Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 15 October 2023

RUSTY I am fine thank you and so presume Heather is too.

Yes, all is well here, RUSTY :-)

Wow, we've had some rain & then some more. Parts of our garden are now under water. (The house is OK, as we are above it on a slope).

Pleased to hear that those north of the border are all OK.

Glad those in Scotland are OK. It is awful here. The local town is flooded apparently (schools are closed) and many of my friends down there have a power cut. I ventured out to the nearest little town and it was horrid. Shouldn’t have gone really. Rivers flowing down the roads from overflowing drains. Got back safely. In this instance, driving at 20mph was A GOOD IDEA!!!! Have been trying to cancel my hygienists appointment at 1pm in the town which is flooded, but no one is answering the phones. Maybe they still have a power cut. I have searched and they don’t have an email address or Facebook page so I just can’t get in touch. Hope I don’t get charged for missing the appointment but I think I would be foolish to set out. The buses don’t seem to be running past my house either. The borders under my front window are flooded almost up to the level of the drive. I have been out with the garden fork but it made no difference. It is all clay here. I expect that is the problem. At least (for now) I have electricity and am warm and dry.

That is pretty bad RUSTY.

We were at our usual coffee shop this morning and one of the members of staff drives in from Alness which is about a 30 min drive. She said everywhere was waterlogged and she couldn't believe how lightly Inverness had got away with it.

LINDA – good to see you had some sunshine yesterday; the nights have got very warm here again. We would never get value from a drinks package – but neither would we be on a cruise anyway – sorry, but I can’t see the point of either! I suppose if I were stuck on a floating hotel I would find nothing else to do but anaesthetise myself with drink! Had a good laugh at the shopping Bimbos!

PAT – glad your Desert Island Discs went well – is it a regular format for your social events?

RUSTY – Grandson (the one with three little people) is in the middle of the red warning zone – see they have another due tonight. I am hoping he and GD-i-L didn’t try to get to work, but she is a GP so may have been told she must appear! Sorry to see you are flooded there – and all after your lovely day out yesterday too!

No rain here so far today, but it is breezy. J had his blood test this morning and OH shopped locally – I would have liked to go out but couldn’t face the rough wind. This afternoon is another domestic catch up – last of the ironing until cleaners return next Monday.

Rusty: I suspect the staff at your dentist's didn't make it to the office either.

Sounds awful there. Stay safe all who are affected.

I think you are probably correct Annette. I have decided to call in to the dentists personally on Monday and apologise.

All buses in this area are now officially cancelled and many roads are closed. It is still raining but, fortunately, the mini flood outside my front door has receded. It has never got light all day. I have had a very cosy time reading and listening to podcasts. I  like Americast (found on BBC Sounds) lots of information and comment about the attempt to elect a speaker in the House of Representatives. This is the view just down the road from my friend’s house in town. They are not flooded fortunately and her OH has been trying to help those who are. He came home wet and muddy apparently and went in the shower. His clothes went in the washer. It’s a bit unprecedented really.

OG - hope your grandson and family are OK.