Weekly Chat, Sunday 24 April 2011

OG do you hear the result of the photographic competition today?  If so, GOOD LUCK!!

Good morning all and it is another sunny day here but temperature has definitely dropped, quite a cool wind blowing.  Still no rain in sight and we really could do with some now, lawns looking really parched now.  Had terrible problems accessing any chat this morning, it has taken nearly 2 hours to get in.  Have not looked since Saturday morning so just caught up with everything now.

Happy Birthday AQ hope you have a wonderful day.

 

auntie thanks for the eagle owl picture, really lovely birds.

 

Alan hope Hamish's limp is better and perhaps you will have found out what the cause was.  Thanks also for the Golden Eagle link and the capture.

 

Gary  good to see you will be visiting LG later this year, what a shame I will not be there at that time, it would have been good to meet you.

 

Annette  was sorry to read that your daughter had to give Miss Molly up, that must have been so difficult for her to do.

 

dibnlib I wish you and your OH a very Happy Anniversary, hope you enjoy your meal. Good eto hear that you saw dolphins.  Thank you for your kind words for my sister and our family, it is going to be hard but we have accepted how she feels.  Was pleased to see that OH's Aunt's flat has at last been sold, 15 months is a long time.  Pleased that dentist work has been finished but the downside is the bill.

 

oringinal goldfinch thanks for your holiday round up and for all the wonderful photographs.  Sounds as though you had a really good time.

 

Lindybird thanks for the Easter card and the Monday Smiles.  Hope your medication is kicking in now and helping with your problem.

 

CholeB thanks for the Easter Egg card, very good.

 

Diane have been watching some of the awful weather there has been for you.  Hope you do not have any flodding or damage to your property.  At the moment it sounds never ending for you.

 

TerryM sounds as though you are enjoying Bassenthwaite duties although a bit of a shame that the weather did not stay good for both days.

 

WendyB you must be relieved that all the decorating is now completed and you can enjoy what has been done.

 

Heather B pleased you enjoyed your narrow boat holiday.  I spent a week on the Norfolk Broads many years ago and ti found it to be a most relaxing holiday.

 

We had a very busy weekend.  Saturday night we went to the usual marathon of what is the Ken Dodd show.  It started at 7.00 and finished at 12.30.  He had a couple of support acts which in total lasted about 40 minutes but he was on stage for the rest of the time.  Goodness knows how he does it as he is 84 now but I wish I had his energy.  Didn't get to bed until after 1.15 and then up quite early Sunday morning and spent the whole day in the garden.  It was very hot out there but with my big sun hat on  and plenty of sun screen I managed to stay out most of the day.  In the evening we met up with a couple of friends from London who had were having a few days in a hotel down here and had a couple of drinks.  Monday morning we were up fairly early again because new fridge freezer was being delivered between 10.30 and 2.30 so we had to empye everything out into cool boxes with ice packs in.  It was delivered at about 1.30 and then had to leave it for 4 hours before plugging in so the gases could settle.  In the meantime did a lot more work in the garden until we could load the fridge and freezer up again.  Our old one managed to limp along on fast freeze and the only thing we lost was half a loaf of bread so considered ourselves very lucky.  By the time I cooked dinner last night I was absolutely shattered.  Still lots to do in the garden but we made a big hole in all the jobs we wanted to do.

 

Left the doors open for Billie to come in but she goes and buries herself under a plant in the front garden, you wouldn't know she is even there she is so well hidden.  She didn't come in oever the weekend at all and seems quite happy to spend her time outside at the moment.  She follows OH around now ever since he gave her some of the treats he got for her.  Didn't realise she would like them so much and we will be getting more for her this weekend.  I am not to worried about her being out all night during the summer but hopefully when winter comes she will spend more time indoors with us. 

 

At long last the bungalow next door has been sold and our new neighbours are now decorating it before they move in.  Seem like a very nice couple from the short conversations we have had with them.  Had to warn them about Billie who does like to sit smack bang in the middle of the drive often at night which makes her hard to see sometimes.  She used to be terrified of OH's car when he came in but since she has accepted us we usually have to shift her now.

 

We will be out Thursday night as we are taking a frend out to dinner as a belated 70th birhtday present.  Going to our favourite Italian restuarant which she also likes.  Saturday we are going up to London to meet OH's Mum to take her out for a meal as a late Mother's Day present.  Hopefully we will not have the problem with the trains as we did before.

 

Well I had better stop nattering away now but have a nice day all.

 

 

 

Afternoon all,

Happy birthday AQ.

Well it looks like summer is over. Temp is down to 11c and cloudy at the moment. Looks a lot better in Scotland. Never mind I managed to wash the car this morning for the first time for ages and Lady P got on with houseworkly things.

Still having bother getting on. It is a bit hit and miss. Sometimes it is ok and other times difficult.

Hope everyone has a good day.

Add my good wishes to the others for your Anniversary dibnlib!  Hope you have an enjoyable day.

It much much colder here, after our getting used to the warmer weather lately.  Have put more clothes on, and am keeping moving, doing houseworky things to keep warm.

Annette:  good that you saw whales and their calves again.  Wish I could join you, just for one day!  Sad that your daughter has had to sell Miss Molly - the end of another chapter for them both.

Diane:  More storms and  floods!  Such volatile weather for you lately.  Keep safe.

TerryM:  Glad you enjoyed your time at Bassenthwaite - there is so much to see, you can't fit it all in even over a couple of days, I'm sure.

WendyB:  Good that the decorating is all done, now you can sit back and enjoy the results of your labours. I do find that when we do a room, it makes all the others look shabby, though   ;-)

Heather:  Your narrowboat holiday sounds ideal - and such a relaxing time.  We were offered the chance to borrow my OH's sisters boat a few times, but our dog is such a fool near water, we would have been fishing him out of it all the time!  She loved her boat, but had to sell it in the end as it's upkeep was so high. I find it so peaceful on the water.

OG:   Enjoyed all your pics, especially the 'coos!'

AQ:   Read the pages about the cakes & cheesecakes with my mouth watering!  -  Don't know how you could choose just one!

auntie  - glad its warm for you and that you were able to relax on your days off.  Thanks for news of your Ospreys.

Sheila:  Thanks for the link to read about auntie's Eagles Owlet article. They are soo gorgeous!

margo:   Knew you would enjoy Ken Dodd - how he does it at his age, as you say, I'll never know.  He must be kept going by the fact that he loves his work so much.  Happy to hear that your new fridge freezer arrived and is working away for you.   What a lot of disruption for you on a holiday weekend.  As you said, these things always happen when its the most inconvenient. Thanks too, for news of the lovely Billie - she seems to be making a home for herself with you, now.

 

We have had a really pleasant weekend break, at home, due mostly to the lovely weather. Our Eldest and Girlfriend came for a BBQ on Sunday, at lunchtime, and the sun came out as they arrived after a cloudy morning, when we wondered if we would have to sit indoors.  We were able to sit out in the garden and stuff ourselves with all sorts of naughty foods:  OH cooked on the BBQ and I provided the salads etc. as usual, and then we had home made chocolate mousse and/ or tropical fruit salad. The sun beamed down throughout out so we were able to stay on in the garden all afternoon, drinking tea & cold drinks and saying how we 'could not eat any more that day!' - though of course we managed a little sandwich at teatime followed by some Easter chocolates.

Youngest rang from his in-laws house to say that they had done the same in the South of England, and that little Sweetpea was being passed around, wreathed in milky smiles for everybody. We are going to visit them next Saturday & swap Easter chocolate etc.

Yesterday, we used the good weather to do lots in the garden, so am quite proud of how tidy it looks now! Also went to visit my Friend who is having her operation today, so she will be glad to get that over with.  She is looking forward to there being a Street party in her village on Friday for the Royal Wedding, so I have lent them a large Union Jack flag to fly at their doorway.

I should point out to those not in the UK, that there is quite an unusual thing happening here, - as we have just had Easter, with its 4 day break,  & now that the Royal Wedding is happening on Friday and the following Monday is the May Day Bank Holiday too, some people are taking a 3 day holiday in between the two to make an enormous 11 day holiday!!!   All this time off is unprecedented here, and of course some businesses are saying they can't cope...  don't know why they arranged the Royal Wedding so early in the year as this has caused a lot of disruption.  Having said that, I shall be watching on Friday with my flags out at the windows.

A couple of pics of our resident male blackbird taken today:

 

Thanks Alan what a handsome blackbird.

Good afternoon Lindybird sounds like you had a perfect weekend and now looking forward to seeing Sweet Pea next Saturday.  It was very hot here in the South.  They were saying on the local news that there wasn't a bed to be found in the hotels here.  Like you we spent 2 days in the garden and today I feel quite stiff and my fingers are covered in cuts as I can't wear gloves to do gardening, they seem to hamper me.  My OH is working as they have not been given the day off but I will be watching because I just love the pageantry of it all.  There isn't another country in the world that can do it like this country.  Just hope the weather will be good for them.  It is going to be cooler which will be a blessing for the soldiers especially the Guards. 

 

Hope your friend gets on OK with her op today.  She must be thinking that she will be glad when this one is over. 

2 hatches for Aloa & Falcao:
http://www.birdcam.it/index.php?act=cam&cam=37