Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 19 December 2021

Season’s Greetings and Happy Holidays to everyone!

December 18-19 is the last Full Moon of 2021. The moon turns full on 19 December at 04:35 UTC. You can insert your own town or city into the search box HERE to find your exact time. 

This Full Moon is just two days before the Solstice, which occurs on 21 December at 15:59 UTC. You can insert your own town or city into the search box HERE to find your exact time. The Solstice marks the Northern Hemisphere's shortest day (first astronomical day of winter) and the Southern Hemisphere's longest day (first astronomical day of summer).

I’m gratefully celebrating the return of the light and longer days!

AQ: I’m not forgetting you. Happy Summer Solstice to you. I very much hope the temperatures will be kinder to you and your family.

  
A halo and a sundog over Bunsen Peak in Yellowstone National Park
NPS/Diane Renkin
Photo labeled “Public domain” (copyright free)

  • Limpy and I are absolutely stuffed with our traditional Christmas sausages. They are our local butcher's best pork sausages and they are gorgeous. Worth moving to Felixstowe for.

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • Thanks for the concern: I had a bit of a headache on Christmas Eve and when we awoke this morning, I felt worse - my OH had been under the weather for a couple of days and suggested that we take lateral flow tests, so we sat down to it and they proved negative. My OH was feeling better by lunchtime and had already asked whether to put the turkey in the oven or not! I said yes, we have to go ahead & then at least we'll have cold meat to eat later if we feel better. Sue came by on her way to her sons , she stayed longer then expected which threw me a little, plus of course we had phone calls from family as interruptions! How it all arrived on the table I don't know but we managed to cook it, and to eat it, although I had only a small portion of everything.

    This afternoon I slept and then spoke to our granddaughter on Zoom - she was hyper excited about everything. Its been an odd day, not our usual. I hope to feel better tomorrow - I need to, as I have to pack a suitcase ready for Monday when we go to our sons for a couple of days
  • Clare, I do love a good sausage, although my favourites are a locally bought version of Cumberland ones. Glad you managed some time out and about.

    Diane, don't worry about replying to all our chatter - I'm just glad you're OK.

    Heather - A drama! Hope you all got to sit down to your beef in the end. I'm sure you managed to enjoy yourselves with your lovely family.

    I hope everyone else managed a pleasant day. At least, in the UK,  it's not been wild weather at all.