Weekly Chat, Sunday November 21, 2010

morning/afternoon all. Thanks for the Thanksgiving wishes but I'm a bit of a fraud, being a Brit Abroad! Still, it is a lovely Holiday, very family orientated.

I have to dash now so will catch up later in the day. Had a very quick skim read and see my prediction of when Sweatpea will arrive (this morning)  went the same way as my egg hatching ones! lol

Osprey, 4 boys! wow. Sure they keep you on your toes.

Reading a bit about the Ark Royal. I don't want to get into politics as I think mine are different to others on here but I read the UK will have aircraft carriers that can't launch planes? Please can someone tell me that is as barmy as it sounds..

Gary: Re UK aircraft carriers.

When Ark Royal has gone, the two new carriers, when finished, will be able to launch helicopters anyway, but we will not have any suitable fixed wing types for a few more years.  The carriers are okay - the gap is in retiring Harrriers now instead of waiting until their future replacements are ready!

We understand one new carrier will be used initially in limited roles and the second will be held in reserve.  Apparently we can't afford the penalties involved in cancelling the carriers, but won't afford to run them both!

Morning all:

Margobird:  First off, congratulations on getting accepted at LG!  I'm really happy for you. So we'll be getting on-the-spot reports, right?  Any idea when you're scheduled?

Diane:  Thank you for bald eagle chick pic and for good wishes.

Lindybird: Never know whether to zip through the posts first to see if Sweetpea has arrived or plod through chronologically, so to speak. Who knows, by the next page, you may be a real grandma, which means you'll be buying "Christmas" presents throughout the year.  Great shot of you; hat very chic! And you don't look red at all.  Assume you had your cell phone on "vibrate" throughout Harry Potter.....?

Wendy: Agree that nothing beats sitting down with newspaper; not sure I like reading anything long on a screen. Don't think I'd want to try a novel, even on a laptop or Ipad, etc...  Hope the plough people get the hang of the snazzy new equipment before they get to your house.

Djoan: Thanks for reminding us that LOTL is still playing host to some visitors. No idea what that bird is though.

jsb: Fascinated by the prospect of a parakeet in your garden.

osprey: What a sweetie your youngest is - four eh? well, what's 16 for Christmas when you're used to four boys.

Thanks all for Thanksgiving wishes. Sun just coming up through the trees..... Our high today will be 62F with a low tonight of - wow! - 31F!!!  But no snow. :-)

Margobird: So pleased for you and what an adventure. My youngest lives in East Burton near Wool and comes up here to the Highlands quite often and a bit like me she sometimes does it by road (625miles) but in June she is coming up via Bristol on to Inverness by EasyJet. I booked it for her 2 weeks ago and it is £44 pounds all in.

A bit dull this afternoon but a couple of views of the River Spey.

Thanks Wendyb not sure how I am going to travel up yet but will be looking into the best way for me.  It will be a wondeful adventure and I am so looking forward to being at LG.

Lovely pics of the snow.

Hi Annette and what a truly wonderful start to my day.  For a change the post was quite early but I am still  on one big high now I know for sure I will be going to LG and living my dream.  I go from 11 June to 18 June.  Chose to go at this time as there should be chicks to watch as well as Odin and EJ and also I didn't think I could stay awake to do the egg watch and it might be chilly anyway at that time.  I know it could be very wet but I will go prepared for that.

Margobird; If you do travel the air route I can always be your taxi from Inverness to Loch Garten. Oh yes back again. 

Hi, all. I'm sorry that I haven't posted much. I've been caring for my Dad. Thank you to all for your good wishes for him. I always hate to post to one person if I can't acknowledge everyone, seems so rude and mean.

I saw a beautiful doe deer this week. She was crossing my garden toward the burn/creek to get a drink. I heard the coyotes yipping and howling last night, and the sound was so mournful. Oh, and I had a pair of lovely red cardinal birds in the garden this morning. They are going to stay for the winter so I hope it doesn't get too cold and snowy for them.

It is a very dark and dreich day in Indiana. The last few days, the temperature has been going up and down wildly -- very warm to very cold. We've had thunderstorms the last two nights. We are having hard rain today and then freezing rain, icy sleet, and maybe the first snow tonight. We're under a flood warning, because some areas may get up to 5 inches of rain before this storm is over. It's good though, because we needed an end to the drought here. So far, my burn/creek is staying within its banks.

I do hope you all are warm and safe; I know the weather has been ghastly for parts of the UK.

Replies in next post.

Alan: Not only is the tennis boring the comentators aren't much better!!

I think the snow in making me grumpy!!