Weekly Chat, Sunday, December 26 2010

Hope everyone is having a relaxing New Years Day.

Went to Loch Garten for a walk both it and Loch Mallachie were frozen over as was Loch Morlich. No photos as it was really dull. Now I can see why all the geese are on the edge of the Moray Firth with every bit of water frozen. Still quite a lot of snow on the tops for the skiers and Aviemore was a mass of humanity.

We did wake up to a flurry of snow but luckily not a lot as enough is enough.

Birds still very hungry and we still have our resident Sparrow Hawk it sits on a fencepost at the back of the garden...he waits and he swoops quite regularly.

ALAN: That was a just reward for all efforts and a very big tick. I will have to put up with just our 2 unusual visitors..the Brambling and the Longtailed tit.

Weather is set for a bit of sun tomorrow so it could be a nice walk on the beach as tides should be better than last weekend when they were high. 

Morning all!  Didn't get woken up by any fireworks or yahooing neighbors; 2011 crept in quietly.

Alan: Congrats on the waxwing sighting!

Lindybird: Sorry about your tummy - but nectarine mousse? Please have your friend whip up a batch and overnight it to me. 

Am going for a walk this morning to Lake Los Carneros before it rains (I hope); then back for lazy day and transferring stuff from old to new computer. Do like Windows 7 so far; took a few go-arounds before it "found" my wireless printer but it seems to have set itself up very quickly otherwise - now if it could only take over the shopping, cooking, and ironing!  Have got one eye on the Rose Parade on telly, but the "good" station that I used to watch in LA isn't available up here. The longtime hosts on that station were funny, irreverent, and like an old married couple - lots of goodnatured bickering - and we didn't have to put up with ads!  The national network we get up here has extremely gushy hosts and ads, so am losing interest. 

Have a good day all.

Wendyb - I'm so jealous as I love it round there!!

It looks like Phoebe's chosen a very well guarded nest with those needle sharp looking thorns on the branches.

Trish2; Don't be too jealous as the snow and ice the last 4 weeks has irritating to say the least and so soon after last winter...under10 months between the 2. The worst we have had in 9 years and as it is such a great place to be the cabin fever weeks are worth it...I think.

Happy New Year to all and to everyone!!! 

Unknown said:

The national network we get up here has extremely gushy hosts and ads, so am losing interest. 

Annette: The Science Channel is having a marathon of the Morgan Freeman's Through the Wormhole program this afternoon. Really, really good. I recommend it.

Will catch up with everyone later today. Must start the New Year out right and get some work done. Need to set the tone for the rest of the year!

For the Scots: "A guid New Year to ane an` a` and mony may ye see!" and "Lang may yer lum reek!"

Edit: Hey, Caerann, good to see you!!! Happy New Year, neighbor!

Caerann! Great to see you again, how's work?

Alan, congrats on the waxwings, an excellent start to the year.

Gary...how many times do we have to tell you, we don't want pics of cute little puppies! (Ok, I'm lying.)

Lindy, I have just started reading Return of the Osprey (hmm, was that it? can't be bothered to go upstairs to check).  Reads very well.

Happy New Year, everyone.  Got the bikes out today and did a little over 10 miles - haven't been out for a few weeks, what with icy roads, then being back at work when it thawed, must try to get rid of a extra stone or two now :(  (and I'm not lying...). 

Hello one and all and a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU.  I wish you all health and happiness in 2011 and another coaster roller of an osprey season.  Again, so much to read and so many responses to be made, but I will be brief.

I see there was a chat about egg and chips.  My OH usually chooses ham, egg and chips for a pub lunch.  The ham must be cold and not hot gammon.  We too enjoy baked beans - but usually with sausage, mash and onion gravy!  OH is currently preparing out pizza dinner.  We have a pizza oven, but for the two of us it is easier to use the Aga.

The wedding was lovely.  My nephew surpassed himself with his speech and even managed to move himself almost to tears (sentimental rather than laughter) at one point.  Given that he plays rugby, is a farmer and had a lot of his male friends there, I thought that was some mean feat!  The colour theme was unusual: black and white.  Easy for the men in their DJs, and for a lot of the women, but what I wasn't expecting was the barn lined in black material for the ceiling which carried small white lights, white along the walls, white dance area and black carpet tiles for the dining area.  Black candelabra held white candles.  The cake was cubes in black and white.  The tables were white with black runners.  But is all looked splendid.  Given that the wedding was at 2.00pm I felt we could slip away at 10.00pm rather than wait for 'carriages' at 1.30am!  We got home, had a glass of red before slipping into bed just before midnight.  We could hear the fireworks going off in the distance so we new we had entered 2011.

dibnlib I was interested in your restaurant in Inverness, and comment about the Three Chimneys.  I discovered this wonderful restaurant 1986, visited again in 1989 then more frequently since then.  Their reputation now goes before them, but when they started it was a real little gem of a place.  In those days you could just turn up, but now you have to book for dinner months in advance.

Wonderful that you saw a sea eagle at Vane Farm George.  I have told my friend who lives not far from there  about your experience.  She has yet to see one at that site.

Oh Gary, yet another wonderful photo.

Must go, but will try to come back.  Pizza is ready!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL

Just caught up on all the news.l

Gary - those puppies are growing up and so cute

Alan - so glad you managed to see the waxwings and have just looked at Phoebe's nest and spotted the egg - well done her - at least its not windy like it was the other day.

Annette - OH bought me a laptop last Christmas with Windows 7 installed, still getting used to it though so good luck with finding out what it can do.

Spent the day reasonably quietly, although took OH and Son to rugby this afternoon and Dau# and self went to see Narnia - The Dawn Treader .