Weekly Chat, Sunday March 13, 2011

Thanks OG for your easy to understand description of your solar panels. I am a complete technophobe as you might have guessed!!

I'm a bit busy here with visitors from Denmark, old friends and just like family. They got through the A9 with minutes to spare last Sunday evening, the first words they said upon arrival were 'That road will be closed for sure by now, we were lucky to make it '. I had been texting them all day with updates - texting is about the limit of my skills with a mobile phone which is why I cling on to my old faithful phone and dread the day that it gives up the ghost. Anyway, they had the offer of a bed in Edinburgh from our eldest, but decided to carry on. They were darned lucky that they didn't have to spend a few hours in their car in the Aviemore area.

The vikings leave tomorrow morning and then OH and I are off to Elgin to collect our youngest and her two children, staying here for the weekend. Her OH is in RAF and away just now. Then next Tuesday 22nd I am off to Brittany to stay with my brother for a week. They have no internet connection yet so I will probably miss something very important either at LG or LotL. Typical. Just when I am comfortable with being back on this site with you all but not quite as addicted as previously, I will suffer withdrawals and do exactly what I used to do before - check the nest and catch up with whats doing with you all as soon as get home from anywhere! (Even from Tesco)

Take care all -

 

1st osprey  of the season spotted on the Blackwater cam:

http://www.friendsofblackwater.org/camhtm.html

 

Goodf afternoon all now back and have just manated to catch up with all the postings, my word it has been busy and our ospreys are not back yet.

Have just been watching the news which is so awful at the moment.  What a massive tragedy the Japan earthquake and Tsunami is turning out to be.  So many people already confirmed dead and so many more still missing.  The radiation threat seems to be very worrying now although when it first happened the powers that be said there was no need to worry, everything was under control.  I must admit from the reporting by the various news agencies most of them shared my concerns about a radiation leak.

 

First of all A very Happy Birthday to Eagle Owl.  Hope you have a nice day.

 

Annette sorry you have not been feeling too good, hope you are a little better now.  Very sad story about the young photographer who died.

 

Alan thanks for the link to the Shandy Point osprey cam.  I also liked the happy story of the eagle.  Pleased to see that Hamish is doing well.  Lovely captures of the bobbleheads (what a good description) and how gentle the female is when she is feeding them.  These two are very experienced  parents as a rule so hopefully the smaller ones will get enough food as in past years.

Patriciat so sorry you are feeling so ill.  Life is so tough for you but hope you will start to improve soon.  I do hope that suggestions made by the OT will give you and your OH a little help.

 

ALICAT so pleased you have been successful with your fish.

Lynette thanks for all your captures and for the names of Phoebe's 2 chicks.

 

original goldfinch hope you son will be better soon as it must be such a worry for you and probably making you feel a little under the weather.  Glad to hear the solar panel saga is now coming to an end hopefully.

 

Diane lovely Monday smile.  Like you I worry about the loss of wildlife but the loss n human life is just awful.  How I feel for those poor people who have lost so much and their lives will never be the same again.  Love the card you did for Eagle Owl.

 

dibnlib well done on your longest walk, that must make you feel better.  Must have been so worrying for your godmother's family out in Japan but pleased to hear they are safe.  The after shocks must be so frightening for them and now they have extremely cold weather and snow to contend with.

 

DjoanS beautiful photos of Whitley Bay and St Mary's Island, well worth taking a detour for.

 

george g saw your posting about walking Diesel in the rain again but read on to find you actually had a dry walk now.  Sounds as though things are really going well between you.

 

Heron nice to see you nagged the bad weather away, I will have to try that.  Nice reminder of LG too.  Hope the snow has gone for you now.  I think you and I should start a starling and sparrow appreciation society.  I get endless amusement especially with the starlings.  Having said that I have not seen any starlings since we came back yesterday. I did leave plenty of food in hanging feeders but I think they might be a bit miffed with me for not leaving their worms for them.

 

Tiger thanks for the dog links.  It made me tearful to watch the dog being so faithful to his friend and I don't suppose we will ever know what happened to them both.  Just proves how much loyalty dogs have.

 

ALICAT thaniks for the Phoebe's chicks names.  Must try and have a look later.

 

Chloe very nice pics fo the amarylisis, what a glorious colour.

 

WendyB I guessed you would have a lot of snow but see from a later post that you made it to Bath OK to see your daughter and hopefully some retail therapy.

 

auntie  you do live a busy life but nice to see you when you have time to pop in and thanks for the links to the eagle owl and wonderful pictures of them.

 

BrendaH in a way I wish I hadn't looked at the dog links, made me feel terribly sad but the loss of life in general is just awful and getting worse all the time.

 

HeatherB so pleased you have enjoyed the visit from your friends.  What a shame you have to go to Brittany just when we are expecting EJ back.  Have a good trip anyway and take care.

 

Welcome back Jay-Me now is the time we are all on tenterhooks waiting for the return of our beloved ospreys.

 

I know I have missed people out but hope you are all well.

margobird said:

Tiger thanks for the dog links.  It made me tearful to watch the dog being so faithful to his friend and I don't suppose we will ever know what happened to them both.  Just proves how much loyalty dogs have.

BrendaH in a way I wish I hadn't looked at the dog links, made me feel terribly sad but the loss of life in general is just awful and getting worse all the time.

Margo and Brenda: CNN and the UK Telegraph have reported that both dogs were rescued. The more seriously injured dog is being treated at a clinic in the city of Mito. The protective spaniel dog is also in Mito, being cared for at a shelter there. The reporters were actually very upset about the dogs. The protective dog wouldn't let them approach. Help was called to safely collect them and take them to the clinic. You can read a translation of the reporters' dialogue here, if you're interested. http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/dog-in-japan-stays-by-the-side-of-its-ailing-friend-in-the-rubble   I saw the update on the dogs on CNN last night. That's why I knew about their rescue. Just thought you all might want to know.

 

Back again with news of our Italian break which didn't turn out how we had hoped.  Was looking forward to telling you all about the carnival but it didin't happen due to appalling weather conditions.  Heavy rain and high winds forced them to cancel the parade.  As some of the floats are as high as a 3 storey hotel it was too unsafe for them to have the event.  It rained from Saturday evening right round to Monday morning.  We had expected it to be cold but were not expecing such heavy rain.  Did go for a walk for a while but umbrellas were useless with the wind being so high. 

 

Thought that was so disappointing but there was more to come.  During Sunday I noticed my throat was getting rather sore and when I woke up Monday morning I felt terrible.  Thumping headache, hardly able to speak and a dreadful cough.  Managed to drag myself out of bed and went to Lucca for a visit when the sun did shine and it was a lot warmer.  Could only manage half a day there and had to come back and go back to bed.  Got up and went to dinner but couldn't eat very much at all and was in bed very early.  Managed another trip out on Tuesday morning but it started to rain heavily again and we came back to the hotel where I was just pleased to go back to bed until evening meal which again did not tempt me.  Such a shame as I so love Italian food.  OH went down with a head cold on Monday evening but didn't get the sore throat or cough and pounding headache.  I think in total we had about 8 hours of dry weather.  Our flight back wasn;t until 2.00 their time and ethat was an hour late taking off.  Wouldn't worry me normally but I just wanted to get back home.  The drive back from Gatwick during rush hour was just awful.  It took us over an hour to travel just a couple of miles.  As is often the case we could not see any reason for it.  We got back just after 7.00 and I didn't even unpack my case, just got something together for OH to eat and then went to bed.  Still feeling awful but OH went back to work and says he is feeling lots better.  He is up in London on a course this afternoon and then on to see a client afterwards so I imagine he is going to feel so tired when he gets in tonight.  Apart from from starting the washing I have done very little but did manage to unpack.  We were so disappointed that we didn't get to see the carnival but felt terribly sorry for the people of Viareggio who put so much into this every year.  Apparently this is only the second time it has had to be cancelled.  They are going to do it next Sunday weather permitting.    Felt so sorry for all the people who came in coaches, buses and cars from surrounding towns and villages for whom this is a great event. 

 

Sorry for such a miserable post but one thing that did make us smile was that as we cane into the drive last evening Billy was there to welcome us back.  He has been around a lot this morning with his little friend Jess taking in the sun which came out eventually.  Had worried that he might have deserted us.  The birds seem miffed with me although I did leave plenty of hanging feeders out for them.  The starlings most unusually have not made an appearence yet but I am sure they will cotton on soon that their favourite worms are out there for them.

 

Have got Lily's cam on at the moment and think it is Jason that is very active and looking as though he is trying to make a break for freedeom.  What a little sweeheart Hope is helping Lily out with their care. 

Dianer thanks so much for the news about the dogs.  Those pictures are the sort that stay in mind long after the event.  A l.ittle miracle amid all the carnage.

Just had a look at the webcam ... THE NEST IS ON !!! ... don't know if this is permanent yet though!

margobird - so sorry to read that your Italian trip was a wash-out and that you and your OH were poorly. Look after yourself ... hugs from me :-)