Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 11 September 2022

Lynette - yes, it must have been Beaton who was responsible for the picture.

Bonnie recovered by the afternoon, so whatever she'd eaten, she must have got rid of it. She seems alright now.

My OH prepared the scene, opened his tin of paint, and found that it had begun to dry up because it had been a couple of years. (I would have checked the paint the night before). So he bought new paint this afternoon whilst in a nearby town to get his booster jab done. Painting will now commence tomorrow. Meanwhile whilst I was washing my hair, he rang a joiner we'd been given the name of who said he'd be there in an hour. He says he can fit our worktops for the kitchen - remember those? We tried to get new ones about 2 and a half years ago, before the pandemic!! He is coming next week, before he starts on a bigger job somewhere. We said Yes, rather than wait, even though we're scheduled to go to Wales again this Thursday. So a busy couple of weeks ahead.

Meanwhile, I had to dry my hair quickly and put on my face as we needed to go to the suppliers to check my choice of worktop: it was so long ago that I picked it out that I was nervous I'd forgotten what it was like! Now it's all ordered so we can look forward to it finally being done. (At one time, my OH had asked an old friend to come out of retirement to do it, but he was taken ill, poor man)

Good Morning. Dry here but cloudy. My OH has gone off to golf still wearing shorts, although it felt a bit autumnal first thing today.

I've got to scoot round and tidy up, plus get some things together ready for our trip to Wales again. Won't be many chances left to go there now, before autumn descends and it gets too cold.

Lindy - I think you will have some nice weather in Wales over the next few days. By the way, exciting about the new kitchen tops.
I am going out today with a group to walk a short stretch of the Wales Coastal path near here. It will be high tide and we are hoping to see lots of birds roosting.
The visit to the garden centre yesterday was very productive. We both bought bulbs and we shared a piece of raspberry ripple cake!!

The Poet Laureate's Poem( Note the first letter each line.)
www.bbc.co.uk/.../uk-62886384

Floral Tribute by Simon Armitage:

"Evening will come, however determined the late afternoon,
Limes and oaks in their last green flush, pearled in September mist.
I have conjured a lily to light these hours, a token of thanks,
Zones and auras of soft glare framing the brilliant globes.
A promise made and kept for life - that was your gift -
Because of which, here is a gift in return, glovewort to some,
Each shining bonnet guarded by stern lance-like leaves.
The country loaded its whole self into your slender hands,
Hands that can rest, now, relieved of a century's weight.

Evening has come. Rain on the black lochs and dark Munros.
Lily of the Valley, a namesake almost, a favourite flower
Interlaced with your famous bouquets, the restrained
Zeal and forceful grace of its lanterns, each inflorescence
A silent bell disguising a singular voice. A blurred new day
Breaks uncrowned on remote peaks and public parks, and
Everything turns on these luminous petals and deep roots,
This lily that thrives between spire and tree, whose brightness
Holds and glows beyond the life and border of its bloom."

Thank you for that SUNNYKATE 2. How very beautiful. If you hadn't pointed it out I doubt if I would have noticed the first letters despite this also being my name.

Thank you SunnyKate2 - I had noticed that the Poet Laureate had recently done an offering, but I've been too busy to look at it. Just beautiful. Needs to be read twice to appreciate all the meanings. I was reading that Lily of the Valley was one of her favourite flowers, and I believe they are in the wreath on top of her coffin just now. I love the smell of them.

I was hoping to do a short poem of my own in tribute (nothing so grand) but its hard to do something without it sounding too crass and obvious. Will see if I can put my mind to it. Its been interesting to see that a lot of people were surprised at the strength of their own feelings at this time: perhaps they took her for granted. But I treasured every year she was with us, and felt in my heart that she might not live to the great age of her mother - and she looked so much smaller and frailer since she lost her beloved Philip.

Rusty, enjoy your coastal walk. Its a lovely day here, now, and feels almost summery again, even though it is a little colder. Can taste that raspberry cake! Yum.

Todays quotes:

I advise you to go on living solely to enrage those who are paying your annuities. It is the only pleasure I have left.   Voltaire.

Ageing gracefully is for Baryshnikov.   Bill Cosby.

Well, the Queen has left Scotland for the very last time. My stepdaughter in law went down to Edinburgh to pass by the coffin in St Giles Cathedral.

Yes, Heather. I have been keeping up with events in Scotland. The Queen did evidently really love the country.
Sunny Kate - I had read that poem on Facebook. I think it is excellent. I have lily of the valley in my garden. I know it is poisonous but I always pick a bunch for May1st according to the French tradition.
Our group had a lovely 4 mile walk along the coastal path. At the high tide roost we counted between 70 and 80 little egrets and hundreds of oystercatchers. We botanised too and also saw 3 kinds of butterfly and some fungus. We had our picnic at a lovely spot overlooking the estuary. We were on the Welsh side looking at the Wirral.
I came home to see that next doors had replaced 2 fence panels. She had told me about it and had refused to accept a financial contribution. The only trouble is that I now have to paint them on my side!!! I am comforting myself that I can’t do them yet until all the plants growing in front of them have died down.