Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 10 October 2021

HEATHER - garden needs refreshing and reducing growing areas - no more big veg.

LINDA - so, no change to Bonnie's fishy behaviour! Yukk. Sorry about the tiredness.

LYNETTE - sounds like your OH has reached the point where insulin is the only answer. Glad to see you have your jab appts together. We were going to request to tag mine along with OH on Tuesday, but now have a definite cold, so daren't ask for the flu one yet; will therefore have to wait until I am sent for. Had an email to say our church gathering tomorrow has been changed yet again - all due to the big announcement that minister has resigned. Could say "did he jump or was he pushed" but not sure I should mention it!

AQ - I hope all is well down your way with you, OH and family.

Cold start to the day. OH did half the mowing yesterday - hope he will do remainder today, but he also needs to get over-wintering pots into greenhouse - guess I won't see much of him this afternoon. J is very quiet - slowly recovering from his cold.

aquilareen said:

I saw a report that 90 rattlesnakes had been hibernating under a house in your part of the world!!! I’d be too scared to step outside.

81 snakes on his first try and another 11 on his follow-up visits.  The full story is here.

Am chortling out loud right now, just imagining the scene and the pounce!!! What a great story. You actually fooled a raptor with sharp vision!

Unknown said:

He bulleted through the air and picked the cord up in his talons.

EGADS. That might be worse than raccoons under a house. Sounds like the snakes would make short work of the raccoons, too. Thanks for the link to the story. Perfect for Halloween. Reminds me of the Indiana Jones episode with him in the snake pit.

Clare Bailey said:

81 snakes on his first try and another 11 on his follow-up visits.  The full story is here.

Well, the first thing I did this morning (after scrubbing the hummingbird feeders and starting the laundry) was to Google 'snakes under house' (thank you AQ for that "What!!??" post).  :-)  Phew.  They were up north in Santa Rosa.  Now I can enjoy my muffins.....  Still, the Arizona appendages have a concrete patio behind their house and snakes do hibernate under there, something we remember come March....  

The Alisal fire has settled down a lot thanks to a couple of days of quiet weather, which allowed aircraft safe access to the canyon areas.  Of course, the downside of that is that 'they' have some spiffy new helicopters with night vision instruments that permit them to see hotspots in the dark.  We  have three or four of these massive, military-style craft temporarily based at the airport across the freeway and boy, do they make a noise prior to take off (typically just before midnight) and when they return to base (2:30 a.m-ish). Still all in a good cause.... All roads, train tracks open again (or maybe I already mentioned that).

Lindybird: Mysterious ailments are such a pain - then you get all these tests and so often they still can't find anything!  It'll probably turn out to be something fixable with the right meds.     I think the habit of rolling in poo and dead things would be enough to put me off a dog.....

Lynette: Glad you're able to raise your voice again (in praise that is).

CC:  Aren't you off for your soul dancing event?  Will you stay overnight?

OG: I too am curious about proposed changes in your garden.  Sounds like that new contractor might actually do the job!

Diane:  Don't like the sound of those vultures (and neighbors) displacing the hawks, but nice to know they haven't gone too far. Still, it makes you wonder how vulnerable any eggs might be come spring.

Just read that we're in for a La Nina year, which means less than average rainfaill - again.  Not good at all.  I've got a bucket by the sink that all 'rinse' water goes into before being dumped on plants.  I really don't know why we haven't been put on water restrictions yet....

Meanwhile, the pods on my Plumeria (aka frangipani) plant finally broke open and dumped the seeds into the nylon laundry bag I'd hung on the plant.  I've now planted 8 of them (thank you Google), so we'll see what, if anything, develops...

Off to switch laundry loads.  So exciting.

Had a nice day -- went to shops then walked around the Marina here to see what's changed. Sadly, many shops had boarded up even before the virus struck. Now one small coffee & snack place has opened, trying to catch passing trade but there was no one in there when we walked past. I suppose they might sell some ice creams in summer, but although it's Saturday there were no locals popping in.

Not many people have turned up here for a weekend break even though its good weather for October.

Annette, not my choice to have another dog, to be honest, but my OH was pining for one and Bonnie is very loveable- I am an animal lover but my choice would be to have a cat, every time. I find a dog very binding as you can't be impulsive about what you do when you're out and about.