Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 10 September 2023

Amazing video Scylla! Thanks for sharing.

Morning all: Waved the Arizona contingent off at 4 a.m. this morning so they can get home in time to pick up their dog from Doggy Day Camp and have Ms. D finish up homework and school projects. Meanwhile, grandson and wife are leaving for Italian honeymoon this afternoon. I will be home with my old friends the washer and dryer.

Harelady: Did you tell the four reception people that you'd been on hold for that long only to be cut off? I had the same experience a couple of weeks back when I called the nearby Social Security office on behalf of my daughter and the recording told me that someone would be with me in 5 minutes. One-plus hours lately, I drove to the office where no-one was in line and the lady said it was a new phone system 'they' had set up and it was all screwed up. Even then, didn't get any answers because my daughter has to go in person to ask the question in the interests of confidentiality and security.. Exasperating. Still I guess dibnlib's recent family experience proves that some family members can't be trusted.

PatO; Is there no shuttle service in that area? We have Dial-a-Ride which has accessible that can be reserved a day in advance to take older/handicapped individuals to doc appointments, etc. My niece recently took herself off to some department of the local hospital (not the A&E where she says she could still be waiting to be seen) where a female doctor insisted she be admitted due to her symptoms. She had all kinds of scans, tests etc., within 24 hours of getting there and three days later she was home with follow up appts, but says it would have taken her weeks to get in to see her own doc before any of them could have been ordered

Clare: Reassuring for you and Limpy to have easy access to your doc's office.

Scylla: I love it. Thank you. Honeybees are wonderful - although I'm sure the owls aren't so thrilled.

This charity shop in Stoke-on-Trent had an unusual customer drop in - you'll all love this!

OG/LINDY We are wondering if my brother had the golfing holiday booked sometime ago and this may be why he didn't turn up to court a week past Friday. This could be 2 and 2 makes 5 but it does make more sense than just not turning up because he couldn't be bothered.

Lovely walk round Loch an Eilein today. The weather was fine and it was much less busy than our last visit in mid August.

Dibnlib - I looked up Loch an Eileen. What a beautiful part of the world it is in. So glad you had a lovely quiet walk. It sounds as if you needed it with all the worry of this court case.
Scylla - I loved the video. Thanks for sharing.
Clare - well, what next? And who keeps a peregrine falcon as a pet? I suppose it is legal. It amazes me.
Annette - you have had a busy day. You tried with that business for your daughter. I can see why security is an issue. What happens if someone can’t get there?
Lindy - shame your OH’s golf game was cancelled but at least the door got finished!
OG - good news that J has got a job which is relatively easy to get to on public transport. I hope he continues to enjoy it. Re your phone. I have heard that alterations are going to be made to landlines and that they are going to work via the internet rather than the way they work now (whatever that is) If everyone I know plus bank, utility company, etc hadn’t just got that number, I would do away with it and use my mobile. It would take forever to inform people of my change of number so I will carry on as I am.
Re doctors surgeries and queues. I have been fortunate not to need an appointment since covid. Flu jabs work on a mass booking system so that is different. However, they definitely try to get people to fill in an e consult first. Then they will send a reply via email and may ring you back. I think you have to be seriously ill to get an actual face to face doctors appointment ! A friend of mine went to the medical centre where my doctors is for a blood test and said it was virtually empty. Just a couple of people waiting. According to the website there are 6GPs there. What are they all doing?????
Anyway, on a brighter note. The Flora and Fauna group outing today to a former gravel quarry near Wrexham went very well. (She does go to some places I hear you cry!! LOL) Aggregate from there was shipped out by train over to Liverpool to help in the construction of the first Mersey Tunnel. When work stopped there, nature was allowed to reclaim it. Parts of it are now a SSSI. The site was covered with beautiful evening primroses. I have never seen so many in one place. I saw a plant there I had never seen growing before. Liquorice!!! It only grows in that one spot in North Wales!!! I was rather underwhelmed when I saw it!!! Obviously it had finished flowering. The seed pods are like pea pods. It is a member of the pea family apparently. There were lots of robins pincushions. A type of gall left by wasps I think. They were very pretty with the drops of drizzle on them. Bird life was rather scarce. We did see a nice jay and a few little brown jobs which whizzed by so fast that we couldn’t ID them!!! I thought I heard a buzzard but couldn’t see it.

Totally dry here today but getting a bit dark this evening – hope tomorrow will start dry as odd job man (husband of one of the cleaners) is coming to paint the shed. We shall leave him doing it while we shop at M&S food.

J had another good day at work – so glad, but I wish he wasn’t having to travel to Lockerbie for it – adds two hours to his working day. We had a busy morning and then OH went to the church elders’ meeting.

HARELADY – sorry about the holiday ending with antibiotics – could this be a sign that you have been pushing yourself too hard with nannying? Take care.

CLARE – loved the Peregrine Falcon story!

DIBNLIB – glad you had a good walk at Loch an Eilean – I hope it helped to clear your head a bit.

RUSTY – J’s job is only two weeks temporarily – it may get extended as the department is four staff short at present. On the other had I am not keen to see him out the door at 7:30 for the bus during the winter! Sounds like another interesting trip for your group yesterday. There seems to be a glut of Robin’s Pincushions this year – it has amazed me that they are being reported so much in the media, as if they are a rarity, but we grew up with plenty all around.

Diane: Got an e-mail from Cornell Ornithology folks saying peak migration expected today (a bit late - sorry). They seemed to be flying thick in your area; just wondered if you'd noticed more activity than usual.

Rusty: Yes, you do indeed get around - and it's so interesting to hear all about it. :-)

OG: When might J find out about any extension?

Arizona contingent made it home in record time after an early start and a very easy drive while I made vague gestures with the vacuum cleaner. Laundry all done except for one load....

Take care everyone.

OG/RUSTY Love a walk round Loch an Eilein. It is very special to us and 2 of our Goldies are scattered there. OG pleased Js new job is working out.

Evening primrose and black briony from yesterdays walk