Weekly Chat, Sunday November 14, 2010

thanks Alan took a few attempts but i managed it in the end im not very technical so i read the sos thread and managed it from that in the end

Alicat, congrats on the animation. Looks great.

shocking news about young osp    what sort of people are these?  and these. At Raigmore hosp heard some nurses talking and it appears that the previous evening 3 young teenagers(11-13) had been tearing round hosp areas on their bikes causing havoc and wrecking some equipment, and not for the first time. It appears they are known to the police who, for some reason, have their hands tied!!!!! Unbelievable, wonder what will happen if they seriously hurt themselves when creating mayhem? No doubt they will expect to be treated with kid gloves and probably that is what will happen, no matter how the nurses/Drs feel.

Good afternoon all have just managed to catch up with all the chat since coming back from Forres. The weather here today is rather dull and windy with rain threatening.  On Saturday went into Inverness and had a coffee in the museum and must have passed Dibnlib as when I was looking at some of the exhibits I noticed a class going on in a room  in the museum. There was also a lovely market going on in main street. Had a nice meal in the Mustard Seed before going back to Forres. On Sunday had a trip to Burghead but as the tide was out all the wildlife seemed to be at the waters edge managed to get some photographs taken but haven't had time to download them yet.

Coming back down on the train looking across at the mountains with the the snow on them was beautiful but because the train was so busy couldn't get space to use the camera to record the scene. Spent yesterday shopping with SiL and her sister, who has now returned from her holiday, as this Saturday we are having a lunch party in my house to celebrate five birthdays that were put on hold due to my BiL time in hospital and subsequent death.

Hope everyone keeps well 

Hello George, so glad you have a good weekend with your son in Forres.  Of course I should have realised where Forres was, but have just checked it and Burghead out with Google Earth.  How lovely to be in ospreyland!!  I had tried to persuade our walking friends that next year we should consider our holiday in that area!  Unfortunately (for me) we are heading to the west coast, north of Ullapool with Suilven in our sights!  Still, that is a lovely part of the world too, and 'our' cottage overlook the sea, so I shall be on seabird, seal and otter watch!!  My friend who lives west of Kinross tells me the mountain tops are covered in snow.

GEORGE  yes guess I would have been in that classroom. Left slightly early at 1.00pm as OH arrived to pick me up .   It is a while since we ate at the Mustard Seed, wonder what their disabled facilities are like? Think our favourite "Rocpoiol" is out at the mo as the only loos we know of are down a flight of stairs, just not have to drink anything before we go there.

So glad you are still in close contact with BiLs family, you have obviously been a brick through hard times.     

Well today was going to be a walk around Loch Morlich with one of my favorite scones halfway round but the weather put pay to that idea. Rain and really high winds so it was a swim  and a coffee a scone at Simpsons garden center and a sneaky look at Christmas decorations. Although we haven't had the rain that the poor people in Cornwall have had the winds have been quite disruptive. Saw one high sided lorry looking a little worse for wear on the A9. Came back via Culloden and Dava Moor. Not one brave soul walking around the battlefield.

Dibnlib Both my girls have chosen to be child free and I would never interfere with their choice. As well as Daisy May I have Dylan my eldest daughtersaged Basset Hound. I heard a theory once the mens ears carry on growing as they get older and that has been proved right with Dyls as is ears are much lower to the ground than they used to be!!

My feeling about things is whatever life throws at you you just buckle down and get on with it as we only get to do it once. I am a glass half full sort of person unless it is a nice chilled New Zealand Saunignon Blanc and then my glass is half empty.

SheilaFE I am not sure the CAA proved very much it was a big PR excercise not that Mick minded as he spent 4 weeks on Lundy, a further 4 weeks in the lighthouse at the Lizard a further 4 weeks on Alderney a various other places. It was real hard work as Concord only flew over once in the morning and once in the evening...hard life. When we were on holiday on Lundy on a clear day you could see her clearly...she was a beauty.

Even now Lundy has limited electricity as the generator is off between 11pm and 6am. They did try an aerogenerator years ago..before they became the in thing but it cost too much to maintain and all that is left of it is the concrete base. Tibbets the furthest up is all gas...a long way to carry your shopping and too far from the pub.

Margobird Don't think OH is too worried about weather down south he just enjoys the catching up with family at companies expense. We lived in Verwood for 23 years before moving to the Highlands and his dad lives in Moordown (he calls it Upper Moordown as it the sounds as posh as e posh part of Parkstone...snob). My youngest lives just outside of Wool so he will catch up with her and Daisy May as well.

As we all know birds of prey are shot all over the U.K. quite a few being found either shot or poisoned up here in Scotland and it is always the gamekeeper who goes to court...this looks set to change and it will be the landowners that go to court...let's hope that happens soon.

Well done you, dibnlib on getting out and about so much when you are still struggling with the ankle!  Sorry to hear its going to be weeks yet till you get rid of the thing.

Thanks to Tiger for alerting us to the G. Horned Owl pics, just gorgeous!

Also thanks for cheering us up Diane, with the lovely peacock & flowers, so colourful when its so dreary here today.

Nice to hear from you, georgeg.  Hope the 'birthday party' goes well.

Soooo cross about the Swedish Osprey being shot - I would like to shoot the perpetrators myself!

Love all the new signatures!  lots of fun!!

Went with OH to  B & Q this afternoon, they had lots of Christmas decorations & lights but although I love the festive season,  I'm just not ready to be jolly yet!  We came out with an inexpensive plastic box to put on the (interior) shelf of the new dining room unit, as it has less drawers than the old unit & too many small bits & pieces to find a home for.  Also he bought some boring electrical components - our lights in the bathroom are not always coming on & its a bit disconcerting showering in the gloom. As I sent him to the Charity Shop with some bits, he came out beaming as he found a thick Wilbur Smith book for one pound there, to read on his next holiday.

Very pleased that Wills & Kate have now got around to being engaged, but startled as to just how much news coverage there was, if its like this already they will be hysterical by the time of the actual wedding!  She seems very level headed & will need to be if she is to be a Royal - just hope she knows what a  roller coaster she has now got onto. Must admit I had a lump in my throat when I spied the engagement ring & they confirmed it was Diana's - how emotional.

Sorry to hear about all the poor folks flooded out in Cornwall - we do seem to have much more of this kind of thing every winter, now.

Evening all.  Haven't had time to comment this last few days but have been reading posts.  Thanks to all who have posted lovely pics.

AQ Wedding pics are super, bride beautiful and so elegant, Miss 14 very pretty and MoBas stylish this time as last.  It must have been a wonderful and moving occasion.

dibnlib What a job you did on that ankle (and what a jb surgeon did in fixing it again! Glad the pain is easing - do be careful on your crutches and avoid steps when possible.

We've had another dreadful day here, with all ferries cancelled for the whole day.  I heard on the radio that Ferry Road in Stranraer has been closed to through traffic, to allow HGV's tp park while waiting for the resumption of service as the car and lorry parks are full.

Dreadful to hear of the shooting of the young Swedish osprey.  I can't understand people - we had a report on Monday of the killing of a whole family of peregrines about 40 miles south. Our local peregrine spot has not had a nest since the female was killed on the road and the male appeared to have pined away.

Much excitement yesterday.  My neighbour called me to come into her kitchen and check if the animal on a tree in the back garden was really a red squirrel - it was!  We haven't ever had a red in the area before and it's many years since the lone occasion when we saw a grey.  I've been rushing into the room with a view of the garden, hoping it'll be back on one of my nut feeders.  Fingers crossed!

Uurrrgh!  “Dark, dark, irrecoverably dark!”  (Did anyone else do Samson Agonistes for Advanced English?)  We’ve had lights on all day.  Windy too.  Not a lot achieved today, but did bake some apple muffins.  Going to a wildlife talk at Lockerbie tonight.  Thanks for all posts overnight and today.  Just went to my latest post ready to start replies from there and seen how many times I posted yesterday – has this woman really got nothing better to do?!!!

Wendy – so sorry you lost your first husband so young – but pleased that you found someone new to be happy with.  Sorry you didn’t get your walk and scone today – but you still have it to look forward to!!

AQ – well done you – I don’t think I would recognise  a Willow Warbler by sound!

Margo – thinking of you and your toilet!

Alicat – like your gentle moving sig doggy – maybe a bit effeminate for Casper?

Joan – hope your eye screening was satisfactory and that your blurry vision has cleared – hate those drops!

George – our Son went via Inverness to see his sister on Saturday (he won’t drive across Kessock Bridge!) and he told me about the international market, perhaps for festivals of lights (Eid, Diwali, Chanukah and Christmas)?  Look forward to some photos from Burghead.  If you are doing the cooking, I am sure your family celebration on Saturday will be very enjoyable, despite the element of sadness.