Weekly Chat, Sunday March 6, 2011

Welcome to another week. Do check back lest you miss the pics of many and varied birds plus a certain Toffee. And lots of news of course. Diane had another thunderstorm.

Diane - Uncontrollable children in olden days. Children were sent out to "service" as young as 10. Of course they ran away, thus breaking "Masters & Servants Act". Probably broke other laws as humans do. There were probationary school from which they also ran away. I found some twigs on my family tree who were regularly in trouble with the law - for playing the wicked game of two-up in pubs! Their 13 year old brother went one better (ahem), he broke into a school.

Patriciat - So sorry your OH has fallen again. Don’t worry about moaning to us. We do understand. I’m sending blue skies and healing thoughts to your house.

Our spring bulbs are appearing - confused by the unseasonal rain a few weeks ago. Poor things, there’s another possible 3 weeks of hot weather (34C so far today) and winter rains are not usual until May.

Whoo hoo. Less than 3 weeks to OR Day (Osprey Return day). I wonder what soap opera saga they have for us this year!

  • Finally got news of OHs relatives in Christchurch. Didn't realise that a second cousin lives there and she sent a long E-mail telling us exactly what happened, incuding the fact that they could stand up and water supply was cut off. Luckily her brothers water was on so they drove there with buckets and bottles to stock up. The houses are quite badly damaged but the families are ok. Other cousin had to do a lot of reorganising as his daughter is getting married in a few days time and the venue has had to be changed!

  • Afternoon all .... cloudy and dull first thing, but it is sunny and warm now ... I feel a spot of gardening coming on!

    tiger - great to see you around again (and Chloe too!). You have my sympathy with the gall stones ... I had problems a few years ago and waited nearly a year for my op, with several very painful attacks. Not a pleasant experience!

    Alan - fantastic news about Roy's Beatrice .... very exciting. Thanks for the Worcester peregrine link ... great camera views!

    gary - sorry to hear about your OH's work problems ... but a gorgeous pic of Miss Toffee ... I just need to give her a cuddle :-)))

    patriciat - so sorry about your OH falling again ... I hope he didn't hurt himself. Feel free to moan as much as you like ... its a great place to lett off steam, and everyone is so helpful. Did the OT suggest any help for you or your OH?

    Lynette - great pics you have been posting. That GHO looks very wet and miserable. I saw the barn owl in the nest box last night ... and at the same time there was another on the tray outside!

    auntie - glad your winter conditions are improving. Thanks for the owl pic link ... its lovely!

    Diane - pleased you survived your storm ... and as you say, the house has been surviving a long time! I was pleased to see two owls in the barn last night ... fingers crossed. :-))

    OG - I hope you enjoyed your new minister being 'preached in' ... but perhaps the Green Market was more enjoyable!!

    Thanks to everyone else I haven't mentioned ... this is becoming a bit long!

    Oh dear ... the sunshine is showing up all the things I have neglected ... must do somehing about it now :-(

    Take care.

    Joan - avid bird and nature watcher in Northumberland!

    Index Thread

     

  • dibnlib thanks for the update on OH's relatives.  So pleased that the familes are OK but what an upheaval for them especially with a wedding due. 

    Margobird

  • Hi margobird - I forgot to say I chuckled at you and Billy Whizz having a chat!! I am one of those who talks to the birds outside as well .... don't know what the neighbours think :-))

    Joan - avid bird and nature watcher in Northumberland!

    Index Thread

     

  • I think it's the people who do not talk to animals and birds who are a bit odd! I must admit to thanking the whole in the wall when it spits my money out. Maybe that is taking good manners a bit far. Dillon loves being talked to. He wags his tail when you give him a cuddle and the tail speeds up when you talk to him aswell.

  • Annette  There was a very severe hurricane in the Carribean last autumn and a lot of the tracked birds were lost in it. Thus by extrapolation it is assumed that a lot of other birds were lost too. However it helped some birds too. A young bird called Belle flew the journed from New England to South America in only seven days. I would now have believed this to be possible. She also took the most extreme route I have ever seen.

    Alan   Thank you.

    Margobird  Yes the gallstone problem was not pleasant. The worrying thing is that I could still have been undiagnosed. Ever since I had my first attack back in April 2008 I been telling my GP that I had gallstones yet they did not believe me. It was only in July 2010 when I presented a diary of  eight attacks did they agree to send for a scan in August. The scan showed that I had lots of stones so it was then it was full steam ahead to have them removed. It still took five months, a period which I managed to avoid any further attacks. However It was still quite a strain knowing that an attack could happen at any time.

    DjoanS     Yes a gallstone attack is not pleasant. Fortunately my attacks were not as severe as some people report. Mind you that only made the doctors sceptical that I had gallstones.

    dibnlib Nice to see you again. I hope Dillon is still doing well. It must have been worrying wondering about your relatives in the Christchurch earthquake.

     

  • Osprey at Hilton Head:

    Liverpool 2 Man U. 0 at half time. Quite a scrap but good result so far.

  • Diane, glad you are still "standing" and the house is doing OK. It seems never ending, the weather

    AQ, thanks for starting us off. Interesting to read about your bulbs.

    Annette, hope you got some well earned sleep and don't do too much in the garden.

    Auntie, sorry about your weather. We still have plenty of snow but the temps are moderating, which is nice

    Alan, thanks for the news about Beatrice. Great news. Thanks for the capture as well.

    Margobird, hope your fingers have recovered.! Thanks for the thoughts about the OH. Things are much better there thanks.

    Dibnlib. Glad your relatives are OK in NZ. What a shock for then. You are right, she is Toffee coloured:)

    Joan, anytime you're this way, feel free to drop in for a cuddle with TT...lol

    Quietish day here, not much to report. Arranged for a fence to be put around part of the garden so we can let Toffee out without us worrying. She and OH had a trip to one pet store yesterday and it took them 1.5hours to get in and out.

  • Osprey on the Panama City cam:

  • Afternoon i have just booked our holiday