HAPPY NEW WEEK and HAPPY SOLAR ECLIPSE!
I hope everyone has a fun and joyful week! The Cicadas are now singing their high-pitched, rattle-screeching song from all the trees on my patch. The noise is overwhelming! I've been turning the radio up indoors, because the ebb-and-flow of their continuous screaming becomes mind-numbing. I revere all Earth's creatures, but I'm glad these critters only visit every 17 years.On Thursday, 10 June, a rare Ring-of-Fire Solar Eclipse will occur. Most people won't be able to see the full eclipse with the fiery ring live, but you can watch a partial eclipse if you go outdoors. The partial eclipse is visible in the U.K. I will see part of the partial. Bjane will see a short partial eclipse. Annette and AQ won't be able to see the eclipse at all, unless you watch it online. Insert the name of your nearest town/city in the Eclipse Lookup box on this page for the eclipse times and visibility in your location. The page also provides info about this eclipse. The website, Time and Date, is safe.
You can watch a live stream of the full RING-of-FIRE Eclipse online HERE. Also at Time and Date.EDIT: I forgot to mention that you'll need eye protection if you watch this week's solar eclipse. I'm sure most folks know that eye protection is required for any solar eclipse, but this is a public forum and I felt a responsibility to include the warning.
Before we left, I took a last turn around the garden and wondered why we were leaving when some flowers were just coming out. This is our biggest peony.
Lindybird: I seem to remember you were fretting a bit about the floor (or was it something else?) Anyway, it look very nice. Did you manage to get the toilet reinstalled? Lovely peonies. They are SO expensive here, even in Trader Joe's.
http://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/things-to-do/wildlife-webcams/loch-of-lowes/
RSPB Giving Nature a Home
HEATHER – Congratulations to your s-i-l for job with travel. Perth is close to the SW corner of WA (beaches, wineries, wildflowers). Other fantastic places further afield if he gets the chance & time. Do not worry too much about covid as WA’s Premier has been very strict with lockdowns whenever there is an outbreak and his state borders are closed far more than other states. Yes, s-i-l will have to quarantine for 14 days with tests likely on days 1, 5 & 13 (or whatever are WA’s rules). After that, anytime he has any cold or flu symptoms, he must get tested and remain isolated until negative result. We are told “Don’t assume it is just a cold.” We check in everywhere we go; that allows Contact Tracers to alert others to potential “hot spots” if someone does test positive, eg “anyone in Cafe X 12.15 to 2.15 on Tuesday should get tested”. Victoria’s current outbreak has been hampered because people were not bothering to check in. I see that WA has had NO new covid cases in past 4 days.
A Short History of Medicine: "Doctor, I have an earache." 2000 B.C. - "Here, eat this root." 1000 B.C. - "That root is heathen, say this prayer." 1850 A.D. - "That prayer is superstition, drink this potion." 1940 A.D. - "That potion is snake oil, swallow this pill." 1985 A.D. - "That pill is ineffective, take this antibiotic." 2000 A.D. - "That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root"