Weekly Chat, Sunday 8 May 2011

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers. I hope you all have a great day.

Do check back to last week's chat for OG's gorgeous wildflower garden pics And Lynette's pics of Dunedin & Hampton eaglets.

Linda - I love your pics of Tatton Park, especially autumn.

Alan  -24 handbags!!!! Must be related to our Dau#2 who collects shoes & handbags. Me, I have one all-purpose go-everywhere shoulder bag. Plus the gold one OH gave me decades ago and saw the light of day at the weddings.

Brenda, Linda, Lynette, Joan, OG - On my first trip o/s I had a list of what to take. It helps remind me not to forget vital things like eye drops, film (nowadays it is memory cards & battery charger!). When I returned I noted what I didn’t use and now I check the amended list, pruning every trip. Why drag excess around? Invariably my room in B&Bs was on 2nd or3 rd floor. Besides I may buy things, such as jumpers - that’s my weakness. Stupid really because I knit them and the wardrobe is bursting. So, OG, I shall choose one of them. And camera almost lives in said all-purpose bag!

Joan - I heard a story of a local teacher who had 7 children in her class named "Amy" but all spelled differently.

  • Annette – thanks for different link to Steve – back to the old .net address I believe.  From the cam page, I can still not get to his blog, but I can now see the April videos, which refused to update on the .com version – I was stuck on 26th March!!  Pleased concert was (mostly) good, and I hope you enjoyed your lake cruise and picnic with Daughter today.

    Wendy – good to have posts from you again.  Seems like your stretch of the Spey is a real Osprey Highway! 

    Lynette – I hope you find the holiday which is just right for you and your OH – I expect choosing is all part of the enjoyment!  I hope he will be well in time for the holiday – and to be able to get the necessary insurance!

     

    We were going shopping at the Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow tomorrow, but have changed it to the Metro Centre in Gateshead, for better weather forecast and easier driving.  Although I prefer to spend our money in Scotland, it probably doesn’t make much difference, as all the businesses are multi-nationals anyway!.  Supposed to be finding something to wear to Grandson’s bloomin’ wedding in July – am pleased that they are getting married, but why can’t they just get wed and tell us after?  Could really do with some practical trousers for normal wear, and forget the dressing up part!

     

    I am not entering the political debate which is developing on here – I’m enough of a cynical old grumpy already, without that!

    Good night!

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Free prescriptions hey, sooner them deal with hospital appointments and waiting lists.We pay for our medcines south of the border, well if you're not a pensioner or don't have an illness that is exempt from charges (mind you you have to apply for a special card). Potholes abound but I saw in Northampton the other day that they are trying to patch them up!!!!!!!!!   As for NHS dentists, they are still around as we both go to one in town. Only go once a year and then obviously have to pay for treatment etc. Lets hope none of the countries go independent, it would be a shame to break up the British Isles into separate countries as such. Sorry, hope I'm not being controversial here. Its nice to have separate identities but not split from the whole!!!

    Enough spouting, I'll get myself into trouble if I'm not careful.

    Evening pics of chicks at Hilton Head and the Eaglets at Norfolk.

  • Look at this! I just saw this story on my local news and had to post it here. I was surprised by the hawks' behavior. I guess I would have expected them to give warning first, instead of attacking so fiercely. I wonder if the guy deliberately or accidentally did something to provoke them? Has anyone else ever heard of this type of attack by red-tailed hawks?

    http://in.news.yahoo.com/video/bostonwbz-15750588/man-gets-15-stitches-from-hawk-attack-at-tufts-25162026.html

    Let me know if this video doesn't work for folks in the UK, and I'll find another link.

  • Diane: That's an amazing story!  Hard hat time at Tufts University - and protective glasses too; that guy could've lost his eye.  I've never seen warning signs like those before.....

    Lynette: Thanks for the pic of the eaglets.

    Day unwound totally not according to plan.  Weather turned gray and cool and blustery and turned even blusterier (!!??) as the day progressed. Rather than tough it out by the lake (where someone in a kayak was rescued late in the  morning after having been blown all around the lake), daughter and I high-tailed it to our favorite eatery where I indulged in Danish pancakes with strawberries, bananas and whipped cream!  Yum!  Headed home, but had to stop for gas round the corner from her house where I found I'd left my handbag at her place; went back there only to have neighbor tell me daughter had just jumped in the car with my bag, thinking she'd catch me before I got too far. My cell phone was in my bag, so had to borrow neighbor's but of course daughter was driving and had turned hers off and ignored my phone, which I also tried to call.  She finally got to our house while I was still waiting at hers!  What a mix up. We ended up meeting halfway for a good laugh and to hand over my bag. Called g'daughter to wish her Happy first ever Mother's Day - she was really excited to be part of the "club."  Anyway, OH and I had picnic goodies for dinner and have just finished stuffing down a chocolate eclair!

     

  • Unknown said:

    Look at this! I just saw this story on my local news and had to post it here. I was surprised by the hawks' behavior. I guess I would have expected them to give warning first, instead of attacking so fiercely. I wonder if the guy deliberately or accidentally did something to provoke them? Has anyone else ever heard of this type of attack by red-tailed hawks?

    Diane - Aussie magpies get very territorial at nesting time. Signs in parks warn of "swooping" magpies. I was swooped once - quite scary hearing the clacking beak so close to my head. Hey, pronunciation differences. What are these "harks"? We name them to rhyme with storks!

    Annette - Advice when one is lost is to remain in one place. Don't know if that applies to lost handbags. You could always contact Alan's OH, I believe she may have a spare one or dozen. LOL

    I scored 3 paperbacks for Mother's Day. Today my feet are slightly off the ground, my head is in a little whirl - I collected holiday tickets this morn. Hurry up eggs, you've gotta hatch before I go.

  • Morning Everyone   Here are this weeks Friday Smiles,  mostly just strange pics of things, over the next couple of weeks:

     

    - find it quite surprising that I've not managed to do this one, myself at some time!

  • Lindy - 'tis Monday here!  But thanks anyway!

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

  • Diane – I guess this must be expected behaviour by the Hawks, or they wouldn’t have warning notices – it will have happened before – but maybe not to the point of such injury!

    Annette – sorry your plans had to change – I hope you can re-arrange the lake cruise some other time in better weather, it sounded so good.  Pancakes and fruit sounds good too – but no cream for me.  Handbag incident – another indication that it’s best not to have handbags!

    AQ – now you will have to choose which paperbacks to pack!  Keep those tickets safe!!

     

    Just realised – GSon’s wedding is 1pm in church.  No indication of when we’ll be released after reception, other than Dau mentioned a supper at 9:30pm, so sounds like drinking and dancing till at least 11pm – that’ll be over 10 hours!  Well past my endurance, but we shall have Son with us, so can’t leave early!  Hmm – some plotting and planning needed here!  Invent Something Very Important to do in Glasgow on a Saturday night?  Not a happy thought!

    Ospreys Rule OK, but Goldfinches come a close second!

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    Good morning everyone. Can’t possible reply as I would like today but thanks SO very much for all your great pics and posts.  This is a busy week for me as I go away to Dartmoor this coming Saturday (wonder how Terry is getting on :)   )   And I think Sheila is away shortly too – happy hols and visits to both.

    But must reply to QW – hi there, the weather curtailed my hike somewhat but we got out really locally at a large estate with woods and so on -  only notable sighting was a skylark !!    (right in the middle of Bristol  !!  ).

     Sharon and I curtailed our  hike cos of the weather  (and my exhaustion from work  - much better now thanks , just wish I hadn’t got to work immediately before going away – don’t want to ruin the start of our hol on Dartmoor). Anyway,  we got our food planning done ( I was amazed it took us so long – an hour !!  )  We ended up with two lists – perishables and non perishables so then we went out and shopped for the non perishables.  So far so good. Perishable shopping on Friday and we go Sat am

    Over and out !  hey , what was it Thunder birds used to say ?  How could I forget  ......  Alan

     

  • Unknown said:

    Lindy - 'tis Monday here!  But thanks anyway!

    Thanks for pointing that out, OG!     :-)      Must have the wrong head on my shoulders today!   Lots on my mind, as we have some planning to do ourselves this week, on the business front.

    No time to answer all the above posts except to say, lovely pics of various bobbleheads!    Alan:  My OH enjoyed the football (of course - they won!).  Hope Hamish is OK today.

    Hope the thunder has finished for dear margo and Billie, on her lap!

    Dashing off now!  see you all later!