Morning all: Much ballyhooed snow didn't materialize, we had a sunny day but very cold tonight with temps just below freezing. Spent the first couple of hours today online with Dell Tech Support after a website I clicked on (via Google) delivered a spyware program disguised as an anti-virus program (one of those things that suddenly lights up your desktop with alarming messages about threats to your computer). I ignored it and immediately launched McAffee to scan my computer, which found nothing. However, the spyware program (called Internet Security Essentials) wouldn't go away until Dell's remote support took over and did a super-scan and clean up (LOVE that service! So glad I signed up for it!)
Trish: They said it will take a while for the autopsies on the dolphins. Glad your OH remembered his training and sat still, even if Mia forgot!
Diane: Have never heard of the Nevada Triangle. Will certainly keekp an eye out for the program - we're watching DVD of The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest right now. The UK is (it's rumored) is warmed by the Gulf Stream, which perhaps accounts for the daffodils, etc., while you're still dealing with weather from what I believe is called the Canadian Shield...
AQ: Our plants are in danger of drowning right now; have moved some of the potted plants under the eaves to protect them from any frost.
Lindybird: Had big laugh at image of you scraping your pizza off the floor - I'm a firm believer in keeping our immune systems challenged!! :-)) I shall be tuned in to the Oscars from the silly "red-carpet arrivals" pre-show all the way to the final curtain call, although I must confess to shouting a lot at the telly during the entire show. I think The King's Speech will do OK; Colin Firth was nominated last year for A Single Man but didn't get it; think he stands a good chance this time round (and if he doesn't get it, you'll hear me yelling at the telly all the way to the UK)!!
Margobird: Your sister sounds like a real gem.
OG: So glad you had a chance to make various plans with son.
dibnlib: "My fried egg has landed upside down on the floor?" Maybe that happens a lot in Russia? :-))
Hi to all I missed. Have a lovely Sunday!
Ghastly awful bald eagle story. Our ecological balance is clearly out of whack, and our environment is failing.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/02/24/bc-starving-eagles-dump.html
Annette – thanks for starting our new week. Glad it didn’t snow – but sorry about the low temps – hope your new plants will be okay. Pleased you got the laptop “cleaned” by Dell support. Our little bit of the UK is definitely warmed by the Gulf Stream – it comes across the Atlantic and a good bit of it comes up our Solway Firth (estuary) as it passes up the west coast of Scotland. But how long it will do this is debatable because the whole world system of currents is shifting due to climate change.
Diane – really awful about the BC Eagles – poor fish run probably due to human action somewhere down the line – we are killing our seas.
Not a happy pair of thoughts there, but sadly the world is not a happy place right now! Too many humans spoiling it - ecologically, economically and socially.
Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!
Good morning to everyone. Pleasant weather here at the mo. OH took Dillon before he went to work at 0700. I am still nervous of taking him on my own. I did on Wednesday and sure enough he took off through the area in the woods where they have been felling and which was blocked off leaving me to struggle round barriers and over very uneven ground where the forestry had been. Someone eventually apprehended him for me, but it really spoiled the walk as he got to the carpark and too near the road for my liking. He always seems to know when I am less able and then plays me up. Think I will wait till after church and then go a different route. The forestry are slowly reinstating the walks after extensive work but it will take a while yet before thigs are back to normal.
Here's an interesting mystery to begin your new week. Well, I thought it was interesting, anyway. :-) Skip this post if you don't care. :-)))
First, a couple of facts that you may already know.
(1) On New Year's Eve, just before midnight, 5,000 red-winged blackbirds fell from the sky -- dead of blunt force trauma -- in the town of Beebe, Arkansas.
(2) At the same time, a massive fish kill was in progress. 100,000+ Drum fish died on the Arkansas River near the town of Ozark, Arkansas. Ozark is about 125 miles west of Beebe.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/killed-thousands-black-birds-hundreds-thousands-drum-fish/story?id=12529390
Here's where it gets mysterious. Right smack in the middle of this same area -- between Beebe and Ozark -- lies Faulkner County, Arkansas, which includes the towns of Guy and Greenbrier. These two towns are the center of a phenomenal earthquake swarm. Those poor folks have had 838 small earthquakes since the beginning of September!!! They experienced 60 earthquakes just last week. Granted, these are very small quakes, although they are getting bigger. They had a 3.4 yesterday, and a 3.5 the day before. You can see the full, massive list here: http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recenteqs/Maps/92-35_full.html
Indiana isn't all that far from Arkansas and we share some fault lines, so our scientists and government officials are a bit concerned. Full story and video here: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/26943255/detail.html
Anyway, I just thought it was fascinating that the bird kill, the fish kill, and the earthquake swarm are all in the same area! Since some of you were interested in the bird kill, I thought you might want to see this followup.
Unknown said: Not a happy pair of thoughts there, but sadly the world is not a happy place right now! Too many humans spoiling it - ecologically, economically and socially.
Absolutely, totally agree with you, OG, my friend!!!
Morning all,
Not read the posts yet but quite pleased this morning that the goldfinches have returned to the feeders. Just took this pic:
Morning, Everyone. Everything beginning with "r" today - that is, Rain, rain, rain again, here... ugh.
Well, we ate the sad dropped-on-the floor pizza and we are still here to tell the tale. Separate from that, my OH sneezed a lot, yesterday and we thought perhaps he had caught something, but he's fine now so I told him that he must have an allergy - a new sensation for him, a it's usually me (I ?) who has all these weird things.
Interesting thoughts from Diane - I have not read all your links yet, so will digest that, later.
Thanks as usual, for starting us up again on a new week, Annette. Glad that Dell sorted you out. You seem to be having some strange weather, yourself.
Drama here last night!!!!! My OH had just climbed the stairs for bed, when I pottered around downstairs, checking Dog's water bowl etc. I tried the handle of the conservatory door, 'just in case' , and something was startled, and moved, outside - the security lights suddenly leapt into life, and the Something ran down the steps from near the door, and onto the lawn!! There he was - a beautiful red fox !!! He paused and stared right at me for several moments, as I yelled upstairs for OH to look out of the window.... We locked eyes and I could see every hair on his lovely coat and huge brush - he was in good condition. How he got into the garden I have no idea, as we have a solid fence down one side, and thick hedges around the other two sides, with a chain link fence against it to keep the Dog in. He disappeared amongst the bushes at the bottom of the garden. We think he has been before, drawn by all the droppings from the bird tables, of course. Sometimes the Dog gets very excited after dark, and must be able to smell him when he visits.
I shall be looking out of the window after dark with a new interest, now!
Those of you who hate household chores and veg preparation in particular, might like this link which I was sent in an email! Enjoy!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=737589792714796009#
Beautiful pic of a Goldfinch, Alan - we were thrilled yesterday, to have at least 8 on our feeders and in the tree, a record for us as the most we usually get is only 3 or 4.
Linda : Lucky you in seeing the fox so close. certainly sounded like it was in good condition.
Started off bright and sunny this morning but clouding over now and showers are forecast. Better go and make the most of the dry weather.
Decorah eagles now have 2 eggs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AB1egw8Swvg&feature=player_embedded#at=14
Dibnlib – I can understand how you feel about walking Dillon on your own, and the forestry activity is obviously making it more difficult for you, especially when he runs ahead over obstacles – maybe you would be better sticking to walks on the lead when OH isn’t available.
Diane – thanks for the links in your post about the bird death and earthquake “coincidence” – that list of tremors is scary! The earth is definitely groaning! I hope you can get this BBC link where you are:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-12534552
I didn’t know these huge aftershocks were still happening in Chile – bigger than the Christchurch quake – what a comparison!
Alan – lovely Goldfinch – pleased you have them back – we were never without, but I am sure that we had northern ones here in winter while ours went south, and now we have our own back, because they are much more regular and in bigger numbers – they certainly don’t seem to have suffered from the cold winter.
Lindy – sorry about the rain with you – very pleasant here, if a little cold. May go in garden, but not quite yet! Lovely to read about your Foxy friend – and that he appears healthy too. Link to Google video didn’t work for me.