Weekly Chat, Sunday 28 November 2010

Checked garden thermometer – could just see it in the dark – down to minus1.5.  Braised beef on low setting in oven – wonderful warm aroma!

Lynette – remember choir practices in an old church – boiler not on so electric heaters always directed at “certain” people (“this is our choir”) while we younger ones shivered.  I like the sparkly snowman!

Annette – I hope your new bird comes again and stays long enough to ID.

Sheila – maybe cold weather will help persuade Aunt that she would be better not living alone where she does – she’ll miss the heat of hospital when she comes out.  How lovely for you to see Hares around – we sometimes see one or two on the way to Dumfries, but not often.  Haven’t seen the Deer lately either – some of the woodland has been cropped this year.

Alicat – I hope the meds are helpful and that you will get a good night’s sleep.

More birds:

"The boy dares to ask for more"

 A lot of the birds are squatting on their feet to try to keep their toes warm!

Best I could manage of Dunnock - better focussed ones all turned out to be back views!

Dipping in here, quick, before cooking dinner to warm us up a bit.  Its  v e r y  cold here.  Havn't heard from Son all day, presume he's at the Hospital with phone turned off.  We nipped out this morning to buy flowers & a jolly Teddy balloon, so we're ready to go when they are ready to see us. (don't want to barge in before they are over their tiredness & have Baby sorted)

Lynette:  Lovely osprey mug!  Must treat myself sometime.  Also thanks for jolly Snowman, he's really glittery. And such a clever Congrats & Welcome!  - I tried to make something by going on that site, but now I don't know where my computer has stored it.

OG:  Great bird pics.  Keep warm, there!

Alicat:  Thinking of you - hope you can both get some rest.

SheilaFE:  As you say, best place for your Aunt is in hospital.  I know how hard it is to persuade them to leave home where they feel most comfortable, so you will have a problem there.

Alan:  Great news about the Florida ospreys.

Keep warm, everyone!

Hi All: First log on of the day well daylight hours had a bad night so I posted at about 3 this morning. Could here drip drip drip...the sound of water coming into front bedroom through the windows...the temperature went up quite fast last night and ice gets under slates and when thaws it comes in. It happened last winter but these are the only 2 occassions in 9 years. Not causing too much damage as we have got it down to a fine art with towels'tea towels,pegs and wallpaper papering trays. Might sound a bit Heath Robinish but it works.

Tumble dryer now in and thawed so it is working. The moral in the story is after 9 years of having it indoors listen to OH and don't put it in the garage. Taken advice from local Euronics Electrical shop for a garage you need a vented one without any sensors...they are dead cheap so off to get one on Saturday,,weather permitting.

OG: I am sure your sons washing machine will be fine.

Not very good yet at posting and blogging so later on I putting up a photo of snow over the Arne reserve in Dorset. It shows 1 of the 5 nests they have erected with the help of Roy Dennis each one has a decoy of an Osprey on it. The idea is to imprint in their memory the nest location as they feed Sept. Oct. time and maybe one day one might take up residence. When I was there in October Paul was telling me that a bird was on the nest calling to 2 others. They called Roy who thought it was a this years bird thinking if he stayed there a called to any passing Osprey it might get fed...ever hopeful. It looks good for the success in the future.

Made it out for real newspaper!!!! 

Back again – enjoyed dinner.  Had also enjoyed a good warming soup at lunchtime: Butternut Squash and Red Pepper.  Having soup twice a week at present – always veggie when I make it, as I don’t like soups to have any suspicion of meat in them, although I am an occasional meat eater.

Wendy – I wondered why you posted at that weird time last night – thought maybe you had emigrated!!  Enjoy your crossword from today’s paper!

Final birds from Wednesday:

Sparra (there were three but they kept moving so I couldn't focus [nearly!] on them all at the same time):

Seasonal Robin:

Little poser:

Don't often see Song Thrush, let alone get a photo (actually got three pictures, so very pleased):

Thanks for all the bird pics OG especially the one of the song thrush. I have seen one around but not in the garden yet.

England failed to make it past the first round in the World Cup!!
Hmmmm Where have we heard that before? LOL

Just having a bit of a catch-up... lots of interesting happenings here.

A belated Congratulations to Lindybird on becoming a Grandmother, - lovely name for the little boy.

OG, Love your photos of the birds ! Wish mine came out like that, but then I have a compact camera only. Your female blackbird is very feisty !

The birds are certainly keen on the food, the shy robin has become bolder already. The newcomer  male blackbird uses too much energy chasing the others away, there have been 3 females coming for a while. They sneak in while he is otherwise occupied though.
Snow here still about 3ins and very icy on side roads and paths, I'm glad it is not as deep as in some areas!

Brenda - I suspect some of the Tech Support comments are true. I have asked some stupid questions of my OH at times. And who hasn’t had a computer problem that turned out to be a plug not plugged in.

I tried a new recipe last night. A chicken franchise leaflet in letterbox advertised Xmas bonbons (chicken, cream cheese & cranberry in pastry in the shape of a bonbon). When I asked for them, oh no, you have to order them. When do you want them? Tonight. And he laughed at me. So I bought my own ingredients and made my own, adding a slice of ham. Not bonbons but sort of squashed pasty shapes. They passed - OH sneaked an extra one for supper. A few left for another night.

 Train & tram drivers have chosen to strike 5 pm to 9 pm today. Not enough buses so chaos this eve. Some Poms have arrived in our fair city with their bats & ball !!!!! Expecting 32 C today so a lot of workers will be taking "sickies" I expect. Getting too hot for me - I wish I could send you some excess heat. I’m off to archives, been trying to get there for last checks for weeks.

 Brain teasers
11 P in a C T
1000 W that a P is W
29 D in F in a L Y
64 S on a C B
40 D and N of the G F

Last weeks answers
11 P on an A R F T = 11 Players on an Aussie Rules Football Team [9 plus 2 on interchange bench]
150 S in the H of R = 150 Sit in the House of Representatives [Lower House] **
5 S in the S C = 5 Stars in the Southern Cross
4 D in a P C = 4 Digits in a Post Code [in Aussieland & NZ]
7 L A = 7 Little Australians [classic children’s book by Ethel Turner (1894)]

**  [76 Senators in Senate (Upper house), see http://www.aph.gov.au/parl.htm - need to scroll about halfway down]  

Another Tech Support Story

Operator:         'Ridge Hall, computer assistance; may I help you?'
Caller:              'Yes, well, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect .'
Operator:         'What sort of trouble??'
Caller:              'Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away.'
Operator:         'Went away?'
Caller:              'They disappeared'
Operator:         'Hmm. So what does your screen look like now?'
Caller:              'Nothing.'
Operator:         'Nothing??'
Caller:              'It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type.'
Operator:         'Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?'
Caller:              'How do I tell?'
Operator:        'Can you see the 'C: prompt' on the screen?'
Caller:              'What's a sea-prompt?'
Operator:         'Never mind, can you move your cursor around the screen?'
Caller:              'There isn't any cursor; I told you, it won't accept anything I type..'
Operator:         'Does your monitor have a power indicator??'
Caller:              'What's a monitor?'
Operator:         'It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV.
                         Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?'
Caller:               'I don't know.'
Operator:          'Well, then look on the back of the monitor and find where
                         The power cord goes into it. Can you see that??'
Caller:              'Yes, I think so.'
Opera tor:         'Great. Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's
                         plugged into the wall..
Caller:              'Yes, it is.'
Operator:         'When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that
                         there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one? '
Caller:               'No.'
Operator:          'Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and
                          find the other cable.'
Caller:               'Okay, here it is.'
Operator:          'Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into
                          the back of your computer..'
Caller:               'I can't reach.'
Operator:          'OK. Well, can you see if it is?'
Caller:               'No..'
Operator:          'Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?'
Caller:               'Well, it's not because I don't have the right angle -- it's because it's dark.'
Operator:          'Dark?'
Caller:               'Yes - the office light is off, and the only light I have is
                          coming in from the window.'
Operator:          'Well, turn on the office light then.'
Caller:               'I can't.'
Operator:          'No? Why not?'
Caller:              'Because there's a power failure.'
Operator:           'A power .... A power failure? Aha. Okay, we've got it  
                           licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and  
                           packing stuff that your computer came in?'
Caller:                'Well, yes, I keep them in the closet..'
Operator:           'Good. Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it  
                           up just like it was when you got it.  Then take it back to
                           the store you bought it from.'
Caller:                'Really? Is it that bad?'
Operator:           'Yes, I'm afraid it is.'
Caller:                'Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?'
Operator:           'Tell them you're too  stupid to own a computer!'