Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 17 September 2023

HAPPY NEW WEEK!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week.

For various reasons, I've had a bad summer. So. I concluded today that I need to improve my quality of life. I went outdoors and sat down on my front step to think. There on the sidewalk in front of me was a big, astonishingly beautiful feather. It appeared to be about 11 inches long. The shaft was a brilliant silver color. The bottom was a silver gray with white splotches, and the upper section was a mottled deep brown and midnight black. The edges were outlined in black and silver. 

I'm not good at identifying feathers, and I didn't recognize the bird species. I don't think it was a hawk feather. It wasn't a bald eagle, a goose, a duck, a vulture, or a wild turkey. It could have been an owl, but I didn't recognize it. 

As Annette said earlier, this is the time of peak migration here in the Midwest. Millions of birds are in the sky during the 3 hours after sunset. So, I reckon a bird from up north decided to visit me. I felt uplifted.

Take care, all.

  • Remember the old Bing Crosby song - ' I'm busy doing nothing '? Well that just about sums me up this week !
    I'm up to date with all your news, thank you :-)
  • I love that song, Heather. So funny.

    Yes, it could be boomerang shower gel! I may try to do it again but very much doubt if I could, for a million pounds!I

    Annette - Yes, starlings here are hooligans!

    Sunny here, which is pleasant. I'm off to get my flu jab which I only booked 4 days ago online. My OH booked his over 3 weeks ago and doesn't get it until next Wednesday, and it's even in a different location!

  • Today's quote:

    Notice in a hardware shop:

    "Husbands choosing paint colours must have a signed note from their wife."
  • Lindybird said:
    Husbands choosing paint colours must have a signed note from their wife.

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!  That's brilliant.

    Our herring gulls are red listed birds.  Think about that the next time you hear some flaming idiot calling for a cull of them.

  • Internet disappeared again Wednesday. It returned to my computer today but not OH’s. Supposed to be wifi-ed and his computer is closer to the box. Weird. S-i-l not available to fix as he is about to depart on a work trip.

    It’s spring. Every time we step out the front door, the noisy miners squawk and dive-bomb us. They must have a nest in our street tree. I can always hear when OH is returning from his walk. Nasty aggressive birds, they even attack our magpies.

  • Wow! What a lot written in just two days! Our lunch was good yesterday and shopping successful, but we did get rather wet when we set off in the morning. J managed to find out his working hours – starts at 8:30 am - but the school is still very muddled with the appointment of a new head and a lot of staff absence. He seems to have been allocated in particular to helping a boy from Ukraine and a girl who is currently absent. His line manager is also off sick!

    The quiz last night was mostly for fun and we didn’t win – but also didn’t come last!

    Busy right now so replies to posts will have to wait, sorry!
  • I have reappeared after my shower.

    WENDY – thanks for barge ID! I thought the sail configuration was a Thames Barge, but it didn’t look large enough. We often used to drive to Pin Mill (south of Ipswich) to see them moored there when they were beginning to get popular as leisure craft.

    LINDA – sneezing eased off and no further developments. A lot of shrubs here are having a second blooming spring – don’t know how they will guess what to do next year! I hope the blood pressure check was reassuring – elder Dau told me this morning that she has been diagnosed with high BP – high enough to call for medication. Glad your BP was not too high and that your heating seems to have recovered. Good that your OH took a little rest yesterday after all the jobs! We’ve got our Jabs booked – but not till November! OH was sent one, so I investigated booking and got a different date – so he moved his date so we can both go at the same time.

    RUSTY – zoo trip sounds good, especially seeing Mrs Anteater and offspring!

    AQ – nice to hear spring bird “song” even if it is the noisy Miners – the one pictured on your link looks very aggressive.

    So, that’s me caught up again – J seemed happy after work, and E_E is busy cooking. We seem to be adapting happily to a new routine.
  • OH and myself had covid boosters today and will get flu vaccinations on 5th October, all organised by local Doc's surgery!

     

     2013 photos & vids here

    eff37 on Flickr

  • Heather - I am sure you are doing something!!! You were contributing on here for a start!! No doubt you will be going shopping this weekend too,
    Lindy - I did chuckle at your shower episode and also thought about a boomerang!!
    AQ - what a nuisance about your Internet and very weird that yours has come back but not your OH’s. I don’t understand technology!
    OG - I am pleased the new routing is working out albeit in its early stages. Good news that J seems to like his job. I am also pleased that you have got your flu jabs sorted out. I applied online for an appointment. I asked for the 30th and got it - 9.29 to be precise and I have to be in the blue lane!!! (Our doctors do mass jabs on Saturday mornings and have it really well organised)
    I have been out with the lady birders today to RSPB Conwy. The first 2 lagoons were really low so not many birds (a lovely wheatear on migration though) a few more ducks and waders on the 3rd lagoon. On the estuary a bit more luck with great and little egret and many waders and duck. 2 nice red breasted mergansers too. 32 species seen and 2 heard (wren and Cetti’s warbler) Very nice light lunch in the cafe.
    Tomorrow I have to go shopping for all the food for the buffet lunch I am putting on on Saturday. From living on my own to catering for 7 adults and 3 children is a bit of a change to say the least!!! I hope I buy the right quantities of things. I am only making sandwiches and buying quiche and pizza plus doing a bit of salad. The kids love fruit (strawberries and blueberries) so that is easy and I will buy a couple of cakes!! The house is all cleaned but the garden is a wreck thanks to the recent rain and wind. A wreck it will have to remain sadly. It was looking quite nice too. Hey ho!!!
  • What's your address RUSTY? I'd like to drop by and join the party LOL.