Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 15 May 2022

Here's an article about the Total Lunar Eclipse. This will be a very long-duration eclipse in many places, and it's happening 1.5 days before the moon reaches perigee (its closest point to Earth for the month). Some are calling this Full Moon a Supermoon, so it should appear large in the sky. 

Diane: Thanks for the link. Looks like a full moon here tonight - very white and bright in our sky. Hope you're making some progress in the search for a vehicle.

I was gone a lot today; went to a pro-choice rally downtown with hundreds of other people; just a small one compared to the huge events in New York, DC, etc. Don't plan to go anywhere tomorrow; suspect my legs will be sore. :-)

Have a good Sunday everyone.

Diane - I stood for more than five minutes at my bedroom window this morning watching a deer quietly grazing, sniffing the air, gently walking around, completely unaware that within fifty yards were dozens of people, probably mostly still sleeping as it was only 6.30am. We used to see them often, but since building works and the loss of several trees I haven't seen any for a couple of years. What a wonderful way to start the day!

Have a good Sunday, everyone. The weather is very grey again ... and rain is threatened later.

Good Morning. A bit grey here, with rain on the windows and no sun forecast, unlike yesterday. Never mind, it will be back.

Thank you to Diane once again, and also for the interesting links.

I stayed up last night to watch the Eurovision Song Contest - not much of a contest really, as most of the entries were dire - some of them couldn't even sing! A good result, with folks around the world united in voting for Ukraine.

Thank you, DIANE.
A quiet weekend here - I got some plants at the garden centre, quite horrified ( why?) at the increase in prices !
No more annuals for me, I'm afraid. I shall put perennials in my patio tubs, in future. I don't have a greenhouse now, so can't overwinter stuff as OH used to do. However, I'm not sorry that I gave the greenhouse to youngest family in Elgin. They are making much better use of it than I did. Who knows, I may get some peppers and cucumbers!

Done it again!!! Typed lots of replies and then realised I had been signed out!!! Do you think it is a Sunday thing?
Anyway, thank you DIANE. Sadly I think my area is forecast to be cloudy tonight but I will look out and see what I can see.
PAT - What a wonderful start to your day.
HEATHER - Glad you are getting going with your patio pots. I am going to a garden centre tomorrow for some compost and a few plants to go around the geraniums I have overwintered in the conservatory.
LINDY - Hope the weather has improved for you.
I went on one of my favourite lockdown walks this morning in the hope of seeing swifts - having seen them around there for the past 2 years. Sadly no luck. However, I did see about a dozen swallows. I wonder if it was a first brood already flying? There was lots of twittering going on in the hedgerows. If only I could recognise birdsong! The hedgerows hadn’t been cut and were a riot of colour and scent. Cow parsley, hawthorn, crosswort, vetch, bluebells and much more. I really appreciated it and was so thankful that I have the ability to walk the 3 miles.

Morning all:

Rusty:  If you search on the the following link for bird calls, you might be able to ID those birds, but not sure if they'd have an American accent.  :-)      https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/     There should be similar web sites for the UK.....

PatO;  A friend of mine - decades ago - bought a house waaaay out in then-undeveloped Orange County where deer were always around.  Then came the freeways, various developments, etc. and the deer were trapped between two freeways and gradually disappeared.   Meanwhile, Los Angeles is building this massive freeway overcrossing for wildlife only.  They just started construction.   https://www.kpbs.org/news/local/2022/03/25/california-groundbreaking-set-for-largest-wildlife-crossing

Site seems very slow today....

Annette - That looks like a great idea. I would be concerned at the traffic noise, but other wildlife seems to have become immune, according to the article. I know if I had made a sound, or even a movement, this morning 'my' deer would probably have disappeared quick-sharp. But then ... I live close to Gatwick and on the outward bound flight path, and I am rarely aware of the planes! Our brains are very good at shutting out 'regular' sounds which you choose not to hear.

It's been very grey and wet today - I know we need the rain, but why can't it fall overnight and not when I have to walk home from the car park?!?!? We are now threatened with overnight thunder storms ... hey ho.

Rusty - I have found the site very slow indeed over the last few days, and I have been locked out several times. I now always 'copy' anything before I press 'Reply' ... just in case.

PAT how lovely. RUSTY a very nice time for you.

We were at the uni again yesterday checking on the swans and their cygnets. All still there thank goodness. We passed the swans nest and to our amazement 2 ducks were having a snooze there. I wonder if they have a death wish!!! Today we went to the canal and watched 2 swans making it very obvious to another pair ( juveniles ) that they were not welcome!! Went to Kings Mills hotel for our Sunday lunch.

FABULOUS ECLIPSE!!  THANK YOU DIANE!!