Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 15 January 2023

HAPPY NEW WEEK!

I hope everyone has a healthy week with no extremes of weather (heat, cold, rain, or snow).

We had some rare sunshine today, and tonight the coyotes are howling in the woods. Two nights ago, I thought I heard a bobcat scream. I'd love to see one.

Take care, all.

  • Diane:  We have bobcats here; never heard one scream though or, if I did, didn't know what it was.  We have (had?) a bobcat family living in the area around Lake Los Carneros- I saw one the mother (I presume) romping with her pups some years back and there are plenty of sightings of others around the neighborhoods.   Came across one some years ago on a back road in the hills - it was trotting ahead of me - very healthy, good-looking creature.  But lest we forget - THANK YOU FOR STARTING US OFF!

    AQ:  Argh. Don' t like the sound of those fires.  We are so thankful for all the (continuing!!) rain but the authorities are saying it will generate a lot of new growth next year and consequently new fuel for more fires.  We were very lucky in 2022 with no significant flare ups.  Do hope you get a break from the heat.   Love the cockatoo video - such handsome birds (if not entirely easy on the ears).   When we lived in LA ,OH's house was very close to LAX and his driveway was the parking spot for friends-and-family off on various trips, except OH used to drive and pick up to the terminals.  We are just across the freeway now from SB Airport and are on call for neighbors looking for a ride but haven't had to do it yet.  

    Lindybird:  Even if things don't come completely right in the end, there's probably not much you can do without stressing yourself. (Easy for me to say.)  Take care.

    Rusty:  I can't possibly keep up  terms of responding to all your to-ings and fro-ings, but suffice to say I do read all about and enjoy them.  :-)

    OG:  Hope you continue to feel better and more at ease.

    I spent the Thursday and Friday doing a Major Clean of the house and finally washed the kitchen floor (hurray!). Now I can walk into the kitchen without cringing.  Did multiple loads of laundry and had a lazy day today, the only 'work' involved the ironing which I did while watching a series on Netflix (The Vatican Girl).  I also got the Elton John autobiography from the library; it's a hoot.   I Facetimed with my niece this morning, who was telling me the flight home got rough as soon as they left LA, that many people - including her(she?) - were sick and that they had to stay seated with seats in an upright position for several hours (the crew too) before a late dinner was served while everyone rushed for the bathrooms. Then it got rough again about 1.5 hours out from Heathrow.  All that followed by a 2.5 hour ride home through rush hour traffic.  She's completely washed out.

    Anyway, time to organize dinner.  Take care everyone!

  • Thank you DIANE. I would love to hear & see coyotes & bobcats. I shall have to make do with TV docs & YouTube.

    ANNETTE – Only one respite day here, temp going up tomorrow again. Niece's flight was horrendous, poor girl.

    We were meant to visit Dau#1 this afternoon to see her garden but today their valley is full of smoke. She has had to evacuate to sis-in-law's because of her asthma. She said they had a good view of the bushfire including a pylon exploding. Fire has been contained although trees & stumps would still be burning. They don’t delay anymore; they threw everything at it, 60 fire appliances and 8 aircraft.

  • AQ: Fingers crossed that'll be the worst you guys will see this season.... Do folks there wear a mask when the smoke is that bad?
  • ANNETTE - I have not seen any advice to wear masks for smoke. It would make sense to do so. Of course most people "are over it" and don't want to wear a mask against covid.
  • Morning all
    I recall a while back, we mentioned the online daily WORDLE

    I wonder if anyone attempted the https://nerdlegame.com/

    Have fun CHOL:)

     

  • Diane - Thanks for starting us off again and creating an image in my head of where you live - I think I could swap my screaming Seagulls and barking Muntjac deer  for your Coyotes and Bobcats for a few weeks if you fancy a house swap!

    At the moment we are getting some amazing Starling murmerations just as dusk is arriving and I stand out in the garden watching them - how can they know when to turn on a sixpence so that none of them get hurt?

    As for me I am ill again! I was flu-like in-between Christmas and New Year - went back to work for a week and then starting with the very painful sore throat, congestion and temperature but the night sweats are the worse. Hoping to be better for work tomorrow but I see in the morning.

    Well best wishes to all with ailments and family issues and keep well and stay safe.

  • SunnyKate - I do Wordle every day and - mostly - succeed. I had a look at Nerdle but I think it's beyond my mental capacity. I do words, but don't do numbers - I could feel my eyes glazing over as I looked at the examples. I will have another look - but think I'll stick with Wordle as part of my 'brain exercise' rather than a daily headache with Nerdle. But I do admire people whose brains can cope with numbers ...
  • Thank you, Diane! You're a star.

    My OH has had a bad night & so a quiet day is on the cards - I'm not 100% myself as I said yesterday.

    I hope everyone has a nice Sunday.
  • @ Pat O

    CHOL:):) I totally agree soooooo confusing.

    like you I stick with Wordle daily and get it usually in abour 4.... just once my regular daily start word came up, I couldn't believe it.

    Lindy hope you and Oh feel better later today, must be this weather my OH was  same last night could not sleep and kept drafting the covers off me, so kept me awake also Doh!!

     

  • Diane - thank you for starting us off. It is always so interesting to hear about the wildlife which surrounds you. The excitement here comes from grey squirrels and neighbourhood cats!!!!
    Annette - and you have interesting wildlife too. We have had quite a lot of coverage of the California floods over here. I know it is a huge state so I hope you aren’t affected. Going shopping to stock up for essentials sounds like a good idea though. That flight of your niece sounds awful!!! What a long time for turbulence to go on for. She will need time to recover. It sounds to me that you have been busy ever since her departure.
    AQ - that fire came too close for comfort to your daughters. It sounds scary. Glad the authorities are so organised and that it was quickly extinguished.
    Sorry to hear about the various ailments of people. There are a lot of nasty bugs around - not covid - just coughs, colds, flu. I still have my cough but am ploughing on through. I don’t cough at night mercifully. I hope people start to feel better soon.
    My world is still VERY LOUD with these new hearing aids. Their first big test will be tonight when I go out for an Indian meal with some friends to celebrate the birthday of one of them