Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 9 July 2023

DIANE – I’m so glad to see you back. I hope all is well with you.

Lindybird said:

I'm feeling better and so glad not to be coughing as much - thankfully I'm not someone who seems to get these chesty problems. The knees are slowly improving but I'm having to be careful to plan every move!!

Good to hear this, Lindy.  Keep up the knee care!

I went to my first concert in years last night - no less than Iron Maiden at the O2 in London!  They were magnificent but I didn't get home until 2.30 in the morning.  How I wish my part of the world had a suitable venue for acts like this to come to.

Diane - thank you for starting us off. I am glad that you have your electricity back.
Annette - well done with all the cleaning although it was sort of forced upon you. Pleased you like your renovated chairs.
Lindy - good to hear that you are feeling somewhat better both with your cough and your knees. I like the photo of your geraniums.
OG - so sorry that J is not good again. It must be so worrying. Glad that you got out to the garden centre though and that you enjoyed the visit from your grandson, wife and dog.
Clare - what a great concert. You are an Iron Maiden fan then? Shame it was so far away for you. 
We have just had another huge storm here. Lightning, thunder and torrential rain. It didn’t go on for as long as long as yesterday’s did. On the course we could see the black clouds coming and we were on the 13th when the hooter went. The 2 ladies I was playing with were in a buggy so they sped in. I walked as quickly as I could up the hill back to the clubhouse. Ladies were coming from all over the course. It was a bit scary with lightning around. We all got in before the rain started which was torrential and just didn’t stop. It soon became obvious that we wouldn’t be able to continue as the course was becoming waterlogged. The Lady Captain was very upset as it was her big day of her year. There were lovely flowers everywhere, her prize table looked super and she had organised entertainment for later. We did all stay and eat the meal which we had pre ordered but then we took advantage of a break in the weather to pack our clubs into our cars and drive home, I just got them put away when the rain started again. Sadly, my geraniums, petunias and cosmos were all battered. I have been round after lunch deadheading and tidying up. I had a 3 mile walk with a friend this morning and we caught up on all the news. The Lady Captains compétition will be reorganised although I gather the diary of fixtures is rather full.

Morning all

Clare: You mad fool - braving the O2 and all those crowds! Hope it was worth it. :-)) My niece recently took my BiL to a Rod Stewart concert in Northampton somewhere as part of his belated 90th bday celebration. She'd looked at events at the O2 but figured it would be too onerous an outing for him. As it was, she visited the Northampton venue before she got the tickets to see what would work for him, bought said tickets, then was advised two days before the event that the configuration for the concert had been changed (it didn't sell out) and they were now seated somewhere else! Not sure she's a great fan, but BiL is and enjoyed it, although they both said that people didn't stop talking during the concert and there was a lot of alcohol being consumed by others. A couple of times I've played with the idea of going to see Eric Clapton or the Stones in LA or Coachella, but never got the energy to follow through. Niece was saying that Elton John was at Glastonbury this year and was brilliant. I saw Paul McCartney last year (on TV from Glastonbury when I was there to see my sister) and thought he was fantastic, but niece says Elton John was even better, which is mind boggling.

Rusty What a shame about the tournament and I do feel bad for people like the Lady Captain who probably spent so much time planning. Very rude of the weather gods to mess up her day.

OG: Great that you had such a good visit with grandson, but I remember he always seems to have stayed in touch and visited now and then. How is J today?

Lindybird. Take it easy, good that both cough and knees are settling (no dancing on table tops for a while though).

Diane: I imagine you're playing catch up now that you finally have power after such a long time without. :-(

AQ:  Have you been watching the Tour de France?

Going to see daughter today, but seems we're both having a very slow start. Meanwhile, landscape guy has texted to say he's coming by tomorrow to finish sorting out the irrigation. Hallo?? Your guys 'fixed' stuff that didn't need fixing and omitted adding irrigation to two brand new plants, all of which I've already fixed. Am going to text him with some photos I took of screw-ups and then tell him what he really needs to do is to take the lumps out of the decomposed granite pathway they pulled up when they redid the bender board. Stopped by my 80+ neighbor (German lady and a gardener) when I was coming home in the car and we had a good curbside moan about unreliable and incompetent workmen of all kinds. :-))

Take care all. Stay away from the lightning!

Who'd like to see some more photos, then?  Click on this lovely red squirrel to see more:

Lindy, hope you like this thread!

EDIT:  I've just added my Kelpies photos.

Unknown said:

Clare: You mad fool - braving the O2 and all those crowds! Hope it was worth it. :-))

I'm not mad and it was absolutely worth it!  I had a Floor Standing ticket and the atmosphere was brilliant.

Unknown said:

A couple of times I've played with the idea of going to see Eric Clapton or the Stones in LA or Coachella, but never got the energy to follow through.

Just go and do it.  They are both great live, especially the Stones.  Jagger is one of those people born to perform on stage.

Unknown said:

I saw Paul McCartney last year (on TV from Glastonbury when I was there to see my sister) and thought he was fantastic, but niece says Elton John was even better, which is mind boggling.

I've never seen Paul McCartney but Elton John is fantastic live.  I can well believe your niece.

You are never, ever too old to go out and enjoy live music.