Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 16 May 2021

Hey, Annette. Are you okay? I heard about the big wildfire in Santa Barbara County last night. I looked at a map, and it appeared that you were far enough away from it. But then I saw ongoing wind warnings that looked fairly close to you? Hope all is well with you. 

Thanks ANNETTE for the info about protea. I've only ever seen them in pictures. I'm sorry about your missed meal but it will be something to look forward to!
LINDY - I do hope that all goes well with Sue. What breed of dog is it?
OG - Hope the magazine is going well and that the new kitchen is living up to expectations!
LYNETTE - it will be good to see your brother. I haven't seen mine for two years. I was thinking about him this morning as I was cleaning the cupboard in the porch, where the consumer unit lives. He installed it for us, quite a number of years ago.
Middle daughter gets the keys to her new rental house a week today. I have finally got the figures for the deposit etc so one less thing to wonder about!

LINDY  I do hope it is 3rd time lucky for Sue.

My OH has been working hard on our rockery when the weather permits.  I think it is looking good and it is nice that neighbours have also commented on it.

It looks great, DIBNLIB !

Morning all:  

Diane:  Geez.  A fire in SB?  I was going to say that I should stay up to watch the 11 pm local news, but I see now that the fire was on TV hill (where our local TV station is located) and that the station was evacuated.  Some good shots here for anyone with nothing else to do.   :-) https://www.noozhawk.com/article/firefighters_battling_wind_whipped_vegetation_fire_in_santa_barbara1.  Turns out the Brit friend I have coffee with every month or so was among those evacuated, but folks were allowed back into their homes shortly after midnight.  Really - I clearly need to check with Diane to keep up re local calamities.  :-)   Winds are up again this morning (earlier than previous days), so conditions are ripe for wildfires. Sigh.  Speculation is that this may have been started in a homeless encampment, but that's all it is right now.

AQ:  I do exactly the same thing:  I take photos of the new hardcover books I want (but have been splurging on mystery paperbacks lately) and then go looking for them at the library, which does tend to involve a wait.  I feel I should explain what I'm doing to the bookstore folks:  "No, I'm not going to order them from Amazon, really."   Our local libraries are opening up for browsing (on a limited occupancy basis) in the next week or so, but we'll only have 15 minutes to browse, so must go with my list of preferred authors and titles in hand.   Will also take along most of the mystery paperbacks I bought at the bookstore.   I love it that Oz is so hardnosed about fines; try that here and we'd have demonstrations and lots of noise about individual rights being trampled on.  

Lindybird:  Just saw William's statement about the BBC interview.  That's really not only scandalous, but so tragic. You have to ask yourself 'What if...."  :-(

Lindybird/dibnlib:  Thanks for lovely photos of gardens.  :-)  Always a nice thing to see when I first sign on in the morning.

Lynette: Smart to get a place for the night; enjoy your visit (though must confess I've missed when it's scheduled).  

Off to sort out the world.

Glad you're not affected, Annette.

Sue came for a coffee this morning. The dog she is looking at is what we used to call a "Heinz 57" breed! -- in other words, many breeds in one! He looks a little like a royal corgi to me, with very short legs but a long body ...... He is a dark golden colour. She is now going to collect him on Sunday as she is visiting someone tomorrow (who is having a birthday). Then he can have a few quiet days in which to settle in with Sue. We are bound to pop over to see him for a few minutes!

Been cleaning out the fridge, & discovered two jars of mint sauce! How did that happen?

Lindy - With the two recently hatched chicks at Loch of the Lowes, that cartoon is very appropriate! Made me laugh out loud. Do hope Sue's new dog works out for both of them - she obviously has lots of love to give to a furry friend, it's just finding the right one.

Very windy here today. I moved my bird feeder yesterday so it wouldn't fall into the roses - again. But the roses themselves are being battered relentlessly. Once the wind has dropped - tomorrow morning, I think - I must go and make sure they are still safely anchored. Plenty of rain as well. May? You must be joking!!