Weekly Chat (Non-Osprey), 24 December 2023

HAPPY CHRISTMAS 

To All Who Celebrate

I hope you all enjoy the holidays.

Santa will need a good GPS system on his sleigh when he arrives here. The temperature is soaring and likely to be 60F or 15.5C or higher tomorrow. So strange for us. The soaring temp has created VERY dense fog rolling through the woods and fields. I just saw a massive white-tailed deer buck in the bean field across the highway. He looked quite surreal bounding through the heavy fog and mist. 

Love and hugs to all.

  • Good morning, all, and a very 

    MERRY CHRISTMAS

    to you all!

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

  • Happy Christmas to all. I hope, whatever everyone’s circumstances, that you enjoy the day.
    AQ - your Christmas lunch sounds yummy.
  • Hope everyone is having a good day. I managed to survive everything yesterday and this morning, and had a horrible very wet and foggy drive down to the family. It's very noisy now, and pouring with rain so we weren't able to get out for a walk. Now Charlie is fairly quiet (he's got a cold - should I be sorry for him, or pleased for me that it's a bit quieter than usual??!) and is playing with his new toys. I think I've got out of the beach tomorrow ... but the weather's awful so we may have our picnic lunch here.
  • While you are all busy digesting, I've just organized everything in readiness to pop in the oven, on the stove, etc. etc. Don't worry AQ, I shall have at least two glasses of wine! But another daughter???? PatO; Fingers crossed Charlie goes to sleep early and sleeps through the night; also that tomorrow works out somehow.
  • I have had a lovely day. I chose to stay at home (that’s the difference isn’t it?) I could have gone to my sister’s. I am going tomorrow when all the family will be there. Today, I have gently opened my presents, (I have had 7 packets of biscuits!!!) I don’t really eat biscuits!!!! listened to the Classic FM top 30 carols, read a bit of a book, received and sent lots of emails and Whatsapps and had a smoked salmon starter followed by a duck breast with all the trimmings plus a couple of good glasses of red. I feel very lucky. I hope everyone has had a good day.
  • I've had a good day. I'm currently listening to music on this computer ...... through the new speakers! Yes, my Christmas present from Limpy and Helen. I was asked what I wanted, and what I wanted was my favourite music coming through both speakers instead of just one. Yay!

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

  • Lovely to read your different χmas festivities. We still have not heard from Dau#1. I am annoyed she has not bothered to contact her father at least. I emailed a few days ago (she is too busy to answer phone to me). OH has demolished half his chocs; my box barely touched. Weather has been so strange. In the Mallee, at Pinnaroo & Lameroo, they had so much hail, it was a white Christmas! Shops are crazy today with Boxing Day sales but supermarkets are not open. Coles have announced sales of. . . yep, already so soon, Hot Cross Buns. In Ye Olden Days our state did not have a public holiday on 26th. It was on the 28th, Proclamation Day but the Govt changed that to suit shoppers. The 28th commemorates the day in 1836 when the first Governor arrived (6 months after the first settlers), to stand under a gum tree (which one still disputed) and declare the land was British.
  • aquilareen said:
    Shops are crazy today with Boxing Day sales

    Jesus Christ.  After a weekend of shopping the last thing I want to do is hit the shops on Boxing Day.  People are gluttons for torture these days.

    aquilareen said:
    The 28th commemorates the day in 1836 when the first Governor arrived (6 months after the first settlers), to stand under a gum tree (which one still disputed) and declare the land was British.

    Bet you're glad the British days are long gone!  The more I learn of this country's history abroad the less proud it obviously is.

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

  • Unknown said:
    Thank you so much Clare. That is very helpful. I knew you were an expert on the subject but didn't like to ask!

    You should never hesitate to ask.  Most birders are happy to help with IDs.

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

  • Belated, but a Happy Christmas to Everyone!

    My excuse is that we had a fraught day, yesterday, with No Internet!! We found, at lunchtime that we had lost all of our cable services. This included the TV, the Internet (& of course WiFi) and telephone. I was highly amused to see that on the TV we received a notice which said "In cases of difficulty, go to "blah blah site .com"..how you can do that without Internet could prove interesting..... .... I found our printed instructions and there was a phone number, which my OH rang via his mobile phone. Of course he got a robotic voice and a menu of choices. But it did say that you could send them a text message, which we did. Two hours later, lots of lights lit up on our router. After an hour, we got the TV back. We went to bed and this morning we found that the WiFi and landline phone had thankfully returned.

    We went out for lunch on Christmas Eve (I had ham hock carbonara and my OH had Greek kleftica) We took his sister Sue with us and she is a sorry sight -- her dog escaped from the garden and she took chase, but fell down on the path. She now has a black/purple eye and several cuts on her chin and cheek. I fear the eye is so bad she will have to live with it for a long time.