Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 27 February 2022

Morning all -
Believe it or not, I'm still finding plaster dust. It's driving me crazy. Never again ! It even got as far as the hall table, despite dust sheets and doors being closed. Anyway, this morning the chap arrived to replace a radiator upstairs - that's enough home improvement for this year.
LINDY - good to see that you are in Wales and that Bonnie is enjoying the beach. I hope no noisy neighbours..
OG - it's great when old stuff gets taken away ! I haven't mentioned special chairs to my son - don't want to give him ideas - he has terrible knee pain
ANNETTE - how awful for all of you that daughter has had to return to hospital. I wonder what she was trying to do? I guess that you will be thinking about going home for a while.
PAT - I hope that you enjoyed the mystery tour !
HARELADY - Sorry that your fall has resulted in such a painful shoulder condition. It will probably take time to heal ( I've had similar injury due to lifting a very heavy patient, before hoists etc were available)

I know that I've missed some replies but lunch is ready -

Heather - Thank you, the mystery tour was great. Drove down to Newhaven in the pouring rain and sat and looked at the rough sea from the comfort of the car, while drinking coffee. Drove along to Seaford - the rain stopped so had a lovely walk along the beach. Then drove to Eastbourne via Birling Gap and Beachy Head. Delicious lunch - grilled salmon, chips and peas, an interesting and very tasty variation on your average chish and fips! Then walked to the end of the pier - well, you have to, don't you! - and back to the car along the lower promenade, Pretty drive home, although sad to see all the flattened and damaged trees from Storm Eunice last weekend. Then the next day another treat - a different friend took me out for another mystery tour, this time to Wakehurst, where we had a lovely walk before another delicious meal at a local Thai restaurant. All in all, a lovely 48-hour-long birthday party! Someone gave me a birthday cake on Wednesday which I haven't opened yet - two days with lovely lunches out and no room for cake! Today will be different ...

The cake is delicious - coffee and walnut - and still some left for tomorrow!

What a lovely couple of days, Pat! Pleased to hear it was all so enjoyable. I don't like coffee & walnut but my OH says you can save him a piece....

We had hail here this afternoon, just for five minutes. It skittered along on the road dramatically just as my OH and Bonnie were in the middle of their late afternoon walk. They came back wetter than anticipated!

OG - Good that J is feeling better. Pleased to hear that the 3 chairs are safely on order for you. Not too long to wait, for furniture - last time we bought a sofa we were told that the waiting times are often in months because the item is not made until the order is in. That way there's no warehouse cost.

Heather- Sorry you've got plaster dust to contend with. Expect you'll still be finding it for a while!

This morning the rain stopped enough for our walk along the seafront. The clouds over nearby hills were very black indeed.

The sea was grey and the waves were not inviting! The drop here down to the pebbled beach is about 4 ft. from where the grass ends abruptly - the sea eats away at the land every winter & takes a bit more away. When the tide is out there is golden sand beyond the pebbles here.

My OH disappearing along the coastal path, which as you can see is also disappearing under the pebbles flung up by an angry sea. We had to walk on the grass for some of the way, avoiding stones which could be 'ankle turners'. I found pretty strands of seaweed and even some empty fish egg cases from deep in the Irish Sea, beyond Anglesey. I thought someone had broken some china saucers on the grass but of course it was the pretty pale inside surfaces of broken seashells, flung up on the tide.

When we drove over here yesterday, I saw the 1st tiny lambs of the year, lots of hugely pregnant sheep, and the first of the yellow gorse comng out which is so common in Wales by the roadside and in the hedges.

Yester morn’s sunrise was such that I dashed out with camera – can’t have LINDA capturing all the dawns <grin> - then I forgot to post my photo. Here is our back yard at 7.55 am yesterday. Grand Design on right, rotary clothesline centre, crab apple on left.

Not been on for a while so trying to catch up.
Oh Pat O just because you are on your own don't miss out on doing your pancakes - homemade ones are always the best. I did some on Tuesday for myself and dau. Always love them with lemon and sugar , quite an indulgence.

OG - hoipe you manage to sort your aching back out and that Adjustamatic can fulfill your request. Do hope J can find himself a job. Sounds as though he would be quite an asset to any school.

Lindy bird - love the poem about Friend .

Talking of Australia, heard there had been torrential downpours with flooding in some areas. Friends had their business flooded out - they do events on a rustic theme.

Certainly signs of spring about as we have our first daffodil out and also spotted a single snowdrop. Will be having the garden revamped over the next few months so that dau and I can sit out when the weather is warmer.