Weekly Chat, Sunday 8 May 2011

Margo that's the true dedication that comes to us all - sleeping with Billie to comfort her through a storm.  Do you think you'll be able to get a picture of her soon without frightening her?

Bathroom cleaned, oven cleaned and kitchen floor washed.  I think I might get OH to do the vacuuming when he gets back!  Actually I think I just heard Mia's tag jingling on her harness.  Bet she'll need a bath.

trish 2 hope to be able to get a pic of her but at the moment she is so very suspicious of anything we have have in our hands.  Can see you have been busy this morning, hope Mia enjoyed her walk.

Afternoon All.  Rain?  Well a shower over night I guess, but certainly no downpours or thunder and lightning, sadly.  OH had the hose on the good lawn yesterday.  After he heard the forecast on Friday of a lot of rain yesterday he put a good dose of weed 'n feed on the lawn.  The rain didn't come and his pride and joy was in peril of scorching, thus the hose!  In 'my' bit of garden the grass is so full of weed and moss it doesn't really matter too much!  It's breezy with breaks in the cloud, so any residue of moisture will soon disappear.

What a lot has already been written, so my responses ought in theory be short...  I'm am a natterer at times.

Happy Mother's Day to those of you celebrating it this Sunday.  Enjoy your day, and I hope you are treated well by family and friends!  Lovely Mother's Day rockery card OG - I am not a mother, but I do have very fond memories of my mother who died when I was 21.

OG psychology sounds really interesting, particularly if used in forensics.  A fascinating subject in itself.  I loved Silent Witness a TV series about forensics solving crimes.  Sticky tape stayed on last year when I had a lower back problem, even after daily showers.  It is holding on well at present, but my next appointment is tomorrow so that's fine.  She has booked me in twice next week, with one free session - I think she feels it ought to be much by now, and is aware I am heading north on holiday shortly!  Glad you enjoyed the Science Fair - was it Mayhem?

Diane  how big is the remaining grassy patch?  What with delighted hopping bunnies preventing grass cutting, and those notorious dust bunnies mentioned by other folk, are they taking over bit by bit!  I loved your tale of acting like Tarzan - I can just imagine it.

Lindybird how lovely to have such a beautiful park to take Buzz out for his walk, and he can run without fear of traffic.  Super photos too.

AQ/Diane Cane toads?  The idea sends shivers down my spine.  So many times the introduction of non-indigenous spp from plants to animals has had disastrous consequences.  What, folk actually lick them to get a 'high'.  Ugh, absolutely no way, even if there was the very faint possibility of them turning into a prince!! 

AQ moth holes, oh no.  Most of my clothing is easy care, and man-made fibres rather than wool.  But I did buy an expensive (to me at any rate) coat two Decembers ago, for a wedding.  When I dragged it out of the wardrobe this December for my nephew's wedding I found moth attack on it.  Grrr.  Fortunately I decided it would be hidden by a silk scarf

Alan what a beautiful photos of the Lesser Spotted Eagle, and what a pretty looking bird, most un-eagle like.  A bit like comparing the Honey Buzzard and our common Buzzard.  I hope all goes well for Hamish tomorrow.

DjoanS Good luck with the laptop.  I found the main difference between using the PC and the laptop was the flat keyboard, which I have now got used to.  Even so, there are always differences in positioning of various keys.  Didn't I hear that Sunderland won an important match yesterday?  You must be delighted!

Annette Moles AND Gophers.  That doesn't sound like good news to me.  Your Gophers look a bit like marmots.  Are they in fact the same?  They look rather cute though!! (Sorry!)  We have moles around at home, and the one place my OH has watered regularly is his asparagus.  I guess the damp soil brings the earthworms nearer to the surface and the soil is much more soft, in raised beds, making is to much easier for the moles!  We have used a trap, but it is never successful. 

Trish2  So sorry to hear about your BiL's dog.  It really is heartbreaking when you know that your trip to the vet will be the last time for your animal.  I've done it too.  I hope that Mia has recovered from her visit to the vet too - it sounds an embarrassing time for her!  What a wonderful present for your OH, a super experience for him and one you can enjoy too.  So only seven weeks to your holiday at Nethybridge!  Not long now.

Remember I flagged up the killing of a golden eagle on the North Glenbuchat Estate, in Strathdon, Aberdeenshire at the end of March.  I couldn't believe it when I read that it was the fifth Golden Eagle to be found killed on Scottish estates in the last twelve months.  Police have now revealed that the estate owner is the Marquess of Milford Haven.  Interestingly this title was given to the Mountbatten's, and the current Marquess is the fourth, and he is 484th in line to the succession of the throne.  I sincerely hope he did not issue the order to use the pesticide!!!  The authorities are at least taking this crime seriously  "Yesterday (5 May) Grampian Police, along with officers from the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (SGRPID), carried out a joint operation, which also involved personnel from Tayside Police, National Wildlife Crime Unit, RSPB and SSPCA, at the estate."

Enjoy the remainder of your Sunday everyone.

Gosh, just seen how long my last post was.  Apologies.  Came across this earlier, photos great, reporting poor.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1383944/Fish-menu-majestic-Osprey-dive-bombs-river--lands-whopper.html

Aftermoon all,

Happy Mothers Day to  everyone where it is applicable today.

Thanks for all the chat and pics.

Lady P was at a 'baby shower' yesterday evening. What is a 'baby shower'? Is it a special little shower for a baby or a collective name for a lot of babies?

We had some rain overnight but no thunder or lightning. I have not checked the water butt yet but I doubt if there was enough to fill it. Hamish has managed to get the waterproof cover off his bandage so I had to wait until the pavements were dry so he did not get his bandage wet.

We went to the Van Hage garden centre this morning for a look round. We are not going to do the baskets and bedding plants until we come back from Wales.

Weather is warm with temp around 17c.

Will be watching the big match later as I suspect will Lindas OH. 

Feeding time for the little humbugs at Hilton Head:

Wonderful Alan.  It is so easy to forget how tiny they are when first hatched!

Grand County s ospreys have returned:

http://www.skyhidailynews.com/article/20110508/COLUMNISTS/110509946/1079&ParentProfile=1067

Osprey family set up home near hotel:

http://www.globaltoronto.com/Osprey+family+home+near+hotel/4742591/story.html

Lindy – the rockery in the “card” picture was in the same “cottage and wild” garden.

Trish – that sounds an “interesting” trip upstairs with cleaning things and yoghourt!!

Sheila – rain has done its stuff with the weed & feed on our front grass – now, would it please stop as we would like to mow and scarify fairly soon!!  Right about the Science Fair “Mayhem” day!”  I think all landowners should be named in reporting poisoning incidents – naming and shaming them just might make them more vigilant about what is happening on their patch.  Lovely pics in the Osprey article, but as you say very poor reporting.

Alan – could you not give Hamish a temporary plastic bag over his foot, just for walking purposes?  I hope all is well at the vet’s tomorrow.

After we went to Wigtown last Sunday, we went to see the Ospreys at Threave Castle:

We had my large scooter with us because of the distance from the parking.  Approaching the Castle, the well-surfaced path rises onto a roughly 3-4 metre high levée.  This is because the fast-flowing River Dee is part of the Galloway Hydro-electric system, collecting water from South Ayrshire and West Galloway and passing through seven turbine sets (so it is used seven times over to generate power).  The river runs out of Loch Ken, and when the sluices are open higher up it can easily flood.  The Castle and Osprey nest are on an island in the river, and the concrete path goes to the ferry where you ring a bell on the lower landing stage to be ferried over to visit the castle.  After this point, the levee path becomes narrow and rough, so I had to park up and walk to the Osprey viewing platform, which is built out from the levée over the river bank – not an easy walk when unsteady on one’s feet, but I managed it, and there are bushes and trees to catch if you stumble!

Mrs Osprey was at home, and Black80 soon appeared:

He seemed to be carrying a small catch:

However, he didn’t take it to the nest, and she kept watching him:

While we were there, several people came onto the platform and asked if there was anything to see.  None of them seemed to have much patience to watch, and I don’t think they even noticed this Willow Warbler who sang from one Hawthorn bush or another all the time we were there: