Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 17 December 2023

HAPPY NEW WEEK and HAPPY SOLSTICE!!!

The Winter Solstice occurs at:

3:27 a.m. on December 22, Friday, in the U.K.

9:27 p.m. on December 21, Thursday, in Iowa

7:27 p.m. on December 21, Thursday, in California

AND

The Summer Solstice occurs at 1:57 p.m. on December 22, Friday, in Adelaide, Australia. I didn't forget you, AQ!

I hope everyone has a good week.

I'm looking forward to the return of the sun and the longer days!

The light triumphs over the darkness. I hope that's true of our world.

  • Good morning, Diane. I look forward to the days lengthening far more than I do to Christmas, which just feels like an endless slog.

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

  • Good news that your eye has been done PAT
  • And  I can't wait for the day !!!!!!  My favourite day of the year . Thank you Diana. Each week will be getting lighter by  a whole 15 minutes per week        Joy

    To to dooooooooo   and drum rolls galore  and hoooooooooo   raaaaaay 

    And happy Christmas to all and may you all keep well or get better fast  and enjoy the rest of this year.  

    Photo and frame courtesy of Scylla (RSPB Ospreys) Isn't it lovely ? GSWs on the live bird feeder RSPB Loch Garten

  • Thank you for starting our new week Diane and for the great photo Cirrus.
    I too will be glad once the solstice is over and the days get slightly longer again.
    It is very windy here today. My friend and I went for our usual Sunday morning walk and nearly got blown away. Any outside jobs I was contemplating have been shelved!!!
    Next door has been to remove his shed roof panel from my garden.
  • Thank you, Diane. Light does indeed triumph.

    Cirrus,thank you to you, and to the talented Scylla for the cracking picture! It's wonderful.

    A little cloudy here today. The rain has held off but I've not been outside. We got all of our decorations out from their hiding place and now I'm gradually spreading them around the house. I've been trying to put one for two things on one side, not to be put away again, as we seem to have accumulated so much (I love Christmas). Anyone want a teapot in the shape of a Christmas pud!? LOL! I did prune things a bit last year but we still seem to have a lot.........
  • Morning all and three cheers for Diane for her diligence in getting us started once again.  You really are a gem.

    Granddaughter and Ms. D showed up sort of unexpectedly Friday (well she called us Friday morning); wanted to bring some stuff and check on condo upgrade.  They'll be heading back to Arizona around lunchtime and I'm hoping to make time to catch up with the many e-mails, etc,  from friends.  I've never been so remiss!   Glad the UK folk can look forward to slightly brighter evenings and assume that AQ will welcome slightly shorter days (but AQ - it seems you haven't yet had the horrible heat we've heard about in previous years...)

  • DIANE – Thank you for starting us off. . . and the good news that our dawn DownUnder will become later and I may get to sleepin longer!

    As ANNETTE indicates our summer is yet to hit us. The heat has been late starting this summer (I’m not complaining) although it has been humid. Jan & Feb are the worst with day after day of high temps. I am amused by the long range forecast for χmas Day. First they said 29 C, then 28, today they predict 24 C.

    I was out early this morn to pay bills & minor shopping. Oh, the streets & shops were crowded, noisy, pushers, a small boy roaring like a lion, even an assistance dog in training, dithering shoppers, toddlers wanting everything pretty, doting grandmothers. I was glad to escape home.

  • Pushers?

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