 1100 bought in 1999 and I am going to replace it soon. Technology moves on a lot in 11 years.

Annette  I have never been called for jury service for some odd reason. Some people I know have been called four time.

 I am looking forward to Monday Smiles.

Diane and Annette – I have no doubt that Crows, and other Corvids, are very intelligent and communicate with one another.  But an experiment involving any kind of human relationship with them will surely be skewed by our current perception of them – and as an object in the experiment, we cannot be wholly subjective.

Tiger – I was called for Jury service once in England but was exempted on medical grounds.  OH served once in England and was recently exempted in Scotland for being my carer – quite a relief as we are not so familiar with Scottish Law!  Oh, Tiger, no Monday Smiles with Lindy away on her hols!  I’m trying desperately to think of something funny, but can’t even recall one of Son’s awful jokes – which may be something to smile about!!

Dibnlib - Fascinating puffin pic. Love it.
Apologies to others - no time to comment on chat tonight.
I had a busy weekend. Dinner Sat for Dau1’s wedding party. I had rabbit pasta (rather oily) and orange blossom creme brulee (peculiar taste). Company & location was great though. Now less than 3 weeks to The Day. Sunday afternoon tea at niece’s for birthdays of mil, sis-il, & sil. Today I visited the wedding venue which was open under the Open Gardens scheme. More pics later. (I haven’t finished Port Augusta yet!!!!!!)

In one part of the Pt Augusta Arid Lands garden they had laid out examples of formal gardens. Many of these plants are native to other states. The plant with yellow flowers is Pycnosorus globosus, also known as Drumsticks or Billy Buttons.
 

The first garden was ‘Desert’ A row of Hakea francisiana (Grass-leaf hakea) on left, Eremophila pterocarpa on right.

The next was a Mallee garden with a Xanthorrhoea.

Bookleaf Mallee (Eucalyptus kruseana). 2nd pic is a close-up of the leaves.

Courtyard garden with Native Hibiscus (Alyogyne huegellii).

Good morning all just catching up with everything.  Didn't log in yesterday as I felt OH was in need of company.  He has found his friend's death at such an early age quite hard to take.  He is now on his way to Glasgow as I type, boarded a plan at 10.25 so will be arriving soon.  Will be going straight to the house from the airport to say his last goodbye to a very dear friend.  The coffin will then be taken to chapel later today for the funeral tomorrow.  I think he is going to find it very difficult, he wants to remain strong for the wife and her two children who are 19 and 21 respectively.  So young to lose their mother.  It all happened so quickly, two months ago he was fine with no inkling of how ill he was.  His last week was not good and very distressing for his family as you can guess.  The weather forecast for tomorrow is not good and I just hope they have it wrong as it is a burial and I will never forget my grandmother's burial which took place in torrential rain.

I must admit to being so worried about my friend's OH. He looks so ill and I am beginning to wonder what he has.  He has lost an awful lot of weight and does not eat very much at all.  Won't find anything out until the results of the xray are known.  I am just keeping my fingers crossed for him and for her.

Had a good week on the farm but sorry no photos.  I have a digital camera and as we were lucky enough to have the sun all week, it made it too difficult for me as all I could see was my reflection in the screen.  I have terribly difficulty with this camera and I think I will have to get something else with a view finder.  I so wanted t get some pics of the meerkats etc.  I was lucky enough to go in the enclosure with them and they are so tiny and just so cute.    I also went into the field where he keeps his emus and was stroking them would you believe.  Had great fun feeding all the chickens and geese.  At one point I had a couple of geese swinging off the back of my jacket trying to get to the food that I had.  I have obviously come home with freerange eggs as the chickens roam all round the farm during the day and get put away to roost at night because of the foxes.  Thursday evening and Friday I did feel a bit lonely but I had a regular visitor in the form of a horse.  His name is Branston and he would visit several times during the day and in the evening for the carrots he knew I had.   Thursday evening I was out feeding him at 10.45 bless him.  Got to feed the other horses which are still out in the field and soon got to know me as the "carrot lady".  Didn't hear any owls this year at all.  Last year we could hear them all around us.  Did manage to see quite a few bats though.

When we left the farm on Saturday the first hour of the journey was in the most appalling weather conditions.  Torrential rain  and very difficult to see anything at all.  I am a nervous traveller at the best of times and my heart always sinks if OH has to drive in these conditions.  We thought it would be like it all the way but as we approached Dorset it started to ease and eventually stopped.  Although there had been rain here it was nothing like the rain we had travelled through.  Now I have another washing moutain as I told OH to leave the washing until I returned.  A lot of what I have come back is covered in mud and the like but at least the sun is shining here.  Very, very frosty and cold first thing.  Both bird baths frozen up and the birds are very hungry, have filled the feeders up again already.  Lots of layers for me this morning I can tell you.

Thanks to all for the interesting chat, links and some wonderful photos.  Loved Alan's hedgehog pic.  We don't get hedgehogs at all in our garden for some reason.  We think it would be just right for them but have never seen one since we have lived here.  Sorry can't mention everyone by name but will try to keep up a bit bit more now.

Dibnlib  sorry to read you had not been well so hope you are fully recovered now.

Think I had better stop for now but take care all and it is nice to be back again with you all.