Weekly Chat, Sunday November 21, 2010

Tiger: The photo requiring the caption is a hoot - that osprey looks a tad indignant. Well, who wouldn't be if someone snuck up behind them with a camera from that angle!  :-)   I've got into the habit of saving longish posts as I go along but every now and then I forget - and of course that's the time I lose them.  in the "What am I supposed to do" pic, who's asking the question?!  Couldn't get a pic on Cute Fanatic. Ospreys dining on blue crabs now - soon  it'll be caviar.  By the way, Wikipedia says blue crabs are generally rejected as a food source coz it's too hard to get to the meat - of course we don't have killer beaks!

OG:  Good grief - and there I was thinking that somehow Gretna Green had faded into oblivion.....sounds like it's been Disneyfied!    Oh dear, your roadworks story reminds me of the spiffy new parking lot they built on State Street near the Courthouse; they forgot to figure in backed up traffic on a busy one-way street and had to redo the entrance within a week of the opening.

Margobird: Obviously Billy Whiz told the fox about the handouts at your house.

jsb:  Fascinating photo of parakeet.

Lindybird:  Bet you aren't straying too far from home what with Sweetpea making waves, so to speak. Will you still call it Sweetpea if it's a boy?  Brilliant shots of elephant vs croc - have never found anything remotely endearing about crocs or alligators.  Like BrendaH, I also wonder about injuries to the trunk.

Rained all last night and only a little this morning before sun broke through. Another storm due after midnight.  Did some shopping this morning, then tried to leave a pound or two (of fat, that is!) at the gym, then went off to a friend's house. Her son, who's disabled, works with silver and gemstones and makes some lovely pieces that he sells once a year at a sort of holiday sale.  He also does wonderful desserts, cookies, etc., and so there are two good excuses to attend.  Tomorrow must finish up some projects around the house. Have just started reading Tracy Chevalier's new book, Extraordinary Creatures in between racing through yet another Henning Mankell thriller (not Kurt W this time).

Have a nice Sunday all; hope you stay dry and get some sun.

Morning Everyone.   Dull skies here but something shiny is trying to glimmer through.  Husband has the binoculars out (boniculars??!!) looking for our Buzzard, as he got a glimpse of him when taking Dog for his walk before breakfast today.

Annette:  Lovely to come on and see your cheerful Rose motif again - it reminds me of the wonderful roses my mother planted in the garden when we moved to a new house & I was aged 9.  Happy days.  (I got the big bedroom, on condition I gave it up for guests, which was only occasionally)   Yes, I shall still call the Babe Sweetpea even if it's a boy - but had already decided that that would have to stop when he reached 3 or 4 in favour of something more 'manly'.  My opposite number Grandma is convinced its a girl, by the way....   I did dream it was a boy a couple of times, but set no store by that, so it will certainly be a nice surprise when all is revealed!

Impressed by your dedication in going to the gym often - I'm far too lazy.  When we were on holiday, we saw in several Spanish towns the new idea of 'open air activity' apparatus set up for anyone to use - lots of folks having a go!  Think its an idea from their central government to keep everyone fit.

Thanks for starting the new thread.  Everyone, have a nice Sunday!

ps   Just read the end of last weeks posts.     OG   Will be accompanying you out in future as you always seem to eat such lovely food!!  Your new roadworks seem to be there to cause endless amusement and entertainment - when I wonder, will it all be finished!  Seriously though, its gone on for so long, you & the neighbours must all be fed up with it now.

Tried to post this two hours ago but RSPB (not server) reported the site was non-existent!!

Annette – I hope the storm in the night/early morning was not a nasty one.  Weather here is forecast to stay good at least until Tuesday – bright morning right now.  Debating whether to return to Caerlaverock this afternoon – so much to watch right now – unless we think of somewhere else – but Caerlaverock is so good for “facilities” and food!  Do I suspect the beginnings of Christmas present buying with your visit to friend’s son?  I do so like buying from crafters I know, or have seen at work.  We resisted buying some wonderful pics at an exhibition yesterday afternoon – stunning photos of Whooper Swans by a local acquaintance – who we actually saw there and chatted photography with in the café.  Got to get on with some website updates now before we go anywhere.

--Found the same problem myself OG - this site did not even exist for a while!! - just got back on now.  Hope you enjoy yourselves when you go out....

Not many posters today - could be there are still problems. 

Lengthy article about badgers on the BBC website :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11380921

Feel for the poor relatives waiting for news of the NZ Mining Disaster.  They must be in agonies, waiting.  And now there has been another Mining incident in China. 

I see the site is up and running again. It has been down since this morning.

Lindybird:   Yes, I do like my rose - and yes it is cheerful isn't it? Thanks again to Diane (where is she!). I'm leaning to planting more roses than originally planned in our new garden. We're having trouble comparing the quotes since the landscapers have different methods of lumping things together and it's hard comparing apples with what look suspicioiusly like oranges.  Probably a good idea to switch to a 'manly' name in a couple of years.  I've been going to the gym regularly for - oh geez - 30  years, but frankly, I look in the mirror and wonder just how much difference it made and may be I could've eaten pies and cakes all those years.  :-)   Bad news about more mine troubles - and the NZ folks will no doubt be hoping for an outcome as positive as that a few weeks back in China. We have strict rules to govern mines here, but there was a disaster back east a couple of years ago with men killed and the authorities are having trouble proving that the owners (who had been cited many times for safety violations) tampered with safety equipment after the event to make it look like it had been working all along. I would probably just throw them in jail anyway based on their track record (very enlightened, eh?).

OG:  Storm turned out to be very polite and somewhat reticent. Everything is wet, but sun is shining; haven't peered around the trees yet to see what might be lurking up there.  Caerlaverock (how do you pronounce that?) sounds like a good option given its offerings.  Was planning to buy gifts at friend's house (and did buy a pendant to go with a pretty bracelet I got last year - dark green stone against silver; can't remember the name!) but decided the items within my price range were a bit too delicate for daughter, who lives for horses, and will probably buy granddaughter something more practical stuff, what with a baby on the way. Sigh. Wish I could be as happy as Lindybird about the new family member, but still very worried about how she's going to cope.  Oh well.

Good morning Tiger and thanks for previous heads up re RSPB!

Off to start day; assume everyone will have figured out the site is back up by the time I get back on this evening. Take care all.

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Back at last.  Talk about withdrawals!

Many thanks for starting the week again Annette.  Love the new avatar.  A nice summery picture.  You can almost smell it!

OG yes, I've been having a HUGE AMOUNT of trouble today.  I did get in slightly earlier in the day and wrote all my replies, but when I 'replied' the page was not found and I couldn't get my message back???  It isn't the RSPB site as a whole that is the problem as I can access other areas, but it seems to be the blogs.  I have finally learned my lesson, and am typing this in MS Word!

Lindybird I cannot imagine what the relatives, and indeed friends, of the NZ miners are going through.  I have found a 'live update' web page on the events as they are panning out: http://tvnz.co.nz/national-news/live-updates-pike-river-mine-explosion-3905663

It makes me realise just how many folk are risking their lives around the world in these coal mines. I see that two of those who are caught up in the explosion are Scotsmen.

OH and I made it to the party we mistakenly thought was last Saturday.  It was great fun and head was clear this morning.

Well, Scotland and England did well in the rugby on Saturday, and a particular pat on the back goes to Scotland beating the World Champion, South Africa.  Ireland won their match, and Wales lost to Fiji on Friday.  I guess England will be worried when the play South Arica next week given SA's defeat this week!  No doubt they will come out all guns blazing!  Didn't I read that England were doing quite well 'down under' (sorry AQ!) in preparation for the Ashes...

Must go, Murray has just won the first set against Soderling at the ATP World Tour Finals at the O2 (formerly the Millennium Stadium) in London.  Apparently Soderling has overtaken Murry as the new World Number 4 in the world rankings, so it is probably a bit of a needle match.  

Edit  As I still couldn't get on to send this it is now 5.40pm, Murray won in straight sets, I've caught up with Saturday night's Strictly and I am now about to start our roast beef and yorkies for dinner!  

Hi ALL good to see the site up and running again.

Thanks for the update on the NZ mine Sheila. Not looking good right now. Yes it certainly is a dangerous occupation.